Chapter 20
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I possessed the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower. Chapter 20 "The Magic Tower might collapse, or so I've heard."
That was the conclusion. And I could discern the full picture without hearing the details. This was an event described in the original work, "Forced Empress."
"The reason is unknown, but apparently a crack has begun forming in the core of magical power at the very heart of the Magic Tower. If that shatters..."
"The Magic Tower will collapse."
It was a grave situation. The Magic Tower, whose precise origins remain unknown, is a repository of knowledge containing ancient magic that has yet to be fully unveiled. Because of this, the mages affiliated with the Magic Tower have abandoned their livelihoods and gathered to replenish the magical power seeping from the cracked core. But in the original work, the Magic Tower ultimately collapses. 'I should have looked into this more carefully.' In the original work, which centered on Lemeia, this storyline wasn't treated with much significance, so I had overlooked it. It was only described as 'Lemeia offered counsel, but the Tower Master refused to accept it, and the Magic Tower fell.' Just as my thoughts grew complicated, the Grand Duke spoke again.
"Oh, I forgot to mention this beforehand. This is still classified information. You absolutely must not disclose this to anyone outside."
"R-really? But why are you telling me something so confidential...?"
"Why do you think?"
"I-I have no idea?"
Could he possibly be using the pretext of my learning information I shouldn't know as leverage for blackmail? I truly did not want to know. Preferably, I would continue not knowing going forward. But he seemed to find amusement in teasing me, his lips curling upward.
"Besides, I'll have business at the Magic Tower soon enough. Think carefully about it until then, Princess."
Surely he wasn't suggesting we go together? He couldn't be. Yet he left me feeling unsettled without revealing his true reason until the very end. His handsome face stood in stark contrast to his personality—this was surely proof that God plays fair.
"Is something troubling you?"
"Oh, I apologize. My mind seems to be elsewhere..."
I offered an awkward smile in response to Ashley's question, feeling apologetic. Though we were having tea time at Ashley's request—she who had been frantically busy of late—I found myself unable to focus on her, and guilt washed over me. To my hurried excuse, Ashley responded thoughtfully.
"It's fine, though I do worry that I've called upon someone so busy."
"No, that's not it at all. Haha, this cake is quite delicious, isn't it?"
I lifted a forkful of soft cream cake and shoved it into my mouth. Fortunately, as the sweet confection entered my stomach, my mind seemed to activate a bit more. Though it was truly unfair to Ashley, I fell silent once more and sank into contemplation. Ever since my last meeting with the Grand Duke, my mind had been consumed with thoughts of the Magic Tower. And when I was like this, it was difficult to concentrate on anything else. 'If the Magic Tower falls, things will become complicated.' The Magic Tower served as a binding link that united mages—those who wielded mana—despite their temperamental and exacting natures. The collapse of the Magic Tower halted mages' activities temporarily, and the businesses and trade networks connected to them suffered catastrophic losses. Salt was no exception. When the food shortage began in earnest, they experienced isolation after losing access to the teleportation circles. Moreover, the Dark Mages who had lurked in the shadows emerged and began operating openly, making the impact of the Magic Tower's collapse truly immeasurable. Once again, content that had occupied merely a few lines in a book became a tangible reality before my eyes. And the method to solve this problem was.... 'I have to destroy the core.' But it was far from simple. After all, even Lemeia in the original story, blessed with the heroine's fortune, couldn't prevent the Magic Tower's collapse. 'The original heroine sent a letter advising that the core must be destroyed to save the Magic Tower.' However, the mages of the Magic Tower dismissed the letter as nonsensical drivel. But in truth, the Magic Tower's core wasn't breaking—it was undergoing a kind of metamorphosis. Since the relevant records were lost during the ancient war between mages and Dark Mages, modern mages remained ignorant of this fact. In any case, advising them to destroy the Magic Tower's core was perhaps no different from saying, 'Someone scribbled on the wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, so let's burn it down!' Clink. Eventually, I set down my fork, having barely touched my cake, and spoke without thinking.
"Have you ever destroyed a mana stone before?"
"...Pardon? A mana stone?"
"Well, more precisely, a stone containing far greater mana than an ordinary mana stone?"
I wasn't sure if I could describe the Magic Tower's core this way. Ashley, who had responded in a startled voice, wore a complicated expression. Only then, belatedly looking at her face, did I realize my mistake.
"Oh, never mind. Please forget I said that."
It made sense that it would sound absurd—destroying a mana stone was something ordinary people could scarcely even witness. But Ashley seemed to ponder seriously for a moment before speaking.
"Hmm... I'm not entirely certain, but wouldn't the Grand Duke's Study contain many books filled with such knowledge?"
"Ah!" 'That's right.' In this world, books were precious. More precisely, access to refined knowledge wasn't available to everyone. Because of this, only the libraries of prestigious noble families, the Royal Family, or imperial houses contained truly reliable information. In the original story, it was mentioned that Lemeia—though of course the blockheaded Lemeia would never do such a thing; it must have been April working tirelessly behind the scenes—found various information in the Salt Royal Palace's library and resolved national disasters.
"Thank you, Ashley. That's been a real help!"
Ashley responded warmly to my gratitude.
"As it happens, I have plans coming up soon. Would you like to go ahead?"
I looked at Ashley's teacup, still more than half full, then nodded with appreciation.
"Then I'll see you later. As always, please don't overwork yourself!"
"I'll return those words to you. You always seem so busy yourself."
Huh? Do I? Only then did I realize that my time spent shut away in my chamber had decreased recently. 'I should probably be more careful.' What if I lose my identity as a homebody? I shook my head. Once I resolved the Magic Tower situation, the comic book business would proceed without issue, and with the Grand Duke's capital backing it, it was only a matter of time before I'd be swimming in wealth. Which meant I'd naturally have plenty of free time on my hands. Yes, I resolved firmly. Once this is over! I absolutely had to rest. Absolutely. * * * Today, there was no one near the Grand Duke's Study. A profound silence hung in the air as if someone had deliberately cleared the space. Wary of Liam potentially appearing from somewhere to spy on me, I cautiously knocked on the door.
"Come in."
After a brief wait, a leisurely voice reached my ears. I opened the door and stepped inside, my eyes meeting those of the Grand Duke seated at his desk. But something about his appearance seemed off. 'Did he sleep?' He made no effort to hide his exhaustion, splashing water on his face in a perfunctory manner. Now that I thought about it, his voice was deeper than usual and carried a drowsy quality. Was this his rest time? But if he were going to sleep, wouldn't it be more comfortable to do so in his chamber rather than the Study?
"What is it now, Princess? If this is about business matters, wouldn't it be better to discuss it later?"
"No, it's not that. I was wondering if I could obtain access to the Grand Duke's archive."
I quickly got to the point to avoid irritating him.
"What, are you planning to wander through my home as freely as your own chambers?"
"Of course not! Well, if it's not possible, then there's nothing to be done about it..."
His question carried a playful tone, but I hastily denied it. I knew that trading jokes with a person of power was madness. Yet the Grand Duke, as if it were merely a casual jest, readily granted permission.
"You may enter the archive freely."
"Thank you so much."
I would have preferred if he'd agreed without such reluctance from the start. But seeing his particularly weary expression, such complaints didn't linger long. Come to think of it, he seemed to work day and night without rest, so it was strange that he possessed such a keen sense of humor. Now that I thought about it, this man... 'When does he even sleep?' My decision to speak without leaving immediately was somewhat impulsive.
"Um, are you sure you're alright?"
The Grand Duke's eyes turned toward me. Feeling oddly intimidated, I hastily added, "You look exhausted."
After studying me quietly for a long moment, he slowly gave his answer.
"...I'm fine."
Well, if he says he's fine, there's nothing I can do about it. I bowed my head and stepped out of the Library. But I couldn't help but stop after only a few paces. His exhausted appearance kept catching my eye... and I thought I understood why. 'He looks like me.' My own overworked self from a distant past—so far away it felt like a dream—seemed to overlap with him. 'Even the dark circles under his eyes seem to have deepened since before.' Of course, his impeccably refined Northern Grand Duke aesthetic only made those dark circles appear more haggard.... I shook my head at myself. 'Don't worry about it.' My own problems were piling up—who was I to concern myself with his? I hesitated. But in the end, I turned around and walked back into the Library.
"What is it?"
The Grand Duke asked, his back already leaning against the chair as if settling in for a brief rest. I walked up to him with purposeful strides and extended my hand.
"If you're tired, I happen to have a little trick up my sleeve."
The Grand Duke's gaze alternated between my palm and my face.
"Will you give me your hand?"
"My hand?"
Your hand, your hand—that's what I meant. I stared at the Grand Duke's hand with an intensity that could bore through stone.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org