Chapter 37: 37

What is the Clock Tower?

A multi-storey or tall, pointed structure was commonly called a tower.

If there was a bell at the top, it’s called a bell tower, if there was a clock, it’s called a clock tower, and if it was built to commemorate something, it’s called a memorial tower.

It was childlike and natural to want to go to the top of a tower that soared high in the sky or snoop out of curiosity…

For the same reason, Leonhardt simply couldn’t stand Elizabeth’s twinkling eyes and eventually nodded.

“That tower! What’s at the top? I’m very curious. Aren’t you?”

In the end, Leonhardt gave in, took Elizabeth’s hand and went down the lake shore, while resenting his young body for not being good at acting.

“Wow…”

The appearance of the waves on the surface of the water in the morning sunlight was just like the glittering scales of a large fish.

The gentle spring breeze lightly swept through the lake, causing waves to ripple.

Elizabeth muttered after watching it silently for a while.

“Pretty… .”

Leonhardt glanced at Elizabeth and also murmured.

“Your eyes are just like that, you know?”

“Really?”

Leonhardt nodded.

At first glance, Elizabeth’s eyes were clear and blue like the sunny summer sky, but with a closer look, they had a deep blue colour like a calm lake.

“I think I like this place.”

“Why-… why… ?”

Leonhardt stammered at her words.

Elizabeth tilted her head at him, who reacted in a strangely sensitive way.

“Well, because Leon told me that this lake and my eyes are the same colour.”

Leonhardt wanted to punch himself in the mouth.

“By the way…That tower is in the middle of the lake, and there’s no way to get there. There is no boat… so I figure we should just go back…”

“If it’s a boat, is it over there?”

Leonhardt, who was about to tell her to go back because there was no way to get to the tower, was startled by Elizabeth’s words and turned his head.

Men wrapped in black cloaks gathered one by one at the shore of the lake and were heading to the little island in small boats.

Leonhardt, aware of their identities, once again wanted to rip his hair off. Of all days, this moment was that day!

‘It must be the day they submitted their graduation thesis!’

“Leon, are you sick?”

Elizabeth looked at Leonhardt worriedly, who suddenly began to pull his hair.

“Why are they going to the tower?”

“That… uh… That’s the people who manage the tower! That’s why they’re going to the tower now.”

“The tower is so small, then why are there so many people? Is there some precious treasure inside?”

“Treasure… uh yes, there is. There is precious treasure inside. It’s very, very precious, so they’re trying to protect it so that other people don’t come in.”

Elizabeth recalled her mother’s diamond necklace and her dressing room full of all kinds of jewels.

If it was a place full of such things, she could understand why so many people went in to protect it.

“But everyone’s expressions look bad. Is it difficult to protect the treasure?”

“It’s-…it’s probably like that.”

They were walking at a slower pace than Elizabeth, one at a time, with their hoods pressed down to the bottom of their noses.

The two children watched with compassionate eyes at those who walked at a slower pace than them.

“Wow! There is no sailor, but the boat is moving! Leon, is it magic?”

“Well… It’s pretty much similar to that.”

Leonhardt nodded, worried about what would happen if Elizabeth insisted on going to the tower.

“Can we go to the tower too?”

“Tow-…tower? why?”

“I want to see how precious it is.”

“Bu-but can we go? They’re all wearing black cloaks, and they’re all adults… ”

“Leon is the Crown Prince… Is it still not okay?”

Elizabeth, whose eyes were filled with twinkling anticipation just a moment ago, drooped her eyebrows.

Seeing that, Leonhardt was in agony.

Would taking Lizzie to the clock tower be the right choice?

“Who is this! Aren’t you the Crown Prince? Do you perhaps want to go to the clock tower, Your Highness?”

One of the men, who had joined the group of black cloaks with slow steps, recognised Leonhardt and spoke to him happily.

Leonhardt was genuinely perplexed by the completely unexpected encounter.

“No, I was-…”

“Can we go too?”

Elizabeth asked the man with a bright smile. The man fixed his glasses and nodded as if it was natural.

“Of course. Anyone can see the treasure of the clock tower.”

“Really? That is great! Right, Leon?”

“That… that’s right…how… how great…”

Elizabeth smiled brightly, her eyes shining again.

‘As expected, Leonhardt is amazing. As the Crown Prince, there was no place he has never been to. And he knew a lot about the Imperial Palace.’

One side of her chest tickled again as she thought she could be with him in the future.

Meanwhile, Leonhardt looked very reluctant.

“Leon? Could it be that you don’t know how to swim?”

Elizabeth was puzzled and pulled Leonhardt’s sleeve lightly.

“No way! I’m very good at swimming!”

“Then why are you making that face? Does Leon hate that tower?”

“Uh…”

Leonhard pondered for a long while. He had already told her that there was a treasure in there, so he couldn’t lie again that there was a terrifying monster.

However, he didn’t want to disappoint her by refusing to do what she had asked for, since Elizabeth had personally expressed her wishes.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go, Lizzie.”

In the end, Leonhardt took Elizabeth’s hand and boarded the boat with the crowd of men in black, praying that nothing would happen to them.

Elizabeth and Leonhardt were in completely opposite states. One was smiling peacefully and calmly like a wise man about to be enlightened, and the other was growling with annoyance, as if his stomach was about to overturn.

As the people wearing cloaks got closer to the tower, each began muttering an unknown language or calling out the name of god.

Finally, the ship arrived at the small island where the tower stood, and people started to get off one by one, led by Leonhardt and Elizabeth.

“These people work in the tower, so why do they look so afraid?”

“… Right… I wonder why.”

Leonhardt then caught the face of the people who were like walking corpses, mumbling unclear words, seemingly praying for themselves to graduate.

“What time do the clock hands point today?”

“It’s nine thirteen.”

“Thank you. I hope you pass.”

“Haha… It’s up to the owner of the clock tower whether I pass or not…”

He disappeared among the crowd, leaving behind unknown words.

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“More and more people are coming.”

“They must be submitting it a little earlier.”

“Submit?”

“Oh, nothing. Just in case, hold my hand.”

“Yes!”

As more and more people in black coats were coming, Elizabeth grabbed Leonhardt’s hand and followed him into the tower.

***

“A library… ?”

Lined up in the tower were large bookshelves that could only be seen in her father’s study.

Elizabeth, looking curiously at the titles she had seen for the first time, lost her interest and looked around again.

“It looked very narrow from the outside, but it is quite spacious on the inside.” 

“I know. Oh, Lizzy. come here. We’ll have to wait a bit for those people to get through before we can get out of the tower.”

“Didn’t we just come in? Leon, you’ve been weird since earlier. Are you hiding something?”

“What…what do you mean hiding… It’s not like that. So…the thing is… Ah! We can just wait in that room over there.”

Leonhardt took Elizabeth’s hand and pulled her away.

Elizabeth tilted her head as she followed him.

‘What is the precious treasure that so many people are required to manage and don’t even want to show it to Leon?’

Leonhardt, who managed to bypass those in black robes and entered the room, let out a deep sigh.

The wizards of the Clock Tower had a bad reputation for being freaks, even if they weren’t.

He was the crown prince, so he was unlikely to be caught up in their terrible mischief, but Elizabeth…

‘I’ll never let the wizards of the Clock Tower show interest in Lizzie!’

He bet they were more interested in the ‘blood of Elysium’, the descendant of an angel, than the noble status of the Duchy’s young miss, who was engaged to the Crown Prince from birth. And needless to say, they would definitely study Elizabeth.

While Leonhardt locked the door tightly, Elizabeth slowly look around the room.

One, two, three… Ink and pens were placed on a desk large enough for eight people to sit at. Along with an empty bookshelf and a side table under a sunny window, those were all the furniture in the room.

A vase and a clock were placed on the side table.

Elizabeth walked over to the side table and looked at the vase and clock.

There was nothing in the vase. And the watch had no hands.

‘It’s strange. Why does this watch have no hands?’

Puzzled, Elizabeth asked Leonhardt. If it was Leonhardt, he would know why.

“Leon, why doesn’t this watch have hands?”

Leonhardt, leaning his ear against the door, concentrating on checking the situation outside, turned around at her call.

“It’s probably just a broken watch.”

“Then can I play with it?”

Leonhardt nodded. Guessing from the external sound, it would take a while for them to get out.

He was rather glad that Elizabeth had a toy to play with in the meantime so she didn’t get bored…Wait, what was playing with again?

Elizabeth was holding the watch without hands while humming a song that the nanny in the Crown Prince’s Palace had recently taught her.

Leonhardt looked back with a startled expression.

Elizabeth then picked up a pen soaked in ink and brought upon the clock without hands.

“Lizzie! You can’t touch it!”

Leonhardt tried to stop Elizabeth with his urgent voice.

 Elizabeth put the watch down as she turned to him with a bewildered look.

However, three crooked lines were already drawn in a straight line on the clock.

Elizabeth was so taken aback by Leonhardt’s loud voice, which she had never heard before, that she immediately put the watch down.

“… Huh?”

But something was strange. Elizabeth looked around.

Instead of the empty bookshelf, desk, side table, and the vase with no flowers, the room was now present with a bookshelf with books on them, a table with an unknown glass bottle, and a vase with withered flowers.

‘Where am I?’

“Huh? Who is this? Looks like we have an unwelcomed guest.”

Elizabeth backed away, tensed up like a frightened rabbit. Her back touched something and she looked back reflexively. Elizabeth then came to know that what she bumped into was a skeleton and fell back in surprise.

“I’m sorry, Lizzie! I’ll clean that up soon. Um… I am the witch of the clock tower.”

The person who introduced herself as the witch of the clock tower rushed to help Elizabeth up.

“You-. you know my name? And a witch? Where am I anyway? Where is Leon?”

The terrified Elizabeth tried to keep herself as calm as possible, but her body still quivered as she asked.

She felt her eyes heat up with tears.

The witch that Elizabeth knew of from reading books was a very, very terrifying being who always did evil things and tormented good people.

But the witch in front of her didn’t look like a bad person at all.

She had fluttering red hair like flames, and her glasses were green eyes like that of a cat, along with neat eyebrows, and skin as white as a plaster figure. It was a witch she had never seen in a book.

“The witch of the clock tower knows everything. This is the top floor of the clock tower, and Leon is probably looking for you.”

And she had never heard of a witch smiling with a sad expression on her face.

The witch said as she flicked her fingers in the air.

Then the mess around her disappeared in an instant. Instead, a table lined with white lace tablecloths, a large chair, a small chair fit for Elizabeth’s physique, and a neat tea set appeared.

“Tea-… No, nevermind, you’re still young, so milk would be better. Would you like some milk? And you like rose macarons, right?”

“Uh! How did you know?”

Rose macarons, with tropical fruit fillings and garnished with raspberries, between rose-scented macarons were Elizabeth’s favorite dessert.

‘I’ve never told anyone at the palace!’

“The Witch of the Clock Tower knows everything.”

The Witch of the Clock Tower said so and winked at her.

“Now! Come on, have a seat. We don’t have much time.”

Elizabeth pondered for a moment.

On the table in front of her, there was black tea, sweetened milk with honey, and macarons with rose petals.

“Are you going to eat me after fattening me up?”

Elizabeth stopped about a step from the chair.

Of course, there were no windows made of melted sugar, chimneys made of ginger cookies, or brick stoves made of colourful candies, but her mother’s words about being cautious with everything came to mind.

“Ugh, fairy tales ruined all the children. Lizzie, it’s okay, I’m a friend. Come and eat whatever you want.”

“…really?”

The witch of the clock tower nodded.

Elizabeth sat facing the witch, still suspected of her.

‘I’ll never, ever talk to you before I go! No matter how delicious that macaron is, I will never eat it!’

The Witch of the Clock Tower, who could clearly read what she was thinking from Elizabeth’s determined expression, smiled.

“Are you sure you’re not going to eat it? Should we just clean it up?”

“Oh, wait! Let me think a little more… Oh, no!”

As the macarons began to fog out in front of her, Elizabeth said with a tearful face.

“Oh, I’ll eat! I want some!”

‘The woman must have had a guest for the first time in a long time and was treating me with consideration. It’s also against etiquette to ignore one’s sincerity. So it can’t be helped!’

Thinking so, Elizabeth lifted a cute-looking silver tableware with a ribbon at the end of the handle before another shiny pink macaron could disappear again.

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