Ethan’s gaze, which had been fixed on the weapon, turned towards her. Kana swallowed hard as she met his intimidating red eyes.

In the subtly tense atmosphere, Kiriel chuckled. Whether it was a mocking laugh or just a laugh, she couldn’t tell.

“Indeed.”

“Besides, Duke Cardium has never harmed me. On the contrary, he has shown me kindness.”

Kana regained her composure, glancing at the northern duke who remained silent. Ethan had nothing to say, so he kept quiet. Kiriel tilted his head and asked.

“Are you done with your business at the weapon shop?”

“Yes.”

After answering Kiriel, Kana bowed to Ethan, who stood like a rock.

“Then I’ll be going first, Duke Cardium.”

“…….”

Ethan nodded silently. Kana left the weapon shop, with Kiriel following her at a leisurely pace.

“Where to next?”

“I’ll stop by the general store and the dessert shop.”

“I see.”

Since the master of the magic tower showed no sign of leaving, she gave up on the tea house. Sitting alone with him would attract too much attention and become bothersome.

‘I regret not being able to sip tea alone in a cozy tea house. If I’m lucky, I could even gather some small information. Oh well, I’ll go with other ladies next time.’

With that thought, Kana headed to the general store. Kiriel asked abruptly.

“What are you buying at the general store?”

“Embroidery supplies and letter-writing materials.”

These were items she used frequently while working as a supporting character. In romance fantasy novels, there were often episodes involving embroidering handkerchiefs or making alcohol, so she was quite skilled at sewing.

The letter-writing materials were mainly used for sending invitations or for personal exchanges with close ladies and important figures in her work.

Kana carefully examined and bought these items in bulk, then stored them in her spatial ring. As they left the general store, Kiriel, who had been silent, suddenly asked.

“Lady Round, do you like embroidery?”

“Well, it’s not that I love it… It’s a form of etiquette, and it’s useful. It’s also a nice little hobby.”

When she was mentally exhausted from emotional labor, sometimes focusing on simple manual work helped clear her mind. She often embroidered mechanically without thinking while working.

‘There’s not much to enjoy while working. Fantasy-heavy novels are somewhat better, though.’

Kiriel looked at her calm face and asked another question.

“Then why did you carefully select similar-looking stationery?”

“To give a subtle difference depending on the recipient. People tend to like it.”

Kana clapped her hands and smiled. Of course, the ones she paid such detailed attention to were only acquaintances and key figures related to her work as a supporting character.

Kiriel, who used to burn useless letters, couldn’t understand her dedication. He curiously spread his hand and performed a magic demonstration.

A small magic circle appeared on his palm, summoning a piece of stationery that soon burned to ashes. It was an unnecessarily vivid demonstration.

‘…Is there really a need to go that far?’

The mana consumed might be minimal, but it felt a bit wasteful. While Kana felt uneasy, Kiriel nonchalantly asked.

“Isn’t it just going to turn to ashes?”

“Well, um. You have a point, Master of the Magic Tower… but I prefer not to think that far. Besides, if you’re close, you usually keep the letters.”

Kana cautiously responded, not wanting anyone to think the sub male lead lacked character. She shook her head, recalling people with similar traits she had met while working.

While riding the carriage to the dessert shop, Kana absentmindedly fiddled with the spatial ring on her finger as she gazed out the window.

Kiriel, thinking of the items in her spatial ring, asked without realizing.

“Lady Round, do you have enough energy to balance spirit arts, sword training, embroidery, and social activities?”

“Of course. I can handle it all.”

Kana replied nonchalantly, turning her head towards him. She had managed even tighter schedules while working as a supporting character.

Supporting characters, though not the main focus of the novel, had a lot of work to do in their own right.

The main characters and significant supporting characters helped each other or had other aides, but those close to extras did not.

[The master of the magic tower has been asking quite a few questions since earlier.]

‘Is he bored?’

[Oh, then just come back. Our poor Kana is the only one suffering.]

Celia, knowing that dealing with people drained Kana’s energy, felt sorry for her. Kana let out an enlightened smile.

‘Well, there’s no choice if I want to earn star ratings. Thanks for the comfort, Celia.’

[Yes, stay strong!]

The lively voice of the spirit was pleasant to hear. Kana’s face naturally relaxed. While Kiriel silently watched her ever-changing expressions, they arrived at the dessert shop.

Kana entered the dessert shop and bought various desserts, sneaking a glance at Kiriel standing beside her. Just by standing still, he drew all the attention to himself.

‘Should I give something to Kiriel too? He doesn’t seem to enjoy desserts regularly but eats sweets when his sugar level drops.’

After hesitating, Kana bought some plain chocolate and handed it to Kiriel. He took it inadvertently and gave her a peculiar look.

“Lady Round, what’s this all of a sudden?”

“I just gave it to you to eat… Do you not like chocolate? If you don’t, give it back to me.”

Occasionally, there were slight differences in preferences compared to what was revealed in the novels. If he didn’t like it, she planned to eat it herself. When Kana held out her hand, he shook his head slightly and took it.

“No, I don’t particularly dislike it.”

“That’s a relief.”

“I’ll enjoy it.”

“Yes.”

After a brief conversation, they left the dessert shop and boarded the carriage. Kana blinked as she looked at Kiriel, who naturally accompanied her.

“I’m going back to the mansion now. Should I drop you off at the magic tower?”

“No. Just go to the mansion.”

She didn’t expect him to accompany her all the way. Kana was a bit surprised and asked again.

“Then what about you, Tower Master?”

“I’ll use teleportation magic to return after we arrive.”

“Oh, okay. Do as you please.”

There was no choice since she was already involved. Kana accompanied him to the Round mansion without any further conversation.

As soon as they arrived, Kiriel cast a spell and disappeared from the carriage as he had said.

‘Well, he’s the sub male lead, so there shouldn’t be any problem just because he was involved with a background character once.’

Kana let go of her worries and entered the mansion.

* * *

The day of the tea party, which Kana organized to observe the female protagonist, arrived. Wearing a light purple dress, she meticulously completed the preparations for the small tea party with the mansion staff and waited for the guests on the terrace overlooking the garden.

Two young ladies arrived first. Kana greeted them with a bright smile.

“Welcome. Thank you for coming, Miss Olivia, Miss Evie.”

“Thank you for inviting us, Miss Kana.”

The two young ladies responded with bright smiles. She kindly guided them to their designated seats.

Olivia Short, wearing a light yellow dress, had olive-colored hair tied to one side and olive-colored eyes, giving her a sharp impression. Her personality was relatively lively and refreshing.

Evie Reas, wearing a sky-blue dress, had dark brown hair styled up with sapphire ornaments and blue eyes, giving her a gentle impression. Her personality was relatively calm and quiet.

“You all came early.”

“We were excited since it’s been a while since we attended a small gathering.”

Evie shyly laughed, covering her mouth. Olivia nodded repeatedly in agreement and then looked at the empty seat. Her olive-colored eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Whose seat is that?”

“You’ll find out soon.”

“Really? Actually, I don’t mind whoever it is.”

True to her free and lively nature, Olivia didn’t mind the ambiguous answer and laughed it off. Evie, observing quietly, made a guess.

“Since it’s the main seat, it must be someone of high status. As long as they’re not troublesome, I’m fine like Miss Olivia.”

“Thank you both for saying that.”

Kana had deliberately chosen the most uncontroversial individuals. She smiled at them. As the three created a harmonious atmosphere, the last invited guest arrived right on time.

The female protagonist, Letie Serade. She wore a luxurious deep purple dress with amethyst earrings and a necklace.

Her luscious red hair flowed down to her waist, and her slightly upturned cat-like eyes gleamed with intense golden color.

Her striking tear mole and high-bridged nose stood out. Her reddish lips, glossed, formed a graceful curve.

Overall, she exuded a splendid and elegant aura, like a large rose blooming in the garden, fitting for a female protagonist with her beautiful appearance.

Holding a folded fan in her hand, Letie slowly looked around the room before her lips parted slightly.

“I must be late.”

“No, Lady Serade. You arrived just on time.”

Kana clapped her hands with a smile. Olivia and Evie, who had momentarily lost their composure at the unexpected appearance, quickly regained their senses and chimed in.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Of course. We just arrived early.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Lady Serade, please have a seat here.”

Following the host’s guidance, Letie took a seat. Kana looked around at the somewhat chaotic atmosphere among the guests and began to speak.

“Now that everyone is here… um, I arranged this gathering because I wanted to have a light chat and build friendships with you all. Please enjoy yourselves comfortably.”