“I heard that some personnel in the Rose Palace will be changed soon. Infiltrate at that time, eliminate the target, and leave.”

“Yes, matriarch.”

“Your identity must never be revealed. You understand what I mean?”

Grasping Charlotte’s intentions, Talia placed her hand over her left chest and bowed her head. It was a unique salute among the assassin group, a signal of a vow that if they failed, they would not return alive.

“……Don’t think of dying. You still have much to do.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“It seems it’s time to go to the tea party.”

When someone made a sound outside the door, Talia’s figure disappeared without a trace.

Exhaling a short breath, Charlotte, feeling particularly burdened today, adjusted her heavy head ornament and slowly headed toward the door.

On the other hand, Walter was in a difficult situation due to Elga’s visit.

“Lord Walter! Please allow me to meet Elga. You had a relationship before, and you know my disciple as well.”

“Yes, indeed. To think we could actually see her alive. It would be an honor to invite her to our house!”

“Ah, please, go ask her yourself!”

From the morning, not only soldiers but even nobles he encountered were grabbing him and begging, so Walter was rather worn out.

‘I’m already overwhelmed…’

As Lord’s right-hand man handling various tasks big and small, Walter had been busy since the expedition ended.

The one moment he had some leisure in the morning suddenly turned into chaos due to Elga’s sudden arrival in the capital.

‘Well, it can’t be helped that people are surprised.’

Walter had known Elga since his childhood days with Sione, so he wasn’t particularly moved. However, she was undoubtedly one of the greatest heroes in the kingdom’s history.

Although her existence had gradually been forgotten along with rumors of her death, Elga was a significant figure who always made her appearance in history books.
People had crowded in front of the royal palace, excited to have seen the legendary wizard they had only known from portraits or book illustrations. Balter had gone out to the gate to manage the situation and had returned to the main palace.

‘He definitely said he was going to Rose Palace.’

Balter had often seen Vlady communicate with Elga from time to time, but it had been a long time since he had actually met Elga.

He, too, wanted to meet Elga and planned to go to Rose Palace as soon as he reported to Vlady.

“Lord Vlady, it’s Balter. May I enter?”

“Come in.”

Vlady was in his personal office, not the royal office, as the day’s official schedule had ended.

The lord’s office was spacious and extravagant, but not as beautiful as its owner.

“As instructed, I have completed compensation for all the warriors who participated in the expedition. Their families and children have been arranged to continue their education and livelihood.”

“Well done.”

Vlady, who responded with an unreadable voice, shifted his gaze back to the documents he had been reading.

For Balter, who had been tirelessly visiting each home of the warriors residing in the capital to fulfill Vlady’s order, the response felt very bland.

“I heard Elga visited. Is she still well?”

“Yes, she’s almost a thousand years old but still full of energy. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about her coffin for a while.”

“Coffin? That’s harsh, even for you.”

No response came this time.

He had served for hundreds of years but still found his lord to be utterly humorless.

Feeling a familiar sense of fatigue, Balter sighed quietly.

“I heard she will be staying at Rose Palace for a while. Will that be alright?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Word will quickly spread about Elga’s whereabouts. People’s attention will focus on Princess Bella.”

Only then did Vlady look up from the document and lock eyes with Balter.

Sensing a hint of interest in his lord’s faint smile, Balter realized Vlady found the situation intriguing.

“Yes, that could be interesting. I’m curious to see what will happen next.”

“What do you mean?”

“If Elga’s plan succeeds, many things will change. That’s what I’m curious about.”

Ignoring Balter’s confused expression, Vlady thought about the conversation he had had with Elga.

“Vlady, you know your daughter is ill. I plan to restore her somehow. If things go according to plan, it shouldn’t take long.”

“Why come to explain to me? If you’re going to do as you please anyway.”

“You seem to forget, you’re her parent. You can’t just treat her like anyone else.”

“Save your sermon. I don’t want to hear it.”

“I’m not doing this out of personal emotion. You know that I care for the kingdom just as much as anyone, don’t you?”

Vlady found some persuasiveness in Elga’s words.

Although she had contributed significantly to the formation and development of the kingdom, and although she was whimsical, she was not an emotionally-driven person.

Vlady decided to listen to her a bit more.

“The kingdom is in danger now. The council of elders and noble factions, particularly those pushing for Wilhelm as the next lord, pose a lot of problems.”

“A lord’s position isn’t gained by mere wanting. You should know that, Elga.”

“Wilhelm might be a good candidate for lord, but he lacks in some areas. He needs a proper rival.”

“…You mean to make the princess Wilhelm’s rival?”
“Yes. That child certainly possesses tremendous power. She could even grow to be a force that transcends the kingdom, perhaps even the empire, if this old man’s eyes are not mistaken.”

Vlady didn’t respond explicitly, but in truth, his thoughts were not much different from Elga’s.

From the moment he first saw Bella, he had noticed the potential his daughter possessed.

‘If the princess’s illness heals, it wouldn’t be bad to move according to Elga’s wishes.’

He had no intention of confining his daughter forever.

However, he did believe that the time was not right.

The last time he saw Bella, she still looked too young and frail to withstand the trials of the world.

‘If that child grows up, will she come to resemble Daphne even more…?’

The face of his daughter, who was still practically a baby, eerily resembled his deceased wife.

Perhaps his continued avoidance of the child was for that reason.

After losing Daphne and being left alone, he had even become afraid to look at her portrait.

Lost in deep thought, overlapping the faces of Daphne and Bella, Vlady’s ears were pierced by Walter’s sharp voice.

“Stop standing there silently and explain to me. What exactly is changing?”

Upon seeing Walter’s frustrated expression, Vlady chuckled lightly and spat out words that took him by surprise.

“If all goes well, I’m considering lifting the closure of the Rose Palace.”