I AM A MAGE BUT WITH MILF SYSTEM

Julian gave a small, almost gentle nod.

”I am.”

The honesty in his voice left little room for doubt. For the first time since her arrival in the Astran Duchy, Elara felt the suffocating weight of the political arrangement loosen. In its place was unexpected turn of events: that someone saw her ambition not as an obstacle, but as something worth waiting for.

A soft, disbelieving laugh escaped her, half nervous and half overwhelmed.

”You are a very strange man, Lord Kraven,” she said, her voice still carrying the tremor of shock. ”Strange… and unexpectedly kind.”

Julian’s faint smile returned.

”I have been called worse.”

They stood there on the sunlit path, the space between them no longer filled only with politics or the aftermath of a duel.

Elara looked down for a moment, then back up at him.

”Then… I will hold you to that,” she said quietly. ”When the war is over… I will be waiting to see if you keep your word.”

Julian bowed his head slightly.

”I intend to.”

The morning continued around them, but both of them knew the kingdom would not remain this quiet for long. And when the storm finally arrived, each would walk their own path... until the day those paths were meant to meet again.

***

And with that, Julian guided Elara back toward the castle. They continued a light conversation as they walked and Elara seemed genuinely more at ease now. The path from the gardens to the main hall felt shorter than it had earlier that morning.

Once they stepped into the main hall, the warm interior light and the low murmur of conversation greeted them. The Duke and the Count were seated near the large windows, each with a glass of wine in hand, laughing loudly as they recounted stories from their younger days.

Meanwhile, Countess Clara was gesturing animatedly toward a piece of jewelry on her wrist, explaining something with clear enthusiasm while Olivia listened with genuine fascination. She occasionally nodded and offered comments of her own.

The moment Julian and Elara stepped inside, all attention turned to them.

The laughter from the Duke and Count quieted first. Both men looked over, their expressions shifting into something more curious and amused. Vanessa, who had been standing near the side table, immediately brightened and waved them over. Olivia’s gaze lingered on Julian for a brief second before she offered Elara a warm, polite smile. The Countess’s expression was more reserved, though she kept her composure.

The Duke raised his glass slightly in greeting, a broad grin spreading across his face.

”Well, well,” he said, his voice carrying the residual humor of whatever story he had just finished. ”Look who finally decided to return. We were beginning to wonder if the two of you had gotten lost in the gardens… or if the duel had left you both too exhausted to walk straight.”

The Count chuckled deeply, swirling the wine in his glass. ”I told you they would be fine. Young people need a little time to speak without old men hovering over them. Though I must say, Elara, you look far less like you want to set the courtyard on fire than you did an hour ago. Progress.”

Elara’s cheeks colored faintly at the teasing. She dipped her head politely.

”Father,” she said, a small smile tugging at her lips. ”You make it sound as if I was completely unreasonable.”

”You nearly drowned the courtyard and then tried to drop a spirit the size of a house on the young lord,” the Count replied, still smiling. ”I would call that a spirited negotiation at the very least.”

The Duke laughed openly at that, shaking his head. ”Your daughter has fire, Azmed. I will give her that. Most young mages would have yielded the moment they felt the gap in realm. She kept coming. I respect it.” He then turned his attention to Julian, his eyes gleaming with paternal amusement. ”And you, Kraven. Walking her back yourself? How unusually gentlemanly of you. Should we be concerned?”

Julian met the teasing without missing a beat.

”I simply thought Lady Elara deserved a proper escort after the morning she has had,” he replied. ”It seemed the least I could do.”

Vanessa grinned from the side. ”Brother is being surprisingly well-behaved today. I almost do not recognize him.”

Olivia, still seated near the Countess, offered a word of her own. ”It is good to see the two of you speaking comfortably. The betrothal will be far smoother if you can at least stand each other’s company.”

The Countess gave a small, tight smile at that, though her eyes still carried wariness when they flicked toward Julian. She did not voice any objection, and instead turned the conversation slightly by asking Elara if she needed to rest after the exertion of the duel.

Elara shook her head politely. ”I am fine, Mother. Truly. The walk helped.”

The Duke leaned back in his chair, still clearly enjoying himself. ”Good. Then perhaps we can all sit and finish this wine properly. Azmed and I were just discussing the time he nearly set his own training grounds on fire trying to impress a certain young lady who later became his wife.” He glanced at the Countess with a mischievous look. ”I believe that story still has a few details left untold.”

The Count groaned. ”Must you bring that up every time we drink? I was young and foolish.”

”You were young, foolish, and extremely dramatic,” the Duke corrected, raising his glass again. ”Much like certain other young people I could mention.”

His gaze flicked meaningfully between Julian and Elara, drawing another round of light laughter from Vanessa and even a small, reluctant smile from Olivia.

Elara glanced sideways at Julian, her earlier shock from the garden still lingering quietly beneath the surface, but the warmth of the hall and the teasing atmosphere made it easier to carry. Julian, for his part, remained composed, though the faint curve at the corner of his mouth suggested he was not entirely immune to the lighthearted mood.