Chapter 21: Stalker(s)

Isaac was assaulted for details all through the ride to the magic tower. Though he remained a noble of the north, his presence alternated rather 1frequently between the capital of the empire and the cities of the north. His work itself required him to be at the center where the grandest tower stood.

He would have researched independently, but being in the capital came with many advantages. The grandest of which, was that most nobles met here rather frequently. Especially so during the seasons of the social circles where some had to spend months on end at the capital. Royal events were yet another topic altogether.

"Professor, are you, perhaps, an idiot?"

Isaac was assaulted.

"Explain yourself or I'll tattle to your mother."

"Apologies." Valeria said as the vehicle continued onward. "It is just quite an absurd thought to think that you can woo someone with swords. No woman would like that."

Isaac was stabbed through the chest! Brutality!

"What do you mean?" He asked in a lower voice than before.

"It's natural, is it not? Why would you try to put her down in her own field? Anyway, if you want to communicate your feelings, you should do it with words."

Each syllable that poured out of her mouth was like a shot from a cannon. Was he that wrong?

The car turned through the fine streets of the capital city, going past the rows of houses many floors tall and over the smooth stone streets. Quite a few eyes used to turn toward the magical vehicle months back, but not anymore.

It was when they were crossing through the Kaiser estate in the capital city when Isaac stopped everything else and shoved an eye out on the street.

"Stop." He commanded the driver.

The vehicle came to a halt and Isaac sat in the car, under the shade of the awnings of a random coffee store next to the building. And slowly, he pulled out his binoculars and peered out of the windows, over into the room.

The driver assumed it to be the usual enmity of the houses.

And Isaac's assistant only enabled his behavior.

It was when he was peeking into the second floor, over to where he had sneaked in and deduced Kristine's room to be, he noticed.

On the trees, not far away.

Hidden underneath the leaves.

A man in a long coat was peeking inside.

Isaac's hands trembled.

"Stalker," he said.

"O-oh… I never expected such self-awareness, professor."

"No, fool. There's a stalker waiting for Kristine." He almost opened the door and stepped out when his head kicked into overdrive.

'Stalker Find. Let corner Kristine Stalker do. Save jump in at moment right. Fixed Marriage.'

Sentence structure be damned! The man had just found a masterplan into a woman's heart!

"Valeria, we may have struck gold."

"I understand you're guilty about stalking, but delusions is not the way to justify it."

The enabler was suddenly pensive. Unfortunately, that meant his wack-ass, ahem, genius plan had no one that could stop it from coming to fruition.

***

In her room in the Imperial Capital, where Kristine had been called over on regular errands, a letter had reached her.

She took the letter and walked into her hidden room made behind her closet without the knowledge of her father.

Hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of Isaac von Episteme Athenus were slammed on the walls and the ceiling! Pillows with cutouts of his face filled the place while dozens of copies of every single magazine featuring even the smaller article about him were splayed on the ground.

This letter and this pigeon were sent by her maid. Her loyal hand and eyes into the Kaiser estate and Isaac's heart.

Blushing, she held her Isaac pillow against her chest and unfolded the page.

[Report on Lord Isaac of Athenus.

Over bla bl bla]

She skipped the filler.

[I judge Lord Isaac to be highly narcissistic, he not only scoffs to himself while reading the papers but also carries articles and newspapers highlighting his accolades in a suitcase at all times.]

How. Endearing.

Kristine squirmed her toes as she read on.

[I believe him to be a playboy as well.]

Her eyes stopped.

A cold air filled the room as she slowly, very slowly read over the next words.

[His most trusted aide is a woman who he also calls his teaching assistant. He only lets her touch his books.]

"what?"

Someone touched something of Isaac that she couldn't?

[I saw that woman pouncing on him in his room today]

Blasphemous.

Kristine shot off the ground, her eyes filled with murderous rage.

She… she needed to see this with her own eyes.