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CHAPTER 62
‘The final villain of this novel is, after all, the Master of the Magic Tower….’
The conflict is with the Duke of Wentworth, but his actions are also deeply connected to the Master of the Magic Tower along with his personal ambitions.
By the way, after Oscar left, Vincent, who went to help him, didn’t think of coming either.
‘Is there a lot to do?’
I got up, wondering if there was something to help with, and at that moment, Vincent returned.
Seeing me get up, Vincent hurried over.
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“I was just curious because you hadn’t come, so I thought I’d check.”
“No, it’s fine. Oscar likes this kind of thing, so just leave him be.”
“Really?”
I sat back down at Vincent’s gesture, but he didn’t sit next to me as usual and chose the single-seat sofa instead.
‘Well, that makes sense, I guess.’
He is the highest-ranking person here, so it’s natural for him to sit there, but for some reason, it made me feel slightly left out.
I stared at Vincent, and he flinched and looked back at me.
“Amelia, why—”
“Your Highness, what kind of person is the Master of the Magic Tower?”
It seemed like an unexpected question, as Vincent paused.
He seemed to be choosing his words carefully.
I waited quietly, and then he spoke.
“He is the leader of the mages, though there are many mages not affiliated with the Tower, so it’s more accurate to say he is the leader of the Tower’s mages.”
“Not the dictionary definition. I mean his personality or appearance.”
I had seen the original work, so I wasn’t completely in the dark, but I wanted to hear about him from people currently living in this world.
Especially since Crown Prince Vincent would later confront the Master as an enemy, I was curious about his evaluation.
This time, Vincent remained silent a little longer.
I unconsciously studied his facial expression.
Instead of his usual gentle smile, his mouth was subtly stiff.
“Actually, I’ve only met him once in person. It was almost ten years ago.
His name is Layton Ascard. Though he is seventy years old, he had a remarkably youthful appearance, which was impressive.”
“Layton Ascard, youthful appearance…”
I rolled the name of the Master of the Magic Tower in my mouth, hearing it for the first time in my life.
“Otherwise, he seemed ordinary.
all and lean, with black hair and gray eyes. His voice wasn’t loud.
I thought he would be strange, but he was surprisingly polite in front of His Majesty, which disappointed me a bit.”
“Ha ha, disappointed?”
It was funny because I understood why he might have felt disappointed given Vincent’s age at the time.
“Yes.
I expected someone who had consistently ignored the Emperor’s attendance orders to make a stronger impression.”
“Why did the Master of the Magic Tower come then, if he always ignored the Emperor’s orders?”
“Duke Wentworth must have done something. I’m curious how he did it too.”
“Oh… really?”
This wasn’t in the original, nor did Amelia remember it, so it was completely new information.
It seemed even Vincent wasn’t entirely sure.
“You didn’t know either?
The Wentworth family is considered the only noble house that can somewhat communicate with the Tower.”
“That’s true.”
I had seen the man in the black robe who transformed into a crow and flew into the lobby.
That man had told Duke Wentworth he came to avoid the Master’s notice.
I relayed this to Vincent, and he nodded.
“It seems Duke Wentworth also discovered something uncomfortable about the Master.
Though they are reluctantly connected for mutual benefit.”
“That could be. Do you know the link between Wentworth and the Tower?”
It felt strange that a Wentworth family member was asking this question, but Vincent didn’t comment.
“I know what’s visible.
The Wentworth family handles Tower goods, so they are inevitably closely linked.”
“Ah, so that’s why they’re rich.”
I had wondered why the Wentworths were much wealthier than other noble families, and now it made sense.
‘Surely, that’s not all….’
I murmured quietly, and Vincent simply listened.
“Amelia, why are you so interested in the Master of the Magic Tower?”
“Oh, um… no particular reason. Just…?”
I couldn’t say he’s the final villain of the novel, so I gave a vague answer.
“For reference, his relationship with the Imperial Palace is not good.
He wants to make the Tower extraterritorial and free from imperial rule.
The Empire, conversely, wants full control. This arrangement is thought better for the mages as well.”
His words reflected one of the core conflicts in the original story, so I understood them, but hearing them from Vincent directly felt more real.
“I think I understand what you mean.”
Just as I was running out of words, Oscar appeared.
“Your Highness, Princess.”
Looking back at Oscar, I noticed a flicker of annoyance in Vincent’s expression, which was a bit surprising.
“First, the actual value of the property the Marchioness of Moulton put up as collateral… is about this much.”
Honestly, I wasn’t very interested in this part of the conversation.
My goal was to bring Vincent to the Moulton estate, so the value of the collateral or its handling didn’t matter to me.
Still, I pretended to concentrate while quietly observing Vincent from the side.
His expression as he listened to Oscar’s report was serious, making the slight annoyance from earlier seem irrelevant.
Sunlight streamed through the window, making his hair shimmer like sprinkled gold, and his emerald eyes scanned the documents Oscar held, lost in thought.
His pale skin and sharp jawline caught my eye, and I lingered on his pronounced Adam’s apple for a moment.
“This should be auctioned. This one should remain state-owned…”
The low, soft tone of his voice as his Adam’s apple moved was impressive.
The partially unbuttoned white dress shirt emphasized his neck and collarbone.
‘As expected, a handsome man is always a pleasure to look at.’
I was enjoying the view when Vincent suddenly turned his head, locking eyes with me.
It was too late to look away, and I felt a little embarrassed, as if I had been caught peeking.
“Duke Wentworth’s Princess.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll arrange a proper seat in the office tomorrow. Good work today. Oscar and I need to go to the outer estate, so you can leave.”
“Leave already? It’s still… daylight.”
“Why, are you disappointed?”
He asked with a smile that was quite charming, but I didn’t mind leaving.
“No.”
“Then go.”
I hurried to stay close to Vincent, worried that someone might mistake me for a maid because of my outfit and pick a fight.
Vincent glanced at me, perhaps misinterpreting my actions, and extended his arm.
I obediently raised my arm, unable to refuse there.
‘If I were really a maid, I’d feel pretty proud.’
Being escorted by the Crown Prince like a Cinderella story felt surreal.
As we exited the east building, Derek was waiting.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Go inside.”
“Please go inside, Princess!”
After parting with Vincent there, I returned to my bedroom in the west wing.
It was still early evening, yet I was leaving work—something I had never experienced in my previous life.
I had planned to ask Vivian about the maid outfit, but she was nowhere to be found, perhaps busy.
In the evening, another maid came instead to take care of me.
When I asked about Vivian, I was told she had gone on leave.
Vivian leaving without a word was puzzling, but the busy schedule soon made me forget about it.
