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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Master of the Magic Tower
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You’d think this was some illicit middle-aged romance!
Just by listening, no one would ever guess this was a conversation between a seven-year-old and a twelve-year-old.
“Erica, how’s your forehead? Is it much better?”
Just then, my aunt, who had been talking with Countess Valerine from a distance, approached us.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s fine now. By the way, who is this girl?”
Erica asked, pointing her finger at me.
My aunt looked puzzled for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“She’s Leon’s cousin.”
“…Pardon?”
Erica blinked her large eyes, then gasped, covering her mouth.
“That’s right! You said Duke Rubinstein might be coming, didn’t you? Has he really returned?”
“He has. Just yesterday.”
“I see! You should have said so!”
With a look of immense relief, Erica clutched her chest.
“Nice to meet you!”
“Whoa!”
Erica came over, pulled Theo out of the seat to my right, and plopped down in his place.
“So you’re the Duke’s daughter. You look just like an angel. I was so surprised. I almost got jealous. My name is Erica Valerine. I’m twelve.”
“I’m Lilis Rubinstein. I’m seven. You’re pretty too, sister. Like a princess.”
“Oh, my?”
Erica squirmed shyly.
“Thank you, Lilis. And just so you know, I’m promised to Leon here for the future.”
“Are you crazy? Who decided that?”
Leon snapped, but Erica paid him no mind and added.
“We’ll be family one day, so you can go ahead and call me sister. And you can speak casually with me. Let’s be friends, okay?”
“Ugh, seriously… I hate this so much…”
I glanced back and forth between Leon, who was sighing heavily beside me, and Theo, who had been pushed away by Erica and was now sitting opposite us.
‘They look identical, but wouldn’t the gentle Theo be a much better romantic partner?’
—Or so I thought.
But every time Leon spat out harsh words like “No,” “Go away!” and “You’re so ugly,” Erica’s face would flush red.
As I enjoyed the afternoon dessert time, which had become boisterous enough to make my ears bleed, I came to understand Erica’s preferences.
‘So she likes bad boys…’
* * *
That evening, after returning home from a delightful first outing in the capital.
I was just getting washed up and ready for bed when Dad burst in, shouting at the top of his lungs.
“Prin-cess!”
“Yikes, you scared me! You’ll break the door!”
Dad flew over to my side just as I was wriggling into my blankets.
“You!”
“Did you eat dinner, Dad?”
“Dinner? It’s so late, of course I ate.”
“Good. You shouldn’t skip meals. I had something delicious outside with Aunt and my cousins. We even went to the tailor to get measured and order clothes. Aunt bought me ten whole outfits, can you believe it?”
“Haha, did you like them?”
“Totally. There was even a princess dress!”
“No, wait. That’s all well and good, but.”
Lying down to face me, Dad asked with a worried expression.
“I heard you were studying all day today?”
“Not all day. Just until three.”
“I’m sorry, Princess. I only meant to get you a tutor for etiquette, but your grandfather went and did things I never asked for.”
“What’re you talking about? Of course I have to learn everything. Studying is fun.”
“…Fun?”
“Yep. You spoiled me so much I almost ended up with the intelligence of a chimpanzee. I’m going to study hard and get smart now.”
“No, Princess, you can still play. It’s okay to take your studies slowly.”
“Sigh, I’m tired of playing now. I’m telling you, studying is more fun. And it’s not even hard.”
“Really?”
“Yep, really. I’ll tell you if it gets hard or boring and I don’t want to do it. But it’s really easy and fun.”
Dad stared at my face, checking if I was lying, before his lips began to twitch.
“I seeee. Actually, your math tutor said you’re a genius, Princess. And I think so too.”
“Is, is that so?”
I felt a flush of embarrassment, remembering how my tutor had lavished me with praise, calling me a peerless genius for solving elementary-level problems.
If she had gone to Grandpa or Dad and gushed in a similar fashion…
‘My dear James must have been so pleased.’
What parent wouldn’t be happy to hear their child is a genius?
Besides, embarrassment is fleeting, isn’t it? If Dad was happy, that was enough for me.
“Who on earth does my baby take after? Who did you get these brains from? Huh?”
Without even trying to hide the grin spreading across his face, Dad pulled me into a hug and rubbed his cheek against mine.
“I take after you, Dad.”
“Ahahaha!”
“You were busy today too, right? You worked hard.”
“It’s fine. My genius daughter is studying so hard, her dad can’t just slack off.”
Dad lay on his side, propped his head on his hand, and gazed at me fondly.
Seeing him grinning from ear to ear, I didn’t feel so bad myself.
Hehe, a genius…
* * *
Haha, a genius…
I take it back.
Turns out I’m not a genius…
“It is an honor to meet you. My name is Robert Quant, from the Magic Tower’s Gifted Management Department. You may call me Robel, Your Ladyship.”
“Ye-yes…”
“Lilis, there’s no need to be nervous. Just answer the man’s questions comfortably. If you don’t know, just say you don’t know.”
Dad said, gently stroking my hair.
“Are you nervous? Just do as you did with your tutors yesterday.”
Grandpa added his own two cents.
Caught between them, I clenched my teeth and nodded.
‘I shouldn’t have shown off…’
A single poor choice, made simply because I wanted to end the pointless lessons quickly, had put me on the spot.
At the Magic Tower, of all places!
They had come to test my supposed genius.
The reason things had escalated this far was math.
Normally, implementing magic requires formulas, and the ones who create those formulas are the researchers at the Magic Tower.
And they all have one thing in common.
They were all ‘math prodigies’!
That was because the discipline of mathematics was the fundamental principle of magical formulas.
So, the Magic Tower seeks out kids who are good at math and supports them with gifted education from a young age.
‘It’s not like I didn’t know that…’
To have memorized the world-building of the original story and still not have anticipated this disaster.
A genius? Yeah, right.
I was just an adult mind trapped in a child’s body…
“And over there… as you may know, is Sir Oscar Manuel.”
Robel glanced behind him, looking rather nervous.
A silver-haired, golden-eyed boy was sitting with his legs crossed, an arrogant expression on his face.
He looked no older than a high school student with his youthful face, but…
“He’s the youngest Master of the Magic Tower in history.”
…Yes, he was the Master of the Magic Tower.
Oscar Manuel!
A character of epic importance, one I never imagined I’d meet just three days after arriving in the capital!
‘Is this really the butterfly effect of doing a little multiplication and division?’
From now on, just call me the plot-destroying villain…
No, this isn’t the time for that. I quickly did the math in my head.
The Master of the Magic Tower, Oscar, was closer to an ‘enemy,’ if I had to classify him.
While preparing for the rebellion, Dad had managed to get ability users, high-ranking nobles, and political figures on his side.
‘But he never managed to get the Magic Tower on his side.’
Oscar alone refused to help Dad until the very end.
If only Dad had secured the Magic Tower, led by him, the revolution might have been three years faster.
But was Oscar on the imperial family’s side? If you were to ask that…
‘That wasn’t it either. Even after reading the whole story, I could never figure that guy out.’
In any case, I was now at a crossroads.
1. There’s nothing to gain from standing out. I’ll aim to appear moderately intelligent, but not a full-blown genius.
2. This is a chance to form a connection with the Magic Tower and recruit Oscar early. I’ll act like a proper genius. It’s a gamble that means accepting the spotlight.
I quickly chose option one.
How could I possibly win over the impenetrable Oscar, a man even my protagonist father failed to recruit?
‘Alright. I feel much calmer now.’
I began solving the problem Robel wrote on the low blackboard.
I just had to solve up to the level I had studied with my tutor yesterday.
“My word. You are truly remarkable.”
Robel exclaimed in admiration as I did two-digit multiplication.
“M-my daughter really is a genius…”
Even Dad was surprised.
Just then.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Ye-yes?”
Oscar, who had been watching in silence, stood up, flustering Robel.
“Do you think I came here to watch some kid play house?”
“N-no, sir. My apologies.”
Robel apologized, bowing and scraping.
Oscar was incredibly arrogant for someone so young, but neither Dad nor Grandpa openly criticized his attitude.
‘Well, he is the Master of the Magic Tower.’
If you were to rank them, he was a powerful figure on par with my father.
“Test her properly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Robel erased all the problems on the board and began writing a new one.
“Ahem.”
What is that…
Robel looked embarrassed as he wrote the problem, and I was bewildered looking at it.
Q. A mother’s age is 3 years more than twice the age of Oscar Manuel. The father is 5 years older than the mother. If the father is 42 years old, what is the age of Oscar Manuel?
‘A linear equation problem… for a seven-year-old?’
I looked back, dumbfounded, to see Oscar smiling as if he was finally satisfied.
“Solve it.”
“……”
I had no intention of solving it anyway, but he was truly insane…
He was definitely a psycho, drunk on his own ‘genius.’
I pretended to study the problem a little longer before shaking my head.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“No…”
As I answered dejectedly, Robel patted my shoulder.
“Your Ladyship, there’s no need to be discouraged at all. Even prodigies scouted by the Magic Tower usually can’t solve this problem at age seven.”
“That’s right, Princess.”
Dad came over and swept me up from where I stood in front of the blackboard.
“You did well. This problem is too difficult. My princess is more than enough of a genius.”
“Mhm, hehe.”
“You’ve worked hard, Lilis.”
Even Grandpa smiled fondly and stroked my head.
Just then.
“Haaah.”
A sigh cut through the warm atmosphere.
Oscar looked at me with an expression of utter disdain before turning away sharply.
He muttered to himself, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“What a waste of time on a little fool.”
……?
I could feel Dad’s arms, which were holding me, tighten.
‘This is bad.’
Dad’s voice was terrifyingly low.
“Stop right there.”
