After a hectic few days, the renovations finally came to an end.
Maxi and the servants thoroughly inspected the great hall, which had transformed beyond recognition.
A huge golden chandelier illuminated the previously gloomy hall.
Under him, a flashy red and gold carpet covered the floor.
A plush carpet ran up the staircase to the second floor, leading to the luxurious banquet hall that would put even the royal palace to shame.
Maxi stood at the entrance to the spacious banquet hall and looked around in amazement.
Marble tiles replaced the stone floors, and three silver chandeliers sparkled below its high, vaulted ceiling.
The wall was adorned with a tapestry depicting Wigrew's ascension to heaven, and deep burgundy curtains were draped over the windows.
Chairs covered in silks and furs sat atop the dais, and on the terrace outside the window, a marble unicorn stood frozen in mid-leap.
“Is everything to your liking, my lady?” Aderon asked, apprehensively.
Maxi nodded, running his fingers along the shiny windows.
Sunlight came through the windows and illuminated the entire room.
“It’s splendid.”
Seeing Aderon's face light up with a satisfied smile, Maxi found himself smiling too.
He had been a very aggressive salesman, but he was also honest.
He had obtained high-quality goods for her at reasonable prices and provided diligent workers.
To express his gratitude, Maxi instructed the servants to prepare a sumptuous dinner for the merchant.
And Aderon, after feasting on wine and the chef's specialty of roasted venison, left the castle contentedly.
Maxi watched him leave, watching from the entrance as his carriage drove away.
"The castle is practically unrecognizable.
Sir Riftan will be surprised when he returns."
Maxi turned to see Ruth coming down the stairs while scratching her disheveled gray hair.
“D-Do you think R-Riftan will like it?” asked Maxi nervously.
"Why wouldn't he?
He's the one who asked you to redecorate the place."
Ruth's indifference did little to ease Maxi's concerns.
She looked at him resentfully as he yawned unceremoniously.
“Wouldn’t it hurt to give a compliment?”
"The place is so stunning I can barely open my eyes!
The splendor is enough to put me in a trance!"
Maxi shot Ruth an angry look.
Ignoring her, Ruth took a good stretch before walking past her.
Then, suddenly, he stopped as if he remembered something.
He looked back at Maxi and the servants.
“This might be the perfect time,” he murmured, pulling a small vial from his pocket.
"I just finished making the reagent for the tree.
Would you like to test it?"
“That was fast!”
“I was so worried about it that I couldn’t sleep for days.”
However, his appearance clearly suggested that he had just rolled out of bed.
And having regularly seen him sleeping on the library floor, Maxi was shocked by his audacity.
But knowing that he had been of immeasurable help, she just nodded.
Ruth turned to leave.
He walked directly to the large tree next to the pavilion and stood beneath its branches.
Maxi watched beside him as he unscrewed the vial and poured its mysterious contents into the tree's roots.
"Oh, great merciful god of the earth!
We beseech you, extend your healing hands and fill this humble servant with your power!"
Maxi rolled his eyes.
Hierarchs had visited her countless times since childhood to heal her whenever she suffered from her father's cruel abuse.
She was well aware that mages were able to use magic through simple runes or incantations, and that such long invocations were unnecessary.
But when she noticed the servants looking on in awe, she suddenly understood Ruth's intentions.
He was trying to show that they had done their best to save the tree.
Ruth dramatically stretched her arms toward the heavens as if she were being bestowed with some special power, then lowered them again and clasped her hands together in prayer.
Maxi tried not to laugh at the spectacle.Soon, however, she noticed a faint light gathering around Ruth.
She watched in amazement as the light began to form a small sphere.
With the exception of visits from hierarchs, she had never witnessed magic up close.
The soft light that flowed from Ruth's hands danced in the air before enveloping the tree.
And the ominous tree slowly began to absorb the light.
Delighted, Maxi reached out to touch the warm light.
The moment his fingers came into contact, light began to seep into his hand.
She pulled her hand back in surprise.
Ruth, who had seen the entire sequence, looked at her in surprise.
“This is unexpected,” he said, lowering his arms.
The tree had finished absorbing the light.
Ruth touched her torso as if confirming something before turning to look at Maxi again.
“It seems you have some affinity for mana, my lady.”
“B-Mana affinity?”
“It is the primary requirement for anyone who wants to learn magic.”
Maxi's eyes widened in surprise.
She blinked and looked at her hands.
Did he mean she had a gift for magic?
Ruth shrugged before adding, "It's just the basic requirement, just like agile people are more suited to swordsmanship.
That alone isn't enough to make someone a sorcerer."
“I-I see.”
Maxi's shoulders slumped.
Of course.
How could she expect to be capable of such an incredible ability?
Seeing his disappointment, Ruth smiled slightly.
"But it's a rare talent.
You're full of surprises, my lady."
“W-What do you w-mean?”
“You are surprisingly short tempered, prone to exaggeration, competitive and now, mana affinity…”
Maxi's face flushed with embarrassment, but Ruth smiled and continued.
“I thought you were just a fragile and demure lady when we met, but you are proving to be quite interesting.”
“T-That didn’t s-sound like a c-compliment!”
“But it was,” said Ruth, with a smug smile on her face.
Skeptical that a true compliment would sound so sardonic, Maxi began poking the tree's roots with her foot.
“A-Anyway, did we manage to revive the tree?”
“I can't say for sure.”
“H-How could you c-not know?”
What had all that grandiose demonstration been for?
Maxi made a face, but Ruth just shrugged.
"All I did was infuse the tree with the mana of the earth.
We'll have to wait for spring to see the results.
If it starts growing leaves again, it means the magic worked.
If it doesn't, it means it's hopeless and the tree must be cut down."
Maxi looked at the thin, densely overlapping branches of the tree and nodded.
Observing the shadowy garden, she thought about the plans she had discussed with the gardener.
If the tree was still dead in the spring, she intended to replace it with colorful flowers and a bud, regardless of anyone's objections.
With renovations complete, preparations for winter have truly begun at Calypse Castle.
Without a moment's rest, the servants covered the well with thick wooden planks to keep the water from freezing, repaired the partitions in the stables, and stocked up on enough hay and firewood to last the winter.
Meanwhile, the maids washed clothes and fabrics until their hands swelled, cleaned every room in the castle, and wove at the loom.
They were tasked with finishing winter clothes for the guards before the weather got too cold.
Seeing everyone's efforts, Ludis cautiously suggested, "My lady, I'm not sure we'll be able to prepare all the garments in time.
May I suggest buying some of the fabric instead of weaving it ourselves?"
Maxi readily agreed.
She could see that everyone was overwhelmed.
“H-How much should I order?”
"About half the amount needed.
We've already prepared the rest."
Maxi looked at the pile of fabric in the corner.
If she failed to make a precise request, she was sure to hear a lecture from the nosy sorcerer.
She took out a piece of parchment to calculate the total volume of fabric needed for the guards and the amount of fabric that had already been woven.
“I-Is this enough?”
"Yes, my lady.
And if we could also order more leather straps, thread and needles..."
"M-Ma'am!
Sorry to interrupt, but we have an emergency!"