"Haa~!"

Accompanied by a yawn, Cocotte stretched lazily.

She blinked her eyes, looking at the contract handed to her.

"?"

Still drowsy, Cocotte lifted her head in confusion to look at the person in front of her.

A tall figure with flowing hair.

It was a woman.

If Cocotte remembered correctly, Viktor had mentioned having a sister.

Their scents were similar, so this must be her...

"You're Li..."

"Cocotte Yade, am I correct?"

Lia spoke first with a smile, causing Cocotte to pause.

Pointing at the contract, Lia said:

"You just need to sign your name here."

As she spoke, Lia handed Cocotte a pen.

Cocotte took the contract in a daze, reading the text. She suddenly became much more alert and sat up:

"Work for the Kravina family... eight hours a day... weekends off... room and board included..."

After reading it, Cocotte's hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

"This... this... this isn't right!"

"Hmm? What's not right?"

Lia looked at the contract with confusion. These were already the conditions for the lowest-level workers in the Kravina family.

She looked at Cocotte and said as if suddenly realizing something:

"Oh, I see what you mean."

Cocotte sighed in relief upon hearing this, but then saw Lia take out another contract and hand it to her.

In black and white, it clearly stated:

Full-time rest, but the signatory must resolve any difficulties that arise for the Kravina family when needed.

"This one is relatively more flexible."

"Viktor mentioned that you're a fourth-tier mage and a former council member, so this job should suit you better."

Cocotte felt somewhat frantic.

"No, no, no! Why do I need to work? I should just be able to sleep, right?"

Lia maintained her smile.

"Well, Viktor said we don't keep idle people in the Kravina family."

"Of course, you can choose not to sign."

Cocotte suddenly saw a glimmer of hope.

But then she noticed Lia's smile turn slightly menacing, and a sense of unease rose in her heart.

"Viktor said that if you don't sign, he'll tell your clan about your whereabouts."

"Ah, I don't really understand these things, I'm just passing on the message."

At this moment, Lia's smile appeared to Cocotte like that of a demon, penetrating her heart.

"So, three choices. Which one will you pick?"

Cocotte raised her head, slowly closing her eyes, allowing tears to flow down her cheeks.

These were tears of 'sorrow'.

Tears of 'frustration'.

If she could choose again, even if it meant sleeping in the magical chaos of Endymion, she would never have chosen to run to Viktor's mansion.

He's just a jerk!

Cocotte opened her eyes, a few crystal tears still lingering in the corners.

Since she couldn't resist, she might as well comply.

"The first one looks too tiring, I'll choose the second one!"

"Really?"

Lia's smile grew even brighter.

"Really!"

Cocotte nodded with certainty.

Only then did Lia let Cocotte sign her name on the second contract.

This contract had magical restrictions, probably some magic Viktor had attached to it.

After all, only the magic of a fourth-tier mage could restrict another fourth-tier mage.

As soon as Cocotte finished signing the contract and placed the pen in Lia's hand, she fell back into her cloud.

"I've signed it, so... there shouldn't be anything else for me to do, right?"

She clearly remembered that the contract stated she could rest all day, unless there was some trouble that required her to work.

Uh... only if there was something?

Cocotte suddenly realized something.

If there was something every day...

Wouldn't that mean she'd have to work every day?

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"Oh no."

Cocotte couldn't regret it now, she had already signed her name on the contract. She recalled with extreme frustration the verbal trap she had fallen into.

Lia smiled at her and said:

"Well then, let's prepare for your first day of work."

.......

The carriage slowly pulled up in front of Duke Levi's mansion.

Cocotte sat on a cloud, dozing off.

Seeing visitors arrive, a servant hurriedly ran inside the mansion to report.

Soon, Duke Levi appeared at the main door of the mansion.

He was slightly surprised when he saw Cocotte.

"Councilor Yade?"

Cocotte covered her mouth, yawning while glancing at Duke Levi:

"Oh, it's you."

During her time as a council member, Cocotte hadn't met many other mages.

But Duke Levi was one of the few she remembered.

He had once visited the Magic City to learn some powerful magic and brought it back to the empire.

However, Cocotte didn't have much recollection of those details anymore.

She said somewhat resentfully:

"Don't call me by that title, I'm not a council member anymore."

"Oh, I see."

Duke Levi nodded, understanding dawning in his mind.

Viktor had become the new council member, but the Mage Council certainly wouldn't break their rules just for Viktor.

There must have been a sacrifice who had to give up their council member status.

Now, Cocotte was that sacrificed person.

Even though she was no longer a council member, as a former member, she was still a powerful fourth-tier mage.

The necessary respect should still be shown.

But this combination, to be honest, felt a bit strange to Duke Levi.

Viktor's sister, bringing a former council member to his house...

It seemed odd no matter how he thought about it.

"Duke Levi, I'm here to help you," Lia said.

Previously, Duke Levi had been prepared to use his influence to help her out of trouble.

Of course, after Viktor intervened, the matter was essentially resolved.

So Duke Levi hadn't actually helped Lia much.

But...

Before Viktor returned, Duke Levi had indeed stepped forward.

Even if he hadn't really helped much, Lia felt she should acknowledge this gesture.

The Duke, looking at Lia who had come from afar, was touched. He was well aware that he had hardly done anything.

But he wouldn't be overly sentimental about it. It was a good thing that she was willing to come and help him.

"Miss Lia, I appreciate your kindness."

Cocotte watched the two of them from the side, completely puzzled.

She didn't understand what the two were talking about, and could only quietly lie on her cloud listening to them exchange greetings and converse.

Soon, under the Duke's guidance, Cocotte and Lia entered a room.

As soon as the door opened, a rush of natural energy hit Cocotte's nose.

"This is..."

"My daughter Erica's room," Duke Levi answered Cocotte's unspoken question.

As Cocotte entered the room, she saw a beautiful, delicate blonde girl lying peacefully on the bed.

However, strangely enough,

Vines and flowers were growing on her body, and these plants had even spread out, twining around the floor and walls.

The entire room was surrounded by flower clusters and wild grass.

A flower on her body was constantly undulating its petals, as if breathing.

Warm sunlight poured into the room, covering Erica's body.

Cocotte's eyes lit up.

With such rich natural energy, sleeping in this room would surely be wonderful.

But she was still a somewhat responsible elf, knowing that it was her working hours now and she couldn't slack off casually.

Even though she was dying of sleepiness, she couldn't actually lie down here.

"My daughter has been like this for the past few days."

"Strange plants grew on her body, and she fell into a coma at the same time."

Levi's brows were furrowed, his worry evident.

He had sought out every doctor in the capital these past few days, but each doctor who came said there was nothing wrong with Erica.

Even when examined with magic, she appeared to be in a very saturated state.

Lia looked at Erica, who had flowers growing on her, and nodded.

In this situation, no explanation was needed. How could a normal person have flowers growing on their body?

So she took out a bottle of red potion from her bag.

Earlier, when interrogating Chur, she had asked Viktor for five bottles, but ended up not using any of them.

These five bottles of restoration potion were left over.

"Duke, try giving this to Erica."

Duke Levi took the potion.

He naturally knew about the miraculous effects of these small red bottles. In fact, this was what he had been hoping for.

The Duke could only pin his hopes on this potion now.

He stepped over the flower bed, propped Erica up, and slowly poured the red potion into Erica's mouth.

After doing this, everyone watched Erica.

But the expected recovery did not occur.

"Huh?"

Lia stared at Erica, hardly believing what she was seeing.

The potion seemed to have made Erica's life energy even more vigorous, and there were even more flowers on her body.

"It... didn't work?"

If even this all-purpose potion made by Viktor had no effect... what could cure Erica?

Duke Levi felt somewhat desperate, but he couldn't show it.

Lia was pondering, feeling a bit strange.

"Is it possible that this isn't a disease?"

She had seen the miraculous effects of the potion with her own eyes.

It could even bring back people on the brink of death from poisoning.

If the potion had no effect, perhaps... these flowers growing on Erica's body...

Might be harmless?

However, Lia wasn't an expert, this was just her guess.

At this moment, Cocotte looked with surprise at the wildly growing flower bed around Erica.

"Such intense life force, what did you just feed her?"

Lia suddenly realized.

Right, she didn't understand these things, but wasn't there a ready-made fourth-tier mage right beside her?

"Cocotte, your work begins now."

"Eh?"

The shut-in elf was a bit confused, after all, even she didn't understand what kind of condition this was.

Duke Levi also looked at Cocotte with some expectation.

"Miss... Yade, please help Erica."

"Uwah, don't say anymore, I'll help! I'll help, okay?"

After all, as a former council member, Cocotte's sense of morality wasn't low.

She couldn't bring herself to ignore someone in need like this.

Most of the magic Cocotte had learned was nature magic, which could provide powerful and lasting beneficial effects to allies and herself.

So she sat on her cloud, floating to Erica's side.

Under the expectant gazes of the two, she mobilized the natural energy within her body, constructing a magic array in the air.

This was a relatively simple magic detection, mainly used to examine the energy structure of these strange flowers.

Soon, Cocotte's expression gradually became grave.

Finally, she dispelled the magic, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and slowly uttered three words:

"Druja?"