Melina had expected the Duke to make some demands. Perhaps to supply him with magical pastries. Sell them on his behalf. Teach others how to obtain the the [Arcane Baker] class. She had expected many demands from the man, but not this one.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked, a bit stupefied.

"I'll supply you with everything you need. Magitech, ingredients, soldiers to venture into the Monster Realm for the ingredients, money to expand your bakery and workers to help in your production. You will be under the official protection of House Sinclair, and I'll personally guarantee that you will never need to set foot on Church grounds. All I ask in return is that you cut all ties with my son," the Duke repeated coldly.

Melina couldn't help but let out a derisive laugh. She knew it was incredibly rude, but for a moment, she had hoped that Duke Sinclair would be an honorable nobleman. That he wouldn't be one of those who forced his decisions onto others. But it appeared that she was wrong.

"I refuse," Melina replied coldly, not afraid to look the Duke straight in the eyes as she said that.

He glared. "Refuse? I'm literally offering you everything you might wish for. I believe my offer is quite generous as I am not seeking any monetary compensation from you."

"Yet you ask me to give up one of the people closest to me. I cannot do that," she said firmly.

"Closest to you? You've barely known him for two months. Very well, I didn't want to resort to this, but I see your youth has clouded your judgment. If you refuse my offer, then I'll report you to the Church," the Duke said.

The temperature in the room instantly changed. Melina could feel the temperature rise in the room as Sienna was reacting to her silent anger. But to be honest, this was what she would normally expect from a noble. Strike at your most vulnerable spot so you can't refuse.

But Melina had no intention to yield. She had expected the Church to come after her for a good while now. Granted, with Duke Sinclair supporting them, it will be much harder for Melina to fight back. It was likely that she would have to fall back on her magic. It wasn't something she wanted to do, but there was no way she could cut her ties with Alistair. Not when she had just gotten him back.

"I still refuse," Melina said, glaring at the man. He glared back, and Melina heard a low hiss come from Sienna.

"Alright, dear, that is quite enough," Duchess Sinclair suddenly spoke, frowning at her husband. "You promised not to bully her, remember?"

"Dear, I was testing if—" The Duke looked at his wife guiltily.

"Threatening her is going too far," the Duchess wagged her finger at her husband, then turned to Melina. "Forgive my husband. He likes to test people's boundaries. Sometimes a bit too far."

Melina blinked while Sienna scrambled up on her shoulder, peering curiously at the couple. "So what does this mean?"

"Nobody will drag you away to the Church if you refuse. We would very much like to see you continue your business under Backus' tutelage," the Duchess said with a kind smile.

"However, I strongly suggest you break your ties with our son! You're not suited for him—you surely realize that!" The Duke said.

"If Alistair asks me to never talk to him again, then I'll leave him alone without a single objection," Melina said. "But I will not stop interacting with him just because somebody else has ordered me to do so. Even if it is his parents."

If looks could kill, then Melina would have died on the spot. The Duke looked furious. The Duchess, on the other hand, looked amused.

"I told you it wouldn't work," she said.

"If that is everything you wanted to discuss, then I shall be on my way," Melina bowed before the Duke and the Duchess.

It looked like the Duke wanted to say something more, but the Duchess shook her head.

"Thank you for hearing us out. I hope to taste more of your delightful pastries in the future," Duchess Sinclair smiled at Melina kindly.

"Of course, Your Grace. Until next time," Melina said and left.

The moment she exited the house, Melina felt her legs turn into jelly. Only the cold gazes of guards forced her to keep composure as she walked through the yard, feeling like she'll fall over at any moment.

That was so nerve-wracking! Have I just made an enemy of House Sinclair? The Duke definitely hates me that much is clear, but I'm not sure about the Duchess's stance. She appears kind, but it's not like she approved of my actions either. I don't know what I'll do if they really decide to remove me from the picture.

Would they pursue Master Gilbert, too? Or just force our bakery to go under? Nobles always have so many nasty tricks up their sleeves. I'd better watch my back from now on.

Sienna chittered nervously, and Melina patted her gently.

"It's okay. We've gotten through many troubles. We'll get through this, too," Melina said.

But could she really face these people? In her past life, she would have said yes without hesitation. As [Archmage], there was nobody who could really oppose her. But as a baker's apprentice, her options were limited.

"It'd be boring to have an easy way out," Melina said to her wyrm. Despite the possible troubles the future might bring, she felt invigorated. She knew that she had made the right choice.

"Brother!" Charlotte called out to Alistair, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?! What is it, Charlotte?" He asked, looking at the angry face of his little sister.

"I asked which show you would like to see! Pay attention, Brother!" The girl complained, then sighed. "You're worried about Melina, aren't you?"

Alistair scratched his head awkwardly. How could he not worry? His father was so eager for him to break all contact with Melina. But since Alistair wasn't willing to yield, he resorted to striking at Melina.

He knew that she was a strong woman. After all, it wasn't anyone who could separate realms and rewind time. But she wasn't exactly the same [Archmage] that he saw in his memories. He wouldn't call this Melina weaker, but she was definitely softer. She didn't choose to solve issues by force anymore but rather searched for more diplomatic solutions.

"I am," Alistair admitted.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Mom is there. You know she won't let Father do anything too drastic," she consoled.

"I suppose," he said, but it was of little comfort. Mother usually would take Father's side when it came to important matters. It was rare for her to take a stance against him.

"Your moping isn't going to help. Let's go watch a magic show! I really want to see one," Charlotte persisted.

In the end, the two of them made their way to the beach where a large stage was erected near the water. A large crowd was gathering around them while the announcer would occasionally yell, "Gather for the water magic show". Alistair decided that this might be enough to appease Charlotte's curiosity.

"Let's check out this one?" he offered.

"Sure! It looks fun," Charlotte agreed. "Can we get closer though? I can hardly see anything."

The people standing in front of them must have heard her complaints as they turned towards her.

"Is this your first magic show, Miss?" A man asked with a little girl propped on his shoulders.

"Yes," Charlotte confirmed.

"Go ahead to the front, then. It'd be a shame for you to just stare into our backs," the man said and allowed Charlotte and Alistair through.

More people allowed Charlotte to move closer while Alistair remained behind her.

"These people are so nice. They don't even know who we are, but they still let us through!" Charlotte whispered to Alistair.

"Of course," Alistair said, although some of the people who let them through were people from the Guild. They most definitely recognized Alistair. But the show looked like it was about to start, so he didn't comment on the matter.

Three women dressed in scant dresses came onto the stage, dancing in fluid motion. Alistair thought their clothes were far too revealing, especially in front of such a large crowd. He noticed that Charlotte shifted uncomfortably as she looked at their outfits which hid very little.

However, soon it became irrelevant as they reached their hands out towards the sea and took hold of the water in it. It swirled around them as they danced, first as mere patterns. Then they worked together to create various shapes. First large serpent. Then, into more draconic shape, and soon they were shifting gracefully between animals and flowers alike, all while dancing.

"Wow, how can they do that? Is there a special skill for dances like these?" Charlotte asked as she applauded along with the audience.

Alistair pondered the question for a moment, looking at their hand movements. A vision flooded his mind.

Melina and Alistair were watching a similar show, but performed by elves. The elven woman, however, wore long, elegant robes that swayed along with them with each movement, adding yet another layer to the complicated dance. Elowen was standing along with them, looking proud of his brethren.

"I bet you humans can't do anything like this with magic. Not even the System can teach you this," the silver elf said smugly.

"Don't challenge me. I may not be able to dance as well as they, but when it comes to magic, there is nobody better than me," Melina said confidently.

"You humans rely too much on the System. You can't do anything without it. This kind of magic cannot be guided by a skill. It has to come from the heart," Elowen challenged.

"So that's how it'll be. Very well. Prepare to be proven wrong," Melina said and disappeared behind the stage.

"Now, you've done it. Never tell Melina that she can't do some type of magic," Alistair shook his head. He did not doubt that she would make the elf regret his word.

The vision skipped forward with Melina standing on the stage in the same dancing robes the elves used. What followed was a sight Alistair never wanted to forget.

She began to dance, but instead of water, Melina used fire. Flames surrounded her as she danced. Sure, she didn't have the same grace as the elven women, but the flames dancing around her more than made up for it. They engulfed her, then shot outwards, threatening to burn the audience, only to retreat at the last second.

At the very end of the performance, she created a burning fire dragon that flew over everybody and then disappeared in Melina's outstretched hand. She was both powerful and beautiful.

When Alistair opened his eyes, the water magic performance was over.

"Brother, why are you staring into space? Don't tell me you fell for one of those dancers?" Charlotte puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

"No, I just remembered a similar performance I saw in the past," he said, smiling at the memory. He couldn't believe that he'd actually forgotten it.

"Were you thinking about Melina again?" She asked.

"Busted," he said sheepishly.

Suddenly, Charlotte yelped. "Something's crawling up my leg!"

Panicked, he looked down and saw Sienna peering at him guiltily.

"Sienna, you can't just do that without warning," he chastised, picking up the little wyrm. She let out a dissatisfied puff of smoke.

"Oh, it's Melina pet wyrm," Charlotte exhaled in relief. "But then where is—"

"Sienna!" Melina yelled over the crowd. Their eyes met, and Alistair showed her the wyrm.

Melina exhaled in relief, then glared at the wyrm. "You can't just run off like that! Especially not in such a dense crowd."

"You already finished talking with Father? How did it go?" Charlotte asked.

"This isn't the right place to talk about such things. Why don't we stop by the inn for a meal?" Alistair suggested.

"It might be a bit busy right now," Melina said.

"I'm sure Erina will find us a spot," he insisted.

In the end, Melina nodded and they headed to the inn. He didn't miss the fact that she looked a bit sullen and somewhat nervous. She didn't quite dare to look at him, instead engaging in the conversation with Charlotte as she asked Melina various questions about her pastries and Sunglow.

Did she perhaps cave to Father's presence? She looks uncomfortable.

The way to the inn seemed far too long. He wanted to know what they had talked about. They also had to wait for a long while until Erina finally managed to find them a free spot.

Alistair didn't envy the innkeeper at the moment—the place was swarming with people, many of them already far too drunk at this hour. But Barrett was running after her, keeping any drunks away from her and keeping the order by his large presence alone.

"So, tell us, tell us! What happened?" Charlotte probed.

"You're far too noisy for a noble lady," Alistair reprimanded.

"I've already waited so long to know what happened. Tell us," she demanded, while randomly stabbing into her plate. It was a good thing that Mother didn't see her current manners.

Melina looked a bit uncomfortable, searching for the right words as she patted Sienna's scales. "Well, the Duke wished for me to continue making the pastries."

"That's it? I'm sure he said something more," Charlotte narrowed her eyes.

"Charlotte!" Alistair reprimanded, but the girl didn't show a single sign of remorse.

"He… He also wished for me to cut all ties with you, Alistair," Melina said, looking down into her plate.

"What?! Why would Father do that?" Charlotte exclaimed.

Alistair and Melina shared a look. They both knew the reason why. It was because he wanted Alistair to marry the fourth princess and currently he viewed Melina as an obstacle. The question was—how far was Father willing to go to get his way?

"I rejected him," Melina said plainly, taking a bite of her salad.

"That's right! I told Father not to bully you, and look at what he did. I'm going to give him such an earful later," Charlotte said.

Alistair breathed a sigh of relief. She had rejected him. He had been worried that Melina might feel pressured to give in. That maybe she wasn't willing to take such a risk, not without her magic to back her up. But he realized that with or without magic, she was still the Melina he knew. The Melina he remembered.

He took a deep breath. He was going to ask her out to launch a flying lantern together. From the locals, he had learned that it was a romantic tradition—those who launched a lantern together were said to remain together for the rest of their lives. If he asked that of Melina, then his intentions toward her would be clear. He wanted to make them clear.

"Melina, would you—"

A strong tremor suddenly shook the inn, making everyone's chatter pause and Sienna hiss out.

"What was that?" Charlotte asked nervously.

Another, stronger tremor shook the inn, making the plates slide off the table and people fall out of their chairs. Alistair grabbed Charlotte, holding her close, while Melina grabbed Sienna, holding the wyrm close, so other people wouldn't bump into her.

Then the alarm bell rang through the town, long and loud. It was a call to all adventurers and soldiers to take up arms.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.