“How did you…?”

“I’m hungry.”

“…Pardon?”

Lila didn’t hesitate to state her purpose. Scaling the walls quickly and stealthily had left her hungrier than before.

“Feed me.”

The blunt, confident demand left the Grand Duke momentarily speechless, but then his eyes softened into a gentle smile.

“You must be very hungry. My apologies, Lady Lila. That was my negligence.”

“Were you working?” Lila asked, stepping into the office. She glanced at the desk, piled high with documents, recalling the similarly cluttered offices of the Emperor and Ravenn Prince.

“Are you busy?”

Her eyes darted around the room before settling back on him. Despite coming here solely to ask for food, she now worried she might be interrupting.

“No, not at all. The important tasks are finished.”

Behind him, Elvin nearly choked at the blatant lie.

“I see.” Lila nodded slightly, a hint of relief in her otherwise stoic expression. The Grand Duke’s lips curved into a faint smile at the subtle change.

“Who’s that person?”

“Hmm? Ah, this is my aide, Elvin.”

The Grand Duke shot Elvin a glance that seemed to ask, Why are you still standing there? But Elvin, too stunned, missed it entirely.

“Aide?” Lila tilted her head, her dark eyes locking onto Elvin. Meeting her gaze, as deep and cold as a winter’s night, Elvin swallowed hard. He’d expected to meet the famed Raven eventually but hadn’t imagined it would happen so soon.

“It’s… an honor to meet you. I’m Elvin Arduino, the Grand Duke’s chief aide,” Elvin stammered, mentally cursing himself. First impressions matter! But his nerves betrayed him, causing his tongue to trip over the words.

‘It’s not my fault. She’s the Raven, after all!’ Though familiar with her face from surveillance images, seeing her in person was entirely different.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m…”

Lila hesitated, debating whether to reveal her identity. As she prepared to introduce herself, she paused, glancing up at the Grand Duke like a child seeking permission.

“It’s fine. Elvin already knows who you are,” the Grand Duke assured her with a gentle smile and a nod.

Still hesitant, Lila slowly opened her mouth, feeling awkward as if speaking her own name was unfamiliar.

“Um, I’m Lila Brender Esteban.”

“It is an immense honor to meet you, Your Highness,” Elvin said, kneeling on one knee and placing his right hand over his heart, bowing in accordance with imperial protocol.

Lila watched him with a strange sense of detachment. It had been a long time since anyone had treated her as a princess.

“I’ve heard you’ll be staying here as a guest for a while. I look forward to serving you.”

“Likewise,” Lila replied curtly.

As soon as the introductions ended, the Grand Duke gently guided Lila to the sofa in the office. Elvin shot him a seething glare, silently protesting the interruption, but the Grand Duke ignored him with ease.

“You walked here barefoot? Are you alright?”

Once Lila sat down, the Grand Duke immediately checked her feet. There were no visible injuries, but her small feet were dusty, which displeased him. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a dampened handkerchief and began cleaning them.

“I apologize. I should have taken better care of you.”

Seeing the now-soiled handkerchief, the Grand Duke clicked his tongue. He silently chastised himself for his lack of foresight, even if the excitement of their long-awaited reunion had distracted him.

“I was fine. I wrapped my feet in aura,” Lila said nonchalantly, unlike the anxious Grand Duke. Scaling the walls had been less uncomfortable than the ticklish sensation of the wet cloth brushing her skin now.

“It tickles.”

Unable to endure it any longer, Lila pulled her feet back and curled her toes, but the Grand Duke persisted, finishing the task only when the handkerchief turned completely black.

‘Wouldn’t it have been easier to just clean them with magic?’ Lila wriggled her toes, the ticklish feeling now shifting to a strange warmth in her chest.

“You used aura on your feet?” the Grand Duke asked, recalling her earlier comment.

“Yeah, it makes climbing walls easier. I can’t maintain it for long, but it’s useful,” Lila explained.

“Ah,” the Grand Duke murmured, impressed. He knew that warriors who reached the Expert level, usually between the 2nd and 3rd Circle, could briefly generate and use aura, similar to how mages expanded their magical repertoire as they ascended the Circles.

“Though it’s not as versatile as magic, aura has its own applications.”

Only Swordmasters could sustain and freely manipulate aura at all times, but even advanced Experts could adapt its use depending on their skill and weapon of choice.

“You can channel it to your hands and feet, or even form a sword in emergencies,” Lila continued casually, demonstrating by concentrating her aura. Dark, smoky tendrils coiled around her feet, and a black aura coalesced in her hand, forming the shape of a dagger.

“Incredible, Lady Lila,” the Grand Duke praised, genuinely impressed. Even Elvin, who had been silently observing, clapped softly.

“You’re truly remarkable,” the Grand Duke added sincerely. He had always known of Lila’s talent, but seeing it firsthand stirred both admiration and a pang of regret for the hardships she had endured.

“It’s not that impressive… I lost to you, after all,” Lila muttered, pouting slightly.

“Well, I’m a 6th Circle mage, and you’re just entering the upper ranks of the Expert level. That’s equivalent to mid-5th Circle, so it’s natural,” the Grand Duke reassured her.

“So, it’s not impressive after all,” Lila replied dismissively.

“No, it’s extraordinary! At your age, reaching this level is unheard of. You’ve achieved something worthy of being remembered in history!” the Grand Duke exclaimed, raising his voice.

If Lila had been born into a normal noble family, she would have been treasured as a prodigy. If the Emperor hadn’t succumbed to his twisted ambitions, Lila would have lived as a revered princess, enjoying every privilege.

The Grand Duke’s blue eyes darkened as he pondered the injustices she had faced.

Everything that had happened to Lila stemmed from the Emperor’s bizarre obsession with magic, fueled by his overwhelming inferiority complex.

“That wretched man,” muttered Grand Duke Eustace, forcing a wide smile as he suppressed the urge to set the imperial palace ablaze. No matter how furious he felt, he couldn’t reveal his murderous intent in front of Lila.

“My accomplishments… it’s not such a big deal…”

“Humility is admirable, but if the knights of House Eustace overheard you, they’d likely shed tears. Many of them are older than you yet haven’t reached even the advanced level, let alone the expert level.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. You are an inspiration to the warriors of the empire. If people learned that you’re an Expert of the Highest Rank, they would all sing your praises.”

Lila rubbed her flushed cheeks, overwhelmed by the nearly reverent compliments. She wasn’t used to being praised like this—it made her uncomfortable. Still, she couldn’t deny that it felt nice.

“Is this all you can do? You’re worse than worthless.”

“Still stuck at the highest level of a master? What have you been doing all this time, useless thing?”

During her assassination training at the imperial palace, Lila was subjected to far more scoldings than encouragement. The instructors were always harsh, berating her and spewing insults whenever something displeased them.

And that wasn’t the worst of it. The Emperor constantly berated her as useless, and the Crown Prince chimed in with mocking remarks. Even when she gritted her teeth and surpassed her peers to reach the pinnacle of the Expert level faster than anyone else, nothing changed.

But Grand Duke Eustace was different. He celebrated what the palace dismissed as insignificant, calling it extraordinary.

Was it because he was a revered 6th-circle mage? Or perhaps it was his dazzling appearance, as radiant as the sun, combined with a voice as melodious as polished jade? Whatever the reason, his words held a strange power that made her want to believe him.

“So… I’m truly amazing,” Lila whispered, almost to herself. Though she’d always secretly thought of herself as worthless, for this moment, she felt like someone extraordinary—just as the Grand Duke had said.

“Well then, would you wait here for a moment? I’ll instruct the butler to prepare a meal.”

The Grand Duke’s voice was deliberately cheerful as he addressed Lila, whose expression had visibly brightened. Smiling warmly, he picked up a round, gem-like object from his desk.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, this? It’s a communication stone I crafted.”

Though she could sense a faint trace of magic, she hadn’t expected it to be a communication stone. Unlike the rough magic tools she’d seen at the palace, this stone was intricately crafted, and Lila couldn’t help but admire it. When Eustace infused it with mana, the stone glowed blue and began to flicker.

“Your Grace, what can I do for you?” A soft female voice emanated from the stone almost immediately.

“Prepare a light meal for our guest. Keep the service minimal… Ah, no, don’t set it in the dining hall. Bring it here instead.”

Eustace, midway through instructing the butler, reconsidered, worried that the servants in the dining hall might make Lila uncomfortable.

“Understood, Your Grace. I’ll have it ready shortly.”

“Thank you. Oh, and make it something easy to digest…”

Lila watched in awe as Eustace used the magic tool. Unlike artifacts, communication stones required mana to function each time they were used, making them valuable items that only mages or the wealthy could afford.

Most people opted for multi-use artifacts from magic shops, but those were expensive and hard to come by. Communication stones, being semi-permanent, were typically reserved for high-ranking nobles or affluent merchants who could hire mages.

Lila surveyed the study, focusing her aura-enhanced vision on objects imbued with mana. She hadn’t noticed earlier, but traces of magic lingered everywhere in the room.

“What’s wrong?”

Having finished his call, the Grand Duke approached the sofa. Lila turned to him in silence, her gaze lingering. Seen through her aura, Eustace appeared enveloped in golden traces of mana, as if blessed by light itself.

“Lila?”

When she didn’t respond, Eustace called her name cautiously. For some reason, she felt a lump in her throat and forced herself to speak.

“…You’re glowing.”