“……!”

“Saint, please return with me. His Highness Prince Forcite de Vergne is desperately waiting for you!”

“W-what?”

“What’s inside this box must be, must be…!”

However, despite her excitement, the woman seemed blocked by something and couldn’t continue speaking.

Though she had no idea what was going on, Merrien calmly conveyed her thoughts.

“But I promised to heal Duke Hartez, so I don’t think I can go…”

Honestly, staying at the Hartez mansion was much safer than following someone she didn’t even know.

The woman, who apparently hadn’t expected to be refused, hastily continued speaking.

“B-but! Didn’t you agree when His Highness sent a letter before saying he would come to get you?”

“Ah.”

‘I did reply like that back then…’

Feeling awkward, Merrien scratched her head unnecessarily.

Her healing power wasn’t increasing, and soon it would be time to be kidnapped by the villainous Tower Master.

At that time, she felt she would do anything if it meant escaping from the Tower Master.

Of course, based on the original story, she hadn’t expected the male lead to save her, but she was grasping at straws.

‘Sorry, but I don’t know the male lead. I don’t even know his face.’

Not knowing what to say, Merrien decided to just follow Ariel’s words.

Ridiculously, it was no different from a stranger asking her to go somewhere.

“I’m sorry, but I’m in a serious relationship with Duke Hartez.”

“Already under magic! This won’t do at all!”

At that, the woman’s eyes widened in real-time, and whatever misunderstanding she had, she suddenly disappeared from before Merrien.

As the woman hastily vanished, the slight breeze made Merrien’s hair float briefly before settling.

“…What was that about?”

Left alone, Merrien muttered dejectedly. Only then did her bottom start to hurt from when she had fallen earlier.

“Ouch, this… Should I tell Ariel?”

Merrien rubbed her bottom while infusing it with Holy Power. Rolling her eyes while thinking about it, she realized it wasn’t such a simple matter.

‘If I do, won’t Ariel report it to the Tower Master and get the male lead killed? What happens to this novel if the male lead dies?’

…Ah, I don’t know. Too much has happened.

Deflated, Merrien leaned against the wall and happened to look out the window. Outside, the sun was already setting.

“Wait, it’s almost six o’clock?”

She jumped up and ran. There was no time to talk about anything.

Bang-!

The door of the grand bathroom closed behind the rushing Merrien. Soon, someone walked out from the shadows.

Step step-.

Six o’clock. His black hair gradually turned silver as it caught the moonlight.

Ariel smiled wickedly at the closed door.

***

Forcite sat at his desk today again, frowning as he wrote a letter.

The paper had long since become crumpled unattractively in his hand.

Even after repeating this dozens of times – writing and discarding – when he finally sent a satisfactory letter, no reply came from Merrien.

“Haah…. Merri. What exactly is happening at Duke Hartez’s mansion.”

Knock knock-.

It was a servant’s voice that pulled him from his deep silence as he held his head.

“Your Highness, I’ve brought the box you mentioned.”

Until then, Forcite’s wandering, unfocused eyes suddenly sparked with interest.

“Good work.”

“My apologies, but we couldn’t open the box.”

The servant bowed deeply, truly appearing regretful.

What emanated from the box was clearly the aura of a ‘death magic’ medium.

However, as the servant said, even Forcite couldn’t open the box.

In the ‘Empire’, there was no one stronger than Forcite. This meant the Tower Master must have sealed this box.

“This box definitely belongs to Duke Hartez.”

“Yes.”

“Very well, you may go.”

The energy flowing from Duke Hartez and the energy he had felt from the Tower Master before were too similar.

They had to be the same person. It was certain.

“Merri…”

Forcite placed the box on the desk and rubbed his face. His bitter voice echoed through the Second Prince’s palace.

***

News spread throughout the Empire that Second Prince ‘Forcite de Vergne’ had summoned the Tower Master to the Imperial Palace.

“Forcite de Vergne, what nonsense is this!”

Even the Emperor, having learned of this belatedly, came running while shouting from afar. He seemed to have forgotten that numerous servants were watching as he failed to contain his anger.

“It’s exactly as you’ve heard, Father. Duke Hartez and the Tower Master are the same person, and he has bewitched my childhood friend ‘Merrien’…”

“That’s not import-!”

“The Tower Master enters!”

Before the Emperor could finish his scolding, trumpets announced the Tower Master’s arrival. It was exactly six in the evening.

The Emperor’s face began turning pale.

The Tower and its Master, who followed no restrictions of power. He had already arrived here.

A masked man entered the palace with long strides, irritably brushing back his white hair.

Even wearing a black robe, his overwhelming presence couldn’t be concealed.

Behind him followed another magician, seemingly his assistant, wearing a disinterested expression.

The Tower Master, Ariel, sat down conspicuously in front of the stunned Emperor and spoke with an intrigued voice.

Without even telling the Emperor to sit.

“So, I’m curious what you called me for this time. Ah!”

Then, as if remembering something, he snapped his fingers.

“Now that I think about it, maybe you missed my ‘Christopher Montgomery Alexander Harrison’? You should have sent a message. I could have gifted you a similar one.”

Despite his playful tone, his manner suggested it wasn’t a joke, making the Emperor swallow hard.

He remembered making a fool of himself before that ridiculous ‘pet’ that Ariel had brought.

The assistant who had naturally taken position behind Ariel retorted with a disgusted expression, as if saying ‘here we go again’.

“Tower Master. It’s ‘Christopher Alexander Montgomery Harrison’. You should at least remember the name you gave correctly.”

“Ah, my mistake. Thanks, Seren.”

Though they all seemed out of their minds, the palace people dared not speak due to the overwhelming presence.

Not even Forcite, the Empire’s hero and Second Prince who had summoned the Tower Master.

“Haha… Tower Master. It’s been a while. I believe there has been a misunderstanding with my son regarding today’s summons.”

The Emperor, sweating profusely, was the first to respond.

Forcite, who had only been out fighting wars as the Knight Commander until now, couldn’t understand the current situation at all.

Not even the fact that he was overwhelmed by someone else’s presence.

After trying to calm his trembling body, he stepped forward with the precious box.

“Tower Master. You must explain about this box.”

“Haha, what explanation?”

Ariel crossed his legs and shifted in his seat. With a slight tilt of his head, he fixed his gaze on Forcite, silently urging him to continue.

“The energy emanating from this box is undoubtedly that of a ‘death magic’ medium. This must be what you used to bewitch Merrien.”

Forcite placed the box in front of Ariel and spoke boldly.

“…The Prince seems quite knowledgeable about magic.”

But Forcite couldn’t shake off the feeling that covered his entire body at the voice that had suddenly become deep and low, like scratching cave walls.

Perhaps it was more like getting goosebumps. He couldn’t help but pause at this sensation he had never felt in his life.

Ariel picked up the box, almost cradling it.

His fingers slowly caressed the box, as if recalling what was inside.

“Yes, something very precious is in here. Prince, stealing this means you’re prepared for the consequences, right?”

“…Yes.”

Though momentarily flustered, Forcite quickly regained his composure. The Tower Master’s reaction only confirmed his suspicions.

For the Tower Master to show such an extreme reaction to an item stolen from Duke Hartez’s mansion.

That itself meant his thoughts were correct.

‘If I can get Merrien back.’

Forcite hadn’t been in his right mind since losing contact with Merrien. It was still the same now.

Even though he was feeling pressure for the first time in his life because of the man before him, his thoughts were only of Merrien.

“Very well. I will open this box. Don’t regret it if this destroys the relationship between the Empire and the Tower.”

“…That!”

The Emperor cried out urgently, but the box had already been opened easily by Ariel’s light gesture, as if it were nothing. Like when Pandora’s box was opened.

And.

“…?”

“……?”

Everyone was left speechless, mouths agape at what was inside.