“Oh, these roses are blue?”

He must have spent all his time researching in the Magic Tower. Despite blue roses being a major trend in the capital, he seemed to be seeing them for the first time.

Colin chimed in on Bradley’s remark.

“Huh? Is that a rose?”

Or is it not? Do mages generally have no interest in flowers? I pushed that thought aside and replied.

“Those are dyed.”

“Dyed?”

“Roses don’t naturally come in blue.”

“Ah, I see.”

Bradley, intrigued, examined the blue rose from various angles, then stroked his chin and asked,

“Didn’t Yuri try to solve this with magic?”

“Well, he did ask if it could be easily done with magic. Can you do it, Bradley?”

“It shouldn’t be too difficult. There are spells to change hair or eye color, after all. …Huh?”

Bradley, who had been reaching out to the rose as if to demonstrate something, suddenly opened his eyes wide when the flower burst with a pop.

“It’s not as easy as I thought. Why is this happening?”

Bradley became so absorbed in his struggle with the flower that he soon forgot I was even there.

Colin, accustomed to his disciple’s antics, called me over.

“Leave him be and come sit here.”

He handed me a long roll of paper.

“This is the list of assets. Look it over and ask if there’s anything you don’t understand.”

Even at a glance, there were many items, and they weren’t meant for me. The list was filled with artifacts, but it was hard to discern what they were.

‘Everything in the Magic Tower technically belongs to the Tower Master.’

Well, someone has to legally own these assets.

Still, the burden of having my name listed as the owner of these things remained.

After scanning the list one more time, I gathered the transfer confirmation and the list. I carefully rolled up the paper again to avoid crumpling it and replied,

“I’ll take it as you’re passing it through me because Yuri keeps running away. After all, a couple shares ownership.”

“Our Yuri has found a good wife, who speaks so clearly.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t make any claims to the rights.”

“Why? You could sell it all if you wanted. Do as you please.”

“…”

Colin seemed ready to praise anything I said. If I sold everything, the mages would end up on the streets.

‘I have to take good care of them.’

First, I needed to store the list safely.

“I’ll be right back to my room. Please enjoy this while you wait.”

Fortunately, there was some ricotta cheesecake Yuri had made that morning, so I served it with tea and stood up.

As I carefully placed the papers somewhere I would never lose them, I heard the two talking as I descended the stairs. Bradley, who had been engrossed in casting spells on the flowers, seemed to have returned, lured by the ricotta cheesecake.

“Yuri must not only be blessed by the god of magic but also by the god of cooking.”

“This is really delicious. I just want to live here. It’s comfortable, the air is refreshing, and the food is delicious.”

“If you say things like that carelessly…”

The chatter quickly died down. I immediately realized the reason for the sudden silence.

‘Yuri must be back.’

The mere fact that Yuri had returned made my steps feel lighter.

As I descended the stairs with a tap-tap sound like a dance, I saw the now-familiar wavy pink hair.

“Why are you here again, Master?”

Yuri looked at Colin with a cold expression I had never seen directed at me.

Poor Colin and Bradley froze at Yuri’s sudden appearance.

“Well, you see, I was explaining the list of assets…”

“What is that dish?”

“Hiccup!”

Bradley, who hadn’t responded, turned out to be stuffing his cheeks with ricotta cheesecake like a hamster.

Colin awkwardly laughed and stood up.

“Since I’ve delivered the message, I should be going now… Oh? Wait a minute.”

Colin, who had been trying to sneak out quietly, widened his eyes when he saw Yujin standing behind Yuri.

Approaching Yujin, Colin furrowed his brow and asked, “I sense a magical aura from you. Could it be…?”

Yuri quickly clamped a hand over Colin’s mouth.

At that moment, Yuri’s eyes met mine. He hadn’t realized I had come down, and his expression turned complicated. Biting his lip, he pulled Colin away.

“Let’s step outside for a moment.”

“Why? Wait a minute! Did I do something wrong again?”

Yuri dragged Colin outside, with Bradley hastily following them.

“…”

The shop, which had been bustling just moments before, suddenly fell silent.

Left alone with Yujin, I glanced up to gauge his reaction. Yujin, looking as awkward as I felt, bowed slightly in greeting.

“I didn’t mean to drop by so suddenly. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.”

With those words, silence descended again. My mind seemed to freeze, and I couldn’t think of what to say next.

Yujin was the first to break the silence. “You asked Yuri to keep an eye on me, didn’t you?”

At Yujin’s words, I clasped my hands tightly together.

It seemed the thing I had been worrying about had become a reality. I should have been glad if my assumptions were correct, but instead, I felt troubled.

I replied in a somber tone, “I thought you might rush in, even if it cost you dearly, to make Princess Sabina pay for her crimes.”

“Why did you think I would do that?”

“Because only you and I know all the wrongs Princess Sabina has committed.”

Sabina had driven my first husband to suicide through deceit and had taken my second husband through infidelity.

I was the only one who remembered the future events that had been erased.

I looked at Yujin with certainty and asked, “It was you, wasn’t it? The one who turned back my time?”

In truth, I had been uncertain all along. Logically, it seemed more natural for Yuri to be the Master.

But something had been bothering me. The Master had handed me the deed to the building, saying: [When you open your eyes again, go there. Someone will be there to help you.]

As if implying there would be someone else.

And the things I heard at the villa—how Yuri wanted to pass the burden of magic to someone else, or Yujin asking me if I was happy—made me sure.

It wasn’t Yuri; it was Yujin who was the Master.

“…”

I saw tension in Yujin’s firm jaw.

He stared at me with an unreadable expression for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I felt deflated. I had vaguely anticipated he might react this way. Still, it was a bit disappointing.

We had crossed paths so many times.

Even if it wasn’t a romantic connection, we had met like fate and become friends.

“If you say you don’t know, then that’s that. I wasn’t trying to press you.”

Sincerely, I extended my pinky finger to the man who had given me multiple chances. “Take care of yourself, Yujin.”

Yujin’s eyes, darker than Yuri’s, gazed at my outstretched finger. A low sigh dispersed above my head.

His rough, thick finger wrapped around my pinky, and a response, tinged with a hint of laughter, came back. “I promise.”

I looked up at Yujin. I was sure I heard a laugh, but there was no trace of a smile on his face.

With those words, Yujin left the shop.

As if in passing, Yuri returned to the shop and saw me tidying up the dishes. He tilted his head in curiosity. “Did Yujin leave?”

“Yes.”

Since he promised, he wouldn’t do anything reckless.

Even before, and now, he didn’t seem very happy. That fact left a slight bitter taste.

Yuri, who had been watching me with a pout, came over and hugged me around the waist. Clinging to me playfully, he kissed my cheek. “Then, stay with me now. I’m tired from running around since early morning.”

“But you usually wake up even earlier than this.”

“Still, doing something I don’t feel like doing is really exhausting.”

“If you hadn’t helped this time, it would have been a lifelong burden for you too, Yuri.”

To my response, Yuri nodded readily. Finding him adorable, I turned to kiss his cheek and whispered softly, “But from now on, staying together is a good idea.”

Yuri’s blue eyes seemed to widen slightly, then softened with a sweet light.

Yuri then naturally shifted his position to face me.