That evening, Charles held a banquet for the knights and mages who had struggled fighting the monsters.
Except for Mewl, who was guarding the castle walls, and a few high-ranking mages, about thirty mages and magic trainees from the Grand Duchy gathered.
Iana sat at the long table of mages as a magic trainee.
While she was busy eating to regain her energy, a magic trainee sitting across from her kept glancing at Iana.
‘Is there something on my face? Why is he staring at me like that?’
Iana's face turned red as she discreetly wiped her mouth with the napkin on the table. Then, she made eye contact with the glancing magic trainee.
Seemingly flustered, he blurted out, “You are so beautiful.”
“Excuse me?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected compliment, she stared blankly at him, and another magic trainee sitting next to him chimed in with a flushed face.
“You seem brighter than when I first saw you at the spire. It’s like your face is glowing!”
“Me?”
Just as Iana was feeling embarrassed under the concentrated gaze, the knights raised their glasses and cheered loudly, “For the glory of Ervin!” It felt as if they were celebrating a festival.
Iana and the mages simultaneously looked towards the knights' table.
One mage sitting inside clicked his tongue while glancing at the knights.
“Simple-minded knights! Is this really the time to be laughing?”
“Do you think they’re simple-minded? That’s just their way of relieving tension.”
As Lotso spoke soothingly, the disgruntled mage sighed and said, “I apologize. With the Mirrorkin and all, it seems we’ve become a bit sensitive due to the frequent appearances of powerful monsters.”
The mages continued to voice their complaints.
“I don’t understand why high-ranking mages are gathered in a capital where monsters don’t even appear.”
“Honestly, who would want to come to Ervin, where the hardships are so clear, unless they’re from Ervin like us?”
The mages collectively sighed as if the ground would swallow them up.
“I will request the Emperor to send more mages.”
Turning towards the source of the voice, they saw Charles standing at the end of the long table, having arrived without them noticing.
Mages could be directly hired by the lord.
However, in the north, where monsters frequently appeared, especially in areas like Ervin that were avoided, it was not easy to find mages.
The only way was for the imperial family to designate and send mages.
“I’ve sent requests several times, but there has been no response. The Emperor seems unwilling to send mages.”
As Lotso spoke with a dark expression, Charles calmly replied, “That’s why I plan to go to the palace myself.”
“Excuse me? What if you face hardships like last time?”
At Lotso’s words, other mages chimed in.
“Yes. We should just move more diligently.”
‘It seems the Grand Duke has faced hardships due to the issue of recruiting mages.’
Iana thought as she looked at the mages who were genuinely worried about Charles.
At that moment, Charles placed both hands on the table and spoke.
“A farmer farms, a merchant sells goods, and a mage fights monsters.”
“But…”
As Lotso tried to interject, Charles spoke firmly.
“I handle politics.”
“…”
“Even if I face hardships, that is my responsibility.”
A gentle moonlight settled over the Grand Duchy.
‘I need to hone my magical power as soon as possible!’
After finishing her meal, Iana quietly made her way to the backyard behind the spire where the petal rabbit was.
The light magic stones placed here and there brightly illuminated her path.
She picked up the petal rabbit that Charles had encouraged her to raise.
Crunch, crunch.
The petal rabbit was eagerly munching on hay.
“Hello!”
As she greeted it, she noticed that unlike the other rabbits with their ears perked up, her petal rabbit had droopy ears.
Iana sat on a bench next to the fence and gently stroked the petal rabbit.
She felt a tingling sensation as her magical power absorbed into her body.
“I wish you had a cool name like Kan. What would be good?”
As Iana pondered a name, her hand stroking the rabbit slowed down.
At that moment.
“Ouch! That hurts!”
A sharp pain shot through her hand as she stroked the rabbit.
The petal rabbit, seemingly angry, twitched its pink nose and bumped its head against her hand.
“Are you telling me to stroke you?”
Just as she was playfully tussling with the petal rabbit, a familiar voice floated through the night air.
“Why are you alone?”
Turning towards the sound, she saw Charles walking over from the other side.
Iana stood up, holding the petal rabbit.
“I thought I needed to hone my magical power as soon as possible, so I was practicing absorbing magic.”
As he approached, a faint smell of alcohol wafted towards her.
“May I sit next to you?”
“Yes. Please do.”
The two sat side by side on the bench illuminated by moonlight.
A gentle spring breeze blew.
Charles, slightly tipsy, closed his eyes as if feeling the wind.
Iana quietly stroked the petal rabbit, trying not to disturb him.
How much time passed? Charles spoke in a slow voice.
“As the power of the monsters grows, they come down to the village once a day, and on many days, even three or four times.”
“Is it that frequent?”
She asked, surprised.
Charles slowly opened his eyes and looked at her as he replied.
“That’s how daily life in Ervin is maintained. Mages and knights do their best every day.”
“…”
“I feel truly sorry for that.”
In Charles’s calm voice, she could sense his anguish.
“The power you possess is desperately needed by someone. I hope you never forget that, no matter the moment.”
“I will deeply engrave the Grand Duke’s words.”
Iana tried to change the heavy atmosphere by shifting the topic.
“When I return to Ervin, I will give myself a new name.”
Charles turned his body to look at her.
“A new name?”
“More precisely, I’m thinking of creating a new surname. If I get divorced, I can’t use the surnames Dietrian or Rechels anymore.”
According to imperial law, divorced women had to revert to their maiden family’s surname. However, if they were disowned by their family, they could not use the surname and could only use their first name.
Thus, divorced women sometimes created their own surnames.
Charles fell into thought for a moment before casually saying, “Lewis.”
“Excuse me?”
Charles pointed to the magic stones that emitted light throughout the spire. Iana’s gaze followed his hand to the magic stones.
“Lewis is a light magic stone unique to our Ervin. It means to become a being like Lewis, who illuminates the darkness with magical power.”
“Iana Lewis. It’s easy to call and has a good meaning!”
At that moment, a brilliant idea flashed through her mind.
“Lu!”
“Lu?”
“I was also thinking of giving a name to this petal rabbit that exchanges magic with me.”
“Iana Lewis’s magical friend, Lu. That sounds good.”
As Charles agreed, Iana stroked the petal rabbit with a delighted expression.
“Now your name is Lu.”
But Lu seemed to be sleeping, not moving at all.
“It seems the Grand Duke knows the answers to everything. You always provide answers to the things I’m troubled about.”
“…I’m just passing on what I’ve learned.”
“Did you have a good teacher?”
Iana asked lightly, but Charles fell silent for some reason.
After a moment of silence, he spoke with a sad smile.
“He was a good teacher. My brother, the Emperor…”
As Charles finished speaking, a hint of nostalgia filled his eyes.
Iana suddenly recalled what Charles had said in the room.
“So I’m also in the process of hating my brother now.”
Perhaps there was an untold story between the Emperor and the Grand Duke.
But was he perhaps too drunk? The man who had always maintained decorum in every word and glance was now staring at her intently.
His gaze felt both heavy and as if seeking comfort.
At that moment, an awkward silence fell.
Grrr-.
Lu made a small strange sound.
Iana looked down at Lu. When had it woken up? Lu was staring wide-eyed.
But what was that rolling around on her dress, resembling Lu’s round black eyes?
“…!”
Iana’s eyes widened as she realized the situation.
Unaware of anything, Charles continued speaking.
“By the way, it seems you’ve become close with the mages at the banquet.”
“E-excuse me, Grand Duke, but…”
“…?”
“The petal rabbit, the petal rabbit is…”
Iana, who had a weak stomach, felt nausea rising and couldn’t finish her sentence.
But Lu, indifferent, lay on its back as if inviting her to stroke it.
“Hahaha.”
At that moment, Charles burst into loud laughter.
His laughter echoed throughout the backyard of the spire, so loudly that it filled the air.
Startled by the sound, Lu burrowed deeper into Iana’s arms.
“Grand Duke, please stop laughing! Lu keeps moving!”
As Iana’s voice cracked in distress, Charles struggled to contain his laughter and finally managed to speak.
“Alright, I won’t laugh.”
After placing Lu on the ground, Charles took out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her.
The moment Iana stood up to grab the handkerchief, Charles burst into laughter again.
What was so funny? His laughter continued for quite a while.
Iana quietly watched him.
‘The Grand Duke can laugh like that too.’
It was a strange face.
When he was expressionless, he had the coldest face of anyone, but when he laughed, he had the warmest and kindest face.
He felt less like a serious and solemn lord and more like a pure boy.
That unfamiliar sight somehow didn’t feel awkward.
On a spring night scented with flowers.
The warm moonlight bathed the handkerchief held by the two.