CHAPTER 07
“Uh?”
“A letter came this morning.”
“I don’t want to go…”
“Even if you don’t, they’ve already left. They want to meet halfway… and, well, it’s not like we have the right to say no.”
I scrunched my face in frustration, but he patted my back and made me sit down.
The chair was so soft that as soon as I sat, it sank under my weight.
“Would you like something to eat? I brought some snacks.”
“Mm.”
Once he confirmed that all the knights were mounted and the attendants were climbing onto the rear carriage, Kisschel looked at me and asked. I nodded.
He knocked twice on the carriage wall, and the coachman cracked the whip. The horses neighed loudly.
‘I’m really going to the capital now.’
The large wheels began to turn noiselessly.
The scenery outside the window moved along.
I sank deep into the chair and blinked slowly.
The sky was clear without a single cloud, and the sun shone brightly, so it wasn’t very cold today.
I thought it was perfect weather for a first trip out.
I wondered how long we had been traveling.
I checked the time.
The short second hand of the pocket watch Kisschel gave me was ticking busily.
I snapped the lid shut and looked outside.
As expected, we still had a long way to go before we were out of the duchy.
Maybe I should read one of the books I brought. No, better to wait a bit longer.
After all, I had plenty to do on the journey to the imperial palace.
There was one thing I had to do first…
Boom!
A heavy crash, like something collapsing, rang out.
Kisschel and I turned our heads at the same time.
Screams erupted in response to the sudden explosion.
Kisschel opened the door to check outside.
The moment he did, the ground trembled and another loud roar echoed out.
I instinctively covered my ears.
Boom!
“What on earth…?”
The ground shook even harder, strong enough to make it difficult for a regular person to stand.
Even inside the carriage, the shock was intense—so outside must’ve been worse.
Kistchel wrapped his arms around me and gripped the carriage door tightly.
Just as he was about to step outside, another explosion-like sound rang out.
“Are you alright, Lady?”
“I’m fine. What about you?”
“I’m alright too. I’ll go check what’s going on.”
I grabbed his arm.
He didn’t need to check—I already knew what was happening. This situation had been predicted.
There was a reason I suggested leaving for the capital today.
It had been about two months since I was falsely accused of murdering my mother.
Since that was still early in my time as a fugitive, I remembered every detail clearly.
Including this crisis.
“The mage tower is collapsing.”
Kisschel froze at my words.
He looked between me and the outside with a grim expression.
“The mage tower is collapsing?”
“Let’s go take a look.”
Back then, the collapse of the tower had caused the knights chasing me to disappear for a while, so I managed to survive a bit longer. How could I forget?
My mouth tasted bitter.
I got off the carriage.
Everyone—knights, servants, maids—looked at me with wide eyes.
“Lady, it’s dangerous! Please go back inside!”
The lead knight shouted, but Kisschel, who had followed me down, gently pushed him aside and turned toward the tower.
“An attack?”
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings.
It was clear the situation was worse than expected.
The moment people realized the tower was exploding, they began to flee.
“It’s not an attack.”
As someone who already knew everything, I could confidently say—it was all because a single barrier stone had been displaced.
All we had to do was put that stone back in place.
“If it’s not an attack, then what…”
Back then, they failed to contain the damage, which resulted in massive casualties and the loss of the tower.
“I think the barrier collapsed. Let’s hurry and restore it.”
Boom!
Another explosion, and screams filled the air again.
“Ugh…”
The tower was collapsing fast—I couldn’t help but frown.
“Kisschel, duck. If any debris flies our way, it’ll be bad.”
“I’m alright.”
His eyes narrowed.
Turning slightly, as if sensing something, Kisschel rested a hand on his waist.
“So you were serious.”
Would I joke in a situation like this?
This wasn’t something we could ignore.
I gripped his shoulder tightly.
He sighed deeply, clearly for me to hear.
In the end, Kisschel surrendered with a dramatic raise of his hands.
He picked me up, ignoring the murmurs around us.
“Sigh. I give up.”
Where was the barrier in the tower located again?
Just then, a crack appeared in the ground.
The tower loomed, still visible from afar, reaching toward the sky.
If a building like that could crumble in mere minutes, there was no way the surroundings would remain untouched.
“At this rate, the whole area could collapse. The casualties… I don’t even want to think about it.”
Kisschel was already halfway turned around.
“Everyone should know how much our Lady loves her land. Oh, except me—I already know.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. Everyone would find out soon.
This wasn’t just about avoiding some hassle.
The distinct black hair of the Mertiel dukedom fluttered in the wind.
I recalled the rumors about the Lady of Mertiel.
“So ugly she’s not even fit to be seen outside the castle, a cripple, a madwoman, a villainess…”
Labels I’d have to peel off eventually flashed through my mind.
They weren’t things I could just ignore by plugging my ears.
Especially not with my future goals.
“So I need to slowly fix my image!”
This was the perfect chance to do just that.
“Let’s go.”
Even my father, for all his talents, had failed to resolve this incident and was heavily criticized for it.
It was a shame I hadn’t seen that myself.
I chuckled.
“The mage tower is like the command center of the duchy.”
Even as a fugitive, I’d heard the residents curse about it constantly.
Probably because of all the deaths.
Kisschel took off from the ground.
Someone called out from behind, trying to stop us. Kisschelglanced at me briefly but, as if resolute, tightened his grip on me and sprinted toward the collapsing tower.
Shards flew through the air as we moved.
Kisschel wrapped the cloak he’d brought around me.
As we approached the tower, thankfully, the explosions weakened.
I tugged on his collar, asking him to slow down.
He gradually did.
“I’ll get down here.”
“It might be unnecessary, but… please be careful.”
At his murmured words, I adjusted the cloak and nodded silently.
I watched the tower crumble piece by piece.
I took a deep breath amidst the screams and stepped out of his arms.
“Kisschel, evacuate the people. And call the priests.”
Slowly, I stepped into the collapsing zone.
Jagged debris was everywhere, and beneath the tower, the wreckage was so awful it was hard to look at.
After sending Kisschel off, I was alone. I looked up.
“Phew…”
The top of the tower, once piercing the clouds, was completely destroyed.
I saw people pinned under the rubble, struggling. Others couldn’t leave the area and were trying to help.
Some had even stopped running away.
“I need to find the barrier. Fast.”
Where was it?
Amid the ruins, I spotted a pillar just about my height sticking out slightly.
A faint purple glow leaked from it.
“Ah.”
I knew right away.
That was the remnant of the broken barrier.
As I approached, wind carried desperate screams from all around.
“Hey, you! If you’ve got nothing to do, help over here!”
“Waaaah! Mommy!”
“Help us! Please!”
“Why is she going over there again?! Stop her!”
More debris fell, making the path increasingly treacherous.
It was impossible to predict when something worse might happen.
Even so, I ran.
“Stop her!”
“Hey, are you crazy?!”
Inside the tower, a small vortex had begun to form
