Father, I Won’t Do Anything

With Professor Peyron gone, Jaina found herself unable to bear the weight of her own actions.

“Headmaster…”

Her thoughts remained unorganized, her emotions seemingly having gotten the better of her, prompting her spontaneous outburst.

As Jaina hesitated, about to request keeping this matter confidential, Seiden spoke up first.

“It’s best to keep today’s events secret from Diamid for now, isn’t it?”

Jaina readily nodded, and Seiden regarded her with a gentle, affectionate smile.

“All things happen in due order. When you’re ready, you can tell him yourself.”

“But…”

What if I never intend to acknowledge the Tower Lord as my father?

However, the words remained stuck in her throat. As if perceiving her inner turmoil, Seiden continued.

“If Diamid has committed wrongs that prevent you from ever forgiving him, so be it.”

“…”

“I’m merely grateful that even from such a distance, you still concern yourself with Diamid. That’s enough. I’m sure Diamid feels the same way.”

Jaina lowered her head, her chest tightening at his words.

“Jaina, prioritize your own happiness above all else. Nothing else matters more.”

* * *

“You seem troubled by something.”

Jaina gazed intently at Izren, whom she had coincidentally encountered during a stroll.

Not only was he aware of her relationship with Diamid, but he had also assisted her with the recent incident involving Professor Peyron, making him an ideal confidant for her concerns.

“Actually, there’s something I want to ask you, Izren.”

Without hesitation, Izren replied:

“Then shall we find a more private spot?”

“Are you not too busy? You only recently became a professor.”

“I have time for you.”

Jaina smiled silently.

Unlike Rosian’s overt displays, Izren had always quietly supported her from behind the scenes.

Heeding Rosian’s advice about the unsuitability of a professor and student frequently being seen together, the two relocated to a secluded area.

The academy’s arboretum, where only the occasional birdsong could be heard, was a serene spot rarely visited by students.

“…What I wanted to say was…”

However, even after finding a private location, Jaina struggled to find the right words, uncertain of where to begin.

Yet Izren patiently remained silent, his gaze fixated on her profile.

The traces of concern etched upon her fair features pained him.

“How do you view the Tower Lord?”

“The Tower Lord?”

“I’ve often seen him look after you.”

Jaina spoke in a nonchalant tone, inwardly swallowing the words, ‘It seems he cared for you more than his own supposed daughter.’

At this, Izren’s expression became one of utter bewilderment.

“The Tower Lord looked after me?”

“He frequently dined with you at the cafeteria…”

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

Izren’s firm rebuttal gave Jaina pause, tempted to question what she had witnessed.

For Izren had frequented Diamid’s study more than even Hilvenzia.

Was that not the case?

‘I’ve witnessed them conversing on more than one occasion…’

Izren regarded Jaina with a peculiar gaze.

“You seem perplexed that I’m denying the Tower Lord’s supposed favor towards me. Angered, even.”

“…No, that’s not it.”

However, Izren looked at her as if he understood everything.

While usually oblivious and blunt, he had an uncanny ability to discern Jaina’s emotions.

“From the beginning, the Tower Lord likely accepted me into the Magic Tower not because he favored me, but because I, a non-human, overlapped with you, a dragon, in his perception.”

“But when Izren joined, the Tower Lord and I…”

“Yes, he probably pretended not to notice. But you unconsciously remained on his mind, ever since you arrived at the Magic Tower.”

Jaina immediately refuted his claim.

“The Tower Lord has only recently begun concerning himself with me. Isn’t it presumptuous to assume he had been interested in me all along based solely on that?”

“Jaina, I was ordered by the Tower Lord to keep watch over you. While the method was undesirable, I saw it as a sign of his interest in you. If he harbored ill feelings, he wouldn’t have assigned me to you.”

Izren continued:

“Initially it was surveillance, but after you risked your life to rescue those people from the fire, it changed to ‘protection.'”

“Your words make it sound as if the Tower Lord deliberately stationed someone by my side out of concern for potential dangers I might face.”

“Is that not essentially the case?”

Izren shrugged, his amethyst gem-like eyes sparkling subtly in the sunlight.

“I’ve shared many stories about you with the Tower Lord. And each time, his usually impassive and composed demeanor would briefly change. Could that truly have been a coincidence?”

“That’s absurd.”

“Do you know how many things the Tower Lord has done for you behind the scenes? Like disgracing your harpsichord tutor to the point of preventing them from ever appearing in high society again. Or secretly transferring Magic Tower magicians who gossiped about you to other regions…”

Jaina’s eyes widened as she silently listened to Izren’s account.

“Such things… actually happened?”

It seemed unbelievable, yet Izren’s expression was utterly solemn. Moreover, having known him for years, Jaina was well aware of his inability to lie convincingly.

“So what I’m trying to say is… the Tower Lord didn’t suddenly develop a whim and ask you to become his daughter on a mere impulse.”

At that moment, the sound of rustling grass could be heard in the distance, as if someone was deliberately announcing their presence with exaggerated movements.

Shaa-

Unconsciously turning her gaze in that direction, Jaina saw a man emerge from the tall grass, grinning.

“What are you two doing here?”

It was Rosian.

His bright smile and gentle tone swiftly shifted, his expression cooling as he adopted a curt attitude.

“For a grown man and woman to be in such a secluded area.”

Regarding Rosian’s cold gaze, Jaina remarked with a sense of novelty:

“Your Highness, you’re reminiscent of Brother Mikael just now.”

“…”

Jaina had expected Rosian to either react indignantly at being compared to the foul-mouthed Mikael or casually dismiss it as natural for cousins.

However, to her surprise, Rosian remained silent, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.

‘Did I somehow hurt his feelings…?’

Come to think of it, Rosian had always maintained a refined demeanor before her.

For him to exhibit a similar attitude to the ever-disgruntled Mikael was quite disconcerting.

“I mentioned before that it’s unsightly for a professor and student to be seen together so intimately.”

His voice low and chilly, Rosian addressed Izren while avoiding Jaina’s gaze.

“I simply had something to ask.”

“Then you should have asked me. No, from now on, I’ll accompany you both. Don’t stay together alone.”

“I checked to ensure no one was around, so it’s alright.”

“That’s not the issue.”

Rosian responded as if swallowing some surging emotion from within.

“That’s… not the issue at all.”

“If that’s not the issue, then what is?”

Unable to remain silent any longer, Izren suddenly interjected, prompting Rosian to calmly retort.

“The fact that you’re no longer Miss Jaina’s guard.”

“…?”

As the atmosphere rapidly chilled, a bewildered Jaina alternated her gaze between the two men.

‘Why have they been so tense with each other lately?’

“I understand your concern, but Izren has been with me since childhood.”

“By that logic, I’ve also frequently seen you since you were young.”

Unusually, Izren wore a mocking expression.

“Isn’t this what His Highness truly wishes to say? That he dislikes Jaina being close with another man besides himself…”

“Ah, and did I ask what brought you here?”

Rosian smiled amiably once more.

For some reason, the smile seemed mask-like to Jaina, but she soon forgot her perception upon seeing the object he held out.

—Ah, can you hear me?

It was a mana bird.

Jaina’s eyes widened, wondering why Rosian possessed the mana bird previously used like a telephone at the Magic Tower.

“Brother Mikael?”

—Is it true that a man and woman were intimately huddled together in the arboretum?

“Not a man and woman, it’s Izren.”

—Is Izren genderless or something? Doesn’t have a gender? And back then, he was your guard!

Rosian was making the same remarks as Mikael. Jaina found herself marveling at the absurdity of it all.

—The guard the Tower Lord forcibly assigned you has now left the Magic Tower, so why are you concerning yourself with him?

“That’s…”

—Cut him off! Don’t acknowledge him!

Flap-flap, flap-flap!

The mana bird flapped its wings violently, as if resonating with Mikael’s emotions.

—Cut-him-off!

Jaina tilted her head. As expected, Mikael’s extreme tendencies persisted even into adulthood.

“No matter who it is, even Brother Mikael shouldn’t interfere in my personal matters.”

—What did you just… say to me…?

Seemingly stunned into silence for a while, Mikael eventually spoke.

—Raising a daughter is utterly pointless!

“Since when did you become my father, Brother?”

—Be honest, what did the Tower Lord do? I raised you! Argh!

From an outsider’s perspective, it would seem Jaina had raised Mikael instead.

—Hey, Rosian! Make sure those two don’t stay together from now on! Got it? Maintain a radius of at least 1 km!

“Understood. I have no choice.”

With a bright smile, Rosian inserted himself between Jaina and Izren, taking the middle seat.

‘Since when did His Highness become so close with Brother Mikael…?’

Finding it all utterly baffling, Jaina gazed at Rosian’s seemingly content expression.

“It doesn’t seem like Brother Mikael contacted you first. You must have reached out to him initially, Your Highness?”

Why had Rosian adopted Mikael’s extreme tendencies?

Folding her arms, Jaina looked up at him questioningly.

“Your Highness, what is it you desire? If you’re willing to exploit Brother Mikael to this extent, you must want something from me, don’t you?”

“Hmm? I don’t understand what you mean.”

Flustered, as if his intentions had been seen through, Rosian feigned ignorance, but Jaina was determined not to let it go this time.

“Your Highness, I’m being serious right now.”

“As someone who considers you like a younger sister, with sentiments similar to Brother Mikael’s… well, if you think of me as an elder brother, shouldn’t you listen to what I have to say as well?”

“I view Izren as an elder brother too, you know.”

Rosian pursed his lips. Then, sitting beside Jaina, he slumped his shoulders in an exaggeratedly pitiful manner, bringing his legs together as he gazed upwards at her.

‘A golden retriever…?’

He resembled a large, dejected dog with its tail between its legs.

For a fully grown adult man to overtly act cute… was it truly endearing?

Though she wanted to call out his blatant attempt at appearing adorable, the words wouldn’t leave her mouth.

‘Has this prince lost his mind?’

In contrast, Izren seemed utterly shocked, his mouth agape.

“How vile.”

Izren pointed a trembling finger at Rosian.

“Have you gone mad? Did His Highness consume something unsavory?”

However, Rosian paid no heed to Izren’s reaction, his gaze fixed solely on Jaina.

“It pains me to think you might dislike me, Miss Jaina…”

“It’s not that I dislike you…”

“I’m simply… concerned about you…”

A pitiful image of drooping ears seemed to overlay his features.

Jaina’s heart softened as she hurriedly made excuses.

“It’s not that I dislike Your Highness…”

“You really don’t dislike me? Truly?”

And in that moment, Rosian’s eyes sparkled like stars.

“Then do you perhaps… like me?”