It didn't take long to prepare for the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess to leave Duchzan Territory without major disruption. This was partly due to their diligent work and partly due to the loyalty of their servants.
Even so, there was no benefit to being away for too long, so we decided to hurry up and finish our schedule as much as possible.
Julian and I headed to the westernmost of the magic towers, the most renowned of them all. Because it was a bit far from the north, the carriage ride was quite long, and while I was feeling a bit exhausted, it gave me time to reflect for the first time in a while.
My first reason for going to the Magic Tower was to lift the curse placed on Julian and me. My second reason was to ask if I could find out what was causing the surge in demons.
There was no way our Count of Winsley would be left out of the operation to subdue the demons a year from now. Our family values honor above all else, so they wouldn't listen to me trying to stop them.
If it were just that, I couldn't stop my family. I could understand their pursuit of honor.
However, since Princess Abigail, who had undoubtedly reached out with a dark hand in the past, was still alive and well, the likelihood of a similar outcome this time was high. However, no method could be thought of to instantly overthrow Princess Abigail...
'If the number of demons doesn't increase in the first place, we can buy some time.'
I opened the carriage window. The wind blew in, and I could see the tower rising high above the winding road.
The white tower, standing tall on a vast expanse of land stretching to the horizon, was more beautiful than I'd imagined. It felt like a mystical place, a place from another world. I exclaimed in a low voice.
“Then you’ll catch a cold.”
Julian spoke with a worried voice. I sat up straight and closed the window. But I didn't forget to respond to his words.
"The west is much warmer than the north. You won't catch a cold just by opening the window."
“You are sick easily.”
Julian nagged me, carefully unfastening the shawl I was wearing. I'd thought of him as a cold northern prince not long ago, but it felt like a long time ago. He was so harsh to others, yet so affectionate to me. I smiled and spoke confidently.
"Just try to lift the curse. I won't even dare say such a thing. I'm the eldest daughter of the Count of Winsley. I was born with good health."
“I know very well.”
He said so, but he didn't seem to listen. As I glanced at him, the coachman stopped his horses, and the carriage gradually slowed. Only after it was completely stopped did the coachman open the door.
Julian got out of the carriage first and extended his hand to me. When I placed my hand over his, Julian raised an eyebrow.
“If those wizards lift the curse, I can take off that ring.”
At those words, I touched the ring on my index finger. It was the ring Tien had given me, saying it would somewhat ward off the curse.
I've worn it consistently ever since, and indeed, since putting it on, I haven't vomited blood or had any hallucinations. It was helpful, so I wore it, but it wasn't the kind of accessory a noblewoman should wear. It had to be thick because it had to be engraved with a magic circle.
“It’s a bit crude, isn’t it?”
“That’s not the problem.”
"Sure?"
“That doctor gave it to you.”
I asked curiously.
"Why do you hate him so much? He's a pretty nice guy. He's also quite witty."
“I don’t have any.”
What? I was about to ask, but Julian wrapped his arm around my shoulder and walked forward, leaving me no room to continue.
Tien, riding in another carriage, followed, groaning from a sore back. I glanced back, and he followed, a bright smile on his face and a quicker pace.
"Madam, didn't I tell you? A fight between a married couple is like cutting water with a knife! You two really get along. Ha, I've been getting a lot of flak at home for telling me to get married..."
Watching Tien chatter away, a realization dawned on me. I burst out laughing and whispered to Julian.
“It’s not necessary.”
Julian continued to walk forward without looking back or at me. Perhaps aware of my recently healed legs, he didn't walk quickly.
I lifted my heel and brought my lips as close to Julian's ear as possible.
“You’re cute even without any wit.”
At my whisper, Julian took a step forward. He then gripped my shoulder tightly and walked forward again. Thinking he looked embarrassed, I chuckled.
Tien, who had been walking behind us, quickened his pace as we approached the tower and stood before us. He then stood before the tower's door and knocked.
But there was no immediate response. Didn't you hear? Thinking that, Tien rubbed his forehead and apologized to me and Julian.
“These guys are doing this again. Excuse me.”
Having said that, Tien raised his hand high and knocked on the door with all his might. The polite knock from before was nowhere to be found.
As I knocked on the door, almost as if it were going to break open, the quiet surroundings reverberated, and a loud crash was heard from inside, as if something was collapsing.
“It will open soon.”
As Tien spoke, there was a brief, squeaking noise. After more than five squeaks, the door finally opened. The squeaking noise was so loud it seemed like a long time had passed since the last time it had been opened.
The man who emerged from inside was wearing a roughly turned-in-out robe and had a stubble-cut beard. His gray hair made him seem quite old. He met Tien's eyes and exclaimed with a joyful expression.
“Yes! What interesting thing have you brought me?”
The momentum was anything but that of an old man. His eyes were filled with curiosity, and it was clear he was welcoming the bundle Tien would bring rather than welcoming Tien.
“Oh, how interesting. I brought the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Duchzan with them.”
“Duchzan!”
The old man, clearly a wizard, pushed Tien aside with a gleam in his eyes. Then, as if he'd spotted us, he opened his mouth wide and laughed loudly.
“Welcome. Welcome. I’ve been waiting with bated breath.”
Then he held out his hand, and contrary to my concerns after seeing his roughly trimmed beard, it was remarkably clean.
His fingernails were neatly trimmed, and he didn't look undernourished. When I tried to grab his hand, Julian pulled my hand away and gestured toward the door with his chin.
It seemed to imply, "Don't talk nonsense and just go inside." The old wizard chuckled without a trace of displeasure and went inside.
"Oh, my name is Blay. Wizards who belong to the Magic Tower don't have last names. You can just call me Blay."
“I see. Nice to meet you, Blay.”
“I am very happy to meet you, too, Your Highness.”
I entered the tower to be greeted by Blay.
"Oh."
I gasped in pure admiration. The first thing I noticed upon entering the tower was the endlessly stacked bookshelves. It seemed as if the entire wall was filled with books.
And there was a spiral staircase installed close to the bookshelf, but from a certain height, it was obscured by the ceiling, so it was impossible to guess what was above it.
“I was afraid something would happen if I took out the book.”
"Haha. They say that actually happened in the old days. But we wizards want to live as long as possible, so we take special care. So, don't worry too much."
Blay said, jumping over the books that had fallen to the floor. The clatter I'd heard outside the door must have been the sound of these books collapsing. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to walk around the books a bit. Julian followed me.
“How many floors do I have to go to?”
When Julian asked, Blay answered politely with a smile.
“You can go up to the 5th floor.”
As soon as he heard that, Julian gestured to me.
“Madam, come here.”
I blushed and walked away from him.
“No! I’ll walk on my own two feet. I’m all better!”
I grabbed the hem of my skirt and hurried up the stairs before Julian could grab me. Julian seemed displeased, but this was the Magic Tower, not the Grand Duke's residence.
I had no desire whatsoever to climb the stairs in his arms in front of wizards I had never seen before.
I climbed the tower with Blay. Entering the second floor, which had been hidden by the ceiling, revealed a space filled with sofas and beds. The wizards, apparently exhausted and fast asleep, didn't move a muscle when we entered.
I felt a little disheartened by the chatter downstairs, but Blay continued to speak loudly as if it didn't matter at all.
“Yes, there’s nothing to see here. Let’s go up.”
The moment I ascended to the next floor, a loud noise suddenly erupted. I was startled. I'd only taken a single step, but I could hear voices I'd never heard before.
“Oh, is there a sound-blocking spell?”
When I asked as if I understood, Blay nodded with a pleased face.
"Yes. Once wizards start talking, they lose track of time. Noise-proofing the tower is essential."
It seems my prejudice against the Magic Tower was that it was gloomy and had a foul odor. The wizards were shouting in their separate rooms, almost arguing with each other. I couldn't understand a single word they were saying.
As we ascended to the next floor, the commotion subsided, and a restaurant appeared out of nowhere. I almost laughed at the mysterious structure of this tower. The people eating stared at us, perhaps curious about the strangers.
“Lord Blay. Could it be that they are...?”
“I don’t know!”
When Blay spoke so bluntly, the wizards gaped at us, as if they'd understood the answer. Uneasy at their gaze, I hurried up to the next floor.
Finally, it was the 5th floor.
Even so, there was no benefit to being away for too long, so we decided to hurry up and finish our schedule as much as possible.
Julian and I headed to the westernmost of the magic towers, the most renowned of them all. Because it was a bit far from the north, the carriage ride was quite long, and while I was feeling a bit exhausted, it gave me time to reflect for the first time in a while.
My first reason for going to the Magic Tower was to lift the curse placed on Julian and me. My second reason was to ask if I could find out what was causing the surge in demons.
There was no way our Count of Winsley would be left out of the operation to subdue the demons a year from now. Our family values honor above all else, so they wouldn't listen to me trying to stop them.
If it were just that, I couldn't stop my family. I could understand their pursuit of honor.
However, since Princess Abigail, who had undoubtedly reached out with a dark hand in the past, was still alive and well, the likelihood of a similar outcome this time was high. However, no method could be thought of to instantly overthrow Princess Abigail...
'If the number of demons doesn't increase in the first place, we can buy some time.'
I opened the carriage window. The wind blew in, and I could see the tower rising high above the winding road.
The white tower, standing tall on a vast expanse of land stretching to the horizon, was more beautiful than I'd imagined. It felt like a mystical place, a place from another world. I exclaimed in a low voice.
“Then you’ll catch a cold.”
Julian spoke with a worried voice. I sat up straight and closed the window. But I didn't forget to respond to his words.
"The west is much warmer than the north. You won't catch a cold just by opening the window."
“You are sick easily.”
Julian nagged me, carefully unfastening the shawl I was wearing. I'd thought of him as a cold northern prince not long ago, but it felt like a long time ago. He was so harsh to others, yet so affectionate to me. I smiled and spoke confidently.
"Just try to lift the curse. I won't even dare say such a thing. I'm the eldest daughter of the Count of Winsley. I was born with good health."
“I know very well.”
He said so, but he didn't seem to listen. As I glanced at him, the coachman stopped his horses, and the carriage gradually slowed. Only after it was completely stopped did the coachman open the door.
Julian got out of the carriage first and extended his hand to me. When I placed my hand over his, Julian raised an eyebrow.
“If those wizards lift the curse, I can take off that ring.”
At those words, I touched the ring on my index finger. It was the ring Tien had given me, saying it would somewhat ward off the curse.
I've worn it consistently ever since, and indeed, since putting it on, I haven't vomited blood or had any hallucinations. It was helpful, so I wore it, but it wasn't the kind of accessory a noblewoman should wear. It had to be thick because it had to be engraved with a magic circle.
“It’s a bit crude, isn’t it?”
“That’s not the problem.”
"Sure?"
“That doctor gave it to you.”
I asked curiously.
"Why do you hate him so much? He's a pretty nice guy. He's also quite witty."
“I don’t have any.”
What? I was about to ask, but Julian wrapped his arm around my shoulder and walked forward, leaving me no room to continue.
Tien, riding in another carriage, followed, groaning from a sore back. I glanced back, and he followed, a bright smile on his face and a quicker pace.
"Madam, didn't I tell you? A fight between a married couple is like cutting water with a knife! You two really get along. Ha, I've been getting a lot of flak at home for telling me to get married..."
Watching Tien chatter away, a realization dawned on me. I burst out laughing and whispered to Julian.
“It’s not necessary.”
Julian continued to walk forward without looking back or at me. Perhaps aware of my recently healed legs, he didn't walk quickly.
I lifted my heel and brought my lips as close to Julian's ear as possible.
“You’re cute even without any wit.”
At my whisper, Julian took a step forward. He then gripped my shoulder tightly and walked forward again. Thinking he looked embarrassed, I chuckled.
Tien, who had been walking behind us, quickened his pace as we approached the tower and stood before us. He then stood before the tower's door and knocked.
But there was no immediate response. Didn't you hear? Thinking that, Tien rubbed his forehead and apologized to me and Julian.
“These guys are doing this again. Excuse me.”
Having said that, Tien raised his hand high and knocked on the door with all his might. The polite knock from before was nowhere to be found.
As I knocked on the door, almost as if it were going to break open, the quiet surroundings reverberated, and a loud crash was heard from inside, as if something was collapsing.
“It will open soon.”
As Tien spoke, there was a brief, squeaking noise. After more than five squeaks, the door finally opened. The squeaking noise was so loud it seemed like a long time had passed since the last time it had been opened.
The man who emerged from inside was wearing a roughly turned-in-out robe and had a stubble-cut beard. His gray hair made him seem quite old. He met Tien's eyes and exclaimed with a joyful expression.
“Yes! What interesting thing have you brought me?”
The momentum was anything but that of an old man. His eyes were filled with curiosity, and it was clear he was welcoming the bundle Tien would bring rather than welcoming Tien.
“Oh, how interesting. I brought the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Duchzan with them.”
“Duchzan!”
The old man, clearly a wizard, pushed Tien aside with a gleam in his eyes. Then, as if he'd spotted us, he opened his mouth wide and laughed loudly.
“Welcome. Welcome. I’ve been waiting with bated breath.”
Then he held out his hand, and contrary to my concerns after seeing his roughly trimmed beard, it was remarkably clean.
His fingernails were neatly trimmed, and he didn't look undernourished. When I tried to grab his hand, Julian pulled my hand away and gestured toward the door with his chin.
It seemed to imply, "Don't talk nonsense and just go inside." The old wizard chuckled without a trace of displeasure and went inside.
"Oh, my name is Blay. Wizards who belong to the Magic Tower don't have last names. You can just call me Blay."
“I see. Nice to meet you, Blay.”
“I am very happy to meet you, too, Your Highness.”
I entered the tower to be greeted by Blay.
"Oh."
I gasped in pure admiration. The first thing I noticed upon entering the tower was the endlessly stacked bookshelves. It seemed as if the entire wall was filled with books.
And there was a spiral staircase installed close to the bookshelf, but from a certain height, it was obscured by the ceiling, so it was impossible to guess what was above it.
“I was afraid something would happen if I took out the book.”
"Haha. They say that actually happened in the old days. But we wizards want to live as long as possible, so we take special care. So, don't worry too much."
Blay said, jumping over the books that had fallen to the floor. The clatter I'd heard outside the door must have been the sound of these books collapsing. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to walk around the books a bit. Julian followed me.
“How many floors do I have to go to?”
When Julian asked, Blay answered politely with a smile.
“You can go up to the 5th floor.”
As soon as he heard that, Julian gestured to me.
“Madam, come here.”
I blushed and walked away from him.
“No! I’ll walk on my own two feet. I’m all better!”
I grabbed the hem of my skirt and hurried up the stairs before Julian could grab me. Julian seemed displeased, but this was the Magic Tower, not the Grand Duke's residence.
I had no desire whatsoever to climb the stairs in his arms in front of wizards I had never seen before.
I climbed the tower with Blay. Entering the second floor, which had been hidden by the ceiling, revealed a space filled with sofas and beds. The wizards, apparently exhausted and fast asleep, didn't move a muscle when we entered.
I felt a little disheartened by the chatter downstairs, but Blay continued to speak loudly as if it didn't matter at all.
“Yes, there’s nothing to see here. Let’s go up.”
The moment I ascended to the next floor, a loud noise suddenly erupted. I was startled. I'd only taken a single step, but I could hear voices I'd never heard before.
“Oh, is there a sound-blocking spell?”
When I asked as if I understood, Blay nodded with a pleased face.
"Yes. Once wizards start talking, they lose track of time. Noise-proofing the tower is essential."
It seems my prejudice against the Magic Tower was that it was gloomy and had a foul odor. The wizards were shouting in their separate rooms, almost arguing with each other. I couldn't understand a single word they were saying.
As we ascended to the next floor, the commotion subsided, and a restaurant appeared out of nowhere. I almost laughed at the mysterious structure of this tower. The people eating stared at us, perhaps curious about the strangers.
“Lord Blay. Could it be that they are...?”
“I don’t know!”
When Blay spoke so bluntly, the wizards gaped at us, as if they'd understood the answer. Uneasy at their gaze, I hurried up to the next floor.
Finally, it was the 5th floor.
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