“Actually, I’ve been quite interested in you, madam.”

Noah whispered in a very low voice. His expression showed a mixture of slight shyness and strong curiosity.

Arasila responded carefully, making sure not to step on his feet.

“In me? Why is that?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I’m actually a magician too. Though my abilities are very modest compared to yours.”

“Ah, I thought I sensed some magical power.”

Though it wasn’t very strong. She had felt Noah’s magical energy a few times before.

Arasila smiled faintly, feeling newly glad to have met a fellow magician. Noah also curled up the corners of his mouth in a refreshing smile.

“I heard you’re the next Archmage of the Empire. That’s why I asked you to dance, to make an impression.”

“It’s an honor, Your Highness.”

“The honor is mine. To be face to face with someone who will be a role model and leader for the continent’s magicians.”

Noah spoke with pure sincerity, without a trace of pretense.

No one could be unhappy with such heartfelt praise. Arasila felt her mood slowly improving from the rock bottom it had hit due to jealousy.

“When you officially become Archmage, I’d like to send some of our kingdom’s magicians to study abroad. I think they could learn a lot from you.”

“Do you really think so? My teacher, the current Archmage Philip, is still more talented though.”

“Haha, I’ve seen a lot about your achievements in the newspapers too. You’ve walked a path worthy of someone’s respect.”

Arasila’s chest swelled with pride.

She had been designated as the next Archmage after gaining recognition within the Tower. And now to receive unexpected external recognition like this, she felt renewed pride in herself as a magician.

She smiled brightly and said:

“Our Tower is always open to those who wish to learn. That won’t change even when I become Archmage.”

“Wahaha, that’s wonderful!”

Noah let out a hearty laugh. The two, finding common ground in magic, continued to converse pleasantly throughout the dance.

From afar, they looked like they were getting along incredibly well.

So well, in fact, that it was driving her jealous husband mad.

Why did this particular song have to be longer than usual?

Demian stared at Arasila dancing with Noah without blinking once. The two’s faces were constantly smiling as they conversed about who knows what.

‘Damn it, if I had known it would be like this, I should have refused the dance request.’

Regretting and grinding his teeth was useless now that it couldn’t be undone. Every time Arasila’s eyes crinkled and the corners of her mouth turned up, Demian felt like his chest was on fire.

Leona’s words about the prince being interested in Arasila also played a big part.

Of course, Leona had tried to add the explanation that it was because she was a magician, but Demian’s expression turned so murderous as soon as he heard that she couldn’t finish.

Who could easily open their mouth when a man a full head taller was exuding such a dark aura that looked ready to kill anyone who spoke to him?

‘I thought it was lucky to dance with someone so handsome, but now that I look closer… he’s quite the extreme devoted husband.’

Leona cast a stunned gaze at Demian from a few steps away.

To be honest, it was true that she felt a bit fluttery while dancing since she had never seen such a handsome man before. She had no intention of developing feelings for a married man, but human instinct is what it is.

However, seeing him stare intently at his wife with dead eyes that had gone crazy with jealousy, any attraction disappeared like melting snow.

Rather, she was keeping her distance out of fear of Demian’s handsome face that was steadily growing darker in real time.

‘Oh dear, Your Highness. Please finish up and come back soon…!’

It was just as Leona was sending Noah concerned looks while worrying about the future monarch.

While even passersby were sensing Demian’s terrifying aura and circling widely around him, someone fearlessly approached him.

“Hey there, Demian. How are you feeling?”

It was Oscar, swaggering over with a champagne glass in one hand and the other in his pocket.

He was clearly giving off the impression that he had come deliberately to grate on Demian’s nerves. But unfortunately, this was poor timing.

Demian’s mood, having just witnessed Noah lightly embrace Arasila’s waist as they twirled, was beyond low and filled with anger and irritation.

“Get lost, Oscar.”

“…What did you say?”

“I said get lost.”

Demian snapped sharply, lacking his usual composure to maintain his rationality.

The atmosphere was so ominous that Oscar instinctively shrank back, but noticing the glances of onlookers, he forced himself to square his shoulders.

After all, as the future leader of the Vandermir duchy, he couldn’t be seen backing down to his younger brother.

“Hey, hey! Is that how you speak to your older brother? If you act like this at tomorrow’s banquet too, Father will…”

“Then don’t wait until the banquet and just go tell him now. Keep following Father around like you always do.”

“W-What?”

“That’s what you’re best at, besides womanizing.”

Demian sneered, curling his lips crookedly. Oscar’s face flushed red, publicly mocked by his younger brother.

Trying to recover even a shred of his crumpled dignity, he leaned forward threateningly.

“You little bastard, I swear…!”

“Listen well, Oscar Vandermir. This is as far as I’ll let things slide.”

But to Demian, Oscar was as insignificant as a fly buzzing around his ear. He was not the least bit threatening.

Cutting off Oscar’s words with a low voice and warning him, Demian added coldly:

“So get lost right now. I can easily take care of you even without a sword.”

By this point, even Oscar realized he had picked the wrong fight and slowly backed away.

Though his pride was wounded, he would only lose out by getting physical.

As Oscar quickly fled and people around started whispering about another brotherly fight following yesterday’s…

“Demian, what’s going on?”

Arasila, having finally finished her dance with Noah, returned.

Having already witnessed the hostile air between Demian and Oscar, she approached her husband and asked in a small voice:

“Did your brother do something bad again?”

Demian looked down at Arasila with complicated eyes for a moment before turning his head and answering stiffly:

“…It’s nothing.”

“Did the Vandermir heir pick a fight?”

“Yes, don’t worry about it.”

Arasila looked at Demian with a slightly bewildered expression. No matter how she looked at it, something had clearly happened.

His expression, incomparably more rigid than before, was proof enough.

But Demian remained silent until the end of the banquet. Even when she tried asking a few times in between, he just shook his head without speaking.

At first Arasila worried about him, seeing his bad mood. But gradually, she started feeling frustrated and annoyed.

If there was a problem, he should say something. Why was he just enduring it alone?

‘It’s so obvious, too!’

Even the Duke and Duchess of Hugo had carefully asked if something was wrong.

Feeling her patience reach its limit, as soon as they returned to their quarters, Arasila sent Audrey away and confronted Demian with her hands on her hips.

“Alright, we’re alone now so tell me. What exactly are you dissatisfied with?”

“…”

“Demian, you’re obviously upset about something. Come on, tell me.”

But despite her urging, Demian’s stubbornly closed mouth showed no signs of opening. He couldn’t bring himself to say he had lost his mind with jealousy.

As he maintained his silence, Arasila furrowed her brow sharply. Her voice rose a notch.

“Are you really going to be like this? You were fine until I danced amicably with Viscount Codel, so why did your mood suddenly turn sour?”

“…”

“What, are you upset because you only got to dance with the Viscount once?”

The sarcasm that slipped out unintentionally was the start of a childish argument.

Still bothered by the image of Arasila happily dancing with the prince, Demian couldn’t hold back when attacked in return. He twisted his lips and retorted:

“Isn’t it you who enjoyed dancing with someone else, not me?”

“What?”

“You were laughing so much with the Prince of Kent Kingdom… I thought for a moment you two were secretly dating.”

Who was saying what now? Arasila roughly ran her hand through her hair with an incredulous look.

She had been troubled by the thought that Demian and Leona looked quite good together when she saw them casually making physical contact.

“This is really absurd…”

Muttering quietly, Arasila soon spoke in a sharp voice:

“You’re one to talk. You seemed quite taken with Viscount Codel. Have you marked her as a potential second wife after divorcing me?”

“Ha! Don’t say such nonsense. I have no interest in the Viscount. I only accepted the dance for your sake.”

“Hmm, is that really true?”

“Yes, after parting with you I will never be with anyone else again. There will be no second family in my life.”

Demian declared firmly after heaving a deep sigh. Absurdly, Arasila felt a subtle sense of relief in that moment.

At the same time, disliking herself for feeling that way, she deliberately crossed her arms and threw out a negative remark.

“How can you be so sure? You never know when or how a woman who catches your eye might appear.”

“That’s because…”

The words that she had already appeared and was right in front of him rose to the tip of his tongue before subsiding.

Since he couldn’t reveal his feelings for Arasila.

Clenching his fist tightly, Demian turned the arrow back on her instead of continuing.

“What about you? If you divorce me, will you remarry another man?”

“Are you crazy?”

Arasila reacted as if utterly appalled.

She had originally decided to part with Demian so that love would not interfere with her work. Remarrying would completely defeat the purpose of divorcing him.

“Would you reject even if Prince Noah proposed? I heard he’s interested in you.”

“Of course I’d reject.”

Sharply retorting to the subtly probing question, she continued with an incredulous expression:

“And the prince wasn’t interested in me, but in the future Archmage. He said he’s a magician himself.”

“…Is that so?”

Only now learning the truth that Noah’s interest held no romantic implications, Demian’s expression softened surprisingly.

Flopping down on the sofa, he rubbed his face with his palm and said:

“That’s a relief.”

“What is?”

“Everything.”

“Seriously, what’s so relieving about all of it.”

Arasila grumbled in an exasperated voice. But by now, her expression had softened as well.

In any case, having both cleared up their misunderstandings, the argument came to a halt.

Still, perhaps because they had just fought, there was an awkward atmosphere as Arasila washed up and lay down in bed. She closed her eyes. Not heavy drowsiness, but all sorts of thoughts came to her.

‘…I shouldn’t have acted that way today.’

She shouldn’t have been jealous of Demian dancing with Leona, shouldn’t have attacked him over it, shouldn’t have felt relieved seeing him deny it.

Her original goal had been to erase and eliminate her emotions. But as always, her heart refused to move as she wished.

The feelings she thought she had forcibly pulled out were steadily accumulating inside, and as the unresolved emotions filled up, she felt stifled.

‘Can I really give up my feelings for Demian like this?’

A question arose in the darkness. Arasila quietly gripped her blanket tightly.

‘Being happy even at small things like him saying he accepted the dance request for my sake… Is this really okay?’

She wished the New Year’s Festival would end quickly. Sharing a room and being together all day was maintaining rather than cooling her feelings.

Or else, she hoped for some event that would force her to throw away these feelings.

Turning her body away from the sofa, Arasila let out a silent sigh.

It was a troubled night where sleep would not come easily.

The Vandermir family was given quarters with two bedrooms. One was used by the Duke and Duchess, and one by Oscar.

Returning after the banquet ended, Oscar immediately pulled out wine alone in the bedroom.

‘Damn that Demian bastard, how dare he embarrass me in front of people?!’

He was still fuming, unable to forget Demian telling him to get lost and sneering at him.

Having long given up on sleeping early due to his indignation towards his brother, he drank recklessly.

‘There’s a limit to looking down on people, that son of a bitch… But Father’s the same.’

Duke Vandermir had severely scolded Oscar for clashing with Demian at a banquet the Emperor himself attended. He berated him, asking if he was so eager to advertise that they were a dysfunctional family.

He was even harsher because Oscar had spoken first. He got angry beyond reason, saying Oscar was needlessly stirring up trouble.

‘If His Highness the Crown Prince hadn’t intervened, he surely would have sent me away in the middle of it.’

It was only thanks to Frederick defending Oscar with a benevolent smile that he barely avoided being sent back to his room during the banquet.

Oscar honestly felt resentful towards his father for this. He felt his father’s attitude was too harsh, not even considering his own mistakes.

‘It’s because you’re always getting angry that I get intimidated and can’t do anything properly.’

Feeling upset, he filled his glass with wine. He downed the alcohol in one go and quickly popped a piece of cheese into his mouth.

‘Still, it’s fortunate that His Highness the Crown Prince was there. At least he believes in me.’

Oscar grinned as he thought of Frederick, with whom he had grown particularly close lately.

In fact, his approach to Demian at today’s banquet was somewhat encouraged by him.

Frederick had suggested that he should approach first as the elder brother to show a good relationship between siblings, saying they needed to present a harmonious image.

Perhaps feeling guilty about this, Frederick personally came to find Oscar when the banquet was breaking up and patted him on the shoulder.

‘I believe you will become a man who accomplishes great things, young lord.’

‘Oh! Th-thank you, Your Highness.’

‘Not at all. Well then, have a peaceful night.’

Frederick smiled somewhat strangely as he bid farewell, but Oscar was too moved to notice.

He was simply determined to repay Frederick, who believed in him more firmly than his own parents.

“Ugh, did I drink too much? I feel a bit dizzy.”

Oscar pressed his forehead and struggled to raise his body, which was swaying from the effects of alcohol. He thought he should just lie down on the soft bed and sleep.

Whoosh.

It was then that he felt a cool breeze from somewhere. Oscar, who was sensitive to cold and always kept his door tightly locked, turned his head in confusion.

‘Did I forget to close the balcony door….’

He turned his body, which had been heading for the bed, towards the balcony. A dark shadow flickered behind the curtains fluttering in the wind.

Am I seeing things because I’m drunk? Just as Oscar was rubbing his bleary eyes and about to lift his head.

“…?!”

The black shadow that emerged from parting the curtains pounced on Oscar. He struggled to break free from the hand covering his mouth.

“Mmph…!”

Thud, thud.

There were dull sounds as bodies collided here and there, but no one heard in the late night when everyone was asleep.

In the end, despite his desperate resistance, he went limp without being able to scream even once.

And the next day.

Oscar was found dead.