"Come in."

At Penelope's response, a maid entered carrying a tray. On the tray was a steaming cup of herbal tea.

The maid naturally offered the tea to Lian.

Lian, almost unconsciously, accepted the tea. He felt as though the maid's gaze sparkled as it met his, but he dismissed it as his imagination.

Penelope stood up and spoke.

"I’ve already explained everything to the knights. Drink that and get some rest."

"Ah, thank you."

"Then."

Penelope gently pulled the maid along and carefully closed the door as they left.

Left alone, Lian looked around the room. All he could see was the utterly ordinary office space.

His head was pounding, so he downed the bitter herbal tea in one gulp. A warmth spread through his stomach. Soon, his eyelids began to feel heavy.

The floor beneath him was unbelievably warm, and his body grew slack as drowsiness overtook him.

Lian fell back into a deep sleep.

***

When Lian woke up again, it was late afternoon.

He had fallen into such a deep sleep that he hadn’t even dreamed.

Although his head still felt a little heavy, the previous lethargy was gone. It seemed the herbal tea had worked.

As he reached for the water jug, Lian muttered to himself.

"How is it so warm here? Is this the work of a mage? I can’t make heads or tails of it…"

"It’s not that complicated. You’re just causing trouble for everyone."

Startled by the sudden voice, Lian turned his head. Sitting cross-legged on the sofa’s top seat was Ahwin.

"Iriel?"

"Watch your mouth, Lord Rahinsel. Or would you prefer me to address you as the Northern Grand Duke?"

Hearing the icy title, Lian smirked as he opened his mouth.

"I thought I was dreaming. The great Master of the Mage Tower, staying in such a quiet castle? Don’t tell me, was the pain of heartbreak that severe?"

"And what about you? Monster hunting? Even being reckless has its limits. Wandering around the forest in the dead of winter—trying to freeze yourself to death? People call that self-destruction. Oh, and once news spreads that you’ve left the Grand Duke’s castle, your rivals will likely send assassins after you. Is that how you plan to die?"

The two exchanged verbal blows, hitting their mark evenly.

Of course, each jab stung as much as expected.

Unfortunately, both of them were in similar situations. They had given their hearts to a woman, only to be rejected.

Defeat, loss, resentment, and helplessness—all these emotions clawed at their hearts like a storm. When the storm passed, only barren wasteland remained.

Not wanting to dwell on such bitter feelings, Lian changed the subject.

"She’s quite an unusual woman. Is she really the one in charge of this castle?"

Ahwin’s gaze sharpened.

"It’s none of your business. Just grab your enchanted rifle and leave this place as quickly as possible."

"So, the lord is gone, and his wife is running the territory? Baroness Halo, wasn’t it?"

"…"

"Oh, right. Baron Halo died a few months ago, didn’t he?"

Lian answered his own question.

His sharp mind quickly recalled the report about Baron Halo perishing in battle against a monster a few months back.

It wasn’t hard to deduce that Penelope was managing the territory in her late husband’s stead.

"Still, you two seem to get along quite well. Her name is Penelope, wasn’t it?"

A grinding sound filled the air.

Ahwin glared sharply, his teeth clenched. The Duke’s casual probing grated on his nerves. When the Duke spoke about someone in that tone, it was always with an ulterior motive.

For a moment, Lian thought he caught a flicker of murderous intent in Ahwin’s eyes.

Still as fiery and temperamental as ever, Lian thought.

This pure and straightforward mage had never been good at hiding his emotions, not in the past and certainly not now. Every interaction with him left Lian feeling irritated.

"If you don’t want your true identity revealed, don’t run your mouth in front of that woman."

"Aren’t you doing the same, oh great Master of the Mage Tower? And besides, I never thought you’d care this much about someone else. I figured you’d only ever concern yourself with Beti, let alone any human."

Ahwin gritted his teeth again. Every time he crossed paths with the Duke, he felt an overwhelming urge to rip his mouth apart. It was clear they would never get along, even in death.

Their personalities and temperaments were polar opposites from the start. The fact that both had loved the same woman simultaneously was almost laughable.

Just then, a knock at the door interrupted them. The two men fell silent as if they had planned it.

A moment later, the door opened, and Penelope entered, leading the maids.

"You’re awake. Dinner has been prepared. You should freshen up and eat something. The maids will assist you."

As if he had never been angry, Ahwin’s sharp demeanor instantly dissipated. Lian, caught off guard, answered with a slightly dazed expression.

"Thank you for your kindness."

This time, Penelope turned to Ahwin. When he raised an eyebrow silently, she pursed her lips.

"The mage is over there," she said, gesturing toward the reception room.

"Dinner… is it just the two of us?"

"Is there someone else you’d like to invite?"

"No. No one."

Ahwin’s reply was firm. Penelope nodded indifferently before turning to Lian.

"Then, I hope you have a pleasant evening."

It didn’t seem like Penelope had any intention of inviting Lian to dinner.

Of course, Lian had no intention of accepting such an invitation, either. Right now, washing up and changing clothes took precedence.

"…"

Ahwin smirked leisurely, curling his lips into a victorious smile.

"That noble guest in the office, he seems so polite to the servants," remarked Laura as she assisted Penelope during dinner.

Penelope nodded without much expression.

"Hmm, that’s fortunate to hear."

"It’s so heartbreaking to think someone like that caught a cold."

…Why were they making such a fuss all of a sudden? Several people in the castle had caught colds recently.

A cold was a simple viral illness that anyone with a weakened immune system could catch. For a healthy adult, it would pass in a few days.

Clearly, Laura had a different motive for bringing up the noble guest.

Penelope decided to indulge her.

"Hmm, yes, it’s quite unfortunate."

"Right? I mean, just having him around brightens the room. It’s such a shame to see him unwell."

"And, not to mention, I’ve never seen someone so handsome in my entire life!" added Giselle, unable to hold back her praise.

Ah, so that’s what they wanted to say.

Judging by their expressions, the other maids seemed equally smitten by the appearance of the handsome nobleman.

In the secluded Halo Castle, the arrival of a striking nobleman was akin to a celebrity making an appearance.

Simply put, they were enamored by his looks.

Strangely, the more the maids gushed, the stiffer Ahwin’s expression became.

While it was improper for maids to chatter at the dinner table, Ahwin had never pointed it out before.

The relationship between the employer and employees in Halo Castle wasn’t particularly formal.

After staying silent for a while, Ahwin finally spoke.

"Penelope, do you also think that man is handsome?"

What?

Penelope blinked in surprise.

"Does my opinion matter here? I’m not particularly interested in him."

Even if she could understand the appeal, she wasn’t about to take an interest in the Northern Grand Duke. She wished all of this was just a misunderstanding, but deep down, she knew better.

The Mage Tower Master and the Grand Duke? What’s the world coming to?

The maids, however, looked inexplicably disappointed at her disinterest.

Ahwin frowned.

"But you must have an objective opinion."

"Objectively, he’s handsome. A straight nose, deep eyes, smooth skin…"

Penelope answered without hesitation.

"…"

Ahwin gritted his teeth.

Penelope flinched slightly, realizing she might have been too blunt.

Ahwin clearly didn’t seem pleased with the situation.

"How can your taste be so warped? You really think that guy is handsome?"

"And what about you, Ahwin? Are you blind? He’s obviously handsome. A bit cold-looking, maybe, but he’s like someone out of a novel…"

Like someone out of a novel…

Penelope trailed off. Lianel truly was someone who had come straight out of a novel.