Chapter 46
As she breathed heavily and stepped outside the tower, sunlight poured over her head, but her shoulders shivered. It felt as though a chill was creeping up from somewhere.
Just moments ago, her mind had been relatively clear, but now it was overwhelmed with thoughts, turning it into a chaotic mess like a beach littered with trash.
‘Calm down, I need to stay calm…’
There was nowhere to escape. Her office and personal quarters were filled with memories of Hesed, making it painful to even exist in those spaces, and there was no place outside the White Tower where she could feel at ease.
There was no one to turn to either. Scarlet and Vine wandered around under the pretense of training to avoid burdening their juniors, so she could only see them when they occasionally visited the White Tower. Her family would understand her feelings less than complete strangers.
“Tower Master, what’s wrong? Are you unwell?”
She couldn’t just stand there dazed. Someone had noticed her strange behavior and approached to ask.
“Nothing’s wrong. Don’t worry about it.”
“Tower Master!”
Leaving just those words, Irina cast a Haste spell. Haste was one of the spells she excelled at, and most couldn’t keep up with her once she entrusted her legs to mana and the wind.
With an invisibility spell added, she became a literal invisible wind, passing through the people around her.
Trickle, trickle.
Tears finally fell from her eyes, which had become hot and swollen.
*
In the dry west, the temperature dropped considerably in the evenings, even in summer. This was true not only in the desert but also in the towns.
Caw, caw.
The sound of crows cawing could be heard somewhere, and the small forest, bathed in the dimming twilight, exuded a spooky atmosphere.
In a corner of that forest, Irina sat with her face buried in her knees, lifting her head weakly. After wandering aimlessly, she had ended up in this secluded spot, and after crying for a long time, her swollen eyes stung.
‘I thought I would calm down with time.’
But that wasn’t the case. Irina’s eyes still held many tears, and her mind was just blank. She felt like a lotus flower with its roots cut off, floating aimlessly on the water.
‘What should I do now?’
She couldn’t bring herself to return to the White Tower and face Hesed or Celsia, nor could she continue to pretend nothing had happened and perform her duties as Tower Master.
‘…You wretched man. Don’t toy with me, just be honest.’
If he had just asked for the position of White Tower Master, relying on his ability and ambition.
If he had spoken honestly instead of coaxing her with sweet words and fake affection, she could have persuaded their master, senior sister, and senior brother to reach the best conclusion.
Why is he so cruel and mean to someone he once revered as his life savior?
Beep, beep. Beep.
Despite not understanding the hearts of those around her and being blindsided, someone kept contacting this foolish person, as the communication orb in her pocket continued to emit its alarm sound.
‘It could be Celsia, or it could be Hesed.’
Come to think of it, she had planned to have dinner with Hesed instead of lunch today.
‘He can enjoy dinner with the elders instead of me, discussing how to easily oust the Tower Master who doesn’t fit the position.’
Irina let out a bitter laugh and buried her face back in her knees. She hated the elders who incited Hesed and resented Hesed for toying with her feelings.
Beep, beep. Beep.
Even though she found the loud alarm sound annoying, she hated herself for not turning off the communication orb, fearing the complete silence.
She felt pathetic for yearning for warmth despite having no one to rely on.
“That’s why I was shaken by those words, ‘I like you.'”
The more she replayed her memories with Hesed, the more it felt like pouring salt on a bleeding wound. Banging her head lightly against her clasped arms, she suddenly felt the pocket of her robe heating up and lifted her head.
“What is this?”
Curious, she opened her pocket to see a paper figure shaped like a person walking out as if it were alive. It was the paper Noyad, the shaman who visited earlier, had given her for communication.
The paper figure, which could have easily been blown away by the wind, stood on the ground, and eyes, nose, and mouth formed on its face, followed by a familiar voice.
– White Tower Master, can you hear me?
“Noyad? Ah, yes, I can hear you well.”
Irina quickly composed herself and answered. Perhaps because she had cried for so long, she felt she could converse with someone unrelated to the White Tower.
– One of the eyes I released in Quilton saw a man carrying a red crystal ball.
To think they’d find a suspect so quickly.
“A red crystal ball…”
Suddenly, a man flashed in Irina’s mind.
‘In one month. Your problem will be resolved within the next month. However, around that time, many changes will occur, and things will become more chaotic.’
‘What?’
‘If you seek to gain emotions, you will lose power. If you seek to gain power, you will have to forsake your emotions. It would be wise to choose carefully.’
Wasn’t the fortune-teller who gave that chilling prophecy when she visited a fortune-telling shop with Hesed also using a red crystal ball?
‘It would be fortunate if he were just an ordinary fortune-teller, but if a malevolent person was disguised as such…’
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.