“I’m fine with this much. But aren’t you going to check if I brought the right thing?”

At Arne’s question, the Duke, who had been anxious, asked with genuine concern.

“Lady, I placed a tracking spell on you. If you, who received the title of grand mage following me, couldn’t even detect that, your condition must be very poor.”

“……”

“It seems you’ve been using magic recklessly to visit the Freya Orphanage. Why don’t you leave the banquet for today?”

“The Second Prince will select a family for his business today. I want to see that before I go. It’s probably just a nosebleed because it’s the dry season. Don’t worry too much.”

As dizziness came over her, Arne bit her left lip. At that moment, the Duchess’s eyes narrowed.

“How all grand mages are alike…… My husband also pushes himself until he collapses and then gets scolded by me every time. Please take care of yourself too, lady.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Looking at Arne, who showed no signs of resting despite her thanks, the Duchess felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Arne fidgeted with the box and cautiously began.

“By the way, Duchess Xenon, I heard this isn’t your first paternity test. You must have heard that they weren’t your daughter many times, so how did you not waver? It must be frustrating and difficult with no guarantees, so how do you keep going?”

“She’s my daughter, what other reason would there be? Without that hope, life would already be hell.”

“I see. You speak similarly to the Duke, perhaps because you’re a couple. Everything will work out well.”

At Arne’s moist voice, Duke Xenon recalled their conversation at the national cemetery. Perhaps that’s why he felt concerned.

“Everything will work out for you too, lady. I don’t know exactly what you’re trying to do, but I know how earnestly and desperately you’ve been working.”

Duke Xenon patted Arne’s shoulder. Arne’s pupils trembled like a candle in the wind.

“If either Kale or Cedric gives you trouble, come to us. We’ll find you a suitable marriage. And don’t push yourself too hard. You look too exhausted.”

“Thank you for your concern. The goal is just ahead, so I’ll finish this first.”

Duke Xenon sighed faintly and placed the key and a note with the address in Arne’s hand. After receiving the box Arne offered, the Duke and Duchess left the balcony and immediately boarded a carriage.

The Duchess kept looking back at Arne, who remained on the balcony, as if she was still concerned.

“Somehow I keep worrying about her. Maybe because she’s around our daughter’s age, she feels like a daughter to me. Sometimes she has aspects so similar to you that it startles me. Did you know both you and the lady have scabs on the left side of your lips?”

“……”

“I know. Our daughter has platinum blonde hair and purple eyes. More importantly, I hope the lady doesn’t push herself too hard. It seems she’s pushing herself like this to marry Cedric.”

The Duke looked up at Arne standing on the balcony with his arms crossed.

“Cedric of Renigrad, honestly, he’s a son-in-law anyone in the Empire would want. What could compare to the honor and wealth of the Grand Ducal family? But if she were my daughter, I’d strongly advise against it. Renigrad is dangerous.”

“Is it because of the rumored curse of Renigrad?”

“We know it’s not just a rumor. I could never send my daughter there. How could I make the daughter I finally found suffer!”

“Of course not. Anyway, let’s head to the temple quickly. Now that we have the hair, we’ll soon know if they’re our child.”

* * *

On the balcony, Arne pressed the handkerchief Duke Xenon had given her firmly. Her nosebleeds had been difficult to stop lately.

‘Did I push too hard? I used magic for Betty and then again at the Freya Orphanage. But I’m really almost there. Just a little more and I’ll be done.’

Though she didn’t hear Cedric’s last words because an attendant came in the middle, she at least knew that Cedric didn’t want to get engaged to Amelia. Moreover, he seemed to be trying to prevent Arne and Kale’s engagement as well.

‘Now I just need the Trading Company results to be recognized by the Grand Duke. The conversation with the princess went well, so the Mercedes Trading Company will do well too, and everything will work out. So I just need to hold on a little longer.’

Arne, clutching the handkerchief tightly, looked up at the sky. Plop, plop. Cold water droplets fell on her face.

Arne’s pupils gradually dilated.

‘It shouldn’t rain during the dry season. Is it a sudden shower?’

The raindrops grew heavier, falling sharply on Arne’s face.

‘Ah…… the tea is still in the courtyard!’

The rare southern tea, hebna, required meticulous care. As much as it needed sunlight exposure, it was extremely sensitive to humidity.

She needed to move it into storage immediately and apply drying magic. Arne promptly left the balcony and changed direction.

Princess Eloise, seeing Arne hurriedly leaving the banquet hall, turned her gaze toward the window.

“It shouldn’t be raining now, should it?”

The princess, who had been tapping her teacup, shifted her gaze to Cedric who was just entering the banquet hall. Seeing him immediately surrounded by people, the princess spoke.

“Cedric, Lady Ronia just left the banquet hall. Did you not cross paths with her?”

“No. We didn’t meet.”

“Is that so? Lady Ronia accidentally left wearing my ruby bracelet. It’s my mother’s keepsake, and it would be troublesome if it left the imperial palace, so could you bring it back right away? Since monster appearances have been frequent lately, you should take knights with you. While you’re at it, escort the lady safely to her destination.”

“I will follow the imperial command.”

At the mention of the late Empress’s keepsake, the nobles backed away from Cedric. Taking imperial property outside the palace without permission was a serious crime. Though the princess had shown leniency this time, preventing it would be the right thing to do.

People watched with disappointed looks as Cedric disappeared with the knights.

With each step, Cedric’s tightly clenched fist trembled. The princess wouldn’t make such a statement without reason. It meant the lady needed help urgently.

‘I told her not to push herself. I said I would handle everything. Damn it, she still won’t ask me for help.’

Cedric closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. His anxious steps gradually quickened.

* * *

The raindrops hitting the carriage window grew heavier. Though rain rarely fell during the Empire’s dry season, occasionally there would be one or two heavy showers.

‘Why tonight of all nights? It’s fine. If I just put everything in storage and apply drying magic properly…’

When the carriage stopped at the southern-style mansion Duke Xenon had procured, Arne immediately jumped out. The two guard knights at the door recognized Arne and greeted her.

“You’re here already? We heard you’d be given the key today, but we expected you tomorrow.”

“It’s raining, so I need to move all the boxed tea into storage! Can you help me?”

“Of course!”

Arne’s hands trembled as she turned the key. Having run here without an umbrella due to the sudden rain, she shivered in the night air.

The amount of boxes was substantial, as she had bought up stock to exclusively secure the rare southern tea.

After quickly surveying the boxes and storage room, Arne closed her eyes and concentrated to draw up mana. It was time to use teleportation magic.

“My lady!”

Opening her eyes at the knight’s cry, Arne saw red mist spreading along with the rainwater at her feet. The magic seemed to have broken halfway through, as only half the boxes had been moved.

Cough. Another cough accompanied with blood came, and the knight hurriedly searched for a handkerchief.

“My lady, you must not use any more magic. The Duke and Duchess strictly instructed us not to let you use magic if you coughed blood or if your hands trembled! We’ll move the boxes ourselves instead.”

“Ha…… no. One of you should find people to help move the boxes, and the other should find a mage or magical drying tools. There are too many boxes for both of you to move alone.”

“Understood.”

Watching the knights urgently leave, Arne set up a tent first. Seeing the increasingly heavy raindrops, it looked like the bottoms of the lowest boxes might soon be soaked.

‘I need to move at least one more. I can’t give up here. If I just finish this properly, it will all be over.’

Arne began moving the boxes one by one. If there was any consolation, it was that she had arrived early enough that the tea hadn’t been significantly damaged.

‘Just one more.’

The heavy raindrops made it difficult to see. When Arne tripped on a stone and fell forward, the box overturned and tea leaves scattered.

As she wiped the rain from her face, it felt oddly metallic. When drops of blood fell onto the puddle forming around Arne, everything gradually turned red. Her nosebleed wouldn’t stop.

‘I’m sleepy.’

She felt a strong urge to put everything down and just sleep.

‘No. Just until the guard knights return. Just a little longer.’

As Arne got up abruptly and picked up another box, she saw familiar men’s shoes.

When she looked up, she saw a man’s distorted face.

“What are you doing?”

“Cedric.”

His face grew increasingly rigid as he looked at her.

“There’s tea in the boxes. I need to move everything into storage and apply drying magic. The guard knights went to call for magical tools and people, but they haven’t returned yet.”