Was it a rumor created to protect the dragon’s treasure?

But wasn’t the treasure actually kept on the 5th floor of the main palace, not in the tower?

Though it seemed to have been stolen long ago.

“I suppose it means there are things they can’t entrust to us from the Imperial City.”

Bain furrowed his brow slightly. According to the emperor’s orders, they would have to investigate that tower.

The problem was that the butler’s eyes were so sharp, it didn’t seem possible to explore secretly. They were knights, not petty thieves after all. They neither could nor wanted to sneak in and spy on something.

‘It might be possible with the lady’s help, but…’

The only one who welcomed them here was Litania. No matter the imperial order, they were still humans who knew gratitude. They didn’t want to use or burden Litania unreasonably for their purpose.

“My lady, our role is to protect Dragon City. In fact, this city is under the protection of the divine dragon, so the possibility of an external enemy attack is extremely low.”

“That’s true.”

“Therefore, I believe His Majesty sent us not exactly to protect Dragon City, but to protect you, my lady.”

“If there’s no chance of an enemy attack, why protect me?”

“It must be to guard against internal enemies.”

Internal enemies. He meant the servants of this Dragon City.

In fact, they didn’t know there were already servants here until they arrived at Dragon City, so the emperor wouldn’t have considered that, but it wasn’t a completely fabricated story.

The servants of this castle were strange. They didn’t threaten or guard against the imperial people, but their bizarre presence felt uncomfortable to the knights. They hadn’t yet realized it was the human instinct of wariness when faced with unknown beings.

“If I may be so bold, I understand that His Majesty’s will was strongly applied to your marriage. It’s not entirely impossible that the servants of Dragon City might plot something behind your back…”

“Oh, that’s not possible. They’re all good people.”

Litania cut off Bain’s cautiousness in one stroke.

“They were just tense and stiff on the first day, but when we got closer, I found them all cute.”

“C-cute, you say?”

“Yes. How should I put it, they’re a bit like Snow? It doesn’t suit them, which makes them cute.”

“Good heavens…”

To compare those pole-like figures moved by magic to a small boy! Bain inwardly sighed.

‘I suppose it means she’s that innocent and unable to suspect others. She has a pure nature.’

Not knowing that the servants of Dragon City treated Litania differently from the knights, Bain judged that it was because Litania had an innocent and warm personality. A tender feeling welled up in his heart, aching slightly.

“I understand. I sincerely hope nothing like that happens, but if you ever feel something strange, please don’t hesitate to tell us. We will help.”

The last words were sincere. Perhaps Bain’s honest gaze got through, as Litania nodded quietly with a smile instead of brushing off his words as a joke.

“I will. Thank you for worrying about me, Bain.”

That night, after finishing her bath, Litania suddenly asked Snow, who was brushing her hair:

“Snow, do you know about the Door of Farewell?”

“You mean the scary door that makes you no longer of this world if you cross it?”

“You knew about it!”

Was it a famous legend that only she didn’t know? Well, it was natural that she didn’t know even famous legends since she wasn’t originally a human from this place. Litania lightly swung her legs while sitting in the chair.

Her white feet floated and twitched, creating shadows on the carpet.

“I heard a rumor that the one in the eastern tower is the Door of Farewell.”

“A rumor is just a rumor.”

“Didn’t you say it was dangerous before?”

“Well, I just thought it might be because the door was locked. We can’t say rumors made up by humans who’ve never been to Dragon City are credible.”

While Snow answered in a light tone, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest.

That’s a place she shouldn’t go. But Orbis must have had a reason for allowing it. No, mentioning specifically that the door could be opened was rather an instruction to lead her there.

‘I don’t want Litania to become someone not of this world.’

If it weren’t for Orbis’s additional words, Snow wouldn’t have tried to carry out the order, even if it was the dragon’s command. Because Litania was now precious to him too.

It seemed Orbis didn’t want to let Litania enter the dangerous area, but to make her physically understand that she shouldn’t enter dangerous areas. He would surely stop her before she approached the Door of Farewell.

‘Humans tend to want to do things more when they’re forbidden, so there’s a need to satisfy her curiosity.’

Although he didn’t know what that scary experience would be, Snow didn’t want to lose Litania. So he could participate in scaring her briefly if it was to prevent a greater threat.

“Would you like to go see if you’re curious, Litania?”

“But Orbis said not to go.”

“There’s no place in this castle where you can’t go, Litania.”

“Hmm…”

She was curious. Orbis had clearly ordered the servants not to approach the eastern tower, but according to the knight commander Bain, it seemed the servants were managing that place.

‘It’s not contradictory if they only manage from the 1st to 7th floors, but…’

Someone could accidentally open that door, so leaving it to be managed normally might mean it’s not that dangerous. Maybe it’s just hidden because it would be troublesome if seen.

‘Come to think of it, he said he lost the treasure.’

He said he lost it, but wouldn’t look for it. Judging from Orbis’s tone, that treasure seems to have already disappeared from this world, but that doesn’t seem to be the whole story.

‘Could the closed area of the tower be related to the treasure?’

Orbis is the divine dragon, so he knows everything in this world, but he’s not human, so he might not understand things related to the human world. So if she sees something and realizes something, she might be able to tell him.

‘Maybe it’s a problem that can’t be solved with the knowledge of this world, but could be solved with knowledge from the present world!’

She might be able to fulfill the role of a possessed person. Above all, it goes against plausibility not to go to such a meaningful restricted area that has been mentioned several times.

Surely, visiting that place will allow her to gain something. Or learn something.

“Alright. Let’s go, Snow.”

“Yes, Litania. I’ll bring your outer garment.”

Snow draped a thick fur robe over Litania’s nightgown and helped her put on her shoes.

The night was deep. Starlight shining from the dark night sky entered through small windows in the hall ceiling.

Litania and Snow wrapped wool around their shoes to avoid making footsteps and moved stealthily.

Litania marveled at how light Snow’s footsteps were as he stepped on the carpet, like feathers.

“Snow, you’re really quiet.”

“I’m used to this kind of thing. Be careful, Litania.”

“I’m also walking gently, you know. We haven’t been caught by anyone so far, right?”

As Litania chattered, reminded of memories of secret explorations with childhood friends, Snow put his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. Litania closed her mouth tightly.

‘Since Orbis said not to go and the servants told outsiders not to enter, I wouldn’t have gone originally.’

In reality, you shouldn’t do things you’re told not to do, but in novels, you have to do what you’re told not to do for the plot to progress.

‘But we need to be careful not to get caught, it would be troublesome.’

Even if Orbis didn’t mind, other servants wouldn’t dare say anything to Litania, the mistress, but it would be troublesome for Snow, the attendant. Litania held her breath and followed behind Snow.

Snow descended the stairs and opened the lobby door. The door opened silently, revealing the night garden scene before their eyes.

‘It’s beautiful even at night. There’s no moon tonight.’

Snow bent down to unwrap and gather the wool wrapped around Litania’s shoes. The wool that had been wrapped around the boy’s shoes had already disappeared unnoticed.

‘I didn’t even see him unwrap it, Snow really has quick hands. Or am I just slow?’

The two slipped into the night garden, which the gardener had decorated with all his skill.

The midnight garden had been transformed into something as beautiful as a dream by the gardener’s skill. The figures of animals, delicately trimmed, filled every corner of the garden, coming to life under the moonlight.

‘It’s interesting how they deliberately trim plants into animal shapes.’

The moonlight gently illuminated the garden’s bushes and trees, scattering shadows like countless stars on the ground.

The grass leaves catching moonlight under the two people’s silhouettes moved like waves in the cool autumn night breeze. Passing through a path paved with silver-shining tiles, the two went around to the back of the eastern annex.