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Chapter 57
“Look at me, Retricia!”
In Litricia’s clear eyes, a hexagonal ice crystal was embedded like an impurity.
The snowflake, infused with the magic of the clock tower, trembled slightly. Then, as if melting away, it turned to water and was absorbed into her pink irises.
It was as though nothing had happened—no trace remained in Litricia’s eyes.
“Can you still see this smoke?”
“Yes.”
Her innocent nod made the veins stand out in Killian’s neck.
What is going on here?
「…….」
Hah. And now you’re silent when it actually matters.
When there was a chance for him to make even the tiniest mistake, that blasted thing watched him like a hawk. But in a moment when he actually needed an explanation, it didn’t even bother to form a single letter, just drifted lazily like usual.
Was it staying quiet because it was worried Litricia might overhear their conversation?
Whatever the reason, that residual magical smoke was irritating in more ways than one.
And really, who could have predicted something like this? The unexpected turn left Killian rubbing the back of his stiff neck.
But the surprises weren’t over yet.
“Um, Killian. This might sound strange, but… have you ever made a wish at the tower?”
Was that a question I shouldn’t have asked?
When Killian froze in place, Litricia felt awkward. Maybe she’d been too abrupt.
“Why do you think I made a wish?”
The deep voice she usually found pleasant now sounded like it was being forced out through clenched teeth.
Litricia placed her hand over the one cupping her cheek.
“This strange smoke coming from your hand—it’s the same kind of smoke that fills the tower. So I thought maybe it has something to do with magic.”
When telling her about the tower, Peter Godwin had mentioned that when the tower granted a wish, traces of that magic sometimes remained on the person who made it.
And partly, it was just instinct. She couldn’t explain why, but she was certain.
After staring at the blue smoke for a long, tense moment, Killian finally replied—proving her hunch correct.
“Yes. I made a wish.”
“Really?”
“Why so surprised? You’re the one who asked.”
He turned his hand behind his back, hiding it. The smoke trailing from him shifted restlessly.
“I didn’t think I’d be right… Anyway, the viscount said the tower sometimes demands a life in exchange for a wish. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“As you can see.”
From head to toe, Killian’s balanced, solid frame showed no sign of harm.
“Perhaps the viscount exaggerated.”
“Maybe… Then, could I ask what you wished for? Ah, but if it’s too personal, you don’t have to answer.”
“…I’d lost something. I wished to find it.”
“And? Did you?”
“Yes. I did.”
That was something to celebrate. Getting what he wanted without paying a deadly price.
“That’s great. I hope you never lose it again.”
“Mm. I intend to keep it that way.”
Still, the way he said it made him seem like a man who was still searching for something.
“Aren’t you going to ask what I lost?”
“What did you lose?”
She asked again in case he might tell her, but Killian only smiled with a look of aching nostalgia. How important must it have been, for him to look like that?
Just then, a rough shout boomed nearby.
“Get lost! What kind of trouble are you here to cause now?!”
“I didn’t do anything today!”
“And that makes it okay?! Who’s been trampling people’s fields every day, huh? Out!”
Since the clock tower wasn’t isolated, it seemed the farmers working the nearby fields had gotten into an argument.
“Quiet down! His Grace the Archduke and Her Grace the Archduchess are inside!”
“Perfect timing. Sir Knight! Chase these Telci villagers out for us! Do you know how much trouble they’ve caused us?!”
“They haven’t crossed the border, so I have no authority to expel them. More importantly, please—keep your voices down.”
“So you’re just going to leave them? Do you know the insults they’ve thrown at our lord? Even dumping a whole cart of manure on them wouldn’t make me feel better!”
Correction—
From the looks of it, Mark was having a hard time calming the furious people right in front of the clock tower.
And if the other party was from Telci village… Litricia’s brow furrowed in concern.
“Killian, shouldn’t we go out there? Even if the plague’s under control, the Telci villagers were so agitated not long ago they were ready to start a riot. I’m worried it could turn into a bigger fight.”
“That won’t do. You worked too hard to prevent that. Let’s go.”
Having gotten Killian’s agreement, Litricia immediately dashed toward the entrance.
“Litricia, don’t run—urk!”
Killian’s knees buckled mid-step as he followed. He caught himself against the wall, his hand trembling so hard it looked painful.
Once he confirmed Litricia was too far to overhear, Killian chuckled to himself.
“Ah. What a nasty temper you’ve got. Almost seems like you’ve got a mind of your own—for something that’s not even alive.”
His mocking words were aimed at the violently writhing blue smoke.
「You’re insane! Talking about the contract?! That’s a breach of the terms!」
“Well, you were sitting there all quiet like a cloud, so I thought that much was fine. It’s not like I said anything about the regression.”
When he peeled back the glove stuck to his skin, a deep split ran across his palm like parched earth.
No blood flowed, but the pain from the ragged wound was almost unbearable.
「That’s why I stopped there! Next time, be more careful.」
“Sure, I’ll try.”
It was hardly a reassuring answer. The smoke hissed like an angry snake, but Killian’s mind was elsewhere—on the way Litricia’s brows had drooped in worry earlier.
Looks like she can’t see everything.
From the moment he’d mentioned the wish, countless words had appeared and vanished in the air, over and over.
If Litricia had been able to read them all, she wouldn’t have been so calm and focused on the scene outside.
It seemed all she could see was the vague, formless shape of the magic—nothing more.
“Rabbit! It’s a rabbit!”
Litricia, who had stepped outside before Killian, blinked in confusion.
She had expected to see a fierce quarrel, but the situation outside was quite different.
“Mister, it’s a rabbit!”
“Kid, don’t point at people.”
Across the river, a shaggy-haired child was pointing at her excitedly. Litricia quietly took a step to the side.
Immediately, the northerners nearby began murmuring.
“Goodness, it really is Her Grace! I only caught a glimpse of her in His Grace’s arms, but she’s even lovelier up close.”
“Is she really the one who calmed those Telci folk? She looks so delicate she might snap in half—ah, no, I mean she just looks fragile. Hey, I’m not insulting her, so stop glaring at me!”
They were trying to whisper, but—
I can still hear everything…!
Litricia wavered uncertainly, unable to go left or right, and ended up hiding behind Mark.
“Lady Litricia?”
“D-Don’t move, Sir Davies.”
She’d already felt subtle stares while walking through the square, but this level of open reaction was overwhelming.
The fervent attention made cold sweat run down her back.
When Killian emerged from the tower and slipped an arm around her waist, the crowd grew even more animated.
“What’s this, a new kind of hide-and-seek? If you need a better hiding place, I can shield you far better, Litricia.”
Sensing the possessiveness in Killian’s tone, Mark tactfully stepped aside.
Litricia shot Killian a mock glare that lacked any real malice.
“It’s not hide-and-seek. It’s just… people are staring too much.”
“Their eyes are hot, yes. But I doubt it’s ill-intentioned. No need to be afraid.”
Only then did Litricia realize she was feeling fear. She’d thought it was just nerves.
The last time she’d been the center of this much attention was during her debutante ball—when she’d been left alone on the dance floor as a spectacle, pointed out as the adopted child who had supposedly ruined a countess.
That memory had been buried deep, but now it overlapped with the present and stirred her fear.
Get a grip. This isn’t the dance floor.
“…All right. I’m fine now.”
Straightening her hunched shoulders, she stepped out from Killian’s protective hold.
Pleased, he patted her head.
“Well done. You can hold your head high—you’ve every right to.”
