Chapter 27

Ermite’s eyes widened. Iberia’s eyelashes trembled faintly.

“…Ah.”

He couldn’t even breathe as he watched the scene unfold.

A moment later, those delicate eyelashes lifted, and Iberia’s drowsy blue eyes wandered across the ceiling.

His mind went blank.

Iberia blinked a few times before slowly moving her gaze. In the unfamiliar space, she saw a familiar silver hue.

She instinctively inhaled, but the sharp air scraped against her dry throat as it passed. Iberia coughed. Then, her eyes met those of the Young Master of the Nesferos Ducal House once again.

“Cough, cough, huff…”

“Drink some water.”

He propped a pillow behind her back to help her sit up. Young Master Nesferos initially intended to hand her the glass of water, but upon noticing her trembling hands, he brought the glass to her lips himself and tilted it gently.

Even while coughing, Iberia couldn’t hide her embarrassment. Her ears flushed slightly.

After barely managing to take a sip of water, Iberia cleared her throat to speak.

“Thank you.”

He was wearing an expression Iberia had never seen before. Upon closer inspection, he seemed a bit thinner. Perhaps because of that, he looked even sharper and more sensitive.

Iberia glanced at Young Master Nesferos and hesitantly took the glass of water from him with her trembling hands.

As he gazed at Iberia with unreadable eyes, he suddenly spoke.

“Do you remember the day we first met, Iberia?”

He threw such an abrupt question at someone who had just woken up, yet his face was filled with desperate earnestness. Despite her bewildered expression, Iberia earnestly tried to recall.

Their first meeting wasn’t something she could easily forget. The emotions and thoughts from that day were still vivid in her memory.

After hesitating over how to respond, Iberia cautiously opened her mouth.

“…I remember. July 1st of this year, around 11:50 AM…”

She paused here and glanced at Young Master Nesferos. Fortunately, he didn’t seem upset. Feeling slightly relieved, Iberia continued speaking.

“That was the day you told me that glasses looked good on me.”

Iberia raised the hand holding the glass and took another sip of water. Young Master Nesferos still didn’t respond. Unable to find a place to fix her gaze, she looked around nervously and added further explanation.

“Speaking of which…I’d like to clarify that those glasses are for vision protection. My eyesight is perfectly fine.”

Young Master Nesferos finally smiled. It wasn’t quite a full smile—closer to a hollow laugh—but seeing his expression, Iberia felt a sense of relief.

He smiled brightly and met Iberia’s eyes. The tension in her body rose instinctively, and she swallowed dryly.

“You know, it feels like we’re destined.”

Though it was a slightly apologetic statement, Young Master Nesferos seemed somewhat strange as he said it. Iberia didn’t respond, only blinking silently.

Perhaps noticing the precarious way she held the glass, Young Master Nesferos took it back from her.

“Do I seem strange to you? Like I’ve gone mad?”

Iberia averted her gaze. Even that small movement betrayed her unease.

In this unfamiliar space, Young Master Nesferos was the only familiar presence to her.

But his behavior was unfamiliar. Or perhaps, the unfamiliarity of his behavior was what felt familiar. Iberia herself began to feel confused.

As he observed her bewildered expression, he wiped the smile from his face. The change was instantaneous.

“That’s a relief.”

Young Master Nesferos wore a face that was neither smiling nor crying. It was different from his usual demeanor.

His violet eyes, which seemed to shimmer strangely with moisture, and his contextless words and actions made Iberia instinctively reach out toward him.

“…Don’t cry.”

Her trembling hand stretched toward him. It was because of the sudden use of muscles that had been idle for so long. Young Master Nesferos’s eyes widened.

Iberia, feeling the heat rise to her ears, tried to retract her hand.

Young Master Nesferos curved his eyes into a smile. Then, he gently grasped the sleeve of Iberia’s clothes.

“Yeah, I’m not crying.”

His warm palm touched her hand. Though her fingertips flinched, Iberia didn’t try to pull her hand away from his cheek.

Young Master Nesferos closed his eyes briefly before slowly opening them again. Though his face was gaunt, his violet eyes shone brilliantly.

He met Iberia’s gaze and calmly asked,

“What do you think of the Crown Prince?”

“Pardon?”

Iberia’s eyes widened slightly. 

Why on earth was he asking such a question now?

Before her confusion could dissipate, Young Master Nesferos asked in an unruffled tone,

“Do you wish he’d disappear?”

“Huff, cough, cough.”

The question, so at odds with his calm demeanor, startled Iberia into choking on her breath.

Not only was it impossible for her to wish for such a thing, but Young Master Nesferos’s question seemed to imply that, if she desired it, he would make the Crown Prince disappear from her sight.

Her mind went blank in an instant.

Iberia withdrew her hand from his cheek and reached for the glass on the side table. Her trembling hand couldn’t grasp the glass properly and only managed to knock it over.

With a clatter, the sound startled Iberia, causing her shoulders to jump.

“S-Sorry…”

“Don’t apologize. It’s my fault for giving a glass cup to someone who’s unwell.”

Iberia squeezed her eyes shut.

For a moment, she wished she could just lose consciousness again.

***

She wanted to return to the academy immediately, but everyone who knew Iberia stopped her.

If she insisted on going to the academy despite their objections, they seemed ready to tie her down to force her to rest. For once, Iberia reluctantly gave in. She didn’t have the heart to withstand Cynthia’s tears, the Crown Prince’s veiled threats, or Young Master Nesferos’s stern demeanor.

After spending most of her days in bed for several days, she felt like she was going crazy.

Bored, restless, and with a growing sense of urgency, Iberia felt trapped. In contrast, those who visited her seemed calm and leisurely.

Lying limp on the bed, Iberia carefully observed the black-haired man sitting beside her.

“Iberia Del?”

“Yes, Mage Tower Master.”

The Mage Tower Master, smiling brightly, was a figure of a similar nature to Young Master Nesferos. How others might perceive him was uncertain, but at least to Iberia, he seemed that way.

He gently patted the back of Iberia’s hand. Each time his fingertips touched her, her condition seemed to improve, and Iberia widened her eyes in surprise.

The Mage Tower Master smiled faintly at her reaction.

“Take care of yourself from now on.”

“Pardon? Yes.”

“I’ll be staying at Lacanel for the time being. I guess you could call myself a temporary professor? A guest lecturer?”

Iberia’s eyes widened.

The Mage Tower Master, a professor at Lacanel? Those words didn’t belong together.

Traditionally, Mage Tower Masters, though their position was largely honorary, served as deans of the Mage Tower-affiliated academy. Because of this, it was almost unheard of for them to take teaching roles at other academies.

Observing Iberia’s confusion, he smiled with his eyes.

“I’ll usually be in the corner lab on the third floor of the Second Magic Hall. You know where that is, right?”

As Iberia hesitated over how to respond, Young Master Nesferos glared at the Mage Tower Master with a displeased expression.

“Just state your business and leave.”

“That’s no way to treat me. I’m the Mage Tower Master and her benefactor, after all.”

Iberia, caught between the two, closed her eyes tightly.

She couldn’t understand what exactly was happening.

Earlier, just like the past few days, Young Master Nesferos had entered her room, but this time, another man had followed him. Upon closer inspection, the man looked exactly like the Mage Tower Master she knew. And indeed, he was the Mage Tower Master.

“If you feel even slightly unwell at the academy, come to me. Understood?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The Mage Tower Master toyed with the ends of Iberia’s hair. Leaning forward with his legs crossed, he caused Iberia to instinctively lean back.

A sly smile played on his lips.

“Using illusion magic on the Crown Prince was a bit reckless. The Imperial Family tends to have immunity to such things. If I’d known earlier, it wouldn’t have worked.”

“Ah…”

Iberia’s eyes widened. Letting out a small gasp, she gripped the blanket tightly.

“You saw the match…”

“Yes, I did.”

The realization that the Mage Tower Master had witnessed her match filled her chest with inexplicable emotion. Iberia smiled faintly, taking a deep breath.

As he watched her, Ruanes recalled the breathtakingly beautiful illusions she had created. Though the memory of the Crown Prince’s displeased face quickly followed, causing his own expression to sour again.

Iberia, barely calming her excitement, cautiously observed the situation.

The Mage Tower Master had mentioned being her benefactor earlier, so it seemed appropriate to thank him. Sensing her intentions, Ruanes began to rise from his chair, only to sit back down.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Ah… Thank you for your help.”

One thing was clear: she wasn’t good at expressing gratitude. Not at all. Bowing her head deeply, Iberia clenched her teeth to keep her frustration from showing.

The Mage Tower Master nodded slowly. He released her hair and gently untangled the slightly knotted ends. Rising from his seat, he spoke again.

“You know where the Second Magic Hall is, right? It’s right next to the magic practice room. Don’t forget.”

“Yes.”

With a voice full of determination, Iberia responded. Young Master Nesferos also stood, opening the door for the Mage Tower Master.

The Mage Tower Master gave a small, hollow laugh as he glanced at him.