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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Let's Make a Deal
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To Lady Aracilla Hugo.
I request to meet you tomorrow at 3 PM at Foren Coffee House on 7th Street.
Let's discuss in more detail the conversation we had previously in my office.
- Demian Vandermir, Red Hawk Knights.
It was a reply that took a full week to arrive.
Aracilla snorted, looking at the neat, precise handwriting.
So he realized I was telling the truth, didn't he?
She furrowed her brow, recalling Demian's utterly arrogant words and actions when she had visited the Knights' Order.
'Even now, his reply is so…'
Though the tone was polite, it was closer to a unilateral notification of the time and place. Yet, when Aracilla had written to him, she had asked when he would be free.
Her displeased gaze drifted down to the bottom of the letter as she muttered.
"Oh, how pretentious."
"Pardon? What is?"
Audrey, who was carefully brushing Aracilla's fine hair, tilted her head. Aracilla reached back and showed the letter to her maid.
"Look at this, he states his affiliation as the Knights' Order, not his family."
"Usually, they'd write their family name. He's quite unusual."
"Unusual isn't the word; it's an inflated ego. Who cares that he's from the Red Hawk Knights?"
What's more, the person she needed to see wasn't the Commander of the Red Hawk Knights, but the second son of the Vandermir Ducal Family.
"That's knights for you…"
Aracilla clicked her tongue lightly, picked up a pen, and wrote a reply.
To Sir Vandermir,
Let's meet at 5.
- Aracilla Hugo, Magic Tower Mage.
'I won't be outdone,' she thought. One side of her plump, red lips curled up.
* * *
What time is it?
Aracilla, engrossed in her potion research, suddenly looked up and checked her pocket watch. It was 4:30 PM. Only 30 minutes remained until her appointment with Demian.
Fearing she might be late, Aracilla quickly wrapped up her research and packed her handbag.
"Senior, are you leaving?"
Sally, who had just entered the lab, widened her eyes. It was rare to see Aracilla preparing to leave when the sun was still so brightly shining.
She was known within the Magic Tower as a notorious workaholic, frequently pulling all-nighters and working overtime.
"Yes, I have an appointment. Organize today's research with Rudy and leave it on my desk by tomorrow morning."
"Yes, understood."
"Alright, good work."
Aracilla lightly patted her junior's shoulder and quickly exited the Magic Tower.
Under a tree near the entrance, Audrey was waiting for her with the Hugo Marquisate's carriage.
"You're here? I was just wondering if I should come up to fetch you, Young Lady."
"Next time, just come up. When I'm working, I completely lose track of time."
Aracilla, having boarded the carriage, immediately ordered it to go to Foren Coffee House on 7th Street. The coachman guided the horses towards the bustling street.
"Are you going straight there? Shouldn't you change into a dress?"
"Why bother? I'm even more perfect as I am."
Aracilla flipped her hair back and winked. She was currently wearing the white uniform worn by mages of the Magic Tower.
It was a modified robe, with the upper part long like a cape, and the Magic Tower emblem embroidered in gold. The sleeves and collar were accented with blue.
But what stood out most were the four star badges pinned to her chest.
While the Magic Tower didn't have a formal internal ranking system, star badges were awarded to those who showed outstanding achievements.
The Magic Tower Master possessed a total of seven star badges, and the fact that Aracilla had already earned four at such a young age was both her pride and her boast.
"But..."
"I said it's fine. We don't have time anyway, and I'm pretty even without dressing up."
Since that was objectively true, Audrey couldn't say anything more.
The carriage carrying the two soon stopped in front of Foren Coffee House on 7th Street.
"You wait here. I'll go in alone."
"Pardon? Are you sure that's alright?"
"What are you worrying about? A knight is no match for me."
Aracilla said confidently, her chin raised.
'I meant, are you sure Sir Vandermir will be alright?' Audrey swallowed the words she couldn't bring herself to utter, along with a sigh.
The bond between the two, who had grown up together as playmaid and young lady since childhood, was deep.
In a way, she was Aracilla's first friend, so Audrey knew her very well.
'When our Young Lady gets angry, she rips people apart with magic...'
She was especially worried because she had barely managed to prevent a fight from breaking out during Aracilla's first meeting with Demian.
Leaving her worried maid behind, Aracilla entered the coffee house alone. Inside the sparsely populated shop, there was one man who particularly stood out.
Sitting cross-legged by the window, he looked as if he had stepped out of a masterpiece painting. The late afternoon sunlight fractured over his perfectly proportioned features.
But what Aracilla focused on wasn't his brilliant face.
'As expected, he's the same.'
Confirming Demian's knight uniform, she praised her own judgment for rushing straight here.
If she had gone home to change into a dress, she would have looked ridiculous. It was a relief that she wouldn't have to writhe in defeat and punch her pillow all night.
"Hello, Sir Vandermir."
As she approached with a straight gait and offered her greeting, Demian, who had been gazing obliquely out the window, slowly turned his head.
"You're late, Lady."
At his words, Aracilla checked her pocket watch. It was 5:03 PM.
"Don't be petty about three minutes; try to be a bit more patient. Is it as bad as when you kept me waiting when I personally came to the Knights' Order to meet you?"
She retorted coolly, then sat down and ordered a herbal tea from the staff. A teacup was already placed in front of Demian.
Silence fell for a moment. Within it, Aracilla, with her arms crossed, and Demian, with his legs crossed, exchanged quiet glances.
They continued their silent standoff until the herbal tea arrived, then Aracilla's lips parted.
"You said you didn't need me."
"..."
"But now you need me again, enough to belatedly reply to a letter you'd forgotten?"
A cool arch formed on her lips. Demian's eyebrows twitched at her mischievous, triumphant smile.
The woman before him was beautiful enough to draw the gaze of the few other patrons the moment she entered, but she was no ordinary person.
From the very beginning, her insistence on becoming the Magic Tower Master in a society where noble ladies typically aimed to become virtuous gentlewomen was extraordinary.
'Why would this eccentric mage, who declared herself celibate, suddenly change her mind?'
Demian, who had done his own research on Aracilla, narrowed his eyes.
It was clear what he stood to gain from this marriage, but he wondered what she hoped to achieve by proposing first.
Especially someone who dreamed of the grand ambition of becoming the first female Magic Tower Master.
'Whatever her reasons, as long as it doesn't hinder my revenge, it doesn't matter.'
He had also confirmed that there was no connection whatsoever between Aracilla and the Vandermir Ducal Family.
If this wasn't a trap, Demian was willing to use her as a tool for his revenge.
"Yes, I admit it. I need Lady Hugo."
Aracilla's eyes widened slightly at his more compliant answer than expected.
"So, let's make a deal."
Demian didn't beat around the bush and immediately got to the point.
"State what you wish to gain from this marriage, Lady."
"I just don't want my sister and your brother to go through with this political marriage."
Aracilla had no interest in the succession struggle within the Vandermir Ducal Family. The future where Oscar Vandermir would lead a rebellion was also of no concern to her.
What she desired was her family's safety and her own unhindered life.
"Other than that, I have one more request: divorce me as quickly as possible."
Only then could Aracilla's plan to become the next Magic Tower Master remain intact.
"Very well. I, too, have no desire whatsoever to start a family."
Demian wasn't offended by her mentioning divorce even before marriage.
"How about we make a deal on these terms: no children during the marriage, and divorce immediately once I inherit the ducal title?"
Specific conditions flowed out as if he had been waiting. It wasn't bad. Especially the clear stipulation of no children.
"That's clean and good. On top of that, let's get it notarized at the temple and draw up a prenuptial agreement."
Considering the possibility he might go back on his word later, Aracilla wanted to involve the temple to clearly formalize their contract marriage.
From Demian's perspective, this wasn't bad either. In fact, it was welcome. He, too, detested being tied down by marriage.
"Understood."
"Then all that's left is to plan our next steps. For your information, I've already told my family that I'm marrying you, Sir."
Aracilla elegantly lifted her teacup. Even though she was called eccentric, her upbringing in a prestigious family showed in such gestures.
"To preempt any objections, I said it was a love match, so you should be aware."
Demian, who had paused for a moment at the word "love," soon nodded in understanding.
"That would certainly make the sudden marriage easier to explain. However, it would be best to keep it a secret from the Vandermir Ducal Family until right before the wedding."
"Why?"
"If they know beforehand, they will surely interfere. My family is pushing my older brother as the next Duke."
The Vandermir Ducal Family was pushing the eldest son, not the second, as the successor.
Aracilla recalled Iris's words from her premonition dream: that the two brothers had fought for succession, and as a result, Oscar, who she had married, inherited the ducal title.
She had wondered how the eldest son knew and exploited that fact; perhaps this was the hidden background.
Thinking of the future where he would later instigate a rebellion and ruin the family, Aracilla asked, filled with doubt.
"Is your brother's position truly that solid?"
"Well, he is the son of the current Duchess. My mother was the late former Duchess."
The fact that the eldest son's mother was the second wife, and the second son's mother was the first wife, indirectly revealed the complicated internal affairs.
Aracilla, who had been pondering something deeply, smiled brightly and spoke.
"Instead of that, let's use our heads."
"What do you mean?"
"Instead of struggling to hide it, let's create a situation where even if they find out, they can't reverse it."
Marriage was often called a union between families. This meant that no matter how much they tried to keep it a secret, the families would inevitably find out before the wedding.
Therefore, it was better to set the stage so that no one could overturn this marriage.
"The Crown Prince will soon host a ball. There will be many guests, so let's announce our marriage there."
Demian was momentarily speechless at Aracilla's audacity in suggesting they announce their marriage at the Crown Prince's ball.
"If we do that, we might be criticized for ruining the Crown Prince's ball."
"That won't happen. Frederick is my friend."
Her voice, calling the Crown Prince by his given name with such familiarity, clearly indicated a deep friendship. Demian raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"It seems you are very close with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"Yes, we've been friends since the Academy. He's one of my few friends."
From the Academy until now, that meant they had maintained their connection for quite a long time.
For a moment, he wondered about the exact nature of their relationship, but there was no need to pry further, so Demian dismissed it.
'Her connection with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is valuable, and how close they are is none of my business.'
Folding away his unnecessary curiosity, he nodded and replied.
"Then let's do that."
Even the Vandermir Ducal Family wouldn't be able to intervene in the Crown Prince's ball. As long as there was nothing to fault, it was the best option.
"Alright. We can discuss the rest gradually."
Having concluded their conversation, the two rose from their seats.
Aracilla, with a generous spirit, readily offered Demian a handshake.
"I look forward to working with you."
Demian glanced down at her slender, white hand, then gave a slight nod.
"The pleasure is mine."
"..."
Aracilla's smile cracked at the blatant refusal of her handshake right before her eyes.
'He's truly insufferable.'
She spun around and exited the coffee house without a word. Demian followed her with unhurried steps.
In the late afternoon, as the day drew to a close, an alliance for their respective purposes began.
