Chapter 66
The dazzling lights of the banquet hall faded into the distance, and rows of carriages lined up in front of the imperial palace, waiting to return to the capital residences.
“Then, let us say our goodbyes here.”
Before leaving the palace, Marquis Diego bid them farewell.
It seemed the matter with his adopted daughter had been settled to some extent.
Raiden also chose to return with Diego to the Marquis’ estate.
Raiden’s face was filled with reluctance.
“I’ll come visit again soon, Lucillea.”
“Sure, drop by whenever you’re bored.”
Lucillea patted Raiden’s back twice.
“Next time, I’ll make sandwiches for you.”
Raiden’s expression brightened slightly.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“Mm!”
And so Diego and Raiden departed first.
Afterward, the people of House Descartes also left the banquet.
The nobles, clearly exhausted, stifled yawns as they boarded their carriages one by one.
Lucillea, struggling to keep her heavy eyelids open, headed toward the Descartes carriage with the children.
Her mind was in turmoil.
A hostile empress openly challenging the ducal house, a mysterious palace mage, and that encrypted letter.
So many things had happened in just the brief span of the banquet.
Ahh… who would have thought I’d long for the fierce snowstorms of the north beating against my cheeks.
Lucillea couldn’t help but think so.
Noisy and overwhelming as it was, with the chosen children forced to compete and a rigid schedule to follow that sometimes felt suffocating…
Still, it’s better than this precarious palace, where I feel like I’m walking on thin ice.
She even found it absurd that she was now missing the north.
Somehow… the feeling of having a place to return to—it’s strange but comforting.
Just then—
In front of the Descartes carriage stood a familiar figure.
Lucillea’s eyes widened.
“Huh?! Mei…?”
A neatly pressed maid’s uniform, long black hair braided down to the waist, and that signature crescent-moon smile in her eyes.
It was definitely Mei.
“Oh my gosh!”
“Mei!”
Lucillea ran up, calling her name frantically.
“It’s you, Mei! Mei, right?!”
Mei approached, met Lucillea at eye level, and smiled.
“Of course. I am indeed your Mei, Lady Lucillea.”
She gave a light bow, but at the same time carefully examined Lucillea’s face and body from head to toe.
Only after confirming she was unhurt did Mei straighten up with relief.
Lucillea clasped Mei’s hand tightly.
“You said we’d meet at the palace—was that just an excuse to come pick me up?”
“Well… something like that.”
Her reply was vague, but Lucillea didn’t care.
Just seeing Mei made her feel as if she had returned to the north.
Mei’s hand was still warm. Merely walking to the carriage hand in hand filled Lucillea with a nostalgic comfort, as if the time they had spent together in the north bloomed in her heart like sweet fragrance.
Leading Lucillea and Irenel to the carriage, Mei said,
“Now then, my precious young ladies, please board the carriage. I’ll escort you safely back to the city residence.”
Lucillea burst out laughing at Mei’s overly formal tone, while Irenel flinched at her presence again and again.
The Descartes carriage slowly began to move.
Thus ended the Empress’ birthday banquet.
***
The next morning—
As soon as dawn broke, Lucillea visited Elbadin’s office.
Whether he had risen early or not slept at all, Elbadin was, as always, already awake.
The towering piles of documents on his desk radiated a heavy pressure.
Ugh… being the head of a house really is an impossible job.
Staring at the mountain of paperwork, Lucillea shook her head. She reaffirmed that her decision not to reveal her parentage and leave the ducal estate had been the right one.
Just then, Riat set a warm cup of tea in front of her.
“I’ve prepared a light tea, good to drink before breakfast.”
“Thank you, Sir Riat!”
Grateful for the chance to shake off her sleepiness, Lucillea sipped the tea.
Meanwhile, Elbadin finished reviewing the documents and walked over from his desk to the sofa.
“Well then, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
Lucillea set her cup down and pulled out the letter she had kept hidden all night, holding it out to Elbadin.
The longer she delayed, the stronger her unease grew.
“This.”
She briefly explained that she had seen a suspicious figure sending a messenger pigeon from the palace balcony during the banquet, and since she was on guard duty she couldn’t just ignore it, so she obtained the letter.
“You caught a flying pigeon?”
Elbadin’s brows lifted slightly.
“Well, technically Cookie snatched it—or rather, negotiated very persuasively with the dove.”
“….”
Elbadin glanced toward Cookie, who was busily eating fruit on the table, juice staining his beak.
Cookie looked back at him, almost grinning mischievously.
What a cunning parrot.
Elbadin turned his eyes back to the letter and unfolded it.
The moment he did, a faint magical breeze brushed his skin.
Silvery sparks slid across the letters before vanishing.
Each word pulsed with a different wave, alive with strange motion. For a brief moment, Elbadin’s fingers froze.
“….”
A frown creased his brow.
At the edge of the paper lingered faint traces of magic.
It was encryption—not the type used by the palace or the mage tower, but an entirely new method.
“It’s a cipher.”
“Ah, I thought so! I couldn’t make sense of it no matter how I looked. What does it say?”
Elbadin glanced at Riat and said,
“No, even I can’t read it. This isn’t a system used by either the Imperial Court or the Tower.”
He handed the letter to Riat, who had stepped forward.
“Have this analyzed. If possible, also investigate who in the palace sent this pigeon.”
Then he turned to Lucillea.
“Do you remember what the person who sent it looked like?”
“Of course! Ah, and he said he was a palace mage!”
“How do you know that?”
“I was hiding on the balcony, and he noticed me and came right up to where I was.”
Elbadin’s frown deepened.
“That was dangerous.”
“Exactly! I thought, ‘I’m done for!’ But thanks to my wit and amazing quick thinking, I managed to escape unharmed!”
Lucillea puffed out her chest, proud of herself.
“….”
Sighing, Elbadin rubbed his forehead with his fingertips.
“Go with Riat and make a facial composite. We’ll need it.”
“Yes, sir!”
Lucillea answered energetically, hopped off the sofa, and followed after Riat.
Watching her go, Elbadin felt a headache rising.
Is this how parents feel with disobedient children…?
He couldn’t help but sigh repeatedly as he looked at Lucillea’s cheerful figure disappearing through the office door.
***
That afternoon, their scheduled return to the north was completely postponed.
Elbadin had decided further investigation was necessary regarding both the cipher and the unknown mage.
The unexpected stay in the capital left the children with a strange mix of excitement and tension.
“Dessert shop…?!”
Upon hearing the news of their delayed return, Irenel was the first to bring up the famous dessert shops of the capital.
“Yeah, I’ve only heard about them too, so I don’t know exactly what they’re like. But since Kaelyn has recovered her strength, I thought we could all go have a look together.”
“Great! I love it, sister!”
It was a sudden suggestion, but Lucillea’s face lit up with eager joy.
Then, just as quickly, she drooped.
“Ah… but I haven’t received my allowance yet…”
She muttered softly that she didn’t even have money for a single dessert.
Irenel shook her head, saying it didn’t matter.
“Today, your… your, um… your sister will treat you.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if embarrassed.
“Really?! Thank you, sis!”
Lucillea hugged her tightly.
Startled by the sudden affection, Irenel could only open and close her mouth in shock.
Goodness!
Lucillea’s eyes sparkled as she hurried to prepare for the outing.
To think I’d actually get to go to one of those ‘capital dessert shops’ I only ever imagined through novel descriptions!
A shop said to lead the trends in desserts, where dozens of carriages lined up every day just to get in.
They’ll definitely have loads of lollipops too!
After a quick breakfast, Lucillea and her group set off for Marron Belle, the most famous dessert shop in the entire capital.
