My Husband Is Not the Magic Tower Master - Chapter 72

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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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Chapter 72

After work that evening, I went on a date with Carlo for the first time in ages.
It was our first official date since the wedding.
I’d quit my job abruptly during the ceremony when that Monster Invasion occurred, then returned to work for over a week, and had only just been released from my duties.
Released was generous phrasing, if I was being honest.
‘More like I escaped.’
This was closer to fleeing.
It was all thanks to Carlo.
After I’d held out and held out before finally blurting out that I was exhausted, he seemed to have been waiting for exactly that word—he sent me home from work and brought me here.
A quiet restaurant, the perfect autumn ambiance, delicious dishes, and fragrant wine to match.
Most of all, even as I took my seat guided by his hand, I found myself marveling anew at the sight of his face.
I couldn’t quite believe that this handsome man before me was really the Carlo I knew.
“You’ve become quite refined in just half a day.”
“My wife…you remain as lovely as ever.”
“Thank you. But I really was asking out of genuine surprise.”
It was already unexpected and touching that he’d chosen such a thoughtful venue.
But a private room restaurant, hair neatly trimmed, glasses removed, a handsome man with bashful cheeks—I hadn’t expected that at all.
I couldn’t help but laugh outright.
“This makes it feel like we’re actually courting.”
“But it was Rose who said we should start with courtship first, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Not mockingly—I just think it looks good. You didn’t cut your hair even during the wedding, and now you’ve finally groomed it neatly.”
“Neatly….”
“Now that I see it, you lean more toward the cold, handsome type.”
Either way, I was telling him what my taste was.
I conveyed this to him simply, then promptly placed a perfectly cut piece of steak into my mouth.
And again, I marveled.
‘Wow.’
I could scarcely fathom how carefully he’d chosen this place. The texture, the presentation—truly the finest selection.
The way Carlo diligently sliced the remaining meat before me and switched out my plate was utterly, unmistakably that of a devoted lover.
If married life could be this sweet, I wondered why I hadn’t done this sooner instead of agonizing over it.
That was when I truly regretted something for the first time.
During the matchmaking, he’d seemed like a different person on the surface, but Carlo had treated me like Carlo from beginning to end.
And I’d carelessly squandered precious time that could never be reclaimed.
“Why didn’t I ever suspect that you were the Crown Prince all along? You’re so transparent—it shows in everything.”
“What do you mean, exactly?”
“The look in your eyes, your gestures, the way you move—it’s all so eager to cherish me.”
Even as I smiled, I let out a long sigh.
I’d been trapped in old prejudices for so long, stumbling down the wrong path, unable to see what was right in front of me.
I thought back to the boat outing when it capsized and I’d thoughtlessly pushed him into the lake—and I felt both sorry and ashamed toward him.
But at my awkward self-recrimination, Carlo simply shook his head as if unbothered.
“It’s fine. Those are all things of the past.”
“Still. I must have acted strange the entire time we were matchmaking.”
“It was…endearing. In retrospect.”
There seemed to be a hint of hesitation in that answer.
‘Hmm.’
So there were times I hadn’t been endearing, then.
I decided to let it go. After all, I had deliberately mistreated him.
As the meal drew to a close, I wiped my mouth slowly with the handkerchief he offered me.
“Will you not wear your Glasses anymore? You said your vision was quite poor.”
“They were fashionable Glasses. I never had prescription lenses in them to begin with.”
Deceived again.
But I decided to let that pass lightly too.
After leaving the restaurant, we stopped by a small Tea House and ordered warm tea.
In that short span of time, we shared many stories with each other.
I’d known it all along, but Carlo and I had compatible temperaments in many ways.
Moreover, even in everyday conversation, our Magic Attributes complemented each other so well that we never ran short of research topics to discuss.
Most of all, the thoughtful warmth in his words possessed a strange power—it could coax even the quietest person into chatter.
“Oh? When did the sun set like this?”
“I suppose we should head home soon.”
“Of course. Shall we go?”
Before leaving the Tea House, I glanced out the window at the darkening sky and felt a pang of regret I couldn’t quite suppress.
The whole day had already slipped away.
I still had so much more to say to Carlo, yet dusk had arrived, and it was time to return to the Magic Tower where Delphynede waited.
As he sketched the Teleportation Magic before us, I began gently voicing the words left unspoken earlier.
“We’ve had dinner and tea today—where would you like to go for our next outing?”
I ventured a tentative suggestion about a boat ride to somewhere lovely, but when Carlo’s expression darkened considerably, I thought better of pressing the idea.
“My apologies. I do enjoy water, but getting wet….”
“Oh, I see. Then something else.”
At my words, he nodded quickly, in an unfamiliar rush of agreement.
It seemed the memory of nearly drowning had surfaced like a deep trauma.
It was understandable enough.
I accepted it gracefully, and even in the mere seconds it took for the teleportation to activate, I continued talking, throwing out one idea after another.
“Or perhaps we could have our Wedding Rings remade, or craft new ones together. There must be workshops somewhere in the city where we could experience the craft firsthand… mm.”
Then, all at once, a sharp pain stabbed through my chest, and my body stumbled.
Thud.
“Rose!”
Carlo caught me as I lost my footing, my balance crumbling.
“Nn… ugh—.”
Yet the intensity of the pain was considerable, and somehow, terribly familiar.
A burning sensation rose from deep within, and it felt as though my chest were being consumed by flame.
Through the blur that clouded my vision, I caught one sound crystal clear.
Wail—wail—wail!
[Emergency Alarm. Emergency Alarm. Monster Invasion Level One. Monster Invasion Level One.]
What in the world could be causing this?
This is already the fourth time this month alone.
Ever since that massive Monster Invasion alarm sounded during my wedding, I’d find myself gasping, clutching at my chest in pain, even during ordinary moments.
‘And every single time, the Monster Invasion alarm would sound.’
The first had been Level Four; the rest, comparatively mild—Levels One and Two.
In those early days, before the pattern solidified, I’d simply thought something was strange.
But now, leaning weakly against Carlo as my composure gradually returned, I could no longer deny it.
“Are you well, my lady?”
“…No.”
I’m not all right.
I can’t pretend any longer.
“Carlo.”
“….”
“This is because of me, isn’t it?”
I asked wearily, my face resigned, but he shook his head at once.
“It’s grown late. For now….”
“….”
“I think it best we return to the Tower.”
He spoke like someone firmly concealing something.

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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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