“…What did Harzen say?”

“He said to fill the dressing room with dresses that Lady Rizel wants, including the wedding dress of course, even if it takes some time.”

“I understand.”

With the help of her personal maids and the dressmaker, Rizel selected dresses that matched her taste and suited her well.

* * *

While Rizel was busy adapting to mansion life, learning important etiquette, and studying in the mansion’s library in her spare time, the day before the wedding arrived.

She entered the dressing room with a dark spirit summoned for spirit arts training perched on her shoulder.

Among the dresses—the one purchased initially in the capital and the various colorful custom-made dresses acquired since arriving at the Darkus mansion—the pure white wedding dress commanded attention.

As Rizel caressed her chin while quietly observing, Nix mumbled in a half-dazed voice.

[My goodness, Rizel getting married tomorrow… I still can’t believe it.]

‘Nix, it’s just a contract marriage. Don’t attach too much meaning to it.’

Rizel waved her hand dismissively. The dark spirit’s body tilted in response.

[Really? To me, having ‘contract’ in front makes it feel even more significant.]

‘Well, “contract” is a weighty word for spirits and spirit contractors. It’s the only means that connects the two beings.’

Rizel agreed with the spirit’s words with a bitter smile. Just then, Harzen’s spirit communication suddenly echoed in her mind.

[Rizel, are you busy right now?]

[No, what is it?]

Rizel’s voice instantly became gentle. Harzen answered after a slight pause.

[I have something to discuss. If it’s alright, let’s talk briefly in your room.]

[Yes, please wait a moment.]

She let Nix seep into her ring, then left the dressing room and immediately opened her door. Harzen, who had been waiting outside, entered.

Rizel promptly asked a maid to bring tea and sat facing him. Before she could speak, Harzen, who had been briefly scanning the surroundings with his eyes, spoke first.

“What were you doing?”

“I was chatting with Nix in the dressing room while looking at the wedding dress.”

Rizel shrugged. Harzen’s gaze shifted to her hand. Whether it was his imagination or not, the simple ring she wore seemed darker and more intense than usual.

“I see. Your ring’s color seems to have changed a bit…”

“Wow, you have a good eye—most people don’t notice. The spirit entered the ring, changing its color.”

He nodded at her kind explanation.

“I understand. So that’s how you conceal your summoned spirit.”

“Yes, don’t you also have this type of magical tool?”

“Ah, I tend not to summon Darren when I’m with others. If I must use something, I utilize brooch, cufflink, or ring forms.”

Harzen’s voice sounded somewhat cynical.

She had heard that her employer mainly summoned spirits and practiced spirit arts when alone, in forests where people didn’t frequent, or in private training grounds within his territory.

Guessing there must be circumstances behind this, Rizel nodded and changed the subject.

“I see. So what brings you here?”

“Before that, please ask your spirit to come out of that ring.”

“Ah, yes.”

She readily complied with his request. The dark spirit that had seeped into the ring rose like smoke and transformed into a semi-transparent black sphere.

[Why am I suddenly being asked to come out?]

‘I don’t know either.’

Rizel rolled her eyes as she heard the spirit’s puzzled voice. Harzen took out two small velvet boxes from his pocket and naturally removed the ring-type auxiliary magical tool from her finger.

‘…What’s this?’

Normally, touching someone else’s equipment without permission was considered rude. Among mercenaries, it could even lead to fights. Rizel was a bit flustered but didn’t show it and waited quietly.

Meanwhile, Harzen took a ring from one of the velvet boxes and placed it on her ring finger. It was a gold ring with a band of small, pure white gems encircling a slightly thick band. Rizel’s eyes narrowed.

“Could this be…”

“It’s a wedding ring. During our contract period, you can wear this instead of that other ring, can’t you?”

He smoothly continued, taking a similar design ring from the other velvet box and putting it on his own ring finger.

What stopped her from protesting that equipment and wedding rings were separate matters was Nix’s voice.

[Rizel, look carefully. The gems embedded in your wedding ring are spirit fragments.]

‘What?’

Surprised, Rizel examined the gems in the wedding ring closely. She had vaguely assumed they were diamonds, but looking carefully, they appeared different and even emitted a subtle spirit energy.

Spirit fragments—byproducts that appear very rarely from intermediate or higher spirits as they dissipate. Though difficult to process, they were extremely useful materials for spirit contractors’ equipment. They were expensive simply because they were hard to obtain.

‘Didn’t the employer gift Parsene a bracelet made with spirit fragments in the original story? Inadvertently, I received it first. As a wedding ring, no less. Well, let’s just take it positively and move on.’

Rizel calmly pushed aside the original story content in her mind and asked for confirmation.

“Are these gems spirit fragments?”

“Yes. Since we’re both spirit contractors, it should be useful. Think of it as a wedding ring and auxiliary magical tool combined.”

“Wow, thank you. This is a ring I wouldn’t want to take off even after our contract expires.”

Rizel’s face instantly brightened. He gave a hollow laugh at her seemingly half-sincere reaction.

“There’s no need to mention post-separation matters the day before our wedding.”

“I meant it’s such a coveted auxiliary magical tool… I mean, wedding ring. I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine. Anyway, with this, there should be no problem removing the ring you were wearing before, right?”

“Yes. But is there something wrong with my ring?”

Rizel wondered as she put the ring-type auxiliary magical tool into her spatial pouch. Harzen smiled amiably and shook his head.

“No. I just found it bothersome that my wife would be wearing another man’s gift.”

Though his tone was lightly teasing, his eyes remained calm, giving a formal impression. She rubbed her temple and sighed.

“…Ah.”

“That ring, wasn’t it a gift from the Tower Master?”

“Yes. Considering the effort it took to obtain it, it was more compensation than a gift. But how did you know?”

Rizel blinked in surprise while confirming. She hadn’t mentioned it to him, so he must have heard it elsewhere. After a moment’s hesitation, Harzen’s lips slowly parted.

“I found out while talking with the Tower Master when I went to the Magic Tower to process the spirit fragments. Your name wasn’t mentioned, and the details were vague, but listening to it gave me a feeling.”

“…Then does he know that you and I are getting married?”

“No. But he’ll find out on our wedding day.”

His eyes curved pleasantly. He looked strangely delighted.

‘Does that mean the Tower Master will be among the wedding guests? No matter how small the world is, that’s quite a coincidence.’

Rizel laughed wryly. Harzen paused briefly before adding a serious explanation.

“Since we’re on the topic, let me briefly mention the wedding. As you know, we’ll just submit the marriage registration to the Imperial Palace and hold the ceremony in the southern region.”

“Ah, then it should be relatively less cold compared to other regions. When I worked in the west and north, I nearly froze to death in winter.”

Back then, she had received great help from Romari, who handled fire spirits. Harzen smirked at her frivolous joke.

“That won’t happen here.”

“That’s a relief. Will the guests be mostly southern nobles, apart from the Tower Master?”

“Yes, including my mother, older brother, and sister-in-law. The Crown Prince will also be there. The Imperial family seems to want to both save face and make their own judgment by observing directly.”

Harzen answered in a businesslike, dry tone while caressing the wedding ring on his finger. Rizel gazed at her employer’s expressionless face, lost in thought.

‘The Crown Prince will likely be friendly, but the Imperial family probably intends to probe about the magic stone mines and marriage issues, and the family situation might be a bit ambiguous.’

Having heard various things during her nearly month-long stay at the Darkus mansion, she could make some educated guesses. Rizel didn’t show her thoughts and joked lightly.

“My, that’s a lot of important figures. Is there anything I should be particularly careful about?”

“Not really. Even if you find others’ gazes and conversations concerning, just be yourself. After all, we’re the protagonists that day, aren’t we?”

“That’s true.”

Rizel noticed her employer’s consideration in trying to ease her tension and smiled faintly. It felt strange to hear the word “protagonists” from the male lead of “The Beloved Flower of the Empire.”

Harzen continued the conversation with a relaxed attitude.

“After the wedding, we won’t meet the royalty again until next year’s New Year’s banquet, and we’ll likely see my family again around the end of the year.”

“I see.”

Rizel nodded. Observing her composed face, he casually tested her.

“Isn’t it burdensome?”

“Of course it is.”

After her immediate answer, she added through spirit communication:

[Isn’t that why you paid money to hire me in the first place?]