My Husband Is Not the Magic Tower Master - Chapter 39

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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39

Carlo twisted his lips into a smile.
Having said that, he brought his hand above my forehead and gently pressed his lips to the back of his own hand.
Ensuring I felt nothing at all, letting the two types of Mana blend smoothly together.
When his breathing faded and even his palm withdrew from me, I gazed at him with confusion in my eyes.
Perhaps reading the momentary hesitation in my expression, Carlo still held me firm with his other hand, refusing to let go.
Inside his warm grip, violet light was rippling into view.
Even though nothing had actually touched me.
My heart thundered wildly.
‘Ah.’
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Somehow, this felt like a night I would never forget.
* * *
Carlo returned with me to the Mansion and stayed one more night in Stein.
Unfortunately, the grass around the pond had turned entirely to mud, so the stains from where I’d fallen were absolutely dreadful.
I cast Purification Magic on his jacket, exchanged brief pleasantries, and retreated to my bedroom.
Of course, I spent the whole night with my eyes wide open.
“Good morning.”
“Rose! My goodness, what’s wrong with your face?”
“I didn’t sleep well. I’m just going to eat this and get some more rest.”
I came down to the hall with a pallid complexion and merely poked at the innocent brunch menu items with my fork.
Part of me wanted to sleep again, but according to what I’d heard from Carlo, his Return Order came down at noon.
After receiving Healing from him yesterday and being carried home on his back, I couldn’t very well pretend nothing had happened.
I had to thank him properly and, if possible, clarify the ambiguous space between us.
‘My vacation still has another week left.’
That was plenty of time to collect my thoughts.
It shouldn’t be difficult. After all, nothing happened between us yesterday.
Yet contrary to my reasoning, my mouth felt parched, and I could only emit hollow coughs.
Seeming to take pity on me, Carlo sitting across poured water into my cup.
“…Did you perhaps not sleep?”
“No. I tossed and turned, so I’m just tired.”
“That’s my fault. Yesterday I should have treated not just your wrist, but your lower back as well.”
Stop. Someone will overhear and get the wrong idea.
“Shh…!”
“Ugh.”
At the rather loud sound of his voice, I forcefully stepped on his shoe beneath the table.
“…Why did you step on me?”
“Why are you bringing that up now? If my parents hear, we’re in serious trouble.”
“…Ah.”
As I waved my hands in alarm, he nodded slowly in understanding.
Fortunately, Mother was in the busy kitchen and Father was reading the newspaper in his study.
I sighed with relief and continued to spear the sausage on my plate with my fork.
“So you have about three hours until your Return Order?”
“That’s right. Roughly that long.”
I answered him immediately as he nodded.
“That works out well. Today I’ll actually see you to the entrance.”
“Yesterday was also a proper goodbye.”
“How can that count as proper when we went the wrong way? It looked like we were lost to anyone watching.”
I was just in the middle of cutting the sausage into bite-sized pieces when it happened.
Crash!
At the sudden sound that shook the floor, both Carlo and I flinched simultaneously.
Turning at once toward the source of the noise, an unexpected figure stood before the dining table.
“How could you…”
“Elene?”
“How could you do this…”
“You didn’t even call. When did you get here?”
And without a word—what about your work?
I stood to greet her, but Elene simply collapsed onto the floor with her luggage, landing in a heap.
In an instant she’d turned into some tragic heroine, one hand clapped over her mouth as she began to weep.
“That’s my seat!”
“…Oh.”
“What’s the meaning of this, Carlo, sitting with our Rose like that!!”
Elene’s eyes glistened with tears as she pointed to the chair where Carlo sat.
The fork slipped from my suddenly weakened grip, and before it could clatter to the ground, he reached down and caught my sausage.
“Waaah! Why is Carlo here again!!”
Elene’s wails grew louder.
* * *
Elene said she’d managed to secure special vacation time.
‘Lucas must have pulled strings.’
I accepted her explanation without question.
The Spacetime Magic accident during the Demon Realm exploration would have sent the entire department into lockdown, yet permission had been granted for a Security Department team member to take leave.
It could only mean one thing: Lucas, the Crown Prince himself, had intervened directly.
Elene had always been someone he treated specially—I assumed this time would be no different.
It wasn’t the first or second time he’d done something like this.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy, knowing what must have driven her to come.
‘Even if the outcome was favorable, I suppose.’
I could barely imagine how much she must have pestered and pleaded with Lucas to secure that vacation approval.
After all, he had some rather peculiar tastes—a quirk of being cast as a romantic hero.
In short, he enjoyed putting people through trials and then savoring their desperate need for his attention.
He’d forbidden contact with everyone from the Mage Tower under the guise of absolute stability for my sake—so how long had he drawn out Elene’s anguish before giving in?
‘People usually call that being a bad man.’
Personally, I called it being a pervert.
“Thank you for coming, Elene. The trip here wasn’t too difficult, was it?”
I helped the pitiful figure sprawled on the floor to her feet, taking her luggage from her hands.
But it was far too light—she’d barely packed anything.
‘What’s this?’
With two whole days of vacation, she should have brought something. Did she just come with the clothes on her back?
As I stared at her and the suspiciously empty bag in bewilderment, Carlo rose from his seat.
“I should take my leave now.”
“Already? You’re leaving already?”
I asked him.
I was about to point out that three hours remained until his Return Order, when there was no rush—but Elene beat me to it.
“This is too much, Carlo! Not a word to me, and here you are having this lovely vacation alone with Rose in Stein…!”
“I’m afraid I too was forbidden personal contact, so I had no way to inform you, Miss Elene.”
“But… but still…!”
Elene’s voice wavered as she trailed off, her gaze drifting to the brunch spread on the table.
Now that I thought about it, this morning’s menu was made up entirely of her favorite dishes.
Elene had often sung about how, when work grew exhausting, she dreamed of going to Stein for a delicious brunch.
‘Ah, so that’s it.’
Only then did understanding dawn on me, and I nodded slowly.
I turned to comfort the forlorn Elene.
“Carlo didn’t come because of my invitation. He helped me tremendously during this accident, so my parents wanted to personally offer him a meal as thanks.”
“…I know that. But Rose, I haven’t been living—I mean, I’ve barely been living without you….”
Elene murmured softly into the air, her tone tender and aching.
She had a talent for making things awkward right from the morning.
“Is that so? I’m grateful.”
If you’re going to say things like that, you should be the main love interest. You’re quite good at romantic lines.
I caught her murmur the way I always did.
These embarrassing confessions of Elene’s—I’d been hearing them on and off since childhood.
But Carlo seemed unused to such exchanges; his face had gone stiff, his brow furrowing deeper by the moment.
‘…What kind of situation is this?’
This three-way conversation was new to me too, and it felt decidedly strange.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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