The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

32 – The Secretary Obtained the Wizard’s Handkerchief.

Click-clack.

Thud-thud.

In the stillness of the late night, the sound of two pairs of footsteps echoed together.

“It wasn’t teleportation…?”

Arian glanced sideways and spoke, as if to check if he was really coming along.

Even though he said he’d take her home, he wouldn’t run away.

Was she that doubtful? Franz scratched his head for no reason.

“Why, should I teleport you?”

“No, sometimes we need to walk.”

Though it seemed like she walked to and from work every day….

Well, it is what it is.

More importantly….

‘Is she feeling a bit better?’

In fact, the reason Franz insisted on taking Arian home was because she didn’t seem to be in a good mood.

If there was something bothering her, he wanted to listen, and if there was a problem, he wanted to help.

When worries are left unattended, they fester and eventually become a disease.

It was something he realized after crossing several bad ending points.

And despite everything, Arian was a precious person.

From the moment he first entered the Tower of Magic, to now being the secretary of the Tower Master, he has always been there to help.

They often bicker, but it’s always just in jest.

So, to put it simply, that’s it.

When someone precious seems to be troubled, you can’t just ignore it.

You have to take care of it yourself.

“Arian.”

“Yes?”

Arian blinked as he looked this way.

Even before leaving for the social hall, he had a truly beautiful face.

Franz quietly swallowed such sentiments and moved on to the main topic.

“You weren’t feeling well today, were you? What was wrong?”

“Ah… It’s nothing. Just felt a bit off.”

Arian awkwardly smiled and shifted his gaze to the sky.

A round moon was shining brightly in the sky.

Once again, a quiet stillness began to flow between them.

‘This is troublesome.’

If he didn’t say anything, there was nothing Franz could do, whether it was to listen or to solve the problem.

Of course, there must be a reason why he didn’t want to say anything.

‘Still, I thought we were quite close.’

If he didn’t rely on him like this, it felt like a wall was forming.

It felt unnecessarily distant.

So, the two of them walked silently for a while.

The sound of their footsteps in the silence strangely matched, creating a subtle atmosphere.

But that atmosphere didn’t last long.

Suddenly, at some point, the sound of their footsteps began to diverge.

Not long after, Arian broke the silence and spoke.

“Actually, you know, I was a bit upset today.”

At Arian’s words, Franz felt a weight lift off his chest.

It was good timing, as he had been wondering what to do.

Anyway, this is not an opportunity to be passed over lightly.

“May I ask why?”

Franz spoke as carefully as possible, paying attention to every word and tone.

He wanted to make it as easy as possible for her to speak.

“Well, you know, I dressed up for the occasion, right? I don’t know if you noticed, Master of the Tower.”

“I did. I even complimented you on how beautiful you looked today.”

“Yes, you did. But when we arrived at the social hall, you immediately went to another woman. You left her and then brought the Saintess…”

Arian’s words were filled with sighs.

As if to express how upset she was.

But Franz felt wronged too.

It wasn’t because he wanted to.

Of course, he wanted to take care of his partner at the social gathering, but he really had no choice.

“No, that’s not…”

Just as he was about to say something, Arian continued.

“Yes, I know. It was something only you could do, and it was the right thing to do. Everything turned out well in the end. So I couldn’t say anything. Because it was the right thing to do. I was the one who was wrong.”

“…Arian.”

“But do you know what I hated even more? The Hero was amazing, and the Saintess was shining brightly. Watching them, I suddenly looked back at myself. I felt so pathetic and insignificant for being greedy.”

Arian’s voice began to fill with tears.

At the same time, her eyes were moist, as if tears would fall at any moment.

Franz couldn’t say anything.

He could only listen silently.

It wasn’t something that could be solved by saying anything.

“Until now, you’ve been with people like them, so how must I look to you? How incompetent must I seem? Thinking about it, all my excitement felt so foolish…”

In the end, Arian shed tears.

The droplets rolled down her cheeks.

Franz, flustered, hesitated and then sighed, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket.

“Arian, it’s good to gain insight, but self-blame is not. And above all, I don’t think you’re incompetent.”

Franz handed Arian the handkerchief, and she took it and dabbed her eyes to wipe away the tears.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen…”

“It’s okay. It’s frustrating when things don’t go your way. Don’t worry about it, and if something like this happens again, tell me anytime. I may not be able to do much, but I’m a great listener.”

Arian, who had stopped crying before he knew it, nodded.

Her makeup was all smeared, and her face was a mess, but she didn’t particularly feel like laughing.

Rather, it made her feel even more pitiful.

With that, the two finished their conversation and started walking again.

The atmosphere seemed to have calmed down a bit, but on the contrary, their hearts felt at ease.

The sound of their mismatched footsteps stopped for a moment, and then they walked again, matching perfectly.

In the quiet stillness, only the sound of their footsteps echoed softly.

How much time had passed like that?

The two stopped in front of a small mansion.

Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of Arian’s house.

“Arian, you worked hard today.”

“Yes, you too, Master.”

“Then I’ll go. Sleep well today, you can come out a bit late tomorrow. If it’s really hard, you can take a break.”

It would be difficult without Arian, but they had hired a clerk, so the work would somehow get done.

“I’ll come to work as usual.”

I didn’t expect her to refuse so firmly.

Well, if she says so, then that’s that.

“Then do as you please.”

Just as Franz finished his farewell and was about to turn away.

“Master.”

“Yes?”

“…I’ll wash the handkerchief and return it to you later.”

Arian hesitated for a moment before speaking.

Franz didn’t know what that hesitation meant.

As he completely turned around and his figure disappeared, a low voice flowed from Arian’s lips.

“…I love you.”

Of course, it was something Franz would never hear.

Sss-

Arian held Franz’s handkerchief to her nose and took a long breath.

Arian’s night was long.

* * * * *

How many days had passed since then?

Rumors began to circulate among the nobles.

They said that Duke Ishtar was a cultist, and that the hero, the magician, the saint, and Princess Frigia thwarted the cultist’s plot.

I thought it would spread eventually, but I didn’t expect it to be this fast.

The nobles who were at the social gathering that day must have boasted about it.

That they survived the cultist’s plot.

Nobles always tend to boast about others’ achievements as if they were their own, so it must have been like that.

And such rumors always reach the emperor the fastest.

“Master of the Tower, a letter has arrived from the royal family.”

Arian carefully placed the letter on the table.

It was indeed a letter from the royal family, with a sun-shaped seal on golden wax.

‘What a bother.’

No doubt it would ask me to come to the capital and explain the whole incident.

The problem is that they might assign me other tasks while I’m there.

The reward would most likely be the Ishtar duchy and the title of duke, which are now without an owner.

That wouldn’t be too bad, I suppose.

The Master of the Tower and the Lord of Ester’s territories can’t be passed down to family.

I won’t be sitting in the Master of the Tower’s seat forever, so I do need a title to pass on.

Franz took a letter opener from the drawer and opened the envelope.

He held the letter inside and slowly read through it.

The content was as expected.

It was written in the difficult, roundabout way of nobles, but in the end, it was asking me to come to the capital and explain the incident.

“Do you have to go this time too?”

“Well, I suppose so. His Majesty wants to see me.”

“Shall I arrange a carriage then?”

“Yes, it’s a bit much to use teleportation to get to the capital. I was supposed to ride the next carriage with you, but I’m sorry.”

“No, I don’t really want to go to the capital either….”

Arian openly showed his displeasure.

Indeed, which noble would want to go to the capital?

* * * * *

I always end up with all the troublesome tasks.

How troublesome they are, I’ll have to go and see.

But who would have known?

That it would be more troublesome than imagined.

At least, Franz didn’t know at this moment.