‘Did the opera house always have a place like this?’

It felt unsettling, but this was still the opera house I’d come to as a child, holding hands with my parents. That fact didn’t change. I pushed down the anxiety creeping up and followed the attendant up the stairs.

When we climbed to the third floor, we entered a corridor. The very long corridor had doors here and there. The attendant stopped in front of the innermost door. He bowed deeply and spoke in a polite voice.

“Young Master Thadeus is waiting in the room beyond this.”

When I opened the door and stepped inside, a space that looked like a waiting room appeared. And inside that was another door.

‘That’s probably where Thadeus is.’

I was about to bring Rachel and the servant carrying the gift boxes along when a thought suddenly occurred to me. 

While talking about the gifts, we might end up discussing the secret promise between him and me. I was about to turn the doorknob when I looked back at Rachel following me.

“Rachel, wait here. I have something to discuss with Thadeus alone.”

“But….”

“I won’t go anywhere else. There won’t be any danger. If I feel unwell or something happens, I’ll open the door and find you.”

She seemed reluctant to be apart from me, but appeared to realize she couldn’t insist. Rachel said she understood and would wait here until I came out.

The inner room I entered was very spacious and splendid, like a royal reception room had been placed there. From the chandelier decorated with jewels stitch by stitch, to the table sparkling like gold, and even an indoor fountain with water flowing.

One noticeable feature was that one entire wall was made of glass. Beyond it, the interior of the opera house was clearly visible. Within my line of sight, I could see the backs of people watching, and on stage, male and female actors were performing, delivering beautiful melodies.

“How’s your body?”

Following the low voice, I found Thadeus looking at me. His face looked more tired than usual. Anyone would mistake him for the one who’d been sick, not me.

“Completely fine. You’d never know I was sick.”

“For someone who says that, you don’t look well.”

“My complexion is bad?”

“Your arms look so thin they might break any moment.”

At his disapproving gaze, I lifted my arm to check. Nothing had changed compared to two days ago. Of course not—I hadn’t been collapsed for days on end, just two days.

“I don’t… see anything wrong?”

Thadeus frowned and stood up from his seat.

“We’ll talk again when you’re actually better.”

“What? Then what about those gifts?”

“You’ll have to take them back.”

“Take them back? I’m really fine! Completely okay!”

“I don’t have a hobby of conversing with sick patients.”

What kind of nonsense was this? I was saying I was fine, but it wasn’t getting through at all. 

Even though this was a chance to use being sick as an excuse to put off meeting Thadeus as long as possible, I’d thrown that away and come all the way here with those gifts.

‘This can’t happen. I have to show him I’m healthy somehow!’

I flexed my arm to show my hidden muscles.

“Look at this. I’m overflowing with strength, see?”

But Thadeus’s face grew darker than before after seeing my arm. Was it because my arm muscles weren’t visible in the dress? I thrust my arm out, telling him to touch it. After checking my arm, Thadeus even let out a deep sigh.

“If this isn’t bone, what is it?”

The situation was going badly. At this rate, I might have to go home without even talking, let alone anything else. Was there a good method? After pondering, I decided to show him that.

‘Rachel told me not to show this to others.’

Of course, it was an incredibly cool and amazing talent, but she’d said the stuffy old nobles wouldn’t accept such an unusual side of a noble young lady. Fortunately, several clean plates were on the table.

“I don’t show this to just anyone. Consider it an honor.”

Thadeus nodded as though telling me to go ahead and try. I threw the plates into the air and moved my hands quickly. The large plates spun at regular intervals above my hands.

I’d secretly practiced after seeing a circus troupe that came to perform, and became quite good at copying them. I’d wanted to show off to others, but since Rachel strongly discouraged it, this was the first time I’d properly demonstrated it.

I looked at Thadeus with a smug face. Look at this. I was so energetic and healthy that I could perform tricks like this. But Thadeus had an indifferent expression.

“More?”

“More…?”

This didn’t seem to satisfy Thadeus. I added the forks, knives, and empty cups from the table one by one, spinning them in a circle. The small circle quickly grew large. As I concentrated and moved my body, I started to sweat.

‘But why am I doing this?’

Feeling suddenly puzzled, I looked at Thadeus, and he was covering his face with his hand. His shoulders trembled subtly. Looking closely, his face had turned red, like he might burst any moment. When I narrowed my eyes, I finally saw his face holding back laughter.

“You’re not…!”

“Seeing you do that… I guess I don’t need to worry about you collapsing.”

Thadeus had been teasing me again. I’d been proving my health with all my might and sincerity. I moved the plates and other utensils I’d been spinning with my hands back onto the table one by one.

‘This…! You rotten sea anemone!’

Suddenly feeling indignant, I glared at him with a huff. Then Thadeus coaxed me with a voice full of laughter.

“Calm down and sit first. You came all the way here to talk with me, didn’t you?”

When I sat down with a sullen expression, I saw the table full of sweet desserts. I hadn’t had time to look closely before, but there was my favorite chocolate cake, mont blanc cookies, and the apple pie from Madame Wellifer I’d been dying to eat.

‘How did he get this?’

I’d heard Madame Wellifer’s apple pie was so popular that even lining up at dawn made it hard to get. I’d been waiting for a chance before too, but kept missing it, yet here it was right before my eyes.

“How is this possible…”

Just looking at it made me swallow. My legs wouldn’t stay still on the floor and kept trembling.

“Eat first, then talk. It’s not too late anyway.”

For once, Thadeus said something I liked. I didn’t refuse and cut Madame Wellifer’s apple pie into bite-sized pieces and put them in my mouth.

First, the savory butter aroma spread throughout my mouth. The bread on the surface crumbled with a crunch. From inside, thick apple jam that seemed to use whole sliced apples flowed out sweetly.

The more I chewed, the sweeter and more savory it became—calling this heavenly wouldn’t be inadequate. It felt like an angel flapping beautiful wings before my eyes was blowing a horn.

“It’s delicious. Really delicious! How does something like this exist in the world? I could die now with no regrets!”

Admiration poured out endlessly. Now even tears were about to flow. The only thing in my head was that I needed to quickly shove this sweet apple pie into my mouth and devour it.

“Drink water too.”

I took the glass he offered and gulped down, wetting my throat. Sweet desserts really were the best in the world. 

In this mood, I felt like I could smile cheerfully even if the person in front of me threw dirt on me. As I smiled pleasantly, I saw Thadeus’s face smiling meaningfully.

‘Thadeus? Come to think of it… why did I come here…?’

I’d come to meet Thadeus to return the gifts I’d received, and I remembered the prank he’d played on me just now. And Madame Wellifer’s apple pie, which wouldn’t be inadequate to describe as heavenly.

“Don’t tell me this too…!”

“You catch on so fast.”

It’s not like I’m a child. I was annoyed at the childish scheme to appease me by feeding me sweet desserts. But what made me angrier was that I’d been played by him and my mood had improved.

‘This won’t do. I need to stay sharp.’

I put down the apple pie I’d been happily eating until just now. The desire to savor the taste more arose, but I wouldn’t fall for such a shallow trick anymore.

Now it was time to seriously discuss those troublesome gifts.

“What were you thinking, sending things like that?”

“Things like what?”

He pretended not to know when he knew what I meant. Who was the one who said I had to at least meet face to face to return the gifts?

“Those gifts you sent. Honestly, they’re too much, so take them all back. I don’t want them and I don’t need them.”

“What’s so excessive about them?”

“Just everything. The glove shop, and the magic items from Digrora Magic Shop too. Actually, I didn’t even open all the gift boxes.”

Thadeus frowned slightly. I couldn’t tell what point had made him uncomfortable. He shifted to a more comfortable position and spoke calmly.

“The glove shop is compensation for what I did. I tore your gloves without permission.”

“I never wanted such big compensation.”

“So you won’t accept it?”

“Right. So take it back.”

Thadeus quietly looked at my face. His expression made it hard to guess what he was thinking. What followed was an unexpected answer.

“Okay, then.”

How unusual. I’d worried we wouldn’t see eye to eye. I never expected such a readily positive answer from his mouth. 

I was dumbfounded that the conversation flowed more easily than expected. Just as I was about to bring up the next item riding this momentum, the conversation I thought had ended started again.

“It’s unfortunate for the Basset Hemily couple though. Can’t be helped.”

“The Basset Hemily couple? Who are they?”

“The original owners of your glove shop.”

Why was he suddenly bringing up those people? I looked at Thadeus with a puzzled expression.

“Their only precious daughter apparently caught a terrible incurable disease and needs a huge surgery fee. Just in time, I bought it as a gift for you, and they agreed to work at the shop to cover the hospital expenses they’ll need going forward.”

“What does that have to do with it being unfortunate?”

“The glove shop is completely useless to me. If you don’t need it, I’ll have to cancel the contract I made with the Basset Hemily couple.”

“Then… the hospital expenses?”

“Do I have to think about that too?”

“But…!”

“I’m not a charity worker, Clea. The reason I made a beneficial contract with the Basset Hemily couple was because that shop had value as your gift, not because I felt sorry for them.”

Thadeus finished speaking with an emotionless expression. Should I call this heartless? No, it was an extremely realistic judgment.

There was no need to help unrelated people at great loss just because their situation was pitiful. In the first place, I was the one who refused Thadeus’s gift, so forcing him to help them didn’t make sense either.

‘But giving hope and then taking it away is too cruel.’

I wondered if there was a way I could personally help them without accepting the glove shop from Thadeus.

Currently, I didn’t have much money I could use personally. After my opinions clashed with my parents over marriage talks, my personal allowance had been cut off. 

But I could buy any dress I wanted by using the family name, and sweet desserts could be made anytime by ordering the estate chef.

‘That’s why I didn’t feel inconvenienced even without money.’

Seeing me ponder, Thadeus smiled sweetly like a devil. And whispered in a gentle voice.

“If you’re so concerned about the Basset Hemily couple, just accept it. Is there a problem?”

“There’s no… problem.”

“Right? Why make difficult worries when there’s such an easy path?”

There was nothing to refute in his words. Thadeus was the one who tore my gloves, and he was the one who chose the glove shop as compensation. Anyway, besides this, there were many more gift boxes to return to Thadeus.

“Fine, then. But definitely take back the magic items and the rest of the gifts.”

“The magic items might be a bit difficult?”

“Why would that be difficult?”

“Even if I take them back, they’re just useless scrap metal now anyway.”

I couldn’t understand why he’d describe Digrora Magic Shop items as useless scrap metal. With such precious items, there would be countless people who’d want them.

“Why are they scrap metal?”

“Digrora Magic Shop items have an interesting feature set to differentiate them from other places.”

“Interesting feature?”

“One of them is that you can designate the owner of the magic item.”

“Don’t tell me… that’s me?”

Thadeus grinned. It was an expression that clearly said I was the owner of those magic items.

“No, why? Why is it me? Then change it now. That’ll work!”

“Digrora Magic Shop items don’t change the owner once designated. That’s one of the reasons they sell for so much.”