Chapter 46
‘I have to make the best possible impression on him.’
Charlotte paid more attention than usual to her appearance before heading to the Magic Tower.
Mysterious lights floated before the entrance.
She swallowed hard.
Following the drifting lights, countless scenes passed by outside the windows—
a snow-covered forest, a blazing desert, a lake under rain…
The Magic Tower was a place full of wonders no matter how many times she visited.
But no matter how often she came, the guardian statues and dangerous traps never stopped feeling unsettling.
It was as if she had stepped into a den of demons.
‘If I ever become the lady of this tower… I’ll make it far more glamorous and beautiful.’
Charlotte clenched her fist.
She would get rid of all the grotesque decorations and redecorate the tower according to the capital’s latest fashion.
‘The Tower Master would surely prefer that. This place is full of magic-obsessed fools.’
Well, magic fools they might be, but each one of them possessed enough power to be compared to a weapon of war.
Still, Charlotte thought, it wouldn’t be so bad to teach them refinement in exchange for their loyalty.
To be the lady respected by all the terrifying mages of the Magic Tower—!
Dreaming of that future, Charlotte quickened her steps.
Before long, she arrived at the door to Diamid’s study.
“L-Lord Tower Master. I am Charlotte de Marjangson.”
Nervous, she bowed deeply before quickly straightening up.
It had been a long time since she last saw the Tower Master’s face.
Dark brows accentuated his pale skin, his sharp eyes gleamed like the deep sea,
and his chin line was elegant as though drawn with a brush.
‘How can someone look so aristocratic?’
His expression was cold and emotionless, but that somehow made him all the more dignified.
When their eyes met, Charlotte flushed and lowered her gaze again.
‘He hasn’t changed at all since I saw him when I was thirteen.’
As expected of one who had reached the pinnacle of his craft—time had no hold over him.
No wonder he was called the hero who saved the world from the Demon King.
“I called you here because I heard you’ve been working hard. Have you been lacking anything?”
“N-no, my lord, thanks to your gracious care…”
“I don’t recall doing anything worth being thanked for.”
“Ah—well, I…”
Charlotte stammered, and a low chuckle reached her ears.
Realizing he was joking, she smiled brightly.
‘The mood is good!’
Despite his beautiful, noble face, the Tower Master’s voice was low and husky—deeply resonant.
The sound alone made Charlotte’s cheeks burn.
“I’ve heard no complaints so far, which suggests you’ve been teaching well. The child you were assigned to, however, is quite…”
Diamid trailed off, smiling wryly as if troubled.
“…quite skilled at making people uneasy.”
“Oh my.”
“I imagine you must have had a hard time.”
Charlotte nodded. She had been nervous at first, but the Tower Master—famous for his coldness—was being surprisingly gentle.
His friendly smile, his soft voice… had he ever treated any woman this kindly before?
‘He must like me!’
Her heart pounded. Trying to compose herself, she eagerly joined in his conversation.
“To be honest, my lord, that child is terribly lazy and sharp-tongued. Her skills hardly improve at all. She doesn’t boast, but she’s stubborn. I wonder what would’ve happened if someone else had been her teacher…”
Diamid raised his hand, gesturing for her to stop. Charlotte fell silent and looked at him.
“How is the progress with the song sealed in the necklace?”
“Well, actually… I’ve been having her play a different piece. It’s a long story, but it’s better for her improvement.”
“I see. I’ll trust your judgment.”
Unexpectedly, Diamid rose from his seat, his tone languid—almost seductive.
“Then, would you play that piece for me? I doubt the child could perform it properly.”
“Of course. Her hands are so small that her tempo is dreadfully slow.”
“Then it will take her years to master it, won’t it?”
“Exactly. It’s a piece only I can play.”
Charlotte took out the pouch she’d brought just in case.
It was a spatial bag, a gift from the Tower, allowing her to store large objects inside.
“By the way, I wanted to thank you for this gift, my lord. I use it all the time.”
From the pouch, she drew out a harpsichord.
After taking a deep breath, she began to play.
‘The Tower Master is watching me.’
She worried her hands might tremble from nerves, but her fingers moved as smoothly as ever.
Soon, she was immersed in her own dazzling performance, eyes closed.
Around the midpoint of the piece, Charlotte opened her eyes to gauge his reaction—
and froze. Diamid’s face had hardened.
‘Is he… absorbed in listening?’
Then he spoke.
“You assigned a piece like this to the child—and then claimed her skill wasn’t improving?”
“P-pardon?”
Sensing danger, Charlotte stopped playing.
Diamid’s eyes had turned cold—icy blue and piercing.
“No wonder her small hands couldn’t keep up, no matter how much she practiced.”
“W-what do you mean, my lord…?”
Then Charlotte remembered what she’d just said moments ago.
“T-that… I just misspoke trying to praise myself!”
“So now you’re saying my ears deceived me? The piece you played bears no resemblance to the one in the necklace. You gave her a completely different song—and then called her lazy and wicked?”
Charlotte’s face went pale. She realized something had gone very wrong.
Desperately, she tried to change the subject, but lying before Diamid was useless.
“Yes, I admit I didn’t think highly of the child! But it’s only because I admire you so much!”
She stepped closer, pleading, eyes glistening.
“I know that child is your daughter, my lord. But you’ve never publicly acknowledged her, have you? Isn’t that because her mother was of low birth?”
In Charlotte’s tearful eyes, Diamid’s blue gaze glinted—colder than ever.
“Take me as your consort, my lord. Then I could bear you a proud son, one who carries both your blood and that of the noble Marjangson family—unlike that baseborn girl—”
“Baseborn?”
Diamid’s face twisted as if he were looking at filth.
“M-my lord—!”
Yes, Bezrichte had deceived and abandoned him.
But hearing Charlotte insult her somehow stirred anger deep inside him.
He had sealed away his emotions—so why was he trembling with fury now?
Why had he gone so far as to hide his feelings and pretend otherwise?
In truth, taking in a non-human as his knight had been strange from the start.
He had never cared for Neandrafolk before—so why accept one now?
The answer had always been clear. He just refused to admit it.
Because in Jaina, he saw a reflection of himself.
“I never want to see you again.”
Diamid frowned, glaring at Charlotte as if he couldn’t stand the sight of her.
And that was the last time they ever met.
“Aaaah!”
Charlotte felt magic crash over her like a waterfall—an overwhelming force engulfing her completely.
She screamed in terror.
“Hhh… hhhhk…”
She didn’t know how long she kept her eyes shut.
Thud!
There was a faint impact, and Charlotte slowly opened her eyes.
It seemed she had fallen somewhere, and sunlight was filtering down. At least it wasn’t hell.
“Th-thank goodness… Where am I?”
Since he hadn’t killed her outright, perhaps the Tower Master wasn’t that angry after all.
Charlotte recalled his face and sighed in relief.
‘If I apologize sincerely, maybe he’ll forgive me.’
But that fantasy shattered soon enough.
“There really are too many people who don’t know where the line is, aren’t there?”
“Indeed. No sense of manners or decency at all.”
Lively female voices drifted from somewhere nearby.
Charlotte, feeling hopeful, stood up—only to stop after a few steps.
She must have twisted her ankle in the fall.
“Do you hear something rustling over there?”
“Uh… e-excuse me…”
It was rude to appear uninvited at a noble gathering, but Charlotte wasn’t worried.
She was well regarded in society—people lined up to hear her performances.
‘They’ll be surprised, but soon they’ll welcome me.’
Unfortunately, she had no idea where she was.
“Oh my, I hear someone over here.”
Hearing approaching footsteps, Charlotte brightened.
She prepared her cutest, most cheerful smile—her signature look.
“What are you doing here?”
“Y-Your Highness Princess Elia?”
But her smile froze instantly.
“As far as I know, Lady Charlotte wasn’t invited to this gathering.”
“Princess Elia, did you happen to invite her?”
“No. I’ve never even heard of her attending.”
Before her stood Princess Elia herself.
Charlotte’s face turned deathly pale, and her fingertips began to tremble.
