Latifa’s mouth broke into a big smile at Hades’ words, which seemed a bit tense.

Although she couldn’t see his face, Latifa felt as if Hades was right next to her.

‘……Because I believe you are there, I take a step forward.’

Although Hades’ voice was not at all warm or kind like Ruhan’s voice, caressing like an oasis, Latifa recalled what the Sultan had said about oases.

“Now you’re not even answering.”

At the sound of Hades impatiently tapping the wall once, Latifa startled back to her senses and leaned against the wall again, looking at the sky divided by the fence.

The sun, which seemed like it would float and shine in that spot forever, was about to disappear, leaving long purple shadows.

“Are you still there?”

Hades raised his voice, urging Latifa to answer.

“Yes! I’m here. So, so very……”

Looking at her mother’s jewelry box, an overwhelming flood of emotions washed over her. Though she couldn’t name each of those emotions, somehow Latifa’s voice was tinged with moisture.

“I’m so happy……”

A small smile finally appeared on Hades’ lips at Latifa’s response that followed.

“If you’re happy, you should laugh, why are you crying?”

“Seeing this makes me so happy….. But I don’t know why you’re giving it to me.”

“What? I brought it because I thought you’d like it, does there need to be another reason?”

Latifa swallowed the hot breath rising in her chest and answered honestly.

“……Because you brought my belongings. I was wondering if it meant… I should keep living here.”

Sniffle.

Her eyes reddened, and finally, a tear fell from inexplicable sorrow. When the sound of her swallowing her tears reached beyond the wall, Hades started to get upset.

“Ha! What nonsense!”

“I’m… useless now….. It might be more beneficial for Ruhan if I stay here……”

At Latifa’s weak voice, Hades reflexively slammed his large fist against the wall with a bang.

“You, not knowing the intentions of the great Ignite, dare to utter such rash words like a fearless puppy.”

Feeling reassured by his ever-confident and spirited unchanged voice, Latifa barely managed to clear her tight throat and answered softly.

“……Thank you for bringing this.”

With teary eyes reddened, Latifa tightly closed her small lips and said while carefully caressing the jewelry box.

“This jewelry box is my mother’s keepsake. When Mom handed this to me, I had to say goodbye to her. When I got this back from Brenda, I had to part with her too.”

“Is that how you reached such a strange conclusion? That weird conclusion that I should give you this and leave? It’s incredibly stupid to believe in such a jinx.”

“Oh. There wasn’t much inside before, but it’s gotten heavier.”

“Tsk, the jewelry box was so small that filling it heavily was no task at all.”

“Even these beautiful flowers. It must have been hard bringing them all the way to the harem palace.”

“Not just that, I brought seven cartloads full for my Frau. Wait… cartloads?”

Hades paused for a moment as if something had occurred to him.

-Whistle!

Just then, a strange whistling sound was heard.

Sensing someone approaching, Hades quickly said to her.

“I’ll break that strange jinx, so don’t worry and quickly return to the pig princess. Someone is coming.”

“General Hades!”

“Hmm?”

“Please take care of yourself. And give my regards to Caesar too.”

There was no more response from Hades, as if he had left. Latifa slid down, leaning her back against the white wall.

She was a bit worried if Hades would return safely, but that was all. She had a strange certainty that he would escape the harem palace without being caught.

Latifa hugged the jewelry box tightly to her chest and quietly bowed her head. A faint smile hung on her lips.

**

Hearing the whistle signal sent by Manut, Hades quickly covered himself with a woman’s robe and bent his waist. Then, leaning on a long birch staff, he approached Manut who was waiting on the other side.

Manut too was covered in a luxurious woman’s robe like Hades and was shaking.

Indeed, from the opposite side, an old maid who seemed to have a somewhat higher rank was approaching them, having spotted them.

“What are you two doing here? Which palace do you belong to? Or are you from the main palace?”

Manut, wearing a deep yellow robe with brown tassels and bells, couldn’t say a word.

Hades, leaning on his staff with his waist bent, also bowed his head with the robe pulled low.

“I’m asking which palace you belong to. I am a maid of Lady Iota. You should also state your identities.”

Though he didn’t want to use the last resort.

Hades fondled the small dagger in his bosom while waiting for the maid to come a little closer.

“Wait. I called them.”

Just then, a dignified woman’s voice was heard from behind the maid. The maid was startled and bowed to her.

“Isn’t it Lady Hagnu? Do you know these people? I haven’t seen them in the harem palace before, and they look suspicious with their robes pulled so low.”

Iota’s maid bowed but raised her voice somewhat discontentedly to Hagnu.

It was rare to see such bulky people, and two of them at that, gathered in the men’s forbidden area.

“Of course. They are fortune-teller old women I called from outside the palace. Why were you lingering there instead of coming straight to my palace?”

At Hagnu’s words, Hades quickly bowed his head and spoke in a hoarse old woman’s voice.

“The place the Sultan cherishes is so vast and splendid that we momentarily lost our way.”

“Fortune-tellers?”

The maid still looked at them suspiciously with an unconvinced expression.

“Is there a law that only Iota should bear children? I specially called them to ask for an auspicious day, so don’t be rude. If you still can’t believe it, there’s nothing I can do.”

Hagnu turned to Hades and asked.

“You, when is my birthday? I gave the fortune-tellers advance notice.”

Hades answered again in a hoarse voice.

“Isn’t it the first full moon of October, when the sky of Libra, which doesn’t tilt to either side, tilts slightly to the right?”

“Correct. You, do you still not believe me?”

Hearing this, Iota’s maid knelt and bowed her head.

Hades pulled the blue-faced Manut who couldn’t say a word and walked towards Hagnu. Then he cackled in his hoarse voice and threw a word at the bowing maid.

“I see an ominous star for your master, Iota. Tell her to watch her words and be careful.”

One of Hagnu’s soft eyebrows twitched at his mischievous words, but she quickly took Hades and Manut and left the place.

**

“It’s been a while, Hades. Of course, I saw you at the trial.”

Hagnu said as she pushed them into a secluded corner barn inside the 6th wall.

Hades and Manut finally took off their robes and sighed in relief after confirming the door was closed.

“If it weren’t for Lady Hagnu, my head would be hanging on the gates of the Grand Bazaar by now. I owe you my life.”

Manut said, his face still pale.

“There are occasionally foolish men who sneak into the harem palace, but I never dreamed it would be you. It would have been a big problem if Yanan hadn’t told me.”

Hagnu giggled and sat on old mahogany furniture piled in the barn, wiggling her feet. She looked as young as a mischievous girl.

“Hades, you are indeed my nephew.”

Hades’ face wrinkled slightly at those words.

“Your older brother was also playful like you when he was young. Your older brother and I used to play the most pranks on the Caleb estate, giving Yanan a hard time.”

Hagnu stared into space with a nostalgic look, as if reminiscing about the old days.

“I owe you a great debt, Aunt.”

Hades greeted Hagnu with a somewhat disrespectful attitude. However, Hagnu paid no mind to such attitude and said what she had to say.

“Those incredible gifts you sent me. They’re not for me, are they? In fact, you wanted to give them to that Frau. What a shame to have Caleb’s Frau taken by the palace. Even though Caleb is used to losing things, that’s going too far.”

“Knowing that, you’ve been living so leisurely in this harem palace until now? You hypocrite.”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Manut just pretended to look at the dusty statues in the corner, holding his breath.

“If my nephew calls me a hypocrite, I have nothing to say.”

“……If Aunt had given birth to one or two more of the Sultan’s children in the first place, I wouldn’t have to work so hard looking after Ruhan.”

“I dislike children.”

“It was your duty to bear princes or princesses who would protect Ruhan and be on his side. Not to live here cheerfully eating and playing!”

Hades finally lost his temper and got angry, but Hagnu was still calm and even wore a generous smile.

She rose gracefully from her seat and tapped Hades’ nose with her finger, smiling.

“No one can break my conviction. Not even you, Hades Caleb, the mad dog of the Grand Bazaar.”

“……”

“Your Frau. She’s really cute. And intelligent. I couldn’t see her directly because Carina was wary, but seeing her accommodate and play with all of Princess Asti’s tantrums, she must be amazing.”

“Hmph.”

“How cute.”

Hagnu winked at Hades, who was snorting, and rose gracefully from her seat.

“Now, I’ll call Yanan here from my palace, so try to escape this harem palace well. I’ve told you about a few places where the night guard is loose. Wait. Now that I look at you, women’s clothes really suit you well. Hohoho!”

Whether Hades looked heated or not, Hagnu also winked playfully at Manut as she bid farewell.

“General Manut, I’m sorry. Our nephew is still immature.”

“I lack the wisdom to understand.”

“Yes. If you happen to get caught and face beheading, I might come to watch.”

As Manut’s face turned pale at Hagnu’s teasing words, she let out a laugh similar to Hades’ and gracefully disappeared.

**

After parting with Hades, Latifa immediately returned to Asti’s palace with the desert fox, hugging the sack he had given her.

“You need to hide here for a while. I’m sorry for involving you in this. I’ll send you to Ruhan later if I can.”

Latifa put the desert fox down in the garden right in front of Asti’s palace and patted its head.

“Waaah! No! I don’t want to go!”

Just then, as Princess Asti’s sorrowful crying could be heard from beyond the windowsill, the desert fox was startled and hid in the bushes.

Latifa quickly tried to go to where she was, but her bedroom door was firmly locked, and several maids were stamping their feet anxiously in front of the locked door.

And Tatkan was flying anxiously in front of that door before gently landing on Latifa’s shoulder.

“Tatkan. What happened?”

“The Sultan said so. The Sultan did.”

‘The Sultan said so? But he adores Princess Asti.’

Tatkan was fluttering his inner feathers urgently, as if he had a lot to say, but he seemed very frustrated as if he couldn’t articulate perfectly.

Right next to them, the maids were busy trying to comfort the princess in front of the door, so Latifa quickly took Tatkan back to her quarters and attempted to communicate with his spirit.

“Now, you can say anything. Go ahead, Tatkan.”

When she conveyed the words to the silver spirit, Tatkan blinked his eyes like black glass beads, as if startled.