Chapter 112

 

***

 

“Did you have your meal today?”

Suddenly, he asked with a furrowed brow.

Melody was surprised by the sudden question but nodded anyway.

“Any pain?”

“Not really.”

“Why does your complexion look…”

He murmured worriedly, prompting Melody to recall what he had said earlier.

That he treats his subjects with care.

It seemed that statement was true, given the concern evident in his scrutinizing gaze.

‘It’s kind of surprising.’

It was the first time Jeremiah showed such detailed concern.

“Could you extend your hands, please?”

Following his request, Melody cautiously extended her hands forward.

Without seeking permission, Jeremiah placed his hands over hers.

Among the nobility, this would be considered a clear breach of etiquette, but Melody somehow didn’t mind.

Perhaps because this was the peculiar setting of the magic tower.

It was also fascinating that Jeremiah, though slender, had hands larger than she expected.

Just a few years ago, Jeremiah had been similar in size to Melody or a bit smaller.

It seemed that a year’s difference in age could quickly reverse the difference in stature.

Jeremiah’s hands were so large they completely covered Melody’s, making them invisible.

“Hmm, overall, not bad.”

He suddenly spoke quietly, his expression filled with regret.

“You seem tired, let’s postpone the experiment.”

“I’m not really tired.”

Melody responded, and he appeared to contemplate a bit longer.

“I’m really fine.”

She smiled brightly, aiming to reassure him.

Initially, the idea of being the subject of an ‘experiment’ was a bit frightening, but her perspective changed over time.

As a Higgins, contributing to the people of Baldwin was a source of great joy.

Moreover, Melody had her own curiosities about herself. How she could have been born into this world, and perhaps, she might find some answers.

“Really.”

At her insistence, he slightly moved his fingertips, gently brushing near her wrist as if to check her pulse.

“…Even if it’s just a little.”

He spoke after a long pause, his voice still full of hesitation.

“If you feel any discomfort, we’ll stop immediately.”

“Understood.”

“And I wish you’d take more care.”

“Of what?”

“Your health.”

“I think I’ve been quite attentive to that.”

“Such words would be more fitting after you’ve managed to put on a bit of muscle on those slender arms.”

He glanced at Melody’s pale arms and frowned again.

“The frailty of the body can sometimes become a variable in experiments.”

“I didn’t know that. Sorry.”

Melody bowed her head slightly. Soon, she noticed a green light emanating from where their hands were joined.

‘Is he sending magic into me?’

As she thought this, Jeremiah instructed, “Lift your head, please.”

When their gazes met, a strange sensation began to flow into her body from the palm of her hand that was touching his.

“…It feels strange.”

Melody murmured, and he nodded, as if he knew.

“It’s harmless to the human body.”

“It seems so, but…”

“Shh, quietly.”

His eyes, behind the clear glasses, were focused intently on Melody.

While it was embarrassing to be under such scrutiny, it was the sensation of the magic being transmitted that was more distracting.

A feeling as if fine down was rolling down the back of her neck… a ticklish sensation that persisted.

For several minutes, it continued.

‘I feel… drowsy.’

Melody tried to keep her eyes open, half-closed without realizing it.

She worried that losing consciousness might hinder whatever Jeremiah was trying to discover.

However, the touch on her wrist and the ticklish sensation flowing into her body gradually lulled her into a drowsy state.

“Miss Higgins.”

Suddenly, he called her name.

Melody thought she should respond, but somehow her lips wouldn’t part.

It wasn’t just her will that failed to respond. Soon, her heavy eyelids closed completely, making Jeremiah’s face disappear from view.

“Miss Higgins?”

Hearing his slightly panicked voice was the last thing Melody was aware of before she collapsed forward.

Thud.

Fortunately, Melody’s face landed in a rather comfortable spot.

“…?!”

That was near Jeremiah’s shoulder, who was completely frozen by the unexpected situation.

 

***

 

Jeremiah had witnessed various magical accidents in the magic tower up until now. Magic, often called ‘omnipotent,’ was ultimately a human affair. The outcome of magic could vary depending on the mood and situation of the individual casting it. This is why magicians who could consistently produce uniform results were highly regarded.

Jeremiah had been more on the ‘resolving accidents’ side rather than ‘causing them.’ Magical accidents varied, with fire or explosions being basic, and instances where water suddenly poured from the ceiling were common. There were many occasions where subjects of experiments encountered issues, sometimes resulting in humans sprouting tails.

In the past, when such problems occurred, magicians would first passionately call out, ‘Lord Tower Master!’ but recently, this had changed. Magicians began seeking Jeremiah, the favored apprentice of the tower master, with calls of ‘Jeremiah! Magician Baldwin!’

It made sense to call the young and agile Jeremiah over the older, slower-moving tower master. Plus, Jeremiah didn’t particularly dislike being called out for these incidents. Observing the accidents that occurred during magical experiments was quite interesting.

Above all, resolving these accidents allowed him to understand precisely what experiment was being conducted and why the accident happened. This ensured that Jeremiah would not repeat the same mistakes.

Thus, he had never panicked in the face of any magical accident, always maintaining a cool reason to identify the cause.

However, after the accident of Melody’s head dropping onto his shoulder just moments ago, he remained frozen, his hand still emanating a gentle flow of magic, raised to shoulder height, for several minutes.

‘Why?’

The question of cause echoed endlessly in his head. But that was as far as it went. No other thoughts came to mind.

‘First, breathe. Start with breathing….’

With the thought that he must check if Melody’s life was in danger, he moved his hands towards her shoulders. He needed to either sit her up or lay her down to check her breathing. Besides, he couldn’t let her lean on him indefinitely.

However, his hands stopped just short of touching her shoulders, unable to grasp her.

He tried to think of a reason for his hesitation but couldn’t find a satisfactory one. He just felt extremely cautious.

‘Could this be…’

Jeremiah grimaced as he considered a hypothesis.

‘An instinctive warning signal?’

When resolving accidents, he sometimes encountered such feelings. Even if something seemed harmless, there would be a thought, ‘Ah, I shouldn’t touch that.’ Ignoring such signals often led to further accidents, so he decided to trust his instincts.

‘In that case, let’s leave Miss Higgins as she is.’

Although the position might be somewhat uncomfortable,

‘It’s not particularly heavy. Plus, a pleasant scent…’

He stopped the irrelevant thoughts that came unbidden and stared down at the face leaning against him.

From her slightly parted lips, the sound of deep, regular breaths could be heard.

“Breathing is normal, at least.”

Jeremiah spoke out loud, feeling somehow that he should.

“And besides.”

He moved his still-fumbling hand to grasp her small, limp hand.

“Ah.”

The moment he did, Melody’s entire body jerked, causing Jeremiah to exclaim in surprise without realizing it.

“I thought you were waking up…”

This involuntary remark made him momentarily doubtful.

‘Wouldn’t it have been good if she woke up?’

He wondered why his heart had skipped a beat at the thought that ‘Melody was waking up.’

‘Could it be… that I was panicking?’

He frowned.

To panic during an experiment was truly uncharacteristic of Jeremiah.

He sighed softly.

How had this experiment resulted in such an outcome? At least one cause had become clear.

Unknowingly, his panic had seeped into the magic, leading Melody in this unintended direction.

Of course, her falling asleep must have been more influenced by her own will.

“I’m sorry, Miss Higgins.”

Regardless, he softly apologized and, through the hand he held, checked on Melody’s condition. The magic he had sent flowed pleasantly inside her body without any major disturbances.

‘I really should have sent her back.’

Jeremiah regretted.

But how long should he keep Melody like this?

He tried to grip Melody’s shoulder again but stopped due to the same resistance he felt before.

He couldn’t understand why he kept feeling like he wanted to leave Melody as she was. It didn’t seem like any problem would arise from the situation, and it was quite an uncomfortable position.

‘Really… what a strange person.’

He sighed lightly as he glanced down at Melody.

However, he couldn’t keep her like this indefinitely.

He needed to contact Melody’s guardians, the Higgins, and also had to submit a report to the magic tower.

‘I should do that…’

Yet, he still felt resistant.

An emotion that couldn’t be logically explained made him very uneasy.

Then it happened.

A loud explosion sounded from somewhere. It wasn’t particularly surprising in the magic tower, where such sounds were heard every few days.

But there was one problem.

After such sounds, there was always…

“Jeremiah! Magician Baldwin!”

The expected call for help followed.