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Chapter 16
‘What is it?’
Mikael wasn’t the type to hide what he felt. You could tell just by the way he usually blurted out sharp words without restraint.
Yes, that’s why—just from that strange expression on his face, there was definitely something…
‘He’s different from usual…’
A faintly stiff, trembling voice. Muscles in his face twitching awkwardly.
It felt like he was deliberately pretending to be sarcastic just to hide something.
‘Am I being too sensitive?’
“You thinking I was flailing around—that’s just your wishful thinking.”
“What did you say?”
When she glanced at Hilbenzia beside him, she too seemed different from usual—though not in the same awkward way as Mikael.
It was more of an instinct. And Jeina’s instincts had never been wrong.
She quietly listened to their exchange for a while, then finally spoke.
“Do you happen to know about the mage Moven?”
“……”
“……”
Bull’s-eye.
The moment Jeina mentioned Moven’s name, Mikael and Hilbenzia both froze.
The conversation stopped dead, leaving only a thin silence hanging in the air.
Jeina continued in a slightly exaggerated tone.
“I have some ties with Mage Moven, so I think I need to meet him.”
“No, you won’t ever be able to meet that bastard again.”
Hilbenzia added right after Mikael.
“Yeah. You don’t need to worry about that mage anymore.”
Jeina looked straight at them.
“I’m not a member of the Tower, so punishing that mage wouldn’t be easy for me… Did the Tower Master give you permission for this?”
She fixed her gaze on Mikael as she spoke. After all, he had told her himself before:
— You’re not an official member of the Tower. If you suddenly vanish one day, officially, no one will be able to come looking for you.
Would he remember that?
Mikael nodded without hesitation.
Jeina narrowed her eyes. But the words that came from his mouth weren’t what she expected.
“Of course. I got permission directly from the Tower Master and dealt with it.”
“On what grounds?”
“It’s a long story. You don’t need to doubt it.”
“That’s fine. I’ve got plenty of time.”
“You’re too stupid to understand anyway.”
“Am I really too stupid to understand—or are you just making excuses?”
Jeina’s eyes glowed an icy blue.
“If you won’t tell me, then I’ll ask the Tower Master myself.”
“Hey! If you bother the Tower Master over something petty, you’ll get hurt!”
Hilbenzia cut in.
“Right. Jeina, you haven’t been recognized as his daughter. If you barge in front of the Tower Master now, you’ll only…”
“He may not have acknowledged me as his daughter, but he did accept me as part of the Tower and allowed Moven’s punishment. So what danger would I be in?”
Only then did Mikael and Hilbenzia realize what Jeina was assuming.
“So from now on, I don’t have to avoid the Tower Master anymore.”
But that wasn’t the truth.
Jeina’s misunderstanding could put her in real danger.
Mikael sighed, gritted his teeth, and spat out,
“Fine. We punished Moven without permission. Got a problem with that? Say it!”
He shouted, half out of embarrassment. But Jeina didn’t even flinch—she just smiled softly.
At that fragile little smile, Mikael and Hilbenzia found themselves unable to look away from her face.
“Mikael, Hilbenzia. I’m truly grateful to you both. But please… don’t ever do that again.”
Her face was calm, as if she had expected this all along.
Had she planned this from the start?
Had all her probing been just to bring them to this point?
Mikael suddenly felt a surge of complicated emotions and snapped his head away.
‘This rootless child, acting so cocky…’
The way she desperately insisted she was fine, telling them not to worry—it stirred resentment in him.
Would it hurt to be a little selfish once in a while?
Mikael would have bet his entire fortune that the words Jeina said most often were, “I’m fine.”
‘Why does she always act like she’s resigned to everything in this world?’
And it wasn’t just Mikael who was shaken. Even Hilbenzia, normally composed, now wore a strangely complicated expression.
Right now, Jeina looked like someone comforting others on the eve of her own death.
Hilbenzia had met countless people in her seventy years, but never a child who gave off such a perilous feeling.
“I’m really fine. So please, don’t worry about me.”
The way she said it—pushing the two of them away—it gave them both a strange foreboding.
That their connection with Jeina would not end quickly.
When Jeina had recovered a bit, the first thing Mikael said to her was:
“Once you’re healed, we’re going outside.”
The words came out of nowhere.
Jeina dismissed them at the time, thinking Mikael had just spoken offhand. But he had meant it.
“You agreed last time, remember?”
“Huh? Wait, you actually meant going outside?”
“What, did you think I was joking?”
Suddenly transported by spatial magic, Jeina blinked in surprise, staring at Mikael with a bewildered face.
Mikael grumbled.
“To grow stronger, you need to breathe outside air. Move around. Got it?”
“Why should I get stronger?”
“Idiot. You want to get weaker instead?”
Jeina gave a small laugh. Mikael’s ears turned red, as if he realized he’d just blurted something dumb.
‘Does he really want to cheer me up this badly?’
In truth, it was just that Mikael had realized how much he’d been worrying about her.
‘…She’s been through something awful. If we’re out here, I want her to have some fun at least.’
But he wasn’t confident.
He’d never taken anyone out before, and he knew he wasn’t exactly the “fun” type.
‘Have I ever cared about someone this much in my life?’
— Hey, come here.
— Y-yes?
— What do you guys usually do for fun?
He had grabbed a bunch of Tower mages at random and asked, finally settling on a destination after much picking. But mages weren’t exactly known for being “normal.”
‘Maybe I should’ve dragged a hundred kids over and forced them to confess honestly.’
He already regretted not choosing a different method.
Mikael shook his head fiercely and clenched his fist.
If Jeina didn’t find this fun, then the Tower mages would pay dearly.
Whoooom!
Through a gate and a teleportation spell, Mikael and Jeina arrived at their destination.
“…This is…”
When she opened her eyes, they were standing in a bustling marketplace.
Jeina looked around eagerly. The sights were so new that her eyes went wide.
“Here! Food that melts in your mouth the second you taste it!”
“Going out of business today! Last chance!”
“This is training. You need to learn about the world. Hmph. First time seeing a human marketplace, isn’t it?”
Of course, because she had Min Bobe’s memories, it wasn’t truly her first market visit.
But to her, a market had always just been a place to pick up groceries—never somewhere to stroll around leisurely like this.
And this world’s market was filled with sights unlike anything in Korea.
As Jeina stared blankly, a voice called from ahead.
“What are you doing back there?”
Snapping out of it, she saw Mikael a few steps ahead, waiting for her.
She was used to seeing him only under the magical lamps of the Tower. Seeing him now, beneath the clear sky, felt different.
Long lashes. A straight forehead. His face seemed brighter, fresher than usual.
Jeina shook her head quickly and ran to catch up.
“Let’s go!”
Tap tap.
The gentle spring breeze. The pretty flats Mikael had bought her with the dress last time.
Her light steps made Mikael tilt his chin up slightly.
“…Could you maybe slow down a little, Mikael?”
He had shortened his stride already, but with her small legs, Jeina practically had to jog to keep pace.
Without realizing it, she pouted.
Mikael clapped his hands together, looking amused.
“How do you even manage to walk on those short legs? Incredible. Wow. Bravo.”
Even with his adjusted pace, the difference in their build was bigger than expected. He had to glance back at her several times, each time smirking wider.
‘He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he…?’
“There’s a saying: ‘A frog forgets it was once a tadpole.’”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s used to scold someone who criticizes others while forgetting their own past. Like you right now, Mikael.”
For a moment, Mikael looked struck, then scoffed.
“So what? No matter how much you whine, you’re still a tadpole, and I’m a frog.”
“Ribbit.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Mikael’s body trembled. His face reddened as he shot back,
“You—like a yappy little puppy—short legs and all—”
“Ribbit.”
“Isn’t a tadpole worse than a frog anyway? Frogs are—”
“Ribbit.”
“Hey!”
“Ribbit?”
Tilting her head, Jeina looked innocent and clear-eyed, like a newborn pup.
Mikael found himself speechless, glaring down at her.
‘This brat…’
When you lose an argument, there’s not much you can do.
Mikael suddenly reached out and pinched both her cheeks.
Jeina flailed desperately, but it was useless.
“Muh fo feel.” (Muffled: Let go.)
“If you don’t like it, then start calling me ‘Oppa.’”
“Ughhh.”
Maybe because she was still young, her soft, chubby cheeks were strangely fun to squish.
‘But seriously… what am I supposed to do with this tadpole?’
The truth was, the reason Mikael had been wandering aimlessly was because he had no idea what to do.
The Tower mages had sworn there were plenty of interesting things around here, but nothing nearby seemed appropriate for a kid.
“Step right up! Win big, win fast, place your bets, young master!”
He couldn’t exactly drag a “tadpole” into a gambling den.
He wanted to show Jeina a relaxed, confident side of himself—but how?
Mikael sighed inwardly.
Luckily, something caught his eye just then.
His lips curled into a grin.
