The news that Duke Noah Diaz visited the Clark mansion spread throughout the mansion.

Marquis Louis Clark was greatly taken aback when he heard this from Henry.

It was the Duke who had come to see my daughter, who would soon be the empress of the imperial palace.

Of course, he saved Ariel, but it still didn’t sit well with him. He was worried that his daughter might get involved in unnecessary rumors.

However, as a noble and a benefactor of his daughter, he couldn’t just turn him away; he had to instruct Henry to let him in.

“Why did the Duke come?”

“He came to meet Ariel.”

“…For what reason?”

“I don’t know yet. You’ll find out if you observe.”

Louis headed to the dining room with Rose.

As he opened the door, he saw Noah sitting there.

Marquis Louis approached him and extended his right hand.

“Welcome, Duke. I heard that you saved my daughter. I apologize for not greeting you sooner.”

“Marquis Louis, it’s a pleasure.”

Noah shook his hand. The two of them sat on the sofa and Marchioness Rose greeted them before returning to her room.

“I heard you requested to meet Ariel.”

“That’s correct.”

Steam rose from the teacup on the table. Noah leisurely lifted the cup and as he sipped the tea, a bitter aroma filled the air.

“Why did you want to meet her?”

Louis’ tone conveyed a sense of caution and urgency.

‘He’s undoubtedly the one who saved her.’

Why would there be a reason for him to treat me like this? When Leopold appeared that day, it seemed like their relationship was not as simple as it seemed.

Noah didn’t immediately respond, but took a moment before continuing.

“I have something to discuss about the previous incident.”

As he lifted the teacup again, a knock was heard from outside the door.

“Miss Ariel has arrived.”

“Please let her in.”

At Marquis Louis’ command, the door to the dining room opened.

Ariel’s appearance caught Noah’s attention as she entered the room.

With each step she took, golden ribbons fluttered in the air. The wrinkled dress made her look like an angel illuminated by the light.

‘She’s still beautiful.’

Noah’s attention and focus were solely directed at Ariel.

Her white neck and collarbone were exposed below her tied-up hair, not hidden by the frills, and her blushing cheeks made her look even more lovely due to her embarrassment.

He felt a sense of overwhelming distraction and pressed the index finger and thumb of his right hand against his eyes.

Ariel, who entered the dining room, curtsied while holding her dress.

“You requested to meet me.”

Noah nodded after setting down the teacup. He gestured with his hand to the seat opposite him, indicating for Ariel to sit.

As she took her seat, Noah soon turned his gaze towards Louis.

“I would like to have a private conversation.”

“If it’s not impolite, may I ask why you wish to have a private conversation, Duke?”

If he only wanted to talk about the previous incident, what did it matter when Ariel’s father was present?

Marquis Louis spoke with a cold and stern expression.

Ariel, who had been sitting with an indifferent expression, momentarily widened her eyes at his desire for a private conversation.

Noah, who had been glancing at her from the corner of his eye, suppressed a burst of laughter.

It had been so rare for him to laugh in the past year, so why was he laughing at something so trivial?

He couldn’t understand himself.

‘You’re so curious that you won’t be able to bear it without accepting my offer.’

Since meeting her in Norca, her face had always lingered in his mind.

During meals, while lying down to sleep, during training.

He thirsted to see her face as much as he wanted to run to her and hold her tightly like that day.

It didn’t matter if she wasn’t the same person he knew before. Just the fact that 「Ariel Clark」 existed in this world was enough to satisfy him.

Ariel felt a pang in her heart at his suppressed laughter.

‘He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and he’s just waiting for me to take a bite.’

Noah smirked.

He didn’t want to comply with her expectations.

She wanted to tell her father that she didn’t want to have a private conversation with Noah; that she wanted to be with him.

However, on that day, he spoke as if he had known her from before. Besides, it seemed like he even knew that she wasn’t from this world.

‘I’m curious. I should listen to what this clever child has to say.’

Ariel sighed and closed her eyes.

In the end, she decided to follow his lead.

Ariel turned towards Marquis Louis, who was sitting beside her.

“Father, please.”

Seeing his daughter’s serious expression, Marquis Louis tightly pressed his lips together. It seemed as though he had a story that he must tell.

But he seemed uncertain about the situation.

Noah had saved his daughter, for which he was grateful, but now he wanted to satisfy Ariel’s curiosity.

“If you put it that way, I’ll leave. Honestly, I don’t understand this situation.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Louis stood up, sighed while patting Ariel’s shoulder, and then left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Ariel asked Noah as if she had been waiting.

“Are you saying this because you knew what I was curious about?”

“Of course, I know.”

“Ha, I see. Then, what do you think?”

“First of all, you’re curious about the sorcerer who stole your mana.”

Noah Diaz raised an eyebrow and looked at Ariel with a meaningful expression. He then observed how she would react.

Ariel’s emerald pupils shook violently. Her hands, clasped tightly on her dress, exerted force.

It seemed like she wanted to say something, but she appeared unable to speak, as if unsure of what to say.

Noah leaned on the sofa with his arms crossed, gazing at her with narrowed eyes.

‘It seems like she’s quite surprised.’

If it had been the original Ariel, she would have jumped up from the sofa in surprise. The current Ariel displayed a calm and composed attitude.

He found it somewhat unfamiliar yet intriguing.

Should he call it a desire to know more about her? Perhaps that was the reason for his visit to the Clark’s mansion.

“Yes, you are not wrong, but that’s not what I’m curious about.”

Ariel’s eyes remained fixed on him as she responded calmly.

She was curious about how the sorcerer knew about her mana being stolen, but she didn’t want to play into his hands.

‘If I respond and speak as you wish, fulfilling your amusement… I’m sorry, but I can’t find any amusement in that.’

Ariel shrugged her shoulders to relax her tense body.

She felt that since it wasn’t her fault that her mana was stolen, there was no need to feel inferior.

She had no intention of getting caught up in his games.

“Then, is it because I mentioned knowing you from before?”

“Will you tell me if I’m curious?”

“Ariel Clark, I know your secret.”

Ariel looked at him with a composed gaze as if prompting him to speak.

Noah continued with a very relaxed attitude.

“That you are not from this place, and even the reason why you came here.”

But her calm demeanor didn’t last long. His words sent shivers down her body.

What she ultimately wanted to know. When he mentioned that he knew who called her here and why she came, her heart began to beat rapidly.

‘Who is this person?’

It was a secret she hadn’t told anyone. Unless Noah was a god, there was no way for him to know. Or perhaps he was the one who called her to this world.

She also felt fear. Because he was someone not mentioned in the original story, she had no idea who he was.

She thought that if he didn’t tell her, there would be no way to know the truth, so she had no choice but to accept his proposal.

Yet she wanted to know. She had to know. Even though she possessed someone else’s body in a fictional world, it didn’t align with her values.

Even if someone knew why she was called here, it wouldn’t bring significant changes to her life, and she would continue to live the life given to her.

But since it was ultimately her life, she had to find out.

She made up her mind. Her full lips parted to say something.