Chapter 6
Late that night, long after everyone else had gone to bed…
Kesenor was entertaining an uninvited guest in his room.
“Lady Laberose passed away giving birth to her youngest daughter when Miss Agnes was fifteen,” the visitor reported. “Apparently Baron and Baroness Laberose had been deeply devoted to one another. After her death, the Baron fell into despair and became little more than a broken man.”
“No close relatives?” Kesenor asked. “Even distant family usually lends a hand.”
“No. Lady Laberose lost her parents at a young age. She did have a stepbrother, but the two of them were never on good terms.”
“And a man who had once been respectable managed to ruin his entire house in only two years?”
“You never know how people’s lives will turn out.”
The woman shrugged.
“In any case, Miss Agnes is much older than her younger siblings, so it seems she did everything she could to keep the family together.”
“And that’s how she became a governess.”
“Fortunately for them, Count Waldemar’s family looked after her. Otherwise, the entire Laberose family would have been scattered.”
Despite delivering her report diligently, Aser wore an openly displeased expression.
“That’s the end of my report.”
She folded her arms.
“So… when exactly are you planning to return?”
Aser was Kesenor’s deputy and disciple at the Magic Tower.
She had only just arrived by teleportation from Celestial, the Magic Tower in the far north.
The teleportation circle beneath her feet still glowed faintly.
Once she returned, it would disappear.
“I’m sure word has already reached the capital,” she continued.
“People are always watching the Tower Master’s every move.”
“I could do without the Crown Prince’s interest.”
“So could I.”
“I don’t want to know what that man is thinking either.”
Aser shuddered as though merely remembering him left a bad taste in her mouth.
Meanwhile, Kesenor continued reviewing the stack of documents she had brought.
Each time he turned a page, fine golden dust scattered across the parchment as his signature appeared by magic.
The document immediately burst into flames and vanished.
Magically sealed, each one was being delivered directly to its intended destination.
Aser watched the process with an irritated frown.
She looked less like an assistant…
And more like a prison guard supervising a convict sentenced to hard labor.
“Anyway,” she said, “I still don’t understand what you’re trying to accomplish.”
“I admit it’s shocking that the little girl named Amy returned from the Rift…”
“But why are you so interested in her sister?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love at first sight with a noble lady who doesn’t even possess magic.”
“Leave it alone.”
“And stop pestering me.”
Anyone who didn’t know the full story would naturally misunderstand.
Kesenor also knew exactly what Aser was worried about.
For generations, House Celesta had married only other magicians.
Although two Archmages weren’t guaranteed to produce another Archmage…
Children born to parents with no magical ability had never become magicians.
Rare mutations existed.
But they were extraordinarily uncommon.
Naturally, everyone expected Kesenor to marry another magician and pass both his title and magical bloodline to his heir.
If he failed to do so…
Not only House Celesta…
But even the future of Celestial, whose name had been engraved throughout history, could change.
As one of Celestial’s magicians, Aser was essentially telling her Tower Master not to act recklessly.
Easy for her to say.
She knows nothing about the World Tree.
Kesenor sneered inwardly.
Only his parents…
And the elders of the Magic Tower…
Knew about the mark engraved on the back of his hand.
Even Aser lacked the authority to know that secret.
Naturally, Kesenor had no desire to reveal it.
The World Tree possessed authority great enough to shake the entire world.
Compared to that…
The title of Master of Celestial seemed almost insignificant.
Besides…
I’m sick of everyone treating me like some breeding stallion.
His fate had supposedly been decided from the moment he was born.
Sometimes…
The thought alone was suffocating.
Ignoring his discomfort, he continued signing document after document.
Then Aser couldn’t resist adding one more comment.
“I still don’t get it.”
“Why would you care about some tiny little noble girl who looks like a child—”
The corner of Kesenor’s eyebrow twitched.
Without even looking up…
The finger turning the next page shifted slightly.
A beam of light shot across the room and sealed Aser’s mouth shut.
“Mmph…! Mm-mmph!”
“I told you to drop it.”
With an annoyed sigh, he lowered his gaze again.
The mountain of paperwork was finally beginning to shrink.
Research budgets requested by the Magic Tower’s magicians.
Various petitions from his territory.
Financial reports.
As both the Marquis of Celesta…
And the Master of Celestial…
There was never a shortage of work.
Only two days ago…
That had been his entire life.
Endless paperwork.
Studying magic while buried beneath books thick as bricks.
Training alongside knights to keep his body from weakening.
It hadn’t even been that long.
Yet somehow…
It already felt like another lifetime.
Kesenor looked out the window.
Outside…
The night was pitch-black and silent.
Because of the immense mana filling his body, his senses were extraordinarily sharp.
Even with the window closed…
He could clearly hear the quiet conversations of everyone inside the manor.
The chirping of insects outside.
Every tiny sound.
Compared to Celestial, where layers of magic blocked all noise until the tower became eerily silent…
This place should have seemed unbearably loud.
Instead…
It somehow felt even quieter.
A little noble girl who looks like a child…
To be fair…
Aser wasn’t entirely wrong.
She had spent the day running through fields with nine-year-old children.
Climbing trees.
Playing alongside them.
Then returning indoors to patiently teach them.
Of course, her life had its own hardships.
But to Kesenor Celesta…
They all seemed so trivial.
Until now, her greatest concern had been supporting her family.
Now even that problem would disappear thanks to the gold Amy had brought back from the Dragon’s Lair.
From this point onward…
Her life should become peaceful.
She said she had been quite the tomboy as a child.
He had tried to leave a good impression on her.
He had deliberately initiated physical contact.
When she disliked it…
He apologized.
He had even made a conscious effort to treat her more gently.
Then…
He remembered Agnes trying so hard to hide how pleased she had been by his praise.
What would Agnes be like…
If she weren’t burdened with working as a governess?
If she were simply an ordinary noble lady?
As that thought crossed his mind…
Kesenor suddenly felt something strange.
He looked back into the room.
Aser was staring at him as though she’d just seen a ghost.
He touched his own face.
Without realizing it…
The corner of his mouth had curved into a smile.
Pressing it back down with one hand, he muttered,
“Next…”
“Investigate House Waldemar.”
“Mmph…! Mm-mmph!”
“I find something suspicious.”
“According to your investigation, the Countess genuinely helped Miss Agnes out of kindness.”
“But when speaking to me…”
“It almost sounded as though she wanted to dismiss her as soon as possible.”
Ordinarily…
That wasn’t something Kesenor needed to concern himself with.
Once Amy returned…
Agnes would no longer need to work as a governess.
Her relationship with the Countess of Waldemar would naturally become nothing more than a casual acquaintance.
And yet…
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Earlier that morning…
Before going to see Agnes and the twins…
He had spoken with the Countess.
“Are you asking me to evaluate the children’s education?”
“I know it’s a terribly presumptuous request.”
“But since we remain here on the estate, I have no way of knowing whether they’re truly learning.”
“As their mother, I worry about those immature boys so much that I can hardly sleep.”
“From what you’ve told me…”
“Isn’t Miss Agnes already teaching them?”
“She is.”
“But the children are getting older.”
“They’re difficult enough that sending them to boarding school isn’t really an option.”
“They can’t spend their entire lives behaving like unruly little children.”
At the time…
It had sounded perfectly reasonable.
After all…
Agnes was just a young noble lady acting as a governess.
If the Countess had become concerned enough to ask him…
It wasn’t strange.
He had simply smiled and agreed.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell Miss Agnes.”
“I have another matter I intend to discuss with her.”
“We’ll tell her ourselves when the time comes.”
Curious about what kind of person Agnes really was…
Kesenor had followed the Countess’s request and spent the day observing her.
Just what is the problem…?
He couldn’t understand.
If anything…
The children are the problem.
Agnes was a far better teacher than he’d expected.
With students like those two…
No one could possibly teach them better than she did.
Shouldn’t they be trying to keep Miss Agnes instead?
He understood that parents weren’t always objective about their own children.
But…
For someone who claimed to be generously helping a struggling young noblewoman…
The Countess seemed strangely condescending.
If not Agnes…
Who exactly does she think would agree to teach those little monsters?
Then there had been dinner.
“I heard from the Marquis that Miss Amy is alive.”
“Miss Agnes…”
“Congratulations.”
“You’ve suffered so much all this time.”
Unlike her cold attitude earlier that morning…
The Countess had treated Agnes with remarkable warmth during dinner.
The contradiction left an unpleasant feeling.
Well…
It’s none of my business.
To him…
Agnes’s life had always seemed small.
Clumsy.
Almost childishly insignificant.
There was no reason for him to concern himself with it.
And yet—
“You have to treat her well this time.”
“You can’t hurt her.”
“You can’t make her sad.”
At that moment…
The terror reflected in Amy’s wide eyes had been far beyond anything an ordinary six-year-old should ever know.
She hadn’t looked like a child.
For that instant…
She had unquestionably been looking into the future.
Judging from the future she saw…
I must have been a complete bastard.
If not for Amy’s warning…
Kesenor would probably have treated Agnes’s life like a toy.
Something to manipulate however he pleased.
After all…
To the Marquis of Celesta…
The daughter of a mere baron was hardly significant.
He picked up the teacup resting beside him.
It was the same tea he had shared with Agnes that afternoon.
He had heard it was a herbal blend found only in the southern region.
Now it had gone completely cold.
The bitter taste lingered unpleasantly on his tongue.
Watching him, Aser shook her head as though he had lost his mind.
Kesenor let out a quiet chuckle before dispelling the spell sealing her mouth.
Without even complaining about having been gagged…
Aser immediately began grumbling again.
“Does that young lady have some incredible treasure hidden away or something?”
“You usually treat magic as your one true love.”
“Now you’re worrying about completely unnecessary things.”
Kesenor laughed softly.
“Something like that.”
“…What?”
“That’s why…”
“I need to get close to her before anyone else does.”
“Anyone else?”
“Who exactly are you talking about?”
