Frigia handed me several certificates as if asking me to believe her.

‘Continent-certified Interior Design Certificate, Rihart Gardener Certificate, Rihart Organizing Certificate, Storage Expert…’

I had asked for an expert, but I didn’t even know such certificates existed in this world.

I looked at Frigia in bewilderment, and she smiled broadly.

“Is this enough qualification?”

“Of course. You’re a complete expert.”

“I’ve acquired various things as hobbies.”

Frigia waved her hand as if it was no big deal.

‘This isn’t right, is it?’

I felt like things were taking a strange turn.

But it was also problematic to worry too much about things that hadn’t happened yet.

‘Don’t be nervous, Eileen.’

I didn’t know how Frigia felt about Kashar.

Besides, I was officially his lover, so it would be strange for Frigia to approach Kashar.

“I think I know why you were looking for an expert. The garden, and even the castle… it’s all in the Ma’in style, right?”

Frigia asked, tapping a decorative skull as she looked around the hall.

“That’s right. It might be fine for adults, but for the princes…”

“It’s not good for their emotional development?”

When I nodded vigorously, Frigia chuckled softly.

‘A beautiful woman’s laugh is different.’

It wasn’t just that she looked kind, but it seemed like everything around her was shining.

Frigia dropped a bombshell with that pretty face of hers.

“That’s great! I was hoping to meet Duke Bladis anyway.”

“You mean Kashar?”

“Yes. He’s such a famous person, after all.”

It was a smile with an incomprehensible meaning.

As I stood there blankly, Frigia pointed behind me.

“Oh, here he comes!”

Kashar was coming down.

He stopped beside me and faced Frigia.

It was truly a meeting of a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

“Hello, Duke Bladis! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in person.”

Frigia greeted him with that bright smile of hers.

In response, Kashar, who was wrapping his arm around my shoulder, asked with narrowed eyes.

“What brings you here?”

Magician, professor, guild master.

Frigia had various titles. Kashar was asking in which role she had come here.

“I came as Eileen’s friend and as an interior designer!”

“Is that so?”

“Of course!”

There was a subtle atmosphere flowing between the two smiling at each other.

‘Did they know each other in the original story?’

Just listening to their conversation, it certainly seemed so.

In the original story, Frigia was supposed to side with Michael to help Elsius.

So I thought she wouldn’t have any connection with the current Kashar.

As I racked my brain, I came to one conclusion.

‘Could it be, like a first love?’

Kashar being a virgin was content from the original story and rumors in social circles, but I didn’t actually know who he might have had feelings for.

‘There’s also such a thing as platonic love.’

Besides, unfulfilled love tends to be more poignant.

‘Look, sparks are flying from their eyes.’

It was certainly not an ordinary relationship.

I was in the midst of confusion.

Frigia linked her arm with mine and pulled me away from Kashar.

“Lady Eileen!”

“Yes?”

“I’m confident in decorating. I’ll take responsibility and help you. Come on, let’s take a look around together!”

Frigia’s eyes were kind without any malice.

I ended up touring the entire castle with her, starting from the garden.

“It’s like they moved a castle from Barahan here as is.”

“Have you been there?”

“Yes. There are many magical ingredients in the Land of Darkness. Transactions are quite easy too. If I’m stronger, I can negotiate better prices!”

Frigia giggled as she gathered lightning in her delicate hand.

She casually threw it, and one of the monster statues crumbled down.

“Ah, haha. Power is the best indeed, right?”

“Of course! I’ll help you demolish some things too!”

No wonder she didn’t even pretend to be surprised at the state of the castle. There was a reason for everything.

“Oh right, do you have a theme in mind?”

“I was thinking about it after removing all the Ma’in decorations.”

Actually, it would probably be much better just by removing the scary statues and skulls.

In short, removal was the top priority.

“Then would you like to look at the catalog? I brought some estimates because I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”

Frigia pulled out a booklet.

It contained modern castle and mansion interior designs and garden styles.

“This one and this one would be nice.”

“The Duke will be paying for it, right?”

“I think so.”

“Then I’ll go ask about the budget!”

“What?”

Before I could answer, Frigia quickly ran off.

I hurriedly chased after her, but Frigia had already entered Kashar’s office.

The door was half-closed, making it awkward to follow her in.

Instead of going inside, I peeked through the gap to look at them.

“…so.”

“…I see.”

Perhaps because of the distance, I couldn’t hear their exact words.

Sunlight poured over Kashar sitting in his seat and Frigia leaning on the desk.

They looked like the main characters, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

Moreover, the two of them were even smiling as if they were enjoying themselves.

‘Why do I feel this way?’

Was it because I had realized my feelings for Kashar?

My heart sank just seeing him close to someone else.

Besides, Frigia was someone I had intended to introduce to him.

A moment later, Frigia, having finished her conversation, came out into the hallway.

“Ah, were you waiting?”

“Yes. What did Kashar say?”

“He said not to worry about the budget and to do whatever you want. Surprising, isn’t it?”

Frigia smiled brightly.

It hadn’t even taken 5 minutes for her to come out.

It seemed like they had only talked about work, but the ending was still ambiguous.

‘Should I ask now?’

As I hesitated, loud footsteps were heard from beyond the stairs.

“Attack! Atta- Oh, it’s Eileen!”

Louis came charging towards me with a toy sword.

Evan appeared behind him.

Evan seemed embarrassed about playing with toys and quietly hid his shield model behind his back.

“Hello, Eileen.”

“Ah, it’s someone I haven’t seen before!”

Unlike Evan who was greeting me, Louis’s attention was focused on Frigia.

Frigia also lowered herself to make eye contact with the children.

“You must be the princes of Rihart.”

“Yes, that’s right. Say hello, Your Highnesses. This is Princess Frigia of Laksha.”

Realizing she was an important guest, Louis and Evan displayed their etiquette and greeted her.

Their precisely angled bows looked very dignified.

“Hello, Princess! I’m Evan, and that’s Louis.”

“What are you saying? Didn’t I tell you not to play around in front of guests?”

“Evan is no fun!”

…Though they soon returned to their usual selves.

“How adorable! Please call me Frigia. I look forward to getting to know you!”

Not particularly concerned with formalities, Frigia’s cheeks flushed pink.

“If you want to be friends with us, you need to be able to tell me and Evan apart!”

“I’ll try my best. You’ll forgive me if I make a few mistakes, right?”

Frigia was kind to the children as well.

She was the perfect candidate for Kashar’s partner that I had been looking for before.

As I was feeling bitter with an emotion I couldn’t identify, Frigia’s blue eyes sparkled mysteriously.

“…You really are members of the Rihart royal family.”

Those eyes seemed to be looking into Louis and Evan’s inner selves.

“I want to go play again now! Hiyah!”

“Hey, stop right there! Eileen, see you later!”

Louis bonked Evan’s head with his sword. The children disappeared down the hallway, unable to stay still for even a moment.

Frigia’s gaze followed the twins.

Exceptional magicians could recognize hidden talents.

I hastily asked about the children.

“Do you see something?”

“…I sense a huge mass of magical power. From beyond a door that hasn’t been opened yet. It could be very dangerous, or it could be extraordinary.”

Frigia was right.

In the original story, the children die around the middle of the plot.

The children, who were competing with Kashar, lose control of their magic due to a sudden surge of magical power.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Kashar kills Louis and Evan one after another.

‘At least in the current future, Kashar won’t have a reason to kill the children.’

As their guardian, he would protect them rather than point a sword at them.

So I thought all I had left to do was prevent Kashar from becoming the Demon King and starting a continental war.

But.

‘It could be dangerous if they can’t properly control their magical power.’

Magical power surges were that dangerous for magicians.

“Could you introduce someone who can teach magic to the princes?”

“I’d like to teach them myself, but I’m too busy to give them the delicate instruction they need.”

As if reluctant to let go of promising talents, Frigia couldn’t take her eyes off the children.

“I see. Then if we look for someone else…”

“Is there really a need for that?”

“Pardon?”

“There’s a near-Named in this castle, after all.”

A ‘near-Named’ was just below the rank of a renowned magician.

Although not a perfect Named, sometimes there were magicians even more exceptional than Named ones.

‘Like a hidden master?’

Usually, these were people who had little interaction with the outside world and were devoted to their own research.

It was hard to believe there was a near-Named in this castle.

But I could immediately think of someone.

“Do you mean Adjutant Mihail Evans?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

Frigia nodded.

She was smiling brightly, but soon lowered her voice secretively and asked.

“Do you know what his nickname is in the Magic Tower?”

“W-What is it?”

The Mihail I had met was such a cold person that I couldn’t read him at all.

‘He didn’t have a big role in the original story either.’

His entire narrative was appearing as Kashar’s adjutant and dying as his adjutant.

Is he a scarier person than I thought?

I waited for Frigia’s words with great tension.

“The Gray Weirdo.”

“Pfft…!”

I barely managed to cover my mouth before spitting out.

‘Why do I feel like I know even before hearing the explanation?’

Moreover, it was a fitting nickname.

I barely held back my laughter and asked back.

“Why did he get such a nickname?”

“Mihail’s research lab was all gray. Well, that’s common enough in the Magic Tower, but… that lab exploded once.”

Since so many magicians wrecked their labs, I thought nothing of it up to that point.

The problem was the change in the Magic Tower after the lab exploded.

“The entire Magic Tower turned gray.”

“…Is that even possible?”

“It turned out to be possible.”

Frigia giggled as if it was amusing.

The Magic Tower was carved from a single massive ancient magic stone and was considered one of the most beautiful buildings on the continent.

‘And it’s extremely sturdy too.’

No matter what exploded inside, there had been no changes throughout history.

That is, until Mihail made his mark.

“Do you know what he said to me after that?”

It was truly an anticipated review.

“‘How beautiful.'”

Mihail praised the gray-turned Magic Tower as beautiful.

The only way to restore the Magic Tower that had turned gray was to scrape off all the changed parts.

“Mihail coughed up the cleaning costs and was expelled from the tower. It’s fortunate it ended there, I heard the Tower Master was raging that he would tear that guy limb from limb.”

There was a rumor that the exterior of the Magic Tower, which had remained unchanged for so long, decreased by about 1 cm.

‘…He was a much stranger person than I thought.’

Mihail was hiding quite an eccentricity under that icy face of his.

‘Is it really okay to entrust the children to him?’

A sudden wave of anxiety came over me.

I was wondering if I should ask for someone else to be introduced, when at that moment.

Mihail was standing behind Frigia.

“I wonder what story you’re talking about so amusingly.”

It was the appearance of the Gray Weirdo.