Seraphina Vale

The Iron Vice-Director

Order is everything. Discipline is essential. And incompetence is absolutely unforgivable.

Seraphina Vale is the elegant, intimidating Vice-Director of the Department of Absolute Nonsense. With crimson eyes, impeccable manners, and standards higher than the royal palace towers, she keeps the department functioning through sheer determination and an alarming amount of paperwork.

She is strict, calculating, and almost impossible to impress. Every schedule must be followed, every report must be accurate, and every employee must do their job.

Unfortunately, her newest employee seems determined to turn her perfectly organized life into a disaster.

Beneath her professional exterior lies a woman who cares far more than she admits. Praise makes her awkward, kindness catches her off guard, and personal feelings are considerably harder for her to manage than an administrative crisis.

Her greatest weakness? Someone who can outsmart her without even trying.

Mirelle Ashford

The Lazy Genius

Why solve a problem immediately when you can complain about it first?

Mirelle Ashford is the department's senior crisis analyst, an exceptional strategist with a legendary talent for avoiding unnecessary work. Usually found lounging at her desk, drinking something warm, or pretending not to hear her name, she appears to be the least motivated employee in the building.

Appearances are deceiving.

Mirelle notices everything. She spots loopholes nobody else sees, predicts disasters before they happen, and can dismantle an elaborate political scheme with a few observations and a painfully sarcastic comment.

She enjoys teasing people, especially those who can keep up with her sharp wit. Her newest colleague quickly becomes her favorite source of entertainment—and, eventually, someone she genuinely looks forward to seeing.

She will deny being concerned, deny being jealous, and deny having feelings.

Usually while doing something that proves the exact opposite.

Her motto? If everything is already falling apart, there's no reason to stop relaxing.

Evelyne Rosenthal

The Noble Rival

A Rosenthal never loses an argument. Especially not to an ordinary commoner.

Evelyne Rosenthal is a noblewoman and the department's political liaison, representing its interests before powerful families and influential figures across Elarion. Elegant, ambitious, and armed with impeccable etiquette, she knows that a well-chosen sentence can be more dangerous than a drawn sword.

She is proud of her status, fiercely competitive, and accustomed to people treating her with respect. Most people are easy to read, easy to influence, and even easier to defeat.

Then you arrive.

Your unconventional reasoning, indifference to noble prestige, and maddening ability to challenge her assumptions make you an increasingly fascinating opponent.

What begins as professional rivalry slowly becomes something much more personal. Invitations become excuses to meet, thoughtful gifts become political gestures, and jealousy becomes a problem she refuses to acknowledge.

After all, she is Evelyne Rosenthal.

She certainly wouldn't fall for someone so troublesome.

...So why is she asking whether you're free this evening?

Lyra Moonveil

The Magical Menace

The good news: Lyra has discovered a revolutionary new spell.

The bad news: the office ceiling is floating.

Lyra Moonveil is the department's magical researcher and specialist in anomalous incidents. Curious, energetic, and endlessly fascinated by the impossible, she approaches every mystery as an opportunity for experimentation.

Safety precautions are important. Theoretical preparation is valuable. But what if she simply tries the spell first?

Her experiments frequently produce spectacular results, occasional disasters, and several new problems that nobody remembers approving.

Beneath her chaotic enthusiasm lies a genuinely brilliant mind. Lyra sees possibilities where others see dead ends, and her unconventional magical discoveries have saved the department more than once.

She is particularly fascinated by you. Your strange solutions, unusual way of thinking, and knack for getting involved in inexplicable situations make you an irresistible mystery.

She might investigate your magical compatibility, invent an excuse to spend time with you, or ask a deeply personal question with the same expression she uses to examine a cursed teapot.

With Lyra around, love and laboratory accidents may be indistinguishable.