“……Madam?”

Yes. She was the daughter of a traitor.

Even to get permission for an outing, she had to go through such a humiliating process.

A few days ago, he acted as if he would give her anything she wanted.

Had she unknowingly relied on that man’s kind attitude?

Delphine was a little surprised at herself for feeling newly disappointed.

“I have some work to do in Sector 3 today… in a little while, so I can’t go out together.”

Did he read her expression as a sign of refusal?

Before Delphine could open her mouth, the man raised the corners of his lips slightly and added.

“I’ll also pass on the precautions to the knights, Madam.”

Only his mouth was smiling. The eyes that spoke to her were cool, without any trace of laughter.

By precautions, he meant he would give orders to the knights.

What he had said so far were not requests, but requirements that she must follow.

“…Yes.”

Delphine answered calmly and carelessly poked at the poached egg on her plate.

The joy of finally being able to go out was short-lived; she felt like she had lost all appetite.

The man left the mansion right after breakfast as usual.

Instead of locking herself in the study with nothing to do and getting lost in thought, Delphine sat down in front of the dressing table in the women’s quarters.

“Anna. Could you prepare me to go out?”

“Of course, Madam.”

Anna exclaimed with a happy face at the news of going out after a long time.

“It’s still a bit early, but I should wrap you in mink fur!”

“No. I had a gray dress. I’ll wear that. Make it as plain as possible.”

She was still the daughter of a traitor.

There was no need to dress up lavishly and attract attention.

‘…As that man is so worried about.’

“What? Oh dear…”

Although disappointed, Anna immediately followed the order and brought out a dress.

After changing, Delphine slowly walked over and examined herself in the mirror.

A dull, plain gray dress, with a somewhat gloomy face.

Herself, looking just like a criminal.

“…Haha.”

“Young la… I mean, Madam?”

Delphine clenched her fist with a distorted face.

No.

It was her father who was the criminal.

She herself was neither a criminal nor a traitor.

Then why on earth should she, an innocent person, have to look like a criminal?

“I’m sorry. It looks terribly unsuitable. I’ll change. Could you bring me the deep green dress instead?”

Anna nodded quickly with a happy face.

“And that mink fur from earlier. …Bring that emerald necklace too.”

The gifts from that man, which had been pushed deep into the closet as if being ignored, came out of their boxes in a line.

Delphine went ahead and let down her red, wavy hair that had been neatly tied up.

She pinned an emerald hairpin on top and put on earrings.

She even wore the necklace with an emerald the size of a baby’s fist on her exposed neckline.

Over the silk dress, she wrapped herself in dazzlingly white and smooth mink fur.

Before long, a woman as splendid and beautiful as an imperial princess smiled confidently at her from within the mirror.

“You’re so beautiful. As expected of our young lady. There’s been no one in the empire who could match your beauty since you were young.”

Anna kept exclaiming in admiration beside her in a proud tone.

“Yes. I think I’m all ready now. Please prepare the carriage.”

“Yes, Madam. Where shall I take you?”

Delphine calmly ordered as she stood up.

“To the Central Library.”

The Central Library was located in the eastern part of Sector 2 in the capital.

It had been a very long time since she had gone outside of Sector 1.

Delphine sat in the swaying carriage, looking at the scenery outside the window.

Sector 2 had such a different atmosphere that it was hard to believe it was part of the same capital as Sector 1.

Sector 1, where the imperial family and nobles resided, was decorated to the extreme of splendor.

The main road leading to the imperial palace even had street lamps decorated with amethyst, so the degree of its splendor was beyond words.

On the other hand, Sector 2, the commercial area surrounding Sector 1 in a circle, was neat but much more modest.

There were no luxurious buildings, and brick buildings dominated the well-organized, checkerboard-like district.

Her father didn’t like her going outside of Sector 1 very much.

On the rare occasions when they came out to Sector 2, he would click his tongue in disgust at the sight of commoners roaming the streets.

“Like pigs.”

At such times, Delphine would quietly grasp the hem of her dress without saying anything.

Inwardly cringing at her father’s inferiority complex, trying to vent the humiliation he received at the imperial palace on those of lower status than himself.

“Madam. We have arrived.”

At that moment, the coachman’s call broke Delphine’s reverie.

Oh dear, I’m thinking about father again.

Delphine briefly composed her expression before stepping out of the carriage with an upright posture.

“Alright. Good work.”

As soon as she got out of the carriage, two knights bearing the imperial emblem immediately approached and stuck close to her.

They were the escorts that man had assigned.

She wondered if it was alright for the Captain of the Imperial Guard to use the Imperial Guard members for personal matters like this, even if he was the Captain.

‘Well, last time he even used a jeweler’s guards, so I shouldn’t be surprised anymore.’

Delphine glanced over their expressionless faces like dolls and bodies armed in full armor.

“…Do you intend to follow me inside the library as well?”

“It’s for your safety, Madam.”

The answer came immediately as soon as she asked.

There seemed to be no room for persuasion or coaxing.

Fine. Do as you please.

Hiding her true feelings, Delphine pretended not to know and entered the library, holding the hem of her robe that covered her face.

And sure enough.

As the knights tried to enter, clanking in their armor, a bespectacled librarian rushed out to stop them.

“Oh my, Sir Knights! Armor and weapons are prohibited inside the library!”

“Stand back. We are members of His Majesty the Emperor’s Imperial Guard.”

“Of course, I can read the emblems on your armor, but… This is the Imperial Library, and this is an imperial order!”

At the mention of an imperial order, the knights froze.

Yes, the Emperor’s command would take precedence over the Captain of the Imperial Guard.

This was as far as she had anticipated.

Delphine watched the slightly tense knights who had stopped.

She was worried they might stop her from entering as well.

However, surprisingly, the knights just stood still like broken dolls.

Delphine thought they looked just like programmed dolls.

“…You said the reason for the escort was for my safety.”

Delphine muttered quietly with a slight smile.

“Everyone is prohibited from carrying weapons in here. So I’ll be back ‘safely’.”

Feeling a strange sense of satisfaction, Delphine entered the library, leaving them behind.

As she entered the main hall, bright sunlight poured in from the huge glass ceiling.

A space where bookshelves three or four times taller than a person filled the entire wall.

However, Delphine didn’t even glance at the books, and headed straight towards the east wing of the building.

The robe that had covered her face had long since been removed and was now in her hand.

As she approached the end of the corridor, the number of people gradually decreased.

But as always, under the owl statue at the dead end of the corridor, there was a man leaning against the wall, reading a newspaper.

“This is a dead end. Are you lost, my lady?”

The man asked, as if out of courtesy, without properly taking his eyes off the newspaper.

“The path is not lost, but found. Under the light of truth, with the eyes of providence.”

At that, the corners of the newspaper-reading man’s mouth slowly turned up.

At the same time, the neck of the owl statue on the wall grotesquely turned sideways.

The gray bricks of the dead-end wall smoothly rotated, revealing a hidden space.

It was said that traces of ancient magic, now lost, remained in this old building.

That statue was one of them, as explained when entering this club.

“…Welcome, member.”

Still not taking his eyes off the newspaper, the doorkeeper stepped aside.

Delphine passed by the man and entered through the door.

Beyond that wall, the neat and tidy atmosphere of the library instantly reversed.

Red carpets covering the entire reception room, famous painters’ works hanging on every wall.

The furniture placed here and there was also extravagant beyond measure.

This was a secret social club for nobles of the 1st District, which one could never enter without a recommendation.

The reason the club was located in a library in the 2nd District was to stay as far away from the eyes of the imperial family as possible.

It was a place where more confidential information freely circulated among the nobles.

Delphine’s recommender was, of course, her father.

But now that her father had vanished on the execution ground, how would it be?

Delphine clenched and unclenched her hand, then walked inside with her back straight.

Inside the room, about a dozen people were leisurely sitting and drinking tea.

It seemed they had accepted new members in the meantime, as there were unfamiliar faces.

Those gathered at the tables seemed a bit surprised by her sudden appearance.

Delphine keenly noticed the complex emotions flashing across each of their faces.

Daughter of a traitor.

A lowly fallen noble.

Yet the wife of the rising hero, Viscount Pryde.

How should they treat her?

Everyone was smiling lightly, but beneath those masks, all sorts of calculations would be frantically running.