She didn’t have to wait long for a conclusion. The eleven men skirted the tables and gathered around her, kneeling one by one. The last one to kneel before her was the Marquis of Kiaph, who lowered his head and spoke in a solemn tone of voice. “We will obey you, Your Majesty.” It was unquestionably a vow of loyalty. Hearing his words, Ortea gave them a satisfied smile, but there was a slightly bittersweet edge to her expression. That was how history was made. The tide had changed thanks to a younger, stronger force. The ancient queen’s blood, bound by lies, had created a new queen who suppressed her own twisted tendencies. The page opened on a different era, and a new day dawned. Amidst the sudden flurry of movement around her, Ortea beckoned to Shizuku, who approached her. “What is it, Princess?” “You didn’t do anything stupid while I was away, did you?” “I thought I was going to lose my mind with rage a couple of times, but I managed to restrain myself.” Her truthful response made Ortea laugh out loud. Shizuku stayed silent, maintaining a blank expression, so the queen stifled her laughter. “When you get angry at me, the consequences linger. That’s the bit that irritates me,” Ortea said with a shrug. To everyone’s surprise, Farsas swiftly accepted Ortea’s offer to negotiate. They also probably realized that armed conflict would only get them so far. No matter how crafty their strategies were, Farsas would inevitably succumb to Kisk’s attacks unless they summoned reinforcements, and if both nations continued to boost their military strength without finding a way out, the conflict would eventually impact the entire continent. During the countries’ initial discussions, it was decided that the ceasefire negotiations would be held at Weisuz Fortress. Farsas withdrew their troops, leaving just three thousand cavalry soldiers behind. When Ortea turned up at the fortress, she only had a few guards escorting her. Many people had advised her to have an army as big as Farsas’s with her, but Ortea dismissed this idea. “These talks are being held in my own nation,” she’d said. “If I’m accompanied by more soldiers than I really need, people will criticize me for being a coward. I’m right, aren’t I, Shizuku?” “I’m not sure. I doubt Lars will care how much or how little backup you have. In fact, you’re best off staying away from him completely.” “…I wouldn’t be able to negotiate, then.” Ortea had only just had her coronation, but getting ready for the negotiations was already her top priority. Of course, the castle’s inhabitants were aware that there was a new monarch, even though Ortea hadn’t had a showy ceremony to celebrate it. Beelhurse being placed under house arrest made that exceedingly clear. People who’d been frightened by the new queen’s reputation were surprised by Ortea’s stern yet fair demeanor. “People are saying you’ve softened, Princess,” chuckled Shizuku. “Someone forcibly cut away all my spiky edges,” Ortea responded with a wry smile. While the most essential administrative tasks related to the change in ruler were still ongoing, three days were spent preparing the documents required for the negotiations in a speedy yet systematic manner. Five days after the Twelve Family Council, it was time. A transit ring was used to teleport from Kisk Castle to the fortress. The ring inside Weisuz Fortress had been sealed off following Farsas’s occupation, but it was reactivated, and an advance party was teleported first into the fortress. Farsas had promised not to use the transit ring in the northern section of the vast fortress to transport troops into its center. The first troops made sure that Farsas hadn’t gone back on their word, ensuring that their queen would be safe when she arrived. Once they’d given her the all-clear, Ortea teleported to the fortress with her close aides and about thirty guards. She chose a small conference room to use as a waiting room, then carried out her final checks. “We’ve agreed that each of us can be accompanied by three people during the talks… But I can’t pick Niké or Shizuku. Stay hidden.” Neither Niké nor Shizuku had any objections, so they silently bowed. Niké had been carrying out secret maneuvers within Farsas, while Shizuku had been effectively kidnapped from Farsas Castle and brought to Kisk, meaning that neither of them could afford to show their faces in front of Farsasian officials. To make up for his absence, Niké gave his master a magic implement that could pick up sounds so he could rush to her aid if anything went wrong. In the end, it was decided that, along with Faneet, a mage and a magistrate would accompany Ortea. The queen turned back to Niké and Shizuku. “I’m heading off, then.” “Please be careful. The person you’re dealing with doesn’t understand common sense,” warned Shizuku. “…Is he really that bad?” the queen asked. Shizuku didn’t want to give an answer more precise than that, so she kept quiet. Ortea looked uncomfortable, but she collected herself and left the room. “Where’s Vied?” Shizuku asked Niké once the queen was gone. “He’s in another room. The court ladies are looking after him.” Shizuku wasn’t sure whether the presence of the baby—a direct descendant of the Farsasian royal lineage—would be a blessing or a curse. The two of them exchanged glances, then decided to have a cup of tea while they waited. Farsas had kept all its prior promises. Ortea walked down the corridor devoid of soldiers and arrived at the office where they’d agreed to meet. Inside, she felt relieved. In the worst-case scenario, she could have been captured and killed on her way there. Needing to gain the enemy’s trust, the queen had made a number of concessions, including reducing her number of guards. To a certain extent, it seemed to have paid off. The moment she stepped foot in the office, however, that relief evaporated. Ortea, the queen of Kisk, strode defiantly through the door—but when she saw the graffiti covering the entire wall, her jaw dropped, leaving her unable to close her mouth again. She’d been warned that Lars had no understanding of common sense, but this was horrendous. Ortea found herself transfixed by one of the pictures on the white wall. It looked like it was supposed to be a dog or a mouse, but it was impossible to tell. As she stood there, frozen to the spot, a slovenly man’s voice called out to her. “What’s up, Ortea? Aren’t you going to sit down?” Two groups of three chairs were positioned opposite one another, with the king seated in the center, facing her. His legs were crossed, and an infuriatingly calm smile was spread across his face. He was definitely the same king of Farsas she’d encountered on the battlefield just a few days earlier. Lars had chiseled features, but his handsome appearance couldn’t keep his mean-spirited petulance concealed for long. The sight of his face made her feel like clicking her tongue with contempt as she sat herself down. Once the woman, close to ten years his junior, had settled down in front of him, the king began to speak. “Now, then. Let’s skip the tedious introductions. I’ve been waiting long enough. So Ortea—what do you plan to offer Farsas?” What he was suggesting wasn’t wrong. Technically, Farsas had been the one to invade, but it was Kisk that had lured it into doing so. The nation had failed to defeat Farsas, and its fortress had been captured. Kisk was in a weak position. Bribing Farsas to go home was its only hope. Ortea knew all this, but as soon as she heard these words come out of the king’s mouth, she felt an overwhelming urge to slap him across the face with a fan. Instead, though, she just gave the king a cold look and answered his question with a request of her own. “Before we get to that, I want to know about that drawing over there.” “I did it.” “Why?” “Because these walls are easy to draw on. It’ll make a good memento, don’t you think?” Shizuku and Niké could hear this conversation. Ortea envisioned the expressions on their faces as they listened to it, which helped temper her anger. Still, the calmer part of her was relieved to find out that Lars was planning to give the fortress back. Lars had called the drawings a memento, implying that they’d serve as a lasting trace of Farsas’s capture of the fortress. Usually, this kind of graffiti would intimidate military officers, but pictures as terrible as Lars’s were nothing but infuriating. Ortea moved fixing the wall to the top of her mental to-do list. Since she didn’t have a fan, she spread out her papers instead. “Now, starting with the town of Caribala…” “…This is even worse than I imagined.” “I know. I hope the princess doesn’t snap.” Ortea’s two aides listening to the audio from another room were drinking tea, but their faces spoke volumes. Shizuku sighed as she opened a jar full of candies. “If only Princess Leuticia had been here instead,” said Niké regretfully. “I don’t think the king can wrap his head around sensible conversation.” “No, the princess is even scarier,” responded Shizuku. “I, for one, would like to avoid meeting her again.” “But she’s so pretty. Don’t you think she’s a sight for sore eyes?” “I’d rather stare at those drawings on the wall than face her wrath.” Niké looked back at the papers. Audio from inside the office was streaming out of the crystal ball on the table. The queen proceeded to list the terms she proposed for the ceasefire. These included the handover of Caribala upon approval from the residents, surrendering a mine in the west of Rosta under Kisk’s direct ownership, a stipulated reparation payment, and a non-aggression pact that would last for the next fifty years. Niké and Shizuku listened intently. Once all of Ortea’s offerings had been laid out, a tense silence filled the room. “Is that everything, Ortea?” the king asked with what sounded like a sneer. His tone made Shizuku and Niké tense up. It sounded like he could detect everyone’s weaknesses and secrets. Multiple suspicions rose up inside them, bursting like burbles. “…Are you saying that’s not enough?” the queen asked. “They’re perfectly acceptable terms for a ceasefire. But isn’t there something else you’re hiding? That baby you’re looking after… Whose exactly is he?” Not a word had been said about Vied’s existence. The fact that the king of Farsas, who was possibly the baby’s father, had found out about him shocked Shizuku—so much so that she dropped the teacup she was holding. Ortea didn’t go pale, but her beautiful face did tense up a little. In contrast, Lars maintained his relaxed smile as he continued to stare at her. “Your worthless attempts at killing time would be annoying, but I have no hard evidence. Depending on the terms, I might turn a blind eye to this. Still, who are the child’s parents? I want you to tell me.” They were talking about the baby boy whom Seilené had given birth to. Ortea knew who the father was, of course; Shizuku was the only one of her aides who didn’t. With the cooperation of Farsas’s royal family, they could quickly determine whether he descended from their royal lineage. The baby was still unable to move around on his own, yet Ortea had brought him to the fortress with her. Depending on how the discussions went, there was a chance that his presence would prove essential. She’d never expected her opponent to be the one to bring him up, though. How had the information been leaked? Conscious of the dryness in her throat, Ortea flashed the king a smile. “Who knows? Perhaps he’s mine.” “Oh? Now, that’d be a revelation. Does that mean you’re planning on becoming one of my consorts?” “Huh?” If Ortea had been drinking tea, she would have spilled it just like Shizuku did in that moment. Fortunately, all the queen was holding was a thick bundle of documents. Lars watched in amusement as the pile of papers fell onto her lap. “You were intending to raise that child in secret, precisely because he was a direct descendant of Farsas. In other words, he’s my child. That doesn’t really bother me. In fact, if you insist that you gave birth to him, I’ll take you and the child back to Farsas with me. If you add that to your list of conditions, I’ll forgive Kisk.” “W-wait. But Vied…” “What’s wrong? If you’re not sure that I’m the father, I’ll check for you. Bring him here, right now.” Normally, the existence of a child that a person didn’t know they had would make them vulnerable. The fact that Lars could act so assertive after such a major shock didn’t seem right. Unsure of what to do, Ortea’s face quickly paled. She felt as though she’d been struck by a powerful blow to her head. Her thoughts got jumbled, rendering her unable to respond. Lars glanced at the astounded queen and gave her a smile that could only be described as malicious. “I’m not averse to strong women like you, Ortea. Don’t worry—I won’t let you get bored. Once I train you, you won’t even think about crossing any lines.” If the look in the man’s blue eyes was anything to go by, he wasn’t joking. In fact, it was clear that he was deliberately trying to provoke her. Ortea gritted her teeth, well aware of this. In other words, Lars already knew everything. He knew about Vied and all the other schemes Ortea had used to target Farsas. And now he was requesting that Ortea—the very source of the turmoil—hand herself over to his country as part of the ceasefire agreement. Shizuku was wiping away the tea that had spilled on her lap, and when she heard the voices coming from the crystal ball, she dropped her cloth in astonishment. But picking it up was the furthest thing from her mind right then. She exchanged looks with Niké, who was equally stunned. “Calling this ‘unexpected’ would be an understatement,” he said. “Huh, how did this happen? How much do they know?” “I think it’s safe to assume they know everything. If they know about Seilené, the rest will soon become clear.” Something about Niké’s statement confused Shizuku, but before she could put her finger on what it was, he expanded on his point. “This is a disaster. If Farsas takes the queen away, the throne will be empty.” “Oh, that’s true!” At present, Ortea and Beelhurse were the only members of Kisk’s royal family. Of course, they had some distant relatives around, but if Ortea was taken away by Farsas, Beelhurse would naturally return to the throne. It was impossible to know how the former king, a man consumed with anger, would retaliate if he regained his position. Shizuku held her head in her hands, imagining the worst possible outcome. Going by what they’d heard from the office, Lars and Ortea were taking a brief break from negotiating. Essentially what it came down to was that Ortea was being given one last chance. Shizuku stood up to go and meet her master, but Niké grabbed her shoulder from behind. “Wait. You need to go and see Vied. As long as nobody proves that he’s a direct descendant of Farsas, we can still weasel our way out of this, should worse come to worst. I doubt Farsas knows that Vied’s in the fortress.” “Huh? Oh, you’re right! We can use transit rings, can’t we?” “Yeah. Take the kid back to the castle for now. We’ll ask the princess for her decision later on. Take some guards with you.” “Got it.” Shizuku wanted to ask who Vied’s father was, but there was no time to waste. Once the pair had left the room, Shizuku embarked on her own mission, accompanied by three of the guards who’d been waiting outside. At that moment, however, the walls around her began to vibrate. Thinking she’d heard an explosion in the distance, Shizuku stopped where she was and turned back to Niké, who’d been heading in the opposite direction. “What was that?” she asked. “I dunno,” he replied. What had happened? It sounded like it had come from the office. Shizuku debated whether to go back and listen to the crystal ball—but just as she was about to change direction, she saw something behind her colleague that made her eyes widen in astonishment. It was a bewildering, incomprehensible sight. Frozen to the spot, Shizuku saw one of the guards behind Niké turn his sword on the mage he was supposed to protect. “W-watch out!” Shizuku tried to warn him, but she was too late. By the time she’d shouted, it was all over. Niké casually waved his right hand, still looking straight ahead. That motion alone caused the soldier who’d drawn his sword to collapse to the floor in convulsions. Stepping on the fallen soldier’s neck and right hand, the mage beckoned Shizuku over. She started rushing over to him, but it wasn’t long before she heard someone immediately behind her fall down with a groan. “N-Niké!” Once she was by his side, Shizuku finally took the opportunity to look over her shoulder and grasped the situation. Two soldiers were convulsing on the floor, their swords half-drawn. Niké wasn’t the only person who’d almost been killed in that moment—she had, too. Belatedly realizing the danger she’d been in, Shizuku shuddered. “What just happened…?” “We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?” This question was directed at the soldier underneath Niké’s feet. The merciless mage’s words made the man’s face tense up. Niké was only stepping lightly on the soldier’s neck, but it was probably still hard for him to breathe. He seemed too weak to fight back and gasped desperately for air. Niké sneered as he adjusted the pressure he was exerting with his feet. “I don’t plan to take up much of your time. If you won’t speak, I’ll wake the others and ask them instead. Tell me everything you know.” “Shut up! You’re a lapdog to that throne-stealing tyrant!” the man replied. “Oh. So you work for Beelhurse, do you?” said Shizuku. Her comment made the color drain from the soldier’s face. It took him a moment to realize how stupid his slip of the tongue had been, but as soon as he did, his eyes widened. Niké looked down at him, a derisive look in his eyes. “Seems like Beelhurse has some pretty dumb people working for him. So what’s he planning?” “I—I can’t tell you that!” “In that case, you’re gonna have to die.” Niké began reciting his incantation, not bothering to ask any further questions. The soldier squirmed around, but his body was refusing to cooperate properly. He was probably still numb from earlier. He glared at the coldly smirking Niké and anxious-looking Shizuku. “You idiots! You’ll be executed soon enough anyway! That’s what you get for killing the king of Farsas!” This last line bewildered both Shizuku and Niké, who exchanged looks. “He’s saying the king of Farsas is dead. Should we be celebrating?” asked Shizuku. “I’m not sure…” Niké replied. While Lars’s death may have been momentarily beneficial, Niké felt it would only complicate matters further down the line. He pointed to the room they’d just come out of. “Fetch the crystal ball. Let’s get in touch with Her Majesty.” “O-okay.” Shizuku hurried back to the office and grabbed the magic implement off the desk, but there was no sound coming from it, as if it wasn’t connected to Ortea anymore. Shizuku peered into the hallway, but nobody else had come back. Her face turned as white as a sheet. “Wh-what are we supposed to do? What’s going on?!” “In all likelihood…Beelhurse’s plan was to frame the princess for the king’s murder. If all went according to plan, he could exterminate two nuisances in one go—and even if things didn’t work out, Farsas would do away with the princess. Some of the guards must have been traitors. At this point, we should view both Farsas’s and Kisk’s soldiers as enemies.” “Wolves in sheep’s clothing!” “What? Is that some kind of spell?” asked Niké. “Anyway, we need to go and make sure Vied is safe.” As the mage started reciting a teleportation spell, Shizuku hesitantly argued back. “But what about the princess?! She’s the one who’s in the most danger!” “She has Faneet, and the mage who went with her is Tigor’s skilled right-hand man. She’ll be fine for the time being. That baby, meanwhile, only has some court ladies and soldiers to look after him. Considering there are traitors in our midst, he’s the one who’s in the most danger.” Shizuku’s expression turned glum when she thought about Yura and Willett. She wished she’d left them at the castle. Still, it was too late for regrets. They needed to be taken somewhere safe right away. When Niké started chanting again, a reflective distortion appeared in the air in front of him. He began to turn toward Shizuku, but the very next moment, the color drained from his face. The transit gate disappeared without a sound. “…Crap.” “Huh? Did you make a mistake?” “No. The teleportation seal has been switched on. This is probably Farsas’s doing.” The seal was a kind of magic spell that had been part of the fortress’s original defenses. It was designed to stop people from using regular incantations or making teleportation gates to travel there, leaving transit rings as their only option. Farsas must have changed the permissions while occupying the fortress, effectively preventing any magic-based teleportation. Frustrated, Niké kicked the floor. “Let’s run. Come with me.” “Okay.” There was no time to hesitate. They needed to get Vied out of there and save Ortea. That was all there was to it. Shizuku started running, her gazed fixed ahead of her. The desolate interior of the fortress seemed to be strangely connected to Kisk’s labyrinthian castle—the giant birdcage that had prevented Ortea, as well as the country’s first queen, from getting away. But that birdcage was now broken. Ortea had become queen thanks to her own determination. In which case, there must have been a way out of this situation, too. The room that Vied had been left in wasn’t that far from the transit ring. Shizuku ran as fast as she could, effectively dragging Niké along by the hand, but as soon as they’d turned the second corner, an angry voice called out from behind. When they looked over their shoulders, they saw several Farsasian soldiers with their swords drawn. Before long, they were closing in on the pair at full speed. “Wait! You two!” This bloodcurdling yell naturally prompted Shizuku to speed up. At that moment, however, the man who she was forcibly pulling along shook free from her grip. “Niké! What’re you doing?!” “Leave me be, crazy stamina girl… I’ll be fine. Go on ahead.” The man steadied his breathing and began to chant. Then he turned away from Shizuku and confronted the soldiers. After hesitating for a moment, Shizuku turned around and carried on running. Niké was a terribly self-important man; he’d manage one way or another. Shizuku was the one who couldn’t fight, so she needed to get away. She accurately followed the route she had in her mind, and it wasn’t long before Vied’s room came into view. However, there was no trace of the guards who were supposed to be standing outside. Experiencing a sense of foreboding, Shizuku pushed open the door. “Yura! Willett!” The room was spacious yet drab. It was devoid of any kind of movement. The bodies of the two guards lay at the far end of the room, still clutching their swords. They didn’t seem to be breathing. Shizuku bit her lip and began to turn around. “…ku…” Just as she was about to start running, the tearful voice of a young girl brushed against her ears. Shizuku turned around in a panic and ran back into the room. “Willett?! Where are you?” “…Shizu…ku…” Shizuku spotted a closet in the corner of the room. A large box meant for storing spears had been placed right in front of it, making it look as though the closet hadn’t been used in a long time. Even so, Shizuku was certain that the girl’s voice was coming from behind its doors. Shizuku arduously shoved the box filled with spears out of the way and opened the door. A young girl came tumbling out, holding a baby in her arms. “Willett!” Shizuku exclaimed. “Shizuku…I’m so glad you’re here…” Willett looked like she’d been crying, and the young girl froze in horror when she spotted the corpses past Shizuku’s shoulder. But there was no time to seize up with fear. Shizuku obstructed Willett’s view with her body and asked her a question. “Where’s Yura?” “Th-the soldiers suddenly demanded we give them the baby…and we ended up in a tussle with them… Yura told me to hide in the closet…” “Okay.” There was no sign of Yura’s body. That meant she’d either been taken away or escaped. Clinging to the hope that she was still alive, Shizuku took the baby out of the girl’s arms. “Some of the soldiers are traitors. We need to get back to the castle right now. Can you run?” “N-no. My legs won’t move.” Willett seemed like she was about to collapse at any moment. Shizuku looked at the shaking girl in front of her, torn between guilt and a sense of urgency. The truth was, she didn’t know where her enemies could be lurking—and considering the state she was in, taking Willett on the run with her wasn’t in the cards. Having come to a bitter decision, Shizuku gave the girl a nod. “Alright. In that case, Willett, hide here and don’t make a sound.” Vied couldn’t be handed over to Farsas or Beelhurse. He was the only one in that crucial position, and in fact, without him around, Willett would probably be safe. After all, she was just a normal girl. “I’ll be back before you know it,” said Shizuku. She put Willett back into the closet, positioning the spear-filled box in front. Then she ran out into the empty corridor, skirting the blood on the floor. The baby in her arms was fast asleep. Shizuku couldn’t help but smile as she gazed upon his innocent sleeping face, unperturbed by the chaos playing out around him. But the next moment, her expression was tense again as she began dashing down the deserted corridor once again. Given that the assassination attempt on the king of Farsas had been falsely blamed on Ortea, killing any more of his soldiers than was truly necessary would backfire. As such, Niké was mainly casting spells that would simply knock his enemies unconscious, and he sent them all dropping to the floor as they approached him. Shizuku was long gone. She seemed to possess far more base stamina than Niké, so she’d probably already made it to Vied’s room. Once he’d knocked out all the soldiers, Niké started sprinting down the corridor again, hoping to get away before any new ones arrived. Just then, however, his intuition prompted him to formulate a defensive spell. He’d sensed a hint of magic in the air, and his hunch was soon proven right as, a moment later, a binding spell collided with his barrier. Niké could sense a formidable amount of magical energy behind the attack. This brought back a long-forgotten memory, prompting him to look over his shoulder. There stood a mage from Farsas, a large sapphire magic implement attached to his right ear. He was weaving a complex spell structure, not saying a word. Upon seeing him, Niké couldn’t conceal his disgust. “Look who it is.” This was no time for standing around, but this man couldn’t be dismissed lightly, either. His magical energy and intricate spell configurations were easily recognizable. Niké began to construct a spell of his own. If this is where the carpet gets pulled from under me, then that’s what I deserve for manipulating others for all this time. But if Niké were to meet his demise, Shizuku wouldn’t be saved, either. She’d done nothing wrong. She was just trying to correct a mistake. Shizuku was completely powerless, yet stubbornly good-natured. She deserved to be where good intentions were the norm, a place far kinder than Kisk. Wearing a self-deprecating smile, Niké channeled his magical power into the spell he’d constructed. He knew he needed to escape before any more enemies arrived, but he couldn’t bring himself to flee. Instead, he used his spell to block any incoming attacks. “This is your fault, stupid girl.” People were capable of putting their lives on the line for things they weren’t willing to give up. After meeting Shizuku, Niké had finally learned this firsthand. Shizuku tiptoed across the floor, trying to keep her arms from jostling as much as possible. She had yet to encounter any suspicious soldiers from Kisk. It was probably lucky that Ortea hadn’t brought that many with her after all. Once she reached the final corner, Shizuku suddenly slowed her pace and peered around it. She spotted three soldiers from Kisk standing in front of the transit ring room, but Shizuku had no idea whether they were traitors or not. Just as she was deliberating whether to reveal herself, a nearby door swung open and another soldier emerged. Shizuku hurriedly pulled her face away. “Has the child been found?” somebody said in a whisper. “Not yet. Apparently, a woman fled with him.” “It’ll be a nuisance if word reaches the castle. Hurry.” They were enemies. Shizuku felt relieved she hadn’t chosen to show her face—but the next moment she noticed their footsteps getting closer and ducked. She needed to find a hiding place before they saw her. She immediately reached for a nearby door, but it was locked. Left with no other choice, she started running. There was a chance her footsteps would alert them of her presence. And once the soldiers turned the corner, they’d spot her immediately. Shizuku sped up, clutching tightly onto Vied. The corner she’d rushed around a short while earlier seemed incredibly far away, and before she could reach it, one of the doors beside her opened up, obstructing her path. “This way, Shizuku,” someone called out in hushed tones. There was no mistaking who it was. Once Shizuku had rushed inside, the woman locked the door. “Yura.” “I’m glad you’re safe, Shizuku.” Yura’s clothes were splattered with blood, and a sword lying on the floor seemed to imbue the hardships she’d endured. Shizuku gulped, but Yura simply looked at her and Vied without a trace of criticism in her gaze. When she smiled, her expression was just as warm as ever. “Anyway, Shizuku, I’d like you to tell me what’s happened.” “R-right.” The room had just two doors and no windows, and the pair sat down and began their quiet discussion. Although the information surrounding Vied was highly confidential, Shizuku decided it was time to be up-front about it. Yura had already been implicated as much as any other people concerned, and hearing her thoughts might lead Shizuku to come up with a solution. At the very least, it would be better than contemplating the matter alone. Shizuku briefly explained that Vied was apparently Lars’s child, that Beelhurse had orchestrated Lars’s assassination to incriminate Ortea, and that due to this misunderstanding, Vied was being pursued not only by Farsas’s troops, but also by traitors from Kisk. They were cornered on all sides; there was no other way to describe the situation, and Yura frowned. “The castle is safe, but aren’t there guards in front of the transit ring?” “It seems that way. Niké hasn’t shown up, and neither has the queen…” Shizuku had no way of knowing what had happened to them. She frowned, thinking of the silent crystal ball in her pocket. “But we still don’t know whether he’s really the child of the king of Farsas, do we?” Yura asked skeptically. “Well, no. But if they confirm that he is, it’ll be terrible.” “If they discover that he’s not, though, that could work in our favor. The king didn’t know about him, did he?” “Probably not… Not at first, at least.” Neither Ortea nor Niké had ever properly confirmed it, but they’d been operating under the assumption that Lars didn’t know about the child. This was why they’d been so shocked when Lars had seen through their secret. In all likelihood, Lars had probably only found out that Ortea was looking after the baby after it was born. He couldn’t have known all along, otherwise he would have tried to get his child back sooner. Shizuku cocked her head, struggling to decipher what Yura was trying to say. They were the same age, and the court lady held her finger in front of Shizuku’s face and stared at her. “Listen, Shizuku. For royals, the concept of having a child they don’t know about is practically impossible.” “R-really? That makes sense for women, but I assumed men could father children by accident…” “It doesn’t work like that. Royals tend to take contraceptive magic potions regularly. There’s no way they would conceive a child unless they’d been intending to do so.” “Gah.” Shizuku knew that medicines in this world were magical in nature, but the existence of contraceptive potions had never occurred to her. She hurriedly discarded everything she thought she knew and collected her thoughts once again. “Huh? So if the king didn’t know about Vied…does that mean Vied’s not his child?” “I would think so. The king of Farsas hasn’t had a woman by his side for the last couple of years.” If Vied wasn’t Lars’s child, then that changed everything. If Niké were around, Shizuku would have throttled him, shouting, “What the heck is going on?!” Unfortunately, though, he hadn’t made it back yet. Shizuku vigorously shook her head, which was filled with questions. “If Vied’s not the king’s child, then both the princess and king himself would have known… In which case, why bring him along? Why suggest that he’s a direct descendant? Huh…?” Shizuku was baffled, but Yura just placed her hands on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “Listen, Shizuku. The king of Farsas probably isn’t the child’s father. As long as we can prove that, the child will be safe, and the princess won’t need to be taken away.” Ortea had playfully suggested that Vied was her own child, which Lars had used as a pretext to suggest taking her to Farsas. The speculation that she was hiding a direct descendant of Farsas’s royal bloodline stemmed directly from that joke. If people found out that Vied had nothing to do with Lars, there would be no reason for him to take Ortea. Grasping this, Shizuku nodded emphatically. “That means that Vied…” “Yes. We should hand him over to Farsas and have them prove it.” “R-right…” Shizuku replied, nodding in agreement. But a trace of apprehension lingered in her voice. Was giving Vied to Farsas to prove they weren’t related really the right thing to do? It was widely accepted that no royal offspring was ever conceived by accident, so both Ortea and Niké must have known this. Even so, they seemed convinced that Vied was a direct descendant of Farsas. Seilené wasn’t part of the Farsasian bloodline. It was Vied’s father who was the key to this whole tangled mess. Ortea had said so herself. “Could it be…that there’s a direct descendant of the Farsasian bloodline that the public don’t know about?” If so, everything would make sense. The term ‘direct descendant of Farsas’ referred to those within five degrees of kinship of past kings. There had been conflicts among the royal family in the past, so it was possible that someone had secretly escaped the castle and was still alive. Perhaps Ortea and Lars knew about their existence. Plus, if Seilené had been in Rozsark’s royal court— “Hey! Anyone in there?” a loutish, angry voice bellowed, and they heard a violent banging on the door. Shizuku and Yura sprang to their feet. They held their breaths, listening intently. They could hear people talking on the other side of the door. “Is this really the right place?” one person asked. “I thought I heard voices,” said another. Shizuku tensed up. They were the same voices she’d heard in front of the transit ring room. She hoped the men would just give up and leave, but they didn’t seem to have any intention of abandoning the locked door. They yelled angrily as they began to throw their bodies against it, and the door made an unpleasant creak. “Geez, can this get any worse?” Yura said exasperatedly, picking her sword up off the floor. Shizuku stared at the sword-wielding court lady in astonishment. “Escape through that door over there, Shizuku. I’ll buy you some time,” Yura said. “B-but Yura, this is risky…” From what she could hear, there must have been about four or five men outside. That sounded like too many for a single court lady to handle. But Yura just smiled, not a trace of fear in her eyes. “I’ll be fine. Just go, Shizuku. Don’t you remember what I told you? I’ll beat them to a pulp.” With every forceful shove, the door’s fittings bent further out of shape. It was only a matter of time before the men broke through. Shizuku backed away, still holding Vied in her arms. “Yura.” “Trust me, Shizuku.” Yura’s smile vanished. Her expression turned painfully calm and serious as she readied her weapon. She turned to face the door, which was on the verge of being destroyed. Shizuku hesitated, unsure whether she should run or if that was even an option, but then somebody pulled on her hair from below and her eyes went wide. She looked down at Vied in her arms. The boy must have woken up a little while ago, and he was gazing up at her with his blue eyes. He was clutching a clump of Shizuku’s disheveled hair in his tiny hand with an innocent smile on his face, clearly oblivious to the situation playing out around them. To Vied, being loved was just a normal part of life. This naïveté made her heart hurt. I can’t let Beelhurse get hold of this child. Beelhurse couldn’t even love his own sister—someone he was related to by blood. Shizuku wouldn’t let him have Vied under any circumstances. Having made up her mind, she raised her head. “Yura…if you find yourself in danger, just surrender.” “I understand. Let’s meet up again later.” The door’s fittings made a screeching sound. Shizuku went through the other door and rushed into the next room. She ran through it, but just as she flew out into the corridor, she heard what sounded like a dull scream—though it was impossible tell whether it was a woman’s or a man’s. Niké couldn’t really tell how much time had gone by. On one hand, it seemed like it had been no time at all, yet on the other, it almost felt like half an hour. Niké sighed as he formulated a new spell. In terms of battle experience, Niké had an overwhelming advantage. That said, his opponent had extraordinary magical powers on his side, and he could cast incredibly complex spells. If he were up against any ordinary mage, Niké would have been able to determine the effect of the spell just by looking at it, allowing him to counter an attack before it even reached him. However, Niké’s current opponent condensed multiple effects into a single spell—something that no regular mage could do. Due to the multi-layered structure of these spells, Niké was always one step behind. He quickly put together a spell and released it into the air. It drew his opponent’s spell toward it and neutralized its effects. Niké used the opportunity to direct a bolt of lightning toward his adversary, but the mage from Farsas nullified his attack using the dagger in his hand. The dagger seemed to be some kind of magic implement. It crackled as electricity coursed through it, then absorbed Niké’s magical energy and began to glow. “Shit!” At this rate, the fight was never going to end. Niké was incredibly worried about how everyone else was doing. Deciding to change tactics, he looked for an opportunity to get away. At that moment, however, someone surprised him by tapping him on the shoulder from behind. “Found you.” The person’s voice, tinged with laughter, resembled that of a mischievous child. By the time Niké worked out whom it belonged to, an inescapable net-like spell had closed in on him. Shizuku couldn’t head straight to the transit ring room. She didn’t know how many traitors there were, but it was highly likely they’d be guarding it. She couldn’t bring herself to hand Vied over to Farsas. Even if Vied wasn’t Lars’s child, he could still be a direct descendant of Farsas, and if so, he could be taken away from her. Shizuku mapped out her current location in her head as she haphazardly turned corner after corner. Everyone in the castle knew that the negotiations were taking place that day. If it became apparent that the queen wasn’t coming back, they’d grow suspicious and check what was going on. All Shizuku could do was buy herself some time and avoid being captured. She prayed that everyone she’d had to leave behind would stay safe. She turned right at her next corner, avoiding a voice coming from the distance. A straight corridor stretched out ahead of her. At the end of it was a staircase leading downward. When Shizuku spotted a figure lingering in front of it, she came to a sudden halt. The man was carrying a long, unsheathed sword, and his expressionless face was devoid of any warmth. It was a face Shizuku recognized—the face of man who’d served the princess for many years. Shizuku was relieved to see her ally. “Faneet!” “…Oh, it’s you.” “What happened? Is the princess…” But before she finished her sentence, Shizuku finally realized that Faneet was alone. He was supposed to have been with the princess. Why wasn’t she here with him? Faneet fixed his gloomy eyes on her. “The king of Farsas took her away.” “What…?” The assassination must have proven unsuccessful after all. She looked up at her colleague, his body covered in wounds, and gulped. “So does that mean…?” “She won’t be disposed of immediately. We need to act while she’s still captive.” “Okay. Let’s head back to the castle for now. We can ask Tigor and the marquises for their advice.” The situation had become too complicated to solve easily anymore. They needed to leave the fortress and renegotiate. There were probably guards outside the transit ring room, but with Faneet by her side, Shizuku would probably be able to get in. However, Faneet didn’t agree to her plan right away. Without saying a word, he looked down at his bloodstained sword. “Okay. But there’s something you need to do first.” “What is it?” “I want you to hand over that child,” Faneet said, extending his bloodied left hand. The sight of it made Shizuku frown. She grimaced as she readjusted Vied in her arms. “If you’re going to take him, use both hands. It’s dangerous with one,” she told him. “Who cares? Just hand him over.” “I care! I’ll hold onto him, then.” “Then I’ll kill you both.” It sounded like a joke. Faneet couldn’t be serious. It was totally out of context. However, Shizuku’s instincts told her otherwise. She automatically jumped back, distancing herself from Faneet. She adopted a defensive stance, but the man just looked at her calmly, readjusting his raised sword. “The princess is fond of you. If possible, I’d prefer just to kill the child.” His words were emotionless and clinical. Shizuku could hardly believe they were coming out of his mouth. Horrified, she began to question him. “What are you talking about…? Have you lost your mind? He’s a baby!” “I’m perfectly sane. That child will threaten the princess’s position.” Faneet started to walk toward her, as if to prove that he was telling the truth. “Wait. You know this is Seilené’s child, right? You always cared for her.” “She never held any personal value to me. I respected her because I thought the princess needed her. I was the one who killed Seilené.” “…What?” Even if you thought you knew how someone felt, you could still turn out to be completely wrong. You could try and read their expressions and their actions, but that didn’t give you the full picture. Shizuku stared into the man’s eyes in blank amazement, finding him impossible to understand. The face of a man she thought she knew so well was terrifyingly blank and warped. He’d been watching her from the start. All that time, he’d only had eyes for her. He’d put his heart and soul into protecting her. It was fair to say that all of him belonged to her. And yet he hadn’t been there when it mattered most. She’d changed. She was no longer a blossom in bloom under the sun, but a bewitching flower whose fragrance wafted through the darkness. The girl who apologized and awkwardly looked away after arguments disappeared as if she’d never existed at all. She began to callously hurt others to ease her own frustrations. Those who’d once praised her now lowered their voices to disparage her. Resentment filled the castle, and her bad reputation spread outside the country’s borders. Every time he saw how much she’d changed, he became overwhelmed with regret. Why had he taken his eyes off her that day? Why hadn’t he rescued her sooner? In the back of his mind, he was tormented by an ineffable guilt. It was for that very reason that he decided to continue serving her. However, when he saw the gradual changes that a certain person was bringing about in her, he came to a sudden realization. The truth was that he was profoundly attached to the dark, locked room they inhabited. He wanted to keep their gloomy world just the way it was—forever unchanged, and home to just the two of them. “Why…did you kill Seilené?” “When I tried to take the child off her, she began reviling the princess to my face. There was no way I could forgive her.” “What are you…?” Shizuku started to argue, but the look in Faneet’s eyes made her bite her tongue. It was the look of someone who’d passed the point of no return—someone who’d already decided which path they were going to go down. There was no reasoning with him. Shizuku backed away, clutching Vied in her arms. She kept an eye on his sword, aware that he could swing it at any moment. “Everything I do is to protect the princess. Killing a woman or a child is a small price to pay.” “That’s not true,” said Shizuku. “I’m sure the princess would be angry.” “The way she is now, yes. You changed her.” Shizuku could hear the bitterness in his voice. He began drawing closer, his eyes fixed not on the child, but on Shizuku. He was glaring at her, his previously impenetrable gaze emitting a palpable frustration that Shizuku had never seen before. “You changed her. You accomplished what I wanted to do. I was too useless to protect her, and that was my sin to bear. After that, I was prepared to do whatever I could to help her, but in the end, you were the one who put everything in motion. When I think of that…honestly, it fills me with envy.” All along, Ortea had been the only person who was truly special to him. He didn’t want her to turn to cruelty. That was precisely why he’d protected Shizuku, guarded Seilené, and taken care of the child. But before he knew it, Ortea had started to change. She’d left her small, dingy room and become everyone’s queen. “I served her for years, and yet I turned out to be useless. I’m still the same pathetic clown who failed her that fateful day.” “…That’s not true. The princess depends on you.” The only reason she acted so selfishly was because she depended on Faneet. She was spoiled, demanding, and rude. That behavior was a clear sign of the childlike affection Ortea held for him. When Faneet heard Shizuku say that, he smiled sadly. He seemed to be grieving the past while also grappling with the sad realization that he and Shizuku would never understand how each other felt. A flower that bloomed under the moon, and a flower that bloomed under the sun. If he were to be asked which one he loved, his answer would have been “both.” However, only the flower that bloomed at night could be his and his alone. “You’ll never understand.” That was Faneet’s final declaration. He raised his sword, but Shizuku still refused to let go of Vied. In fact, she held onto the child even tighter. “Stop this, Faneet.” “I’ll tell the princess that one of Beelhurse’s underlings killed you.” The woman from another world had changed Ortea—not with any knowledge or power, but simply with her feelings. Such a feat would have been impossible for Faneet. Deep down, he secretly wished to keep Ortea confined to her isolated room. He never could have brought himself to tell her she could flee the castle, no matter how much she hated being a royal. Once she left for the wider world, he felt she’d never even spare him a second glance. Shizuku wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or rage. She gripped tightly onto Vied, making sure he wouldn’t fall. She couldn’t bring herself to turn her back to Faneet. It felt like if she looked away, she would be struck down at any moment. Shizuku continued to retreat one step at a time, unable to check over her shoulder. If she kept going backward, she was bound to reach a dead end. Wouldn’t somebody come and find her before then? Shizuku couldn’t help but wish for a miracle, but there was nobody around to have her back. Realizing such hopes were futile, she hurriedly discarded them. I need to handle this by myself. Everybody had their own struggles; you couldn’t burden others with yours. Having made her decision, Shizuku channeled her strength into her legs. A moment later, without any warning, she began running toward Faneet. The man was understandably surprised. His eyes widened slightly, then he swung his sword down toward Shizuku’s head. But Shizuku had anticipated this. She leaped diagonally, dodging his blade. Attacks she couldn’t evade were deflected by her protective ring. She couldn’t stand still. She couldn’t stop her feet from moving. She slipped past Faneet and began racing toward the end of the corridor. She paid no heed to what was behind her. Her mind was blank. Shizuku didn’t hesitate when the descending staircase came into view. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed straight ahead. Maintaining her running speed, she held her breath…and jumped down onto the landing several steps below her. Her field of vision opened up. An uncomfortable floating feeling surrounded her whole body. She clutched onto the baby as she fell through the air. Then she bent her knees to prepare for the impact. Her landing was hurried, but it was more than satisfactory. “…Urgh!” The tingling sensation in her legs caused her to lose balance, but she hurried down the remaining stairs even so. However, when she was just two steps from the bottom, she felt the atmosphere shift behind her. She tumbled to the right in an effort to dodge the person’s attack. A sword blade came down right beside her, slicing through her long skirt. I won’t be able to dodge the next attack. Her body tensed up with fear. The next moment, however, she lost her footing and slipped down to the bottom of the stairs. “Agh…!” She landed on her buttocks, and a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She must have sprained it—but right now, staying down wasn’t an option. Suppressing the pain, Shizuku rose to her feet. However, at that moment, a sword appeared right next to her face. “Is there anything you left undone?” Faneet asked. “I’ll finish it on your behalf, if I can.” Shizuku was staring death right in the face. She could see the reflection of her own mouth in the blade, her small lips tightly pursed. “I’m not done with anything yet. I still have everything left to do,” Shizuku replied. There were probably a lot of people who died feeling that way. And now Shizuku was going to join their ranks. The faces of those she missed didn’t surface to mind, nor did her countless regrets. She would die without the reality of the situation sinking in. Her words made Faneet go silent for a brief moment. He seemed almost hesitant, and Shizuku could hear him let out a sigh. “I see. I’m sorry.” The emotion behind his parting words was impossible to discern. He raised his sword. Shizuku didn’t have a chance to escape. She splayed forward, holding Vied close. She hoped her body would serve as a shield, even if her own head was severed. That way, she could keep the little boy safe for just a moment longer. However, Faneet’s sword never reached Shizuku’s neck. “…Hngh.” Shizuku heard a man groan. “Huh?” Whose voice was that? Shizuku slowly turned around. “Faneet?” The man—who’d been trying to kill her just a moment earlier—was sitting on the stairs staring at her. It didn’t make sense. The hand he’d been holding his sword with dropped limply. A calm stillness settled over everything. Emotions that had been piling up for years dissipated and cleared away. Although they would never see eye to eye, in those last few seconds, the two of them showed enough consideration for one another to make up for it. Faneet’s lips began to move. “…Please, protect the princess.” With that, his head dropped, and the arrow sticking out of his back shook. The arrowhead protruded from his chest. Red liquid traced its way to the tip and dripped onto the white staircase. Eventually, it gathered into a pool and slowly cooled. Faneet’s sudden death didn’t make Shizuku feel relieved or sad. As she was backing away, she looked up the stairs. There stood a man holding a shortbow. His features were handsome, and although Shizuku had never met him before, he also reminded her of someone she knew. He began descending the staircase with his hand extended toward her. “I’ll take that child,” the man said. “…Are you from Farsas?” Shizuku asked. “No. I’m…the child’s father.” “What?” Dumbfounded, Shizuku watched as he cast his bow aside and reached out with his hands empty. As he gazed at the infant, Shizuku noticed that the man had the same blue eyes as Vied. There was no aggression or hostility in his gaze. In fact, all Shizuku could discern was obstinate determination. “D-do you have any proof…?” “This child is the son of Seilené Eato Sofona, right? Seilené was my wife.” Shizuku hadn’t known Seilené’s full name, but upon hearing it, she found herself thinking, Oh, of course. In this world, only people of status had last names. Seilené was one such person, and that knowledge helped Shizuku discern who the man was. “Are you the king of Rozsark?” she asked softly. Seilené was an ally who had come from Rozsark Castle. Niké had once said, “If they know about Seilené, the rest will soon become clear.” He hadn’t meant that Lars—the man Shizuku had assumed to be the baby’s father—would immediately understand the situation if he found out about her, but that Seilené’s presence would lead him to find out about her husband. The man in question had invited the noblewoman into his royal court and made her his wife—concealing the fact that he was a direct descendant of the Farsasian royal line. Lyshien had once claimed to know the king of Rozsark’s secret. That was why Shizuku suspected this man was that very king. As a matter of fact, he did bear a slight resemblance to Lars. The man blinked in response to Shizuku’s question, his expression slightly troubled. “Did Seilené say something to you about me?” “No…” Seilené had taken a lot of her secrets to the grave. Despite working so closely with her, Shizuku had nothing to share about the woman. However, Seilené had admitted that she’d weighed Rozsark against Kisk and chosen the country that offered her the most. The fact that she’d been so reluctant to give up her child when the moment came suggested that there was some truth to that claim. All Shizuku could give the man was the child that Seilené had tried so hard to protect. Without saying a word, the man took the child from Shizuku’s arms. He lifted Vied up with his big, clumsy hands, carrying the little child as if he was the most precious thing in the world. Their faces reflected in each other’s sky-blue eyes—the baby looking up in wonder, and the man looking down lovingly, silently acknowledging each other. It was a strangely touching sight, and Shizuku bit her lip. However, that moment couldn’t last. The place they were in was as dangerous as a battlefield. At the very least, she needed to confirm whether the man was on Farsas’s side or not. If she was going to hand Vied over, she wanted to ask for Ortea in exchange. Having made up her mind, Shizuku opened her mouth to speak. “Umm…” That very next moment, however, Shizuku screamed and collapsed to the ground. The pain was so intense that it instantaneously shattered her thoughts and willpower. The magic lurking inside her body was responsible for this unbearable agony. Clutching her abdomen, she let out a sorrowful cry. “Aah… Aaaaah!” The medicine had worn off. She would normally never miss a dose, but time had gotten away from her. Shizuku’s shaking hand fumbled inside her pocket, but there was nothing in there. She must have dropped her pills somewhere. Shizuku opened her tearful eyes. The man peered down at her, looking surprised. Faneet had died. What had become of the princess and Niké? Were Yura and Willett safe? Shizuku didn’t have the answers to those questions. There was a chance that she was about to die, too. Shizuku began to block out her unsettling thoughts, consumed by her excruciating pain. As her senses began to break down, she cut herself off from them. However, just as her consciousness was being scattered through the abyss of darkness, she felt as though someone was lifting her up in their arms. Someone was gently touching her body with their fingertips. It was an incredibly warm, kind feeling. As the fingers slid over her skin, she drew a shallow breath. She felt no worry. No anxiety or pain. Nothing but tender comfort coursed through her body. The fingers slowly moved inside her body, and Shizuku gave herself over to them, completely at ease. As those gentle fingers tickled her skin, Shizuku exhaled a breath softer than a sigh and fell from that shallow dream into a deep sleep. She felt as though she’d had some kind of confusing dream. That was the first thing Shizuku thought after regaining consciousness. Unable to see anything but the ceiling above her, she placed a hand on her forehead. “Huh…?” “Shizuku! You’re awake!” “…Yura.” Without waiting a moment, the face of a familiar court lady appeared in her line of sight. Shizuku reached out and touched her cheek. “Are you alright, Yura?” “Of course! I’d never let a situation like that knock me down.” The clothes Yura had changed into were completely different from the ones she usually wore. Her new crimson outfit looked familiar somehow. As she sat up, Shizuku tried to recall where she’d seen it before, and the blanket draped over her slipped to the floor. “Huh? Naked again?” Shizuku and Yura were the only people in the small room, so Shizuku absent-mindedly pulled the blanket back toward her. At that moment, though, she suddenly noticed something and stared down at her body in shock. “…You’re kidding me.” Maybe Shizuku was still dreaming. She stared at her pale abdomen. She knew it so well, yet something was different. The magical pattern—which had definitely been there that morning—had unexpectedly vanished without a trace. “Whaaaaat?! Mmph!” Shizuku let out a scream, and Yura clapped a hand over her mouth, forcing her to hold her breath. Yura shook her head vigorously. “Don’t make so much noise. Someone might come in. You need to put on some clothes first.” Shizuku, stark naked, nodded emphatically. After moving her hand away, Yura pointed at a nearby stand. “There’s an outfit for you over there. Do you want me to help you get dressed?” “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you.” Shizuku hopped out of bed and took some clothes out of a basket, picking items similar to what she usually wore. As she quickly dressed herself, Shizuku posed a question to Yura. “Sorry, where are we?” “The fortress. We just borrowed an empty room.” “…What happened after I blacked out?” “Farsas took control of the fortress. The princess, Willett, and everybody else are safe, but they’ve been detained by Farsas.” “Oh… I’m sorry, Yura.” Considering she was just a court lady, Yura probably wouldn’t be executed, but she still wouldn’t have ended up in this mess if Shizuku hadn’t brought her to the fortress. Feeling guilty, Shizuku bowed her head. However, Yura simply responded with a mischievous smile. “Oh, don’t worry—they’d never detain me. Doesn’t my outfit say it all?” “Hmm, it does look familiar. I just can’t remember where I recognize it from.” “It’s the uniform worn by Farsas’s military officers.” “Ohh, of course it is. You don’t see many female officers, so that didn’t even occur to me— Wait, what?!” Shizuku screamed again, but since she was already dressed, Yura didn’t stop her. Instead, she laughed over the top of Shizuku’s shriek. “I was a spy from Farsas all along, Shizuku.” “…I had no idea.” Yura gave Shizuku a playful wink, and Shizuku felt all the energy leave her body. Now that Shizuku knew Yura worked for Farsas, it made sense that Lars knew about Vied. She must have been passing on all the information she had. Realizing the person she’d trusted and picked out to help her was actually on the enemy’s side, Shizuku wished she could shrink away and disappear. Even so, she took the opportunity to ask the question she least wanted to hear the answer to. “Umm…” “What is it?” “The mark on my body is gone, isn’t it?” “It has. It’s vanished without a trace. You have lovely skin.” “I don’t care what my skin’s like,” said Shizuku. “…I just want to know who removed it.” Even after Jired’s death, the mark hadn’t gone away, so the fact that it had disappeared implied she’d lost her virginity. She’d been in intense pain and the situation was an emergency, but Shizuku still wished they’d woken her up to ask her for her opinion. Shizuku grumbled vindictively under her breath as she waited for a definitive answer. The name that Yura responded with, however, was the last one that Shizuku was expecting to hear. As soon as Shizuku heard it, her jaw dropped—and five minutes later, she rushed out of the room in a frenzy. She never thought she’d see him again. She had been the one to leave him. There was no way they’d meet here. She’d been ungrateful. Coldhearted. Yet he’d never forsaken her. Instead, he’d reached out to help in her time of need. The hallway was long. He stood in the spacious hall at the end of the corridor, holding a drink and documents in his hands while issuing instructions to those around him. Beside him stood another man, most likely his friend. Harve, who was the first to spot Shizuku, let out an exclamation of surprise. “Ah!” This prompted the other man to turn around. Shizuku hadn’t seen his face in so long. His hair was shorter now, so he must have cut it. He had a large sapphire accessory attached to his right ear. “Erik!” Shizuku called out his name. As pretty as his features were, his face was expressionless. He raised an eyebrow and scowled at her. In truth, she’d been wanting to see him for a long time. She’d longed to speak to him. She’d wanted him to come and save her, but… “I’m so sorry!” The woman ran up to them and flung herself to the floor, fully prostrate. Erik and Harve gazed down at her small head, looking speechless. Everyone else in the room found themselves staring, too. It was inevitable that she’d draw attention to herself. Shizuku had burst in while everyone was busy fixing the fortress’s magical devices so Kisk could use them again, and her forehead had thudded against the floor with such force that it had actually made a sound. Worried when Shizuku didn’t lift her head, Harve called out her name. “Sh-Shizuku.” “I’m so sorry!” “Just look up for now…” “But I’m too ashamed to look you in the face!” “You really never change, do you?” His voice was cold—or perhaps simply lacking in emotion. The familiar sound of his voice rang in her ears, and for a moment, Shizuku was entranced. Before she knew it, her eyes had started to grow hot. How badly had she longed to hear that voice while they were apart? She’d been trying so hard not to acknowledge her true vulnerability, but there was no changing the way she felt. She held back a sob. The man tapped her lightly on the head. “For now, just stand up. You have your own position to uphold. The queen’s right-hand woman shouldn’t be abasing herself like this.” “Aaaaaaah! You’re so right!” Shizuku didn’t know if she was the queen’s right-hand woman, but she was still one of Ortea’s closest aides. She hurried to her feet and stared intently at Erik once more. The man standing before her looked a little tougher than how she remembered him, but maybe that was just her imagination. It was about time he took a break from this work anyway, so Erik and Shizuku decided to go elsewhere to talk. She’d said she wanted to apologize to Harve as well, but the other man fled before Erik had the chance to drag him along, saying, “I’ll pass, thanks.” The two of them stood in the gallery overlooking the plaza. Down below, mages were scurrying around, dealing with the aftermath of the conflict. Erik offered Shizuku a cup of tea. She gratefully accepted and started to drink it. “Yura mentioned that you’re working for Farsas’s government,” Shizuku began. “Yeah. I’m under contract, to be precise. I’m working directly under the princess for a set period of time. I only played a part in this war because the princess loaned me out to the king.” “She loaned you out…? I’m sorry.” After Shizuku had vanished from Farsas, leaving behind nothing but a scribbled note, Erik had asked Leuticia to employ him. There were no witnesses, but the fact that Shizuku had disappeared from within the castle barrier suggested that she’d gotten herself dragged into something. When it came to searching for a missing person, looking around blindly wasn’t the wisest option; it was quicker to rely on a country for help. So for that reason, Erik had accepted a formal employment offer from Farsas—something he’d been refusing for a long time. He’d had permission to frequent the castle when he was in Katiliana’s good books, but it wasn’t until now that he’d become a royal court mage. “Is that thing attached to your ear a magic implement?” “Yeah. I can’t go into battle without it. It lets me harness the princess’s magic powers. It’s heavy, but it’ll take a certain procedure to remove.” Despite his reluctance to get involved with the castle or the nobility, Erik had been driven to partake in an actual war. Shizuku bowed her head even deeper. She looked like she was about to sink into the ground in despair. Erik glanced at her, taken aback. “Why are you reacting like that?” he asked. “I’m so sorry. I’ve caused so many problems for you…” “That doesn’t really matter. I acted of my own accord. Still, you need to stop being so reckless. At this rate, you could die at any moment. Don’t you care about your own life and returning to your family?” “…I do.” Erik’s voice had suddenly turned stern. Was he scolding her? In all the time they’d known each other, he hadn’t admonished her even once. Shizuku turned pale and hung her head. “You seem to get so caught up in what’s in front of you that you lose sight of everything else,” he continued. “Didn’t I warn you that Kisk was dangerous?” “Yeah, I remember that…” “Then why come here alone? And I bet you had plenty of opportunities to flee if you’d wanted to.” “I guess so. But running away felt like admitting defeat…” “That stupidity could have gotten you killed. I’d be ashamed to show my face in front of your parents, after all the trouble you’ve caused.” “I’m sorry…” For some time, Shizuku had uttered nothing but words of apology. Everything Erik had said to her was justified. There must have been other ways in which she could have handled things. At the time, Shizuku felt like she had no other choice, but she could have still asked for someone’s help and chosen a safer path. Wanting to get back down on her knees and beg for forgiveness, she let out a big sigh, but at that moment, Erik’s fingers reached out and lifted her bangs, which had fallen forward. He peered down at her with his deep blue eyes. “That said…I’m just sharing my opinion. I rate your thought process relatively highly.” “Huh?”
Chapter 38
59 min read