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CHAPTER 22
“That’s the condition for turning back time. Unlike the past, the future is mutable, which might explain why there’s no record of anyone who went there.”
Throughout the conversation, Linaria’s expression didn’t change a bit.
Magnus looked at her seriously.
“And there’s talk that a time contractor can be robbed of their pact.”
“Only the head of the family has the authority to reclaim a pact, though.”
When it came to the six divine beasts, only the head could retrieve a minor pact, and even they couldn’t touch the major pact of an heir.
“It’s not a retrieval—it’s theft. Literally taking someone else’s pact and using it. They say you just have to kill the contractor, though I haven’t confirmed if that’s actually possible.”
“…”
“But the records do show that quite a few suspected time contractors were murdered. Most likely the work of someone greedy for that power.”
Anyone would wish to go back and fix their mistakes at least once.
Some would be willing to kill for that chance.
“If your identity as a contractor is revealed, your life could be threatened by any number of people.”
“…”
“I don’t want to take your father’s side, but hiding your pact was the right decision.”
Magnus spoke grudgingly.
It was clear that even just defending Dante left a bad taste in his mouth.
“From now on, Grand Obel won’t stop you. You’ll be able to see your pact whenever you want. But never tell anyone.”
Magnus warned her again and again.
“Not even someone you trust. No one but me and your father should know.”
“Aren’t you tempted by this power, Lord Tower Master? You could just strangle me and take it.”
Only a time contractor could be robbed of their pact.
It was still just a rumor, but with a contractor right in front of him, he could have tried to find out.
But Magnus’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“I’ve lived long enough not to resort to that. Did you seriously think I’d stoop so low?!”
“I figured everyone would want it. And you said time contractors are rare. Isn’t this your first time seeing one in person?”
“Yes, even for me, it’s the first. But I have no intention of making a pact with the time beast.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t desire that power—and because none of the contractors ended well.”
Linaria was puzzled.
If one could turn back time and right their wrongs, how could the end be bad?
“They’re all recorded as having lived with something missing—unhinged. As if by agreement, every ruined contractor kept repeating one thing. Do you know what it was?”
Linaria shook her head.
“‘I need to die soon.’”
“…”
“That’s all they kept saying, over and over. Like they were desperate to end their lives.”
Linaria realized what Magnus was trying to say.
He didn’t want her to become addicted to the thrill of having multiple chances and lose her humanity.
“Linaria. I don’t want you to end up like that.”
Realizing that she wasn’t limited to just one chance, Linaria had felt a brief moment of elation.
That feeling now seemed to settle into a cold calm.
“I haven’t told Grand Obel that I think you’ve used the divine beast’s power. That’s between the two of you.”
“Please don’t tell him.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to see him sad. He already suffered deeply when he lost Mother… if he finds out I couldn’t protect her either…”
Her soft-hearted father wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“Then let’s make a promise. That you won’t let this power destroy you.”
“Yes. I promise.”
Linaria hooked her pinky around Magnus’s.
“Should we copy it too?”
“Childish.”
He grumbled, though without real annoyance.
“You should apply a waterproofing spell to something like that.”
…Honestly, who’s the childish one here?
Magnus, pretending to carefully cast waterproofing and fireproofing spells, got up from his seat.
“That’s enough for today. Tomorrow’s another day.”
“Here’s a snack for later.”
“Hmph, I told you there’s no need to fuss—!”
Still, he neatly took the snack pouch offered by her small hands.
Linaria stifled a laugh at his contradictory words and actions.
As she was seeing Magnus out, Linaria spotted an unfamiliar middle-aged man.
Seeing a stranger in the Obel mansion, which had no contact with other families, was rare.
“Margaret’s brother. What’s he doing here?”
Her mother’s brother.
That meant he was Linaria’s uncle.
‘Then that must be the Duke of Brimstone.’
Not a single hair out of place, hair slicked back neatly with pomade, clothes pressed without a wrinkle—
Flawless. As if the word had taken human form, he was impeccably perfect.
And coincidentally, he was on his way out, so their paths crossed.
It didn’t take long for the Duke of Brimstone and Linaria to face each other.
“You’re…”
“Hello, Duke of Brimstone. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Linaria Obel. Were you here to see my father?”
For a moment, his cold face twitched into a frown.
Duke Obel had adamantly claimed that his daughter saved Auguste’s life.
Even the skeptical Duke of Brimstone had been swayed by his certainty.
But now, seeing Linaria in person—she seemed far too delicate to know battlefield tactics.
While swordsmanship and strategy are different, experience on the field usually made one more seasoned.
But this girl didn’t even look like she’d stepped outside the mansion, let alone onto a battlefield—she sparked a protective instinct.
And more than anything, what annoyed him most was—
“You look unnecessarily alike.”
She looked so much like Margaret, it was as if she’d returned from the dead.
Only her eyes bore the mark of the Obels, which heightened his discomfort.
Linaria, used to hostility from others, accepted it with a calm face.
In fact, if a small voice hadn’t butted in, it might have ended quietly.
“What do you mean, ‘unnecessarily’?”
“Federico, you idiot! Idiot!”
The one who interrupted them—was Magnus.
But the culprit behind the childish retort wasn’t him.
“That’s what you say to your niece the first time you meet her?! You came to say thanks, so why glare like that?!”
A small, silver-furred animal…
Yes, an actual living creature was perched on the Duke of Brimstone’s head—and it spoke fluently.
It was no larger than a fist, resembling a tiny tiger with shiny silver fur.
‘Am I going crazy?’
Linaria blinked.
But she couldn’t rub her eyes in front of the duke.
Still, the silver creature kept chattering.
No one else seemed to notice or hear it.
That was the only explanation for why they ignored such a noisy creature.
Worse, that little furball was blurting out the duke’s personal secrets!
Linaria grew slightly uneasy.
“Could it be…”
She had just heard how time contractors went insane.
Nervously, Linaria had to confirm that she wasn’t losing her mind.
“Are you… balding?”
“…Are you speaking to me?”
The atmosphere froze instantly.
The Duke of Brimstone asked with a stoic face.
He had just muttered something like, “I need to train the servants better. Or has that Obel fallen so low he’s relying on a child?”
He didn’t know Magnus’s identity, so he assumed he was Linaria’s servant and was irritated by the interruption.
But now, being asked if he was balding?
“I asked because I thought you might be worried about hair loss. If not, I apologize for the offense.”
The silver-furred animal tugged violently at the duke’s hair in shock.
‘Maybe that thing on his head is why he’s losing hair…?’
It seemed plausible.
“If you know it’s rude…”
“Pfft—!”
Just as the Duke of Brimstone was about to retort, Magnus burst out laughing.
Though he tried to maintain composure, his face stiffened—clearly suppressing his anger.
“I now understand Obel’s standards. Linaria Obel, I just met with your father.”
“Yes, I see.”
“And he offered to pair you with my son at the upcoming ball.”
An unexpected proposal.
“But he said your decision comes first. I’ll give you until the ball to decide.”
His tone was cold and overbearing.
Linaria felt that even without her rude question, he would’ve been the same.
“They say your niece saved Auguste’s life! Can’t you be a little nicer?! I mean it—BA-KA!”
Had that silver animal not been shrieking on his head, Linaria might have assumed the duke was truly a threatening man.
Whirl.
The Duke of Brimstone turned and left without another word.
Watching his retreating figure, Magnus muttered,
“He’s always been a jerk. Only Margaret didn’t see her brother’s twisted nature.”
“Mother must’ve thought differently of him.”
“He was notorious for having a sister complex.”
Tsk.
Magnus clicked his tongue.
“Speaking of which, didn’t he say he’d be at the imperial ball?”
He remembered because of a rather odd request tied to it.
Linaria nodded.
“Are you actually considering partnering with him? Just thinking about that guy’s face makes me want to punch it, not dance with it.”
“It’s not like you have to bring a partner to that ball. I’ll decline.”
“Right?”
Only thing bothering her was what she knew about the Brimstone family’s future.
Originally, the Brimstone family’s downfall began the day the Duke died in battle.
‘It wasn’t Auguste’s death that caused it, but the collapse was abrupt.’
As Linaria mulled it over, she looked toward the little silver fuzzball disappearing into the distance.
‘Come to think of it, the Brimstone family’s divine beast was the silver tiger. If I’m not crazy…’
