Episode 9
“You’re Right.”
Jade didn’t even try to refute her words. Instead, he silently agreed with Miel. His uncharacteristic response puzzled her.
In the original novel, Jade was selfish and obsessively possessive.
He was cold to everyone except the female protagonist, treating others with complete indifference.
Since childhood, he had lived in the Magic Tower and had been designated as the next Tower Master.
The hierarchy of the Magic Tower was determined by magical strength, and Jade, who knew from a young age how strong he was, naturally looked down on those weaker than himself.
Even so, thanks to the teachings of the previous Tower Master, he never openly disrespected others.
But subtly, he always looked down on people. He never considered others’ feelings.
And he was ruthless. In the original novel, some of those who harmed the heroine, Rowen, had died by his hand.
Miel thought to herself,
“At least no one’s been killed by the Tower Master in this timeline… That’s a relief.”
From what Miel had observed over the past two years, Jade was not a kind person.
His attitude toward her alone made that clear. She was probably just a lowly subordinate in his mind—easily ignored.
So Miel had braced herself for a scolding.
But what was this? Jade had simply agreed to what she said!
She thought he would surely be angry. After all, Miel was his disciple, a thorn in his side.
Even if the message had said “Return to the Magic Tower,” its true meaning was clearly “Come to me.”
And yet, she—the disciple—had ignored that order.
She expected his wrath, but instead got calm acceptance. He even looked somewhat convinced by her words.
“This is weird.”
Currently, Miel and Jade were in a lounge on the same floor as the dining room.
Jade stood by the window, gazing outside, while Miel kept a distance, watching him cautiously.
An awkward silence lingered between them.
“He looks the same… but something feels off. Did something happen while I was gone?”
While she pondered, her eyes met his deep crimson gaze.
Jade, who had been staring outside, turned to face her.
“Miel.”
His low voice called to her. Miel straightened up.
“Yes?”
But Jade didn’t reply. He just stared at her.
“What the heck? If you’ve got something to say, say it. I’m exhausted.”
He continued staring. Miel’s expression stiffened.
“Did he eat something weird…?”
Then she saw it—his eyes were slightly red. He quietly lowered his head, and the intense gaze finally faded.
“Was he… crying? No way.”
That was impossible. He was the Tower Master—her stern teacher.
There was no way he would cry. In fact, he didn’t even seem capable of it.
Miel brushed off the thought.
“He probably just got dust in his eyes.”
Then Jade muttered something softly.
“You really were young back then…”
Miel tilted her head slightly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She couldn’t quite make out what he said or even tell if it was directed at her.
So she ignored it and spoke.
“Master.”
At her dry tone, Jade looked up.
“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going now.”
She thought maybe following him would explain why he came to find her,
but Jade had barely spoken a word. Fine by her. At least he didn’t give her any chores.
Miel turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.
“…I’m sorry, Miel. For not understanding your feelings.”
Miel’s eyes widened in shock.
The man who only ever thought of himself… was apologizing?
Those were words she never imagined hearing from the Tower Master.
She was so stunned, she couldn’t hear whatever he said after that.
The unexpected apology echoed loudly in her ears.
Jade apologizing? Feeling regret?
“When people suddenly act strange, it usually means they’re dying…
Maybe he’s sick or something?”
His behavior was so unusual that the thought came naturally.
“I think I’ve been too indifferent to you.”
“…Sorry?”
“I didn’t understand your feelings at all.”
He spoke as if talking to himself. Miel had no idea what he was going on about.
“Anyway, starting now, I’ll do my best as your teacher.”
So that was his conclusion: he’d neglected her long enough, and now he’d finally fulfill his role as her mentor.
Whatever had changed his mindset, Miel didn’t care.
“I don’t care about teachers or whatever. I just want to rest.”
She wanted to say that, but swallowed the words and answered politely.
“No, it’s okay, Master.”
Let’s just keep things casual like before. She had no desire to learn magic seriously.
But Jade was persistent.
“It’s not okay for me. You’ve been learning from Shullien, haven’t you?”
“Well, yes…”
“I’ll teach you even greater magic than that. Not just basic spells like Bateo or Storming,
but powerful advanced magic.”
“I don’t want to destroy the world. I don’t need natural disaster-level magic, thanks.”
Still, Jade didn’t stop. He continued enthusiastically.
He listed not only powerful spells but also transformation magic, invisibility, potion-making,
dragon-rearing techniques, and more.
Eventually, Miel gave up. Listening to him was exhausting.
All she wanted was to go rest in her room.
“Alright, then. I’ll be going now.”
She politely said goodbye and left the lounge.
Not only was she physically tired, she was now mentally drained too.
Her teacher had changed so much.
He accepted her words, apologized, started rambling nonsense, and didn’t even assign work—
he wanted to teach her magic instead.
Was this really the same indifferent man from before?
Miel felt uneasy. Jade’s strange behavior worried her.
Suddenly, a realization flashed in her mind.
“My teacher… might’ve gone crazy.”
She decided she’d talk to Shullien about it soon.
—
As soon as Miel left the room, Jade let out a long sigh.
Facing her had brought tears to his eyes.
For a moment, he’d seen the vision of her death—how she had died in the previous life to save him.
Her small body limp, her eyes looking at him with sorrow in their final moments,
her cold hand losing all warmth—he couldn’t forget it.
No one had ever shown him such pure devotion before.
That’s why he’d become overwhelmed. He had almost cried in front of her.
Thankfully, he’d managed to control himself.
And he’d apologized. For the first time in his life.
He had never needed to apologize before, even when wrong. His position had always allowed him to overlook such things.
But to Miel, he wanted to say he was sorry. She had shown him such loyalty and affection.
That alone made her worth it.
So in this life, he vowed to teach her everything he could—
as a way of returning her feelings and atoning for his past negligence.
“Seems like she liked it, too.”
A faint smile appeared on Jade’s lips.
When he apologized and offered to teach her, she looked truly shocked.
She tried to refuse, but Jade saw through her and insisted.
He listed all kinds of fascinating magic he thought she might like—
and finally, she gave in.
“What should I teach first?”
With that thought, Jade left the lounge and headed straight to the library.
He had so much he wanted to teach her. He shut himself inside and began preparing lessons with great enthusiasm.
As he worked, something warm bloomed in his heart.
But he didn’t yet realize what that feeling was.
