“…Then, will you come with me?”

“I can’t. I can’t leave.”

“Why not? My house is awesome! It’s huge, with plenty of extra rooms!”

“I can’t leave my mother behind.”

“Oh, silly! Just bring her with you!”

“Is that okay? But scary knights are guarding us. We can’t get out.”

“Don’t worry! Those knights are no match for my parents! My father is the empire’s only Grand

Duke, and my mother is the greatest mage in the land!”

“Grand Duke? Is that higher than the Emperor?”

“Huh? No, not exactly… but my parents are still the best! Hmm, maybe not today, but I’ll talk to them, and we’ll rescue you for sure! Just wait a little longer!”

“Really?”

“Of course! Pinky promise! Oh, my mother’s calling me. I have to go now. But I’ll be back!”

“Will you really come back?”

“Definitely! Oh, wait—we haven’t even exchanged names yet. My name is…”

***

Was that… a dream?

The Raven—no, Lila—stared at the unfamiliar ceiling with dazed eyes. It felt like she had dreamed something precious, but now that she was awake, the memory was gone.

She was sure she’d made a promise with someone, yet her mind was foggy, like it was wrapped in a mist.

‘Who was it? What did we promise?’

The hazy fragments of the dream flickered in and out of her thoughts, teasing her like distant mirages. After several futile attempts to recall it, Lila sighed and gave up, shaking her head.

The chirping of birds broke the silence. Lila slowly sat up, rubbing her drowsy eyes. The light streaming through the curtains indicated it was already bright outside.

“Yawn…”

Had the Grand Duke enchanted the pillows and blankets with a sleep spell? She had slept unusually well. Stretching her arms and letting out a soft yawn, Lila savored the unfamiliar luxury of waking up without the weight of duty or danger pressing down on her.

A life where she could sleep as much as she wanted, laze around in bed without a care—she had never imagined such a thing was possible. No wonder her past life as the Raven felt like a distant memory.

In the imperial palace, sleep had never truly been restful.

“You’re still not a Swordmaster? Useless.”

“Once trash, always trash. If not for Father’s mercy, you’d be dead by now.”

The Emperor and Crown Prince had never hidden their disdain for her. Even though they only crossed paths a handful of times each year, every encounter was filled with scorn and unwarranted anger.

‘If they hated me so much, why not just ignore me altogether? Why go out of their way to say such things?’

On days she endured their verbal abuse, a deep sadness would settle in her heart. It was hard to believe she shared the same blood as them.

Even her family treated her like garbage. How could she expect anyone else to protect or care for her? The instructors and chamberlain were loyal dogs of the Emperor, and her fellow trainees were too busy looking out for themselves.

Living with the constant threat of death had made her paranoid, unable to relax even in her own room. She was always on edge, always prepared to defend herself.

The imperial palace was nothing more than a massive cage, and she was its captive bird. Rest was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

***

“Please rest easy, My Lady. No one here can harm you.”

But things were different now. As Lila Brender Esteban, not the Raven, she was no longer in that suffocating palace. Here, in the Grand Duke’s estate, she was safe.

Unlike the Raven, who had to sleep clutching a weapon, Lila didn’t need to fear. She was a valued guest, and as Eustace had assured her, anyone who dared to harm her would face his wrath.

“While you stay here, you are my honored guest. I will not tolerate anyone laying a finger on you.”

Eustace’s voice had been confident, his face glowing with a warm, sincere smile. His assurance radiated an almost arrogant self-assurance, but Lila understood it wasn’t arrogance—it was certainty.

He had the strength to back it up. When her shackles were removed, she had felt the full weight of his power. The entire mansion, as grand as the imperial palace itself, was fortified by his magic, a fortress crafted by a 6th-circle mage.

The more she thought about it, the more she suspected that Eustace had known of her presence all along and had deliberately allowed her entry. Though the thought annoyed her, she didn’t bother confronting him about it.

After all, he was on her side. She couldn’t fully trust him yet, but recognizing his power made her feel, for the first time, truly protected. The tension she’d carried for years began to ease.

“You seem tired. You should rest.”

Eustace had chuckled softly when he noticed her struggling to keep her eyes open. He had gently guided her to the bed.

“Sweet dreams.”

Lila had fallen asleep as he tucked her in and brushed her hair aside with a tender touch.

‘Mmm…’

How embarrassing to fall asleep so soundly in front of him. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now the memory made her cheeks flush. Stretching her limbs and rotating her wrists, she tried to shake off the lingering drowsiness.

Despite how much she had slept, she still felt sleepy. But the light exercise cleared her mind. Fully awake now, Lila instinctively scanned her surroundings before stepping out of bed.

“Ah.”

As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly.

“I’m hungry.”

Lila clutched her growling stomach, considering her options. If she waited, perhaps Grand Duke Eustace would bring her meal, just as he did yesterday.

But she was far too hungry to sit around like a guard dog, waiting for him to appear. Venturing out on her own, however, might cause an unnecessary commotion.

“Hmm.”

After a moment’s thought, Lila closed her eyes and slowly drew in her energy. A dark aura shimmered faintly at her fingertips.

One presence in the hallway. Two more near the stairs… She heightened her senses, carefully identifying the movements around her room. When she detected the one she was searching for, she opened her eyes.

“Found you.”

Her jet-black eyes, like faded glass marbles, glinted with purpose. Without a sound, her small frame glided forward. The room remained silent, save for the soft rustling of the curtains swaying in the breeze from the open window.

***

‘Ugh, I can’t take this anymore.’

Eustace’s chief aide, Elvin Arduino, sighed as he reviewed the mountain of paperwork surrounding him. No matter how much he tackled, it never seemed to end.

It was all thanks to that damned lord of his. Clenching his fountain pen, Elvin ground his teeth. He had been pulling all-nighters for days, handling the tasks that Eustace had all but forced onto him.

“Ugh.”

How long had it been since he last went home? Rubbing his dark, tired eyes, Elvin sighed deeply. Unlike himself, who was practically dead on his feet, the Grand Duke looked completely refreshed.

Elvin glared at the source of his misery, who casually stamped documents with a relaxed, smiling face. Seeing that cheerful expression only deepened Elvin’s sense of injustice.

“Your Grace, you need to review this too—ah, my back!”

As Elvin stood to hand over a stack of completed papers, he winced and rubbed his aching back. Sleeping curled up on the aide lounge’s couch for three nights had left his body sore and stiff.

“People need to sleep at home,” he grumbled.

Despite the luxurious, oversized leather sofa in the lounge, Elvin had discovered it did nothing to alleviate his fatigue.

“Tsk, tsk. So weak,” Eustace scoffed, clicking his tongue. With a casual flick of his fingers, the papers floated from Elvin’s hands to the desk. Elvin pouted at the sight.

“If you were going to use magic anyway, couldn’t you have done that before I got up?”

“You could’ve just asked me instead.”

“Your Grace, there’s a big difference between you offering to use magic and me daring to say, ‘Use magic to grab these papers.’ One’s fine, but the other could land me in jail for disrespect.”

“Would I really imprison you for that?”

“You might not, but others would want me dead. The butler or the knight captain would probably grab my ear, yelling ‘You insolent fool!’ And the mage commander would probably hurl a fireball at me.”

“Hmm… I can’t deny that.”

“See?”

Grumbling, Elvin slumped back into his seat, eyeing the never-ending stack of documents with dread. A sinking feeling told him he wouldn’t be going home tonight either.

“Your Grace, can’t we just hire another person? I’m going to work myself to death at this rate.”

“You know I’m too paranoid to trust just anyone. I need someone reliable.”

“I appreciate your trust, but this workload is impossible to handle alone.”

Elvin rubbed his face with both hands, practically whining.

“Is it that bad?”

“Of course! I haven’t been home in three days. I’m exhausted.”

“Want me to cast a recovery spell?”

“No thanks. Just let me go home.”

“Can’t do that. There’s still a lot to finish.”

Eustace’s refusal was clear: until the documents on his desk were dealt with, Elvin wasn’t going anywhere. Shoulders slumping, Elvin sighed in defeat.

“I’m going to haunt the aide lounge at this rate.”

“You should’ve accepted my offer to give you a room.”

“No thanks. You’d just pile more work on me.”

“You know me well. My aide really is smart,” Eustace chuckled, clearly pleased.

That smile, while stunning enough to make hearts flutter, only made Elvin feel like a devil was mocking him.

“Stop smiling. Your charm doesn’t work on me anymore.”

“Shame. I used to find it cute when your face turned red every time I smiled and asked for a favor.”

Eustace pretended to wipe a tear, playing up the dramatics.

“Your Grace, this isn’t the time for idle chatter. Approve these documents and move on to the next ones.”

“I’m doing that.”

“What are you even doing?! All you’ve done is smirk since earlier!”

Elvin clenched his teeth, suppressing the anger bubbling within. Oh, how he wanted to throw his resignation in that pretty face—but he valued his life too much for that.

Where had it all gone wrong? No matter how much he thought about it, the turning point was clear: the moment he impulsively signed a contract, dazzled by Grand Duke Eustace’s beautiful face when he visited the academy.

Little did he know, that contract was a one-way ticket to a sleepless nightmare. Pressing his temples, Elvin reminisced about the day he first met Eustace.