Kana blinked, slightly dazed.

‘Is he really picking on me even though I apologized immediately?’

She had seen such cases often while playing the role of a supporting character. Some prickly and dirty-tempered male protagonists and sub male leads would often pick on background characters for trivial reasons.

‘They even ignore the will of the beloved female lead, so when it comes to background characters who are less than pebbles on the roadside… well, you get the idea.’

Kana was a bit nervous, not knowing what he might say next. Surprisingly, Kiriel lightly shook his head.

“No. Let’s talk later.”

“Yes, then let’s move to the spirit stone storage room for now.”

With that response, they all walked to the spirit stone storage room. The brilliantly sparkling, vividly colored spirit stones were being securely protected.

Having completed the guidance, Kana stepped back. At that moment, the recovered Viscount Round stepped forward and pointed at the spirit stones.

“As you can see, they are well-preserved and full of energy.”

“Indeed, the spirit stones from the western Hail family’s mine are excellent.”

Kiriel nodded slightly as he meticulously examined the spirit stones.

The Hail family was one of the four major families of the Arsen Empire, profiting from their focus on spirit arts and their spirit stone mines. Additionally, there was a female supporting character from the Hail family who helped the female protagonist in ‘Fake Saint.’

Viscount Round glanced at Kiriel and spoke.

“We will keep them stored as they are and send them to the Magic Tower on the agreed date.”

“Yes.”

His satisfactory and mild response made Kana’s parents smile with relief.

It seemed they were glad that the transaction and connection with the Curtis family were proceeding smoothly. In this novel, the Round family had slightly aligned themselves with the Curtis family, one of the empire’s four major families.

Just as they were about to move to the barrier location, Kiriel suddenly glanced at Kana and spoke.

“Does Lady Round also use spirit stones?”

“Yes?”

Her parents blinked in bewilderment at his sudden remark. It was understandable to be surprised by his unexpected question.

Although it’s not as costly as magic, spirit arts also required a significant investment, relying heavily on affinity and talent. To forcibly awaken or increase one’s energy, one would need to pour an enormous amount of spirit stones into it.

Naturally, Kana Round had never used spirit stones or summoned any spirits. Ignoring the flustered Viscount Round couple, Kiriel bluntly stated.

“I’ve been feeling the presence of a spirit from Lady Round since earlier.”

Who would deny that he was a genius mage? His intuition was indeed sharp. She hadn’t even summoned her dear partner, the wind spirit Celia, yet he noticed.

Her mother asked urgently.

“Tower Master, does that mean… our Kana has a connection with a spirit?”

“Well, yes. Has Lady Round never shown such a side before?”

“…No.”

All three pairs of eyes simultaneously turned to Kana, who was smiling quietly.

‘Since this is a world where magic, spirits, and aura exist, unlike a novel without fantasy elements, spirit arts aren’t sealed, so I should be able to summon Silia.’

If she officially demonstrated her abilities, there wouldn’t be any issue with the setting even if she summoned Celia, despite being a background character with no talent.

Moreover, this novel mentioned that those who could handle spirit energy, mana, or aura were highly regarded, so her parents, as part of the setting, wouldn’t likely interfere with her actions.

She had planned to secretly summon a spirit using a spirit stone when alone, but Kiriel conveniently set the stage for her, for which she was grateful. Kana fiddled with her dress hem, intentionally showing an awkward smile.

“Actually, I’ve been feeling some kind of energy recently. I wasn’t sure and didn’t know much about it, so I kept it to myself.”

“Oh, really? What kind of energy was it?”

Kiriel’s voice carried a subtle curiosity. His attitude had softened somewhat, perhaps because it was a topic of interest. Kana hesitated, pretending to think, then moved her fingers and responded naturally.

“Hmm, a cool… energy like the wind.”

“Then it’s likely a wind spirit. Have you seen the spirit or made a contract with it?”

Kiriel scrutinized her as if assessing her abilities. His businesslike gaze was focused more on the potential spirit than on the person ‘Kana Round’ herself. Kana shrugged her shoulders.

“No. I hadn’t even thought of a spirit until you mentioned it, Tower Master.”

“Hmm, but if you can clearly feel its energy, you might be able to make a contract soon.”

“Thank you. I hope so too.”

Kana responded with a subtle smile to his quick judgment.

‘What’s this? Kiriel Curtis is giving advice to a complete stranger? Maybe it’s because he has an interest in spirits, not just magic, and is researching spirit stones?’

While she speculated internally for a moment, Kiriel glanced at the Round Viscount couple and added nonchalantly.

“If you use spirit stones, the process might be faster.”

“Oh.”

Her parents’ eyes sparkled brightly. They placed their hands on her shoulders and smiled warmly.

“Great! We need to get spirit stones for our Kana to use as well.”

“Oh, and even if the result isn’t great, don’t be too disappointed. Since the Master of the Magic Tower mentioned it, something will come of it.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Her response was extremely businesslike, but they were too excited to notice. No matter how much they were set as her parents, they were just passing connections, so she naturally became indifferent.

Kana skillfully matched her excited parents’ enthusiasm with a fabricated smile. Initially, managing her expressions was awkward, but after going through several works, it became more natural.

Though Kiriel, the guest, remained silent, the family atmosphere was exceedingly warm. Kana smiled appropriately to match the mood, but suddenly felt a peculiar gaze.

Turning her head away from her engrossed parents, she met Kiriel’s eyes. Faced with his handsome features, she deliberately gave a shy smile.

“Oh dear, were we too noisy?”

“Well, a little.”

His reply, slipping through his slightly parted lips, was cool.

‘He really prefers a quieter environment, as expected.’

It was a bit awkward, but not an unfamiliar situation. The experienced Kana handled it smoothly.

“Oh, I apologize for the rudeness of keeping our guest waiting. It’s just that the topic you brought up, Tower Master, was such good news.”

“Hmm, is it something to be that delighted about?”

“Of course. Even small good things are still good.”

Kana answered appropriately to his genuinely puzzled look and clapped her hands. Her excited parents turned their attention to her.

“Well then, now that we’ve checked the spirit stones, how about we proceed with the barrier inspection and maintenance? The Master of the Magic Tower is a busy person, so it’s best to finish early.”

“Hmm, yes.”

They nodded, regaining their composure.

Just as they were about to move to the core of the barrier, Kiriel interjected.

“Wait. Let me take one spirit stone in advance.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

The Round Viscount couple stepped aside, giving way. Kiriel walked briskly into the spirit stone storage room, his dark blue robe fluttering.

He looked every bit the handsome sub male lead. Even just walking, he created a picturesque scene.

As long as there was no personal entanglement, just watching wasn’t bad. Kana quietly observed the scene as if she was admiring a painting in a gallery.

Once inside, Kiriel picked the largest and most energetic spirit stone, which immediately disappeared. He had used spatial magic. The Round Viscount cautiously watched him.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes. Let’s move now.”

The four of them moved sequentially to the location of the barrier’s core. With just a light gesture, Kiriel neatly repaired the barrier.

Even someone like her, who wasn’t a mage, could feel his exceptional talent. It was truly an enviable ability.

The final location was a garden in full bloom with colorful flowers. The core was in a vase-shaped fountain at the center of the garden. Water droplets splashed from the fountain, shining white in the sunlight.

Kiriel waved his hand slightly in the air near the fountain. The fine crack that had formed at the center of the fountain quickly mended. He lowered his hand and spoke calmly.

“It’s all done.”

“Wow, as expected of the Master of the Magic Tower. You’re always impressive!”

The Round Viscount endlessly praised him. Praise was something supporting characters constantly offered. Matching her father, she clapped along with her mother and then bowed politely to Kiriel.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Yes.”

Kiriel nodded indifferently. At that moment, Kana’s mother, who had been glancing between her and Kiriel, made a subtle suggestion to him.

“Since everything is done, how about having some tea while looking at the flowers in the garden pavilion? Although repairing the barrier may not be a burdensome task for the Master of the Magic Tower, it’s good to take a short break.”

As she finished speaking, Viscountess Round winked at her daughter. It was clear she was eager to create some alone time for the two. Kana felt awkward.

‘Ah, I hate uncomfortable and bothersome situations.’

There are various types of sub male leads, but unfortunately, he was the type who was not a polite and gentle sub male lead but rather maintained a cold attitude towards anyone other than the female protagonist.

Especially towards female supporting characters. He disliked those who clung to him annoyingly, so there was nothing to say. In this way, instead of forming a connection, she would end up hearing unnecessary insults.

‘Given his set personality, he should refuse on his own, right?’

Although she didn’t particularly like prickly personalities, she welcomed it in this situation. But Kiriel shattered her expectations.

“Alright.”