Floyd bent his upper body forward.

“You must have received separate orders from Joseph.”

“It’s because I’m still in my rebellious phase.”

“Is that rebellion directed at me as well?”

“How could it be? In this cold weather, without the fireplace lit, I’m sweating so much I’m burning up. What rebellion? I’m just hoping I don’t get burned, as I tend to be quite delicate.”

Cassar added with a grin.

“Are you perhaps thinking of killing me by pretending it’s an accident and devouring Kanta?”

Floyd laughed too.

“If it ended with just killing you, that wouldn’t be so bad. But Joseph’s people occupy key positions throughout Kanta, so killing one regent wouldn’t solve anything.”

“Yes, I’m glad you understand. So I won’t lose my life today?”

“If I had intended to kill you today, you’d already be ashes. Also, if I ever decide to kill you later.”

Floyd’s gaze turned to the painting on the left wall of the reception room.

“You’d be dead before the person behind that painting could draw their sword. And so would the one behind the painting.”

Cassar swallowed hard.

There was a secret space behind the painting in the reception room, where he had hidden Anas, the guard knight. Though he didn’t think Floyd would kill him, he wanted to be prepared just in case. He hadn’t expected Floyd to notice.

The pressure emanating from Floyd, sitting across the table, was on a different level from what he’d seen at the party. Not just his sharp eyes contrasting with his smiling lips, but the haze rising above his broad shoulders was concerning.

A heat that could engulf Cassar at any moment surrounded Floyd.

“I didn’t hide him to harm you, Grand Duke.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you so angry? I’m terrified.”

“If you’re scared, keep your mouth shut, Count. Don’t think about trying to get anything from me. If I have something to give you, I’ll do so on my own. Don’t even think about trying to extract anything.”

“Yes, of course.”

In truth, he had planned to find out Floyd’s purpose for visiting and use it as leverage to propose some contracts. But he couldn’t. Not because he was afraid Floyd might kill him, but because he didn’t want to be this man’s enemy.

He had taken a liking to Floyd ever since he shouted “Isn’t there any beer here?” at the imperial party. Despite being half-brothers with few shared memories, he wanted to make Floyd his own.

‘He probably won’t become mine. But we can maintain a good relationship.’

Cassar made up his mind.

“I see nothing and hear nothing. I left most of my people in Gania because the crown prince worries I might covet a position above regent, so what could I do?”

“That’s good. I quite like people who can do nothing.”

Floyd grinned, picked up his teacup in a toasting gesture, then drained the cold tea in one gulp and stood up.

“By the way, Grand Duke.”

As Floyd was about to leave the reception room as if he had nothing more to say, Cassar called out to stop him. There was something Cassar was too curious about, and he felt he had to ask about this one thing.

“Is it because of a woman?”

Is it because of the noble guest at the Lily Palace that rumors are spreading about? Could that woman be Roxiana Franche?

To the question loaded with multiple meanings, Floyd wrinkled his nose.

“Haven’t you heard what your mother did to me? I’m the type who gets sick to his stomach at the mere mention of women.”

+++

Roxiana was staying in a small, shabby inn in an alley of the market street in Tepus. She had chosen this inn because it had few guests and many doors for sneaking in and out.

Roxiana approached the window without curtains and looked outside. Though all she could see was the dirty alleyway due to the low building in the narrow alley, her heart ached.

‘My country.’

She hadn’t had many chances to wander outside the palace due to the danger, but she had visited this alley several times. The store next to the inn sold desserts made by coating fruit in honey, which were delicious.

The palace chefs said they could make a hundred of those, but strangely, they didn’t taste the same when eaten in the palace. So she had snuck out of the palace with her younger brother Ranian several times.

‘We thought we were sneaking out, but Robert was always following behind us.’

Was that store still there? A sweet smell wafted up through the window.

‘Even when the king dies, the people continue to live. That’s a relief.’

As it had become a colony, life wouldn’t be as good as before. They would have to pay more taxes, and might even be forced into labor someday.

Still, it was fortunate that they were alive and maintaining their lives.

“Oh my, every time I see you, I’m shocked that you don’t look like a princess.”

Petria, who had bought the honey-coated fruit at Roxiana’s request, said. Roxiana turned around with a slight smile.

“Does it look strange?”

“No. The black hair really suits you. Maybe because your hair is black, your face looks especially white. Like a pearl.”

Roxiana was wearing a wig she had obtained from the Karan Merchant Guild. Thanks to entering Kanta with the Karan Merchant Guild, no one had recognized her as Roxiana Franche.

Petria held out the fruit in a paper bag.

“They sell interesting desserts here in Kanta.”

“Don’t they have these in Torkan?”

“Honey is rare in Torkan.”

Roxiana picked up a honey-coated blueberry and rolled it slightly in her palm. Though the store had its own unique way of solidifying the honey, it still stuck stickily to her hand when touched with bare hands.

“When I was young, I used to hold it like this and lick the honey off my palm, but my mother scolded me for unladylike behavior.”

“Being royalty must be tough. For people like us, no one says anything whether we lick or suck what’s stuck to our hands.”

“That’s true. But I’m not royalty anymore, so…”

Roxiana ate the blueberry in her palm and lightly licked the honey off her palm with the tip of her tongue.

“No one will scold me for this now, right?”

Roxiana smiled mischievously, but inside she was burning black. Although she had entered Tepus City prepared, the memories remaining everywhere tore her heart into pieces.

It was exhausting to suppress the overflowing sadness. The sweet scent of honey spreading in her mouth only intensified her longing for what no longer existed in this world.

Still, Roxiana held back her tears. She didn’t want to cry alone in a place like this when she hadn’t even inflicted a small wound on them yet.

‘Since you’re laughing, I should laugh too. That’s only fair.’

Roxiana spent time sharing the honey-coated fruit with Petria and talking about Kanta. When the sun set and the sweet scent seeping in from outside the window stopped, someone knocked on the door.

Knock− Knock knock− Knock knock−

Once. Then twice, twice.

It was the code agreed upon with the knights.

Petria quickly ran to unlock the latch, and Adrian, wearing a deeply pulled hood, slipped in. As soon as he entered, he took off his hood and slightly bowed his head to Roxiana to show respect, then said, “Oh! What’s this?” and reached for the remaining dessert.

Adrian put a small fruit in his mouth, chewed it with a crunch, and grinned.

“This is delicious.”

“If I had known you’d like it, I would have bought more. Would you like to take the rest?”

“That would be absolutely wonderful.”

Adrian quickly picked up the paper bag as if afraid Roxiana might change her mind.

“Having received such a precious gift, I feel heavy-hearted to have to give you an unfavorable report.”

“…You couldn’t find them?”

The knight commanders who had come to Kanta were moving discreetly with knights disguised as commoners, thoroughly examining the Ider Palace and nearby wells.

“No, undead don’t emit strong magical energy to begin with… Just in case, I brought this too.”

Adrian took out a small pendant from his chest. It was a magic tool with a blue magic stone set in the center that would light up when magical energy approached.

While Torkan knights are basically trained to sense magical energy, this time they had received magic detectors from the magic tower in exchange for providing a few magic stones, to not miss even the slightest sign.

“This thing doesn’t react at all. I think we must have misunderstood something. Or the story about throwing them into the well might have been a lie itself.”

Roxiana had considered that possibility too. But whether it was a well or a river, she believed the statement that they hadn’t put her family members in Adelia’s coffin was true. There was no trace of a lie in Elise’s eyes when she said that.

“Then I guess it’s time for me to use my power.”

“Are you really alright with that?”

“I’m fine.”

“When you say you’re fine, it usually means you’re not, which is why I’m asking. If you collapse, our lord will go berserk.”

Roxiana smiled a little, imagining what Floyd would look like going berserk.

“Don’t worry. I won’t collapse from something like this anymore.”

In fact, even before creating Guild Inferno, she had asked the spirits if they could bring information about Kanta or Gania. At that time, the spirits said with great regret:

−Roti, we can’t deeply involve ourselves in human affairs. It’s okay for us to do good things for you by your side. That’s just the power of our existence being naturally exerted.

−But it’s different to handle something at a human’s request. Information we secretly obtain could cause someone who shouldn’t die to die.

−You can use us to extract information. The moment we’re used by you, it becomes the power of a human, not us.

−That’s how we’ve worked with spirit artisans.

−That’s why spirit artisans are needed for humans to use our power for their purposes.

−If we don’t follow this rule, even our king would suffer great damage. Insignificant beings like us would probably disappear cleanly. Even before we could relay all the information to you.

In other words, to obtain information without harming the spirits, Roxiana had to properly use them within the reach of her own power.

And Roxiana was confident she could cover this entire Selshar City with her power. Even if she couldn’t, she was determined to squeeze it out somehow.

‘Everyone.’

Roxiana raised one arm and called upon the earth, water, and wind.

‘Please find my family.’