The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

20 – The Secretary and the Desk Corner

Franz moved very carefully so that his footsteps wouldn’t be heard.

For some reason, it felt like he had to.

Franz’s steps stopped in front of the door, and his gaze slowly turned to the narrow gap in the door.

‘What, she’s sleeping?’

Arian, visible through the gap, was asleep on the desk.

That means the voice he heard earlier was sleep-talking.

‘But the voice was kind of strange…?’

It still seemed to ring clearly in Franz’s ears.

Arian’s excited breathing and her earnest voice.

Franz, who had been narrowing his brows, soon let out a deep sigh.

Thinking that doubting people was not something he should do.

It wasn’t just anyone, it was Arian, so I had to trust him even more.

Despite everything, he was really helping a lot.

Having finished organizing his thoughts, Franz slowly opened the door and entered.

At that moment, Arian’s voice flowed out once more.

“Ah, no… no more… don’t let my tea go cold…”

Arian’s face was scrunched up as if he were having a nightmare.

As expected, the voice Franz heard in the hallway was just Arian talking in his sleep.

But still.

‘Was it really that shocking?’

It was just cold tea, after all.

But seeing him have such a nightmare, it must have been quite a shock.

It seemed like he should refrain from it for a while.

“Arian, go home and sleep.”

Franz tried to wake Arian.

Judging by the modern sense of a 21st-century person with black hair, sleeping with your head on a desk would not only make your neck and back stiff but also wouldn’t relieve fatigue properly.

But Arian didn’t move at all.

As if he were a living corpse.

‘Well, he must have had a hard time.’

Because the tower master was away, the secretary had to move even busier.

So it was really a pity to wake him up.

But leaving him like this was also a pity.

Hmm.

After pondering for a while, Franz decided to let Arian sleep in his room.

It was just a door away from the tower master’s office, and there was a bed in that room.

Although the owner of the bed would have to sleep on the sofa…

That was fine. It was more comfortable for him to be uncomfortable than to make someone else sleep uncomfortably.

As Franz’s fingers moved in the air, Arian’s body, which had been lying on the desk, floated up.

Arian still didn’t move at all.

He must have been in a very deep sleep.

Franz carefully laid Arian down on the bed in his room.

And after covering him with the blanket, he quietly left the room again.

‘Shall I go to sleep now?’

Having been outside for two whole days, he was quite exhausted.

If it had been during the days when he traveled as a wizard in the hero’s party, it would have been nothing at all.

He wondered if his stamina had weakened.

Franz lay down on the sofa, using the robe he was wearing as a blanket, and tried to sleep.

The corner of the desk was oddly shiny and damp, but Franz didn’t notice.

He probably never would.

It was Arian’s perfect crime.

* * * * *

Creak-, thud.

As Franz closed the door and left, Arian cautiously opened his eyes.

‘He didn’t notice, did he…?’

Arian had not been asleep from the beginning.

He had only pretended to be asleep.

Even the sleep talk was deliberate.

For some reason, it seemed like Franz had heard his voice in the middle.

‘I think I fooled him for now….’

But he couldn’t be completely relieved.

Franz might have pretended not to know, fearing it would become awkward if he revealed he knew everything.

If that were the case….

‘Then I’ll just die.’

No matter how he thought about it, there was no future.

Sigh-.

Arian sighed and pulled the blanket up to his eyes.

Then Franz’s scent wafted over him.

It felt like electricity was coursing through his entire body, making his head spin.

Come to think of it, the pillow, the blanket, the bed, everything around him belonged to Franz.

‘This isn’t good….’

Arian’s night was long and endless.

* * * * *

Early dawn, just as the day was breaking.

Franz woke up a little earlier than usual.

Sleeping on the sofa made it hard to fall into a deep sleep, and with sunlight streaming through the window, his eyes naturally opened.

His body felt stiff, but his mood wasn’t too bad.

But that good feeling was only fleeting.

‘Is it okay to be like this…?’

Franz’s brain naturally started looking for work.

For the past year, he had been living under the pressure of work without a single day off, so he wasn’t used to leisure.

The clerks were now starting to do their part, so he would have more free time in the future.

Is this what they call work addiction?

They say even resting isn’t easy, and it turned out to be true.

Franz started brewing tea to dispel such anxiety.

Tea water from the kettle filled the teacup.

Since Arian always made it for him, it had been a long time since he did it himself.

Soon, Franz began to enjoy the leisure, holding the steaming teacup.

Hot tea was a luxury for those with time, but he thought, maybe today it would be okay.

It was then.

The firmly closed door opened, and Arian came out of the room.

Franz looked at Arian.

Arian looked at Franz.

Their gazes naturally crossed each other.

Franz put down the teacup he was holding and said,

“Arian, did you sleep well? I tried to wake you up yesterday, but you wouldn’t get up, so I let you sleep in my room.”

“Yes, thank you. I slept well thanks to you. But what are you drinking right now…?”

“I woke up a bit early and was having some tea.”

“Are you talking about the steaming hot tea…?”

Arian’s head tilted diagonally, and at the same time, the focus disappeared from his eyes.

It was a look that could have come straight out of a horror movie.

What on earth is he dissatisfied with this time…?

* * * * *

‘Ah….’

Franz realized belatedly.

Arian had been quite shocked by the act of drinking tea cold.

To the point of having nightmares about it.

And now, seeing hot tea being drunk right in front of her, she couldn’t help but be furious.

“Arian, it’s not like that….”

“The tea I made was that bad, huh…? So bad you had to gulp it down in one go…?”

Well, that wasn’t entirely wrong….

…saying that would surely hurt Arian.

So Franz tried to change the subject.

“I made this tea myself, would you like a cup?”

“…I’ll drink it.”

Arian hesitated for a moment before sitting next to Franz.

Her lips were pouting, as if gathering all her complaints.

If he didn’t soothe her now, it would last for at least three days.

Franz then took out another teacup and poured tea for Arian.

The steaming tea filled the cup.

“It’s quite good, you know? It’s not that I can’t make tea, I’m just too lazy to do it.”

“Come to think of it, it’s the first time I’ve seen you make tea, Master.”

Arian picked up the teacup and brought it to her lips gracefully.

Then she spoke softly.

“…It’s delicious.”

“Right? But I’m too lazy to do it. From now on, you make it for me.”

“You’ll just let it cool and drink it cold again.”

“That was because I was busy. Now we have an assistant and more free time. Of course, I’ll drink it hot.”

“…If you say so….”

A gentle smile spread across Arian’s lips.

As if wanting to hide it, she brought the teacup to her lips again.

It seemed she was feeling better.

‘That’s a relief.’

Franz let out a sigh of relief and picked up his teacup.

Basking in the sunlight streaming through the window.

How much time had passed while he was enjoying this moment of leisure?

Arian stood up and said,

“Master of the Tower, I enjoyed the tea. But I need to go home for a bit.”

“Alright, take your time.”

“I’ll be back quickly.”

“Do as you wish.”

With that conversation, Arian left the tower master’s room.

Franz stared at the firmly closed door, lost in thought.

‘Something’s strange…’

No matter how much he thought about it, Arian’s behavior was different from usual.

Normally, she would have frowned and sharply criticized him the moment their eyes met in the morning, but today she didn’t.

That wasn’t all.

Even after drinking the tea, she praised it as delicious without a single complaint.

After finishing it, she even thanked him for the tea.

Hmm…

‘Maybe something good happened.’

Since nothing specific came to mind, he decided to stop worrying about it.

If it was important, she would tell him later.

Slurp…

The tea was indeed exquisite.

A short time passed.

“I’m back.”

True to her word, Arian returned to the tower master’s room shortly after.

But her attire was different from usual.

Should he say it was a bit more radiant? It was clear she had dressed up.

Was today a special day?

As Franz was thinking that,

Arian approached and said.

“Master of the Magic Tower, it seems… we are out of tea leaves. Perhaps…”

“Oh, really? Go buy some.”

Arian’s expression began to harden slowly.

But wasn’t that why we hired a secretary?