Kaichen was in a bad mood. It had already been a week since he went out to show Dalia around Heulin. Rumors spread in the social circles about the duel with Sir Chushinik Petral that day. He wasnt one to dwell on rumors, so he ignored them. But Julius nagged him for more than half an hour everyday about it.

What were you thinking? A duel for Lady Sorel?! To be caught up in such a cheap scandal just days before Countess Alshines social debut! I can already see it: a fierce love triangle with the Archmage in between!

It was true that Lamia Sorel was the cause of the duel, but he sided with Dalia. His stomach twisted when he thought of a woman who would have spread such a rumor. Be it past or present, she was the very same woman. It was an absurd scandal. It wouldnt last long. Right now, there were more important issues to attend to.

Kaichen wondered why he felt so awful. He stared at Dalias bedroom door as if he was going to break it. Exactly whats the problem? Did she hear about the scandal? Did she misunderstand? But why?

There were countless questions, but Dalias bedroom door remained closed. It had already been a week. For some reason, Dalia had locked herself inside. He had no choice but to hang around in front of the door. At first, he wondered what kind of research she had fallen into but he realized that she was avoiding him on purpose when he saw that she didnt bump into him even when eating.

Did she notice? On the way back, when she had linked her arms with him his rationality was on the verge of breaking. His whole body trembled at the close contact. He thought he might have an accident if he stayed like that, so he hurriedly left.

D*mn. Even though he only guessed the possibility, he felt awful. As if dying to express his feelings, whenever he stood in front of her, his heart pounded, and it showed its presence. He couldnt even breathe. As expected, it might have been a little burdensome.

He sighed and ruffled his hair. He felt fortunate that there was a ball today. If not, Dalia would avoid him forever. He thought he was lucky to get to see her even for a while. He stood at the front door of the mansion and waited for Dalia.

White walls and black roof. As he looked at the mansion, he thought of Dalia. She had named it the Black Mansion because it looked gloomy. It was so large that it was hard to believe that it was the residence of the Countess of the countryside territory, who was just about to make her social debut.

It is not too far from the Imperial Palace and is properly separated from the active city center, so it is convenient to move and isnt very noisy, making it one of the most expensive streets in Heulin. The Black Mansion was a mystery site of Heulin. The person in charge came and went, but the owner of the mansion was never seen, so it was questionable whether someone really lived there. Kaichen looked at the mansion calmly and laughed as he thought of the rumors about the mansion that Julius had once told him about.

The Black Mansion was owned by Kaichen. Hamal, the teacher, had received it along with the title of the Archmage from the previous emperor. Kaichen, who had to frequently visit Heulin because of Julius, used the mansion as a temporary residence because he could not sleep in an inn. Julius complained about using the mansion as a temporary residence, but Kaichen had no intention of returning it to the Imperial Palace. When Dalia was invited to Heulin, he had given up the mansion without hesitation when Julius said he needed to find a place for her.

You are going to give away the teachers house?

It is technically my house.

But sometimes the Teacher uses that mansion when he comes to the Imperial Palace.

Its okay to stay as a guest.

Staying as a guest in his own house? Ha! The teacher will faint if he hears that.

He is the kind of person who will just laugh it off.

You really are crazy. Thats why it is said that you shouldnt be kind to people. They will give your house away if you do.

Julius had hesitated, but he went through the procedure faster than anyone else and changed the owner of the mansion to Dalia. Dalia did not know that the original owner of the Black Mansion was Kaichen. She only thought that it was too great of a house that Julius had found for her, and Kaichen did not mention it. She was usually unnecessarily brazen, but she was quite hesitant to ask for help when she needed it.

Kaichen had a hard time understanding Dalia. She pretended to be pitiful to get help with unimportant things, but never said a single word when she really needed help. Especially regarding financial difficulties, she would never ask for help.

She didnt even use the high bank key I gave her.

She used the money that Julius gave her as compensation generously, while she never used the key, he gave her. She carried it with herself with care but didnt use it. Is it that bothersome for her?