As I was following her down the hidden passage, my eyes betrayed me again, drawn to that sway in front of me.
I was too distracted, and before I could stop myself… bam.
My hand pressed right into Marianne's rear.
For a second, silence. My brain froze. Damn it, Mason, really?
Then, instead of getting slapped or blasted with a fireball, I heard the softest laugh.
She turned her head slightly, purple eyes glowing in the dim torchlight, and smiled.
"Oh? Does Lord Mason… like it?" she teased, her voice dripping like honey.
I immediately snapped my hand back, coughing, trying to salvage what little noble dignity I had left. "Ahem, it was an accident."
"Of course it was," she said, smirking like she didn't believe a single word.
Before I could bury myself deeper in excuses, she suddenly stopped. We were standing in front of a stone pedestal covered in dust. Marianne knelt, reaching into a hidden compartment, and pulled out a book, bound in leather so ancient it looked like it belonged in a museum, not a basement.
"This," she said, handing it carefully to me, "was given to me by my master."
I frowned. "Your master?"
She nodded, her tone softening. "The strongest archmage woman alive. My idol, my teacher, the one who taught me everything. She entrusted me with this book… and now, I'm entrusting it to you."
I blinked at her, not sure whether to feel honored or terrified. "Why me?"
Her smile this time wasn't teasing, it was genuine. "Because you're reckless. And because… you'll need it."
I glanced down at the book, brushing away some of the dust. Strange runes shimmered faintly across the cover like they were alive. "What's in it?"
"An ancient protection spell," Marianne whispered, leaning closer. "One that can shield you from virtually anything physical, swords, arrows, even a dragon's claws. As long as your will holds, it won't break."
I whistled low under my breath. "That sounds way too overpowered."
Marianne tilted her head with a sly grin. "Only if the one using it is worthy." Her eyes locked on mine, sharp and searching.
For some reason, a chill ran down my spine. Not from the book. From her.
Marianne closed the book in my hands, her eyes still locked on me. "I hope you come back from the Frost King Gate expedition victorious, Mason," she said with a softness I wasn't used to hearing from her.
Then her lips curled into that teasing smile again. "Because I'm preparing a… special reward for you."
Yeah. I didn't even dare to ask what that "reward" was. I just nodded like some fool, hiding the fact my ears were heating up.
As I turned to leave the shop, adjusting the book under my arm, her voice rang out again: "Oh, and Mason!"
I paused at the door.
"You're coming with me to meet my parents after you return!"
I froze, nearly dropping the ancient grimoire. …Meet your parents? Damn it, this felt exactly like back on Earth, when a girlfriend suddenly drops the "family dinner" bomb on you.
I forced out a laugh and waved without turning back. "We'll see."
---
When I finally reached my mansion, ready to rest and prepare for the expedition, my heart stopped.
Half the damn place was blasted apart. The front gates in ruins, smoke curling up into the sky. And inside the courtyard… chaos.
Emilia, Sarah, and Luna. All three of them. Fighting like wild beasts in the middle of what used to be my garden.
Artifacts I had painstakingly collected, rare tomes, enchanted tools all destroyed. I felt my stomach drop, a genuine sadness I couldn't hide twisting my face.
"STOP!" I roared, stepping between their magic circles before they could throw the next spell. My fists clenched, my jaw tight.
The three froze. For the first time, they looked less like rivals and more like guilty kids caught stealing sweets.
Emilia's eyes softened. "Mason… we didn't mean to-"
Sarah bit her lip. "Father, I… I only wanted to-"
Luna looked away, her sword lowering. "I lost control. Forgive me."
They could see it in my face, I wasn't angry. I was just… disappointed. Sad. And that hurt them more than any yelling ever could.
Almost instantly, the three of them scrambled to make it up to me.
"If you need somewhere to stay," Emilia said quickly, stepping closer, "my house is yours. I'll prepare a room right away."
"No, come with me!" Luna interrupted, glaring at Emilia. "I'll take responsibility. My home is safer."
Sarah stepped forward, her voice louder than usual. "No! He'll stay with me."
I blinked. "Sarah… we both live in this mansion. How the hell do you have another house?"
Her whole body stiffened, caught red-handed. She looked away, fidgeting with her fingers. "…It's…a house for emergencies."
"…Where?" I pressed.
She hesitated, then mumbled, "…On a remote island. No humans. Just me."
Silence. A chill crept through me as the thought hit: was this still daughterly attachment? Or was Sarah's obsession something far, far deeper?
Before I could untangle my thoughts, a commanding voice cut through the smoke.
"My, what a mess."
I turned, and there she was: the Princess herself. Walking casually through the broken gates as if she owned the place. Her royal guards scattered, but her eyes weren't on the wreckage. They were on me.