"Another piece of junk."
I heard my husband say this from behind me.
Given how knowledgeable Agusheed is about the last 500 years of Unified Empire history,
I was quite certain his appraisal wasn't wrong.
Even without turning around, I could hear the headache and reluctance in his voice.
But in the end, he still bought that so-called "junk."
Because after his argument with Serie, I said:
"I want this necklace."
And just like that, he stopped arguing, fell silent for a moment,
And accurately listed the materials and production process of the fake necklace.
The stall owner's expression was absolutely priceless after hearing Agusheed's explanation.
Not only did he give the necklace away for free,
He even slipped Agusheed a Strahl silver coin, pleading for his silence.
Everything Agusheed said was, of course, correct.
Serie really had misjudged it—
Even though she had survived since the Mythic Age as an archmage,
Her eye for antiques was worse than mine.
The necklace truly was worthless junk, devoid of cultural or monetary value.
But Agusheed still "bought" it—
Because I said, "I want it."
He had always been like that—
No matter what I asked for, he would always indulge me unconditionally…
Walking through the bustling market, being led by Serie, I couldn't help but giggle.
I turned and glanced at Agusheed's emotionless face.
Then, under his puzzled gaze—
I blew him a small kiss.
Agusheed tilted his head, not understanding the meaning behind my action.
But the next moment, Serie's murderous glare forced him to look at her.
"Could you not keep directing killing intent at me? I haven't done anything to offend you."
Agusheed, helpless in the face of Serie's hostility, tried reasoning with her.
But Serie said nothing.
She just shot him a cold glare, then pulled me along into the distance.
After weaving through six different markets and visiting 45 shops—
The aimless journey brought us to the heart of the Imperial Capital.
There, after scrutinizing a few grand buildings—
Serie led us into the Imperial Royal Museum.
Today, being the birthday of the current Emperor,
This museum, which preserved relics of the past emperors of the Unified Empire, was temporarily opened to nobles who came to pay homage.
Of course, Agusheed and I weren't nobility—
But since no one could recognize us,
We simply followed Serie's lead and stepped inside.
After touring a few different exhibition halls with Serie,
I tugged gently on her sleeve and curiously asked:
"Teacher, do you recognize these antiques?"
"Then why did you bring us here?"
"Because I think this place looks decent."
Her gaze skimmed past the artifacts—none even old enough to be a fraction of her age.
Her answer was dismissive.
Hearing this, I couldn't help but give her a "just as expected" expression.
By now, I had figured out the real reason Serie was delaying my restoration—
She just wanted to enjoy having me by her side , even if just for a day.
I sighed quietly and gently held her arm.
To keep the day from being too dull and to give her something to talk about,
I waved to Agusheed, calling him over again.
"Agusheed, could you help explain these items to me and Teacher?"
I winked to cue him in.
This time, he understood.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and began to explain the exhibits—
"This is the wedding ring of the 'Unyielding King' and his wife from 140 years ago…"
"This gemstone was given by the 'Ironblood Emperor' to his wife before his final campaign 200 years ago…"
"This was left by the 'Sky Queen' on her deathbed 230 years ago…"
"This bracelet was handcrafted by the 'Triumphant King' for his queen 300 years ago…"
With each item Agusheed introduced, Serie's expression grew darker.
Because everything he explained revolved around married love.
Even if he meant no provocation,
It still felt like he was flaunting his relationship with me right in her face.
Each explanation only deepened Serie's killing intent toward him.
By the time we neared the end of the exhibit—
Even I was afraid Serie might lash out at Agusheed right then and there.
"Why did we have to end up in this gallery…"
"If those two start fighting, they'll flatten the entire capital…"
I slapped my forehead, regretting asking him to do the explanations.
But Agusheed, feeling her surging bloodlust, didn't react at all.
He had long grown used to Serie's random bouts of hostility.
So long as I was present, he knew this "old fossil" wouldn't make a move—
So he simply kept doing his part without pause.
Until we reached an unassuming display case at the very end—
Agusheed stopped walking.
And not just him—"Little Flamme" also furrowed her brow as she sensed a faint trace of magic ahead.
Only Serie, who had likely noticed it long before, remained calm.
She stared at the final exhibit—and the woman in front of it,
Someone she had met only a few times before.
Agusheed paused briefly.
Allowing both Flamme and Serie to clearly see the one standing in front of him.
And with complete calm, Agusheed introduced this "artifact" that wasn't actually part of the display:
"This is Ophelia Alde, Queen of the 'Triumphant King'—and the only Elven Queen in the history of the Unified Empire."
Flamme wasn't too surprised.
Though she'd never met the Elven Queen, she had seen her portrait in the palace before.
In fact, she was somewhat relieved.
At least this small interlude helped shift Serie and Agusheed's focus.
Once she realized this elf wasn't particularly powerful, she quickly lost interest.
"Am I disturbing you, Collapse of Nations?"
Though she couldn't see through Agusheed's disguise spell,
Nor could she unravel Serie's enchantments,
The Elven Queen, Ophelia, still calmly turned toward an otherwise empty space—