Chapter 126

I wanted to return his affectionate smile, but my acting skills were so poor.

"It doesn't usually end with a kiss on the forehead. Isn't it natural to love?" The couple held hands tightly and kissed each other's lips briefly.

How did you succeed with a forehead kiss but not a real one?

That seems like an impossible mission, right?

Is everything like that when you're in love? I didn't know what to do, so I just smiled awkwardly.

Until the day of the negotiations, I had a fruitful and hectic schedule. I collected information about dragon eggs, prepared lectures, and practiced acting under the coaching of the Marquis of Padel and Hain.

And finally, the day of the negotiation came.

I can do well.

I patted my waist and checked the stationery store one last time. On the second floor, Isaac and Dominic were arranging dragon eggs, and on the first floor...

There is a fake with my face.

Everything was Isaac's plan. Lennox was constantly on guard, so I couldn't just lock the stationery store door. It would only make him more suspicious.

Of course, you can brainwash the spies to make them think I'm running the stationery store as usual...

But even the children who frequented the stationery store couldn't be brainwashed. As a result, we planned to pretend to be doing normal business and set up a stand-in. The stand-in could be attacked at the stationery store, so he had to be someone with outstanding magical abilities, a sense of familiarity even when he was away, and someone who would never betray us. One person who met all these conditions was...

"Ah, I'm going to be Meldenik. This is the first time I've ever tried such sophisticated camouflage magic! After all, Isaac..."

...It was Rasmus, the wizard of the magic tower.

Rasmus was sitting in front of the counter while I was tidying up the inside of the stationery store, looking at his changed face.

I whispered fiercely to him, "Don't spread your legs."

"Oh, right!" He pressed his legs tightly together.

He seemed quite awkward in my dress, and he fiddled with his hair until he saw my gaze and stopped.

Is it true that he won't be discovered?

I let out a short sigh. While we were talking, I heard a knock on the door.

Who is it?

It was the morning self-study time at the academy, so it wasn't the right time for the children to come.

Is someone coming to visit me?

Confused, we looked at each other and stopped. I turned to the window first to see who was visiting. Outside the door, a familiar figure with red cheeks was standing there. I stopped when I saw the small boy through the window. It was Prince Axion.

Why did you come? Did you come to eat candy?

Still, he wasn't a dangerous person, so I was relieved for now. After telling Rasmus to hide, I paused for a moment as I was about to open the door.

"Rasmus." I slapped him on the shoulder and said seriously, "This is your chance to test your acting skills."

"Yes?"

Facing the bewildered Rasmus, I cheerfully brought up the main topic. "Pretend to be me for Axion." I patted Rasmus on the shoulder once more and hid behind the shelf.

Rasmus hesitated with a dazed expression on my face and opened the door.

"Mel! I'm here, Axion!"

Axion rubbed his face against Rasmus's dress with my face on it.

"Wow!"

Rasmus gasped. It was an awkward and strange movement for anyone to see. I clenched my fist, thinking he was naive enough to be discovered right away. More than that!

Don't make such a stupid face with my face!

Fortunately, Axion didn't seem to notice Rasmus's identity. The boy took out a small recording from his uniform pocket.

"Mel! I'll give you something! Look!"

"Hmm." Rasmus nodded awkwardly, wrinkling his nose.

With a crackling sound, children's voices began to play in the recording. "Hello, ma'am! I'm Sela, the class president of the beginner class. I'm looking forward to the day I meet you!"

There was a brief noise and then it stopped. Soon, many children's voices overlapped. The children behind Sela's face seemed to be sticking out and shouting mischievously.

"Teacher!"

"Teacher, I can't wait to see you!"

"So many friends are looking forward to it, ma'am! See you soon!"

I could only hear the children's voices, but somehow my heart warmed. I put my cold hand over my red cheek to cool it down. They don't know that I'm going to hurt Lennox, the adulterer, but I'm very encouraged by their words now.

However, it seemed that Axion's work wasn't over yet. He brought his lips forward and put his arms around his waist, making a solemn and serious declaration.

"My Majesty, my mother, will also come to observe the class! It's a parent observation class."

"What, is Her Majesty the Empress...?"

"Yes! Her Majesty Mother has become healthier and has been going out a lot, but she is still looking forward to this schedule the most!"

Axion's unexpected words made Rasmus's mouth open hideously. To Rasmus, who was using my face so uglily, Axion brought his fist to his heart and gasped heavily.

"Mel is so cool when she opens her mouth! It's so cool!"

No, not at all. More than that, what's going on with this?

If the Empress comes to observe my class, it will be too burdensome?

Of course, I was delivering the roots of the Hyphanel flower to the imperial palace every week for her health. However, Axion, who had just dropped this bombshell, was calm. The little boy waved his hand loudly at Rasmus, who had my face, rummaged through his pockets, checked his pocket watch, and closed his mouth tightly. Axion, whose face was crushed like a soft bun, waved his hand with a swaying arm.

"It's late. See you later!"

When I saw that Axion had completely left, I showed my face to Rasmus. Rasmus let out a desperate moan.

"Oh my God..." He also knew his poor acting skills.

I gave a cold assessment of Rasmus. "Your acting skills are too serious. I really don't think you're like me."

"Well, by the way, Her Majesty the Empress is also coming, so I need to prepare for the observation class. And again..."

Instead of making excuses for his poor acting skills, Rasmus awkwardly tried to change the subject.

"This... You should sit down at the negotiating table with my Isaac, right?"

...Well, now was the time to focus on the final eradication of the adulterous man. I smoothed out my wrinkled expression and nodded. Just in time, Isaac, who had finished all the preparations, was coming down from the second floor.

I coughed at his broad shoulders. It was time to act as a couple with that man.

"I'm going to go to the residence of the Marquis of Padel and use camouflage magic right away."

I briefly sent a message to Dominic, who was protecting the dragon's egg on the second floor of the stationery store.

Dominic, I'm coming!

"Be careful."

After hearing his tone mixed with worry, I felt strangely relaxed. I smiled and playfully held out my hand to Isaac.

"Are you going now, husband?"

After a few performances, I was quite encouraged. Isaac smiled brightly, with an expression that couldn't be more refreshing.

"Yes, my lady."

Behind my back, I heard the sound of Rasmus slapping his own face. But neither of us cared about such trivial things. It was just before the big deal.

The Duke of Hesman sent a carriage with blackened windows to the manor where the Padels were temporarily staying. He asked me to come in a black carriage secretly because security was important.

It seems he was worried that I would get in the middle. He doesn't know I've already intervened.

I was enchanted by camouflage magic and became Mrs. Hain, smiling and riding in a black carriage with Isaac. So the empty black carriage picked me up and Isaac and headed back to the Duke of Hesman.

"It's quiet."

The Duke's residence was quiet, perhaps because the meeting between Duke Hesman and the Magic Kingdom was being kept a secret. After passing through the huge gate and through the middle gate, our carriage finally arrived in front of the most intimate villa of the Duke of Hesman's capital residence.

I, with half of my face covered with a veil, and Isaac, wearing a bowler hat, opened the door and got out. In front of the carriage stood Lennox, who had come out to greet them early. I looked at his face and thought to myself,

It's been a long time since I've seen you, but it's still a new and irritating face.

He winked at the servant holding a large parasol as if he were a gentleman. As soon as the servant came near me to block the sun, Lennox rubbed his hands and gave me a sharp greeting.

"Welcome, Marquis Padel."

"Nice to meet you."

Isaac shook Lennox's hand. His gaze was cold, but his acting was quite natural. Lennox took Isaac's hand, shook it, and looked at me with a hint of excitement.

"Is this the Marquise Hain? She is beautiful."

After greeting Isaac, Lennox turned to me and shook my hand, pretending to be polite. I looked at him and tried to narrow my eyebrows, but I stopped. I am not Meldenik Kinnoa now. She is Lady Hain, the Marquise of Padel of the Demon Kingdom.

Brainwashing myself, I acted with a smile on my lips. "It's unlucky, but I have to say hello."

But just as I was about to reach out, Isaac's hand wrapped tightly around my waist and he whispered, "My wife doesn't like to have contact with other men besides me."

Apparently, Isaac wanted to cut off contact between me and Lennox at the source.