Chapter 23.1

The archmage’s castle was so vast and complex that I knew it would take a long time to walk there, but something was bitter about the fact that Celina, who could be said to be one of the castle masters, could only comfortably navigate the interior with the help of another person.

I climbed the stairs and went inside. This was an outdoor corridor. Instead of windows and walls, huge ivory columns supported the ceiling.

As the spring breeze blew, my hair and clothes fluttered. The temperature was crisp.

This remote place was the peak of the castle, where Elijah’s residence, his laboratory, and his private living room were located. Neither maids or servants ever came here. Even though the archmage would have been very thorough in his cleaning due to his nature, pink petals rolled all over the floor.

The door to the lab, engraved in the shape of a snake climbing up a tree, opened by itself as I approached it. It was clear that it meant to come in, so I grabbed the handle and opened it wide.

The wind blew from the inside, and once again, my hair and skirt fluttered. There was someone else inside besides Elijah.

The archmage waved his hand towards the other nearby wizards. The three people, who looked like apprentices, greeted me with a deep bow, then left one after the other.

“Sit down.”

“Yes.”

I sat comfortably in one of the chairs that were left empty when they went out. Ian stood quietly at the door.

It was a place where chaos and luxury coexisted side by side. Difficult books and suspicious alchemy vials were piled up everywhere, but the furniture and accessories were lustrous.

Like Elijah, who loved to dress up beautifully, there were shiny ornaments everywhere. However, even if he had that detached attitude, I knew very well that there was an item that if I touched by mistake, I would have to die.

The two transparent chimes hanging by the window made it look like a leisurely corner to relax in this chaotic place. A clear sound echoed whenever the long string underneath them moved.

Elijah, who was sitting at the expensive mahogany desk, moved across from me. Even though he frequently stayed up all night, his face did not show any signs of exhaustion.

In addition, he was dressed in his usual attire. As if the clothes that tightened around his neck weren’t suffocating.

“There’s a reason I called you here.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“First of all.”

He started speaking with a low voice. I turned my gaze at the same time.

The sky outside the office window was clear. There were no clouds, so I could even feel the sense of transparency as it should be reflected on the ground.

Since I couldn’t go outside, it became a habit to look out the windows. It was a pretty sad reason.

As if to celebrate the beginning of the story in earnest, the season that Elijah decided on was spring. The cherry blossoms were still in full bloom.

But there was still a blizzard inside me. Some people say that when this kind of extreme situation comes up, their heads become clearer and more composed, but none of that happened to me.

I just continued to feel bad. Just as I forced myself to write, I only made a weak vow to make everyone happy and leave.

“Celina.”

“Yes.”

I answered as Elijah called this woman’s name, my eyes still fixed outside the window. Even though I roughly heard about it, I understood everything.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Yes. Go ahead. I can never agree that Ian was negligent in his protection, but I will abide by Father’s judgment. Mikael would also move around more comfortably if he had Ian with him.”

I picked up a soft green clover-shaped confectionery and took a sip of a light cup of coffee.

There was nothing to be surprised about. This was in the right order. After the kidnapping of Ingrit, Elijah took Ian, one of his manpower that was pitifully blamed, and put him next to Mikael.

But even though the name of the person kidnapped may be different, seeing as it was progressing like this, it seemed like the real path would work. Good. I was a little less worried.

But there was a small problem. I never set up how the wizard servant was attached to Celina.

She saved the female knight by chance and they formed a connection, but the brash little wizard just stuck to her at some point. Because it wasn’t necessary for the story.

“Why are you so accepting?”

Elijah asked coldly.

“My Father is clever without comparison, and he has more insight than me. Is there someone as good as Ian? I wish it was a woman this time.”

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