Chirpy fluttered down and perched on Leah’s shoulder.

“Chirp. Chirrp.”

“You want to go for a walk too?”

She shook her head firmly.

“No, Chirpy. It’s too dangerous.”

“Squawk!”

“If bad people catch you when we’re out, it would be terrible. Then I might never see you again.”

“Screech!”

“I know it seems unfair, but we have no choice.”

Leah was arguing with Chirpy who insisted on coming along. Helix, who had been watching them silently, asked:

“…How do you understand all that?”

“Hm? I just feel it naturally.”

“…”

Oops. Did I just act too much like the Dragon’s Holy Maiden? As she rolled her eyes, Helix spoke up.

“Ahem. That hatchling seems to dislike riding in carriages. So…”

He suggested, “Instead of walking, how about we take a carriage ride somewhere?”

***

The capital’s streets were bustling after their long absence.

With the Sun Festival beginning and the year-end atmosphere reaching its peak, shop displays were piled with glittering gifts, and people passing through the streets looked excited.

“Wow, I haven’t experienced this atmosphere in ages! It feels like Christmas.”

“…Christmas? Do you mean the Sun Festival?”

“Hm? Oh, yes. The Sun Festival always has this exciting atmosphere. But until last year, I was always sick with the flu around this time, so I never got to come out to the streets.”

Helix looked at Leah with sympathetic eyes.

“This atmosphere suits you well, Leah.”

“Right? I even performed at the Sun Festival opening ceremony. Ahem.”

“I saw that performance.”

Her eyes widened momentarily at his words.

“…I was going to feel a little disappointed if you said you hadn’t seen it.”

“I saw it, which is probably why I used magic.”

Leah glanced up at Helix, who spoke so matter-of-factly.

‘Did I concern you that much? Did you dislike the idea of me marrying the Crown Prince that much? Is that why you watched and even struck the delegation’s tent with lightning?’

Her throat tickled with questions she wanted to ask.

She wanted to ask what he thought when he saw her flying through that misty cloud. She wanted confirmation that it was okay she had held onto him, that he was happy to be by her side now.

“Leah, what’s wrong?”

She swallowed hard. Different words came out instead.

“Pay me for my performance.”

“Performance fee?”

“Yes. You enjoyed watching, right? So buy me that.”

Leah pointed to a stall in front of them. Helix chuckled.

“Will one waffle be enough?”

“I’m going to have it with whipped cream and chocolate topping.”

“Let’s add strawberries too so you get some fruit.”

“You should eat some too, Helix.”

The two walked down the street, happily eating waffles together.

The cold winter air, the slightly noisy street sounds, the sweet smell of snacks from stalls lining the street. Feeling elated, Leah laughed a lot.

At a stall selling small accessories, she held up a pair of blue earrings.

“Helix, don’t you think these would suit me?”

“Oh my, young lady, you have a good eye! This design is very popular these days. Pretty, isn’t it? And it’s affordable because it’s a natural stone.”

“Hmm…”

Helix considered seriously.

“You’re already so beautiful, Leah, that I can’t tell. Doesn’t everything suit you well?”

“Hohoho! Your boyfriend’s words are as handsome as his face!”

At the word “boyfriend,” Helix froze and said stiffly:

“It’s the truth.”

“Of course, of course! I’ll give you a really good price! You two make such a lovely couple!”

At those final words, Helix’s wallet opened defensively. Leah’s eyes widened, not expecting him to actually buy them.

“Huh? Really?”

“Take them.”

“Wow.”

Her eyes sparkled.

‘Am I on a date with Helix and receiving a gift?’

Her heart pounded. Leah smiled brightly.

“They’re really pretty.”

“…As I always say, you’re far prettier.”

Helix awkwardly spoke in his characteristically serious tone. Somehow that made her like it even more, and she smiled like a flower. He flinched.

“…”

Helix narrowed his eyes, looking dazzled.

“…Leah.”

“Oh my, it’s the mage!”

Girls from the neighboring stall approached the two. Judging by their dressed-up appearance and knights waiting at a distance, they seemed to be noble young ladies.

“Meeting you here by chance! It must be fate!”

“Eek! We’re members of the Flame Mage fan club! Please shake hands with us just once!”

Their reaction was much more enthusiastic than what she experienced in social circles.

“What? Um? Yes?”

Before she knew it, Leah found both her hands grabbed by the young ladies.

‘But these ladies’ clothes… they look familiar.’

She shook their hands in bewilderment while examining their dresses. The girls smiled shyly.

“They’re similar to the dress you wore during the Sun Festival, right?”

“It’s very fashionable these days. We made reservations really early and just picked them up yesterday!”

That was it.

The dresses were almost identical in design to the one Leah had worn when she publicly declared herself a mage. They couldn’t afford the same quality as the Piert Ducal family, but their attempt to copy the design was obvious.

‘C-copies?’

Surprised, she asked, “Um, where did you buy them?”

“At the tailor shop in the next alley!”

“I got mine at the Luscious Dress Shop near the main square!”

The girls quickly answered with flushed cheeks, pleased that she had spoken to them. After parting with them, Leah swallowed hard.

“I want to check, but… I feel like I’m about to see something frightening…”

“It’s all right, Leah. I’ll go with you.”

She nervously went to the next alley with Helix.

In every shop window along the alley lined with dress shops, items imitating the dress and accessories Leah had worn when declaring herself a mage were on display.

They even had names.

‘Mage’s Black Dress,’ ‘Red Flame Robe,’ ‘Flame Accessory Set’…

“Aaaah!”

Leah was shocked.

“What is this!”

The consistently cringeworthy names reminded her of items from a past-life game.

“What’s the problem? Don’t they suit you well, Leah?”

“…Are you serious?”

Leah looked into Helix’s glass-like gray eyes.

“Of course I’m serious.”

Helix’s handsome face showed an expression that seemed to ask why she would question such a thing. With that trustworthy face, he made a terrifying statement:

“This confirms I need to get serious about training you as an archmage.”

“…Wait, how did you reach that conclusion?”

***

The Oken delegation left the capital of Peiren after the New Year. The people of Peiren whispered:

“Did they give up and leave after discovering Leah Piert is a mage?”

“I thought those Oken bastards would try even harder to get her once they knew she was a mage. Maybe they do have some conscience after all?”

That wasn’t it.

Count Trow, who knew the truth, sighed deeply. Crown Prince Archaik Oken was not the type to develop a conscience, nor had he given up on the mage.

Before leaving, the Crown Prince had pressured Count Trow while leaving a small force at the Trow estate.

‘I’m returning to check on the situation in my country.’

He had said with a chilling gaze that seemed to pierce through the Count.

‘If there’s no progress, I’ll withdraw the rest as well.’

It was a clear threat. Count Trow’s hands trembled.

If the Crown Prince’s forces withdrew, who would come barging in next?

The Trow family had nearly been exterminated by Grand Duke Calosi during the incident with Lady Seigan and Baron Durford, but they had narrowly escaped by taking the Oken Crown Prince’s hand at the critical moment.

‘Grand Duke Calosi won’t leave our family alone.’

It was obvious that Grand Duke Calosi would make his move the day the Snake Knights planted by the Crown Prince disappeared. The royal family, the Seigan Ducal family, and the Piert Ducal family would all support him with their silence.

So he had no choice but to bow deeply to the Crown Prince who could protect him, but the Crown Prince was making increasingly absurd demands day by day.

‘Bring Leah Piert by any means necessary.’

‘Expand the experiments significantly. It doesn’t matter how many victims there are.’

The Count clutched his chest.

‘It’s been dangerous enough already, and now he wants more!’

The Trow family was already under scrutiny for their various past misdeeds. He felt many more watchful eyes than before, making it difficult to move freely.

Yet the Crown Prince was demanding action without considering their circumstances. Count Trow regretted his choices.

‘I shouldn’t have trusted Crown Prince Archaik Oken…!’

Somehow that cold-hearted man had been particularly sensitive and protective about Leah Piert. Thinking it was romantic interest, the Count had diligently followed the Crown Prince’s orders, continuously providing information about Peirlily and helping with the kidnapping attempt.

But the Crown Prince had only used him, not even sharing the crucial information that Leah Piert had become a mage.

“Sigh.”

Count Trow had no other options. How could he survive in Peiren, full of enemies, without the Crown Prince’s connection?

The Count tried to convince himself.

‘At least my lifeline hasn’t been cut. If I can somehow make up for this in the future…!’

BANG.

Shattering his resolution, the door opened violently, and men dressed in black entered his office. They were Snake Knights left behind by the Crown Prince.

“Count, you’re looking quite cheerful?”

One Snake Knight approached provocatively with a swagger. Others surrounded the desk.

The man wiped his mud-covered boots on the office carpet and sat on the Count’s desk.

“You’re slacking off because His Highness has returned home. Get to work properly.”

“I-I am working.”

The Snake Knight snorted.

“What are you doing? You should be planning how to bring the mage quickly, but instead you’re just fretting about how to avoid His Highness’s eyes.”

Count Trow inwardly flinched. The comment hit too close to his true thoughts.

Another Snake Knight chimed in.

“This is the problem with nobles. Sitting at desks thinking useless thoughts, eating butter-covered cookies until their jowls sag like that.”

“People from this tiny country should at least work efficiently to make themselves useful.”

“Why would such people try to cling to our great empire?”

Count Trow clenched his fist at their mockery.