The Innocent Mage's Spellbinding Nights - Chapter 4
Irina replied in the calmest voice she could muster.
“Since Vice Tower Master’s abilities are exceptional, I think I unintentionally took his achievements for granted. I’ll correct that. Thank you for pointing it out.”
“Oh, was that it? If you praise him as much as you do others, Vice Tower Master will be happy. He respects and follows his senior disciples a lot!”
Indeed, it was true that Hesed appeared courteous in the eyes of others when dealing with her, the first senior sister Scarlet, and senior brother Vine. The problem was his words and demeanor were sly and smooth like an ancient serpent.
‘Talking to him quietly drives me crazy.’
But complaining about a disciple is like spitting in your own face, and she knew that any criticism of Hesed would fall on deaf ears with Celsia, who admired him, so Irina awkwardly smiled and remained silent.
Even though she hadn’t seen Hesed for nearly a week, it didn’t feel like he was elsewhere, thanks to the constant chatter about him from the White Tower mages, including Celsia.
In the morning, Celsia was chattering nonstop in the office.
“Hey, did you hear? Lord Hesed solved another issue quickly this time.”
“As expected! He always handles things efficiently.”
“We’re lucky to have him as the Vice Tower Master.”
In the afternoon, the mages whispered in the hallways and rest areas throughout the White Tower. Irina felt an inexplicable discomfort.
“The Tower Master tends to be overly cautious, but the Vice Tower Master is decisive and bold like a knife.”
Maybe it was because she knew that more than 90% of the time, when they praised Hesed, they also compared him to her.
Even hearing good things repeatedly can become tiresome. It was certainly not enjoyable to constantly hear comparisons to others. It was clear that more than half of her uncomfortable feelings towards Hesed were due to the wagging tongues of those people.
As a result, that evening, Irina welcomed Hesed and the investigation team with a weary heart. The only thing that she had honed tremendously since becoming the reluctant White Tower Master was her business smile.
After detailed reports and formal words of praise were exchanged, Hesed carefully began to speak.
“Um, Tower Master.”
“Is there something else I need to know?”
“…No. You must be tired. I apologize for taking up your time so late.”
With that response, Hesed withdrew with the investigation team.
Leaving his words hanging like that made her feel like the bad guy.
‘And when he adds something like that at the end, it makes me feel like the only villain here.’
Swayed by others’ words, reacting emotionally unnecessarily, and providing more fodder for their gossip.
‘What is this.’
It felt like being trapped in an emotional snare with no visible exit. Irina, after rubbing her face with both hands several times, tidied up her place and headed to her private quarters.
*
“99-day aged citrus root, lavender petals, marigold petals, a sip of morning dew, Tataina juice, ruby powder, the first honey harvest of the year… all the ingredients are in, boiled vigorously for nine days… stirred nine times to the left and nine times to the right at midnight for nine days.”
The final color of the potion was a light pink. Irina smiled, confident of a 99.9% success rate.
“Once it cools a bit, I’ll put it in the glass vials.”
The potion she made this time, a ‘feel-good potion’, had a slightly sweet taste, so it would be fine to drizzle it over drinks or desserts like syrup.
After some time, Irina carefully poured the potion into glass bottles, ensuring not a single drop was spilled. There were about three sips left in the pot.
“I should drink this now.”
Adding it to warm tea would ensure a pleasant sleep.
After cleaning the tools used to make the potion, Irina sat on her bed with a cup of tea. Normally, she would have looked over documents until she fell asleep, but today, she wanted to sleep pleasantly, so she picked up a light book.
『The Countess’s Sweet Little Lies』
She had picked up the novel after hearing it was hugely popular among young ladies recently. Irina often enjoyed reading such romantic novels that evoked fresh and tender emotions.
“The cover is pretty too, so it’ll be nice to keep.”
*
About 30 minutes later, Irina closed the book with a slightly flushed face.
“W-What is this! The title and cover are as soft as marshmallows, but why is the content like this?”
There wasn’t even a red sticker on the cover! She felt deceived.
Although the words weren’t explicit, every few chapters featured physical interactions between the Countess and various male protagonists. She made love to them in diverse locations such as the Count’s bedroom, the garden, a carriage by the lakeside, and the rose garden within the palace.
For Irina, who was shy and conservative in such matters, the developments were beyond imagination.
“The pace is too fast! And it happens too… too often!”
Irina shouted, her face showing embarrassment. Despite the content not being to her taste, the writer’s skill was so excellent that she found herself more immersed than usual. She only fanned herself a few times with her hand, feeling a strange excitement, but even her underwear seemed slightly damp.
‘It feels so warm and tingly…’
Unconsciously, Irina lifted her skirt. The center of her beige underwear was darkly soaked.
