“Elvin Arduino?”

Five years ago, when a boy resembling a painting of an ethereal elf appeared before him, Elvin finally understood what it meant to be spellbound.

“Why aren’t you answering? You’re Elvin, right?”

“Y-yes, I am!”

Watching the boy’s plush, peach-like lips chatter away, Elvin thought he looked like a doll brought to life by magic. Despite the boy’s casual informality, which would normally be offensive, Elvin didn’t feel irritated or angry.

“What brings you here?”

“You’re the top graduate this year, right?”

“Ah, yes. I graduated top of my class in the humanities.”

Elvin scratched the back of his head. As the boy said, Elvin had just graduated top of the academy’s humanities division. But he hadn’t secured a position yet.

Despite his accomplishments, the future wasn’t rosy. In the Esteban Empire, a meritocratic society, noble status could only get you so far. To truly advance, one needed talent—either as a 3rd-circle mage or a Swordmaster. Without those, even nobles could fall into obscurity.

Elvin was the second son of a declining barony. Once, the Arduino family had produced a 4th-circle mage and skilled knights, but those days were long gone. His family’s only remaining asset was their intellect. The title was set to pass to his eldest sister, leaving Elvin’s career options limited to a low-level bureaucrat or a noble’s aide.

Neither option appealed to him. Serving classmates who had ranked far below him was a blow to his pride. And so, Elvin’s job search had been indefinitely postponed.

“Do you have a job yet?”

“Not yet…” 

“Want to be my aide?”

“Um… who are you, exactly?”

“You don’t know me?”

The boy’s eyes widened, clear blue like glass. Seeing his own stunned reflection, Elvin felt his breath hitch. He closed his eyes tightly, afraid of being drawn into that gaze.

Blonde hair. Blue eyes. A beautiful boy. Could it be? No, that’s impossible. As Elvin’s mind raced, he pieced together the boy’s identity.

“Are you… Grand Duke Hubert Brandon Eustace?”

“Yep, that’s me!”

“Hah.”

Elvin let out a breathless chuckle, disbelief etched across his face.

“Your Grace wants me as an aide?”

“Don’t you want to get ahead in life? I can make you a baron.”

The boy smiled, eyes crinkling at the edges. His playful charm was almost hypnotic.

“You’ll be my aide, right?”

The radiant smile made Elvin’s heart race. Like a malfunctioning doll, he nodded repeatedly. The next thing he knew, he was holding a contract.

“Sign here.”

“Um, is this a lifetime contract? I see a non-disclosure clause… and a loyalty pledge?”

“Yeah. Can’t have you quitting or betraying me. Do you have a problem with that?”

“N-no! Not at all!”

“Good. Once you sign, a binding spell will activate, tying your service to the Eustace family.”

“Right… okay.”

Was it wise to stake his life like this? Elvin hesitated. Normally cautious, especially after his father nearly ruined their family with a bad guarantor deal, he scrutinized contracts meticulously.

Yet, despite his reservations, his hand moved swiftly. As soon as he signed, the contract glowed with a golden aura. Ribbons of light spiraled up his arm, seeping into his chest. He felt a soothing warmth embrace his heart.

“Great. From now on, you’re my aide, Elvin Arduino.”

Eustace’s satisfied smile lingered in Elvin’s mind.

***

Back in the present, Elvin hummed softly, lost in thought. The memory still felt surreal. It was as if he’d been under a spell, enchanted by the boy’s warm smile and outstretched contract.

That day, Elvin had signed a lifetime contract, essentially pledging fealty to Eustace. Even without the Grand Duke’s charm, Elvin knew he likely would’ve agreed anyway. After all, the person offering was no ordinary noble.

Eustace was a prodigy, awakening his magical abilities at five, achieving 3rd-circle status by ten, and reaching the 5th circle by fifteen. In the magic-worshiping Esteban Empire, Eustace’s name was legendary, known even among beggars.

At the time, the Grand Duke was merely a fifteen-year-old boy, but already a promising 5th-circle mage with a bright future ahead.

Who in their right mind wouldn’t nod in agreement when a genius mage, renowned across the Empire, personally requested them to become his aide?

For Elvin, a second son of a lower noble family, the Grand Duke’s offer was a golden rope to climb to greater heights. And his choice proved correct.

By the age of nineteen, the Grand Duke had stunned the Empire once more, becoming the youngest 6th-circle mage in the continent’s history—a feat rarely accomplished, even after decades of effort by others.

‘That was utter chaos back then.’

Elvin recalled how the entire Empire buzzed with excitement at the news. People speculated that a 7th-circle mage—the first in 180 years—might soon emerge.

The Tower of Magic recognized the Grand Duke as one of the continent’s sages and sent an invitation. Foreign kingdoms dispatched congratulatory envoys and lavish gifts, many subtly proposing marriage alliances. Even elves and dwarves from the borderlands expressed interest in magical exchanges with the Eustace household.

The Grand Duke’s fame transcended the Empire, spreading across the continent, and as his reputation grew, so did Elvin’s. He rose quickly among his peers and, by his early twenties, had secured the title of Baron Arduino, enjoying admiration as the Grand Duke’s close aide.

The once-struggling Arduino family now thrived, and even counts and marquises were cautious around Elvin, knowing his ties to the Grand Duke. Elvin took pride in his position as the Grand Duke’s chief aide.

Yet, there were moments he regretted signing that lifetime contract. Riches and prestige meant little if he worked himself to death. Lately, his greatest wish was simply a few days off to sleep uninterrupted.

“Why are you zoning out? You were just nagging me to work,” the Grand Duke quipped, snapping his fingers lightly.

Startled out of his reverie by the sudden flash, Elvin blinked and frowned. “What is it?”

“My brilliant aide is daydreaming,” the Grand Duke smirked, clearly amused.

“Stop wasting time and get back to it. We need to clear the urgent ones quickly—I have somewhere to be.”

“Go where, exactly? Everything here needs your attention today. Neither of us leaves this room until it’s done.”

“Nope. I need to feed our Raven.”

“…Pardon?”

“She skipped dinner last night and has been sleeping since. She must be starving.”

Elvin grimaced. He was one of the few who knew the Raven’s true identity. After all, the Grand Duke had been obsessively mentioning Raven for the past five years. There was no way he could remain unaware.

“Elvin, draft a plan to extract the Raven as soon as possible. I’ll provide any resources you need.”

“This is annoying. Should I just destroy everything with magic? What do you think, Elvin? If I kill the Emperor and the Crown Prince, would she hate me?”

“It seems the Emperor’s getting desperate. I heard he ordered the Raven to assassinate me. How considerate of him to deliver her to me.”

Had recent events not unfolded, the Grand Duke would have already executed his long-planned scheme to smuggle the Raven out of the palace.

“Can’t someone else handle her meal?” Elvin suggested irritably.

“No. I’m doing it.”

The Grand Duke’s childlike stubbornness grated on Elvin’s nerves. Normally composed and rational, he acted like a petulant child when it came to the Raven.

“Is there a specific reason you have to do it?”

“I don’t trust anyone else.”

“They’re all your loyal vassals.”

“Doesn’t matter. She’s still wary, even of me.”

Elvin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait… Did your charms fail?”

“She didn’t even recognize me, let alone fall for me,” the Grand Duke muttered, visibly deflated.

Elvin coughed to mask his amusement. The Grand Duke’s beauty was renowned, but apparently, not everyone was swayed.

“She’s not someone you need to dote on from head to toe, though. She’s hardly a child.”

“Actually, she is. Physically grown, sure, but mentally, she’s still a kid.”

Recalling their conversation the previous day, the Grand Duke’s voice softened.

“Well, I suppose that makes sense. Being confined in the palace all her life…” Elvin nodded thoughtfully.

He knew what kind of life the Raven had endured. She hadn’t received proper education and was raised solely as an assassin. Inexperience and ignorance were inevitable.

Although born with the most noble bloodline in the Empire, the girl had lived a life more wretched than anyone else’s. Even the cold and calculating Elvin couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her harsh fate.

‘No, I can’t afford to feel soft-hearted. If I do, it’s another late night for me.’ Shaking his head vigorously, Elvin steeled his resolve, refusing to let his emotions sway him.

“Regardless! You’re not seeing Lady Raven until you’ve finished all your work. Understood?”

“I never knew you were such a cold-blooded man, Elvin,” the Grand Duke muttered, lowering his eyes with a crestfallen expression. His long lashes trembled, giving him the tragic aura of a forlorn hero. It was a sight that might have drawn pity from onlookers—unfortunately, Elvin was not one of them.

“That expression won’t work on me.”

“I told you. Our dear Lila is like a baby crow who’s just left her cage. I need to care for her.”

“A baby crow?” Elvin’s face twisted as if he’d just heard something revolting. This was beyond absurd. He opened his mouth to retort but froze when he caught a glimpse of a figure beyond the window.

‘Did I just imagine that?’ Rubbing his eyes, Elvin blinked several times. But it was no hallucination.

A small girl with pale skin, jet-black hair, and dark eyes stood outside, her face starkly contrasting her surroundings.

“What’s wrong?”

Still seated with his back to the large terrace window, the Grand Duke noticed Elvin’s stunned expression and tilted his head. Elvin, mouth agape, slowly raised a hand to point at the window.

“There… There’s someone….”

Following Elvin’s gaze, the Grand Duke’s eyes widened in surprise. Standing on the terrace was Lila.

“Lady Lila?”

The Grand Duke immediately rose and opened the window. Though he had sensed her awakening through the layers of detection spells around the mansion, her presence here was unexpected.

‘Did I remove her restraints too soon?’ 

He inwardly regretted yesterday’s decision, made in hopes of earning her trust. Now, it seemed he had lost track of her movements entirely. The mere thought of her wandering beyond the mansion chilled him. If she had chosen to leave without seeking him out, she could have been lost forever.