I truly felt the shift in our relationship as we naturally began planning for children.

‘Yes, we’re really becoming a family now.’

I imagined a future where Yuri and I would have a child who resembled us, watching them grow, attend the academy, interact with people, and gradually become an adult.

The distant future, which I had been too busy to even dream about, was now within reach.

‘A child who looks like Yuri… I’m curious too.’

But just as he said, I wanted to leisurely enjoy life as a couple for now.

I smiled bashfully and asked Yuri, “Is there anything you want to do, just the two of us?”

“Well, maybe travel? There are so many landscapes I want to show Titi.”

The day when Yuri and I had passed above the clouds naturally came to mind. The beautiful scenery that Yuri had cherished alone for so long, which I could also share with him at that time.

“I’m looking forward to that too.”

Yuri smiled beautifully, as if my answer made him happy.

***

The wedding day approached in no time.

‘Oh, I’m nervous.’

Sitting in the waiting room before entering the venue, my heart pounded wildly.

‘Everything is prepared, right? Shouldn’t I be checking to make sure nothing’s going wrong with the preparations instead of just sitting here?’

I felt anxious for a moment but shook my head.

‘No, don’t worry on such a good day. Trust others.’

It wasn’t like my past life where I had to handle everything myself without anyone to rely on.

As I calmed myself, a familiar face appeared in the waiting room. It was Rosemary.

“The weather is nice, the venue is beautifully decorated, and the bride is stunning. Congratulations on your wedding, Titi.”

“Rosie.”

Hearing Rosemary’s words, my worries and tension melted away, and tears welled up in my eyes.

I held Rosie’s hand tightly and thanked her sincerely. “It’s all thanks to you, Rosie. Thank you.”

“Oh, Titi, you brought such a wonderful husband all by yourself. What credit could I possibly take?”

“Still.”

“If we’re talking like that, I also met my loved one early thanks to Titi, so let’s say we helped each other.”

Rosemary’s face, always beautiful and confident, was refreshing as she laughed heartily.

‘I’m so glad to be friends with Rosie in this life.’

If there was anything as good as meeting Yuri, it was becoming friends with Rosemary.

As I felt more at ease, my vision widened, and I noticed things I hadn’t seen before.

My gaze naturally turned to Rosemary’s belly and waist. She wore an empire dress without curves, but with her rounded shoulders and tall height, it suited her perfectly.

“When is the royal child due?”

“Oh, just call it a baby. Calling it a royal child before it’s even born feels awkward.”

Rosemary waved her hand with a laugh. I laughed along, but I intended to keep using that title.

‘Even if Rosie is fine with it, others won’t think so. I should always be careful with my words.’

Even though the baby wasn’t born yet, it could one day become the emperor of this country.

The emperor was already preoccupied with choosing a name for the child.

Apparently, due to the overprotectiveness because of the baby, Rosemary shook her head and grumbled.

“It seems like it’ll be born in about three or four months. That’s why I wanted Titi to have the wedding quickly. Soon, I might not even be able to attend a friend’s wedding. You wouldn’t believe how much fuss there is now. Even in my own room, they won’t let me walk on my own.”

Listening quietly, it seemed the fuss was more from the crown prince than the emperor.

Not letting her walk on her own basically meant carrying her around, didn’t it?

“The crown prince must be very affectionate.”

Hearing about the newlyweds’ stories made my cheeks flush without realizing it. Seeing this, Rosemary laughed like a mischievous cat.

“I don’t think you’re in a position to talk about others. Isn’t the Grand Mage already sticking to Titi like a shadow?”

“No, that’s not true.”

I waved my hand and laughed, but then I froze.

‘Or is it?’

As I recalled, just as Rosemary had mentioned, Yuri seemed to have been sticking close to me no matter what I did.

‘No way. Still, he’s not as over-the-top as His Highness the Crown Prince.’

Rosemary stayed and chatted for about ten more minutes before she left.

Afterward, a few young ladies stopped by the waiting room to offer their formal congratulations and then departed. Finally, Colin burst in.

As soon as Colin arrived, he started whining like a child.

“I wanted to officiate the wedding! I even thought of all the magic I would perform during the ceremony. Why are you having a wedding without an officiant?”

If it had been Bradley whining, I might have scolded him, but Colin was much older than me. I asked awkwardly, “Could I ask what kind of magic you were planning to perform?”

“I was going to say, ‘You must never divorce,’ while setting off fireballs.”

Well… I’m glad that didn’t happen.

It could have turned into a terrifying wedding with flames everywhere.

Just as Colin was expressing his disappointment about not being able to participate in his only granddaughter-in-law’s wedding, Bradley showed up.

“Hello, Master?”

No matter how many times I heard it, I couldn’t get used to being called “Master” by that guy.

“It’s been a while, Bradley. Since the tulip auction, right? I was surprised when you disappeared after the auction ended.”

“After sending the carriage to the seller, there wasn’t much for me to do. But it’s nice to get some fresh air after a while. Actually, I was planning to have a meal after offering my congratulations, but the Grand Mage told me to get lost…”

Surprised by Bradley’s words, I widened my eyes and asked, “Did Yuri really say something so harsh?”

Bradley was older than Yuri and had been Colin’s apprentice, so they must have been like brothers. For Yuri to tell him to get lost?

When I asked in surprise, Bradley suddenly became extremely flustered and stammered.

“Oh, no! Of course not. I just, well, thought it was time for me to leave on my own.”

“What?”

“Ha. Anyway, that’s not what’s important! What’s important is that today is a joyous day!”

Bradley awkwardly changed the subject and suddenly clasped his hands together, looking like a girl in love.

“Mages hardly ever get married, so Yuri’s wedding will come as a fresh shock. This might encourage more mages to get married. Then the Magic Tower might turn into a mage village.”

“That sounds nice. Why don’t you find someone special and get married first, Bradley?”

“Oh, I freeze up whenever I see a woman, so it’s impossible for me.”

“…?”

He’s talking to me just fine, so what’s he saying?

There were so many things I wanted to question, but before I could, Bradley suddenly ran off, saying his favorite dessert had appeared.

The next person who came in, almost as if switching places with Bradley, muttered exactly what I wanted to say.

“The guests are really overwhelming.”

“Yujin.”

Yujin was dressed as neatly as when I first met him. His shirt buttons were done up to his neck.

I greeted him with a bright smile.

“I saw the guest thank-you gifts. You did a great job.”

Yujin silently raised his thick eyebrows and replied as if it was no big deal.

“It wasn’t much trouble. The people under me did the hard work.”

Even though he said that, I could tell without looking that Yujin had put a lot of effort into it.

I continued to smile and said, “You look much better now.”

His expression was still stern, but there was something different about him.

‘Above all, I’m glad that in this life, he doesn’t have to suffer from burns.’

Yujin, meeting my gaze, looked away awkwardly. Folding his arms and staring into the distance for a moment, he slowly spoke.

“I submitted my resignation to the administration.”

“What?”

“And next month, I’ll be going down to the estate. I’ve been neglecting it because I’ve been focused on the trading company.”

That was… unexpected.

‘I thought he took pride and responsibility in his work with the administration. Can he really just cut ties like this?’

Would it have no impact on Esrenche?

I had many concerns and questions, but I couldn’t speak carelessly about something I didn’t fully understand. As I hesitated, Yujin’s lips slowly curved into a smile.

It was the first time since I’d known him that I saw such a bright smile.

“Come visit with Yuri. That place is home to him too.”

Finally, I nodded in relief.

“Of course!”

Yujin seemed to have finally freed himself from what had been holding him back.