The first day at the Mage Tower passed more smoothly than I expected. Knox, intrigued, brought all kinds of medicine bottles and unidentified items with his gaze, but I shook my head harshly, refusing anything that wasn't a truly necessary experiment.
'Even with this level of question-and-answer, the rate of abnormal interference has increased.'
Currently, it was about 13%. Compared to the speed at which I had collected miracle figures so far, it was quite generous. The addiction in my right arm must have disappeared, and I didn't need to help him more than necessary. In the first place, it was a 'cooperation,' not me being a laboratory rat.
Knox surprisingly accepted it obediently. We would only cooperate for about six hours a day. He simply nodded and did not express any dissatisfaction. He even said that I was free to roam around the Frost Tower. However, he warned that if I acted against the tower's safety, the employees would kill me on their own.
"I must never fall away from you."
Kyle always adhered to his armor even in his bedroom and never kept his sword far from him. Even when he was close to me, he sometimes looked around, making sure that I didn't feel his vigilance.
I, who had no talent for such things, touched my lover's cold cheeks with both hands and persuaded him. "No, Your Highness. Knox can't hurt me anyway. You don't have to be together for six hours in the laboratory."
Even though I was just lucky, Kyle immediately realized what I was trying to say. His beautiful face, however, was distorted with slight dissatisfaction. But I did not back down either. Since it was a difficult place to come to, I had to gather at least one more piece of information. I needed to fill the abnormal interference rate, but to deal with the Northern Wizards, more information than I currently had was necessary.
'I can't do everything by myself. Besides, it's a waste of time.'
While Knox was talking to me or experimenting, I couldn't stand up and monitor him. So it was much more efficient for Kyle to move around in between. Unlike me, Kyle had excellent swordsmanship skills, so he should be able to deal with any danger. Moreover, I didn't know what secrets I would reveal to Knox in the future, so it might be safer to move on my own, meet in the evening, and share the information we had gained during the day.
There was a short silence. Rationally, Kyle realized that my judgment was a little more pragmatic. He also knew it. However, instead of admitting it immediately, he stretched out his arm.
"I don't want to."
Kyle burrowed into my arms like a child. He was much bigger than me and secretly cute. Of course, I didn't hate it. On the contrary, I felt comfortable because he was clinging to me. I soothed him by brushing his back.
"I'm going to be safe. It would be convenient if there was a device that allowed us to exchange simple words even when we were far away..."
He chuckled as if he thought my words were a joke. "Telecommunication is one of the things that even wizards find difficult. It's a long way for them to develop such a thing for now."
"It was common where I lived."
"Huh?"
When I told him about my phone, Kyle's red eyes sparkled with interest.
"Is that possible...?"
It was truly amazing. Not only could it be charged using electricity instead of horsepower, but you could also write and send letters, hear voices, or even see faces. He fiddled with his chin in disbelief.
"What a mysterious world, indeed."
"It's more mysterious to me, isn't it? The dead don't take care of themselves, there are demons. Isn't it a loss..."
"There are no demons there?"
"Of course. Even if there are beasts, animals such as tigers and bears are quite ordinary. I don't have to face them directly. It's like a zoo."
Kyle, who was listening to my story, said with a slightly darkened expression, "A world without wizards, demons, empires, and nobles..."
"Yes, what about it?"
"Shh. It would have been much better for you to live there. It's also safe."
"Uh..."
I couldn't refute that. As Kyle said, if it wasn't for a major chronic illness or an unexpected accident, I could have lived a much more normal and peaceful life than now. There were no imperial spirits who, setting out to fight, left a curse on their arms in the short gap of escape. There were no rogue wizards, and no mutant species that could destroy the territory.
But.
"I like it here."
His words were unmistakably sincere. I leaned over with my cheek on his shoulder. I had made a mistake.
"The place where I used to live would be more convenient and safe... That's not all there is to life."
I felt lonely there. There was no one to fully share his feelings, or more precisely, I could not afford to do so. When I came back tired from work, I would tap on my phone without a pulse and just get angry. When I fell, and when I opened my eyes, I led my tired body back to work. As I got tired of making a living, my dissatisfaction gradually decreased. It wasn't because life was easy; it was because even lamenting had become tiring.
Naturally, I became distant from my friends. It's not that I haven't met people, but I'm a member of the association. I can't talk about it in depth with people. That was the time I lived. It was so long ago that I didn't even know it was loneliness, and I didn't want to know. The solitude was so hard that no one seemed to be able to break it forever.
But I was miraculously sent here at the end of my life, and I met Kyle. When I chose him, all kinds of dangerous things came my way, but I managed to overcome them. And I fell in love with Kyle. Kyle was the same, and that warmth was like gravity, holding me to this place.
"Your Highness is here, so I like it here."
Kyle stared at my face from a distance. It was an attitude that seemed to calmly ponder the depth of the heart I had handed over. He grabbed my shoulder tightly and looked at me with a somewhat eager expression. Then he laughed, and his cold and solemn impression melted away, revealing his unique kind and cheerful aura.
"So do I."
A smile like this from a cold face is a foul. I saw my cheeks burning and turned my head. Sure enough, he quickly grabbed my chin as if to tell me not to avoid his eyes. Then he pressed his elongated lips not only on the corners of my mouth, but also on my cheeks, nose, and eyelids, expressing his affection and joy.
It's the same habit of kissing hamsters! Help me!
"Oh, let's stop this! I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Wake up early and go where. We should discuss whether to look at it or not..."
"Just a little more."
He swallowed my lips whole, trying to protest further. As the days went by, he became more and more like a persistent little worm. I tried to slap him on the shoulder, but the arm wrapped around my waist didn't lose any strength at all.
"Phew, heh, heh... Let's not do this in someone else's house!"
Then Kyle replied with a low smile. "If you are the only one who is quiet, no one will know."
"..."
His face became close again. His red eyes were burning brighter and hotter than the fireplace. I looked at him with a long-awaited expression, and finally closed my eyes tightly.
'... Huh?'
However, he did not continue the kiss. Instead, he looked at my expression with a puzzled face and immediately hugged me. He put me to bed. He laid my head on the pillow and covered me with a blanket.
"You definitely look tired, and you seem to be reacting a little slowly. If you think about it, a lot happened today. You better go to bed."
... Is that so?
Maybe it was because of my mood, but my limbs felt a little heavy. It was late at night anyway, and from tomorrow, I'd have to go all over the tower, so I'd be even busier than I was today.
'I need to rest.'
If I rested early, Kyle would have a little bit of a break. I nodded and reached out of the blanket and squeezed his hand. I put my finger between his warm fingers and grabbed it tightly.
"Your Highness must also sleep."
Kyle took my clasped hand and kissed the back of my hand and smiled. "Yes, I promise."
The next day.
After 'calling in,' I led my strangely tired body to the restaurant, and Knox was smiling as he prepared two people's share of the meal.
'I found out that I was dead, so I don't have to act while eating food, you beggar.'
He took a sip of the blue magic potion filled in a clear glass and watched us as we ate.
"Well, let's make a schedule for today. What are you two going to do?"
"After eating, I'll go up to that lab."
"Kid?"
"Yes, just me."
Knox's eyes narrowed. He seemed to notice my deep calculation: tying myself to the lab while Kyle looked around the tower. However, it was his servants who were scattered around this Mage Tower. As I expected, the rust didn't dry.
"By the way, it would be better to increase the amount of food. Your complexion is a mess."
"Me?"
I looked at Kyle with a puzzled expression and asked. When asked if that's really the case, he put his hand on my forehead and frowned slightly.
"You have a mild fever. Do you want to rest today?"
Did I have a fever?
It seemed a bit creepy. Although he took the clothes that Knox brought him, it seemed that this alone was not enough to prevent the extreme cold of the tower.
"This is fine. It's not something I can't move."
Kyle frowned, but he didn't cooperate insincerely. He couldn't say anything because he was worried that my liver would increase if I stayed in the tower, but I just asked if I was okay again. I nodded more vigorously on purpose. It's really good. Not even a lament, and so much so that it was a slight fever.
"Don't worry, I'm going to kill you today." Knox said amusedly. Don't talk to me strangely, damn wizard.
Soon the meal was over, and it was time for us to part ways. I looked anxious. He held Kyle's hand tightly and whispered to him that he was okay again. And quickly, I pressed my lips against his cheek and let go. The touch felt cooler today; it hovered lightly at the tip of his lips.
"I'll go."
Kyle touched my cheek and said sincerely, "Yes, go ahead."