Chapter 3 – Part 5

“My Lady, this is Melanie. May I come in?”

“Sure.”

Olivia put down the documents and yawned. Melanie entered the study with a nervous face. Olivia glanced at her briefly.

Since the duke made a single plate with Hellebore and shattered Harry Palmer, the way the people in the family looked at her changed. Melanie was no exception.

“As ordered, I gathered the materials related to magic. Duke Marsden also provided a lot.”

Melanie saw several boxes being brought in by the servants behind her, and Olivia sighed. How was she going to get through all of that?

“Put it down and go.”

Olivia massaged her shoulders and rotated her neck. Even with Olivia’s body, it seems the all-nighters were taking a toll.

“And, uh…”

“What?”

“Ah, no, it’s just… The servants will soon bring refreshments. It seems you’re pushing yourself too hard with Mr. Palmer’s trial approaching.”

Olivia’s sharp gaze swept over Melanie. Melanie shrank under Olivia’s intensity.

Like most in this household, Melanie was a typical pawn placed by Harry Palmer. Her father had worked as a knight for a certain family and caught Palmer’s eye.

Whether it was a simple change of heart or something more sinister, there was no way to know. But Melanie clearly feared her, and that was enough for now.

“Thank you, Melanie.”

Olivia softened her harsh demeanor and offered a smile. Melanie stiffly nodded in acknowledgment and quickly left the room, as if fleeing with the servants.

“Ugh, I hate this power struggle.”

Trying to figure out everyone’s hidden intentions was an exhaustingly tedious task.

“Soju… Bring me a bottle of soju with a red cap…”

Olivia slumped forward towards the box. It was hard to just lie down tired. There was something that had to be done.

The Harry Palmer trial was in three days. To completely crush that man, she needed to free Marsden from the curse. She had promised him she would resolve it. To do that, she had to find the solution herself.

“A shot of soju and I’ll probably be rolling boulders.”

Olivia opened the lid of the box with a weak body.

“Uh…?”

It was a sound that didn’t seem to come out of a refined noble’s mouth. What’s this?

Olivia picked up a note lying on the data.

[Hey, buddy.]

‘What is this?’

She carelessly tossed the note, which clearly showed who had written it. With an indifferent expression, she picked up the stack of documents, but another note fell out from under.

[I organized each page thinking of you. I hope it helps.]

‘What is this guy doing?’

Olivia’s curiosity deepened. The message written on the luxurious paper was out again.

[But you know, buddy. I really understand things better when I hear them spoken. I can practically give a thumbs up in the Imperial Palace with just one word…]

Olivia crumpled the paper without reading it. Then, as if expecting that, the note came out again.

[You didn’t read all the messages, did you? I knew you wouldn’t. But still, I think you’ll think of me as much as you read…]

‘How long do I have to read this?’ Olivia felt a sense of hesitation. On the back, the letters were highlighted. Olivia turned the paper over.

[In short, Olivia, do you not need anything other than the documents?]

“Ha…”

He was a man who clung to her like a leech whenever she seemed to forget him. Without saying anything, he was subtly expressing that he wouldn’t let her do things on her own.

‘Did he really give me all the documents?’

Olivia felt quite uneasy about it. If Marsden had been out hunting sorcerers, there was a possibility he had more materials. No, it would be best to hear the explanation directly from an expert in the first place.

“Why aren’t the snacks coming?”

She also needed coffee. The lack of an iced Americano was practically hell, but even a hot Americano would do.

Moreover, Marsden’ firsthand experience was certainly necessary. To summon him while also getting some sweets, Olivia pulled the bell cord. Then she sat expectantly on the desk.

This was clearly a noble family with obscenely deep pockets, so why was she having such a tough time? Is the sweet life of a noble now a distant memory? Olivia was feeling quite discouraged when…

“The refreshments are here.”

Olivia looked up sharply. The one who announced the refreshments barged in without even knocking.

“The refreshments, My Lady.”

“……”

The man entered with a bright smile.

“What are you doing?”

The man in a servant’s outfit grinned at the question.

“I’m going to give you some refreshments, My Lady.”

“Why did you come from there?”

Olivia jumped. Then the man’s eye drops went down.

“Mas.”

The man elegantly placed the silver tray on the table.

“That’s what we agreed to call me, Buddy.”

Marsden smiled like a fox.

“Since it seems you don’t plan to throw me in jail, I thought I’d apply for a job at your estate.”

‘Does it suit me well?’

Mas smiled like a fox, no longer seeming sullen.

“Isn’t that outfit a bit… embarrassing?”

“No, it feels like I’m at a masquerade ball, and I like it.”

“Where did you even get those clothes? The servants must have been surprised.”

“They were surprised, but they gave me extra clothes since I paid them handsomely.”

“Why on earth are you doing this?”

“I came to see you.”

Her defenses were up. The deflated Olivia hurriedly popped a chocolate cookie into her mouth. Dealing with Troy Marsden was more taxing than doing research alone. It felt like her brain cells were being utilized dozens of times more than usual.

Even in his shabby white shirt, worn black pants, and plain black vest, the radiance emanating from Marsden did not dim. If one didn’t know any better, they might mistake him for having just come from a high-end tailor.

“Wasn’t I supposed to be the one pining for you, with you being indifferent towards me?”

“Hmm, that was the case, but I decided I’d be more than happy to take the opposite position now that you’ve returned. Seeing your face makes me happy.”

Marsden watched with a satisfied expression as Olivia ate. Compared to the cheerful Marsden, Olivia’s mind was more complicated.

Even though she hadn’t anticipated losing her memories, the fact that he had prepared to take the opposite position meant he must have done a lot of unpleasant things. But now, with Olivia’s soul having disappeared somewhere and her currently appearing to have lost her memories, the situation has shifted to Marsden chasing after her in a different way.

“That’s quite shameless of you.”

“I don’t think I could bear it otherwise. It was… really tough for me these past six months.”

Marsden’ smile faded, and a pained breath escaped his lips. Then, as if nothing had happened, he leaned forward towards the table. Despite the considerable distance between them due to the table, his towering stature made his breath feel close.

“Delicious? These are your favorites – chocolate éclair, strawberry mille-feuille, cinnamon palmiers, and orange tarts. I had the chef make them especially, Buddy. After just a few words, he worked through the night to prepare all this.”

‘Just what did you do to my chef?’

Olivia thought of the kind-looking new chef she had recently hired. She’d have to give him a nice bonus.

“The coffee is made from beans only found in the Baume region. I scraped up all the limited edition ones. You don’t like the bright acidity, so this has a rich, nutty profile that I think you’ll really enjoy.”

“Excuse me?”

“Try it, and if you don’t like it, I’ll go get something else. I’ve invested a lot in good beans, so just say the word and it’s all yours, Buddy.”

‘What, how scary.’

Olivia hid her agitation and picked up the teacup. As she tilted it slightly, the perfectly brewed coffee flowed into her mouth.

“Mm!”

“Delicious, right?”

Olivia gave a small nod. It was delicious, but she was slightly frightened at how well he seemed to know her preferences. Still, sipping the warm coffee and sweet pastries improved her mood.

“You must have a lot on your mind with Harry’s trial, so I was worried you might be struggling with the curse alone.”

“Thank you. Have one too.”

Olivia pushed an éclair towards Marsden. He crinkled his eyes and took a big bite of the éclair.

“No, wait.”

“It’s delicious.”

How shamelessly he’s acting.

Somehow, Olivia felt irritated. So she wiped the chocolate that had smeared on the corner of Marsden’s mouth with her fingertips. Marsden, still enthusiastically chewing the éclair, froze in place.

Olivia inwardly felt satisfied as she sucked the chocolate off her fingertip.

“Huh?”

But suddenly, a shadow rose up. Olivia’s gaze fell on Marsden, who had stood up with a flushed face. He stood there dazed for a while, and then…

“Wh-What…!”

He strode over to her in large steps. Though she had time to evade, her body strangely wouldn’t move. By the time she came to her senses, she was trapped between the sofa and Marsden.

“Buddy, I wonder how it would have been if you had met me as a complete stranger. Seeing my face, my height, my voice, let alone my power and wealth.”

“It… It would have been fine, I guess?”