One Day, My Dad Showed Up

The deputy abbot didn’t stay in the capital for long.

Mom welcomed him, and since Eciel was naturally sociable, they seemed to have grown quite close over the few days. However… we couldn’t stop him from insisting on leaving.

“I’ve enjoyed enough hospitality. Though the time wasn’t long, I’m grateful for the warm reception despite having given so little in return.”

Soon enough, Fermata also flew away.

Even though she knew it was a spiritual being that lived freely, Eciel was quite upset, especially since it left right after the deputy abbot.

“Can’t Fermata stay, at least?”

As I put the silver hydrangea I’d received from Galamad into an envelope, I intentionally delayed my answer.

I had more than enough to say.

Since the phoenix was a symbol of the Imperial Family, it would be disrespectful for a mere ducal family to keep one for a long time.

Moreover, not even a year had passed since my mother’s amnesty, so we shouldn’t unnecessarily create more complications.

To a being like Fermata, who lived forever, we were mere mortal beings who would soon disappear. Even if Fermata avoided getting attached to us and wandered away, we needed to understand…

But that wouldn’t be the right answer to give to a child who was feeling hurt.

So, I quietly asked.

“Would you prefer if it stayed?”

Green eyes stared at me intently.

“There must be a reason it has to go, right?”

… apparently, I was not very good at comforting. I’d been caught so quickly.

After hesitating for a bit, I nodded. Eciel let out a small sigh and reluctantly accepted it.

“Alright. If it has to go, there’s no helping it.”

But soon after, my sister’s face turned sulky.

“Then why doesn’t that person leave when he should?”

Even though I knew exactly who she was talking about, I couldn’t help but shift my gaze toward the person she was glaring at.

Zow Islay. The current Tower Master.

… certainly, someone who shouldn’t be idling away here, wasting time.

When our eyes met, the man smiled softly.

“My, Lady Chelsiers. You can see me? How surprising.”

At that moment, Eciel was in a cold war with him.

To be precise, it was only Eciel.

* * *

It seemed the Tower Master didn’t want to run into Dad.

“Oh, weren’t you supposed to stay at the palace for a good week during the Harvest Festival?”

He’d said that with wide eyes when they met at the main gate.

And I swore by Fermata, Dad didn’t just seem to want to avoid Zoe Islay—he looked like he wanted to erase him from existence.

If Mom hadn’t rushed in to stop him after that brief commotion, something serious would surely have happened.

Thankfully, by the time Eciel arrived, the situation had calmed down considerably.

“… who is that, Claire?”

“I don’t know yet, either.”

As we whispered to each other, the unwelcome guest glanced over at us.

“Ashel, please control your temper. So, why did you come, Zoe?”

“Hmm… would you mind introducing me to your two daughters first?”

Dad’s gaze grew icier.

… of course, Dad would have been annoyed even if this man had ignored us and left after saying what he came to say.

Knowing this, Mom quickly nodded and spoke up.

“Zoe, these are our daughters. The one who resembles Ashel is Claire, and the one who takes after me is Eciel.”

“Hello, young ladies.”

Zoe Islay greeted us gracefully, and we hastily returned the greeting.

“Claire, Eciel, this is Zoe Islay. We studied under the same teacher. He’s now the Tower Master.”

Dad was still glaring at him, but the Tower Master smiled serenely.

“Pleased to meet you, ladies. Here, I have a gift for you.”

With a snap of his fingers, two shimmering butterflies appeared, scattering light everywhere.

“Whoa…”

Eciel murmured in awe.

The colorful butterflies landed on Eciel’s and my collars, transforming into small, radiant brooches that clung tightly.

After displaying such incredible illusion magic in an instant, the man calmly asked.

“With this level of bribe, am I qualified to be formally invited to Duke Chelsiers’ residence, Your Excellency?”

Though I was sure Dad wanted to tell him to shut up and leave, he ended up letting Zoe Islay into the house.

It was probably because of Mom’s awkward position caught between them and the impressive gifts he’d given to me and Eciel.

And up until that point, Eciel had no ill will toward Zoe Islay.

She even politely thanked him after glancing at Dad’s face.

The trouble began after dinner.

“Zoe, so why exactly are you here?”

Despite being an unannounced guest, he was still the Tower Master.

Thanks to the efforts of our staff, the dinner was well-prepared to befit hosting a distinguished guest.

Generally, it would be proper to have a pleasant conversation over a meal and then bring up what needed to be said.

However, Mom was always impatient and disliked beating around the bush.

When she asked a direct question, the Tower Master, who had just received his aperitif, slightly hunched his shoulders and laughed.

“Charlotte, why do you assume I came here for a reason?”

He sounded extremely friendly.

I couldn’t even glance at Dad and just stared down at my plate.

Why had I been encountering so many people who didn’t care about others’ feelings lately?

Starting with Lady Sisana, Duke Yorvonne, and now both the Tower Master and Duke Sisana…

No, this wasn’t about them. Clearly, Astariol just didn’t care about these things as a rule.

‘… so, isn’t that person just unusual?’

I was a little puzzled by that thought and raised my head slightly.

Zoe Islay took a sip of wine and nodded in satisfaction.

Usually, someone would struggle under the gaze of the Astariol of Judgment, but not this time.

Unable to hold back, Mom snapped.

“Zoe, this isn’t the time for jokes. Why are you here all of a sudden?”

“Alright, alright. I’ll tell you.”

The Tower Master sighed theatrically, pausing just as he was about to take a piece of thinly sliced scallop from the carpaccio.

I didn’t know much about his magical abilities or research achievements, but I was certain of one thing.

The people around Zoe Islay probably had a hard time because of him.

But then, the Tower Master’s words took a completely unexpected turn.

“First, to Charlotte Yerim, disciple of the Tower, I deliver this message: The annual competition is approaching. If you wish to maintain your position within the Tower, you must either attend the competition or submit a promising research plan within the year to bolster your achievements.”

I blinked.

Honestly, I had expected him to say something trivial or make a joke.

“Secondly, to the Duke of Chelsiers, one of the Tower’s greatest patrons: The annual exhibition will take place after the competition. If you intend to attend, please confirm your participation promptly.”

What? Dad was one of the Tower’s biggest patrons? I looked at him in surprise, and Mom was no different.

“And lastly, I have a message for Lady Eciel Disandos of House Chelsiers.”

“Me?”

Eciel’s eyes widened in shock. Even Dad seemed somewhat surprised by this statement.

But Mom instantly grasped the situation and furrowed her brow.

“… Zoe, she’s Astariol’s daughter. And the twin of Astariol, no less. That can’t be true.”

“Have there been previous instances where Astariol fathered children through marriage to a wizard?”

“But the gate’s passage…”

Mom hesitated slightly.

“Ten years ago, the verification test inevitably triggered a magical clash, and if the subject had any , they would experience rejection.”

“….”

“However, a new technique was commercialized about four years ago, and since then, the rejection test has employed a safer method rather than relying on a magical clash.”

“… I didn’t know that.”

“Your daughter might possess , Charlotte Yerim.”

I quickly grasped the situation.

Magic was a power gained by those exposed to mana after the demon invasion.

In other words, the stronger a wizard, the more their body was born exposed to mana…

And naturally, the probability of passing down that talent to their offspring increased, even if only slightly.

And like any other talent, magic required the right environment to reveal itself.

Thus, the Tower conducted annual screening tests to select its disciples.

It seemed that they now considered it worth conducting an exceptional screening test on the daughter of the most talented wizard in recent years.

As I quietly whispered an explanation to Eciel, Dad glanced briefly in our direction and spoke calmly.

“When do you plan to start the screening?”

“As long as Charlotte’s lab is intact, all the necessary equipment is available, so we can proceed at any time.”

Dad, who had been maintaining a composed expression since seeing Zoe Islay, wore a soft and gentle face as he called out to Eciel.

“Eciel.”

“Yes?”

“Did Claire explain it well to you?”

My sister nodded and asked.

“Dad, does this mean I’m a wizard?”

“It’s possible, but to be honest, it’s more likely that you’re not.”

Eciel didn’t seem too disappointed by this.

She simply turned to Zoe Islay and asked.

“If I am a wizard, will the test show it immediately?”

“If you are indeed one of us, everyone present for the screening will know right away. If you prefer, we can conduct the test privately, away from your family’s view.”

“Oh, that’s fine.”

Eciel smiled as she looked back at our father.

“Dad, promise me one thing.”

“What promise?”

“If I’m not a wizard, you have to be the first to hug me and say you love me. It’ll be because of you and not Mom, right?”

A soft smile spread across our father’s face.

“I promise.”

Suddenly, the Tower Master was looking at us with a very curious expression.

After a moment of thought, he casually asked.

“Then, Lady Eciel, what if you are a wizard?”

It would have been nice if the conversation had ended there, but Zoe Islay smiled brightly and added.

“Would you like me to give you a hug?”