CH 31

I couldn’t help but be embarrassed as they suddenly called out for my investment alias. I had chosen it to protect my identity, after all.

‘Why are you looking for me?’

All I did in the name of Lili Arcelle was to invest 8,000 lalit – received from the first antidote sale from the duchess – into the wizard Elby!

“Do you know the name?” Raeyan looked down at me and asked, perhaps feeling that my reaction was unusual.

“I know the name, but….”

It’s me.

However, I couldn’t go announcing that information recklessly until I had a grasp of the situation.

After all, there was speculation that it was a magic tower behind the group that attacked Carlot and I the other day.

I stopped by today for investigative purposes.

‘Let’s get out of here quietly first,’ I decided.

I thought it would be better to avoid exposing my alias without any information. It was when I was sharing my intentions with Raeyan with my eyes– 

“There she is!”

The magic tower employee who helped me at the reception desk earlier pointed at me and shouted out of nowhere.

‘What should I do?’

As soon as I hesitated in my steps, a group of wizards suddenly appeared out of nowhere with pendants belonging to the West Tower on their chest.

Raeyan, who had been standing some distance from me, approached me closely and said, “I will escort you.”

As soon as he finished his words, a flashing blade was gently pulled out of the scabbard.

Schhhring-! 

“Kyaa!!”

Someone’s shrill scream instantly heightened the tension.

It seemed to be the scream of a simple visitor, not an official of the Magic Tower.

‘What is going on?’ I agonized.

The visitors to the tower were mainly customers of the tower investment product, those who came to buy magic products, or, finally, those who wanted to hire a wizard.

In other words, it meant it was patronized by noblemen who were rotting their money and time away. Noblemen who could recognize me.

I had intended for this to be just a short stop anyway, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. Even if there were people who recognized me now, they wouldn’t care much because they would have thought that we stepped forward to see what the uproar was about, just like them. 

However, if I got caught up in a commotion, then the story would be different. I lowered my head as far as I could to cover my face.

If Duke Perdia found out about today’s commotion, he would be at a loss for words.

If it became known that I invested under an alias and was being questioned……..

“Ugh.”

Let’s get out of here for now.

Even while I was in a short agony, the group of wizards from the Tower narrowed their encirclement.

At this rate, I was on the verge of being surrounded.

“Raeyan, let’s jump first.”

At my low whisper, Raeyan silently nodded.

There was only one entrance to the tower that crept ever upward: the door I came through.

It was a place where visitors came and went in a bustle, so the wizards had not reached us yet.

I made eye contact with Raeyan.

We, who could understand each other just by looking at the other’s eyes, ran towards the entrance at the same time.

The inside of the tower quickly became noisy like a marketplace.

“Halt!”

I heard the sound of a magic enchantment starting behind me. It seemed that he was going to cast some kind of magic to hold our feet.

But we reached the doorway first.

Bang-!

The only entrance was blocked.

“Damn it…..”

Losing my escape route in an instant, I looked back at the wizards with a frown.

“Ha…,” after laughing for a short time, I quickly fixed my expression and stared at them.

“What are you doing now?” I said in my coldest voice.

The wizard in front of me trembled at my bleak eyes.

There was nothing more to be bothered about because I was blocked from fleeing and my face would be exposed to the nobles anyway.

‘How dare you touch Elodie Perdia?’

Ever since I remembered the memories of my previous life, I had washed my hands and lived a quiet life, but I can’t believe you’re provoking me.

As I always said, my personality wasn’t that good.

Because in the old days, I was a person who ran amok without hesitation to the point where I dampened the other families’ spirits.

That wasn’t all. Whenever I met Carlot, we growled and fought as if we were going to kill each other with words.

I’ll show you the taste of Perdia’s fist.

That’s it.

I took an aggressive step.  A slow, confident motion.

The group of wizards backed away in unison.

They were so bold when they were chasing, but now whenever I approached, they appeared to run away to the point of it being almost comical. 

At that time, Raeyan, who was silently watching me, asked me quietly, “Should I kill them?”

“I don’t think so, Raeyan.”

Still, there was a bit of reason left.

We didn’t even talk in such a loud voice, but the wizard’s complexions turned white as if they had heard our conversation.

The wizard at the front of the pack approached carefully and finally spoke his business.

“We were in a hurry and committed rudeness. The Master of the Magic Tower is looking for you.”

The owner of the Magic Tower?

The wizard made a very proud face, as if he was conveying unto us a great honor.

The Master of the Magic Tower couldn’t be great to me, since I wasn’t even a wizard in the first place.

When it came to greatness, the Duke of Perdia was even greater.

I am the fake daughter of such a person! If it’s revealed that I’m not his blood, I might die!

‘No, there’s something important left, not given by the tower.’

I looked up at the wizard, who still looked at us like we should feel honored.

“Apologize.”

“Huh?”

“Apologize for your rudeness,” I repeated icily. 

You should apologize for blocking people’s way, pointing fingers, surrounding them, and blocking the exit.

The business of the Magic Tower owner comes after that.

Naturally, there was no way for the wizards to apologize because the people of the tower were arrogant.

Raeyan lifted his sword without a word. Then the wizard pulled back his neck and hurriedly opened his mouth.

“Sorry-”

“That’s not a real apology.”

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”

It was kind of a lame apology, but it was better than not receiving any apology at all. It was because I realized that it was better to receive it like this than just to move on and feel uncomfortable.

Since I didn’t have to be polite to someone who didn’t respect me, I arrogantly crossed my arms and raised my head to the wizards.

“All right, guide me.”

“………”

“Aren’t you going?” I asked again, more haughtily. 

“…….Yes, please follow me.”

It didn’t matter if the West Magic Tower was involved in the last attack.

There were many people who had already seen my face, so whatever happened, it would fall into the ear of the Duke of Perdia.

That’s how Raeyan and I were led up to the top of the tower.

***

There was no one in the drawing room when the door opened.

Raeyan and I sat side by side on the sofa in the empty drawing room, waiting for the master of the Magic Tower to come.

Soon an employee served tea and sweet desserts. Raeyan grabbed my arm as I picked up a macaron.

“It’s better not to eat it. You don’t know what’s in it.”

Whatever was in there…that’s a story that had nothing to do with me.

After gently removing Raeyan’s hand, I bit into the macaron without hesitation.

The sweet taste melting on my tongue filled my mouth.

“It’s okay. I tried it, there is no poison!”

“………”

When Raeyan just stared at me without saying anything, I felt embarrassed for no reason,so I slipped out the macaron I had taken a bite of.

“Do you want some…..?”

“I’m fine.”

Raeyan, who refused coldly, began to speak at length, which was rare.

“As an escort, I want you to please refrain from reckless behavior. I want you to move within a level that you can cope with. Please.”

‘Please’, he said. The pleading in his tone seemed very sincere.

Suddenly, I felt like I had become a huge troublemaker.

‘I don’t remember crashing around recklessly like that.’

On our second meeting, I fell off a cliff, and today I was surrounded by wizards of the West Tower…….

“Hmmm.”

When I thought about it, I had to admit that Raeyan wasn’t just overreacting.

It was my fault.

It was when I was sitting quietly after eating only one solitary, self-reflective macaron…. 

Squeak– 

The door of the drawing room, which was tightly closed, opened. And the person who walked in between them……

“……a little boy?”

He was a cute, dainty, lovely little boy with pink hair. His eyes were bright, light blue, like the clear sky.

Did he hear what I was murmuring quietly? A little boy with wide eyes approached me without hesitation.

“Little boy! I’ve never heard such a rude guest!”

In the blink of an eye, Raeyan stood up and blocked the kid’s advance.

I was surprised at the child’s anger. It was the first time I had ever seen a kid scolding me like that.

“Young man! How dare you stand in my way! Can’t you get out of the way?”

“…..Do you want me to take care of it?” Raeyan glanced back as if asking for my opinion. 

“I don’t think so,” I answered firmly.

A child should be protected. Even if it was a child who rudely screams at the first meeting, Raeyan could not use force.

Raeyan took a step back as if regretting it.

Perhaps more angry at the attitude, the child began to run wild.

“Uh-huh! How dare you want to ‘take care’ of this fella? Do you know who I am while you say such nonsense?”

“A child?”

“I’m not a kid! this fella is Isis, the master of the West Magic Tower!” The pink haired kid with his hands on his waist shouted proudly.

I wondered why a kid came out of nowhere, and it turned out to be the master of the tower.

No wonder.

“Oh……hello?” I greeted him politely because I thought I should treat him as a master as he was so confident.

“Hmm. You speak up right away, you are quite polite.”

‘What is this master?’

He was the type of person I really didn’t want to be close to.

Anyway, little magic lord….

‘In a world where family powers exist and there are reincarnated people (me) who remember their past life, a little boy can be the master of the magic tower.’

It was nothing unusual.

I stood up, dragged Raeyan, who was blocking the front of the tower master, Isis, to sit next to me and immediately asked what he needed.

“So, Isis, the master of the Magic Tower. Why did you call a lowly person like myself?”

“You say that very beautifully. I like it.”

So…why did you call?

As I smiled without saying anything, the master of the tower went to the sofa across from me and sat down.

He was so small that it seemed he was being buried in the cushions. The tower master crossed his legs in a solemn manner.

“Lili Arcelle. Is that your name?”

“In a manner of speaking, great Isis of the magic tower.”

At my words of flattery, the corners of the wizard’s mouth twitched.

“In a manner of speaking? Well, that doesn’t matter. Anyway, I called because I wanted to hear a story about the wizard Elby’s magic tools that you invested in.”

“What are you curious about, great Isis of the magic tower, who is the best in the underworld?”

“It sounds good, but there’s no progress in the conversation when we use such long honorifics – just call me Isis.”

“Yes, Isis.”

That’s too bad. It was fun to flatter you with all kinds of adjectives.

The master of the Magic Tower cleared his throat for a moment and asked while avoiding my gaze.

“Why did you invest?”

“What?”

“Why did you invest? You were the first one to invest in the wizard, Elby.”

I paused for a moment and then answered, “It’s because…..I’m sure that the magic tool will do well.” 

“……really?!”

The master of the tower looked at me with wide opened eyes. I felt like I was going to get a cold sweat from the incredibly passionate gaze.

“Yes, isn’t the magical tool being produced this time a stone that keeps the temperature constant? I thought it was very marketable.”

The master of the tower murmured with a face moved by my words.

“Unbelievable. Everyone said ‘What are you doing by keeping the temperature on a stone or something’, and told me to get rid of useless research and go to work at the magic tower.”

“…..huh?”

“I can’t believe you acknowledged this fella. You’re such a nice person!” 

It seemed that the owner of the magic tower was also the wizard, ‘Elby’.

It seemed that he had no intention of hiding it in the first place. It was only then that I could find out why the owner of the magic tower even mobilized the people of the tower to find the investor who invested in him.

‘It’s just because I was the first person to invest in his self-development.’

I couldn’t be sure yet, but judging from what they’d done so far, it didn’t seem that the west tower had anything to do with the previous attack.

But as the master of the Magic Tower, why don’t you release magic tools under your name?

Seeing my puzzled expression, the tower master gave an answer before I even asked.

“If I release something under my name, it will sell well. However, I really wanted to make a useful magical tool. Something so good that everyone would have to admit it!”

So, it was kind of a test of his product.

I felt sorry to see him so happy, when only I invested.

You’re so small, so shouldn’t I be nice to you? So I started playing along as I knew it.

I made a pondering face and then mused, “How about making that magic tool warm, laying it on the floor and putting a blanket over it? I think sleeping on it in the winter would be the best.”

“…..Are you a genius?”

“On the contrary, if you keep the stone cold and put it in a box, wouldn’t it be able to keep your food cold even in the middle of summer?”

“…..are all of your ideas genius-level ideas?” 

“It could also be used for military purposes.”

“Military….! I hadn’t even thought of that!”

Ondol, refrigerator, fan, air conditioner, etc. As far as I could remember, I poured out everything related to controlling the temperature. 

(T/N: Ondol = Korean floor heating system)

Then the eyes of the tower master changed from ‘oh, look at this’, to ‘this girl is a genius’. 

“You have tremendous talent! Coming up with so many ideas with just one temperature-keeping stone magic tool. Besides, you even recognized the true value of this fella; you have a very good eye.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“And so…..”

After a brief pause, the master of the magic tower exclaimed excitedly.

“Be my assistant!”

“Yes, I decline.”

When I refused at once, the master of the tower widened his eyes as if he could not believe it.

“Why?!”

“I hate being bothered.”

“I’ll treat you well!”

“I refuse.”

“Ah, why!”

The master of the tower slammed the sofa with his fist as if he were going to whine on the floor at any moment.

“I’ll be so good to you! Be my assistant!”

“No, my dream is to be unemployed.”

“Your dreams are the same as this fella, right?! Let’s do well together! Mhh?!”

“I must refuse.”

“Aaaaagh!”

The master of the tower, who screamed and shouted, eventually sat down on the sofa in despair, unable to break my will.

It wasn’t long before he offered a compromise.

“…..Then come and give me advice on my magic tools from time to time.”

“I’ll think about that.”

Not to the extent of not thinking about it, it was completely unexpected luck for me.

In fact, in the original work, after this, all magic tools of wizard Elby are hits.

I never imagined such a windfall to have access to investment information in advance. At this rate, it was worth it coming all the way to the magic tower today.

It was at that time when I was smiling inwardly.

The master of the tower took something out of his pocket and held it out in front of me.

“In that sense, look at this, isn’t that a great invention?”

It was a large jewel engraved with a magic circle, nothing special. I don’t know what it is for, but it looks pretty, so I asked in admiration.

“Yeah, that’s great, What is it for?”

“Tsk, tsk, I have no choice but to tell you since you are curious. It was made to take down Sylvester Perdia. Isn’t that amazing!”

“……..?”

Now, now, hold on.

Who, and what…….?!