“Her birth mother was already here, and today is when she finally leaves. The child suffered from a fever, perhaps due to psychological shock from her young body.”

“She can’t remember properly.”

“Then it’s probably better for that child to forget.”

“…It wasn’t something nice to remember.”

Henrietta left like that. I’m not sure if the expression “left the royal palace” is accurate.

They were scheduled to stay in the royal palace under the protection and observation of the imperial family.

Benjamin tapped the paper with the tip of the pen. Black ink spread on the thin paper.

“Considering the possibility of the main family’s approach, we may have to wait for more.”

His gaze fell outside.

“The information officers sent to Pofuta.”

People in robes passed through the entrance of the imperial palace.
Through the information officers sent to Pofuta, the royal family had been monitoring their activities and stay status, learning about them through their reports. It was true that they visited the palace this time to present the current situation.

Knock, knock.

A sound from outside. An aide who knocked on the office door informed the emperor of the affairs.

“Your Highness, the information officers dispatched to Pofuta have returned.”

Benjamin pushed aside his office chair and stood up.

“Shall we listen together?”

“If it’s about Pofuta, there are many confidential matters. Is it okay for me to hear them?”

“There’s no story you shouldn’t hear.”

Benjamin nodded.

“They’ve just finished their mission and returned.”

The office door opened, and the information officers entered the office.

They were dressed in plain black robes. The robes had no patterns, and the black fabric went well with their well-balanced bodies beneath.

“The first punitive expedition has just ended. Domestic miasma control has begun, and the krakens are entering the breeding season, leading to a significant increase in the number of offspring.”

Sharlov placed the shawl on his forearm on the sofa. Their briefing continued.

“Also, Tute has completely lost track of the suspect in the tragedy.”

The end of this case had already come.

“He is no longer on this land.”

‘Establishing order in this land, the dark-blooded ones who have forgotten discipline and norms will descend underground, and this pact will be both a curse and a shackle that binds them.

The executor of the pact bound himself in compliance with the treaty, trapped in a vast span of time, and his soul bears witness to the execution of the pact.’
‘Each bloodline will monitor the dark-blooded ones bound to their land, divided into forests, deserts, and seas, and this, too, will be witnessed by the executor.’

The ground beneath is dark.

What is there? What is not there? Even such a distinction was not made.

Where am I standing now? Am I standing?

“Uh-huh.”

The hazy consciousness gradually became clear.

“Why do you keep suffering?”

A scratching sound came from the throat.

The document held in the hand fell without energy.

Sharlov tousled his red hair.

“Did you fall asleep again?”

“I told you to sleep when you’re tired, but you keep doing this.”

Benjamin swept Sharl’s eyebrows with the back of his hand.

“Look. Your eyes are swollen.”

“It’s all over.”

“Is this the inventory of Tute?”

Sharlov covered the documents.

“Some of Tute’s assets, which were recovered for state reimbursement. The missing parts in the inventory are separately listed in the documents.”

Benjamin whispered, gesturing to the documents left aside.

“Quite detailed in its own way.”

Sharlov glanced through the dense documents.

“It’s just an old memory. Since I often left the seat empty, whenever the vacant seat became lax, someone would follow me like this.”

Sharlov reviewed the categorized list of items, finishing it and covering it.

“The data is complete.”

Benjamin received the documents. The data book was heavy and thick, meticulously subdivided into categories.

“Thank you for your hard work.”
The sun outside has already set. The candlelight in the study flickered, casting a dim and weary light.

Benjamin tapped the paper with the pen tip. Black ink spread on the thin paper.

“The writing is dense.”

“Yes?”

“Back when I first saw you. The writing was as winding as a worm crawling. I kept the letters we exchanged at that time; they should be somewhere if you look.”

“You still kept those letters?”

“Because they are traces of you back then.”

He spoke as if driving a nail.

“I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away.”

Sharlov, holding a quill pen, paused.

“What kind of stories did we share?”

“Well, I don’t remember exactly what stories we shared.”

“…….”

“But back then, it felt like waiting for those letters.”

The memory of waiting for news from her was vivid.

“You always felt elusive like morning mist, but retracing such traces was comforting.”

Benjamin whispered while using the quill pen to jot down numbers on the document. The data organizing seemed almost done. He felt reluctant to finish it as it was, thinking of completing a bit more and then sleeping.

As he mumbled, he met eyes with Sharl.

“Why?”

Sharlov quietly replied to his question.

“Do you remember how it was?”

“Um, back then, the writing was small. It was my own small and neat handwriting, but there was a considerable weight to each stroke.”

Benjamin slowly elongated his words.

“Also, like someone who lost the sense of fingertip touch, I subtly struggled.”

“…….”

“I didn’t know how much force to apply or how much to release. It seemed a bit unfamiliar until I got used to it, and then that awkwardness disappeared.”

Sharlov, holding the quill pen, clenched his hand in the same way. Somehow, the muscles in his hand seemed slightly trembling. Benjamin’s gaze, sensitive to such signs, reached his fingertips.

“Are you okay?”

Sharlov replied with a smile.

“I feel a bit tired now.”

“Um. It’s okay to be tired now.”

In the study, the quill pen rolled off.

Thud.

The pen tip broke, and the ink splattered on the floor.

Doruru, the fallen quill pen, touched Sharl’s instep.

He had narrowed the distance like this.

“Let’s end it here today.”

Benjamin neatly arranged the documents he had covered, placing them on the study table. He picked up the quill pen, leaving it as if nothing had happened.

“Let’s call it a day, Sharl.”

He didn’t ask.

But somehow, Sharlov felt he needed to explain it to himself.