Chapter 24
“What did I do to deserve this?”
Rina finally understood why her seniors always cast sound-blocking magic on their ears before entering the Tower Master’s office.
She wished she could do the same whenever Chaian came looking for her.
Now, even hearing his voice from a distance was enough to make her feel faint.
“Cheer up. That’s why I brought you here. This stew is really good for restoring energy. I come here on purpose sometimes just for this.”
The man offered comforting words as he quickly placed their order.
The friendly server took their order and disappeared, and soon, they saw someone approaching their table with their food.
“Hey, wake up. The food’s here.”
“Fooooood…”
Having been stuck with the Tower Master all morning, Rina hadn’t even managed to eat breakfast. At the mention of food, she groaned and slowly lifted her head.
Thud.
Without a word, two bowls of stew were placed on their table.
Out of habit, Rina murmured a word of thanks.
“Thank yo—?”
She looked up at the person who had set the food down and froze, her mouth hanging open.
She rubbed her eyes furiously.
Excuse me? Why are you here?
Had she been harassed by the Tower Master so much that she was now hallucinating?
Am I actually losing my mind?
“E-excuse me!”
As the woman turned to leave, Rina urgently reached out a hand.
The woman turned slowly.
“You… you’re the owner of the Blue Stone!”
At Rina’s exclamation, Ceres frowned deeply.
“…Blue Stone?”
What nonsense is this? She’s saying I’m the owner of that thing?
“Don’t you remember me?”
“……”
“The magic shop!”
Magic shop?
“Ah.”
Only then did Ceres remember where she’d seen Rina before.
She was the woman who had helped her when she visited the magic shop to sell the mana stone Kainel had given her.
“The Blue Ston— No, I mean, the mana stone! Did you sell it?”
At Rina’s excited and desperate tone, Ceres narrowed her eyes.
Why is she so obsessed with the mana stone all of a sudden?
“Why are you asking?”
“If you still have it, you should sell it to the Tower!”
“……”
“Our Tower Master is very eager to acquire that mana stone! I’m sure he’d pay you an excellent price for it!”
Tower Master?
‘She must have shown that video to the Tower Master.’
Understanding the situation, Ceres clicked her tongue lightly.
“I don’t have it.”
“…What?”
“I don’t have it anymore.”
“Did you sell it? Who did you sell it to? Which shop?”
“I lost it.”
“W-what?!”
You lost it? That thing?
The color drained from Rina’s face once more.
“Where did you lose it?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Seriously? Did you really lose it?”
No, the mana stone was safely stored in her subspace.
She just had no intention of taking it out anytime soon.
‘Kainel is in the capital right now.’
If, by any chance, Kainel saw that stone, he would flip out and immediately come after her to demand its origin.
‘That’s not happening.’
And if he found out that the Tower Master had the stone, he’d lose his mind even more.
‘The thought alone is infuriating.’
He’d probably storm into the Tower to pick a fight. The mere idea made her feel a stiffness at the back of her neck.
“Tell your Tower Master that it’s practically impossible to find now. I don’t even remember where I lost it.”
“Waaah!”
Ceres’ resolute tone, which made it clear she would not answer any further questions, caused Rina to burst into tears.
Imagining how much more Chaian would pester her upon hearing this, Rina slumped over the table in defeat.
“Should I just disappear?”
Ugh… I really don’t want to go back to the Tower.
Kainel’s Chambers
With Kainel’s permission, his aide, Del, cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.
In his hand, he carried a small cup.
“Kainel, is there anything troubling you?”
The place they were staying in was the residence used by members of the Persian Duchy whenever they visited the capital.
Of course, with Kainel having withdrawn from public life, the residence had been uninhabited for a long time.
Nevertheless, Del, along with those who had served the Persian family for generations, had ensured that the mansion was always well-maintained and ready for use.
It was their hope that when Kainel resumed his activities, he would find the mansion a comfortable place to rest.
“…Nothing has changed.”
Kainel’s gaze swept across the room, his expression tinged with nostalgia.
Despite the long absence, everything remained the same. Even the smallest decorations were left untouched, as if frozen in time.
“We worked hard to preserve it.”
Del spoke with a sense of pride. He and others had made every effort to maintain the mansion exactly as it had been, hoping it would provide a sense of familiarity and comfort when Kainel returned.
“……”
Was that why?
‘Kai! Alti’s crying!’
‘Waaaaah!’
‘I didn’t hit him that hard.’
‘No! It hurt so much! Grace, punish him!’
Everywhere Kainel looked, memories surfaced.
He half-expected the doors to burst open at any moment, with ten-year-olds running in.
“Here, herbal water.”
Del placed the cup in front of Kainel, his expression filled with concern.
“It’s brewed stronger than last time.”
“I told you it’s useless.”
“Even so…”
Del let out an involuntary sigh.
The cup contained water brewed with various herbs known for their calming and sleep-inducing properties. It was a remedy Del had sought out to help Kainel, who had been unable to sleep properly for years.
In over 20 years of serving Kainel, Del had never once seen him sleep deeply.
It was a chronic insomnia that persisted through every remedy they tried. Any initial effects quickly faded as Kainel built resistance to the treatments.
“Why not consult the Ellsia family? They are the best healers in the Empire.”
The Ellsia family was known for housing the most skilled healers in the Empire. Now that they were in the capital, Del hoped Kainel might find a cure for his sleeplessness there.
Who knows? The Ellsia family might possess a remedy that could finally allow his master to rest.
“Just leave.”
“…Yes, sir. Please rest.”
At Kainel’s dismissive wave, Del could only bow and leave the room quietly.
“……”
Left alone, Kainel once again scanned the room before closing his eyes.
‘Kai.’
This was why he had avoided coming here all these years.
Everywhere, she was there.
Her presence lingered so vividly, her memory would only grow stronger, eventually becoming unbearable.
‘Kai.’
Yet, ultimately, that was why he came back.
To remember her a little more clearly, a little more vividly.
***
Chaian’s Workshop
-Keeeeeeeeck!
“……”
“How about that? There’s a second one.”
-Kiiiiiiaaaack!
“For the record, I think the second one is my favorite.”
“…Chaian.”
“Huh? Why? Do you like the first one better?”
“That’s not the issue here.”
Crown Prince Aserian pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to stave off a headache.
After hearing that Chaian had completed the Black Forest alarm device, Aserian had rushed over, only to witness… this.
“There’s also a third sound!”
-Wueeeeeeeck!
“……”
…What was this?
“Why do all the alarms sound like monster cries?”
“So that people get scared and run away faster.”
Chaian’s wide-eyed innocence as he asked “What’s the problem?” made Aserian sigh deeply once more.
“People will have panic attacks, you fool. Do you think they’ll even be able to run properly?”
“Well, at least they won’t fall asleep.”
…It was true that hearing it in the middle of the night would terrify anyone wide awake.
“Why didn’t you attend the last meeting?”
Chaian, who had been fiddling with the small, red alarm device, suddenly looked teary-eyed.
“Sniff, I was waiting for something and couldn’t leave.”
“Are you still talking about that mana stone?”
“Blue Stone will come back to me one day!”
It was never yours to begin with—what nonsense is this?
Aserian barely swallowed the words bubbling to the surface.
“Fine, fine. Just make sure you attend tomorrow’s meeting.”
“……”
A soft rolling sound could be heard.
Chaian’s eyes darted around as if looking for an excuse. Then, he slyly extended the alarm device he had been holding.
“Think of this as me and take it instead.”
“Hey, you lunatic.”
—
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