Chapter 3

An Engagement Without a Ceremony.

An engagement without an official ceremony was not common in the imperial court. It was only allowed when the other party was a monarch or someone of equal standing.

Or… if there were special circumstances.

But in this case, everyone in high society knew that the princess had barely interacted with the Tower Master. No rumors of a secret relationship were likely to spread.

“It’s been a while, Tower Master.”

“…”

Achilles said nothing in response. It wasn’t that her greeting was inappropriate—he simply had nothing to say.

This meeting had been arranged by the Emperor. Though the engagement had been announced, he was concerned that Charlize seemed reluctant about the marriage. So he had requested Achilles to meet with her directly.

Achilles wasn’t keen on the idea, but he couldn’t afford to make the Emperor suspicious. If the Emperor got the impression, he was hesitant about Charlize, he might call the marriage off—and that would be a problem.

Charlize frowned slightly as she watched Achilles turn his head away.

Why did he agree to marry me, then?

She had assumed he at least held some affection for her—after all, he had asked the Emperor for her hand. But the way he was acting now? This wasn’t how a man looked at a woman he liked.

Did he just want royal status? Was it all for power?

She recalled how the Emperor had once tried to grant Achilles a noble title—a dukedom—but he had turned it down.

Now, however, he would be given the title of Grand Duke upon marrying her.

Sure, a Grand Duke outranks a regular Duke, but…

Was that really something the Tower Master cared about? If he were obsessed with status, he would have acted very differently earlier—he would’ve waited quietly instead of opening the door first.

And she thought she understood why he had opened it.

She had been standing outside, taking deep breaths to prepare herself. Most noblemen would’ve waited patiently—but to him, even that brief pause might have felt like a waste of time.

Or worse, maybe he thought she was stalling on purpose.

No. He doesn’t seem like the type to overthink like that. At least, I hope not.

Charlize took a deep breath and chose her words carefully. Her goal was to persuade the Tower Master to break off the engagement—or at least delay the wedding.

She knew it was a cowardly approach, but once the Emperor invoked “royal duty,” she’d have no other arguments left.

“Please give us some privacy.”

With her quiet command, the attendants and maids bowed and stepped out. The receiving room faced a garden, and the guards outside could still see through the windows, so it was unlikely any scandalous rumors would arise.

Once they were alone, Achilles seemed to glance at her briefly. Charlize lifted her chin and looked directly at him, determined.

“Why did you say you wanted to marry me, Tower Master? You knew I had feelings for the young Duke of Bianchi, didn’t you?!”

She had intended to sound calm—but her voice came out sharp, laced with emotion. Achilles, however, remained completely composed. His expression didn’t change, not even a flicker in his eyes.

“Because I want to marry you. And, as far as I know, you are not engaged to the young Duke.”

His answer made her waver.

Even after all the time they’d spent together as childhood friends… nothing had happened. The engagement between her and Valter had never been formalized—despite the Bianchi family once bringing up the possibility.

“I… I don’t want to get married. Not yet!”

“Eventually, you will marry someone. It just so happens to be me—this time.”

His calm, measured words made Charlize fall silent. He was so composed and logical, and it made her feel childish, like she was just throwing a tantrum.

She took a breath, trying to collect herself.

“I don’t understand why you want this marriage. You don’t even—”

“I like you.”

…What?!

The words came out so fast, so firmly, Charlize almost blurted out “Liar!”

Her face began to flush with anger.

“You… like me?”

Did he think she’d believe that? He had barely spoken a word to her before now!

The Emperor had worked hard to get closer to Achilles. If the Tower Master had wanted to, he’d had countless chances to approach Charlize.

But he never showed the slightest interest in her.

Even now…

Look at those cold eyes. Is that how someone looks at the woman they love?!

“It’s true. I was too embarrassed to speak to you before. But I can’t hide my feelings any longer. That’s why I asked His Majesty for your hand.”

His words were sweet—but his face was unreadable. His expression didn’t match his confession.

Charlize stared at him, confused and skeptical.

He says he likes me? Really?

Unable to hold back her frustration, Charlize stood up and marched around the table toward him.

Achilles followed her with just his eyes, his expression still unreadable—as if silently asking, What is this woman doing now?

When their eyes met, she smiled sweetly.

Achilles didn’t react.

She dropped into the seat next to him with a soft thump.

“This is fine, isn’t it? I mean, we’re supposed to be getting married.”

“…”

Achilles didn’t respond.

He was still trying to figure out what she was thinking. Charlize narrowed her eyes and studied him closely.

And at the same time—Achilles studied her right back.

He doesn’t love me. I knew it.

That “I like you” he said earlier—it was just a convenient lie meant to persuade her. Charlize was certain of it.

What’s the best way to expose that mask he’s wearing?

She paused.

No, wait. Stay calm. Think back to the original novel.

In the original story, the Tower Master barely had a role. He was merely a side character who occasionally helped another sub-male lead—an anonymous mage. There was a brief scene at a ball where he crossed paths with Rebecca, the heroine, but he didn’t even look at her. He just passed by.

Wait… was that right?

Did he even appear at all?

The more she thought about it, the fuzzier it got. Honestly, Charlize couldn’t remember the whole novel. It was unreasonable to expect a person to perfectly recall a book they’d read right before dying in their previous life.

She’d regained her memories of that life when she was twelve. Years had passed since then.

At first, everything had come back vividly. But she’d tried so hard to deny it, to push it out of her mind, that now only fragments remained.

The Tower Master had appeared in two scenes she remembered clearly:
One, where he saved the sub-male lead with overwhelming magical power.
The other—when Charlize’s crimes were exposed and she was ruined in society—he silently disappeared from the scene.

I should’ve written the plot down when I had the chance…

But she didn’t want to remember. After all, the male lead of that story was Valter Bianchi. And the female lead was Rebecca, the count’s daughter currently busy making headlines with Valter in the gossip circles.

Charlize had denied the truth of those memories for years—telling herself they couldn’t possibly be real. She hadn’t done any of the things the villainess in the book had. She wasn’t cruel. She hadn’t committed any wicked acts.

And Valter, who hadn’t been tormented or stalked by her, wasn’t cold and short-tempered like the story’s male lead, either.

…Why is it so quiet?

Pulled back to the present, Charlize noticed Achilles looking at her curiously. He seemed to be watching her, silently gauging her next move—maybe wondering what she was planning after suddenly switching seats.

What’s he thinking?

Her emotions must’ve been leaking out. Her mana stirred, unsettled. The sheer force of her energy felt turbulent—even to him. He realized he needed to say something.

“Your Highness, is something troubling you?”

You’re the one troubling me, you infuriating man.

He had dropped this absurd political marriage onto her life like a boulder, and now he was acting calm—as if he were concerned.

“You said you liked me.”

“Yes.”

“Pardon me.”

Suddenly, Charlize reached out and grabbed his hand—and then pressed two fingers to his wrist, right on his pulse.

A sarcastic smile played at her lips.

“…You say you like me, but your heartbeat is perfectly calm. Isn’t that a little strange?”

“I’m not so naïve that my heart would race just from having my wrist touched, Your Highness.”

Okay, fair enough. She had no way of knowing whether he was just bad at romance—or simply uninterested. After all, he was the Tower Master. A man known to be a master of illusion magic. For all she knew, he could change his appearance at will.

Is he even human at this point?

“But this… this is how you should feel…”

What Charlize didn’t know was that Achilles actually welcomed the contact. Physical closeness with her allowed him to better sense and study her aura—the pure Primordial Mana that flowed through her.

That was, in fact, why he had gone so far as to propose marriage in the first place. Through marriage, he would be free to touch her—to explore her body and power freely, without resistance.

So when Charlize reached for him, he seized the opportunity.

He leaned in slowly and, with his free hand, gently cupped her cheek.

Before his heartbeat could even catch up, hers exploded in her chest.

“Eep!”

Smack!

Her reflexes were faster than expected.

As soon as he leaned in, her hand flew up and slapped him across the face.

Achilles didn’t avoid it. He took the hit head-on.

He figured if she ended up feeling guilty about it, it might actually work in his favor.

“Ah! W-What are you doing?!”

“Your Highness! Are you all, right?”

“Princess!!”

Her scream drew in the guards. The door burst open as knights rushed in, only to find Charlize red-faced and flustered.

“I-It’s nothing! Really, just… please, go back outside!”

“But…”

“I said go!”

The guards exchanged uneasy glances, casting suspicious eyes at the Tower Master before reluctantly stepping out. Achilles said nothing. He let Charlize handle the situation.

“Um… I’m sorry. You suddenly leaned in, and I wasn’t expecting it…”

“…”

“Did I… hurt your feelings?”

He didn’t answer. Not because he was angry—but because he was calculating.

He was trying to decide which words would make her feel just the right amount of guilt. Enough to sway her. Enough to bind her.

The truth was, he didn’t really understand how things between men and women were supposed to work.

Is he mad… or not?

His expression was unreadable. Completely still.

And that only made it worse.

She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Even now, he just stared at the table… until finally, his golden eyes turned to face her.

“Tower Master…?”