“To Miss Arasilla Hugo ,
I would like to meet you tomorrow at 3 PM at Foren Coffee House on 7th Street.
Let’s have a more detailed conversation about the discussion we had in my office earlier.
– Red Hawk Knights, Damian Vandemir”
It took a whole week for the reply to arrive.
Seeing the neat and tidy handwriting, Arasilla chuckled.
Has he finally realized that what I said was true?
As she recalled Damian’s arrogant demeanor during her visit to the knights, she narrowed her eyes.
“Even in the midst of this, he replies…”
It was almost like a notification, politely setting the time and place for the meeting. Yet, Arasilla had asked him when would be a good time when she wrote to him.
She sighed, drawing unwanted attention as she glanced at the bottom of the letter.
“Oh, what’s this?”
Audrey, diligently brushing Arasilla’s beautiful hair, chuckled. Arasilla extended her arm to show the letter to her maid.
“Look at this, he identified himself as part of the knights, not the family.”
“That’s unusual, usually they’d use the family name. He’s quite peculiar.”
“It’s not peculiar, it’s his arrogance. Who would care that he’s a member of the Red Hawk Knights?”
And she had to deal with the son of the Vandemir Duke, not the commander of the Red Hawk Knights.
“That’s why knights are repugnant ”
Arasilla lightly clicked her tongue in annoyance and picked up a pen to write a response.
“To Vandemir,
Let’s meet at 5 o’clock.
– Arasilla Hugo, the Magic tower Mage”
I can’t lose either. A smirk tugged at one corner of Arasilla’s red, full lips.
“What time is it now?”
Arasilla, who had been immersed in her research on magical potions, suddenly lifted her head and checked the wall clock. It was 4:30 PM. She had only 30 minutes left until her appointment with Damian.
Knowing she could risk being late, Arasilla quickly finished her research and grabbed her bag.
“Shall I escort you, Miss?”
Sally, entering the laboratory, widened her eyes in surprise. It was rare to see Arasilla preparing to leave work, especially with the bright sun still shining outside.
Arasilla was infamous for being a workaholic even within the Magic tower, often working overtime and pulling all-nighters as if it were nothing.
“Yes, I have an appointment. Please tidy up the research we did today with Rudy and have it on my desk by tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Alright, thank you.”
Arasilla lightly tapped her junior’s shoulder and hurriedly left the Magic tower.
Near the entrance, under a tree, Audrey was waiting alongside the Viscount Hugo’s carriage, for her.
“You’ve arrived? I was wondering if I should come up to fetch you.”
“Next time, come up. You never realize how time flies when you’re working.”
As Arasilla boarded the carriage, she immediately ordered the coachman to head to Foren Coffee House on 7th Street. The coachman steered the horse towards the bustling district.
“Are we going straight there? Shouldn’t you change into a dress?”
“Why bro? I’m more perfect like this.”
Arasilla flicked her hair back and winked. She was currently wearing the white uniform worn by Magic tower mages.
The robe was modified to be longer like a cloak, with the Magic tower emblem embroidered in gold. The sleeves and collar were accented with blue.
But most striking were the four star badges on her chest.
While the Magic tower had no official hierarchy, they awarded star badges to those who showed outstanding performance.
As the Magic tower heiress, Arasilla possessed a total of seven star badges, and the fact that she had already earned four at a young age was a source of pride for her.
“But…”
“It’s fine. Besides, I don’t have time, and I look pretty without dressing up anyway.”
Arasilla confidently retorted, leaving Audrey with no further objections.
She meant, would Vandemir be okay with this… Audrey swallowed her unsaid words with a sigh.
The bond between the two, who had spent their childhood as playmates and later as mistress and maid, ran deep.
Audrey knew Arasilla very well, almost like her first friend, and couldn’t help but worry, especially since she had barely managed to prevent a fight during Arasilla’s first encounter with Damian.
With a worried maid left behind, Arasilla entered the coffee house alone. Inside the sparsely populated establishment, there was a conspicuously handsome man.
Sitting by the window with his legs crossed, he seemed to have stepped out of a masterpiece. The late afternoon sunlight cascaded perfectly over his well-proportioned features.
But what caught Arasilla’s attention was not his radiant face.
“As expected, they’re just the same over there.”
Inspecting Damian’s knight uniform, she praised her own judgment for coming straight here.
If she had stopped at her house to change into a dress, it would have been ridiculous. Thankfully, the self-doubt that had plagued her all night, tossing and turning in bed, had vanished.
“Hello, Lord Vandemir.”
Approaching with confident steps, she greeted him, and Damian, who had been gazing out the window, slowly turned his head.
“You’re late, my dear.”
At his words, Arasilla checked the clock. It was 5:03 PM.
“Don’t fuss over three minutes. Did you forget when I personally went to the knights’ quarters to meet you?”
With a pointed remark, she sat down and ordered herbal tea from the server. A cup of tea was already placed in front of Damian.
Silence lingered for a while. In that silence, Arasilla’s crossed arms and Damian’s crossed legs clashed silently.
As they engaged in a silent battle of wills until the herbal tea arrived, Arasilla’s lips finally parted.
“You claimed you didn’t need me.”
“…”
“Now, you seem to need me again, as evidenced by your belated response to the forgotten letter.”
Her tone was cool and confident, a mix of mockery and triumph, causing Damian’s eyebrows to twitch.
The woman before him was undeniably beautiful, enough to attract the attention of the few patrons present, but she was no ordinary person.
From the outset, Arasilla’s ambition to become the Magic tower heiress instead of conforming to the norms of becoming a quiet noblewoman in society was extraordinary.
“Why did the solitary mage suddenly change her mind?”
Damian’s scrutinizing gaze narrowed as he recalled his investigations into Arasilla.
While it was clear what he would gain from the marriage, he was curious about what she wanted and why she had proposed to him first.
Especially considering she was the first female Magic tower heiress with grand ambitions.
‘Whatever the reason, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my revenge, it doesn’t matter.’
He had already confirmed that there was no connection between Arasilla and the Vandemir dukedom.
If this wasn’t a trap, Damian was more than willing to use her as a tool for his revenge.
“Yes, I understand. I need you Lady Hugo.”
Arasilla’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpectedly compliant response.
“So let’s make a deal, shall we?”
Without beating around the bush, Damian went straight to the point.
“Tell me Lady Hugo, what you want from this marriage?”
“I just need my sister and your brother not to go through with this arranged marriage.”
Arasilla had no interest in the succession struggle within the Vandemir dukedom. The same applied to the future where Oscar Vandemir would lead a rebellion.
All she wanted was the safety of her family and her own life.
“In addition, there’s one more thing I want. You must divorce me as soon as possible.”
This was necessary to ensure Arasilla’s plan to become the next Magic tower heiress wasn’t jeopardized.
“Alright. I have no intention of forming a family either.”
Damian didn’t feel offended by her mention of divorce before marriage. Instead, he found it pragmatic. He was equally repelled by the idea of being hindered by marriage.
“During the marriage, there will be no children. We’ll agree to divorce immediately upon my succession as Duke.”
It was a clear and concise condition that came sooner than expected. It was not bad. Even the specification of no children was welcomed.
“Neat, I like it. Let’s also have it certified by the temple and sign a prenuptial agreement.”
Arasilla wanted to ensure a clear and binding contractual marriage by involving the temple, just in case she changed her mind later.
This was not a bad idea from Damian’s perspective. Rather, it was something he welcomed. He was also tired of being hindered by marriage.
“Agreed.”
“Now, we just need to plan how to proceed. By the way, I’ve already informed our families that we’re getting married.”
Arasilla raised her teacup gracefully. Despite the rebellious sound of her words, her upbringing as a noblewoman was evident.
“In preparation for any opposition, I’ve informed them that it’s a love marriage.”
Upon hearing the word “love,” Damian paused for a moment but soon nodded in understanding.
“It’ll be easier to explain such a sudden marriage as a love match. But it would be wise for the Vandemir dukedom to keep it secret until right before the wedding.”
“Why?”
“Because if they find out beforehand, they’ll surely interfere. The family is pushing my brother to become the next duke.”
In the Vandemir dukedom, succession was based on the eldest son but not the second son.
Aracilla recalled Iris’s words in a premonition that the two brothers had fought over succession, and as a result, Oscar, who had married her sister, had inherit her dukedom.
How did the eldest son know and use that fact? is there a hidden secret behind this?
Thinking about the future where he would rebel and ruin the family, Arasilla harbored suspicions as she asked:
“Is your brother’s position that strong?”
“Surely, he is the son of the current Duchess. My mother was the late Duchess.”
The fact that the eldest son’s mother was a concubine and the second son’s mother was the legal wife revealed the complex internal situation indirectly.
Arasilla, who had been pondering something, smiled brightly and said : “Let’s not beat around the bush.”
“What do you mean?”
“Instead of trying to hiding anything, let’s create a situation that can’t be ruined even if they find out.”
Marriage was often called an alliance between families. Even if they tried to keep it a secret, their families would inevitably find out before the wedding.
So it was better to set things up so that no one could overturn this marriage.
“There’s going to be a ball hosted by the Crown Prince soon. Many guests will attend, so let’s announce our marriage there.”
Damian was momentarily speechless at Arasilla’s boldness in suggesting they announce their marriage at the Crown Prince’s ball.
“If things go wrong, it will reflect poorly on the Crown Prince’s ball.”
“That won’t happen. Frederick is my friend.”
In her voice, calling the prince by his name with such familiarity, there was a deep bond. Damian raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“It seems you’re very close with the Crown Prince.”
“Yes, we’ve been friends since our academy days. He’s one of my few close friends.”
Considering they had been friends since their academy days, it had been quite a long time.
For a moment, Damian was curious about the exact nature of their relationship, yet he decided it wasn’t worth delving into.
“Let’s do it then.”
Even if he was the Duke of Vandemir, there were certain things he couldn’t interfere with, like the Crown Prince’s ball. As long as there were no flaws, it was the best option.
“Great. We’ll discuss the rest later.”
With that, the two of them finished their conversation and rose from their seats.
Arasilla extended her hand to Damian with an open heart.
“I look forward to working with you.”
Damian glanced at her pale, slender hand for a moment before nodding his head.
“Likewise.”
Arasilla’s smile turned sour as she was blatantly refused a handshake.
“Unlucky, indeed.”
Turning on her heels without another word, she swiftly left the coffeehouse. Damian followed behind at a leisurely pace.
As the afternoon faded into evening, an alliance for each other’s purposes had begun.
