Chapter 30
It seemed Pipi’s emotion analysis ability still needed some development.
Anyway, there had been an unexpected and huge gain.
“A wish granted by a member of the royal family?!”
I immediately made use of such a priceless opportunity.
Contrary to my worries that I might appear too forward, Her Majesty the Empress graciously accepted my request.
She even seemed somewhat amused.
“What a relief.”
I was fortunate that my little gamble—testing whether the Empress was approachable—had succeeded.
The result would soon become a sweet reward in my hands.
It was just as I arrived home in high spirits.
“What… what’s going on, Freesia?!”
An unwelcome visitor was waiting.
My cousin, Ciela, the child of my uncle, glared at me as if she might jump out at any moment.
“Why are you riding in such a magnificent carriage?!”
Apparently, she had seen me arriving in the carriage provided by the palace through the window.
If it had been Lorena, she would have made some twisted remark like, “A shabby girl like you stepping out of that carriage looks ridiculous,” or “How on earth did you get that carriage?”—words meant to needle me indirectly.
Ciela, by comparison, was straightforward to the extreme.
“Almost like a female Felix,” I thought.
No, scratch that. Even Ciela wasn’t on Felix’s level. There’s a hierarchy even among trash.
As I stared at Ciela, she suddenly flinched and covered her mouth. Then she avoided my gaze, eyes darting around nervously.
“What’s with her?”
[Pipi analyzing emotions… Current emotion detected from Ciela Percival’s expression: fear 49%, frustration 22%. It seems the hierarchy was imprinted after your last lesson with Benefactor!]
What the…
Just one successful counterattack, and she considers the hierarchy settled?
A beast…
I decided to test it.
“Ciela.”
She stiffened instantly.
“Wh-what?”
“Shh!”
“…?!”
“Quiet. Keep your mouth shut.”
“…!”
Even though her expression still showed frustration, she pressed her lips tightly together.
Good grief. She’s actually scared of me.
[Wow! Benefactor is amazing! Maximum charisma!]
Ahem.
Encouraged by Pipi, I cleared my throat and decided to press the advantage.
“What business brings you here?”
“…”
Ciela glared at me with sharp eyes but obediently extended something.
A single letter.
The sender was…
“Edward?”
The name of my cousin, my uncle’s other child, was written on the envelope.
[Ah! That annoying rich brat! I remember!]
Edward never spoke as maliciously as Ciela, but his gaze always felt unpleasantly piercing.
I was far more wary of Edward than Ciela.
Receiving a letter from someone like him made me reluctant, but I opened it anyway.
Inside was something completely unexpected.
[I hear the Academy graduation ball is coming up. Surely you understand that attending without a partner is social suicide? You must feel like you’re on the edge after being abandoned by Felix. But fear not. This elder brother will be your savior that day. I intend to be your partner.]
What was this?
‘…Edward wants to escort me?’
Just imagining that sticky, unpleasant gaze scanning me made me shiver.
I gripped the letter tightly in both hands and summoned all my strength.
“Ciela.”
Rip. Rip.
The moment I tore the letter, Ciela’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
“Uh?”
Even in this moment, she obediently kept her mouth shut.
“Tell Edward this: I would rather commit social suicide than accept his escort.”
Ciela stared at me in shock.
I handed her the torn pieces and led her to the doorway.
“If your business is done, you may leave. Until the family succession is resolved, this is still my house.”
I didn’t forget to make it clear that I had no intention of meddling with the succession.
Ciela remained dumbfounded until I closed the door right in front of her.
Having frequently witnessed Kaien’s temper tantrums, I felt I had finally learned to act a little boldly myself. A sense of pride swelled within me.
‘…Still, she’s a little bothersome.’
After sending Ciela off, I paused to think.
Edward’s claim that entering the graduation ball alone was social suicide wasn’t an exaggeration.
But refusing to attend wasn’t an option either.
‘If I don’t go, I’ll be socially buried!’
The graduation ball was a rite of passage for Academy graduates. Attending formally inducted them into high society.
For someone like me, friendless and inexperienced, it was nothing but torture.
Entering alone would immediately draw countless eyes, mostly filled with ridicule.
Even after six years at the Academy enduring it, I wasn’t immune.
Since I had to attend, I decided it would be best to find a suitable partner to accompany me…
‘Ah.’
A thought suddenly came to me, and I nodded.
‘Yes. That will work!’
The next day.
When I arrived at the Mage Tower, countless eyes fell upon me.
“Really? That newbie is with the Duke…?”
“How on earth?”
“I heard she does her job so well, that’s why the Duke noticed her…”
“What? To be recognized by the Duke? She must be amazing to impress him that much.”
“Shh, quiet. They’ll hear you.”
I overheard whispers everywhere, but unlike before, there were no words like “parachute” or “Cinderella despair edition.”
Most of the glances I felt were curious or admiring.
Though the attention was overwhelming, I kept my composure and walked toward my office, only to encounter a familiar mage.
“Oh, Freesia!”
Luna recognized me with a happy expression, but then her gaze shifted to nervous caution, as if I were a formidable presence.
I waved my hand to preempt her.
“First of all, I’m not involved with the Duke.”
“What? Then why the ‘Heart-Pounding Love Mission’…?”
Just hearing that name aloud made me shiver.
I deliberately spoke loudly enough for others to hear.
“He came to stop me from marrying because he thought I would quit my job if I got married.”
“Oh my! Goodness!”
I had just explained the truth to clarify that I wasn’t romantically involved with Kaien, but Luna looked even more astonished.
“Really? That’s why the Tower Master went that far? My goodness. He must really like you, Freesia! He wouldn’t let you go for anything!”
“Haha…”
I smiled awkwardly, and Luna gazed at me with sparkling eyes.
“That’s amazing. I’ve never seen the Tower Master care so much about anyone. Freesia, you’re incredible!”
Though it felt strange, I didn’t dislike such admiration.
I set off toward my office with a fluttering heart, ready to begin work.
I remembered lines from biographies I read as a child:
‘If it’s for the lord who recognizes me, even my life is not too much to give!’
At the time, I thought the writer had exaggerated.
But now, in a similar situation, loyalty toward Kaien—the first person to truly recognize my worth—welled up naturally.
And I didn’t want to lose the hard-earned trust I had gained.
‘I’ll do my best. Really!’
Loyalty. Loyalty!
With that solemn resolve, I opened the office door.
“Good morning, Duke!”
I greeted politely, startled by the sight before me.
The morning sunlight slipped over his ebony hair.
It caught his long eyelashes, the sharp bridge of his nose, and the perfectly shaped lips.
Even just looking at him felt like receiving a blessing.
“Ah. Newcomer.”
Kaien’s gaze met mine.
Half-dazed, I snapped to attention.
“Yes, sir!”
“Has the… situation been resolved?”
“Thanks to you, it’s progressing smoothly. Truly, thank you!”
“I see.”
Kaien curled his lips in a satisfied smile.
“Remember this: the only time money doesn’t solve a problem is when you didn’t have enough of it.”
