The Innocent Mage's Spellbinding Nights - Chapter 28
‘Or is it because I showed a side of myself that I find horrible? Or perhaps I have developed feelings for him?’
In truth, Irina did not understand the term “developing feelings” when she first encountered it.
‘Can mere physical intimacy really lead to strong emotional attraction or obsession?’
She didn’t have to look far for examples—even among nobles who often married for political reasons, there were many who maintained regular nights together for the sake of producing heirs but didn’t have particularly strong marital bonds.
This was true for Irina’s parents, who were part of a fallen viscount family. Despite having three children, including Irina, through multiple nights together, they still did not know each other well and did not have a good relationship.
There were few moments when the opinions of the fundamentally different couple aligned.
‘Bringing a woman like her into the family brought bad luck!’
‘How did I end up with a person like him?’
They blamed each other when they felt their lives were difficult.
‘Irina, you becoming the Tower Master! It’s the pride of our family!’
‘Finally, we can hold our heads high in our homeland. Izoelle can have a proper marriage now.’
Or when they found a new use for the daughter they had treated as if she were invisible.
Having witnessed her parents’ behavior up close, Irina might have felt romance and fantasy while reading novels, but she held no great expectations for realistic love, s-x, or marriage.
However, mixing bodies with others was an exciting and mysterious experience that she couldn’t quite understand, not even through her parents or other nobles.
As Irina the Tower Master, Irina the eldest daughter of the fallen Rowestin viscount family, Irina the senior sister…
To share the process of forgetting all those constraints and losing oneself in ecstasy, how could one not think of their partner as special?
‘Not to mention, even Hesed’s once-detestable smile now looks somewhat charming.’
In any case, whether intended or not, the improvement in her once awkward relationship with Hesed was not bad. It felt like reclaiming something she had lost upon becoming the Tower Master.
“Senior, have you heard about the Red Tower Master’s antics? They’re making a huge fuss about some food from another world called gochujang. They failed several times in the tower and even posted a reward in the region.”
“It seems to be a type of spicy seasoning like chili sauce. Come to think of it, Hesed, you still can’t handle spicy food, right?”
“I’ve improved since then. To prove it, how about I prepare shrimp with chili sauce tomorrow?”
“Well, alright.”
“Senior, just a moment.”
Hesed, who had been looking at Irina’s face, suddenly reached towards her lips. Irina’s eyes widened.
‘It’s not even nighttime right now, and my condition seems to be okay… No, it doesn’t seem okay.’
Her cheeks were burning, and her heart was racing.
Hesed’s delicate fingers lightly wiped her lips. She must have gotten a bit of breadcrumbs from the bruschetta she had just eaten. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Irina mumbled.
“If you just told me, I’d have wiped it off myself.”
“Oh, it’s easier for me to do it since I can see it.”
Hesed replied with a cheeky smile, then licked the breadcrumbs off his fingers and swallowed them before Irina could say anything.
“Y-You!”
“It’s quite tasty. I should have another bruschetta.”
He picked up another piece of food, looking annoyingly smug and playful.
Irina, unlike usual, couldn’t muster a sharp retort. Her face turned red, and her lips trembled slightly.
***
Hesed, having smoothly integrated himself into Irina’s lunch routine, wasn’t satisfied with just that.
“Since I have a business trip today and we can’t have lunch together, how about dinner?”
“We can manage one meal apart without any problems…”
“Is my strict senior against having dinner with a beloved junior who’s been working hard outside? I’ve put in so much dedication and affection.”
“Haah, I should just stop talking.”
Despite some resistance, he succeeded in arranging a dinner date of sorts.
“Did you have a good trip?”
Seeing Irina outside after a long time, she looked truly beautiful. The sky-blue dress she wore, instead of the mage robe she usually donned in the White Tower, matched her silver hair perfectly.
Hesed suddenly felt self-conscious about his own outfit, which he had carefully chosen that morning.
“You look so pretty, Senior. I feel like everyone is staring at us.”
“You’re saying silly things again.”
Though she lightly rebuked him with a frown, Irina’s mood seemed quite good, perhaps due to the rare outing.
“I guess I’ve been cooped up in the White Tower for too long. It’s nice to walk around the bustling streets for a change.”
“That’s why I’ve been telling you repeatedly not to just work all the time and to look around you a bit.”
“Why are you nagging so much when you’re supposed to be the youngest? It feels like you do all the nagging that the seniors don’t.”
“Dear and respected Tower Master, wise advice is always bitter to the ears.”
“Oh my, anyone would think you’re a loyal servant whose deeds will be recorded in history books.”
Irina responded with a light laugh. Seeing her laugh so freely after a long time made Hesed feel momentarily dazed.
