Failed To Abandon the Villain

“Ack…”

Valletta slowly opened her eyes as the pain pierced her head. She felt like she dreamed as well as woke up repeatedly in the middle of the night.

It’s a long-standing habit for her to not fall asleep deeply, but the headache she got every morning was annoying.

“Should I get you some water?”

“Ah, thank-”

At the sound of an unfamiliar voice, Valletta raised her head, frowning.

A light blue-haired man, who came near the bed, smiled softly. Maybe it was because of the pale pigmentation, but his eyes looked transparent.

He poured water from the kettle and handed her a glass of water.

Valletta got up from her bed, grabbed it, and poured it down her throat. Her throat only returned to its original state after that.

“Are you Ceylon?”

“It seems like the introduction was already given by Quilt. Nice to meet you. You can call me Ceylon, Valletta-nim.”

“Ah, I’ve heard.”

She rubbed her forehead and nodded.

The splitting headache she had always lived with along with the insomnia, but thanks to Reinhardt, she felt comfortable for a few days, then she experienced it again.

“Come to think of it, twelve hours might have already passed as I was sleeping.”

“The shift change was a little later than expected. I think in the future, the shift will probably take place when you’re asleep.”

“I see.”

Valletta rested her forehead on her desk chair.

The headache will go away soon, but since it has been a while since she last experienced it, it felt even more unfamiliar.

“What about that hateful guy?”

“Hateful guy…?”

“That guy who calls me Master.”

She can call him Reinhardt but she didn’t want to.

Maybe it was because she hasn’t called his name for a long time, but when she tries to call his name, her tongue refuses first.

“Before my turn, he was in the Sky Room. Recently, his power has been unstable and there were cases when it ran wild…”

“… Unstable.”

“That was why the Sky Room was installed at the very top. So even if the Magic Tower’s Master mana overflowed, the damage would be minimal.”

Is that why when I opened my eyes, I saw clouds?

Certainly, with that height, there won’t be any casualties except for a few birds.

“And the glass windows surrounding the Sky Room have the property of absorbing more than a certain amount of mana.”

“Ah, so that room is for the Magic Tower’s Master’s power that overflowed…”

“Everyone is unstable in the early stages of awakening. However, the Magic Tower’s Master’s power is so strong that normal control methods do not work.”

Valletta leaned her head against the back of the chair and mumbled under her breath.

After a while, her head felt a little refreshed. Although she still had a mild headache.

“Excuse me, but can I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

“What is My Lord and Valletta-nim’s relationship?”

“That’s a very common question. Should I write the answer on my forehead?”

I think I’ve been asked the same question three times now.

Valletta showed an ambiguous smile and shrugged. After her headache subsided, she slowly opened her eyes and turned her gaze to Ceylon.

“We have no relationship. It’s like a rotten rope.”

Ceylon shut his mouth as a response to the seemingly indifferent answer.

Nevertheless, his Lord believes in the Sokor right in front of him. He doesn’t trust anyone and does things alone, but he believes in her alone with no single doubt.

It hurt his pride a little.

“I’m going to wash up and go out.”

“Yes.”

Valletta stepped into the bathroom attached to her room.

She felt uncomfortable because she sweated all night, and her hands were cold because her body temperature dropped. She felt like she had to be sprayed with hot water.

Ceylon slowly looked around. There was nothing strange about the room.

Except for the bed and the desk, there was no feeling that someone was living there at all.

‘She can’t get a good night’s sleep?’

She had been groaning since his switch with Quilt, but she didn’t seem to mind it that much. After that, she became quiet.

She seemed to have quite a headache and showed fatigue. It was clear that she couldn’t sleep properly.

Click.

It was the sound of the bathroom door opening.

Ceylon shut his mouth when he saw her coming out with her hair not properly dried. Then she slumped back down on the hard desk chair.

“Doesn’t your leg hurt standing like that?”

“I’m fine. Why is your hair…”

“Ah, I just roughly brushed it and came out. It’ll dry soon.”

She set the towel aside and took out a notebook and pen.

Ceylon swallowed a breath as he looked at the handwritten notes and formulas. Seeing that the ink hasn’t faded significantly, it was not old.

“Are you studying?”

“The owner of this house said that it would be better if I learn the basics of alchemy again because my vision is too narrow. I had a class with him yesterday.”

Valletta propped up her chin, taking notes in her notebook.

Her eyes were fixed on the notebook, so Ceylon could see what she was writing easily.

“Ah, so you’re reviewing or pre-studying for today’s class…?”

“That’s also true, but he taught me yesterday and said that there was nothing more to teach, so he told me to try various applications. So I’m trying to make some formulas. I also have something I need to analyze.”

Her gaze quickly scanned the notebook and began to write something again. Each time a page was turned, a new alchemy formula was drawn in the notebook, and the analysis was written down.

Although Ceylon doesn’t know much about alchemy, it was enough to make him faint and vomit.

Creating something like magic or alchemy formulas was not an easy task. You have to think of hundreds of various numbers and identify thousands of errors. Simulation in various ways was needed to see if it actually works.

Some people took years to come up with magic that could be used properly. Even the number of magic that both Ceylon and Quilt own could be counted with one hand.

“Are there any new formulas you’ve come up with after learning the basics?”

“Yes.”

“How many have you made so far?”

“Ah… this is the third one since yesterday.”

Valletta’s eyes narrowed as she scribbled something down. She put her pen down for a moment and started flipping through the first pages of the notebook.

She checked something and sighed.

“Is the verification finished?”

“I tried one yesterday, and after finishing this one, I want to try these two…”

Valletta, who had been mumbling something, began to focus on her notes again.

Ceylon also fell into a trance, and only later came to his senses when he realized that the sun had risen high into the sky.

“Valletta-nim, everything is fine but don’t you have to eat? And this cub too…”

Gwaang…

“Ah…”

Her fast moving hand flinched and halted.

Valletta looked at the snow tiger that Ceylon was holding with a troubled expression. It was biting its bowl for food so it seemed to be quite hungry.

“Since when has it been like this?”

“It has been hovering around for a while now. You seemed busy, so I didn’t tell you right away.”

Valletta rose from her seat with a look of dismay, picked a paper bag of top-quality feed she had put on one side, and poured it into its bowl.

“… Isn’t that too much?”

“Is it? Won’t it be good if it eats its fill?”

“It’s still a cub so it can get a stomachache.”

Valletta, after saying ‘I see’ belatedly poured back some of the food into the bag with her hand.

Having the proper amount confirmed by Ceylon, she put the bowl on the floor and looked at the snow tiger. Ceylon was holding the snow tiger by its torso, and its tail was suspended in the air, moving left and right excitedly. Its gaze had long since been fixed on the feed.

“Eat.”

Gwang!

The snow tiger shouted in response, then went up to the bowl, poked its nose and started eating. She heard its hind leg creak sporadically as it was so engrossed in burying its head into the bowl.

Valletta, who was squatting in front of it, looked at it worriedly. It looked like it would die just like that. She doesn’t know how to deal with the weak.

Ceylon’s expression, as he looked at her, became subtle.

“Nothing would go wrong even if you don’t look at it like that.”

“Ah, that’s true. Let’s have a meal together. Do you hate the food made by Sokors?”

“I do not like it.”

Ceylon smiled softly and spoke frankly.

He looked at Valletta’s reaction sluggishly, but she just shrugged her shoulders once.

“Then, I’ll bring you some fruit later.”

“Are you okay with that? I just said I hate people like you.”

“Yes. If you don’t like it, then you don’t like it.”

An indifferent gaze passed by Ceylon once.

As she left the room and went down the stairs, a subtle commotion tickled her ears. Ceylon felt it as well and naturally covered himself with his robe.

‘… Imperial Knights?’

Valletta’s forehead furrowed.

“Good morning, Miss Valletta.’

“Yeah, these people are?”

“That… There’s a table of meals prepared so you can go to the dinning room.”

The fact the Imperial knights came means that an Imperial Family member was here. They also had an Imperial seal so that would mean that they are knights directly under the Emperor.

Only the Imperial Family could move them.

“I don’t think it’s the Emperor…”

Ceylon turned his head slightly, as if he heard Valletta’s mumbling.

‘Is it the Crown Prince.’

Valletta, remembering Milrode’s face, showed an even more tired expression.

She thought that he would appropriately back down, but it seemed like he was tougher than expected.

As she followed the servant, unsurprisingly, Imperial Knights were guarding the entrance to the dining room.

***