Chapter 29

I didn’t lose a wink of sleep worrying about what to get Father for his birthday; in fact, I slept amazingly well. When I opened my eyes in the morning, I felt so much more refreshed than usual that I was genuinely surprised. Who would’ve thought stressing over a birthday gift could be such a great sleep aid?

“Honestly, wouldn’t he love it even if I just gave him a random rock rolling around on the ground? Well, maybe that’s a bit too much.”

Since he practically melts into a puddle just from me calling him “Dad,” I feel like he’d be thrilled if I just picked up a street stone and handed it to him with a note saying, This is my heart.

Ugh, I’m honestly afraid that might actually happen.

An image of Father crying tears of joy over a pebble flashed in my mind, making me feel guilty just thinking about it.

Right as my resolve was about to crumble, Yul—who was drawing the curtains with perfect morning timing—spoke up after overhearing my thoughts.

“Even from my perspective as someone who doesn’t hold any particular affection for the Duke, that sounds rather pitiful.”

“Right? See?”

If even Yul put it that way, it must truly be pitiful, so I resolved to get him a proper gift instead. The problem was that I had zero clue what kind of gift to give.

What was the best birthday gift I had ever received?

Free drinks bought by friends.

Pocket money from my parents.

A girlfriend… didn’t exist. Damn it.

Ugh, a sudden wave of skepticism washed over me as I wondered if I had ever even spent a proper birthday in my life. To think I’d wasted my life away like this.

‘What did my younger sister get Father every year again?’

I racked my brain for memories, soon recalling that my sister usually bought him cosmetics or clothes. But somehow, that felt way too ordinary and didn’t sit right with me. Since I’d already decided to give him a gift, I wanted something that would make people drop their jaws just hearing the name.

Come to think of it, the very reason I was able to learn swordplay and magic from top-tier instructors in the first place was because my father, the Duke, had thrown his weight around. The money I’d been spending so carelessly here and there was actually Father’s, too, and that top-grade wine that practically melted on your tongue—which I used to sneakily swipe one bottle at a time from the bookshelf in Father’s office for a relaxing nightcap when cooped up in the house got too stressful—was also, in fact, Father’s.

Reflecting on all that, I felt an even stronger urge to give him something truly special. Yet, since I couldn’t come up with any good ideas on my own, I decided to ask my trusty, competent maid right beside me.

“Yul, what kind of gift do you think Father would like?”

At my words, Yul paused while taking out my change of clothes and replied.

“As the young lady mentioned earlier, the Duke would undoubtedly be thrilled even if it were a rock rolling on the ground, as long as it came from you. I’m sure he’d be satisfied with anything.”

“Mmm, still, it looks a bit bad to other people, and considering everything I’ve received from him up to now, I want to present him with something special.”

Hearing that, Yul seemed to ponder for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.

“If that’s the case, though I cannot say for certain, how about visiting a dungeon located near Dria, one of the cities about a two-day carriage ride from here?”

Why on earth would I need to visit a dungeon to prepare a birthday present for my father? That thought crossed my mind, but assuming Yul wouldn’t suggest something pointless, I went ahead and asked.

“Why a dungeon, all of a sudden?”

At my question, Yul offered an explanation as if she had been waiting for it.

“There is an unnamed dungeon near Dria, and inside it is said to be a gemstone known as the ‘Dragon’s Tear’.”

Hearing that, I gasped in surprise.

“The Dragon’s Tear!”

Just hearing the name made it sound like an incredible treasure. A gemstone bearing the word “dragon”—the very entity called the strongest in fantasy. It definitely couldn’t be an ordinary piece of jewelry.

However, I couldn’t help wearing a bewildered expression at Yul’s next words.

“The gemstone known as the Dragon’s Tear boasts not only a striking appearance but also extreme physical hardness. The fascinating part, however, is that when placed in a man’s mouth, it melts like water and is absorbed entirely—which is how it got its name. Above all, the effect of the Dragon’s Tear is said to grant a man the absolute peak of nocturnal vigor.”

“Huh?”

So it’s basically the ultimate stamina supplement. This world really has the most bizarre things. At this point, I wasn’t even surprised anymore.

I briefly wondered if Yul was pulling my leg, but instantly dismissed the thought a second later. There was no way Yul would lie to me.

‘The Dragon’s Tear, huh.’

Come to think of it, Father had been looking a bit worn out at night lately, getting thoroughly wrung out by Mother. It was about time I repaid him for all his past kindness.

My eyes sparkling, I turned to Yul.

“Then let’s head to the city of Dria to acquire that Dragon’s Tear.”

At my declaration, Yul asked a question.

“And how many knights shall we take along?”

I had zero desire to go on a trip accompanied by a bunch of sweaty dudes. Besides, traveling with them meant drawing attention everywhere we went, and I wanted nothing to do with that. I quickly shot the idea down.

“No, why would we bring knights? Can’t it just be the two of us?”

Yul firmly shook her head at my suggestion.

“Young Lady, there are monsters inside dungeons. No matter how much remarkable progress you’ve made in swordplay and magic lately, a dungeon is an unpredictable place where anything could happen. We must take at least five people. And all of them must be at the peak level of Sword Expert or higher.”

Oh, holy shit.

I have to drag not just one or two, but five cursed men with us?

My enthusiasm for heading to the city of Dria rapidly shriveled up, and the idea of just giving him a random rock from the street started looking appealing again.

Just then, a knock echoed against my bedroom door.

Tap, tap.

“Speak.”

I spoke in the slightly accustomed tone of a young noblewoman, and the person who had knocked was the butler, who always worked hard behind the scenes for our ducal household. A man’s voice, sounding even more dignified than my own, drifted in.

“Young Lady, Sir Carusien has just arrived at the estate.”

Surprised by his words, I echoed back.

“Already?”

There should still be quite a bit of time left until our scheduled swordplay lesson, so why had he shown up so early? It crossed my mind that perhaps, while wandering in and out of our estate every day, he might have caught eyes with some woman he fancied.

Still, true to a male lead, he was handsome and possessed great talent, so if he set his mind to it, he could undoubtedly sweep every single woman in our mansion off her feet.

“Hmm, understood. It’ll take me a little time to get ready, though. Apologize to the teacher for me and tell him to wait just a moment.”

“Understood, Young Lady.”

I thought to myself as I listened to the butler’s footsteps gradually fading away.

While he wasn’t exactly my favorite guy, Carusien’s swordsmanship was undeniably superior to anyone else’s. If we took him along, wouldn’t that mean we didn’t necessarily need to bring the knights from our own ducal household?

I quickly looked over at Yul.

“Yes, if it’s Sir Carusien, he would certainly be better suited than the knights.”

That meant…

“It’s a trip!”

Overwhelmed with anticipation, I unconsciously threw both arms wide and shouted.

And thus, I embarked on my second journey as Armienne.

Carusien stared in astonishment at the front gate bearing the familiar lion crest of the ducal household. He couldn’t fathom why he had arrived here so early. No, he simply couldn’t.

He had woken up early and didn’t feel like going back to sleep, so he had dressed lightly and taken a stroll purely with the thought of getting some fresh air, only to find himself standing right at the ducal estate’s front gate. He must have walked down the familiar path out of pure habit. Since it was nearly three months into his gig as a sword instructor, the route was probably burned deep into his muscle memory.

He could have turned right back around and come back later, but his feet refused to budge. Naturally, a certain woman’s face drifted into his mind.

That woman was his student, Armienne—her silver hair, glittering in the sunlight, tied back as she swung a wooden sword toward a scarecrow with a look of pure, beaming happiness.

As if by magic, just picturing Armienne’s face made his heart beat even more violently than before.

He cautiously placed a hand over his chest and closed his eyes.

‘Was it from back then?’

About a month ago, during the incident with Prince Fren, he had received an urgent message in the middle of the dawn. It was the news that Armienne and Prince Fren had entered Armienne’s room together. Since everyone in the kingdom had long known that the notorious villainess Armienne was infatuated with Prince Fren, Carusien had assumed she had finally achieved her goal.

‘In the end, she wanted it so badly she actually claimed it.’

While it was only right to congratulate his student on finding the romance she desired, he had felt an irritating surge of annoyance clawing up his chest. That day, he had swung his sword through the training grounds with such reckless fury that he had nearly destroyed the place, arriving right outside Armienne’s door just in time for their scheduled meeting.

A multitude of people had gathered there. Lady Harmiel, whom he had happened to bump into, had approached him and spoken.

“In the end, Armienne pulled it off.”

“I… suppose so.”

His voice had trembled so noticeably that even he found it burdensome, and though Lady Harmiel seemed to be looking at him, he was far too preoccupied with his own shock to pay her any mind.

That was when it happened. The door swung open, and Armienne revealed herself. Right beside her was Prince Fren, chatting away like an intimate friend.

While everyone else showered them with blessings, Carusien couldn’t utter a single word.

If anything, he wanted to break away from the spot this very second. He couldn’t even guarantee what kind of madness he might commit if he stayed.

Fortunately, before he could do anything rash, the Duchess, Armienne’s mother, stepped forward first, and he quietly watched Armienne from behind. Strangely enough, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. His heart kept pounding frantically, yet a dull pain throbbed inside it.

He couldn’t help thinking that if he hadn’t already exhausted his strength and calmed his frantic energy by swinging his sword earlier, he might have drawn his blade right then and there and slashed wildly at empty air.

As time ticked on, the atmosphere shifted strangely, and the moment he heard through the maid Yul that Armienne no longer harbored any romantic feelings for Prince Fren, the agonizing pain in his chest vanished as if it had all been a lie.

Yet his heart was beating even faster than before.

Into his field of vision stepped that mischievous, tomboyish woman secretly flashing a thumbs-up toward Yul.

It was then that he realized.

Having experienced this exact same feeling twice now, even someone as entirely inexperienced in romance as him couldn’t mistake what it meant.

‘Love.’

He had finally recognized his own feelings for Armienne.

Opening his eyes after a brief moment of reflection, Carusien stepped inside the mansion and, guided by the butler, waited in a luxurious VIP parlor.

Soon enough, he spotted the woman he had been waiting for running toward him from down the hall. A broad, radiant smile—something rarely seen on her normally—was spread across her face, as if something truly delightful had happened.

“Teacher Carusien! Let’s go on a trip together!”

“……………”

At her words, Carusien’s expression stiffened as he gazed into Armienne’s face, his look silently conveying a single, heavy question:

Again?