Chapter 10
“Boring….”
From time to time, I spent the hours propping my chin on my hand. The ultimate reason for my boredom was my mother’s house-arrest order—but also the fact that I was trying not to let the servants catch me searching for information about my abilities.
Ever since we moved our residence here, the number of guards protecting the house had increased significantly. The estate was larger now, so it made sense—but no matter how clever I was, I couldn’t completely avoid their eyes.
Fortunately, talk about the capital had completely stopped.
“Lisa.”
“Yes, young lady.”
The most quick-witted maid among the staff approached.
“Bring me some warm tea.”
“Yes. I’ll prepare it right away.”
Having other people do things for you was, in any case, incredibly convenient.
Until my mother returned, I endured and endured—pretending to be relaxed while suppressing the helplessness and anxiety gnawing at me. That sense of powerlessness finally broke the evening she came back.
“…You want me to go to the capital?”
My anxiety was becoming reality. The one going to the capital wasn’t my mother—it was me.
“Yes.”
“Ah… but my ability hasn’t even manifested yet…”
I hoped Schwald would say something, but damn it all, he wasn’t here today. It felt intentional.
“That doesn’t matter. Is there a problem?”
“No—no, that’s not it, but…”
“I’m just preparing in advance. For now, it’s better that you move. Your face isn’t well known yet. There are many within the family who don’t even recognize you.”
I wanted to scream.
“The First Prince would be good.”
“…What?”
As if things weren’t bad enough, the one name that shouldn’t have come up appeared, and my ears rang.
So it was finally happening.
“You’ve developed the habit of questioning me. Delkian Elrova Kashinef—his position has been solidifying lately.”
“Is that so?”
“The rest, Schwald and I will handle.”
“But still, a prince right away is—”
My mind raced. After the First Prince came the Second Prince. What my mother wanted was the downfall of the Emperor and Empress.
Whether it was the First Prince or the Second, both were dangerous to me—but if I had to choose the lesser evil, it would be the Second Prince. I had saved his life once already. At least he had a chance at redemption.
Maybe I should be grateful that I told him to forget everything except the fact that I saved his life.
“I’m not asking you to do much. Just make an impression.”
“……”
“Then things will proceed naturally. See? It’s not that hard.”
I wanted to ask, Do you really think my looks alone will work that easily?
But I held back.
“Uh… then instead of the First Prince, how about the Second Prince?”
“Why would the Second Prince come into this?”
“Honestly, I think he seems more promising.”
My mother gracefully set down her fork and knife.
“Why do you think that? The Crown Prince will soon be Delkian.”
“He hasn’t even been officially appointed yet, has he? I heard they’re sending the Second Prince outside the capital—to test his discretion, I guess. And they say the First Prince is rather frail… so shouldn’t we wait and see who benefits more? Or am I wrong?”
“You knew nothing until just now.”
I barely suppressed a cough.
“Ahem—well, still, I do have ears. Come to think of it, I think I heard something like that when I went to order firewood recently.”
Believe me. Believe me. Believe me.
“Hm. Those kinds of rumors can be useful sometimes. The Second Prince, huh.”
“You said the Empress dotes on him.”
I added casually and pretended ignorance as I cut my meat and brought it to my mouth.
“Hmph. Then let’s think about that some more. In any case, prepare yourself. Be ready to leave at any time.”
“Yes.”
It was time to seriously start stopping my mother. I swallowed a sigh.
Three days after that conversation.
My hair was dyed red.
It was as if another layer of color had been added to my previously colorless appearance.
I examined my crimson hair. It had taken two days of dyeing with a special solution, and my scalp still stung like hell. I should’ve paid for the more expensive one.
At least the pain came with a benefit—it supposedly wouldn’t fade easily.
I leaned closer to the mirror and pulled down the skin beneath my eye with my index finger.
“Can you dye eyeballs too?”
Green would suit me better than red. But I’d been told red hair needed red eyes.
“Hm….”
I still didn’t like my mother’s orders. But if she told me to do something, I had to comply.
Of course—while stopping her.
Wasn’t that the reason I existed in the first place? I had forgotten my purpose for too long. I needed to block only the critical points—without her noticing.
I frowned at the bitter taste lingering in my mouth. Even so, feeling alien to myself, I stood there in front of the mirror for a long time.
The next day, a man I’d never seen before arrived.
My mother introduced him to me.
“He’ll be guarding you from now on.”
“I am Ian Fidelique. I’ll be attending you, young lady. Please feel free to call me Ian.”
A tall, slender man—easily a head taller than me—stepped closer.
Ash-gray hair, black eyes, and an unusually deep voice. It resonated like an echo in a cave.
“He seems too skinny.”
I muttered as I examined him with deliberate fussiness. I had to look cooperative in front of my mother.
But he showed no change in expression.
“His skills are solid. I can’t attach Schwald to you. Since Schwald brought him, he’s trustworthy.”
“Schnwald hasn’t been around again lately.”
“He’s busy with pointless things. You—follow Carvella like a shadow.”
“Yes.”
After introducing him, my mother left again.
Ian truly followed me like a shadow—silently, closely. Feeling uncomfortable with someone suddenly attached to me, I stopped walking and turned around. He halted exactly three steps away.
“You don’t have to do that inside the house, you know?”
“I am simply following orders.”
“So stiff.”
I waved my hand at him as if to say do as you like, then went into my room and shut the door.
In winter, traffic to the North comes to a halt. Not because the gates are closed, but because massive snowfalls block everything naturally.
Roads and bridges are cut off entirely. But this time, for some reason, the collapsed bridges and roads were repaired far more quickly than expected.
Did the local lord finally come to his senses after getting struck by lightning?
Either way, unfortunately, it meant my departure date for the capital was moved up by a full week.
And so, I was inside a black carriage headed for the capital.
“I didn’t think you’d be coming with us, Mr. Schwald.”
“It’ll make you feel safer.”
“Then you should’ve stopped my mother.”
I rested my elbow against the window frame and propped my chin on my hand while waiting for departure. Ian, who had been stuck to my side like a shadow for days now, sat nearby.
Unless I spoke first, he never initiated conversation. Sometimes I’d forget about him, then turn around and—there he was.
I hadn’t noticed many advantages yet, but at least one thing was convenient: when I dropped something, I didn’t have to bend down to pick it up.
Other than that… not much so far.
Schnwald held out his hand to me. Unsure what he meant, I held out my palm.
Clink.
A heavy bundle of metal dropped into it.
“This is where you’ll be staying in the capital.”
“There are a lot of rooms.”
“Don’t bring too many boyfriends over.”
I laughed foolishly at his joke. Counting the keys, I realized I could bring a different man every day for a week and still have unused rooms. Not that I cared.
“I’m not interested in that.”
We stayed at inns twice more before reaching the capital. The rest of the nights were spent inside the carriage, leaving my body in terrible condition.
The place we arrived at was a mansion on the quiet outskirts of the capital.
Coming to the capital again after several years felt both familiar and new. The roads and surroundings had become remarkably refined. Maybe I’d just grown too accustomed to the snowy North.
After unloading all the luggage, Schwald said he’d return in the evening and disappeared somewhere.
Ian carried my bags effortlessly in both hands as he followed me inside the mansion. Too lazy to climb stairs, I chose a room on the first floor.
“Just set them down. I’ll have servants handle it.”
“Yes, Lady Carvella.”
“Ian.”
I sighed and looked at him.
“My apologies. Miss Blake.”
From the moment I arrived in the capital, my name became Blake Ariandel—a new identity Schwald had prepared for me.
And the person assigned to assist me had already forgotten it.
Fortunately, he realized his mistake quickly and corrected himself. I should scold him for being careless, but I let it slide—because of his face.
“Let’s go. There’s somewhere we need to visit first.”
