Chapter 18

By the time they arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence and unpacked their meager belongings, it was night. They wanted to rush out and storm the tower, but Adriana’s frail body stood in their way.

This thin and feeble body would react immediately if they missed sleep or skipped a meal. They couldn’t meet the tower owner with their senses dulled and their mind foggy, so instead of running out barefoot, they quietly dipped their bread into the soup and then jumped into bed.

The advice that lying down immediately after eating would turn them into a cow flickered in their sleep.

“Are we going to the tower?”

“Yes! You don’t have to follow me if you don’t want to.”

“I can’t do that.”

Does the title of Grand Duke actually mean nothing? It’s not for me to say, but why does he seem so idle? Is it because he’s delegated his work to his aide?

I’ve always wondered what the name ‘nobility’ means in a romance fantasy world. It’s said that European nobles didn’t work, but seeing how the higher the status, the more they’re tormented by administrative documents, it reminds me of the Joseon era.

Well, it’s a headache to scrutinize every historical fact in a fusion fantasy written by a Korean. As long as it’s good, that’s all that matters, right?

That’s not to say I wanted to be a character in such a novel!

“Did you get permission to visit?”

“No?”

“……What?”

“All those things are formalities. What’s important is love and belief, right?”

Even at a second glance, it was a tower-like visual. Leaving His Majesty Callian, who had lost all his wits, behind, they entered. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like they were affected by any magic restricting access.

“What is this-”

Ah, it was only meant not to affect me. My heart fluttered a little at this unexpected special treatment.

“Go have something delicious nearby. Don’t get lost.”

I stopped Callian, who was preparing to draw his sword blocked by the transparent barrier and went inside. If the barrier fails even after all this, it’s due to the lack of skill of the Mage Association.

Embarrassingly, they let me into the tower without any hindrance, but the tower owner didn’t bother to wait for me. Such an impolite brat, making me wait from the information desk on the lowest floor even though he clearly knew I was coming?

“Um, what brings you-”

“Who’s the boss here?”

“……Pardon?”

The person sitting at a place like this information desk is one of two things. Either the weakest or a high level pretending to be weak. This person was the former.

I tensed my abdomen. Considering the quirky and eccentric personality of Eselmond and the tendencies of the tower owners in previous romance novels, the chances were high that the person in charge here had been watching me from the beginning.

I shouted with a voice that rose from the silence, “Who’s the boss of this magic tower!”

***

Naturally, Eselmond Bellua was watching me. And he seemed extremely interested. It was a bit absurd to feel like I had become an exclusive YouTube clip of a strange wizard, but since I was the one at fault, I didn’t argue further. Eselmond made a light gesture of apology to the new wizard who was speechless at my ridiculous behavior, and then took me to his lab.

There were thousands of sheets of paper, hundreds of books, and dozens of magic stones in a typical manner. How do you distinguish between a magic stone and an ordinary gem? Roughly speaking, if it seems to have a self, it is considered a magic stone. It was difficult for ordinary people to distinguish when refined, but even an outsider could tell in its unpolished state.

“Is this your first time seeing a magic stone?”

“It’s my first time seeing a raw one.”

If a cold stone was flickering like a flame with a red energy inside it, it was customary for even an ordinary person to turn around and look.

“I didn’t expect you to come so soon.”

“Don’t lie. “

“I thought you would run here immediately. “

“Right, that’s it. “

Where are you trying to put on such unnecessary formalities? I didn’t know you would do that, I didn’t intend to, really, it’s fine- such iron-clad rhetoric like a preface was annoying to deal with.

Especially if the person knows my identity well and doesn’t need to shake with awkward courtesy.

“What kind of tea would you like? “

“What do you have? “

“Anything you want. “

“Makgeolli (Korean rice wine). “

“……We don’t have that. “

“Then give me lemon tea. “

As soon as I finished speaking, the messy table changed into a smooth round table and a thin tablecloth was spread over it.

“Here it is, Lady. “

“What kind of bad hobby is that, really? “

“Which part? “

“The part where you put a lady into the body of a married person and then call her a lady. “

“That’s my hobby. “

“It’s really fucked up. It seems like it’s not my head that needs a condom, but your mouth. “

She didn’t intend to get very angry. However, even if she didn’t raise her voice, she didn’t soften her words, so it seemed like she was angry. The other person didn’t care at all, though.

“So, what is this thing you sent me? “

“I’ve prepared well. If you eat this for three meals a day, it won’t be enough for a year. “

“……Have I ever said I love you? “

“I did say I think you need to wear a condom. “

When she cheekily retorted that love can be expressed in such a way, Eselmond responded with a smile.

***

The reason Eselmond Bellua called me here was simple: he was bored. Considering that even the lord of the demon tower who wanted to destroy the world out of boredom appeared, calling the possessed Grand Duchess was cute in comparison.

“Aren’t you curious about what kind of person Adriana was? “

“No, not really. “

“As for Adriana- “

“It seems like you’re not that interested in my opinion. “

Eselmond started speaking with a sly smile, as if it didn’t matter that I was being sarcastic. If someone asked, who asked this? No one would raise their hand, but it didn’t seem to matter much to the Matapju, whose sociability was subtly off.

“The first time I met Adriana, as I mentioned before, it was because of a problem related to another soul. Another soul, another world- it’s a fascinating topic if you think about it carefully, but it’s not a problem that can be solved in a limited time. Because it’s like a child’s fantasy. “

“Oh, really? “

“I often came to her with that problem, but it wasn’t the only reason I came. Adriana and I had a lot of conversations, and she was really imaginative. Should I say she gave me some kind of inspiration? Especially in terms of research. “

A person who gives a lot of research topics? ……Professor?

“People don’t know half about Adriana. How outstanding her intuition is, how systematic her blind sense is-”

“Oh, really?”

“The people here are almost there. Especially the Magnolia rich man, he will really be the biggest fool on the continent. Next is Callian de Winter. The future of the empire is really bright. Well, it’s not my concern. Don’t you think so?”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes?”

“Huh?”

Oops, I gave away that I wasn’t listening. But Eselmond didn’t care at all whether my reaction was empty like a 7-year-old male idol! He continued to speak. That’s a tremendous mental strength in its own way.

“The reason I listened to Adriana’s request was, first of all, because the topic itself was so interesting. The second reason is- because I really wanted to grant her request……. It was my first time meeting a woman like Adriana.”

“Right, such a lunatic isn’t common.”

“Yes?”

“What.”

“……Well, you’re right.”

Eselmond immediately affirmed my words and nodded. His curly hair fluttered. The study of the tower master, which resembled both an underground archive and an afternoon garden, had a faint light seeping out between the bookshelves.

“There’s no two people like Adriana.”

“If there were two, it would be a disaster. Even one has caused enough trouble.”

I don’t even want to imagine two people with the execution ability to surpass the greatest witch and seek the empire’s top magician, intending to put another soul into their bodies.

“Are you done talking now? Hurry up and give me the rice. I came for that alone.”

Would it have been better if there were two? It would be better to feel comradeship and brotherhood while overcoming these hardships and adversities if there were two rather than one.

“Indeed, you’re in a hurry. The rice is currently being sent to the north. It might – arrive faster than you? “

“Did I say, I really like you? “

“I thought it was crazy.”

“You can say it like that too. “

“You’re not asking today? How to return to the original world. “

“If there’s such a thing, could you tell me quickly? “

The magician’s forefinger, adorned with a thick gold ring, spun around once. In the meantime, I had left the enticing study and was standing at the entrance of the tower.

“Like in a novel, fall in love. “

The mischievous laughter echoed in my ears before disappearing. When I turned around, I saw Callian de Winter waiting beyond the transparent barrier, biting his lip.

***

As promised by Eselmond, a huge amount of rice had entered the fortress. Seeing the mountain of rice made me feel rich and full. After all, don’t people live on food?

“These are the things that have come before the lady, this is all- “

“Ah, from now on, this will definitely be the main dish in my meals. “

“What? What on earth is this, “

“I’ll organize the recipes and pass them on to the kitchen separately. “

With that said, I changed into a shirt and trudged to the kitchen. Thanks to the prior scolding, there was no one in the kitchen.

“Why are you there? “

Ah, no one……

There’s no place in this mansion that I can’t go.

“You’ve never even set foot in the kitchen! “

“I’m worried about what kind of accident you might cause. “

He’s lying, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, there was not a grain of worry or anxiety in Callian’s eyes. This guy has only gotten cheekier as he plays with me.

As the Northern Grand Duke, shouldn’t he be stern and cool? Of course, I don’t like the type like an ice prince or iron-blooded ruler.

A man should be warm and fun to tease. It’s the icing on the cake when his eyes get puffy from crying.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Preparing a meal. Ah, it’s nerve-wracking with you lurking in the corner. If you’re going to be there, don’t just stand still, dance or sing something.”

“Dance? Sing?”

“Before getting married, you must have made many ladies’ hearts race at every party you attended.”

“Not just ladies, every living being has a beating heart.”

…Is this his concept? What’s the keyword for Callian de Winter? At first glance, he seems like a #ObsessiveMan, but upon closer look, he’s a #TroublesomeMan, and sometimes even seems like a #PureHeartedMan.

Is it because this is a comedy? Although you can’t categorize people with just a keyword, the characters here were easily stereotyped. The arrogant duke, the strict bishop, the crazy tower owner, and the like. The flat types are often depicted in romance fantasy novels.

“Do you know how to handle fire? “

“I’ve used it before. “

There was fire and there were magic stones. If you wanted to roughly borrow modern civilization, the tool used was a magic stone, and one of its uses was to substitute for a gas range.

– How long do you think I’m going to cook for you? Learn it now, it’s easy.

Really, cooking rice was very easy and simple. All you had to do was rinse the rice a few times, fill it with enough water to submerge the back of your hand, and set it. It wasn’t a pressure cooker, so I didn’t know well, but if it failed, it would just be a little burned or undercooked.

“……It’s done. “

It was just rice. It was a bit sticky, maybe because there was too much water, but it was just rice. White and steaming rice. Just rice.

“What is this- “

“Do you want to eat too, Callian? I made more than I thought, I thought I could eat it all. “

I was excited to see real rice after a long time. I failed to calculate the amount to eat alone, but how can I ignore the person standing idly by.

I may be physically present, but I’m not really here for the food. Of course, I have less affection for the company people I’ve had lunch and dinner within a short time than Adriana has shame.

Callian obediently sat down and ate the rice I cooked. He sat on an old chair used by the servants without going to a separate restaurant and hurriedly used chopsticks, and for some reason, tears came to my eyes.

I really, am I here to eat this…

“Sister……”

I sobbed until I finished eating. Callian said nothing. He would normally ask if I was okay or if my head was okay, but strangely, he was silent.

“I’m going to make liquor with this. I’m going to make it fantastic.”

“Do as you wish.”

It wasn’t an attitude of ‘specially’ allowing it out of kindness. So, it was strange. I had no way of knowing what was going on in the head of Callian de Winter, who was not a typical Northern Grand Duke character.