My Husband Was the Master of the Magic Tower - Chapter 98

M8.

After staring down at the hand, she raised her head again and met her eyes with Ei’s.

“You…”

Her voice stuttered. She couldn’t bear to hold the hand outstretched in front of her eyes, nor could she utter a clear word. Masha just continued to stare at Ei’s face.

At that moment, she had many thoughts running through her mind.

She said she was coming but did she really come? How did she come? What if she really came? Surely she didn’t come alone?

Yet she couldn’t quite figure out what to ask first, as her mind was as confused as the situation was. All she could do then was to purse her mouth and spit out sentences that didn’t go through her thoughts.

“…Are you really Ei?”

It might have sounded rather stupid, but it was for the best for Masha. When she finally spat it out, it even sounded plausible. Yeah, isn’t it possible that the person in front of her eyes may not be the real Ei?

The idea of ‘magic’, which hadn’t been realized due to her ordinary life, was possible thanks to the frequent intrusion into Masha’s daily life recently. It’s magic that allows you to have a conversation with someone far away and not get tired no matter how much you sit. It may be a matter of course that you can transform into someone else.

However, the complex thoughts in her head that had begun to tangle were quickly organized with a single remark.

“Did you forget my face because you hadn’t seen me for a while?”

If you look at the monotonous tone, it doesn’t sound like a joke, but the words contain a clear sense of playfulness that is hard to understand. With Masha still frozen in front of her, Ei held Masha’s wrist without changing her expression.

Her pulling power was weak, but following the touch, Masha had no choice but to get up from the seat in a dazed state. She was unaware that her body, which had been unable to get out of her seat no matter how hard she tried, was moving as she wished, and that she wasn’t feeling the warmth that should have been transmitted through Ei’s hands.

“I don’t know what you were thinking, but I’m real. Oh, Dante and you are the same, I don’t know why everyone when they meet me doubts if I’m real…”

The words that were almost like a muffled muttering clearly pierced Masha’s ears. Their distance had been close since Masha was sitting, but after getting up, it was as if their bodies were touching each other.

However, Ei didn’t back down from the spot, and she hugged Masha’s body as it was.

It was only after a long time that she realized that regular patting was being transmitted.

“You were really scared, weren’t you?”

And that her own body continued to tremble thinly.

“It’s fine now. Well, maybe I should stay a while longer… But you can go home now.”

Her voice seemed to calmly comfort her, saying that it was really fortunate that she was safe. From that voice alone, Masha could tell that Ei was worried about her, and that she was deeply relieved that she was fine.

She certainly wasn’t madly afraid, she thought. She thought she was being reasonable enough that even in the presence of the kidnapper she could speak clearly.

But why does she feel like she’s been relieved to death just because she’s been comforted?

Eventually, with Masha starting to cry, Ei asked playfully like before.

“I can’t give you my handkerchief, you know.”

And the moment she heard that, Masha really burst into tears.

***

“You… So how did you really come?”

Masha, who had barely stopped the tears, said with a sob. I shrugged my shoulders for a moment as I sat down side by side on the floor with the chair in good shape.

“He sent us coordinates or something. Using those coordinates, Dante sent me with teleportation magic.”

“He sent you? Can he just send you? He should come with you!”

With her voice hoarse from crying for a long time, Masha screamed loudly. I almost covered my ears for a moment, but then I slipped my hand down, wanting to tell Masha briefly about the situation.

“There was a condition he placed on me. No one else will accompany me, and I will come alone.”

“…”

“Dante wanted to go with me too, so he was restless until the end.”

I don’t know if it’s possible to simply describe it as ‘restless’, but to put it as simply as possible, it was like that. In this situation, there is no need to explain Dante’s condition in detail.

I tried to speak in a light tone on purpose to obscure the weight of that content, but the effect seemed weak as Masha’s face hardened. Soon after, eyes trembling with tension were directed straight at me, and I heard a voice that seemed to be forcibly squeezed.

A voice that was half-sure of her own expectations.

“Is it because of me that you had no choice but to accept that condition?”

To reassure Masha, I should have denied it at once, yet I couldn’t because I was speechless for the moment.

“That man… explained to me very little, but that’s what he said before I spoke to you via the communication tool. He will ask what you intend to do with your friend’s life.”

“…”

“Did I threaten you with my life?”

I can’t even let my words out if she asks me so bluntly. I swallowed the sigh that rose to the tip of my throat and quietly nodded.

Confirming my reaction to her, Masha let out a sigh and stretched out her own arm.

“I never thought the day would come when I was held hostage.”

“I never thought the day would come when I was threatened with my friend being a hostage.”

As I calmly responded to Masha’s words, I could hear the sound of contempt, asking if my attitude is the same even in this situation. But what if I didn’t even dream about it? Except for a few deaths, I’ve lived a mostly peaceful life.

As I looked at Masha, who was gradually regaining her energy while talking with me, I suddenly remembered something about her that I had forgotten.

I suddenly felt Masha’s gaze looking at me strangely as I began to rummage through my pockets.

“Come to think of it, did you come wearing a robe I hadn’t seen before?”

“I was wondering if I could hide my expression if I put on the hood attached to the back.”

“What do you mean…”

The bewildered voice cut off as I handed something to Masha’s hand. Masha peered at the magic stone the size of her palm, and suddenly she looked at me with a look in her eyes asking why I was giving this.

Although I’d like to explain in detail, I don’t have time. After looking at the door for a while, I briefly explained to Marsha.

“Starting tomorrow, you will suddenly start to get sick, so I try to prevent that pain as much as possible. They say the longer you wear it, the better.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying I’m starting to get sick?”

“Yeah. I wanted to bring other magic stones too, but if something went wrong, everything might break, so I just brought one.”

It sounds absurd, but I can’t help it. ‘It seems like you’ve been paralyzed since you came here, but as soon as the magic wears off, the fatigue of the past will come, and the magic stone contains magic that disperses the fatigue that will come at once over several times.’ How do I explain it so Masha can understand?

Besides, I didn’t want to instill anxiety by mentioning the unknown magic that numbed the child who was already trembling in fear for days.

Well, I think I can understand Dante now, desperately running away, saying he didn’t want me to be insecure… Thinking so, I got up and brushed the dust off my clothes.

“I think it’s just a pain reliever. Anyway, it seems like 10 minutes are up, so I have to go soon.”

“Wait, wait.”

It must have been so abrupt to say that I had to go soon, Masha, who opened her eyes wide, followed me and jumped up from her seat.

“Where are you going?”

“Since I’ve looked at your condition, I have to go and meet him face to face.”

Masha repeatedly opened and closed her mouth as if she wanted to ask who or why you, yet in the end she couldn’t say anything. Maybe it’s because she already knows without asking.

“…Can’t you wait a little longer?”

So, instead of blindly holding me back, she must be asking if it’s okay for me to meet him as late as possible.

I was about to tell her that the time he gave me was only 10 minutes, but I reflexively closed my mouth and fell silent. Because I heard a door open nearby.

When I looked toward the door without hiding my embarrassment, I heard giggles.

“Is the tearful reunion over?”

Masha looked back, startled, and immediately started glaring at the man fiercely. I gave Masha a firm grip on her hand, which began to tremble again, and then she slowly walked towards him.

“Let Masha rest.”

“Well, of course.”

The manner in which he responded obediently was disgusting. Looking back at the room where beds and sofas began to be built one by one at the man’s gesture, I met Masha’s eyes for the last time.

Although Masha, who looked around her with a surprised gaze, as soon as she felt my gaze on her, she looked at me eagerly.

“Don’t worry too much and wait, Masha.”

In order to get back together safely, I had to figure out this man’s purpose now.

I didn’t deliberately wait for Masha’s answer, but I turned my back and went out into the hallway.

“Let’s go now. Let’s try that conversation or something.”

“It’s an honor for you to be so active.”

The sound of a door closing behind me echoed along with words that might have been ridicule or amusement.

The realization that this had finally happened was about to come over me, and the sigh I had just been holding back came out.