After the two disappeared, Agnes took out the paper from his waistband and read it again.
It was a letter scrawled so messily that it was difficult to read, as if the writer had no intention of writing neatly.
[The prince planted an ancient magical item inside Merri’s body.
He even placed mind control on her, so I can’t remove it.
He threatened that if I reveal I’m the Tower Master, he’ll make Merri detonate it herself.]
It was chilling to read again, even though he had already become serious upon reading it when he first arrived at the tower.
When he closely examined Merrien, who had just come to the tower, there was something inside her body.
That must be the ancient magical item functioning as a bomb.
And to make matters worse, mind control was placed on her. Mind control was the only thing Ariel couldn’t break.
“That prince. Didn’t he like Merrien?”
…Could it be.
Suddenly, something occurred to him.
It always seemed strange that the Second Prince summoned Merrien to his palace only to make pointless conversation and then dismiss her.
When Merrien drank the tea just before leaving the drawing room, the prince’s gaze transformed into something peculiar. This observation wasn’t merely imagination.
“So at that time…”
Agnes bit his lip.
Sending such a secret letter meant this was something Ariel couldn’t resolve on his own.
Fortunately or unfortunately, it was something only Agnes himself could do.
Whether the Emperor wakes up or not, even if all other plans fail, the mind control placed on Merrien must be removed.
Then Ariel could easily eliminate the ancient magical item inside her body.
If he failed, Ariel would never reveal that he was the Tower Master, no matter what happened.
“That won’t do.”
For both of them.
Seren was hovering nearby, but Agnes burned the letter, saying there was nothing to see.
*** 
She thought they would teleport to Ariel’s room or her own room.
The place where the two arrived was Ariel’s office.
“…Why here?”
“Because we still have things to discuss about the plan.”
Still things to discuss?
Surprisingly, he really seems to be taking this plan seriously.
He tapped on the office desk with a serious expression and muttered.
“Merri. Do you know why you can use the portals or teleportation mediums I create?”
“…No?”
Merrien also became serious and slowly approached the desk where he was leaning.
“Not just anyone can sense Nes’s energy or the prince’s energy. But you not only sensed it, you even noticed that the energy from both of them is the same.”
…That’s right. She took a deep breath to relieve tension and held it.
Honestly, it was strange.
All she had was Holy Power, so how?
Although her Holy Power was said to be extraordinary, magical power and Holy Power were clearly different types of power.
The fact that she alone sensed something even Ariel couldn’t sense clearly meant something was going on.
“What’s the reason?”
She was finally about to hear the answer to this.
Her heart was beating rapidly, different from the flutter of being in love.
Perhaps she was a mage before awakening, or a hidden expert…
“Don’t you know?”
“…?”
The breath she had been holding escaped.
Ariel’s eyebrows rose and then fell, showing genuine confusion about not knowing.
“I was asking because I’m curious too.”
Why did he set up the atmosphere like that?
“…I see.”
She felt deflated. Merrien quickly sat down in the office chair before her strength gave out.
And she glared at the annoying man leaning on the desk right in front of her, shrugging his shoulders.
‘This is really unfair.’
Even though Nes came up with the plan, she had been a great help, and even with the dog collar… she had talked with Seren. She had done a lot of work, running around!
Yet no one knows how she was able to do it.
Who on earth should she ask!
While Merrien was agonizing, spinning the chair around and around, Ariel very quietly opened the desk drawer.
Only when the dog collar from the box was in his hand did Merrien realize it.
“What are you doing?”
“We agreed you’d wear this.”
“……”
The chair that had been spinning merrily stopped facing Ariel.
Again, that expression.
A bright and innocent expression conveying complete ignorance.
She had the illusion that Whitey’s face was faintly floating behind his back.
‘Where does he learn such things.’
When there are only research-obsessed mages in the tower.
There’s no way a taciturn person like Nes taught him, so the butler was the likely culprit. That was the more infuriating part.
But that wasn’t what was important right now.
‘I didn’t expect him to bring it up so directly.’
Merrien awkwardly smiled and spun the chair around backward.
With nowhere to retreat, she was at least trying not to look at his face.
But somehow.
“Hmm?”
As soon as she turned around, Ariel was right in front of her, holding the dog collar.
Denying reality, she craned her neck behind the chair to look toward the desk, but there was no one there.
This meant the Ariel in front of her now was neither an illusion nor a hallucination.
She regretted sitting in the chair and getting trapped.
Merrien tried to stand up, gripping the armrests strongly with both hands, but he pinned the chair’s backrest, trapping her completely.
“You promised, right? Hmm?”
No, looking down at me like this while mumbling…
She knew perfectly well it was an act. Even though his voice was mixed with tears, not a single drop hung in his eyes.
“…Yes.”
Yet her mouth moved on its own and answered.
Being enchanted like this while knowing better was nothing new.
She was on the verge of losing her mind as she sensed the reality of the dog collar he was holding out.
“Thank you.”
The corners of Ariel’s broadly smiling mouth trembled slightly. His heart rate rose sharply, and his hand touching her neck quickly became damp with sweat, nearly dropping the dog collar several times.
Ariel finally put the collar around Merrien’s neck and trembled slightly when a thrill ran through his entire body.
Ariel finally put the collar around Merrien’s neck and trembled slightly as if a thrill ran through his entire body.
His eyes were tinged with reverence and adoration.
The one wearing the dog collar and the one looking at it. Anyone would think the former should be in the subordinate position, but Ariel knelt on one knee in front of the chair.
He who had no collar around his neck paradoxically took a submissive posture.
Pressing close, Merrien’s thigh touched his firm chest.
Her startled legs curved inward, but Ariel paid no mind and looked up at her.
“You’re beautiful, Merri.”
Merrien could clearly feel the pulse beating at the tips of his fingers as they slowly caressed her cheek.
“……”
Merrien’s Adam’s apple moved.
His pupils became calm and unwavering, just like before they did something last night.
Now she knew. This calmness was the eye of the storm.
Soon, he might whisper, craving something, unable to contain his agitation.
But hadn’t she already admitted this morning that they were perverts?
Merrien had no intention of rejecting his approaching face.
Her eyes slowly closed.
At that moment.
BANG-!
“Master! I apologize for entering without knocking, but regarding the noble trial…”
The butler somehow knew they were in the office and boldly flung open the door, only to make direct eye contact with the two who were almost pressed against each other.
His urgent voice trailed off and became smaller, and the hand that had forcefully opened the door remained raised and frozen.
In his other hand was a document stamped with a seal mixed with red and gold.
All three people froze in suspended animation, blinking for several seconds.
The butler, who regained his senses first, pretended nothing had happened and turned his head.
He walked toward the sofa as confidently as possible, but his staggering was clearly visible from behind.
After neatly placing the document on the sofa armrest, the butler looked seriously at empty space and bowed his head.
The direction in which the butler bowed his head was exactly opposite to where the two were.
“I apologize. I will take my leave now.”
Despite his awkward movements, he remained composed. Should this be called professionalism?
In any case, he was certainly quick-witted.
The butler’s staggering body arrived at the door faster than before.
As the butler gently closed the door, he muttered.
“The collar… suits you very well.”
Thud-.
The sound of the carefully closed door echoed in Merrien’s ears.