Summon the Modern Lady!

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Knock. Knock.

The sound echoed through the cramped office, muffled slightly by the precariously stacked boxes and loose papers crowding the space near the door.

A month had passed since the Banquet of Honors had concluded, its memory now tucked away amidst the bustle of preparations for the approaching Winter Solstice.

Emette Ruchuster-Glandza, as expected, was especially busy.

"Come in," he called out, his voice tired yet firm.

The door creaked open, nudging aside one of the smaller boxes. Cheska stepped inside, her short hair tied into two neat low buns. "Good mor...ning?" she greeted, starting with a bright smile that faltered as her gaze swept over the room.

Though relatively clean, the space was overwhelmed by chaos.

Papers were stacked haphazardly on the desk, some spilling onto the floor, while boxes of various sizes cluttered every corner. Some were open, revealing decorative trinkets, while others remained sealed.

Her eyes, however, quickly locked onto something else.

A man stood quietly in the corner of the room, his posture relaxed and a faint smile playing on his lips.

His dark green hair glinted under the weak light streaming through the window, and his eyes seemed to watch her with mild curiosity.

Emette followed her gaze and frowned. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, him," Cheska said, gesturing toward the man. She bowed politely. "My apologies, Lord Emette. I didn't mean to intrude."

The man and Emette exchanged glances, their expressions shifting into mild surprise. "You can see him?" Emette pointed at the man, who had dark green hair and sharp green eyes.

Cheska looked confused but nodded. "Uh… yes? Shouldn't I?"

The man moved, touching the silver necklace hanging around his neck. A faint shimmer rippled through the air, like a veil falling away. "It's because, my lady," he said smoothly, "I am wearing a magic artifact of invisibility. You shouldn't have been able to see me at all."

Cheska blinked, taken aback. "Oh, that is weird..." she muttered more to herself.

Emette sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Not weird, but certainly rare. A case I've only seen in someone close to us— Elenoir, the duchess."

At the mention of the duchess, Cheska's surprise deepened. "The duchess has anti-magic?" she asked, her tone tinged with curiosity.

For a minute, she thought if it played against the dynamic between Ayessa and Elenoir's rivalry. But then she remembered Ayessa who defended the lady against their husband... or was it?

She trailed off the thought and her excitement heightened, mumbling more to herself. "That's amazing! Wait, could I have some kind of superpower, too? Something unique? Like in those mangas where the summoned protagonist discovers their hidden potential?"

The two men exchanged glances again, this time stifling laughter. 

Emette shook his head. "You certainly dive straight into your own conclusions, my lady."

Cheska grinned sheepishly, but her curiosity remained undeterred.

With a sigh, Emette gestured toward the man. "This is Lyos, my lady. Lyos, this is Lady Cheska, one of the summoned ones."

Lyos's smile widened as he stepped forward, offering his hand. "A pleasure to meet you, my lady."

Cheska chuckled awkwardly and retracted her hand, "Right, nice to meet you too, Lord Lyos." 

It wasn't that he wasn't handsome—he was, of course, like most men she'd encountered here. But the custom still made her uncomfortable.

Emette cleared his throat, cutting through the moment. "Well then, what brings you here, Lady Cheska?"

She leaned casually against the doorframe. "I heard that the Thanksgiving and the Prince's birthday banquet were merged," she began.

Emette nodded, sitting up straighter. "Yes. It is both fortunate and unfortunate," he replied.

"Why?"

"Because Kayer is my friend," Emette said simply. "As a member of his closest circle, I want to celebrate my friend's birthday properly. But as his aide..." He smiled faintly, a rare flicker of humor breaking through his weariness. "Merging the two events was a heavenly decision. The workload would have been unbearable otherwise."

Cheska laughed softly. "That sounds about right."

Emette watched her for a moment before clearing his throat again. "Well... And?"

Cheska hesitated, suddenly looking awkward.

She glanced between the two men before speaking. "I heard you didn't have any assistants. I was wondering... maybe I could help?"

Emette raised an eyebrow. "Help?"

Cheska nodded earnestly. "I don't want to feel useless. I have some administrative knowledge from my world, and I thought it might come in handy. Looking at all these papers, I'm sure we could organize them better—maybe schedule tasks or consolidate things so you don't need so many different documents."

Lyos's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Look, Emette, an optimistic volunteer. You've never had one before, so why not give it a try?"

Emette sighed, his green eyes narrowing slightly as he searched hers.

After a long pause, he finally nodded.

"Fine," he muttered, sounding resigned. "Practicing with these documents should be okay. They're just related to the merged events anyway."

He pushed a stack of papers toward her, his long fingers tapping lightly on the top sheet. "Here, start with these. Sort the documents by day— immediate tasks on top, then ones that can wait at the bottom. Follow the marks I've made here."

Cheska leaned in, her sharp eyes scanning the annotations scribbled neatly in the margins. She gave a determined nod. "Got it."

Just as she was about to take the documents, Lyos stepped in.

"Let me help," he offered, grabbing half of the documents. Cheska smiles and appreciated the gesture.

Before they could leave, Emette stopped them.

"Lyos," He said with a pointed look. "Don't forget to try and convince Ver into meeting Kai. He's only going to apologize, after all."

Lyos turned back with a playful smile.

"Oh, Emette, my boss doesn't want to meet the sad prince. He should focus on being the great prince again instead of moping around because his brother-in-law won't see him."

Emette grumbled, shooing him away with a wave. "Just go."

Laughing, Lyos carried the documents out, with Cheska following close behind.

As they walked through the castle corridors, Lyos smiled at her. "How are you finding our world so far, Lady Cheska?" 

Cheska thought for a moment before answering. "It's okay, but I don't think my opinion is reliable. Everyone's been doting on me since I got here."

Lyos chuckled. "Then you should ask for a reward if you finish your work early. Maybe like, going out on your own for the day? Something like that."

Her face lit up. "That's a great idea, Lord Lyos! Thank you for the advice."

Lyos watched Cheska with an air of amusement, the light catching in his dark green eyes.

"And for the record, my lady," he began, his tone smooth but teasing, "anti-magic— in our world, at least— only negates magic. It means you can't use magic yourself, nor can it be used against you… unless you happen to be naturally weak to the attribute in question. Therefore," he added with a pointed look, "I hope you won't attempt to experiment on your own."

Cheska's cheeks flushed as she realized he'd seen right through her. She laughed nervously, brushing a hand through her hair. "I'll keep that in mind," she said, her voice sheepish and her grin awkward.

She turned, her thoughts swirling with a mix of curiosity and embarrassment. But she wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping. Her foot landed awkwardly on the polished stone stair, and her balance wavered.

"Ah—!"

Lyos moved instantly, his hand darting out to grab her wrist. The contact was firm and steady, pulling her back before she could fall.

However, the motion dislodged something from the inner pocket of his tunic. A small object tumbled through the air.

Cheska, with reflexes sharper than her recent clumsiness suggested, caught the item just as she regained her footing. "Oh, that was close. Thanks, Lyos—" She paused mid-sentence, her gaze dropping to the object in her hand.

It was a ring.

The dark green gem set in its center shimmered faintly, almost as though it pulsed with its own light. The intricate silver band was cold against her skin, and yet, as she held it, a strange warmth seeped into her palm.

She blinked, unable to look away.

And then—

'Stop acting nice.'

The voice was soft, almost a whisper.

'You want to go home, don't you?'

Cheska's breath hitched as the words wrapped around her mind like tendrils, invasive and sharp.

'For someone desperate to go back, you sure are taking your sweet time...'

The whispers grew louder, gnawing at her thoughts. Her fingers tightened around the ring, her pulse quickening.

Then, abruptly, the ring was tugged from her hands.

"Huh?" Cheska gasped, snapping out of her daze.

Above her, Lyos stood with an easy smile, but his eyes… they were sharper now, darker. The playful amusement from earlier was gone, replaced with an inscrutable expression.

"Oh dear," he said lightly, almost too lightly. "You're a mess, Lady Cheska. Perhaps you should rest instead of trying so hard to find work, hm?"

His smile deepened, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Cheska swallowed, her mind muddled. His words echoed strangely in her ears.

Rest? Maybe… I should rest…

Her lips parted, and she nodded slowly, her thoughts a hazy swirl. "Sleep… maybe I should…"

Then, a sharp snap echoed.

Cheska blinked, her vision clearing.

She was standing in the Castle of Guests' grand lobby. The towering arches above her stretched into intricate designs, and the soft glow of enchanted lanterns cast a warm yet muted light across the marble floor.

Lyos was already moving, placing the documents he carried onto a nearby table with practiced ease. He turned back to her, his smile as pleasant as ever, the earlier sharpness now gone.

"Well then, take care, Lady Cheska," he said, his tone warm and polite.

Cheska nodded again, though her thoughts felt disjointed. She gave him a small, unsure smile in return.

As Lyos walked away, his footsteps echoing softly down the hall, Cheska glanced at her empty hand.

The faint warmth from the ring lingered on her palm, like a ghost of the moment before.

And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had just slipped through her fingers.

She couldn't help but dazedly sit there.

Moments later, Amaranthe descended the nearby staircase, her steps light and deliberate. "Are you okay?"

Cheska's blue eyes, deeper than previous days, glanced up. She had a look she's never had, like she was lost.

"...Cheska?"

"Hm?" The editor snapped out of it, smiling at Amaranthe as if on instinct. "I'm alright. What about you?"

The author stared at her, worried. As she was about to probe more, Cheska stood up and clutched the documents by herself.

"By the way, I have something to talk about..." Her serious voice was soft as if sharing a whisper to her summoned companion. "It's about us and this world. Will you listen?"

"Sure..." 

For some reason, she felt a dark looming aura under her smile.

"Sorry, let's talk about it later... and I'll manage on my own for now so don't worry," Cheska said as they set the papers down, "I'll make an opportunity for us to talk freely."

Amaranthe watched her companion, her worried gaze lingering on Cheska. "As you wish." 

She stepped back and left the room, her eyes briefly scanning the red wooden door with intricate gold linings.

What was that about...?

Amaranthe turned away, headed to her new lounging area.

The garden was bathed in a cozy afternoon glow, the light sunshine neither too stingy nor too gloomy.

Amaranthe paused near the entrance, listening intently.

There was no chirping sound anywhere close, and the silence brought a small smile to her lips. She sighed in relief, stepping deeper into the garden and settling by the fountain.

The quiet calmed her, and she let her shoulders relax. 

Her thoughts drifted to the two birds, Nan and Kaya. 

She didn't really dislike birds, but knowing they lingered only in places he had been made her uneasy. It wasn't the birds she was avoiding— it was him.

Her gaze softened as she looked out at the well-kept garden.

The air was growing colder with each passing day, a reminder that the Winter Solstice was fast approaching. Following that would be the prince's birthday.

She sighed, her breath visible in the crisp air. 

It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to him, it was just... unsettling.

He'd been trying ever since the banquet too. Usually during lunches when she didn't coop up in her room, she'd join the others and he'd be there.

It was fascinating. He looked just as uncomfortable as before but she can feel his sincere apology without saying it directly, as if he was feeling guilty for his sensitive outbursts.

There's nothing wrong with mourning though. It's just I... want to see...

Her thoughts derailed. Looking at her right, there was a soft rustling sound nearby.

A small boy stumbled, his basket of pulled weeds tipping over and spilling its contents. "Ah," he gasped then ducked down.

Amaranthe closed her book and approached him, her smile gentle.

"What's the matter?" she asked as she knelt to help him gather the weeds.

The boy hesitated, his wide eyes lingering on her in a way that made her pause. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Under the sunlight… maybe I was hallucinating, but you looked like you had black hair."

She paused, her smile faltering.