Chapter 25
Bern flinched, then spoke.
“There is a message from Lord Gerard.”
“Give it to me.”
Eloise tried to put on a firm expression and crossed her arms over her chest.
Don’t be surprised even if a magic card with Gerard’s voice pops out.
Just as she thought that, Bern cleared his throat.
“Eloise, the residence I offered you is still available. Every time I look at the empty room, I think of you.”
Eloise’s mouth fell open.
“…Did you just imitate his voice?”
“Yes.”
“You probably shouldn’t do that again.”
Bern did not have a talent for voice imitation.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind. So, have you made your decision?”
Eloise let out a sigh and looked down the hallway.
It was packed so tightly that even if she sucked in her stomach and crab-walked sideways, she still wouldn’t be able to pass through.
This is insane.
Running a hand through her hair, she finally spoke.
“For now, move the luggage to the residence Lord Gerard offered.”
“Then please sign this as well.”
The second paper Bern handed her was a move-in confirmation form.
**[I, as the Forecast Team Leader of the Magi Administration, confirm that I have moved into the top-floor residence in accordance with regulations.
Move-in date: ____ ]**
Today.
[…] I hereby confirm my residence move-in and sign below.
After reading the form, Eloise clicked her tongue at Gerard’s thoroughness.
Once she signed this, there would be no turning back.
Reversing a move-in required a complicated procedure, and it was impossible to predict how many days it would take to return to her original dorm.
Honestly, a big room, a luxurious bed, and a private bathroom all sound great, but…
Would she really be able to hide the fact that she had regressed while living so close to him?
And Lord Gerard is very perceptive!
Eloise was excellent at work, but her daily life skills were… a bit sloppy.
If Merlin were here, she’d probably correct that to “very.”
What if Lord Gerard gets disappointed and kicks me out? I’d hate that.
Even so, Eloise made a utilitarian decision.
She was a civil servant, after all.
For the greater good, she carefully signed both the receipt and the move-in confirmation form.
This was the right choice… right?
Her hand trembled slightly, but Bern pretended not to notice.
****
That evening, Eloise returned not to the annex dormitory but to the highest-floor residence within the Magi Administration.
Bern said he would move the rest of her belongings in advance, so the only thing she brought with her was the green gem she had kept under her bed.
After passing two identity checks and entering Gerard’s residence, Eloise was startled once by the brightly lit interior—
And then startled again by the fireplace glowing with a red gem.
Thanks to a red gem the size of a small child glowing brightly inside the fireplace, the enormous space—almost too wide to feel cozy—was warm.
It was worlds apart from the cold dormitory where she had to sleep clutching hot water bottles under her arms whenever the weather turned chilly.
Merlin suddenly came to mind.
I should sell the green gem soon and at least buy her a small red gem.
Thinking that, Eloise went into her room.
The items that had shocked her that morning were neatly arranged inside.
Even so, seeing the empty space left behind made her realize once again how huge the room was.
Even considering she was an S-rank healer, the treatment was excessive.
And it was different from the past.
In her previous life, Gerard never interfered in Eloise’s daily life.
Even when she struggled in the support team, he only encouraged her, saying, “You’ll do well.”
When she casually mentioned that the dorm was cold, he merely listened.
Later, the overall heating level of the dormitory increased, but given Gerard’s personality, it couldn’t have been his doing.
Why are you being so kind to me now? And why are you giving me dresses like this?
Eloise rummaged through the colorful dresses.
They were the kind one would wear to parties—designs favored by high-ranking officials or elegant nobles.
Her hands moved carelessly over the fabric.
But her eyes sparkled.
Each dress looked like something a princess would wear.
Putting on a princess dress, wearing a tiara studded with hundreds of diamonds—
And then a prince on a white horse appears to complete the fairy tale.
Wasn’t that a dream every little girl had at least once?
Eloise had dreamed it too, long ago, reading a tattered princess storybook in the corner of an orphanage.
But it was a dream she had discarded after experiencing the cruelty of the world firsthand.
And she preferred winning things herself rather than receiving them from others.
Something given out of goodwill could be taken away one day—but what she earned herself could not be easily stripped from her.
As she grew up, Eloise chose to become the prince rather than the princess.
Being someone who has everything and chooses for herself is far cooler.
Her job. Her home. Even men.
Even so, it was only natural for her eyes to be drawn to beautiful things.
Eloise finally looked away from the dresses.
“Do you like them?”
Her shoulders flinched.
Gerard was standing behind her—she hadn’t noticed when he arrived.
Shouldn’t he knock?
The thought barely formed before Eloise sighed internally.
I left the door open.
She turned to face him.
He looked slightly tired.
“You’re back?”
“Yes. I am.”
It was just a greeting, yet their exchange carried the air of newlyweds.
They lived in completely separate spaces, but simply sharing the entrance and sitting room gave off a “family” feeling.
Something Eloise had never had.
Gerard’s gaze lingered on Eloise’s hand as she fiddled with her warmed-up ears.
After a brief silence, she suddenly looked up.
“Today’s gifts and this residence… they’re a bit too much.”
“I suppose I went overboard.”
Gerard readily admitted that he had bought everything with his own money.
“But I had no choice. You are my healer, and I can’t stand seeing you looked down on. From now on, your reputation is mine.”
“But no one else knows I’m your healer.”
“What matters is that I know.”
Confident men viewed and interpreted the world entirely from their own perspective.
Normally, it was rather irritating.
But when Gerard did it, she found herself nodding along.
“I’ll be careful not to harm your reputation.”
“Then at least accept the gifts.”
Gerard gestured toward the dresses and belongings with his chin.
“Where would I even wear something like that?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
Eloise blinked.
“Were you not planning to attend Healers’ Night?”
Healers’ Night.
Twice a year, the Magi Administration held a banquet for healers.
On that day, healers were treated like royalty.
Even mages were no exception.
For that one night, mages and healers returned to being ordinary men and women, socializing and easing long-held awkwardness and resentment.
The rule prohibiting mages from giving personal gifts to healers was temporarily lifted.
And healers chose which mage they would bring with them to Healers’ Night.
Because the event was attended by everyone from the imperial family to high-ranking nobles, ambitious mages all competed to make an impression.
They put in effort to be chosen by a healer.
Sometimes for a week.
Sometimes for half a year.
This was a result even Eloise—who had proposed the idea and worked on its initial planning—had never anticipated.
She had simply wanted healers to be in a position of power for at least one day.
After much deliberation, Healers’ Night was born.
It consumed an enormous budget, but party-loving royals and nobles donated generously.
The imperial family even lent out the grand banquet hall usually reserved for royal birthdays.
As the event continued year after year, mages became more careful with their behavior, and healers gradually built relationships with courteous mages.
But there was an unexpected side effect.
Healers began competing with one another.
Like mages, healers were officially ranked from A to F and treated accordingly.
Normally, because they were so busy and rarely saw one another, there was little opportunity for comparison or envy.
But Healers’ Night was different.
Everything was laid bare.
The dresses they wore. The jewelry they owned. Their glossy skin and hair—everything revealed their rank and living standards.
As healers gathered all at once, they scanned one another, competed silently, and sometimes seethed with frustration.
And eventually, all of that resentment was directed at the Support Team.
