Chapter 8
Just as Roakin was about to knock on the door, he paused and lowered his hand.
The soft moonlight shining overhead had finally registered in his mind.
“…What time is it?”
A full moon hung high in the dark night sky.
It was probably around ten o’clock.
Maybe a little later, but not by much.
Seeing that every light inside the house was already out, Roakin irritably ran a hand through his hair.
He had come here on impulse, driven solely by the desire to see her immediately, without thinking anything through.
Unable to leave, yet unable to barge in, he wandered back and forth like a stray dog before finally making up his mind.
Knock. Knock.
His fist struck the wooden door with a loud bang.
“…”
He waited.
Nothing.
No sound came from inside.
Roakin glanced up at the brilliantly shining moon.
A troubling thought crossed his mind.
It was still rather early for Serphine to be asleep.
Is she really in there?
The moment the thought occurred to him, he reached for the doorknob.
The lock that had faithfully guarded the house gave way effortlessly beneath his hand.
Roakin stepped inside, searching for Serphine.
She had definitely been here.
The blanket she always used was neatly folded on the living room sofa.
Traces of her were everywhere…
Yet the one he was looking for was nowhere to be seen.
She’s not here.
His expression instantly turned icy.
Just as his thoughts froze in confusion, he noticed the staircase leading upstairs.
He climbed the stairs in long strides.
Then…
His pace gradually slowed.
A familiar scent grew stronger with every step.
He knew.
The person he was searching for was above.
At last, he found Serphine sleeping soundly.
Roakin rubbed a hand over his face.
“…Ha.”
“Honestly, Serphine Mirabel.”
It wasn’t easy to make someone this anxious.
Despite the spacious first floor, she’d chosen to use the cramped attic as her bedroom.
Still…
Seeing that she was safe was enough.
He turned to leave.
Yet his feet refused to move.
“You really sleep without a care in the world.”
Serphine remained perfectly still, completely unaware that someone had entered her room.
Her tightly closed eyelids showed no sign of opening, as if she had settled into hibernation.
Looking at her sleeping so defenselessly, Roakin let out a long sigh.
“How am I supposed to leave feeling at ease when you’re like this, Serphine?”
The only answer was the quiet sound of her steady breathing.
There had been so many things he wanted to ask once they met again.
Swallowing every word that had risen to the tip of his tongue, Roakin sat on the windowsill.
What exactly are you trying to do?
This house…
What was she thinking?
He couldn’t make sense of the thoughts hidden inside that small head of hers.
If she refused to tell him herself…
There was only one option left.
I’ll just have to watch.
Roakin quietly looked down at the sleeping Serphine.
His unwavering gaze followed every rise and fall of her breathing, as though unwilling to miss a single breath.
Eventually, darkness gave way to the pale light of dawn.
When the morning sun finally rose over the horizon…
The windowsill was empty.
Only a trace of lingering warmth remained.
This week’s goal was simple.
Do absolutely nothing.
I spent the entire day eating and sleeping, fully enjoying my newfound freedom.
But years of disciplined work habits had become such a terrible habit that before long I started feeling restless.
“Maybe I’ll go out for a while.”
And so…
On the third day of my unemployed life,
I prepared for my first outing.
Sitting before the vanity, I let my hair down.
Silver strands cascaded over my shoulders.
At first, this silver hair had felt unbelievably strange.
Now, I had grown used to it as I calmly brushed it smooth.
Why don’t I have a maid to brush my hair?
Everyone else transmigrated into wealthy noble ladies who were pampered from head to toe…
Only after possessing Serphine’s body had I learned the heartbreaking truth about her past.
She had been abandoned at an orphanage as a baby.
She had grown up completely alone.
During her academy years, at least she had a dormitory.
After graduation, however, she had nowhere to go.
She drifted from place to place, working just to survive.
There really was no such thing as a villain without a story.
Serphine’s life had been pitiful.
I didn’t want to know all these details…
Why did I have to possess someone with such a tragic background?
Forget being a noble.
Simply owning a place that finally felt like a home was already enough to make me emotional.
After finishing my hair, I tied it neatly into a bun.
As I tucked away a few loose strands…
A forgotten thought suddenly surfaced.
“…I wonder if he’s read it by now.”
By this time, the Tower Master should have returned from Valdeas.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about how he’d react after reading my letter.
Of course he’d be angry.
But…
That should be the end of it.
The horrifying image of Roakin actually coming here flashed through my mind.
I quickly shook my head.
“Yeah, right.”
How could he possibly know where I was?
And even if he somehow found out…
The original story was about to begin.
Why would the second male lead leave the heroine just to chase after me?
Even if I begged him to come…
He wouldn’t.
Pushing away the uneasy feeling, I pulled my robe’s hood low over my face.
Silver hair stood out even in this world.
Better not attract unnecessary attention.
The moment I stepped outside, warm sunlight bathed my face.
It’s been forever since I enjoyed an afternoon like this!
Taking a deep breath of the crisp forest air, I headed straight for the marketplace.
As I casually looked around to familiarize myself with the town, a street vendor’s voice caught my attention.
“Fresh new plants just arrived! Come have a look!”
[Gardner]
The green sign decorated with trees and grass marked it as a plant shop.
“…Maybe I’ll just browse for a minute.”
The shop was overflowing with plants from the moment I stepped inside.
Instead of the ordinary plants, I headed straight for the seed section.
“Hmm… Which one should I choose?”
I was planning to start a potion business.
Potion brewing relied on the properties of ingredients rather than raw magical power.
That meant even someone without mana could practice it.
To survive in the land of mages, Serphine had poured her entire soul into studying potion theory.
Because of that…
I had inherited an enormous amount of knowledge.
Combined with my modern business experience…
I stood a good chance.
The first potion I wanted to develop was…
A plant growth potion.
If I could improve it enough to dramatically increase crop yields…
Becoming rich would only be a matter of time.
While I was considering which seeds to buy for my experiments, a middle-aged woman who appeared to own the shop approached me.
“Miss, are you looking for something?”
My attention was immediately drawn to her eyes.
…Pink.
In this world, reddish-colored eyes were the unmistakable mark of a mage.
Most mages had red eyes.
Those with especially powerful mana often possessed dark violet eyes instead.
Like Roakin.
Pink eyes, on the other hand, symbolized extremely weak magical power and were most commonly seen among half-blood mages.
It was an uncommon eye color that usually attracted attention wherever it appeared.
Yet since arriving in this world…
I’d never seen so many people with eyes like mine.
Not just the shopkeeper.
I’d already passed several others with pink eyes on my way here.
That’s exactly why I chose Erden Village.
Its population was incredibly diverse.
Mages.
Humans.
Half-bloods.
With so many different eye colors mixed together…
I wouldn’t stand out nearly as much.
Feeling myself relax a little, I asked,
“What’s the fastest-growing plant you sell?”
The faster it grew, the sooner I could verify whether my potion actually worked.
“The fastest-growing plant?”
The woman looked surprised by the unusual question.
“Well… let’s see. There’s a tree called a Crown Tree. It sprouts only half a day after planting. How about that?”
“Perfect. I’ll take it. How much?”
“It isn’t a particularly useful tree, so twenty silver will do.”
After I paid, she placed several Crown Tree seeds into a small box before asking,
“Miss, your face looks familiar. Have you always lived in this village?”
“No. I moved here yesterday.”
“Oh dear, my mistake. Well, now that we’ve met, be sure to visit often. I’ll give you plenty of extras next time.”
“I will.”
Just as I turned to leave with the box of seeds…
She suddenly called after me.
“Wait! My name’s Mary. What’s yours?”
“Serph… I mean… Sara.”
I hurriedly corrected myself before my real name slipped out.
“Sara? That’s a lovely name. Come visit again, Miss Sara!”
Mary smiled warmly and waved goodbye.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I left the shop.
Thank goodness she’d let it slide so casually.
Serphine wasn’t exactly a common name.
That could have turned into a disaster.
Get yourself together.
If word reaches the Empress, it’s over.
I’d escaped the original story…
But it was still far too early to relax.
No one knew how the Empress would react once she discovered I’d vanished.
Forget starting a potion business.
First, I had to survive.
Just hold out a little longer.
There wasn’t even a week left until the Founding Festival.
Pulling my hood even lower, I hurried on my way.
Sitting alone in my old cottage, stirring the steaming cauldron…
I felt like a real witch.
“The color doesn’t look bad.”
A thick green potion bubbled gently inside the pot.
I took out the Crown Tree seeds I’d bought earlier.
After planting one in a flowerpot and covering it with soil…
I poured the finished potion over it.
Leaving the pot on the balcony, I rubbed my aching shoulders.
“Ugh… I’m exhausted.”
I’d spent every moment since coming home focused entirely on brewing potions.
My wrists ached.
My eyes burned as though they might fall out.
Leaving the cleanup for tomorrow’s me, I climbed straight upstairs to my bedroom.
The room had grown chilly because I’d left the windows open to vent the potion fumes.
I stuffed several pieces of mana crystal fuel into the fireplace before throwing myself onto the bed.
Mana crystal fuel burned hotter and much longer than firewood.
It was also far more expensive.
But after everything I’d gone through…
I deserved this much.
Money really is the best.
It hadn’t been long since I’d lit the fire, yet the room quickly became warm and cozy.
Wrapping myself tightly in the blankets, I drifted comfortably toward sleep.
I couldn’t even describe how wonderful it felt to sleep in a soft bed instead of collapsing over a desk.
Yes… I was perfectly comfortable.
Perfectly happy…
Until I opened my eyes in the middle of the night—
—and found the Master of the Mage Tower sitting on my windowsill.
