Penelope weighed her decision carefully.
If Count Lanteon’s title and assets hadn’t been confiscated, it was likely he had maintained a neutral stance in the political landscape. In that case, Lucas was more or less an innocent bystander caught in the fallout.
Poor thing, Penelope thought, offering a moment of silent sympathy for him.
“What kind of work did you do at the Imperial Library?” she asked finally.
“I organized and managed the library’s collections,” Lucas replied.
A librarian, then, Penelope mused, considering his qualifications. If Count Lanteon had sponsored him to attend the Imperial Academy, Lucas’s capabilities were likely impressive.
However, as he wasn’t a noble, he’d probably only been hired for a lower-level position, such as a librarian.
Still, working in the Imperial Library is an accomplishment. Plus, a librarian isn’t a high-profile or politically sensitive role, so there shouldn’t be any major issues.
Having reached a conclusion, Penelope spoke decisively.
“I’ll give you a trial period of one month. During that time, we’ll assess your performance before making a final decision. You’ll be paid your full salary for the month.”
“...Are you serious?” Lucas’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Penelope nodded. Once she’d made up her mind, she saw no reason to hesitate.
“If possible, I’d like you to start as soon as possible. While you’re on probation, we’ll arrange temporary accommodations for you. If you’re hired permanently, you’ll live in the main estate.”
“Thank you! I’ll work hard!” Lucas exclaimed, standing up and bowing deeply.
Penelope smiled at his enthusiasm and asked the all-important question.
“When can you start?”
“Next week—no, I can start tomorrow!” Lucas’s eyes sparkled with determination. He must have thought his chances of finding a job here were slim.
To be fair, I almost turned him down. But finding someone this qualified in Halo is rare.
As someone who graduated from the Imperial Academy, Lucas was undoubtedly overqualified. Turning him away would have been difficult for Penelope, especially considering how hard it was to attract talent to a remote northern territory.
Besides, the Emperor wasn’t the type to meddle in the affairs of a small estate like Halo, nor was the Empress.
The Emperor isn’t petty, and the Empress even less so, Penelope thought. She was fairly confident in her understanding of their personalities. If anything, they might feel sorry for someone like Lucas.
Penelope stood up and gave her final instructions.
“Honestly, I’d prefer you to start next week, but we’re swamped right now. Please report to work tomorrow. Speak to the steward about your interview allowance before you leave.”
“...Interview allowance?” Lucas asked, visibly confused.
“You must have spent some money traveling here. Consider it a small reimbursement for your efforts. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Acting Baroness!” Lucas bowed again, his voice brimming with gratitude.
Just then, the door to the office burst open, startling Lucas. Ahwin walked in, only to pause and stare at the unfamiliar man.
“...Who’s this?”
“I just hired a secretary. He starts tomorrow,” Penelope replied casually.
“He’s a man.”
“What does gender have to do with anything? As long as he does his job well, that’s all that matters.”
Ahwin openly frowned, making it clear he wasn’t pleased with the choice.
Since when did I need Ahwin’s approval for hiring decisions? Penelope thought, unimpressed by his reaction.
She took a moment to observe him. He seemed even paler and more tired than usual, with dark circles under his eyes. It looked like his recent work had taken a toll on him.
“Well, see you tomorrow, Lucas,” Penelope said, dismissing him.
“Y-yes! Thank you, Acting Baroness. I’ll see you tomorrow!” Lucas stammered as he hurriedly left the office, clearly unsettled by Ahwin’s presence. Penelope could only hope he remembered to collect his interview allowance.
Turning back to Ahwin, she asked, “What brings you here?”
“It’s mealtime. Aren’t you eating lunch?”
Penelope frowned.
“Lunch was hours ago! It’s already three in the afternoon.”
“Ah, is that so?” Ahwin replied, finishing his sentence with a long yawn.
Penelope could easily imagine how his day had gone—skipping meals, forgoing sleep, and burying himself in his research.
“I told you to at least eat on time, even if you don’t sleep,” she said, exasperated. Turning to Giselle, she added, “Can you bring us something light? I’ll just have some herbal tea.”
“I’ll get it ready right away,” Giselle replied, leaving to prepare the meal.
Giselle smiled brightly and left the office.
Ahwin yawned again as he sat on the sofa. Penelope resumed her seat and asked a question.
“How’s the work on the Green Herb Cosmetics going?”
“Oh, that. That’s actually why I came.”
“Is it not going well?”
When Penelope’s face showed concern, Ahwin chuckled softly.
“It’s already done.”
“Already?”
It had only been a week, and he had already completed the Green Herb Cosmetics?
Penelope was startled. She was reminded once again that the wizard before her was a genius who could accomplish almost anything when he put his mind to it.
Ahwin let out a third yawn and said, “It wasn’t particularly difficult. It was just a matter of adjusting the concentration of the Green Herb extract. But we’ll have to test its efficacy to be sure.”
“Don’t worry about that. The maids will line up to volunteer for the testing.”
“Oh, then I’ll leave that to you.”
With that, Ahwin laid his head back on the sofa as if he had no more energy. Penelope blinked, puzzled.
“He’s really going to sleep here?”
His breathing soon slowed. He had actually fallen asleep.
He must have spent the entire week tirelessly working on alchemical experiments.
“Seriously, a wizard’s curiosity knows no bounds.”
Not to mention, Ahwin was at the pinnacle of wizards as the Mage Tower Master. His curiosity must be of the king-sized variety.
Penelope sighed, picked up a robe hanging on the coat rack, and draped it over his body. Even if the room was warm, it was better to have something covering him while he slept.
“I’ll have food placed on the table for him later.”
After tucking the robe over Ahwin, Penelope crouched down in front of him with a sigh.
“He really is handsome.”
With his eyes closed and sleeping so peacefully, he looked like an angel descended from the heavens. She could now understand why people couldn’t take their eyes off him.
“Will there ever come a day when I get used to this face?”
Every time she saw him, her heart would jolt uncomfortably. She didn’t want to be so aware of him, yet she couldn’t help it.
As Penelope stared absentmindedly at Ahwin, she suddenly noticed something about his hair. The discrepancy from the original description had been bothering her.
Looking closer, the roots of his hair were glossy, but the lower parts were dry and brittle. The color was also subtly different.
“This can’t be...”
It was evidence of dye.
The damage to his hair must have come from dyeing it. Her long-standing curiosity was solved in an instant, and Penelope let out a hollow laugh.
“I’ve been wondering about it for so long, and it turns out it was just dye.”
Everything he did was always unexpected.
At that moment, a voice startled her.
“What are you staring at so intently?”
“Ah! You scared me!” Penelope flinched and fell backward in surprise, landing on her backside. Supporting herself on the carpeted floor, she asked, “Wait, were you not asleep?”
“When someone stares at a sleeping face with such a suspicious grin, even a demon would wake up.”
“I—I wasn’t grinning suspiciously!”
Her face flushed bright red. Ahwin, however, acted as though Penelope’s denial was entirely unconvincing.
“Anyway, you were definitely staring at my face.”
“No, I mean, I was just covering you with the robe... and then I noticed your hair. The color at the roots is different.”
“Oh, really?”
Ahwin chuckled lightly and extended a hand to help her up. As she took his hand and began to rise, she lost her balance and fell forward onto him.
She heard a dull thud as they collided.
“Did I hit my head wrong?” Penelope felt dizzy and disoriented.
Ahwin groaned faintly. He seemed to be genuinely hurt.
“Seriously, how could you slam into my chest so hard?”
“I’m sorry, but my head hurts too.”
“I almost passed out.”
Ahwin grabbed her shoulders and helped her stand. Penelope, her face burning with embarrassment, took a step back. Her forehead throbbed, and she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.
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“Are you okay?” she asked hesitantly.
“Not at all. I think it’s bruised.”
“Come on, bruised? Aren’t you incredibly strong?”
“I wasn’t expecting you to hit me. You caught me off guard.”
She couldn’t argue with that.
Penelope pressed a hand to her forehead, looking crestfallen.
“I’m really sorry. My legs just gave out.”
“It’s not that big of a deal. I was just saying.”
Ahwin clicked his tongue as if he couldn’t believe her clumsiness and flicked his fingers.
“Come here.”