The day after the secretaries were decided.
Jared Murphy was waiting in front of the mansion with Ari Fel and Ernesta Kaif.
Originally, he should have prepared a carriage to pick them up, but they gently refused, saying it would be too much for their superior to do. If so, he decided to at least wait outside for their arrival.
Inside the mansion, Trane was taking the lead in preparing the welcome. However, it wasn’t anything extravagant.
She was simply preparing tea and sweets, hoping to build a friendly relationship with the secretaries they would soon meet.
“…But Olivier has been in a bad mood since yesterday.”
When he told her that the secretaries had been decided, she made a strange face for an unknown reason. It was as if she had put something bitter and sour in her mouth at the same time, and was reluctantly chewing and swallowing—that kind of face.
He wondered if she disliked the fact that the two secretaries were women, from the perspective of a fiancée, but he chuckled wryly, knowing it was impossible since she showed no jealousy towards Yeny.
However, he could tell she was in a bad mood, and Jared tilted his head.
Jared wasn’t the only one who noticed Olivier’s change. Trane had been asking since morning, “Did you do something to Olivier-sama?” Pfeil, Rosa, and even Rio were worried, asking, “Did you have a fight?”
Hannelore and Yeny, on the other hand, smiled as if watching something heartwarming, saying, “Oh dear.”
“Why?”
He felt anxious, wondering if he had unconsciously done something to offend her, when he saw figures approaching.
Ari Fel, with her flaxen hair cut into a short bob, gave off an impression of cheerfulness and confidence, and Ernesta Kaif, with her white hair grown to semi-long, was a petite woman.
Everyone would agree that both were beautiful. Of course, they weren’t chosen for their looks, but there was a possibility that third parties might misunderstand.
“Oh, it’s an honor that Lord Jared himself has come to greet us.”
“Good morning, Lord Jared.”
Ari looked at him with eyes that held a slight surprise and interest, while Ernesta bowed her head politely, though briefly.
He believed that Ari, with her cheerful demeanor, and Ernesta, who, while not timid, gave a more reserved impression, would get along well. Since they would be colleagues from now on, he truly hoped they would work well together.
“Good morning. Ari, Ernesta. I didn’t expect you to walk here. I really should have prepared a carriage for you; I apologize.”
“No, I’m not a magician, but I like to move my body, so it’s no big deal. Besides, I dislike carriages because they sway.”
“I also prefer walking to carriages. If I don’t move my body as much as possible, I’ll get sluggish. But thank you for your concern.”
He felt relieved to know that both of them preferred to walk. Jared also disliked carriages. Frankly, when he ran lightly, he could achieve a considerable speed, so he generally traveled on foot to avoid wasting time during his activities.
“Well then, please come inside. I’ll introduce you to Olivier-sama and the others.”
“I’m looking forward to it. To think I’ll be meeting the Olivier Alway-sama.”
“Hey, Ari!”
“It’s alright. Ernesta, but you’ll probably be taken aback. Rumors are just rumors. Well, she’s a bit spirited, but completely different from the rumors.”
“Oh, what a shame. But since we’ll be working together for a long time, it would be problematic if she were exactly as the rumors say.”
Jared couldn’t help but let out a wry smile at Ari, who spoke so plainly about Olivier. It was unusual for someone to be so unreserved. Meanwhile, Ernesta, with a pale face at her colleague’s somewhat outrageous remarks, drooped her shoulders.
He had a premonition that Ernesta would end up supporting Ari. With that feeling in his heart, Jared guided the two into the mansion.
Normally, the mansion was home not only to Olivier and her mother but also to the Waalthe lodger, the Dragon Girl, and their Master Almeida. But today was different.
It was just Jared, Olivier, Hannelore, and Trane.
Yeny, thinking it would be problematic to have a dragon in the mansion, had taken Rio to her grandfather’s estate. She didn’t seem interested in the secretaries and had politely conveyed her intention to leave it to Olivier.
Rosa was absent due to work. Pfeil, being considerate, had gone somewhere after saying he’d kill some time. As for Almeida, she came and went from the mansion as she pleased, so he had no idea what she was doing, but perhaps she was being considerate today.
“I heard it was a separate residence of the Ducal Family, but it’s just a normal mansion, isn’t it?”
Ari, looking around with great curiosity, murmured. Jared had felt the same way when he first came to this mansion, bringing back a sense of nostalgia.
Ernesta was also looking around with interest. However, Jared noticed that her gaze was directed towards a different spot than Ari’s.
“Is something wrong?”
“Yes. Was there a battle at this mansion?”
“There was. You can tell, can’t you?”
The last major battle was two months ago when he fought Pfeil, but recently, he had been frequently trained by Almeida.
“The residual magic is strong, so I thought there might have been.”
“But please don’t worry about it. We’re just doing some practical training. It’s not really a battle.”
Even if Jared’s magic, which possessed an extraordinary capacity, was half-released, it couldn’t be called a battle against Almeida. He was unilaterally defeated and couldn’t even land a single blow despite trying. It was utter annihilation.
Just remembering it sent a cold sweat down his spine; his Master attacked him relentlessly with magic, with apparent glee. He thought he was going to die countless times, but she wouldn’t make such a mistake that would easily kill him. She only made him *feel* like he was about to die, but in reality, it was different. She only used such unpleasant attacks.
He had felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat more than once or twice. Annoyingly, the more she trained him like this, the more his abilities improved, so he couldn’t complain.
“As expected of a magician. Is it as obvious to everyone as it is to Ernesta?”
“I wonder. I’m good at sensing magic. Wind Elemental Magicians are sensitive to their surroundings.”
“That’s fascinating! Please teach me slowly sometime, I beg you!”
To Ari, who openly declared her love for magic, Ernesta’s words were more than enough to pique her interest. Her eyes sparkled like a child’s as she grabbed her colleague’s hand and pleaded.
“Uh, yes, I don’t mind…”
Ernesta, looking perplexed and surprised, accepted. She was too kind-hearted.
“Not just Ernesta, but please tell us about Jared-sama’s Earth Magic as well!”
“If I have time, I will.”
“Since I’m your secretary, I’ll force myself to make time!”
“No, I’d be troubled if you forced yourself to make time like that…”
Engaged in such exchanges, the three walked through the garden and reached the entrance.
Then, as Jared reached out to open the door, he felt a presence on the other side.
The next moment, the door slowly opened.
“Ah, Olivier-sama.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t wait any longer and came to meet you.”
Olivier, dressed in her usual unadorned dress, greeted them.
Ernesta hurriedly knelt and bowed her head, but Ari simply smiled and looked up at Olivier.
“Please stand, Ernesta Kaif.”
“Y-yes!”
The white-haired magician, who sprang to her feet as if startled, smiled at her fiancé and began to greet them gracefully.
“I am Olivier Alway. I welcome both of you who have kindly become the secretaries to my fiancé, Jared Murphy. Please support him, Ernesta Kaif, and Ari Fel—ugh.”
“O-Olivier-sama?”
At the end of her sentence, her fiancé, who had made a strange sound and stiffened for some reason, called out to her, wondering what was wrong.
Olivier’s gaze, fixed on Ari with a strained smile, was directed towards her.
“Yo.”
Seeing Ari casually wave at Olivier, who had frozen like a doll, Jared and even Ernesta were extremely curious about the relationship between these two.
