As soon as we stepped out of the room, Marise glanced around, clearly confused about why I’d pulled her aside where her parents couldn’t hear.

And to be honest, I was probably overreacting. But considering Evelina’s tendencies, it was better to make sure she understood by talking to her one-on-one.

"Marise."

"Yes, Lord Arden?"

"Watch how you look at me when we’re at the ball." I scratched the back of my neck, my tone almost relaxed.

"H-Huh?"

"Don’t tell her I said this, but Evelina, Lady D’Arclight, as you know her, is a very jealous person. So just... watch yourself, got it? She’s not the type to hold back when it comes to rivals. Lethally, I mean."

Marise blinked at me. Then her expression shifted into something that looked dangerously close to amusement.

"Lord Arden," she said slowly, "are you warning me that your wife might try to kill me if I look at you wrong?"

"We’re not actually married."

"That’s what you took from what I just said?"

I sighed, leaning against the corridor wall. The hotel’s hallway was quiet, plush carpet muffling every sound, the kind of silence that made normal conversation feel like a secret.

"Look," I said, "I’m trying to protect you here. Evelina has... let’s call it a heightened awareness of potential threats."

"Threats."

"To our relationship."

Marise crossed her arms, and I could see her father in the gesture. The same stubborn set to her jaw, the same refusal to be intimidated.

"You’re telling me the most powerful woman in the empire, the woman who’s partnered with a literal legend in Cold Iron, the woman my parents speak of with something close to reverence... is jealous."

"Pathologically."

"That’s..."

"Pathological," I repeated. "I’m aware of how it sounds."

Marise was quiet for a moment. Then she laughed, soft and surprised.

"I came all this way to thank the man who saved my family," she said, "and he’s warning me about his jealous not-wife."

"I’m a man of many layers."

"So I’m learning."

She uncrossed her arms, and some of the tension bled from her shoulders. Not all of it. The blade I’d given her was still tucked somewhere beneath her coat, and I could tell she hadn’t forgotten it was there.

Good.

"But seriously," I said, pushing off from the wall. "At the ball, keep your distance. If you need to talk to me, find a moment when she’s distracted. Don’t stare. Don’t smile too much. Definitely don’t touch me."

***

[Darkfire Step]

I found myself in the middle of an abandoned warehouse beside a D’Arclight factory, one of the empire’s biggest manufacturers of steel and guns.

Given the growing tensions between the elves and humans, they were definitely earning a lot of money.

Turns out, sending Azrael and Corvus hadn’t been enough to fully convince the other side to stop hostilities.

But that wasn’t my problem.

"You called, Eva?"

I turned toward a nearby aisle of shelves and found Evelina crouched, studying a piece of metal that jutted out just inches from the rest.

Considering how precise the D’Arclights could be, that was a huge red flag.

"Eva...?"

Evelina smiled at the nickname, definitely more than the "Evelyn" I used to call her. But as expected, she didn’t react the way I’d hoped.

I should come up with better nicknames until I found something that actually made her flustered.

"Never mind that. Take a look at this, Cael."

Evelina turned back to the jutting metal and pulled on it. It sounded more like a lever than anything else.

The moment she did, the shelves immediately descended into the floor, transforming into stairs that led to a dark basement below. Definitely not ominous.

"What’s this about?"

"It’s a surprise." Evelina tilted her head and stuck out her tongue.

I followed her down the stairs, the metal steps groaning under our weight. The darkness ahead seemed to swallow the dim light from above, but Evelina walked without hesitation, her hand trailing along the wall like she’d made this descent a hundred times before.

"You’re not going to tell me what this is?"

"Nope."

"Even a hint?"

She glanced back at me, her crimson eyes catching some unseen light source. "Where’s the fun in that?"

The stairs ended in a narrow corridor, lined with pipes that hummed with something that might have been steam or might have been magic. The air grew warmer as we walked, carrying the faint scent of oil and something else.

Something almost sweet.

"Eva."

"Patience, Cael."

She stopped before a door that looked like every other door we’d passed, grey metal, reinforced, unmarked. But when she pressed her palm against it, the surface rippled, and a soft click echoed through the corridor.

The door swung open.

And beyond it was something that surprised even me.

A vintage revolver with ornate carvings, suspended in the air by machines. Not only that, but it didn’t use steam like every other gun in this world. Even the appearance was different. It was a design from my original world.

"Surprise!"

Evelina said, summoning an explosion of confetti. The hue of her hair briefly turned brown, Trish making an appearance, before returning to its usual white.

"A gun?"

I laughed, approaching the floating revolver and studying its intricate details. It was beautiful. Absolutely so.

"Even better." Evelina crossed her arms, looking proud of herself. "I managed to squeeze some leftover darkyte from the past and imbued it into the revolver. It’s perfect for channeling your magic without breaking the gun itself."

"I know we have magic and all that, but I know how much you miss shooting things, so... here it is!"

"What’s the occasion?"

"Occasion? It’s the imperial ball, Cael. It’s when we make our debut as a noble couple. And since you’ve already given me a more... intimate gift, this is my gift to you."

"I love it."

"I know you would. Now... maybe I deserve a treat for such a wonderful gift?"

"Oh...?"

"We should have fun before the imperial ball fully starts, don’t you think?"

"Well, do you want it here or somewhere more comfortable?"

"I don’t care. As long as it’s with you."