Tower Master.

Rohika Sedro.

Miel Sedro’s older cousin.

The owner of Maniana Tower and the head of the great noble Sedro family.

An excessive power-holder occupying two positions, each of which could already be considered the pinnacle.

At the same time, that person was the one who plunged Ibi, who already had trouble trusting others, into perfect distrust of humans.

“Ugh…”

As Maniana Tower came into view through the carriage window, Ibi groaned unconsciously.

Even though it was the same road they had passed just a few days ago, today her stomach felt particularly uneasy.

The reason was obvious.

Today, Ibi has to meet the Tower Master.

The terrifying Rohika Sedro sitting at the top of that tower.

“The area suspected to be the snake’s base is in a small city in the southeastern part of Bis.”

Sitting across from the motion-sick Ibi, Dies spoke in a low voice.

“It’s adjacent to the road that extends from the Wind Valley connected to Tienda to the eastern border. So even if the Tower Master assigns watchers, we can visit that city with a suitable excuse.”

As Dies explained Bis’s route, Ibi swallowed her bile and nodded.

Then she asked back in a worried voice.

“If it’s decided that I go down to Bis, how much surveillance will the Tower Master assign?”

“Quite a large number will be attached. In the worst case, she might form an escort team under the pretext of protection.”

At Dies’s gloomy outlook, Ibi let out a groan of “Ugh.”

Ibi, a precious asset of the tower, must not be injured, must not die, and absolutely must not escape.

So even if the Tower Master allows Ibi to go down to Bis, she will never send her alone.

Meeting the Count is just an excuse, and breaking the curse is the real purpose, but if the Tower Master’s people cling to her, it will be inconvenient in any case.

So, looking at the approaching Maniana Tower, Ibi spoke resolutely.

“Getting permission to go down to Bis is the first, minimizing the companions is the second. I’ll do my best.”

Ibi’s face was more solemn than ever as she went to meet the Tower Master, and Dies felt mixed emotions at the sight.

Ibi knew terrifyingly well what she had to do.

Even in this situation where she had become a public figure of Tienda due to Count Laurel’s declaration, her reputation had plummeted, and even her position as a saint candidate was in jeopardy.

She must be feeling awful thinking about that, but Ibi never yielded or became discouraged.

So Dies sometimes got confused whether he should consider that appearance admirable or pitiful.

As Dies was looking at Ibi with complex feelings, Ibi suddenly spoke in a subtle voice.

“By the way, butler. I’ve been thinking, and it seems like a really good thing to be going to meet the Count now.”

At this unexpected remark, Dies tilted his head. Then Ibi spoke with sparkling eyes.

“Isn’t it incredibly pitiful? A saint candidate departing for a dangerous area to soften the heart of the cold-hearted Count. How will the nobles who were cursing at me react to this?”

Ibi started laughing wickedly, and Dies erased the emotions he had been suppressing at the sight.

Right, I forgot. This is her true nature.

With a lightened heart, Dies thought instead.

Ibi Ariate’s cunning, still going strong today.

.

.

.

Maniana Tower is great.

This tower, whose builder and construction method are unknown, rises so arrogantly that it overwhelms the viewer at a glance.

At the same time, the delicate curves revealed along its outline added elegance to the towering structure, and the salt crystals formed on the outer walls of the tower sparkled white whenever the sun shone, making the viewer feel a sense of holiness.

That’s why many people praise the tower, but Ibi herself has never once thought that Maniana Tower was beautiful.

Because, while everyone thinks it’s just tall, that tower is actually deep as well, hiding a damp underground behind its sparkling white appearance.

Ibi, who knows this fact well and still has a leash tied to her in that underground, could never like this tower.

As the elevator reached the top floor of the tower, the sound of chains sliding stopped.

“The Tower Master is waiting.”

The servants standing in the hallway welcomed Ibi as they opened the elevator doors.

Ibi looked at the wide corridor that unfolded before her eyes.

More than thirty servants were standing at intervals on both sides of the corridor. And at the end of it, there was only one door that made all these people seem insignificant.

It was the door connecting to the office of the Tower Master, Rohika Sedro.

Ibi took a deep breath and crossed the corridor. When she stood in front of the door, the servant at the doorway announced her arrival instead of Ibi.

“Tower Master, Ibi Ariate is here to visit.”

Until now, everything in that corridor was solemn.

“Yes, come in!”

But the voice that came from inside the door was gentle and cheerful, as if mocking all this tension.

Ibi thought it was still the same as she entered the office. Then she unconsciously covered her mouth and nose with her hand.

‘Ugh…!’

As soon as she stepped into the office, a strong fragrance poured out, enough to cause dizziness.

Moreover, the Tower Master’s spacious office was so densely packed with colorful flowers that there was no room to even step.

As Ibi was bewildered by the overwhelming number of flowers that made her eyes dizzy, a voice was heard again from beyond the flower pile.

“Welcome, it’s a bit messy, isn’t it? Just clear away anywhere and sit down!”

There’s nowhere to clear away when she says to clear anywhere.

So as Ibi was standing there glumly, a woman appeared, parting the thick flowers.

She was a woman with day lily-colored hair neatly tied up and dressed in a clean suit, yet unable to hide her inherent splendor.

This woman was Rohika Sedro, the Tower Master who held Ibi’s leash.

“My goodness, how long has it been since Ibi came to see me first?”

“This is the first time.”

“I see… It’s always been me seeking out Ibi…”

Rohika welcomed Ibi with a lively voice, then lowered her eyebrows pretending to be disappointed at Ibi’s honest answer.

But Ibi ignored that and immediately changed the subject.

“You seem very busy.”

“Ah, I’ve recently taken up flower arranging as a hobby. It’s surprisingly fun.”

The scale is too severe for it to be just a hobby.

Ibi muttered inwardly, then recalled the Tower Master’s past eccentricities.

Rohika had a strange habit of taking up various hobbies very grandly and briefly.

Once she got into breeding and let livestock loose in the tower, but soon got bored and cooked everything she was raising, and then she said she was carving marble with a chisel, but broke two of her fingers and stopped.

The most recent one was the relatively harmless cake baking. After setting fire to the tower and quitting that just last month, now it’s flower arranging.

“Oh, did you eat the cake I sent before?”

“Yes, I ate it all.”

“Oh my, did Ibi really eat what I made?”

“No, the gardener’s dog ate it.”

Rohika laughed with a clear sound like a wind instrument at Ibi’s honest answer.

“Our Ibi, your jokes have become a bit cruel.”

As Rohika chided in a voice full of aegyo, Ibi forced a laugh as well.

It’s not a joke but a fact, yet she’s putting on such an act while already knowing.

Ibi felt relieved in one way as she watched Rohika acting gentle while hiding her claws.

Just as Ibi knows Rohika’s true nature, Rohika knows Ibi’s true nature. Thanks to that, Ibi didn’t have to worry too much about her rude true feelings bursting out due to the curse.

“I heard. That you’re in a lot of trouble because of the young master of the Laurel family?”

“That’s true, but the most troublesome to me is you, Tower Master.”

Still, this much honesty is a bit…

No sooner had Ibi thought she didn’t need to worry than the curse gave her something to worry about.

So as Ibi cleared her throat and tried to change the subject, Rohika smiled and continued speaking.

“You still have quite a lot of leeway. From what I see, the situation doesn’t look good at all. Montra will naturally go to the side where the scales tip, and the powerless Tuha will do whatever the nobles want. With these two dropping out like this, oh my.”

Rohika stopped mid-sentence and covered her mouth with her hand, pretending to be surprised. Then she continued in a cheerful voice.

“Our Ibi might not be able to become a saint.”

As Rohika predicted Ibi’s failure and laughed loudly, Ibi quietly gritted her teeth inside her smiling lips.

Towards such an Ibi, Rohika spoke with eyes curved like crescent moons.

“It’s okay, don’t worry too much. You can just live well like before, underground.”

Rohika’s eyes glinted with intense possessiveness as she whispered like that. Ibi felt as if her breath was choked by that ferocious desire that couldn’t be hidden by fake smiles.

Perhaps sensing Ibi’s discomfort, Rohika smiled brightly again and changed the subject.

“So why did Ibi come today?”

“I came to get your permission, Tower Master.”

“Permission?”

“Please allow me to go down to Bis so I can meet Count Laurel and persuade him.”

Rohika’s eyes widened at the purpose Ibi stated straightforwardly.

Rohika looked at Ibi a little surprised, then soon muttered with a deep smile.

“What a good excuse.”

Rohika said that and approached Ibi. Then, facing Ibi, she whispered in a subtle voice.

“Since you’ve blown your chance to become a saint, you’re not trying to run away, are you?”

Ibi’s curse rushed to deny before her thoughts could.

“No, I’m not.”

“Really not?”

“No, I’m not.”

“What should I do, should I pretend to be fooled again?”

Rohika narrowed her brow pretending to be troubled. Then she narrowed the already sufficiently close distance even more and said.

“Our Ibi has already deceived me many times. Right?”

“No, I only did it three times.”

“Three times is a lot, young lady. You know I usually don’t let even one slide, right?”

Rohika laughed as if dumbfounded and pressed Ibi more.

Ibi tried hard to suppress her desire to step back and opened her mouth.

“Tower Master, I…”

“Shh. I’m talking.”

But Rohika didn’t even allow Ibi to make excuses.

“I raise you prettily but you run away, you promise to behave well but cause trouble, and on top of that you even dare to make bets.”

Rohika listed Ibi’s past misdeeds and lifted Ibi’s chin.

Forced to meet Rohika’s eyes because of that, Ibi found this situation excruciating.

Originally, lime green is a very fresh color, but Rohika’s lime-green eyes were only dangerous and eerie, like a poison that shouldn’t be touched.

Looking at Ibi intently with such eyes, Rohika continued speaking.

“Ibi, you know. That you deceived me like that…”

Rohika’s lips, which had approached Ibi’s ear by now, whispered along with her breath.

“I really like it.”

What?

Ibi, who had been tense, became bewildered at the unexpected confession.

Then Rohika stepped back with a bright face again and said.

“It’s fun. Kids like you who don’t know when to give up properly and cling to the end. You’re very much like me.”

“…Me?”

“Oh my, you’re showing your dislike too much!”

As Ibi unconsciously frowned, Rohika laughed out loud again.

After laughing like that to her heart’s content, Rohika wiped her tears and said.

“I’ll allow you to go to Bis. Try whatever you want.”

The permission was granted abruptly. So Ibi, who had been wary of Rohika, suddenly came to her senses and asked back.

“What, what are the conditions?”

“What conditions?”

“Conditions like attaching surveillance or such.”

“Would you like that?”

“No.”

“Then I won’t. Go play to your heart’s content.”

Rohika was suspiciously generous.

Seeing Ibi hesitate at that appearance, Rohika smiled and said.

“You know too, how quickly I found you when you ran away.”

It meant that no matter how much you try to run away, you’re in the palm of my hand.

Ibi was quite annoyed at Rohika’s confidence, but since she had gotten everything she wanted, she gave a proper greeting and turned around.

But suddenly, Rohika asked Ibi who was about to leave.

“By the way, is Dies doing well?”

“Yes, he’s making love to teacups every day.”

Even though it’s because of the curse, the expression is too strange. So Ibi felt a little sorry for Dies.

But Rohika seemed to understand it as him doing reasonably well, nodding with a gentle smile.

“I see, since I handed him over for once, you should raise him well.”

At those words, Ibi unconsciously felt a surge of emotion.

So she looked at Rohika for a moment with her body turned, then soon smiled brightly and replied.

“Don’t worry, I’m raising him well, taking him for walks every day and giving him treats.”

Rohika’s smile deepened at Ibi’s provocative answer, and Ibi left the Tower Master’s office, turning away from that nauseating woman.