Chapter : 17
I was anxious that he might try to hold Cassie accountable for her rudeness, but fortunately, the Master of the Mage Tower only laughed as if he found it amusing.
“But since you played along in place of your young lady, I’ll let it slide.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll discipline her more strictly from now on. Cassie, your hand.”
Just in case the Master of the Mage Tower got angry and killed Cassie, I gently folded her fingers for her.
“Eek—! I’m sorry! I’m sooo sorry!”
“Unlike her mistress, her reactions are entertaining, aren’t they?”
What if the Master of the Mage Tower started taking an interest in Cassie?
Worried about my maid’s neck, I sent the carriage away the moment we stepped down into the central hall where the ball was being held.
“Cassie, go back in the carriage.”
“But, miss—”
“There will be palace maids here, so don’t worry. When you return later, go with your parents.”
With other carriages lining up behind us, Cassie couldn’t argue and had no choice but to leave.
“Were you afraid I might kill your maid?”
“Were you planning to?”
“No.”
“Then I suppose there was no reason to worry.”
“Hm. You’re a rather kind master. I heard rumors you were vicious.”
I pretended not to hear the rest of what the Master of the Mage Tower said and continued walking, but he followed closely behind me.
As we approached the entrance to the hall, the attendant clearly recognized me, but the Master of the Mage Tower seemed completely unexpected.
“This is Lord Scylla Bernstein, the Master of the Mage Tower.”
When I quietly informed him, the attendant hurriedly announced,
“Lady Rosia Levian, and the Master of the Mage Tower, enter!”
“Did you tell him so his head wouldn’t get cut off this time? How thoughtful, Rosia.”
At the cry of “Master of the Mage Tower,” people’s gazes flocked toward us, but the two of us entered the ballroom as if we felt nothing at all.
“By the way, Master of the Mage Tower.”
“Call me Scylla.”
“Do you know me? I believe the salon was the first time we met, yet you spoke as if you knew me well.”
“That was my first time seeing you too. And call me Scylla.”
“Then why did I catch your interest?”
Since the imperial couple hadn’t arrived yet, we moved toward a secluded corner.
“I had no interest before seeing you, but once I did, I became curious. The reason is simple.”
“And that is…?”
“Most people fear death. You didn’t. And on top of that, you’re willing to stay close to someone who tried to kill you. Anyone would be curious.”
From afar, I spotted my father and mother approaching.
“Master of the Mage Tower, allow me to introduce my parents.”
“Rosia, I told you to call me Scylla.”
He spoke forcefully, his eyes flashing, but I endured it as I recalled Ted’s advice.
—
Never give the Master of the Mage Tower what he wants right away.
—
Since I knew almost nothing about him, I decided to play along carefully.
“Say it. Call me ‘Scylla.’”
“Roa!”
Just in time, my parents reached us. Both of them widened their eyes when they saw the Master of the Mage Tower.
“Oh my, just as Rosia said—you’re truly handsome!”
“Did Rosia say I was handsome?”
“Yes. When I asked what kind of partner you were, she only said you were handsome. I wondered just how charming you must be, but I never imagined you’d be this beautiful.”
“I’m happy, Rosia. To hear you called me handsome.”
Seeing the Master of the Mage Tower blush was unsettling, but I remained composed.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master of the Mage Tower. I am Marquis Levian.”
“The pleasure is mine, Marquis.”
If nothing else, the Master of the Mage Tower was extremely skilled at pretending to be normal—just as he had acted courteous when we first met.
Apparently pleased by the word handsome, he asked me several times if I truly thought so.
“Yes. You truly possess outstanding looks.”
Just as Cassie and many others had said.
People nearby kept glancing at him, trying to find the right moment to approach, but his attention remained solely on our family.
Soon, a loud announcement echoed throughout the hall.
“His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince enter!”
Everyone fell silent as the imperial family entered. Once the Emperor raised his hand from the throne to signal the start of the ball, chatter resumed.
The Emperor’s gaze wandered as if searching for someone, stopping only when it reached the Master of the Mage Tower beside me.
His raised brow suggested surprise—so he had heard about him from me.
But that wasn’t the only surprise of the evening.
“Duke, if you do not mind, would you serve as my younger sister’s partner?”
The Empress pointed to Duke Lishianthes. The Emperor widened his eyes in surprise, then smiled and nodded, apparently thinking they suited each other.
“That sounds good.”
Marina’s eyes sparkled as she stood beside her sister.
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“…What did you say?”
“I do not wish to be Lady Marina Ickel’s partner. If you insist further, it would be discourteous.”
The Duke’s bluntness didn’t change even in front of the Empress.
Wait—this was strange enough already, but to openly refuse Marina Ickel as a partner?
And to say it so bluntly?
“Duke.”
The Empress furrowed her elegant brow, but the Duke did not waver in the slightest.
Marina looked on the verge of tears, while Duke Lishianthes left with a cold expression. He scanned the hall as if searching for someone.
“Sister!”
“Calvin.”
Right—today was the day my younger brother was coming too.
“Sister, it’s been a while. I’m glad to see you. And who is this?”
“This is my partner, the Master of the Mage Tower.”
“I told you—Scylla. When are you going to call me by my name?”
I replied with a smile. Soon after, Marina burst into tears, and as if to smooth things over, the Emperor shouted, “Let the music play!”
“Lady Levian.”
Someone called out to me.
But as the dance music began, the Master of the Mage Tower led me onto the floor, preventing me from seeing who had called me—though I already knew.
Lexian Lishianthes.
A man who should never linger around me.
I pushed the thought aside and focused on the dangerous man before me.
“You know how to dance?”
“A little. I spent part of my childhood among the nobility.”
“I thought so.”
“Oh? Why?”
“You use perfect imperial etiquette.”
The Master of the Mage Tower looked at me with interest.
“That’s why I couldn’t kill you.”
“I’m relieved I have qualities that pique your interest.”
“When are you going to call me Scylla, Rosia?”
“If you promise not to kill me.”
Another piece of Ted’s advice surfaced.
—
If the Master of the Mage Tower wants something from you, there’s room for negotiation. Use that.
—
If I proposed a condition he deemed fair by his own standards—even something like a gemstone mine—he would readily accept it.
“Hm. I’m not sure.”
So he still wasn’t inclined to guarantee my life.
“Then I’ll call you later.”
“Give me a different condition.”
“There isn’t one.”
Despite claiming he only knew a little about dancing, he led flawlessly.
“That’s a shame. I think it would be thrilling to hear you say my name, Rosia.”
“Then why did you try to kill me?”
“I’ll tell you if you call my name.”
“Then I won’t ask anymore.”
When I smiled brightly, he let out a soft chuckle.
Like a worm wriggling earnestly.
“I thought you might become a threat, so I planned to kill you. But you’re the first person who’s acted this way toward me, so I decided to watch a little longer.”
“You mean someone who doesn’t yield to your threats?”
“Yes. But don’t push it too far. My patience is short.”
He really was willing to take risks for amusement. Ted’s description of him as an “interest-driven hedonist” fit perfectly.
And one final piece of advice.
—
Never act servile before the Master of the Mage Tower. He sees everyone as insects—but if you behave like one, he’ll kill you.
—
I didn’t know when I’d meet him again.
I had to maximize his interest in me now.
“If I provoke your patience, will you kill me right here? Me—Rosia Levian, daughter of Marquis Levian?”
