The next day.

Leopold went alone to the Macglier royal palace to interrogate the dark mage, Khan.

Khan, shackled with magical restraints on his hands and feet, stared at him with eyes full of fear.

— Lord Diaton was our leader… Bill was something like a middle manager. But, I have never heard of the name Noah Diaz. I swear, it’s the first time I’ve heard that name.

To Leopold’s eyes, Khan did not seem to be lying.

‘If his words are true… then what is the true identity of Noah Diaz?’

Leopold’s red eyes trembled slightly as he walked out of the underground prison of the royal palace.

It would be fortunate if Duke Noah had no connection to the dark mages, but Leopold felt an inexplicable unease.

Although he had planned a month-long vacation, he thought it would be difficult to complete the trip as planned with such anxiety.

Should he cut it down to a week…?

For a moment, the face of Ariel on the first day of the trip came to mind.

Remembering her bright smile as she looked at the scenery of Macglier, Leopold bit his lip gently.

They had promised to go see the sea as well.

“Two weeks… Yes, two weeks should be fine.”

If Noah Diaz had escaped, Walter would have already sent someone to inform him.

Leopold clenched his fist tightly.

He pondered deeply about what to say to Ariel.

Leopold, having come up to the surface, headed straight to the reception room.

In front of the reception room stood the head attendant of Macglier. Confirming Leopold’s arrival, he bowed.

Knock, knock—

“Your Highness, the Duke of Atlan is here.”

“Let him in.”

“Please, have a seat.”

When the chamberlain opened the door to the reception room, Leopold entered.

Clack-!

The door to the reception room closed at the chamberlain’s hand.

***

The King of Macglier stood up to greet Leopold.

“Did the interrogation go well?”

“Hmm. It seems we don’t need to take them all the way to Atlan.”

Kaiser nodded at his words.

“I see. Then we will handle the dark mages here in Macglier.”

“What about your promise made to Ariel?”

He reminded him of the promise to give a mansion as a reward for resolving this matter.

Kaiser nodded and took out an envelope from the drawer.

“Of course, as promised, I will give you full ownership of the land and building.”

Leopold received the envelope and checked the documents inside.

There were several documents stamped with the seal of the King of Macglier.

They were deeds of transfer for the land and the mansion.

He was pleased with Kaiser’s efficiency.

“Please convey my thanks.”

With his business concluded, Leopold rose from the sofa.

“Oh, and…”

But since it looked like Kaiser had more to say, Leopold sat back down.

“My wife Celine wants to hold a party as a gesture of gratitude. If it wouldn’t be an inconvenience, would you be able to attend?”

“Hmm. That sounds nice. But I have companions. They helped a lot in capturing the dark mages. So, if they wish, could they also be invited?”

He thought that Evan and Liese, who had helped in this matter, should also be recognized by the Macglier royal family.

“Of course. Then we will hold the party at the palace this weekend. Please attend and grace us with your presence.”

“Understood.”

Leopold slowly nodded.

***

Leopold told Ariel to rest at home and left for the Macglier palace.

“What should I do now?”

Thinking about it, other than seeing the scenery of Macglier from the carriage on the first day, he had not had the chance to explore the city because they were focusing on the dark mages and demonic beasts.

Should he call May and Solviche, who were staying at a nearby mansion, and go to the market?

Ariel picked up the water bottle on the table, poured water into a cup, and drank it.

‘Might as well do some shopping.’

A smile spread across her face.

Ariel went into the dressing room and chose her outfit.

“This one!”

The dress Ariel held was a soft cotton white dress.

She casually threw the clothes she was wearing on the floor and put the dress on over her negligee.

The short-sleeved dress with puffed shoulders and a shallow V-neck highlighted her feminine charm.

“I like it.”

She tied the white ribbon around her waist and spun around. The hem of the dress flared out in an A-line shape.

As the skirt of the dress settled, her feet in slippers became visible underneath.

For shoes… She chose light blue flats that reached her ankles.

Not being good with her hands, she tried to tie her hair without May’s help, but strands stuck out here and there, making it impossible to tie neatly.

“I’ll just leave my hair down.”

She let go of her hair and brushed it roughly with a brush on the vanity.

The thought of exploring the beautiful city of Macglier kept a smile on her face.

Just as Ariel was about to leave the house with her handbag.

Knock knock-!

“Your Majesty, are you there?”

The voice was May’s.

“Yes, May.”

Click-!

When Ariel opened the door, May and Solviche, dressed to the nines, were standing there.

“Oh! Your Majesty was getting ready to go out too.”

“Yes. I was just about to ask you to come with me. Perfect timing.”

Ariel closed the door and came out.

“Really? We timed it well then. We went to the market yesterday, and there was so much to see. Solviche couldn’t go because she was going to the eastern plains… And naturally, Your Majesty couldn’t have seen it either, so we came to take you.”

May said brightly to Ariel.

“Is it far from here?”

“It’s not far enough to need a carriage, just a short walk. The weather is nice, so how about a little walk?”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

She needed time to refresh herself while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

She wanted to see a landscape that would naturally make her forget the houses destroyed by the demonic beasts and the devastated plains.

“Let’s go.”

Solviche opened a black parasol and held it over Ariel.

The three of them left the mansion and strolled down the street.

Ariel’s golden hair fluttered gently in the wind. The sunlight that the parasol couldn’t completely block shone through her hair, enhancing her pure and radiant appearance.

Solviche had something she wanted to ask when she met the Empress.

Whether the dark mage had been caught, if all the demonic beasts were dealt with, and other such matters.

But she couldn’t bring herself to ask. She didn’t want to ruin her lord’s mood while enjoying the beauty of nature.

She thought that even if she didn’t ask right now, she would eventually find out everything.

How long had they walked?

The three of them entered the market street.

“The people are lively, aren’t they? The atmosphere is quite different from Atlan.”

As May spoke with a smile, Ariel nodded.

In the bright early summer weather, the city was filled with liveliness and vibrancy. People crowded the streets, and shop owners energetically greeted customers to sell their goods.

“Where should we go in?”

Ariel peeked into various shops. Then, what caught her eye was an antique shop on the first floor of a building painted in a faded rose color.

She stood at the door and just peeked her head in to look at the store’s interior.

‘What kind of shop is this?’

Soon, she stepped over the worn threshold and entered the shop. The small wooden shop exuded a tranquil atmosphere.

Inside the shop, various antiques were beautifully displayed.

“It seems to be an antique shop.”

May, who followed Ariel in, said.

“Yes, it seems so.”

Ariel approached a shelf where items were displayed. A music box wrapped in crumpled paper caught her eye.

She picked it up and gently unfolded the paper, revealing an oak music box. She opened the lid, which was adorned with elegant carvings.

As if the spring was wound, a beautiful melody flowed out as soon as she opened it.

‘It’s touching.’

The poignant sound of the music box made her eyes droop slightly.

She imagined listening to this music box with Leopold.

She could reminisce about the emotions she first felt in Macglier.

Ariel, with a faint smile, turned toward the shop owner.

“How much is it?”

“One hundred shillings.”

“May. Pay the money.”

At Ariel’s command, May took out her wallet and paid one hundred shillings.

The shop owner smiled warmly and put the music box in a portable case.

“Thank you. Please come again.”

The owner handed the box to Ariel.

With a satisfied expression, she held the small treasure in her hands. May offered to carry it, but Ariel wanted to hold it herself, so she declined May’s kindness.

This was the first item she had bought of her own will after being transported into the world of the novel.