Callista's lashes fluttered open, her vision adjusting to the light. She glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar room. Even the bed she was lying on felt foreign under her fingertips.
Slowly, she sat up, wincing at the sharp pain in her abdomen. Only then did she notice the bandages under her clothes.
"You're awake?" a voice spoke. She turned to see a man with ebony hair dressed in a midnight-blue robe.
"Y-You must be the Grand Mage," she said with a faint smile, though the pain lingered in her chest.
"I'm surprised you recognized me. Not everyone outside the Tower knows of me, considering how rarely I go out," he replied with a familiar grin.
"It’s not hard to tell. You resemble Ivan a lot," she said. And it was true.
Ivan seemed like a carbon copy of the Grand Mage. If the man hadn’t carried such an imposing aura, Callista might have mistaken him for Ivan’s brother.
"What’s your name?" he asked, and she tilted her head in mild confusion.
"Didn’t they tell you?" she asked, and he shook his head.
"No. They pushed you on me to heal you but were too busy worrying to mention your name," he said with a soft chuckle.
"They were worried about me?" she asked, surprised.
"Anyone would worry if they saw you like that. You looked worse than the dead. I admire your bravery for taking an arrow for the Princess," he said matter-of-factly.
The only reason she had thrown herself in front of Anastasia without hesitation was that her life was tied to Ignis. As long as Ignis lived, she wouldn’t disappear.
"I see. Thank you for healing me. My name’s Callista. Callista Alberts," she said, introducing herself. "But... I wasn’t a bother, was I? Your son suddenly came to the Tower with the Duke’s son and the Princess, dragging along an injured companion."
The Grand Mage waved off her concern. "It’s fine. I would’ve ignored you if you were someone else, but I can’t say no to my son’s pleading face, can I?" His expression turned melancholic. "Ivan’s never asked me for anything since his older brother died, so it was almost a relief to see him like that."
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"Older brother? The one who passed away?" she asked, surprised. He nodded.
"So, he already told you about him?" Brazen asked curiously.
"Not really," she replied, shaking her head.
"I had two sons," he began. "As the Grand Mage, I lived in the Tower of Lucis, while my sons stayed in the Capital with other nobles, far from the Tower’s chaos. But one day, a Xayah kidnapped Ivan. His older brother didn’t hesitate to save him and... fell to his death."
"Fell?" she asked again.
"Yes. The man escaped into the skies, and my oldest son followed," he said with a heavy sigh.
Callista was speechless. So his fear of heights was real... she thought.
"Anyway, your decision to shield the Princess was risky. Even as a pureblood, you shouldn’t act so recklessly," he said, exasperated. Then he smirked. "But what else should I expect from his daughter?"
She froze, her shock evident.
"I see. So you know," she said, leaning back against the headboard.
"Of course I know. A normal person wouldn’t, but I’m the Grand Mage," he said, lifting his head as if boasting.
Callista rolled her eyes.
"Now, may I draw some blood? It’s rare to encounter your kind outside that place. It’d be valuable research for the Tower," he said, his eyes gleaming.
"No," she said immediately, making his face fall in disappointment.
"Please? Just a little?" he asked, fluttering his lashes dramatically.
She averted her gaze, clearly unimpressed. "I didn’t expect much from you, but I see you’re even more irritating than Ivan."
Brazen sighed dramatically. "Fine, no blood. But if that’s the case, I guess I won’t tell you what Ignis did earlier."
"What?" she asked, her full attention now on him.
Anastasia had been right—mentioning Ignis’s name worked every time.
"What did he do?" she asked eagerly.
"Will you let me draw your blood if I tell you?"
"Fine! Just hurry up!" she relented, rolling up her sleeve.
Brazen laughed in triumph.
---
Callista was overjoyed to hear that Ignis had carried her to the Magic Tower himself and even held her hand while holy magic was being transferred to her.
"Really? You’re not lying, are you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"Why would I lie? I already got what I wanted," he said, shrugging.
Callista was practically glowing as she imagined the scene, adding a little flair to the details in her mind.
Wow... Anastasia wasn’t joking when she said this girl is head over heels for Ignis, Brazen thought.
A knock at the door interrupted them, and Ignis stepped inside.
"You’re finally awake," he said, smiling faintly. "You should go out now. Anastasia was so worried she cried."
"Really? Then I’ll go now," Callista said, standing with Brazen’s help.
Ignis approached and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders before the three of them left the room.
When Anastasia saw Callista, she bolted from the sofa.
"Callista!" Anastasia cried, throwing her arms around her friend.
"Ouch! That hurts!" Callista winced, nearly stumbling if Ignis hadn’t steadied her.
"I was so scared! Why would you do something so reckless?" Anastasia sobbed, glaring at her.
"Okay, okay! Let go of me already!" Callista pleaded, but Anastasia held on until Denovan gently pulled her away.
"Lady Ana, please be careful. She was shot, remember?" Denovan said, dabbing at Anastasia’s tears.
"If you were going to get shot, you should’ve warned us first!" Ivan said.
"Are you stupid? How could I warn you in the middle of it?" Callista snapped.
"Rather than making us drag you to the Tower for help—"
"Ha! That’s not my fault! You can teleport, dumbass!"
Ivan was about to retort back when he sensed Ignis glaring at him "Stop it, Ivan" Ignis's voice was sharp and threatening as Ivan looked away with a huff.
"Denovan, what happened with the chase?" Callista interrupted.
"We caught him," Denovan replied. "It was Viktor who shot you."
"I knew it... but where did he get that arrow? That was master-level magic," Callista said suspiciously.
"No one knows yet," Ignis replied. "Father and Uncle are investigating."
"What will happen to Viktor now?" Callista asked, curiously.
"He’s been sentenced to death for attempted murder," Ivan said with a grin.
"He’ll be beheaded when the trial concludes," Anastasia added.
"Good for him," Callista said, smiling darkly.
"What’s with that smile?" Ivan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You picking a fight?" she shot back.
In the end, life returned to normal. Ion was executed for treason, but no one knew where the Count had acquired the cursed arrow.