The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 53
Roina was taken aback. Hadn’t he just said the spirit had a true master? She wasn’t sure if it was right for her to name it so freely. However, as if eager to prove Lutan’s words, the spirit shone brightly and spun in circles above her head, as though urging her to hurry and give it a name—its excitement palpable.
It was adorable, but its constant movement made her a little dizzy, so she reached out and pulled the spirit into her embrace. The luminous magical being had a warm and cozy texture, making it pleasant to hold.
“More importantly—”
Lutan approached her naturally, smoothing down her hair that had fallen loose before tucking a hand behind her ear. Roina flinched slightly but did not resist.
He lowered his head and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. A wave of cool mana flowed into her through the contact, sending a shiver down her spine. The sensation of mana transferring always carried a subtle, almost sensual undertone.
Chok—
With that soft sound, his lips parted from hers.
She thought his lips were far too soft and sweet. Almost unbearably addictive.
“I apologize for leaving like that earlier, Roina.”
Throb—
A dull ache spread through her chest once again. It was bittersweet, almost painfully so.
‘Is he being this kind to me because I’m the second star? Did he kiss me just now only to comfort me, without any real feeling?’
‘He’s a gentle person, after all.’
“It’s all right. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.”
She carefully folded away the countless dark thoughts swirling in her mind, tucking them deep within her heart. All those turbulent emotions were reduced to a single, simple response: It’s all right.
And with that, she merely smiled.
“No, it’s not.”
Lutan watched her intently, as if trying to read her thoughts.
Roina, thankfully, had already changed into the warm and soft dress the spirit had brought for her. Yet even so, just looking at her—her delicate, small lips, the graceful curve of her pale neck—was enough to bring back memories of earlier, making his lower body grow heavy with heat.
Lutan had to consciously push those thoughts aside. His gaze shifted away from her at a slight angle.
“…You never have to apologize for anything.”
“What?”
Just then, the spirit wriggled free from her embrace and began zipping around Lutan in flashing bursts of light, as if furious. Lutan waved his hand dismissively, clearly annoyed, but when the spirit refused to back down, he finally snatched it out of the air with one swift motion.
The white mass of light wriggled fiercely in his grasp, struggling to break free.
“Come to think of it, what did you mean earlier? You said the spirit has a different true master—what exactly does that mean?”
“Ah…”
Lutan opened his mouth, though he seemed somewhat reluctant.
“It’s an old story, but before the existence of the Great Archmage, there was the Primordial Magic.”
“The Primordial Magic?”
“Yes. This, too, is not known to the public. This little one is a small fragment of that magic.”
Lutan held out the spirit with a slightly dissatisfied expression. Roina, caught off guard, instinctively reached out to receive it. The light, which had been flaring aggressively, instantly calmed and wrapped warmly around her hand.
“The reason this little one follows you so well is probably related to that. Once you become more familiar with magic, I will explain it to you in detail.”
“Ah, all right!”
For a brief moment, Lutan found Roina’s spirited response adorable. He reached out, intending to fix a stray lock of her hair, but then suddenly halted, withdrawing his hand. Instead, he turned away and began walking.
At this moment, he resented himself for reacting to her every little movement. Right now, he had to keep his distance—only then could he maintain his composure.
“Follow me. I’ll show you the small task I meant to tell you about yesterday.”
“…Yes!”
Roina brushed her hand over the spot on her forehead where his hand had hesitated, then quickly followed after the receding figure of the Great Archmage.
