Chapter 20
Damien was renowned as a genius mage and the next master of the Magic Tower.
He was just as proud, and he wasn't the sort to open his heart easily to women.
The only woman he had actively courted throughout his entire life was Lucia, the star of high society.
"I wish to know your name, my lady. Would you please whisper it with those sweet lips of yours?"
And yet, even with Lucia standing right beside him, he had lost his heart to another woman.
Platinum-blond hair, blue eyes, and a pure beauty that held both youthful innocence and a strange allure.
Celine's appearance, dressed in a mature style, was exceptionally beautiful.
If Lucia was a rose in full, flamboyant bloom, Celine was like a plum blossom blooming alone in a snowy field.
"......Yes?"
Celine herself merely blinked, too flustered to respond.
"Ah, my apologies for startling you, my lady."
Damien belatedly came to his senses. He had just been about to reach out desperately toward Celine.
Snatch-!
A hand that shot forward like a bolt of lightning seized Damien by the wrist.
"Hey."
Damien turned his head, and golden eyes brimming with murderous intent filled his vision.
"Do you want to die?"
"Who the hell are you?"
He was blocking Damien's approach to the young lady and openly displaying his hostility. The reason was as plain as day.
"You womanizing bastard. Are you planning to keep two women?"
"Shut up and get lost. I'll give you three seconds."
"That's my line. Let go of this hand and get lost, now!"
Their gazes tangled fiercely, as if sparks might fly through the air.
Amid the vicious atmosphere, Celine clung to Astin's arm.
"P-Please calm down, Big Brother!"
Big Brother?
Thud-!
"S-Sorry!!!"
Damien von Sirius, the genius mage renowned throughout the world.
His ability to assess a situation was as quick and precise as his mana-calculation speed.
That was why he was the vice tower master.
"I spoke out of turn without recognizing you, Young Master! No, Big Brother!!"
His attitude changed as abruptly as a flipped palm. Even his form of address cleverly shifted from Young Master to Big Brother.
Astin merely let out a short, incredulous breath.
He glared at Damien as though he were a bug until the very end, then turned away coldly.
"Let's go, Celine."
"Ah...!"
Astin pulled Celine by the wrist and left the terrace.
The anger was plain in his heavy, thudding footsteps.
Once the two of them left the terrace, only Damien and Lucia remained.
"Ahem, ahem!"
Damien rose while dusting himself off, coughing repeatedly in embarrassment.
The man who had been searching everywhere for Lucia moments ago had fallen for another woman in an instant.
From Lucia's perspective, he must have looked like the worst kind of scumbag, switching from one woman to another.
Damien cautiously glanced at Lucia's expression.
"Miss Lucia. I'm sorry. I was rude...."
Lucia smiled sweetly at him as he began to make excuses.
"I'll be rooting for you, Vice Tower Master Damien."
There was no jealousy or hurt in her smile. It was nothing but warm and friendly.
"Pardon? Miss Lucia, what do you mean...."
"I mean, do your best. Fighting!"
Lucia even clenched her fist and sent him her encouragement.
Damien froze, completely unable to understand what was happening.
Lucia left the terrace with light, almost skipping steps, her back turned to him.
'This is great. I'm finally down one man!'
The four men who clung to her and pestered her endlessly.
Lucia felt deeply grateful to Celine for relieving her of such an exhausting burden.
***
"Where on earth is she hiding? She was in the corner just a moment ago."
The two young ladies strolled through the ballroom, searching every corner.
"Exactly. Could she have run off without a word?"
"That could be it."
Perhaps Astin had fled because he couldn't bear the hostile stares. What else was there to say? His reputation as a wastrel was everywhere.
The hand holding her fan trembled nervously with impatience.
They had to humiliate Cardenos somehow at today's Founding Festival.
It didn't have to be Astin. Even a bastard child would do.
That was the secret assignment House Rosenthal had given them.
"Our futures at the Magic Tower are at stake. We have to find that bastard child, at least."
With Rosenthal behind them, they could finally shed the tiresome label of apprentice.
The Magic Tower was a harsh place where talent alone was not enough to survive.
They desperately needed a powerful backer with immense wealth and influence.
Even as they spoke, the two searched the crowd relentlessly, their eyes burning with purpose.
"Huh? Look over there."
"Did you find her?"
The red-painted lips curved into a sly smile.
"You were right. She's passing by there now."
A blond man and woman crossing the ballroom.
It was Astin, emerging from the terrace with his face stiffened in anger, and Celine, scurrying along to keep up with his long strides.
"Of all things, they're together."
"We might not get another chance if we don't do it now. And it may actually be better that they're together. Remember, we have to be prepared to take a few hits from Astin."
"Of course."
The two young ladies set down their champagne glasses and began walking with graceful steps.
Just before the servant carrying champagne on a silver tray passed the siblings,
the two young ladies also slipped past them unobtrusively.
Whoosh—
In that instant, a faint ripple of mana stirred at one young lady's fingertips.
Celine's dress was a long gown that reached all the way to her toes.
The secretly manifested mana caused the hem of the dress to curl inward.
The fabric then wound slyly around the back of her heel.
"!"
Celine's steps tangled, and she pitched helplessly forward.
Her body collided head-on with the servant. The silver tray in his hands flew up into the air.
Crash-! Clatter-!
Golden champagne spilled in every direction.
Celine and the servant sprawled on the floor, and even the dresses of the two young ladies passing beside them were thoroughly drenched.
"Aaaah!"
"W-What do you think you're doing!"
The two young ladies jumped and let out exaggerated shrieks. Every gaze in the ballroom turned toward them.
They fussily brushed at their dresses and glared fiercely at Celine.
"Oh, my goodness, what should we do? How could you suddenly run into someone like that?"
"I-I'm sorry. My feet suddenly got tangled......"
"Your feet got tangled? I thought there was something strange about the way you were walking. You're that bastard daughter of Cardenos, aren't you?"
"Oh my, you really are. I suppose you haven't learned proper social etiquette yet. Even so, how could you behave so carelessly at a ball in the Imperial Palace...."
Celine's shoulders hunched miserably.
With everyone's attention focused on them, the two young ladies shook out their dresses even more dramatically.
"Do you want me to rip out your tongues?"
Golden eyes flashed with dense murderous intent.
Astin stepped in front of the two young ladies, shielding Celine with his body.
"Young Master Astin. What did you just say?"
"You think I don't know? You tripped Celine. That was your doing."
"Pardon? What are you talking about.... Why would we harbor any grudge against this young lady and trip her?"
"Exactly. Please don't intimidate helpless women just because you're the eldest son of Cardenos."
This too was precisely what the two young ladies had intended.
For all his faults, a Cardenos was still a Cardenos, and they had assumed he would notice at such close range.
But only he could perceive it. He had no way to prove it.
"Is this Rosenthal's doing?"
"Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?"
The two young ladies deftly composed their expressions.
Astin scanned the surrounding atmosphere, then glanced at Celine, who had shrunk into herself.
As long as this situation continued, Celine would only suffer further humiliation.
"Rosenthal or not, apologize to Celine and get lost. Then I'll consider this matter closed."
"Why should we apologize? We're the ones who were harmed."
"Our dresses are completely soaked, and we've never suffered such humiliation. Isn't it only common sense that we should be the ones receiving an apology?"
Without realizing it, Astin tightened his fist. The veins in his forearm stood out prominently.
This was it.
"Oh, my!"
They raised their voices so that everyone nearby could hear.
"Young Master, are you clenching your fist right now? Surely you aren't planning to use violence against us......?"
"Good heavens. So the terrible things they say happened to Lady Azeline weren't just rumors after all."
The Founding Festival had drawn thousands of nobles.
If Astin lost his temper and raised a hand, his reputation would plummet beyond all hope of recovery.
Astin suppressed his anger until the bones in his tightly clenched fist creaked.
He wanted to tear their mouths apart right then and there, but he had to endure it.
When they saw him hesitate, the two young ladies continued saying everything they could to make themselves look more pitiful.
"We aren't even asking for compensation for our dresses. We only want to enjoy the Founding Festival hosted by His Imperial Majesty in peace."
"Please put aside your anger and face reality. Don't let your emotions control you. Think rationally."
The two pretended nothing was wrong and surveyed the mood of the ballroom.
Most of the nobles were looking toward Astin and Celine with hostile eyes, whispering among themselves.
Astin's reputation was already terrible, and Celine was a bastard daughter.
It was easy to seize control of the atmosphere by simply pushing that narrative.
At present, they would appear to be pitiful yet principled young ladies who refused to retreat even while trembling before a Young Master who struck women.
They had technically achieved their goal already, but they needed to drag things out and bring him down as far as possible.
"Please don't glare at us with such frightening eyes. If you offer one sincere apology, we're willing to quietly put this matter behind us."
"Is your pride as the heir to a grand ducal house making it difficult for you to bow your head? But because of your stubbornness, everyone in this ballroom is suffering. Please think of everyone and set aside your pride."
If possible, they wanted to push Astin until he resorted to violence.
That way, they could make the public recall Azeline and create the impression that Rosenthal was the unfortunate victim.
It was a perfect plan.
"Honestly."
At least, it had been until someone intervened.
Click-
The steady sound of heels slowly approached.
Someone appeared, cutting through the crowd with confident strides. The moment they recognized Lucia, the two young ladies' eyes widened.
Why was she coming here?
"I've been watching from a distance. There was more than one suspicious thing about this."
With every eye in the ballroom on her, Lucia approached them.
Her crimson eyes narrowed into slits.
"You two are extremely suspicious."
"W-What exactly are you saying is suspicious?"
Ignoring them, Lucia approached Celine.
"Excuse me for a moment."
She gently lifted the hem of Celine's skirt and examined her shoes.
The two young ladies felt as though their blood were draining away.
Why was Lady Lucia suddenly doing this? Was she unable to tolerate seeing injustice? Even so, why interfere this much?
No, she still didn't know. Even Lucia couldn't know this.
"Just as I thought."
After examining her from every angle, a small smile spread across Lucia's lips.
"There are faint traces of mana remaining along the inner hem of the dress. Wind-attribute magic. It's extremely faint, but I can definitely see it."
"What are you talking about? Why did you suddenly come here and start painting us as villains?"
"Lady Lucia, you should be prepared to take responsibility for what you just said."
"Yes, I will take responsibility. I can swear on all my honor that these two were responsible."
The moment she said that, the two young ladies' faces turned deathly pale.
The residual mana was something only Lucia could see. It was merely a personal claim with uncertain evidence that could not be proven.
But Lucia had said it herself. She had sworn on her honor.
"If Lady Lucia is willing to go that far...."
"I knew something seemed strange."
She wasn't some nobody. She was Lucia, the star of high society.
Everyone in the ballroom clearly understood the weight of her words—and accepted it.
"The fact that they fell at exactly that moment does seem rather deliberate."
"Exactly, exactly. I thought something felt off too."
"Oh, how horrible. What on earth were they trying to do to that young lady?"
In a single instant, thanks to a single person, the atmosphere completely reversed.
The nobles' cold whispers struck the two young ladies like daggers.
Their faces flushed red as tomatoes from humiliation.
"Damn it...!"
"Tch!"
The two hurriedly fled the ballroom.
Even behind them, the nobles' criticism and gossip showed no sign of stopping.
Once the commotion subsided, Lucia turned her gaze toward Celine.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"......."
Looking up at Lucia's gentle eyes, Celine tried to hold back her tears. It lasted only a moment.
Her eyes quickly reddened, and a sob escaped her lips.
"Oh, dear. It's all right, it's all right."
Lucia smiled gently and reached out her hand. After hesitating, Celine flung herself into Lucia's arms.
As she gently stroked Celine's golden hair, Lucia glanced at Astin.
"May I borrow your ear for a moment?"
"?"
Astin tilted his head, but then bent down and offered her his ear. Lucia whispered softly to him.
"To be honest, I couldn't see any mana either. They really went all out."
"...Really?"
"Really. I bluffed based on circumstantial evidence. Anyway, I'm glad I was right."
"What would you have done if you were wrong?"
"You would've been disappointed, wouldn't you?"
Astin looked at her without a word. He let out a small sigh, then lowered his head.
"I'm indebted to you."
There was no way he didn't understand what it meant to swear on one's honor. For someone as influential in high society as Lucia, those words carried even greater weight.
"If you're grateful, let's talk later, just the two of us."
She continued patting Celine, but her gaze remained fixed on Astin.
"We have a lot to talk about anyway, don't we? Though, truthfully, I'm the one with plenty of questions to ask."
***
Tap-tap-tap!
The faces of the two young ladies who had fled the ballroom were colored with dismay.
"What do we do? What are we supposed to do now!"
"We're finished. It was a perfect plan! Who could have guessed Lady Lucia would step in like that!"
Because Lucia, the star of high society, had defended Celine, their plan had failed completely. All that remained was a terrible backlash.
"Will Rosenthal clean this up for us? What if they abandon us?"
"What about Cardenos's retaliation? Didn't you see Young Master Astin's eyes? He looked ready to kill us!"
As the two nervously chewed their fingernails,
"You two."
A chilly voice came from behind them.
The two young ladies flinched and turned around.
When they saw the figure emerging from the darkness, their pupils widened.
"V-Vice Tower Master...!"
Damien von Sirius, the vice tower master of the Sirius Tower.
To the two young ladies affiliated with the Magic Tower, he was as untouchable as the heavens.
The two trembled and bowed deeply at the waist.
Damien silently approached with measured, dignified steps.
He brushed at the hems of their dresses, which had been soaked and ruined by champagne.
"I remember your faces. You're both apprentices from the third-floor laboratories, aren't you?"
Gulp.
"Y-Yes...."
As Damien looked at them, he suddenly stared into empty air. There was nothing there at all.
The two young ladies exchanged bewildered glances.
As they cautiously tried to slip away, Damien muttered to himself.
"I've finally made up my mind. About the feelings I've been wavering over all this time."
"Pardon?"
Damien's gaze slowly lowered, landing coldly on the two young ladies' faces.
"I decided ten times and swore it a hundred times."
An unusual light glimmered in his eyes.
"Lady Celine von Cardenos is someone I have decided to protect with my life."
"Eek!"
The two young ladies' shoulders jerked reflexively. They could do nothing but step backward on instinct.
The more they did so, the closer Damien drew.
"There's nothing I hate seeing more than ugly bitches laying hands on a pretty woman."
A genius mage and the true power behind the Sirius Tower.
The two could barely breathe beneath the vicious mana Damien released.
"What a pity. Those already ugly faces of yours are about to get even uglier."
Damien seized both young ladies by the collars.
For quite some time, shrill screams echoed through the deserted corridor.