Chapter 31. I Told Her to Run Away
Claire buried her face in her pillow, tears soaking the fabric.
Her maids hovered anxiously around her, offering comfort, but none of their words could soothe Claire’s shattered heart.
“It’s all over. How could this happen? Everyone’s gone insane—everyone except me! None of them are in their right minds!”
“My lady, please calm yourself. You’ll collapse at this rate.”
Ryan had been furious and ordered that Claire be confined. Even the baroness—who had always taken Claire’s side—must have found this incident unforgivable, because she showed no leniency this time and treated her with uncharacteristic severity.
When Claire finally came to her senses, she was on the verge of a breakdown.
“Why did you do something like that…?”
Liz, Claire’s personal maid, looked at her with pity as she served out her period of confinement.
Claire covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down.
“I don’t know… When I realized what I’d done, it was already too late.”
It had felt like an irresistible force.
Things hadn’t gone the way she wanted, her reason had collapsed, and she’d been unable to think rationally. All she could think in that moment was that she had to sabotage the meeting—no matter what.
She thought that if she made outrageous demands and caused a scene, Elton Lianster and Rivne would surely get angry. It was a simple idea: leave them with a bad impression and make them reconsider the marriage.
But the plan failed spectacularly.
Elton Lianster had been far more gentlemanly than she’d expected. Instead of getting angry, he accepted everything calmly and refuted her arguments one by one with courtesy.
Even Gibnen Lianster’s younger sister—who looked like she had a nasty temperament—had remained remarkably composed.
She had clearly looked displeased. And yet, judging by how carefully she measured her words, it was obvious that she firmly adhered to her father’s decisions, even when dissatisfied.
“…This is the worst.”
Not only had she ruined everything, she had also earned her parents’ displeasure.
The consequences of her foolish actions were now staring her in the face.
“My lady, now that things have turned out this way… perhaps it’s time you let go of Miss Riley.”
“…What?”
“You’re the only one suffering. What if you simply ignore her, pretend she doesn’t exist? Like you did before.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve already fallen out of favor with Mother and Father. They might even value Riley more than me now. They criticize her in front of me, but behind my back—”
“Still, the master’s only blood-related child is you, Miss Claire. Not Miss Riley.”
Yes—blood. That innate difference.
Claire straightened at the thought.
She was Baron Ryan’s only biological daughter. When Riley had been added to the family registry, Claire hadn’t felt threatened in the slightest. Part of it was because Riley was a rustic gamekeeper’s daughter—but more than anything, it was because she wasn’t truly his child.
“No. Father is the kind of man who would abandon even his own daughter for the sake of his success.”
“Oh, surely not—”
“Can’t you see how he tiptoes around Riley already? It’s only a matter of time before I become the unwanted one in this household!”
For the first time, Claire felt genuine fear.
Once Riley completed her wedding and registered the marriage, things wouldn’t improve—they’d only get worse.
I need to do something quickly. Something that will make me useful to this family…
Now that she had settled in Blessetige, Claire believed she needed to marry at least a noble born in Blessetige.
But she knew how difficult it was to break into this prideful social circle, let alone find a suitable husband.
The central nobles of Blessetige were notorious for sticking tightly to their own. Outsiders found it nearly impossible to settle here, and there were even rumors that nobles from elsewhere were treated as less than insects.
Would she even be accepted into their social circles? Would she even get the chance to speak to them?
Claire fell into deep thought.
She needed a way to naturally build connections with nobles. With no ties here, blending into high-society parties was out of the question.
There has to be a good way… Ah!
“Come to think of it, it’s around this time, isn’t it…”
“What is, my lady?”
“The Horizon Academy’s general admissions exam.”
“…Horizon Academy? The exam the eldest miss is preparing for?”
Claire smiled slyly.
“If Riley can prepare for it, why can’t I?”
“You’re planning to enroll? I’ve heard the tuition is astronomical…”
“Exactly. That’s why I never even dreamed of it before. The academy felt like an exclusive playground for the wealthy…”
“Then why now…?”
“Things are different now, aren’t they?”
“……”
“We’ve settled in Blessetige. I need to establish myself. Haven’t you heard? Academic degree shopping is the latest trend among nobles. A Horizon Academy degree is the most prestigious in the country. It’s full of children from influential political and financial families—perfect for building connections. And with that degree, no one would dare look down on me. It would help with marriage, too.”
“I don’t know… Isn’t that place only for top elites? Of course, you were good at everything and had excellent academy grades, but…”
“The general track is different from the mage track. The bar is much lower.”
Claire hadn’t given up on the academy because of poor grades or fear of the exam.
It was the tuition.
But now, didn’t she have nothing to worry about?
“I heard the dowry from my sister’s marriage was enormous. So money won’t be an issue, right?”
She had never once lost first place at the academy, had won countless competitions, and had never neglected investing in her future.
“Once Father cools down, I’ll talk to him. I’ll take the Horizon Academy exam.”
*
Even after overcoming the huge hurdle of the formal meeting, Riley still had mountains left to climb.
“Memorize these today. Stay afterward—we’re testing you. The exam is in a week.”
“Yes.”
The Horizon entrance exam was only a week away.
As the date drew closer, Riley grew increasingly tense.
She had never expected to pass in the first place. That would be impossible. She decided to treat it as a challenge—there would be another chance next year.
“Your mana control is unstable. Why are you so distracted? Those stray thoughts are killing your focus.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You should know that you have the worst personality for becoming a great mage. You’re overly sensitive, you think too much, you worry too much. Without mind control, you can’t call yourself a mage. Pull yourself together.”
Arpeggio increased the difficulty with each passing week.
Riley now had to memorize six books a day, and her meditation time had increased to four hours. It wasn’t uncommon for her to leave at six in the evening and return home at three in the morning.
Yet Riley had no complaints.
Instead, her gratitude toward Arpeggio—who carved time out of his own schedule to teach her so passionately—only grew.
To repay his effort, she had no choice but to work even harder.
*
“Master Arpeggio, the Tower Lord is calling for you.”
“Tell that bastard to come himself.”
“He says you’re to come.”
“Damn it, what a pain.”
“Is he insane? Do you know what time it is?”
Summoning someone after four in the morning should legally qualify as grounds for murder.
Grumbling, Arpeggio shut down the mana storage generator and instantly teleported to the top floor.
“Hey.”
“Nothing ‘hey’ about it, you bastard.”
The moment he saw that unlucky face, profanity flew out instinctively.
Arpeggio ran a hand through his matted hair and plopped down across from Gibnen.
“You’re insane. Who summons someone at this hour?”
“If not now, when? You’re the busiest man in the tower these days. And you’re an owl-type—you don’t have time during the day.”
“And whose fault is that—ugh, forget it. Why’d you call me?”
“I was just curious. How’s Riley doing, according to the Horizon tower ghost? Is the training progressing well?”
Arpeggio scoffed.
“Tower ghost? Why the hell are you turning a perfectly alive person into a ghost? And stop speaking so casually—I’m older than your master, you know. Did you forget I was classmates with the previous Tower Lord?”
Gibnen shrugged.
“You said it felt awkward to be formal and told me to treat you like a big brother.”
“…Think of me like a brother—not treat me like one, you brat.”
“Anyway, tell me.”
Arpeggio stared at the ceiling and sighed deeply.
“If you were that curious about your wife, you should’ve taught her yourself.”
“You know I’m busy. And this is your specialty. I don’t have your sensitivity for reading mana.”
“Bullshit. For a so-called once-in-a-century genius, you complain a lot.”
“Enough. Get to the point.”
With a sigh, Arpeggio began listing Riley’s condition.
“Her mana was sealed. Probably Riceon’s doing. He turned his own daughter into a walking bomb. I tried a forced release—pure luck it worked. If I’d known it was sealed, I never would’ve attempted it.”
“So… you’re confessing that you nearly blew my beloved wife to pieces?”
“It turned out fine, damn it. Who does that on purpose?”
Gibnen continued to glare at him, and Arpeggio protested indignantly.
“Then you shouldn’t have left her with me! You bitch even when I help!”
“Just continue.”
“She’s not a genius—but she’s extraordinary. Despite having her mana sealed for so long, her control is excellent, even subconsciously. Her memory and comprehension are exceptional too. Though I don’t think those are innate. Just like you suspected—Riceon probably passed down part of his knowledge and mana.”
“As expected.”
“She doesn’t realize it herself. Those familiar concepts she’s never learned are clear traces of inheritance, but she thinks unlocking her mana boosted her brain function.”
“Can she use magic?”
“She has massive mana, but doesn’t know how to manifest it. She understands formulas, but can’t apply them. Actual spell manifestation is impossible. Honestly… there’s something else wrong.”
Gibnen frowned.
“If she can’t cast spells, she won’t even be able to take the exam. Mana measurement requires spell usage.”
“That’s her problem. I can’t fix everything. And her learning speed is monstrous as it is.”
“….”
“But why are you sending her to Horizon Academy? No matter how I think about it, it’s insane. You should be hiding her, not putting her on display. If Jung were alive to see this, he’d claw his way out of the coffin.”
Gibnen smirked.
“My master and you are hiding something from me.”
“……”
“If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out myself. What power she holds. What secret she carries. Why my master ordered me to either protect her completely—or destroy her completely.”
Arpeggio sighed heavily.
“…You’re marrying her, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Why go as far as marriage? You could’ve stayed her guardian.”
“That would draw even more attention.”
“And you don’t see the problem with that?”
Gibnen smiled—but didn’t answer.
“Are you planning to use her?” Arpeggio pressed.
“So what if I am?”
“Stop it. That’s power you can’t handle. Hide her—lock her deep in the tower, or send her abroad.”
“Lock up a girl with nowhere to go? Send her to a foreign land alone? Cruel.”
“You’re the cruel one. Using that pretty face to groom an innocent girl. You don’t care about her safety at all.”
“This is all for her protection. The most efficient way to keep her safe.”
“You’re impossible.”
Arpeggio stood, ready to leave.
“My master gave me two choices,” Gibnen said quietly. “Protect her completely—or kill her myself. I chose to let her live. Why? Because it’s interesting. The marriage was just… convenient. A scandal broke at the right time, and marriage keeps her close. Of course, I know both you and my master fear her power. But rather than hiding it, it’s better to refine it and use it. And…”
“And?”
“She’s useful for finding those who ruined my master.”
“…You bastard.”
“And even without that—an adopted daughter of a minor house with archmage-level mana? The perfect wife. Weak background, no need to restrain myself. Immense power, fitting for a family obsessed with pure mage bloodlines. Why kill her when she’s this useful? It’s annoying, sure. But worth the effort.”
Arpeggio shook his head in disgust.
“Trash. You’re treating her like a toy.”
“A toy? I like her. More than any other woman. Do you know how much effort I put into treating her well? That takes affection.”
Arpeggio remembered Riley’s words.
“I have nothing left to lose.”
“Compared to a hell that’s honest, a hell pretending to be heaven is better.”
“I told her to run away.”
“And what did she say?”
“She refused.”
“Figures.”
“Not because she likes you.”
“Then why?”
“She said she’d stay even knowing it’s hell. That a hell pretending to be heaven is better. She also seems to suspect you’re not entirely normal.”
Gibnen burst out laughing.
“Really? She’s fascinating. Perfect for me.”
“Because she expects nothing from you? Or because she doesn’t crave affection?”
“Both? Honestly, I’m the one desperate to give.”
Arpeggio tilted his head.
When he’d heard about their marriage, he assumed it was pure business—or that Riley loved Gibnen more.
But now…
…The one more invested might actually be this bastard.
Arpeggio turned away grimly.
This is going badly. Really badly.
*
After some time had passed since the formal meeting, Claire cautiously spoke once Ryan’s anger had cooled.
“I want to attend the academy too.”
“What?”
“Riley’s studying! I want to study too!”
Ryan clutched his neck in disbelief.
“Do you have any idea how much your education has already cost? And now you want academy tuition?”
“Father! Blessetige nobles value women’s education and ability! Women who’ve at least been near an academy do well on the marriage market!”
“….”
“Even that stupid Riley is going—why can’t I? If I want to marry into a good family, I need to become a worthy bride!”
“Do you think anyone can attend Horizon Academy?”
“I don’t want to marry into some mediocre family. You’re destined for greatness, Father—and I need to raise my own value too!”
“…When is the exam?”
“In a week.”
“What? You think you can prepare in a week? The application fee alone is enormous! Go next year.”
“No! Next year is too late. I’m confident. It’s all material I learned at the academy.”
“You were smart in Ruppla, but this isn’t Ruppla. This is Blessetige.”
“That’s exactly why I need to dive in now! Even if I fail, I want to test myself. We have money now!”
“…I’ll think about it.”
Ryan had no choice but to hesitate.
