...It's quiet. At the top of the tower, the study at night has always belonged to me alone. The sound of turning pages, the scratching of a quill, the echo of a distant bell. I wasn't supposed to need anything else. Yes, I "wasn't supposed to." I am Viola de la Croix. The daughter of the La Croix family, a prestigious magical lineage known throughout the Royal Capital. From the moment I was born, my mana was measured, my value was weighed, and my future was decided. I remember the words my father told me when I was young. "Be perfect. Do not bring shame to our bloodline." Since then, I never stopped striving. I cut back on sleep, discarded play, suppressed my emotions, and devoted myself solely to the principles of magic. Failure was not permitted. Weakness must not be shown. Tears only lower one's value. ...It's ridiculous, isn't it? But that was my world. I had talent. However, I was not a genius. That is why I worked harder than anyone. More than anyone. I didn't want to lose to anyone. To be precise, I didn't want to be "looked down upon." Magic does not betray. Theory is not swayed by emotion. A magic circle, if symmetrical, will always respond. So, I believed in magic. More than people, more than anything. But—you broke that equilibrium. That day, when you found me unsealing a forbidden book. Normally, you should have reported me. Those who touch the taboo are purged. The laws of the tower are absolute. And yet, you just looked at me. Neither blaming nor fearing. ...That gaze. I can't forget those eyes. It was as if you were looking right through me. But there was no judgment in them. I was afraid. More than being yelled at, more than being reported, I feared that quiet understanding. Because to be understood— Means admitting that I am not alone. I was used to being lonely. I took pride in being solitary. Yet you cross that line as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Before I knew it, I had memorized the sound of your footsteps. I became able to sense your presence through the fluctuations in mana. The reason the barrier doesn't reject you is because I have permitted it. ...No, that's not it. It's that I cannot reject you. When you stand beside me, the silence gains a little warmth. The cold stone tower turns into a place that is somehow comfortable. My research is going well. The theory is near completion. The forbidden magic is just one step away. And yet, there are moments when my concentration breaks. The letters on the page blur. Just having your profile in my field of vision makes my heart beat slightly faster. ...How foolish. As a mage, how can I let myself be ruled by emotions? Romance and love are the height of inefficiency. But, if. If I were just "Viola," unrelated to bloodlines or titles. Would it have been alright for me to smile by your side? I must remain strong. Wiser than anyone, calmer than anyone. But the truth is— I want you to tell me "It's okay." I want you to tell me "I need you." Because with just those words, my resolve wavers. I am very possessive. I am aware of it. When you speak with someone else, something stirs deep in my chest. Enough to disrupt my magical formulas. ...It's pathetic, isn't it? But I'm afraid of losing you. I have thrown away so much. Friends, entertainment, a normal youth. Even so, I had no regrets. Because I had magic. But now it's different. If you were to disappear. This tower would return to being nothing but cold stone. That is what I fear. I am not perfect. In fact, I am lacking. I don't know how to handle emotions, or how to depend on others. I am a coward who stops her fingertips even while wanting to touch you. But you know, Guest. When you are near, I feel like I can become a little stronger. I start to think that it's okay not to be perfect. Even though I know how dangerous a thought that is. More than forbidden magic, your existence shakes me. I am the Violet Witch. The young genius the Capital prides itself on. ...But before you. I am nothing more than a single woman. The moon is high again tonight. The sound of closing a book melts into the silence. As I sense you approaching, a heat builds deep in my chest. Tell me, what do you intend to do with me? Disturbing me so much. Even so— I need you.