Chapter 4
Fortunately, he didn’t go far and entered a building. A single-story structure with such dim lighting that the interior was hardly visible—definitely suspicious. I couldn’t tell what kind of place it was, so I hesitated at the entrance, unsure whether to follow him in. That’s when I noticed the wooden sandwich board standing out front. It had an image of a large drink and a simple phrase written on it:
Your friendly neighborhood, Baylis.
So, it’s a bar.
The dim lighting and mysterious atmosphere made sense now.
Considering they said the guy lived in a bottle, it wasn’t strange that Nine would go into a bar. My suspicion that he might be Nine was gradually turning into conviction. Of course, it would look suspicious if Alicia followed him inside.
“Is now really the time to worry about that?”
Without thinking further, I boldly stepped into the bar.
The moment I entered, I was struck by how quiet it was inside—so different from the bustling streets outside. Just one wall made that much of a difference.
Under the dim lights were pieces of furniture so dark they were nearly black, difficult to make out unless you stared closely.
A server, who had just been wiping down a table, stuffed the rag into their apron and approached me.
“Ordering something?”
“I’m looking for someone.”
“From your voice, you sound underage. I can’t serve you alcohol.”
The server warned me in a dry tone.
Did I say I was here to drink? I said I was looking for someone! And I just had my birthday not long ago! Physically and mentally, I’m an adult!
As if reading my mind, the owner continued.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Nine Fyscher.”
The moment I said his name, my heart pounded loudly.
I really hoped I hadn’t mistaken him. If this miracle happened—finding Nine as soon as I arrived—I might even be willing to start believing in that god I’d cursed for throwing me into this world without a tutorial.
The owner stared at me with an unreadable expression, then turned his head.
“Another one from House Fyscher, huh? Looks like they’re openly tailing him this time. The girl walked right in and tried to grab him straight away. Hey, Young Master! This lady’s asking for you!”
I hoped for it, but still—he’s really Nine Fyscher?!
I held my breath and turned my head toward where the owner shouted.
It was a corner where barely any light reached. At first, I couldn’t see anything in the dense darkness. But as my eyes adjusted, a faint silhouette started to form.
It was a familiar figure. The same as the one I’d seen on our garden wall last night.
A thunderous realization struck me.
As his name was called, the figure in the shadows slowly raised his head. His eyes were the same color as the ones I’d seen on the street just now—icy blue, like the everlasting snow of the Northern Mountains described in the novel. That pale light examined me from head to toe with detached indifference, like I was just a streetlamp.
As he approached, the details of his appearance became clearer—blue-purple short hair swaying at his neck, sharp feline eyes, and sharply defined features. Even though it was my first time meeting him, he felt oddly familiar.
Of course he did. Standing before me was the second male lead.
“I’m Nine Fyscher.”
The drunken man from last night.
“And who the hell are you?”
His voice, lazy like a cat chasing yarn, brushed my ears.
My brain stopped functioning for a second.
I stared at Nine, dumbfounded. It was lucky I was wearing a veil—if my suspicious expression had been visible, he’d definitely think I was crazy.
I didn’t want to believe it, but no matter how I looked at him, it was the same face I saw last night. The eye color was different, but the warmth of the hand that grabbed my wrist, the threatening growl asking “Who are you?”, and that intense glare—those remained etched in my mind.
So… the drunken man I thought was a ghost was actually the very second male lead I’d been desperately searching for?
“Is such a coincidence even possible?”
Or was this really coincidence? Maybe the vast malice of the universe was guiding me?
If I ever return to my world, I absolutely must tell my friend. Hey, stop reading useless books on storytelling and listen to me. Last night, a drunk guy fell into our garden—turns out, he’s the second male lead I’ve been searching for. What do you think? Want to drop everything and write a novel about it? I’ll read it, I promise.
While I stood there in stunned silence, Nine casually perched on the edge of a nearby table. His sharp eyes skimmed over my veil-covered face and completely concealed body, narrowing slightly.
‘Now what do I say?’
I’d been so focused on finding him that I hadn’t thought at all about what to say. I suddenly felt overwhelmed.
My “Survival Plan: Version 2” had been simple:
Leave the mansion and find Nine → Convince him to make the cure → Obtain cure → Success!
The problem was I had only outlined the plan, without thinking through the details. I thought I wouldn’t find him right away, and I’d figure out how to persuade him along the way. I even joked to myself about offering to hook him up with the heroine in return for his help.
But what if I just blurted out, “Please make a cure for Hioni”? He’d probably think I was insane. Worse, what if he refused to even talk to me?
This was bad. I was crashing and burning from the start.
As I stammered in silence, Nine let out a quiet sigh and looked directly into my veiled eyes. Under the dim light, his glacier-like gaze was calm and sharp.
“You don’t look like someone from the family. If you were here to drag me back, they’d be yelling about not disgracing the house by now. So why do you seem familiar?”
“You don’t remember me?”
“No one I know dresses like you.”
Oh—right. I was hiding my face. That was a dumb question.
I quickly changed my approach.
“You trespassed in our garden last night.”
You were walking on the wall and fell.
And not only did you trespass—you grabbed my wrist, threatened me, and then vanished while I was distracted. Oh! That must’ve been magic! I knew the Magic Tower existed, so why didn’t I consider the existence of actual magic?
Now even the change in eye color made sense. The novel said a mage’s eye color would shift when they used magic due to mana reaction.
I was nodding to myself, satisfied, but Nine didn’t seem impressed.
“I don’t remember anything from last night. I was drinking, and next thing I knew, I was home. Not the first time.”
Oh, what a proud little blackout drinker we have here.
Is this guy really Nine Fyscher? Maybe there’s some untold backstory, but still—this guy’s going to reform in five years and become the youngest Magic Tower Master?
Nine yawned and scratched his head.
“So is that why you came? Because I got drunk and broke into your place last night? Did I commit some other crime too?”
“What if you did?”
“Then go to the Fyscher mansion, grab someone, and report it. They’ll compensate you plenty.”
“I’m not here for compensation! Is that how someone who did wrong should act?”
“Someone panicking over the family’s honor will handle it. If that’s all, get lost.”
Excuse me? Get lost?
Before I could even argue, Nine glared at me and snapped at the owner:
“One more Cambid. I’ve seen enough trash today.”
“What the hell did you just—?!”
Despite swearing I’d live righteously like Alicia, I couldn’t help but curse under my breath.
Is that really how someone who messed up should act? After trespassing drunk and forgetting everything, he should be groveling for forgiveness—not calling me trash.
Nine turned his back and went right back to his seat. I could only stare at him, dumbfounded.
Will this guy ever reform? Did I misremember the second lead’s name?
If I could, I’d grab him by the collar and scream “You threatened me last night!”—but I was the one who had to bow my head here. I only had one year left, and I needed to persuade Nine to make the cure as soon as possible.
In a way, Nine was right. What a truly trashy situation.
I bit my lip and sat across from him. Even after telling me to get lost, Nine only glanced at me without stopping me.
“I came to see you because I have something to ask. A favor.”
“Mm.”
A bored grunt was his only reply.
He seemed more interested in the drink the owner brought over than anything I had to say. He accepted the bottle and glass with a soft smile—so that’s the face worthy of a second male lead. Of course, the moment he looked at me, that smile vanished without a trace.
“Mind moving your arm?”
The spot where my arm had been now held a bottle. As expected, he valued booze over me.
I glared at him fiercely—but I was wearing a veil, so he wouldn’t notice.
To be honest, I didn’t even need the veil anymore since this corner was so dark and hidden. But I kept it on. If I had to swallow my pride and grovel, at least I could glare at him in secret.
Yes, now was the time to swallow my pride. This was about my life.
“There’s no one else who can help me… Hey, can you at least pretend to listen when someone’s talking? You answered earlier, and now you’re just ignoring me?”
Nine had completely shifted his gaze to his drink. His throat bobbed as he kept drinking. Anyone watching would think the glass was his lover. Such intense focus.
Annoyed, I pouted.
“You’re seriously not listening?”
“Why should I focus on someone who’s not even worth staking my life on?”
Wow, a full sentence. Too bad it was awful.
How old are you to be talking like a middle school edgelord? I can already see the future version of you cringing in shame over this. I know your future, buddy—you become the Magic Tower Master. When tabloids find out about this past, you’ll never sleep again out of embarrassment.
I was tempted to say all that, but survival instinct won over pride. I needed that cure, after all.
