“It’s not about your skills.”

Cedric opened Arne’s mouth again.

Arne’s eyes widened. After inspecting her mouth, Cedric finally let go of her jaw.

“That foolish guy who ate those mushrooms thinking they were good for him was Warren. He’s been following me around since then.”

“Warren?”

To think it was that meticulous Warren, it was unexpected. While Arne’s attention was diverted, Cedric wiped the liquid that had flowed to the corner of Arne’s mouth.

Seeing Cedric’s soaked hand, her face heated up again.

‘Is it only me who feels embarrassed?’

Cedric seemed not to be bothered at all.

“There was a guy who ate poisonous mushrooms and another who drank poison liquor, but you’re the first person who almost died after consuming mana perfume.”

Cedric’s lips curled up slightly.

“This will be talked about among the knights for a long time. This is at least a 10-year story.”

“Don’t talk about it!”

Cedric shrugged his shoulders and lifted Arne in his arms.

“I told you not to talk about it!”

“I’ll think about it.”

“No, is it okay to threaten a patient like this? That won’t end well for you!”

“To threaten someone who saved your life like this. How sad.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

Arne felt something was flowing strangely off course.

Soon after they reached the carriage, Cedric knocked on the carriage wall. Warren started driving again.

Due to Cedric’s body heat touching hers, Arne felt drowsy, and her eyelids kept getting heavier.

“If you’re sleepy, sleep. I’ll be right beside you anyway.”

“I have some pride. I won’t sleep.”

Despite her effort to keep her eyelids open, Arne soon fell asleep.

“You say you won’t sleep but fall asleep so peacefully. Unaware of other people’s troubles.”

Cedric smiled faintly at Arne’s defenseless sleeping figure.

The cool night breeze cooled the heat rising to the nape of his neck.

* * *

“I greet the Grand Duke of Renigrad.”

Renigrad’s Knight Commander Lux stood at attention with strict discipline.

“There was a disturbance at the Wayne family’s banquet last night.”

The Grand Duke of Renigrad, Calon, pressed down on his cigar to completely extinguish the ember.

His eyes, resembling those of a wild beast, shone threateningly.

His momentum was such that one could hardly meet his gaze.

“The Second Prince has ordered an investigation due to suspicions of Lady Ronia being poisoned.”

Lux swallowed nervously, feeling tension run down his spine.

The fact that a poisoning incident occurred at a banquet with the Prince was enough to turn the imperial palace upside down.

Rumors circulated that it was actually an attempt on the Second Prince, but had mistakenly targeted Lady Ronia instead.

“The business talks with the Leverun family are going well, but given the timing, we should exercise caution. Considering the unfavorable atmosphere, let’s postpone the meeting between Miss Leverun and Cedric.”

“I will convey that to the young master.”

The imperial guards thoroughly searched the Wayne family’s residence last night but found no trace of poison.

For now, the nobles have been released, so the Second Prince will be on edge for a while.

It was a bolt from the blue for the Wayne family, but not a bad day for the Grand Duke of Renigrad’s household.

Rumors spread that the Renigrad family even saved the life of an orphaned lady who was known as a ‘snow rabbit’ in social circles.

Nobles who had belittled or been wary of their knights, known only for their swordplay, had become quite favorable towards them after this incident.

For the Grand Duke, who wanted to expand his influence, this praise was internally quite satisfying.

“Is Lady Ronia currently staying at the villa with Cedric?”

“Yes.”

“Ensure she recovers well. Renigrad is not a family that ignores those in need.”

“…Yes.”

Lux was surprised by the Grand Duke’s unexpected kindness but did not show it.

“But about the lady. There’s an interesting part. I heard Cedric personally recommended Reta and they were together on the balcony. What kind of person is she?”

The Grand Duke’s eyes sharpened.

“It hasn’t been long since she experienced a magic surge, and apart from severe injuries on her core, I don’t know much.”

“Take a look and report back to me. There seems to be something about her that I like.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“No, I’ll meet her myself. Once the lady has recovered, invite her to dinner.”

The Knight Commander was so surprised, he couldn’t close his mouth. A dinner with the Grand Duke of Renigrad was not an easy appointment to secure, even for those willing to donate a chest of gold coins.

Although he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what about her caught his interest, the Knight Commander nodded and left the room.

The Grand Duke stroked his chin and shone with interest.

“I like that she called Wayne a bastard right before dying. A person needs that kind of spirit.”

* * *

When Arne opened her eyes, she saw the familiar ceiling. It was Cedric’s bedroom in the Renigrad Grand Ducal villa.

‘An empty potion bottle?’

Arne, who habitually scanned her surroundings, realized someone had fed her a potion.

As she fiddled with a bottle that looked different from ordinary medicine bottles used for storing high-quality potions, there was an urgent knock on the door.

“I am Knight Commander Lux. Have you awakened, my lady?”

Arne lifted her heavy body.

The burning pain in her body had disappeared, but she still felt thirsty, perhaps due to a lack of mana.

Arne staggered to the door and straightened her back before opening it.

“What is it?”

“Thankfully, you’ve recovered a lot! If it’s okay with you, could you meet Lord Cedric now? Please, think of it as saving a person.”

Arne tilted her head in confusion.

“Is Cedric… sick?”

“The crazy mage who made the mana perfume is in danger of dying from a beating… Hmm.”

The Knight Commander hesitated as he poured out his words.

He thought Arne might refuse since she had been on the brink of death because of the mana perfume.

“Still, he’s the one who bled all night to make the potion that helped you recover. Could you please have pity for him and stop Lord Cedric?”

So, the mage who gained sensational popularity for making mana perfume also made a recovery potion for Arne.

Arne fiddled with the empty potion bottle. To make a potion containing mana, a significant amount of blood containing mana needs to be condensed and purified.

To get this amount, they must have drawn a lot of blood but just enough blood not to kill him.

‘It’s Bianca who did wrong by using mana perfume on someone experiencing a mana surge, not the mage.’

“Can I be of help?”

“Of course! It’s necessary for you to go! And I have something to tell you, but I’ll do it when we’re all together at the training ground.”

The Knight Commander brightly guided Arne. As they stepped out the door, a procession of chefs pulling trolleys moved in line behind the door.

“Carefully, this way. He’s at the training ground. It’s close. If it’s too hard for you, I can carry you…”

“It’s okay.”

Arne quickly withdrew her gaze and headed towards the training ground at the Knight Commander’s voice.

* * *

Mage Rein used teleportation magic to dodge a blade plunging down on him as he screamed.

“Hiiiic.”

But the blue aura of Cedric’s blade grazed the end of Rein’s neck.

“I thought I told you that running away would only lead to death.”

“Even if I don’t run away, death is all there is!”

Rein shouted, seemingly aggrieved. He had been tied up by Cedric since dawn, unable to sleep a wink, making a mana recovery potion for the lady.

As soon as things settled down, Cedric left a terrifying remark.

“Let’s have a talk.”

In front of the lady, his voice was calm, but as soon as they arrived at the training ground, it turned ominous.

“There’s no antidote? Why hasn’t she woken up yet?”

“It’s perfume, not poison to begin with! She hasn’t woken up because it’s dawn now, which is a time any ordinary human would be asleep. You dragged me here at this dawn… Hic.”

Rein swallowed his saliva. His gaze stayed on Cedric, who was sweeping his eyes over the blade.

Even though Cedric was a friend and Rein’s long-time supporter, Rein was scared when Cedric really got angry.

“I said you can do whatever to satisfy your curiosity and research spirit as long as nobody gets hurt or dies.”

“How could I have known that a madman would use it on someone who’s experiencing a mana surge?”

Rein felt wronged. He was taken aback that the mana perfume he developed became famous for catching adulterers, let alone being used to threaten someone.

“That’s attempted murder! I made it to be used as perfume, not poison!”

“So, it is attempted murder. The lady almost died.”

Gulp.

‘This guy’s eyes have gone crazy.’

Cedric in this state was dangerous. He was blind to reason. Literally, no one knew what he might do.

He seemed gentle and peaceful, but the moment someone crossed the line, he became colder and more terrifying than anyone else.

That’s why there were rumors that he might soon surpass his father, who had a gentle nature, and become the next Grand Duke of the North.

If anyone had met him on the battlefield even once, they would have believed those words.

Rein chose his words carefully.

Not to provoke his temper.

“Do you love the lady?”

Crack.

Strangely, that seemed to provoke him even more.

“What are you talking about to a young lady who hasn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony?”

“I just can’t understand why you’re being overly sensitive unless it’s that.”

“I’m not being sensitive at all.”

Rein stretched his neck and opened his mouth wide.

But Cedric continued without blinking an eye, as if his anger hadn’t yet subsided.

“The lady is a patient. She consumed mana perfume in a state of mana surge and almost died, burning up all her remaining mana for survival!”

“She won’t die now! I drew all my blood last night to inject mana into her!”

“Moreover, her mana core is cracked. The lady needs stability and protection more than anyone right now.”

No, why are you doing that! That’s going too far!

Rein pouted and retorted.