During her stay in Sunglow, Melina had always tried to remain simple and stand out as little as possible. She didn't buy any fancy-looking garments and preferred sticking with her work clothes. But currently she was very much regretting that she hadn't bought a more elaborate dress from Etrian's store.

"Is this even appropriate to meet with nobility?" She questioned herself, looking into the mirror. The turquoise dress fit her quite nicely, and it would certainly appear nice on any occasion in Sunglow. But she was going to meet with Duke Sinclair.

Melina might not be an expert in current fashion trends among nobility, but even she knew that this dress was definitely not up to their standards. She chastised herself for not going with the drow to the store a few hours prior. He had been right here.

Then again, would I dare to pay the price for a dress that would be enough to impress nobility?

Melina realized that she wouldn't. There were far more important purchases she needed to make. She looked at herself one last time, adjusting the lock behind her ear and nodding at herself. This was the best she could manage with what she had on hand. It would have to be enough.

That wasn't to say that Melina didn't have a backup plan. If she couldn't impress with her appearance, she could always impress with her cooking. Before she put on her dress, Melina had managed to make a few cloud muffins. Hopefully, their airiness and rejuvenating properties would put the stern man in a more amiable mood.

"Master, wish me good luck!" Melina said to Master Gilbert.

The old baker gave her a nervous look. "Maybe I should go with you?"

"No, it's alright. I think it's best if I talk with him alone. He might take me for a coward if I bring you along," Melina said.

"I am your Master. I think it would be appropriate for me to go with my apprentice," Gilbert said.

"But I want to do this on my own. I feel I have to."

Gilbert sighed. "Very well. Good luck. Be very careful. Nobles have a way of dragging the truth out of you without you even noticing."

"Oh, trust me—I know," Melina said, remembering all the unpleasant occasions she had to deal with nobles. Even with all that experience, this felt different.

The petty nobles she dealt with before couldn't be compared to Duke Sinclair. He was a true noble, inside and out. Even the King of Alemahria hadn't felt as intimidating as the Duke. However, it was likely due in part to the fact that Duke Sinclair was Alistair's father.

If he wasn't, then she wouldn't have cared about his opinion nearly as much. But now she felt that she couldn't disappoint the Duke. She had to prove herself to him.

"Let's go, Sienna," Melina said, placing the wyrm on her shoulder. Sienna looked at her nervously, likely sensing Melina's unease. "It's okay. We'll make it through."

The walk to Alistair's house felt unusually long. There were lots of people on the streets due to the festival, and Melina couldn't help but feel a bit jumpy at their presence. Their loud cheers seemed to jumble her thoughts, which she was desperately trying to organize.

Her already unsteady heartbeat increased even further when she saw the Duke's carriage parked outside Alistair's house and half a dozen guards standing watch outside.

"Are you Miss Melina Dufour?" One of the guards addressed her when she approached. She didn't miss the fact that the guard's eyes kept darting down to Sienna. It was likely that they felt uneasy about the monster, but were unsure of how to react.

"Yes. Duke Sinclair wished to have an audience with me," she said, trying her best to appear confident and calm. For now, she was managing, but she wondered if she could keep this up without using <Mask of Deceit>. She didn't want to use the skill when talking to the Duke. It was possible that he could detect its use, which would land her in a heap of trouble.

The guard who greeted her turned and nodded at the guard by the door. He knocked on it. "Miss Melina Dufour has arrived."

The door instantly shot open, and Alistair looked at Melina. His eyes widened when he saw her. It was the same reaction when she had worn the dress after he'd returned to Sunglow together with Elowen. "Melina, you look beautiful. Please, come in!"

Melina flushed from the compliment. Was this him just being polite, or did he really mean it?

No, I have to focus on Duke Sinclair now, not get giddy over a single compliment from Alistair.

So she told herself, but she felt her lips twitch up in a smile when Alistair extended his hand for her. She took it, and they went inside. There was a peeved-looking butler at the entrance. It appeared that Alistair had rushed ahead of him.

"The Duke will see you now, Miss Dufour," the butler said, gesturing for Melina to head into the living room. He looked like an experienced man as his eyes didn't so much as twitch upon seeing Sienna. As if it was expected for people to walk around with wyrm's on their shoulders.

"Don't worry, it'll be alright," Alistair whispered to her, squeezing her hand gently. "I'll deal with Father if need be."

That's what worries me. What will happen if the Duke and Alistair start arguing over me? Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. Maybe Alistair wouldn't dare to ostracize his father on my behalf. I hope not.

However, as Melina glanced at Alistair, she saw that he had the expression of somebody ready for war, focused and cold. He was definitely ready to fight his father on her behalf. She knew that it was due to his memories returning—they had spent a lot of time together. They've fought together. But would he really fight his father for her?

Melina realized that she had been foolish. This man had died for her sake. Of course, he would fight his father for her. This evening might be far more difficult than she initially anticipated. She couldn't let Alistair and the Duke fight with each other, especially not for her sake.

I wish this would be over already.

Alistair led Melina into the living room, where the Duke, Charlotte, and a woman with the same chocolate colored hair as the girl sat by the table. She wore a rich green dress, as one would expect to see on a noblewoman, while her hair was arranged in an elaborate bun. It was without a doubt Duchess Sinclair.

"Greetings, Your Graces, Young Lady! I am most honored to be invited to meet with you tonight," Melina said while curtsying, doing her best to adhere to the noble etiquette. She hoped her skills hadn't gotten too rusty over the years.

"My, what a polite young lady. Dear, I thought you said she was a commoner?" Duchess Sinclair said with a warm smile.

"Melina is a commoner, but she's got better manners than many noble ladies," Charlotte praised, then her eyes fell to the box in Melina's hands. "Are those some of your pastries, Melina?"

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"Yes. I've brought them here in hopes that you might enjoy. Of course, I understand if you would prefer—"

"I want them!" Charlotte said eagerly and snatched the box from Melina, opening it and admiring the treats inside. "Muffins!"

"Charlotte, please behave yourself in front of our guest—" The Duchess paused as her eyes fell upon Sienna, who had poked her head from behind Melina's hair. Little glutton must have smelled the pastries when Charlotte opened the box.

"Is that a… monster?" The Duchess asked in disbelief.

"Mother, Sienna is absolutely harmless! I assure you," Alistair said in a hurry.

"Yeah! I held her in my arms the whole time while the competition was happening!" Charlotte added.

Melina felt as if she had exposed Duchess's children to the most dangerous beast in the Monster Realm. Their discussion hadn't even begun, but she had already messed everything up. Before she could say anything in her defense, Charlotte reached up and took Sienna from her shoulder.

"Look, Mom! Isn't Sienna cute?" Charlotte said.

The Duchess looked unsure of what to do, so she looked helplessly to her husband.

"The beast has been living in town for more than a month and has even fought alongside adventurers to defend them. It is a valuable asset," the Duke said, sipping on his tea.

Melina wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or angry that he called Sienna an asset. It appeared that the Duke valued most things in terms of their usefulness. Perhaps, she could leverage that to her advantage.

"But isn't it a monster?" The Duchess asked skeptically.

"It's a wyrm. Elves in Euroa have always kept them as pets and allies. They are by far the most compatible monsters for companionship," the Duke explained, and the Duchess relaxed.

"I see. You'll have to forgive my reaction, Miss Melina, as I have a rather… unpleasant history with monsters," the Duchess said, and Melina noticed how her hand clutched at her skirt. Had she been attacked by monsters in the past?

"Sienna would never do that, Mom! Just look at her," Charlotte said, scratching underneath the wyrm's chin. Sienna flopped down on her back in Charlotte's palm, allowing the girl to scratch her underbelly.

"I have to admit that it is rather cute," the Duchess chuckled at the sight, but didn't reach out to touch Sienna. Melina suspected that her reaction would have been far worse if Sienna didn't look so harmless in her small form. After all, she looked like a gecko.

"Miss Melina, why don't you sit down? We have much to discuss," the Duke said, after clearing his throat.

Alistair pulled out a chair for her, and Melina sat down, managing a nervous smile in thanks.

"Alistair, Charlotte, you two should go and enjoy the festival while we talk with Miss Melina," the Duchess said, and Melina felt like she had been punched in the gut. She had been preparing for a one-on-one talk with the Duke. But now she had to talk with both the Duke and the Duchess. She wasn't sure if she could handle it.

"Mother, I'd like to—"

"Don't worry. We won't bully your friend," the Duchess smiled at her son.

"Mom wouldn't lie, Brother. Let's go and enjoy the festival! But I'm taking a muffin with me," Charlotte said. She returned Sienna to Melina, grabbed a muffin, and then pulled Alistair after herself.

Melina watched him be dragged away while looking at her, worry written all over his face. Somehow, this situation felt far worse than facing the Monster Lord himself. As the outer door closed behind Alistair, Melina had never felt so powerless in front of anyone. Only thanks to Sienna's comforting warmth did she manage to remain calm.

"Jeeves, would you mind serving us the muffins Miss Melina has so kindly prepared for us?" The Duchess motioned to the butler.

"Of course, Your Grace," the butler bowed deeply and took the box of muffins. She didn't miss the fact that the man waved his hand over them. Poison detection magic, no doubt. Melina couldn't blame him.

A moment later, the muffins were presented in front of the Duchess, the Duke, and Melina, along with an array of other pastries and wonderfully smelling black tea. She didn't know what kind it was, but she was willing to bet all of her possessions that it was more expensive than what she could afford.

There was heavy silence while the butler arranged all the tea and pastries. Melina wasn't sure what to do, so she just nervously patted Sienna's scales. The wyrm didn't look too pleased by it, but didn't protest. Likely she understood that the gesture calmed Melina.

"So tell me, Miss Melina, what kind of muffins have you brought us? I hear that your cooking is most unusual," the Duchess asked.

Melina felt relieved to have been asking questions about her cooking. "I call these Cloud Muffins. They're made using the syrup from zephyr root and blueberries."

"Zephyr root?" The Duchess asked in confusion.

"It's an ingredient from the Monster Realm," Melina explained.

"The Monster Realm? My! Honey, I thought you were kidding when you said that she uses Monster Realm ingredients," The Duchess looked at her husband.

Wait… He already knew that? I thought the Guildmaster was trying to keep the information contained to Sunglow. Has it already spread to Fenrora?

The Duke looked somewhat amused by her reaction. But only for a brief moment, as soon as it returned to his usual stern mask.

"Do not be so surprised, Miss Melina. Nothing in this region happens without my knowledge. I'm well aware of your collaboration with the Guild," The Duke said.

Melina blinked at him. If he knew that, then it meant that he knew about her venture into the Monster Realm and about the healing waffles and likely also the fact that she was a System user. She took a deep breath and clenched her fist.

"May I be so bold as to ask you a question, Your Grace?"

"You may, but I do not promise to answer it," the Duke said.

"How long have you known… about me?"

"Since the time you've tamed the little creature in your lap."

Melina couldn't believe it. It didn't make sense. If the Duke had known for so long, then why hadn't he said anything about it to the Church? Heiliger appeared to have pursued her purely due to rumors. If the Duke had reported her to the Church, then she most likely would have been whisked away to their main monastery a long time ago.

"I see you have another question burning in your mind. Go ahead," the Duke said, taking a bite of the muffin. His expression didn't change, but Melina had a feeling that he liked the flavor.

"Why didn't you report me to the Church?"

"Why should I? I am the Duke of the Grenardia region, last I checked. It is for me to decide what happens to my citizens. Since you're an inhabitant of Sunglow, then you too are one of my citizens."

Interesting. So the alliance between the Duke and the Church isn't as tight-knit as I initially thought. If the missions to the Monster Realm were approved by the Duke, that means he's actually working separately. The situation might be more favorable than I initially thought.

"Now, let me ask you a few questions. These pastries you're creating—where did you learn their recipes? How are you able to apply effects to them? These muffins, for example. They relieve fatigue, don't they?" The Duke asked.

Melina pondered for a moment how to answer, but then decided that honesty was the best policy.

"That's right, Your Grace. The recipes I've created myself by adjusting and experimenting with the recipes Master Gilbert taught me. As to how I can apply effects, it is due to my class."

"Your class? What is your class?" The Duchess asked curiously.

"Arcane Baker."

The Duke and the Duchess both seemed surprised.

"I've never heard of such a class before," she said, looking at her husband.

"Neither have I. How did you unlock it?"

"I'm not entirely certain, but I suspect it was because I experimented with the feyfruit. I used it mostly for Sienna, but after creating a few pastries using feyfruit, I've unlocked this class," Melina explained.

"Where did you get feyfruit? This was before your first excursion to the Monster Realm, no?" The Duke frowned.

"I won in the cooking competition hosted by Count Auden Speziale, and feyfruit was the prize," Melina said. She had no issues admitting this. It wasn't even her fault.

"Speziale… I should have known it was him," The Duke frowned.

"That man sows trouble wherever he goes," The Duchess agreed.

"Well, never mind him. I'm going to be frank with you. I'm very interested in your skillset, and I'd like for you to continue creating your pastries. I'll even fund your bakery, give you the equipment you require to expand the business."

Melina frowned. These kinds of offers didn't come without conditions. There was something that Duke wanted in return.

"What is it that you require from me in return, Your Grace?" Melina asked.

The Duke's gaze was cold and unyielding. "For you to cut all ties with my son."

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