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CHAPTER 18
“Please be careful on your way home!”
Despite the rain still falling lightly, Risha came out to see them off. Ladian smiled faintly and waved before stepping back under Michael’s umbrella.
“Sorry for making you wait.”
“It’s fine. Watching you was quite entertaining.”
During their heated discussion, Michael had been sitting off in a corner chair, but he occasionally came over to quietly suggest fabric textures or patterns. It didn’t seem like a lie that he had been observing Ladian for a long time—he pointed out preferences even she hadn’t realized she had.
Their combined—almost collaborative—design had turned out beautifully, and Ladian was very much looking forward to seeing it made.
“You worked hard today.”
“No. I enjoyed it as well.”
Michael spoke sincerely. Ladian stretched like a cat on a spring day.
“Oh? Looks like the rain stopped already. It was still falling when we came out.”
“Yes, it seems so.”
The clouds had drifted far away, replaced by a burning sunset. With the air cooled, they closed the umbrella and began walking along the neatly paved path. Because of the rain earlier, there were hardly any people around.
Michael’s arm occasionally brushed Ladian’s shoulder. Under the umbrella, she hadn’t noticed how close they were. Realizing this, Ladian stepped slightly away.
Michael, feeling a subtle sense of disappointment, walked ahead again like when they first met.
“Where are you headed?”
“I should head home now. Dinner should be at home. If I’m too late, I’ll get scolded again.”
“Shall I send you back?”
At the suggestion of instant transportation, Ladian nodded without hesitation.
“Please do.”
“I will see you on Wednesday night.”
A flash of light enveloped her—and in the next moment, familiar scenery appeared before her eyes. She had returned home instantly.
Ladian removed the hairpin holding up her braided hair. Once she loosened the tie as well, her long wavy hair fell freely.
Her whole body felt relaxed as her tightly bound hair came undone.
“Wendy… some bath water please…”
Right. Wendy wasn’t here.
She was too tired to go straight to bed, but also too dirty to ignore it. While she hesitated, someone knocked at her door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Michael.”
“Oh, come in.”
Michael entered carrying a bathtub filled with steaming hot bathwater.
Ladian brightened.
“How did you know I wanted a bath?”
“You were wet… and it’s the servants’ day off.”
“Thank you…”
Ladian looked around for something to give him. Her room was sparse, but she found a basket with macadamia cookies from yesterday.
“Want one?”
She scratched her cheek shyly and offered a neatly wrapped cookie.
Michael didn’t take it immediately. He just stared at her.
“Macadamia cookies.”
“Yeah. It’s my favorite. You don’t like sweets?”
“No. I’ll enjoy it. Thank you.”
He accepted it as if it were something precious, then slowly curved his lips into a smile.
His bright, genuine grin—white teeth showing, eyes narrowing almost completely—was so radiant it made Ladian think of why poets called a smile the most beautiful flower.
Her heart gave a strange jolt. That flushed expression of his looked genuinely happy.
What… is he that happy just from a cookie?
“I like these too,” he said.
“R-really? Then enjoy it. Sorry I only had one.”
“It’s fine.”
His soft smile filled the dim room with warmth. Ladian, flustered, quickly ushered him out.
“I-I’m going to bathe now.”
“Yes. I wish you pleasant dreams.”
Click.
Once the door closed and his footsteps faded, Ladian finally exhaled.
“Phew… w-why does he smile like that…?”
It was dangerous to one’s heart.
She stayed by the door for a while, cooling her flushed cheeks.
Even as she bathed, she tried to forget it—but that smile was not something easily forgotten. Floating in the water, she lay back in the tub.
Eyes open or closed, she kept thinking of Michael. The aftereffect of that smile was going to last a long time.
Meanwhile, Michael walked down the hallway still holding the macadamia cookies carefully in both hands.
“I’m an idiot.”
It was just a normal cookie baked by the duchy’s cook—crispy macadamias and sweet chocolate chips. But to Michael, it was not just a cookie.
Especially cookies given by Ladian—they took him back to that version of her. The past Ladian. A little more foolish, perhaps, but just as lovable.
Rustle.
Staring at the cookie, he pressed a kiss onto the wrapping paper.
Startled by the sound, he quickly pulled back and rubbed his lips with the back of his hand.
“Haa…”
How foolish.
Good thing it was a day off with fewer servants around. If anyone had seen that, it would’ve been disastrous.
He shoved the cookies into his pocket and walked quickly—then stopped.
After a few steps, he took them out again, dusted them off carefully, and held them properly with both hands as he left.
“Darling, shall we have dinner together tomorrow evening?”
Ladian frowned at Irion’s sudden remark while eating the chef’s special corn soup. Everyone else was equally surprised.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I just want a date with my wife.”
When she met his suspicious gaze, Irion added in an even sweeter tone.
“Think about it.”
“What thinking! Just say yes!”
Shan snapped at Ladian in frustration. It was obvious Irion had brought this up during breakfast deliberately. No one here was on Ladian’s side—but that didn’t matter.
“I’ll answer without thinking. No.”
“W-well… fine…”
Irion’s expression shifted from hopeful to sour.
“Mother! Stop it!”
Irion shouted at Shan, who looked hurt instantly.
“I-Irion, that’s not it. I just…”
Before she could finish, he frowned again. Ladian silently observed the situation.
Then someone entered the dining room.
“Young master, a letter has arrived from Viscount Jnadin. He requested it be delivered immediately as it is urgent.”
It was Michael, with his familiar silver hair and crisp uniform.
Ladian was slightly startled but kept her expression neutral, continuing to eat.
“Is that so? I’ll head out now. Excuse me.”
Irion stood up after Duke Ait’s permission. Michael left without even glancing at Ladian. She felt a faint sense of disappointment—but quickly shook it off.
It was probably nothing serious. Lately, Jnadin had been calling Irion frequently, likely annoyed at his closeness with Ladian.
Ladian calmly finished her meal and wiped her mouth.
“Thank you for the meal, Chef. Especially the dessert syrup—it was wonderful.”
The chef, living for Ladian’s praise these days, blushed with joy.
“It’s an honor! We used excellent apples this time.”
Ladian smiled and left her room.
“Wendy, I’m back.”
“Lady Ladian. You have visitors.”
“Visitors?”
“Dwarves! They said they’ve completed the item you commissioned—and they came in person!”
“That’s great. Bring them to the reception room. I’ll be down soon.”
She quickly gathered her documents and went downstairs.
Then—
“Ah.”
She pressed a recessed part of the silver bracelet on her wrist for three seconds.
It was a signal device Michael had given her the day he met the dwarves. Pressing it would call him.
Within seconds, Michael appeared before her.
“Welcome, Michael. Aren’t you busy?”
“No. Today is my day off. What is it?”
“It’s something very important.”
At her playful tone, Michael relaxed slightly.
“Today is the day I charm you.”
“That sounds interesting.”
His flat tone amused her, and she casually patted his head.
Then she blinked.
“Michael, did you get taller?”
“Yes. I grew 3 cm this past month.”
“Wow. I’m jealous.”
“My legs creak at night because of it. I barely sleep.”
“Can’t you use healing magic?”
“Healing magic isn’t a cure-all. Overuse weakens immunity and self-recovery, so I’m trying to endure it.”
“I see…”
She compared their heights. She was 168 cm; he had been 170 cm. The difference had been small before—but now it was clearly noticeable.
Men really do grow…
They walked down the hallway together. Ladian struggled with the documents she was carrying, and without a word, Michael took them from her.
“Ah… thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Oh, right. The visitors today are dwarves. The ones from last time.”
“I see. That’s unusual.”
“Right?”
Before long, they reached the reception room.
Wendy welcomed them warmly and went to bring tea, slightly puzzled by Michael’s appearance.
Inside, four dwarves sat clustered together, their feet not even reaching the sofa floor.
Ladian smiled politely.
“Good to see you again.”
One dwarf handed her a box.
“I heard it’s rare for you to come in person instead of delivering it?”
Ladian asked. One dwarf answered bluntly.
“We wanted to know how it works. We built your requested item—but couldn’t figure out its purpose.”
“That wasn’t part of the request.”
“Well—still! We were curious! Couldn’t sleep! So we finished it early!”
Dwarves were naturally curious. The others stared at her with sparkling eyes like children.
Ladian couldn’t help but smile.
“Very well. I’ll show you. It’s an honor to demonstrate it first to its creators.”
“Thank you!”
Excited, they followed her to the balcony.
She opened the box and examined the object.
It was astonishing—far more refined than expected.
Nine palm-sized panels connected together, with a slot for attaching something inside. She inserted a transparent mana stone.
Fortunately, the sun was bright.
When she lifted the device—
The mana stone suddenly lit up with a brilliant blue glow.
“Wha—!”
“Incredible!”
Gasps filled the air. Wendy looked at Ladian almost reverently.
After a minute, Ladian removed the mana stone. It still glowed blue in her hand.
“What is this thing?”
“What is its purpose?”
“How does it work?”
The dwarves bombarded her with questions.
Ladian smiled.
“Your tea will get cold. Let’s drink first and talk slowly. We have plenty of time.”
They immediately downed their tea in one gulp.
Ladian sipped hers and said:
“It’s my invention. It doesn’t have a name yet… but you could call it a solar mana-stone charger.”
