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Chapter 10
“Arriel, if I made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”
Arriel’s eyes widened slightly.
She hadn’t expected him to apologize. It was surprising. Almost unsettlingly so.
Who exactly was this man… for even a duchess to lower her pride and apologize to him?
But her confusion lasted only a moment, and Arriel answered calmly.
“It’s fine. It is true that I was an uninvited guest… I will take my leave here.”
She wanted to end the situation neatly.
She hadn’t intended it, but rumors of her misconduct had already been prevented… and there was no benefit in further clashing with the Duchess.
However, the reply to her words came from an unexpected place.
“That’s a good idea. I was getting bored of this party anyway. Let’s go, young lady.”
Arriel’s eyes widened as she turned to look at the man. His words sounded like he was suggesting they leave together.
And as if confirming she hadn’t misheard, the man truly extended his hand toward her.
“No…”
Arriel hesitated and tried to step back, but the man leaned in and spoke softly.
“If you leave with me, the social world will create a new piece of gossip about House Blante.”
“A gossip that could bury Lord Blante’s death.”
At his quiet addition, Arriel’s green eyes wavered. Because he was right.
The former fiancée of the Grand Duke, standing against the Duchess of Biastess, leaving the party with an unknown man. The nobles would love such a story.
The humiliating label of being “discarded by Kylance” might also fade a little. So taking his hand was advantageous.
In the end, Arriel met his gaze with steady green eyes and took his hand. The nobles began to murmur.
“Yes. Alright.”
Ignoring the whispers, Arriel left the party with the man. As if she could no longer see the Duchess of Biastess, Ciel, or the other nobles.
And so, the Blante young lady—former fiancée of the Grand Duke—left the party holding a stranger’s hand, and as the man said, the nobles could no longer contain their excitement over the new gossip. Who he was, and what relationship he had with Blante’s young lady.
As Arriel Blante became the center of attention as if she were the star of the party, the Duchess of Biastess quietly left the hall.
Her face was stiff and frozen.
Inside the Blante family carriage.
The carriage that had departed from House Bayern now had one more passenger than when it had left House Blante.
The strange man who had stirred up the Bayern party sat across from Arriel. He had a deeply troubled expression as he stared at his pocket watch.
Arriel watched him with narrowed eyes, then recalled what he had said earlier. More precisely, the moment they left the party together.
Once they stepped out of the hall, Arriel had said to him:
“…Thank you for helping me.”
Regardless of his unknown identity, she was sincere. Without him, she would not have been able to leave that party in one piece.
So Arriel was curious about his identity, but she did not ask. He seemed to be hiding it, and she thought not asking was the only repayment she could offer.
So she intended to simply say goodbye and leave.
That is, if the man hadn’t laughed brightly and said something strange.
“Ha ha. No need for thanks. I actually had fun after a long time. It felt like I was the male lead in a romance novel or something… Anyway, you don’t need to be so formal. Especially you, young lady Blante. I owe you quite a debt.”
“…A debt?”
So we’re not meeting for the first time, are we?
Arriel asked slowly, swallowing the rest of her words. Asking further would be questioning his identity.
But from his words, Arriel became certain. Her feeling that she had heard his voice before was not an illusion.
Who is he?
While her curiosity deepened, the man smiled mysteriously and spoke again.
“By the way, this pocket watch has a large crack. I can fix it—would you allow me to repair it?”
Arriel looked at the watch in his hand with dark eyes.
“I appreciate the kindness, but… that watch is not something an ordinary watchmaker can fix. It has a magic circle engraved into it. I think its fate ends here.”
Arriel gave a bitter smile, but the man examined the crack and let out a low breath.
“If its fate hasn’t ended yet?”
“Pardon?”
“Do you know what kind of magic circle is engraved in this pocket watch, young lady?”
He asked with an intrigued smile. Arriel answered slowly.
“I don’t know the details because it’s very old, but… I heard it was engraved so the hands would keep moving forever, even without winding.”
“Correct. But that is not all.”
“Not… all?”
“Yes. This watch contains a magic circle far beyond what you can imagine. It would be a great loss to the magical world if it ended like this.”
“A great loss… I think you’re misunderstanding something…”
The man cut her off with a firm gaze.
“Lady. If there is one thing I never misunderstand or make mistakes about, it is magic. The cost of failed magic is greater than you think.”
Arriel could not speak.
For a moment, the man looked like a large predator.
An overwhelming presence she could never win against.
But in an instant, he withdrew his aura and smiled again.
“Anyway, I can fix it. If you allow me to repair it, I will tell you what kind of magic circle is truly engraved in it… and who I am.”
“You are curious, aren’t you, young lady?”
He winked.
Arriel, with a slightly reluctant expression, accepted the proposal.
Just then, she saw someone exiting the party hall and quickly boarded the carriage, bringing the man with her as well—who for some reason had been glaring sharply behind her.
She thought it would be better not to be seen with him, so she unknowingly pulled him into the carriage.
And that led to the present situation.
She hadn’t thought it through properly at the time, but summarizing his words, it was this:
What she thought was an ordinary magical pocket watch was actually an ancient magical artifact… and this man could repair it.
Which meant he was a magician. Likely a high-circle mage.
Because ordinary mages could not repair such ancient magic.
Moreover, if he was a high-circle mage, the Duchess of Biastess’ unusual behavior made sense.
Once a mage awakens beyond the 2nd circle, they usually abandon national affiliation and register with the Mage Tower.
An independent organization not belonging to any country on the continent.
After the ancient wars where mages saw countless people die from powerful magic, they made a pact with the kings of the world.
In exchange for independence from nations, mages would not use magic in wars between countries, nor interfere in political struggles.
Freed by that oath, mages devoted themselves to research under the protection of the Mage Tower, taking light requests from various nations.
Thus, most high nobles or royals were the only ones who did not abandon their country for the Mage Tower.
However, mages still maintained etiquette toward nobles.
The only exception was high-circle mages.
Mages of the 7th circle or higher.
Across the entire continent, there were fewer than twenty such mages. Yet demand for their power was immense.
As a result, they naturally became proud. They were treated like royalty everywhere, and eventually learned manners and dignity comparable to imperial nobility.
And when Arriel first saw this man, she had felt it—the refined speech and natural dignity that did not match his plain appearance.
So, in conclusion, he was likely a high-circle mage. But one thing remained uncertain.
Arriel had no connection to mages of the 7th circle or higher.
And yet this man claimed to know her—and even said he owed her a great debt.
Even if he had changed his face with magic, Arriel had never been involved with mages enough to earn such a debt.
Then… was he lying?
Was he actually not a high-circle mage, but a scammer trying to steal the watch?
But if so, the Duchess of Biastess’ reaction didn’t make sense.
“Lady. If there is one thing I never misunderstand or make mistakes about, it is magic. The cost of failed magic is greater than you think.”
Those eyes when he said it had not wavered even slightly.
It didn’t look like a lie.
A scammer… or a mage… which one was he?
Just as Arriel narrowed her eyes at him, the man—who had been staring only at the watch—suddenly lifted his gaze.
