On Official Duty with My Tower Master Ex-Boyfriend - Chapter 18

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

Chapter 18
“Vivian!”
Simona’s startled voice scattered like sea foam.
No sound reached me. Nothing existed in my vision.
In that moment, there was only the Magical Beast and me.
I held its gaze steady and slowly raised my hand.
“Shh. It’s all right.”
Golden light radiated from deep in my chest, cradling the creature’s wild emotions.
Swiftly.
Yet gently.
The Magical Beast lowered its thrashing hooves to the ground and gradually stilled its frenzy.
Then it bowed its head and pressed its forehead lightly against my palm.
‘I never get used to this feeling, no matter how many times.’
I felt its racing heartbeat slow and steady itself in perfect rhythm with my own—as if I were cradling the creature itself.
“You were so frightened. But you’ll be safe now.”
I read the Magical Beast’s emotions as I carefully unwound the rope still embedded in its neck.
Once the cord was gone, the creature seemed lighter; it rubbed its head against my arm gratefully.
“To calm it so instantly…!”
As someone gasped aloud, the world of just me and the beast burst open once more. The crowd came back into focus.
Everyone stared at me in shock—even Yukel, the staff member who usually greeted me with nothing but sighs.
I helped the fallen researcher to his feet first.
“Are you all right?”
“Thanks to you, I’m alive. I can’t thank you enough.”
“I was just doing my job. But could I see that black cloth for a moment?”
The cloth the researcher handed me reeked of brine. When I rubbed it, salt crystals came off on my fingers.
So they’d used this cloth when calming the Magical Beasts rescued from the coast.
“Don’t use the cloth anymore. It seems this creature reacts badly to the ocean scent.”
“Strange. The other Magical Beasts—even those with sharper senses—tolerated it fine.”
“This one…”
I looked back at the scarred creature with pity and continued.
“It looks like it was bound on a Crystal Whale whaling vessel before the smuggling ship.”
“What…!”
The researchers exchanged shocked glances at my words.
The Crystal Whale was the largest among Magical Beasts and possessed extraordinary intelligence. A peculiar crystal grew from its back.
That crystal could store magical energy and was used to craft magical tools—its value was enormous, which made illegal whaling vessels a persistent problem.
And those vessels were the primary source of my work.
“Whaling crews keep sensitive Magical Beasts tied up on their decks. These creatures have an ability to sense danger—they can detect approaching Monster Beasts before anyone else.”
These deer-like Magical Beasts had probably been bound to the deck for exactly that purpose.
‘It’s large-framed but so malnourished. And there are signs of dehydration.’
Beyond the marks on its neck, there were scars on its legs and flanks from prolonged binding, and white salt crusted the edges of its thick hooves.
“Creatures that sense danger usually rely on horns or antennae for that ability. Since this one’s horn is broken, they must have sold it to the smuggling vessel.”
The Sanctuary could treat the wounds, but they couldn’t regrow a broken horn. I wondered if the creature would survive once released back into the wild.
Sanctuary staff began transferring the Magical Beasts into cages.
‘If not for the complications, it’s fulfilling work and I’m good at it.’
Watching the creature settle obediently into its cage, I felt a warm sense of pride rising in my chest.
‘Too strong for me to attune to? That’s ridiculous.’
With this success, I’d somewhat redeemed the two embarrassing incidents that had piled up against my name—and I allowed myself a tiny swell of smugness.
‘You saw that, right?’
I cleared my throat and shot Aster a meaningful glance, but he quickly turned his head away.
‘You saw too, didn’t you? My hearing the parachute sound wasn’t just luck.’
This time I looked triumphantly at Cade—then froze.
He was walking toward me with an expression I’d never seen before.
Not once, not even during our time together or at the Magic Tower, had I seen his face so coldly furious.
“Vivian Solling. Are you insane?”
“Suddenly? Why—”
Bewildered, I stammered, and Cade gritted his teeth as if barely holding back his rage.
“Do you have a death wish? Is your life worthless? Were you trying to provoke the Magical Beast into a frenzy?”
When he truly unleashed his anger, my neck hairs stood on end in shock.
The smugness I’d felt moments before plunged straight into the depths of the sea.
“If it’s about the nosebleed, it already stopped, and I’ve already taken off the jacket with blood on it—”
“Who said anything about a nosebleed? Can you even imagine what would’ve happened if people had been killed?”
His voice cut through the air like thin ice forming on my ears, sharp as an icicle.
Without thinking, I crumpled the hem of my uniform in my fist and glanced nervously at the observatory staff.
Branded with the shameful label of “parachute”—an unwelcome outsider subjected to hazing.
That was my position here.
The clerks were whispering and sneering at me with cold looks.
The shape of their mouths seemed to spell out “parachute” over and over, and my ears burned.
“I thought it through. I didn’t charge in recklessly.”
“If anyone here had died or been injured, the Grand Duke would’ve found a way to pin it on me. ‘The mad Tower Master is getting people killed,’ he’d say.”
Cade’s angry voice grew louder.
My grip tightened so much my hands trembled.
I understood his anger, but…
‘Stop. Not in front of all these people. You could yell at me at the Magic Tower or come find me at the Inn.’
“Saving Magical Beasts? Fine. But I’d rather put down a raging beast than lose even one person here.”
Magic circles of some kind flickered around his raised hand.
It seemed he’d even considered killing the creature I’d just saved.
Right then, I’d have given anything for him to just teleport me away somewhere no one would find me.
‘I understand, so please stop. Burn me with fire if you must.’
Heat crawled up my neck and scalp as if I’d caught a high fever.
My pride was being trampled beneath his fury and their mockery, wrinkled like the hem of my own jacket.
When I said nothing, pressing my lips shut, Cade exhaled an angry breath and turned away.
Again.
That back again.
I couldn’t look away from those broad shoulders, even knowing he wouldn’t return.
I gasped for air as if drowning.
Simona called out to Cade as if remembering something urgent.
“Tower Master. You mentioned needing an Attuner at the Magic Tower tomorrow—what should we do about that?”
Without hesitation, Cade pointed to Aster.
“You.”
“It’s Aster.”
“Come with me.”
“Alone, sir?”
“Yes.”
Before Aster could even give me a smug look, Cade vanished through Teleportation.
I didn’t have the energy to be angry at Aster’s attitude.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears as if I’d become a Magical Beast myself.
Desperate to disappear into a hole, I bolted from the scene and rushed inside the observatory.
The only empty place to hide during work hours was the conference room.
Crouching against the wall, I couldn’t stop Cade’s fury and the staff’s laughter from replaying in my mind.
‘Does he find me pathetic now that he knows? He must. That’s why he humiliated me so thoroughly.’
Unanswerable, melancholy questions pressed down on my mind until tears gathered at the corners of my eyes.
Just then the conference room door opened, and I quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.
“Vivian. You were here?”
Simona appeared with my jacket in hand, shook it out to show me, and sat down beside me.
“Thank you. I’d forgotten about this.”
“Don’t let that ruffian get to you. You did your job. What’s he talking about killing?”
“Yes.”
My reply came out listless, so Simona tapped my shoulder and whispered.
“I thought you were just some spoiled brat from the capital, but you’ve got real skill? You’re not just an Attuner in name only.”
She laughed softly, and I managed a small laugh along with her.
But that laugh didn’t lift my spirits. I pulled the jacket tight against my chest.
The badge was attached to the jacket, but the pin felt as if it were stuck straight through my heart.
‘Why am I like this? It’s embarrassing, but my heart shouldn’t hurt over this. We’re not even a couple anymore—it’s just work between us.’
The more I told myself that, the more despondent I became.
It was his back, disappearing before my eyes.
Not gradually—vanished in an instant.
Even without looking, he could disappear from me in a blink.
That’s what “nothing between us” meant.
***
That night.
Knock, knock.
Unable to sleep at all, I sat on my bed reading when an unexpected knock startled me.

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