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Chapter 5
“So that’s why she was so confident she could endure a week.”
Cassius let out a cold smile as he listened to Bice’s muttering.
The ring-shaped artifact—paired with the one she wore—had a function that transmitted all sounds around her back to him.
Of course, Cassius didn’t add that feature out of obsessive interest in stalking Bice.
It was simply a minimal safety measure requested by Duke Adelhedis, who had threatened him:
“If even a scratch appears on my daughter’s body, all noble investment into the Magic Tower will be cut off.”
“Still talking about reincarnation and protagonists even when she’s alone.”
He had thought it was just the idle delusion of a noble lady… but perhaps there truly was something unusual about her.
“Reincarnation, huh.”
Was that why?
Why she had approached him so fearlessly, even knowing what he was?
“Isn’t the current Tower Master from a commoner background?”
“It’s not just commoner—he’s said to be the son of a prostitute!”
Cassius’s mother had been a prostitute.
And his father was a corrupt noble who betrayed his wife for another woman.
“I’ll allow you to work in my estate out of pity for your stubbornness, but don’t ever introduce yourself as a member of House Arsilvenion.”
When his father discovered that the boy he treated like a servant possessed magical talent, he tried to exploit him to influence the Magic Tower.
“If a child of House Arsilvenion has entered the top ranks of the Tower, then naturally the father must oversee his education.”
Because of his father’s interference, Cassius’s identity—unlike other mages—became widely known.
“Isn’t that kid the son of a noble?”
“Look at his polished face. He’s not like us.”
Commoner mages distrusted him because of his father.
“That woman’s son, right? Probably has some disease.”
“Acting all high and mighty with nothing to his name.”
Noble-born mages despised him because of his mother.
And when he rose to become the youngest Tower Master in history, everyone only wanted to use him.
“You will act as a bridge between the Empire and the Magic Tower. In return, I will take care of your dying mother.”
The same father who despised him used his dying mother as leverage.
So Beatrice Adelhedis was… different.
“A princess of the Empire. She could have used her father’s power to pressure the Tower if she wanted.”
Cassius recalled their conversation.
“Do you really want the dragon egg that badly?”
Honestly, he didn’t need it. He was simply curious about her reaction.
And surprisingly, she had responded quite seriously.
“You want it so badly you’d risk even your own hands for it.”
“I’ve also been lonely enough to endure the danger of the Teneb Mountain Range.”
The expression she had shown then… for a moment, it looked almost painfully sincere.
“Prepare yourself. I will find that dragon egg and deliver it to you no matter what.”
Even if she was insane, she was the first person who had ever boldly claimed she would give something back.
That ambition to solve things herself was… interesting.
So he had given her the ring without hesitation.
Was it a bit misleading?
Even after noticing the issue, he had simply thought—
Well, it’ll be fine.
If she misunderstood it as affection, he would just correct her.
“Sorry, but I don’t accept things like this…”
Only after seeing her flustered expression did he realize he had made a mistake.
The foolish assumption that she would treat him normally.
“Did you… perhaps like me?”
“I find that idea disgusting.”
Of course she would be horrified at the thought of his “affection.”
“Not that it matters.”
It wasn’t as if she had slapped him.
He was used to such reactions.
Cassius tapped the ring lightly with a long, elegant finger.
Her cheerful voice echoed through it.
“I’ve found the Vault of Everything, something lost for centuries!”
“…A noble lady saying something like that.”
“If she really is a reincarnator, I’d like to run some experiments.”
For a few seconds, he imagined separating her soul and body in dozens of ways.
“…Cream stew is amazing. Should I have another bowl?”
He had decided not to get involved with a “crazy woman” like her.
And yet—
“Maybe I should keep her under control through pressure.”
She would never actually find the dragon egg.
If she failed, she would become desperate and accept unreasonable conditions.
“And if I gradually train her not to be surprised…”
She could become an excellent test subject—one who would obediently open her mind to him with a single gesture.
First, he needed to establish dominance.
If she failed the trial, she would be grateful just to be saved.
“Maybe I should even send monsters to make it dramatic…”
Cassius’s blue eyes darkened with something cruel.
Day 2
“Ughhh!”
Bice stretched under the pale light filtering through the ice ceiling.
“I feel alive!”
No servants asking, “Shall I do this for you, my lady?” or “Shall I fetch that?” Just peaceful solitude.
She ate warm bread, jam, and soup until she was full.
“I feel like today will be a good day!”
And it was.
She enjoyed the day so much that—
“…Did I overdo it?”
By sunset, she was already reflecting.
Skates covered in ice dust, a sled, and several snowmen were scattered around her.
“It feels like I’m on a trip…”
This freedom—this happiness of no one nagging her—was something she had never experienced before.
“…Maybe I should eat dinner now.”
Meanwhile, Cassius was hearing everything through the ring.
“Eat dinner, she says… it’s barely past seven.”
He glanced at the clock.
“Talking about risking her life, and she’s having a perfectly leisurely vacation.”
A noble lady skating, sledding, playing all day?
He had expected eccentric behavior, but this was beyond that.
“Honestly, she’s enjoying herself far too much.”
Her laughter echoed in his ears.
“Had I known, I would’ve installed surveillance instead of simple audio.”
She kept talking nonstop:
“Where did my scarf gooo~?”
“Let me try this sandwich—it looks delicious!”
It felt as though she was right beside him.
“Is she even trying to find the dragon egg?”
A disturbing thought crossed his mind.
What if she’s just using this as a free vacation?
Even he was shocked by how plausible that sounded.
“…I should prepare to end this soon.”
He had no intention of waiting a full week for failure.
“She just needs to be slightly frightened.”
Then she would never again confidently promise things like “I’ll do anything.”
Cassius stood and draped on his robe.
* * *
After finishing her meal, Bice was preparing to sleep early when—
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The ground trembled.
“What is that?”
She narrowed her eyes and looked into the distance.
Something white was charging toward her at incredible speed from the cave entrance.
A Teneb Bear—
A monster said to rip a human apart with one hand.
