“Absolutely not.”
Julian spoke from his seat on the sofa, legs crossed. His voice was firm, almost arrogant. It was the first time in a long while that I'd seen him so cold, having always been so affectionate towards me.
He lifted his chin, as if showing off his fiercely raised eyebrows. At the end of his gaze stood Tien, slender as a rabbit.
Tien smiled awkwardly, his shoulders narrowed.
“Ahahaha... I knew it.”
“If you knew, why did you say such a thing?”
"That is..."
"You dare to take my wife to the Magic Tower? I gave you a fortune to cure her illness, and now you're going to use her as a test subject for wizards? You know how to talk about wanting to die."
Tien's gaze slowly reached me, like a turtle crawling. I was sitting on the sofa diagonally across from Julian, my body comfortable, but my mind uneasy.
It was obvious that Julian was angry. That's right. This man, who seemed gentle to me, was the Grand Duke of Duchzan, the lord of the coldest north in the empire.
'You told me you'd protect me! Liar! Liar!'
Such words were written in Tien's earnest eyes.
'Just wait!'
I nodded slightly, responding with a look of disapproval. A look of disapproval returned. Truthfully, I wasn't confident either.
"Ma'am."
"Yes yes?"
“Why are you looking at that kid? Don’t look at him.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I rolled my eyes at Julian, then smiled as brightly as I could.
“Tien is...”
"Name."
Oh, right. He told me not to call him by his name.
“Lord Yus is...”
I sighed as I tried to continue. I didn't think persuading Julian would be easy. But I also didn't think he'd be this cautious.
Perhaps it was Princess Abigail's lust for honor and dark schemes, coupled with the Emperor's knowledge of the poisoning of the former Grand Duchess, that heightened Julian's wariness. But I had to convince Julian.
"The Lord Yus confirmed through his magic tools that my illness wasn't a normal ailment, but a curse. And a very serious one at that. Perhaps a wizard could figure out how to break this curse."
Julian gritted his teeth at my words.
“Can you tell who put the curse on you?”
I shook my head.
"He's probably already dead. Even if he's not dead, I can't imagine he's still in perfect condition. If I knew him, I'd want revenge, no matter what. But right now, the important thing is to break this curse."
“What happens if you don’t lift the curse?”
Julian raised his head and looked at Tien. Tien's shoulders flinched for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and spoke calmly.
"I don't know much about curses. All I know is that the one Madam is under isn't light. You'll probably have to confront the wizard in person to confirm that."
No. I already know the end of this curse. If I don't break it, I will surely die.
But if I told him that truth while Tien was listening, he'd surely think it was strange. Just as I was pondering how to persuade him, Julian spoke first.
"Then there's a way. Bring the wizard to the Grand Duke's residence. I'll provide him with both money and a place to stay."
“That’s difficult.”
This time, Tien spoke quite firmly.
“Why? I guess those wizards’ butts are heavier than the Grand Duke of the Empire.”
“Do you know why wizards stay in the magic tower?”
“I don’t know.”
"When wizards build their magic towers, they choose locations with high concentrations of magical energy. High concentrations of magical energy are essential for wizards researching magic and curses."
Julian spoke firmly, as if it were nonsense.
"Duchzan Territory also boasts a magical power that rivals any other place. Its reserves of rare magic stones are also greater than anywhere else."
"The Magic Tower isn't simply a place where wizards live. It's nothing more than a massive magical tool capable of gathering high concentrations of magical power. Therefore, to research the Madqm's Curse, going to the Magic Tower is much more efficient."
There was nothing wrong with Tien's words. Nevertheless, Julian didn't take his eyes off him.
At first, I had planned to ask Julian to join me at the Magic Tower. I wanted to lift his curse, too. But now, I didn't even have the time to say anything. Julian spoke, his hands on his knees.
“If it’s the top of the mountain, I’ve been there too.”
I looked at Julian with astonishment. But in a way, it was understandable. Julian was abandoned by his father and called a monster by others because of the rock—no, the magic stone—that covered his body.
Anyone who saw Julian's symptoms would have thought they were a curse, not a disease. Julian must have had his own struggles to break his curse.
"But the wizards didn't seem to have the knack for breaking curses. And yet, they wanted to experiment on me. They called it curiosity, but being the subject of such experiments was incredibly..."
Julian spoke through gritted teeth.
"It was disgusting. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't been a Grand Duke."
Julian's brow furrowed. I reached out and gently took his hand. Julian bowed his head for a moment, then looked at me.
"Layla, I hope you don't have to go through the same experience I did. If you wish, I'd rather build a magic tower here and hire a magician in the name of the Grand Duke of Duchzan. They won't dare expose their disgusting curiosity to you."
Listening to Julian's story, I felt a pang of sadness in my heart. I knew how much he wanted to protect me.
But I didn't have much time left. I had no intention of missing the opportunity I had been given.
“I know how you feel. But what if I don’t have much time left?”
“Don’t say such ominous things.”
"It'll be too late if you regret it. And you can come with me. If you don't want to show your body to a wizard, you can refuse. I'm happy to have a handsome husband all to myself, right?"
The atmosphere felt too heavy, so I playfully said something to lighten the mood. Julian stared at me intently, then shook his head, as if he couldn't handle it. But what came out of his mouth was a positive response.
"I get it."
I figured he'd eventually give me permission, but I couldn't help but feel happy. I carefully rose from my seat with my still-healed leg and hugged Julian's neck. Julian looked up at me, his arms wrapped around my waist.
“We have to go together no matter what. I can’t send you off alone.”
"Of course. Honestly, I'm scared too. Please stay with me."
Julian smiled softly at my joke. He reached out and stroked my hair, speaking kindly.
“Thank you. For consulting me.”
Looking at his smile, I realized I had made the right decision to consult with him. It was around that time, as I sat face-to-face with him, laughing heartily.
“Cough.”
I turned around at the sound of a cough and saw Tien holding his hands together and smiling brightly.
“Shall I leave? Will you continue to talk tomorrow?”
Feeling a little embarrassed, I released my hold on Julian. But Julian pulled me by the waist and sat me on the arm of the sofa. No matter what, this felt too masculine. I bent down and whispered in Julian's ear.
“I want to go back to my seat.”
But Julian didn't budge.
“Why do you keep moving with your injured leg?”
“I only moved once. And now I can walk well.”
“This is when you use a joke.”
He looked satisfied as I sat quietly, my hand on Julian's shoulder, my lips pursed.
“Excuse me. I’ll be out.”
Tien whined again. Julian's expression hardened as he turned to look at him. Julian seemed to really dislike Tien... It was almost surprising that he hired him anyway. I spoke to Julian as if trying to soothe him.
“We both have to leave the Grand Duke’s residence, and the Tower has its own schedule, so we need to coordinate.”
Tien spoke quickly as if helping me.
"Don't worry about the schedule at the top. You can come whenever you're ready."
“Look, Julian. We’re going.”
“What does that mean?”
"It's obvious they'll be waiting for us forever. If you're getting annoyed, just throw up and leave. You said you'd find another magic tower."
As I whispered, Julian seemed completely convinced. I nodded toward Tien, who sighed in relief and backed away.
As Tien closed the door and left, Julian pulled me around the waist and collapsed into his embrace. I found myself sitting on his lap, dumbfounded. I felt embarrassed, wondering what was happening to me, not even a child.
“I want to get up.”
“Stay still.”
Julian spoke in a whisper, took off his mask, and kissed me. He gently pressed me against my shoulder and held me firmly.
Even though we were clearly kissing, I felt like he was holding back something. And I knew what it was. I swallowed hard as I stared at him, our lips parted.
“I, Julian... I still...”
I hadn't yet considered sleeping with him until I returned from the tower. Julian hugged me tightly and whispered to me.
“I know. So don’t provoke me, Ma’am.”
I rested my chin on Julian's shoulder and rolled my eyes. When did I ever provoke him? We had been having a serious conversation, and all I did was persuade him. I was really unsure, so I asked cautiously.
“When am I?”
“If you don’t know, just say so.”
“When? Why won’t you tell me?”
"Ha...."
"Quick! I'm curious. When? When did that happen? When did I become so attractive?"
“Don’t say anything.”
"When! If you don't tell me, I'll think it's 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!"
Julian chuckled as I pulled myself away from his arms and shook his sleeve.
The strange tension between us vanished in an instant as I struggled on his lap, demanding to know what was going on. Julian put his mask back on and picked me up.
“Madam, you’re right. It seems to be 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
I burst out laughing because I thought it was cute how he meekly accepted the joke.
Julian spoke from his seat on the sofa, legs crossed. His voice was firm, almost arrogant. It was the first time in a long while that I'd seen him so cold, having always been so affectionate towards me.
He lifted his chin, as if showing off his fiercely raised eyebrows. At the end of his gaze stood Tien, slender as a rabbit.
Tien smiled awkwardly, his shoulders narrowed.
“Ahahaha... I knew it.”
“If you knew, why did you say such a thing?”
"That is..."
"You dare to take my wife to the Magic Tower? I gave you a fortune to cure her illness, and now you're going to use her as a test subject for wizards? You know how to talk about wanting to die."
Tien's gaze slowly reached me, like a turtle crawling. I was sitting on the sofa diagonally across from Julian, my body comfortable, but my mind uneasy.
It was obvious that Julian was angry. That's right. This man, who seemed gentle to me, was the Grand Duke of Duchzan, the lord of the coldest north in the empire.
'You told me you'd protect me! Liar! Liar!'
Such words were written in Tien's earnest eyes.
'Just wait!'
I nodded slightly, responding with a look of disapproval. A look of disapproval returned. Truthfully, I wasn't confident either.
"Ma'am."
"Yes yes?"
“Why are you looking at that kid? Don’t look at him.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I rolled my eyes at Julian, then smiled as brightly as I could.
“Tien is...”
"Name."
Oh, right. He told me not to call him by his name.
“Lord Yus is...”
I sighed as I tried to continue. I didn't think persuading Julian would be easy. But I also didn't think he'd be this cautious.
Perhaps it was Princess Abigail's lust for honor and dark schemes, coupled with the Emperor's knowledge of the poisoning of the former Grand Duchess, that heightened Julian's wariness. But I had to convince Julian.
"The Lord Yus confirmed through his magic tools that my illness wasn't a normal ailment, but a curse. And a very serious one at that. Perhaps a wizard could figure out how to break this curse."
Julian gritted his teeth at my words.
“Can you tell who put the curse on you?”
I shook my head.
"He's probably already dead. Even if he's not dead, I can't imagine he's still in perfect condition. If I knew him, I'd want revenge, no matter what. But right now, the important thing is to break this curse."
“What happens if you don’t lift the curse?”
Julian raised his head and looked at Tien. Tien's shoulders flinched for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and spoke calmly.
"I don't know much about curses. All I know is that the one Madam is under isn't light. You'll probably have to confront the wizard in person to confirm that."
No. I already know the end of this curse. If I don't break it, I will surely die.
But if I told him that truth while Tien was listening, he'd surely think it was strange. Just as I was pondering how to persuade him, Julian spoke first.
"Then there's a way. Bring the wizard to the Grand Duke's residence. I'll provide him with both money and a place to stay."
“That’s difficult.”
This time, Tien spoke quite firmly.
“Why? I guess those wizards’ butts are heavier than the Grand Duke of the Empire.”
“Do you know why wizards stay in the magic tower?”
“I don’t know.”
"When wizards build their magic towers, they choose locations with high concentrations of magical energy. High concentrations of magical energy are essential for wizards researching magic and curses."
Julian spoke firmly, as if it were nonsense.
"Duchzan Territory also boasts a magical power that rivals any other place. Its reserves of rare magic stones are also greater than anywhere else."
"The Magic Tower isn't simply a place where wizards live. It's nothing more than a massive magical tool capable of gathering high concentrations of magical power. Therefore, to research the Madqm's Curse, going to the Magic Tower is much more efficient."
There was nothing wrong with Tien's words. Nevertheless, Julian didn't take his eyes off him.
At first, I had planned to ask Julian to join me at the Magic Tower. I wanted to lift his curse, too. But now, I didn't even have the time to say anything. Julian spoke, his hands on his knees.
“If it’s the top of the mountain, I’ve been there too.”
I looked at Julian with astonishment. But in a way, it was understandable. Julian was abandoned by his father and called a monster by others because of the rock—no, the magic stone—that covered his body.
Anyone who saw Julian's symptoms would have thought they were a curse, not a disease. Julian must have had his own struggles to break his curse.
"But the wizards didn't seem to have the knack for breaking curses. And yet, they wanted to experiment on me. They called it curiosity, but being the subject of such experiments was incredibly..."
Julian spoke through gritted teeth.
"It was disgusting. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't been a Grand Duke."
Julian's brow furrowed. I reached out and gently took his hand. Julian bowed his head for a moment, then looked at me.
"Layla, I hope you don't have to go through the same experience I did. If you wish, I'd rather build a magic tower here and hire a magician in the name of the Grand Duke of Duchzan. They won't dare expose their disgusting curiosity to you."
Listening to Julian's story, I felt a pang of sadness in my heart. I knew how much he wanted to protect me.
But I didn't have much time left. I had no intention of missing the opportunity I had been given.
“I know how you feel. But what if I don’t have much time left?”
“Don’t say such ominous things.”
"It'll be too late if you regret it. And you can come with me. If you don't want to show your body to a wizard, you can refuse. I'm happy to have a handsome husband all to myself, right?"
The atmosphere felt too heavy, so I playfully said something to lighten the mood. Julian stared at me intently, then shook his head, as if he couldn't handle it. But what came out of his mouth was a positive response.
"I get it."
I figured he'd eventually give me permission, but I couldn't help but feel happy. I carefully rose from my seat with my still-healed leg and hugged Julian's neck. Julian looked up at me, his arms wrapped around my waist.
“We have to go together no matter what. I can’t send you off alone.”
"Of course. Honestly, I'm scared too. Please stay with me."
Julian smiled softly at my joke. He reached out and stroked my hair, speaking kindly.
“Thank you. For consulting me.”
Looking at his smile, I realized I had made the right decision to consult with him. It was around that time, as I sat face-to-face with him, laughing heartily.
“Cough.”
I turned around at the sound of a cough and saw Tien holding his hands together and smiling brightly.
“Shall I leave? Will you continue to talk tomorrow?”
Feeling a little embarrassed, I released my hold on Julian. But Julian pulled me by the waist and sat me on the arm of the sofa. No matter what, this felt too masculine. I bent down and whispered in Julian's ear.
“I want to go back to my seat.”
But Julian didn't budge.
“Why do you keep moving with your injured leg?”
“I only moved once. And now I can walk well.”
“This is when you use a joke.”
He looked satisfied as I sat quietly, my hand on Julian's shoulder, my lips pursed.
“Excuse me. I’ll be out.”
Tien whined again. Julian's expression hardened as he turned to look at him. Julian seemed to really dislike Tien... It was almost surprising that he hired him anyway. I spoke to Julian as if trying to soothe him.
“We both have to leave the Grand Duke’s residence, and the Tower has its own schedule, so we need to coordinate.”
Tien spoke quickly as if helping me.
"Don't worry about the schedule at the top. You can come whenever you're ready."
“Look, Julian. We’re going.”
“What does that mean?”
"It's obvious they'll be waiting for us forever. If you're getting annoyed, just throw up and leave. You said you'd find another magic tower."
As I whispered, Julian seemed completely convinced. I nodded toward Tien, who sighed in relief and backed away.
As Tien closed the door and left, Julian pulled me around the waist and collapsed into his embrace. I found myself sitting on his lap, dumbfounded. I felt embarrassed, wondering what was happening to me, not even a child.
“I want to get up.”
“Stay still.”
Julian spoke in a whisper, took off his mask, and kissed me. He gently pressed me against my shoulder and held me firmly.
Even though we were clearly kissing, I felt like he was holding back something. And I knew what it was. I swallowed hard as I stared at him, our lips parted.
“I, Julian... I still...”
I hadn't yet considered sleeping with him until I returned from the tower. Julian hugged me tightly and whispered to me.
“I know. So don’t provoke me, Ma’am.”
I rested my chin on Julian's shoulder and rolled my eyes. When did I ever provoke him? We had been having a serious conversation, and all I did was persuade him. I was really unsure, so I asked cautiously.
“When am I?”
“If you don’t know, just say so.”
“When? Why won’t you tell me?”
"Ha...."
"Quick! I'm curious. When? When did that happen? When did I become so attractive?"
“Don’t say anything.”
"When! If you don't tell me, I'll think it's 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!"
Julian chuckled as I pulled myself away from his arms and shook his sleeve.
The strange tension between us vanished in an instant as I struggled on his lap, demanding to know what was going on. Julian put his mask back on and picked me up.
“Madam, you’re right. It seems to be 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
I burst out laughing because I thought it was cute how he meekly accepted the joke.
Comments
Post a Comment