I read through the document that Vikram held out for a long time. Seeing many names made me feel indescribable.
‘Is it the impression that many people support what I am trying to do?’
‘Or is it the joy that comes from being able to see the magic tower, which is the heart of Gelon, fall soon?’
I don’t know which one, but a trembling voice came out like a sheep.
“Thank you, Vikram. Thanks to you.”
“No, It’s all thanks to Her Highness, Grand Duchess. It was because of the Jewel that made the wizards think they should leave the Magic Tower.”
Vikram tossed and received the ‘noon’ he took from me.
“Since I showed this in front of the Magic Tower, all the quick-thinking people came to a conclusion. The era of magic that the Magic Tower monopolized has come to an end.”
It was a pleasant evaluation. At the same time, there was a part that I was a little worried about.
“You didn’t promise all these people jobs, right?”
“No.”
“Well, I am sorry. I think you have that idea…”
“I don’t want to see my research fund shared. Oh, Elisha and some other talented people have decided to work in my research team for free.”
“….”
“His Highness Grand Duke Prause is generous with my salary, so I think we can share it.”
“Elisha worked as a cleaner at the Mage Tower, so she can testify. What about the rest of the wizards?”
“I think they would like to go on a trip to use magic and get paid, or get a job with a noble family. Everyone disliked the magic tower because I did what Her Highness the Grand Duchess told me to do.”
Before Vikram left, I begged for one thing.
[“Vikram. If you meet other wizards, will you say, ‘It’s none of my business whether useless people die or are exploited’?”]
[“Well, if you ask me what I think. I’m the type who can’t lie well.”]
[“Hmm. Can’t we just lie and say that we are genuinely concerned about the health and well-being of our fellow wizards who are involved in selling scrolls?”]
He seemed reluctant to the end, but it seemed that he had lied in good faith.
“Wizards who have not proven their genius like me would have known better. Even if they only have vague talents, if they stay in the Magic Tower, they will be a scroll maker for the rest of their life.”
“Vikram. You will never say that again, okay?”
Vikram nodded, promising another white lie.
I told him to go in and rest and I waited for Daniel.
* * *
The wizards’ resistance didn’t last long. Soon after, Daniel returned to his mansion with Luke and the knights.
“Frey. Were you waiting?”
Finding Frey, he quickly shook off the blood of the sword and took off his red-stained jacket. Frey blinked at him, which was getting clear in an instant.
His tireless figure and the rags of the magic tower’s wizards who lost their minds.
‘There is no one like him.’
“Daniel! You did a great job.”
“The Master of the Magic Tower, Anton, didn’t show up until the end, probably because he was trying to cut off his tail.”
Daniel, who was about to say, “It wasn’t that hard,” paused as Frey added.
“Here, I took a rough look at the evidence you handed over to the moving magic circle, and I think this will be enough to bury Anton at the Divine Trial.”
The corners of Daniel’s mouth went up before Frey knew it. The sheer joy he displayed seemed to reach Frey as well.
After briefly biting the people around him, he whispered in a sweet voice.
“Since it’s our anniversary soon, this is my present to you.”
So it was a little condescending without meaning, but Frey’s reaction bothered me a little.
“Anniversary…?”
It was a reaction that she didn’t know what kind of anniversary it was even though there is a ‘wedding anniversary’ next month, which will be the first anniversary of Frey’s becoming Grand Duchess Prause.
‘I’d rather not mention the anniversary.’
There was no way to pick up what had already been said. Daniel only realized the sad truth thanks to his thoughtlessness. There was no wedding anniversary in Frey’s mind.
Upon recognizing that fact, the future of her that he had seen so far disturbed his mind.
In the future, Frey was thinking of leaving the North.
‘Is that future still the same? Or did the future change because I said to forget all the conditions and start over?’
“Daniel? Are you okay?”
“….”
“Don’t overdo it, take a break today.”
‘Imagining her leaving without looking back made me feel like something in my heart was about to collapse.’
It’s all the more to think that there might be another man at the end.
Daniel couldn’t control his strange feelings and let them out impulsively.
“Then you’ll be tired too, so let’s rest together in my room.”
“….”
When Frey didn’t respond, Daniel grabbed her hand as Frey brushed His hair to check His condition.
‘I had felt it before, but Frey’s hand was smaller than I thought.’
The soft texture of the skin in Daniel’s hand made him want to keep touching it.
However, Frey smiled shyly, avoiding Daniel’s darkening gaze.
“No. It will be more comfortable for you to rest alone, as you have done so far.”
“….”
“Then I’m a little tired today too.”
Daniel looked at Frey’s back as he quickly passed away with a rather dazed face.
Since she was not a child, she must have understood what he meant, but Frey did not show any agitation.
‘She must have already forgotten that I am her husband on our wedding anniversary.’
‘She doesn’t even look at me as a man.’
Daniel writing a dirty contract now and separating Vikram wasn’t the only thing to do.
He thinks Frey wasn’t attracted to him at all. Daniel couldn’t admit it.
“Luke.”
“How come you’re not more motivated than when you killed the wizards earlier? Are you a little scared?”
“Tell the butler Baron to stop by soon. I think we need to discuss how to celebrate my first wedding anniversary.”
“It seems like a good decision, Your Highness.”
Luke was convinced when he saw the obsessive eyes staring in the direction the Grand Duchess had disappeared.
‘If it is because of me that the Grand Duchess is not interested in my lord, then the knighthood will be returned.’
Luke looked in the direction Frey had disappeared.
And Frey, who left with a bold step,
‘What is it all of a sudden? Let’s rest together?’
Frey leaned against the wall to support her exhausted body, covering her reddened face with her hands.
* * *
I put down the newspaper I read for a while and thought again.
‘What did Daniel think when he said that?’
My heart tickled when I remembered the large hand that was holding my hand.
I thought overreacting from thinking of the other person all day was something that only happened in the imperial palace, where there were endless assassination attempts and threats.
This feeling is awkward, so I keep freaking out and avoiding it. Even knowing that it’s not the time to be relaxed and worry.
[Start investigation inside the Magic Tower]
[Breaking news! Anton is missing]
‘He missing… What did Gelon do?’
The atmosphere in the capital turned chaotic after securing evidence that the Magic Tower had a deep connection with the Fog of Fall.
Since the Mage Tower was practically nothing more than the private research institute of the Duke of Gelon, there were high voices saying that the Duke of Gelon should be punished as well.
However, the Duke of Gelon is a family that will collapse in public opinion.
“Lina, is Duke Gelon still refusing to be investigated?”
“yes… I’m afraid because the documents we have only have the signature of Anton.”
“It looks like the Magic Tower Master is about to cut off his tail because he worked alone.”
“The Master of the Magic Tower is still missing. As expected, things don’t go smoothly because the opponent is Gelon.”
Lina was right.
Gelon is a family that is said to have more influence than the imperial family in this empire.
Moreover, Tahar, the successor to the imperial family, is his grandson, so it would be difficult to give advice when the emperor changes.
We all know how cruel Gelon can be for a purpose.
‘I don’t know if the owner of the Magic Tower, who is missing, is alive or dead, so I’ll save others.’
The Duke and the Tower Master seemed so close.
I read and re-read the documents stolen from the Mage’s Tower, trying to keep my mind from getting confused.
Wiz and Lina had been doing the same thing for hours.
“Your Highness, Grand Duchess. Don’t worry. If we find out how Gelon tried to use the Fog Of Fall created by the Mage Tower, even the Duke of Gelon won’t be able to cut off his tail.”
“I know. I hope there is at least one line about him among all these materials.”
I couldn’t believe my eyes as I glanced through the document I had been reading without much thought.
[Investigate the whereabouts of the child born on the day of the prophecy.]
[Organize information about the selected children and select and meet the candidates.]
Chosen children born on the day of the prophecy. The more recent documents go, the more frequent the mentions are.
At first, I thought it meant Lydia, but after reading it, it’s not…
‘The underground organization of the Mage Tower was looking for other transcendentalists.’
After turning the last page, I felt like My heart aches.
[Accurately investigate the birth dates of Grand Duke Prause’s out-of-wedlock children.]
‘The grand duke’s out-of-wedlocks? Damon and Arsene?’
Judging by the circumstances, it seemed that the Magic’s Tower was investigating when and where the two children Daniel was protecting were born.
There is only one reason to do this.
“I think they got a sense that Damon and Arsene were transcendentalists at the Magic Tower.”
However, there was one thing they didn’t expect.