An affair is ridiculous. Even though that was just her own thoughts, it was really ridiculous. Her relationship with the Master was strictly business. But she didn’t understand why she felt this emotion. She hadn’t even done anything.

It’s not like they passionately kissed, like adulterers. She hadn’t done anything dirty involving Leonel. Besides, she was a married woman, and so was the master—a married man with children.

“I’ll go now.”

“Already?”

Staying here any longer might lead to wild imaginations. Such misunderstandings never crossed her mind before. It was all because of the Master. The way he firmly held onto her hands, how close he gets when he’s speaking. It was hard to believe that a man with a family could behave that way.

“Yeah. I remembered something urgent.”

Above all, she was scared of being swayed by his actions. Familiarity, she let herself be swayed by him because of that familiarity. It had to end here. She didn’t know how this emotion would evolve if it went any further.

There were many shocking events today, so her heart was weak. That must be it.

“…”

“Ah, and thank you for the ring.”

She planned to talk about the ring when they met again. She didn’t intend to thank him in passing… But she couldn’t stand this weird atmosphere any longer. The Master was very strange today, and so was she. As if she was bewitched.

Her heart raced, and her fast-beating heart sent warmth to her face. Her lips kept drying out, so she had to moisten them with her tongue.

“Just a moment.”

Before she could answer, Amelia bit her lips quietly as he grabbed her fingers again. She wanted to act nonchalantly, but she couldn’t. She mustn’t show that she was nervous here.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m reapplying the protective magic.”

You should have said so earlier. I would have handed over the ring. But now she couldn’t just pull her hand away. Doing so would only make her seem more sensitive. The Master had no feelings for her. It must have been just because today’s Master was particularly shocking.

“Is it disposable?”

“Yes, you can’t apply multiple magics to a magical tool.”

She thought she had heard something like that. If not for the Master’s magic, she might not have been of this world anymore. She might have died several times at May’s hands.

“Thank you so much, Master. It would have been dangerous if it weren’t for you.”

“Won’t you tell me what happened…?”

Normally, she would have spilled everything to him. Not about Raphael, but at least about the head maid… But she firmly shook her head and closed her mouth. She refused to get involved with the Master any further.

It was best to maintain a proper distance. For now… even this posture was too intimate.

“I applied a stronger shield magic.”

“How much is it?”

As soon as he mentioned that it was over, Amelia hurriedly pulled her hand away without making it obvious.

“Money?”

“Yes, I heard magical tools are expensive.”

That’s why high nobles can’t have many of them. There were few people who could make them, and the making process was too difficult, so there was only a limited supply. Thanks to that, any usable magical tool was worth its asking price.

“Shall we set the fee for this request together?”

It’s the item that saved her life. She couldn’t appear utterly shameless, wiping her mouth clean without paying a penny.

“I don’t need money.”

He said it in a colder tone than expected.

***

To say that he didn’t need the money. It wasn’t something you’d expect from the owner of the largest trading company in the empire. Amelia was taken aback by the Master’s angry response. Had she done something wrong? Was it because she offered money for something so precious that its price shouldn’t even be set?

It was a high-grade magical tool that money couldn’t buy. And she had tried to buy it with money… Is that why he was angry?

“I’ll see you after the founding festival.”

With a clear dismissal, Amelia had no choice but to trudge out. She should have been the one to bring it up here. That they shouldn’t meet often unless it’s something important. She was swept away by the Master’s mood and couldn’t say anything.

“No… What did I do wrong?”

Did he think I’m not busy? I came here even though I’m busy. Judging by the Master’s attitude today, it seemed he planned to send the nobles’ weaknesses through Howard.

“This isn’t right!”

“We have to go inside!”

There was a reason Chester Mechantry’s knights were barred from entering. It was safe and meticulous in accident management; hence, it was heavily guarded. A place without any disturbance. What was this noise all about, then?

“If you block us any further, we’ll consider it an attack on the Grand Duchy of Siegfried.”

Siegfried? Why is Siegfried’s name coming up?

“The VIP room is not for just anyone.”

“We’re just checking if our master is there!”

“Ann…? Jane?”

The protagonists of this commotion were none other than Ann and Jane. And those blocking them were Howard and the guards of the trading company.

“Your Highness!”

“Why are you all doing this…?”

Ann and Jane’s clothes were a mess from the rough scuffle. Their hair was disheveled as well.

“You left without saying anything… The coachman only said he dropped you at the trading company…”

“Your Highness! You should have taken us with you.”

She didn’t realize that sneaking out and using the family’s carriage would cause such a big stir.

“I left in a hurry. I think I told the coachman?”

From Howard’s perspective, he was blocking them to the end to keep the Master’s identity a secret. She hadn’t realized Raphael’s surveillance on her was to this extent. She thought he would have preferred it if she quietly disappeared. This was a problem even before trying to escape.

“Let’s go back, I’m sorry my maids caused a disturbance.”

“It’s okay, Your Highness.”

Ann and Jane quickly became docile, as if they hadn’t just caused any commotion. Amelia sighed. It seemed she had chosen her maids poorly. It was like she was avoiding a fox only to meet a tiger.

“Your Highness, please tell us next time.”

“You don’t know how surprised we were.”

Did they really think this would work, knowing what they had done just moments before? Where did those who were shouting and fighting go?

“Ah, and the stew. You didn’t take it with you.”

And this damned stew they brought with such meticulousness. It confirmed she had chosen her maids poorly.

“Go ahead and eat.”

“…Thank you.”

By now, it wasn’t that he was clueless, but that she was pretending not to know. It was unclear for how long he intended to feed her this tasteless stew. Even if she said she could stop eating it now, Raphael wouldn’t budge.

“I might as well be poisoned at this rate.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Just joking, I’m joking. That’s how bitter it is.”

Back at the castle, Raphael said nothing. Surely he must have heard about her silent visit to the trading company. Yet, he just looked at her with a crooked smile on his lips.

It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He assigned her difficult lessons, as if he were trying to push her away, yet he wouldn’t allow her to leave. Even now, he insisted on keeping her by his side.

“It seems my wife has better stamina than I thought.”

“It’s because my kind husband always sends me good medicine.”

She had just one-shot the tasteless stew in the carriage on her way here. When she saw Raphael, she felt a prick at a corner of her heart. She clenched her eyes shut against this damn conscience.

Being with the Master and then seeing Raphael brought an inexplicable sense of guilt. If she had really done something to feel guilty about, at least it wouldn’t have been unjust.

“A husband who worries a lot about his wife, I see.”

A husband worrying about his wife? Coming from him, that was almost laughable.

“Well, it could be the other way around.”

After getting used to the tasteless stew, who knows what he might do. That’s the kind of person he is. Raphael Lloyd Siegfried.

“Really? I don’t think so.”

Her body instinctively flinched at those approaching golden eyes. She couldn’t look away, even if she wanted to. It felt as if he knew everything that had happened with the Master just before.