CHAPTER 120…………………………………….
Davy
“So we meet again here.”
Davy was still a very affable man. When he saw Anje, his face lit up with a smile as if a flower had bloomed.
Anje pointed toward the building the Duke had entered earlier.
“Davy, it’s been a while. Do you have business at the Parliament?”
“Me? If a guy like me sneaked in there, I’d be struck down on the spot.”
Davy shivered exaggeratedly up to his shoulders, putting on a fearful expression.
“That’s a bit dramatic. You also hold a position in the palace, after all.”
Davy smiled wryly at Anje’s words.
“Thanks for the kind thought, but there’s a world of difference between me and the people in that building. Even if the building is old, the Parliament isn’t a place anyone can just walk into.”
Stopping in his tracks, Davy crossed his arms and looked at the Parliament building.
“You obviously have to be a noble, and you need to qualify as a member. Do you know why the Imperial family built the Parliament in such a secluded spot? It’s because it’s a troublesome presence that threatens the Emperor’s position. Call it petty pride—they want to eliminate enemies in their own territory. And the head of that Parliament is Duke Side.”
Davy approached Anje and extended his arm.
“Waiting for the Duke? Then you won’t leave easily. How about a short walk with me?”
Anje only glanced briefly at the arm he offered but stepped forward. To prevent him from grabbing her arm, she tightly crossed her own arms in front of her.
“Miss Anje, you’re still as cold as ever.”
Pretending not to hear, Anje continued toward the forest path, and Davy quickened his pace to catch up.
Although it was probably just part of the garden, the cypress forest was vast.
How long had they been walking? Anje noticed that people had gradually disappeared, and after a while, she realized they hadn’t met anyone at all. She spoke slowly.
“Were you the one who set the date for His Majesty and Miss Hildegarde’s wedding, Davy?”
“Back then, His Majesty valued me. He listened to whatever I said.”
So he doesn’t anymore?
When Anje stopped, Davy scratched his head.
“Thanks to someone, I’m completely sidelined these days. After the wedding, they’ll probably kick me out, just like they did with the clerics.”
“Well then, shouldn’t you have tried to make a better impression on Hildegarde?”
Davy’s eyes twinkled mischievously. Pretending to frown in thought, he replied in a gloomy voice.
“Do you think I didn’t try? Miss Hildegarde is smarter than she looks. No matter how much I flattered her or behaved like a servant, it was useless. It’s unfortunate—I wanted to get along with her.”
“So, the person who wanted to get along with Hildegarde chose such a date for the wedding?”
Davy’s eyes narrowed, as if gauging how much Anje knew.
Anje scoffed openly and continued.
“The timing is so inauspicious that it’s one of the few truly unlucky dates in their lives.”
Davy looked up at the sky with a startled expression.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Is he pretending not to know?
Anje couldn’t reveal that she could read the energy of a person’s destiny, so she paused thoughtfully.
“Surprisingly, His Majesty and Miss Hildegarde are a good match. Hildegarde is bright and decisive, while the Emperor, though seemingly strong, is soft and indecisive. In a way, they could be considered a perfect match.”
Davy’s gaze shifted toward Anje. This time, she ignored it.
“Coincidentally, both of them have the temperament of wood. They’re adaptable and survive anywhere. Their resilience is admirable. But…”
Anje stopped and turned to look at Davy. Their gazes met in the air. The sluggish look in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a clear sense of caution.
The piercing look improved Anje’s mood slightly. This was probably Davy’s true self.
“Metal overcomes wood… Regarding the Emperor’s wedding day, it was an excellent day. Anyone who can read the stars would call it auspicious. The hot summer energy has waned, and the cool energy of the earth is rising. Earth generates metal, so isn’t that favorable? And it just happens to be autumn, when the metal energy grows stronger.”
“Miss, I’m sorry, but I just remembered something urgent. I have to go now.”
Davy hurriedly turned, and Anje followed.
“Duke Side has particularly strong metal energy. Metal overcomes wood—like a sturdy tree falling to an axe. Even so, autumn is the season where trees must die to live: shedding leaves, dropping branches, giving fruit.”
Davy’s pace quickened. But Anje, trained by years of intelligence work, matched his pace effortlessly.
Leaning closer, she whispered into Davy’s ear.
“Did the Duke hope to overthrow the Imperial family? Since when have you been planning this?”
Startled by Anje’s breath, Davy jumped and rubbed his ears, as if burned by something hot.
“How do you know that? It’s a secret passed down in my family.”
Their family’s nomadic lifestyle across continents had made them skilled in various forms of divination—astrology, cards, even reading turtle shells or tea leaves. Among these, fate calculated from birth time had developed on distant continents.
Anje had never even set foot on those distant lands. How on earth does she know this?
“The calculation is so complex that even if someone tried to teach it, no one could learn it properly.”
Anje knew of fate studies in this world—a fact that surprised her. Yet, she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
“I learned it by chance. Isn’t the important thing how I know it now?”
Davy glared as if he wanted to kill her.
“So, you plan to report this to the Emperor?”
“Of course not.”
Anje waved her hand with a smile and resumed walking. The sunlight was still hot, but the shaded forest path was refreshingly cool.
“Why would I? Besides, I’m the Duke’s assistant. Naturally, I have plenty of grievances with His Majesty. Hildegarde is another story. Honestly, thinking about what I’ve suffered makes my teeth grind.”
Davy’s suspicious expression softened slightly, forming a faint smile that disappeared just as quickly.
“So, you’ve decided to stop pretending to be nice? Always yielding and praising whenever it comes to Hildegarde.”
“Well… let’s say there were circumstances. I was mistaken. Didn’t you once tell me I was destined to face death soon, Davy?”
“I did say something to that effect.”
Davy had returned to his usual expression, understanding that Anje wouldn’t report him to the Emperor. She had her own hidden secrets.
“I actually thought the Duke would kill me. The only one who could stop him was Hildegarde.”
“The Duke? No, that could never happen. Rather, in my view… never mind.”
At Anje’s puzzled look, Davy shrugged.
“Sometimes it’s better not to know in advance. That’s why people like me are cautious with words.”
Anje nodded in understanding. Davy smiled.
“Even so, you did well as the Duke’s assistant.”
“Gotta make a living.”
“Ah!”
Davy gave a short exclamation and nodded.
“I secretly hoped it was for the same reason… and indeed it was.”
“Are you saying you stayed beside him to try to assassinate His Majesty? Don’t even joke. Duke Side is not someone to underestimate.”
Davy laughed but suddenly stopped walking.
“Why?”
Feeling his gaze, Anje also stopped and turned.
“Is that really the only reason? Did you become the Duke’s assistant just for money?”
