If it’s about a blonde with blue eyes, it must be about Lady Diana.
“I’m sorry to disappoint your expectations, but there’s nothing to say.”
I nodded firmly and spoke decisively.
“No, there were no other women.”
“Well, I guess… I must have seen things as usual.”
Duke Saboia wiped his reddening eyes as if trying to hide his tears.
“He really seems to love Diana.”
I wondered how it would feel to have such a family.
The Duke cherished his granddaughter more than his own life.
To see an illusion of his granddaughter just before dying.
A sense of envy surged unexpectedly in my heart.
At that moment, Duke Saboia sat down heavily across from me.
“Yes, that’s right. I often saw things that weren’t there…”
The weight and depth of his voice felt heavy.
He muttered with a stoic expression.
“Anyway, thank you. You saved not only my hair but also over a hundred people in Matap. How can I repay you for this gratitude…”
It was understandable.
From disarming the final bomb installed in this Tower with magic to rescuing him while providing terrorist relief, Duke Saboia had regained consciousness in perfect condition.
“Saving my hair was the biggest point.”
I humbly replied to Duke Saboia, pretending to be nonchalant.
“Don’t mention it. Please also keep in mind that I’m skilled enough in magic to disarm even the final bomb.”
“Yes, you even unraveled the magic! What do you want?”
I nodded.
“I want to join the Tower.”
“Oh?”
“I want to study magic a little more. And I would like to receive support from the Tower. Quite a lot.”
“How much?”
“About 10 billion gold.”
Duke Saboia laughed heartily and said,
“Haha! What a simple young woman!”
“…?”
How wealthy and powerful is this Duke?
“…Is that so?”
“Of course, it’s possible at that level!”
“Wow…”
“I’ll also provide special magic training.”
From today on, I will withdraw my criticism of Duke Saboia.
From today, Duke Saboia and I become one.
Criticism towards Duke Saboia is considered criticism towards me.
As I looked at him with moved eyes, the Duke subtly smiled.
“But I have one favor to ask…”
“Yes?”
“I’ve learned that you have talent in tracking magical rituals. Have you ever written a thesis?”
When did that rumor spread so far?
“Oh, yes. That’s right.”
“After joining the Tower, would you be able to assist in finding Diana?”
My eyes sparkled.
“If I can find Lady Diana, I’ll become an extraordinary patron of the Saboia family.”
A true life-changing moment!
“Yes! But in return, may I ask for one thing as well?”
Inside the meeting room.
I happened to see some documents left carelessly by Duke Saboia.
Coincidentally, at the top of the document, it said “Appointment to the Lorelei Viscount Family.”
How did my father receive the title of viscount…
Moreover, it was scheduled for me to receive the Emperor’s favor on the day of a social event in the aristocratic circle called “Summer Night’s Ode.”
“Summer Night’s Ode.”
It was an event held in the summer night specifically for emerging nobles, where the Emperor held a short meal gathering to encourage the new nobility.
Even among the emerging nobles, he stood out and was given a swan sculpture called “Odet” and was called “Ode of the Summer Night.”
“Oh, come to think of it…”
It seemed that he had just realized that I was a member of the Lorelei family.
Duke Saboia, looking at me as his patron, spoke.
“If you wish, I will make efforts to revoke your title.”
Before my regression, they bestowed a noble title on me using the money they took from me.
“Where did the money come from now?”
I couldn’t grasp any clue.
“Just revoking the title seems insufficient and gives off a foul smell.”
I raised my chin and spoke to him.
“I have listened to your opinion, Your Grace. Then, may I make one more request until the ‘Ode of the Summer Night’?”
“Hmm?”
“Just spread negative rumors about me until that day.”
Duke Saboia looked bewildered upon hearing my words.
“Are you serious?”
I smiled slyly.
“Yes, I am serious.”
I thought about the Lorelei family, who received compensation without paying me a single penny, even after receiving a notice of damages.
By now, they must be enjoying their time as nobles they had yearned for.
The more fleeting happiness one enjoys, the steeper and more miserable the road to downfall becomes.
It was time to draw the bigger picture for their greater misfortune.
So…
“Also, on the day of the ‘Ode of the Summer Night,’ could you support me with some magical artifacts from the Tower?”
…I should prepare diligently to draw a concrete picture of misfortune.
“And one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“I have a request for His Majesty, the Emperor.”
“For His Majesty?”
“It’s not a difficult task. It’s just utilizing an existing system.”
The day after the blue gate opened, the world underwent a complete upheaval.
The three-hundred-day peace came to an end.
The Tower of the Sage fell victim to the terrorists.
The prison tower, where the terrorists had been hiding, suffered the greatest damage.
The location of Duke Saboia’s residence was also unclear.
Gossips started buzzing.
Meanwhile, the names of the people imprisoned in the Tower of the Sage were being revealed one by one.
And among them was Ishael.
[Breaking News] Spy Magician ‘Ishael’ Under Investigation in the Tower of the Sage… Strong Suspect of Being a Terrorist…To be precise, she was suspected of being a terrorist.
“What, what’s all this fuss about?”
The person who was most devastated by Ishael’s capture.
Emmanuel kicked his foot, raising dust in frustration.
“So, Ishael was in the Tower of the Sage? That fundamental figure of the newlywed couple?”
He became so devastated that his eyes turned red.
The exhausted bureaucrat thought to himself.
“Ah, whether someone gets imprisoned or not, I just want to go home exhaustedly.”
From his hand, the <Newlywed Couple 2nd Week Program Book> feels like falling flower petals.
“Yes. Anyway, we have to proceed with the 2nd week program in the Newlywed Couple Town.”
“It’s definitely a false accusation, right? Quickly clear her name and create a beautiful romance, right?”
“Yes, yes, that’s the plan.”
“Alright, good. Let’s skip the 2nd week program for now.”
The bureaucrat spoke with a wicked smile.
“Yes, understood.”
“Oh, I came up with an interesting program. Want to hear it?”
Emmanuel believed firmly in Ishael’s return.
On the other hand, Ford, who had witnessed everything, was tormented by Ishael’s imprisonment.
Despite their not-so-innocent relationship, Dylan had been quite dedicated in capturing the terrorist suspects.
However, Dylan, who had distanced himself from Ishael, was truly on a rampage.
He was capturing terrorists at a rate of one per day.
And his next target was Ford.
“I’m your brother!”
He couldn’t even utter the words due to the pressure.
He was fed up with Dylan, who suspected him of being a terrorist and followed him around.
“I shot myself in the foot. I should quit quickly…”
Dedicated as ever, Dylan silently trailed behind him.
He banged his head against the wall and lowered his gaze.
He hoped Ishael would come back from the Tower of the Sage soon.
With their own individual anguish, a week had passed since the blue gate opened.
But rumors about the Tower of the Sage and Ishael were rampant, yet no one knew the exact truth.
The news of the imprisoned individuals in the Tower of the Sage and the injured Duke Saboia due to the bomb had spread like wildfire.
Were they even torturing the suspects using their own developed methods in the Tower?
Amidst countless rumors, the doors of the Tower of the Sage remained tightly shut, as if sealing off all food and drink.
Time passed swiftly through the crack in the door.
On the other hand, inside the palace.
A man who had folded his breakfast crookedly muttered quietly.
“A terrorist incident has definitely occurred…”
His eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Both the Tower of the Sage and the emperor seemed unnaturally quiet in the face of a terrorist attack.
Furthermore, there was no contact with the spy who had entered the Tower.
Usually, after a terrorist incident, the terrorists would meet a silent death, but…
The fact that they disappeared without a trace without any warning was highly suspicious.
“We’ve also lost quite a bit of power in setting up the dark magic bomb here.”
The man, his face completely covered by a hat, quietly disappeared into the Knights’ Chamber of the palace.
The emblem of the Red Castle briefly appeared and disappeared on his hat.
* * *
Meanwhile, inside the cozy house of the Lorelei family.
“I could have become a noble! Everything went wrong because of Ishael!”
“So what?”
“That, that’s why! Soldika, take responsibility for this situation!”
Soldika, speaking kindly in place of her stern-looking husband and father, faced Pedro.
“Our family will soon become a viscountcy.”
Though he was considered the least noble among the nobles, he was still a noble.
To Pedro, a commoner like Ishael, it meant a high position that he could never reach.
Soldika scoffed at him sarcastically and gave a mocking applause.
“So, you see, you and I don’t match.”
“What, what do you mean?”
Soldika divided classes among everyone, and Pedro was no exception.
Whether Pedro made a bewildered expression or said anything, Soldika pretended to be affectionate and spoke.
“I’m really sorry. Go away, Pedro. I’m so tired too.”
Soldika’s father, Elon, threw aside the morning newspaper he was reading and stood up.
Being over 190cm tall and weighing over 100kg, he could easily grab Pedro like a piece of paper.
“Sorry? What for? Get out right now.”
Pedro, who had been sucking up to Ishael’s power, was discarded in such a miserable manner.
The doors of the Lorelei household closed in front of Pedro’s face.
As they looked at each other as if nothing had happened, disposing of their worries that smelled like trash, they laughed happily.
“Now let’s talk about pleasant things, my lovely daughter.”
“Yes! Congratulations on becoming the Viscount of Lorelei, Father!”
From now on, they had to gather wealth.
Having completed the investiture ceremony, there was no doubt that they were true nobles.
Masha spoke up confidently by her husband’s side.
“Since our connection with that damn woman has been completely severed, it’s a relief. We almost had a big problem, didn’t we?”