Chapter 40
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Father's Sudden Invitation
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She paused for a moment in thought before asking in a curt tone.
"More importantly, why did you come? And even in the form of a cat."
"What's the problem with visiting my daughter? Of course I came to pick you up."
Tower Master Rguin crossed his arms and replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"...To pick me up?"
Philomel asked, her face full of bewilderment.
"Let's go back to the Magic Tower together."
She glanced briefly at the hand Rguin held out to her, then whipped her head away.
"I don't get why you're doing this now, of all times."
He'd clearly acted like he had no need for her before. And now he wanted to go to the Magic Tower together?
She'd momentarily forgotten amid the surprise of his sudden appearance, but their first meeting as father and daughter hadn't ended well.
"I don't need it. Money, whatever it is you're offering—I don't want any of it."
"We're no different from strangers; we just share blood, after all."
"I won't show up again, so live well."
Even after learning the secret of her birth from Lexion later on, the disappointment she'd felt back then hadn't faded.
This woman hadn't just run off after fooling around with some girl, so maybe he was a step better in that regard. But the fact remained that he'd selfishly brought a child into the world without taking proper responsibility as a parent.
Rearing her, showing affection, paying attention—none of that.
Sure, he'd given money to Katrin. But money? The emperor had showered her with more than enough of that.
'Though I spent little on reputation management and turned down most of it.'
If she'd lived like the book's 'Philomel' and indulged in extravagance, she could've easily bought a few islands by now.
"I just felt like I needed to see you one more time. I thought seeing your face would make the reason clear..."
"And? Did it?"
Philomel and Rguin stared into each other's faces.
"Not yet."
Rguin remained as expressionless as ever, his emotions unreadable.
"Are you feeling sorry for me, by any chance?"
Philomel hesitated a moment before asking. The man, resting his chin on his hand, furrowed his brow briefly before shaking his head.
"Not sure. I've never felt sorry for anyone before."
"You told me you were sorry once."
"Ah, sorry. I assumed my child would naturally be a mage."
"Sorry. I just don't know."
Philomel recalled their conversation at the Magic Tower and blurted it out.
"That was just... People usually say 'sorry' in situations like that, so I copied them."
Rguin answered lightly, as if it were no big deal at all.
'Figures.'
He hadn't seemed sorry in the slightest back then, either.
"Then do you pity me?"
"Hmm. Not sure about that, either. I've never pitied anyone."
"..."
'What do you even know?'
The words nearly escaped her throat but went back down.
Lexion's words about Rguin being emotionless were starting to ring true, bit by bit. Whether a living being could truly lack emotions entirely was questionable, but at the very least, this man existed in a category apart from ordinary people.
She could clearly feel the unbridgeable river flowing between them. Even if he'd raised her like other parents, he wouldn't have been capable of giving her love.
'What's the point of coveting something that was never mine to begin with?'
Philomel neatly folded away her feelings of disappointment.
Rguin pressed her.
"So, you won't come to the Magic Tower?"
"...I didn't say that."
In truth, she had no real desire to go live at the Magic Tower.
Her reason for wanting to go there in the first place was that it lay beyond the empire's reach. But yesterday, the emperor had said he had no intention of punishing her. He'd even promised to send her wherever she wanted.
If she took him at his word, then for someone like her—who couldn't even cast a single spell—there was no longer any reason to go to the Magic Tower.
'Honestly, I'd love to start a new life somewhere no one knows me.'
What she'd told Katrin in prison had been her true feelings.
Still, this was a good opportunity. If she went with him, she could escape the imperial palace without having to accept the three-month residency condition.
'And if we head to Anghelium next to the Magic Tower, I can retrieve Princess Ellensia too.'
She could figure out what came after once she left this place. It would be a complete farewell to the imperial palace where she'd lived all these years.
"Simple enough, then. We'll go to the Magic Tower."
Rguin extended his hand once more.
"Alright."
But as Philomel reached out to take it, her hand froze in midair.
"..."
"..."
Huh?
For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to grasp it right away. Various faces flashed before her eyes.
"Just promise me one thing instead. That you'll never leave without a word again. At least to me... let me know before you go."
First, Lady Deless.
"Regardless of His Majesty's will, I wish to continue serving Your Highness."
Then Count Polan.
"...I'm sorry."
Emperor Justis's apology, which had sounded so awkward.
"You've been strange for the past few months. You're not the Ellensia I knew."
"Thank you for coming to see me one last time."
And even Katrin's words.
'Why are these memories surfacing right now?'
Her lips felt glued shut.
As Philomel hesitated, the faint smile on Rguin's face slowly faded.
'No, I can't let this chance slip—grab it before he changes his mind.'
Fearing he'd retract the offer, Philomel hurriedly opened her mouth.
"Um...!"
Just as she finally pried open her heavy lips.
"Yeah. Watching you just now, I could tell you've been living on a tight leash all this time."
Rguin muttered to himself and nodded.
"Your life must've been exhausting. I can more than guess how you're feeling right now."
Rguin kept nodding to himself, murmuring "I get it, I get it."
'He knows my feelings even I don't understand? How? Because he's my father...?'
He spoke with utter confidence.
"You want to give these palace humans the middle finger, right?"
"..."
Not at all.
"I get it. I can't stand being screwed over either. In that way, you take after me."
Not even a little.
He seemed to have badly misinterpreted her silence. She wished he wouldn't invent similarities on his own.
Before Philomel could respond, the mage flopped back onto the sofa and declared,
"Then I'll stick around here too."
"Whaaat?"
What was this now?
"I'll stay here until you decide to come to the Magic Tower. And while I'm at it, I'll help with your revenge."
"No... what about the Magic Tower? As Tower Master, don't you have mountains of work to handle?"
Philomel's jaw dropped as she replied. Rguin grinned and gave a reason that defied her common sense.
"You didn't know? I don't do much work to begin with."
"No way. Work pours into the Magic Tower from across the continent every day. If not the Tower Master overseeing it all, who handles it?"
"Just make the other guys do it. Phil, remember this: the secret to life is working less and earning more."
Rguin spoke as if imparting great wisdom. Philomel let out a deflating sigh.
'Is the Magic Tower really okay like this?'
As the center of magic for the entire world, the Magic Tower's issues weren't confined to the Tower itself.
Philomel swallowed her concerns for the future of the Belleroph Empire—and indeed the whole continent.
Rguin snapped his fingers with an "Ah."
"I forgot—I have my own reason for not being able to leave right away."
"What's that?"
"Our paths might cross."
"Do you have an appointment with someone?"
"Well, that's..."
He opened his mouth, then shut it with a bored expression.
"Why won't you finish what you were saying?"
"Too annoying to explain in detail. There's something. You'll find out soon enough."
He'd been so chatty earlier without even being asked!
Philomel felt like shouting but barely held back. She still couldn't afford to upset him.
Thinking of Princess Ellensia, Philomel asked in an anxious voice,
"Then could you at least take me to Anghelium? I left my things there. And earlier... I was just slow to answer. I don't care about revenge or anything like that."
"Your things? I already retrieved them, so don't worry. They should be on their way here by now."
The Tower Master ignored her latter words and only addressed the former.
'My things are coming here? Did they grow legs or something?'
Philomel unwittingly tilted her head at the incomprehensible statement.