Chapter 19
The Empress had a mountain of questions she wanted to ask right away—but the Emperor quickly sent the Tower Master off. He seemed nervous, as if worried the Empress might somehow break off the engagement. They were already planning the wedding without a formal announcement, and the Emperor didn’t want anything to interfere.
Empress Roxana was irritated.
Bang!!
“Our Charlize—why are you trying to hand her off so cheaply?! Why are you so desperate to give her away?!”
“Cheaply? Empress, he’s the Tower Master. Think about how much good he could bring to the Empire if he officially becomes one of our own.”
The Emperor tried to persuade her gently, but the Empress wasn’t having it.
“You’ve made sure about where they’ll live after the wedding, haven’t you?”
“I gifted them a mansion in the capital. It’s filled with everything Charlize might like.”
At his answer, the Empress’s expression soured. Oscar was dear to her, yes—but Charlize, who had nearly died as a child, was like the most fragile finger of her hand. She had always intended to keep her close, to live with her forever. And now, the Emperor was trying to push her toward him?
“So, you didn’t get a promise? That man could drag her off to the Tower and keep her out of our sight forever! What’s the point of giving them a house in the capital? He could just treat it like a vacation home and never use it!”
“But he’s the Tower Master. Naturally, he lives in the Tower—how could I ask him to stay permanently in the capital?”
“And yet you’re so certain he’ll be a benefit to the Empire, even though he doesn’t live here? Is that because our princess will be held hostage to ensure his loyalty? Every time we need his help, Charlize will have to bow and walk on eggshells—have you thought about that?!”
Her voice was rising, sharper with each word. The Emperor felt it was a risk worth taking, but even he knew saying that aloud would be dangerous.
“The Tower Master isn’t someone who lacks integrity.”
“Your Majesty! Man or woman, no one walks into a wedding the same person they are when they walk out. The Tower Master is no exception!”
“But it’s already done. What’s been publicly declared can’t be taken back. Besides, Charlize seems to genuinely care for him…”
The Emperor tried to soothe her with a soft voice, but her eyes were cold as ice.
She remembered the promise he’d made when she became pregnant with what she believed would be their final child—that the fate of this child would be left entirely in her hands. She had planned to raise Charlize without any political agendas.
Maybe I should’ve just helped her marry that miserable Viscount Bianchi instead…
She hadn’t stepped in when Charlize got entangled with Valter, because she assumed he would reject her in the end. Valter had always been arrogant, a fool who didn’t even understand his own feelings.
The Empress had hoped that Charlize, burned by that experience, would lose interest in men altogether and give up on marriage.
Even if she were to end up with Valter, the Empress had planned to wear him down, tame his parents, and make the situation manageable. But now—some other man had slipped through that gap.
And in such a short time, too. Somehow, he had charmed the innocent girl so completely that she was already worrying about him.
Forget a needle—what’s she doing worrying over a guy who looks like he wouldn’t bleed even if you stabbed him with a damn spear?
“I understand what you’re worried about, Your Majesty… but I think it’ll be alright.”
Unable to stay silent, Oscar spoke up. The Empress turned to him, looking deeply betrayed.
“Crown Prince! What if our princess withers by his side? How can you say that?!”
“Please stop being polite only when you’re angry. Charlize will be fine. The Tower Master… he says sweet things as naturally as breathing.”
…What?
Both the Empress and the Emperor stared at Oscar, stunned. Oscar continued, his face grim.
“It’s true. There are plenty of maids and attendants who’ve seen it. I’ve heard it myself. At the very least, he’s better than Viscount Bianchi.”
“She could just live with me instead!!”
“Your Majesty… she’s a princess. If she were a noble lady from a regular house, maybe. But if she remains unmarried as a royal princess beyond the expected age, her life will be filled with pity and gossip.”
Even if she chose to stay single, people wouldn’t admire her independence. They’d say she was a failure—a leftover royal no one wanted. A noblewoman could at least retire from society and live quietly in the countryside. But a princess had no such luxury. She was a direct member of the royal family.
That was why—even while disapproving of Valter—the Empress had never truly cast him aside. Nor had she fully held on to him.
“…At least he should’ve been someone from within the Empire!”
At her outburst, the Emperor flinched instinctively. When the Empress whipped her head around to glare at him, he looked away.
“At the very least—three times a year! He has to show her face to me three times! Whether by vow or magic contract—I don’t care! If he won’t agree, this marriage is off. Understood?!”
“…I—I understand.”
When the Emperor, overwhelmed by the Empress’s fury, finally nodded in agreement, Roxana glared at him one last time and took her seat. As the Emperor gestured for the others to leave, Oscar quietly led the maids and attendants out of the room.
‘He’ll have to handle the aftermath himself.’
He had created this situation—so it was only right that he be the one to calm her down.
Charlize realized that the Empress did not seem pleased with Achilles. Her chest tightened at the thought.
‘Wasn’t this supposed to be something already discussed with Her Majesty?’
But it seemed the Emperor had pushed it through on his own. Riding in a carriage with Achilles, leaving the palace grounds, Charlize stole a sideways glance at him. He didn’t seem upset.
But then again, unless he was happy around her, it was hard to read his emotions. His face rarely changed.
“Are you… upset?”
“About what, exactly?”
His flat, unreadable tone made her wonder if he hadn’t noticed at all. That was entirely possible.
“About the Empress. I mean… she didn’t seem exactly thrilled to welcome you.”
“It’s only natural Her Majesty wouldn’t be fond of me.”
The way he said it, as if it were a given, surprised Charlize. Valter had always taken offense whenever Oscar or the Empress had shown even the slightest displeasure toward him.
“The Tower is part of the Empire, yes—but it’s far from the capital. It makes sense that she’d be worried she won’t see her daughter often.”
And the Empress’s worries weren’t unfounded. Achilles fully intended to bring Charlize to the Tower and keep her there—just the two of them. He planned to have her all to himself after their marriage.
Of course, if Charlize wanted to stay in the capital mansion, she could. But most of their time would still be spent in the Tower. Together.
Charlize seemed to be thinking the same. She stared at Achilles quietly.
‘Will I be able to live well in the Tower?’
Life there would be completely different from life in the capital. Here, balls and banquets were frequent. Large and small gatherings took place every other day.
She often attended as the Crown Prince’s partner, helped the Empress prepare imperial events, and sometimes handled responsibilities directly assigned by the Emperor.
“Um… What does the wife of a Tower Master usually do?”
The previous Tower Master had no wife. The one before him had lived centuries ago, and no records remained of his personal life.
Achilles immediately understood what she was really asking.
“She does whatever she wants.”
“Whatever she… wants.”
If she’d married a nobleman, she would’ve become the lady of that house. If she’d married the Crown Prince, she would’ve become queen. Had she married the young Viscount of House Bianchi, she’d eventually have become Duchess when he inherited the title.
Charlize fell silent with a strange expression. With memories from her past life, she had always thought deeply about her role. She was naturally talented at administration and had done well with the tasks assigned by both the Emperor and Empress.
‘The Tower must be filled with mages.’
When her modern memories had returned, she found herself oddly fascinated by magic. At one point, she had even collected magical tools out of sheer interest. She had longed to become a mage.
But before that dream could even begin, the royal court mage had told her the truth.
“Your Highness has an unusual constitution.”
Achilles watched her in silence, hesitating. For his plans to succeed, he had to teach her magic—but a selfish part of him didn’t want to.
‘What if she leaves me behind?’
She had enormous potential. Possessing primordial mana made her truly unique. He still vividly remembered the moment she used magic for the first time.
If she learned to fully control her power, she could become a great mage—greater than him, even. That didn’t bother him. What terrified him was the possibility of her becoming powerful enough to leave him behind… or escape.
‘Cowardly thoughts.’
In truth, this whole engagement—rooted in her magical potential—was built on selfishness. He had thought offering her the chance to become a mage would be enough to make up for it.
To make her one of the continent’s few, or perhaps greatest, mages. That seemed far more appealing than a life as a noblewoman.
But right now…
‘I can’t bring myself to say it.’
His gaze drifted from her to the back of his hand. There, a glowing tattoo marked with the seal of the Tower was etched.
“…Would you like to learn magic, Princess?”
At the unexpected offer, Charlize’s eyes widened.
