Chapter 1: Fake Ideal (6)
‘We’re about to meet soon, what’s this about?’
Chloe waved her hand towards the living room floor. As she infused mana into the double-secured transmission magic circle to open the passage, a gigantic object soon appeared.
Covered with a large cloth, the contents were not visible, but it was too bulky to be brought into her private room.
‘Is it a monster carcass? I said I would pick the materials myself.’
She tilted her head, wondering if she should have received it in her lab. It didn’t seem like the Grand Duke was someone who couldn’t understand her words, so she was puzzled.
‘Let’s see what it is.’
She quickly concluded and moved her lips. It seemed too precarious to control by will alone, so she uttered a single syllable of an activation word.
「Move.」
The runic word, which had a strange resonance, transformed from sound into an intangible force that permeated the object. The packaging fell away like a shed skin as it floated in the air according to her will.
What was revealed was…
“Ha.”
Chloe let out a sound that could have been either a laugh or a sigh.
‘This man is not to be underestimated.’
She didn’t hide her leaking laughter and ran her hand through her hair, waving her hand to spread ten different sets of clothes in the air.
The dresses, much more luxurious than the neat attire she wore when she visited the Grand Duke’s residence the previous day, were revealed.
‘He must have taken the maids’ words into account.’
Chloe thought of the Grand Duke’s aide, impressed by the detail of including shawls but no corsets. She guessed the middle-aged woman with the gentle impression had handled the work and chose one to wear.
She thought of how long it had been since she received a gift from someone else. Feeling good, she twirled in front of the mirror, and the beige fabric fluttered smoothly. Satisfied with the soft material, much like the robes of the Mage Tower, she was putting the rest of the dresses in the wardrobe when she suddenly stopped.
‘How did he know my size?’
Did he figure it out when he hugged me, saying my body fits in one arm?
Chloe felt a bit uneasy recalling the aide’s rude behavior but shook it off. Considering the effort put into preparing and sending everything to her in just a day, she felt good.
Grabbing her material collection pouch on her way out, Chloe moved to the entrance of the Mage Tower. Activating the warp gate to the coordinates she remembered, a bright light engulfed her.
* * *
At some point, the quiet warp gate of the Grand Duchy burst into light with a ‘pop-’.
Chloe leisurely walked out from there and was greeted by a man bowing to her.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Miss Chloe.”
“Did Tess send you?”
“…Yes. I prepared a carriage to ensure your comfort on the way.”
The coachman, who paused for a moment at hearing the name Tess, managed to hide his surprise and answered. He glanced at her, wondering if she was mistaken for someone else, but her appearance confirmed she was indeed the Grand Duke’s guest.
A woman calling the Grand Duke by a nickname rather than his name. Having only received orders to serve her politely along with a description of her appearance, he swallowed nervously.
“When did you start waiting? I didn’t even specify the time.”
“I’ve been waiting since dawn. May I have the honor of serving you?”
Chloe looked at him with interest, noticing he had only one eye.
‘He speaks just like his master. His posture is too formal for a regular coachman.’
An ex-knight, perhaps?
She made a plausible guess and willingly followed his guidance to board the carriage. Sitting on the plush seat, she looked out the window as the scenery began to move.
The carriage, emblazoned with the Grand Duke’s crest, crossed the bustling morning streets without any hindrance.
The ride was more comfortable than she expected, and as she pressed the cushion with her hand, she realized why. She felt the unique flow of a magic circle with dissolved magic stone powder.
‘It’s a shock absorption spell. Is this already in commercial use?’
She was about to dissect the cushion out of curiosity when the coachman’s announcement that they were almost there made her sit quietly.
Soon, the door opened with a click, revealing the imposing Grand Duke’s residence. Chloe lightly jumped out of the carriage before the coachman could offer his hand and leisurely walked towards the main gate.
Instead of being greeted by guards, she was met by Aide Lisa.
“Welcome, Miss Chloe.”
“You look like you haven’t slept.”
“…I apologize. Will you forgive my previous rudeness?”
Chloe waved her hand at the woman who bowed at a 90-degree angle. Seeing her face, worried about the outrageous rumors about mages and the consequences of her actions, made Chloe lose any desire to get angry.
“I received the dresses well. Can you guide me to Tess?”
“Yes, Miss Chloe. This way, please.”
Walking down a corridor adorned with several art pieces, Lisa spoke.
“The Grand Duke is currently having breakfast. If you haven’t eaten, we can also prepare breakfast for you, Miss Chloe.”
“I usually skip breakfast, so I’m fine. But I would like some light tea, please.”
“Yes, Miss Chloe.”
Chloe chuckled, recalling how the Grand Duke always responded with “Yes, Chloe.” The aide, like the coachman, was a mirror image of her master.
Arriving quickly at the dining room, Lisa knocked and announced the guest’s arrival. When the Grand Duke’s voice invited them in, she opened the door and stepped aside for Chloe to enter naturally.
“Good morning, Tess.”
“Good morning, Chloe.”
Walking across the spacious dining room towards the Grand Duke, Chloe made a “hmm-” sound as she touched the chair.
Tehis, feeling the uncomfortable gaze from close by, put down his utensils.
“Was there a problem on the way?”
“No, it was surprisingly comfortable. I also received the gift well.”
“Then why…!”
Before the Grand Duke could ask, Chloe smiled brightly and poked his neck.
Despite her previous words about getting used to physical contact, his neck stiffened.
‘Anyone would think I’m going to eat him.’
She chuckled, rubbing the kiss mark she had left the previous day with her fingertip.
“This will take a few days to disappear. What did people say?”
“…There are no servants in the mansion who would mention it in front of me.”
“But there must have been reactions, right?”
A Grand Duke who had no scandals other than with the princess was walking around with a blatant mark on his neck without even trying to cover it.
Seeing the sparkle of amusement in Chloe’s eyes, Tehis sighed. As she said, there were quite a few who had stiffened at the sight of the red mark. Two people had even unintentionally caused accidents and apologized, which said it all in this silent Grand Duke’s mansion.
“They were surprised. I’ve never seen a maid so startled that she broke a dish.”
“Oh my, is it such a shocking thing?”
“It seems so.”
“If they saw us kissing directly, they might faint.”
The Grand Duke looked at her with a speechless expression at her nonchalant voice.
Does this woman even realize she’s the subject of this?
He knew mages were generally shameless, but he hadn’t expected this even when entangled in such a situation.
‘Come to think of it, our first meeting wasn’t ordinary either.’
Recalling the truly shocking incident, he realized that her attitude wasn’t surprising.
Since he was the one who requested a fake relationship, he couldn’t complain and silently accepted the situation.
“They might actually faint, so please refrain. It would be troublesome to handle.”
“You’re so cold, darling.”
“…”
Having teased the Grand Duke enough, Chloe smiled and sat in the chair next to him. At that moment, a maid brought in tea, lowered her eyes, and silently withdrew.
“I didn’t intend to interrupt your meal, so please continue.”
“I can finish now.”
“Let me enjoy my tea first.”
“…Yes, Chloe.”
Thinking he couldn’t figure her out, Tehis finished his leftover food while Chloe sipped her tea and was slightly surprised. Expecting hot tea, it was cooled to a drinkable temperature, showing consideration.
‘He must have studied about mages.’
Most mages, who dislike wasting time on unnecessary things, often use magic to cool hot tea and drink it all at once.
Direct and concise communication. That’s the basic approach to dealing with mages.
But that generalization didn’t reflect the individual personalities of people like Isrion, who loved tea time, or Riel, who always seemed dreamy.
‘Those two are indeed special cases.’
Ignoring the fact that she was also considered an oddball in the Mage Tower, Chloe leisurely drank her tea. The subtle floral scent and the sweet-bitter taste blended perfectly, pleasing her.
Master would love this.
With that thought, the mage casually asked a question.
“What kind of tea is this?”
“It’s tea brewed from the petals of Herbia flowers from the East. I’ll provide you with the brewing method as well.”
“Thank you, Tess.”
“It’s nothing.”
Not finding anything strange in the natural conversation, Chloe took another sip of tea before feeling curious.
‘Did I show any desire for this?’
From the mage’s perspective, it was just a question to gather information, so his immediate offer to prepare it was unexpected. Despite appearing uninterested in others, his keen observation was intriguing.
‘No, rather than being observant…….’
As she quietly observed the Grand Duke, occasionally making eye contact, she smiled. It was clear what kind of effort he was making with just a brief look.
“Tess, be honest. You’ve met many women, haven’t you?”
“My aide is a woman, so I meet her every day.”
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
Despite being fake, on the first day of their relationship, he prepared clothes, sent a coachman, had the aide ready, and constantly checked her mood.
Who would believe that such a meticulous man didn’t have a lover?
Reading Chloe’s expression, Tehis calmly spoke.
“I don’t know why you think that.”
The Grand Duke, who had neatly placed his used utensils aside, looked straight at her.
The deep sea and the sunset-lit sky. Opposite colors clashed without blinking in the air.
“You are my first, Chloe.”
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