"I never expected him to know how to brew coffee as well."

‘In the North, only the wealthy can afford to drink coffee. He really is full of surprises.’

"If you're done with your business, why don't you leave now?"

It was Ahwin. The wizard, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, and Pablo’s eyes widened in surprise.

Penelope thought to herself, Ah, the grumpy dog has finally run out of patience.

"I’ll be on my way now. I look forward to seeing you again, my lady."

"Penelope isn’t even your master. Why do you keep calling her that?"

Ahwin's sharp remark immediately chilled the atmosphere. Pablo’s expression stiffened, as expected.

Penelope shook her head inwardly.

"Just leave. I’ll enjoy the coffee you made."

"Ah, yes."

Caught off guard, Pablo quickly stood up and bowed deeply.

Even he was puzzled.

‘Why did I call her that?’

As Pablo left alongside the steward, Penelope turned to Ahwin and asked, "So, you and Pablo really don’t get along, do you?"

"That’s not it. I hardly know him."

Ahwin replied dismissively, but Penelope scoffed inwardly.

Every time you look at him, your face hardens. Who are you trying to fool?

‘Still, he’s surprisingly bad at hiding his expressions. For someone so powerful, he can be unexpectedly clumsy.’

Out of consideration, Penelope decided not to press him further.

As she fell silent, however, Ahwin did something unexpected—he glanced at her cautiously.

"If it bothers you, I’ll stop from now on."

"…It didn’t bother me that much, though."

"Right. He’s not someone you should waste even a bit of thought on."

Ahwin concluded abruptly. Yep, he definitely doesn’t like Pablo.

***

Finally, the renovations on Penelope’s bedroom were complete. At the same time, Ahwin’s quarters had also been finished.

Penelope returned to the main castle and resumed a more modern, upright lifestyle. With the floor now warm, it wasn’t bad at all. Her feet stayed toasty, the air was pleasantly cozy, and even waking up in bed left her feeling refreshed.

Putting down the documents she had been reviewing all morning, Penelope gazed out the window while enjoying a fragrant cup of coffee. Another delightful change was being able to admire the clear glass windows without needing wooden shutters anymore.

‘This is it,’ Penelope thought with a smile.

Undoubtedly, comfort and happiness go hand in hand. Especially in winter, nothing beats a warm floor.

These days, even Ahwin had developed a healthy appetite and was steadily gaining weight, lifting yet another concern off Penelope’s shoulders.

‘It’s really satisfying to change things little by little,’ she mused, sipping her coffee while contemplating her next project. But her brow furrowed almost immediately.

She had underestimated the brutal northern winter.

Outside, thick, fluffy snowflakes were falling relentlessly.

‘Well, I’ll have to wait until the snow stops to try anything new.’

As snow piled up to knee height, carriages were completely immobilized. While some people moved about on foot or using sleds, the main roads were in a state of complete paralysis.

"Those territories with railways must be developing rapidly even now. I’m so jealous!"

The inconvenience of poor transportation severely hindered progress. Every city’s development begins with its infrastructure.

‘At this rate, I might have to wait until spring.’

Penelope bit her lower lip in frustration. When spring comes, I’ll need to prioritize improving transportation.

At that moment, the door to her office swung open abruptly. A visitor without so much as a knock—only one person in the entire Halo Castle would be so casual.

As Penelope turned her head, sure enough, Ahwin was strolling into the office.

"You’re here?"

"What were you doing?"

Raising her coffee cup, Penelope replied, "As you can see, I was taking a short break. What about you, Ahwin?"

"I went through every book in the castle library."

"Every single one?"

Penelope’s surprised expression prompted Ahwin to shrug nonchalantly.

"There wasn’t much of interest. Most of them I’ve already read before."

"…All of them?"

"Reading is my hobby."

Penelope let out a soft "Ah" and nodded. It wasn’t too surprising that a wizard would enjoy reading. The problem was that the castle library was larger than most rooms.

‘But to have read that many books… just how long has he been alive? Is he older than he looks?’

A sudden curiosity struck her. Since it wasn’t exactly a sensitive question, Penelope asked outright.

"By the way, how old are you, Ahwin?"

"Why do you want to know my age?"

"I was just suddenly curious."

After a brief hesitation, Ahwin replied, "…I’m twenty-three this year."

"W-What? That’s a lie, right?"

‘He’s two years older than me? Impossible!’

Penelope was startled internally. She had always assumed he was younger, only to find out he was actually older—by two years, no less! She hadn’t even considered the possibility.

‘Wait, wasn’t the Mage Tower Master Ar Ahwin also around this age? Could it be…?’

The suspicion she had dismissed as absurd began to take shape more clearly.

Ahwin seemed equally surprised by her reaction.

"Why are you so shocked? How old are you?"

"W-Why do you want to know my age? Ah, I get it. You’re lying to me, aren’t you?"

"Why would I lie about something like this? Should I swear on a magical contract?"

"No, that won’t be necessary."

Penelope shook her head quickly. It seemed he wasn’t lying after all.

‘Does this mean I’ve been treating him casually all this time, despite him being older than me?’

For a moment, her inner Confucian self from her past life surfaced, pricking her conscience.

But Penelope soon shook her head again.

‘No, I’m a noble. Age doesn’t matter here.’

Her self-rationalization was swift. After all, as the acting baroness of Halo, she deserved respect regardless of age.

‘Even if he really is the Mage Tower Master… what can I do? It’s not like he’s confessed to it.’

Ahwin, who had been watching her intently, tilted his head in confusion.

"Why are you acting so strange? Shaking your head one moment and nodding the next."

"It’s nothing."

"Your mind is truly unfathomable."

"You’re not so simple yourself, you know?"

Penelope replied bluntly. Ahwin smirked, his lips curling slightly.

‘I can’t believe someone like this is two years older than me.’

Feeling sulky, Penelope put her coffee cup down. She had grown comfortable with Ahwin over time, but now realizing he was older, it felt a bit strange. In truth, this revelation was more shocking than the possibility of him being the Mage Tower Master.

Ahwin glanced at the documents Penelope had been reviewing earlier.

"Wait, these papers are already completed. You spent the whole morning looking at this?"

"There are some errors that need fixing," Penelope replied, her tone more cautious than usual, still reeling from the "older" revelation.

Ahwin picked up a pen and quickly jotted down corrections in various spots on the document.

"Done. You can finish this later—I’m bored."

"…"

Penelope stared blankly at the papers he handed back. Her eyes widened as she realized every mistake had been perfectly identified.

‘Unbelievable. Is he even human? Or is he some kind of computer?’

Closing her gaping mouth, Penelope examined the documents. With just a few adjustments, her work for the day would be complete.

As she prepared to wrap up, Ahwin interrupted her again.

"Forget the work for now. Want to go to the top of the castle with me?"

"Huh?"

The casual question made Penelope respond in informal speech before she realized it. Stretching lazily like a cat, Ahwin spoke again.

"Come on, you’re bored too, aren’t you?"

"And going to the top of the castle will fix that?"

"Let’s go. I’ll show you something interesting."

Ahwin’s eyes sparkled mischievously. Clearly, the eccentric wizard had taken an interest in the tower’s summit.

"…It’ll be cold up there. And the tower’s upper floors are closed off in winter."

Instead of answering, Ahwin flicked his fingers. The window suddenly flew open.

Penelope blinked as snowflakes swirled in through the opening, carried by the icy wind.

‘What’s he trying to do?’

Ahwin extended his hand toward her. Penelope flinched.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think? Take my hand."

"W-Wait, are you suggesting we jump out the window together?!"

Ahwin nodded, completely serious.

"I-I can’t! That’s terrifying!"

"Then just close your eyes."