* * *
[Affection Level: Siwoo
50%
Siwoo’s feel■ng is too strong■■ I can’t say anythi■ ■ ■ ■■■ㅠㅠ ]
What is he even saying…?
Still, the fact that the affection level had risen was a good thing.
I tried to think positively when the Grand Duke suddenly reached out and placed a cake in front of Siwoo.
Siwoo, who had been about to continue chattering, immediately closed his mouth and picked up a fork.
The Grand Duke glanced at him before sitting properly again and sipping his tea.
…What?
……What was that?
Just now, the Grand Duke’s actions were almost like…
“It looked like he was jealous of you.”
Ateol whispered so quietly that even I barely heard him.
Maybe to the Grand Duke, offering cake was as ridiculous as showing an ugly side of himself, but I couldn’t help but nod in agreement with Ateol’s words.
The way the Grand Duke reacted when Siwoo excitedly chatted with me—it really seemed like he was jealous of me.
No way.
With that frozen expression that hadn’t melted even once in fifteen thousand years?
But speculation turned into certainty.
After that, the Grand Duke repeatedly interrupted Siwoo’s questions and even went as far as glancing at me.
His long lashes cast shadows over his black eyes, which held a look of clear disapproval.
Unbelievable. The Grand Duke of Roanes was actually jealous of me.
I was at a loss for words.
In this world, it was common for nobles to marry their cousins or nephews.
Could Siwoo eventually become the Grand Duchess?
Siwoo looked slightly older than me, so if he married the Grand Duke, they’d be quite an age-gap couple.
Because of this, Siwoo gradually became quieter, and the atmosphere grew colder.
But since I had raised the affection level to a satisfactory degree, I decided to step back.
As soon as I left the Fourth Prince’s palace, I spoke to Ateol.
“I’m going back to the Tower.”
“As you wish.”
…Huh. I thought he’d try to stop me, but his reaction was unexpectedly refreshing.
Well, since he was letting me go, I had no reason not to leave.
As soon as I returned to the Tower, I looked for Bell.
“You called for me, Tower Master?”
Bell, with her hair braided and tied to the side today, appeared as lively as ever.
“Bell, remember when we visited the Grand Duke of Roanes? You said it seemed like he was raising something.”
“Huh? Oh, yes. That’s right. His Highness mentioned it himself. He said he’s been raising something lately and that he’s finding it quite enjoyable. It was the first time I’d ever seen such an expression on him, so it was surprising.”
That rare expression… I think I saw it too.
A creeping suspicion was slowly solidifying into certainty.
The strange creature the Grand Duke had picked up on a rainy day—the one he was “raising.”
Could it be Siwoo?
Knowing his personality, it was completely possible that this was how he would describe it.
“I don’t think it’s an animal. I think it’s a person.”
“What? A person?”
“His nephew. The one currently in the Fourth Prince’s palace.”
“Whaaaaat?”
Bell looked like she was about to jump in shock.
Even Cloden, who had been standing behind her, widened his eyes in surprise.
If those two really ended up marrying…
That would be an undeniable union between the Magic Tower and the Imperial Family.
The real issue was whether the Grand Duke would be satisfied with his position afterward.
If he had been content with his title, would he have bothered to take Siwoo and start moving?
Could it be that he’s so blinded by love that he’s trying to restore Siwoo’s original status? Hmm.
“Then it makes sense why His Highness suddenly sent his nephew to the capital. If he stays as a guest at the palace for a long time, his status would be more secure…”
Cloden commented.
It seemed half-right and half-wrong.
I answered with a maybe and glanced at the status window.
Siwoo’s affection level was at 50%… but the moment I looked at it, ding, the number moved up by 1%.
And at that moment, a strange vision flashed through my mind.
Was it me? No, was it Yuri? Or the fake magician?
A man in a deep-hooded robe was walking along a lakeshore.
But that was it.
The scene ended there, as if I had just experienced a fleeting daydream.
What the hell was that?
[Event Success!
What exactly is the Grand Duke’s heart trying to say…?]
A system message appeared, but I had no idea why it came at this moment.
Anyway, it seemed the event had been completed successfully.
I didn’t know the criteria for success or failure, nor what difference it made, or even what kind of rewards it gave.
At this point, I had stopped caring about the results—I just reacted instinctively whenever an event occurred.
I stared at the number 51% for a long time.
What exactly is an affection level?
I had assumed it was simply a measure of someone’s feelings.
But the more I progressed through the quests, the less it seemed like something so simple.
Maybe there was a hidden meaning behind it.
And then, suddenly—
[Tip: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. ]
“……?”
So?
What’s the point?
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
That was all. No further explanation.
Was this saying that even if affection levels don’t seem like affection, they’re still affection?
It felt like something else entirely.
Or was it something else altogether?
Could affection level just be a label, while in reality, it was a completely different stat?
They call it affection, but it’s actually something else?
But if so, what kind of stat?
“Ha…”
“Why the sigh?”
Bell tilted her head in curiosity.
“It’s nothing. My head’s just a bit messy. …Cloden, the medicine’s out. Tell Eretto to get more.”
“Already?”
Cloden furrowed his brows.
I had brought it up in front of Bell to avoid excessive nagging, and fortunately, it worked—Cloden simply nodded and left to call Eretto without saying anything else.
“Are you still having trouble sleeping? Should we go out for a bit?”
“Last time, you had to write ten pages of reports, Bell.”
“Hehe. For the Tower Master, I’d write a hundred pages if I had to! I have a knack for writing, you know. I’m a genius at making things sound long-winded.”
Her loyalty was almost touching.
The last time we had snuck out for the puppy festival, Cloden had let it slide, but Serta was the problem.
Because we had run into Ateol there, Serta found out about our little adventure.
As a result, Bell had to endure extra training and write ten pages of reports, while I got a small lecture.
“It’s fine. Tonight, probably…”
Ateol will come.
I didn’t say it out loud, but Bell seemed to sense something and simply pouted.
This time, I checked Ateol’s affection level.
Both the regular and special affection levels remained unchanged.
Would staring at his status window like I did with Siwoo raise it by 1%?
I stared at it intently, but all it did was make my vision go blurry.
If the affection level isn’t about affection, then what is it?
Could it be something completely different?
* * *
