After talking to Grisha about various things regarding the magic circle engraved in the garden, I eventually spoke about the young leaves of mosa to be harvested.

Upon hearing this, Grisha readily stepped forward.

“Then I’ll go pick the mosa leaves. Nelly can’t go outside the mansion, after all.”

“Huh? B-but Grisha, you must be tired too, so to ask you to go that far…”

“From what I saw, you didn’t plant that many, so it’s no big deal. Just wait a bit.”

Grisha dashed out before I could stop him.

And as if reading my mind, he came back picking only the young mosa leaves that could be used in the magic potion.

‘If it were Cedar, he would have picked even the small leaves that needed to grow more.’

I’m not complaining, but since Grisha was also a magician, there were parts that proceeded smoothly without explanation, which was convenient.

I bowed my head.

“Thanks to you, I got the ingredients quickly. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. It wasn’t difficult. We do much harder things at the academy, don’t we?”

“That’s… true.”

Is there no way to sugarcoat it even a little?

Recalling the academy where I had spent a long time but had no pleasant memories, I lowered my head.

As if by agreement, we both shook our heads as if trying to forget the terrible memories of the academy.

Grisha, as if changing the subject, fiddled with the herbs he had picked.

“The quality of these mosa leaves is very good.”

“Indeed.”

Now that I have someone to help me, should I make the magic potion right away?

I’m not trying to make some terrible poison or transformation potion.

Those are difficult to combine and require a lot of ingredients.

It’s unreasonable to make complex potions that need many ingredients when I don’t even have a house of my own.

Fortunately, Cedar’s house had plenty of clean water and various types of containers.

I took the mosa leaves to the kitchen and diligently made the magic potion. The mosa leaves went in at the end of the process.

“If I grind this finely and mix it with the liquid here…”

When I added the powdered mosa leaves, they dissolved like sugar and disappeared. Finally, I handed it to Grisha.

“Just blow a tiny bit of magic power into it. Gently, as if blowing a breath.”

Even that little is precious to me now, but for Grisha, it’s really nothing in terms of magic power.

As Grisha infused the magic power, the transparent liquid turned a deep purple.

I introduced the potion with a bright smile.

“Ta-da! The Charm Potion is complete.”

“Charm Potion? The one that makes people look more beautiful?”

“Yes!”

I shook the sloshing bottle and explained its effects.

“It just makes the skin look exceptionally clean and the eyes sparkle a bit more. I could make a love potion too, but ethically, we shouldn’t carelessly make and distribute those.”

“You can make those?”

“Of course.”

There are two types of magicians in the academy.

Those who dabble shallowly but widely in various fields outside their specialty, and those who delve deeply only into their specialized field.

I was the former, and Grisha was the latter.

‘Especially when I was studying potions, everyone laughed at me. Not knowing I’d end up making a living by making potions like this.’

Because potions are mainly researched by lower-level sorcerers who have little magic power and are difficult to recognize as magicians, they didn’t become mainstream studies at the academy.

Simply put, chanting a spell and making something happen looks more impressive than taking a potion and having something change.

‘I just learned the principles out of curiosity, though.’

Indeed, whatever a person learns can be put to use.

As I was nodding contentedly, Grisha praised me with a gentle smile.

“You have extensive knowledge of potions too. I guess not just anyone can become an archmage.”

“Even if you flatter me, nothing will come of it, you know?”

It was a feeling beyond ticklishness, making even my hands and feet tingle.

Grisha, examining the Charm Potion from various angles, tilted his head.

“But this is a kind of luxury item, isn’t it? I think medicinal potions or nutritional supplements would have better demand. Why did you choose the Charm Potion?”

“I made the Charm Potion first because it’s easier to make. I think people will want to buy it out of curiosity too. What do you think?”

Grisha stroked his chin and answered seriously.

“If the effect is certain, they’ll definitely want to buy it. But since it’s difficult to sell while proving its effectiveness multiple times, how about giving it for free to people who will spread the word, and then sell it to those who come asking about it?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Is my opinion not good?”

“No! I’m listening intently because it’s such a good answer! Grisha, you’re amazing.”

This is not something to just hear and let go! I hurriedly looked for a notepad and pen.

Written down, it was concise but essential content. I muttered while chewing on the end of the pen.

“I was just thinking of laying them out on the street to sell. You’re right. For a product with such limited quantity, it’s better to spread by word of mouth.”

“People value things more and are more desperate to buy when they have to search hard to get them.”

“That’s right. They want to get their hands on things that are hard to obtain.”

I nodded vigorously. Since it’s a luxury item, it should be difficult to obtain.

As I was pondering various things, a dark shadow fell over my face.

Wondering what was happening, I looked up to find Grisha very close to me.

“Nelly.”

“Yes?”

Grisha’s voice calling my name felt heavier than usual.

As if filled with some intense emotion? But being dull to various emotions, I couldn’t tell what feelings he was calling my name with.

His long, slender fingers coiled around my hair.

Looking at the lemon-colored hair wrapped around his fingers, I raised my head and was met with piercing blue eyes.

“How long are you going to stay here?”

“What are you suddenly saying?”

“You said it was an unwanted marriage, didn’t you? Now that I’m here to help you, wouldn’t it be better to divorce? Before, you had nowhere to go if you divorced, but now you can leave with me, right?”

He suggested leaving together with him as if it was natural, but rather than gratitude, my heart sank heavily.

Just as he had been willing to give up his dream of being a magician without hesitation, it seemed he was now naturally trying to include me in his life again.

At the academy, we certainly relied on each other like family, and Grisha is a very precious person to me.

‘But he shouldn’t keep putting me at the center of his life like this.’

Instead of reaching out to me while going his own way, Grisha was now trying to revolve around me.

That would not be a good flow for both of us in the long run.

What should I say to persuade him?

I looked at Grisha for a moment, then smiled and began in a light tone.

“You should say such things when you have your own house.”

I meant to gently convey that he was still young and shouldn’t carelessly talk about supporting someone, but the response was different from what I expected.

“I, I have a lot of money. My father transferred all the dowry my mother brought to me.”

“Oh, he’s quite meticulous with such calculations.”

It was unexpected, considering he didn’t seem to handle women’s issues cleanly.

Hearing my muttering, Grisha frowned slightly and grumbled.

“Don’t change the subject, Nelly.”

“…”

It didn’t seem like he would back down easily. I finally sighed and answered.

“I’m not going to divorce right away.”

“Why not?”

“Cedar needs a wife. It seems if he doesn’t have a wife, Mrs. Briar will bring someone to be his wife as she pleases. So I agreed to be his wife until he becomes free.”

“Why does Nelly need to help? That person will manage well on his own. He’s been doing fine until now.”

“I saw Mrs. Briar too, and she was really scary. That’s why I want to help.”

“Nelly.”

Grisha’s face was the stiffest I had ever seen.

“Then when exactly does that person become free?”

“Huh? Good question.”

I don’t know that either.

‘Come to think of it, we didn’t talk about the conditions for ending the contract.’

The reason Cedar wants a contract marriage is because he doesn’t want to inherit the duke title.

The condition for inheriting the duke title was to have children.

‘So does our contract end when someone other than Cedar becomes the Duke of Granite?’

But the person qualified to inherit the duke title in the Granite family is…

Interrupting my thoughts, Grisha spoke.

“If you want to set that person free, divorce him right now. I can set him free.”

“Huh?”

How can you?

‘Wouldn’t Grisha be under the same conditions? Getting married and having children.’

Could Grisha already have a wife? Or is he just saying he’ll run away with me outside the empire?

At such a sudden statement, I couldn’t readily give any answer and just opened and closed my mouth.

How much time passed like that? Fortunately, the painful moment was appropriately cut short.

“I’m back.”

It was Cedar returning.

“Cedar…!”

I tried to go out to greet him, but Grisha was still holding my hair, so I had to stop.

Calm blue eyes gazed at me intently.

At the quiet gaze as if measuring the depths of my heart, my breath caught.

It was a sensation I was feeling for the first time when dealing with Grisha.

Unable to look away, unable to back off, I stood there hesitating until Cedar finally came to the kitchen.

“You two there, what are you doing now?”