Previously
Evgenia and Euclid finalize their marriage by signing the vows, though Evgenia is frustrated that Euclid only faked a kiss behind her veil out of politeness. As they prepare to leave for the Duchy of Rodion, Evgenia maintains a cold distance from her father and brothers to establish her new identity as a Rodion.
A passing thought lingered, nagging at me: would things truly go as I hoped? Still, I forced myself to pretend nothing was wrong and turned away.
And that was when it happened.
Sionel stopped me after all.
Letting out a faint sigh, unable to completely ignore his call, I turned my head toward him.
Evgenia’s face looked no different than usual.
Yet Sionel could tell.
‘She doesn’t like that I called her, does she? She’s trying to keep a neutral expression, but…’
The faint crease between her brows was proof enough.
Even if there were no visible signs, how could he not know?
Just moments ago, she had openly cut him off mid-sentence.
A bitter smile touched Sionel’s lips; he was already used to Evgenia brushing him aside.
There had been a time when he thought it might be better if she vented her fury on him the way she did with their father, or lashed out at him like she did with Alexis. But he had abandoned such foolish hopes long before she reached adulthood.
Lately, however, Sionel found those lingering yearnings resurfacing, accompanied by a sharp sting of grievance.
( ‘What exactly did I do wrong…?’ )
Compared to the past, when she openly defied the family, Evgenia’s attitude had softened considerably.
Even so, she kept her distance from Sionel, as if his mere presence unsettled her.
At times like this, he could only face the truth he never wanted to admit: out of everyone in her family, the person his little sister avoided most was him.
‘Was I her tormentor in a past life?’
As far back as he could remember, Sionel had never wronged Evgenia or given her any cause to hate him.
On the contrary, he had tried his best to appear gentle and attentive, despite being criticized as aloof and cold-hearted. He had made conscious efforts to act kindly toward her, even if it did not suit him in the least.
Yet all he ever received in return were looks of disdain—so much so that he caught himself entertaining ridiculous notions about a past life.
In the end, his unresolved feelings had led him to avoid Evgenia altogether.
Still, despite his hurt and frustration, he wanted to celebrate his precious sister’s marriage.
Of course, it would have been best if Evgenia had married someone she genuinely loved—someone she truly wished to be with. But since that was not the case, he felt an even greater urge to look out for her.
Evgenia’s curt tone pulled Sionel from his thoughts, and he swallowed hard involuntarily as he met her disinterested gaze.
He replied in his most detached voice.
She had thought they planned to bring four carriages for the luggage, so had they increased it to five?
Sionel quickly answered her unasked question.
Evgenia arched a brow, wondering if he was subtly criticizing the Duchy of Rodion’s finances. But his next words made her understand.
As a princess of Basilian, everything she used was undeniably rare and costly.
Which meant the four luggage carriages remained as planned, and there was an additional carriage meant for her journey. But why…
Wait. Sionel had said something earlier.
‘The carriage you’ll be riding in.’
No way.
“…!”
Evgenia’s eyes went wide. She had naturally assumed she would be riding with Euclid.
Sionel did not immediately catch on to her reaction.
He had no intention of revealing that he had purchased the carriage with his personal funds, knowing that might sour the mood. Even so, he could not help feeling nervous, anxious over whether Evgenia would like it.
She had accepted the dowry graciously enough so far, so if she did not realize it came from him, she might actually be pleased.
After all, Evgenia favored solitude and preferred being left on her own, even beyond the family.
Assuming she would be glad, Sionel looked over at Evgenia.
( ‘…Huh?’ )
Anyone watching would assume she was furious, but in Sionel’s eyes, Evgenia looked thoroughly bewildered.
( ‘Could she have realized I was the one who sent the gift?’ )
Startled himself, Sionel fought to maintain his composure, even though there was no real reason for suspicion. He cleared his throat awkwardly and continued speaking as if nothing were amiss.
“…”
Evgenia appeared deep in thought, her expression unreadable, as if something did not sit right with her.
As Sionel tensed, Evgenia finally spoke.
Sionel let out an unconscious sigh of relief.
Considering how sharp and clever his younger sister had been since childhood, he suspected she might have already seen right through him. In fact, the odds were high that she had. Still, judging by her reaction, she seemed inclined to turn a blind eye.
‘She really has changed, hasn’t she?’
Sionel felt the tension in his stiff shoulders ease, and a gentle smile touched his face.
Sionel’s gaze shifted behind him.
Two magical carriages, imbued with advanced magic such as weight-lightening and durability spells, were rolling into the courtyard. One was draped beneath a large cover, seemingly to conceal its appearance.
The door of the lead standard-model magical carriage swung open, and a man stepped out.
Though he wore a neat black suit that did not entirely align with the Magic Tower’s usual style, the man’s arrogant expression and demeanor left no doubt as to his identity as a mage. Naturally, his striking rainbow-colored hair set him apart as anything but ordinary.
Although the Duchy of Basilian had traded with the Magic Tower for a long time, he had only encountered the Tower Master a handful of times. Naturally, the man’s singular appearance was unforgettable even after a single meeting.
Speaking in a rather calm cadence, the Tower Master directed his gaze toward Euclid.
Duke Basilian, taken aback by the unexpected remark, asked, “You two are friends?”
Euclid gave an awkward nod.
With Euclid’s explanation, Sionel’s curiosity was settled.
The Duchy of Rodion, being descendants of their first duke—a renowned mage—often produced children gifted with extraordinary magical aptitude. Consequently, the family had always maintained close ties with the Magic Tower.
Although the current duke, Euclid, was not known as a mage, Sionel recalled that both the late duke and Euclid’s predecessor had been famous for their magical prowess.
( ‘Though none ever surpassed the first duke…’ )
It came as no surprise that the Duchies of Rodion and Basilian were the only two ducal houses in the empire. They were the founding pillars of the empire and staunch supporters of the first emperor.
While the Basilian family had provided financial backing, the first Duke of Rodion had served as the emperor’s closest magical ally.
In fact, it was the Duke of Rodion who not only hunted down the empire’s enemy—the evil dragon that had grievously wounded the emperor—but also disposed of its remains.
Thus, a personal connection between the current Duke of Rodion and the Tower Master was entirely natural.
However—
The Tower Master answered, picking up on Sionel’s nagging suspicion.
Unsurprisingly, Sionel’s expression turned icy.
“…”