âGive it a name and raise it. Iâm sure itâll pay you back by growing up well.â
âI wonât give it a name. And do you think I can raise this well?â
âI think you can do it if you try.â
In response to his answer, Valletta leaned back on the chair without answering.
Everyday was comfortable, but she couldnât get rid of the feeling that she was sitting on a thorny cushion.
She seemed to be walking towards the sea by herself.
The water is up to her chest at the moment, and if she goes in a little more, the water will reach beneath her neck, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.
âCome to think of it, this snow tiger needs affection to grow big enough. I donât know how the cub parted with its mother, but if Valletta would give it affection, it would grow up.â
Valletta did not dare to say yes. No matter how hard she thought about it, she wasnât confident.
âNow that I think about it, in the end, you didnât tell me anything.â
âJust as you thought, the Emperor and the Lost were related, I was just wondering if it had something to do with alchemists or magicians.â
âA magician or an alchemist?â
âWhy does Your GraceâŠâ
âCarlon.â
Carlon Delphine stopped talking.
Valletta breathed in through her opened mouth. She did not expect to hear the same request that Reinhardt would always ask for again.
âThe reason why you donât want to give that cub a name or call us by our name, is it because youâre afraid that weâll die?â
ââŠâ
âWill you call me by my name if I promise that I wonât die?â
At the sound of the voice mixed with laughter, Valletta blankly stiffened and blinked her eyes.
The reason why she doesnât call people by their name was because her habit from the mansion still remained.
Since she knew that Reinhardt would kill all the servants in that mansion. It was so she wouldnât get attached to those who would die.
Everyone really died by his hands, so she thought it was a good thing she didnât get attached to them.
It had embedded into her like a habit, and as she thought about it, it had continued up to this day.
â⊠Itâs similar.â
âNeither I, nor Duke will die.â
Valletta, who was still thinking, suddenly remembered Reinhardt.
âDid you meet Rein⊠No, that hateful guy yesterday?â
â⊠Yes.â
Carlon Delphine, who frowned, nodded obediently. In the first place, even if he wanted to hide it, he couldnât do so anyway since it would show in his expression.
âYou heard something from him, right?â
âYes.â
âWhat did he say?â
Carlon Delphine kept his mouth shut.
He doesnât know if it was okay to say it to the child or not. It was an unusual obsession. Even if sheâs broken, heâll still take her.
E/N: Reinhardtâs unusual obsession with Valletta, and he would still take her even though sheâs broken.
When there was no answer, Valletta opened her mouth first again.
âI fear him the most. That hateful guy would casually take everything away from me.â
His obsession of course, rarely escaped from his attention unscathed.
She still could not forget the day he first confessed that he killed someone in front of her. Of course, he didnât confess that he personally killed them. He just said that two servants who used their tongue recklessly ran out of luck and died.
âBut why didnât you push him away whenever he came?â
Valletta could not say a word at Carlon Delphineâs question. Because she feels sorry for him? Because if she sacrificed herself then the otherâs would be fine? Was the reason really that noble and pure?
Vallettaâs forehead narrowed. She couldnât come up with an appropriate answer.
âIâm not really sure.â
Valletta shook her head.
âYou can just learn step by step. Donât rush it. Duke must have given you that cub with that in mind.â
âYes.â
Valletta answered meekly and lowered her head again.
âYour alchemy skills are honestly beyond my teaching capabilities. Itâs nearly perfect, but it would be better to rebuild your foundation.â
To compare her skills to a building, the top was an antique building, but the bottom was messy with roughly stacked bricks.
However, if the foundation was messed up, a hole is bound to be formed somewhere and would collapse.
âPlease open up the store first.â
At Vallettaâs resolute words, Carlon Delphine held back a smile with a troubled expression.
He blankly stared at Valletta. Valletta pursed her lips, and managed to open her mouth.
âCarlonâŠâ
She murmured in a voice like a crawling ant.
â⊠I understand. Letâs turn in the permit tomorrow.â
âYes.â
Carlon Delphine nodded at Vallettaâs answer.
She slowly got up from her seat. Still, one could feel that she was being careful not to wake up the cub in her arms.
Carlon bit his lip. He shouldnât alarm her by laughing.
The child may not know, but there was still kindness that remained in her. It was just that her way of thinking was a little out of order.
âAnd also about Gillian, Iâll tell you as much as I know tomorrow.â
âYou know about him?â
âI canât not know about himâ
Since they were in the same industry, there were rumors rolling around. They werenât good rumors usually, but since he was the best alchemist in the Imperial Palace, there were quite a few rumors going around about him.
âYes, thank you.â
âHave a good rest today. You can go visit the market⊠Or maybe itâs better to go to the underground in the evening.â
Vallettaâs eyes widened in interest. She nodded her head.
âOkay.â
âOkay, then go and take a rest first.â
â⊠Iâll try my best.â
Carlon nodded his head at her answer.
***
âProtests are constantly coming from the Imperial Palace.â
âWhat protests?â
Reinhardt asked in a crooked posture at Ceylonâs worried voice. The Sky Room was a mess. It was because his abilities would often run wild.
âThey said that if we donât apologize for touching the Crown Prince and for the murder of Count Delight, it will adversely affect our relationship.â
âWhat do they want?â
âAn apology letter, additional support for the magicians affiliated with the Imperial Palace, and 1 ton of mana stone.â
Reinhardt held back a laugh. Was it worth it for those dogs and pigs? Even if he offers one rotten apology for each head that he chopped off, was asking his opinion needed just for a rotten apology?
âIgnore it.â
âThe magicians sent to the imperial Palace have begun to come out now.â
Ceylon said in a soft voice. It was a voice filled with difficulties.
Reinhardt was well aware that the Magic Tower was not on his side. At best, he only had the watchdog and these two people in front of him.
âSo what do you think I should do? Kill them all?â
âItâs not a good idea to try and solve work problem with violence and slaughter.â
âQuilt.â
Quilt responded by holding his hands behind his waist.
Ceylon, who was standing next to him, was startled and stopped speaking, but he didnât change his words and only narrowed his eyebrows slightly.
His short hair looked refreshing, but his expression was cold. Reinhardt frowned.
âYou now know how to bark⊠you sure have grown up a lot.â
âIf my barking would turn you into an honorable master, Iâll bark as much as needed.â
â⊠Ha.â
Reinhardt narrowed his eyebrows and fiddled around with his hair in his thin fingers. He doesnât know what on earth he wants. He doesnât know what to give. What the hell is he supposed to do?
âIf itâs about the purging of the magicians rotting the Tower, Iâm confident.â
âYes?â
âI donât know how to be merciful to pitiful people who are swayed by others and have no will of their own.â
Reinhardt said, lightly clenching his first. Even though itâs just an insignificant action, itâs terrifying.
ââŠâ
âItâs simple to kill all those who would stand in my way.â
âLord.â
âI donât know what else you want me to do. If you have knowledge shoved into your head, forget about those crazy people, and let me know how to use them.â
Gone are the days when surviving was the only way. Maybe thatâs why she left this place as well.
Perhaps they needed more experience because they were locked up.
âYou can ask if you do not know. Do not hesitate to use things. We are your tools.â
ââŠâ
Reinhardt narrowed his eyes and sat down on the bed with an irritated expression. Then he clicked his tongue and let out a low sigh.
âMaster hates blood. No slaughter, no violence. I want to bring my Master here safely. For that to happen, this place has to be quiet and stable.â
â⊠Are you talking about that polite Sokor?â
As soon as Quilt finished speaking, Reinhardt smiled and lifted his finger.
Dozens of ice spears were created in an instant, densely blocked and flashed around Caspelius, Ceylon and Quilt.
âIâm your Master, right?â
âYes.â
âRight, sheâs the master of your master, so be careful with your words.â
Quilt just narrowed his brows without answering. The grudge against Sokors was deep for any magician.
Ceylon blocked in front of him and lightly bowed his head.
âThen what should we call that person?â
âValletta-nim should be okay. Or maybe Master?â
â⊠We will call her Valletta-nim.â
Ceylon answered.
Reinhard nodded lightly, and turned his head.
His power would sometimes overflow, she wasnât there, and his head hurt. Reinhardt narrowed his brows.
âSheâll be mad if I kill however I wantâŠâ
There was too much to endure.
Reinhardt lightly snapped his finger to remove the ice spears. Ceylon and Quilt, who were tense, relaxed their body.