Master Cesare and I entered the drawing room together. I offered him a seat before settling into my own. Soon, Rivet brought out warm cookies and prepared tea for us both.

“This tea is from Bereca. Please, give it a try,” I suggested.

“I won’t refuse,” he replied.

Master Cesare first inhaled the tea’s aroma before taking a sip. I watched him with some tension, but thankfully, a smile soon appeared on his face.

“The aroma is delightful, and the taste is sweet. It’s excellent,” he said.

“Thank you for your kind words,” I replied, feeling relieved and smiling back at him.

“Speaking of which, there’s a banquet for the goddess Cape Rild coming up. Will you be attending, Viscountess?” he asked.

“A banquet…” I echoed.

Every spring, as the cultivation season begins, a banquet is held in honor of the goddess Cape Rild, who represents the earth and abundance. The event is meant to please the goddess to ensure a fruitful harvest, filled with entertainment and sights to behold.

However, I wasn’t particularly fond of banquets. I had spent most of the Emperor’s birthday ball alone and didn’t expect this banquet to be any different.

“I probably won’t attend,” I said with a bitter smile.

Master Cesare, who was sipping his tea, looked at me in surprise. He set his teacup down and met my gaze directly.

“May I ask why?” he inquired.

“It’s nothing special… I just find large gatherings a bit exhausting,” I explained, feeling embarrassed to elaborate further. Master Cesare exhaled, appearing genuinely disappointed.

“That’s unfortunate. Our Magic Tower has prepared many exciting things for the banquet. I thought you’d enjoy seeing them. But everyone has their reasons, so I won’t pressure you to attend,” he said, quickly adding an apology.

“I’m not feeling pressured at all. By the way, I’m curious about what the Magic Tower has planned,” I said.

“Oh, it’s nothing special,” he replied modestly. He explained that the Magic Tower had arranged illusion magic and fireworks to conclude the banquet.

“The fireworks will be visible from the Marves estate, so even if you don’t attend, I hope you’ll enjoy them from afar,” he added.

“Yes, I definitely will. I’m really looking forward to it,” I said, recalling how I had previously attended the royal banquet during the Cape Rild festival and was mesmerized by the beautiful fireworks.

I remembered being captivated as the splendid fireworks bloomed in the sky and then faded away. I had wished to enjoy them with Ains, but even in those moments, he hadn’t been by my side.

Looking back, it seemed foolish. Even though I knew Ains no longer had feelings for me, I still held onto a glimmer of hope.

“Are you thinking about something unpleasant?” Master Cesare asked suddenly.

“Huh?” I replied, snapping back to reality at his concerned voice. He was looking at me with a worried expression.

“It seemed like your expression darkened suddenly,” Master Cesare noted.

“I was just reminiscing about the fireworks from a past banquet prepared by the Magic Tower,” I replied.

“Was it an unpleasant memory? As far as I know, our fireworks have always been a success…”

“It’s just a memory now. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to seeing the fireworks again. I’ll definitely watch them from here,” I said, smiling faintly as I tried to brush it off. Thankfully, Master Cesare didn’t press the matter further.

“Please visit the Magic Tower sometime,” he suggested.

“The Magic Tower?” I echoed.

“Yes. Now that you can feel mana, learning to manipulate it will make you a mage, won’t it? The Magic Tower is always open to mages. If you visit, everyone will welcome you.”

“I’ll make time to visit. I’ve been curious about the interior,” I said.

“If you let me know the date in advance, I’ll come to greet you,” he offered.

“Master Cesare himself? That would be an honor,” I replied.

As we enjoyed tea and snacks, I felt mentally exhausted from the earlier practice but appreciated the time spent talking. It eased my loneliness.

Before my divorce, I felt isolated due to Ains’ lack of attention, and now, post-divorce, I struggled with the loneliness of being by myself. Yet, conversations with Rivet or Master Cesare brought me comfort.

“I think I should be going now. The tea was so good that I wanted to stay longer, but I have a schedule to keep,” Master Cesare said, placing his empty teacup down and buttoning his coat. I realized it was already 4 o’clock and nodded.

As he stood up, I did too.

“I’ll see you to the door,” I offered.

“You don’t have to, but if you do, it won’t be lonely on the way out,” he joked, causing me to laugh softly.

We left the main building together and walked towards the gate. The servants opened it, and Master Cesare turned to me.

“The tea was really delicious today. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

“Yes. Have a safe trip back, Master Cesare,” I replied.

As he began to walk away, I noticed a gaze from a distance. I turned instinctively and froze. The figure was too familiar.

“……”

I opened my mouth but couldn’t bring myself to say his name.

Ains Graham stood nearby, watching me.

Rooted in place, I stared at him as he slowly approached. When he stood in front of me, I noticed something unsettling about his appearance. He looked unusually haggard, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

It was hard to believe this was the always impeccably put-together Ains Graham. I recalled seeing him like this once before, when his father, Alex Graham, returned as a corpse. The memory stirred feelings of sympathy within me.

But why had he come to see me in this state?

Confused, I studied his face closely. Unlike me, Ains simply stared at me with an intense gaze. Even his usually vibrant blue eyes seemed dull today.

“Duke Graham, what brings you here? I thought our conversation ended that day. Do you have something else to say to me?” I asked, trying to mask my vulnerability with a sharp tone.

I was tired of being at a disadvantage. Just because Ains looked unwell didn’t mean I had to show emotional weakness.

After all, Ains was the Duke of Graham; someone else would care for him. Worrying about him now that I was alone wouldn’t help my situation.

Ains remained silent for a long moment before turning away to look in the direction Master Cesare had just gone.

“It seems Master Cesare visits the Marves estate often,” he remarked dryly, turning back to me.

“Yes, that’s right,” I replied, thinking there was no need to elaborate further.

“Is it because of your aftereffects?”

“You know it well. Do you believe me now? About my illness and aftereffects?”

Ains nodded.

“Yes, I believe you.”

His response was so brief it felt anticlimactic. Ains then fell silent again, just staring down at me.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, I was about to speak to send him off and return to the estate.

“I can do it too.”

“……What?”

I raised an eyebrow in confusion at Ains’ sudden, unconnected words. It took me a moment to realize what he meant, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.

Unlike me, Ains looked at me with an indifferent expression and repeated his words.

“I can do it too. Guiding the mana in your body.”