It all started with Dain.

I happened to catch him drenched in sweat after finishing sword training, without any expectations.

“A secret auction at the Arco Mansion? You need an invitation to go there, but you can ask Father for one.”

I got information I hadn’t anticipated.

Seeing my surprised face, he tilted his head and asked.

“But why the sudden interest in a secret auction?”

“Huh? Uh… I just wanted to experience a unique cultural event.”

Dain, who is simple-minded, easily accepted my vague answer.

“Going once isn’t a bad idea. But if you go, make sure to take your knight. It’s a hidden place, so something dangerous could happen.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

After parting with him, I walked, lost in thought.

Would the Duke help me get an invitation if I asked?

‘I doubt it, so what should I do?’

I arrived at the front of the manor with a perplexed look.

“Sister!”

Deborah came running toward me with an excited face from afar.

“Sister, I got permission from Dad to enter the Magic Tower!”

“What? Really?”

“Yes! It worked just like you said! Thank you so much.”

Deborah hugged me tightly. I was just bewildered.

It worked as I said.

What did I… say again?

“Oh! And Dad asked me to tell you he wants to meet you.”

“Meet me? Why…?”

“He said he has things to say and things to give you. If you have time, go see Dad!”

Excited, Deborah hopped around holding me and then said she had to prepare for her admission and left.

It felt like a short and intense storm had just passed me by.

Standing there blankly, I glanced southward.

It was the direction of the Duke’s office.

‘Should I go see him…?’

I had to ask for the auction invitation anyway, and from Deborah’s reaction, it didn’t seem like he would be angry about the Magic Tower incident.

I mustered up the courage and went to the Duke’s office.

When I knocked and entered, the Duke, who was reading documents, greeted me with a slightly surprised face.

“Shailyn… it’s you.”

“I came to see you after hearing from Deborah.”

“Ah. Come and sit.”

The Duke gestured to the sofa. We sat facing each other awkwardly.

The silence was so stifling that I briefly wanted to run away, auction and all.

Then the Duke suddenly got up and brought a box.

“First, take this.”

“Ah, yes.”

When I opened the box, my eyes widened. It was filled with gold.

“This is…”

“It’s the 400,000 gold you gave to Deborah. It was originally my responsibility, so it’s only right to return it to you.”

I hadn’t expected to get the money back, so I covered my mouth.

This solves the auction funding!

A weight lifted from my mind, and I couldn’t help but smile.

However, I tried to maintain a neutral expression in front of the Duke as I closed the box.

Watching me quietly, the Duke cleared his throat and spoke slowly.

“I heard from Deborah. She said you advised her to have an honest conversation with me…”

I recalled the conversation over tea with Deborah and nodded quietly.

The Duke, rubbing the back of his neck with a complicated expression, spoke softly.

“Th-thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to reconcile with Deborah.”

Hearing gratitude from someone who was perhaps the most hostile to me in this family felt strange.

‘I feel like he might grant methe invitation request now…’

I gauged his reaction, trying not to look directly at me, and carefully broached the subject.

“Um, could I ask you for a favor?”

The Duke slowly looked at me and nodded, indicating I should speak.

“I want to attend the secret auction at the Arco Mansion… Dain said that if I tell you, I could get an invitation.”

I clasped my hands politely.

The Duke flinched slightly, looking surprised. His green eyes behind thin silver-rimmed glasses widened a bit.

“Is that… all?”

“Yes.”

“…Well, that’s not difficult. I’ll get it for you by tomorrow.”

Fortunately, he didn’t refuse and accepted the request.

“Really? Thank you!”

I smiled brightly and bowed my head.

I hadn’t expected the Duke to resolve my concerns like this.

Things were going so smoothly in an unexpected direction that I couldn’t hide my smile.

* * *

Shailyn nodded with a bright face and turned to leave.

After seeing her off, Benjamin, left alone, recalled the conversation with Deborah.

‘No matter what you says, I’m going to join the Magic Tower, Dad.’

‘Deborah, you…’

‘I know what you’re worried about. But I promise.’

Deborah spoke clearly, without excitement as before.

‘I won’t do anything dangerous while learning magic. I’ll become a mage that Mom would be proud of if she were alive.’

‘……’

‘So… please allow it. Even if I practice magic without your permission, I don’t want to hurt you if I can help it.’

Seeing his daughter, who had matured in such a short time, Benjamin finally acknowledged it.

He had been suppressing his daughter and forbidding magic for his own sake.

Deborah was no longer a child in his arms.

‘Dad will love and support you no matter what you do. So if you want to practice magic… yes, do it.’

‘R-really?’

Deborah, with tears in her eyes, hugged her dad. Benjamin embraced his daughter in return.

It was a moment when his relationship with his daughter, which had seemed like it would run parallel forever, finally aligned.

After hearing about Shailyn’s hidden efforts, he felt somewhat unsettled.

But having received help, he decided to return the money and express his gratitude.

‘I was even prepared to grant an unreasonable request due to this…’

Contrary to his expectations, Shailyn made a modest request.

“She’s not quite what I thought…”

Benjamin murmured softly.

It seemed his perception of Shailyn was changing a bit.

* * *

The Duke indeed got the invitation for me the very next day.

And he handed me something that glittered with a golden hue.

“What is this…?”

“It’s the badge of our family. With this, you can certify to anyone that you belong to the Duke of Diart.”

Upon hearing this, I examined the badge closely and saw it was shaped like a wolf, symbolizing the Duke of Diart.

But why give this to me…?

I looked at him with puzzled eyes, and the Duke, seeming slightly embarrassed, cleared his throat and explained.

“Ahem, Lord Arco, who hosts the secret auction, is a materialistic person. He often discriminates based on wealth or family.”

“…So with this badge, they won’t easily dismiss me?”

The Duke nodded briefly, indicating that I understood correctly.

Wow, reconciling with Deborah seems to have softened his heart.

Seeing him extend such thoughtful consideration even to me confirmed it.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“…Yes, have a good trip.”

Perhaps it was my imagination, but the Duke’s voice seemed a bit softer than before.

After bidding him farewell, I went to inform Carl about attending the auction.

“Carl! Come down here!”

Today, he was perched in a tree again, like a crow or a cat.

At my call, his tall and large frame landed nimbly on the ground.

“Why are you always up in a tree? Is it just a habit?”

“Something like that. I don’t like feeling confined.”

“Isn’t it confining up in a tree?”

“It’s open. I can see far, not just what’s right in front of me.”

If he were Korean, it seemed like he would prefer a high-rise apartment or one with the view of the Han River.

Of course, there’s no one who wouldn’t like such a place, so I could relate.

Especially since I once lived in a semi-basement.

“I’m going somewhere the day after tomorrow. You need to accompany me.”

“Where are you going?”

“A secret auction at the Arco Mansion. There’s something I want to bid on.”

His handsome face raised an eyebrow.

“Then, we’ll need masks.”

“Masks? Why?”

When I asked without much thought, Carl looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

“Arco… I mean, at a secret auction, wearing a mask is standard.”

“Really? I didn’t know.”

“It should be written on the invitation.”

At his words, I unfolded the invitation and read it carefully.

Sure enough, it said at the bottom, [Please wear an animal mask. Entry is not permitted without one.]

Wow, I almost went with a bare face and got kicked out…

“Thanks for telling me, Carl. But how did you know about this?”

“Well… I overheard it a long time ago.”

“I see.”

I nodded, thinking.

It was clear that my bondservant must have worked as a guard knight for a high-ranking noble.

His neat and distinct features exuded an air of elegance, so it wasn’t surprising.

Honestly, he would suit being a fallen noble’s young master.

“I’ll prepare your mask too, so don’t worry.”

I patted his broad shoulders. Carl muttered with a doubtful face.

“Can I trust you?”

“Of course!”

Just trust me.