Warehouse No. 1.

There, the medicine for that woman’s birth mother was stored.

Based on the date, that woman would not have received the remaining month’s supply yet.

Tiobe’s report continued after that.

“Now that Nortens has been subjugated, there shouldn’t be any problems with distribution, but…”

Tiobe couldn’t continue speaking as he looked at the motionless Cassian.

“The problem would be Hart.”

Cassian’s tone was frighteningly cold.

Pouring whiskey into a glass, Cassian, with a suddenly dry expression, drank it.

As if talking about someone else’s story.

Separately, the heat produced by the high-proof alcohol burned his mind hotly.

Hart was responsible for all processes and manufacturing of the Leveru medicine.

It was also Hart that first developed the medicine and held the patent.

To receive that medicine from the Hart Empire, which had even issued an imperial decree cutting off diplomatic relations?

The conclusion was simple.

Such a thing would never happen.

At least not until several years had passed for diplomacy between the two countries to calm down.

In the meantime, Yuriel, that woman’s birth mother, would die.

Alphonse, who had seen that birth mother named Jane, flashed through his mind.

On top of that, the image of that woman who would act as if having a fit whenever her birth mother was mentioned overlapped.

The sight of her always on the verge of tears, too.

With each turn of the glass, the sound of ice cracking created fissures in the space above.

Tiobe’s voice was layered on top of that like harmony.

“I will check again if there are any other production sites.”

It was quite an optimistic statement.

Yes, there might be somewhere that could run that process.

However, no one could guarantee how long it would take to find it.

So saying they would look again was more accurately closer to meaning they would give up.

It would only remain as hypocrisy, just formally pretending to care for that woman.

Even Tiobe, who had brought it up, couldn’t raise his head, knowing this fact.

According to the investigation so far, Hart was the only place producing that medicine.

Of course, since they hadn’t thoroughly searched the entire continent, there might be other ways… but it was close to a slim chance.

However, no matter how much Tiobe racked his brain, he was convinced this was the best option.

In reality, what more could be done in such a worst-case scenario?

To put it more bluntly, ‘that person’s’ luck was truly terribly non-existent.

Even such a situation couldn’t be turned around.

It’s not like the lord could resolve the issue with Hart either…

In an instant, Cassian’s voice quietly resonated through the space.

“From now on, you lead the generals to the imperial palace and attend the victory party.”

“…What? Why should I do that…”

Tiobe stumbled over his words in surprise.

On the other hand, the lord who had entrusted such an important task maintained his usual expression.

That appearance rather approached Tiobe as fear.

The lord he knew would often have such an expression when dealing with big matters.

‘Surely he doesn’t intend to go to Hart to get the medicine himself.’

As Cassian stood up and put on his cloak, there was not the slightest tremor in his movements.

At a glance, his movements seemed no different from usual.

But Tiobe quickly noticed the subtle difference in his lord.

He was hurrying somewhere.

Just like someone being chased by something.

The lord, who never lost his composure having everything, had completely changed.

Tiobe quickly turned his thoughts.

Even if it was the lord, he couldn’t resolve conflicts between nations at his level.

‘Is he really planning to infiltrate Hart’s merchant group and negotiate with them?’

For the lord, who had been so rational, to undertake such a reckless act.

Anyone who heard the lord’s decision would say it was more than crazy.

“If something goes wrong, it could escalate into a dispute between nations.”

The lord was a central figure of the Blanchet ducal family, which was large enough to symbolize the Pantheon Empire by itself.

Each of his movements had such strong influence that it could easily escalate into a national issue.

“That’s why I’m telling you to go first.”

“Surely you don’t plan to go there alone?”

Cassian showed no signs of wavering, as if he had made up his mind.

Tiobe hurriedly blocked the lord’s path.

“Wouldn’t it be better to return to our country first to check the situation before moving?”

It was clear that if the duchess knew about this, she would try to dissuade the lord.

Although the lord wasn’t one to listen, Tiobe still tried to grab even a small thread while holding onto reason.

It was right for the lord, as commander-in-chief, to attend the victory party at least.

Cassian glared fiercely at Tiobe.

“The confirmation is done.”

The lord’s face, filled with certainty, was thoroughly resolute.

“…Pardon?”

Is he saying that because of the report I just submitted about the total loss?

Tiobe felt belated regret that he should have submitted the report more concisely.

However, contrary to Tiobe’s thoughts, Cassian’s conclusion was branching in a different direction.

“Isn’t it funny?”

What could be funny in this serious situation?

Tiobe looked up at Cassian and held his breath.

One corner of his mouth curled up crookedly, filled with his anger.

Considering how he rarely expressed such emotions, it was an enormous change.

Looking closely, one of his hands was clutching a nameplate with the Blanchet seal clearly imprinted, having crushed it.

The lord, who didn’t even think to wipe the dark red blood flowing from there, looked enough like the “mad monster” that the public had been calling him recently.

Of course, Tiobe, who had assisted him closely for a long time, only found it unexpected, not particularly surprising.

“What’s funny? In this serious situation.”

“That warehouse ended up like that and that medicine was completely burned at exactly this timing.”

The red gaze slowly lifted and fixed on Tiobe.

“Even if you set up the board, it would be difficult to be this perfect.”

“Are you… suspecting someone within Blanchet with those words?”

Cassian quietly nodded and moved his steps outside the tent.

Tiobe followed behind helplessly, unable to hide his anxiety.

Who within would dare to intentionally burn young master’s things?

But soon Tiobe’s thoughts flowed and stopped at one place.

Someone who could dare to touch the lord’s things.

Someone who had a reason to completely burn that medicine.

Someone trying to cover up everything by burning the warehouse…

Aren’t they all pointing to one person?

The duchess, Elise di Blanchet.

However, Tiobe simply couldn’t believe that she, with her benevolent face, would have taken such actions.

On the other hand, Cassian mocked all of that.

His mother, who trembled unable to even catch one insignificant insect, was in fact a person with an extremely cruel side.

In his childhood days, his mother who scratched the face of a servant rolling with his father, turned around with a smile.

She was someone who could become infinitely cruel if she wanted something.

The death of that woman’s birth mother would be less than the death of an insect to his mother.

His mother, who knew even the fact that she remained by his side using the medicine as an excuse, would have planned everything.

The steps striding forward were now heading towards the forest near the tent.

Cassian, who stopped in front of a horse with its mane neatly combed, gently stroked it.

Cassian lightly jumped up onto it and grabbed the reins.

With a loud neigh, the horse’s head turned towards the outside.

Tiobe, unable to do anything, swallowed his words and barely managed to bow his head.

In an instant, Cassian’s white horse, with its reins pulled, let out a rough neigh and kicked off the ground, moving forward.

As news of victory echoed throughout the empire, the citizens were in a festive mood.

With news that the imperial army would soon return, people prepared fireworks and even organized welcoming parties and bands to greet them.

Among these brightly shining people, Yuriel was the only one with a dark, ashen color.

Her darkness, which would have been buried normally, stood out mixed among the bright atmosphere of the crowd.

There was no strength at all in her steps as she passed through the talking crowds.

Everyone was praising Cassian, that man, as a hero.

Just like long ago, in that alley of Alphonse.

No, in fact, the entire capital was plastered with talk of him, so the world had become much wider and larger than then.

However, nothing else had changed.

She hated him, and he was praised by everyone except her.

How frustrating it was.

Yuriel sighed deeply and trudged forward.

Over the past time, she had gone over many times why he had done such a thing to her.

No matter how much she reviewed it, there was no reason for the man’s actions.

There is no reason for that cruel torture of hope, pretending to be kind and give everything, only to drag her up to the ceiling and let her fall.

That made Yuriel even crazier.

It all became ridiculous that she had momentarily placed hope in such a man, that her heart had raced.

To that man, someone like her was actually nothing.

Did he do it with this intention from the beginning?

Or did he say that because he got bored after her value was just up to there?

Either way, there was no meaning in reality.

The conclusion that she couldn’t receive the medicine was the same.

The more she chewed on it, the only thing that became clear was that it was not the man’s mistake, but his ‘intention’.

The more so, a nauseating feeling welled up.

Today too, unable to swallow the rising nausea, Yuriel vomited before getting on the carriage.

“Where shall we go?”

She handed the coachman a paper with the destination written on it and the fare with trembling hands.

The destination written on the paper was an address sent to her by an anonymous person.

The note briefly added the name and address of a clinic, and words like ‘There should be medicine.’

Who on earth knew that she was looking for it, it should have been chilling, but Yuriel didn’t even have the energy to feel that.

Only the thought that she needed just one more dose of medicine buzzed in her mind.

On top of that, the doctor’s words that she must never be late were laid like a curse.

While heading to the destination, after leaving her mother at the clinic unable to care for her, the doctor shook his head as she was leaving.

It was a look of reproach asking what she would do if she was late again.

However, he couldn’t say more than that.

Probably because of her appearance.

The soft sound of wheels rolling gently echoed over the main street of the capital, crowded with people on the weekend, moving forward.

Outside the carriage that had now stopped, there was a shabby clinic.