Chapter 46
At last, perhaps sensing something properly, Seth let out a deep sigh and stepped toward Free.
“More importantly, Cassie. I told you to go to Councilor Zeren. Why have you come back with her?”
“Ah! I did tell him. But after he looked me up and down and asked me all sorts of questions, he ended up coming along with me.”
“All sorts of questions?”
Seth and Free’s eyes met at the same time.
“It seems Councilor Zeren does not trust you.”
“What?”
“Next time, I’ll go myself.”
“Not trust me?”
Because Free was present, Seth did not say more, but his expression was more rigid than ever. Free’s was the same.
Only Cassie looked confused, unable to understand.
“Anyway, I’d love some tea.”
“Cassie, go prepare some. Lately, Her Majesty has also enjoyed a light snack, so bring along something to go with it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Her eyes sparkling innocently, as though she had no clue what had just happened, Cassie finally bowed and left the room.
As the door closed again, Seth lowered his head before Free.
“Your Majesty, I beg your pardon.”
“Why, Seth?”
“I should never have brought Cassie here in the first place. I seem to have disturbed Your Majesty’s peace.”
Seth offered his apology sincerely.
But that only made Free feel uncomfortable instead.
“This is all because of me.”
“Your Majesty…”
“If you allow it, I will send Cassie back right now.”
Seth’s words were filled with truth. He was genuinely worried, sincerely sorry that he had troubled her.
In Seth’s judgment, the greatest mistake since Free had come here was bringing Cassie along. She had trusted the bright girl because she was smart and promised to do her best—but in the end, Cassie wasn’t ready. Seth realized she had been blinded, unable to think objectively.
“Seth.”
“Please permit me. Even if I try to teach her, she’s like a child missing something essential, impossible to manage. I fear Cassie’s reckless behavior may one day cause Your Majesty great harm…”
“Don’t worry, Seth. I won’t allow Cassie to do such a thing. And it was my idea to keep her close.”
“Your Majesty…”
“So don’t worry too much. If, by chance, I find I can’t manage her, then I’ll send her away myself.”
I’ll be cast out from here soon enough anyway. There’s no need for needless sacrifices on my account.
Besides… somehow, I think my sister and Cassie would get along well.
With Cassie’s personality, Gaia would surely be furious. But Free thought Cassie’s cheerfulness and lack of tact might shine even brighter at her sister’s side. The thought brought a soft smile to her lips.
“I understand. Since Your Majesty has spoken, I have nothing more to say.”
“By the way, Seth… do you know anything about Councilor Zeren’s family?”
Even at the sudden question, Seth nodded without hesitation.
“Well… if you wish, I can look into it.”
“Please. But don’t let him know. Quietly find out how they’re living…”
“Yes!”
“By the way, doesn’t Intelia use surnames?”
If they did, tracing someone’s family would be easy.
Even she herself was Free Ez’an. Only royalty of Ez’an Palace bore that name. Though commoners also had surnames, here in the empire no one introduced themselves with one.
“Yes. In other countries surnames are common, but not here. His Majesty forbade them, saying they only divide people.”
Free nodded.
Now that she thought of it, neither Zeren nor Clidden nor Seth had ever mentioned a surname. Apparently, Intelia had no system of family names.
“I see.”
“I’ll look into what you’ve asked.”
“Yes, thank you.”
At that moment, Cassie came back in with tea.
“Shall I pour it for you?”
“Please do.”
“Oh, and, Your Majesty—while you were speaking with Councilor Zeren earlier, Lord Ian brought several books.”
“Would you bring them to me?”
Free’s face lit up at once.
“Just a moment, please.”
Seth went out and returned carrying a stack of books as tall as himself. Soon the empty table in Free’s room was piled high.
“That’s so many books!”
As if she had already forgotten the earlier tension, Cassie laughed brightly while pouring the tea.
“Indeed. Far more than I expected.”
“What kind of books are they?”
Without the slightest regard for propriety, Cassie flipped through a few volumes.
Fortunately, the books Ian had sent included not only the ones Free had hoped for but also many others, so her true interest couldn’t be guessed. Cassie seemed to realize the same, and soon stopped flipping through them.
“All sorts. I love reading more than anyone, Cassie. I don’t limit myself by genre. If you’d like, you can read some too.”
“Ah, no… I don’t really care for books.”
Cassie waved her hands, looking flustered.
“I see.”
“But I have read many about other countries. I’d only ever been in Intelia, you see… I was so curious about the world!”
Her face shone brighter than ever.
“Is that so?”
“Yes! I always admired it. What about you, Lady Free? What was your world like?”
“My world…”
“I heard you’re from Ez’an Kingdom. The land of gold. Is it true that in your country, the ground is covered with gold?”
“Cassie. Even if Her Majesty overlooks your behavior, you must show restraint.”
“Yes…”
Seth’s face had frozen into the look of someone disciplining a troublesome child. Clearly regretful, Cassie sighed heavily and rubbed at her temples as though she had a headache.
Watching this, Free couldn’t suppress her smile.
Anyone else would have thrown her out by now.
Back in Ez’an, had there been anyone who cared so much about her? Her orders were often ignored, and just as often obeyed only to be abruptly overturned.
To Free, Seth’s concern—her seriousness about Free’s words—was astonishing.
“Seth.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. From now on, regarding Cassie in your presence—”
“No. I just wanted to say thank you today.”
“To me…?”
“Yes. I truly mean it. Every time I see you, I feel grateful for you, Seth.”
“It is my honor. For the mistress I serve, Her Majesty the Empress, to say such a thing is the highest praise for my existence itself.”
Seth bowed deeply, eyes shining with devotion as she looked at Free.
“Thank you so much, Your Majesty.”
“No, thank you. Then, I’d like to spend today quietly with my books.”
“Yes.”
Seth stoked the fire to keep the room warm, then left.
Cassie fussed, saying she would stay to pour tea, but in the end Seth led her out as well, leaving Free in blessed solitude.
A week later.
Having finished all the books on astrologers, Free’s complexion was poor.
“Not a single mention…”
No matter how much she read, the figure remained strange.
She had seen him in her dreams and heard about him from her sister, but Free was convinced the astrologer wasn’t an ordinary person—especially because he had vanished.
My sister said he disappeared. Even in the dream, too.
Astrologers weren’t magicians. They couldn’t simply vanish.
Yet in her dream, when knights approached, the astrologer had disappeared without a trace. That much had been true.
She didn’t know why she’d dreamed of it, or how she could witness an event from before she was even born… but she was certain.
That was something that really happened in the past.
Which meant the astrologer’s disappearance was real too.
“Haah…”
But people didn’t just vanish into thin air.
“I don’t understand.”
She wanted to believe it was an imposter in disguise, but that was impossible—the distance between the astrologer and the knights had been too great.
Nor was it magic, nor disguise.
Eventually Free rose abruptly and went to the window.
The crashing sea calmed her a little.
“What am I worrying about so much? In truth… that’s not even what matters.”
What mattered was how long before she would be cast out—and what she should do before that happened. Just thinking about it gave her a headache.
And for some reason, Ian had not appeared for several days.
She had only heard he had some business. Seth seemed not to know either. The knight Lowick, who had temporarily taken over his guard duty, didn’t know much more.
Was Ian unwell? Was something wrong? She worried—but she had no courage to ask Argent, the only one who might know where Ian had gone.
Then—
Knock knock.
“Yes?”
“It’s Ian.”
His warm baritone voice flowed through the doorframe.
At that single word, Free leapt to her feet.
“Come in!”
Today the sunlight poured warmly into the room.
She had just finished reading the books he had given her.
She had been thinking of him more strongly than ever.
And the one who entered at her permission was indeed Ian.
“Ian!”
Normally, Free would have remained seated to receive him, but now she hurried straight toward him.
“My lady Free.”
“My goodness… it really is you. I worried so much when I didn’t see you for days.”
“Truly? You were worried about me?”
