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Chapter 61: The Imperial Ball

Aracila began referring to the flying ship as a “magical airship” and started developing a concrete plan for its creation.

She designed its structure and interior layout, roughly estimated the number of mana stones required, and calculated the cost of development equipment and magical research. The scale of the project was beyond anything she had imagined.

This was likely to be the most capital-intensive invention she had ever worked on.

That left only one problem.

“Senior, I checked with the higher-ups, but the internal research funds are limited per laboratory, so we can’t receive more than 10 million gold.”

“What should we do? Even if we pool all the remaining budget from our lab, it’s nowhere near enough.”

Money.

Aracila’s lab had already spent half of its annual budget on mana stone research, which was already an expensive endeavor.

Even with additional funding from the Magic Tower and any surplus funds they could gather, they could barely cover a third of the costs needed for the magical airship’s development.

Looking at the report handed to her by Rudy, the lab’s financial manager, Aracila fell into deep thought as she saw the projected costs reaching into the hundreds of millions.

In truth, she could cover the shortfall by selling off some of her personal assets, so that wasn’t the real concern.

What worried her was something else entirely.

‘If the development costs are this high, the scale of the business will be massive later on. I don’t think the three of us can handle it alone…’

Neither Aracila nor her juniors had any business acumen—they had all devoted their lives to magic.

But if they poured this much money into development and the business failed, her research lab would suffer an irreparable blow for years to come.

‘It might be better to find a business partner.’

Looking at the long term, seeking external investment and securing a collaborator seemed like the smarter move.

However, another issue arose. Aracila had never collaborated with anyone outside her lab, nor had she ever sought external funding before.

She had no idea how to navigate this kind of situation.

‘Who exactly should I get investment from? And who should I work with?’

Aracila let out a long sigh without realizing it, only to snap back to attention when she noticed her juniors’ faces darkening.

At a time like this, if she, the head of the lab, showed any signs of weakness, Rudy and Sally’s anxiety would only increase.

She clapped her hands lightly to get their attention and spoke in an intentionally confident tone.

“Guys, don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything, so you just focus on development.”

“But…”

“This is something I can solve through my connections. If I were you, instead of wasting time worrying, I’d be drafting an investment proposal.”

Her words made it sound like she had a vast social network, but her juniors couldn’t bring themselves to point out, “Senior, you don’t actually have that many friends…”

Still, since Aracila had always found a way to overcome any crisis that befell their lab, they decided to trust her.

As Sally and Rudy worked hard on drafting an investment proposal to attract external backers, Aracila combed through the few contacts she had.

She wasn’t just looking for an investor—she needed someone proactive and intelligent enough to take the lead and make the magical airship business a success.

‘Hmm… My family has money, but no business talent, so they’re out. Pola’s the same. As for Frederick… I get the feeling I shouldn’t get too involved with him right now.’

As she crossed off one candidate after another, she quickly ran out of options.

Desperate, she even considered distant relatives of her relatives—but then, a name suddenly came to mind.

‘Ah, Damian.’

On paper, he was the closest person to her—her husband.

‘…But I doubt Damian has any interest in business.’

Trying to persuade someone uninterested in business to join was more of a burden than anything.

Besides, Damian wasn’t even her real husband—just a contractual one. If things went wrong, it would only lead to unnecessary complications.

In the end, Aracila also crossed Damian off the list.

With no potential investors in sight, time continued to pass.

***

The day of the Imperial Ball, held in celebration of the First Prince’s return, had finally arrived.

For today, Aracila put all her work aside and focused solely on preparing for the event.

She wore a top dress with a petal-shaped neckline, her hair styled into a low bun, revealing her slender neckline and straight collarbones.

Audrey draped a simple pearl necklace around her neck and placed small diamond earrings on her ears.

Fixing a butterfly-shaped ornament onto the side of Aracila’s hair, Audrey let out an admiring gasp at the sight reflected in the mirror.

“There won’t be anyone more beautiful than you at tonight’s ball, my lady.”

Audrey wasn’t just saying it out of courtesy—she truly believed it. The other maids, busy helping with the preparations, chimed in with endless praises.

Aracila, sensing their genuine admiration, let out a soft chuckle.

Slipping on gloves that reached up to her elbows, she completed her outfit and headed downstairs, making sure she wouldn’t be late.

Damian was already waiting at the bottom of the staircase.

“You’ve arrived, my lady.”

He was dressed in a black ceremonial uniform adorned with intricate gold embroidery and embellishments—perfectly complementing Aracila’s dress.

Her gown had yellow floral embroidery on the bodice and a voluminous black chiffon skirt, making it seem as if their outfits had been intentionally coordinated.

Which, of course, they had been.

They had deliberately dressed in matching attire to project the image of a happily married couple attending the event together.

As she took Damian’s hand and stepped into the carriage, Aracila spoke the moment they departed.

“You know you have to act properly later, right? You need to make it seem like you’re deeply in love with me. I’ll do the same.”

“I understand perfectly. Don’t worry.”

“You sound quite confident. Have you been practicing?”

“I always perform flawlessly. If anything, I’m more concerned about your acting skills, my lady.”

“Oh, are you worried that I’ll be too good and outshine you? My acting is quite convincing, you know.”

Damian let out a small chuckle at her shameless response.

Though the two continued their usual bickering, there was an undeniable shift in their tone—it lacked the sharp edge it once had. They were no longer speaking with the same biting intensity as before.

There was still a mischievous intent to tease each other, but that was all.

As they exchanged brief remarks, the carriage swiftly made its way to the Imperial Palace.

However, with the noble guests arriving all at once, entering the ballroom took some time.

By the time the two stepped out of the carriage and stood at the hall’s entrance, the venue was already packed with people.

“Presenting Sir Damian Vandemir and Lady Aracila Vandemir!”

At the steward’s loud proclamation, all eyes turned toward the open doors.

The couple, entering hand in hand, became the center of murmurs.

Dressed in meticulously coordinated attire, they looked far more affectionate and harmonious than the rumors suggested.

The way they subtly glanced at each other and exchanged soft smiles resembled that of a young, blissfully in love newlywed couple.

“Damian, smile at me.”

“I already am—so much that my face is cramping.”

Though their whispered conversation was far from romantic.

Ignoring the scorching gazes directed at them, the two made their way to a champagne table on the right side of the hall.

It wasn’t long before a few noble couples approached them. While their intent was to exchange greetings, it was clear they were also here to assess whether the rumors about the Vandemirs’ strained relationship were true.

“What a pleasure to meet the Vandemirs here.”

“Are you enjoying your married life?”

“We tied the knot earlier this year as well, so we can’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie.”

The initial greetings were polite—an indication that they had no intention of openly antagonizing the couple.

However, Aracila could clearly see the curiosity gleaming in their eyes—they were eager to probe for information.

If she and Damian appeared to be a loving couple here, word would quickly spread that their relationship was nothing like the rumors.

Aracila gave a slight nod before deliberately linking arms with Damian and flashing a perfectly painted smile.

Damian, catching her movement out of the corner of his eye, hesitated for a moment.

Since Aracila had taken the initiative to get closer, he wondered what his next move should be.

Just then, a noblewoman offered her a compliment.

“Lady Vandemir, you look absolutely stunning today. Standing beside you, I feel rather inadequate.”

“Haha, thank you—”

“I agree. My wife is the most beautiful woman in this room.”

Damian abruptly cut in, interrupting Aracila’s modest response.

Startled, she snapped her head toward him.

Did that really just come out of Damian’s mouth? The Damian who was notoriously stingy with compliments?

Sure, she had asked him to act like he was more in love with her than before… but this? This sounded like something an utterly smitten fool would say.

Even as everyone stared at him in stunned silence, Damian remained completely composed—if anything, he seemed a little pleased with himself.

It seems Isaac’s advice is working well.

A few days ago, after Aracila had asked him to show more affection than before, Damian had fallen into deep contemplation.

He had already been doing his best—so how exactly was he supposed to step it up?

That was when he recalled Isaac’s past advice, which had helped him reconcile with Aracila. Deciding to consult him once more, Damian had asked how he could convincingly portray himself as a devoted husband.

Isaac had enthusiastically provided guidance, with his first piece of advice being: “No matter the time or place, always say your wife is the most beautiful woman.”

“Haha… You must be a very happy man to have such a lovely wife, Sir Damian.”

Breaking the awkward silence, one nobleman turned Damian’s statement into a joke. Others chimed in, lightening the atmosphere.

“That must be why you look so much healthier since getting married. You two make such a striking pair.”

“Indeed! I can’t even remember the last time my husband called me beautiful. Lady Vandemir, you must be delighted to have such an affectionate husband.”

…I haven’t exactly heard those words often myself.

Aracila smiled on the surface while keeping that thought to herself.

Though slightly flustered, she was satisfied—they had effectively established themselves as a loving couple right from the start. The scrutinizing gazes upon them had softened.

However, it didn’t take long for her initial satisfaction to waver.

“This embroidery on my sleeve was stitched by my wife. Isn’t it marvelous?”

“Oh my, it truly is! The Countess of Grancher’s embroidery skills are certainly well known.”

It happened while a famously devoted Count was proudly showcasing his wife’s embroidery, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

“I may be biased, but I’d say she’s the best in the Empire.”

“Oh, you’re embarrassing me,” his wife murmured shyly, drawing laughter from the surrounding nobles.

Then, during a brief lull in the conversation, Damian suddenly spoke up.

“My wife can row a boat across an entire lake without oars.”

“…Pardon?”

Dozens of eyes turned to him in unison, their confusion palpable.

Unfazed by the bewildered stares, Damian doubled down, determined to perfectly execute Isaac’s second piece of advice: “Always boast about your wife’s strengths to others.”

“And she’s a natural-born hunter—whether it’s animals or people, she catches them with ease.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───