The amount was significant, but more importantly, no one had ever refused his orders before.
He had never resorted to coercion but had always persuaded others through smooth negotiations.
Thanks to his consistently reasonable proposals, he prided himself on his success in persuasion.
“Do it.”
“Yes, sir!”
“This too.”
“Yes, I’ll carry out your orders!”
He stroked his chin, lost in thought.
“What went wrong this time?”
“You’ve gotten hooked on something again. What’s the focus of your research this time?”
“Marriage.”
“Wait… was it true that you fell for her back then…?”
While his assistant was left gaping in shock, Duke Kalinos was lost in his own thoughts.
No matter how he thought about it, Giselle was the perfect candidate for his marriage.
“…She’ll come back eventually, right?”
But her gaze left him uncertain.
“It’s bothering me.”
He wasn’t great at analyzing emotions, so he decided to look for answers in a book again.
“I’ve read that acquiring exceptional talent takes at least three tries. It’s on page 3050 of Quick Questions and Answers for Proper Social Living.”
“When did you memorize that…? Well, that makes sense.”
Now, he was deliberating on when to visit her again.
The next morning, as he woke up with an inexplicable sense of unease, the reason for Giselle’s hesitation became clear.
“Your Grace, Count Floret has returned from his voyage after five years!”
“What?”
Count Floret, Giselle’s adoptive father, whom everyone had presumed dead, had come back.
And not just that…
“Apparently, he’s brought back a priceless artifact that Count Sehera, the Grand Mage, had lost!”
—
Mariposa dragged me out of the wardrobe the moment she heard the news of her brother Count Floret’s return.
She then set up a room for me and secretly poured a sleeping potion into my teacup.
Of course, I didn’t drink it, but I was thoroughly annoyed.
In the past, that woman would always monopolize conversations with Count Floret while I was asleep.
She used to say I couldn’t adjust to the household and wanted to leave, persuading them to give me a small house and kick me out.
I couldn’t even defend myself and ended up leaving with nothing, completely empty-handed!
But not this time—I plan to get close to Count Floret.
After I died, my stepfather Count Floret came to my grave to express his regret, apologizing for his indifference.
Honestly, I believe he could’ve cared if he wanted to back then.
I don’t want to rely on or trust anyone anymore, but still…
At least Count Floret was the only one who apologized to me.
As the real decision-maker of this family, he might be worth building a relationship with.
If I can win him over, it’ll benefit my survival in the long run.
Basking in the warm sunlight, I strolled toward the Trevi Fountain in the Floret estate.
“Hah! What’s someone under house arrest doing here by the fountain?”
“None of your business. The sunlight’s nice.”
“Get lost.”
Despite his words, Abisan didn’t dare approach me.
He was the type to suck up to the strong and bully the weak—a typical coward.
Despite paying hefty fees to the academy every year, he still couldn’t advance beyond the first circle, a talentless oaf.
Yet, he kept boasting about becoming a Grand Mage.
Still, he looked down on me, probably because I lacked the mana needed even to attend the academy.
I glanced around and smirked.
In my past life, this spot had been where Count Floret and Abisan shared a moving reunion.
In the original story, Abisan, with Mariposa’s help, used various artifacts to barely create a flickering light.
Count Floret, impressed by the glowing aura, had praised Abisan greatly.
“I want to make a rainbow too, with light magic.”
“What magic? You don’t even have mana. Are you trying to use an artifact again? Hand it over.”
There’s a widely spread rumor in high society that I don’t have mana.
I raised both hands and shrugged.
“Well? I don’t know anything about that.”
Creating light was something only a select few magicians, those with the purest mana, could achieve.
“So, Abisan, how about we make a bet?”
“What kind of bet?”
“A contest to see which one of us has greater skill in magic.”
“…Damn it, without any artifacts involved, right?”
“Yeah, without artifacts.”
A sly grin crept across his face.
“You’re just asking to get humiliated, aren’t you? Idiot.”
“Sure thing, dumb fish. Say whatever you want; I can’t hear you. Anyway, if I’m better at magic than you…”
“D-dumb fish? W-what?”
“If I’m better than you, you’ll get on your knees and beg. Got it?”
—
“Oh my goodness, brother! It’s been five whole years!”
Even as Mariposa ran toward him in tears, Count Floret remained indifferent, his expression stoic.
“The estate.”
“I’ve been taking great care of it, of course!”
“Thank you for managing the household while I was away on my voyage.”
“Oh my, brother, it’s what I had to do, naturally!”
“And what about Abisan and Giselle?”
“Well, both have been properly disciplined.”
He glanced at Mariposa.
While he had been away, he had left the estate’s external affairs to the council of elders, ensuring the household was maintained in his absence.
Though she had diligently managed the social events, domestic matters, and the household itself, he felt some gratitude toward her, softening his gaze slightly.
“It seems the children are doing well. I’ll go see them first.”
Gripping the necklace that had belonged to Count Sehera, the Grand Mage, he stood up. Mariposa followed closely behind, her voice sweet.
“Abisan should be by the fountain. Giselle, well, she’s probably sleeping somewhere, maybe in a wardrobe. She loves corners for some reason.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, of course!”
‘Giselle loves wardrobes? I didn’t know that.’
Mariposa’s eyes sparkled at her once-intimidating brother’s softened demeanor, and she asked eagerly,
“By the way, brother, what kind of artifact is that necklace?”
But his response was cold and sharp.
“Mariposa, do I have any obligation to tell you?”
“…N-no, of course not!”
When they reached the Trevi Fountain, Count Floret witnessed a breathtaking sight.
Beautiful streams of light cascaded from the sky, and at the same time, water gushed from the old fountain adorned with angel sculptures.
The light reflected on the fountain’s spray, creating a radiant and massive rainbow.
“Oh my, how beautiful! Just look at this rainbow!”
“It’s an extraordinary rainbow. The mana is so pure. Whoever cast this spell must have completely untainted mana.”
He had only seen such a beautiful rainbow once before, from his dear friend, Count Sehera.
As he gazed at the rainbow with nostalgia, Mariposa covered her mouth, muttering in disbelief,
“My goodness… Our precious son has finally done something incredible!”
“Impressive. Must be the result of extensive training.”
“Of course! Our son is certainly a worthy successor to the Floret family!”
But as they got closer, something seemed off.
“…Abisan?”
“M-mother!”
Tears welled up in Abisan’s eyes. A startled Mariposa turned to look across from him.
“G-Giselle?”
The radiant aura of light and the noble atmosphere of the rainbow surrounding the Trevi Fountain were unmistakably created by
Giselle.
Her shimmering silver hair glinted as she waved her hand casually.
“Oh my, isn’t this such a lovely rainbow? Don’t you think so, Abisan?”
