“Of course. Being able to command a spirit—you know how rare that is throughout history?”

I was a person destined to leave a mark on the annals of history.

I felt like getting his autograph in advance, but the man himself seemed utterly dispirited.

“But…”

Rudbion couldn’t genuinely accept the congratulations.

“He must feel terribly sorry.”

It’s just that Kashar was monstrous; it wasn’t something that could have been stopped by one person alone.

Yet, Rudbion had endless potential; with just a bit more progress, he could easily blow away such rabble.

“I’m perfectly fine. You just saved me, didn’t you?”

Let’s overlook the fact that I almost tripped while chasing him; it was like giving a disease then offering the cure.

I extended my hand to him, kneeling down.

“If you’re really sorry, then keep protecting me.”

Eventually, the hesitant Rudbion stood up, holding my hand.

“I will protect you, even if it costs me my life.”

“That’s a bit too much pressure. I don’t want Rudbion to die.”

Nobody would want to witness death, especially if it was because of me. The thought was chilling.

“…Then I’ll become stronger.”

“Good thinking.”

I nodded at his words, appreciating the falling leaves.

“It’s really autumn now.”

The azure sky harmonized well with the colorful leaves.

As I enjoyed the fullfledged season, my thoughts drifted to Kashar.

“It was around this time for Kashar’s birthday, right?”

It started with Elysius celebrating Kashar’s otherwise overlooked birthday, and from there his obsession began in earnest.

“Let’s see. One, two… huh?”

Counting the days on my fingers, I was suddenly startled.

“It’s next week!”

Only three days remained until the birthday.

“What should I do?”

“What’s the matter?”

Seemingly concerned, he looked at me when I started to become restless.

Avoiding my gaze, I noticed Rudbion’s ear reddening.

This man was genuinely shy.

“Tell me, Rudbion, what do men like?”

“Like, you say?”

He’s a man too, so he might know better than me.

Elysius gave Kashar a homemade cake as a gift.

I wanted to give something more special than the original, but was unsure.

‘Not much time left.’

I felt relieved to have remembered before the birthday.

“Will you help me?”

I looked at Rudbion as I asked.

(This is a time divider.)

If the palace had a street of affluence, then the capital had Nike’s fountain.

Centered around a fountain featuring the statue of Nike, symbolizing victory, several affluent shops were gathered.

Unlike the street festivals dominated by commoners, here one could see people in extravagant attire.

‘Maybe I can find a suitable gift here.’

The entire reason I had come this far was for Kashar’s birthday.

I alternately looked at Rudbion standing beside me and the pendant in my hand.

‘You mustn’t say I gave it to you.’

Mikhail, who had given this, reminded me several times.
The pendant had a onetime use return spell. This meant I could go back to the ducal mansion whenever I wanted.

‘I doubt anything will happen.’

I had more than enough safety measures.

I decided to seriously look for Kashar’s birthday gift.

“What do you plan to look at first?”

“Um, maybe a pen or a tie? Something wearable would be nice.”

“Then let’s go that way. There are lots of jewelry stores clustered there.”

“Great!”

Spending the entire day browsing should yield something.

I was just about to change direction when

“Up to here is the limit! If you haven’t taken a number, please leave!”

The shopkeeper rang a bell and shouts, and sighs echoed around.

The long line of people was for my shop.

The dessert shop ‘정(情)’, with its white plaster tiles and luxurious wood finish, stood out even on a flashy street.

‘I completely forgot to visit the store.’

My first view of my store was luxurious and crowded.

‘Looking at the exterior design, it seems the two have agreed well.’

Kashar had the rights to sell desserts and alcohol, while Freesia had the rights to design.

I felt good seeing the neat finish.

“Ludvion, let’s make a quick stop there.”

“But….”

Seeing that the numbers were done, Ludvion expressed concern, but there was no problem.

“It’s fine. That’s my shop.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll see when you go.”

I led a confused Ludvion into the shop.

Just then, an employee guarding the store approached.

“I apologize, but we’ve run out of tickets for today.”

“I know. That’s why the password is ‘Oreo Choco Pie 정.'”

The employee looked shocked when I said the predetermined password.

“Owner…!”

“Shh, keep quiet. We’re just going to look around and leave today.”

“Ah, understood. This way, please.”

The surprised employee led us through the alley.

A backdoor appeared where the employees were coming and going.

We were able to enter easily.

The shop was fairly crowded inside, but social distancing was wellmaintained thanks to the limited number of people.

‘That’s a curtain section, and that’s a sitting section.’

The stairs were all wooden, and lowsaturation wallpaper on the walls gave a calming atmosphere.

I was quite pleased with the look of the shop I designed, which mixed Eastern and Western feels appropriately.

‘Let’s see, they’re selling today after all.’

The shop was offering various desserts made by Reinhart’s pâtissier.

Among them, the Choco Pie, a special menu item limited to 15 per day, came in.

‘It needs to look luxurious, so the decorations are elaborate.’

The Choco Pie was displayed on an artisancrafted plate.

While I was looking around, Ludvion asked as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Is this store really yours, Your Grace?”

“Yes. It’s my first time here too. I’m glad it’s going well.”

Although I was seeing the store for the first time, I had been closely monitoring the revenue.

‘With the makgeolli shop, it’s more than a goose that lays golden eggs.’

I thought happily of the promissory note.

“Now, let’s go back to gift shopping.”

Money wasn’t the issue. The issue was what to buy.

Highquality items needed to be ordered in advance, so my options would be limited.

I was just about to leave my shop.

“How terribly rude you are!”

A sharp voice caught my attention.

The person standing there was.

‘Jayana Enders?’

The appearance of the villainess number one in the story.