“Yes!”

Rizel nodded vigorously. At that moment, spirit energy flowed from their fingertips and the spirits on both sides.

Her energy with the darkness spirit rose like smoke in a faint black color, while his energy with the earth spirit spread like scattering grayish-brown sand.

As the energies intertwined in midair, a gentle breeze brushed against their faces and bodies.

The wind that tousled their hair subsided as the energies seeped into each of them.

The two recalled their spirits simultaneously as if they had planned it beforehand. In the ensuing silence, Harzen spoke first.

“I sincerely hope this bond won’t ever be broken.”

“…Ah.”

Rizel flinched unconsciously. Interpreting her reaction as hesitation, Harzen’s eyebrows rose. Soon, his voice echoed in her mind.

[I meant don’t die. No matter how much our relationship is bound by money and requests, I don’t want to face that kind of situation again.]

[Yes, I have no intention of doing so either, so I’ll do my best.]

Rizel answered through spirit communication with a broad smile. Even if it was purely professional, his concern was appreciated. She closed her eyes briefly to gauge the energy of her new spirit communication partner.

‘So this is my employer’s energy? I understand what Nix meant.’

Although it was her first time forming a spirit communication bond with an earth spirit contractor, Harzen’s energy felt stable and solid, like standing on a path covered with smoothly polished crushed stone.

‘He seems a bit beyond the advanced level… his rank is higher than I expected.’

As Rizel finished her assessment and opened her eyes, Harzen, who had been gauging her energy, offered his brief impression.

“Rizel, your energy is quite unique.”

“I’ve heard that many times. How did it feel?”

Rizel’s eyes curved gently. The corners of her mouth turned up with a hint of playfulness. Harzen answered slowly, as if tracing a vague memory.

“It’s pitch black and sharp, yet cozy. Like night or darkness, I should say.”

“Wow, you got it in one try. You have good intuition. Since we’ve formed a spirit communication bond, I’ll tell you—the spirit I’ve contracted with is actually a darkness spirit.”

Rizel clapped lightly with admiration. He recalled her nickname, “Black Sword Master,” and muttered inadvertently.

“Ah, so that’s why your nickname…”

“That’s right. People who mistook my spirit energy for some ambiguous aura gave me that name.”

“Yes. And your ability seems to slightly exceed mine… though I can’t quite get a clear sense.”

Harzen’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. She explained casually.

“The rank of special attribute spirits is inherently ambiguous. Besides, Nix is particularly good at concealment. Without forming a spirit communication bond, you wouldn’t have been able to tell at all.”

“Is it alright to reveal all this?”

“It’s fine. We’ve formed a spirit communication bond, and we’re about to become husband and wife, aren’t we?”

Rizel threw out the joke confidently while squaring her shoulders.

Harzen noticed that her confidence came from her own skills and assessment of the situation. He smiled slightly.

“Indeed.”

“Anyway, I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes.”

* * *

After her employer left, only she remained in the guest room. Rizel sat on the bed to rest after finishing the tea brought by a nameless townhouse maid.

Suddenly, pages began rapidly flipping through her mind, with text flashing by at high speed.

‘…What is this?’

Rizel took slow, deep breaths and managed to organize her thoughts. The novel that suddenly came to mind was a romance fantasy titled “The Beloved Flower of the Empire,” which she had read casually in her previous life and then completely forgotten.

It was about a vibrant, kind-hearted female protagonist named Parsene Latis, who possessed the power of light, healing the hearts and minds of the male protagonist and supporting male characters who all fell in love with her.

‘Wait, this is inside a romance fantasy novel? Wasn’t my genre supposed to be about struggling to survive in another world?’

Rizel’s emotions fluctuated between shock and self-deprecation. In fact, she had become aware of her previous life on the day she was taken in by her master after losing her parents at age five. It was quite shocking since she had simply thought she was reborn into a new world until now.

‘If I had been reincarnated as a noble lady, a gentlewoman, or a serving maid like others who get transported into romance fantasies, I could understand. But I’ve been struggling, building my strength, working while worrying about spirits, mercenary ranks, and request achievements!’

Rizel ran her fingers through her hair irritably. Apart from the uncomfortable feelings, there was an even bigger problem that remained.

‘…And my employer is the male lead? With the northern duke and the tower master as supporting male characters? What kind of content is this? That female lead who comforts all of them must be something else.’

Rizel shook her head and chuckled wryly before finally calming herself. Immediately, worries about her job flooded in.

‘So what should I do about this request? Should I cancel it just in case? But I’ve already exchanged contracts and started the job. I’ve even formed a spirit communication bond. Ah, this is giving me a headache.’

If she had known before signing the contract, she would have declined due to the uncomfortable feeling. Rizel rubbed her temples as she pondered.

Naturally, she couldn’t arbitrarily terminate the contract without the other party causing problems first or without a plausible reason. It was a matter of trust and money.

It would be awkward to suddenly change her mind, and she had no explanation if her employer asked for a reason. There was nothing to gain by saying she wanted to cancel due to anxiety over events that hadn’t even happened yet.

‘Whatever the original story is, I need to complete this request without issues. It’s fine if my employer falls in love with the female lead, but I hope it happens after our contract expires and we part ways cleanly.’

Rizel sighed unconsciously.

Wracking her hazy memory, she recalled that the male and female protagonists first met at the New Year’s banquet held at the imperial palace.

Parsene calmed Harzen, who was about to experience a spirit rampage, using her power of light, which led to their connection. From a spirit master’s perspective, it was a plausible situation that could inspire affection and attraction.

‘The problem is that I don’t know the exact timing.’

The novel described events and scenes with ambiguous timing, making it difficult to gauge when the female protagonist would appear, but the male protagonist was already separated from his former wife in the story.

‘And that former wife’s name was Rizel. What a coincidence.’

Her face crumpled.

In “The Beloved Flower of the Empire,” Rizel was merely mentioned as the name of the cold and cruel former wife who fled from Harzen’s side, unable to handle being with a spirit master.
She clearly seemed like a character designed to increase the male protagonist’s pain and elevate the kind female protagonist. Feeling hurt, she snorted while crossing her arms.

‘That’s not even funny. I’m a spirit user too. If I couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have accepted this request in the first place.’

Unless her employer violated the terms specified in the contract, made the job messy, or withheld payment, Rizel would never betray him first.

‘I’m not certain, but based on the circumstances, it’s likely the female lead will appear after this contract marriage ends, so should I just endure? I can always adjust based on the situation and my employer’s actions.’

Having made a practical decision, Rizel took out a notebook and pen from her spatial pocket, wrote down the contents of “The Beloved Flower of the Empire” in Korean, and put them back.
At that moment, a communication orb in her spatial pocket lit up. It was her master Veronica’s code. Rizel carefully accepted the call.

“Master, what’s the matter?”

-Just calling to say hello. Did you complete that request you mentioned doing with your friend last time?

“Of course. The client was generous, and the job itself was straightforward and good. Are you doing well, Master?”

Rizel responded with a bright smile to her master’s words. She knew her master’s personality well—though verbally prickly and blunt, she was subtly attentive and caring through her actions.

-Well, I’m living as usual. So what’s your next schedule?

“I was originally planning to return west and stop by Latun, but something came up, so I think I’ll be heading south.”

Rizel hesitated briefly before giving a vague answer. She felt uncomfortable about suddenly announcing her contract marriage to her master.

‘It’s just a time-limited contract marriage anyway, so is there really a need to involve Master who’s living a peaceful, secluded life in Latun? Unless my employer insists on greeting my guardian as my husband…’

As she remained silent, lost in thought, Veronica’s voice flowing from the communication orb pulled her back.

-Hmm, did you accept a new request already? Your cautious manner suggests a long-term assignment or a confidential designated request. You must have landed something big.

“…You’re always so perceptive, Master.”

-It’s nothing new to point that out. So what kind of job is it? Nothing strange, I hope?

“Well, it’s a bit unique, but I think it’ll be fine.”

Rizel’s answer was ambiguous. After all, this was her first time accepting a contract marriage request. Veronica sighed and admonished her.

-That remains to be seen. Don’t let your eyes get clouded by promises of big money and bite off more than you can chew. You remember the mercenary’s maxim, don’t you?