“Danger…!”

Penelope quickly opened her eyes wide and leaned her head out the window.

Ahwin, his deep blue robe billowing in the wind, turned to glance back at her.

‘You lunatic! That’s nothing but thin air out there!’

Penelope’s heart sank as she glanced down at the ground. The wizard’s feet were floating in midair.

A gust of wind surged up from below, sending his dull blonde hair whipping around. For a brief moment, his face was revealed.

The wind was so strong that Penelope instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.

When she opened them again, Ahwin was gliding leisurely through the air, heading toward the castle wall.

Without even an incantation, he had cast a flight spell.

“Ha.”

At last, Penelope’s brow furrowed deeply in irritation.

‘Ha, of course. A hidden powerhouse.’

No wonder his tone had always been so insufferable. He was clearly a high-ranking wizard hiding his true abilities.

Penelope briefly tried to count on her fingers how many wizards were capable of flight magic but gave up and cleared her mind.

‘It’s not even important.’

He was a temperamental wizard who would leave once winter was over anyway.

As long as he properly set up the magic stone barrier, his identity didn’t matter in the slightest.

Penelope lowered her head back to her documents.

***

Ahwin soared gracefully over the castle ramparts and headed directly toward the boundary of the territory.

Soon, a makeshift barricade of thorny bushes and haphazardly assembled wooden planks came into view.

Beside it stood a lonely temporary outpost, constructed by the knights of Halo Castle to keep watch for monsters.

“This place really is pitiful, every last corner of it,” Ahwin muttered, clicking his tongue as he landed soundlessly on the ground.

Everywhere he went in Halo Territory, the air was heavy with poverty and scarcity.

The thought of spending winter in such a desolate place made him want to strangle Rector even more.

‘Should I just finish the job and leave? There’s no one who could force me to stay if I don’t uphold the contract.’

The problem was, even if he did leave, there was nowhere to go.

Returning to the Mage Tower would only mean being surrounded by wizards like Rector, who would refuse to leave him in peace.

“I’ve spoiled the wizards too much.”

If he’d known it would come to this, he would have crushed their spirits from the start. Now, even when he got angry, they didn’t listen, those insolent fools.

Ahwin stomped lightly on the ground.

Thud.

A streak of pure white light radiated from where his foot touched the earth.

The light quickly expanded into a circle, which morphed into a magic circle filled with intricate formulas.

“The magic stones go about here?”

With little care, Ahwin lazily dropped the magic stones into the center of the circle.

The barrier greedily absorbed the stones, emitting a brilliant light.

“Next, ah… ah…”

Clearing his throat lightly, Ahwin began chanting a spell.

His chant resembled the song of a siren, enchanting and otherworldly, a melody that could mesmerize anyone who heard it.

At last, the barrier surged with pure, potent magical energy. It solidified into a deep blue, etching itself into the ground.

A magical stone barrier, the kind that would take an ordinary wizard a full month to construct, was completed in an instant.

The forest fell silent, as though trembling in awe at the overwhelming power.

‘Tea made from boiled green herbs that restores stamina? How on earth did that woman come up with such an idea?’

Suddenly, a fierce wind whipped through the area—the aftermath of the spell. The gust sent Ahwin’s hair flying wildly, revealing his face.

Long, elegant lashes fluttered like butterfly wings. Beneath them, his pale green eyes gleamed like jewels.

His sharp, elongated eyes, prominent nose, and full, crimson lips created a face that was almost unnaturally captivating.

It was a beauty that felt like it didn’t belong in this world.

“This is strange,” Ahwin murmured to himself suddenly.

“What’s even stranger is that I don’t know what’s strange about it.”

As the wind subsided, his unruly hair once again veiled his face, returning him to his gloomy, enigmatic wizard appearance.

Even otherworldly beauty couldn’t escape the awkwardness of the "in-between stage" of growing out long hair.

“I’ll figure it out eventually,” he concluded, running his fingers through his unruly locks with a careless sweep.

Just a little more patience, and he’d have the long hair he was aiming for. But lately, even his patience had started wearing thin, Ahwin thought with a sigh.

***

That afternoon, two dwarves visited the lord’s castle.

They were dwarves hired through the blacksmith by the castle's administrator.

Short and stocky with sturdy builds, their beards braided and tied with ribbons in an eccentric fashion—Penelope recognized their kind at a glance.

The moment the two dwarves reviewed the blueprints that the wizard had revised, they couldn’t hide their astonishment.

“Who on earth came up with these designs?”

“If we can build it according to these plans, it’ll surely be a masterpiece!”

Penelope tried hard not to stare too long at the ribbons hanging from their beards as she asked, “Do you think it’s possible to create the pipes to lay under the floor?”

“Well, we’ll have to experiment with various materials, but it should be feasible.”

The two dwarves and the two humans huddled together, continuing their discussion.

Throughout the conversation, the dwarves didn’t hold back their praise for whoever had drawn the blueprints.

“To think no one’s come up with this method until now—that’s even more astonishing!”

“It’s almost unbelievable. This system will likely cost much less than existing heating devices.”

“If we apply this method, we could also design a system to heat water in a furnace, which would be far more efficient than a fireplace.”

They even thoughtfully considered those who couldn’t afford magic stones.

Penelope also believed that a boiler powered by firewood would be the most widely adopted version, rather than one reliant on magic stones.

Even low-grade magic stones were quite expensive for commoners.

“Using water heated for heating purposes in the bathroom as well—if this can be built according to the design, it’ll be a revolutionary invention.”

The stream of compliments continued.

Penelope felt a pang of guilt in her chest but shamelessly kept her mouth shut.

Then Ahwin interjected.

“All the magic engineering parts in those designs were adjusted by me.”

“Wizard, you’re incredible. A true genius!”

“Well, naturally.”

“...Right.”

When the dwarves extended their compliments to Ahwin, he awkwardly closed his mouth, looking a little flustered now that the stage had been set for him. As expected, he was contrary to the core.

‘Still, things are moving along faster than I expected.’

This was a good start.

If the residents could spend winter warmly and comfortably at minimal cost, they would be delighted.

And if Penelope’s coffers grew fat because of it, all the better—win-win for everyone.

“We’ll provide you with a suitable house in the castle for your experiments,” Penelope said, glancing toward the administrator. The man quickly bowed his head.

“I’ll arrange it as you instructed.”

“For now, let’s adjourn the meeting,” Penelope declared, rising from her seat. Almost as if rehearsed, Ahwin stood as well.

Penelope glanced at him briefly before heading off.

Ahwin pretended to look out the window but soon followed her closely.

‘Why is he following me? I’m just going to the bathroom.’

Penelope couldn’t hold back her question.

“Where are you going?”

“Oh, nowhere in particular. Just seeing you off. I’ll talk to those guys again afterward.”

“Is that so?”

Penelope gave him a wary look, trying to gauge the right moment to part ways.

Ahwin scratched the back of his head, stealing sideways glances at her. His pale green eyes flickered through the strands of his unruly blond hair.

‘He’d look nice if he pulled his bangs back,’ Penelope thought absentmindedly, suddenly overwhelmed by an inexplicable irritation.

“About… about that!”

Ahwin’s voice suddenly rose as if he were about to shout, only for him to clamp his lips shut. His earlobes and neck were now flushed red.

Penelope exercised extreme patience.

“It’s about the last time. You know, that incident—I really didn’t know.”

Ahwin was biting his lower lip furiously.

Penelope blinked, puzzled. “The last time? What incident… Oh…”

It took her a moment, but she finally spoke.

“Are you talking about Baron Halo? It’s unfortunate, but if that’s what you’re worried about, I’m fine. There’s no need for you to concern yourself.”

“…”

Ahwin’s lips parted slightly in surprise, as though he’d just encountered an alien species.

After staring at her for a long moment, he abruptly turned his head away.

‘Well, who wouldn’t be sad about their husband’s death? She just doesn’t want to share her feelings with me.’

For once, Ahwin reflected on his behavior.

With him suddenly quiet, Penelope found herself feeling oddly awkward.