"I've never done that. It must just be your subjective feeling, Tower Master."
"It was an opportunity to make a good impression on Miss Selinia's family."
"Yes?"
"Won't Mary tell the Count and Countess good things about me?"
There were three suspicious points. The Count and his wife were not my real family. There was no way Count Hyrn would ask Mary about my well-being. And even if they were my family, Eon had no need to curry favor with them.
"You don't have to try hard; Count Hyrn will like the Tower Master very much. Just by crossing paths..."
Ignoring all those points, I gave a vague answer. It was because I wanted to return to my room quickly. Karina's letter in my left hand was calling to me. However, contrary to my hopes, Eon did not seem to have any intention of letting me go easily.
"As a Marquis and Master of the Magic Tower, I do not need to go out of my way to make a good impression on Count Hyrn. However, it would be a different story when it comes to the man who will be by your side."
"Is it the man who will be by my side?"
"Yes. The man who will be by your side."
I barely managed to hold back a wry laugh.
Is he confessing that he likes me right now? Did he assume I would say I like him? Come to think of it, Eon had done something similar in the dressing room as well.
I opened my mouth, trying to put on a composed expression.
"Master of the Magic Tower, those words sound exactly like a confession to me. It's easy to misunderstand."
"It is not a misunderstanding; it is the truth."
“It’s true?”
“Yes.”
"...Are you confessing to me?"
"You're right."
His smiling face and slightly raised chin exuded the height of confidence. He looked less like a man who had just confessed his feelings to a woman he liked and more like a participant in a game guaranteed victory.
I stared intently at his face. Naturally, my gaze failed to bring about any change in him. The expression of someone who had just confessed was truly nonchalant. The bitter laugh I had been holding back burst out.
"Haha, a confession, I mean a confession."
"I don't know what's so funny."
"I didn't expect you to say something so sudden."
"Sudden..."
Eon crossed his legs and sank his upper body deep into the chair. His gleaming shoes bobbed up and down.
"I didn't realize Miss Selinia was such an indifferent person."
It sounds exactly like you've been sending me signals all this time.
"Of course. Any ordinary woman would have more than noticed my feelings."
The only signals he had sent me all this time were threats like, 'Do you want to die?' and 'I'll make you like that too.' The signs he sent through the maids were even more blatant.
"What kind of signal was there?"
"Isn't the very fact that I went out of my way to bring you here from the Count's mansion proof that I'm interested in you?"
"By entering into a subsidiary contract."
"Isn't being unable to escape from the other person the very beginning of love and care?"
"That is not love and care, but restraint and oppression."
"I am always keeping a close eye on your actions and thoughts."
"That is an obsession."
Eon narrowed his eyebrows. It seemed my talking back was bothering him.
"Since you keep misinterpreting my intentions in that way, I suppose I must bring up a somewhat childish story. I have decorated the room you are currently in to suit Miss Selinia's taste. I even gifted you some clothes that I think you will like."
I have no idea on what grounds he assumed that room suited my taste and that those clothes were something I would like. Until a few years ago, I was an orphan with no sense of taste, and even in the Count's household, I never lived a life of luxury like a noble. It was a baseless assumption that showed no consideration for the other person, but I couldn't bring myself to actually say it out loud.
'At times like this, it would have been a little easier if you could have read my mind.'
Objectively speaking, Eon was a capable individual holding the title of Marquis and even possessing a magic tower.
Furthermore, his outward appearance was second to none in Baynan. Given his standing, which was more than enough to make his self-esteem overflow, he seemed to think that someone like me would naturally be pleased with his attention.
'In that case, you shouldn't have taken me to the exhibition hall.'
If he wanted to have a normal relationship with me, he shouldn't have boasted about such a bizarre exhibit at the very least. This was common sense that anyone would know. So, Eon's words, which sounded like a confession, were all lies.
"That's a pity. The only signals I received were maids trying to kill me and maids being killed. Ah. And there was that terrible exhibition room where the Sallys were gathered. You said you weren't, Master of the Magic Tower, but didn't saying you wanted to call me Sally mean that you intended to make me that way?"
A red light slowly rose from deep within Eon's eyes. I knew it was his anger.
"It was all for Miss Selinia."
"For my sake?"
"It wasn't some kind of signal; it was for you."
Like a child who hates losing an argument, he started being unreasonably stubborn. There was no point in continuing the conversation any further.
I sprang up from the chair. As a result, Karina's letter, which I had momentarily forgotten about, fell to the floor. Realizing it a beat too late, I bent over, and at the same time, Eon's gaze fell upon it.
"Karina Lemont."
He read the name written on the front of the envelope. The name rising to his lips felt as if I were awaiting a death sentence. It was already too late, but I crumpled the letter and hid it in my hand.
"He is a young lady who recently received a knighthood."
Since it was rare for a woman to receive a knighthood, Karina's case was once a hot topic in Baynan. It was not surprising that Eon remembered the Lemont family. However, it was certainly unsettling to see Karina's name being imprinted in his mind in this way.
"I will be going now. Since the generous Master of the Magic Tower has granted permission for a social gathering, I think there will be plenty to prepare."
I spoke coyly and turned away, but my heart was beating harder than ever.
***
Returning to my room, I checked several times to make sure the door was locked. I drew the curtains and looked around, even though I knew no one was there. After confirming that I was completely alone in this space, I took out Karina's invitation.
The letter, crumpled like a tissue from being clutched so tightly, was even damp. I pressed down on the invitation with both hands to flatten it out, as if ironing it. It was no use showing such caution now, but I opened the envelope with a paper knife anyway.
"Phew."
A white piece of paper folded in half appeared. I carefully unfolded the letter and let out another sigh. Then, in stark contrast to the cautious behavior I had shown leading up to taking it out, I read through the text in one sitting.
[Hello, Marquis Hyrn's daughter.
I am Captain Karina of the Military Police.
Please understand that I will skip the formalities and get straight to the point.
I heard in detail from her family about the matter involving the child named Tara.
Just as you do, Young Lady, I also have many things I would like to ask you.
If you receive this letter, please visit the mansion of Baron Lemont.
I will not set a specific date, as I am not sure about your circumstances.
For the next fifteen days, I will take a temporary break from the military police and wait at the mansion.
If you are unable to visit, please leave the letter at a tavern in the shopping district.
If you leave the letter with the tavern owner, I will be able to see it.
I sincerely hope you stay safe.]
It was only after checking the period at the end of the last sentence that I could breathe properly. Then I went back to the first sentence and read it again.
Dry and concise content. Handwriting that appeared to have been written in a hurry. With nothing written other than the method of contact, there was no room to doubt that this was a letter written by Karina.
'Karina noticed that Tower Master was suspicious!'
In the original story as well, Karina was searching for the missing person alone. Of course, at that time, she could not find any clues about the missing person. Naturally, she never imagined that Eon was involved in the disappearance case.
'It looks like Mr. Eaton explained it correctly after all.'
I was truly a deceitful person. Apart from Tara's death, hope arose from the fact that I had made contact with Karina. I felt a mix of guilt and apology—the expectation that I could escape Eon and survive—yet I couldn't help but burn with a will to live at this newly appeared hope.
The timing was good. Now that I had confirmed that Eon couldn't read my thoughts, I would be able to move a little more freely.
Moreover, it was Karina who was making the plan this time. It was reassuring to see her as the protagonist of this novel, rather than me—a worthless extra with a subordinate contract. It felt as if God had reached out to me.
'You must not make a rash move this time.'
I suppressed the urge to rush to Baron Lemont's estate right away. I couldn't let Karina's plan get in the way. I had to act as secretly and meticulously as I could.
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