Chapter 130
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Hospitalization period, five days. The time she stayed at the Provanet household for her parents who kept hounding her, two days.
Seven days in total. After enduring a maddening week, Eki finally arrived at the Thousand Tower.
‘Ugh, I’m exhausted.’
Even so, there hadn’t been a single message from Cassius. He must’ve heard that she was safe. Otherwise, there was no way he’d be this quiet.
“Bad Master, I’m back!”
Eki deliberately raised her voice as she stepped inside the main gate.
No, but what is this?
‘My goodness.’
The damage from that bastard Babel’s slime fiasco still hadn’t been repaired at all.
‘The middle door to the basement and all the decorations on the stairs were completely shattered…’
Cassius had just left it like this.
For a moment, Eki felt dizzy and grabbed her head. Honestly, he really was a lazy master. How could he just leave it untouched for an entire week?
‘No, wait. Master’s bad at cleaning up in the first place, so maybe it’s better if I just do it myself.’
Thinking positively, Eki climbed the spiral staircase. In the air where only dust floated hazily, her footsteps echoed tap tap.
The tower was strangely quiet. As if… no one lived here at all.
Eki scanned her surroundings with a growing sense of unease. Even though she knew Cassius couldn’t leave this place, she couldn’t stop herself from worrying. Her pace quickened.
Eventually, she was practically running up the stairs.
“Huff, huff.”
But as everyone knew, her stamina, having spent her life seated at a desk drawing magic circles, was worse than that of an average office worker. She couldn’t even run up a few floors before she was panting and forced to walk.
“Master! MASTER!”
Eki raised her voice again.
The first place she checked was the laboratory. Thankfully, the inside was tidy. Still, it felt abandoned, like it hadn’t been looked at at all since she left.
She then checked the storage room and the bathroom, and headed for the very top.
He must be in his room, right?
But what if he wasn’t there either?
‘…Do I have to go to the basement?’
Eki glanced down past the railing with an uneasy expression.
After nearly crossing the river of death because of the vast mana of the dragon hearts, just thinking about that place filled her with fear. But if her master was there, she had to gather her courage and go. Where she belonged was by her master’s side.
“Master! Are you there? I’m back!”
Eki knocked on Cassius’s door, but when there was still no response, she impatiently twisted the doorknob. At this point, she didn’t think she was in her right mind anymore.
But when she saw the room, which was in an even worse state than she was, her mouth fell open.
‘No, what is this…’
It was a complete mess. The carpet was darkened with bloodstains, the window was left open, and the curtains, along with all sorts of parchment and magic books, were torn apart.
She stared blankly as she looked around, then noticed something pale on the bed. When she went closer, she saw Cassius lying there, asleep without making a sound.
Oh, my goodness.
‘You’re still here.’
In an instant, the despair that had surged up to her chin turned into hope and relief. Without realizing it, Eki’s eyes grew moist, and she shook her head firmly.
“Master, wake up.”
But Cassius didn’t wake. Eki shook his shoulder again and again.
When he still didn’t even stir, an indescribable, crushing anxiety washed over her. With trembling hands, Eki placed them against Cassius’s chest. Maybe because she couldn’t calm herself and was shaking so badly, she couldn’t clearly feel his heartbeat. In the end, she practically tore off his upper clothes and pressed her ear against his bare chest.
Thump… thump…
Slow, but unmistakable heartbeats.
Just as Eki felt a moment of relief.
“…Eki?”
Cassius woke up. Eki lifted her head sharply, filled with joy. But unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, either way, she collided with Cassius as he was lifting his head too. Amazingly, their lips met.
“Ugh.”
Both of their eyes widened.
It had only been a week apart, but the lips touching again after so long felt so sweet, so intoxicating and precious that they seemed ready to melt.
Eki naturally closed her eyes. But Cassius trembled violently and pushed her away.
“You, w-what. How…”
Looking flustered, he glanced back and forth between Eki and his own body. Then he noticed that his top had been removed, and his face flushed bright red.
“Y-You took my clothes off?!”
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