“…For what reason do you frequent such a black market?”

“Isn’t it the same for both of us?”

Resban grinned as he looked at her, who was speaking as if suspicious.

Well… There’s nothing to say.

It’s quite strange for the Duchess Klaus to be frequenting a place like this.

“There’s something I want to know. But it seems to be quite difficult information to obtain through normal means, so I came here.”

“I don’t know what you’re looking for, but…”

He could see several men gathered on the street glancing at the two who appeared to be lovers.

Some were giving Esika blatant looks, but they couldn’t easily approach since she was with a well-built companion.

A low voice with a hint of playfulness was heard next.

“It seems no one will take you seriously.”

Esika let out a small sigh at Resban’s remark.

There is a way to make them take her seriously… but it would draw too much attention.

“Do I look like an outsider to everyone?”

It was an attire commonly seen in bustling areas. A modest middle-class woman’s dress that looked freshly tailored from an expensive dress shop.

But in the black market… she didn’t expect this normal dress from the outside to stand out so much here.

She didn’t expect people to glance at her like that either.

She absolutely hated being conspicuous.

“If you’re not busy, could you help me?”

Eventually, Esika led Resban by the hand to a secluded spot even within the black market alley.

“Could you… cover for me for a moment? I have something I need to do.”

At Esika’s words, spoken hesitantly with an awkward expression, Resban stood facing her.

She was curious what he was thinking with that serious expression.

Esika’s eyes wavered as she gazed at Resban standing before her.

And as her hand moved, Resban’s eyebrow twitched.

Rip-

The sound of the hem of her dress tearing could be heard.

Soon, the tightly closed hem of the dress was torn, revealing her white knees.

The tattered clothes made her look like a local.

Esika, satisfied with turning her new dress into an old one, proudly stuck out her knee and said to Resban:

“Now I won’t stand out, right?”

But her words did not continue for long.

Because Resban’s expression had hardened.

Furrowed brows and cold eyes with deep golden irises, like a beast filled with thirst, or a predator on a cliff in chaos…

Yes, how should one describe such a gaze?

Resban slowly raised his hand.

And he tucked Esika’s slightly disheveled hair behind her ear.

“You…”

His red lips parted, letting out a dizzying voice.

His face visible in the darkness was different from his usual expression, which was always hard to read.

“You keep testing my patience.”

Her heart thumped at his ferocious yet captivating gaze.

She could hear Resban’s breathing. Today, he was not the usual neat and flawless crown prince, and especially not at this moment.

A thread seemed to flicker like a mirage in his golden eyes.

As if accidentally breaking it would lead to irreversible consequences.

“…”

Thinking that saying anything more here wouldn’t be good, Esika kept her mouth shut.

After a while, Resban finally turned his gaze away from her slightly.

Against the backdrop of chaotic light and darkness, his profile is visible.

A dizzyingly high bridge of the nose, an elegant jawline, a protruding Adam’s apple.

And his face that somehow looked a bit flushed.

Today is… strange. Esika looked down at the torn pieces of her dress.

**

When the two arrived at a certain point in the black market alley, a man wearing a black mask appeared and greeted Resban respectfully.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Esika hastily pulled her hand away from Resban’s, and he let go without holding on.

‘It’s been awkward since earlier.’

After that strange atmosphere had been created, Resban hadn’t spoken to Esika anymore.

He just held her hand and led her with a stiff expression.

It was worrying enough to wonder if he was feeling unwell somewhere.

Anyway, the man they encountered guided Resban into a building.

“The person with you…”

“She’s someone I trust.”

At Resban’s words, the man didn’t ask further.

Entering the building, a gambling den came into view.

The acrid smoke of tobacco, and over a hundred people paying, losing, and winning money here and there.

In the corners were men and women entangled in quite embarrassing acts, and there were also people sitting down, swaying as if intoxicated by drugs.

When Esika was a spirit, she often won money at gambling dens.

‘Here or there, the world where people live isn’t much different.’

It’s just a difference in perspective, whether the observer is in the light or in the shadows.

Of course, Resban hadn’t entered there to gamble.

Esika followed behind Resban, going deeper past the gambling den.

The place they finally arrived at looked like an office, but peculiarly, there were no windows.

Whatever was done inside, no sound would be heard from the outside.

Though there were no windows, a red light fixture on the ceiling gave off a rather brothel-like atmosphere.

‘The smell of thick blood comes from here. They must have killed many.’

Esika thought, smelling the scent embedded in the office furniture.

Soon, a man wearing a fedora, who wasn’t seen earlier, entered the office.

“You’ve brought a lady with you today, Master.”

He greeted Resban and Esika in turn.

“Hello, my lady. I’m Fanix. It’s… nice to meet you.”

Fanix was probably an alias.

“Nice to meet you.”

Esika greeted briefly. Of course, she didn’t bother to reveal her name.

The man looked into Esika’s eyes with a sharp gaze.

He was skilled at sizing up others. Esika also didn’t avoid his gaze and looked back at him, and after a moment, the man lowered his eyes with a faint smile.

At that sight, the corners of Resban’s mouth twisted slightly.

“She’s looking for something. Whatever it is… help her.”

“Ah, I see.”

At Resban’s order, Fanix addressed Esika.

“There’s no one with wider connections in the Torres black market than me, so if you tell me, I’ll try to get even a dragon’s scale. Since you’re the boss’s special guest.”

While Fanix was chattering to Esika, Resban perched on the office desk.

And he began reviewing the piles of documents stacked there.

War doesn’t just happen above water.

The fierce information war happening underwater is the leading role in bringing victory, and the ostracized black markets and underworld play a significant role.

Just cutting off five heads here has the same effect as killing 500 enemy soldiers, so there’s no reason not to use it.

“…Celikser. There were a few people talking about it. If you come back in a week, I’ll have the information organized for you.”

“Thank you. How much would the compensation be?”

“We don’t accept compensation from the Master’s guests.”

Esika nodded as she watched Fanix smiling brightly.

“And, there’s one more thing I’d like to confirm.”

She spoke to him in a slightly lower voice.

“The things His Highness the Crown Prince experienced in Hasechu.”

That was the only thing she could guess about her connection with him.

But Resban only tells her to remember, without telling her the story.

“That would be difficult for me too, guest.”

Fanix answered in a somewhat troubled tone.

And he added in a small voice.

“But I do know one way to regain memories.”

When Esika turned around after a while, she felt Resban getting up in the distance.

The documents he was looking at were folded for a moment.

“I’ll take you back.”

“It’s okay, I can go alone…”

But before Esika could finish speaking, Resban came over and grabbed her wrist.

As if there was no chance.

**

“My goodness, it’s so beautiful.”

Vases decorated in every corner of the room were filled with bunches of Paminas.

Cela was marveling at the changed atmosphere of the room.

As expected of Schmitzen Kingdom’s national flower, the sweet fragrance added to the room’s elegance.

“…”

But Esika was reading a book in the sunlight without much interest.

It was a book titled ‘The Empire’s History, Mysterious Events Behind the Scenes’.

‘It’s not my place to interfere, but if my guess is correct, that place would be Turecian’s secret intelligence agency.’

The information they will give to Esika will probably be the most accurate information obtainable in the empire.

It’s a good thing, but thinking of Resban somehow makes one side of her chest ache.

What he said as he purposely took her to the front of the mansion:

“Next time, a maid’s outfit might be more appropriate. There were more than a few men whose eyes I wanted to gouge out.”

Somehow her face feels hot.

Knock knock-

While lost in thought, a knock was heard from outside.

Esika slightly furrowed her brow and turned her gaze towards the door as she felt Cela, who had approached to open it, flinch.

“…”

Callian, who had been standing outside the door, slowly walked into Esika’s room.

Callian was wearing a white uniform as always, and everything was neatly organized, but his face was not.

The area under his eyes was dark as if he hadn’t slept for days, and his lips were dry as if he hadn’t drunk water.

A face that made one suspect he might be ill.

“…What’s the matter?”

Esika asked coldly as she stood up.

Entering a room without speaking, even between spouses, is behavior that goes against etiquette.

In the past, Esika had tried to enter Callian’s room when he wouldn’t meet her, and each time Callian had warned her with a tone of contempt.

But today… Callian was exhibiting that ill-mannered behavior.

“…Wife…”

With desperate, love-struck eyes, no less.