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The bright sunlight poured into the room, casting a warm and sweet ambiance in the young one’s bedroom. A newly acquired vase on the bedside table held elegantly colored wildflowers. The water in the vase had been sprinkled with a potion to help the flowers bloom for a longer duration.
The room’s occupant sat on the chair by the window, holding a bouquet of flowers. Her gaze fixed upon the yellow and white daisy petals. Her mind, capable of computations akin to a magical brain’s super memory, found itself momentarily distracted from its high-speed calculations.
Aresia was lost in thought.
As the room’s servants were arranging the remaining bouquets into the flower basket, Luna, cautiously glanced at the room’s owner, sensing a hint of distress.
After some hesitation, summoning the courage, she approached and inquired, “Miss, have you encountered any trouble?”
Returning from outside with a change in demeanor, it wasn’t entirely certain if she had been accompanied by guards all the time. There hadn’t been any special reports from them. Luna was concerned whether Aresia had faced any unforeseen issues outside.
“No, nothing of the sort.”
Aresia regained her focus, glanced at the bouquet, and handed it to Luna. “Please place this in the vase.”
Luna accepted the flowers and swiftly completed her task, carrying away the empty flower basket.
Once the room was vacant, Aresia furrowed her brow, feeling a bit agitated.
Agreeing to her parents’ suggestion to pretend to be in a relationship with Jorgus didn’t seem like the best idea.
Or perhaps it wasn’t the suggestion that was flawed, but rather the choice of partner.
Jorgus was charming, possessing an outer and inner strength that surpassed his age. However, his apparent lack of humility coupled with his exceptional talent made Aresia admire him but also sense a degree of seriousness in his demeanor.
What bothered Aresia was Jorgus’ tendency to take things seriously, perhaps too seriously.
While this characteristic might serve him well in learning, in their situation, Aresia feared that Jorgus might forget they were pretending to be in a relationship and unwittingly get too involved.
A 200-year-old Archmage might have experience in love, but it didn’t necessarily mean they were adept at it, especially now, inheriting the memories of a 15-year-old girl. It was a new feeling for the young one.
At 15, emotions were easily stirred. Unfortunately, Jorgus happened to be of that age.
A young man who was earnest, trying to understand how a fiancée should be treated, even though the said fiancée was not real—they were just pretending.
The moment when Jorgus might genuinely become involved, Aresia felt a tinge of guilt.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t simply change the plan and choose another person without causing damage to their friendship.
“Sigh.”
In frustration, Aresia, feeling at a loss, decided not to push it further.
She comforted herself, “Jorgus isn’t someone easily swayed, and he’s staunchly independent. Perhaps it’s my overthinking.”
Human nature tends to evade. Avoiding it means avoiding the trouble.
Aresia’s method of evasion was to abandon the problem and focus on work.
The gift for Grysenna was slightly inadequate. The reason for today’s shopping was to purchase accessories required for the gift.
The items bought were modified and reassembled. After substantial labor during this period, this gift, fitting Grysenna’s taste, was finally completed.
This splendid, enamel-encased pearl pocket watch, depicting the beautiful Duchess Grysenna in a half-body portrait, was a luxury item Aresia had found at the shop. The blue cover had a strikingly similar high-set portrait of Lady Grysenna’s golden and emerald eyes, resembling the Duke, while the other series’ cover displayed a half-body image of a knight with blue eyes in armor.
Upon their arrival, Aresia sensed that these covers were the most suitable for the gift.
Aresia had not simply prepared a pocket watch for her mother; it had taken longer than anticipated.
The intricate mechanism hidden in the cover became evident when the cover was lifted. Modified, the pocket watch revealed a beautiful exterior, with some parts replaced. By pressing the slightly raised buttons, the watch’s face could shift to other modes.
This was a pocket watch equipped with holographic video call functionality. It had various other functions, operating in a magical network. However, due to limited resources, the internal craftsmanship of the calling watch was somewhat crude and couldn’t achieve high magical world precision.
Although it seemed like an ordinary pocket watch, the internal parts were quite complex. Aresia utilized permanent shrinking spells combined with spatial magic to expand the internal space, enabling the insertion of some components. Without this, the watch would’ve transformed into at least the size of a soccer ball.
As Aresia rotated the two series of enamel pocket watches in her hands, she marveled at the exquisite painting of the Duke and Duchess, a testament to the skilled craftsmanship.
When these watches arrived, Aresia felt they were the perfect gift for the marriage anniversary of her parents.
Currently, the Duke was in Holy Lotean, and there was to be a celebration at the Duke’s mansion for their anniversary. Aresia was grateful her ‘other self’ didn’t have to participate.
However, Grysenna unexpectedly chimed in, “Oh, I almost forgot! Invite your teacher Isis, and some of your teacher in the academy”
Aresia was stunned. So, she was invited?
“And make sure to invite your friends, especially Jorgus. Don’t forget to inform him.”
“…I understand, Mom.”
Grysenna was ecstatic, Aresia’s pocket money had multiplied several times, surpassing even Amos’.
Excitedly returning, Grysenna found Aresia rather indifferent about attending. She decided to go anyway, reasoning it was just another banquet she couldn’t escape.
Later in the evening, when the Duke returned, he said he loves her gifts, besides thanking her, he inquired when she would retrieve something from the palace.
“I’ll go to the Palace tomorrow.” Aresia responded.
The treasures requested from the palace were promised to be selected by Isis herself. However, the most valuable items weren’t on the table, but what remained was still impressive.
This was not only about having Isis retrieve it but also to convey its significance to someone.
The Duke raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
That night, the Duke and Duchess attended the opera. Aresia found it hard to rest and instead stayed in her room, immersed in reading, eventually preparing for bed.
The next day, Isis’s carriage, adorned for the occasion, made its way to the palace. The Duke’s estate had already notified the palace, and upon the carriage’s arrival, palace officials were already waiting at the gate.
As soon as they spotted the Duke’s insignia on the carriage, someone rushed forward, “Good morning, your excellency Isis! It’s an honor to have you visit. I’m Mark, the court steward.”
The guards, rarely seeing steward Mark act like this to anyone apart from the Emperor, were astonished at the court steward’s warmth toward these outsiders.
Ignoring the guards’ bewilderment, Mark addressed Isis with utmost respect, recognizing her as a formidable mage.
Isis acknowledged with a nod, and despite the somewhat distant response, Mark was thrilled. He then turned his attention to the other person sitting beside Isis. With a glint in his eye, he quickly guessed the person’s identity and greeted, “Welcome, Miss Rogest.”
“Your excellency,” greeted Mark, who had already gauged Isis’s temperament. He boarded the carriage and as they proceeded, he explained, “Your presence was initially to be personally attended by the Emperor. However, we received urgent memorandums, and everyone is occupied at the moment.”
Isis’s expression remained unchanged, displaying no sign of discontent. After all, she knew how things worked, and she wasn’t one to complain.
Noticing Isis’s apparent disinterest, Mark refrained from further conversation.
The Imperial Palace of Holy Lotean was a magnificent and historically significant structure. Unlike the prevalent Gothic style, it was a double-layered building made of red bricks, with the lower level slightly taller than the upper. It featured pointed high towers and roofs, forming a protruding, ‘convex’ architectural shape. The palace stood above a maze-like garden in the shape of the lower part of the Chinese character “凵” (meaning ‘container’ or ‘bowl’).
Situated within the palace, the Imperial Treasury’s entrance was close to the Emperor’s private quarters, placed at the central part of the palace. They had to pass through the vast garden before reaching there.
There was a rule against carriages entering the palace grounds, so they alighted and swiftly arrived at the palace gate.
Mark, the court steward, began to give them a tour, “The palace comprises 2,500 rooms and seventy-eight staircases. The upper floor houses the chambers of the Emperor, Princes, attendants, and their assistants, while the ground floor is used for storage of goods and weaponry. We are headed to the Treasury, situated on the second floor, accessible through these two staircases.”
Given the importance of the Treasury and the Emperor’s busyness, they wouldn’t be ascending the stairs. Aresia had barely encountered anyone during this visit to the palace, but today was different.
Perhaps Isis’s identity had been leaked. On their way to the Treasury’s entrance, they encountered several groups of people, including royal family members, courtiers, and other dignitaries. Initially, Mark politely inquired about Isis’s identity, followed by some recognizing Aresia and exchanging pleasantries. Eventually, the focus shifted to Isis.
It seemed to be a round of probing. Seeing the situation, Isis, along with Mark, the court steward known for his impeccable manners, couldn’t help but lose their smiles amidst the constant interruptions. People approaching them were politely informed, “These are his Highness’s esteemed guests, and we are in the middle of important business. Please excuse us.” Their progression was swift.
Aresia counted the encounters, realizing she had met four of the imperial family members in a row. From the first to the fourth in the hierarchy, they all wore hunting attire, seemingly visiting the armory to find a bow.
Aresia contemplated whether they were deliberately seeking her attention or if there was something significant within the Treasury. The vault’s door stood before them, holding the secrets inside.
Finally, Mark managed to open the vault’s door. According to protocol, only Isis was meant to enter. However, Mark glanced at Isis and tacitly allowed her companion’s entry.
The Treasury housed treasures accumulated by the Emperor over generations. This floor was divided into rooms with windows and narrow corridors.
Leading Isis to a room, Mark pointed out that it didn’t contain any treasures but rather a heap of ledgers meticulously categorizing various items.
“The inventory of the Treasury is detailed in these ledgers. Your excellency, please read these. If anything catches your eye, I’ll show you the physical items,” Mark explained.
Isis nodded and made a beeline for the section labeled ‘Magical Materials.’ This section encompassed a variety of magical armaments, alchemical tools, materials, and potions.
After selecting two rare magical materials, Isis decided against taking more from that section. She provided the names of the chosen materials to Mark and asked, “Can you guide me to the section with magical wands?”
Mark, in the process of locating where these materials were stored, heard her request and promptly replied, “Certainly.”
He then led Isis to the room housing the wands, detailing the history behind them. There were nearly a hundred wands, some belonging to famous historical mages while others remained ownerless but were crafted by renowned masters. Mark offered Isis the chance to examine them, hoping she’d find something satisfying.
The assortment of wands wasn’t confined to a single room. Mark indicated five adjacent rooms and encouraged Isis to choose while he himself gathered the two materials she had picked earlier.
Before leaving, he reminded her, “The boxes holding the wands are enchanted. If you touch them, it triggers the magic alarm system in the vault. If you decide on something, please inform me first. I’ll retrieve it for you.”
Isis nodded in understanding!