After handling the tasks that came down from above, Johan’s daily life was quiet.

He shared affection with Fransia and exchanged trivial jokes surrounded by female public affairs officers.

Indeed, it was an utterly mundane existence.

The Crown Prince, who interrupted the relationship between Johan and Fransia, was temporarily unable to move as he was immobilized.

Kasys Lenokhnen avoided execution through a trial, but he was stripped of all authority and rights, becoming a fallen noble who only bore the name Lenokhnen.

Duke Lenokhnen had no means to intervene for the time being, which meant Kasys had to be left alone; thanks to this, there had been no news until now.

Violet Ratalen, who had been annoyingly clingy, started avoiding Johan at some point.

It was bound to be peaceful.

Sometimes, updates on Rudella came through the Crown Prince, but she was said to remain dazed even days later.

That said, there was no chance of her summoning Johan for a special mission. It hadn’t even been a month since the last special mission, so that was expected.

“Harsen Archmage.”

While Johan was seated, dealing with assorted documents, the Deputy Head — Ricard personally came to visit.

“Deputy Head? What is the matter?”

It wasn’t every day that he paid a visit himself, so Johan’s expression stiffened slightly.

“You must go to the Head’s office.”

“… To the Head’s office?”

“Yes. It’s an imperial task.”

An imperial task.

It was a top-priority duty that couldn’t be compared to special or designated missions, directly descending from the Emperor and requiring immediate action.

“Understood. I’ll go right away.”

“Yes.”

Ricard headed towards the office first, and Johan cleared away the papers he was handling before standing up.

“… It’s not a dangerous task, is it?”

Fransia, who had been quietly eavesdropping beside him, grabbed Johan’s sleeve with a face full of concern.

“I can’t guarantee since it’s my first imperial task, but… I don’t think it’ll be too dangerous. If it were really perilous to the point of an imperial decree, all public affairs officers would be mobilized.”

Johan gently brushed Fransia’s forehead, filled with worry, and smiled.

“Yes… I hope it’s nothing serious.”

Seeing his touch and smile, Fransia seemed relieved, loosening her tense expression.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Johan followed Ricard, who was waiting in the hallway.

“Deputy Head, if the mission has been assigned from the imperial palace, it sounds serious. Do you know what it’s about?”

On the way to the Head’s office, Johan asked.

“It’s called an imperial decree, but it’s not really a big deal. It can come down just from the whims of royalty.”

Imperial tasks varied. They could involve retrieving special materials or providing escort for their travels. Most were trivial missions.

“… That’s a relief.”

Johan, who had been slightly tense about the imperial order, relaxed his stiff face.

“Let’s go in.”

Click.

The door to the office opened. Johan stepped inside with a reluctant expression as Fedelian greeted him with a scrunched face.

“You’ve arrived.”

“I heard it’s an imperial decree.”

“Right, and a rather trivial one at that.”

Fedelian seemed accustomed to such imperial decrees. Whatever the task, just looking at his expression told Johan it was something trivial.

“An imperial task assigned to the Harsen Archmage by Third Princess Raliana Rojino.”

Fedelian dropped the documents onto the desk with a weary expression.

“She says you should come right away to enjoy tea time with her.”

“……”

Johan momentarily lost his words. Tea time? Did imperial tasks entail these trivial matters?

“… Is the imperial task really just that?”

“Just that? It’s an imperial task, nonetheless.”

Though he spoke that way, Fedelian somewhat agreed with Johan’s sentiment.

“She’s my sister, but she’s always been unpredictably quirky. It seems you’ll need to deal with her. She’s shown interest in your title as Harsen Archmage.”

At those words, Johan slightly furrowed his brow. Attracting the interest of royalty wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

With attention already drawn from various directions, he wondered what might happen if he caught the eye of the Third Princess.

He didn’t want to create any variables until his engagement with Fransia was established, but there was no way around it. Rejecting an imperial task wouldn’t make sense.

“… Understood. Should I set off immediately?”

“Yeah. You’re in for a hassle.”

If Fedelian, who always looked at him disdainfully, said something like that, it could mean he was getting dragged into quite a bothersome affair.

“Well then, I’ll head to the Diamond Palace.”

Fedelian merely nodded without answering and waved his hand. It was a signal to hurry and get going.

Johan left the office. Before departing for the Diamond Palace, he returned to gather his things, and there he found Fransia looking thoroughly anxious.

“What’s going on? What kind of mission is it?”

“It’s nothing major. The Third Princess summoned me for tea time.”

“… Tea time? Did such a trivial thing get labeled as an imperial task?”

“Yes. I heard from the Deputy Head that strange tasks like this aren’t uncommon.”

“Ah…”

Upon hearing the mission details, Fransia, like Johan, blinked in utter disbelief.

“It certainly puts my worries to shame… I’m relieved yet troubled…?”

Fransia was probably new enough to the public affairs officer role that this would be the first encounter with something like this. She was only a few months ahead of Johan, after all.

“She mentioned I should come to the Diamond Palace immediately, so I must leave now. I’m sorry, but… you’ll have to go home alone today.”

They usually returned home together, but since he had to head to the imperial palace and there was no telling when the mission would end, it was best to send her off first.

“… It can’t be helped if the mission has come in.”

Fransia slumped her shoulders at the thought of having to return to the mansion alone. With him gone from her commute, it felt even lonelier than before.

“And… I don’t know when I’ll be back, so if I’m late, it’s better if you rest first.”

“Okay…”

“Don’t be too lonely. It’s just for today.”

Saying that, Johan kissed Fransia on the forehead and flashed a smile.

“Wha…?”

Fransia stared at Johan as if frozen for a moment, then quickly turned her head away. A blush rippled across her face, turning her cheeks bright red.

“I’ll be heading off now.”

“… Yes. Please be careful.”

Johan donned his outerwear and left the public affairs office.

To meet the Third Princess, Raliana Rojino.

*

The wheels stopped.

“We have arrived.”

“Good job.”

Johan looked around after stepping down from the carriage.

The Diamond Palace shone brilliantly like a gemstone, as its name suggested.

Marble columns adorned the palace, enhanced with diamond decorations, making the entire palace look like a shining fortress.

‘Impressive. Is this the pinnacle of power?’

Johan continued walking.

The heart of the Diamond Palace was its central garden, known as the Garden of Radiance.

Every leaf and petal here sparkled like jewels with the power of magic, and a crystal bridge spanned the pristine artificial pond.

The whole palace felt as if time had stopped, enveloped in a serene and eternal glow.

“Welcome.”

A gentle voice broke the tranquility. Turning his head, Johan saw a servant approaching through an exquisitely carved wooden archway.

Though her footsteps were quiet, the elegance surrounding her captivated him, harmonizing with the glow of the garden.

“Yes. Where might Her Highness the Princess be?”

“She is waiting in the Garden of Radiance.”

“Let’s go directly.”

“Yes.”

Guided by the servant, Johan stepped into the garden.

True to a place where royals lived, everything was impeccably maintained.
White and silver flowers bloomed, their softly swaying petals sparkling as if made from silk mixed with powdered jewels.

Quiet and peaceful yet delivering overwhelming beauty, the garden offered a noble solitude and moments of reflection to the royalty.

Given its long-standing history, it was incomparably magnificent to the Topaz Palace he had visited before when he met Rudella.

“You’ve arrived.”

Johan, lost in exploring his surroundings, found himself having already ventured deeper inside.

“Have you come?”

He spotted a woman sitting at a table, holding a teacup. Johan hurriedly bowed his head.

“I am honored to meet Your Highness the Princess.”

It was his first meeting with a princess with whom he wasn’t well acquainted. Believing first impressions mattered, Johan extended his greetings politely.

“There’s no need to be so stiff. I detest that. Being caught up in rules and order is just inflexible, isn’t it?”

The Third Princess shrugged her shoulders and drew a line of laughter on her lips. Contrary to the radiance she possessed, she was quite a lighthearted character.

“Nice to meet you, Harsen Archmage. As you know, it’s only polite to introduce myself: I am Raliana Rojino, the Third Princess. Someone like the sky of the empire.”

Only then was Johan able to truly look at the young woman named Raliana Rojino.

Her blonde hair shimmered like sunlit threads beautifully entwined, and her golden eyes instantly revealed her royal lineage.

Her clear, flawless skin and smile softened the air around her, amplifying her elegance, and her every movement radiated grace and confidence.

Her very presence seemed to overpower with a dazzling golden aura.

“Hmmm, indeed. She could be called the trophy of the social scene. Perfect proportions and chiseled features. Clear, pure skin, bright eyes, a well-defined nose…”

Raliana continued her appraisal, closely scrutinizing Johan’s face.

“Overall, you exude a fresh and refined vibe. Would you call it otherworldly beauty? It makes sense why all the young ladies in high society would swoon over you.”

Johan bowed his head slightly.

“I’m at a loss for words, receiving such praise.”

“You’ve likely heard it many times before, though?”

“That’s true.”

“Indeed, good-looking men should be rather brazen about it.”

Raliana giggled. It seemed she took a liking to him just by looking at his face.

“Your Highness, you are beautiful as well.”

Johan said. He typically didn’t praise women’s looks, but he couldn’t deny his honest impressions.

Nobles, descended from superior bloodlines, generally possessed stunning beauty, but Raliana stood out even among them.

Raliana shrugged her shoulders.

“I know that too. But I’ll thank you for saying it.”

“……”

Johan momentarily lost his words at her brazen yet bold demeanor.

“Oh, I’ve kept you standing too long. Sit down.”

“… Yes.”

Johan carefully took a seat across from Raliana. She looked at him with her calming golden eyes, surveying his face.

“Wow, you’re really handsome…”

Then she voiced her honest thoughts.

“Could you smile for me just once? I’d love to see your smile.”

“My smile…?”

“Yeah, a smile. It would be really nice to see you smile.”

Although he wasn’t particularly inclined to do so, since it was a simple request… he thought it wouldn’t hurt to oblige. After all, it was just about smiling.

“Alright. A smile should be doable.”

Following her request, Johan forced out a somewhat strained smile. The corners of his lips went up, but his eyes were cold… such a smile.

“Wow… Even an artificial smile is truly art.”

Raliana exclaimed in admiration. Her golden eyes sparkled as she gazed intently at Johan.

“Seeing you up close makes you even more charming.”

With her comment, Johan sighed inwardly. It was evident that Raliana’s interest wouldn’t end merely with curiosity.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Johan replied as calmly as he could, hiding his emotions. Raliana, still smiling, spoke in a low voice.

“Good. Harsen Archmage?”

“Yes.”

Their eyes met. Raliana tilted her head slightly with a smiling face, her golden hair flowing gently.

“I like you. Quite a lot.”