“Well… why do you ask all of a sudden?”

His tone suggested I had some hidden agenda, which irked me. I replied tersely, “The deed to this building was given to me by a pink-haired mage. Since I’ve confirmed you’re not that mage, I thought you might know who is.”

“Ha…”

Yuri let out a strange sound, waving his hand dismissively with a laugh.

“That’s even less likely. Yujin has nothing to do with magic.”

Yujin. That must be the name of the man with hair like Yuri’s.

‘Then who is the master?’

Another clue slipped away, and I frowned. But my concern was short-lived. I figured I would uncover the truth while staying in this building.

‘It’s actually fortunate that this guy is unemployed if I want to stay here.’

I clenched my fist, determination surging through me.

“Let’s make a deal.”

“A deal? What kind of deal?”

“You don’t intend to hand over the building to me right now. But I’ve just arrived in the capital, and the only thing I have to rely on is this deed. So let’s strike a bargain.”

I opened my palm.

“For just five years, rent this building to me. I’ll pay you more than its worth.”

I specified five years because that was when I would turn back time.

‘By then, everything will become clear.’

I needed to understand why the master directed me to this building and why he performed such miracles for me twice.

‘Let’s buy some time.’

Yuri regarded me with intrigue.

“Hmm, are you bad at math? This seems like a very unfavorable contract for you.”

“Exactly why I’m proposing it. If it were beneficial to me, you wouldn’t agree.”

“What exactly do you plan to do to make money?”

His skeptical tone questioned what a country girl like me was relying on for confidence. I responded with a smile.

“I plan to open a flower shop here.”

“What? A flower shop?”

Yuri frowned, perplexed.

“Why a flower shop? Flowers are abundant in the fields. Nobles or the wealthy would just pick them from their gardens.”

“True. You seem to know a lot about noble life.”

“But then why…?”

Yuri tilted his head, clearly confused. I smiled, choosing not to answer.

It was a valid point—if one didn’t know the future.

‘But I do know the future.’

I didn’t choose a flower shop lightly! In the future I foresee, flowers will be my best opportunity for profit.

For the next five years, the Empire will enter its golden age.

‘With reparations from the war and taxes from unified colonies, the Empire will be wealthier than ever since its founding.’

Money will flow freely, and profits from luxury goods will surpass those from necessities. Naturally, there will be plenty of people eager to flaunt their wealth.

So, what do I think will happen?

When money flows freely, people start to attach significance to things they usually overlook, assigning ridiculous prices to them.

In the Empire’s case, that would be flowers.

‘Soon, there will be a surge in flower prices, with bulb plants like tulips and daffodils fetching exorbitant amounts.’

I already know just how absurdly expensive flowers will become in the future.

‘All I need to do is diligently cultivate flowers here and sell them when the prices skyrocket.’

In the end, I wasn’t just growing flowers; I was cultivating wealth. I crossed my arms, nodding at my perfect plan.

Then my gaze fell on the light pink-haired young man—Yuri, a handsome youth who had lost his magic and was wallowing in despair over not becoming a mage.

‘Since he doesn’t know about the deed, it’s better to keep him close and observe for now.’

Quickly organizing my thoughts, I clenched my fist and spoke to Yuri with newfound confidence.

“If you really can’t trust me, why not run the flower shop with me?”

“What?”

Yuri looked at me, bewildered by my suggestion. I shrugged nonchalantly.

“If you don’t trust me, then keep a close watch. That’s only fair, right? You can observe how I generate profit while we work together. I promise to provide you with regular rent updates.”

“Hey.”

“As you said, it’s an unfavorable contract for me. Surely you won’t nitpick the details, right?”

“…”

“Then I’ll take that as a yes.”

I quickly wrapped up my pitch before he could respond, standing up and rolling up my sleeves.

The building clearly hadn’t been maintained for ages. If I were to open a shop here, I needed to start with a thorough cleaning.

“I’ll use the second floor for myself and run the flower shop on the first floor. First things first, let’s clean up this mess…”

As I searched for a bag to collect the trash, Yuri stepped in front of me, blocking my path. He narrowed his eyes, glaring.

“What exactly are you up to?”

Up to something? That felt a bit harsh. I replied sincerely, “I want to help you.”

Yuri’s eyes narrowed even further at my response.

‘It’s only natural for him to be suspicious.’

To be honest, my motives weren’t entirely altruistic.

‘Running everything alone would be tough. Even if he claims he’s not the master, he might have lost his memory, so it’s wise to keep an eye on him.’

Plus, a flower shop paired with a handsome man was a winning combination. Just imagining Yuri holding a bouquet was dazzling.

‘Hmm, perfect. It’s as if he was born to work in a flower shop with that face.’

Why not entrust your life, which you’ve given up on, to me?

However, it seemed difficult for Yuri to take my words at face value, and he twisted his lips in skepticism.

“I find it hard to understand why someone who came to take the building suddenly wants to help me.”

Then, unexpectedly, he leaned in, bringing his face dangerously close to mine.

“Ah, could it be that you’ve fallen for me?”

Our noses were almost touching. Realizing the closeness, I quickly crossed my arms in an X shape and stepped back.

“…Why are you making such a gesture?”

“Don’t come any closer.”

“Huh?”

Yuri looked at me, bewildered, as if he couldn’t believe my reaction—like I was dealing with a creep.

“This posture is as much about protecting myself as it is about protecting you!” I replied firmly.

“Let me be clear: while I might develop a human affection for you, I will never develop a romantic interest. I’ve decided not to entertain foolish emotions like love in this life. What if I end up doing something crazy again?”

“Something crazy? Like what?”

“Marriage.”

If I get married again, I’m not human anymore.

‘Two crazy acts in one lifetime are more than enough.’

Yuri found my response amusing and laughed out loud. Folding his arms loosely, he said, “That’s exactly how I feel. I have no intention of getting married either.”

“Yes, and I trust you’ll maintain that mindset.”

At my reply, Yuri’s expression turned curious, but it didn’t linger.

“Well, it seems that the deed is genuine. If I don’t agree to the flower shop, it looks like we’ll end up fighting over this building in court…”

With a refreshing smile, he extended his hand toward me. “Let’s work well together for the next five years, Miss Titiana.”

I pouted but slowly took his hand.

Then—

“What?!”

I thought we were just shaking hands, but he flipped my hand over and bent down to place a kiss on the back of it.

‘Isn’t he the one with ulterior motives?’

He has been rather forward since earlier, hasn’t he?

I quickly pulled my hand back and replied primly, “Yes, let’s work well together. But let’s skip the intimate physical gestures!”

***

‘She’s really a strange woman.’

After cleaning the first and second floors, Titiana attempted to clean Yuri’s room on the third floor. However, Yuri politely declined, citing privacy. Titiana backed off without argument.

Instead, she insisted on having him inspect the cleaned areas afterward.

‘This kind of cleaning could be done with just a flick of the fingers.’

Yuri snapped his fingers. Instantly, the cluttered items found their places, and the trash vanished.

What he told Titiana was only half the truth.

Yuri was indeed a mage, as he claimed—a powerful mage who would never lose his magic.

‘But how does a woman I’ve never met know I’m a mage?’

Well, it wasn’t entirely a hidden secret.

His full name was Yuri Esrenche, the second son of the Count of Esrenche.

In social circles, it was already widely known that the second son of the Esrenche family was a great mage.

However, after becoming a mage at a young age, he rarely engaged in external activities. As a result, very few people had actually seen his face.

—

T/N: The things I would give up to clean a whole place with just a snap of my fingers, man.