If the floors we've seen so far made us think that wizards are people too, the 5th floor was completely different.
This place... was truly a wizard, I thought. Floating glass beads, an incomprehensible magic circle written on the wall, and a wizard writing endless formulas on a giant sheet of paper on the floor—a sight unlike any I'd ever seen before.
“You guys! Get up!”
At Blay's loud shout, the wizards, absorbed in their studies, stumbled and raised their heads. They soon gaped, their mouths agape, like the wizards I'd seen in the dining hall. Apparently, Julian and I were the topic of conversation among them.
I wanted to take a step back at any moment, but I stood firm for fear of appearing scared.
"Your Highness, Your Royal Highness. It is an honor to meet you."
One of the wizards greeted us with a curt expression. The wizards behind her followed suit, flustered and bowing one by one. Unlike the first woman to greet, the others seemed unfamiliar with etiquette and awkward.
“Nice to meet you, too.”
"This is my disciple, Sylvia. She may be blunt, but she's smart. She's also very knowledgeable about curses."
“Oh, then Sylvia will help me.”
“It is an honor, Your Highness.”
Sylvia seemed very accustomed to etiquette. I smiled and asked.
“Is Sylvia a noblewoman?”
"A wizard who belongs to the Magic Tower is simply a wizard. Their past status is irrelevant."
“I see. Excuse me.”
“No, Your Highness.”
Sylvia tucked her silver hair behind her ears and led us to a certain spot. The only strange thing was that the wizards seemed to be gathering closer to us.
They approached me and Julian, their eyes shining with curiosity. As I was pondering what to do, someone approached Julian and handed him a magical tool.
“Your Highness... could you please place your hand on this magical tool just once?”
What the wizard held out was a strangely shaped glass orb. It was a beautiful object, a mixture of purple and blue smoke flowing like the Milky Way, yet magical enough to arouse caution. Julian twisted his lips, as if he'd expected this.
“Stop.”
I stood between Julian and the wizard. I couldn't completely hide him, but I wanted to at least provide some cover. After all, I was the one who brought him here, even though I knew Julian was uncomfortable with wizards.
I looked straight at the wizard and said.
"We came here to receive treatment. And we'll definitely compensate you financially. We don't have the time or the reason to accommodate such trivial requests. If you need test subjects, hire them separately."
At my words, the wizard backed away awkwardly. I looked around at the wizards and said.
"Don't even touch my husband, His Royal Highness Duchzan. Touch even a single hem of his cloak, and I won't yield. Furthermore, I will leave this tower immediately and explore another one."
At my words, Blay approached me and smiled jokingly.
"You're going back. I won't let a single dog come near here. So don't worry."
Blay glared at the other wizards, who, quick-witted, hurried back to their seats. I took Julian's hand and walked to Sylvia's seat.
Sylvia politely gestured, placing two chairs side by side. Julian seemed reluctant to sit down, but when I sat down first, he had no choice but to follow.
“Sylvia, I have a favor to ask.”
“Speak, Your Highness.”
"I'd like to put up a partition. Is that possible? Or should I move to a different floor? Everyone keeps glancing at me, and it's really annoying."
As I spoke firmly, Sylvia turned her head sharply and glared at the other wizards. Her angry eyes, when she looked at me, were blunt yet polite.
"I'll also cast a sound-blocking spell. You won't have to worry."
"Thank you."
I smiled faintly. As Sylvia gave instructions to the other magicians, they groaned and brought in a partition, completely covering our seats. Then, as they placed square magical tools in every corner, the space became strangely quiet.
“Is this okay?”
“Of course.”
It was something I did for Julian, but now that such a comfortable place has been prepared, I feel at ease too.
Sylvia placed a chair a short distance away and prepared a notebook and pen in front of it. The notebook was already densely filled with complex formulas and letters.
“What is this?”
In response to my question, Sylvia readily offered me her notebook. I pretended to glance through it with an embarrassed expression before handing it back to her.
“Well, I was asking for an explanation.”
Sylvia took the note, seemingly taken aback by my words. I thought it was unusual for her to see this.
“I’m sorry. When you live in the Tower, you tend to forget how to talk.”
"No."
I waved my hand, and Sylvia immediately answered the question on the note.
"I've made several assumptions about the curse-breaking method. Depending on the curses placed on Your Highnesses, you may need to use oral medicine, topical ointments, long-term possession of magical tools, or periodic infusions of magical energy."
“Oh, I see.”
I felt a little embarrassed, remembering how I'd recently suggested that kissing Julian might be a curse that would cure me. I'd thought magic would be far removed from everyday life, but it turned out they were actually quite similar.
Sylvia's attitude was no different from that of a doctor. She pushed up her glasses and asked seriously.
"Is Your Highness the only one who wishes to break the curse? Or has Your Highness also come to the Magic Tower for the same purpose?"
“I’m done.”
Julian refused in a firm voice. His voice was so sharp that if Sylvia had spoken longer, she would have been cut off before she could finish.
I wanted to convince Julian, but I didn't want to touch on his trauma. I was grateful enough that he came here with me. I forced a smile and said,
“Please confirm my curse.”
"Understood. First, we will determine whether the curse caster is dead or alive. To do so, we will need the blood of Your Highness, the Grand Duchess. Is that alright?"
“There’s no way it’ll be okay.”
The answer came from Julian. He glared at Sylvia, his displeasure evident. But Sylvia, seemingly oblivious to his discomfort, answered in a calm voice.
“Just one drop will do.”
"Julian, one drop is all you need. Hospitals often do this."
It was a bit of a funny situation. I felt like I was trying to calm a child who was throwing a tantrum because he didn't want to have his blood drawn, even though I was the one doing it. After I repeatedly told him it was okay, Julian sighed and nodded.
Seeing Julian's reaction, Sylvia took a needle and pricked my index finger lightly. A brief tingling sensation passed through my skin, and a drop of blood formed on my fingertip.
Sylvia kept it in a narrow-necked glass bottle and mixed it with the murky green liquid.
The liquid, initially red, gradually turned black. Black again? A bad feeling arose. Sylvia spoke with a blank expression.
“The caster is already dead.”
As expected. I wasn't expecting much. Tien had already told me that the person who cursed me was definitely dead. I tried not to be too disappointed.
At that moment, the center of the black liquid began to glow silver. Sylvia's eyes grew dim, and she shook her head.
"It means someone who inherited the caster's magical powers is still alive. However, it won't be of much help in breaking the curse."
“Ah... is that so?”
Judging by the fact that I had a feeling of hope, it seems I still had a faint hope. Sylvia continued speaking in her characteristically calm manner.
“Yes. He may be a descendant or a disciple, but if he isn’t the caster himself, it’s meaningless.”
Sylvia continued to experiment with me. She placed my hair in a blazing blue flame, placed a strange liquid on my palm, and placed me on a strange magic circle.
Each time, Julian would object, Sylvia would guarantee safety, and I would have to appease Julian.
After all the experiments, I was quite exhausted. Even considering Julian's physical strength was beyond the average person's, it was still a bit surprising that Sylvia seemed fine.
It was as if this was the magician's inquisitive mind. Sylvia diligently wrote down the results of her experiments in her notebook.
“Did you find out anything?”
I asked cautiously, and Sylvia nodded.
“Yes, there is.”
I held Julian's hand tightly, trying to hide my excitement. Julian looked at me, then back at Sylvia.
“You may remember that I said earlier that the person who inherited the caster’s magic power is alive.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“It might help to find that person.”
“Why?”
“The curse placed upon Your Highness the Grand Duchess, is a conditional curse.”
“Conditional curse?”
Sylvia nodded.
"An example might be 'If you're exposed to sunlight, you'll die.' The curse only activates when certain conditions are met. In the distant past, those afflicted with such a curse were condemned to live in eternal darkness and bear the stigma of being a vampire."
As I listened to Sylvia's story, I became lost in thought. What had I done in the past to deserve my death? Nothing came to mind.
I was a dutiful, if not obedient, wife, and often found myself unable to attend even the most basic social gatherings, let alone go out. As the days went by, Kaiser increasingly enslaved me, even confining me.
In that case, it was more convincing to say he died because he didn't do something. That would have been even more difficult. When I groaned, Sylvia nodded as if it were natural.
“Perhaps we can get a hint from someone who inherited the caster’s magical power.”
This place... was truly a wizard, I thought. Floating glass beads, an incomprehensible magic circle written on the wall, and a wizard writing endless formulas on a giant sheet of paper on the floor—a sight unlike any I'd ever seen before.
“You guys! Get up!”
At Blay's loud shout, the wizards, absorbed in their studies, stumbled and raised their heads. They soon gaped, their mouths agape, like the wizards I'd seen in the dining hall. Apparently, Julian and I were the topic of conversation among them.
I wanted to take a step back at any moment, but I stood firm for fear of appearing scared.
"Your Highness, Your Royal Highness. It is an honor to meet you."
One of the wizards greeted us with a curt expression. The wizards behind her followed suit, flustered and bowing one by one. Unlike the first woman to greet, the others seemed unfamiliar with etiquette and awkward.
“Nice to meet you, too.”
"This is my disciple, Sylvia. She may be blunt, but she's smart. She's also very knowledgeable about curses."
“Oh, then Sylvia will help me.”
“It is an honor, Your Highness.”
Sylvia seemed very accustomed to etiquette. I smiled and asked.
“Is Sylvia a noblewoman?”
"A wizard who belongs to the Magic Tower is simply a wizard. Their past status is irrelevant."
“I see. Excuse me.”
“No, Your Highness.”
Sylvia tucked her silver hair behind her ears and led us to a certain spot. The only strange thing was that the wizards seemed to be gathering closer to us.
They approached me and Julian, their eyes shining with curiosity. As I was pondering what to do, someone approached Julian and handed him a magical tool.
“Your Highness... could you please place your hand on this magical tool just once?”
What the wizard held out was a strangely shaped glass orb. It was a beautiful object, a mixture of purple and blue smoke flowing like the Milky Way, yet magical enough to arouse caution. Julian twisted his lips, as if he'd expected this.
“Stop.”
I stood between Julian and the wizard. I couldn't completely hide him, but I wanted to at least provide some cover. After all, I was the one who brought him here, even though I knew Julian was uncomfortable with wizards.
I looked straight at the wizard and said.
"We came here to receive treatment. And we'll definitely compensate you financially. We don't have the time or the reason to accommodate such trivial requests. If you need test subjects, hire them separately."
At my words, the wizard backed away awkwardly. I looked around at the wizards and said.
"Don't even touch my husband, His Royal Highness Duchzan. Touch even a single hem of his cloak, and I won't yield. Furthermore, I will leave this tower immediately and explore another one."
At my words, Blay approached me and smiled jokingly.
"You're going back. I won't let a single dog come near here. So don't worry."
Blay glared at the other wizards, who, quick-witted, hurried back to their seats. I took Julian's hand and walked to Sylvia's seat.
Sylvia politely gestured, placing two chairs side by side. Julian seemed reluctant to sit down, but when I sat down first, he had no choice but to follow.
“Sylvia, I have a favor to ask.”
“Speak, Your Highness.”
"I'd like to put up a partition. Is that possible? Or should I move to a different floor? Everyone keeps glancing at me, and it's really annoying."
As I spoke firmly, Sylvia turned her head sharply and glared at the other wizards. Her angry eyes, when she looked at me, were blunt yet polite.
"I'll also cast a sound-blocking spell. You won't have to worry."
"Thank you."
I smiled faintly. As Sylvia gave instructions to the other magicians, they groaned and brought in a partition, completely covering our seats. Then, as they placed square magical tools in every corner, the space became strangely quiet.
“Is this okay?”
“Of course.”
It was something I did for Julian, but now that such a comfortable place has been prepared, I feel at ease too.
Sylvia placed a chair a short distance away and prepared a notebook and pen in front of it. The notebook was already densely filled with complex formulas and letters.
“What is this?”
In response to my question, Sylvia readily offered me her notebook. I pretended to glance through it with an embarrassed expression before handing it back to her.
“Well, I was asking for an explanation.”
Sylvia took the note, seemingly taken aback by my words. I thought it was unusual for her to see this.
“I’m sorry. When you live in the Tower, you tend to forget how to talk.”
"No."
I waved my hand, and Sylvia immediately answered the question on the note.
"I've made several assumptions about the curse-breaking method. Depending on the curses placed on Your Highnesses, you may need to use oral medicine, topical ointments, long-term possession of magical tools, or periodic infusions of magical energy."
“Oh, I see.”
I felt a little embarrassed, remembering how I'd recently suggested that kissing Julian might be a curse that would cure me. I'd thought magic would be far removed from everyday life, but it turned out they were actually quite similar.
Sylvia's attitude was no different from that of a doctor. She pushed up her glasses and asked seriously.
"Is Your Highness the only one who wishes to break the curse? Or has Your Highness also come to the Magic Tower for the same purpose?"
“I’m done.”
Julian refused in a firm voice. His voice was so sharp that if Sylvia had spoken longer, she would have been cut off before she could finish.
I wanted to convince Julian, but I didn't want to touch on his trauma. I was grateful enough that he came here with me. I forced a smile and said,
“Please confirm my curse.”
"Understood. First, we will determine whether the curse caster is dead or alive. To do so, we will need the blood of Your Highness, the Grand Duchess. Is that alright?"
“There’s no way it’ll be okay.”
The answer came from Julian. He glared at Sylvia, his displeasure evident. But Sylvia, seemingly oblivious to his discomfort, answered in a calm voice.
“Just one drop will do.”
"Julian, one drop is all you need. Hospitals often do this."
It was a bit of a funny situation. I felt like I was trying to calm a child who was throwing a tantrum because he didn't want to have his blood drawn, even though I was the one doing it. After I repeatedly told him it was okay, Julian sighed and nodded.
Seeing Julian's reaction, Sylvia took a needle and pricked my index finger lightly. A brief tingling sensation passed through my skin, and a drop of blood formed on my fingertip.
Sylvia kept it in a narrow-necked glass bottle and mixed it with the murky green liquid.
The liquid, initially red, gradually turned black. Black again? A bad feeling arose. Sylvia spoke with a blank expression.
“The caster is already dead.”
As expected. I wasn't expecting much. Tien had already told me that the person who cursed me was definitely dead. I tried not to be too disappointed.
At that moment, the center of the black liquid began to glow silver. Sylvia's eyes grew dim, and she shook her head.
"It means someone who inherited the caster's magical powers is still alive. However, it won't be of much help in breaking the curse."
“Ah... is that so?”
Judging by the fact that I had a feeling of hope, it seems I still had a faint hope. Sylvia continued speaking in her characteristically calm manner.
“Yes. He may be a descendant or a disciple, but if he isn’t the caster himself, it’s meaningless.”
Sylvia continued to experiment with me. She placed my hair in a blazing blue flame, placed a strange liquid on my palm, and placed me on a strange magic circle.
Each time, Julian would object, Sylvia would guarantee safety, and I would have to appease Julian.
After all the experiments, I was quite exhausted. Even considering Julian's physical strength was beyond the average person's, it was still a bit surprising that Sylvia seemed fine.
It was as if this was the magician's inquisitive mind. Sylvia diligently wrote down the results of her experiments in her notebook.
“Did you find out anything?”
I asked cautiously, and Sylvia nodded.
“Yes, there is.”
I held Julian's hand tightly, trying to hide my excitement. Julian looked at me, then back at Sylvia.
“You may remember that I said earlier that the person who inherited the caster’s magic power is alive.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“It might help to find that person.”
“Why?”
“The curse placed upon Your Highness the Grand Duchess, is a conditional curse.”
“Conditional curse?”
Sylvia nodded.
"An example might be 'If you're exposed to sunlight, you'll die.' The curse only activates when certain conditions are met. In the distant past, those afflicted with such a curse were condemned to live in eternal darkness and bear the stigma of being a vampire."
As I listened to Sylvia's story, I became lost in thought. What had I done in the past to deserve my death? Nothing came to mind.
I was a dutiful, if not obedient, wife, and often found myself unable to attend even the most basic social gatherings, let alone go out. As the days went by, Kaiser increasingly enslaved me, even confining me.
In that case, it was more convincing to say he died because he didn't do something. That would have been even more difficult. When I groaned, Sylvia nodded as if it were natural.
“Perhaps we can get a hint from someone who inherited the caster’s magical power.”
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