Chapter 68
It was a hair-trigger situation.
I stood there awkwardly, unable to push Ethan away, yet unable to accept him completely either.
In that state… it’s true that I had thought, Someone please stop this mad dog.
I definitely had.
But—
“Who dares pull this kind of nonsense inside my Mage Tower?!”
“…?!”
“Can’t you get away from my Eunice right now?!”
…This wasn’t quite the kind of intervention I had hoped for.
“Th–Theodore…?”
Out of nowhere, Theodore appeared and firmly wedged himself between Ethan and me, who had been standing far too close to each other.
He even pulled me behind him and planted himself squarely in front of Ethan.
As if he’d noticed how frantic Theodore’s movements were, Ethan let out a low scoff and shrugged.
“Well, well. The Tower Master chooses a very important moment to interrupt.”
“I gave you permission to stay in the Mage Tower, not permission to meddle with my disciple!”
“Oh? So even a disciple’s love life requires their master’s approval now?”
“Grand Duke Clovis—!”
By the time I snapped back to my senses, an oddly tense standoff had formed between Theodore and Ethan.
Normally, Theodore was too busy spouting nonsense and teasing me for me to take him seriously—but today, he felt oddly reliable…
“I let it slide when Eunice flirted with Claude, but I’m not letting you off so easily, Grand Duke!”
“Oh? You let Eunice flirt with another man, you say… That’s interesting in its own way.”
“Oh, don’t even get me started. Even when Claude coldly rejected her, she chased after him relentlessly. It was so pitiful that even I felt sorry just watching.”
…That’s complete nonsense!
Just when I thought I’d found an ally who could stand up to Ethan, I’d forgotten—Theodore was just as insane as he was.
I quietly slipped out from behind Theodore and shot him an unimpressed glare.
Noticing it, Theodore glanced at me sheepishly, as if only now realizing what he’d said.
“A–Anyway! I don’t approve of your relationship! Go back! Shoo, shoo!”
“Approval, approval… That’s a rather irritating choice of words.”
“….”
“Not only do Eunice and I have no need to seek your approval—”
Both Theodore and I sensed it at the same time.
Ethan wasn’t planning to back down.
As if proving that intuition right, he moved first.
And the one caught by his ruthless hand was—
“Ah—w-wait a second!”
…Of course. Me.
Apparently displeased by how close I was hovering around Theodore, Ethan grabbed me while I was completely off guard and pulled me toward him.
By the time I realized what was happening, I was already wrapped in his broad embrace.
“Everyone else has approved of our relationship. So—what seems to be the problem?”
As if shrugging smugly wasn’t enough, Ethan deliberately pulled me even closer.
The most ironic part was how steady and reassuring his grip on my shoulder felt.
Seriously… there’s no way Theodore would fall for such a shallow provocation—
“G–Grand Duke! What do you think you’re doing right in front of me?!”
“This level of skinship is nothing between an engaged couple. Why are you so shocked?”
…He did.
Very much so.
Ethan calmly watched Theodore explode in front of him, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
The more relaxed Ethan looked, the more irritated Theodore became.
“You seem to be mistaken, Grand Duke. Romance is forbidden in the Mage Tower!”
“That’s ridiculous!”
Theodore had probably only said it to provoke Ethan—but it hit me instead.
“Why are you reacting like that, Eunice?!”
“Because he’s saying complete nonsense! Since when was romance forbidden here?! Who decided that?!”
Was I supposed to live alone in the tower forever?!
“Obviously, the Tower Master decides!”
“Hah! That’s absurd!”
What is this, some kind of arbitrary rule?!
At some point, the confrontation between Ethan and Theodore had turned into a petty argument between Theodore and me.
“Hah… Romance forbidden, huh.”
That was when Ethan’s low chuckle cut in and brought everything to a halt.
Both Theodore and I turned to look at him.
“Romance forbidden, you say… I suppose that can’t be helped.”
“…?”
What is he up to now?
I stared at him—not exactly shocked, but definitely uneasy.
Whenever Ethan backed down this easily, it meant he was hiding something.
And as usual, that ominous feeling was right on the mark.
With an exaggerated motion, Ethan lifted his hand, cupped my cheek, and pulled me toward him.
“Then shall we end the romance—and get married instead?”
“…!”
A frozen silence followed his short declaration.
I stiffened in shock, blinking blankly, completely unprepared for such madness.
Theodore looked just as stunned, clearly never expecting his words to boomerang back like this.
The only person acting perfectly normal was the lunatic who’d just said it.
“A wedding in the Mage Tower, with the Tower Master’s blessing, sounds rather nice.”
“…!”
The word wedding snapped me back to my senses.
I finally let out the breath I’d been holding and muttered quietly so only Ethan could hear.
“…You said we’d hold the wedding in the imperial palace so the Crown Prince could see it.”
“I decided watching the Tower Master lose his mind would be more entertaining than watching the Crown Prince’s expression rot.”
“Wow. You’re seriously awful.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Cutting off my muttering, Ethan turned his head confidently.
His gaze landed on Theodore, who was still frozen in place.
Adjusting his hold on me, Ethan spoke casually.
“If you’re willing, Tower Master, just say the word anytime.”
And with that—
After dropping his final bomb, Ethan walked away, leaving a shell-shocked Theodore behind.
…I’m sorry, Theodore.
Thinking that I’d need to comfort him properly later, I obediently followed Ethan’s lead for now—
“Stop staring and hurry up, Eunice.”
“…Yes. Do I even have a choice?”
No.
I was being dragged along by Ethan.
Even after that day, the silent battle of wills between Theodore and Ethan continued from time to time.
Of course, it was usually Ethan, unfazed by almost anything, and Theodore being helplessly swept up in his pace.
But what truly mattered wasn’t who won those clashes.
The real problem was—
‘Hey! Eunice! I told you—romance is forbidden in the Mage Tower! If I so much as see you with the Grand Duke again, you’re in serious trouble!’
‘What?! Why are you scolding me when Ethan’s the one causing trouble?! If you’ve got complaints, go tell him yourself!’
‘If that mad dog listened, would he be a mad dog?! You’re the only one I can talk to, so of course I’ll pick on you!’
‘Unbelievable! Why is everyone so determined to bully me?!’
Like shrimp caught between fighting whales…
No—just me.
“…Why do I have to be locked in my room while you two fight?”
Thanks to Theodore’s unexpected opposition, I ended up being practically quarantined away from Ethan.
Honestly, dealing with Ethan’s unpredictable antics and watching those two bicker had been exhausting, so I didn’t mind all that much.
What bothered me was how unexpected Theodore’s resistance was.
Pfft. Who does he think he is, opposing this and that!
…That’s what I wanted to say.
But seeing Theodore oppose Ethan in an attempt to protect me—after all the time we’d spent together—made my heart feel heavy.
Whether Ethan and I were sincere about each other didn’t matter.
What mattered was that I was grateful—and also sorry—that Theodore cared enough to get involved like this.
“Haah… I honestly don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
I sighed, pressing my fingers to my forehead.
When I covered my face with both hands, everything went dark.
Not seeing all the things weighing on my mind made me feel a little better.
How much time passed like that—
Today, the surroundings felt unusually quiet.
“Why do you seem so low on energy today, my disciple?”
An irritating voice slipped into the darkness.
Without looking up, I muttered, my face still buried in my hands.
“There are two people who’ve been driving me crazy lately, Tower Master.”
“Oh? Someone dared upset my precious disciple? Want me to take care of them?”
At that peace-breaking voice, I slowly lifted my head.
The Tower Master stood there, arms crossed, smiling lightly as if he had no idea what I was feeling.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. Just say the word.”
“Then can I smack the back of your head really hard?”
At my words, Theodore’s confident demeanor vanished instantly.
“…Y–You’re joking, right?”
“Do I sound like I’m joking?”
“Uh—wow. When you say it like that, it sounds serious. That’s scary. Don’t do that.”
“I am serious. Completely.”
“C–Come on. I trust that our Eunice wouldn’t commit such an act of rebellion as striking her master from behind.”
Laughing awkwardly, Theodore tried to brush it off—clearly worried I might actually do it if he gave permission.
Seeing him like that made me feel a bit sorry, and my urge to hit him disappeared.
I sighed quietly and adjusted my posture, looking at him properly.
Once the playful mood faded, a heavier atmosphere settled between us.
“So?”
“Hm?”
“You’ve been complaining nonstop lately. What brings you all the way here today?”
When I spoke in a sulky tone, Theodore finally caught on and smiled faintly.
Since he didn’t deny it, he must’ve realized that he’d been acting unusually wild lately.
“I wondered why you were so grumpy. Is that what it was about?”
“You’re taking it too lightly. Watching the two of you makes my blood run dry, and all you do is keep provoking Ethan.”
“Well, it’s just that I don’t like how confident he is while trying to steal away my precious Eunice.”
After answering lightly, Theodore reached out and brushed my hair back in a familiar gesture.
His touch was gentle, so I just watched quietly.
“Tch. Since when did you start acting like a father marrying off his daughter?”
“Hm? What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. I knew it from the moment you said, ‘I oppose this marriage!’”
“Hmm… A father, you say. We’re not even that far apart in age—calling me that stings.”
“I’m talking about the vibe. My actual father practically shoved me straight into Ethan’s arms. Do you know you reacted more strongly than he did?”
“I didn’t realize that’s how you saw me. Is that really my image?”
While my tone was playful, Theodore’s reply was unusually calm.
Jokes are supposed to be met with jokes—but today, Theodore was strangely serious.
What’s with him today?
For a moment, he looked… almost regretful.
I dismissed it as my imagination.
“I was serious.”
“…What?”
“My opposition to you marrying Ethan Clovis—I meant it.”
