Riley quickly racked her brain.

Who was this woman? She thought there was a high probability that she was one of those entangled in Givnen’s complicated relationships with women. Riley was well aware of Givnen’s numerous rumored affairs, so this situation wasn’t really that surprising.

“Just where do you think you’re crawling into? Have you lost your mind?”

Moreover, she had quite a foul mouth. Unbecoming of her beautiful appearance, it was the kind of rough talk one might hear in a pub over a beer. Because of that, Riley’s mood soured as well.

Whoever she was, there was no reason to tolerate some nameless woman causing trouble here.

“I don’t know who you are, but I have no reason to leave here. Please stop.”

…And I have nowhere else to go.

She deliberately trailed off at the end.

At that, the woman narrowed her eyes.

“You’re going to stay here?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll regret it, you know. Your life will go to ruin.”

“…Who are you to be so rude?”

It was just as the woman was about to introduce herself.

The door opened and someone entered the mansion. The servants moved in unison, lining up in a row. Then they welcomed the master of the mansion as he entered.

“Welcome home, master.”

It couldn’t have been a more incredible entrance at a more incredible timing.

“I wondered what all the commotion was about.”

He frowned upon seeing the woman with Riley.

“Why are you here.”

“Why? There are matters that need your approval, but the damned Tower Master has lost his mind and gone off gallivanting for four days, so how could I not come all the way here to find you?”

What was this hostile conversation? It certainly didn’t sound like one between lovers. Rather, the woman Riley had suspected of being intimate with Givnen was showing extreme disgust towards him. Of course, Givnen seemed to feel the same way.

Come to think of it, they both… had silver hair and ash-gray eyes that looked strangely alike.

Could it be?

“By the way, you’ve done something quite interesting, haven’t you? Setting up house before marriage? Why are you acting so unlike yourself, brother? How desperate must you have been…”

“Mind your own business about other people’s marriages and worry about your own future.”

“Who are you to worry about others when you’re the number one cause of bringing shame to our family with all sorts of scandals?”

“Eight out of ten of those are just rumors.”

“Which means two are real. And this time it’s truly the worst yet? Stealing a woman who’s already taken? Going so far as to take a woman who was in marriage talks with the owner of a rival company?”

At her words, Givnen burst into laughter and leaned against the wall.

“If I want something, I take it.”

“You utter scoundrel.”

“Nothing new there.”

“It’s none of my business who you meet, but can’t you do it a bit more decently?”

“I’m not the one making noise, people are making noise about me. I’m someone who wants peace more than anyone.”

“Is that why you did that at the reception?”

Only then did Riley become certain.

This conversation couldn’t be seen as one between lovers. This vicious exchange that seemed like a battle between sword and shield was clearly that of ‘siblings’.

“A romantic elopement with a lover? Crossing the central hall for all to see and heading straight to a hotel? Aren’t you an attention seeker?”

Rivne’s words made even Riley feel guilty. Ah, well, he didn’t really intend to elope, there were circumstances that couldn’t be explained… but saying that wouldn’t make any difference.

It seemed true that siblings often have bad relationships. To put it bluntly, these two seemed to have an even worse relationship than Claire and Riley, in a different sense.

Neither side would back down. The vicious conversation carried out in such a refined and elegant manner was breathtaking.

“Um…”

Riley interjected between the two. Only then did the bickering siblings stop their verbal sparring.

Givnen rubbed his dry face and introduced Rivne.

“This is Rivne Lianster, my twin sister.”

“Drop the ‘my’.”

“A sister is a sister, or should I call you elder sister?”

Ignoring Givnen lightly, Rivne extended her hand to Riley.

“I’m Rivne Lianster.”

Riley grasped her hand tightly in confusion.

“I-I’m Riley Eadalin.”

“Yes, nice to meet you. Actually, not nice at all. Get out of here, before you really regret it.”

Riley was certain that Rivne didn’t like her.

Well, that’s understandable. The gap between their families is too big, and from their perspective, this is a marriage Givnen is pushing unilaterally, so how flustered must they be? Moreover, considering the recent scandal… there was no way to give a good impression.

However, contrary to Riley’s expectations, Rivne gave a completely different reason.

“Escape from that damned bastard while you still have some sanity left. Don’t let your life be ruined.”

“…Pardon?”

“That guy, you know, he may look normal on the outside, but he’s not a normal person. He’s truly insane. I can confidently say I’ve never seen such a madman in my life. Is it because he was praised as a genius since childhood? The kid has a screw loose and his condition is abnormal… No, I don’t understand, what’s so good about a guy like that. No, he’s popular? That’s just what people who don’t know him say. Our family may be quite well-off, but he’s not just well-off. I think the woman who ends up with him is the most pitiful in the world.”

Even with the person in question right in front of her, Rivne spewed out curses about her brother without batting an eye.

What’s even funnier is that Givnen, who was being cursed to his face, seemed quite nonchalant, as if this situation was familiar to him. To him, this situation seemed as peaceful as an ordinary day.

“I’m telling you this because you seem to be too ignorant.”

“Such meddling.”

Givnen smirked as he mocked Rivne.

“If that’s all you have to say, haven’t we finished our business now? Why don’t you leave?”

“Finished? As if.”

She threw some documents at Givnen. The papers that should have fallen to the floor floated around his face.

“It’s about adding a department to the Academy and reports on the new office construction, so read it carefully, Mr. Tower Master. Hm? I don’t care about your love life or marriage, but you should take care of your own work properly, right?”

“Didn’t I tell you to leave the Academy matters to them and not worry about it?”

“What can I do when those damned old geezers tell me to get your approval? Besides, I’m a student at the Academy now, very busy with my own studies. So why should I take on such annoying tasks just because I’m your blood relative? It’s because you’re always running around.”

“If you can’t get the support of the council members like that, the future of the Academy looks bleak. If that position is too much for you, just say so. There are plenty of candidates to replace you.”

“…You bastard.”

“Nothing new there.”

“Grrrr!”

Shivering with anger, Rivne turned around irritably. Then she blasted the door away with magic and left.

The huge iron door disappeared without a trace. As a large hole opened in the mansion, Givnen clicked his tongue and cleared away the remnants of the door with magic.

“I should really charge her for the door this time, at this rate our finances will be ruined just from door costs.”

What’s with these vicious siblings…?

After temporarily blocking the doorway, Givnen finally looked at Riley, who had turned to stone.

“Are you alright? You look pale.”

…You just blew away a huge door right in front of me, wouldn’t anyone be shocked?

“Her mouth may be foul, but she’s not that bad-natured. So don’t worry.”

She blasted away the door in one go, though…?

Riley blinked for a while, unable to respond.

There was an unexpected obstacle in marrying Givnen Lianster.

The existence of a vicious sister-in-law.

‘…Will I end up like a rag if I fall out of favor too?’

If the sister-in-law is like that, what about the father-in-law…? The others?

Riley felt a chill run down her spine for no reason.

…Will this marriage be okay?

[This is the timeline separator]

After the vicious encounter with her prospective sister-in-law, Riley’s daily life flowed quite smoothly.

Contrary to her worries, Rivne, who had the precedent of smashing the door and running away, didn’t show her face at all, probably because of that incident.

Riley, who had been worried that she might come back and criticize the marriage, finally let go of her fear of her on the fifth day.

Givnen, who had returned to work, became genuinely busy.

He was really busy. He sent nightingales to relay his situation, squeezing time out of his busy schedule. He would joke about wanting to quit his job as Tower Master and retire to the countryside, or he would go out for business meetings and find something nice, throwing clothes, dresses, shoes, and delicious desserts her way.

She could eat whatever she wanted to her heart’s content, and do whatever she wanted as well. However, the servants of the mansion found it regrettable that she only stayed inside the mansion.

And Riley too was gradually feeling the limits of her homebody life.

‘Can life be this boring?’

Considering the old days when she was confined to her room with controlled outings, this was really a fortunate complaint.

The time spent doing nothing, playing and eating, was really long. The days felt so long that she wondered if they had always been this long.

For the past month, she had no time to be bored because of etiquette education, but now, even with the new tutor Givnen had hired, she only had classes three times a week, and even then, not more than three hours a day.

From what she heard, the working hours of tutors here seemed to be legally set.

So except for three times a week, three hours each, she just played hard, ate, slept, pooped, and occasionally read books, which inevitably increased her boredom.

If there was any consolation, it was that all the servants here were kind and friendly, so they kept her company?

“Don’t you feel stifled?”

“…Actually, a little bit.”

“It would be nice if you could go outside, but there are many people watching our master. Especially with the scandal, it’s still noisy… Even though a correction was issued, it hasn’t died down. Reporters are camping outside, and we’re suffocating too. No matter how much our knights chase them away, they’re as persistent as leeches.”

At Richelle’s complaint, Riley cautiously asked.

“Is public opinion still bad?”

“It’s better than before.”

“That’s somewhat of a relief.”

“Originally, people don’t care whether rumors are false or true. They’re looking for something to bite, tear, and taste. In that sense, our master is quite a good snack, I’d say.”

“Why?”

“He’s a person wrapped in topics. Is there anyone in this empire who doesn’t know our master’s name? They might not know his face, but everyone knows his name. He’s been famous since he was young.”

“Since he was young? Why?”

“Well, he was born as a magician, being the direct descendant of the Lianster family. Babies born as magicians undergo mana measurement tests from birth, right? But our master’s innate mana was so abundant that the measurement test tube couldn’t handle it and shattered. There were even jokes about whether he would live eternally.”

Since mana is the life energy of magicians, I’ve heard that those with enormous mana can live over 200 years. They tend to age more slowly than ordinary people and have stronger immunity. I’ve heard that the more mana one is born with, the longer their lifespan, unless they are intentionally killed by someone.

“But that’s all old talk. These days, it’s an era of exploiting a few great magicians. The mana taken instead of taxes… it’s beyond imagination. There’s even a joke that they run the magic tower with that mana.”

“I see.”

“But that much mana is like a bomb. The body itself is a moving bomb. Magicians have a separate blood flow where mana flows, and the moment it gets tangled, they die. Especially when the mana is strong, the body can’t handle it and explodes. They say it shatters into pieces…”

The body shatters into pieces?

Riley shook her head at the unimaginable horror.

“That’s scary.”

“That’s why magicians are registered and managed from birth. It would be a waste to lose such precious talents like that, right? Also, if the mana gets tangled and the body explodes, it’s not just the magician who dies, but civilian casualties can occur too… Birth registration and magician registration are mandatory.”

“…Mandatory.”

Riley paused.

‘Then I…’

The doubt she had momentarily forgotten resurfaced.

‘Why didn’t father register me when I was born as a magician? Even though it’s so dangerous? It’s a matter of life and death?’

“What happens if magicians aren’t managed?”

“Then they could explode at any time. They say that the blood flow of mana can’t be controlled by one’s will. It’s possible through long training and mental discipline.”

‘…Then what about me?’

Riley was genuinely shocked. Much more than when her unknown uncle suddenly appeared.

It’s a matter directly related to life, and father omitted that? If he was an ordinary person, maybe, but a magician who had worked at Horizon? An elite who was well-versed in magic and magicians making such a mistake? No, this is not a mistake that can be made.

Then is it not a mistake?

Even if it’s not a mistake, it’s a problem.

Riley felt goosebumps all over her body.

It was remarkable she had survived until now. Moreover, doesn’t it mean she could suddenly die anytime, anywhere?

“Young lady, what’s wrong? You look pale.”

“…Ah, it’s nothing.”

Riley became frightened as soon as she realized her body was in a state like a bomb that could explode at any time.

Riley held her tongue for now. She didn’t think Richelle could resolve her curiosity. This issue was right to discuss with Givnen. He said he didn’t know much about her father… but there was a high chance he would know well about the mana measurement test and magician registration procedures.

‘Right. It could have been omitted for some reason during the reporting process. Unless father was insane…’

Riley took deep breaths to calm her pounding heart and composed her anxious mind.

The saying that sometimes not knowing is medicine deeply resonated. The anxiety of not knowing when, where, or how one might die.

As soon as she learned her body was in a time bomb-like state, extreme fear and anxiety about death overwhelmed her. She didn’t want to die with her body exploding into pieces.

A feeling of nausea, tightness in her chest, and her breath caught.

The more she thought about what exactly was going on, the more complicated her thoughts became.

Riley sent Richelle out, lay down on the bed, and curled her body into a ball.

‘…What exactly were you hiding, father.’

She was scared.

More than the fear of not knowing what might happen to her body right now, she was far more afraid of how many unfamiliar sides of her father she would face in the future.

[This is the timeline separator]

Even after dinner time passed, Givnen did not return home.

Seeing that he hadn’t come home for the past few days, there was a high chance he wouldn’t come in today either.

Then when could she meet him again? She thought she would be able to see him every day living together, but nothing had changed from before.

‘Is he very late…’

There’s so much to ask.

“Young lady, why are you out here in the cold night air?”

“…Just feeling stuffy.”

“Are you waiting for the master?”

Riley nodded slightly.

Then Richelle smiled and held out something. It was a nightingale used for sending messages.

“Then why don’t you try sending a letter? He might come home early after seeing your letter.”

Would he really?

Riley awkwardly received the quill pen and paper Richelle handed her.

A letter… What should I write?

After contemplating, she carefully began to scribble on the paper.

·

·

·

Tok, tok, tok.

Givnen, who had been moving his hand, suddenly stopped. An irritating sound, it couldn’t have been a more unpleasant noise to him who was already on edge with work piled up to be processed.

Turning his head towards the sound, he saw a nightingale diligently pecking at the window.

Sending a message in the middle of the night, whoever it is, they’re an annoying fellow without a shred of manners.

Givnen opened the window, openly showing his displeasure. The nightingale fluttered in and dropped a small note onto Givnen’s palm.

After checking the contents of the note, Givnen immediately grabbed his coat.

“I’m leaving work, and taking tomorrow off.”

Leaving just one word to Sack waiting outside, he hurriedly headed home.

“I miss you.”