He seemed about to say something, but then slightly avoided Aris’s gaze and said,

“Well, I look forward to your research. I should be going now.”

“Yes. Take care on your way back.”

“I will, Miss Aristena.”

At the soft address, Aris opened her eyes wide. Kalaian slightly pulled up the corners of his mouth to show a smile and left the research room. Aris stared blankly at the door of the research room he had left.

She knew that now that the imperial palace was her workplace, there wouldn’t be honorifics like ‘Lady Eldeiz’ from him… but to think he would call her by name.

‘Come to think of it, back then too…’

The day after unexpectedly spending a night with him. His sleeping face that she saw when she opened her eyes. And the first words he uttered…

“Aristena, this time, don’t try to leave me.”

Aristena…

She couldn’t understand what he said, but she remembered the name he uttered. Aris tightly held the file he had left, hugging it to her chest.

‘In the past, I used to hope that someday I would wake up and start my day seeing his face.’

Aris let out a weak laugh. It’s been a long time since she gave up on such feelings, but to think that wish would come true only after giving up.

Aris shook off her thoughts with a bitter smile. Returning to her seat, she continued her investigation of monster-related materials, flipping through the file he had given her.

* * *

A week had passed since her first day at work. Aris collapsed onto her desk, having lost her initial enthusiasm.

‘I’m tired… I didn’t know the materials would be this extensive.’

It was no easy task trying to familiarize herself with things from a completely different field.

Aris sighed and stretched out. Perhaps because it was a drowsy afternoon with lazy sunlight pouring in, sleepiness kept coming over her.

She tried slapping her cheeks to somehow wake herself up, but the effect was minimal. Her cheeks only swelled up, but she didn’t wake up at all.

In the end, she chose to take a walk, which she had left as a last resort. As soon as she stepped outside, the summer sunlight poured down brightly. However, even taking in a big breath of the lukewarm wind didn’t wake her up, but only made her feel more drowsy.

‘I haven’t been sleeping well lately…’

Aris walked leisurely. The path leading from the East Wing 2 to the nearby garden was filled with countless summer flowers in bloom.

The garden, accessible only to the imperial family, was far from this wing, so it didn’t matter how she wandered around.

‘This flower would look pretty as a decoration on the the letter I’ll send to Mr. E. He’ll like it too.’

She plucked a few freshly blooming flowers and put them in her research coat pocket, then resumed her walk.

“Excuse me… Are you Aristena Eldeiz?”

It was then that a high-pitched voice stopped Aris in her tracks. The intonation, manner of speaking, and pronunciation were all very familiar to her ears.

Aris turned around towards the voice. There, she saw a familiar face. When their eyes met, the other person let out a short, hollow laugh.

“It’s been a while. Do you remember me? We were roommates for a short time.”

Smiling with slightly narrowed eyes, she looked Aris up and down slowly. From top to bottom. Aris felt nauseated by the deliberate gaze, like a viper licking its prey.

Aris looked back at her. This person who had cleverly tormented Aris in a situation where she could only fall for her lies, pretending to be the victim as if she had done nothing wrong…

“Miss Serena Frencia.”

“You haven’t forgotten me. I’m glad.”

Serena clapped her hands together lightly, seemingly pleased.

“I’ve heard a lot about your reputation, Eldeiz. And I hear you’ve been appointed as a magic scholar affiliated with the imperial palace?”

“Yes.”

Aris answered as calmly as possible. It was true that seeing her still stirred up an unquenchable anger, but she shouldn’t show it openly.

Based on past experience, this person would clearly enjoy it more and torment her further the more she showed her emotions.

‘I don’t know why you harbor such hostility towards me now… But I won’t be played by you anymore.’

As five years had passed, Aris was no longer as soft as she was then.

Serena would try to defame Aris by playing the victim no matter what Aris did. Whether her schemes were deep or shallow, as long as Serena Frencia’s nature remained unchanged, it was all the same.

Aris spoke with a faint smile.

“Miss Frencia. I too have heard much about your reputation, and it’s an honor to meet you again like this.”

“Oh my, thank you for speaking so kindly. I’ve just returned from a campaign, so I won’t be leaving for a while… We’ll be seeing each other often, Eldeiz.”

“Yes, we might.”

At Aris’s light response, Serena looked down at her blankly, smiling, and then suddenly extended her hand. Behind her, the afternoon sun was sinking, emitting a reddish light. Just like the color of the sky during that day’s battle.

“Let’s get along well, like friends.”

Aris willingly grasped Serena’s outstretched hand.

“Yes, that would be nice.”

The lukewarm warmth that touched her was quite chilling. However, instead of showing it, Aris smiled even more.

I still don’t want to be involved with you, but if you keep trying to invade my life, I won’t just sit back and take it.

My life is too precious to be cracked by your petty slander.

* * *

After parting with Serena, Aris immediately entered a secluded garden. Although her sleepiness had long since disappeared, she had too many thoughts to be able to concentrate on work right away if she returned.

Aris slumped onto a bench where people rarely passed by and closed her eyes with a sigh.

‘I miss Belle and Dr. Andre…’

She missed the Magic Department. It was hard enough just frequently encountering Kalaian, and now it seemed she would be running into Serena as well.

But… it couldn’t be helped. She had a reason to keep digging into monsters here.

No matter how she thought about it, this life was a bit different from her past life. Even if Kalaian’s attitude could be explained by the change in their relationship…

‘There was no such thing as a Magic Research Department in my past life. And the situation with monsters wasn’t this serious so early on.’

Aris was lost in deep thought. Though her eyes were closed, her eyelids were bright from the sunlight pouring down beyond them. As she continued her contemplation, basking in the sunlight as if photosynthesizing, suddenly Aris’s vision went dark.

‘…Did a cloud pass by?’

Aris opened her eyes. Then something unexpected entered her view. Someone’s large, slender, beautiful hand. The broad palm was completely blocking the sunlight that had been soaking her eyelids.

Aris blinked and tilted her head. She raised her small hand and gently grasped the large hand blocking the sky, pulling it down. Her puzzled feeling turned to shock the moment her vision became bright again.

“Are you awake?”

A pair of violet eyes were intently looking down at her. He made a strange expression as if he was looking at an interesting creature, then smirked.

“Slacking off during work hours?”

“Th-that’s…!”

“You must be very free.”

Aris turned pale. In fact, for the past week, Kalaian had been barging into the research room at all hours, dumping materials on her, leaving Aris incredibly busy without a moment to spare.

All his words of concern telling her not to overwork herself had been empty talk.

Of course, the materials he had given her were all essential information for her research… but Aris was annoyed at him always coming with that strangely excited look.

‘I don’t like him coming every day, and he even increases the workload every time he comes…!’

Aris, looking like a frightened squirrel, hastily said,

“I’m just taking a short break…! I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t been able to rest properly… I thought I should get some sunlight, and take a little walk… It’s definitely not slacking off. I finished everything I had to do before coming out…!”

Kalaian, who had been silently listening to Aris’s words that were spoken without backing down, soon let out a light laugh. Hearing her superior’s unexpected laughter, her face turned even paler.

Still standing behind the bench looking down at Aris, Kalaian reached out his hand to her. Aris looked at his hand with a gaze full of bewilderment.

“Were you in such need of rest that you didn’t even notice the bug in your hair?”

Kalaian’s hand, which had descended on the side of Aris’s golden hair, gently removed a flower petal that had been stuck.

“A bug?”

“Quite a large one at that.”