“But we haven’t introduced ourselves properly. I can’t just receive kindness without giving something in return. Please tell me your name.”

Aris knew his name, but she asked anyway. He didn’t know her name, and she also had a strong desire to become friends with Mishuan who had shown her kindness.

At this, he gave a light-hearted smile and shrugged.

“I already know your name.”

“You know my name?”

“You were almost my new stepmother, weren’t you? Even though you look younger than me.”

Aris was momentarily flustered by his words. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh along or raise her voice at the rudeness, but there was nothing wrong with what he said.

Mishuan Clanef.

When Aris was sixteen, wasn’t one of the two choices given to her was to marry the old lecher Duke Clanef?

So, though she had forgotten, the person in front of her was the only son of that Duke Clanef.

Mishuan raised the corners of his mouth.

“I heard you rejected that position. Quite decisively.”

His devilish smile, combined with his angelic appearance, was enough to captivate one’s soul. His eyes, which had been indifferent until just now, were suddenly full of interesting colors.

“You did well. If you had married someone like Duke Clanef, you would have gotten sick with frustration. Like my mother.”

Eventually, he straightened his posture politely and took Aris’s hand to kiss it.

“Let me apologize on behalf of my father. I’m Mishuan Clanef.”

“Yes… Lord Clanef.”

“Would you call me by my name? I despise my father so much that I don’t even like my surname. That’s why other people in the imperial palace call me by my name too.”

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry…!”

“There’s no need to apologize. Just be mindful of it in the future.”

Mishuan smiled with a face so captivating it could steal one’s soul. It was an exquisitely beautiful smile that could be described as ‘enchanting’.

“Then, I’ll see you next time. Dr. Aristena.”

And with that, Mishuan disappeared from Aris’s sight in the blink of an eye. Aris stared blankly at the empty space.

‘…What was that?’

He didn’t seem like a bad person.

Aris neatly folded the paper from the finished sandwich and headed to her research room. It seemed her body wasn’t feeling well, so she might have to postpone asking permission from her superiors for the geological survey until tomorrow.

She thought about the person named Mishuan Clanef.

An angelically beautiful face with a completely contrasting unruly temperament. And monstrous swordsmanship skills. Because of this, he was called ‘the angelic demon’ among people.

The person himself seemed to despise such a nickname, but Aris thought it was fitting. Like an angel, and like a demon…

‘No, he was clearly a good person. Not quite a demon…’

At least he brought me a sandwich. And he moved me to the bench when I collapsed and even stayed by my side.

She suddenly felt curious. Mishuan was someone she had barely encountered in her past life, someone she had almost no connection with.

‘My physical condition has improved a bit too.’

Arriving at her research room, Aris diligently spread out her thesis papers and continued her research with a somewhat excited mood. This time, she didn’t overwork herself and took breaks immediately when she felt a bit tired.

To think she would overwork herself again without any sense of crisis after what happened in her past life.

‘Work is important, but you need to learn to take care of yourself, Aristena.’

Think about your past life. What happened because she didn’t take care of herself. And how it ended.

That day, as soon as Aris got off work, she rushed home and searched for stationery. With a firm resolve, she boldly wrote a letter to that person who was now more than a sponsor, almost like a guardian.

[Something like that happened. So I thought I should take care of my body because of what happened today.

So from now on, if you think I’ve forgotten my resolution and overworked myself again in my letters, please scold me harshly.]

The reason Aris had been able to change so much over the past time was all thanks to his guidance. As such, she came to rely on and follow Mr. E who was sometimes like a friend, sometimes like a parent.

Aris carefully packaged the letter filled with strong will, and melted red sealing wax over a cherry-scented candle that was emitting a flickering flame.

She dropped the thickly melted sealing wax on the envelope’s opening, then firmly pressed the stamp to seal it.

“It turned out neat!”

Seeing the evenly stamped shape without any rough edges, Aris smiled brightly. She immediately ran to the red mailbox in front of her house with the light pink letter in hand.

Even after several years, the act of sending a letter was still so exciting. I hope Mr. E, who will receive and open this letter, will be happy too.

She used the stationery set that he had praised as lovely before, wrote more beautifully than usual, and the seal was even neater.

Aris hummed a happy tune as she put the letter in the mailbox and turned around.

Although there were some perplexing things, it wasn’t a bad day overall.

She stretched out and started preparing dinner. It had been a bit of a tiring day since morning, so she needed to have a warm and delicious meal.

So that she could remember it as a happy day, after all.

* * *

“Knock knock.”

Mishuan, who had leaped over the window and entered the room, imitated the sound of knocking with his mouth. However, despite making his presence known as he entered, there was no response.

Wondering if no one was there, he looked around and found someone sitting with their back against the sofa.

“I’m here.”

“I’m at an important part, so be quiet.”

Kalaian casually cautioned him. However, far from following his order, Mishuan approached and showed interest.

“What are you doing?”

“Aristena sent a letter.”

“Ah.”

Mishuan sat askew on the armrest of the opposite sofa. He stared at Kalaian’s face, which was wearing a faint smile.

Soon, he spoke first, his gaze still fixed on the letter.

“She says she’ll work hard on her physical strength as much as she works… How cute, what should I do?”

“Ah, yes…”

“It seems she’ll have gratin with cheese, macaroni, and sweet potato for dinner. At this time, she must have already eaten.”

“……”

Mishuan narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kalaian. Regardless, Kalaian was already concentrating on holding back his smile, trying not to let his already smiling lips rise further.

Mishuan thought,

‘He’s crazy…’

Truly, it was a sight he couldn’t get used to no matter how many times he saw it. Whenever Aristena was involved, Kalaian always showed a new side. Both then and now.

After seemingly reading the letter two more times, he finally lifted his gaze to look at him. Mishuan spoke gruffly.

“Now you’re paying attention? You’re really too much, seriously.”

“It’s because you show such a disrespectful and unruly attitude that I have to be like this.”

“How many years have we known each other? What’s wrong with a slightly relaxed attitude? Isn’t it a sign of trust?”

Mishuan deliberately spoke with a puppy-like smile. Unlike earlier, Kalaian changed the subject coldly with a visibly hardened expression.

“You must have come because you have something to report.”

“…Yes. I have particularly many things to tell you today. Serena Frencia visited her research room.”

“I confirmed that in the letter. It seems Aristena handled it well.”

Kalaian spoke with a satisfied voice. Mishuan, thinking it fortunate that he had less to say, brought up the most shocking topic.

“Do you know what I saw today?”

“What is it?”

“When Serena Frencia came and observed her research room, I saw a familiar office sight. Your Highness has done quite an extraordinary thing.”

“……”

“No wonder the state of the office has been strange for a while. Did you use some kind of space exchange magic?”

Mishuan made an incredulous expression.

Not long ago, when Mishuan visited Kalaian’s office as usual, he was shocked to see his office turned into an attic in an instant.

But then he could see the sight of the original neat office exactly in Aristena’s research room.

Kalaian was silent for a while, then he suddenly looked at Mishuan with a cold gaze.

“What have you been doing normally that you only noticed this now? I’m sure I told you to watch carefully because we don’t know when and where cracks might occur like last time.”

“No… She’s always just looking at books in her research room, how can I observe her like that all day?”

Mishuan said with displeasure. How could he watch her all day when she just sits at her desk looking at papers?

“You’re overprotective. If you’re going to do that, reduce her workload. It’s so pitiful to see her working without even eating.”