Chapter : 09

As I caressed the rough castle wall with my fingertips, a faint blue light pulsed between the stone cracks.

It was a mana circuit carefully designed by the magical engineers.

Feeling the mana circuit tickling my fingertips, I grinned.

‘I’ve thought of a pretty good method.’

Recalling the future changes in salon paradigms and consolidating my knowledge of architecture and architectural engineering…

I began sketching rapidly with scratching sounds.

Geological research, sketching, making simple models, creating cross-sections!

I managed to complete everything safely, but as time passed, my hand holding the pen trembled slightly.

The sensation in my hand gradually dulled.

It felt like a corpse’s hand rather than my own.

And then…

“Cough, cough.”

Blood dripped from between my teeth once again.

“If you don’t meet Raphael, you will **die**!”

Squirrel’s unhelpful notification brushed past my ears.

But thanks to the power of love and the crisis of impending death, everything took shape in just three days.

(*For reference, it typically takes a regular architect 2-3 months to design a building.)

***

[I am writing in response to the matter of Lady Isidel’s 【Epinetia Salon】 design plans.

Part of the design drawings have been completed.

I would like to set a date for the presentation.]

After delivering Serentia’s message, Tein said.

“When shall we schedule the presentation?”

Raphael opened his calendar where his schedule was recorded.

[1:30 PM] Knight Order inspection (scheduled for 8 minutes)

“Exactly 2 minutes are free starting from 1:38.”

“…A presentation in 2 minutes? Just tell her to get lost outright, why bother.”

“Right, Tein. Get lost.”

Whether Tein, who received the outright insult, frowned deeply or not, Raphael remained indifferent.

After checking the next day’s timetable again, he said.

“Tomorrow from 9 AM, exactly 55 minutes are free.”

“Ah! Is that so? 55 minutes would be enough for a presentation…!”

“Then, notify Lady Isidel of the schedule as well.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Tein squeezed his eyes shut and muttered.

“Yes, but wait, just wait! Please invest just 1 minute in me.”

“30 seconds.”

“The Grand Duchess… Actually, she probably won’t be able to bring such a good design.”

“Why are you being evasive already.”

“Th, th, that’s…”

“Don’t stutter and speak efficiently. 15 seconds left.”

Tein’s point was, in summary, that Serentia’s position in the Rosemary Family was quite poor.

Especially in the Rosemary Family, known as an architectural noble house, only Serentia couldn’t design proper buildings?

It was a vastly different path from the eldest son Max Rosemary, who designed a huge plaza in the Capital City immediately after graduating from the academy.

Raphael, who had been listening to the story silently, opened his mouth.

“I see.”

“…So, even if you don’t like it, please don’t use methods like destroying the model.”

“That’s not your concern.”

At Raphael’s firm words, Tein’s mental health rapidly deteriorated.

Already in his mind, Serentia sobbing at Raphael’s sharp criticism was passing by like a hallucination.

What if she really returns to the Southern Region?

‘If she returns to the Southern Region, when will we find a new Grand Duchess?’

There aren’t even any applicants!

‘…Lady Serentia seems pretty decent though!’

But just when Tein was worrying about this.

With a thud and rustling sound, a small card fell from the documents.

‘What’s this?’

Raphael read the card with an indifferent expression.

[Would you like to see this too?]

It was a design drawing.

He looked at the design drawing attached next to the card without much emotion.

[This is my heart.]

The moment Raphael’s gaze lingered on the document 30 seconds longer than usual.

A crisis alert rang in his head.

Thud, rustle.

The design drawing fell vertically from Raphael’s hand to the desk.

Somewhat.

No.

A very strange woman.

Raphael twisted the corner of his mouth crookedly.

Instead of replying immediately, he checked his watch.

‘It’s meal time.’

He picked up the military bread prepared on the table and chewed it.

This bread has no taste at all. That’s natural.

The ‘ability’ Raphael possesses belongs to demons. If he were to have the unique sensations, emotions, and humanity that are ‘human things,’ the demonic power would go berserk and devastate the surroundings.

In other words, Raphael had to restrain and control all desires as a human.

Even taste was merely part of what he had to control.

Moreover, the ‘human heart’ that Serentia offered him was nothing but a useless cause of rampage.

‘Error detected. Processing required.’

Finally, Raphael’s ‘error elimination’ process moved swiftly.

He quickly wrote a schedule with a quill pen on the letter she had written.

Then he took out a design drawing from the trash can and handed it to Tein.

“This is a document organizing the design presentation schedule. Deliver this card along with it.”

***

“To summarize the content of that card accurately, you got **rejected**.”

A letter that arrived along with the presentation schedule.

As soon as Squirrel saw the letter, he was shocked.

And I had been looking at the card with my head down for a while.

Seeing me like this, Squirrel worriedly swished his tail around.

“What a bad guy! Even though you’re going to be married, there’s no need to treat his wife like this…! In my 300 years of life, this is the first time I’ve seen such a stone wall!”

Nevertheless, I didn’t raise my head.

Swish, swish.

As the plump, fluffy tail floated through the air with worry.

I slowly lifted my head.

“He’s really too cute, isn’t he? Hahaha!”

A huge smile spread across my lips.

Squirrel’s fluffy tail dropped to the floor with a thud.

“Are, are you okay…?! You haven’t gone crazy, have you?”

“Right. I’ve gone crazy.”

“From the pain of unrequited love?”

“Amazing. I got a reply. I got a reply!”

To receive blueprints with a heart struck by lightning and split in half!

It was so touching.

“And it’s cute too…”

To respond to blueprints with blueprints.

Isn’t even this so very Raphael?

I recalled the past Raphael who first opened his heart to me, and mustered courage once again.

‘Stay strong, me!’

I don’t care how long it takes.

I’m definitely making you mine!

***

The next day, 9 AM.

After each finishing their breakfast, they gathered in the conference room where the presentation would be held.

Raphael sat expressionlessly at the head seat.

Due to yesterday’s lightning-struck blueprints incident, he thought the distance between him and Serenthia would naturally grow.

Since he had clearly expressed his rejection yesterday.

But Serenthia, who entered carrying thick blueprints and a model in her arms, made eye contact with him and smiled brightly!

And then…

“I received your letter reply well!”

“Really? But you look like you didn’t read it properly. Check again.”

“I read it ten times.”

But why on earth does she have such a bright expression?

Serenthia even sneakily handed him chocolate and added,

“…This, the kitchen gave it to me as dessert, would you like some?”

Like giving a treat to a stray cat, she offered him a snack.

Raphael had never tasted anything sweet before.

But why does this woman look like she naturally thinks he would like this sweet thing?

‘Error correction impossible. Alternative is…’

Seeing her usual bright face, Raphael was left speechless.

‘Immediate alternative, none.’

For the first time in his life.

He changed the subject, citing ‘being at a loss for words’ as the reason.

“…Eat it yourself. Let’s start with the presentation preparations.”

“Yes, I’ll begin.”

She busily placed the model on the table and organized the documents neatly.

Right at that moment.

Radiating a dark aura with her entire body, Isidel muttered.

“I attended because His Grace the Grand Duke summoned me, but I’ll say it once more. I absolutely hate Rosemary. Do you know why?”

“I know.”

“…You know?”

“Yes. Rosemary must have done something wrong.”

“…”

Isidel was left speechless.

Of course, as she said, Rosemary was indeed in the wrong.

Long ago, someone from Rosemary had ruined Isidel’s villa.

‘The grudge from that incident runs quite deep…’

She continued with momentum.

“Right. So no matter what blueprints you bring, my mind won’t change.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. Why. Will you give up?”

Serenthia rolled her eyes around. Watching her, Isidel snorted.

Right, it must be difficult.

There’s no way anyone would feel good when their family is openly despised to their face…

“We have something in common. Actually, I hate the Rosemary Family too…!”

…?