After finishing our preparations to go out, we left the mansion to distribute invitations to everyone. We first headed to the Hershey family’s townhouse and gave one each to my mother and my mother-in-law. Although there wasn’t really a need to give one to my mother-in-law since she’s a part of the Keppel family, I didn’t want her to feel left out and sulk. As expected, my mother-in-law was very pleased and said:

“I’m looking forward to seeing who will be my partner.”

I looked at her with a puzzled expression, wondering what she meant. My mother-in-law quietly covered her mouth with one hand and said:

“Maria said she would select the student with the best etiquette from the group and bring them to the Duchess’s party. My partner will probably be chosen that way.”

“Well… that’s certainly motivating for learning.”

My mother seems to be in her element here.

“By the way, Mother, when do you plan to return home?”

It had already been over ten days since she said she would stay for a few days. At my question, my mother-in-law blushed and whispered again:

“I… I’m going to live independently.”

…???

“Anyway, as I get older, I find that spending time with friends is more enjoyable than staying at home. Don’t worry, I’m getting along well with Maria.”

Friends? Since when did they become so close? Does this mean she’s not coming back at all? I nodded in confusion. In any case, my mother-in-law looked much brighter than when she used to be constantly anxious about Ian and me.

Our next stop was Isabella’s theater. Isabella seemed deeply moved when she saw my invitation.

“You’re inviting me too? This is the first time I’ve been invited to such a party…”

“It’s not a grand party. I’m just inviting people I’m grateful to. I’ll also invite Bill and Greta, and the only person you might know is Benjamin… Ah, the Imperial Wizard Corps will be there too, so it would be nice to get acquainted with them in advance.”

“When I get become a fully fledge wizard, can I brag that my first debut party in society was the Duchess’s party?”

Oh, does it work like that? Noblewomen usually make their debut by meeting the Empress in the morning of the New Year’s Ball and attending the ball in the afternoon. And men don’t have such specific events. For men, making their debut is simply about appearing at a suitable event at the right time, and the status or honor of the person who invites them often reflects on their own honor. The same goes for knights.

“I don’t mind, but I’m not sure if it’ll help your reputation.”

I gave a bitter smile. Once the social season starts, I’ll likely be the biggest topic of gossip this season. Well, when haven’t I been…? But this time, it’ll probably be on a whole different level. Isabella smiled brightly and said:

“I understand what you’re worried about, but I don’t care. What matters is that the Keppel family is the second most prestigious family after the imperial family. Besides, the Keppel family doesn’t host parties often, so this is even more special.”

Isabella really didn’t seem to be bothered at all.

“And when I debut in society, I’ll reveal that I was on a secret mission under the Emperor’s orders. That won’t erase all the rumors about my scandal with His Excellency, but… if I greet you, you’ll accept, right?”

I didn’t realize Isabella was still thinking about that incident. I chuckled and said:

“Of course. We’re like sisters now.”

At that, Greta, who was standing behind me for protection, quietly added:

“You’re the youngest.”

Isabella huffed in frustration, while I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. We took Isabella with us to give Bill his invitation. Bill looked rather awkward about receiving it, but after Isabella persistently persuaded him, he reluctantly agreed to attend. After leaving Isabella at the Red Pub, we headed to the old apothecary. The old woman there nearly fainted when she realized my identity.

“D-Duchess, ma’am. I’ve been so disrespectful…”

“Please don’t be like this. I’m here to thank you.”

Her wrinkled face turned pale, then blue, and I was worried she might pass out. I quickly grabbed her hands and massaged them.

“Come on, Grandma. Get a hold of yourself.”

Greta also sat across from her, pressing her hands firmly. The old woman suddenly screamed:

“Ouch, you brat! Oh, I mean… forgive me, Your Grace…”

I held her hand tightly and said:

“Thanks to your medicine, I’ve survived many crises. I came here to ask for your help again.”

“What can I do for you, Duchess? Please, just say the word. I’ll do my best.”

“Could you take a look at this?”

I took out some roscari leaves from my bag and showed them to her. Since she’s a mage as well, I thought she might know something.

“This is a dried herb called roscari, which I brought from Laran. When burned, its scent calms magical power. I need it to survive a bit longer… Is there anything like this in Cadia? Or something similar?”

The old woman sniffed the roscari and spoke seriously.

“This… is a poisonous herb called ‘Virus’ in Cadia.”

“Poisonous?”

Startled, I widened my eyes, and the old woman nodded.

“The oil extracted from the seeds of Virus merely makes ordinary people feel a little light-headed, but for wizards, it’s poison. Even a single drop can temporarily prevent them from using magic. It was used during the wars in Cadia against the wizards.”

“But Prince Raphael said this plant only grows in Laran…”

“That can’t be. It takes an entire field of Virus plants to produce just one bottle of poison. Back then, priests would bless soldiers’ spears and swords with it, so there might still be places in the church where it’s cultivated.”

“How do you know all this, Grandma?”

I asked cautiously, hoping not to sound too interrogative.

“Grandma has her ways, dear.”

“Hmph.”

The old apothecary seemed to contemplate for a moment before disappearing into the back of the shop, telling us to wait. After some time, she returned, holding a small bottle.

“This is the poison itself.”

“…Can I open it?”

She nodded. I carefully removed the cap. The familiar, strong scent immediately hit me, calming my racing heart. I quickly closed the bottle.

“Prince Raphael said *roscari* is like a tobacco substitute for wizards.”

“Well, it’s not exactly wrong. Burning dried leaves like this wouldn’t be deadly. It has a calming effect on magical energy and emotions, so it’s perfect for keeping wizards, who are usually all riled up, under control. Plus, the more they use it, the more resistant they become. They probably did it deliberately to build tolerance. No one wants to feel powerless after being taken down once.”

“You can build tolerance?”

I was disappointed by this new information. I’d been using it quite liberally, only to find out it loses its effect over time. Handing the poison bottle back to the apothecary, I asked carefully.

“Did you make this yourself? Do you also grow Virus?”

“…A little, yes.”

I sensed fear mixed in the old woman’s gaze, which left me feeling uneasy. It was a bit disheartening to realize she didn’t fully trust me, fearing that I might use my position to force information out of her if I didn’t get what I wanted. Even with this thought, my curiosity was hard to suppress.

“Then why didn’t you sell this to me when I first came for medicine?”

“…I didn’t withhold it. In fact, the pill you bought back then had a drop of Virus oil in it. And… Duchess, this oil was once used to kill wizards, but since then, it has saved them.”

She took a deep breath and continued.

“When the country persecuted wizards, they had no choice but to swallow this poison and go into hiding. Even now, there are many who desperately need it, but I can only make so much…”

Ah, so that’s why no wizard could sense my magic after I took that pill. The more I thought about it, the more tempting the idea became. But considering there might still be people in need of this, I handed the bottle back to her.

“Thank you for telling me.”

The apothecary, after a long hesitation, clenched her fist and asked nervously,

“…You’re the cousin of Lord Hershey, right? There’s something I’d like to ask. What kind of world do he and His Majesty intend to create?”

“Huh?”

That was such a grand question. I was too startled to respond, so the old apothecary gripped my hand, her eyes brimming with anxiety.

“People like us, what do we know? All we can do is tremble in fear. Many of us are terrified that His Majesty plans to gather all the wizards using the Count as bait, only to slaughter them. Something similar happened during the reign of the former emperor.”

I was shocked and instinctively covered my gaping mouth with my hand.

“Of course, you wouldn’t know about it since it wasn’t as publicized as this time. But in Cadia, the royal family has always been hard to trust. The wizards gathering at the palace now are probably the ones confident enough to escape, but for wizards like us, who never received proper training, we’d have no choice but to die if ordered.”

“Grandma, I—”

I tried to say something, but she cut me off, her voice filled with bitterness.

“Wizards can’t live without sin. There’s always someone who wants to exploit their power. Even now, somewhere, nobles are working with the church’s inquisitors to root out hidden wizards, only to enslave them.

They use us for all kinds of dirty, wicked deeds. And once captured, there’s no way to resist. The state doesn’t help us either.

What can we do? I’m sorry, Duchess, but the Bailey family was one of the few who respected wizards. Their daughter was a wizard herself. And when you’re accused of treason, you’re bound to share the same fate. That’s why we trusted them more than the royal family.”

“Grandma, enough.”

Greta cut in harshly, trying to stop her.

TL NOTE: Visit and bookmark the story at dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and updates of its latest release.