“Duke Graham?”

“Yes. So there’s no need for a separate payment.”

“I understand for now. Master Cesare, you must have been troubled, but thank you so much for helping to restore the estate. Without your assistance and that of the Magic Tower, I would have had to demolish a home filled with memories.”

“Not at all. I’m glad to have been of help. I also heard from Master Belle that you’ve registered as an official mage and are now tasked with producing lower-grade mana stones.”

Master Cesare spoke as if the thought had just come to him. It wasn’t something I needed to hide, and as the head of the Magic Tower, he was bound to know, so I nodded willingly.

“Yes, that’s right. It just happened that way. However, since it’s my first time making mana stones, it might take a bit longer, so I ask for your understanding.”

“That’s perfectly fine. Take your time. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to come to the Magic Tower anytime.”

“I certainly will.”

Master Cesare turned his head slightly to look at the Marves estate.

“It feels like just yesterday that you asked me to help control mana, and now you’ve registered as a mage… It’s quite moving.”

“It really is. Back then, overcoming the aftereffects was my main goal, but now, it feels like I’ve surpassed that, and I’m a bit proud.”

“Of course, you should be proud. Becoming a mage isn’t something that happens easily just because you want it; you achieved it through hard work.”

Master Cesare seemed to be saying exactly what I wanted to hear. I gave him a slight smile and bowed respectfully toward him.

“Viscountess Marves?”

Master Cesare’s voice sounded surprised. I slowly raised my head to look at him. His face was as surprised as his voice suggested.

“Master Cesare is like a mentor to me. I’m truly grateful.”

Only after I finished speaking did Master Cesare let out a small laugh.

“Not at all. It was a pleasure for me to see your achievements come so quickly. But this farewell seems like a goodbye. You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Oh, that wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to express my gratitude at least once… I apologize if it seemed that way.”

Flustered, I waved my hands, and Master Cesare laughed, his eyes crinkling. His laughter was light and cheerful.

“No, I was just teasing. I apologize if I startled you.”

“Oh, it’s alright.”

Realizing belatedly that he was joking, I blushed, feeling a bit naive for being so easily surprised.

“Then I’ll head back to the Magic Tower. See you next time, Viscountess.”

“Yes, I’ll visit the Magic Tower sometime soon.”

After finishing his farewell, Master Cesare turned and disappeared. I watched him until he was out of sight before turning back.

The Marves estate once again filled my view.

‘I finally returned.’

With that thought, my chest tightened. My nose tingled, and my eyes grew warm.

Was this how I felt when I returned to the Marves estate after the divorce?

No, it wasn’t like this back then. At that time, I mostly felt emptiness, loneliness, and sadness.

Now, my feelings were somewhat different.

I wasn’t sure whether to call it newfound or to simply feel grateful that the house welcomed me back in its original state despite everything that had happened.

After taking a deep breath, I entered the estate alone.

It wasn’t long before the staff who had been staying at the Liet Hotel returned to the estate.

The sounds of people coming and going were comforting. It finally felt like I was truly home.

There was no longer any need to worry about the illness and its aftereffects, and I had work to do. Yet, somehow, I felt like something was missing.

Lying in bed, I tossed and turned. There was nothing I could do until the staff finished organizing.

As I turned over, the necklace around my neck got in the way.

I hesitated, then reached up to touch the necklace.

It was a gift from Ains.

Whether he gave it out of guilt, sympathy, or simply because he wanted to hold onto me…

Whatever his intentions, it was clear that the necklace had significantly eased my anxiety.

While wearing this necklace, I hadn’t experienced any mana surges. It might have even played a role in how quickly I learned magic.

With those thoughts, I removed my hand from the necklace.

I thought I had completely distanced myself from him, but I felt foolish for constantly thinking about him.

* * *

Quite some time had passed. Since registering as a mage, I had been making and delivering lower-grade mana stones to the Magic Tower for nearly a year.

Today, I arrived at the Magic Tower to deliver mana stones. Before meeting with Master Cesare, I headed to see Master Belle.

After reaching Master Belle’s laboratory, I knocked lightly on the door.

“Master Belle.”

Upon hearing the voice, Master Belle turned to see who had entered and widened her eyes in surprise.

“Cecil! Are you here to deliver mana stones again today?”

Her warm welcome made me smile without realizing it.

“Yes. I just wanted to stop by and see you before heading to Master Cesare’s office.”

“You came at the right time. Would you like to come in?”

Master Belle gestured towards the inside of the laboratory, inviting me in. I waved my hand to politely decline her offer.

“No, not today. I plan to head back right after meeting with Master Cesare. I really just came to see you.”

“Oh, I see. Still, it’s nice to see you often. Is there anything you need help with these days? Teaching you was fun, but just focusing on magic research lately has been a bit dull.”

Master Belle made a face as if she was bored, and I chuckled softly at her expression.

“Actually, I’ve gotten used to making lower-grade mana stones and am thinking of challenging myself with something more advanced. Could I learn some techniques next time?”

“Of course, come anytime. You’re always welcome, Cecil.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, you should hurry then. Master Cesare will be out this afternoon for some work, so it’s better to meet him soon.”

I nodded at Master Belle’s words. Then, I gave her a light hug before stepping back.

“I’ll come again.”

“Alright.”

Leaving with a bit of reluctance, I started making my way to Master Cesare’s office. Having visited frequently, I found my way easily.

However, upon reaching the office, I encountered some familiar figures.

“Hello, Viscountess.”

“How have you been?”

Jackson and Jacob, Ains’s aides, greeted me politely. I slowly approached them, feeling a bit bewildered.

“What brings you here?”

Asking this, I realized how silly my question was. Their presence meant that Ains was in Master Cesare’s office.

Jacob confirmed my assumption.

“We’re waiting for the Duke. He’s here to discuss a trading issue with Master Cesare.”

“Oh…”

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Although there was nothing left between us, and meeting him wouldn’t change anything, I still wasn’t ready to face Ains.

‘Should I just leave today?’

This small dilemma clouded my thoughts. After all, I only needed to deliver the mana stones once a week, and today wasn’t the only option. I could always return tomorrow if necessary.

However, in that brief moment of indecision, the door opened with a click.

“Then, next time…”

Ains, who was finishing his conversation with Master Cesare, stopped when he saw me standing at the door. He stood there, staring at me as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

I, too, looked up at him in a daze, then stepped back and greeted him formally.

“Hello, Duke. Have you been well? …It’s nice to see you here.”

“……”

He didn’t respond. He simply watched me with his lips pressed into a thin line. His inscrutable blue eyes were fixed on me, and when our eyes met, my heart felt like it dropped. Unable to hold his gaze, I looked away.

Awkwardly scanning the surroundings, I realized it felt even more uncomfortable not to meet his eyes, so I awkwardly smiled and looked back at him.

“…It’s been a while.”

After a long silence, Ains finally spoke.

“What brings you here?”

His voice wavered slightly by the end of his sentence. Realizing this, he cleared his throat a few times.

“I came to see Master Cesare.”

“Oh.”

Ains seemed to remember where he was and turned to look behind him.

Master Cesare, who had been silent, was watching our interaction from a distance.

“For what purpose? Surely not…”

“It’s nothing special. I’ve started producing mana stones, so I’m here to deliver them.”

Whatever misunderstanding he had seemed to vanish as his expression softened by the time I finished speaking.

“Then take care of your business. I’ll be on my way.”

“Yes? Oh, yes. Go ahead. Perhaps we’ll meet again if the opportunity arises.”

Ains gave a slight nod and walked past me. Jacob and Jackson quickly followed him.

I stood there, watching him leave. I had something I wanted to say if I ever saw him again, but the words escaped me.

Not that it mattered; even if I remembered, I couldn’t call him back now that he’d left. Resigned, I entered Master Cesare’s office.