“Come in.”
As soon as permission was granted, a woman dressed in a white cap and apron entered the room—a maid like any other found in a noble estate.
“Take good care of Miss Selena from now on. But don’t let her ankle heal too quickly. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
‘What a bastard.’
Of course, I didn’t say it out loud. But judging by the amused smile on his face, Eon seemed to have guessed my thoughts. That was all. He gave me a quick once-over and then leisurely left the room.
“It’s an honor to serve you, Miss Selena. Please call me Karen. I’ll do my utmost to ensure your comfort,” she said, bowing deeply with polite formality.
As I watched her, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. If no bodies had been found, there was a chance the missing people were being held here in the Tower. Perhaps they were trapped by contracts like mine, forced into servitude as maids or staff.
‘What did Lady Katrin look like again? Or the butcher’s daughter?’
I blatantly stared at Karen, forgetting my manners. Unfortunately, I had never seen the missing individuals in person, only heard rumors about them.
“It’s nice to meet you. I come from the Hyern Count’s estate, located in the western district of the Baynan city center,” I said deliberately, mentioning the specific location of the Hyern estate. It wasn’t something I would normally include in an introduction. I studied Karen’s reaction closely.
“Oh, I see. We also frequently run errands or shop in Baynan’s city center for supplies,” she replied casually, showing not the slightest hint of unease.
‘Well, maybe she’s not one of them after all.’
Of course, it was unlikely Eon would assign me someone I might recognize. He could probably read my thoughts and anticipate such suspicions.
“Let me take a look at your injury first,” Karen said as she placed a bandage, antiseptic, and a familiar potion on the bedside table.
I was surprised to see that the Tower used the same external healing potion I had once developed.
It was a small relief in this misfortune. Though not as effective as healing magic, the potion should help me recover quickly. At least, that’s what I thought.
Drip.
Karen opened the potion bottle and promptly poured its contents onto a plate.
‘Am I supposed to drink it from the plate?’
The plate didn’t look particularly suitable for drinking. Maybe she intended to soak the bandages in the potion instead. Some people believed potions were more effective when applied directly to wounds.
“Karen, that potion is meant to be…”
As I stammered in confusion, Karen gave me a gentle, obedient smile.
“I won’t give you the potion, Miss. It’s too effective, you see.”
What was she saying? A potion too effective to be given to the patient? Suddenly, I was reminded of the staff at the Count’s estate. Knowing my lower status, they treated me poorly. While they didn’t openly harass me, they always found subtle ways to shortchange me, just like this.
“The Master specifically instructed me to ensure you don’t recover too quickly.”
However, there was no malice in Karen’s expression, only calm obedience to her orders.
“Well… you don’t have to give it to me, but isn’t it a waste to throw the potion away?”
“No, Miss. Any item that’s not used for its intended purpose must be discarded.”
“But that potion must be quite expensive.”
“The cost doesn’t matter. All items are to be disposed of in this manner.”
I had no response to that. After all, Eon was not only a noble but also a marquis. Owning the Tower meant his wealth was likely immeasurable. I had no choice but to dismiss it as the extravagant whims of a wealthy noble.
“Don’t feel too upset,” Karen said unexpectedly, her tone softening.
“‘The Master must have his reasons. He’s such a kind person,’ she said.
‘Kind? Who is?’
‘My master. I mean, the Lord of the Tower.’
‘Kind? Him?’
‘Of course. It’s rare to find someone who treats their employees as well as he does.’
Karen spoke as she wrapped the bandages around my leg.
‘This maid must have a subservient contract, for sure,’ I thought.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to emphasize how kind Eon was. She was likely using his ability to read thoughts as a way to curry favor.
‘Unless she’s some rare species of person with an extraordinary bond with her boss.’
Either way, I decided it would be best to tread carefully when speaking of Eon with Karen.
‘About this room…’
I changed the subject to the room, hoping to divert attention. Surprisingly, Karen reacted with enthusiasm.
‘Oh dear, is the room not to your liking?’
‘No, quite the opposite. It’s too nice. It feels like the bedroom of a noble lady or a matron.’
‘That’s right. That was the concept!’ Karen replied, delighted that I noticed.
‘We redecorated it when we learned you were coming.’
‘For me? So, this is my room?’
‘Yes.’
I glanced around the room again. A researcher’s room, they called it. Even if funds were plentiful, assigning accommodations like this was beyond reasonable.
‘Do all researchers at the Tower get rooms like this?’
‘Oh, no. This room was specially arranged for you.’
‘…Don’t tell me, by the Lord of the Tower?’
‘Yes.’
Karen’s smile was meaningful, almost as if she knew something I didn’t. Never before had someone taking special care of me been so unwelcomed.
‘Well, please get some rest.’
‘Wait a moment.’
I stopped her. There was still much I wanted to ask. In my haste, I pulled her too hard, causing the maid’s hat perched lightly on her head to fall to the floor.
‘Oh!’
Oddly enough, I was the one startled, not her.
‘Brown hair?’
Her hair, tied up neatly, was unmistakably brown. I checked her eyes again—green, with a hint of yellow, resembling grass. While not striking at first, the combination of brown hair and green eyes was anything but ordinary. A sense of foreboding washed over me.
‘Are all the employees in the Tower women?’
Perhaps the employees here weren’t just regular staff.
‘Oh my, now that you mention it, they are.’
‘And do they all have brown hair and green eyes?’
‘I’m not sure about that.’
Karen answered calmly, unfazed by the odd question. She quickly adjusted her hair and picked up the fallen hat, neatly tucking her brown locks out of sight.
‘Do all the other maids wear those hats?’
‘No.’
‘Then why do you?’
‘I just wanted to leave a neat impression on you.’
A desire to leave a “neat impression,” she said. For some reason, her explanation didn’t sit well with me.
‘Do you happen to have crutches in the Tower?’
‘Crutches?’
‘If not, could you at least help me to the lab? I can try making a suitable support device myself.’
‘Where are you planning to go?’
Her question brought Eon’s presence to mind.
‘Don’t worry. I’m not trying to escape. I’m just curious about the people in the Tower. Can you introduce them to me?’
Although I hadn’t met them yet, I had a strong feeling everyone here would share the same hair and eye color as Karen.
Using the crutches Karen brought me, I left the room. My room was on the third floor, giving me a clear view of the people moving around below.
‘…Ah.’
For a moment, dizziness overtook me. It wasn’t fear of the height—I wasn’t afraid of heights in the first place.
‘Is this why the missing people couldn’t be found? They were all brought to the Tower.’
It was a horrifying sight, but at the same time, it offered a glimmer of hope. First, it meant the missing people were likely alive. Second, it suggested Eon might have bound them all with subservient contracts.
I couldn’t be certain how he read the thoughts of those he bound, but managing dozens of people’s thoughts was a completely different task than focusing solely on mine. Knowing his attention wasn’t entirely fixed on me provided a small, strange sense of relief.
‘Are you all right?’ Karen asked.
‘Yes, I’m just a little tired.’
‘Would you like to go back?’
I shook my head.
‘No, as I said, introduce me to the people.’
Karen helped me move.
‘This is Marilyn, in charge of laundry.’
‘Nice to meet you.’
Marilyn, carrying a large laundry basket, had green eyes with a bluish tint—teal—and her hair, visible beneath her hat, was reddish-brown.
‘As I thought…’
I stared blankly at Marilyn’s retreating figure when another voice sounded from below, making my heart race.
‘That’s Lottie, in charge of cleaning.’
Lottie had voluminous curls in a light brown shade. Her eyes were a perfect emerald green.
Karen continued introducing the maids as I encountered them. Without exception, they all had brown hair and green eyes. The identical uniforms and hair color created an almost surreal sense of uniformity, as though I was watching clones go about their tasks.
‘This is the kitchen,’ Karen said, opening a large door on the first floor.
‘That’s Ena, the head chef.’
Ena was seated on a chair, resting. She had just removed her headscarf, revealing her short, cropped brown hair. Her sharp features were complemented by pale green eyes.
‘It’ll be dinnertime soon. Would you like to wait here?’ Karen asked, as though the introductions were mostly done.
‘Does everyone in the Tower gather in the dining hall for meals?’
‘The maids all gather. The researchers and the Lord of the Tower come and go depending on their schedules.’
I gazed at the dining hall across from the kitchen. The scene was easy to picture.
‘It’ll be quite the spectacle.’
For the first time, I felt my heart race in anticipation for dinner.”