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Chapter 43.
“Hello, Rosia. It’s been a while, Marchioness.”
The Tower Master placed his right hand over his chest and his left behind his back as he bowed lightly.
When he straightened up, a bouquet of flowers had somehow appeared in his left hand.
“Oh my, that’s like magic.”
“It is magic.”
Smiling brightly, the Tower Master offered me the bouquet. The buds were lush, deep red roses.
“They reminded me of Rosia’s eyes.”
“Oh my, how romantic.”
My mother blushed and exclaimed on my behalf. The Tower Master, encouraged by her reaction, spoke in an even more exaggerated tone.
“Rosia never came to see me, so I came to see her myself. You’ll forgive me, won’t you?”
“You came to visit me when I was ill.”
That was only two weeks ago.
“I thought, of course, Rosia would call me again the next day. Or at least invite me to a tea party as her partner. But then… she didn’t contact me at all, as if she’d forgotten me…”
The Tower Master drooped his shoulders and cast his eyes down in mock sadness. My mother, seemingly swept up in his theatrics, reacted far more dramatically than usual.
“Oh dear, Roa, how could you commit such a social blunder?”
I forced a polite, society smile, resisting the urge to smack him in the face with the bouquet.
“Not every gathering requires a partner, you know.”
“But there isn’t a rule that says you can’t have one, either.”
He said it as though the seat beside me was reserved for him. Was this his way of making my life difficult in exchange for sparing it?
“That’s true. Next time, if the opportunity arises, I’ll ask you to escort me, Tower Master. Then—”
“Tower Master, would you care to stay for dinner?”
I had meant to send him off, but my mother quickly extended an invitation.
“Would that be all right, Madam?”
“Of course. It’ll make the evening much more pleasant with you here.”
My mother clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling excessively.
No doubt she was imagining something like “a gathering of her marriageable daughter and her suitors.”
“In that case, I’d be honored to join you.”
The Tower Master smiled as he offered my mother his arm, and she accepted it gladly.
They moved together with the ease of friends of ten years, and I quietly sighed.
I gestured for a maid to take away the bouquet and then headed to the dining room with Lexian.
I took the seat of honor.
Normally, my mother would sit to my left—but Lexian sat there instead. Across from him, to my right, sat the Tower Master, and next to him was my mother.
Her position, of course, was the best for observing me and the two men.
Her sharp, glinting eyes made it clear she was enjoying a show.
Despite the extra guests, the appetizers were served quickly. The entrée, I was told, would take a little longer.
“So, Tower Master, how did you and our Roa come to know each other?”
“I happened to visit the Empire on business and saw Rosia by chance. It was love at first sight.”
The Tower Master demonstrated flawless table manners—perfectly in line with imperial etiquette.
He concealed any trace of arrogance, even mastering noble decorum, showing just how calculating he was.
“Please, call me Silla, Madam.”
“Oh, may I really?”
“Of course. Rosia and I are very close, after all.”
Most of the conversation was between my mother and the Tower Master.
“That’s the first I’ve heard of it, Tower Master.”
“Rosia, that hurts my feelings.”
He winked playfully and made a gesture as if writing something in the air.
He was probably referring to the magical contract he’d written on enchanted parchment, swearing not to take my life.
“The Tower Master must be the only one who feels that way. I don’t act to please him.”
Despite my slightly rude words, he only smiled happily. It seemed he truly was fond of me.
I’d considered the possibility that, though he might not kill me, he could harm my family or loved ones to torment me.
But judging from the situation… it didn’t seem likely.
“Rosia, earlier I saw you training. How’s that going?”
Lexian suddenly interjected.
“Well. Thanks to Cal’s help. He’s an excellent knight—if he’s supervising, you needn’t trouble yourself to check, right, Lexian?”
“For now, yes. But I still think it’s best if I oversee it personally.”
Lexian shot a sidelong glance at the Tower Master. To an outsider, his expression might seem calm as always—but I knew better.
He was irritated.
Seeing him quietly bristle at another man’s presence was both endearing and worrying.
That thin layer of “brotherly affection” he used to mask his real feelings might crack at any time.
If Lexian realized his true feelings and approached me more directly—it would be a problem.
“Wow, the Knight Commander gets called by his name, but I’m still just ‘Tower Master’? When will you start calling me by my name, Roa?”
“Why should I call you—”
Then it struck me. The Tower Master was a man. Someone I’d just met in this life, someone outside my plans, someone who only annoyed me.
And yet this man rejoiced so openly in my attention that I—
“All right, Silla.”
When I smiled, my mother’s eyes sparkled. At the same time, Silla’s eyes curved into crescents, while Lexian…
The hand holding his fork froze in place.
I didn’t dare look at his face. I knew those blue diamond eyes of his would be shattering.
“Ah, so this is what it feels like to hear Roa say my name.”
Silla’s cheeks flushed red as he rested his chin on his hand, gazing dreamily at me. There was something definitely off about him.
“But Roa doesn’t quite suit you, Silla. Since I called you by name, you should call me Rosia.”
“Mm, no.”
I wanted to pour soup all over his smug face, but I maintained my perfect society smile.
Lexian despised causing trouble for others. If he believed I had feelings for someone else—and that the feeling was mutual—he would never confess his own heart to me.
If that meant we would slowly drift apart… then Lexian would be safe.
Would that mean, in this life, I wouldn’t have to watch him die?
The image of the Crown Prince kicking Lexian’s corpse flashed in my mind, making me tremble.
“What’s wrong, Roa? Are you cold, in this weather?”
“No, I just remembered the accident from the gathering a few days ago.”
“You mean what happened at Swan Lake? I heard about that, too,” my mother said, thankfully taking over the conversation.
Silla, mindful of etiquette in front of others, didn’t press further.
“Madam, the master has arrived.”
Just as our entrée plates were nearly empty, a servant announced my father’s arrival.
“Seems we have… quite a few guests.”
When he entered the dining room moments later, my father looked slightly displeased—apparently no one had warned him.
“Father, your seat—”
“It’s fine. No need to rearrange everything.”
Without a second’s hesitation, he took the seat beside my mother. His complexion wasn’t exactly bright as he exchanged greetings with Lexian and Silla.
No sooner had his appetizer been set down than Calvin appeared.
“Oh, everyone’s here! Commander, you too.”
Calvin saluted, and Lexian gave a curt nod.
My younger brother took the seat next to Lexian, his expression toward Silla and Lexian almost identical to Father’s.
If the Crown Prince showed up now, all the male leads would be assembled.
“The Emperor has announced that the selection for the Crown Princess will begin soon,” Father said, as if reading my mind.
Of course. That wretched Crown Prince shows up everywhere.
My throat prickled, and I took a sip of water.
When the Crown Prince began showing interest in Merina, the Emperor—unable to tolerate his son pursuing his wife’s sister and son—decided to find him a Crown Princess instead.
But even at the earliest, the Crown Princess selection wouldn’t begin for at least two more months…
