‘But how can I trust that woman?’

It hasn’t been long since they met, and they don’t know much about each other yet.

When Frederick boasted about knowing Arasila well at the restaurant, Demian had nothing to say. Indeed, the information that came out of his mouth was full of things Demian had never heard before.

Why should he trust a woman he doesn’t know this well and reveal his weaknesses to improve her mood?

‘Does that justify hurting the other person, Demian?’

For a moment, Arasila’s words from the carriage sharply clawed at Demian. Her large, clear eyes were as upright as the words she had uttered.

Ah, so that was it.

Now he seemed to vaguely understand why he had felt uncomfortable.

Even though she was a woman he didn’t know well or trust, he wanted to cheer her up because she had been hurt because of him.

For the first time, someone else’s feelings slightly preceded his own.

“What do you think I should have done, Isaac?”

Demian, who had perfectly acknowledged his mistake, asked Isaac for advice with a compliant attitude.

“Huh? Ah, yes. Normally, one would have gotten off the carriage together and followed her, but you didn’t, Commander. When a woman tells you to get lost, you’re not supposed to actually leave. I think it would be good to go find her now and apologize until she feels better.”

There is no appropriate time for an apology. If you’ve done something wrong, you should do it right away. That was Isaac’s principle.

Demian accepted his subordinate’s words, put down his sword, and left the training ground. His steps were very fast and busy.

Arasila also didn’t return home.

The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became, and she didn’t want to go straight home. If she encountered Demian, she felt like she might launch a magic attack at him.

‘We both lose if we divorce, yet he acts however he wants.’

Thinking about what had happened at the Vandermir mansion recently deepened her anger. Someone had suffered such an incident at a mansion she had entered because of him!

Grumbling, she changed her mind. Yes, let me act on my own whims too.

Arasila boldly entered the social club alone, where she had originally planned to go with Demian after the boat ride. She intended to complete the entire date course without him, as if to show him.

“What brings Duchess Vandermir here? To think she would come to a place like this.”

“Indeed. In all my life, this is the first time I’ve seen her at a social club.”

“I wonder where her husband is, coming alone when she never showed her face even when she was single?”

As soon as Arasila appeared, the people inside stirred. Nobles of her age watched her with interested faces.

The eccentric magician who had become Duchess Vandermir calmly sat alone at a large table and ordered refreshments, unfazed by the pouring gazes.

Does she have company? If so, is that company Demian Vandermir?

It was an opportunity to meet the newlywed couple who hadn’t shown themselves in social circles after marriage, citing busyness as a reason. Everyone sent expectant glances, but even after a long time, Demian didn’t arrive.

Arasila, sitting with her back straight and drinking tea, didn’t seem to be waiting for company either.

To think there’s someone who comes to a social club alone to have fun.

A sigh of admiration escaped from those who realized that Arasila had indeed visited the social club without any companions.

“Even after marriage, an eccentric remains eccentric, huh?”

“I wonder how she managed a love marriage with Lord Vandermir.”

Arasila, who had been dismissing the whispers of people appropriately, paused at that moment.

“For all her talk of being an archmage, in the end, she’s just a woman too.”

As she turned her head towards the sneering voice, she saw three or four men with flushed faces sitting together. Bottles of alcohol were strewn across their table.

Drinking was allowed inside the social club, so being drunk wasn’t a problem. But being unable to discern right from wrong due to intoxication was the issue.

This is how most accidents happen.

“See, I told you there’s no need to put talented female magicians on a pedestal? Just look at how quickly she married the second son of a duke’s family.”

“Maybe she realized she couldn’t become the Archmage, so she decided to at least marry well for her own benefit?”

“My friend who works at the magical tower says that internally, they expect her to retire soon. Apparently, she’s being ostracized by her peers for falling head over heels for a knight.”

A burst of laughter erupted. Arasila calmly looked back and forth between the teapot on the table and her hand.

She was calculating which would be better to crack those men’s heads with.

Hmm, since she couldn’t decide, why not use both?

“When did she act so haughty, ignoring my words? I wonder if she really was sold at a high price. I heard the eldest son is more likely to be the successor of the Vandermir ducal family.”

The man with the particularly loud voice exuded undisguisable malice and envy. Judging by his manner of speaking, it seemed he had once approached Arasila and been rejected.

Arasila quietly stood up, holding the teapot. She intended to throw it with magic and hit them without needing to go all the way there.

“Honestly, apart from her face, there’s nothing worth—”

Splash! Alcohol poured over the man’s head. The man flailed and spluttered at the sudden attack.

The other men sitting at the same table froze when they saw who had poured the alcohol.

Neatly combed silver hair, distinct and delicate features, and chillingly sunken golden eyes.

It was Demian Vandermir.

“Why exclude the face? I heard it’s a gift from God.”

Demian firmly gripped the shoulder of the man who was writhing to avoid the liquid pouring on his face, emptied the remaining alcohol, and met his gaze.

It was a cold expression enough to sober up a mind that had been crossing the line due to intoxication.

“And it’s me who was sold at a high price, so watch your mouth, Youngsik.”

Bang, Demian roughly put down the bottle on the table and applied force to the hand gripping the shoulder.

The man groaned and twisted his body obscenely under the grip that seemed about to crush his bones.

“Lord Vandermir, please, your hand…”

“Since I can’t rip out Youngsik’s reckless three-inch tongue, bear with it.”

At the sincere warning, the man closed his mouth and endured the pain with a reddened face. The other men only watched nervously in an awkward posture.

At that moment, a shadow fell over the head of the man who had said his friend worked at the magical tower.

“Youngsik.”

The man who turned his head at the clear, resonant voice nearly had a heart attack. It was because Arasila was standing there with a ferocious expression.

“I don’t know who your friend is, but I guarantee he’s a fool who wouldn’t dare meet my eyes in front of me, so don’t brag about your friend too much.”

Arasila smiled at the man who was only flapping his lips.

“Youngsik looks just as foolish to me. Oh, maybe you already are?”

“…!”

Arasila, who had withdrawn her smile again, spoke in a low voice.

“To begin with, I don’t have peers at the magical tower. Because I entered the tower a few years earlier than others, I climbed up competing with people older than me.”

And so, wearing four stars was Arasila’s pride. An achievement that not only her peers but also people twice her age couldn’t accomplish.

“In other words, all the kids my age are below me. Understand?”

Arasila threw a small spark into his wine glass. The man nodded fearfully at the sight of the glass bursting into flames.

“And as for not becoming the Archmage, I just successfully completed another magical research this time. While your friend was probably cleaning my laboratory. So from now on, don’t go around spouting nonsense about me not being able to become the Archmage.”

Arasila warned, making eye contact with the other men in turn, and finally looked at Demian.

Demian, who had been holding the shoulder of the man who was almost in a state of semi-unconsciousness and not letting go, hesitated.

For all his boldness in intervening and punishing the men before Arasila, he seemed strangely fidgety.

“Demian, let’s go.”

Although it was disappointing not to have cracked their heads, the man who had been making the most noise already seemed broken somewhere.

Arasila, satisfied enough with this, gestured with her eyes, and Demian threw away the man’s shoulder as if discarding trash and followed her.

As they completely disappeared from the now-quiet social club, someone quietly muttered.

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

Outside, it had already grown dark.

Arasila walked silently along the main street, and Demian followed quietly.

Keeping about three steps distance, they walked for a while until she suddenly stopped, causing Demian to halt abruptly as well.

They were on Sunset Bridge, where the red-tinged Nelly River could be seen at a glance.

“How did you know I was at the social club?”

“…I heard you hadn’t returned home, so I looked around here and there and found out.”

“I guess Demian didn’t go straight home after parting with me either?”

“Yes, I went to the training ground.”

The conversation stopped there. In the awkward silence, Demian hesitated before opening his mouth.

“I misspoke earlier.”

“You made a mistake too.”

“Yes, I made a mistake. I sincerely apologize, Madam.”

Demian bowed politely to the small back that still didn’t turn around.

“What should I do to make you forgive me?”

“Give three cheers of apology here.”

A white finger pointed towards the riverside. Demian was taken aback by the unexpected request. As he hesitated and remained still, a sulky voice was heard.

“You’re not really sorry, are you? You think I’m someone you can treat that way.”

“Absolutely not.”

Demian swore he had never once thought of Arasila as someone easy or light. He might have thought she was crazy, but never that she could be treated carelessly.

However, since he himself had only realized this fact at this moment, it wasn’t strange that Arasila felt that way.

“Try giving three cheers. Then I’ll believe you. Unlike some people, I think I’m someone who can trust her husband.”

After she said that much, Demian couldn’t back out anymore. He firmly made up his mind and gripped the bridge railing.

Just as he took a deep breath and tensed his stomach—

Pfft, a small laugh burst out. Puh-hehe, that intermittent laughter soon spread widely.

“Demian, were you really going to do it?”

Arasila turned around abruptly and asked with a face that looked like she was about to die of laughter. Her snow-white rabbit teeth were exposed, and her lips drew a cool arc.

Demian stared blankly at her before finally letting out a dejected smile. He realized he had been played by his wife.

“Are you stupid? Do you think I’d be appeased by something like that? I’m not a child.”

“Ha… Is it fun to tease people?”

“Yes, it’s so much fun.”

Arasila grinned and leaned on the railing, following Demian. The view of the wide-open river entered their sight.

A cool breeze swept through the now relaxed space between the two. Demian, who was looking down at the evening glow sparkling on the river, suddenly opened his mouth.

“You said you were often called peculiar when you were young. I was often called crazy.”