Demian took out the glass bottle and looked inside carefully. The dark red tea leaves were familiar.

“My mother used to drink this often. I heard she received it as a gift from a friend in her youth and came to enjoy it because it suited her taste.”

“What’s the name of the tea leaves?”

“I don’t know. I believe it was imported from a quite distant foreign country.”

Demian had seen his mother brewing those tea leaves many times, but he didn’t know the detailed information.

Suddenly remembering his mother sitting by the window drinking tea in the sunlight, he looked down at the bottle with eyes full of longing.

Perhaps she wanted to keep her favorite tea leaves and put them in here.

He rubbed the cold surface of the glass bottle and carefully placed it in the jewelry box. Arasila, who had been waiting quietly, unfolded the note and held it out.

“Then, what about the person written here?”

“Hmm.”

Demian slightly furrowed his brow and stared at the name written on the paper. Sian Mondor. No matter how many times he repeated it, it was an unfamiliar name.

“I don’t know.”

“Was there no one among your mother’s friends or relatives?”

“Well, I might find out if I look, but I’ve never heard the surname Mondor before.”

He had never encountered a noble family named Mondor, let alone a friend or relative.

Of course, neither Arasila nor Demian were very well-connected in social circles, and being uninterested in others, they might not know.

Perhaps it’s a small noble family from the borderlands. It’s strange that such a person would have a connection to the duchess to have their name left in her personal jewelry box.

“Should we try to find out who it is?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Demian answered honestly. How much would it help him to dig through the traces of his dead mother?

Apart from missing and cherishing his mother, he didn’t have time to be distracted now. He had to find his grandfather’s will and take revenge on the Vandermir ducal family.

Even if that revenge was for his mother, Demian had to take care of the more urgent matters first.

But on the other hand, as he hardened his face, disliking himself for having to act calculatingly even with his mother’s belongings in front of him, Arasila, who glanced at him, opened her mouth.

“If you’re too busy for that, I’ll look into it. This person might have been important to your mother.”

“You must be busy too, there’s no need to go out of your way.”

“I can look into it in my spare time after finishing my work. How hard can it be to find out if there’s someone with such a name?”

Arasila smiled brightly. All she had to do was ask around if anyone knew a person named Sian Mondor.

Above all, someone important to Monica would also be meaningful to her son Demian, and she wanted to find them for his sake.

Demian looked down at Arasila with his head tilted slightly. Every time she readily stepped up for him like this, his heart pounded and his chest fluttered.

It was because his heart fluttered at feeling specially treated. To the point where he wished she would always treat him specially.

But knowing it was greedy, Demian could only say thank you.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on a white speck of dust caught in her lavender-colored hair.

Demian reached out to remove the dust without saying anything. Thinking it would be okay since she always did the same for him.

However, Arasila was unusually tense, and at the sudden contact, she instinctively grabbed his wrist.

“……”

“…Ah.”

After a moment of silence, Demian withdrew his hand with a flustered expression.

Arasila was equally flustered. Hadn’t she acted as if rejecting Demian’s touch?

She needed to explain right away that it wasn’t so, but several words tangled in her mouth and she stuttered. Meanwhile, Demian spoke first with words of apology.

“I’m sorry.”

“Ah, no, I was just startled. I should be the one apologizing.”

“…I scared you.”

Demian’s expression turned gloomy. Arasila hurriedly waved her hands.

“No, that’s not it. I wasn’t scared, I just…”

But without proper words to excuse herself, her voice trailed off ambiguously.

It was an instinctive reaction to push him away due to tension and embarrassment, but she couldn’t say that outright.

Although it wasn’t the first or second time they had physical contact. She couldn’t remember how she had reacted to Demian when their skin touched before. It was blurry even though it was just a few days ago.

In the end, unable to find the right words, Arasila changed the subject.

“…Anyway, I’ll look into this person named Sian Mondor.”

“Yes, I’d appreciate it.”

Demian bowed his head politely.

Thus, the conversation ended in an awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere.

With the crimes of Travis and Fernando revealed, the lamp business that had been declining also recovered to some extent.

Regrettably, it didn’t return to what it was before the incident, but thanks to the support of several celebrities, including the Grand Duchess of Keystone, it showed steady growth.

The amount lost due to the explosion accident was calculated and formally claimed from Travis and Fernando.

She heard news that all of their assets were confiscated as a result, but that was none of Arasila’s business.

Recently, she had been pondering how to revitalize the newly reopened laboratory.

“Everyone, our lab’s second phase has begun. Let’s grow the lab again with a new mindset.”

“Yes, senior!”

Sally and Rudy answered energetically. Arasila smiled contentedly.

Although the people remained unchanged, she called it the second phase to mean forgetting past hardships and regaining the lab’s vitality.

She slowly opened her mouth towards her juniors who were burning with enthusiasm like when they first entered the lab.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking… how about researching a truth serum?”

Sally and Rudy’s eyes widened as they leaned forward, listening intently to their senior.

“A truth serum?”

“Yeah. After going through this incident, I realized there are too many people who lie shamelessly. But there’s no way to figure it out.”

Unless you set a trap and pressure them to confess the truth, no one would admit they lied.

Arasila was thoroughly sick of all these processes. Why do I have to work so hard to prove my innocence when someone else did wrong and lied?

“Don’t you think it would be good if there was a truth serum that makes you spill the truth when you drink it?”

“That’s true, but… Wasn’t a truth serum made in the past but production stopped because the main ingredient, the Dilai flower, went extinct?”

Sally raised her hand and spoke carefully.

Of course, Arasila wasn’t the first magician to try making a truth serum. Someone had already attempted it and succeeded in making it.

Unfortunately, the essential ingredient was a rare flower that quickly ran out, and it vanished in just a few years. That was already over 20 years ago.

“Yes. So I thought, how about researching ways to make the Dilai flower bloom again?”

“Make the flower bloom?”

“The reason truth serum research hasn’t shown results since then is because they couldn’t find an ingredient as effective as that flower. So let’s try to make the flower bloom again.”

“It’s an ingredient with proven effects, and if we can cultivate it ourselves, it would be a great help in production. In fact, truth serum would be an item in high demand once made.”

“People who need it would span all social classes.”

Rudy nodded and showed a positive reaction. Sally also had a not-bad expression.

“Then, shall we make truth serum the first topic for our lab’s second phase?”

“Yes, sounds good.”

“I’m so excited to research magic potions with you again after so long, senior!”

The three people put their hands together. Go, go, let’s do our best! Their voices full of passion echoed down the corridor.

Butler Albert came out to the main entrance to greet Arasila as she returned home.

“Welcome back, madam.”

“Yes, was everything alright?”

“Of course.”

He answered with a kind smile. After exchanging customary greetings, Arasila was about to go straight up to her room.

But just as she put her foot on the stairs, the butler called out to her with a slightly hesitant air.

“Um, madam. I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Actually, it will soon be the master’s birthday.”

Arasila, who had been looking at the butler without thinking, widened her eyes in surprise.

Demian’s birthday? Arasila, who had already celebrated her birthday this year before getting married, was bewildered by this unexpected information.

At her expression of why he was only telling her now, the butler smiled awkwardly and said.

“I wasn’t sure if the master had told you or not, so I was late. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. But when exactly is Demian’s birthday?”

“Next Friday.”

Arasila’s mouth fell open. Today was Friday, so it was exactly a week away.

She was dumbfounded that her husband’s birthday had crept up so close without her knowing. Thanks to this, Arasila found herself hurriedly preparing for the birthday and couldn’t help but feel bewildered.

If she had known earlier, she would have prepared step by step!

Why didn’t Demian tell her? She confronted Demian about this at the dinner table.

“Demian, I hear next week is your birthday.”

“What? How did you…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

When she asked aggressively, Demian answered with an embarrassed face, slowly rubbing the back of his neck.

“I just didn’t want to trouble you.”

“Are you kidding? What’s troublesome about celebrating a birthday!”

Arasila retorted with furrowed brows. At the more intense reaction than expected, Demian even put down his cutlery and looked sheepish.

“…Are you angry?”

“Yes, I’m angry that you hid and didn’t tell me such a basic thing.”

“I’m sorry. I just… haven’t celebrated my birthday since my mother passed away, so I didn’t even think to mention it.”

At his calm apology and explanation, Arasila was at a loss for words. She never imagined that was the reason he hadn’t said anything.

Right, come to think of it, there was no one in that household who would sincerely celebrate Demian’s birthday.

Imagining Demian spending his birthdays alone and lonely for a very long time, Arasila felt a pang in her heart.

It wasn’t simple pity, but a feeling of sadness based on affection. Birth is certainly something worth celebrating, yet no one did it for him.

Something stirred within Arasila. The desire to give back the birthday he had lost after his mother passed away.

After closing her eyes for a moment lost in thought, she finally spoke.

“I’ll celebrate it for you from now on.”

“There’s no need…”

“No, I won’t take no for an answer. I’ll prepare a birthday party too, so you just show up.”

Demian hesitated before nodding. Only then did Arasila’s expression brighten.

For the rest of the time, Arasila pondered in her head how to prepare for Demian’s birthday.

Although the time was too tight, it was fortunate that the incidents and accidents had been somewhat resolved.

‘…Well, since it’s a birthday party after a long time, it should be okay to go a little overboard, right?’

Although she’s not the type to like flashy things, it’s Demian’s first birthday celebration in over a decade.

She thought it wouldn’t be bad to make a bit of a fuss in that case.

“Audrey.”

“Yes, madam.”

After finishing dinner and returning to her room, Arasila declared solemnly to her maid.

“Tell the chef. I’ll make Demian’s birthday cake myself.”

“…Pardon?”

Audrey looked at Arasila with a startled and bewildered face.

It was famous within the Duke Hugo’s household that her mistress was not good with her hands.

She sent a look asking if she was serious, but Arasila, who had already made up her mind, was firm.

“Go quickly and tell them I’ll make it.”

“…Yes.”

Unable to dissuade her mistress, Audrey moved with reluctant steps.

As far as she knew, her mistress was not only unskilled with her hands but had never cooked before. Audrey was just anxious.