CHAPTER 027
"What are you curious about?"
"Pardon?"
Wasn't this supposed to just pass over?
"What's your favorite food?"
I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"I don't have one. Next?"
"...Who is the person you're closest to in the Mage Tower?"
"No one. Next?"
There was no point in asking. If he was going to say no to everything, why ask in the first place?!
"Who do you dislike?"
"All the noisy people. Anything else?"
How long is he going to keep asking me these questions?
But I couldn't ask that.
Ugh, I'm running out of things to ask quickly. Think, Selina. Think of something you're curious about!
"Is that all you're curious about?"
I have nothing else to ask! And you're not even giving me time to think!
After racking my brain, I finally answered.
"I'm curious about your mind."
Curious about what? Your mind!
"..."
There was a brief silence.
Was I too honest? I regretted my words immediately.
I felt like I'd revealed too much, like how I really couldn't understand what Lewis was thinking.
"How could you be so smart with so many things in your head... ha, ha."
I added a belated excuse that wasn't even true.
Lewis's lips curved into a smile.
Did I get away with it...? Just as I thought that Lewis spoke.
"You're lying, aren't you?"
"Pardon?"
"You're curious about my mental state, aren't you?"
"Of course not!"
Why is he so perceptive about things like this?!
As I hurriedly denied it, Lewis changed his words.
"I'm joking. I know I'm smart."
Ah, it was a joke?
Seeing Lewis chuckle, I sighed inwardly with relief.
* * *
Lewis stared at Selina.
Her expression was so transparent that he could easily tell she was relieved.
Why does she get so startled over such things? His friend still had a lot of things that surprised her.
In any case, her answer just now revealed something.
Selina didn't seem very curious about Lewis.
How could she not be curious? Lewis looked at Selina quietly.
Her blue eyes gazed at him with a bit of curiosity.
Why isn't she curious?
Lewis found it puzzling.
As friends, shouldn't they know more about each other? I'm very curious about you.
Lewis narrowed his eyes and asked.
"Do you really want to be friends?"
"Of course!"
Selina answered immediately.
...She says she wants to be friends, but she's not curious about me? Lewis's eyes were still filled with suspicion.
This won't do.
Lewis quickly thought of something and spoke with a mischievous smile.
"Aren't you curious about where I work?"
"Pardon?"
"You should visit. It's where your friend works."
She looked completely caught off guard.
But what could he do? If she wasn't curious, he had to find a way for her to get to know him better.
That's how Lewis's invitation to the Mage Tower came about.
A few days later, at the Mage Tower.
From early in the morning, the wizards were tense.
Lewis had burst into their lab.
Normally, he wouldn't even glance at them and head straight to his office. Was he planning to monitor them?
Lewis looked around the lab with his arms crossed, a bored expression on his face.
Those who didn't want to meet his gaze all looked down.
Although he was an exceptional wizard, he was still a difficult superior for them to deal with.
"It needs some tidying up."
Startled by his nonchalant tone, the wizards looked up. They flinched when they met his cold golden eyes.
"W-Who are you going to tidy up...?"
Was someone neglecting their duties?
There were no wizards slacking off or delaying their work!
Seeing their confusion, Lewis frowned.
"Did I say I was going to tidy up people? I meant the lab."
The importance of the subject was evident.
"Remove all unused tables and move the bookshelves over there."
Lewis gave rough instructions, pointing his finger at the layout he wanted.
"And remove all red stains. To avoid misunderstandings."
The wizards, still puzzled, began to move. One brave soul mustered the courage to ask.
"Why are we suddenly tidying up the lab...?"
Lewis answered readily, which was unexpected.
"A guest is coming."
The Mage Tower Lord's guest!
The unusual event caused a buzz among the wizards.
"Is it someone from the Croft family again?"
Thanks to Lewis leaving right after giving instructions, they could talk freely.
The person who visited most often was Michael, and Bella had visited once before.
But they'd never tidied up like this before.
Who could be coming that warranted such preparation?
As they all wondered, someone spoke up.
"It might be that lady."
"Didn't you see what happened at the Imperial Ball?"
The lady who calmed Lewis down. Selina Elsner!
They only knew her as Bella's friend, but she had been a hot topic among the Mage Tower wizards since then.
"That does make sense..."
Everyone nodded at the plausible theory.
Lewis's aide was equally curious about who was coming.
He followed Lewis into his office.
"Mage Tower Lord."
"What is it?"
"Did you invite a guest? Who...?"
His voice was cautious.
Though he was Lewis's aide, he found him intimidating. But even when Lewis was ill-
'Lewis didn't come to work?'
'Yes, Michael!'
'Did you contact the mansion?'
'No... The Mage Tower Lord has been so terrifying lately...'
He hadn't dared to go see Lewis, only managing his work for him.
Sometimes, Lewis made decisions without informing him. This invitation was one of those times.
When the aide asked who the guest was, Lewis replied casually.
"My friend."
"...Pardon?"
Does the Mage Tower Lord have friends?
"Are you referring to the Croft family's twin cousins...?"
"They're relatives. I have a separate friend."
Lewis had completely forgotten that he had once referred to the twins as friends in front of Selina.
Without looking at his aide, Lewis replied indifferently and then raised his head.
He looked directly at his aide and spoke.
"Countess Selina Elsner. She's my friend."
* * *
The Mage Tower, where all kinds of experiments take place.
Ever since getting to know Lewis, I had never wanted to visit the Mage Tower.
I had seriously worried that I might be taken there as a research subject if I got on his bad side.
If I weren't Bella's friend, he would have surely taken me!
But now, I have been invited to the Mage Tower.
In celebration of solidifying our friendship with the certificate, Lewis invited me.
"You've never been here before, right? Then come. It won't be very fun. Oh, but the test subjects might be interesting?"
No, not really...
His last comment completely killed my desire to go.
But seeing my hesitant expression, Lewis's smile only grew wider.
"You'll come, won't you?"
Before and after becoming friends, his twisted personality remained the same.
And today was the day I visited the Mage Tower.
I was going alone. Bella had refused to come with me.
I considered going with Charlotte, but somehow, Lewis knew my thoughts and contacted me the day before.
"—Come alone. Don't bring anyone else."
So I hadn't even mentioned it to Charlotte.
Was there a specific reason I couldn't bring anyone else?
Feeling uneasy, I prepared to go out and check with Bella in the morning.
"Are you sure it's okay? It's not dangerous, right?"
"If it were dangerous, I wouldn't send you. It's just a seriously boring place. A bunch of weirdos who only know about magic working all day."
Oh, so it's just boring.
Her nonchalant response eased my tension.
My first impression of the Mage Tower was a bit strange.
What is this?
Wizards who had been chatting in groups or moving busily with documents stopped whenever they noticed me.
Do they always pay this much attention to guests...?
All the wizards were staring at me.
Some even ran upstairs in a panic, as if they had seen something incredible!
What's with this sense of incongruity...
Seeing commoners like me startled them. This was a first for me.
Were they not running away but rather going to report my arrival? Shortly after, Lewis came down.
"Marquis!"
"You're early."
Lewis casually raised a hand to greet me and then looked at the gathered wizards.
"Is this a spectacle? What are you all staring at?"
His tone was icy.
As soon as he spoke, the wizards dispersed. They sure moved quickly...
In an instant, it was just the two of us in the lobby. Only then did Lewis start leading the way.
"Follow me. I'll show you around."
"Ah, yes!"
The heart-pounding tour of the Mage Tower!
Contrary to my worries, the tour was uneventful.
I had expected to see bizarre creatures in glass cases, but Lewis showed me mundane places like the garden and herb cultivation rooms.
"Where are we going now?"
"The lab where the wizards work."
As soon as Lewis opened the door, the wizards inside looked at us with surprise.
Lewis addressed them while looking at them.
"The Mage Tower labs are always full of laughter. Everyone enjoys their work."
If you're going to say that, at least smile.
The strange thing happened next.
As soon as Lewis finished speaking, the wizards who had been looking at us quickly turned away and started chatting among themselves.
As if they had never been looking at us.
"Thanks to the Mage Tower Lord, every day is a joy!"
"Of course. Working under such a capable leader!"
...It sounded like sarcasm.
Forcing a cheerful atmosphere, Lewis shamelessly asked me.
"The atmosphere is nice, right? It's not gloomy or dreary at all, is it?"
Excuse me, but the wizards are nervously glancing at you while smiling?
They keep glancing this way?!
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