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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“Ah! You know him, don’t you?”
“…Yes, but why is he here?”
“I brought him along. He was wandering around the Tower. Hahaha!”
“…Master, please…”
I wasn’t thrilled about being introduced so casually, but I was grateful that he’d drawn Isabella’s attention.
‘I should leave.’
I tried to slip away, leaving them to their father-daughter-like banter, when…
“Ah! Where are you going?”
Prion grabbed my wrist, and Isabella looked at me awkwardly.
“The scroll creation magic isn’t really…”
“Hmm? I now know we’ll that you didn’t create those scrolls that way.”
“Then you have no business with me…?”
“What? You’ve become so cold! She’s your former fiancée and classmate. Aren’t you even going to greet her?”
Prion clearly didn’t know what had transpired between Isabella and me. Otherwise, the Great Sage wouldn’t be so oblivious.
Isabella tugged at his sleeve, her expression pleading with him to stop, but he just smiled at her.
“Come on, Isabella. You should at least say hello.”
“…Master…”
“It’s fine.”
I had to intervene before she became any more uncomfortable.
“Lady Isabella and I had a… slight misunderstanding. So, greeting each other might be a bit awkward.”
“Oh? Did my disciple do something wrong…?”
“No, it was my fault. There’s no need for her to apologize.”
Isabella’s eyes widened, her blush fading as she stared at me.
…Was she that surprised?
I didn’t have any positive feelings towards her, but I wasn’t going to badmouth her in front of her mentor.
I said goodbye to Prion and Isabella and turned to leave, heading back to the dorm where Ella was waiting, when…
“W… Wait…!”
Isabella’s voice stopped me. I turned around.
“Yes, Lady Isabella?”
“I… I… I… Um…”
“If you have nothing to say, I’ll be going.”
“I… I’m sorry!”
“…?”
“…Hic!”
She’d apologized? The haughty, arrogant Lady Isabella?
She’d bitten her tongue, her face contorted in a grimace, then blushed, realizing her own awkwardness.
“…What are you apologizing for?”
“For… for the way I treated you… for everything…”
“…”
I hadn’t expected an apology. She was consumed by magic, oblivious to everything else. I’d assumed she’d forgotten all about our previous encounters.
It was a belated apology, but I’d encountered enough entitled people who refused to acknowledge their mistakes, let alone apologize, that I could easily forgive her.
I’d long since attributed her behavior to youthful arrogance.
“…It’s a little late, don’t you think?”
“…I… I know… I’m…”
“It’s fine. It’s in the past, and you haven’t directly harmed me.”
“But…!”
“It’s alright. If you’re still feeling guilty, consider it a debt.”
“A… debt?”
“You can do me a favor sometime.”
“Is… Is that all?”
“Yes.”
House Luniere had access to rare research materials I couldn’t obtain on my own.
She seemed to be considering it, but it was a no-brainer. She didn’t know what I’d ask of her, but as the eldest daughter of House Luniere, she could fulfill almost any request. And if it was beyond her capabilities, her mentor would gladly assist.
This was a small price to pay to alleviate her guilt.
She seemed to reach the same conclusion. Her hesitation vanished, replaced by a look of determination.
“I accept.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“…Are you sure?”
“Do you know what I’ll ask of you?”
“…Well…”
Her blush deepened, and I could guess what she was thinking.
But I’d lived many lives, and while I hadn’t lost my desires, I wasn’t interested in a minor.
Her assumption amused me.
“…What’s so funny?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not interested in your body.”
“…!”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
I thought I heard her gasp, but surely someone as conscious of appearances as she was wouldn’t make such a sound.
I opened the white doors of the Magic Tower and stepped outside.
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“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing, Master.”
“Nothing? You look like you’re a million miles away, Isabella.”
He was right. She couldn’t focus.
Jenison, the man who’d turned her world upside down, was all she could think about.
At first, it had been guilt and self-reproach. Guilt for the way she’d treated him, and shame for behaving like the arrogant nobles she despised.
She’d wanted to apologize, but not in front of her mentor, a notoriously overprotective man with monstrous power. If she apologized and Jenison didn’t accept, her mentor wouldn’t stand for it.
She’d planned to postpone her apology, hoping the awkwardness would dissipate.
She would have, if he hadn’t said those words.
‘It was my fault. There’s no need for her to apologize.’
‘It was my fault…’
‘My fault…’
Why?
Why was he protecting her?
He must hate her, perhaps even despise her. So why?
He could have used her apology to gain something.
The Great Sage’s name carried weight. Any request he made would be difficult to refuse. He could have asked for valuable artifacts, or even lessons in magic theory.
He must have considered it. So why hadn’t he?
Why had he taken the blame, further damaging his own reputation? Was it a final act of kindness?
The thought filled her with shame. She’d been so afraid of damaging her own reputation, of facing public scrutiny, that she’d considered delaying her apology. He, on the other hand, had prioritized her well-being over his own.
By the time she realized her mistake, he was gone.
She had to find him.
“Master! I’ll be right back.”
“Hmm? Alright.”
She ignored her master’s teasing remark about her belated rebellious phase and chased after Jenison.
She caught up to him and apologized, her voice trembling. She’d never apologized before, and she stumbled over her words, biting her tongue and hiccuping.
She wanted to disappear, but his response, slightly sharp, made her even more nervous.
“…What are you apologizing for?”
What was she apologizing for?
It was obvious, wasn’t it?
For all the times she’d treated him coldly, for all the careless words that must have hurt him. He probably hated her.
She had to apologize for everything, from the moment they met. Otherwise, the guilt would consume her.
He listened, his expression unreadable. She imagined him rejecting her apology, demanding something in return. He had a reputation as a womanizer.
His response, however, was unexpected.
He forgave her. He said it was in the past, that she hadn’t directly harmed him. He even sounded grateful.
She felt a pang of guilt. He was grateful for such a small, belated apology. It meant no one had ever bothered to apologize to him before.
Perhaps to alleviate her guilt, he called it a debt. And she felt a sense of relief.
She briefly worried about what he might ask of her, then realized she could fulfill almost any request.
But was this enough? Could such a small gesture atone for her past actions?
He agreed, readily accepting her offer, then left the Magic Tower.
She didn’t feel absolved. She couldn’t.
Within the Archive, the repository of magical knowledge, the Great Sage studied methods for dealing with a rebellious teenager, while his disciple vowed to fulfill any request he made, hoping to atone for her past mistakes.
‘…Are my… proportions… really that bad?’
A frivolous question lingered in her mind.
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