Chapter 1: Fake Ideal (7)

“……”

“……”

As Chloe lost her words, Tehis also remained silent.

When the silence awkwardly filled the space, the mage cleared her throat and downed the remaining tea in one gulp.

‘Why does he talk like that? It sounds so strange.’

Not that there was another way to put it.

Blaming the Grand Duke for no reason, she stood up from her seat.

“If you’re done eating, let’s go look at the materials.”

“Yes, Chloe.”

Tehis, who had been wondering if he had said something wrong, sighed in relief and guided her to the storeroom.

Chloe, who grabbed the pouch on the table and followed the Grand Duke, spoke as they neared their destination.

“You’re my first relationship too.”

“…I see.”

It was hard to tell if he found it unbelievable or if he didn’t expect her to say that. Reflecting on her past actions, Chloe shrugged, guessing it was the latter.

“Does it seem unexpected?”

“I won’t deny it.”

“Because I seem frivolous?”

“No. It’s just…”

There it was again. That behavior of pausing as if to gauge something before looking back at her made Chloe curious. 

What could he be thinking at times like this?

The Grand Duke, who seemed unsure whether he should say such things, carefully chose unfamiliar words and sometimes said unexpected things.

Just like now.

“…I just couldn’t understand why someone as attractive as you was left alone.”

Chloe laughed in admiration at Tehis’s explanation.

‘See? How could anyone believe this man was single?’

His attitude was too serious and respectful to be considered flirting, so she didn’t even think to doubt his intentions. Accepting the compliment happily, she reminded him of a widely known rumor.

“Don’t you know? What kind of beings mages are.”

Tehis, who had no exact explanation but could infer from the context, hesitated.

He had heard that mages don’t usually engage in romantic relationships, but he had forgotten because of her behavior. The events from their first meeting until now had blurred his prejudices about mages.

“Is that rumor true?”

“Whatever the rumor is, we don’t engage in relationships often. Why else would there be a myth that if you don’t have a relationship by thirty, you become a mage?”

Chloe chuckled at the absurd rumor and gestured for him to open the storeroom door. Since it wasn’t something to discuss in front of the guards, Tehis obediently unlocked the door with a key.

As the mage followed him inside and looked around, the heavy door closed. While leisurely walking and examining the rare materials, the man asked a belated question.

“Why did you accept my contract?”

“Because I liked the conditions?”

Her half-questioning answer was very light. Examining a dragon’s heart floating in the air, Chloe turned around and looked at Tehis.

“I also find you interesting. In other words, it seemed fun enough not to waste my time.”

“…I see.”

The Grand Duke, not knowing how to respond to her words, gave a short reply.

Should I say I’m glad? I’m not such an interesting person? What if it’s not fun? Are you really satisfied with this contract?

Unable to find a suitable phrase to add, he kept his mouth shut and realized anew how rare his request was to a mage.

‘But I did try to accommodate her as much as possible.’

Reflecting on the contract details to see if anything was lacking, he turned his attention to Chloe’s voice.

“I’ll take this and this as the payment for the warp gate inspection. Can you also give me some orc tendons as a service?”

“Yes, Chloe.”

She chuckled a bit at her contract partner’s consistent answer and diligently gathered the materials. Strange-looking plants and parts of monster carcasses were sucked into her space-expansion pouch.

“The payment for the Winter Forest exploration request isn’t here. Is it in another place?”

“Since they are precious, they are kept separately. This way.”

Tehis, leading Chloe to a corner of the storeroom, felt around a part of the wall. When he pressed a slightly indented spot, a clicking sound indicated the activation of a mechanism.

‘Whirr-’ The floor next to him split open, revealing a sturdy iron door.

Chloe, noticing the presence of a defensive magic circle, examined it with interest as Tehis took out a thin cylindrical key from his pocket. Inserting the key into a small slot and turning it, the double-locked security magic was lifted, and the door opened.

“May I disassemble it?”

“…Please refrain.”

Tehis barely managed to answer the sudden question that choked him. Thinking she was truly unpredictable, he stepped down the stairs leading to the underground passage, which lit up as they descended.

“I can restore it to its original state…”

“…”

Chloe, following the Grand Duke with a hint of regret in her voice, received no reply.

Oh well. 

She shrugged and turned her attention to the underground treasure vault.

Though not luxurious, the items were more difficult to obtain than luxurious ones, as indicated by the labels on each box.

‘Goodness, the tail of a Snow Manticore? Isn’t this species extinct?’

And how did he get a Siren’s feather? Has the master of the North ever gone out to sea?

Chloe, whose eyes were drawn to the rare materials not listed in the payment, grabbed Tehis’s arm.

“Darling.”

“No.”

“Sweetheart.”

“These items are too rare to be given away…”

“Please, my love.”

“…Just one.”

“You’re the best, darling!”

Leaving Tehis, who was rubbing his face dry, behind, Chloe joyfully wandered around the vault. Most of the boxes with preservation magic were similar in shape, but just reading what was inside made her happy.

Pondering what to take with delight, she stopped in front of a certain box.

No matter how many times she reread it, the label bore the same words.

[Fairy’s Egg]

“I’ll take this.”

Without a second thought, Chloe picked up the box. She didn’t know why or how a fairy’s egg was here, but she had to take it.

After the small box went into her pouch, Tehis, who checked the empty label, explained nonchalantly.

“It might already be dead. It has been here since before I was born.”

“Fairies don’t die inside their eggs. If the conditions aren’t met, they just don’t hatch and seem dead.”

Tehis, silently observing Chloe’s knowledgeable response about the legendary species, recalled who she was and understood.

It’s not surprising that the disciple of Grand Mage Isrion, of all people, would know this.

Nodding, he asked cautiously.

“Do you know how to hatch it?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s worth a try.”

Chloe recalled the information she knew. Fairies were known to use life magic. With their help, her ongoing thesis could make great progress.

‘I thought they were extinct, so I didn’t even consider it…’

Why is it here? 

Lost in thought, Chloe fiddled with the pouch and looked back at Tehis.

“Are you sure I can take this? It’s a bit too much to just accept.”

Actually, it wasn’t just a bit; it was extremely excessive. Even if she combined all the payments for the Winter Forest exploration request, it wouldn’t be enough.

“Would you return it if I asked?”

“I’d rather pay for it.”

Helping with the Winter Forest work for free, being more committed to the contract relationship, or offering other things she could provide. Chloe, thinking of these, stopped as the Grand Duke’s straightforward reply interrupted her thoughts.

“It’s fine. It wouldn’t have been of any use here anyway.”

“…”

“But if the fairy hatches, I’d like to see it at least once. Can you show it to me?”

Wait, what is this man saying?

Even with Tehis’s smoothly flowing question, Chloe, still not fully recovered, stammered rarely.

“No, um… Do you not realize how valuable this is?”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have kept it here.”

That’s true.

But why. Why on earth?

Chloe frowned in frustration. As a mage who had to solve every puzzle in front of her, she couldn’t understand this seemingly gullible man.

“And you’re just giving it to me? Are you serious?”

“…Hmm. It seems there’s a misunderstanding.”

Of course, there would be. Relieved by his words, she waited for his next voice.

Tehis, fiddling with his pristine cravat for no reason, calmly explained.

“I’m not one to suffer losses, Chloe. I don’t waste the Grand Duke’s treasures recklessly. Giving the fairy’s egg to you without compensation is…”

He paused, taking a breath, and didn’t continue immediately.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at his habit of choosing words.

‘What is he going to say this time?’

Unlike her, who stared intently at his blue eyes, Tehis couldn’t face the sunset.

<Please, my love.>

Her voice replayed in his head, and his lowered eyes slowly closed and opened. He recalled the playful touch and lips that had brushed against his skin without malice.

Feeling the lingering itch on his neck, Tehis acknowledged his mistake.

Underestimation. Yes, he had truly underestimated this contract relationship.

No matter how false, he hadn’t realized that experiencing the warmth he had never felt in his life would be such a potent poison for him.

But it had already begun.

‘A little greed should be fine.’

When else would he experience a passionate relationship with a woman of equal standing? Especially with someone who had no grudges or obstacles.

Tehis didn’t love Chloe, but he decided to fully enjoy this opportunity to experience a ‘mutually loving relationship.’

Cherishing and being cherished. Helping and being helped.

Respecting and valuing the other… such things.

Such experiences.

‘A little greed should be fine…’

Repeating the same thought, he moistened his dry throat with saliva and looked at Chloe.

He didn’t know how to hatch it, and even if it did, he couldn’t handle the fairy. Leaving it as a debt to a mage who valued equivalent exchange wasn’t a bad choice.

Whether as a fake lover or as a mage, he needed her.

So.

“…It’s a gift from me as your lover. So take it.”

Tehis released the poison he had swallowed. Hoping Chloe would be a little more tied to Escalante.

She would never know his reasons.