“Are you treating me as a patient right now?”

The woman trembled as if she was about to pounce at any moment.

While the butler was flustered and Audrey looked anxious, Arasila looked down at her calmly and said:

“That’s because you suddenly came here and started picking a fight.”

“Lady Hugo provoked me first!”

“Who do you think you are for me to do that?”

The face seemed familiar, but Arasila couldn’t quite remember who she was. From the way she spoke, she seemed to be another noble, but still, Arasila didn’t recognize her.

The woman’s eyes shook greatly when she realized Arasila didn’t recognize her. With a reddened face, she stammered:

“You, you don’t know me?”

“Why should I know you?”

“Th-th-this…! I’m Nora White!”

“Ah.”

Only then did Arasila recognize the woman. Or more precisely, her family name.

Long ago, there had been a competition between two families of similar rank over a sapphire mine.

It was between the Hugo Marquis family and the White Marquis family.

The two families, which had been on fairly good terms until then, became hostile over the mine issue. As the adults became resentful, even the children who used to play together were separated and became antagonistic.

In the end, the mine went to the Hugo Marquis family, and the rivalry between the families intensified with each passing generation.

However, recently, as the third generation Hugo Marquis family achieved perfect victories in all areas, the White Marquis family had been relegated to perpetual second place.

Arasila wasn’t interested in this family feud, but she vaguely remembered it because she had heard so much about it.

She didn’t remember the face of the daughter from the rival family, though.

“So you were Lady White. I’m sorry, I tend to easily forget people I don’t need to remember.”

“What did you say?”

Nora bit her lower lip hard and glared at Arasila with a fierce expression.

If looks could kill, she would have torn Arasila to pieces right then and there.

“Be honest, Lady! You knew I liked Earl Vandermir and deliberately approached him, didn’t you?!”

Nora pointed her index finger at Arasila, pressing her. Of course, Arasila wasn’t pushed back by the lady who was half a span shorter than her.

“Otherwise, there’s no way a magician would marry a knight! How did you seduce the Earl? Did you throw yourself at him with your body? How dirty and vulgar!”

Arasila hadn’t said a word, but Nora was making a fuss, shouting all by herself.

Audrey frowned, upset by those excessive words, but Arasila’s face showed no sign of being affected at all.

“My, my. Has Lady White seduced men with her body before?”

Instead, she exaggeratedly covered her mouth with both hands, pretending to be surprised.

“Wh-what? What are you suddenly…!”

“Otherwise, how could that be the first thing that comes out of your mouth? A person’s way of thinking is usually based on their own life experiences, so you must have thought others would do the same because you acted that way?”

As her snow-white hands that had been covering her face came down, a beaming smile was revealed. Nora, flushed up to her neck, charged at Arasila in anger.

“I won’t let you get away with this! Kyaa!”

Nora, who had been rushing at Arasila, was repelled and fell on her bottom.

Arasila, who had blocked Nora’s attack with a defensive spell, spoke to the butler in a calm voice.

“Butler, Lady White seems to be out of her mind. How about calling a doctor?”

“Pardon…?”

The momentarily confused butler soon bowed his head and left.

A moment later, he returned with Demian. He had wisely brought the master of the mansion instead of a doctor.

“Lady White, what are you still doing here?”

“Earl Vandermir!”

Nora ran to Demian, shedding tears. Arasila narrowed her eyes as she watched the back of the woman.

Is this woman perhaps Earl Demian Vandermir’s hidden lover?

“Please don’t touch my body.”

But seeing Demian frown and avoid Nora, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

His golden eyes filled with contempt. Nora cried out with a hurt expression.

“How could you, Earl! Why did it have to be Arasila Hugo? What’s so great about that lady!”

“Well, it’s obvious that I’m pretty great, Lady White.”

At those words, Nora turned her head sharply and glared at Arasila viciously.

“What’s so great about you besides your face!”

“Why exclude the face? It’s a gift from God.”

Arasila smiled as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Indeed, standing there with sunlight streaming through the intricately designed glass windows, she looked as beautiful as an angel descended from heaven.

It was an undeniable fact that no one present could refute.

“…”

And feelings of inferiority filled every corner of Nora’s face as she looked at Arasila.

Biting her lips, Nora soon turned to Demian and pleaded desperately.

“Earl Vandermir, please reconsider! Lady Hugo will never be able to support you wisely. Don’t be fooled by that face. Besides her looks, what other merits does she have in your eyes?!”

At those words, Demian glanced at Arasila before answering.

“If I had to pick one, I’d say it’s that confidence.”

“That’s arrogance!”

“No, it’s humility.”

Arasila put her hand on her chest and lifted her chin, her face brimming with confidence and self-esteem.

“Honestly, at this level, if we put an ad in the continental newspaper calling her the pride of Setron, no one could argue. This beauty, magical talent, and prestigious family background. She has it all, doesn’t she?”

“Ha…!”

Nora felt that she was terribly shameless, but what irritated her more was that she had no words to refute.

“That’s why the Earl chose to marry me.”

By this point, Arasila had recalled a recent memory about Lady White.

The Lady White that Iris had told her about, who had been chasing after Demian Vandermir for a long time.

It was clear that the lady was none other than Nora White standing before her.

“If you’re upset, you should have been born as me.”

Even when she smiled annoyingly, Arasila’s features sparkled like a fairy’s.

Demian sighed deeply and stood in front of Nora, who was glaring at Arasila as if she wanted to kill her.

“Please go back now, Lady White. I hope you won’t come again.”

“Earl…!”

Nora looked hurt, but he was firm.

“Albert, please see Lady White out.”

“Yes, young master.”

As she was practically chased out of the mansion, Nora warned Arasila.

“You’ll see, Lady Hugo.”

“Yes. Look at my face a lot.”

Arasila peeked out from behind Demian’s back and smiled brightly. She even cupped her chin cutely with her hand.

With a scream, Nora White disappeared, leaving only Arasila and Demian.

“Earl, did you have a past relationship with Lady White?”

“Are you crazy? Lady White is acting like this one-sidedly.”

Demian denied it with disgust. It felt like the truth without needing to probe further.

“I just asked in case.”

“Absolutely not. Don’t harbor unnecessary curiosity and follow me.”

The two moved to Demian’s office. Soon, a servant brought tea and desserts.

“There’s an uproar in the Vandermir Duke’s family. They say they’re coming up to the capital right away.”

“Ah, they’re not in the capital now?”

“Unless there’s something special, our family stays in the duchy.”

Unlike most nobles who stay in the capital and only go down to their territories when there’s business, the Vandermir Duke’s family mainly lived in their duchy located in the southern part of the empire.

Well, given that the size of their territory was no less than the capital and the family’s standing was solid, there was no reason to live in the capital.

“But why do you live in the capital? Is it because of the knights?”

“That’s part of it, and also because I’m the child the family has cast out.”

Arasila paused at the calm answer that flowed like water. As she had felt from before, this man seemed to be ostracized within his family.

‘It doesn’t seem right to probe into this in detail, does it?’

With that much consideration, she naturally changed the subject.

“If they’re on their way to the capital now, I should prepare to greet them.”

Arasila took a sip of tea and raised her eyes that had been lowered.

Under her long, lush eyelashes, glass-like eyes looked at Demian.

“When will your family arrive?”

“At the earliest, the day after tomorrow.”

“Come to our house first tomorrow.”

Thinking it seemed odd to go pay respects to the family only after announcing the marriage, even if it couldn’t be helped, Demian nodded.

“Are there any precautions or anything I need to prepare when visiting the Marquis’s house?”

“Hmm.”

Arasila put her hand on her cheek and thought for a moment before smiling brightly.

“The determination to take away their lovely second daughter?”

‘Earl Vandermir will be coming to pay his respects tomorrow.’

The announcement Arasila dropped at the dinner table the night before made the Hugo Marquis family, already shocked by the newspaper article, even more agitated.

While the Marquis couple made a fuss asking why she was only telling them now, Adrian humbly prepared to welcome his second sister’s prospective husband.

“Make me look charismatic and cool no matter what!”

“Yes, young master.”

The servant suppressed a laugh as he adjusted Adrian’s formal uniform collar.

The boy in his early teens had even slicked back his hair with pomade and was in the midst of grooming. His sole purpose was to look more manly and dependable than today’s guest.

‘I’ll show the dignity of the Hugo Marquis family’s heir and prevent him from taking my sister away!’

With this lofty dream, Adrian waited for Demian along with his family.

Soon, a carriage with a red hawk emblem flag entered the Marquis’s mansion. Adrian watched intently as the man stepped out of the carriage, his eyes wide open.

‘…Gasp!’

Adrian’s eyes widened as he saw the surprisingly elegant and beautiful face.

Until now, he had thought the most handsome person in the world was his father, followed by himself, but upon seeing Demian, he realized that thought was wrong.

‘No! He might be as short as a dwarf…!’

However, as Demian approached, he mercilessly shattered Adrian’s expectations.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Marquis Hugo. And Madam Marquis.”

“Welcome, Earl.”

He was taller than his father. Adrian was shocked.

Until now, his father had also been the tallest person in the world to him.

‘No, no… He might be too weak to protect my sister!’

Adrian, who hadn’t given up hope yet, heard his eldest sister’s shocking words.

“I heard you were the Empire’s youngest Sword Master, and indeed, your aura is overflowing.”

“You flatter me, Lady.”

Adrian’s favorite lesson in his heir education was swordsmanship.

He preferred swinging a sword outside to studying at a desk. Of course, he couldn’t easily bring it up since his sister was a magician.

Anyway, Adrian knew how great a Sword Master was. A Sword Master was stronger than even his father.

“This is my younger brother, Adrian.”

Arasila put her hand on the shoulder of her brother, who was lost in shock.

“Nice to meet you, young lord.”

“Adrian, you should greet the Earl too.”

Even as his sister patted his back, Adrian’s mouth wouldn’t open.

The boy, who had been motionless with his head bowed, soon squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.

“I object to this marriage!”

Adrian spread his arms to block Arasila.

“Don’t take our sister away!”

While the Marquis family looked at Adrian with surprised eyes, Demian, who had been looking at the small child for a moment, bent down and spoke with a serious face.

“Even if a sword is at my neck, I will marry your sister. Don’t waste your precious life in vain and give up, young lord. I will take Lady Hugo.”

“…Hic, huu, sniff.”

Up close, Demian was handsome, but his gaze was so chilling that it was too scary.

Mixed with fear and frustration, Adrian ran to his mother with tears in his eyes.

Against the background of soft crying sounds, Arasila and Demian’s eyes met.

“…Didn’t you tell me to come prepared?”

“I never said to show that to an eleven-year-old.”