Chapter 9
It didn’t even take ten minutes to finish reading all the rejection letters. As always, rejections were short and to the point.
“How should I supplement this?”
I spread out the letters again to find something I could use to improve, but nothing particularly helpful stood out. I clicked my tongue without realizing it.
It reminded me of the distant days of job hunting.
Struggling to pass aptitude tests and interviews, applying to countless companies, getting rejected, and finally landing a job and celebrating.
“I thought that was going to be the last time I ever had to job hunt…”
Getting rejected even after transmigrating into another world? That stings a little!
“Ugh.”
Regardless of how glum I felt, time ticked on mercilessly, and the sky outside the window was already growing dim.
I put the letters back in my bag. If nothing worked out, maybe I’d take them and personally visit the places, begging for an interview.
I could try asking Lady Meliz for help, and maybe it would make getting a job easier, but then she might ask why I was trying to leave the Magic Tower.
‘I can’t exactly say, “Well, it’s awkward being here since I’m not Edel,” can I?’
My current best plan was to find a job on my own, then leave with a proud “I’ll return once I’ve grown more!”
“Right now, I’m basically useless in the Tower.”
I sat down with a gloomy sigh and turned to the side. Even in this room without lighting, the Prince’s profile gleamed as if it had a holy aura.
Scooting closer to the glass chamber, I stared inside.
From the neatly aligned brows to the fluttering lashes, sharp nose, and full red lips—he was a masterpiece.
“You’re lucky, Prince. No job hunting needed.”
But more than that, what I envied most was the golden—no, diamond-studded—path laid before him. Some people were just destined for happy endings with incredible powers!
“I can’t rely on Lady Meliz forever.”
After several nights of staying up writing letters, I was starting to get sleepy again. It wasn’t even bedtime yet.
“Still, independence isn’t easy. I need a job…”
Tonight, I had no desire to write another self-promotional sob story disguised as a letter.
“Maybe I’ll just nap a bit…”
I must’ve thought something like, ‘No one’s going to come here anyway, so it’s fine to rest a little,’ because—
Before I knew it, I’d actually fallen asleep. Leaning against the glass chamber.
***
‘What’s “job hunting”…?’
Ever since the mage entered the room, Licht had been fully focused on her every move.
She walked around more calmly than usual, eventually stopping by the window, gazing outside.
It wasn’t unusual for the mage to call him beautiful—that happened nearly every day. She had even confessed her love before.
But today, her voice carried a note of sadness. Licht began to worry something was wrong.
Her gloom deepened when she started talking about something called “job hunting.”
“I can’t rely on Lady Meliz forever.”
“But independence is hard. I need a job…”
Her earnest desire not to be a burden to Duke Meliz tugged at his heart.
As a prince favored by the emperor, Licht had grown tired of seeing nobles cling to him just for the scraps of power.
Yes, there were loyal retainers like his adjutants and knights, but their bond was forged through countless battles and years together.
‘She’s truly amazing.’
Despite having unwavering loyalty, the mage expected nothing from Duke Meliz. That alone was enough to move the normally detached Licht.
Surely, the duke understood her sincerity, which was why he had entrusted her with watching over Licht.
‘When I wake from this curse, I must let the duke know.’
Her attitude was exemplary—something that should be a model for the entire empire, even the noble houses.
He wished he could wake from this curse soon and praise her face to face.
But what frustrated him more than the curse itself was that he couldn’t say a word to the mage, who now worried about her future.
If he could break the curse and eliminate the Apostles, he intended to reward her with the greatest gift he could offer.
He was seriously—very positively—considering what she might want the most.
…
His situation felt suffocating again.
The mage had come closer. Perhaps exhausted from the day, she soon dozed off, leaning against the glass chamber where he lay.
Her gentle breathing echoed through the glass. Licht silently listened to it.
The mage who always took care of his sleep—he hoped she, too, would get to rest peacefully by his side tonight.
***
“Ugh. My back…”
Oh no. I really fell asleep. I looked out the window in alarm. The moon was already high overhead.
Sleeping leaning against the glass chamber had left my back stiff. No matter how small or shabby a bed might be, it’s always better to lie down.
I slowly sat up, tapping my back with my palms.
“Hmm.”
It was already late. No need to rush back. It’s not like anyone would come looking for me.
My head still felt foggy with leftover drowsiness.
“Just a little longer.”
I sat back down and leaned against the wall. The full moon in the sky shone brightly into the room.
What a beautiful night.
I raised my hand to block the moonlight, then began to concentrate power in my fingertips.
A small orb of light formed.
“So tiny.”
‘What can I even do with this? It’s small… and white, very white…’
“Wait—??”
Something was off. When I checked my magic before, it had been a faint blue orb. But now…
A bright white orb was glowing intensely at my fingertip. I rubbed my eyes.
“Am I just too sleepy to see straight?”
“Nope.”
Even after checking again, it was the same.
“It changed color.”
The way to identify one’s magical affinity was straightforward. Red for fire, green for wind, blue for water—and white for light.
But the light attribute had long since vanished, and the idea of white magic only appeared in the most basic magic theory books.
In my head, knowledge from Edel’s studies and my recent deep dives into the Tower’s library for career exploration began to flood in.
“No way.”
A ridiculous thought crossed my mind. I waved my hand, testing the magic again. The orb remained white.
‘Could Edel be… a light magician?’
No way. According to the novel’s early chapters, Edel had only barely qualified as a water-affinity magician with weak magic.
And she was never mentioned again.
“Haha… Come on, seriously?”
But now, Edel had something different from the novel version—me, the transmigrator.
‘Is this some kind of transmigration bonus?’
Given what I’ve read in countless transmigration romance novels, it wasn’t far-fetched that I’d get some rare magical trait.
“…Am I supposed to save the world or something?”
Please no. My goal was a quiet extra life in this world with perfect work-life balance.
“Let’s keep this under wraps.”
Whatever’s happening with my magic, it’s absolutely a secret from Lady Meliz! I refuse to be dragged out of extra status!
Maybe it’s just the moon’s energy temporarily affecting it! Sounds like nonsense, but in this genre, anything can happen.
Clenching my fists, I refocused.
And then—
Chzzzz—crackle.
The floor beneath me began to rumble slightly. At first, I thought it was my imagination. But when I looked over, even the glass chamber holding the prince was visibly shaking.
“What the…?”
Next came the sound of cracking—from the protective barrier covering the top floor.
“Eek!”
Boom!
A scream burst out of me.
“The, the barrier…”
Cracks began to form in the normally invisible protective magic. Deep fractures spread like scars.
The barrier trembled more violently, no longer able to hold, and the sound of someone forcibly pounding the door followed.
“What do I do?!”
No, what can I do?! The only way this story stays on track is if the Prince survives! I have to stop them from damaging the chamber!
‘Lady Meliz must’ve gotten the signal, right?!’
Even though I’d just discovered my unusual magic, I was still a weak magician who only knew basic defensive spells.
Cold sweat ran down my back from unfamiliar fear.
‘In my previous life, I was never in actual danger!’
With trembling hands, I gripped the chamber, trying to shield it. The prince, of course, still lay peacefully inside.
‘Please… Lady Meliz, hurry!’
