All the way back, Darius watched silently as Draco intently studied the first page of the book he had taken from the treasury. The mage really did not expect his apprentice's family to be in possession of their own dragon cipher. This meant that even though he thought he had gathered all the available information about the Ignis family, there was still much to discover. Especially since the code his student was deciphering did not belong to the publicly available version popular among large reptiles. Theoretically, there was no law in Dagos prohibiting the creation of new versions of the dragon cipher, but the truth was that only very influential families and high-ranking military personnel could do so.
There is no point in thinking about it now. Everything will become clear in time, and for now, we should be happy that everything is going well. The magician looked out the carriage window and watched with slight weariness the bustling crowd pouring through the commercial district. For a moment, he took his mind off his daily worries and enjoyed the journey in the company of his student.
Darius really wanted the rest of the day to pass in such an unusually peaceful atmosphere, but as soon as they arrived at the door of the house, he knew that peace and quiet were nothing but a dream. The moment they got out of the carriage, Bleist was approached by three servants who half-pulled, half-pushed him towards the apartment, listing all the important guests at the evening ball, presenting what the duchess had prepared for the earl to wear and what the plan for the reception was. The mage only had time to glance over his shoulder and notice that Draco was being treated much more gently and was walking slowly with Oscar, talking animatedly about something. Darius met the gaze of his butler, who meaningfully ignored the silent pleas for help from the busy servants and focused on his conversation with the young master. Darius had no choice but to resign himself to his fate.
An hour later, refreshed, dressed in a
