CHAPTER 127………………………………………
Sulking (1)
“It’s strangely quiet.”
A gentle voice echoed through the room. Temia paused mid-motion as she lifted her teacup, staring at the man who had spoken.
Come to think of it… it’s been a while since he sent Larry to stay by Kylie’s side. Is that what he means?
Even though Lowell always scolded Larry, he must have been more attached to his familiar than he realized—because he seemed to feel the emptiness more deeply than expected.
After all, that little blue bird had never been associated with silence. It was the type to fly around everywhere, scattering energy and liveliness throughout the space.
Lowell, despite the way he often threw sharp remarks at people, was usually calm unless someone spoke to him first.
So aside from the occasional playful teasing, Temia had been enjoying a relatively peaceful stretch of time lately. She found herself easily agreeing with his words.
…Wait. “Strangely”…? Why would it be strange?
But as Temia continued thinking, she sensed something off in Lowell’s comment.
He had been the one who chose to send Larry away.
In the meantime, Lowell lifted his cup, took a sip, and continued speaking—almost as if he had noticed her doubts.
“I mean the palace. I told you before, didn’t I? When I was summoned to that last mage council meeting, there was someone suspicious.”
“You mean the person you met at the Academy? Ligmar Zachary… the Chief Court Mage?”
“Yes. Just based on what he said at that meeting, it felt like he had some kind of connection to Prometheus. And since the temple investigation was already underway, I thought stirring things up would make them react.”
The bitter fragrance of tea lingered warmly in the air. Lowell seemed to enjoy it, raising the cup to his lips again.
But Temia had lost all sense of ease. She hadn’t even been able to touch her teacup.
In her mind, the image of Lowell standing alone, being attacked by the other mages, replayed endlessly.
Her imagination filled in every possible rude humiliation he might have endured.
“It was nothing”…? How could that be nothing?!
When she later heard the story from Larry, she had been shocked.
Seeing Lowell casually brush it off as though it were insignificant made Temia want to roll up her sleeves and insist she should have gone with him as his assistant, ready to snap back at anyone who mistreated him.
Unaware of her thoughts—or perhaps simply ignoring them—Lowell continued in his flat voice.
“It wasn’t part of the plan, but when you were kidnapped, I did cause some chaos in their facility. And if we go further back, there was also the Calis Land incident. But still… it’s quiet, isn’t it?”
He was right.
When she counted it all up, they had clashed with Prometheus far more than she had realized—directly and indirectly.
And the temple investigation had struck a meaningful blow by uncovering ties to other groups.
Temia nodded carefully, shrinking in on herself.
She looked as though she blamed herself for the slow progress.
After all, she had been connected to everything Lowell mentioned.
Seeing her like that, Lowell’s lips curled slightly.
That little head of hers… what is she thinking so hard about?
Watching Temia’s eyes dart around helplessly, he pointed at her cup.
“I cast a spell so it won’t cool down. It’s still warm. Drink it and relax a little.”
Only then did Temia realize steam was still rising from her tea.
She smiled shyly and wrapped her hands around the cup. The warmth eased her tension bit by bit.
“Maybe… because he’s affiliated with the palace, he can’t act rashly?”
Her voice softened as her body relaxed.
“And without direct evidence that he’s involved, it’s still just suspicion. We have to consider the possibility that he isn’t connected.”
“But Temia. Think about it. If someone aligns perfectly with Prometheus’s ideology, why wouldn’t they recruit him? They’re an organization plotting to overthrow a nation. They wouldn’t just leave that kind of asset alone.”
“Ah… you’re right. I wasn’t thinking far enough.”
She had no argument left, only nodding weakly, her expression stiff again.
…That wasn’t why I brought it up.
Lowell’s face turned complicated.
Her anxious fluster earlier had been kind of cute.
But now the heavy topic had ruined what was supposed to be a rare peaceful tea time.
With no choice, he sighed and muttered,
“I’m sorry. I finally had some time, and I just wanted to talk… but I ended up making the mood heavy.”
“Huh? No, it’s okay! It helped me understand the situation better.”
“If that’s the case, I should’ve just said what I really wanted to say. I was holding back because I thought you might run away again.”
Suddenly… what?
Temia blinked, unable to follow.
Then—
“If I don’t talk about something else, I’ll keep wanting to confess and pester you.”
You haven’t forgotten, have you?
Lowell’s voice brushed her ear, low and teasing.
Temia’s face flushed in pure confusion.
Lowell pouted and murmured,
“This made me realize something. It was harder than I thought when you weren’t here. Not because I lacked help without an assistant—just… my mood was bad. What about you?”
“Uh…?”
“When we were apart, did you think about me a lot? You weren’t thinking about someone else, were you?”
With that sharp remark, Lowell’s red eyes flashed dangerously.
Perhaps he had remembered Rio, who had hovered around Temia.
A crude possessiveness flickered like fire in his gaze.
He frowned briefly, then quickly smoothed his expression.
And in a softer, almost whining tone, he said,
“Things kept happening one after another, so we never tied things up properly. But don’t we still have a lot to talk about? You came back yourself, so I wanted to ask if you’re ready to answer my feelings now. Holding hands isn’t enough. I want to hear it in words too.”
“…!”
“But right now, more urgent things come first, so I decided to wait. Honestly… I’m the type who wouldn’t care what happens to this country. As long as Prometheus doesn’t touch you, I could overlook anything.”
“I… I didn’t realize you thought that far…”
“Anyway. What I’m trying to say is… I don’t want you to feel hurt.”
Lowell leaned his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand as he finished.
He sounded blunt but gentle—desperate, yet oddly relieved.
He tilted his head, following the gaze of his assistant who refused to meet his eyes.
Thankfully, his words seemed to reach her.
Temia’s stiff expression loosened, her lips trembling slightly.
Lowell’s heart settled, and a small smile appeared.
“Even if you don’t say it, I can tell you’ve been thinking about me a lot.”
“…?”
“Your face is that red. It would be rude to pretend I don’t notice.”
Temia’s heart fluttered wildly.
Then she snapped, shouting,
“F-Fine!!! I did! A lot! So please shut up and just drink your tea!”
“Oh…?”
For Temia, that was an unusually honest confession.
Her rough tone revealed just how flustered she was.
Her red face, stammering, inability to meet his eyes—he already knew.
But spoken words carried weight.
Lowell couldn’t stop the grin creeping up at his familiar assistant’s yelling voice.
Temia, even more embarrassed, mumbled,
“You’re right. You’re completely right. So… let’s talk about this properly after everything else is over. Until then, it’s forbidden, okay?!”
Curling up tightly, she fanned her burning cheeks, blinking rapidly—clearly trying to hide her embarrassment.
Taking it as an answer, Lowell stood up and stretched.
For now… this is enough.
This was practically the first time Temia had admitted it aloud.
He found it ridiculous that such shallow words could give him certainty.
Just how much was Temia changing him?
“Alright. Then I want to finish things as quickly as possible, so I’ll go get back to work. Honestly… I’ve never had an assistant who pushes me like this.”
“If you keep that up, I might leave again!”
“I won’t let you. No take-backs.”
Her sharp voice made Lowell feel strangely lighthearted.
