Chapter 6

"This is a relatively safe area of the castle town, but even though Lord Lukas is a knight, it's dangerous for him to walk alone at such a late hour."

While he is a knight and likely can handle most opponents, it's best to avoid being targeted. If anything were to happen to this important future son-in-law who came to visit me at night, I would be heartbroken.

"I understand your concern... but spending the night with a man and a woman together..."

Lukas voiced his objection, his expression one of confusion.

Since they were already engaged, there was no reason for others to dictate their private time. This country was quite tolerant of romantic relationships, even among nobles. Only the royal family would be concerned about such matters.

In other words, he was hesitant about sharing a bed with a woman he had no romantic feelings for. Of course, Viela didn't want that either.

"Please don't worry. I'll sleep in the living room, so you can use my bed, Lord Lukas."

"In the living room? There isn't even a sofa. Are you planning to sleep directly on the floor? I can't let a woman do that."

"It's fine. I have a secret weapon."

While being deeply moved by Lukas's excessive gentlemanly behavior, Viela retrieved a folded piece of fabric from the underfloor storage.

When she unfolded it, a thin metal box embedded in one part of the fabric became visible. She opened the lid and channeled her magic. The propeller inside the box began to spin, and the fabric, which was bag-like, started to inflate into a rectangular shape.

In no time, the air bed was complete.

"I'm surprised. You had something like this hidden?"

Lukas's eyes sparkled like a child's as he poked the air bed, which wobbled softly.

"It's fine. My sister stays over during long school breaks to save on travel expenses. The room isn't big enough to have an extra bed, and sleeping on a rug on the floor has its limits. So, I made this. It's quite bouncy, but it's better than the floor. Please use the bed without worry, Lord Lukas."

With separate beds and rooms, they could both sleep without feeling awkward.

"Lord Viela, how much weight can this support? I'd like to try it out."

Lukas crouched down and began to examine the bed closely.

"Would you really use such a makeshift bed, Lord Lukas?"

"On expeditions, I often sleep on the ground with just a mat. Compared to that, this seems much more comfortable, and I'm curious about how it feels."

With a slightly upward glance, his blue-gray eyes sparkled, and there was no reason to refuse such a request.

"I'll set it up right away!"

She covered the air bed with a fitted sheet and prepared a brand new blanket she had just bought.

Lukas cautiously lay down on the completed air bed, and when he realized it wouldn't break, his eyes sparkled again.

"It's more comfortable than I imagined. This is great. I want to take it on expeditions to remote areas."

"But you might retire before the next expedition."

"That's true. It still feels unreal."

Lukas chuckled.

Viela gently covered him with the blanket.

"I'm so relieved that you appeared before me and agreed to marry me. I can't provide a luxurious life, but I'll work hard as a wife to create a comfortable and peaceful home."

"I'm the one who should thank you for giving me the chance to be free. I'm glad to have met you, someone I can be casual with like a friend. You seem to be the best colleague and partner."

"That's wonderful. Good night, Lord Lukas."

"Good night, Lord Viela."

Thus, they spent the night peacefully.

The next morning, when Viela woke up, Lukas was already up. Despite sleeping separately, she felt a bit embarrassed as they greeted each other and had breakfast with the leftover sandwiches from the night before.

After breakfast, Lukas left the apartment early.

"Is this what it feels like to see my husband off?"

The fun of the previous night made her feel a bit lonely when they were apart, but she was also looking forward to seeing him again tonight. It felt similar to seeing her sister off after a long school break.

"Well, I should head to work and aim to set a new record for completing my quota today!"

Viela started her work on magic enchantment in the empty workplace. Today's task was to enchant wooden tokens with a fire-starting spell, which would make it easier to start a fire during expeditions.

Unlike yesterday, she planned to use the direct enchantment method from the start.

The advantage of the direct enchantment method is that it allows her to complete multiple small items at once. Today, she needed to finish her work on time and also make time for another mission.

"Director Dressler, I have a sudden announcement. I, Viela Yubert, am engaged and will be married in a month."

"---What?"

The director of the Magic Bureau's Technical Division, Dressler, widened his eyes in surprise, causing his glasses to slip down his nose.

She needed to consult with her superior about her resignation to return home after getting married.

"Viela, is that true?"

"Yes. It's sudden, but I need to discuss my work situation due to the marriage."

"Wow! Finally getting married! I've been waiting to hear this news for a long time."

Dressler wiped away his tears of emotion with a handkerchief, slipping it through the gap in his glasses.

Viela's face twitched at his excessive joy. She hadn't realized he was so worried about her being a late bloomer.

"Director... about my future work..."

"Ah! Don't worry. I'll make sure not to assign you as much work as before. Well, with marriage, that won't be necessary anyway."

Was he intentionally increasing her workload to make her want to retire early? If so, this would be easier to discuss.

As she thought this, Viela was about to bring up her resignation again, but...

"I can't just sit here! I need to go and smooth things over with various departments, so I'm off!"

Dressler left the workplace in high spirits.

"Smooth things over... with the Barrier Division, perhaps?"

She had been almost exclusively responsible for enchanting the equipment for the second team, led by Clement.

(Well, I hope it's not a problem.)

Leaving might cause inconvenience, and she was a bit worried about Clement's reaction, but the director seemed optimistic. Trusting him, Viela returned to her desk.