TMST 14

Chapter 14

“Your Grace, Duke Lucas is looking for you.”

It was Arken.

Pushing his way through the crowd, he stopped before Karin and bowed politely.

No matter how she thought about it, there was no reason for Duke Lucas to be looking for her. But in a situation like this, that hardly mattered.

Karin wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible.

“You heard him, right? I have to go.”

“But…”

The energy drained from Mustache’s voice, and the grip on her dress loosened. Karin didn’t miss the opportunity and swiftly pulled the hem free from his hand.

Mustache stared blankly at the piece of fabric slipping through his fingers.

If there was anyone who wanted to avoid getting on Duke Lucas’s bad side even more than Karin did, it was him.

The duke’s cold, sharp, and merciless personality was famous throughout the kingdom.

Harassing Arken when the duke wasn’t looking was one thing. But if he kept clinging to Karin when Duke Lucas was supposedly calling for her, he’d inevitably end up facing the duke’s wrath.

In the end, Mustache had no choice but to let her go.

Lifting the hem of her dress, Karin lightly stepped over the man sprawled on the floor.

Leaving behind the stunned Mustache amid the murmuring crowd, she hurried after Arken.

So busy was she following him that she failed to notice disappointment on Mustache’s face slowly twisting into anger.

That mustached bastard… Is he going to start bothering me every time we meet?

Just imagining it made her tired.

Karin scowled, then suddenly remembered who she was walking beside and immediately brightened.

I can worry about him later. What’s important right now is that I’m walking with Arken.

One look at his flowing blond hair and sparkling earrings was enough to melt away all her irritation.

Then she realized she’d forgotten to ask something.

“Why is the duke looking for me?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

Arken glanced back at her, answered briefly, and continued walking.

But something felt strange.

They were heading toward the dressing room.

There was no reason for Duke Lucas to be in the dressing room.

Huh?

When she followed him inside, the room was completely empty.

Karin looked around in confusion, wondering if someone might be hiding somewhere, before suddenly realizing the truth.

Ah…

“This settles my debt.”

Wait… did he help me?

Karin stood there in a daze and replayed the events in her head.

Mustache had trapped her.

Then Arken had appeared, claiming Duke Lucas was looking for her.

She followed him here—

To an empty dressing room.

The situation couldn’t have been clearer.

Arken had lied on purpose to help her escape.

So days like this really do come!

She felt like throwing her hands into the air and cheering.

All my hard work finally paid off…!

How much effort had she put into lowering his guard?

She had praised him.

Racked her brain trying to find topics of conversation.

Even tried making jokes during painfully awkward silences.

Granted, none of it had seemed particularly successful at the time. If anything, she’d thought she’d completely ruined any chance of building goodwill.

But judging by his actions today, perhaps he had simply been a late bloomer.

If things continued improving one step at a time like this, not only would she eventually win his heart, she’d probably uncover his secret soon as well.

That secret.

Ever since receiving that cursed note from the author telling her Arken was destined to die, it had haunted her relentlessly.

Every morning when she checked the calendar.

Every day as the Flower Festival crept closer.

It felt as though her insides were slowly burning away.

She needed to know the secret.

Only then could she make plans to save him.

But she wasn’t even his friend yet, much less the life partner who supposedly had the right to hear such things.

And that wasn’t her only concern.

Karin knew perfectly well that no one could predict how another person’s feelings might change.

She kept showering him with kindness because she wanted him to like her.

But that didn’t guarantee he’d see her as a friend.

Or fall in love with her.

After much deliberation, she’d arrived at a single conclusion.

If she wanted to ensure his survival, she needed a backup plan.

Even if that plan was morally questionable.

If she made no progress before the Asite Flower Festival, Karin had fully intended to force the truth out of him with a truth serum.

In fact, she’d been considering a trip to the black market to buy some.

But…

After today, maybe I won’t need to.

The idea of making him swallow something against his will had never sat well with her.

And now their relationship finally seemed to be improving.

What a relief.

Becoming close friends—or lovers—and learning his secret naturally would be far preferable.

Lost in thought, Karin only belatedly realized Arken hadn’t left.

He was simply standing there.

For some reason, he looked as though he were waiting for her to thank him.

So she hurriedly spoke.

“Thank you. I would’ve been stuck arguing with him forever otherwise. He’s someone I don’t even want to associate with.”

Hopefully she’d never have to see him again.

The moment Mustache’s greasy face came to mind, she frowned.

Then she noticed Arken staring at her.

And a thought crossed her mind.

You really are…

Ridiculously handsome.

His flawless fair skin.

His intelligent features.

Even the thin round glasses perched on his nose.

Everything about him was exactly her type.

On a five-star scale, she’d happily give him a hundred.

How could she possibly sit back and watch someone like this die?

For the sake of humanity’s collective well-being, Arken needed to live a long life.

“Why do you dislike Viscount Plang so much?”

His low voice interrupted her thoughts.

Why did she dislike Viscount Plang?

“Well…”

Karin trailed off and thought about it.

Arken had been present the first time she’d met the viscount, so he already knew the answer.

Why was he asking a question whose answer was obvious?

“If it’s because of that incident, you really don’t need to concern yourself with it.”

Ah.

Apparently he hadn’t been asking because he wanted an answer.

Was this all just a setup so he could tell her not to worry?

Now what was he going to say?

Karin grew nervous.

Then he brushed back his bangs and quietly added,

“…It’s not as though it was the first time.”

“What?”

Her voice rose before she could stop herself.

One person had been treating him like that repeatedly?

“That bastard is awful! Why should you have to endure treatment like that? People who judge others solely by their status deserve a heel to the back of the head!”

“You’re angrier about it than I am.”

Hearing his calm response, Karin suddenly felt embarrassed and trailed off.

Technically he was the victim.

Yet she seemed far more upset than he did.

“That’s not the only reason.”

Arken glanced at her before looking away.

His blue eyes drifted toward empty space.

Then lowered.

A lonely shadow crossed them.

This was the third time she’d seen him look like that.

“Then is there another reason?”

“It’s not something Your Grace needs to concern herself with.”

Of course.

She hadn’t expected him to tell her so easily.

But she had no intention of giving up.

If she were the type to quit here, she never would have started in the first place.

So she pressed him again.

“Tell me anyway.”

“…”

“If you don’t, I’ll follow you around everywhere. You know I mean it when I say things like that.”

At her half-threatening declaration, his blue eyes slowly lifted to meet hers.

Karin could almost see the question floating inside them.

Why are you going this far?

And she silently answered back.

Because I like you!

Whether he somehow understood her feelings or simply surrendered to the threat, he hesitated for several moments before finally speaking.

“Viscount Plang’s son and I attended the same academy. His son wasn’t particularly gifted academically. For someone like him, obtaining a position as an aide would already be considered a success.”

Arken paused briefly.

“Unfortunately… he competed against me and lost.”

“I see.”

Karin nodded as she listened.

So that was the reason.

Jealousy.

The viscount couldn’t stand seeing Arken succeed where his son had failed.

And because of that, he’d repeatedly targeted him.

Not once.

Not twice.

Over and over.

It was childish.

Pathetic.

Like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

Canceling her agreement with Mustache had definitely been the right decision.

The next time she saw him, she’d make sure to teach him another lesson.

If he grabbed her dress again, she’d stomp directly on his hand.

Grinding her teeth, Karin made a silent vow.

“Now I dislike him even more. Why is he taking his son’s failures out on you? It’s not as though you were handed that aide position for free. You earned it by working hard and graduating top of your class at the academy—”

Then she froze.

A realization struck her.

Arken had just said that obtaining an aide position was already considered a success for mediocre graduates.

Which meant…

For academy graduates, an aide position wasn’t particularly prestigious.

Yet Arken had graduated first in his class.

Why was he still working as an aide?

Shouldn’t he have found a better position?

Perhaps a role in the royal palace?

Then she remembered what Mustache had said earlier.

That Arken had taken the court magician examination and failed.

That nobody welcomed a commoner-born mage.

“…Ah.”

The words died in her throat.

She didn’t know what to say.

She couldn’t begin to imagine how devastated he must have been.

And any comfort she offered now felt meaningless.

To possess the ability but be denied advancement because of one’s birth—

What could be more heartbreaking?

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s fine. It no longer has anything to do with me.”

Yet somehow he sounded as though he were comforting her.

It no longer had anything to do with him?

What did that mean?

Had he found another job?

Had the palace changed its mind?

Just as she was about to ask—

“I’ve said far too much.”

Arken cut off the conversation with uncanny precision.

“I should be going now.”

His face had already returned to the expressionless mask she’d seen when they first met.

After giving a small bow, he pulled back the curtain and stepped toward the exit.

At that moment, over his shoulder, Karin spotted Iris and Duke Lucas standing outside.