The Daily Life of an Ordinary Couple (1)
“Hohohoho, I suppose I ought to retire before the days grow any colder.”
On a late autumn day when the wind had begun to carry a subtle chill, Philip formally announced his retirement. It had been two years since he had named Aracila as his successor.
He was as serene as a man selecting a lunch menu. It was a step that had been inevitable ever since a successor had been appointed, so there was nothing surprising about it. He simply prepared for retirement with quiet resolve, methodically wrapping up his life as the tower master.
One month after the announcement, Philip’s farewell ceremony took place. People expressed their regrets even as they praised the achievements he had amassed over a lifetime, offering blessings for his future path.
Aracila, representing the mages of the tower, stepped forward to bid him farewell.
“Because you were our tower master, we were able to see so much, learn so much, and grow. We will engrave your teachings in our hearts and continue to strive forward. Thank you for everything, Tower Master Philip.”
As she bowed her head deeply and formally, the mages assembled below the platform inclined their heads in unison.
Philip watched the scene with eyes brimming with a tangle of emotions. His entire life, devoted to the tower, flashed before him in an instant, swelling his chest with a profound fullness.
Ah, so I haven’t lived my life in vain after all.
The path he had walked, sacrificing the life of an ordinary man named Philip, was proven worthwhile by the disciples and juniors standing before him now.
The mages he had nurtured in the past had become the tower’s future. He hadn’t merely forged a brilliant legacy as tower master—he had laid a solid foundation for the generations to come.
A sudden thought struck him: perhaps this was his greatest accomplishment, the one true pride of his life.
“Hohohoho, thank you. With such steadfast juniors like you, I can step away without a single worry. The tower under your guidance will shine even brighter, even more splendidly. I congratulate you all on embracing this new future.”
Philip smiled with deep contentment. Knowing he had so many capable successors allowed him to let go of everything without regret.
In the same way, aware that an unpredictable yet eagerly anticipated future lay ahead, everyone honored Philip and sent him off with reverence.
Amid the outpouring of applause, Aracila presented him with a grand bouquet of flowers and shared a final embrace, whispering softly.
“You’ve worked so hard all these years, Master. I’ll become a tower master you can be proud of, so please watch over me.”
“I believe in you without needing to hear it, Aracila. Live freely, unfolding your will as you wish. Hohohoho!”
Philip’s signature laughter rang out more heartily than ever before.
Sunlight struck the chandelier and scattered down like fragments of a rainbow. It was a closing as beautiful as the twilight sky itself.
After Philip’s farewell ceremony concluded in grand success, Aracila’s inauguration followed a week later.
Opting for a simple, neatly arranged attire rather than elaborate finery, Aracila stood with Damian at her side, dressed like a peacock in full display.
Beneath his silver hair, swept back with a part that accentuated his sharp features, his sculpted face gleamed with particular brilliance. The pristine white uniform, designed in a style reminiscent of the tower’s robes and topped with a blue cape, made his presence all the more striking.
Today, Aracila would reveal her dignity and charisma as tower master, but Damian’s role—insisting he serve as the crowning trophy to that image—was the result of his own firm declaration.
Thanks to him, the contrast between his wife’s understated yet elegant ensemble and his own ostentatiously polished appearance drew the eyes of countless onlookers.
“Wow, the new tower master’s husband is so handsome. He suits her perfectly.”
“It’s true what they say—talented people attract beauty. Though in the tower master’s case, she’s found someone who matches her own caliber.”
“Still, having a husband who supports her so well must be a blessing. I heard he even made a donation today to commemorate the inauguration.”
“Oh, really? Then this ceremony means something not just to us, but to others as well.”
Whispers from the surrounding mages drifted intermittently into Damian’s ears.
He felt a quiet satisfaction in fulfilling his role so well. He hadn’t realized how pleasing it could be to be called someone’s husband. It made him want to shout it from the rooftops: I am Aracila’s husband.
“I want to become a mage like the new tower master someday. When you think about the hardships she endured, doesn’t it make her success all the more inspiring—overcoming everything like that?”
“I agree. Through her, I’ve learned that even when you hit a wall in reality, it’s not about giving in to despair. It’s about holding onto courage and patience, and pressing on with what you must do.”
“That’s right—so let’s not get discouraged and work even harder from now on! That’s the only way we can keep up with her.”
As Damian watched these people voice their genuine admiration for his wife, a swell of pride rose in his chest on her behalf. At the same time, a deep sense of relief washed over him.
With his own eyes, he could confirm that his marriage to her hadn’t held her back after all. The faint flicker of anxiety that had lingered in a corner of his heart, that nagging what if, was finally swept away.
Aracila tilted her head curiously at her husband’s suddenly relaxed expression. Damian, a faint smile playing on his lips, spoke in a low voice.
“With so many people celebrating your inauguration, even I’m overjoyed. What are your thoughts now that your dream has come true?”
“I’m deeply happy and grateful, but I can’t settle for this. It’s only the starting point of my dream, after all.”
Aracila’s eyes sparkled as she clenched her fist.
Becoming tower master—the wish of her childhood—was not an end, but a beginning. There was so much still to do.
Yet rather than worry, she felt confidence. It made her eager for her term to begin as soon as possible.
Damian gazed at his wife with tender affection, her vitality as fresh and alive as spring buds. He wanted always to stand solidly behind her, supporting her as she pursued her ambitions without restraint.
Stroking the back of her hand gently with his thumb, he said,
“Then I’ll continue to support you faithfully, just as I have.”
“You don’t need to go out of your way. You’re busy enough with the ducal affairs and the knight’s order.”
“Nothing matters more to me than you. Everything else comes second. So please, don’t rob me of the joy of dedicating my remaining years to you before we’ve even begun.”
Damian pressed a light kiss to the back of Aracila’s hand and flashed a sly smile.
By a stroke of coincidence, it was just moments before Sally and Rudy’s congratulatory speeches were set to begin. The crowd erupted in fervent cheers for the tower master and her husband. Even such a simple touch drew such an enthusiastic response that Aracila found herself flustered.
The juniors’ heartfelt speeches carried the already heated atmosphere to new heights. Aracila ascended the platform and raised her glass of celebratory wine.
“To the eternal prosperity and glory of the tower.”
Following her brief toast, the clear chime of glasses clinking echoed from every corner of the hall.
Aracila drained her glass neatly and surveyed the room. In the uplifted faces and eager gazes of the people, there wasn’t a trace of doubt or concern directed at her.
It was a refreshingly clean beginning, buoyed solely by hope and expectation from all.
* * *
Philip had left his office impeccably clean and empty. Thanks to that, Aracila was able to move her belongings in without issue and transform it into her own personal space.
If her master’s office had exuded an overall opulence and antique grandeur, his disciple’s taste ran the opposite way. Rather than an air of seasoned tradition, it was sleek, bright, and concise—mirroring Aracila’s aversion to clutter and chaos.
As she relocated to the tower’s pinnacle, the now-vacant laboratory fell to Sally and Rudy, who amicably claimed it as a shared workspace.
She had originally planned to assign them separate labs, but they were the type to bicker endlessly only to insist on sticking together in moments like this. For Aracila, who had been agonizing over whom to give it to, it was a fortunate resolution.
“Both of you, always stay this close. Don’t ever let a fight drive a wedge between you. If you do, this lab will vanish into thin air.”
As she gathered the last of her things from the lab, Aracila offered her earnest plea. Rudy and Sally, who had been squabbling just moments before, nodded vigorously.
“Don’t worry, Senior—no, Tower Master! We’ll guard this place to the end.”
“It’s filled with our trio’s memories, efforts, and passion, isn’t it? We couldn’t possibly hand it over to anyone else. Leave it to me—I’ll take good care of it, so trust me completely.”
“What are you saying? You should trust only me. I’ll keep a close eye on Rudy so he doesn’t cause any trouble! Thank you for being our wonderful senior, even if we were a bit lacking.”
“Trouble is usually your specialty, and I’m the cleanup expert. In any case, it was an honor to have such an exceptional senior watching over us.”
Aracila pulled the two into a warm embrace, patting their shoulders affectionately even as they bickered lightly to the very end, exchanging farewells with all due courtesy.
From this moment on, they would no longer be seniors and juniors but tower master and mages, and her touch carried a quiet sorrow laced with gratitude for all they had shared.
“I’ve been so honored to have such talented juniors in my life. Sally, Rudy—thank you both from the bottom of my heart. Let’s keep supporting each other going forward.”
Her words were a senior’s parting gift and a tower master’s first greeting all in one, and Aracila smiled. Bright smiles bloomed on Sally’s and Rudy’s lips in return.
With that, after tidying up the research lab alongside her juniors, Aracila’s life as the true tower master truly began.
She spent her first week in office focusing on acclimating to her duties and surveying the tower’s internal affairs, letting it pass smoothly enough. But by the following week, she convened the executive council.
The executives arrived at this first meeting under her leadership with a mix of tension and curiosity. Seated at the head of the table, Aracila regarded them calmly.
Just a few years prior, she had been the only female mage in these executive gatherings. But changes had come during the process of selecting new executives.
Aracila had handpicked women from the tower’s scant ranks of senior female mages—those with the experience and skill to match—and in doing so, she had brought the gender balance to something resembling parity.
“The reason I’ve called you all here today is that there’s an issue I’d like to discuss.”
“What might that be, Tower Master?”
The question came from an elderly mage old enough to be her grandfather, his tone deferential and respectful. It was the posture of one who honored her fully as tower master.
“After carefully reviewing matters over the past week, I’ve come to feel that we need to address the unjust cultures and systems within the tower.”
“Could you be more specific about what you mean?”
“To start, our research labs are far too insular. We grant the lab head absolute authority and complete freedom in running them, which means no one outside truly knows what goes on inside.”
It had begun as a well-intentioned policy, one meant to safeguard personal domains while ensuring autonomy and creativity. But now, the drawbacks overshadowed any virtues it once held.
With no oversight from above, those who ruled their labs like kings only multiplied over time. And because of it, so many young mages endured injustices in silence, too afraid to speak out.
Worse still, since they needed a senior mage’s permission just to work in a lab, they had no choice but to swallow their rebellion and submit.
“Concentrating power in one person’s hands isn’t freedom—it breeds oppression. I believe it’s time we set this right.”
Aracila’s voice was firm, and the executives, who had been listening with grave attention, began to voice their agreement one by one.
“You’re absolutely right. I can especially relate, having suffered my share of hardships from veteran mages in my younger days.”
“But when we’re low in seniority, we feel the injustice keenly—only for time to dull it into familiarity. And even once we gain power ourselves, we rarely think to change things.”
“That’s precisely why your insight hits home, Tower Master. Have you considered any measures to address it?”
Aracila nodded.
She proposed abolishing the system where seniors directly selected their juniors for labs, replacing it with the tower assigning them based on its own assessments. Periodic evaluations and audits of each lab every upper and lower semester. And the creation of a new department to mediate conflicts between seniors and juniors.
As she laid out the carefully considered plan, the group responded with broad approval. It struck the right balance—resolving the issues without unduly undermining the labs’ independence.
“There’s one more problem I’ve identified.”
With the first agenda item wrapped up peacefully, Aracila moved straight into the next.
