TMLOH 59

Chapter : 59

Mehen groaned at the sight of the official letter placed before him.

It was rare to see Mehen looking this troubled, so Dylan shamelessly watched with interest.

“What’s the matter?”

“…Something’s the matter.”

“?”

Not in a good mood?

Mehen gave a vague answer, but his gaze remained fixed on the northern fortress’s exclusive communication sphere, which was still showing a “connecting” status.

The line had been dead for days now.

“Seems like the northern fortress is busy.”

Dylan didn’t think much of it, but Mehen couldn’t shake a vague sense of unease.

There was no way Jaren had been taken out by monsters, and even if the fortress had been vacated, it didn’t make sense for it to be for this long.

“Did the Sky Tower send a reply?”

“Apparently they’ll be visiting for the upcoming Founding Festival. From what the Foreign Affairs Office said, the preliminary arrangements are turning out to be quite complicated.”

“I suppose so.”

Hadn’t it been 154 years since the last visit from the Sky Tower? It was no surprise that people from all over would be scrambling to make connections and gain favor.

There were mage towers everywhere, but the authority of the Sky Tower was untouchable.

“It’s going to be exhausting.”

Mehen pressed his fingertips to his brow and let out a dry sigh.

In truth, he wasn’t interested in the “profits” the Sky Tower could bring.

His only concern was whether they could heal Arellin.

The mage towers said it was impossible, but maybe the Sky Tower will be different.

Mehen still hadn’t given up hope.

“Come to think of it, I’ve heard Arell’s been acting strangely lately.”

“Ah, yes. She’s been going out much more than usual—which is unlike her—and the other day she even went to see the family’s mage.”

“Magic…? Does she want to learn it?”

“More like she wants to study in general, I think? I heard she even went to the library.”

“The library?”

“Because of that, Lenny got all excited and brought me a thirteen-year academic plan.”

Dylan placed a thick stack of documents on Mehen’s desk—Lena’s enthusiastic academic curriculum for Arellin.

“Studying, huh…”

The truth was, Arellin had never received much education compared to others her age.

She was too frail to even go outside, so the idea of putting her through rigorous studies never came up. She’d only received the bare minimum.

“What does the doctor think?”

“After consulting with Yuni and the physician, they agreed she can handle one or two hours of lessons, three or four times a week.”

Now that he thought about it, his lady had always loved books.

Perhaps it wasn’t the books themselves she loved, but the act of learning?

If Arellin heard that, she’d surely scoff and call it nonsense—but Mehen was deep in that misunderstanding when the door suddenly burst open and Arellin walked in.

“My lady!”

These days, barging into Mehen’s office had become routine, but today she seemed especially riled.

“Arell.”

Seeing her frowning face, Mehen tried his best to sound gentle.

“Is something wrong?”

Fortunately, his effort seemed to work—Arellin responded.

“Mehen.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know how to get rid of a nasty stalker?”

“…What?”

“Training again today?”

Ah—!

“Weren’t you just working out?”

“No, I was… yeah.”

You almost sent me across the River Styx just now.

I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

“Why do you keep popping up out of nowhere like that? You’re going to scare someone to death.”

“Because your startled face is cute?”

“Wow. That’s twisted.”

“No one’s ever called me good-natured, anyway.”

“That’s not something to brag about.”

He poked my cheek with his finger, chuckling. Then his gaze shifted toward Pession.

“That boy’s always with you.”

“That’s usually the case.”

“Hm.”

“What?”

Resting his chin on his hand, he smiled playfully.

“He likes you.”

“I know that much.”

It’s impossible not to know when he says it every day.

Right now was my break time during training—when Pession usually brought me water.

“You’re working hard.”

“Yeah. Somehow.”

“Hm.”

Why is he looking at me like that?

“You know, training won’t cure your illness.”

“I know that much.”

“Then why do you work so hard?”

“Because Pession wants me to?”

The moment I said that without thinking, his smile twisted for the first time.

“Ah, I see.”

A chilly wind seemed to brush past.

Why did a shiver just run down my spine?

“You really like that kid, huh?”

“I don’t.”

“Really?”

“….”

No matter what I said here, it felt like stepping on a landmine, so I kept my mouth shut.

His golden eyes darkened.

“I don’t like it.”

“Pardon?”

“I said I don’t like it.”

The suffocating tension lasted only a moment—then, as if the oppressive air had never existed, he relaxed and smiled softly.

I honestly couldn’t figure him out.

Mehen didn’t know how to get rid of a dangerous stalker either.

I hadn’t expected much, but seeing the advanced magic tools in this world, I’d wondered—just maybe? But no, that was a waste of hope.

They say humans can adapt to anything, and I guess it’s true—because I’d already gotten used to this stalker’s antics.

“So, why do you keep showing up?”

“Because it’s fun?”

“…?”

Am I your YouTube channel or something?

“Don’t you have work to do?”

“Lots.”

“Then is it okay for you to be hanging around here?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Why?”

“Nothing urgent.”

“I see.”

“I’m waiting.”

The boredom in his golden eyes shifted into something more vivid.

“Aren’t you going to ask what I’m waiting for?”

“That would be overstepping my bounds.”

“You’re really good at staying in your lane, you know that?”

“Heh.”

He smiled like he was enjoying watching me inch closer, but I didn’t appreciate the feeling that he was “letting” me.

“So, did you finish digging into me?”

“…What?”

“You went all the way to the library. I didn’t know you were so curious about me, little lady.”

“….”

How does he even know that?

I froze, unable to say anything, and he looked positively amused.

“Find out what you wanted?”

“…No.”

At this point, denying it was pointless. I admitted it honestly.

“Still not curious enough to just ask me directly?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Looking up into those dazzling golden eyes, I recognized a very familiar emotion in them—

Indifference.

“Because I feel like if I ask, I’ll get tangled up in some unlucky mess and end up quietly ‘removed,’ gone like morning dew.”

Apparently not the answer he expected—he stared wide-eyed, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Oh, this is something.”

His golden eyes curved mischievously.

“You’re adorable, you know that?”

You have a strange idea of what’s cute.

“Ask me.”

“No.”

“I won’t ‘remove’ you, so ask.”

He looked at me like this was a rare opportunity, too good to pass up. I narrowed my eyes. It still felt like a scam…

“Really? You’ll swear? No harm, no blackmail?”

“You have no faith in people, huh?”

“I don’t have faith in non-humans either.”

Are you even human, by the way?

“What are you, really?”

“Secret.”

“Then your name?”

“Also a secret.”

“…Are you kidding me?”

“If I told you that, I would probably remove you.”

“Fine. Secret.”

“You accept that quickly.”

“I don’t like dying for no reason.”

Then… what should I ask?

“That thing in Sharit—what was it?”

His golden eyes turned dangerously dark.

“Okay, pass.”

“You have good instincts, little lady.”

I forced an awkward smile. Was that a compliment or an insult?

“What do you want from me?”

“Who knows.”

The sunlight hit his golden eyes, making them glitter coldly.

“This is the first time I’ve come across something this interesting, so I’m not sure.”

His pupils narrowed vertically. The air felt like it had me trapped—an unidentifiable pressure slowly closing in.

He’s going to eat me alive.

He’s definitely going to eat me.

I shut my eyes tight—

“Don’t be so scared. I’m not going to eat you… yet.”

That means you will eventually, doesn’t it?

“I don’t like it when you’re scared.”

“…?”

I flinched, and when I opened my eyes, those golden irises were right in front of me, curved in blissful amusement.

“See you later.”

Just as I was thinking his voice was too sweet—

“Arellin!”

Pession’s voice rang from a distance, and in an instant, all the pressure vanished.

“Ah.”

When I came to my senses, I was alone.

“…Feels like I just got possessed by a ghost.”