Chapter 20
Lately, Felix’s mana channels, which had been weak from fatigue, began to throb violently—thump, thump.
Without thinking, he reached out.
It was the moment he intended to pull Freesia into an embrace.
“Ugh! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Smack!
A sharp hand slapped Felix’s away.
He blinked in disbelief at Freesia glaring at him.
Wait… did she just push me away?
“Don’t talk to me unless you’ve prepared alimony. Seriously, what are you doing? So annoying…”
Freesia muttered as if something disgusting had touched her, then quickly turned and walked away.
Frozen in place from being pushed, Felix stood dazed.
“Felix…?”
He felt the horrified stares of his friends on him.
“What was that? She actually pushed you, right?”
“Wasn’t she supposed to cling to you, Felix?”
He heard his friends whispering.
He had just been humiliated in front of everyone—by none other than Freesia!
Felix’s face burned red.
“K-khm. Her tantrum… well, it’s kind of fresh and… a little cute, I guess.”
“…….”
“…….”
He tried to excuse himself, but the bewildered stares of his friends didn’t fade.
Forcing a calm expression, Felix ground his teeth inwardly.
‘How dare you treat me like this…?’
He knew exactly the situation Freesia was in.
Having lost her family’s fortune to her uncle and with even the Rohheim family’s matronship now beyond reach, she had nowhere to go.
‘A secretary to the Mage Tower Master? Hah. Do you think the Tower Master would keep taking you in if you’re worse off than a commoner with no family?’
Crunch.
Felix ground his teeth.
[Ugh! That’s crazy! Lurking in the streets and suddenly attacking! Master, you almost had your mana stolen again!]
‘Exactly! I didn’t think he’d do that in the middle of a crowded street.’
What a crazy man.
The thought of Felix reaching for her like a famished zombie made her shiver.
She couldn’t believe she had once found that face handsome.
‘Still, I reacted quickly, didn’t I?’
[Yes! You dodged like lightning! You’re improving so fast that I’m worried you won’t even need me soon!]
‘Eh, that day won’t come. If you hadn’t shouted for me to dodge, I would’ve been a beat slower.’
[It’s good that I could help!]
Exchanging compliments with Pipi, she quickly resumed walking toward her original destination.
Unlike before, she remained alert, constantly watching her surroundings.
Now that she knew Felix could steal her mana through physical contact, she had to avoid him at all costs.
Soon, she arrived at the Ministry of Civil Affairs building.
Inside, with a moderate crowd moving through, she strode straight toward the reception desk.
“Excuse me! Where’s the registration for ‘Let’s Be Mine! Thrilling Young Lovers’ Operation’?”
All eyes turned to her.
Serra Benwood, the clerk in charge of population programs, held her head in her hands in front of an empty desk.
“All the applications we’ve received today are… this?”
The government-run group meeting program she managed risked being canceled due to insufficient applicants.
The program promised substantial support if participants met and married, yet it hadn’t gained any attention.
‘Honestly, I wouldn’t apply either…’
A government-arranged matchmaking program seemed like it would attract only those who couldn’t find a partner on their own.
Still, what could she do? This project was the Empress’s idea.
[Let’s Be Mine! ~Thrilling Young Lovers’ Operation~]
Seeing the banner at the entrance, Serra’s face contorted in dismay again.
The name was terrible!
But that too was the Empress’s idea.
Serra wished the Empress would behave like a villainous character in a novel—ignore domestic affairs and indulge in luxury.
‘A hardworking employee with an incompetent boss is the worst disaster…!’
The young Empress was earnest but tragically lacking in sense.
But Serra had no choice; she had to follow orders.
She wanted to make the poorly named project a success to secure a promotion…
Yet, as expected, it remained dead in the water.
If anything, the more they advertised, the fewer applicants there seemed to be.
At this rate, Serra herself might have to participate just to prevent cancellation.
Occasionally, a few applicants appeared…
‘If I join, the government really will arrange a marriage, right? Can I choose my partner based on a photo? I’d like to check their looks…’
‘Can I bring my mother along?’
It was enough to make her sigh.
Today was the registration deadline. Still, no new applications had come in.
“Haah. Looks like this promotion is gone too…”
Serra flopped onto her desk.
“Clerk, we just received a new application!”
Oh?
The first applicant of the day.
Serra hurried to take the application.
The first thing she looked at was the occupation field.
“Occupation… wow, Secretary to the Mage Tower Master?”
Incredible credentials!
If someone like this participated, it might generate buzz.
Excited, Serra looked at the application more closely.
But when she saw the applicant’s photo, her hopes deflated.
‘Messy hair, thick glasses, can barely see their eyes…’
Sigh. Figures.
Attractive men and women wouldn’t join such a ridiculous program.
“Still, at least someone applied. Thank you… thank you. You’re my benefactor today.”
Serra muttered as she stamped Freesia’s application, unaware of the storm this participant might cause.
It was shocking news.
Aaron knocked urgently on Kaien’s office door.
“Master! Master!”
Pushing open the door, he froze in astonishment.
In front of the sunlit floor-to-ceiling windows, Kaien sat quietly in his chair, eyes closed.
The sunlight cast long shadows from his perfectly shaped lashes, and his lips pressed firmly beneath a sharp nose looked like a sculpture.
It was like a scene from an old masterpiece, and Aaron held his breath.
‘Master… taking a nap!’
He had never seen him like this.
Kaien’s overwhelming mana constantly flooded his mind with endless information, causing chronic headaches.
With overwork on top of that, his insomnia was inevitable.
Then Kaien’s eyelids slowly opened.
“Ah! I-I’m sorry!”
Aaron’s face fell, thinking he had disturbed Kaien’s rare nap.
Kaien brushed his face with his palm.
Despite just waking, his face was impeccably composed.
He waved and said,
“Oh. I was about to call you. Here are the results of this year’s Mage Tower mana distribution simulation. Take them.”
Aaron’s eyes widened as he looked at the documents Kaien gestured to.
“What? You finished this? In one night?!”
When assisted by other mages, the same task usually took at least three days, sometimes up to a week.
No wonder no one volunteered for night work.
“The calculations by the newcomer were surprisingly capable.”
Despite the casual tone, a pleased smile touched his lips.
Aaron pinched himself.
The Master smiled…?
Not a twitch—an actual smile.
He studied the documents again, disbelieving.
‘How… how did he finish all of this in one night…?’
Kaien aside, the newcomer’s ability was beyond imagination.
It was ridiculous to think he had nearly failed the academy exams with this brain.
