The balance tipped decisively in favor of Arina’s undercover employment at Arad’s trading company.

“Oh! Right! By the way, I already told Sir Arad that I’d be sending him a new employee soon.”

“W-what?!”

Isabelle seized the moment, driving the point home with a mischievous smile.

“Don’t worry too much. I told him it would be someone who knows how to read, write, and calculate, with low magical power—just a two-circle level junior adventurer.”

“I also have two-circle power in my core. Even if I disguise myself, it’ll arouse suspicion. I can’t hide my mannerisms or behavior completely.”

“My lady, have some faith! I am the Great Witch, after all. I’ve thought of everything.”

Isabelle pulled out a necklace from her pocket.

“This isn’t just for altering your appearance—it also has mental interference magic enchanted into it.”

“Mental interference…?”

“If Sir Arad or anyone else starts to suspect your true identity, the necklace will activate mental interference spells.”

Isabelle continued, her tone confident.

“Unless they’re a six-circle mage or higher, they’ll never notice.”

“But Arad is an Ancient. He might be stronger than a six-circle mage.”

“No, he isn’t. I’m certain Arad’s magical skill isn’t that advanced.”

“…!?”

The conversation continued in hushed tones despite the room being empty except for the two of them—just in case there were listening ears.

“Anyway, as an official employee, your duties will involve assisting with the trading company’s paperwork.”

While Isabelle had ulterior motives of keeping an eye on Arad and uncovering his true identity and intentions, she didn’t feel the need to explicitly state them. Arina would figure it out on her own.

“In addition, you’ll assist as an aide when he’s crafting magical tools.”

“Me, crafting magical tools?”

“You’ve studied magic theory books as part of your education. It shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.”

“I only read those to prepare for combat against mages!” Arina protested.

“And that’s just the surface. There’s more to it than that.”

Already lost in her own ideas, Isabelle ignored Arina’s objections and pressed on.

“More to it?”

Resigned, Arina decided to just listen.

“It’s about wooing him, of course! Sir Arad won’t confess to you again after being rejected once. Approaching you again, especially since you’re a Grand Duchess, would be far too intimidating for him.”

“!!”

“That’s why you need to build your relationship under a different identity. Over time, he might confess again. Besides, this way, you can also fend off any other women trying to get close to him.”

“Fending them off…!”

“And once Sir Arad finally falls for you, you can reveal your identity. Show him that even without the title of Grand Duchess, you’re a charming woman in your own right!”

“Ugh…”

Arina staggered, her mind spinning from Isabelle’s audacious plan.

For someone like Arina, who had no experience in romance beyond putting up walls, this conversation was overwhelming.

Undeterred, Isabelle carried on, ignoring her flustered liege.

“Besides, the trading company headquarters is in High Castle. It won’t interfere much with your duties or training.”

“Arad is a merchant. He’ll frequently travel for trade. And… I haven’t fully recovered my strength yet,” Arina countered, trying to resist.

“Don’t worry, my lady. You can accompany him on some of the trips! Not every time, of course.”

“W-what…?”

“You’d go on secret inspections anyway. This way, it’s safer. The official trading company will have elite knights and Frostblades as escorts.”

“…”

Isabelle knew Arina too well. Every worry and rebuttal was effortlessly deflected by the Great Witch.

“For the record, only Haitai, Sir Balzac, and I will know about your work at Arad’s company.”

Even as Arina hesitated one last time, Isabelle delivered the finishing blow with a sly smile.

“But if you truly refuse, I’ll have to send someone else from the Witch’s Assembly. Still, when a man and a woman work closely together every day… well, it would be unusual if nothing happened between them, wouldn’t it?”

“…!”

After a moment of silence, Arina spoke hesitantly.

“The disguise spell… it’s safe and undetectable, right?”

“Of course! I’ve even accounted for the bag you always carry. Everything will be seamless.”

In the end, Arina couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

“Then… I’ll take that as a yes! Oh, by the way, what alias will you use?”

“Mary. Mary will do.”

“The nickname of the late Grand Duchess… how nostalgic.”

“…Yes.”

Despite her carefully composed expression and voice, Arina’s heart was already blooming with anticipation and excitement.

***

The next morning.

At the headquarters of the Arad Trading Company, located in the middle-class district of High Castle:

Knock, knock, knock, knock.

The persistent yet cautious sound of knocking echoed from the front door early in the morning.

“Who could it be this early?”

I stopped what I was doing and headed to the front door on the first floor.

“Who is it…?”

When I opened the door, I found myself face-to-face with an unfamiliar woman.

She had striking white hair and deep gray eyes, a combination that immediately stood out. She was quite beautiful.

Her outfit was a plain tunic, the kind you’d see anywhere, but at her waist, she wore one of the derivative bags I’d crafted—modified with additional leather.

“White hair and gray eyes? Hmm…”

The color of her hair and eyes particularly caught my attention.

“...?”

“...!”

A brief silence hung between us.

“Um… well… yesterday the Great Witch mentioned… introducing a staff member…”

Her husky voice broke the silence.

“Ah…!”

In that moment, I realized who the woman standing before me was.

“She said it wasn’t a witch, but it’s a woman?! What’s the plan here? Or… has the Grand Duchess given up on me entirely?”

“Come in for now.”

Certain that this was the staff member Isabelle had mentioned yesterday, I nodded and invited her inside.

“I’ll speak informally. I am a Count, after all.”

“O-of course, sir!”

The woman sitting at the first-floor table seemed nervous and made a verbal slip.

As someone who’d lived on modern Earth, I decided to let it slide graciously.

“What’s your name?”

“Mary! My name is Mary!”

“Mary?”

“Yes!”

“Mary… really?”

“Yes, is there a problem…?”

As I talked with the new staff member named Mary, a strong sense of déjà vu hit me.

A woman with white hair and deep gray eyes named Mary. Even if she’s only two-circle level… considering her age in the original story…

It dawned on me that this feeling of familiarity came from text and illustrations I had seen before.

“Could it be…? Is she the Great Witch of the Snowfields?”

It seemed absurd at first, like grasping at straws. But then I thought of the luck stat embedded in this body. Suddenly, the possibility felt more plausible.

“No, it’s nothing. Mary is a beautiful name, that’s all.”

“Oh…! Thank you!”

After that brief exchange, silence returned.

“Well… the trading company is still a bit chaotic since it’s newly established. I’ll head down to the basement for a moment. Please enjoy your tea while you wait.”

“Yes!”

I rambled as I headed to the basement. Behind me, I could hear the sound of her sipping tea. It seemed she liked the tea I’d offered.

Once I reached the basement workshop, I took a deep breath and muttered to myself.

“Phew… Could she really be the Great Witch of the Snowfields? I mean, there’s no way they’d assign an ordinary person as my employee, would they? She must be from the Frostblades.”

My voice carried a slight tremor as I spoke.

"Besides, they said she already has a primary occupation."

Isabelle’s words from yesterday came back to me.

“Not a witch? Yeah, right.”

“That two-circle power must be a disguise. She wouldn’t be the future Great Witch for nothing.”

Piecing together all the evidence and my own guesses, I was now convinced.

She had to be the Great Witch of the Snowfields.

It also explained why I hadn’t encountered any witches resembling her before—if she belonged to the Frostblades, that would make sense.

“So they assigned a witch from the Frostblades to protect and monitor me. Makes sense.”

With that thought, I felt oddly reassured.

To be honest, I had been feeling uneasy with only the knights from High Castle as protection. Having the future Great Witch nearby put my mind at ease.

“Although… I should also consider the possibility of a honey trap.”

Of course, I was destined to return to Earth one day.

“There’s no way I’ll fall for such an obvious ploy.”

“Alright! Now I can focus on business with peace of mind!”

Having sorted through my thoughts, I climbed back up to the first floor.

Mary had finished her tea and was now sitting quietly, waiting.

“Well then, let’s get started with your work today.”

“Yes! What should I begin with?”

“We’ll be heading to the greenhouse farm.”

“Understood!”

However, something about Mary’s manner of speaking struck me as peculiar.

“Her tone… it sounds almost like a knight’s.”

I’d interacted with many witches, including Isabelle, but this witch—assuming she was one—felt entirely different.

“Then again, if she’s always this stiff and cold, it makes sense she’d excel in ice magic.”

I decided not to dwell on it too much.

The world was full of diverse personalities, and not all witches would speak with a melodramatic, “Oh-ho-ho, have you seen this?” tone.

With that, the two of us left the trading company building and headed to the adjacent stable.

There were two horses in the stable—the same ones that had pulled the golden carriage before.

“You’re welcome to ride a broomstick if you prefer.”

As I prepared to mount one of the horses, I offered her the suggestion.

“I’m too low-circle to ride a broomstick. Besides, I’m not a witch.”

“Is that so…? How about horses?”

“I can ride horses well.”

“…Huh?”

“Well, if she’s committed to hiding her strength and identity, it makes sense to be thorough.”

Her responses only reinforced my belief that she belonged to the Frostblades. I nodded in agreement.

***

Isabelle once mentioned that within High Castle, members of the Frostblades secretly shadow me to provide protection.

When I venture out on trading trips, additional high-ranking knights from High Castle, disguised as mercenaries, join the escort.

For the head of a state-sanctioned trading company and a Count-level noble, such extensive protection felt overly generous. Even Arina, the Grand Duchess of the North, likely didn’t receive this level of security.

“This must mean Renslet acknowledges my value to this extent.”

Thanks to this, I hadn’t experienced any unpleasant incidents during my time operating in High Castle.

Of course, the city’s naturally high level of security, being the capital of Northern Renslet, also played a part.

In any case, the horses allowed Mary and me to quickly arrive at the greenhouse farm.

When we got there, nearly all the witches from the Witch’s Assembly were present, busily engaged in various tasks.

“You’ve arrived?”

“Arad! It’s Count Arad Jin!”

“Count Jin! Are you really throwing away the golden carriage?”

The witches paused their work and greeted me warmly.

“Huh? And who is that beside you…?”

A young witch with innocent eyes tilted her head curiously as she looked at Mary standing beside me.

“Oh! You’ve already started working, Mary!”

Isabelle interjected hastily, addressing Mary with a sense of familiarity.

“Yes, that’s right! Thank you for introducing me to such a wonderful job,” Mary responded, her voice overly formal and awkward.

The exchange was so stiff and unnatural that even schoolchildren reciting from a textbook would have sounded more convincing.