Chapter 140
“Are these the owner’s favorite numbers? That’s a bit vague.”
I paused at Ascart’s words.
Just in case, I checked both the front and back of the invitation, but I couldn’t find any other peculiarities.
As I stood still, deep in thought while holding the invitation, Ascart seemed to lose interest and turned away, rustling through something.
He was opening his own package while keeping mine nearby.
“Oh! It’s finally here.”
“What is that?”
“I asked Lucio to get this for me. I was wondering what kind of food young noble ladies around your age like, and he said he’d send me a book about it.”
Lately, Ascart had been completely immersed in the joy of cooking for me.
It was the result of my suggestion that he pick up a new hobby, given that, apart from spending time with me, he seemed to do nothing but research in the Magic Tower.
“Why cooking, of all things? I don’t want you getting cuts on your hands.”
Ascart’s hands were as long and beautiful as his face, yet he often ended up cutting himself while preparing ingredients or burning himself while cooking.
Each time, I would quickly cast a healing spell, but it still upset me.
As I pouted, Ascart stared at me.
“See? Even with just cooking, you complain because you don’t want me getting hurt. Imagine how we feel about you learning swordsmanship.”
“…”
“It’s already decided, but at least consider our feelings a little. Be careful not to get hurt, okay?”
“Okay… I am doing this to protect myself, after all…”
Feeling awkward, I averted my eyes, a mix of guilt and embarrassment washing over me.
That was when I noticed the two books Lucio had sent.
One was thin, and the other was thick. A thought flashed through my mind.
“Can I borrow this book?”
“You?”
Ascart hesitated and hid the books behind his back.
Just as my family had been overly sensitive about me learning swordsmanship, they also disliked the idea of me stepping into the kitchen.
My grandfather had longed for the cookies he ate in the past, but he never dared to ask me to make them for him.
“If there’s something you want to eat, just tell me. I’ll make it for you.”
At his firm words, I chuckled and pointed, not at the thin recipe book he was hiding, but at the thick one that looked to be over 500 pages long.
“Not that one—this one.”
“This? I heard it’s more of an essay written by a retired royal chef…”
Ascart seemed genuinely puzzled as to why Lucio had sent it.
It seemed he had accepted it simply because it was described as a useful reference for cooks.
But I knew better.
The book, titled ‘Challenge Yourself with Franco, the Adventurous Chef!’, was a long-selling favorite in bookstores.
It was widely read by both nobles and commoners and was as easily accessible as popular romance novels.
‘And at the same time, it’s a treasure trove of hidden codes.’
“You’ll lend it to me, right?”
I beamed and reached out my hand.
***
Back in the library, I finished transcribing the final sentence and was about to put down my quill when I suddenly froze.
‘Now that I think about it… this quill…’
It had originally been sent by Lucio to Ascart. Since Lucio had sent several, Ascart gave me one to try, saying it was extremely comfortable to write with. I ended up loving it and using it daily.
And it wasn’t just the quill.
The delicate glass ornaments on my desk, the ivory mirror encrusted with jewels, the exquisite clock crafted by a renowned artisan, the rare magical tomes that any wizard would covet, the soft rug beneath my feet, and even the steaming cup of mint tea…
The library was filled with things Lucio had sent to Belus.
Realizing this all at once left me feeling strangely unsettled.
“…It’s not like he meant to give them to me, anyway.”
Everything had originally been sent to Ascart as gifts from Lucio.
He just always sent them in generous quantities, and since Ascart had a habit of bringing the best of them to me, they naturally ended up in my possession.
As proof of that, on my desk sat the Snowflower that young Ascart had once obtained for me, carefully preserved inside an enchanted glass dome.
Looking at its transparent silver petals, like frozen snow, all my unnecessary thoughts melted away, and I felt a sense of peace.
As Ascart had explained, simply keeping the Snowflower nearby really did help with mana control.
‘Of course, I already have perfect control over my mana, so it’s probably more of a psychological effect.’
With a small sigh, I turned my attention back to the passages I had copied from the book.
“Obtaining good ingredients is one of the greatest joys for a chef. Those who fail to appreciate the value of fresh, high-quality ingredients…” (excerpt)
“More than anything, patience is key. Only through long hours and dedicated effort can truly great food be created. The ability to enjoy waiting is…” (excerpt)
“Understanding the heart of the person who will eat the dish, that is the final step in completing a true meal.”
“Hmm.”
…Has it been too long? Am I interpreting this incorrectly?
“No, this is right. It makes sense.”
It was the most basic method of code decryption, there was no way I could be confused. The only issue was that the content was so different from what I had expected that I felt a bit dazed.
Since they had suddenly reached out like this, I had assumed they needed my help with something.
“…Waiting for me?”
Just in case, I even checked a Svana dictionary—the old continental common language. The meaning was the same.
Darel’s message to me could be summarized simply as,‘Our relationship is not over yet.’
‘That’s strange. The deal should already be finished.’
I had clearly stated my intentions to Duke Elard.
That I was transferring everything I owned, under the name of the maid Lia, to Diana.
That also meant the payment I was supposed to receive from Darel should be given to Diana instead.
‘There’s no way Lucio wouldn’t know that.’
Did he not understand? Or was he pretending not to?
The way things were unfolding, I was the one caught off guard.
I picked up the invitation from Le Réje that was sitting beside me.
“It looks like I’ll have to go there soon.”
Perhaps I’d get to taste that peculiar cake again.
Of course, I had to get through tomorrow’s coming-of-age ceremony first.
***
Imperial Palace, the Empress’s Garden
A tea party hosted by Princess Serphin was in full swing, attended by the young ladies of the most influential noble families.
The topic they were eagerly discussing was the summer festival of the Duchy of Belus, which had gained a reputation even across the sea in the empire.
“They held another week-long festival this year, didn’t they?”
“I heard they decorated not just the main square but the entire city with pink roses, making it look like a land straight out of a fairy tale.”
“Flowers are one thing, but did you know? On the actual birthday, they scattered gold dust mixed with petals across the entire region and even issued commemorative coins to distribute.”
“Well, considering how hard it was for them to find their daughter, nothing would seem too extravagant.”
After all, she was a grand princess of noble birth, kidnapped by unknown assailants as a newborn and lost without a trace.
And with the principality of Belus being a nation of immense power and wealth, there was nothing they wouldn’t do for her.
“But still, no matter how wealthy the duchy is, isn’t that excessive?”
At that moment, a young lady who had recently debuted in society asked innocently,
“Then… who cleans the streets afterward?”
“Pfft!”
The sheer naivety of the question made everyone hastily raise their fans to their mouths, stifling their laughter.
“Are you seriously asking that? Obviously, the mages handle it.”
“The entire festival is managed by the mages of the Magic Tower.”
“Wait… mages?”
The young lady who had asked the question gasped in shock.
Everyone laughed at her reaction, but deep down, they understood why she was so surprised.
‘After all, mages are known to be arrogant and prideful.’
While nobles were more likely than commoners to be born with mana, very few could actually manifest it into magic or aura.
Especially in the empire, where both the level of magic and the number of mages were far lower than in the duchy, mages were considered extremely valuable.
‘And yet, they’re being used to decorate a festival?’
The Grand Duke of Belus was the only Grand Mage on the continent and the ruler of Belus.
It was said that all mages admired and followed him, but still, it was hard to imagine.
***
At that moment, someone sat quietly, listening to the conversation with a gentle smile.
But beneath the table, her hands were gripping her dress so tightly it seemed as if she might tear the fabric apart when…
“Lady Amber, you’ve visited Belus several times, haven’t you? Are their mages really that impressive? How do they compare to the mages of the empire?”
The trembling hands suddenly froze.
Clara widened her eyes in brief surprise before forcing a polite smile and glancing toward Serphin.
The message was clear: I can’t possibly compare the empire and the duchy in front of the princess.
But in truth, the real reason Clara hesitated was that she had never once seen a mage up close during her visits to the duchy.
Luckily, the young lady who had asked the question belatedly noticed Serphin’s gaze and closed her mouth.
Suppressing a laugh, Clara decided to change the subject in a way that would make her seem considerate.
“It’s not so surprising that Belus goes to such lengths for their festival, even involving mages. It’s probably their way of erasing painful memories.”
A hint of malice was hidden in her words.
At her remark, everyone would have inevitably recalled the unprecedented incident—the grand duchy had been attacked by mysterious forces, and the grand duchess had been kidnapped.
And with that, the festival was no longer simply about celebrating her birthday.
‘That stubborn girl… What’s so special about her?’
Clara, who truly thought this way, spoke again.
“My cousin is quite unfortunate as well. While such a grand festival takes place outside, she herself is not allowed to step outside the castle at all… Well, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
She trailed off, her voice tinged with a perfectly crafted sorrowful tone, her eyes carrying just the right touch of melancholy.
At that moment—
“What do you mean by that, Lady Amber?”
The voice that resonated was cold, its tone sharp.
“From what you’re saying, it sounds as if something is wrong with the grand princess. Am I misunderstanding?”
Clara flinched and turned to see who had spoken.
It was Diana Elard, the youngest daughter of Duke Elard, staring straight at her.1I missed her dearly! Dana, my sweetie (≧▽≦)
I’m ready for a Diana reunion (I know it hasn’t been that long, but it was still too long 😭)