Xenon quickly realized who the owner of this presence was.
“It’s the aura of Mage Jermy?”
Mage Jermy.
It seemed like he had come here.
“But there was no notice?”
However, it’s not like Jermy would cause a disturbance or assassinate anyone here.
There was no sense of danger either.
“Those who have mastered the Storm Sword find it difficult to hide due to their notorious aura.”
That’s why assassination or similar acts are unlikely.
There is no particular animosity between the Storm Fortress and Jajak the apprentice writer.
“So the reason he came here must be because of Lady Viola.”
Xenon smiled cunningly.
“I should prepare the tea.”
He briefly considered adding poison to it but decided against it.
Meanwhile, Viola looked bewildered at the face she saw outside the window.
“Jermy, the mage?”
She double-checked, but the window was clear.
“We’re on the 7th floor here.”
Viola’s room was located on the 7th floor.
While there were ways to fly through the sky using mana, that was the stuff of sorcerers.
Jermy was a swordsman.
“What on earth?”
Jermy, who was smiling broadly beyond the window, was visible.
“It’s quick! Open up!” he seemed to be saying.
When Viola opened the window, Jermy jumped in energetically.
“Wow, that was fun.”
“What on earth are you doing?”
It’s best to maintain a neutral relationship with Jermy, not too close or too distant.
Viola judged that way and acted accordingly.
“A rope?”
There was a rope hanging from Jermy’s waist.
It seemed like he had gone up to the rooftop and come down with a rope.
“How about that? Nice to see you?”
“There was no official notice.”
“Do friends need an official notice to meet?”
“Were we friends? And it’s already 11 p.m.”
“Has time really flown by like that?”
Jermy made a surprised expression.
It wasn’t acting; he genuinely didn’t realize how late it had become.
“I thought it was around 9.”
He awkwardly chuckled as he lifted the rope in his waist.
“I was so focused on preparing this…”
“When did you go up to the rooftop?”
Jermy shook his index finger from side to side.
“Go up? I infiltrated. Going up and infiltration are different. It was very intense.”
“…I see. Infiltration.”
Jermy said he arrived at the rooftop at 6 p.m.
An hour spent pondering how to make a surprise appearance.
Another two hours spent hiding and searching for the rope.
An hour and a half spent infiltrating back to the rooftop with the rope.
And so on.
“Why go through all that? You could just contact the apprentice writer and confidently enter through the main gate.”
“It’s a surprise visit.”
“Do you realize that this is a diplomatically problematic action?”
Depending on the circumstances, it wouldn’t be strange to be treated as an assassin, and even if not, it was undoubtedly a huge breach of etiquette among noble families.
“The Storm Fortress is politically and diplomatically independent, so it’s fine.”
“Do you really think it’s fine?”
“It’ll probably be fine. Hehehe. I’ll probably get scolded by my father, anyway.”
Jermy explained the reason for his visit here.
He had plans to visit a nearby fascinating ruin, and coincidentally, he heard that Viola was visiting the apprentice writer.
“Just wanted to see my friend’s face and say hello. That’s why I came.”
“That’s why you left the main gate and…”
“Well, that ruin is a secret, you know.
We can’t just casually come to talk about secrets. We can’t let rumors spread. Be cautious, cautious, and more cautious. That’s my motto.”
Wouldn’t a person like that get kidnapped out of curiosity?
Viola wanted to criticize him heavily, but she decided not to.
Because it was certain that logical and sensible conversation wouldn’t work.
“What kind of ruin is it?”
“The exact name is unknown, it’s just called the laboratory of some eccentric wizard.”
“If it’s a secret, why are you telling me?”
“Because we’re friends.”
Jermy’s expression remained immaculate, without a trace of malice or improper intentions.
He let out a sigh and spoke.
“Lady Viola.”
“Yes?”
“To be honest, I’m being a bother, aren’t I?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It’s very obvious.”
“Then, should I leave now? I’m at the age where I should enter society, and I don’t want to become the subject of unwanted rumors. Especially when the other party is Jermy. That would be the worst.”
Jermy lightly scratched the back of his head.
“Is it really that bad?”
“Yes.”
It’s absolutely the worst.
He’s the Stormy Gale, highly regarded as a Mifong, a noble-born magician.
Jermy has an overwhelming fan base in the novel, and the author described him as the “first-generation idol” existing in the novel through metaphors.
He meant that he has a fan base composed of fiercely devoted fans, or he would become their leader.
It was evident that things would get very, very exhausting once entangled with that.
“I didn’t think that far. I was just happy to see you.”
Jermy looked crestfallen.
“Maybe I went too far.”
So Viola added a few more words.
“I was happy to see you too.”
“Really?”
Viola put on a social mask.
She had no intention of getting close to Jermy, but she also didn’t want to completely turn him away.
She played along and smiled appropriately.
Viola and Jermy headed towards the door.
Even in the meantime, Jermy didn’t take a moment to rest his mouth.
“Do you know something?”
“What?”
“Lady Viola, you’re much cuter than I expected.”
Especially when eating egg tarts!
She didn’t say those words.
“You have peculiar taste.”
Viola is quite aware of her appearance.
One of the first things she did after possessing this body was to look at herself in the mirror and examine her face.
‘There’s not a single trace of cuteness in this body.
If only I had been cute.
Just like the countless romance novels I’ve read as Hanarin, if I had possessed the character of a cute princess, I would’ve been loved!
Puff! Fwoo! Boing! Kyaa! That would have been so nice.’
Viola’s reflection appeared in the mirror on the wall.
“Not cute at all.”
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t pretty, but being pretty and being cute were two different things.
Just a little effort in her eyes made her look lively and vibrant. Her body was a genius creation (?) with undeniable vitality.
“It’s true. You’re cute.”
“Then let’s go with cute.”
“To be honest, do you often hear people saying you look like an old lady?”
“Sometimes.”
Huxley even asked Viola if she was her grandmother.
Viola personally opened the door.
“Here. The door is this way, take a look inside.”
Outside the door stood Tundra.
His expression was very dark.
***
A few hours ago.
Tundra regained consciousness.
As soon as he woke up, there was only one thought in his mind.
‘I miss her.’
Is this how a pet feels?
Is this what it feels like for a dog waiting for its owner to come back?
That’s how it felt.
‘Why do I miss her?’
Even though it was a dream, she was still not a dog.
It was difficult to give a rational explanation for why he missed seeing Viola.
‘The reason is…’
Tundra got up from the bed.
Although his body felt sore all over, it wasn’t too uncomfortable to move.
The reason was…
In the novel.
As Tundra, who was set as a rational male lead, he was able to find a rational reason.
‘Because I want to receive compliments.’
When Viola strokes my head, it makes my heart feel warm and fuzzy.
It wasn’t just a simple feeling of being happy.
It was a much deeper and complex emotion.
Even Tundra himself couldn’t define it clearly.
‘I want to be praised.’
He got up and headed towards the corridor.
“Your owner is…”
Tundra sniffed the scent of mana in the surroundings.
Viola was born with “vitality,” and there was a distinct mana scent left in the places she stayed or passed by, like a unique bloodline.
In Tundra’s eyes, it looked like a path.
‘She’s over there.’
He stood in front of the door where Viola stayed.
He hesitated for a moment in front of the door.
‘Will she praise me?’
Upon reflection, it was already late at night.
Is it okay to visit your owner at such a late hour?
The rational male lead came up with another rational reason.
‘I am a dog.’
Isn’t it only natural for a dog to go and meet its owner regardless of the time?
Dogs are dogs.
They are not humans.
I believed there was no need to be bound by human etiquette.
Even if it rained, I told them directly to behave like a dog.
So I couldn’t hold back my desire to see them and my desire to be praised.
But then I heard a voice from inside.
“Viola, the princess, is cuter than I thought.”
“You have unique taste.”
“It’s true. She’s cute.”
“Then let’s go with cute.”
“Honestly, you often hear people say you look like an old lady, right?”
“I hear it sometimes.”
Viola’s voice was much higher than usual.
It was a much brighter voice than when she was talking to herself.
“Master?”
It was definitely a male voice.
“This voice… It’s Jeremy’s voice.”
Without realizing it, I clenched my fist.
Tundra had gone through countless conflicts to come here and find Viola because “I am a dog.”
To receive praise.
I hope Viola would pat my head.
“Jeremy is different from me. He’s a human, and he knows the manners of nobility.”
For some reason, I was angry.
Just for a moment, I had to control my boiling anger.
“Phew.”
I took a deep breath, and my mood improved slightly.
The rational part of me had to find a logical reason again.
“The nobleman’s son ignored etiquette and came to find you. At this late, ambitious hour.”
I was angry because of such a thoughtless action.
That’s what Tundra thought.
“But… The master’s voice didn’t seem angry.”
If the master wasn’t angry, I had no reason to be angry either.
Rationally, it was clear.
I couldn’t get angry, and I couldn’t show it.
I had no grounds and no convincing evidence.
“But why am I angry?”
Jeremy came to see Viola, and they had a private conversation. I didn’t know why it made me so angry, and I gave up thinking about it.
Viola had taught me.
“Human beings need to think deeply, but dogs don’t need to think deeply.”
So I decided to just accept it.
For some reason, I get angry a lot.
But then, the door opened, and I heard Viola’s voice.
“Tundra? What’s going on here?”
“I came to report that I have completed my mission.”
Jeremy waved his hand.
“Oh, Tundra! Hello? Nice to meet you. I’m Jeremy. We’re friends, right?”
“I’m not pleased to meet you. Were we ever comfortable enough to talk like this?”
“I thought we were.”
“Not at all.”
Jeremy scratched his head as if embarrassed.
Tundra averted his gaze from Jeremy and spoke.
“I have completed my mission perfectly and came here to receive praise.”
“Is that so?”
Viola looked at Tundra.
Tundra’s shoulders and corners of his mouth were trembling.
‘When Oppa gets angry, he does exactly that.’
Kang Hanjun had never shown that he was angry.
At least not in front of Hanarin.
Nevertheless, Han arin could always tell when Hanjun was angry.
His shoulders and the corners of his mouth always twitched when he was angry.
“I’ll praise you. Come here.”
Tundra approached closely and kneeled on one knee.
Biolla placed her hand on Tundra’s head.
And she gently stroked Tundra’s head.
“Is this what you wanted?”
“Yes.”
Tundra’s heart eased a little.
Not just a little, it completely eased.
The anger vanished as if melting snow.
Han arin thought that this is how a dog’s heart must feel, happily basking in the touch of their guardian.
“That doesn’t seem to be it.”
Viola frowned, looking puzzled.
“You. Why were you angry?”
Tundra’s body twitched.
He thought he hadn’t shown any signs, so he didn’t know how she could tell.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not asking for an apology. I’m asking why you were angry.”
“….”
Viola was already feeling something was off.
In fact, Tundra had practically shown no expression of anger.
She just threw it out there. Why were you angry?
And in response, he said he was sorry.
It seemed like an admission of being angry.
‘Why does he express anger in the same way as Hanjun oppa?’
It confuses her in many ways.
He’s not Hanjun, but he acts like Hanjun and has the same habits as Hanjun.
“I’m asking you. Why were you angry?”
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Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
Next chapter will be released on August, 2 (due to some changes in the page). To read chapters in advance support us on Patreon!!
