Chapter 4: Summer Festival (3)

‘A mage?!’

The young man supplying mana instead of a stone that looked like a mana stone was startled by the unexpected encounter.

He had hoped that if word got out, a mage might visit at least once. However, he hadn’t expected to meet Chloe, whom he had seen in portraits.

It was a natural assumption that someone affiliated with the Mage Tower wouldn’t be interested in something like the empire’s festival.

Verdi, an extremely rare unaffiliated apprentice mage, was bound by a contract with Lucas and was cooperating in scouting the capital and making contact with other dark mages. For them, a commoner carrying multiple mana stones was an irresistible target.

In reality, he was directly infusing mana instead of using mana stones.

‘Why on earth is a white mage here?’

Only dark mages referred to mages affiliated with the Mage Tower as white mages. Though Verdi wasn’t a dark mage, he had picked up the term often mentioned by his master.

As he faltered in a situation he hadn’t imagined, Chloe casually asked a question.

“Aren’t you selling?”

“Ye-yes?”

“I mean the food. The bingsu.”

“Oh, of course, we are! What flavor would you like? The types and prices are listed here.”

What’s this? Why isn’t she asking anything?

While Verdi, feeling guilty as if caught doing something wrong, was tense with sweat on his back, Chloe cheerfully turned to Tehis.

“Tess, what flavor do you like?”

“I’ve heard the most common is strawberry.”

“Then two strawberry, please.”

“I’ll prepare them right away!”

Verdi, who answered energetically, began making the bingsu with his ears open. Amidst the noise of ice being shaved, he could hear the couple’s conversation.

“Is this your first festival too?”

“Yes, Chloe. But I’ve familiarized myself with the main events, so there shouldn’t be any issues with guiding you.”

“That’s not really what I was worried about. Did you study just to date me?”

“If you put it that way… Yes, I did.”

“Oh my, how cute. Since we’re here, let’s make sure to enjoy it thoroughly.”

The woman’s voice, poking the man with her index finger and laughing, was playful. Shivering at the cheesy display of affection, Verdi hurriedly placed the bingsu in wooden bowls and handed them over.

“Here are two strawberry bingsus! That’ll be 1 silver coin in total.”

Tehis glanced at the menu again and handed over the money without a word. Considering the skewers they bought earlier were 5 copper coins, each bingsu was ten times the price.

It seemed expensive for commoners to buy regularly, but it sold well during the special festival period and because it supposedly used a small amount of mana stones.

‘Though it doesn’t seem like they’re using mana stones.’

Recalling his fake lover’s words, the Grand Duke glanced at the cook. He couldn’t understand why a mage was doing such work here.

Since Chloe didn’t seem concerned, he remained silent, but he considered discreetly informing the guards if necessary. After all, there had been a magic-involved terror attack at the palace just a week ago.

Unaware of Tehis’s thoughts, Verdi sighed in relief when nothing happened until the bingsu was sold. After the couple left and he continued selling for a while longer, he soon set up a “Closed” sign.

Apologizing to customers and saying he’d return later, he packed up the stall and headed to a deserted alley. In a secluded spot, he manipulated a wall to reveal a secret passage and activated a silver bracelet hidden inside his sleeve.

“Lucas, I have urgent information.”

• What is it?

“The mage Chloe, whom you showed me before, appeared in the square.”

• …!

The sound of a sharp intake of breath was audible even through the communicator.

• Why is Chloe… Damn it!

“Lucas?”

Surprised by the uncharacteristic swearing, Verdi called out to Lucas, but no answer came immediately.

After a moment of silence, Lucas sighed softly and gave an order.

• Cancel tonight’s plan.

“What? Why? Is that okay?”

• If I say cancel, then cancel! You know I’m in command of this operation, right?

“But… Yes, understood.”

Even in the last operation, he had hesitated, saying there was a high chance she would be present. Thanks to that, they almost lost another dark mage.

Though uneasy, Verdi had no choice but to comply with the order. After all, the aftermath wouldn’t be his responsibility but Lucas’s.

• Any other unusual occurrences?

“There weren’t any. Oh, the mage Chloe had dyed her hair. Brown.”

• ..Really?

Verdi shifted his eyes at the silence beyond the communicator. Debating whether to continue, he finally steeled himself and spoke.

“She was with a brown-haired man. Called Tess, I think…”

• Sh*t.

Startled by the rough curse, Verdi stepped back, even though Lucas wasn’t physically present. He hadn’t expected someone usually composed, albeit not friendly, to utter such a curse.

• Escalante…

The sinister name echoed through the dark space.

‘The Grand Duke? That gentle man is the Monster of the North?’

Verdi recalled the man he had just met. Though he had a cold impression, he seemed gentle in the way he yielded to the woman. Accepting the sweet and sour strawberry bingsu didn’t match his notorious reputation at all.

As the mage reminisced with a peculiar expression, Lucas’s voice brought him back to reality.

• Withdraw for now. It’s too soon to deal with him.

“Yes, Lucas.”

Not that I intended to mess with him anyway.

Hiding his uneasy thoughts, the man answered politely. No matter how much support he had, he wasn’t bold enough to think he could handle a top-level sword expert as just an apprentice mage.

Especially since the Grand Duke wasn’t alone but with a high-level mage.

‘It’s a curious combination.’

Why is a white mage dating the Grand Duke? Some are going crazy because they can’t return to the Mage Tower.

Having never experienced the Mage Tower himself, Verdi shook his head, thinking of the few dark mages. Even Lucas, who seemed relatively sane, had something off about him.

• Verdi.

“Y-yes!”

Feeling guilty for criticizing internally, he answered twice, relieved by the subsequent words.

• If there’s nothing else to report, I’ll end the call.

“Yes, Lucas. Take care.”

* * *

Far from the capital. In a dark place, Lucas, who had been communicating, irritably pulled off the hood of his black robe. A soft hand for a man ruffled his wavy brown hair.

“Chloe…”

The name he murmured with a sigh was filled with regret.

Affection, regret, sadness, and anger.

<Lucas. Don’t forget it was your choice.>

He closed his eyes tightly at the voice echoing like a memory. His hand, sliding from his head to his face, hid his furrowed brow.

Even putting aside the fact that she was his first love from childhood, he hadn’t expected to confront a childhood friend who was like a second family. How could he have known that Chloe, whom he thought would remain at the Mage Tower for life, would block his path this way?

Though technically, it was her lover who was the problem.

“f*cking Escalante.”

Grinding his teeth, Lucas’s golden eyes flashed fiercely. It was obvious why a monster obsessed with blood would meet a mage.

He must be trying to seduce her and use her as he pleases.

‘Bastard, does he think I’ll just let that happen?’

Lucas thought of the small, delicate Chloe. She had risen above her wounds and grown confidently, becoming his pride. Though he hadn’t confessed and had given up on his feelings, she remained precious and dear to him.

He had found solace in the thought that she would be happy no matter what fate awaited him.

‘You dare touch my last treasure?’

Lucas loathed the Grand Duke. If he hadn’t allied with a partner with different priorities, he would have wanted to attack the Grand Duchy immediately.

“No…”

His golden eyes narrowed. Since it was a predetermined goal, advancing the schedule a bit wouldn’t be an issue.

‘Not when he’s with Chloe.’

He had no intention of hurting her, and considering her insane magical talent, avoiding her was the right choice. She was likely to render anything useless.

‘But if Escalante is alone?’

Lucas’s lips curled into a smirk. He had decided what to do with what he had saved this time.

Pulling the hood back over his head, he turned sharply. There was much to prepare for the grand task.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tehis, who had been thoroughly cursed by the dark mage, found himself in an awkward situation.

Chloe, sitting on his thigh, kept offering him a spoonful with a bright smile.

“Darling, say ah.”

“…Ah.”

There was no reason for them to be doing this when their identities weren’t known. Chloe had keenly observed other couples engaging in all sorts of affectionate acts nearby, leading to this situation.

More precisely, it began when she remarked, ‘Everyone’s really close,’ and he replied, ‘That’s usually how it is at festivals.’ Who could have predicted that this would lead to a conversation about ‘properly enjoying the festival’?

Unlike the troubled Tehis, Chloe happily scooped a large spoonful of bingsu and took a bite herself. The cool and sweet strawberry-flavored ice melted smoothly in her mouth.

‘Ah, this is fun.’

What was amusing was his reaction, stiffening the moment she climbed onto him. It was funny how he alternated between looking at the spoon and her lips with oddly wandering eyes, as if sharing a spoon was such a big deal.

He didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about eating bingsu, which seemed to be chosen for her, yet he obediently accepted it every time she fed him.

The fact that this expressionless man couldn’t refuse anything, even while awkwardly expressing his discomfort, was endearing.

When she scooped another large spoonful and offered it, the Grand Duke, who quietly accepted it, spoke with a chilled mouth.

“Chloe, do we have to eat like this?”

“Don’t you like it?”

“It’s not that, but…”

“Then say ah.”

“Ah…”

Watching him close his mouth after consecutively accepting the food, Chloe chuckled as the lively voices of children passed by.

“Dad, Mom, hurry up. Hurry! We’ll be late for the circus!”

“Can we go first? I’ll go save us seats!”

“You’ll trip if you run, you little rascals. Oh, who do these kids take after…?”

“You’re asking to be pinched, dear?”

The cheerful voices of the couple spread warmly through the air.

Unconsciously, the contract couple turned their heads toward the direction they were heading and then looked at each other.

“Have you ever seen a circus?”

“No, I haven’t. If you want, we can watch it this time.”

“Sounds good. Shall we get up?”

“Yes, Chloe.”

As she smiled and moved off his knee, Tehis ignored the strange sense of emptiness and stood up. He also buried the thought that he would have to feed her more, as she was lighter than he expected.

Linking arms affectionately, the couple moved on and thoroughly enjoyed various events of the festival. Circus, magic shows, puppet shows, roulette spinning, arm wrestling contests… They swept through all sorts of places, and before they knew it, it was almost midnight.