After finishing her meal with Ryan, Rachel returned to her laboratory. Time passed quickly as she focused on reading the books she had prepared.

“My lady, it’s time to return.”

Rachel, who had been deeply absorbed in her book, looked up to check on Catrin.

“Already?”

“Yes. The sun will set soon.”

The sky had already turned red without her noticing. Rachel placed a bookmark in her book and stretched lightly.

Her stiff body finally loosened up.

After finishing her stretching, Rachel rose from her seat.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, my lady.”

As Rachel left the laboratory, Catrin followed her out.

After leaving the Rose Palace, they boarded the prepared carriage, which soon began moving at a slow pace.

Rachel had planned to rest comfortably on the way back, but couldn’t do so because of the intense gaze directed at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Catrin?”

The owner of that gaze was Catrin.

“Our lady is truly amazing.”

“Suddenly?”

Rachel tilted her head at Catrin’s unprompted praise.

“Why so suddenly?”

“Because it seems His Highness the Crown Prince has fallen completely for you. I’m so moved thinking that you might become the Crown Princess.”

Catrin said with a blush on her face, reacting as though it were her own affair.

Rachel let out a hollow laugh watching her.

“It’s not like that.”

“How can it not be? I heard everything His Highness said to you during lunch today.”

“Yes, you heard everything, so you should know. Ryan and I are friends.”

Rachel crossed her arms and leaned back against the seat.

Catrin looked at Rachel with a dissatisfied expression and spoke.

“But who in this empire would call the Crown Prince by his name? Our lady is the only one he’s allowed to do so.”

Rachel smiled slightly at Catrin’s persistence.

“That may be true, but what you’re thinking won’t happen.”

Though Catrin’s sparkling eyes looked cute, Rachel firmly stated her position.

Catrin, who had briefly held hope, looked dejected at Rachel’s adamant attitude.

“Is there really no possibility?”

“Yes. I have no such intentions at all.”

“I see… I’m sorry. I guess I got excited over nothing.”

“It’s alright.”

Catrin sighed softly in disappointment.

Rachel looked at her and laughed lightly.

After a long journey, the carriage finally arrived at Count Pluret’s residence.

The carriage stopped in front of the portico entrance, and Rachel slowly descended from it.

“Sister! Why are you so late?”

Before Rachel could even set foot on the ground, Erika burst through the mansion door and rushed into her arms.

Fortunately, with the help of a knight, she avoided falling over.

Rachel first embraced Erika tightly in her arms. Only then did she slowly release her.

“Did you wait long?”

“Yes! I’m on vacation and finally home, but our parents are busy working, and you’ve become an imperial mage who goes to the palace every day… I was so bored.”

Erika whined, pouting her lower lip.

“I’m sorry, Erika. Let’s go inside first.”

“Okay!”

Rachel took Erika and entered the mansion.

“What about Mother and Father? Are they still out?”

“Yes. They went to a salon today and said they’d be back late.”

“Oh dear, that must have made you even more bored, Erika.”

Feeling sorry, Rachel used her hand to neatly arrange Erika’s disheveled hair and tucked it behind her ear.

“You don’t have much vacation left, right?”

“Yes. Once I go back, we won’t see each other for months, but everyone’s so busy, which makes me sad.”

“I’ll try to adjust my schedule so I can spend time with you as much as possible.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

“Then can we visit Viola later?”

“Viola?”

“Yes!”

Erika looked at Rachel with expectant eyes.

Rachel thought for a moment whether that would be alright, then quickly agreed.

“Sure, let’s set a time and go soon.”

Rachel had been planning to visit the Hestein mansion anyway to meet Edward.

She thought it would be good to visit and meet Viola at the same time.

“Really? Really?”

“Of course. Have you ever seen me lie?”

“No! Never!”

“Right. Now let’s go have dinner. I’ll send a letter to Viola later.”

“Okay!”

Rachel took Erika’s hand and headed to the mansion’s dining room.

* * *

“My lady, the jeweler has arrived.”

Just as she finished dinner and was writing a letter to Viola asking when would be a good time to visit, news came that the jeweler had arrived.

Since she had been waiting for this, Rachel immediately rose from her seat.

“Show them in.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Rachel followed Catrin into the reception room. The jeweler, who had already arrived inside, stood up and greeted Rachel politely as she entered the reception room.

Rachel acknowledged her greeting and habitually went to the sofa to sit down.

“I’ve come because the necklace you commissioned earlier has been completed.”

The jeweler quickly took out two jewelry boxes before Rachel could even ask.

“Here you are.”

Rachel took the jewelry boxes and opened the lid. Inside, a dainty necklace with a blue sapphire accent came into Rachel’s view.

And in the next jewelry box was a necklace that looked exactly like the one Rachel was currently wearing.

As Creon’s contractor, Rachel immediately noticed that the necklace in her hand was a fake, but it looked so identical that someone who didn’t know would not be able to tell the difference.

If Rachel hadn’t been Creon’s contractor, it would have been difficult to distinguish which was the real necklace with the time demon Creon sealed inside.

“Good work. I’ll have additional compensation provided.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

“Catrin, could you prepare it?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Catrin took out the money she had prepared and handed it to the jeweler. The jeweler received the money, bowed politely to Rachel, and left the reception room.

Rachel sat on the sofa, alternately looking at her necklace and the fake one.

‘It’s perfect. Such good craftsmanship.’

[Even so, this necklace that I’m sealed in is more elegant, right?]

Creon grumbled when the fake was compared to his sealing stone.

Rachel burst into laughter.

‘They look the same to me.’

There were certainly differences if one looked closely, but generally, information about the necklace where the time demon Creon slept wasn’t known down to such details. Therefore, if the two necklaces were placed side by side, it would be difficult to guess which one was the real necklace where Creon slept.

[They’re not the same at all! How can you say I’m the same as that fake?]

Creon complained to Rachel, feeling wronged.

‘It may be fake, but the appearance is similar. And anyway, it was made to look the same, so of course it looks the same. You also agreed to make the fake.’

[…Still.]

‘Yes, yes. Don’t feel bad because yours is more elegant. After all, you’re the real one, right?’

When Rachel soothed him, Creon stopped grumbling.

Rachel first put away the fake necklace and carefully placed the blue sapphire necklace back in its jewelry box before standing up.

The blue sapphire necklace was custom-made for Erika. Since it was late in the evening, she planned to give it to Erika as a gift when morning came.

Thinking about how happy Erika would be when she saw it, Rachel returned to her study with a satisfied feeling.

* * *

The next day, Rachel finished preparing to go out after breakfast. Today, she planned to head to the Magic Tower instead of the palace.

But just as she came out of the dressing room, she saw Erika standing in front of her with a gloomy expression.

“Sister, will you be late again today?”

“Hmm? I think I’ll be back earlier than yesterday, though.”

When Rachel whispered affectionately, Erika let out a deep sigh.

“Okay. Then have a good day.”

Her dejected voice tugged at Rachel’s heart. Rachel bent her knees to sit down, met Erika’s eyes, and smiled brightly.

“But I’ve prepared a gift for Erika.”

“A gift?”

Erika’s gloom vanished instantly as she looked at Rachel with wide, round eyes. She resembled a rabbit so much that Rachel contained her laughter.

“Yes. Here, take a look at this.”

Rachel handed a small jewelry box to Erika.

Erika blinked while holding the jewelry box with both hands.

“Can I open it?”

“Of course.”

Only after receiving Rachel’s permission did Erika open the jewelry box.

“Wow!”

And she exclaimed in admiration upon discovering the blue sapphire necklace inside.

“What do you think? I specially commissioned it for you. I wanted to match the design with mine, but I accidentally requested a different one. Still, I had it made thinking of you, so will you accept it?”

“It’s so pretty! Wow! Is this really mine? Of course! If sister got it for me, I love everything!”

Erika exclaimed in admiration. Rachel nodded with a pleased feeling.

“Let me put it on for you. Give it here.”

“Okay!”

Rachel took the jewelry box from Erika and put the necklace around Erika’s neck.

Erika touched the blue sapphire pendant with her hand and smiled broadly.

“Thank you, sister.”

“Thank you for liking it so much. I’ll come home early today.”

“Okay. Have a good day!”

This time, Erika cheerfully sent Rachel off.