Meanwhile, Oracle watched the impressive Archduke couple with a shiver down his spine.

It was as if he was surrounded by armor, and it seemed that not even a needle could penetrate it, but it would crumble at her single touch…

When Oracle was biting his tongue and shaking his head inwardly,

“You.”

A cool voice called him.

“Is that your name?”

Startled by the sudden call, Oracle pointed at himself with his thumb.

“Stone, was it?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Your real name is ‘Oracle Decouvertaxio,’ right?”

“Yes, yes… what?”

Oracle jumped up from his seat in surprise.

Laura also looked at Killian with a surprised expression.

“How do you know that name?”

“I heard my wife mention it.”

Killian glanced at Laura.

Oops.

It seems that he heard it when she and Oracle signed a new contract.

“Oh, I see.”

Oracle’s shoulders drooped.

“Oracle Decouvertaxio, I will allow you if you do not damage the honor of the archducal family. You can claim the reward for working for the Archduchess in front of me.”

“Yeah.”

“Are there any other demands?”

“Uh… well…”

Oracle scratched his head with a cool expression.

“Speak up.”

“It’s about my name. I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone my real name.”

At Oracle’s words, Killian raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a very precious name that my mother gave me. I don’t want it to be used by anyone else for no reason.”

There was another reason.

He couldn’t refuse if someone called his real name and asked him for something.

But he didn’t want to tell that to Archduke Lucendorf.

He had a creepy feeling that if that beautiful man found out, he would eat him alive.

“Understood.”

Fortunately, Killian readily agreed to his request.

But Oracle was not happy.

He looked suspicious all the way until they arrived at the archducal mansion.

Killian got off the carriage first when the door opened.

“Archduchess.”

When he reached out his hand, Laura naturally took it.

“I had a really good time today.”

Killian nodded at her words.

“And to top it off, we’re really going to get a phoenix! It feels like a dream no matter how much I think about it!”

“The Archduchess has good taste.”

“Do you really think so?”

Laura pulled her lips up gently and blinked her eyes cutely.

Killian stopped walking. Then he tilted his head and looked down at her intently.

“…Yes.”

After a while, a low whisper was carried in the wind.

Oracle, who got off the carriage, kindly faced the Archduke and Archduchess.

He looked especially atArchduke Lucendorf, who looked at his wife with honey-dripping eyes.

‘Doesn’t that nobleman really know that his wife is someone else?’

Oracul gritted his teeth.

If one’s wife had gained weight and behaved differently, anyone would notice it even if they were oblivious…

“Sigh, is he just an idiot…”

Oracle shook his head reluctantly and followed the affectionate Archduke and Archduchess.

* * *

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

The sound of birds echoed through the peaceful glass garden.

Laura looked satisfied as she gazed at the installed stand on the desk.

This morning, she had the servants make it. It was a long, vertical pole with branches extending at intervals, used to hold various objects.

But on this stand, there was a bird perched.

“Don’t you find it comfortable here too?”

Laura reached out her hand and tickled the bird’s chest feathers.

Chirp, chirp.

The bird cooed.

“Eek, it’s ugly.”

Melissa shivered lightly.

“Be careful with your words. What if it gets hurt?”

“I’m sorry. But it’s just a fake, after all…”

“It got burned by fire.”

Laura gently stroked the partially burnt wings and tail of the bird.

The bird was the ‘fake phoenix’ that Laura had rescued from the Duke Tormaite’s party.

“He deliberately set himself on fire to deceive others as a phoenix, right?”

“That’s right. He’s a wicked person.”

“He’s really mean! He’ll receive divine punishment.”

“Ah, I should have taken care of it.”

Laura regretted it belatedly.

The bad merchant was the last thing on her mind when she thought about saving the injured bird.

“I’m sorry. If we meet again, I’ll give him a piece of my mind.”

Laura gently held the bird.

Chirp, chirp.

As if understanding her, the bird bobbed its head and poked her hand with its beak. It then wobbled to the side and shook its head in the air.

Melissa raised her eyebrows as she stared at the scene,

“Madam, isn’t it a little strange?”

“What is?”

“You said the bird had a rough time, so I think he’s a little out of his mind.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I’ve been watching him. He shakes his head a lot when he’s bored. It’s like he’s shaking something off. … Is there something here?”

Melissa reached out to the empty space next to the bird and waved her hand.

“There’s nothing here…”

Melissa murmured with a puzzled look.

Laura glimpsed at the empty space that Melissa had just waved at.

To be precise, it was a familiar.

The familiar that she had called to find Oracle hadn’t disappeared.

It was supposed to disappear after giving Laura Oracle’s location at Duke Tormaite’s mansion.

But for some reason, it had been hovering around the rescued bird.

Realizing that the creature would not disappear of its own volition, Laura did not force it to do so.

Besides, she found the familiar’s strange behavior fascinating, so she let it be.

As a result, when the bird escaped from its cage and landed on the stand, the familiar took up the empty space next to it.

The bird is now playing cutely with the familiar.

“It’s so interesting. Can you see this?”

Laura stroked the familiar’s head and talked to the bird.

Chirp, chirp.

The bird blinked its black eyes.

At that moment, Melissa smiled and spoke.

“Madam, you too. Are you copying this guy?”

She said it when she saw Laura waving her hand in the air.

“Anyway, it’s a little bigger than an ordinary bird. The sound is weird too. The feather color is beautiful, though.”

Melissa observed the bird with an interested look.

Although it was half-burnt by the fire, the red head and body and the blue wings and tail of the bird were beautiful.

“If you feed it well, it will grow new feathers. By the way, we can’t keep calling it ‘bird’ forever. We should give it a name.”

“What about Chirpie?”

“……”

Laura praised Melissa, who was blinking her eyes.

“I tried to name it after its sound, but is it weird?”

“……”

“I’m sorry. I’ll think of a better name.”

“It’s a really good name. It’s cute too.”

“……”

“You have a very bright mind, right?”

Laura admired Melissa.

“Th-thank you?”

Melissa was perplexed and bowed her head.

To be honest, she didn’t expect such excessive praise for a name she had partly said as a joke.

Besides, Laura had just glared at her with a threatening look.

“Hello, ladies!”

A loud voice was heard.

It was Oracle dressed as a hunter.

“Was the bed not uncomfortable?”

“It was very comfortable, Madam Archduchess! For me, who sleeps on the ground every day, this place is like heaven.”

“Thank goodness. You came at the right time. Sit here.”

After seeing Oracle sit across from her, Laura looked at Melissa.

“You should leave now.”

“Yes, madam. Please enjoy your conversation.”

Melissa bowed and left.

After confirming Melissa’s departure from the glass garden, Laura changed her tone of voice.

“It’s very hot, isn’t it?”

“Definitely, maybe because we’re in the south, but it’s hotter than usual.”

Oracle fluttered his shirt.

“Here, have this.”

Laura put ice cubes in the peach drink that Melissa had just brought.

“Oh, ice!”

Oracle quickly drank the refreshing beverage without taking a breath.

“One more glass, please! As expected, the ice you make is the best.”

Laura happily watched Oracle finish the second glass.

“So, what instructions do you have for me? You found the phoenix feather, one of the ingredients of the Elixir. Do you need the second ingredient?”

“That’s true, but…”

Laura hesitated for a moment.

In fact, she knew well what the second ingredient was.

The eye of a lizard.

She could ask Oracle to track down the person who had it.

But…

“There’s still something I haven’t solved.”

“There’s something you don’t know?”

Oracle burst into laughter.

“The third ingredient seems to be a bit tricky.”

“The heart of an ant?”

“Yes.”

“You still haven’t found out what it is?”

“I couldn’t find it even until I died.”

Laura recalled the memory of dissecting numerous ants and searching for their hearts, even moments before Warren killed her.

“Oh no. So the third ingredient is still a mystery?”

“No. I found a clue. Unfortunately, I couldn’t investigate it and died.”

Laura shrugged her shoulders.

“So, what is this clue?”

“It’s a white ant.”

“Huh?”

“The heart of a white ant is the third ingredient.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I can swear on my mana inside me.”

“Then it must be certain!”

Oracle clapped his hands together with a loud sound.

“First of all, please save the white ant.”

“Got it!”

“It must be alive.”

“Leave it to me!”

Oracle pounded his chest with his fist.

“After resting for a few days, it’s better to start looking from the Apostol Empire.”

“Got it.”

“It’s good to have you around, sir.”

Laura smiled with satisfaction.

Oracle will definitely find the white ant.

It was when she was drinking her beverage after finishing their important conversation.

“By the way, this place is amazing.”

Oracle looked around while admiring the various plants in the glass garden.

His face was filled with wonder.

“It seems like the owner of this house is a gentleman¹sorry, i don’t know how to appropriately translate 양반. I read that it’s used to address nobles in historical times but in the modern era, it’s something like ‘dude’ with a hobby of growing plants, right?”

“Pffft!”

Laura spewed out the peach drink she had in her mouth.

“Did you swallow a bug?”

Oracle casually wiped off the liquid on his clothes.

“Cough… Did you just say the owner of this house is a gentleman?”

Laura wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and looked puzzled.

“So, it’s the owner of this house. What should I call him?”

“You shouldn’t call him that in front of the Archduke.”

“Of course not. What do you take me for?”

Oracle straightened up.

Laura shook her head and took another sip of her drink.

“It’s dripping with honey.”

“Pffft!”

“What’s wrong?”

Oracle furrowed his brow slightly as he finished his second drink.

“What, what’s dripping with honey?”

“Honey is dripping.”

“……”

“Honey is dripping from the way the Duke looks at you.”

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  sorry, i don’t know how to appropriately translate 양반. I read that it’s used to address nobles in historical times but in the modern era, it’s something like ‘dude’