“Please take a look.”

Arasila received the paper and unfolded it. Two men with neat appearances appeared.

Black or brown hair and eyes. They had common yet tidy impressions that could be seen anywhere.

Arasila looked at the two men carefully. They seemed somehow familiar, yet unfamiliar.

“I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before… Is it because they have ordinary impressions?”

“Personally, I suspect they are currently active knights.”

“Why?”

“After listening carefully to the testimony of the priest, their uniquely stiff way of speaking and attitude gave off a knightly impression.”

People are naturally good at recognizing their own kind. Knights with highly developed senses like animals were especially so.

Even Margrave Yohim, who retired decades ago, still retained the habits from his knight days, so one could guess he once wielded a sword without having to ask.

Judging by their age and the habits evident in their speech and behavior, the men who threatened Taylor were highly likely to still be active as knights.

“So I’m planning to dig into the knights first. This is my area of expertise… Will you leave it to me?”

Remembering Arasila’s previous words not to try to take on everything alone, Demian asked cautiously.

Arasila nodded willingly, but spoke as if making a firm request.

“Do that. But make sure to tell me if you need help. Understood?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Demian smiled faintly.

He felt good thanks to her trusting him while also worrying and thinking of him.

Afterwards, Arasila informed Frederick about attending with her spouse.

Despite his earlier request to be notified immediately once decided, Frederick showed no particular reaction. But she didn’t pay much attention to it.

She figured he must be busy with the upcoming royal event. There would be no problem since the invitation was already in her hands anyway.

Instead, upon learning that Princess Gloria liked stars and the moon, she designed a lamp reflecting her tastes.

She decorated it by placing intricately carved luminous stones in the shape of a full moon and stars inside a glass larger and rounder than typical lamps. It looked as if it contained the night sky.

It required the most technical delicacy and concentration of any lamp she had made so far, so it took quite a long time to complete.

“Whew, it’s finally done. I think we just need to wrap it nicely tomorrow.”

Sally said as she temporarily placed the completed lamp in a brown box and put it on the bookshelf.

“Good work, both of you. Let’s go rest quickly.”

“Yes! You worked hard too, senior.”

“We’ll take care of the cleanup, so please go ahead.”

Rudy bowed his head politely. Arasila patted both juniors’ shoulders once and left work first.

Sally and Rudy, who had neatly tidied up the lab, also came out to go home. It was when Sally was inserting the key into the doorknob to lock the door.

“Hey, Sally, Rudy! Are you going home now?”

Sherman, a magician who was their colleague, approached waving his hand. Billy, who worked under Travis, was beside him.

Rudy glanced at them and stepped forward as if to shield Sally.

It was a judgment that there would be nothing good about encountering them, as Sally and Billy often quarreled.

“I’m tired. Don’t pick a fight and just go.”

“Hey, why are you speaking so hurtfully? There’s no affection between colleagues.”

Sherman, who retorted in place of Billy, grumbled while pouting his lips. Billy remained quiet as if watching the situation.

Thanks to this, Rudy’s fatigue level increased even more.

Sherman was someone who, to put it nicely, had a wide circle of concern, and to put it badly, often whined and annoyed people.

Moreover, he was an energetic magician who always led gatherings of colleagues, so if you got caught up with him wrongly, it became troublesome.

“Isn’t there a gathering for our class today? You busy and successful guys. Didn’t you know? Didn’t you know? Wow, that’s really too much!”

Just like now.

Sherman kindly reminded them of the existence of a gathering that they had no interest in because they didn’t want to go.

Sally and Rudy, who had been working overtime frequently since starting the magic lamp business, felt dismayed.

They had a strong feeling that they wouldn’t be able to rest at home as they wanted.

“So Billy and I specially came to pick you up. Let’s go.”

“Can’t we go next time? I’m really tired.”

Rudy tried to back out by subtly moving his body backwards. However, he failed as Sherman put his arm around his shoulder.

“Hey! Why are you being so hurtful? Don’t tell me you’re looking down on us because you’re serving a successful senior now? Is that it, we’re not on your level?”

“Hey! When did we ever say that?”

When Sally protested as if feeling wronged, Sherman put his arm around her shoulder too.

“Then let’s go together. You have no idea how many people are waiting to meet you, it’s hard to even get to see your faces. Huh?”

To be precise, there were plenty of magicians desperate to make connections with Arasila, but Sherman packaged it nicely.

“Don’t forget love between colleagues. The tower master may change, but colleagues don’t!”

“Sigh… Alright, we’ll go. Happy now?”

Sally signaled to Rudy with her eyes to just go before it got more annoying. Rudy nodded silently while letting out a soundless sigh.

Sherman excitedly dragged the two towards the tavern where they had agreed to meet.

Walking a step behind, Billy stared intently at Sally putting the lab key in her bag. Travis’s words kept replaying in his head.

‘You must bring Arasila’s lab key. You know you’re finished if I go down too. Think of it as the way for everyone to survive.’

Billy steeled his resolve. It might be somewhat cowardly, but isn’t this just how the world works?

Soon, the group arrived at the gathering place.

While Sally went to the restroom in the noisy tavern, Billy carefully watched his surroundings and secretly reached his hand into her bag.

His heart raced roughly when he felt the hard touch of the key, but he soon calmed down and successfully pocketed it.

Right away, he pretended to be drunk and left his seat to find Travis.

“S-senior! Here, I brought the key.”

“Good job, Billy. You saved our lab.”

Travis firmly cautioned his junior to keep quiet and sent him back.

When he stood in front of Arasila’s lab across the dark hallway, even he was nervous and sweating.

Click. The sound of the door opening echoed especially loudly in the quiet hallway.

Holding a lamp, Travis searched around for something.

‘Arasila definitely said she made a lamp as a birthday gift for Her Highness the Princess…’

People’s mouths are truly frightening.

Even Travis, who wasn’t particularly close to Arasila, could roughly know her movements through others.

Searching every nook and cranny from ceiling to floor for the Princess’s birthday gift, Travis discovered a box placed on one side of the bookshelf.

Inside was a lamp that looked sophisticated and elaborately made at a glance. It was a lamp containing the moon and stars as rumored.

‘This is it.’

Travis’s lips curled up crookedly.

He carefully took out the lamp and pulled out a snow-white powder from his pocket.

After meticulously applying the powder to the luminous stone, he sprinkled it on every corner of the lamp.

The powder melted instantly, becoming invisible.

Having finished his work, Travis left Arasila’s lab with a pleased expression. He hoped the Princess’s birthday would come as soon as possible.

Princess Gloria liked yellow. So naturally, the dress code for her birthday party became yellow.

Arasila prepared a hair ornament made of yellow roses, while Demian prepared a yellow cravat.

The completed lamp was carefully wrapped and brought home.

All that was left was to attend the party, but a problem arose the day before.

They were suddenly contacted by Margrave Yohim’s side saying there was an issue with the supply of luminous stones.

“I’m sorry, my lady. You’ll have to go to the party alone. I need to go down to the Margrave’s territory to see what’s going on.”

While the Princess’s birthday party was certainly an important occasion, it would be troublesome if setbacks occurred while magic lamps were selling like hotcakes.

If supply truly became impossible, they needed to find another supplier immediately to avoid disruptions in lamp production.

Moreover, in such cases, it was something the royal family would more or less understand and overlook if just one spouse showed their face.

Fortunately, Frederick showed a generous response to the hastily sent letter about Demian’s absence.

He even added a kind reply saying he would take care of explaining well, so don’t worry and attend to business comfortably.

“I’m really sorry for sending you alone.”

“Stop apologizing like that. If it weren’t for Her Highness the Princess’s birthday, I should have gone along too in this situation.”

When you think about it, it was an issue that arose from their joint business, but only Demian was going through the trouble of traveling back and forth to the north.

Staring at Arasila who was showing an apologetic reaction, Demian hesitantly opened his mouth.

“May I make one request?”

“What is it?”

“Please don’t… get too close to His Highness the Crown Prince at the party.”

At such an unexpected request, Arasila’s eyes widened.

Meeting her clear and transparent eyes, Demian cleared his throat awkwardly but did not avoid her gaze.

His fists clenched with tension that he might be rejected or scolded.

“Why?”

“I think I’ll be worried if you’re together when I’m not there.”

Though he felt like a narrow-minded man saying this himself, it couldn’t be helped.

This was truly his honest feelings.

Rather than lying awake with needless worries and jealous imagination in the Margrave’s territory, he wanted to gain peace of mind even through this petty method before leaving.

As she looked at Demian waiting for her answer as if it were a lifeline, Arasila felt a strange emotion.

‘He’s just like a devoted husband who’s anxious about leaving his wife alone.’

Was it purely her imagination that she could see affection for her reflected in those golden eyes that kept glancing at her as if watching her reaction?

“Please.”

“…Alright.”

At Demian’s voice resonating with heavy emotion, Arasila found herself nodding without realizing.

Somehow, it was difficult to ignore Demian’s desperate gaze.

“I didn’t really plan on hanging around Frederick anyway.”

“Ah, is that so?”

At her words added as if explaining, Demian’s expression brightened considerably.

As if all the sunlight in the world was shining only on his face.

So much that a smile also crept onto Arasila’s lips.

The next morning, Demian departed for the north and Arasila prepared to attend the party.

She wore a sky blue dress with chiffon sleeves and combed her hair neatly letting it fall.

Wearing the hair ornament made of bright yellow roses gave a vibrant impression.

Heading to the imperial palace in time, there was already a long line of carriages waiting to attend the Princess’s birthday party.

When she finally arrived in front of the venue and got out of the carriage, an unexpected person was waiting for her.

“What are you doing here?”

Arasila asked with a puzzled expression upon discovering Frederick standing at the entrance with a grin.

Frederick, wearing a bright colored uniform that suited his handsome appearance well for his half-sister’s birthday, extended his hand and replied.

“I was waiting to enter together.”

“With me? Why? You should go with your partner.”

“I don’t have a partner, Arasila. Except for you.”

Frederick added a charming smile at the end of his words, but Arasila slightly furrowed her brow and retorted as if not understanding.

“What are you talking about? Then you should enter alone, why drag me into it?”

“You also don’t have a partner due to Lord Vandermir’s absence. Let’s go in together. Two is better than one.”

Frederick spoke as gently as possible, trying to seem disinterested, but Arasila still didn’t understand.

What good would it do for the unmarried Crown Prince to enter as partners with a married woman? They weren’t even related by blood.

No matter how close friends they were, it was an excessive action that could cause trouble for both of them, so Arasila expressed her firm refusal.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll enter alone. If you don’t want to, try to find another partner right away. Many people would be glad to agree if it’s you.”

While it’s common to attend royal parties with a partner, there would surely be those who came alone due to personal circumstances like Arasila.

If he approached an unmarried noble lady among such people and requested to be partners, almost no one would refuse Frederick.

But instead of taking Arasila’s advice, Frederick asked this: