Chapter 64
While staying at Grand Duke Clovis’s estate, I constantly thought to myself:
“Where exactly am I supposed to be?”
At first, the reason I entered the Mage Tower was obvious—to avoid Ethan Clovis, who might very well have killed me.
But now, the situation had shifted slightly.
Or, to be precise…
“How should we hold the engagement ceremony? Should we make it widely known throughout the empire? Should it even be held at the royal palace?”
“How can I make sure everyone in the empire knows that this woman is my fiancée? Huh?”
It felt like Ethan’s attitude toward me had changed a little.
The mad dog who had threatened me with a dagger at our very first meeting had become… well, a lot tamer.
As long as I didn’t act crazy and threaten his neck with a sword to take revenge for all I had endured, it seemed he wouldn’t kill me.
Thinking back to how I had trembled at the mere gesture of his hand, this was an enormous improvement.
And yet, instead of feeling happy about it, my heart felt heavy.
“There’s no reason for me to be in the Mage Tower anymore.”
Until now, hiding in the tower with the sole purpose of avoiding Ethan had given me something to cling to—it had been my anchor to keep myself from collapsing.
But now that anchor was gone, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
“If even the original story has collapsed, why am I even here?”
I had read plenty of possession-type novels, where the heroine struggled to follow the original storyline after being transported into it.
But now, with even that original story gone to ruin… what was I supposed to do?
“Your job is to help me steal the Mage Tower’s magical stones.”
“You’re a reckless rabbit crawling right into the mouth of a beast, and you think you can run away?”
…Ah. Every time, he somehow knows exactly when to intervene.
It was as if he had noticed my wandering thoughts, his cold voice echoing in my head.
I exhaled softly, letting a low sigh escape.
“Whatever I do, as long as Ethan is watching me with those sharp eyes, running away is impossible.”
I hated to admit it, but there was no denying it.
It was Ethan who could break me—and who could also lift me back up.
Ironically, that was the truth.
Even now, it was thanks to his voice that I remembered what I needed to do.
“…Yunice?”
A voice, echoing in my head, called out to me.
I slowly turned my head, snapping out of my distant thoughts.
A sharp gaze locked onto me.
But it wasn’t enough for him—he stepped closer and slightly tilted his head.
“What are you thinking about all alone? Right here, in front of me?”
“…Pardon?”
“Seems like you’ve relaxed a bit after being let go for a while, huh? Right, Yunice?”
Ethan’s cold voice grabbed my collar and forced me to regain my senses.
I finally let out a soft, hollow laugh.
“Right… what was I even thinking with this mad dog in front of me?”
Forget the Mage Tower for now—my priority was getting away from this man.
But as soon as I returned to reality, the situation before me felt even more hopeless.
“Ha… thinking about going back to the tower just makes me anxious.”
The lonely tower, the bored Theodore, and Ethan running around while hiding his true identity—it was already dizzying just imagining being tormented by both of them.
I rubbed my forehead as if to express my frustration.
Yes, I was walking through the forest on my way back to the Mage Tower from Grand Duke Clovis’s estate.
And yet, even in that fleeting moment, Ethan wasn’t letting me be—he was driving me insane.
“You were making such a fuss about going back first, weren’t you?”
“Well, that was because Ethan…”
“She only pretends to be my fiancée in words, so I can’t let her look away. I need to hold her so she can’t even think about running.”
…He was saying strange things again.
I shook my head and cast a side glance at Ethan.
“No, wait.”
Right—he was in my line of sight.
So, this was really Ethan, not Claude.
His eyes, observing me with curiosity, were a vivid red.
I was walking casually but stopped abruptly.
Ethan stopped as if reacting to me and silently watched.
His confident posture annoyed me even more, and I placed my hands on my hips as I spoke.
“What are you doing right now?”
“What’s the problem this time?”
“You’re planning to go to the Mage Tower looking like that?”
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
“…Huh?”
“I’ve never cared about my appearance, but I never thought I was ugly either.”
…So he knows he’s handsome. Great.
No, more importantly—
“Stop talking nonsense. Aren’t you going to change your appearance? I want my precious Claude back.”
“Wait… weren’t you making a fuss about my face being handsome before? Now you’re saying you like a delicate face?”
“…?”
“Ah, so that’s why you were showing interest in the crown prince. I see now.”
“No, being handsome isn’t everything! Stop diverting the topic!”
Even after just a few words, I felt dizzy.
Indeed, dealing with Claude—who restrained himself—was far easier than handling Ethan.
“The Mage Tower is in sight. Come back as Claude before Theodore notices.”
“No.”
“…What?!”
I was utterly shocked by his unexpected answer.
But Ethan didn’t waver, a sly smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
“After hearing what you said, I don’t see a reason to change my appearance.”
“What do you mean…?”
‘Changing hair color a bit doesn’t make a handsome face disappear.’
“Changing your eye color a bit won’t ruin a handsome face either.”
“…Are you really crazy?”
“I couldn’t have come this far without being crazy.”
“Ah! Stop changing the subject! What are you trying to do?”
I shook my head in frustration, but Ethan ignored me completely.
“Too bad. I came here sincerely in this form.”
“What does that even mean…”
I could see mischief in his eyes—he was clearly plotting something ridiculous again.
Instinctively sensing danger, I quickly stepped back.
“Ah… ah…?”
But even that was futile—Ethan approached and caught me.
He smiled slyly, lightly holding my chin and pressing his thumb against my lips.
“Now that we’re officially engaged, shouldn’t we make an impression on the Mage Tower’s master as well? Last time, he seemed quite curious.”
“What if Theodore discovers Claude’s identity?”
“Well, if he finds out this time, we can just throw off the fake identity.”
“…Huh?”
“Whether it’s Claude or Grand Duke Clovis, the Mage Tower’s master only cares about someone with strong magic, doesn’t he?”
“So… you’re planning to act like Grand Duke Clovis and lick Theodore’s feet?”
“Looks like you don’t like the idea, Yunice.”
“Hah! The problem isn’t me right now…!”
I raised my voice at Ethan but paused mid-sentence.
He was calmly staring at me, as if my answer mattered.
Looking into his eyes made my mind go blank.
“…Hmph. I don’t care. Whether he becomes Theodore’s footstool or not, Ethan can do whatever he wants.”
I couldn’t fathom what Ethan was thinking.
Even when I offered a few words of concern, he twisted everything I said in a teasing way.
‘Concerned? Me?’
Ha—who was worrying about whom?
In the end, I gave up trying to stop Ethan and shook my head.
Even then, he remained unbothered, completely composed.
“Don’t worry. Nothing you’re concerned about will happen.”
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but don’t underestimate Theodore.”
“Hmm. I don’t quite agree with that.”
“As I said before, Theodore may seem thoughtless, clumsy, or reckless, but he actually has a good sense of things.”
“When did I ever say that!”
“See? He’s so perceptive he immediately… knows… when it’s about him…”
I nodded confidently, then froze mid-motion.
It was the first time since facing Ethan that I felt a chill down my spine.
I turned slightly, flustered, and saw the person I had expected.
“Oh… haha… long time no see, Master of the Tower?”
“For someone I haven’t seen in a while, your greeting is rather formal, isn’t it, disciple?”
Theodore looked at me with an uncharacteristically serious expression, arms crossed.
No, to be exact…
“…Haha. Here’s the situation.”
“Let’s go inside the tower to talk. This isn’t a place to have someone waiting around.”
…He was glaring at Ethan, who was standing beside me.
Throughout the return to the Mage Tower, Theodore remained silent.
The awkward silence continued until we arrived at the reception room.
Theodore sat across from Ethan and me.
Facing Theodore, I stole a glance at him.
‘Did he figure out that Ethan is Claude?’
I wished he would just say something.
Had he sensed my anxious thoughts?
The first to break the silence was Theodore.
“Ah, so you are Grand Duke Clovis, the fiancée of my precious disciple.”
His calm, heavy voice made me flinch.
I had thought he could only cry playfully, but apparently, he could handle things normally when necessary.
“Yes. The scoundrel who shamelessly snatched away that precious disciple.”
“….”
“Is that enough to satisfy you, Master of the Tower?”
Ethan’s reaction was equally sharp.
Seeing me flinch, he subtly inclined his head toward me, as if understanding my intentions.
I whispered softly into Ethan’s ear.
“Tsk. Why are you speaking so casually?”
“You’re speaking casually to me too. I don’t need to bow unless it’s the Emperor, right?”
“…Hah, I don’t know.”
If this continued, I’d be like a shrimp caught in a whale fight.
Not wanting to get caught up in their power struggle, I quickly backed off.
As soon as I stepped back, Theodore moved toward Ethan.
“What brings someone so lowly to such a precious place?”
…That wasn’t a mistake. He meant it.
“I came to where my fiancée is. Is there a problem with that?”
“Yunice’s matters aren’t the issue, but it bothers me that an outsider has entered my domain.”
I had decided not to get involved in their whale fight… but seeing Theodore’s reaction, I couldn’t help flinching.
‘…Why is Theodore so hostile?’
His face wore a kind, gentle smile, but his voice was twisted with cynicism.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. This is my space, after all.”
Theodore shrugged lightly, signaling that he didn’t care about Ethan’s reaction.
I waited to see what he would say next, and his gaze fell on…
“Yunice, come here.”
“…Huh?”
Unfortunately, it was me.
Theodore, no longer staring at Ethan, suddenly reached out his hand to me.
“Yunice.”
“…Yes?”
“I said, come here.”
“Yes, sir!”
I immediately stood in response to Theodore’s voice.
Ethan looked visibly uncomfortable, but for now, calming Theodore was my priority.
As I took Theodore’s hand, he lightly pulled me closer.
Positioning me safely by his side, Theodore confidently faced Ethan.
“There’s no need for a long explanation. I’ll say just one thing.”
It seemed like Theodore had made a firm decision, tightening his grip on my hand.
I wondered what he was about to say in this tense atmosphere.
“I refuse this marriage!”
But by the time I realized how dangerous my curiosity about his words had been, it was far too late.
