Because he couldn’t read her mind, Curtis found himself interested in another person for the first time in his life.

Moreover, she herself was the cause of such strange occurrences that he could hardly believe his own eyes. The questions and interest that were slowly building up remained unresolved, constantly making him uncomfortable, like a hangnail under his fingernail.

Finally, Curtis decided to speak again. If there were questions, he wanted them answered.

If he was curious about her thoughts, he could simply ask. With perfectly logical reasoning, he said without hesitation.

“What are you thinking?”

It was an unexpected question, but Dalia, who was focused on Curtis, answered without hesitation.

“I have received an invitation to the Moon Banquet. I have been thinking about the preparations for it.”

It was a straight answer, nothing to hide. And as always, the conversation would probably end with her answer.

As she thought this, Dalia tried to concentrate on the food in front of her, but his voice unexpectedly echoed in her ears.

“It’s not like that.”

“Huh?”

Dalia couldn’t hide her confusion and raised her head, their eyes meeting again. The moment their eyes met was brief, as Dalia soon lowered her gaze, avoiding his.

But at that moment, Curtis could read everything in her eyes, which he had once called “the window to the soul”. The eyes that had once been filled with innocent excitement were gone, replaced by cold, unfeeling indifference, like a solid rock already hardened.

So he couldn’t ask again. Why didn’t she look at him with the same eyes she had before?

Why does she pretend to love him? Why doesn’t she love him anymore? What exactly should he ask? 

His rational mind, calm and cold as the winter sea, screamed at him – why ask such questions? 

Dalia’s feelings are hers alone. It’s not Curtis’ place to interfere. 

So these questions were meaningless. 

In an instant, Curtis reached his conclusion and fell silent.  The questions and curiosity that swirled in his mind about Dalia were shut out by his solid, cold logic and his natural resistance to change. 

But a spark, once lit, isn’t easily extinguished. Unconsciously, she had left a faint but lingering warmth deep in his heart. 

Once Curtis had fallen silent, Dalia asked no more questions or broached the subject. And so the evening passed as quietly as any other.

***

One night, as the Moon Banquet approached, an old woman and a woman stood facing each other in a corner of the Count of Romand’s estate, not far from the capital.

The old man, with wrinkled skin and spots, smiled at the woman, and she frowned at him.

Neither of them spoke first, but there was no need. They were witches, after all. It had been over a hundred years since the concept of magic had become something that seemed to exist only in fairy tale books.

With the development of mechanical engineering in everyday life, magic had become a field that existed only in theory, almost forgotten as a science.

However, through secret bloodlines and even more secret inheritances, there were still those who used magic.

Among them, the ‘witch’ had passed magic through the blood from grandmother to mother, and from mother to daughter. Right here, right now. Just like these two.

“Child, what is it you seek?”

The old witch’s croaking voice scratched the woman’s ears and her once delicate face twisted.

” Do I have to say it?”

“If you don’t say it?”

“And if I do?”

After a brief pause, the old witch let out a phlegmatic laugh and took a step closer to the woman.

“If you don’t say it, nothing will happen.”

“You’ve already accepted me.”

The woman protested, but the deep lines around the old witch’s eyes only deepened. After staring at the old witch for a while, the woman reluctantly parted her lips.

“Everyone wants to love me, but I don’t want everyone to love me.

“Don’t complicate it. Say it directly.”

At the old witch’s blunt words, the woman’s face turned red, either with anger or shame, or perhaps both, and she screamed.

“Wealth and glory! I want the best men to love me, lift me up, and let me live in luxury for the rest of my life! It’s simple, isn’t it? Everyone wants that.”

“Yes. A very honest desire that everyone wants.”

“Is that enough? Tell me what to do. That’s why you came here, isn’t it? Be my godmother. Be my guide.”

At the woman’s fiery insistence, the old witch nodded once and tapped her staff on the ground.

And silence fell again. As the woman waited for the old witch to speak, she couldn’t hold back and asked angrily,

“Godmother? What are you doing? You said you’d be my guide!”

The old witch replied, waving her dry wrist.

“I’ve already done it.”

“Done what?”

“I used a spell that can only be used once in a lifetime to guide you.”

Even with the old witch’s words, the woman couldn’t hide her scepticism and frowned.

“I thought something like a blinding light would appear if it was that kind of magic.”

“Oh, there are people who like that sort of thing. But I don’t like boiling cauldrons or carrying around heavy crystal balls. And I certainly don’t like pretending to shout ‘I’ve used magic’ and spreading it around the village.”

“All right, that’s fine. As long as I get what I want. So what do I do now? What magic will I get?”

The woman couldn’t hold back any longer and began to tap her feet impatiently, urging the old witch on, who then looked up into the air as if searching for what she had seen.

“Yes. The magic you’ll learn to make your wishes come true is quite complicated, but it will certainly be effective.”

“What kind of magic is that?”

“Love.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

The statement was so unexpected that the woman craned her neck in confusion, and the old witch laughed out loud before adding,

“Didn’t you say you wanted to be loved? So of course your magic is about love.”

At the old witch’s explanation, the woman quickly wiped away her stunned expression and her eyes flashed.

“What kind of magic is that?”

“As I said, it is difficult magic. Playing with human emotions is not an easy task.”

Just as the woman’s patience was about to break, the old witch spoke again.

“There are some prerequisites. Your magic will probably only manifest after that.”

“Prerequisites?”

“Let me see. Hmm… hmm… if that was the condition, then… Fraser.”

The woman’s eyes widened at the name of the family that came from the old witch’s lips.

If it’s Fraser, then it’s a ducal family with power equal to that of the royal family itself.

“You must make Duke Fraser fall in love with you. Once he does, your magic will be fully awakened. Then you’ll be able to receive the love of anyone you desire.”

“What do you mean? How can I make him love me? I can’t even use magic!”

“Your powers are not yet complete, but you already have the ability to use magic.”

The woman tapped her chest in frustration, as if she couldn’t understand.

“Then why does Duke Fraser have to fall in love with me?”

“Because he’s a man without feelings, without compassion.”

“Huh?”

“It’s as if he has no feelings! You must ignite his passion.”

The woman immediately frowned. How can there be someone without feelings? That sounds like such an exaggeration…

And as if reading her thoughts, the old witch whispered.

“How can there be a person without feelings? What kind of exaggeration is that…”

As if reading her thoughts, the old witch whispered,

“Oh, child, you don’t know how effective and dangerous that can be. People like you, made of desire, will never understand.”

At the old witch’s soft whisper, the woman’s face twisted in frustration, her expression fixed like an angry tiger.

“I’m not human, I’m a witch. I’m not a child.”

“Yes, yes. You’re a full witch. Irvelyn.”

Staring at Irvelyn, whose eyes were filled with rage, the old witch spoke,

“Hmm, yes. When that man falls in love, he’ll probably feel like he’s been struck by lightning.”

“Lightning? Like a punishment? Are you saying that my magic is a divine punishment?”

Even though she had no connection to the temples, it was better to have more cards in hand. If she could imitate divine punishment, she might be able to lure the temples…

But the old witch quickly interrupted Irvelyn.