Arasila returned to the magic tower after about ten days.

Although she hadn’t rested for that long, returning to her private research lab felt like a breath of fresh air. Being cooped up in a mansion like other noble ladies simply didn’t suit her temperament.

Even the pungent smell of magic potions seemed fragrant, and she was glad to see her colleagues who were still being irritating as usual.

Some tried to subtly probe her under the guise of concern, but Arasila shut them down with just three words: “Shut up”, “Go away”, and “So what”.

Then she received a summons from the tower master and went upstairs. As she was crossing the quiet corridor alone, an unwelcome person appeared around the corner.

“Hey, Arasila. Long time no see?”

With messy attire and dark circles under his eyes, the man’s name was Travis. He was Arasila’s fellow student at the magic tower, though quite a bit older than her.

He approached Arasila with a slouching posture and blocked her path.

“Are you done with your family matters? No need to rest more? I see even you prioritize family over work now that you’re married, like other women.”

A sneer appeared on Travis’s lips. He was a magician who, like Arasila, was considered a candidate for the next tower master.

Perhaps because they formed the strongest competitive relationship.

He would be the first to attack Arasila if she showed any weakness, and never failed to pick a fight when they crossed paths like this.

Faced with his consistently pathetic and pitiful behavior, Arasila didn’t hide her annoyed expression as she calmly spoke.

“Travis.”

“Yes?”

“Your breath stinks. Could you move your face away when you talk?”

“Wh-What…!”

Travis, who hadn’t brushed his teeth after lunch, retreated with a red face. Seeing his unkempt appearance, which suggested he hadn’t washed his face either, Arasila apologized nonchalantly.

“I’m sorry if I was too honest. No, honestly, I’m not sorry.”

“You…!”

“And it’s not that I prioritize family because I’m a woman. It’s that married people, regardless of gender, should pay some attention to their families. Understand?”

Lifting her chin and looking Travis up and down with just her eyes, Arasila added.

“Well, what would you know with that narrow-minded view of yours.”

“Are you looking down on me right now?”

“You sure are quick to catch on to these things.”

Arasila waved her hand as if telling him not to bother her anymore and turned away.

But Travis didn’t back down easily and persistently followed her, saying,

“How long do you think you can keep acting so high and mighty? Do you know what I’ve been doing while you were away?”

“What did you do? Learn to walk?”

“Hey! You insolent…! Do you know how much your reputation in the tower has been damaged by this incident? There are so many people saying this is why married female magicians are no good!”

“Hmm, not my problem.”

There had been an abundance of such gossipers ever since Arasila decided to get married. She was too busy to pay attention to each and every one of those comments.

“Someone like you who neglects work because of family isn’t needed in the tower! Of course, you won’t become the tower master either! How can you take a ten-day break just because you had some family business?!”

Travis’s booming voice echoed through the corridor. Arasila stopped walking and turned to face him.

“Travis, get a grip. It’s not up to you to decide who’s needed in the tower. And I’ve never neglected my work because of family. Even if I took a 10-year break instead of 10 days, I’d still surpass you quickly, so tone it down, will you?”

As her doll-like face stared at him expressionlessly, Travis flinched, feeling unnecessarily tense.

Arasila crossed her arms and smirked.

“At this rate, you’d probably faint with joy if I took a hundred-day break.”

“…!”

Travis tried to retort, but Arasila didn’t listen and turned away. She ignored all the sounds coming from behind her.

Arriving at the tower master’s office like that, she knocked on the door and was given permission to enter.

“Ho ho ho, did something happen on your way here? Your expression looks fierce.”

Philip, who had been floating in mid-air, came down to sit on the sofa as he noticed his formidable disciple’s expression and asked.

“It’s nothing. Why did you call for me?”

Arasila shook her head lightly as she sat down across from him.

“Ah, I have something important to tell you. Did you wrap up your family matters well?”

“Yes, there won’t be any more breaks.”

“Ho ho. That’s good news, Arasila. Then how about starting a new research project or going on a mission?”

Philip suggested in a cheerful tone as if it were nothing, but Arasila immediately noticed the subtle nuance hidden between his words.

He wasn’t the type to say such things without a particular reason in the first place. Her mentor usually preferred to let his disciple flow as she wished rather than giving detailed instructions.

The exception was when there was an issue related to his disciple’s position. Then he would suggest doing something like this.

“Why, did someone say something about me to you again, Tower Master?”

“Arasila.”

“Are they that upset that I took a vacation for family reasons this time? But I took that vacation after completing all my tasks. I didn’t cause any inconvenience to others.”

According to the tower’s internal regulations, a reward vacation was automatically given after completing a research project or mission.

This meant that Arasila, who had recently successfully completed her research on floating stones, was fully qualified to take a ten-day vacation.

Moreover, since no one else had to take over her work due to her vacation, there was even less reason to feel guilty.

“I know that, of course. But you were always the type to focus on work and even give up your vacations. So everyone seems to be having trouble adjusting to you taking a break for family matters.”

“They think I’ve become lazy and weak after getting married, don’t they?”

Philip didn’t deny it. Unable to contain her boiling frustration, Arasila slammed her hand on the table.

“How did the people criticizing me tolerate Jackson going on a two-month trip with his lover after finishing some trivial research? What about Mike taking three days off after getting sick from drinking? Or Robert lying around for a week using heartbreak as an excuse?”

Arasila’s pent-up resentment burst out like a dam breaking. Compared to her male colleagues who took vacations for trivial reasons, she was a saint.

Philip waited calmly for his disciple to calm down, and when Arasila seemed to have regained her composure, he spoke.

“Arasila, while you were resting, Travis succeeded in inventing a magical tool that can freely control temperature.”

What a gloomy and capable bastard. Arasila cursed inwardly. So that’s why he was bragging so much earlier.

“People are suspecting that you, being married, will eventually quit the tower and that your magic skills will dull like a rusty blade.”

“It hasn’t even been half a year since I got married.”

“Ho ho, that’s exactly it. Nothing has changed, and you’re going to divorce anyway. I don’t know why they’re all so worked up.”

Philip said in a calm voice as he sipped his steaming tea.

“People want you to prove that you’re still a skilled magician. They want to confirm that you’re no different after marriage than before.”

At those words, Arasila gritted her teeth. Whether single or married, she was always in a position where she had to prove herself to others.

It was as if everyone had amnesia; no matter how many times she demonstrated her abilities, they would act like idiots who forgot after some time passed.

“Show them that your skills are still intact even if you took a break for family matters.”

“Alright, I’ll do that. It’s really petty of them to make such a fuss over just ten days of rest.”

Arasila clenched her fists. Her eyes burned with determination to properly demonstrate her abilities.

That evening, an invitation arrived for Arasila.

The invitation, stamped with the imperial emblem, was about an upcoming hunting festival.

“Lady Arasila Vandermir is invited as an observer to the hunting festival.”

After nonchalantly checking the contents of the invitation, Arasila changed her clothes and went down to the dining hall.

Demian, who had returned home a step ahead of her, was waiting to have dinner together.

“I received an invitation to participate in the hunting festival. I heard you received one too, what do you think about it?”

“I’m busy, and I’m not particularly interested in hunting. So I’m not planning to go.”

In fact, despite coming from a prestigious family, Arasila had never attended a hunting festival except when she was very young. She preferred to spend time on magic training rather than wasting it at an event she had no interest in.

“I see. Then I’ll go alone.”

“Are you very interested in hunting, Demian?”

“No, not really. This is actually my first time participating in a hunting festival.”

Unlike Arasila, Demian had never been to a hunting festival even as a child due to family circumstances. This would be his first hunting festival ever.

“I’m going with the purpose of expanding the influence of the knighthood.”

“I see, have a good time.”

Arasila, not particularly curious about his purpose, wrapped up the conversation about the hunting festival at an appropriate moment.

Until this point, she really had no intention of attending the hunting festival.

What was important to her at the moment was achieving results in a short period that everyone in the magic tower would recognize, not a hunting festival she had no interest in.

However, the situation changed the next day when Paula visited the Vandermir mansion.

“I heard that Lord Vandermir is participating in the hunting festival. Are you finally coming to watch the hunting festival too, my friend?”

“No, I’m not going. Demian is going alone.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m busy with work. Can’t go.”

Before Paula could express her bewilderment at those words, Arasila, suddenly feeling something odd, spoke again.

“But wait, something’s strange. Why am I an observer while Demian is a participant?”

“Well, that’s because the lord will be competing in hunting with other men at the festival, while you, like us, will be watching and cheering them on.”

Paula answered in a casual tone. This cleared up the doubt, but the frown on Arasila’s brow didn’t disappear.

Are you saying they sent me an invitation to stand by as a spectator while the men hunt?

Unable to bear the unpleasantness, Paula, oblivious to her friend’s inner thoughts, said,

“Try to come to the hunting festival if you can, Arasila. Won’t people talk if the wife isn’t there when her husband is participating? You should also give the lord a handkerchief you embroidered yourself.”

“…Me?”

Even my mother, renowned as an excellent teacher, gave up on me saying it was hopeless, and now you’re saying I should give a handkerchief I embroidered myself?

“If not you, who else would the lord receive a handkerchief from? It’s an honor for hunting festival participants to receive handkerchiefs from ladies. Especially for married men, one from their wife is a must.”

Seeing Arasila’s expression gradually harden, Paula winked and added,

“By the way, it absolutely must be embroidery you did yourself!”

“…”

Arasila, who had neither talent nor desire to improve in embroidery, fell into deep contemplation.

Since she and Demian were known to be a happy couple publicly, she couldn’t not give him one. She needed a special reason to not give one.

‘Should I pretend my hand is injured starting tomorrow? Or should I commission an embroidery workshop?’

As she desperately tried to think of ways to avoid embroidering, a brilliant idea flashed through her mind.

‘Wait, if I become a participant in the hunting festival, I won’t have to give one, right?’