Chapter 224: Going to the Capital as a Beast (1)I entered the Magic Tower after finishing my preparations, but I immediately felt the urge to leave. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, the nearby mages all turned their gaze towards me. It was honestly a bit frightening.
Then, out of nowhere, the Vice Master of the Magic Tower came running down the stairs towards me.
"Executive Manager!"
He even called out to me urgently.
It was rather intimidating. While younger than the Mage Duchess, the Vice Master was still a seasoned veteran mage by human standards. Although he was known for his dignity and calm demeanor befitting his age, he now rushed towards me in front of everyone.
This is bad.
Seeing that, I had a hunch. Something serious must’ve happened if the second-in-command of the Magic Tower was losing his composure like this.
Naturally, it must mean that the Eternal One was in some abnormal state.
"It's been a while, Vice Master."
"Yes, it's been a while. Let's talk as we go."
Despite my greeting, the Vice Master hurriedly led the way, barely acknowledging me.
The more he did, the louder my instincts screamed that the Mage Duchess's condition must be really serious.
"...How is Her Grace?"
It'd be better to face the blow head-on to minimize the pain. Thinking that, I cautiously inquired about the Mage Duchess's condition, and the Vice Master gave me a look that said, ‘You guessed right.’
This was unfair. All I did was comfort a lady consumed by self-pity.
"Some interesting news has come in recently, leaving Her Grace unable to focus on her duties."
The response was a failed attempt at sugarcoating the situation. So, she wasn’t even able to handle her work properly.
I gently closed my eyes. If the usually calm and collected Mage Duchess was too furious to work, then just how much anger was she holding inside?
"It's unfortunate that Her Grace seems troubled."
If I had known, I would have come to the capital as soon as the Wise Duchess mentioned it. Instead, I delayed and ended up provoking the Mage Duchess, who was already biding her time.
Of course, I didn't regret giving Marghetta the ring. But if the timing had been better, then none of this would have happened.
This was unnecessary.
In reality, although the Mage Duchess gave me a one-sided confession, I still didn't know why she liked me. She even said herself that she'd wait until the New Year's Ball, so there was no reason for me to be so cautious.
Still, the Mage Duchess had shown me much kindness over time. Though things have been awkward and difficult since her confession, that didn't erase the goodwill I had received.
Besides, it was scary to think what might happen if the Duke went off the rails.
"It's not as serious as your concern, Executive Manager."
Just as I was about to imagine the worst, I heard an unexpected answer.
Not as serious as I thought?
But wasn’t that serious enough if she couldn't even work properly?
Seeing my skeptical look, the Vice Master sighed softly and shook his head.
"Recently, Her Grace has been spacing out for long periods. She walks into walls and often loses documents."
"Pardon?"
What was that? Those symptoms sounded trivial.
"She sometimes spills ink bottles, or even starts casting spells absentmindedly."
"I see..."
"Yes. It’s just small things, but it's the first time Her Grace has shown such behavior."
Seeing the Vice Master laugh bitterly, I nodded absentmindedly.
Trivial.
It was all so trivial. I had imagined the entire tower filled with a chilling aura, or a furious Mage Duchess overturning everything in sight.
However, after hearing the Vice Master's testimony, it really wasn't as serious as I had feared. It seemed less like anger and more like sulking. The Tower's unease stemmed more from confusion over its Master's unusual behavior than fear of an enraged superior.
It's not as bad as I thought.
This provided a clear path forward. If the Mage Duchess was simply dejected and not enraged, dealing with her would be straightforward. All I had to do was cheer her up and spend some time with her.
— Nephew, if you feel like Mage Duchess is hesitating, then make the first move. She’ll be caught off guard.
I recalled the advice the Wise Duchess had given me.
Admittedly, it was too late for that now. The best time to heed that advice was when it was given.
However, it wasn't too late to fix things. While this tactic might not achieve 100% effectiveness, it could still manage 60 or 70%.
Making the first move...
It only became clear once the urgency was upon me. This was the best and only way forward.
The Mage Duchess, with her overwhelming status and experience, would normally lead me around by the nose.
But this isn't a normal situation.
For some unknown reason, the Mage Duchess harbored feelings for me. Meanwhile, I had never given her a definite answer.
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