Episode 49.
Reconnaissance (2)
“Temia is kind and gentle, sure—but you do know she’s also quite stubborn, right?”
“Ahem. I prefer to call it determined and principled,” the Duke replied, trying to defend his youngest daughter.
“Father! That’s not the point right now. And by the way, I know you secretly had someone deliver the chef’s cookies to her last time. It’s already done, so I’ll let it slide—but from now on, don’t do that again.”
“W-What? How did you…?”
The Duke’s eyes widened in surprise, only to be met with Tenebris’s cold, cutting glare. He knew he was caught and had no choice but to fall silent. The other siblings, witnessing the rare moment of their father being scolded, avoided eye contact and shuffled awkwardly.
With the room quieting down, Tenebris smirked slightly and continued.
“The regular reports are enough. It’s not even considered a dangerous zone, and I’ve already confirmed everything about her current workplace.”
“But… she’s still too young to live alone!”
“Quiet, Terius. Temia is old enough to graduate from the Academy. She’s no fool. And it’s not like she’s working in some shady place either. It’s a legitimate workshop, and it’s well-known enough that no one would dare cause trouble nearby. I don’t know why she’s there despite her skills, but we’ll find that out in due time.”
“That’s not the issue! She didn’t take a single maid or attendant with her! I didn’t see anyone at the workshop looking after her! She’s completely alone!”
“You’d better shut your mouth.”
“Hey!”
Terius snapped back, unable to contain his frustration. Ever since they were young, he had always worried about Temia’s safety. She was the most delicate and smallest among the siblings, and her body—thin and pale from long years of illness—remained frail and without any hint of strength.
To Terius, she seemed like a sugar sculpture that might crumble at the slightest touch. His overprotectiveness had only grown since becoming a knight commander at a young age.
Just as the argument showed no signs of stopping, Theodor cautiously interrupted.
“Um… setting that aside for a moment, isn’t Temia at the age where she’s naturally curious about a lot of things? Wouldn’t it be a bit… concerning if her employer is a man? I looked into him, and he’s apparently quite famous—a genius who made a name for himself when he was young.”
Though his smile was gentle and elegant, the family—who knew him all too well—saw only unease behind it.
His words cast a sudden chill over the room. Everyone froze.
Theodor briefly regretted speaking up, but deep down, he knew it was a matter that had to be addressed.
After a long silence, everyone began to speak at once:
“That—That’s impossible! Temia promised she’d always be with her family! A man? Living with one?!”
“She’s never shown interest in anyone before! We confirmed it through her Academy friends! There’s no way she’d just start living with some man we know nothing about!”
“Pull yourself together. The fact is, she’s now living and working as an assistant in the same workshop as the mage. I looked into him as well—fortunately, he hasn’t been involved in any scandals. Though, yes, he is considered eccentric.”
“…We’ll need to strengthen security. If anything suspicious happens, the watchers should report immediately.”
“I don’t think he’d dare touch Temia… but she is far too cute to be left so defenseless…”
Despite trying to sound calm and rational, their anxiety was palpable. Their legs trembled, fingers tapped rapidly against the table—betraying their inner turmoil.
Theodor watched it all unfold and couldn’t help but feel… slightly embarrassed. Of course, he too worried for their dear youngest sister, but at least he still had a shred of rationality left.
‘Honestly, she’s a bit clueless about romantic stuff anyway. I doubt she’d get involved like that. Still… you can never be too careful about the other party. So, yes, monitoring is necessary.’
Even that “rationality” only went so far—Theodor was, after all, still a member of the overprotective Etval family.
“We’ve already looked into the mage,” the Duke began calmly. “He’s the second son of Count Trea and a top graduate from the Terrium Academy. They say he even turned down a position as Royal Court Mage. Brilliant, but eccentric. Not exactly the easiest to communicate with… I worry if Temia will be alright with him.”
“Eccentric or not, he still has eyes, doesn’t he? No way! Temia’s far too adorable! I object!!”
“Nothing’s even happened yet! And what are you objecting to? Just go back home already. Your husband’s letters pile up three per day on my desk. I can practically hear Count Chase’s wailing from here!”
“What’s wrong with you?! This is my real home! Just because I’m not here all the time doesn’t mean I don’t belong!”
As the Duke calmly summarized the mage’s background, Teresa and Theodor started bickering again—an all-too-familiar sight. But Tenebris knew better than to let them go on. With a sharp sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose and cut in.
“If you’re going to fight, take it outside. Don’t you get what’s actually important right now?”
The two fell silent with sheepish looks.
Tenebris, shooting them a warning glance, went on.
“It’s not ideal to rely solely on reports. But we can’t stay distracted like this forever either. It might be best if someone goes and sees for themselves. With the Founding Festival coming up, the crowds will make it easy to blend in.”
“Right! Festivals are prime time for accidents—people get swept up in the excitement and loosen their wallets.”
“…So you’re saying it’s a high-risk zone that needs extra caution.”
In other words—don’t let your guard down.
But the real disruption came next:
“So, to sum it up, someone needs to go check on Temia in person. But if we all go, it’ll be too obvious, right?”
“I can make sure we’re completely unrecognizable. You know my skills.”
“Still, too many people would draw attention. Two people at most.”
“Then how do we decide who goes?”
“Rather than picking who goes, it’s faster to pick who stays behind. So… who wants to volunteer to stay here and handle all the leftover work?”
Silence.
Not a single hand went up.
The siblings glanced at one another, each realizing that volunteering meant losing a chance to see Temia and being stuck with the house’s entire workload.
“No volunteers?”
Even Tenebris’s second prompt met with awkward silence.
Then—
“Wait! Before we choose, I think we all agree Theodor shouldn’t go.”
The sudden declaration came from Teresa.
“Wait, why me?!”
“Because if you go, all attention will be on you!”
The others nodded. Among the siblings—all blessed with beauty thanks to their lineage—Theodor stood out the most. Wherever he went, he turned heads. Though quiet by nature and never embroiled in scandals, his fan base among noble ladies was infamous.
At one point, he’d shared that spotlight with someone else—but now, all the attention seemed focused on him alone. The letters flooding the estate these days—mostly love letters—were proof.
If he went on this mission, they’d definitely leave a trail.
So, despite his protests, Theodor was “disqualified” due to his unfortunate good looks.
“Then from the rest, we just need two people. Mother’s ill and Father has to stay, so that leaves three of us. We’ll decide fairly.”
“Let’s draw lots. Two winners, one loser.”
“Perfect.”
The decision was made swiftly. A small draw: two marked lots and one blank. Simple enough.
Though of course, beneath the surface, silent glares were exchanged and playful kicks slid under the table as the three tried to psyche one another out.
In the end, the winners—who would get to reunite with Temia—were Terius and Teresa.
The two cheered as if they’d just been granted a royal audience.
“Temia, your big brother is coming! I’ll wipe out anything that dares bother you—so don’t worry!”
“It’s the power of my love for our baby sister! I need to message my darling husband that I’ll be away for a bit. Oh—and I’ll ask him to run a few errands for me too.”
Preparations moved quickly. Teresa, ever skilled at slipping past attendants and sneaking out since childhood, took charge.
Her philosophy was clear:
“Changing clothes or covering your face is the worst thing you can do. That’s what draws attention. People really don’t look at others that closely. If you just disguise the right parts—or highlight the wrong ones—they’ll miss everything.”
True to her words, she meticulously prepared disguises for two.
From her wardrobe spilled a pile of wigs—evidence of just how seriously she took the mission.
They were going to make sure no one noticed their departure.
No one.
