ISMFB 14

CHAPTER 14

Bruno had raised his voice earlier, pretending to be the “Master of the Ivory Tower” in front of Linaria.

But in truth, he didn’t dislike her that much.

From the start, unlike someone else, Bruno wasn’t a cranky old man.

Seeing someone far more of a curmudgeon right next to him had motivated him not to turn out that way.

Bruno, grateful for such an excellent cautionary example, held back a chuckle.

“You said she couldn’t form a contract with a divine beast, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Bruno glanced sideways at the serious profile of Magnus and answered affirmatively.

But then, something struck him as odd.

“But isn’t that strange? You’re saying she has no contract, but Margaret was a noble, a duchess at that.”

Contracts with divine beasts were inherited through bloodlines.

Since Margaret had married into a direct line of ducal blood, it was unthinkable, by common sense, that their child wouldn’t be able to form a contract.

And yet, there truly was no contract holder.

“Yes. Margaret was from, uh, where was it again? That family…”

“Brimstone. You’re getting forgetful with age…”

“You little brat!”

Magnus raised his voice again.

“I was just testing your memory, and there you go, acting all cocky again, practically climbing onto my head in arrogance!”

“As if I would ever! I simply didn’t understand the depth of your wisdom, Master.”

“Bah! All you’ve learned with age is how to butter people up.”

Clicking his tongue, Magnus’s thoughts turned to Linaria, who had grown into a fine young lady.

“When I heard she hadn’t formed a contract with a divine beast, I thought perhaps it was just a late manifestation…”

But Linaria seemed genuinely unaffiliated with either the divine beast of darkness or of the earth.

Then again, she had no reason to lie about something like that.

Still, it didn’t sit right. It made no sense logically. And there was something else that bothered him.

“This book isn’t complete. It doesn’t cover all the other races.”

“Mermaids. The author wasn’t able to research mermaids.”

A mere child, barely dry behind the ears, had pointed out a flaw in a book widely praised as perfect.

It was a book Magnus had published under a former student’s name, not wanting the attention.

“This situation reminds me of…”

“Master, this equation here is wrong.”

The nostalgia narrowed Magnus’s eyes.

But—

“Not my problem.”

“Sorry?”

“I said it’s not my problem!”

He suddenly shouted and stomped forward.

Because of his small body, however, his stomps sounded more like plonk, plonk than thud, thud.

“Master! You’re wearing out my joints!”

Bruno struggled to keep up with him.

Magnus’s retreating figure looked as if he was determined never to return near the Obel estate again.

***

“Bruno.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Are there any letters for me?”

“No, none.”

Recently, Magnus had started acting oddly.

Specifically, he kept checking if any mail had arrived for him.

“Go to the post office and check if any letters went missing.”

He even made such a request.

“Are you expecting a particular message? If so, I can send a follow-up—”

“Wh-why are you making such a big deal out of it! Forget it! It’s not important!”

Magnus adamantly denied it, face flushing red.

But Bruno, who knew the truth, only smiled at the tower master’s outburst.

‘Looks like he’s still waiting for a letter from Lady Obel.’

Since meeting Linaria, Magnus had received a few more letters over time.

They were probably ones she’d written before their encounter.

The content was always the same:

Doodles Margaret had left behind before her marriage.

Pretending not to care, Magnus would still eagerly open them.

At some point, he found himself looking forward to more letters.

Memories of his beloved disciple had shaken the heart of this 200-year-old man.

But now, the regular flow of letters had stopped.

Completely.

Linaria hadn’t sent another one since their visit to Obel.

Considering postal delays, it was a reasonable deduction.

Magnus reached for a pen without thinking—his hand was trembling.

The first day without a letter was bearable.

But when one day became two, then three, four…

By the end of a week, Magnus could hardly function.

Waiting is pleasant when you believe something will come. But if you’re uncertain, anxiety grows quickly.

“Bruno.”

“Yes, Master?”

“I’ll be napping for a bit. Don’t let anyone disturb me until I wake up.”

“Understood.”

He said he was taking a nap, but why was he putting on his coat?

Bruno knew the reason but chose to stay silent.

And so—

Ahem! Ahem!

Magnus returned once more to the Obel estate.

‘They don’t know I’m the tower master anyway, so it’s fine to visit as often as I want.’

Such self-justifications were added for comfort.

He was guided to the drawing room and soon saw Linaria.

She must have assumed the tower master himself would visit after hearing someone from the Ivory Tower had arrived.

When she saw only Magnus sitting there, her eyes widened.

“Oh, it’s you…”

“You think I came because I wanted to see you?”

He blurted it out like an excuse, then noticed confusion flicker in Linaria’s eyes.

Quickly, he corrected himself.

“The tower master was busy, so I came in his place to deliver a message.”

Even corrected, his tone was still unpleasant, but Linaria didn’t point it out.

Instead, she sat across from him and spoke.

“In that case, you should be talking to my father, not me. You saw it yourself—he was the one speaking with the tower master before.”

“No. The message is for you. There’s something you need to answer.”

“Answer what?”

“The thing about mermaids we discussed before.”

“…”

“What exactly is missing? Tell me clearly.”

At that moment, the corner of Linaria’s mouth twitched upward in a faint smile—so fleeting Magnus didn’t catch it.

He was solely focused on wrapping up the matter and returning to the tower.

He expected it to be trivial, but her stopping the letters annoyed him.

He pressed her for a reply with his eyes.

But—

“Why should I?”

“What?”

“I don’t see why I’d be obligated to tell you.”

Magnus was dumbfounded.

‘What? She says she doesn’t have to tell me?’

This was a situation where Linaria should’ve been clinging to his robes, begging.

After all, she had approached him to save her ailing father.

Even sending pages torn from her mother’s doodles was ultimately a ploy to save Dante.

‘So she thinks I’m some pushover now? No—she must think I’m just a mere apprentice.’

Watching her suddenly hold her head high, unlike their first meeting, Magnus could only assume she was looking down on him.

‘I thought she was bold but sweet-hearted. Turns out I was completely fooled. This must be her real self.’

He felt embarrassed for thinking she resembled Margaret even briefly.

Magnus revised his opinion of Linaria: devious.

“That’s all the tower master wanted to ask me?”

“Yes.”

His once-excited heart turned cold, and his tone followed.

But regardless, Linaria casually made a suggestion.

“The tea’s cold. Anna, please bring a fresh pot.”

“Yes, milady.”

The maid who’d been standing by bowed politely and left.

Magnus, frowning, tried to decline the hospitality.

He no longer wished to linger after being so disappointed in her.

“No, I—”

“Don’t refuse. The errand is done, so relax and rest before heading back. You came a long way.”

Linaria placed her hand gently over his.

Startled by the unexpected touch, Magnus froze.

Meanwhile, the maid returned and poured the tea.

Just as he was about to get up, Magnus hesitated.

‘This smell…’

A sweet scent from the warm milk teased his nose. He sniffed without realizing it.

Magnus had a weakness for sugary treats—like a child.

Until recently, he’d carried candies in his pocket, though he’d cut back for health reasons.

At his age, sugar was the enemy.

Even eating one candy would earn judgmental looks.

Though he understood they cared, the restrictions made him rebellious.

Isn’t that human nature? The more forbidden something is, the more tempting it becomes.

Even after 200 years, he hadn’t reached enlightenment.

So now, this cup of tea Linaria offered was like waving fresh meat before a starving beast.

‘Is she seriously trying to bribe me with a cup of tea? Hah, as if that’d work.’

He sipped the tea with that thought.

“There’s dessert too. Help yourself.”

He intended to act like the cultured adult he was.

But when he came to his senses, everything was already gone.

‘Does she… know who I really am?’

Magnus, with crumbs on his lips, pondered seriously.

‘No. If she knew, her behavior from the start wouldn’t make sense.’

If she had known, she would’ve been buttering him up from their first meeting.

Uneasy, Magnus found himself re-evaluating Linaria again.

Maybe she really is a good kid…

‘What am I even thinking?!’

Just as he was about to fall for her again, Magnus pulled himself together and quickly stood up.

For the record, the teacup and dish in front of him were both empty.

“Your name’s Bruno, right? I heard the tower master call you that the other day.”

As she walked him out, Linaria handed him something.

“Take this with you.”

Magnus’s eyes widened.