“You’ve engaged in futile actions…”

The vicargeneral smiled thinly, his hand lowered from his chest.

I understand it was done out of anxiety.

In truth, he had been quite unstable for some time.

Enough to confine himself in the prayer room.

But would the saint know this?

Sometimes, there are moments you should pretend not to know.

The scar that had been scratched unexpectedly had now suddenly widened.

The suppressed blood trickles down through the gap, feeling miserable.

“Ah…”

A sigh escapes involuntarily from the discomfort.

“What should I do about this?”

The Archbishop looked up at the distant sky.

The northern sky he looked at was dark, continuously showering snow.

‘I can surely tell you something you’ll find interesting.’

The man’s offer was terribly tempting.

He tried to remain steadfast, but his heart was tilting toward one side.

I thought I would no longer weigh the pros and cons now that I’ve left the social circle.

Bianca sighed softly, releasing her pursed lips.

Is everything okay?

“Julie, get my dress. I need to meet them.”

Such an absurd opportunity won’t come twice.

Now, Bianca wanted only two things.

The trends in the capital and news of the Duke of Elian.

Leaving the palace hastily, there was no way to know what had happened to the only blood relative, the Duke.

Was the ship that had been launched well taken care of?

Had the emperor not devised any schemes afterward?

Is Deborah still in the palace, or has she also left?

There were more than a couple of things she was curious about.

I could ask Gillian, but…

‘I can’t do that.’

The one who executed my only blood relative, Sylas Barlock, has no shame.

Bianca tightened her face.

This must never happen.

Even though he suggested an exchange, Bianca had no intention of doing so.

The moment an exchange occurs, the emperor would take Duke Elian hostage and reveal his fangs to Barlock.

‘It must never happen.’

She suppressed the rising ‘anxiety and curiosity.’

Bianca vividly remembered that her love had been poison to the Duke of Elian.

If something happened to the Duke of Elian, Gillian wouldn’t ignore it; he would definitely nag about it.

“It’s fine.”

If I’m lucky enough to hear news of the Duke, that’s good; otherwise, it’s fine.

Today, what Bianca really wanted to dig into was the trends in the imperial family.

‘He won’t sit still after the wave ends.’

Having destroyed an entire royal city, the emperor would certainly be riled up.

Though I don’t know, he must have been keeping an eye out for an opportunity here.

The emperor, who struggled more than anyone to get through the long, boring winters, was particularly interested in news from the north every year.

He was always like that; now he’d be even more so.

How would he react if he heard that the castle had fallen during all this? It was beyond guessing.

“Ah…”

Even if he can’t do anything about it during the wave, he’ll immediately summon us to pay a heavy price once winter is over. That was easy to guess.

It would be best to block news from the Barlock territory, but that was practically impossible.

At the very least, knowing the atmosphere of the capital and the trends of the royal family would help in considering countermeasures.

The emperor, who valued his reputation above all else, would surely change his attitude depending on public opinion.

But, would these authors have that level of information?

In the capital’s social circles, items made of ‘monster skins’ were in vogue.

Seeing that there was a problem trying to get monster skins, it’s probably not entirely a bluff…

“Good afternoon?”

What interrupted Bianca’s endless train of thought was a polite greeting.

“Oh, you’re already here.”

It was suddenly the secondfloor reception room.
Bianca took her seat as designated, responding lightly to the merchant’s greeting.

Thankfully, he didn’t engage in the same handkissing gesture as on the day of their first greeting.

He simply waited for Bianca to take her seat, then moved in sync with her.

Gone was the bustle with which he’d previously offered assistance; now he sat across, leaning back casually, the epitome of decorum and elegance.

“……”

Waiting for the tea to be prepared, Bianca initiated the conversation with the man.

“How are you faring? The cold in Balrok territory is quite unique. Is it hard to adjust?”

“Thanks to your care, it’s bearable.”

The man was quite candid.

Bearable, he said.

Not exactly the words one should use in front of someone who saved them from potentially freezing to death.

However, his straightforward tone didn’t sound disrespectful.

“I see.”

Bianca gave a slight smile in response, and the man immediately lowered his head slightly.

“May I be a bit more honest? Actually, it’s dreadfully cold. But considering the Duke is away on a campaign, I can’t really complain while comfortably in the castle.”

“You’ve already said that, haven’t you?”

“Ah, did I?”

The man playfully pretended to have made an error at Bianca’s pointing out.