Chapter 2 (Part 4)

Theodore, Aethon, and Meia followed the attendant to a separate room.

“Not knowing what you like, I ordered everything.”

“I’m not picky.”

“Please, tell me your name, Mage.”

Meia thought carefully.

Even though it was another empire, the noble world could be both small and large.

She considered giving a false name but decided to tell her real name and family, thinking about how relationships can unfold.

“I am Meia of the Hatzbellua family from the Carpen Empire.”

Aethon was startled by Meia’s introduction.

“You are from the Hatzbellua Duke’s family?!”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a knock, and delicious food began to be served on the table.

“Grand Duke Theodore, I’ve had the meal and told you my name.”

“Could you also tell me where you’re going?”

“Are you still intent on scouting me to the Florence Grand Duke’s family?”

“Yes, I find it strangely impossible to give up.”

Theodore, who had been staring blankly at Meia, came to his senses and answered her.

Aethon, who had been watching Theodore, looked at him as if frustrated.

As the meal was coming to an end, Theodore spoke.

“Lady Meia, would you really not come to our Grand Duke’s house?”

“Are you asking me, a noble lady, to work as a Mage in the Grand Duke’s house?”

With his face turning red, Theodore lowered his head.

Unable to bear his frustration, Aethon finally intervened.

“Grand Duke, it’s impossible for Lady Meia to work as a Mage in the Grand Duke’s house.”

“Don’t you have Mages in the Grand Duke’s territory? Aren’t there many Mages available if you inquire at the Mage Tower?”

Aethon shook his head and said.

“The Duke of Rockbellion in the Sirius Empire has hired all the mages. Even the mages affiliated with our family paid penalties and left for the Rockbellion family.”

Meia thought of her mentor Puring, who had returned to the Mage Tower because of the Mages who had gone to the Sirius Empire.

“If they left, paying the penalty fee, it means the Duke of Rockbellion offered a reward that Mages couldn’t refuse.”

“Yes, the reward was Rockbellion’s magic stones… so they had no choice but to go.”

Mages earn money to buy magic stones. If they are given magic stones instead of money, no mage would refuse.

“Since the Florence territory is a land surrounded by the sea, pirate invasions are frequent. That’s why we need attack and defense artifacts made by mages.”

“So that’s why you tried to scout me as soon as you saw me.”

“That’s right. You may have found it rude, but that’s how much we need the power of mages.”

“Grand Duke, why don’t you ask Duke Rockbellion to send just one mage…?”

“Aethon, Brother Yan said he couldn’t spare any manpower as he was preparing for a territorial war.”

“Duke Rockbellion is quite heartless.”

“He said he had to protect his fiancée, so I couldn’t keep asking for a mage.”

Theodore sighed deeply.

Meia listened to the conversation between Theodore and Aethon. She could infer that Theodore and Duke Rockbellion were close friends.

“I see… But won’t the mages return to the Mage Tower once the territorial war is over?”

“We don’t know when the territorial war will start or end.”

“I see.”

“So I tried to scout you when I met you, but I didn’t know you were a noble lady.”

“I understand why you followed me to try and recruit me.”

Meia said, looking directly into Theodore’s eyes with a proud gaze.

Theodore’s face turned even redder at Meia’s words.

Aethon looked at Theodore intently. He wished Theodore wouldn’t mention that he had been following her because he fell in love at first sight, as it might make her uncomfortable.

“Th-th…”

Theodore stuttered as his face turned even redder, meeting Meia’s blue eyes.

His heart kept pounding irregularly.

He even stuttered unconsciously.

“But the food here is really delicious. Grand Duke, you should eat too.”

At Meia’s words, Theodore touched his flushed cheeks and told Aethon.

“Give the chef a tip.”

“Yes… I’ll be right back.”

Watching Meia eat deliciously, Theodore showed a satisfied smile.

Meia also responded with a smile to the smiling Theodore.

“Lady Hatzbellua, since we’ve finished our meal, would you grant me the time to have a cup of tea?”

Theodore spoke earnestly and anxiously.

He prayed that she would agree. The time waiting for her answer felt incredibly long.

“Indeed. We did agree to have a meal and then tea.”

Theodore smiled brightly at the fact that he wasn’t rejected.

‘He smiles so much. It’s like there’s a flower blooming above his head!’

“Then, shall we go together? Grant me the honor of escorting you! I mean, please grant me the honor!”

Meia couldn’t help but laugh softly at Theodore’s stammering words.

‘This Grand Duke seems more innocent than I thought.’

And above all, Theodore matched his eating pace with hers and ate together.

She felt a sense of small consideration.

Meia put down her fork. Theodore also put down his fork in response.

“Lady Hatzbellua, have you finished your meal? Shall we go then?”

“Yes, have you finished as well, Your Grace?”

“Yes, I have.”

Theodore smiled and extended his hand to Meia.

“Shall we go, Lady Hatzbellua?”

“Are we going to a tea house you know?”

“Yes, I’m sure you’ll like it very much.”

*   *   *

Theodore got up from his seat after a sleepless night.

It was because of the worries he had throughout the night.

He couldn’t sleep properly, thinking about how he could meet the silver-haired beauty again. Next to him, Aethon scolded him.

“I can’t live like this. I can’t!”

From dawn until the sun rose, Theodore only thought about the silver-haired beauty.

“Sigh, I wish I at least knew the Mage’s name. Her face kept coming to mind all night.”

At Theodore’s words, Aethon clicked his tongue and said.

“You fell for that mage, didn’t you?”

“I’m not in love. It’s because we need a Mage in the Grand Duke’s house.”

Then, suddenly feeling the presence of magic, Theodore opened the window wide.

The silver hair fluttering in the wind sparkled like opal in the sunlight.

It was the woman who had kept him sleepless all night.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the sight of her blue eyes widening in surprise as she saw him.

Maybe it was because of the sunlight, but it seemed like there was a halo shining behind her.

He had spent the whole night contemplating what to say first when he met the silver-haired beauty mage again.

But he ended up saying what he wanted to say the most.

“Mage! We meet again by chance.”

Though he was tired from lack of sleep, all his fatigue vanished.

And when she agreed to have a meal, he felt like he could fly to the sky.

When she came down to the first floor, she looked kind, and above all, she greeted him with proper etiquette. Wanting to display proper manners himself, he composed himself and greeted her gracefully.

He was quite satisfied with himself.

The silver-haired beauty was Lady Hatzbellua from the Carpen Empire.

‘It will be difficult to scout her to the Grand Duke’s family.’

Why would a lady want to work at the Grand Duke’s family? 

This thought made Theodore feel depressed.

In the meantime, he kept glancing at her as she ate.

She displayed truly noble dining etiquette.

The way she cut her food into neat squares without making a mess, the way she held her knife and fork, everything was extremely elegant. From head to toe, she exuded grace.

“Ahem.”

If Aethon hadn’t made a sound next to him, Theodore might have continued staring blankly at Meia eating without touching his own meal.

His heart pounded uncontrollably.

Sweat formed on his hands, and he wiped them with his handkerchief.

His mind seemed to be telling his heart to calm down, while his heart seemed to be protesting that it couldn’t.

The clear thing was that he wanted to keep being with Meia and continue having meals together.