On Official Duty with My Tower Master Ex-Boyfriend - Chapter 65

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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 65
After that, Cade went out of his way to avoid me.
Whether in the Magic Tower’s corridors, the Magical Beast enclosures, or the laboratories, we never crossed paths by accident.
Even when I visited the Office to access the Mirror Library, Cade was nowhere to be found.
I could only meet Ben, who offered awkward smiles and the same tired excuses, and Tris.
‘He’s really making an effort.’
I found Cade’s evasion pathetic and clicked my tongue at him.
‘It’s equally awkward for me to see his face, so if he’s doing the courtesy of avoiding me, I’m grateful.’
It was cowardly and irritating to watch him use Magic to flee after making things so uncomfortable, but ultimately, Cade was the one putting himself through needless trouble.
Besides, we lived in the same building and our work was entangled together—he couldn’t possibly evade me forever.
‘I have paperwork to collect from the forest trip anyway. Let’s see how long he can keep running.’
…But clearly, I’d underestimated Cade’s avoidance abilities.
Days passed without so much as a glimpse of his Robe, let alone a single document.
I hadn’t anticipated such desperate measures, which left me bewildered.
“Surely not again today…?”
“Yes. The Tower Master has been quite occupied with construction recently……”
Ben’s expression had turned serene by now. He clearly hadn’t expected this either.
“Couldn’t you just accept the paperwork on his behalf and pass it to me?”
“I’ll mention it, but I can’t guarantee anything.”
“If this keeps happening, it’s going to be a problem. I have more than a few documents to collect before I return to the Imperial Capital.”
Cade, tucked away like a rodent-type Magical Beast, was beyond even my reach—it was infuriating.
I had no idea whether he was actually managing the Tower’s duties or simply avoiding me entirely.
‘Judging by Ben’s vacant expression, I suspect it’s the latter.’
A bad premonition struck me, and I stopped Ben before he could leave.
“Wait. When will I actually be able to return to the Imperial Capital? How are we even addressing the Barrier issue?”
Ben’s face fell at my question.
“The central Barrier Stone came under attack recently, which has caused some delays in our research.”
“What?! I’m hearing about this for the first time!”
“Since it concerns the Magic Tower and critical Barrier matters, I cannot inform you first as an outsider until the Tower Master gives orders.”
“That makes no sense—!”
I stood there wordlessly, unable to respond.
The fundamental problem was that I was trapped in Melgote in the first place. If that were the case, shouldn’t I at least be informed of the Barrier situation’s progress?
Cade was simply ignoring both the paperwork and any updates about the Barrier, drifting around like wind.
‘What kind of person does this?’
One day passed, then two, and nothing changed.
It became painfully clear that Cade could vanish without a trace whenever he pleased, and paradoxically, I grew increasingly irritated at Ben despite his having done nothing wrong.
Did he think I actually wanted to find such a person?
A grown man should behave like one—he should at least handle official matters.
His irresponsible attitude, unable to even manage simple paperwork, only kindled my anger further.
‘I didn’t tell him to bend over backward. Who said he should disappear so completely that we can’t even discuss work?!’
I was left with no choice but to actively search every corner of the Magic Tower, unlike my usual restrained approach.
“Has anyone seen the Tower Master? Excuse me, have you seen him?”
“I, I have seen him.”
“When was the last time?”
“…Yesterday afternoon?”
“Is the Tower Master in the Tower right now?”
Cade fled from me, and I—seething with anger—went about asking after him.
As time wore on, whispers began spreading among the Wizards.
I couldn’t catch exactly what they were saying, but they kept glancing at me awkwardly and muttering something about the “poor Tower Master.”
It wasn’t just a few individuals either—even in the Cafeteria, I could hear people stealing glances and murmuring as I passed.
Rana eventually approached hesitantly with an oddly blunt question.
“Inspector, did our Tower Master perhaps confess to you?”
“…What? Why are you asking that out of nowhere?”
“There’s a rumor going around that the Tower Master has been rejected by you.”
I stared at Rana in bewilderment, unable to hide my shock.
Rejected? Who rejected whom?
‘Both times, I’m the one who got rejected! And this time, I didn’t even confess, yet somehow I rejected him?!’
I swallowed the words rising to my throat and answered calmly.
“There’s nothing between the Tower Master and me. There won’t be anything in the future either.”
Rana didn’t seem to believe me.
Given Cade’s behavior of avoiding me, I’d likely come to the same conclusion.
‘This won’t do.’
If this continued, rumors might spread beyond the Magic Tower that the Tower Master was avoiding some Civil Servant for unknown reasons.
‘I need to see Cade no matter what.’
There were plenty of things to confront him about, but first I needed to tell him to be careful about these absurd rumors spreading.
I had avoided one particular method until now because it felt too stalker-like, but this seemed like the right time to use it.
I picked up Tris, who had been following me around, and whispered.
“Tris. I need a favor.”
[Chirp?]
“If your master enters the Mirror in the Office, will you let me know right away?”
Whenever Cade led me into the Mirror Library, he always entered directly through the Mirror—he never used Teleportation.
It was the same when leaving and emerging back outside.
If my theory was correct, Teleportation wouldn’t work inside the Mirror Library.
‘That means he can’t escape without rejecting me inside there.’
Fortunately, Tris did exactly as I asked—the moment Cade entered the Mirror, it ran straight to my room and alerted me.
Though the fact that it was the middle of the night was absurd.
‘He’s avoiding me so desperately he’s holing up in the Office at this hour.’
I threw a cardigan over my nightclothes and hurried to the Office.
Thanks to Tris carrying Cade’s Magical Power, I slipped into the Office and through the Mirror without a hitch.
‘Now comes the hard part……’
The Mirror Library was a maze—complex and riddled with traps.
This time, I couldn’t follow my usual path; I had to find a new way.
“Tris. Take me safely to your master. We need to avoid all the traps.”
[Squeak!]
As if understanding, Tris’s ears perked up, and suddenly its body swelled to reveal its true form.
Then it crouched low and wagged its tail.
“Are you asking me to ride on your back?”
[Purr-purr-purr.]
If Tris could avoid all the traps, this way would certainly be faster.
“Then I’ll take you up on that.”
Tris’s back was stable as before.
Having visited this place frequently with Cade, Tris navigated the traps expertly and bolted through the shelves with impressive speed.
Clinging to its fur, I felt an unusual energy emanating from deeper within.
Tris stopped beside a bookshelf and let me down, then shrank back to its small form.
I thanked it softly and stroked Tris before quietly peering past the shelves.
Beyond a blue-green veil where Magic Circles shimmered, between tilted shelves, Cade stood flipping through books.
‘What kind of section is this that there’s another barrier even inside the Mirror?’
He was absorbed in his reading, seemingly unaware that Tris and I had arrived.
I waited for the right moment to call out while studying the books he was examining.
Then I spotted several volumes scattered at his feet and froze.
‘Those are…!’
In my surprise, I reached for the shelf to steady myself but accidentally knocked a book.
As books cascaded down with a thunderous crash, Cade’s eyes flashed and he looked up.
Our eyes met suddenly, and I froze in place. At the shock and consternation flooding his face, I blurted out words in a rush.
“I’m not stalking you or spying. I have permission to enter the Mirror Library, and—”

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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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