Episode 140: Magic Tower
After a great commotion had passed.
While Francia and Duke Fervache enjoyed a rare father-daughter moment, strolling through the garden, Yohan and Rudella were leisurely conversing in the second-floor office of the mansion.
Click.
Rudella set down her teacup.
“It seems the conversation ended well.”
Yohan gave a wry smile.
“He was angry, but he let it go in the end.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried something might happen.”
When Duke Fervache arrived and began speaking with Yohan, there was a risk of unwanted trouble, so Rudella had hidden away in the annex.
“I’m sorry… it’s because of me.”
Rudella pursed her lips and lowered her gaze.
She had wished to be his second wife, yet she had to hide and let Yohan take full responsibility. She felt deeply sorry for him.
“You don’t have to apologize. From the start, it was Francia and I who decided to accept you.”
But Yohan wasn’t bothered. After all, it would be absurd to drag a concubine into a conversation with his father-in-law and demand accountability.
“Thank you for saying that.”
“I’m just stating the truth.”
Yohan smiled faintly and took a sip of his tea.
The gentle fragrance of flowers rose with the steam, spreading quietly through the room.
“Now, onto the main topic.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’m going to hold a wedding soon.”
A wedding.
A once-in-a-lifetime moment between a couple, a ceremony that vows eternal love. A sacred act that publicly declares and legitimizes their union.
She, too, must have wished for it.
“A wedding, huh…”
Rudella furrowed her brows slightly and stroked her chin, lost in thought.
Yohan watched her fondly and smiled.
“The ceremony will be held in Lahart territory, and I plan to propose to you as well.”
“To me too?”
“Yes. You are my lover and my wife.”
“Hmm.”
Yohan had expected her to be pleased, but Rudella’s reaction was not what he anticipated.
“I understand your kindness and your intention to fulfill my wish. But I cannot accept it.”
“Why not?”
“Yohan, you are now the Duke of Lahart, the head of a noble family that represents the empire.”
She continued.
“If someone of your stature proposes to a concubine at the same wedding where you marry Lady Fervache, what do you think will happen? There will be criticism, ridicule, and scorn. I don’t want to make you a laughingstock just to fulfill my own desires.”
She had a point. Yohan knew that too. But even if he were to become a subject of ridicule, he wanted to grant Rudella’s wish.
“Still…”
“No. I’ll accept your feelings, but not the proposal.”
“Mm.”
With a firm response, Rudella tilted her head slightly and met Yohan’s gaze.
“In exchange, there is something I want from you.”
Her lips curled into a playful smile.
“I’d like you to increase the number of kisses.”
“…More? I feel like we already do it ten times a day.”
“That’s not nearly enough.”
She leaned in slightly, locking eyes with him.
“Because I’m carrying a child, I don’t get to receive much of your love, do I?”
Though they still shared intimacy, the frequency had decreased. Even in the early stages of pregnancy, Yohan was cautious, and Rudella seemed to regret that.
“Alright, then I’ll double the number of kisses.”
“Which means we’ll naturally end up in bed twice as often too.”
As Yohan readily agreed, Rudella smiled contentedly. He had once been completely inexperienced in love, but now, he had become quite the expert.
“Is there anything else I should know?”
“Hmm, just the household affairs and estate matters when you go to Lahart’s territory.”
“You mean from you and Lady Fervache?”
“Yes. I thought it would be good for you to learn.”
It would have been fine to invite a noblewoman from another territory or learn from an experienced head butler, but Yohan judged that it would be best for Rudella to teach directly.
The two of them didn’t seem to have a particularly good relationship.
Of course, there was no absolute need for them to get along… but wouldn’t unresolved tensions lead to conflict in the future? It seemed necessary to have time to get to know each other in preparation for that.
“Hmm, alright. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You’re not forcing yourself because I asked, are you?”
“Of course not. I understand your heart better than anyone else, Yohan.”
Rudella smiled gently. Seated across a small tea table, she moved her fingers quietly, resting them lightly on the back of Yohan’s hand.
Softly, carefully.
Then, she continued speaking.
“I heard that doing things like this is good for prenatal care. After all, the only things I do these days are reading books and taking walks, right? Staying still for too long isn’t good either.”
Yohan cherished Rudella as if handling a delicate glass ornament—carefully, as if she might break; cautiously, as if a single flaw might mar her. Rudella, of course, understood why Yohan couldn’t help but be so careful.
So, reassuring him had become part of her daily routine.
“Then I’m relieved.”
“Yes, don’t worry too much.”
When Yohan smiled, Rudella followed with a soft smile of her own. Her eyes curved gently, a warm and delicate gaze shining through.
The moment he saw her smiling eyes, Yohan’s heart skipped a beat once again. What should he do? How could she be this beautiful? The words to express his affection almost slipped out of his mouth.
“Rudella, your smile is always so beautiful.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it’s my favorite expression of yours.”
“Hmm, then I should smile more often.”
Rudella smiled again, her eyes curving gracefully.
“So that Yohan will love me even more.”
“Haha.”
It was a day filled with endless laughter.
***
That Evening at the Fervache Residence in the Capital
Click.
Francia stepped out of the bathroom, her body still glistening with moisture.
With a light towel wrapped around her, she wiped away the remaining droplets and quietly approached Yohan, who was lying on the bed.
“You worked hard today.”
“Haha… I wouldn’t call it hard work. It was my own fault, after all.”
Yohan chuckled awkwardly.
Though he had endured a long scolding, he understood the Duke’s feelings when he put himself in his shoes. He had no complaints about it.
Francia, lost in thought, spoke softly.
“I can’t believe the wedding is so soon.”
“Really?”
“Yes. A lot has happened, but everything turned out well in the end, and now we’re about to get married.”
Francia smiled shyly and slowly leaned in. Her soft skin brushed against his arm, pressing lightly against his chest.
The warmth seeped through his clothes—not too hot, not too cold—just the perfect, delicate heat that enveloped him.
“I’m just so happy right now, being able to be with you officially. Is it just me?”
“Of course not. I’m happy too. How could I not be, when I get to be with such a beautiful and kind woman?”
“Hmm, beautiful, yes, but kind… not really.”
Yohan gently brushed Francia’s bangs aside and smiled.
“In my eyes, you are kind. That’s all that matters.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. You’ve always treated me well, haven’t you?”
“That’s true, but…”
Francia’s smile stiffened slightly as she carefully averted her gaze.
To be honest, she didn’t feel confident enough to accept being called kind without hesitation.
She had returned to the past, stolen another woman’s husband, and even placed responsibility on him. Even if the Yohan from her previous life had told her to do so…
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Francia changed the subject.
“By the way, is the ceremony going to be just the two of us?”
“It seems that way.”
“Hmm, why is that? I thought Lady Rudella would want a wedding as well.”
“Actually… I asked her, but she said she didn’t want one.”
“Oh, really?”
Francia tilted her head in confusion. Considering how much Rudella loved Yohan, she had assumed a wedding would be a given. Her decision was unexpected.
Yohan added an explanation.
“She said she wouldn’t do it because I might become a laughingstock.”
“Is that so? She doesn’t want to tarnish her husband’s honor for her own desires?”
“That was part of her reasoning as well.”
“Hmm…”
She truly is thoughtful.
Francia suddenly found herself admiring Rudella’s grace.
Though she was called the Obsidian Saintess, wasn’t Rudella the true epitome of a perfect woman?
Of course, beneath that elegant exterior lurked a cold-blooded killer, devoid of emotion.
“In any case, it seems the upcoming wedding will just be the two of us. That’s how it should be, anyway.”
Yohan said this while gazing up at the ceiling.
So much had happened in such a short time.
He had dealt with several mentally unstable noblemen and protected Francia.
‘Though there’s still the matter of the Tower Master…’
Francia smirked mischievously.
“Fufufu, I see. That means the wedding will be my exclusive privilege.”
She snuggled closer into Yohan’s embrace.
The warmth of her skin, the delicate floral scent of her perfume—his head felt slightly dizzy.
But he had to resist.
Tonight was not the time for that.
“…Shall we sleep?”
Yohan asked, feeling that if they stayed like this any longer, he might not be able to suppress his instincts.
“Yes. We have to meet my father tomorrow, after all.”
Yohan pulled Francia closer and extinguished the magical lantern.
***
Late at Night, Fervache Imperial Estate
Scratch, scratch.
The faint sound of a pen nib moving filled the dimly lit office, where only a single magical lantern flickered.
Duke Fervache was catching up on the estate management tasks he had neglected.
Then, suddenly—
The scratching stopped.
The pen’s nib came to a complete halt.
“…”
A cold gaze swept over his back.
For a moment, the Duke’s body froze.
A chilling sensation crept up his nape, making every hair on his body stand on end.
His heartbeat slowed.
This was no mere trick of the mind.
The eerie feeling crawling up his spine—this was the presence of something.
The Duke slowly gathered his magic.
Someone—or something immense—was watching him.
“Who’s there?”
There was no response.
Yet the overwhelming presence remained, unsettling his very senses with its chilling magic.
“If you won’t answer, I’ll have to force you out.”
Crack, crack…!
Frost spread.
The window froze over, and a biting cold seeped into the room.
And then—
At his feet, a delicate, transparent blue ice flower silently bloomed.
—Kiiing!
As the frost stormed through the room, a familiar let out a pained whimper and collapsed to the ground.
“…”
The Duke pressed his lips into a firm line and lowered his gaze.
A familiar with winged eyes…
He immediately recognized where it had come from.
“The Magic Tower.”