Translator: Nox

My Nerdy Neighbor Is the Master of the Magic Tower

Chapter 18

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

He waved his hand and glossed over his words, but she hadn’t asked because she didn't hear his muttering. It was purely because his line had been so flabbergasting.

‘Nothing, my foot. I heard everything.’

Regrettably, she was not a romance novel heroine who couldn't understand a man whispering right in front of her face.

‘…Well. I suppose it just means Plan D is progressing smoothly.’

Cecilia decided to try her best to ignore her prospective lover’s particular fetish.

Consequently, she pretended not to see Lien tentatively tucking the handkerchief back into his chest pocket, nor did she notice him smiling with a flushed, immensely satisfied face.

Whether he was aware of her efforts or not, Lien returned to his usual self and turned toward the door.

“Then I shall go fetch something to drink.”

“All right.”

As soon as his broad back disappeared, Cecilia flopped down onto the sofa.

As a rule, an electronic device that has lost its portable charger must maintain power-saving mode.

Without even lifting her head, she rolled her eyes to check the time.

Practice must have run longer than expected, as it was already well past lunchtime.

‘Maybe I was extra tired because I'm hungry.’

Having identified the cause of her dizziness, Cecilia suddenly remembered the basket she had left on a corner of the desk.

‘Now that I think about it, Melanie packed me a snack.’

Melanie, pitying her master who grew more exhausted by the day, had insisted on packing it so she wouldn't skip a meal.

The rattan basket should contain appetizing egg sandwiches and a drink made from blended strawberries.

‘The weather is nice, so I should ask him to have lunch in the garden together.’

Gathering her depleted motivation along with the basket, Cecilia forced herself out of the room.

‘I wonder if Lien is in the kitchen?’

She didn't remember the kitchen's location, but it was likely somewhere on the first floor. Operating on that assumption, Cecilia marched straight ahead.

Only the sound of her footsteps echoed through the silent hallway.

It would have been nice to ask for directions, but just like when she first barged into the mansion, not a single servant was in sight.

Instead, throughout the house, brooms were sweeping on their own, and rags were scrubbing the windows to a shine.

‘It’s like a haunted house.’

Since his identity had been revealed, he no longer hid the magic imbued throughout the mansion.

The first time she saw a feather duster floating while defying gravity, she had been so amazed she felt like offering her condolences to Newton.

Tearing her eyes away from the now-familiar sight, Cecilia glanced around.

If her memory served her right, turning the corner should lead to the lobby connected to the entrance, but she was still in the middle of a corridor.

‘Was I not supposed to turn right?’

Perhaps it was because she had always moved under Lien’s guidance; she had suddenly become a lost child.

The one silver lining was that the hallway looked familiar.

‘I think this is the place he showed me when he gave me a tour on the first day.’

She seemed to recall being told that the room with the black wooden door was the bedroom.

Lien’s bedroom.

A dark curiosity flickered for a moment, but she possessed enough common sense to know she shouldn't intrude on someone's private space without permission.

Ending her brief internal conflict, Cecilia resumed her walk, pretending she hadn't discovered anything.

However, she didn't get far before coming to a dead stop.

Right next to the bedroom, a room appeared that looked suspicious to anyone’s eyes.

A narrow door that seemed barely half the size of the bedroom door. And a strange engraving that looked like a magic circle etched near the doorknob.

Furthermore, the squiggly characters within the engraving were actually moving, as if drifting on water.

‘Is it like a secret room?’

It was just as Cecilia finally discarded her common sense and placed her hand on the doorknob.

A large hand overlapped hers on the back of her hand.

“It would be best not to enter this room. It is quite untidy.”

She traced her gaze up the black half-gloves that barely covered the back of his hand.

Lien stood behind her like a wall, though she hadn't realized when he had approached.

Startled like a child caught doing something naughty, Cecilia quickly let go of the doorknob.

“I’m sorry. I was just looking because the engraving was so fascinating…”

Cecilia apologized, deliberately acting dejected. As expected, Lien looked extremely flustered and shook his head hurriedly.

“O-oh, no. It’s just that this place is like a storage room, so I was embarrassed to show it to you…”

‘Do people usually keep a room that’s basically a closet locked? And with magic, no less?’

Just before he caught her, she had tried turning the knob slightly, but it hadn't budged an inch.

Since there was no keyhole, it was likely sealed with magic.

But then again, doesn't everyone have a space where they hide things they want to keep secret?

She thought of the diary hidden in her bottom desk drawer, the self-composed poems from her days of chuunibyou, and the R-rated novels she had secretly collected bit by bit.

‘Right. Let’s drop the interest immediately.’

She didn't want to kill Lien with shame.

“Still, I’m sorry. I’ll be careful from now on.”

“No! You are welcome to enter anywhere else in the mansion except for here. Oh, would you like to see the bedroom right next door?”

The bedroom.

The battle between reason and instinct was very brief.

Barely five seconds had passed since she said she would be careful. Cecilia snapped up his offer.

“If it’s all right with you.”

There was no reason to refuse when he was offering to show her his most private space first.

“Of course it is all right with me. Though it’s a bit embarrassing since there isn't much to see.”

Following closely behind him, Cecilia realized his words weren't mere modesty.

Inside the spacious room, a single large bed sat lonely like a sailboat in the middle of a vast ocean.

“Wow, there really is… nothing much.”

A groan that was neither admiration nor a sigh escaped her lips.

The only interior decoration was a pair of thick blackout curtains that didn't quite match the room.

“The room feels so empty; why don't you fill it with some furniture?”

“Well, to be honest, I rarely sleep in the bedroom.”

“Pardon? Then where do you sleep?”

“Usually, I sleep on the sofa in the room we use for lessons, or on the cot in the laboratory.”

“The laboratory?”

‘I feel like I just heard a word that triggers trauma.’

When Cecilia asked back skeptically, Lien’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes. It’s in the basement; shall I show you the way?”

“No. I don't really want to see that.”

Cecilia shook her head very quickly and firmly.

It was because memories of napping under a thin blanket on a roughly cleared lab bench while running experiments on a two-hour cycle had resurfaced.

Just thinking about it made her want to go home as a reflex.

Feeling even more tired, Cecilia left the bedroom without any lingering attachment.

“Since I’ve seen everything, I’ll head back for today.”

Her plan to have lunch together had just been scrapped.

Looking at the state of his living conditions, it felt like she should be making a donation rather than sharing a meal with him.

“Here, these are sandwiches and juice. You eat them, Lien.”

“Pardon?”

Lien, who had the basket thrust upon him unexpectedly, blinked his large eyes.

“…Did you prepare this for me?”

It wasn't exactly that, but Cecilia gave a vague nod.

Since it was a gift for him now, the meaning was the same.

“It is so precious that I think it will be difficult to eat.”

“Still, don't let it spoil and make sure to eat it.”

“Yes!”

Lien hugged the basket with one arm as if he had been gifted a priceless treasure.

Seeing him look even happier than she expected, she felt a tiny prick of conscience.

Clearing her throat with a small cough, Cecilia spoke.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

“I will escort you back to the mansion.”

It was an unnecessary offer since they lived right next door.

However, whenever they had lessons at his mansion, Lien always escorted her to the main gate of the Weberdin estate.

“All right.”

Cecilia placed her hand on his arm as she usually did.

Thanks to the owner of the house, she was able to reach the front door immediately without getting lost again.

Just as she was about to leave the mansion, Cecilia remembered something and let out an “Ah!”

“Right, for the next few days, guests will be coming and going constantly because of the Relief Festival and the festival itself. The main gate will be chaotic, so it would be better to go through the back gate.”

“I noticed it was more crowded than usual near the mansion; so that was why.”

Since the commotion was enough to wake her up every morning, it was likely Lien had noticed it too.

“They say it’s the biggest event held at Weberdin, so it’s always like this around this time. I heard the festival itself is huge in scale… Have you ever been to a festival like this, Lien?”

“Yes. But it was so long ago that I do not remember it well.”

In that moment, a good idea she had set aside for a while flashed through her mind.

“That’s why I’m asking. If you have time tomorrow, would you like to go to the festival with me?”