Chapter 29
“I’d rather not talk business on such a nice day.”
“Hahaha, of course.”
Meeting the Grand Duke was like plucking a star from the sky. He rarely showed himself in the capital, and when there were subjugation campaigns in the north, he was always away.
So when there was a chance to see him like this, it was best to make an impression and open up a trade route somehow.
The Grand Duchy only dealt with a select few merchant groups.
If you could establish a new trading relationship with them, it was like grabbing a golden thread.
That’s why some nobles tried desperately to strike up a conversation, but they were silenced by the Grand Duke’s cold voice and quickly backed off.
Taking advantage of that moment, a group in white robes approached the Grand Duke and his wife.
“Oh! It’s the Magic Tower! The mages are here!”
Nobles gasped in awe at the sight of the mages, clad in white robes embroidered with strange green patterns.
It was rare to see mages from the Magic Tower in person.
As expected from a magic crystal (magwangseok) supplier.
There were even rumors—half joking—that more than half of the magic crystals from the Grand Duchy ended up in the Magic Tower.
Even those stingy, money-obsessed mages couldn’t ignore the ones footing the bill, huh?
It was said that just raising the commission on the crystals delivered to the Tower by 1% would be enough for three generations to live off of.
That’s how massive the Magic Tower’s consumption of crystals was.
Even the Tower Master, who had skipped the Crown Prince’s wedding, had shown up for Grand Duke Graham’s.
Seeing the Crown Prince give a wry smile from afar, the nobles swallowed nervously.
“Grand Duke, congratulations on your marriage.”
The Tower Master chuckled and extended his hand. Every time he laughed, his magnificently grown white beard swayed.
Evelyn bowed politely in return—but then spotted someone standing behind him.
‘Raven.’
Her longtime friend gave her a small nod. Evelyn’s eyes widened.
She never imagined Raven would come here. Unless it was Tower business, he never showed up. What could this be about?
“Grand Duke, this is a gift from the Magic Tower to congratulate your wedding.”
As the Tower Master finished speaking, Raven stepped forward and presented a box.
“What is it?”
Elliot took the box and opened the lid. Given the Tower’s reputation for strange gifts, he couldn’t accept anything without caution.
“…”
Elliot fell silent. What in the world is this?
Inside the box was a red rope.
A bright red-dyed rope.
It didn’t look like a decorative sash or accessory—it resembled a rope hauled out of storage and simply dyed red.
Evelyn, curious, peeked into the box and her expression froze too, prompting others to take an interest.
“A rope?”
Everyone looked puzzled as the Grand Duke held up the red rope.
What kind of wedding gift was this?
Some nobles glanced at the Tower Master as if he were crazy.
“Hehehe…”
Under their gaze, the Tower Master smiled meaningfully.
“It’s an artifact infused with the essence of the Magic Tower.”
This rope? The Tower’s essence?
Just as everyone began to look skeptical, the Tower Master hurried to explain.
“This item ensures the peace and prosperity of the Grand Duchy and the North!!”
Their expressions only became more bewildered. It wasn’t a glittering ornament or even made from magic crystals.
“It was created with heartfelt wishes for the Grand Duke and his wife’s happy marriage.”
It didn’t feel all that sincere…
As the Tower Master looked expectantly at Evelyn, she quietly took a step back.
Elliot also moved to shield Evelyn behind him. As even the nobles drew away slightly, the Tower Master, now flustered, turned to exchange glances with the mages behind him.
“It’s absolutely not strange!! I was simply delighted to hear of the Grand Duke’s wedding and wanted to make something to wish the couple eternal love!”
At his indignant tone, Elliot gestured for him to go on.
“Ahem. Of course, we also wish for peace in the North! The Grand Duchy’s peace is the Empire’s peace!”
He slammed his staff on the floor, drawing attention.
“For the North to thrive, the Grand Duke must be happy!”
“…”
“So we focused on how to ensure his happiness.”
Nobles tilted their heads at the dramatic words.
“How does a rope bring happiness?”
“Is it like… tying the spouse up to keep them?”
Amused whispers floated through the air, and the Tower Master stomped his staff on the floor again.
“This rope helps build trust and reliance between the couple!”
The nobles nodded slowly, still skeptical but curious.
“It’s packed with incredible features.”
The mages behind the Tower Master smiled in satisfaction.
“First, it’s not just one rope—but two!”
No one looked impressed.
Evelyn took the rope from Elliot’s hand and tugged the tassel at the end—it split into two.
Oh?
The guests watching the couple let out small chuckles.
“Yes! That’s how it works!”
Only the Tower Master seemed thrilled, nodding vigorously.
“If each of you wears one at the waist, you’ll always know where the other is! It even includes a teleportation function in case of danger! You can bring your partner to your location or go to them! Isn’t it amazing?!”
“…”
Why would a married couple need something like that? Seems like it would be used for other purposes more than protection.
Well, maybe if the wife were weak, it could be useful…
But wasn’t the Grand Duchess a Sword Master? People cast doubtful glances at the Tower Master.
“There are more functions listed in the manual inside the box.”
But the moment couldn’t last forever.
At the Tower Master’s wink and suggestive tone, Evelyn quickly shoved the rope back into the box and shut the lid.
“I heard there’s a custom in the eastern lands about a red thread symbolizing fate, so we dyed it red.”
“We’ll use it well.”
Since it supposedly had various functions, Evelyn nodded. Whatever it looked like, it came from the Tower—so it was probably valuable and useful.
They would be heading into snowy mountains someday. If they got separated, it would help to track each other’s location.
Thinking positively, Evelyn handed the box to her attendant and told them to place it in the bedroom.
The servant carefully took the box and disappeared.
“My dear, no one else could possibly have given you a better gift.”
The Tower Master addressed Evelyn in a familiar tone.
“I haven’t opened the others yet, so I can’t say. But we’ll put it to good use.”
At their casual exchange, Elliot’s eyes widened.
“You’re acquainted?”
“My disciple and the Grand Duchess were close since childhood. Hahaha.”
The Tower Master’s booming laugh made the surrounding nobles turn their heads slightly. Understandable.
One was infamous for being cursed, the other for being a bastard child.
‘So the Grand Duke didn’t know?’
It was only natural that outcasts in society would become friends.
“I didn’t know your disciple was close to my wife.”
Elliot noticed how others were shifting their eyes with guilty expressions.
He figured out what was going on. He knew who the Tower Master was referring to—but he hadn’t known the full story of how the “cursed lady” and the “illegitimate child” became friends.
“Hahaha. Raven, introduce yourself. He’s quite useful to the Tower.”
The Tower Master let out a hearty laugh as people’s gazes turned to his disciple.
“Raven Hendrick. I believe we’ve met before.”
Elliot nodded. He vaguely remembered meeting him at a past party.
The mage with black hair and red eyes bowed politely.
Rumored to be the illegitimate son of Count Hendrick, he clearly bore all the traits of the legitimate line.
“Nice to meet you. Since you’re a friend of my wife, I hope you’ll visit the North sometime.”
“Thank you for the invitation.”
The young man bowed with an utterly unimpressed expression. Elliot, struck by his cold and stoic demeanor, felt that he and Raven were alike.
“Already a disciple of the Tower Master at such a young age. Impressive.”
“Wahaha! Isn’t it? I never thought I’d take on a disciple this late in life!”
At the Tower Master’s loud voice, nobles began to quietly distance themselves from the Grand Duke. Whenever the Tower Master showed up at parties, his bragging about his disciple was hard to endure.
“That boy became a 2nd-circle master at just ten years old! I almost fainted when I heard! He’s a once-in-a-century genius!”
As the Tower Master declared that Raven should be designated a national treasure of the Empire, Raven and Evelyn’s eyes met.
Sinto cheiro de ciúmes