She was also now a recluse.

Therefore, Serena’s description of ‘a legendary assassin with hidden tremendous skills living in seclusion’ was entirely accurate.

“…I can’t believe it. To think such a legendary assassin would be here.”

Drukan, who was standing as her guard, muttered.

‘He was really a legendary assassin!’

Serena’s pupils shook even more violently.

‘I must absolutely never cross him.’

It was a moment when Serena’s resolve deepened even further.

“Pamel, you always work so hard. To be honest, I’m always grateful to you. I hope you’ll continue to work for us for a long time. Without you, the Kelahinum mansion wouldn’t function properly.”

Serena spoke to him rapidly.

“…My lady!”

Pamel’s eyes widened.

He took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his dry eyes as if he was quite moved.

“You’ve aged. Are you still working?”

“Haha, it’s about time for this old man to retire. Don’t worry, I’ve already found and am training a successor. When this fellow is ready to take over, I’ll step down.”

“Is that so? I hope that day comes soon.”

“……”

He was reminded of the time long ago when she had elegantly rephrased ‘I can’t stand the sight of you, old man, so I hope you quit soon and get out of my sight’ into more polite words during their reunion.

Of course, to reiterate, Serena was merely offering words of encouragement.

In any case, unlike before when she had coldly asked when he would retire, now she was saying she couldn’t do without him…

‘They say human wounds are healed by humans…!’

Pamel, thinking that the lady had finally matured and moved past her old wounds, really felt like crying.

Of course, not a single tear actually came out.

“So, have you met all the people lined up now?”

“Yes, now… there’s no… Ah!”

Serena’s expression cooled slightly at Pamel’s reaction.

“Come to think of it, there was also someone who came from the Mage’s Tower.”

What’s this Mage’s Tower now.

It’s too troublesome.

Serena was paying a hefty price for her recent strike.

After replying to the backlog of letters, Bartolin had rushed to the mansion in tears and clung to her.

He made her swear never to disappear without a word again, even going so far as to stamp a contract before leaving.

When told that Serena would not be getting divorced, Bartolin had expressed disappointment but clearly stated his intention to move on cleanly. Since that day…

He truly worked Serena to the bone and ran her ragged.

It’s not that he did anything that violated the contract.

He didn’t act like Kim Chul-soo or Lemerun either. It’s just that…

Bartolin, having moved on, had shifted to a strictly beneficial relationship, I guess?

With a smiling face, he would check her limits by asking how much more she could do, or like now, he’d unhesitatingly present documents and demand her seal when there was something unsatisfactory.

This time too, he clung to her legs and rambled on for three hours about the humiliation he had suffered.

His rapid-fire of incomprehensible words about how much loss there was, what kind of damage had occurred because of it, and when she came to her senses, she found herself stamping her seal.

Moreover, the seal she had stamped without properly checking had small print saying that from now on, negotiation rights for new products must be given to the ‘Imperial Merchants Association’ first.

In other words, she had been backstabbed.

‘…That bastard Bartolin.’

Serena sighed deeply as she sank into the sofa.

“Is that person the last one?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Pamel, who had been looking cheerful lately, answered with a slight smile.

Serena nodded with a sour expression.

“Show them in.”

She said with a slight tilt of her head.

* * *

The Mage’s Tower had five towers under the Tower Master.

Each tower had a pillar, meaning a department head, and among them, the head of the Gray Tower responsible for manufacturing and developing magical items, Colin Martora, was now very tense.

This was because he heard various distorted rumors about Duchess Serena Kelahinum.

‘They say she eats people alive…’

Colin Martora, who liked hearing rumors, clenched his fist.

He was gullible.

And as befitting a researcher, he was quite timid.

Being passionate only about research and ignorant of worldly matters, he was an easy target for teasing.

“I heard that Duchess Kelahinum recently ate a human alive.”

“I hear she likes eating people…?”

“Especially those with magical power… Oh, I don’t mean you, Colin!”

“Wh-what? Please tell me more. I have to leave soon.”

“No, it’s nothing. Just that she cuts off people’s wrists, and at night she eats living human livers or chews on hearts…”

“That’s right, that’s right. They say if you slip up even a little while talking to her, she instantly melts people with her terrifying ability.”

“Come to think of it, I heard there was someone who turned into a hair monster because their hair kept growing non-stop after taking the medicine she sells…”

Colin swallowed hard as he recalled these memories, following slowly behind Pamel who had come to guide him.

That’s right.

He was what you’d call a person you’d want to tease.

You know how there are people in the world who react dramatically when you poke them?

Colin Martora was that kind of person.

‘It-it’s okay. I brought a teleportation scroll and defensive magic artifacts.’

The timid Colin Martora thought as he pressed his bushy hair down with his palm.

There was a reason he had come all this way while clutching a pile of documents despite being so scared.

‘…I desperately want to see that prosthetic arm.’

Because Colin Martora was a scholar.

Moreover, he was the kind of scholar who could dedicate his life for research.

He clenched his fist as he pushed up his round glasses with his palm.

‘I must…! If possible, I want to succeed.’

With that prosthetic arm, the world would surely change dramatically.

‘I don’t know how a scary person like her reached that level, but…’

Colin Martora was confident.

He was confident that if he could share that technology, he could utilize it much better than the evil noblewoman here.

“This way.”

“Ah, y-yes! Thank you.”

Colin Martora hurriedly entered through the open door.

Inside, a beautiful woman was sitting with an indifferent and disinterested look, gazing at distant mountains.

Serena, who turned her head at the sound of Colin entering, let out a small sigh.

‘What is it this time…’

She didn’t hide her tired expression.

After all, she had no intention of cooperating with whatever proposal the other party might make.

To reiterate several times, Serena’s ultimate goal was to ‘live life easily’, not the kind of fulfilling daily life that required as much labor as the money she earned.

To reiterate several times, Serena liked money.

However, because she didn’t know how to be extravagant, a moderate amount of money was enough.

“Let me tell you in advance, no matter what you say, I have no intention of working together on this, okay?”

Serena said before Colin Martora could even sit down.

‘Eek! So scary…’

Colin Martora’s body trembled at the dry voice coming from the pretty and beautiful face.

Rustle rustle–!

The documents he was hugging to his chest flew high into the air with his trembling.

“Uh, uwaah!”

Colin Martora turned pale.

A few sheets of paper fluttering down landed on Serena’s lap and head with a plop.

“I-I’m so sorry!”

Colin Martora hurriedly knelt down and began to gather the documents.

Seeing his flustered state, Pamel also picked up papers that had flown far away.

Since there was quite a lot, eventually Drukan also moved to help, and the three of them went around picking up papers one by one.

‘…Blueprints?’

Serena narrowed her eyes and looked at the blueprints he had brought.

‘…Hmm?’

Serena’s head tilted slightly.

Though clumsy and amateurish, they were blueprints related to magitech engineering.

There were analyses written about prosthetic arms and legs, and blueprints he had drawn himself based on his own interpretations.

Of course…

‘It’s a mess.’

The blueprints drawn purely from imagination and speculation, without knowing the basics or principles, were inadequate.

‘But still…’

For something drawn based on guesses alone without any knowledge, it was remarkably good.

‘Hmm…’

Serena had no intention of sharing magitech engineering with merchants.

From the moment it’s shared with merchants, this engineering would just be used as a means to make money.

Even if there comes a time when this engineering is used to make money, the starting point shouldn’t be about making money.

The beginning should be the pure development of someone who wants to save others or loves doing research.

‘Not all merchants are only after money, but…’

Unfortunately, Serena severely lacked the ability to distinguish such people.

Therefore, she had decided to simply not deal with merchants she didn’t know.

‘I wasn’t planning to listen, but…’

It didn’t seem bad to hear him out once.

“Huuuu… I’m so sorry. Could you please return the documents…”

“……”

Of course, she would have gladly done so if the other party wasn’t trembling like a hamster, paralyzed with fear.