Chapter 43
However, Chaian didn’t care about Ceres’s indifferent response.
“Just one month.”
“One month?”
“Luka will be away for one month.”
Luka? Who’s that?
Seeing her puzzled expression, Chaian quickly added, “Luka is my secretary. He has a younger sister.”
“And?”
“Once a year, he gets one month off to spend time with his sister.”
“So?”
“So, during that time, I always hire a temporary secretary, and I think you’d be perfect for the job.”
“Yeah, no.”
“Why not?”
“Because just looking at how you handle things makes me feel like being your secretary will stress me to death.”
How was she supposed to handle cleaning up after the Tower Lord who wandered all over the place like this?
Just imagining it made her stomach churn.
“Think about it. Has your secretary ever been sick or anything?”
“Why would my secretary be sick?”
“I mean, doesn’t he have any stress-related illnesses?”
Could this so-called month-long trip be a wellness retreat for him? Better check just in case.
As if even Chaian himself realized it was possible, the cheerful expression on his face froze.
“I’ll listen to you.”
“……”
“I’ll make it easy for you.”
If he had big ears and a tail, they’d be drooping right about now, wouldn’t they?
Why does looking sad suit him so well? It makes me want to keep teasing him.
“I’ll pay you a salary.”
“…Salary?”
“Yeah! 5,000 gold!”
…5,000 gold.
“Just one month. Okay? Didn’t you promise to do me a favor last time?”
Ceres stared at Chaian, who was clinging to her arm and whining, and silently repeated the words “5,000 gold” in her head.
***
“You won’t have much to do. I’ve already handled all the urgent matters, and the minor ones will be taken care of by others, so you don’t need to worry.”
Ceres had never cared much about first impressions, but looking at this man, she couldn’t help but think about it.
‘He really looks cold.’
Was there anyone who could look as cold as this man while wearing glasses that suited him so well?
Ceres knew right away when she saw Luka.
This man is suspicious of me.
Perhaps because of that, even his tone felt particularly chilly.
Not that it mattered to her, though.
“For the next month, you only have one task.”
“And what would that be?”
“Just make sure that guy doesn’t cause any major accidents.”
“……”
“The criteria for a major accident are simple. If more than half of the Tower’s residents freak out, it’s a major accident. Otherwise, it’s just daily noise.”
…So if fewer than half freak out, I should just let it slide?
“Everyone’s pretty much built up an immunity to Chaian’s antics, so they don’t get startled easily. You don’t need to worry too much.”
“Hmmm.”
So what does that mean? All I have to do is stick around Chaian and relax?
And get paid 5,000 gold for it?
That’s kind of…
‘Too good to be true?’
For something like this, I’d do it anytime. A month feels too short, honestly.
Ceres decided to take on the temporary secretary role that Chaian had suggested earlier.
At first, she hesitated because she’d have to live at the Tower for a month and couldn’t go home.
‘Oh… 5,000 gold?’
‘Yes.’
‘Just for working at the Tower for one month?’
‘But I’ll have to stay at the Tower for the whole month. I won’t be able to check on Yulia. I guess I’ll just decline…’
‘What are you saying! Decline? With me here, how can you worry about that? Leave it to me and go!’
…Honestly, it was a bit scary.
Our butler gets way too intense when it comes to money.
“Luka, why so many complaints? I’ll do fine. Don’t worry.”
“Don’t do fine. Just don’t cause trouble.”
“Anyone would think I’m always causing trouble.”
“……”
Luka looked at Chaian with a face full of things left unsaid but settled for adjusting his glasses.
However, despite feeling sorry for his younger sister, Luka initially planned to cancel his leave due to the circumstances.
With royal meetings occurring daily and the Black Forest incident in the capital, leaving during this time didn’t seem like a good choice.
But…
‘Do you think your presence will make me attend those royal meetings?’
‘No.’
‘Do you think the Black Forest won’t happen just because you’re here?’
‘No.’
‘And if it becomes known that your leave was canceled due to someone else, do you think your sister would let me keep my head intact?’
‘No.’
‘Then why aren’t you going?’
As Chaian pointed out, there wasn’t much Luka needed to do immediately in the current situation.
If the Tower received a cooperation request, he would assign someone based on the urgency and submit it for Chaian’s approval.
And others could handle such tasks just as well. Thorough delegation is where such systems shine, after all.
So, Luka decided to keep his leave as planned.
“Ceres! Want some snacks?”
“No.”
…Is it really okay to leave things as they are?
Today was Luka’s first time meeting the woman named Ceres.
When he saw her, he was quite surprised.
‘She’s nothing like I imagined.’
Her behavior and atmosphere felt indifferent—unlike any merchant he had ever met.
Most merchants exude a certain friendliness toward others, but she didn’t have any of that.
“Then how about something to drink? I could make you tea with lots of honey.”
“Drink it yourself.”
…He’s like a puppy.
Watching Chaian stick to Ceres and chatter away reminded Luka of a puppy begging for attention.
Meanwhile, Ceres looked like a reluctant owner trying to push the puppy away.
“Sigh.”
Luka couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
Is it really okay to leave that man behind like this?
He should have been suspicious when Chaian insisted on finding a temporary secretary himself.
“Well then, I’ll leave things in your hands for a month.”
Whatever happens, surely the Tower won’t collapse while he’s gone.
“Ceres, over there, they’ve got some really cool stuff. Let me show you!”
…It won’t collapse, but there’s a good chance that man will completely fall for her.
Luka silently sighed one last time and quietly left the scene.
Whatever happens, right now, he just needed his vacation.
***
‘It’s been a while.’
Ceres hadn’t visited this place even once since she got sick.
As she looked around the Tower, she felt nostalgic.
Ever since childhood, she used to come here with Arthia, who would frequently visit this place.
For Arthia, who had already shown extraordinary talent and mastery over magic at the age of six, the Tower was both his home and playground.
Naturally, his friends Ceres and Kainel also visited the Tower as if it were their own home.
‘Nothing’s changed here.’
While even the path to the Ellsia Count’s Estate had altered over time, it was surprising how the Tower remained untouched. Even the scratches on the walls seemed frozen in time.
“…What’s that?”
Feeling a strange sense of nostalgia as she ran her fingers over the wall, her gaze shifted outside the window.
There stood a tower she had never seen before.
Its design seemed proper, but its small size made it almost unworthy of being called a “tower.” Despite that, people constantly went in and out of the building.
“What are you doing here?”
At that moment, Chaian approached her, curious about what she was staring at.
“What’s that?”
“That white building?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s another Tower.”
“Another Tower? What’s that supposed to mean?”
She’d never heard of it before. When did it even appear? It definitely wasn’t here back when Arthia was around.
“It’s a place created by someone who was the Tower Lord long before me.”
“The Tower Lord?”
“Yeah. Inside that small space lies countless, endless spaces.”
…What?
Seeing her puzzled expression, Chaian shrugged and added, “In simple terms, there are multiple magically-created spaces inside. There are numerous doors, and to open them, you have to solve puzzles. Only then can you proceed to the next door.”
When you enter the building, someone magically created will appear and present you with a puzzle.
You can only open the next door after solving it.
“Do you have to open the doors?”
“You can obtain long-lost magical formulas. Occasionally, there are even rare magical artifacts.”
Every time someone opens a door, they could encounter special magic formulas and sometimes even magical items that are difficult to find today.
“That’s why everyone is so desperate to challenge it. But… no one has reached the end yet.”
“Are the puzzles really that difficult?”
“If they were just hard, people would have worked together to solve them.”
Chaian shook his head lightly.
“They’re filled with incredibly personal questions.”
“Personal questions?”
“Yes. Questions related to the Tower Lord who built that place—like their favorite food or favorite color. Unless you’re close to them, it’s nearly impossible to answer.”
The complaints continued—how no one could progress easily because of those personal puzzles.
Feeling a strange sense of familiarity, Ceres frowned slightly.
“I haven’t made it past the twentieth door.”
“Self-indulgent magic…”
Wait a second.
Turning her head, Ceres looked at the white building again.
Isn’t there someone she knows who could create something so self-indulgent and mischievous?
“By any chance, was the one who built that place…”
“Arthia. A genius from long ago, said to be as brilliant as I am.”
—
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