chapter 73
And the moment I stepped onto the terrace, I realized I had made an excellent choice.
“Wow…”
Silver moonlight poured down. It had been hot during the day, but now that night had fallen, the air was pleasantly cool.
From the garden outside the hall, the chirping of insects could be heard.
It was perfectly comfortable—just the right kind of refreshing to lift one’s mood.
I leaned on the terrace railing and drew in the night air.
Being away from the crowd and alone with Damian, the Master of the Mage Tower, definitely felt more relaxing.
“Are you not cold?”
…Or was it? Was I really relaxed?
Now that it was just the two of us on this narrow terrace, the sense of isolation felt strangely strong.
Damian under the bright lights of the banquet hall and Damian under the dim night sky—up close—gave off entirely different impressions.
“As I’ve said before, the engagement being settled is all thanks to your efforts, Representative.”
“No, not at all. We were going to host the event for Empress Mirielle regardless.”
“But it’s your ideas that gave everything wings. Thanks to the air conditioners and fans, they’ve become our main products now…”
I hesitated—should I brush off his praise modestly, or should I praise him back?
Honestly, after living as a burdensome, terminally ill duke’s daughter, I wasn’t used to receiving compliments…
I don’t know how to respond when someone genuinely praises me—like Lady Martis, who approaches me to be friendly, or like Damian, whose compliments feel sincere.
“Anyway…”
Fortunately, Damian looked like he had something new to say.
And then, from inside his coat, he produced a ring.
“This is the ring I couldn’t give you last time.”
“Oh…”
I momentarily lost my words. The diamond gleamed dazzlingly under the moonlight.
He… Damian… was holding out a ring to me?
My mind went completely blank, and I couldn’t speak.
Even the thoughts I was forming had frozen.
But then—
“Since we’re technically engaged for the time being, I thought you should have a ring.”
For the time being.
At that phrase, my halted mind began to turn again.
“I wanted to give you several protective magical artifacts like last time when we went to rescue the hostages, but… it’s not easy to wear those every day. So I removed unnecessary functions and crafted this.”
I carefully slid the ring he gave me onto my finger.
Not my left ring finger—my index finger.
“Thank you, um… and…”
I think I said something more after that…
But even though I was the one who said it, I couldn’t really remember.
‘Why was I so startled earlier?’
We’re in a contract engagement that’s already scheduled to end.
Our goals are aligned: landing a hit on Polius, succeeding together in business.
Otherwise, we’d never have gotten involved at all.
I quickly pulled myself together. If I kept stammering because I got flustered, he’d just feel awkward.
‘It’s just a simple accessory. Even if temporary, an engagement should have a ring. Someone even asked about it earlier.’
Yes, exactly. It was nothing more than a ring for our contract engagement.
“I’ll use it well. I’ll do my best as your partner.”
“……”
But now it was Damian who flinched slightly at my words. Was it my imagination?
“Why—”
Before I could ask, someone knocked on the terrace door.
“I’ll get it.”
Damian guided me toward the corner of the terrace and then opened the door.
There stood a pale-faced middle‑aged man. I immediately recognized him.
‘He’s the man I noticed earlier in the hall.’
He had hovered nearby as if wanting to say something but eventually turned away without speaking.
“What is it—”
Before I could finish asking, the man bowed deeply.
“Lord Damian, please help us.”
Lord Damian.
It felt strangely unfamiliar.
People normally called the man beside me the Tower Master. Sometimes “Young Master Velderte,” but very rarely.
‘I’ve never seen anyone outside the troupe call him ‘young master.’’
Curious about his reaction, I glanced up at Damian—and froze a little.
His expression was much stiffer than usual.
“……”
Seeing him unable to speak, I decided to step in.
“What do you mean, help?”
“The Velderte territory needs Young Master Damian.”
The man introduced himself as Baron Zeldon, a retainer of the Velderte Count family.
‘Did the Tower Master already know who he was?’
Others might not notice anything, but I could sense Damian felt unusually subdued.
“The Velderte territory is on the verge of an uprising.”
“Go back.”
“But, Young Master Damian!”
Damian, who had been silent all this time, spoke curtly.
Baron Zeldon, who had tried to stay composed, raised his voice.
“Many of the people are suffering. The Neckes territory upstream has cut off our water supply!”
“I’m not Velderte anymore. You’ve come to the wrong person.”
“You ran away with nothing, became Tower Master, and even built a successful business! If not you, then who?”
Baron Zeldon collapsed to his knees and clung to Damian’s leg.
“But Count Velderte and Young Master Polius are letting the Neckes territory drag them around! Worse, they’re raising taxes, saying they need funds for their business!”
They needed funds because Polius’s video‑stone business couldn’t compete with Black Moon’s.
‘Mm… If Polius’s business had been successful, they wouldn’t be picked on by neighboring territories, and they wouldn’t be squeezing their people for taxes.’
I felt a faint sense of responsibility—even though deep down I knew it wasn’t truly my fault.
“…I am not Velderte.”
“But still—!”
When had Damian become someone who repeated the same line like a broken bird? This wasn’t like him.
Sensing the cycle would continue, I approached the kneeling baron and placed a hand on his arm.
“I understand the situation. I’ll discuss it with the Tower Master. For now, it’s late—please withdraw.”
“Ah… yes…”
Baron Zeldon clearly didn’t want to leave without a firm answer, but when I subtly gestured, he stood and left the terrace.
“Hm, I have an idea what’s going on. If the water’s blocked, Velderte can’t farm. They should’ve confronted it properly.”
In the novel, Count Velderte was portrayed as incompetent.
Back then, because I was the fiancée, they didn’t dare cross the Clotilde Ducal House.
‘He can pretend not to care, but he’s definitely bothered.’
Damian kept staring at the ground, gloomy and silent.
Only after a long moment did he finally speak to me.
“I’m sorry. I’ve caused you trouble.”
“It wasn’t really trouble.”
“I am not Velderte anymore. I will focus only on Black Moon and the Tower. Don’t worry.”
“I never said you shouldn’t.”
I chuckled softly.
“Why do you assume I’d hate it if you cared about Velderte?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I don’t have two bodies. If I divide my attention, I can’t devote as much to what I was originally doing.”
“Tower Master. Did you forget my goal?”
I tilted my head and smiled.
“I hate Polius Velderte. And I want to hit him where it hurts. I’m not satisfied yet.”
“What does that have to do with— Actually, wouldn’t helping the Velderte territory benefit Polius?”
“No. You just have to handle things far better than Count Velderte and Polius.”
“What?”
“Tower Master. I don’t know exactly why you left the manor, but… isn’t the rightful next Count—the heir—the one who should be you? Both by birth and by ability?”
Damian replied with a hint of discomfort.
“But I’ve always said I have no interest in becoming Count Velderte.”
“Then say your mind has changed.”
“…What?”
I lifted my chin and answered boldly.
“What are they going to do if you say you changed your mind? Kill you?”
