Home/My Youngest Keeps Bringing Me Male Leads/ch 14

Chapter 14

It wasn't that she had any particular secrets she wanted to hide, but having someone who could know anything right in front of her was a completely different matter.

Agnes unconsciously found herself watching Silmare cautiously.

Silmare, taken aback, let out a short breath.

He seemed to have never considered that this might be a problem.

But he soon smiled leisurely and shook his head.

"No. Animals and plants aren't that intelligent."

"Oh, I suppose so."

"What trees can perceive is limited to emotions like joy, anger, and sadness. For instance, just like how I could sense Oliver's fondness for them earlier."

"Is there anything you can sense right now?"

Gazing deeply at Agnes, who was completely absorbed in his story, Silmare murmured quietly.

"It seems the rats haven't been getting much to eat lately. They're hungry."

"Ah, that's probably because the population has increased recently. With the Cracks, more people have migrated from the north."

"Yes. They're upset that the humans keep taking their food."

As he spoke, Silmare subtly glanced at Cesenor.

He hadn't lived two hundred years for nothing.

The inner workings of a human who hadn't even lived thirty years sometimes appeared as clear as a still lake.

Right now was no different.

'Though he's pretending not to be interested in our conversation.'

Silmare let out a barely audible scoff.

Whenever Agnes paid attention to Silmare, Cesenor's eyes subtly narrowed.

It felt as if a chilly air settled around him alone.

He probably wasn't even aware of it himself.

'Which is a good thing for me.'

Silmare had never considered Cesenor a rival from the start.

Not simply because he was a novice, but because of what Amy had told him.

'Will Silmare be good to my sister?'

Her round, tender eyes were filled with fear and anxiety.

Though he didn't know why, Silmare kindly promised the pitifully pleading Amy.

'Of course. She is my destined other half from birth.'

'Right. I trust Silmare! Because you protected my sister until the very end!'

'In the future you saw?'

'Yes!'

'That's a grateful story indeed.'

'You can't let my sister get hurt this time! She has to be happy! That's why I came all this way!'

'Amy, I promise. I will do my best, as much as you came all the way to the Naofa Forest.'

If Amy could truly see the future.

The fact that only Silmare protected Agnes meant that Cesenor had not.

'That makes sense. He's already so calculating now.'

Even in light words and casual gestures, he could see the complex calculations behind them.

'He probably thinks helping Agnes is to his advantage right now.'

Who knew how he would change if the situation shifted?

That was why he couldn't even let her fingertips reach Cesenor.

He would guard against everything Cesenor did, building a solid wall, and protect her within it.

Even if it was for the sake of his destined other half, whom he had waited two hundred years for.

---

That night.

Cesenor's room had another visitor. It was Ascer, his adjutant.

"The Celestial Tower has received an official request from the Imperial Palace."

Cesenor, who was once again processing the documents Ascer had brought, let out a sigh.

"They've already noticed?"

"Yes. It seems they take a grave view of the fact that the elves violated the non-aggression pact without notice. Since the Tower Master is with them, they likely wanted to ask us first before launching a full investigation."

"I suppose so. Though there have been occasional exchanges, it's unprecedented for them to cross over without notice."

"So why did he come, really? Is it truly because of that lady?"

"They don't seem to have caught on about her at the palace, do they?"

"They appear to think it's because of her youngest sibling's escape from the Crack. So they were more curious about Lady Amy than Lady Agnes."

"Ah, so they think Silmare is here to investigate the Cracks, just like me."

"Yes, that's right."

That was actually a relief. Cesenor didn't want stories about Seeds and the Other Half of the World Tree reaching the palace.

"That man has sharp instincts anyway. It would be a headache, so tell them I'll handle everything myself and report back."

"Pardon? You will, Tower Master?"

"Yes. Tell them I plan to stay and observe until Amy arrives, and that I'll report if I learn anything new."

"So your apparent interest in Lady Agnes is a smokescreen, is it?"

"Exactly. Say it's because I don't want rumors spreading due to the gravity of the matter."

"I doubt they'll believe that, but..."

"We'll have to make them think that somehow. So they won't bother lifting their heavy behinds to come here."

Just then, Cesenor suddenly waved his hand.

The mountain of documents on the desk vanished as if they had never existed.

At the same time, Ascer's figure also melted away like snow. As the magic circle that had appeared on the floor shimmered and disappeared, a knock came from outside the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Silmare. Let's talk."

Cesenor glanced around the room. There was no trace of Ascer's visit—it was spotless.

When he opened the door, Silmare stood there, unchanged from dinner.

"What is this about?"

"I have questions."

"Do you think I'll answer?"

"You'll have to."

Without asking permission, Silmare strode in and sat on a chair in the room. Cesenor clicked his tongue briefly and, with no choice, closed the door and came back in.

Silmare looked around the room for a moment.

"You had a guest, didn't you?"

"No. I was alone."

"The wind tells me you had a visitor."

"Truly, there are no secrets before you."

"Yes. In some ways, that's true."

Leaning back leisurely in his chair, Silmare smiled.

"I didn't deliberately listen, you know."

"Can you swear to that?"

"Yes. The little ones don't pass on what they don't want to tell, either."

"I doubt animals have the intelligence to distinguish such things."

"Usually, they don't."

Cesenor let out a hollow laugh.

He hadn't expected anyone to visit, so he'd only blocked sound—next time, he'd have to drive away all living things within a certain radius.

Despite his true feelings, Cesenor smiled brightly.

Meeting it with an unpleasant expression, Silmare fired off another question.

"So, was the visitor a mage? Judging by how they vanished in an instant, they must have used teleportation, and if they came all the way to your room, they were likely a Tower mage."

"An accurate guess."

He didn't see any need to hide it, so he gave a brief affirmation.

"I have work to do as both a lord and a Tower Master."

"I've heard the rumors, but I don't understand why you humans live so complicatedly."

Without any particular reaction, Cesenor sat across from Silmare.

That wasn't the important thing.

The fact that he'd come at this hour was suspicious.

"So, what's the reason for coming tonight? Is it about Lady Agnes?"

"Yes."

Silmare sighed, directing his gaze out the dark window.

"As you said, there are many things I'm curious about her."

With a concerned face, Silmare looked directly at Cesenor.

"With a personality like yours, you've probably done a thorough background check. Tell me anything I should be careful about regarding her."

"Why should I?"

"So that I don't unknowingly hurt her."

Cesenor sighed and sat down across from Silmare.

"How long do you plan to stay here?"

He returned the question the butler of the Laverose house had asked earlier.

Silmare let out a scoffing laugh.

"How long? I'll be by her side until the day my fate ends."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Even if she doesn't choose you?"

"There's no possibility of that. She will choose me."

"Quite the confidence."

In Silmare's blindly speaking eyes, there wasn't a shred of doubt.

How could he be so sure?

Did he know something else?

Though he wasn't confident he'd answer, Cesenor still posed the question.

"What makes you so certain? Did Amy foretell the future or something?"

"Yes."

But Silmare answered without hesitation. The readily given response made Cesenor catch his breath.

"Did she say Lady Agnes would choose you?"

"Do I need to tell you the exact details?"

The beautiful man smiled as he spoke, and Cesenor glared at him with intensity.

No, now that he thought about it, there was no need.

Whatever prophecy Amy had made, it was likely a future with a bad ending.

That six-year-old girl was traveling across the entire continent precisely to change that.

"Never mind. You don't have to tell me."

With that thought, Cesenor regained his composure.

"Unfortunately, the future is not fixed, and right now, I'm the only one who can help Lady Agnes."

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