It was an unbelievable situation.

Not far away, I saw a man who looked exactly like Ascan, but I couldn’t believe he was truly Ascan.

‘Did I see wrong?’

I closed and opened my eyes several times, rubbed them with my hands, yet the man resembling Ascan did not disappear.

It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t an illusion.

I pinched my cheek hard—feeling the pain confirmed it wasn’t a dream.

I simply couldn’t believe the reality unfolding right before my eyes.

‘Is he really… Ascan?’

I couldn’t understand how Ascan, whom I had searched for so long, would forcibly break into my laboratory. If he had just said he was back, I would have flung the gates wide open for him.

Something felt strange, but above all, I was grateful that Ascan was alive, not dead.

That was enough.

As long as he was alive, that was all that mattered.

I was lost in the emotion of our reunion when Ascan drew closer to the laboratory—and triggered one of my perilous devices.

Ku gu gu gu gu guong!

In an instant, the ground beneath Ascan split open.

Fierce winds roared from within, threatening to suck him down at any moment.

‘No!’

That was dangerous.

I knew it well—it was my own creation. If swept up by the wind generated by magic stones and pulled underground, one could lose their life.

Of course, if Ascan was as powerful as in the original novel, he wouldn’t be easily defeated—but I couldn’t bear to put him in danger myself.

I rushed toward the mechanical device that controlled the laboratory’s security levels.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I set it to Level 0—the setting that deactivated all magical-engineering weapons.

Krrrrrr—

I heard the simultaneous hum of all machines shutting down.

I immediately headed outside the laboratory toward Ascan. I had to see with my own eyes whether he’d been injured.

I flung open the entrance door—and saw Ascan standing exactly where he had been moments ago, looking puzzled and motionless.

It felt like a dream that he was standing so close.

I had imagined countless times what I would say if I ever met him again. But now that it was actually happening, I was speechless.

Ascan’s golden eyes—like moonlight gathered into form—turned toward me.

That brief moment of mutual gaze felt as long as eternity.

This was the situation I had longed for so deeply. Somehow, Ascan’s gaze toward me seemed emotionless—but it didn’t matter.

“As…”

The instant I called his name and took a step closer—

Ascan’s eyes, which had been watching me with curiosity, suddenly gleamed sharply.

At that moment—

Thud!

Zen appeared out of nowhere and stepped in front of me.

“It’s dangerous, Miss. Step back. Why did you deactivate the devices?”

Dangerous?

I stared at Zen, bewildered, and replied.

“Why? Look over there. Ascan is here.”

Ten years ago, Ascan risked his life for me. He would never endanger me.

But Zen, still wary, kept his eyes fixed on Ascan and said,

“The identity of that man is irrelevant. As long as I am responsible for your safety, I cannot allow you near someone radiating such murderous intent.”

Murderous intent?

At Zen’s words, I finally noticed Ascan’s expression and aura—things I hadn’t registered before.

But rational judgment failed me. The man standing before me was none other than Ascan.

The Ascan I had searched for over ten years.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

I couldn’t comprehend Zen’s words—or rather, I refused to accept them.

I stood behind Zen and looked straight at Ascan. Then I spoke directly to him.

“Ascan, if you’re back, just say so. How have you been all this time?”

At my words, a faint crack appeared on Ascan’s otherwise expressionless face. Others might not have noticed—but I could.

“How do you know my name?”

His voice was much deeper and richer than ten years ago. He was unmistakably the Ascan I remembered—yet something about his words felt… off.

He didn’t know that I knew his name?

What on earth was going on?

My mind tangled into chaos. Staring at Ascan in shock, I spoke again.

“What… what are you talking about? How could I not know you?”

I had imagined meeting Ascan again countless times. But never—not once—had I imagined this.

Never had I imagined Ascan looking at me as if I were a complete stranger.

Zen spoke softly toward me, frozen like ice.

“Please return to the laboratory, Miss.”

Before I could respond, Ascan spoke first, his voice low.

“That won’t be possible.”

Then I remembered the letter I had received recently.

His Majesty, the Emperor of the Calua Empire, wishes to meet you.

It is regrettable that, despite repeated requests over many years, you have not responded.

I will return in three days to escort you.]

I had thought it was sent by some lunatic—but given the current situation, it now seemed clearly written by Ascan.

An adult Ascan could easily have left a letter in my laboratory mailbox.

The laboratory, set at Security Level 1, posed no threat to Ascan. Even Level 2 wouldn’t be enough to stop him. I’d need to raise it to the most dangerous Level 3 for any chance of success.

Stopping Ascan—the strongest character in the novel’s world—was no easy task. But the magical-engineering weapons I had created over the years were no joke either.

The real problem was—I couldn’t accept this adversarial situation between us.

“Ascan, it’s me. Don’t you really know who I am?”

At my question, I felt Ascan’s eyes narrow as he studied me.

He replied in a flat, emotionless tone.

“Aren’t you Lady Brellof?”

It was clear: Ascan did not remember me.

Even without his cold reply, his gaze held none of the warmth or emotion I remembered.

But the man standing before me was still Ascan.

Even if he had lost his memories…

‘…He’s still Ascan.’

I had imagined him returning to me, dragged back into the lab, frail and unwell—and I had resolved to treat him just as kindly regardless.

I didn’t know what had happened to Ascan over the past decade, but thankfully, he looked outwardly unharmed, limbs intact.

I didn’t know why he’d lost his memories of me…

But in the end, it was enough that he was alive.

Thud thud.

Ascan, true to his earlier words, began closing the distance—he clearly had no intention of letting me retreat back into the laboratory.

He must have realized my magical-engineering weapons weren’t ordinary.

Zen didn’t stay idle either. He immediately lunged forward to block Ascan’s approach.

Ka kang!

Light flashed as the two clashed.

Zen’s sharp blade was blocked barehanded by Ascan.

Upon closer inspection, Ascan’s hand had turned to steel. It seemed he could now freely control not only flames but also steel-hardening.

“Zen, stop!”

I shouted, but Zen didn’t cease his attacks.

To Zen, Orland’s orders took priority over mine—and his command was to protect me at all costs.

It seemed Zen wouldn’t allow Ascan near me, no matter what I said.

‘This is insane.’

I couldn’t help the curse bubbling up inside me.

I hadn’t spent ten years searching for Ascan just to witness this.

Moreover, while Zen might have stood a chance ten years ago, he stood no chance against Ascan now.

Zen possessed a rare darkness-element ability.

He could momentarily vanish from sight—making him ideally suited for infiltration or assassination.

But his opponent was Ascan, the strongest character in the novel’s world.

In a direct, face-to-face fight, Zen’s chances of victory were nonexistent.

Whooshhh—

Seven flames instantly rose around Ascan.

Clearly, Ascan had no intention of letting Zen continue blocking his path.

The atmosphere turned deadly. It felt as if one of them would have to die before this ended.

I couldn’t slip back into the lab to adjust security levels—not now.

I didn’t want to attack Ascan, but if I left my post, Zen might get hurt.

I didn’t want either of them injured. And to avoid helplessly watching situations like this, I had worked relentlessly all these years.

Now was my turn to step in.

I was the one who installed all the magical-engineering weapons in the lab. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say I knew exactly where every device was located.

I reached toward the largest tree in the garden—and a dagger embedded with magic stones flew into my hand like a magnet.

I wore a bracelet on my wrist that could attract nearby magic-stone weapons.

The magic stones were locked using Barunen’s magical formula—they recognized their owner and were designed to maximize their performance.

I had developed them to handle various situations—but never imagined I’d use them like this.

Poof!

Without hesitation, I plunged the magic-stone dagger into the ground.

The power within this dagger allowed me to freely manipulate tree branches.

Instantly, the magic stone’s energy spread underground, letting me control all nearby tree branches according to my will—for a brief time.

Whooshhh—

A massive tree branch intercepted Zen’s hand as he moved to attack Ascan.

Though this momentarily exposed Zen to danger, Ascan was also immobilized.

Dozens of branches coiled around Ascan’s body while simultaneously triggering the garden’s irrigation lake, flooding the area.

It was meant to slightly weaken Ascan’s flames.

Having forcibly halted both fighters, I shouted loudly.

“Can’t you hear me? Stop it!”

Only then did Ascan and Zen turn their gazes toward me.

I’d succeeded momentarily—but restraining them longer was impossible. They were far too powerful for mere branches to hold.

“Ascan.”

At my call, Ascan’s eyes narrowed. Clearly, it unsettled him that I knew his name.

“In your letter, His Majesty, the Emperor of the Calua Empire, said he wished to see me, right?”

Ascan didn’t explicitly answer—but his lack of denial was affirmation enough.

“I’ll go with you. So please, stop fighting my people.”

Ascan looked at me with a subtle expression.

Truthfully, even if it weren’t the Calua Empire—if Ascan asked me to follow him anywhere, I would gladly go.

I even regretted ignoring the letters from the Calua Empire all this time. If I had replied, might I have seen Ascan even a day sooner?

Zen swiftly sliced through the branches restraining him and protested incredulously.

“No. It’s far too dangerous for you to travel all the way to the Calua Empire—”

“Zen, I’ll explain to Father. And don’t forget—I’m not the frail girl I was ten years ago. No one in their right mind wants to make the continent’s greatest weaponsmith their enemy.”

I had ignored the letter days ago not purely out of danger—but because I saw no reason to travel far just because someone “wished to see me.”

I believed the thirsty should dig their own well—if someone wanted to see me, they should come themselves. Even if that someone was Helsion, Emperor of the Calua Empire.

But now that Ascan had come to fetch me, everything changed.

To understand what had happened to Ascan over the years, I desperately needed time with him.

Ascan, who had been silently listening, manipulated his flames to burn away all the branches binding him.

He landed softly on the ground and said quietly, looking at me.

“We don’t have much time to spare. When do you plan to depart?”

“Oh, one day is enough. What about leaving tomorrow?”

“Miss!”

Zen called out as if I’d lost my mind—but I ignored him.

Ascan glanced briefly at Zen, then said in a softened tone,

“One day… I can wait.”

As Ascan turned to leave, as if all business were concluded, I urgently called out.

“Wait!”

Ascan wordlessly turned his head to look at me.

“In exchange for accompanying you to the Calua Empire, I have a condition.”

Ascan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. His expression, unchanged from the past, clearly conveyed his displeasure—even without words.

“…What is it?”

“When we go to the Calua Empire, let me stay at your house.”

“Lady Tanashia!”

Zen called my name again, trying to dissuade me—but once more, I ignored him and continued.

“How about staying one night in the laboratory? We’re leaving for the Calua Empire together tomorrow anyway.”

I just wanted to spend as much time as possible with Ascan after finally reuniting. Truthfully, I had mountains of questions I wanted to ask.

Ascan looked at me indifferently and asked quietly,

“Is that also part of your condition?”

“No, not really…”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With those words, Ascan turned and left Brellof Mansion.

I stood there, watching his retreating figure—and without realizing it, I began to laugh.

The area around the laboratory was utterly wrecked, as if a war had been fought there. Anyone seeing me laughing like a madwoman amid the destruction would surely think I’d lost my mind.

At my sudden laughter, Zen looked at me worriedly.

“Miss?”

“Oh, sorry. I just remembered something from the past.”

I suddenly recalled the first time I proposed Ascan become my assistant.

The memory of his disgusted expression back then made me burst into laughter uncontrollably.

I was just happy.

Happy that he was alive.