60.
After parting ways with Rudis, I rushed to the carriage, but I had to meet Eon, who had arrived before me. I hesitated, wondering how I should explain being later than him, but Eon spoke as if such a thing didn’t matter.
“It seems that Miss Selenia will have to return to the Magic Tower alone.”
Huh? For a moment, I wondered if my brain had just twisted his words into something I wanted to hear. I had to go over what he said again.
‘Go alone?’
It wasn’t the best analogy, but it felt like a prison guard had just released a convict without even putting on the handcuffs. I had to consciously suppress the corners of my lips from twitching upwards.
“I have some business with Baron Tolris, so I won’t be able to head back for a while.”
“Did something happen with Count Hyren…?”
“That situation is progressing as planned. Something else came up, so I’ve gotten a bit busy.”
I recalled what Rudis said—that an investigation had begun into Eon. If Baron Tolris was a lawyer, he might’ve been the one to deliver the news.
‘This is a chance to talk with Rudis more, isn’t it?’
I glanced back toward where I’d just come from, trying to figure out where I could run into Rudis again. He said he’d make a move after Eon and I had left, so he was probably somewhere near the theater, watching us.
‘If we can’t talk anywhere else, we could ride together in the carriage and part ways midway.’
While I was lost in thought, Eon fed a mana stone to the horse and whispered something to it.
“Please, get in.”
“If I take this carriage, what about you, Tower Master?”
“Making sure you return safely to the Magic Tower without distractions is what matters most to me.”
Eon’s manner was perfectly gentlemanly, but the words “without distractions” subtly irked me. And that uncomfortable feeling was quickly explained.
“I’m just saying this, just in case, but this carriage cannot carry anyone besides you, Miss Selenia, and it cannot make any stops on the way. If it tries, that horse won’t let it.”
He gestured toward the black horse pulling the carriage. Clearly, he had seen right through my shallow intentions.
‘Well, of course Eon wouldn’t leave such a glaring loophole.’
I had already shared most of the critical information with Rudis, so I comforted myself with the thought that there was nothing more to regret and climbed aboard. Eon saw me off with a soft smile.
The carriage soon began to move with a jolt. The scenery outside the window rushed past quickly. Sitting alone in the carriage, I suddenly remembered something I had wanted to ask Eon.
‘Didn’t he say he’d tasted chocolate made by the original Charles?’
That would mean Eon existed 300 years ago.
‘No, wait.’
I resisted the urge to chew on my thumbnail and reconsidered. No matter how great a mage he was, that was an absurd amount of time. Maybe he was just referring to chocolate made by another person named Charles.
‘He likes wordplay, so it might’ve been a joke.’
No matter how much I overanalyzed it, I couldn’t draw any conclusions until I asked Eon directly. I leaned my head out the window, looking toward the now-distant theater.
It was the first time I’d ever longed to talk with him so much.
* * *
“Is the Tower Master up? Has he woken yet?”
It had been a long day. I’d fallen asleep waiting for Eon. As soon as I opened my eyes, I asked Mary about him.
“The Marquis didn’t return last night.”
“You mean… he stayed out overnight?”
“Y-Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
Mary answered while watching my expression. From her hesitation, I realized I must look like a lover worried about her partner staying out all night.
“I have a magic lesson with the Tower Master. I just wanted to get to it quickly.”
“Don’t worry, Miss. I’m sure it was some urgent meeting or something unexpected came up. I heard from the senior maids that the Marquis has never visited places like Santra Street.”
Santra Street was the most infamous red-light district in Bainain. Though she spoke vaguely, what she meant was that Eon hadn’t skipped out to indulge in pleasure, so there was no need to worry.
“Yes, that’s what I thought too.”
Eon was the type who sought thrill in far more intense ways than a simple pleasure district could offer. Besides, his abnormal tastes didn’t really align with those places anyway.
‘But still… did Count Hyren do something?’
Even a cornered rat bites the cat. A desperate Count might’ve done something irrational.
I didn’t care if Eon got hurt, but I was worried that the Count’s impulsive actions might interfere with Rudis’s plans.
“I wonder what the atmosphere is like at the Count’s estate these days.”
I said aloud, so Mary could hear as she brought over a basin of water.
“Last I saw, things were tense. It looked like the Count would be imprisoned soon. Oh—come to think of it, it’s already been over a week.”
“If there are any rumors, could you look into them?”
The Count being arrested would definitely be a hot topic in the town. There were bound to be whispers and gossip.
“Then I’ll head into town. Today is the day the Count’s estate comes out to buy food supplies.”
I stopped Mary as she was heading out to get our meals. It had been more than a week since she came to the tower. By now, she might’ve sensed that something was off.
“Have you been adjusting okay to life here?”
“Yes, everything’s clearly assigned and the rules are strict but fair. As long as I follow them, it’s actually easier.”
“No one’s being rude to you or bullying you?”
“No. I mean, no one’s exactly warm and friendly, but that’s better than having a maid-in-chief who crosses the line. I’m sure I’ll make friends over time.”
Mary responded brightly, like a model maid.
“What about the senior maids?”
“I think they consider me your personal maid, so they don’t really interfere.”
It seemed Eon had told them not to touch Mary. I nodded quietly.
“Then… um, just asking—do you recognize anyone here?”
“Anyone I know?”
“Yeah, like another maid whose face you recognize.”
Tara wasn’t the only one who had disappeared from the village. I couldn’t identify them myself, but Mary, who often went into town, might recognize someone.
“Hmm… I haven’t met all the maids yet, so I’m not sure.”
She fidgeted with some stray hairs, probably recalling the maids she had encountered.
“I don’t think so. If someone knew me, they would’ve said something, right? But no one did.”
It was a fair point. It was quicker for people who already worked here to recognize a newcomer rather than the other way around. But in this tower, that kind of logic didn’t apply.
‘They probably can’t speak up first.’
They were likely too afraid of being watched—or had already become too worn down by the tower’s strangeness to pay attention to someone like Mary.
“Anyway, if anything happens, no matter how small, promise me you’ll tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself, okay?”
“Yes, you’re truly a kind person, Miss. I’m lucky to have found such a good mistress.”
Mary smiled as she said that, but I only felt guilty for dragging her into this hell.
* * *
I entered the Forbidden Room and naturally sat beside young Eon.
“Did you sleep well?”
After a few visits, I had grown used to both the room and the small child lying in the bed.
‘I wish I could get used to magic this quickly too.’
I couldn’t just wait around for Eon to come. I chose to dive into young Eon’s memories again, hoping to find another clue. I also believed I’d see a truer version of him this way.
I grabbed his small wrist and focused my mind. There was no need for the complex process from before. Now that I had earned his trust, it was much easier to enter his memories.
Soon, the view brightened and the surroundings filled with radiant light. But it wasn’t just because the magic had worked—the room itself was drenched in sunlight pouring in through several large windows.
‘Where is this?’
This time, I was in the Magic Tower’s dining hall. But it looked completely different from the one I knew. Honestly, I hadn’t even known that dark dining hall had any large windows.
It seemed to be mealtime—several servants sat in groups of three or four at round tables, not the long, grim lines I was used to.
‘So many hair colors… and men, too?’
I looked in amazement at the mix of brown, blond, and red-haired people.
They chatted freely and dined in a warm, cheerful atmosphere. There was none of that stiff, robotic movement of forks and knives. For the first time, it looked like a normal estate.
‘What in the world happened between then and now?’
