'Eon!?'
There was no need to go out of your way to turn your head to check.
'So suddenly.'
Worried that Eon might be coming this way, I did not let my guard down. I kept checking behind me even while talking to Rudis. By the time I stood up, there was certainly no sign of Eon, let alone his shadow.
"Is it really that surprising that I suddenly appeared?"
As if he had read my mind, Eon spoke.
"It's a teleportation spell. I'm in a bit of a rush this time, you see."
Contrary to his words, Eon looked endlessly relaxed. It was the composure of someone who had known from the start that I could not escape from him.
“Who are you?”
Rudis asked Eon.
"Lord Pardien. I'm the Master of the Empire's Magic Tower."
The man standing beside him bowed his head and spoke. It was as if he were saying that they should pay their respects to Eon. However, instead of bowing, Rudis asked a question.
"Are you acquainted with this lady?"
"Exactly."
"If it's not too much trouble, I wonder what kind of relationship you have..."
"Not at all, it's no big deal."
Eon answered, interrupting Rudis while still keeping his gaze fixed on me.
"Mine."
"Mine?"
Eon changed his answer as if to explain it in a way that was easy to understand.
"In other words, I'm saying she's my person."
Only then did Eon look at Rudis and smile. I hadn't managed to see what Rudis's face looked like. Eon's words stirred up shame and fear at the same time.
'It was mine, then it was my person.'
Eon treated me completely as his possession.
"It seems she is the Tower Master's... woman."
Rudis's attendant whispered as if it were no big deal. It seemed to suggest that they should stop worrying and go their separate ways. It was an attitude that there was nothing to gain from getting unnecessarily entangled with people we had just met.
"Don't misunderstand. It's not like that."
I snapped at the rude servant.
"Alright. Please come this way."
Eon reached out his hand to me. I shook my head.
"You can't force me to go anymore."
My leg hurt at the time, so I just slumped down right there.
"Come to think of it, it is truly strange. Why would the Tower Master's person be lying unconscious in a place like this? It doesn't look like you came here to hunt."
He seemed to have sensed the unusual tension between the two of us. Rudis asked the question in an exaggerated tone, as if he were acting. Having read the original work, I knew that this was how Rudis got angry.
Only then did Eon shift his gaze to Rudis.
“What’s your name?”
What came out of Eon's mouth was not an answer to Rudis's question, but a different question.
"It is an honor to introduce myself to the great Lord of the Magic Tower. My name is Rudis de Pardien."
Whether he failed to notice Rudis's sarcasm or simply didn't care, Eon's words remained brief.
"You seem to have a lot of interest in other people's business."
He spoke as if he were being nosy. But isn't helping someone in distress the natural thing to do for a gentleman?
"Someone in trouble?"
Eon stared at me intently, as if he had never thought of it that way. Then, he smirked with a cold expression.
"If you're interested in someone, wouldn't it be better to just say so? Honestly, I mean."
In the eyes of that murderer, Rudis's kindness seemed like nothing more than an attempt to snatch his prey. Eon mocked Rudis by quoting a word that was the least fitting for him.
"Of course I am interested. After all, someone belonging to the Tower Master was found collapsed in the hunting grounds. Could you please explain what happened?"
"In that case, my person can answer it personally."
Rudis and Eon's gazes turned toward me at the same time.
"Lady. Are you really acquainted with him?"
I shook my head with all my might. It wasn't what I had planned, but now was the perfect time to reveal everything to Rudis. I clenched my fist tightly, bit my lip for a moment, and then opened my mouth.
"To the former Tower Master..."
At that moment, Eon's voice rang out in my head again.
[Paying for breaking the law through research at the Magic Tower doesn't seem like such a bad deal, though.]
In any case, objectively speaking, I was a law-breaking orphan, while the other side was a Marquis with a clear identity and the Master of the Magic Tower. It was a challenge to see whose words he would believe.
'But that’s not all.'
I had a lot to say about Eon anyway.
"The Master of Magic Tower..."
[Alright, tell him. I am also very curious to know what you think of me.]
I had momentarily forgotten. What it means for him to know my thoughts. He must have already read the fact that I know he is a murderer.
'The reason you are keeping me alive like this, knowing my secret, is...'
It was probably just for fun. If Eon had committed murder without any purpose, he was more than capable of doing so.
'If I reveal here that he is a murderer.'
He will kill me. He will kill me. Furthermore, he might even kill Rudis to silence me. Even if Rudiw couldn't save me right now, I couldn't lose my hope here.
[Miss Selinia, you think too much.]
Seeing him grinning with such a relaxed attitude, it was clearly mockery.
"That's enough. I've realized just how important our promise is."
I glared at Eon and spoke. Then, turning my head, I looked at Rudis, who was waiting for me to speak, and smiled weakly.
"Lady?"
"I am a researcher at the Magic Tower. I was recently appointed. As I was about to leave the place where I used to live, I felt afraid and jumped out of the carriage."
It was half true.
"I have caused concern to many people with my foolish behavior. Could you please help me up?"
I reached out my hand toward Rudis and whispered softly.
"The most impressive novel was Baynan Street No. 43."
It wasn't exactly a matter of whether Eon heard it or not. However, Rudis would surely understand the meaning of these words. I earnestly hoped that he would.
Rudis's red eyes, filled with turmoil, were looking down at me. I hoped his eyes would capture me clearly, and that he would find me.
Just as Rudis's hand was about to touch me, my body was lifted into the air. It was Eon's doing. Eon, who had strode over in the blink of an eye, suddenly lifted me up.
"I hope we never have business together again. Rudis de Pardien."
I could not hear Rudis's greeting to him. It was because my vision had been reversed before that.
***
For a moment, I felt dizzy, as if I had motion sickness. I furrowed my brows deeply, closed my eyes, and then struggled to open them.
“W-Where am I?”
It was a lavishly decorated room. Even the Countess's room could not compare. The red carpet, intricately embroidered, and the curtains adorned with voluminous lace were of the finest quality. The furniture, too, gleamed with a polished gleam from such meticulous care.
But that was as far as it went. The surroundings were dark, whether the weather was cloudy or night had fallen in the meantime. Luminous stones hanging like a chandelier illuminated the room, but it was closer to pale moonlight than warm sunlight.
'I get it. Here...'
“It’s a magic tower.”
Just then, Eon's gentle voice was heard.
The Magic Tower. It was the place I always ran away from in my dreams. The very place where eerie voices were heard and endless stairs stretched on.
'It has become reality.'
My body suddenly trembled as if I had a chill. As if he had noticed, Eon put me down. As I lay on the bed looking up at him, I felt like prey caught by a beast's forepaws.
"You got hurt."
A white light rose from his hand, just as it had before. A warm sensation enveloped my face and upper body. He looked at my leg. I, too, slightly raised my head to check my left ankle. The slender joint was noticeably swollen. I suspected that it wasn't just a sprain, but that the bone might be broken.
"At this rate, you won't be able to walk properly for a month."
I belatedly realized the satisfaction embedded in that voice.
"It would be good to take it easy for now."
"Does that mean you won't treat my leg?"
He had no obligation to treat me. It couldn't be said that it was his fault even if he left my injured ankle as it was. However, it was also true that his failure to treat only my ankle felt strongly intentional.
"It can't be helped. If your legs are intact, we don't know when Miss Selinia might try to run away again."
"Th-that can't be true. I know just how powerful dependency contracts are by now."
"Even as you say that, aren't you plotting to escape inside your head?"
At the same time, Eon placed his hand right over my shoulder and bent his upper body forward. As a result, I ended up in a position where I felt like I was half-trapped by him.
Purple eyes that gleamed like those of a beast drew close. He locked my gaze in and whispered in my ear.
"I really hate it when my things disappear."
It was a voice completely devoid of any hint of a smile. At that moment, I realized that the red light flickering in his eyes meant he was angry.
"Do you understand what that means?"
My head nodded involuntarily. However, his gaze still did not let go of me. At the same time, something cold touched my lips. I soon realized that it was Eon's finger.
He was concentrating as if he were drawing my lips. His fingers, moving slowly, raised their tips and pressed against my lower lip. It was difficult to breathe, as if my throat were being squeezed.
Eon lowered his gaze slightly, as if to verify the form he had created. His long eyelashes seemed to let out a satisfied smile. He slowly opened his mouth.
“What is the answer?”
“I understand.”
Only after confirming the period at the end of my answer did Eon take his hand away from my lips.
"I hope you will continue to answer my questions in the future."
You can say things like that out loud. Because I'm a human being.
Instead of refuting it, I roughly rubbed the spot where his hand had touched. It was a timid act of defiance. Perhaps intending to graciously overlook that much, Eon did not press the matter further.
"What is my job at the Magic Tower?"
It wasn't just a question meant to change the mood. If I stayed idle, it was obvious I would be trembling all day long thinking about that murderer. So, doing something would be better for my mental health.
"Hmmm..."
Eon ran his hand through his hair and fell into thought. His attitude clearly revealed that being a researcher was merely an excuse.
"Okay."
Eon snapped his fingertips as if a good idea had struck him.
"Finding out what to do here. For now, Miss Selinia, you can start from there."
'Ha.'
I swallowed a hollow laugh and a curse at the same time, but soon realized it was a futile effort. After all, Eon was likely reading my mind. As if to prove it, Eon smiled sweetly at me. It was a mockery of a weak being unable to stand against him.
Knock knock.
Just then, a knock was heard.
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