Chapter 6 - The Green Tower
After traveling by carriage for a while, the high stone walls surrounding the royal capital came into view.
As they neared the tower covered in vines, Dahlia felt a sense of relief.
The Green Tower—so called by those who knew of the old stone tower.
Dahlia had lived here with her father since she was a child.
After her father passed away, she lived here alone, and it is the place she left this morning for the sake of her marriage.
Although she and Tobias could have lived in the tower, Tobias insisted on a house in the central district. He argued that it would be better for creating and selling more magical tools if they were closer to the Merchant Guild and his family’s company.
The tower’s grounds were surrounded by a brick wall, slightly taller than the height of an adult man.
In the part where the wall was interrupted, there was a wide bronze-colored gate large enough for a carriage to pass through.
Once Dahlia got out of the carriage, she touched a part of the gate. Just that action caused the gate to automatically open smoothly.
"I'm amazed every time I see this, it’s so convenient."
"It would be great if all the doors at the Courier Guild were like this..."
This gate opens with just a light touch from a registered person.
For warehouse doors, the more secure ones take longer to open and close. For those working at the Courier Guild, automatic doors like this were probably a much-desired feature.
Some gates at royal castles and high-ranking noble estates also had automatic opening mechanisms, but those require a manager and quite a bit of magic stones. However, as far as Dahlia knew, this gate had never required magic stones nor management.
Her grandfather, who designed and installed this gate, left no blueprint or verbal instructions. To understand the mechanism and structure, the gate would have to be dismantled first.
Her father had intended to figure it out eventually, but he passed away before that could happen.
"My grandfather made this, but he didn’t leave any blueprint or anything. If I could figure out the mechanism and design it, I’ll go straight to the Courier Guild to sell it."
"I’m looking forward to it."
"I’m eagerly waiting from the bottom of my heart!"
Dahlia smiled back at their overly serious tone and got out of the carriage, unlocking the tower’s door, which required a regular metal key.
Thus, the unloading of the belongings began.
Many of the Courier Guild workers could enhance their bodies using magic.
The heavy boxes, even the furniture, which Dahlia found hard to lift, were easily carried up the tower’s stairs. The few remaining items were quickly moved.
"That’s everything. Now, please sign here."
"Thank you, you really helped me a lot."
After Dahlia signed the confirmation documents, the workers from the Courier Guild greeted her and returned to their carriage.
Only Marcella stayed behind.
"Since you don’t have dinner plans, why don’t you come eat at our place?"
"Thank you, but I have preserved food, and I want to finish unpacking today."
"…Don’t push yourself too hard."
When she stepped outside to the gate to see Marcella off, Marcella went back to the carriage and then handed her a large handbag.
Inside were Dahlia’s favorite walnut bread and red wine.
"This is from Irma. She told me to give it to you if you weren’t coming over."
"Thank you. She’s such a wonderful wife."
"And a great friend, right?"
"Yeah..."
Dahlia felt as though her nose was a bit sore.
But if she cried here, Marcella would probably try to take her to their home, and she didn’t want to impose any more.
Irma had good intuition.
She had probably anticipated that Dahlia would be staying in the tower today and wouldn’t come out even if invited.
Irma had been Dahlia’s childhood friend. She originally lived near the tower, trained as a beautician in the central district, and later met Marcella and married him.
Even after Dahlia went to the academy and Irma got married, their relationship stayed unchanged, and that was what Dahlia appreciated the most.
"I’ll finish up quickly. Once I’m settled, you and Irma should come for dinner."
"Yeah, we’ll make sure to do that."
Dahlia somehow managed to put on a smile and saw the carriage off.
・・・・・・・
Feeling like it would be a defeat if she sat there and wallowed, Dahlia began putting the items back in their proper places.
She returned the contents of the boxes to the first-floor laboratory and warehouse, and to her room on the third floor, placing things in the closet and dresser.
Since she felt awkward about using the closet and dresser as they were, she opened some soaps with a fragrance she liked and put them inside. The scent would probably settle on the items in a few days.
The objects themselves were not at fault, and they were furniture her father had cherished, so she decided to let go of everything else.
Once she finished unpacking and organizing, it was already past midnight.
Dahlia decided to have a late dinner in the living room, which connected to the kitchen on the second floor.
She sat on the sofa, drank some wine, and nibbled on the walnut bread. The nutty, fragrant bread went perfectly with the red wine.
After finishing the walnut bread, she took some nuts and dried fruits from the emergency supplies.
Then Dahlia continued to drink the wine.
It had been such a busy day.
A broken engagement right after moving into a new house. Paperwork at the guild and another move back to the tower.
The most surprising thing today was Tobias’s affair.
He had seemed like a serious man who would become a good husband after marriage, and someone who could work alongside her as a magical toolmaker. That’s what she thought.
Though he never expressed passionate love, she hoped they could quietly live together.
She probably did like him to some extent.
But for Tobias, she wasn’t someone he loved romantically or could give affection to.
"It’s surprisingly hard to cry."
She gulped down wine from her glass and chewed on some dried fruit.
She was so tired, but no tears came.
Since the engagement, all she could remember were talks about magical tools, the work they did together, and discussions about deliveries and estimates—nothing else.
Oh, that’s right.
She hadn’t really loved Tobias yet.
After finishing one bottle of wine, she shed a few tears, but not because of the breakup. It was because she remembered her father.
The rest, she was sure, was just from drinking too much red wine.
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