Translator: Nox

My Nerdy Neighbor Is the Master of the Magic Tower

Chapter 48

A crimson gaze, like that of a beast, flashed from beneath the shadow of a robe.

Startled, Cecilia instinctively averted her eyes. In doing so, her gaze collided directly with Duke Delanche, who was standing right next to the man.

It was a case of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The Duke, his face twisted in a fierce frown, seemed to ask the Emperor for a moment of leave before beginning to walk toward her.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

She had no desire for a third uncomfortable encounter in a row. Cecilia hurriedly looked for Miguel.

‘Sir Miguel! Now is the time to throw me over your shoulder and run!’

Unfortunately, Miguel was nowhere near her. While she had been dealing with the Emperor and the Princess, he appeared to have been caught by the Imperial Prince.

Though the Prince likely harbored no good feelings toward the clergy, his curiosity about the individual known as the ‘Vice Commander of the Holy Knights’ seemed irrepressible. Led by the Prince, a group of young noblemen had surrounded Sir Miguel, showering him with a barrage of questions.

‘I’m out of luck for any help.’

Resigned, Cecilia watched as the Duke began to stride toward her.

Even before a single word was exchanged, the expression and the look in his eyes radiated a level of hostility that was in a different league altogether.

‘It’s okay. He won’t be able to attack me openly.’

Probably.

As Cecilia comforted herself with that flimsy consolation, she lightly clenched her fists behind her back.

Splash!

A noble standing behind her overturned a water glass. Right onto the hem of her dress.

“Oh my! I-I’m so sorry!”

The sudden drenching of cold water snapped her senses wide awake.

‘Is this some new form of bullying?’

The suspicion flickered for a moment, but it was only water. If the goal had been to humiliate her, they would have chosen the red wine that was overflowing everywhere.

Furthermore, the culprit, who looked to be around her age, seemed genuinely at a loss for what to do.

“What should I do! Your dress is a mess, oh dear!”

“……It’s alright.”

It wasn’t particularly alright, but Cecilia managed to produce a Saintess-like smile. Though it felt a bit unpleasant, she figured she could just let it dry.

However, the other woman didn’t seem to hear her answer and suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“We can’t just stay here! Follow me right now! I brought an extra dress, so you can wear that while yours dries!”

“No, I…”

Cecilia, about to refuse, closed her mouth. Due to the sudden commotion, Duke Delanche had stopped his approach and was now merely glaring at her from a distance.

‘Wait, this is a chance to escape.’

“Then, I’ll be in your care.”

No sooner had Cecilia accepted than the woman led her out of the hall with fierce momentum.

The place they arrived at, following the nameless noble lady, was an empty powder room.

After seating her in a plush, dark gray chair, the woman offered another apology.

“I apologize once again for causing such trouble through my carelessness.”

Then, instead of calling a servant to bring a new dress, she lightly placed her hand over the hem of Cecilia’s skirt.

Whoosh!

A light breeze seemed to blow, and the fabric instantly became bone-dry.

“……You were a mage.”

“I only possess enough skill for small tricks like this.”

The woman replied shyly, but a chill ran down Cecilia’s spine.

‘A mage?’

A strange woman. An accident that might not be a coincidence. An enclosed space where they were alone.

Belatedly sensing danger, Cecilia leaned her upper body back slightly.

However, despite her tension, the woman immediately straightened up from her bowed position.

“You must have been very startled because of me. No one will approach this room for a while, so please take a short rest before you leave.”

The woman gave a bright smile and left the room just like that.

In the spot where the mysterious woman had been, only a single, familiar glass bottle sat neatly on the table.

A glass bottle the size of a palm. A small memo attached to it. A familiar handwriting.

‘Fatigue Reliever.’

Realization came a step late.

‘That woman just now was the “person to help” that Lien had stationed here.’

Even though he hadn’t even shown up at the banquet hall. Even though he hadn’t shown his face for several days, he was present in every corner of her daily life.

Cecilia carefully opened the glass bottle. Unexpectedly, the fatigue reliever had a sweet strawberry flavor.

“Ah.”

Clutching the empty bottle, Cecilia’s face crumpled into an expression that was halfway between a sob and a smile.

[Lien, about this potion.]

[Is… is there a problem…?]

[It’s too bitter. Can’t you do something about it? Like using magic to change it to strawberry flavor! What do you think? I think it would sell much better.]

It was a certain summer day when she had been engrossed in dance practice until sweat beaded on the bridge of her nose.

Lien had handed her a recovery potion when she was exhausted. And she had voiced that complaint in passing.

[That would be difficult. If a potion tastes too good, there is a risk of misuse.]

‘You refused so firmly back then.’

[It is nothing much, but I have brought something. Would you accept it if it is alright?]

[W-wait a minute. What is all this?]

[They are potions I made myself. I am sure you have plenty of Holy Water, but I thought they might be of help.]

Those gifts he had made himself for her when she was ill, which she had ultimately never taken a single sip of.

Did those have such a sweet taste as well? For some reason, she felt she knew the answer without even checking.

Amidst that devastating certainty, Cecilia roughly wiped her face.

Her mouth was incredibly sweet, yet it felt as if bitter water were rising in her throat.

He was bothersome. He was uncomfortable. He kept being brought to mind. And so, in the end, he…

‘Don’t think about it anymore.’

Cecilia desperately shook off the ensuing thoughts.

She rubbed her heels, which had been chafed by the unfamiliar shoes, and slowly stood up.

‘Let’s go back to the banquet hall.’

She could have rested more, but she was worried about Miguel being left alone, and she still had an important goal remaining.

However, despite her resolve, she found she could not return to the banquet hall.

It was all because the palace was so damn huge.

‘Which way was the path back?’

At this point, she had to admit she was directionally challenged.

Disheartened, Cecilia came to a halt in the middle of a dark hallway. She intended to wait for a passing servant to ask for directions.

Just then, a large silhouette approached closely behind her.

‘I let my guard down. Is it a threat?’

She spun around, ready to draw upon her divine power to attack if necessary.

The hallway, with its lights extinguished, was so dark it was difficult to identify the person at a glance. However, it was certain that the man was wearing a black robe.

“……Lien? Is it you, by any chance?”

Even though there were more than a few robed mages attending the banquet, she felt a certain conviction.

Then, a low and gentle voice, exactly as expected, returned to her.

“Lady Weberdin, if it is not an intrusion, would you spare me a moment of your time?”

The man held out his hand with a polite gesture, as if he were asking for a dance.

Cecilia placed her hand in his without hesitation.

For a moment, she thought she heard a faint chuckle from above her head.

“Please close your eyes for a moment and then open them.”

When she obediently closed and opened her eyes, the two who had been standing in the dark hallway had moved to the middle of an unknown garden.

“This place is…”

“It is a secret garden within the Imperial Palace. Whenever I had business at the palace, I used to hide here. Very few people come by.”

Sshhh. A cool breeze that had brushed past trees and petals hit her skin.

Cecilia, who had been admiring the flowers sparkling under the moonlight as if in a dream, slowly looked up at him.

“Have you finally given up on running away?”

“……Are you angry?”

Lien asked with a bitter smile.

The hem of his robe clutched tightly, the trembling of his Adam’s apple—such things clearly betrayed his state of mind.

Cecilia took another step closer to him as he waited anxiously for her answer.

When she reached out and pushed back his hood, he appeared, groomed as neatly as he had been during his past interview.

His terrifyingly perfect face lacked a certain human touch, reminding her instead that he was the infamous Magic Tower Master.

And yet, those violet eyes that were still wavering, and those tightly pressed lips, resembled the sweetness still lingering on the tip of her tongue.

The thoughts she had tried so hard to shake off filled her head in a form she could no longer ignore.

Because he was bothersome, because he was uncomfortable, because he was constantly brought to mind. And so…

Yes, in the end, she had missed him.

Cecilia, finally admitting it to herself, shook her head slowly. She didn’t even feel like being angry anymore.

Only then did he crinkle his eyes softly. He took off his robe, spread it over a garden bench, and sat her down on it.

“You look tired.”

“It’s not exactly a comfortable place, after all.”

Nodding instead of answering, he knelt on one knee in front of Cecilia.

Having somehow noticed that her feet were hurt, he took off her shoes and wrapped his large hands around her ankles.

Soon, a warm sensation, much like when she had swallowed the potion, spread to her feet and up to her calves.

The warmth of his magic lingering on her skin without dissipating, and that incredibly gentle expression—it was so ticklish she could hardly bear it.

Cecilia, unnecessarily curling her toes now that the pain was gone, asked him.

“You said you couldn’t come, so how did you get here?”

“I saw your heels were high and wondered if you might hurt your feet like this, if you were starving among nothing but uncomfortable people, if you were exhausted in the midst of meaningless humans. As I kept thinking those thoughts, before I knew it, I was in the hallway of the banquet hall.”

He replied as he carefully put her shoes back on.

Cecilia was momentarily speechless at his honest answer. It was only after a long while that her voice came out, sounding somewhat choked up.

“……Are you worried about me?”

“I always am.”

“Why?”

“That is……”

She stared blankly down at his cheeks and the nape of his neck, which were flushing as if red ink were spreading through them.

“Because I like you.”