IDWP 8

Chapter: 8

Once the door closed and I was alone, I finally buried my face in my hands.

“Damn it.”

So this was what it felt like—to want to cry but be unable to.

This was clearly a situation where I should be grieving, since everything had gone off the rails, yet I felt nothing at all.
The emptiness of my own emotional state felt strange and unfamiliar.

No… actually, it’s a good thing.
At least I can control my expression.

Not showing weakness in front of others would definitely be to my advantage.

Still… what do I do now?

I’d known persuading Pellion wouldn’t be easy, but I’d thought that showing him the pearl would settle everything.

Should I have aimed for his emotions instead?
Maybe things would’ve gone better if I’d tried to earn his sympathy instead of getting straight to the point.

At least there’s one small relief—since he’s cut ties with his family, he won’t pass my story on to Hexwood.

It was a situation that only invited sighs, but thinking about how far I’d come, there was no way I could give up now.

I’ll keep trying to persuade him starting tomorrow. And if that still doesn’t work… then I’ll have no choice but to choose a slightly more forceful method.

I hoped it could be resolved as peacefully as possible, but that hope was shattered into pieces the very next day.

Rachel came by in the morning to bring breakfast, and when she saw me, she couldn’t hide her concern.

“You look like you didn’t sleep at all. Are you okay?”

I didn’t even have the strength to answer—just nodded. She swallowed a bitter smile and handed me the meal.

After how he’d declared things yesterday, I’d assumed Pellion wouldn’t come looking for me. But seeing Rachel in person still made me sigh.

It wouldn’t have been polite to show such a reaction toward someone who’d come out of kindness, so I carefully managed my expression and spoke.

“I’d like to see the Vice Tower Master before I eat.”

“The Vice Tower Master? Oh my—didn’t you hear? He received a summons from the Imperial Palace at dawn and left on a trip.”

A troubled look briefly crossed Rachel’s face as she spoke.

Anyone could tell he’s avoiding me, right?

Perhaps she hadn’t expected Pellion to make such a choice, because Rachel tried to comfort me.

“I’m sorry, Ophelia. I think I spoke out of turn yesterday.”

“No, it’s alright.”

I was surprised, but in a way, it was welcome news.

So my words did shake him after all.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone so far as to remove even the chance of meeting me.

I put on a sad expression and asked Rachel,

“…Then when will he be back?”

“Well… normally it’s about a month, but since the summons came from the Imperial Palace… I’d say at least two months.”

Two months? So he’s hoping I’ll get exhausted and give up?

Rachel hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“I heard things didn’t go well between you and the Vice Tower Master. He said you aren’t his daughter.”

“……”

“I don’t think it’s my place to comment, but…”

She gently patted my shoulder with a warm hand.

“Why not try talking to him again once he returns? You’re welcome to stay here for about two months.”

I’d originally planned to stay outside the Mage Tower and wait for Pellion, so her offer was incredibly generous.

More than that, I could feel the genuine kindness behind her words, and my chest tightened.

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Rachel told me to get some rest and left the bedroom. But instead of resting as she suggested, I stood up and began preparing to go out.

I couldn’t afford to waste two whole months—I needed to bring Pellion back as soon as possible.

Is there a way to meet the Tower Master?

To do that, I needed the Tower Master himself.

What should I do…

As I was deep in thought—

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door, followed by a voice.

“Hello, Miss Ophelia. Are you inside? The Tower Master has requested a meeting with you.”

I froze at the familiar, courteous voice. When the knocking came again, I snapped back to my senses.

Ellis?

I had no idea why she’d suddenly appeared, but I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

I quickly brushed my hair and opened the door. Standing there was a blue-eyed woman with long, shimmering blonde hair, smiling warmly.

“It’s nice to see you, Miss Ophelia. We meet again so soon. Do you remember me?”

“Miss Ellis?”

“Let me formally introduce myself. I’m Ellis, secretary to Tower Master Moremo. Please call me Ellis. And if it’s alright, would you spare some time for the Tower Master?”

My eyes widened as if I’d just heard something unbelievable.

“The Tower Master wants to see me?”

“Yes. When he heard that Miss Ophelia, the Vice Tower Master’s daughter, had arrived, he said he absolutely wanted to meet you and asked that you be brought to him as soon as possible, if convenient.”

“Ah…”

Things were going far more smoothly than expected. I tightened my lips to keep from smiling.

“Please give me just a moment!”

Ellis waited patiently. Once I was ready, I followed her to meet the Tower Master.

Despite feeling relieved, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Is it because I’m going to meet someone who once kidnapped me?

In truth, since Pellion had rescued me so quickly, I’d only spent a single day with him—but in that short time, he’d left an intense impression.“Nice to meet you, Miss Elodie. I’m Moremo, the master of this Mage Tower. I had no choice but to bring you here because I needed your help for my research.”

Even when I told him I wasn’t Elodie, he hadn’t believed me.

“If you aren’t truly a Hexwood, then I would’ve gone through all that trouble for nothing. Is there any reason to let something useless live?”

Despite the courteous tone, his crazed eyes were filled with madness.

Anyway… he was a chilling man.

I lightly brushed my arm, which had broken out in goosebumps.

Anyone who spoke of death so casually couldn’t possibly be welcome—my body’s reaction was only natural.

“Oh! Welcome!”

The Tower Master I faced again after so long looked just as old as I remembered.

“Hello. My name is Ophelia.”

I bowed my head slightly in greeting, and he stepped closer.

Hair streaked with white brushing his shoulders, eyebrows tinged with gray, and beneath drooping lids, pale blue eyes that had lost their vibrancy.

His gaze swept over me from head to toe.

I shuddered at the way he looked at me, and at that moment, our eyes met.

Seeing my own reflection in his faded pupils, I had to fight to keep my expression from crumpling.

For just a brief instant, I saw the greed flickering in the Tower Master’s eyes.

So he still harbored that obsession and fantasy about mermaids.

Otherwise, there was no reason to stare at a stranger so disturbingly.

On the surface, he looked like a kind old man—but I couldn’t afford to lower my guard, not knowing what schemes lay beneath.

Still… a little acting is necessary.

Though frightened, I forced an awkward smile.

He mirrored my expression with a smile of his own.

“You seem rather shy, Miss Ophelia. Come, this way.”

On the prepared tea table were delicate pastries and beautiful teacups.

We sat facing each other, an uneasy silence hanging between us.

“My name is Moremo. I’m truly pleased to meet you like this.”

He was the first to break the silence.

“Thank you for welcoming me.”

“Do you like tea? The single-tier tea brewed only in the Mage Tower has quite a fine flavor—please, try it.”

He personally poured the tea and slid the plate of sweets toward me, displaying nothing but courtesy.

“Have you ever been to the Mage Tower before?”

“No, this is my first time.”

“Oh, really? And what do you think so far?”

“I haven’t had a chance to look around properly yet.”

“Ah, the journey here must have been long—you must’ve needed some rest.”

It seemed he had no intention of getting straight to the point, as the conversation continued with trivial topics.

I kept myself tense, unsure when he’d finally ask the real questions.

“Oh—if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”

“I’m fifteen this year.”

“I see. Indeed…”

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but his expression darkened slightly.

It felt like he was finally about to get to the heart of the matter.