People murmured at the unexpected and radical development. Both the host and the presenter stood still, bewildered.

However, standing firm regardless of what others said was Arasila’s specialty. She spoke to the host nonchalantly.

“What are you doing without bringing the flower crown?”

“…Pardon? Ah, yes.”

While the host went to fetch the flower crown with a dazed look, Arasila turned to Demian with a bright smile.

“What are you doing there, Demian?”

“……”

“Come forward.”

Though he had given up on winning the hunting festival since the attack, Demian let out a hollow laugh, not expecting to become the Hunting Festival Queen.

Shouldn’t it usually be the opposite?

He should have been the winner, and Arasila should have been the Hunting Festival Queen. But it turned out completely opposite, leaving him not just surprised but dizzy.

‘I should tell her to change her choice to sister.’

However, the moment he faced his wife wearing the golden laurel wreath looking up at him, Demian couldn’t say that.

Though she had tidied herself up after returning, there was a small scratch on Arasila’s chin, and her eyes were slightly bloodshot.

It was the aftermath of the fight with the assassins.

Thinking of Arasila who had gone through hardship because of him, he couldn’t help but go along with her wishes.

As Demian took a step, Frederick, who was watching from the side, flinched.

He had witnessed Arasila, who said she would go alone, return with her husband.

And now she was bestowing the honor of Hunting Festival Queen on him. The situation was so different from his expectations that he gently bit his lip.

Meanwhile, Demian, standing face to face with Arasila, let out a small sigh and asked.

“Do I really have to become the Hunting Festival Queen?”

“Yes, you’re the winner’s husband.”

Demian, who had checked Arasila’s intention just in case, only received a firm answer. He rubbed the front of his eyebrow and said.

“There must be no one in the world as whimsical as you, my wife.”

“You mean you’re happy to become the Hunting Festival Queen, right?”

“…It certainly is an honor others might not experience in a lifetime.”

What other wife would win the hunting festival like Arasila and make her husband the Hunting Festival Queen?

Demian dared to be certain that Arasila was the only such woman.

“I-I’ve brought the flower crown.”

Unlike the laurel wreath, the flower crown was placed by the winner directly, not the presenter.

Arasila, receiving the flower crown from the host who still looked unsure if this was right, lightly gestured with her chin.

“Lower your head a bit. I’ll place it prettily for you.”

“Do as you please.”

Demian, half resigned, obediently bent his waist slightly and lowered his head.

There was a stir below the platform at the uncommon sight of a wife placing a flower crown on her husband, but he paid no attention.

Yes, regardless of what others say, it should be fine as long as his wife, who saved his life, is satisfied.

“It suits you well, Demian.”

Arasila, who had gently placed the flower crown on the silver hair that seemed to have melted moonlight, smiled brightly. Indeed, the colorful flowers truly suited Demian well.

The vibrant and lively flowers accentuated his elegant and delicate features.

“You’re pretty.”

“…Is that so.”

Demian, hearing the compliment ‘pretty’ for the first time since his mother said it when he was very young, chuckled. It wasn’t a bad feeling, better than he expected.

Suddenly, he thought that although he was the one wearing the flower crown, it was Arasila who seemed to have flowers floating around her.

Her spotlessly clear smiling face was as radiant as a spring landscape painted by an artist.

“Um, Lady Vandermir. Could you please share your winning impressions?”

At the host’s cautious request, Arasila nodded and turned around.

“I feel proud to be able to make my husband the Hunting Festival Queen. I hope others will work harder next year.”

She noticed Nora glaring at her with wide white eyes from below the platform and deliberately linked arms with Demian.

Nora trembled, looking like she might collapse from anger at any moment. The expressions of the Duke’s family on the opposite side were also sour and dark.

Frederick, standing behind the couple, looked at the two with lowered eyes.

Amidst all this, only the Hugo Marquis family genuinely rejoiced in the couple’s victory.

“Wow, sister is so cool! Our sister is the hunting festival winner! Brother-in-law is the Hunting Festival Queen!”

Adrian raised both arms in excitement. Although it was different from what he initially cheered for, the child was very satisfied that the two had become the winner and Hunting Festival Queen couple.

The Marchioness gently stroked the head of her bouncing son.

“Yes, Adrian. You should follow your sister’s example and try to win the hunting festival later.”

“Lord Vandermir wearing the flower crown and Ari wearing the laurel wreath suit them well.”

“Of course, my daughter would look good even with fallen leaves on her! And my son-in-law looks good even with flower petals!”

The Marquis smiled contentedly. He was as pleased with the hunting festival results as his son.

And so, the hunting festival ended, with some people dissatisfied, some satisfied, and the rest admiring the novel outcome.

It had been 30 years since a mage won the hunting festival.

Arasila went to work at the magic tower, proudly wearing the golden laurel wreath. Her already strikingly beautiful appearance shone even more brightly with the golden leaf crown added.

Thanks to this, everyone in the magic tower knew that she was this year’s hunting festival winner.

After lunch, Arasila was summoned by Philip and was heading upstairs when she coincidentally encountered Travis in the corridor again.

Last time, Travis had reluctantly approached and even greeted her, but today he tried to pass by pretending not to see her.

“Travis, did you see yesterday’s newspaper?”

So Arasila personally blocked his way and spoke to him.

“…I didn’t.”

“Is that so? Then can you see what’s on my head?”

Yesterday’s newspaper had extensively covered the news of Arasila’s hunting festival victory. It was a shame he didn’t see it, but the proof of her victory was currently sitting on her head, so it didn’t matter.

“…So what? What do you want to say to me?”

Travis retorted defiantly. Arasila smiled sweetly.

“If you want to babble about married female mages in front of me, bring an achievement like this yourself.”

“……”

“Even those great unmarried male mages couldn’t win the hunting festival, right?”

Travis’s face turned red. No matter how frustrated he was, it was his reality that he couldn’t surpass Arasila in the field of attack magic.

This time, Arasila waited long enough for him to refute, but Travis left the place, puffing angrily, ending the conversation.

Hmm, disappointing. If he had refuted, she was planning to return it twofold.

Arasila knocked on the door of the Tower Master’s office and entered with a fresh face. Seeing his disciple with a different expression from before, Philip smiled affably.

“Hoho, Arasila. You always act in ways people don’t expect.”

“That’s a compliment, right, Master?”

“Of course. You’ve wonderfully proven your worth again this time.”

She could have proceeded with new research smoothly or accepted and completed missions.

Philip was proud of his disciple’s bold move, returning after winning the hunting festival in a way that made headlines across the empire.

He patted Arasila’s shoulder with his wrinkled hand.

“Someday, there will come a time when you won’t need to prove yourself like this. Your efforts will surely be rewarded.”

“I think so too. When I become the Tower Master, I’m going to gather all the people who ignored and bullied me and throw a grand party. I hope they die of stomachache.”

“Hohoho, sometimes such feelings can be the driving force for progress.”

After this day, people who picked fights over her vacation completely disappeared.

Peaceful daily life returned, but Arasila’s worries were endless.

“Kids, how should we apply the results of the levitation stone research?”

Although she didn’t show it, Arasila was thoroughly stimulated by Travis’s magical tool invention.

He had developed a temperature control magical tool based on research results on how long freezing magic and flame magic could be sustained.

Then Arasila also needed to produce similar results with her levitation stone research.

While leaving research results only as a thesis is sufficiently valuable, it’s true that applying them to real life or using them in magical tool inventions is more highly evaluated.

“I heard Travis made a food storage box using the temperature control magical tool. We can’t lose.”

The juniors also became serious at their respected senior’s words. The three put their heads together and started brainstorming.

“Hmm. There are boats that float on water, and there’s no concept of floating on land…”

“Should we make something that floats in the sky?”

The levitation stone they researched was an improved magic stone that floated in the air without magic.

Moreover, it could be used for up to a year without infusing magic power, and used-up magic stones could be recycled.

What could they make with this that would make people marvel, and those who check on Arasila’s research lab turn upside down?

Since brilliant ideas don’t come on demand, it was a struggle when nothing suitable came to mind like now.

As it was hard to just keep brainstorming, Arasila took a walk around the park near the magic tower with Sally and Rudy.

They were returning with cotton candy firmly grasped in their hands when Sally discovered something in front of the research lab door and exclaimed, “Oh?”

“A letter has arrived, senior.”

“Really? From whom?”

“It’s for you, senior. There’s no sender written.”

“Let me see it.”

Arasila handed over the cotton candy she was holding to Rudy and received the letter.

Written on the envelope’s surface in handwriting that looked like a right-handed person wrote with their left hand was ‘To Ms. Arasila’.

Just in case, Arasila opened the letter while casting a protection spell. Someone might have sent a bomb disguised as a letter, right?

Fortunately, nothing exploded when the envelope was opened, but Arasila’s expression became increasingly peculiar as she read the letter.

“Senior, what’s wrong?”

“It’s not a curse letter or something, is it?”

“…No, it’s not.”

Arasila answered half a beat late, not taking her eyes off the letter. Sally and Rudy were even more puzzled by her strange reaction.

“Then what kind of letter is it?”

“It’s not a letter.”

“What? Then what is it?”

“It’s an accusation.”

Arasila neatly folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. Then she said to her juniors who were demanding a more detailed explanation.

“An anonymous accusation has come in that a knight of the Red Hawk Order used black magic. Prepare to report to the superiors immediately.”