Chapter 62
Silia stared straight at Yotun and answered,
“No.”
“Quick answer.”
Silia frowned. The risk right now was too great.
‘Who knows who might come looking for me while I’m gone.’
No one dared to say it aloud, but everyone at the ball knew that Silia was at its center. It was only a matter of time before someone came seeking her for some business. There were always nobles who would never miss such an opportunity.
But if the very person everyone wanted to meet suddenly vanished, leaving behind only her attendants and slipping away alone with an unknown man—
Leaving now was definitely not a wise choice.
Yotun grinned playfully.
“Still, you have to go. You met me, didn’t you?”
“What? What kind of logic is that—”
Before she could finish, Yotun’s hand touched her shoulder. A sudden gust of wind swept through the air.
When Silia blinked, she realized they were outside.
The splendid, towering roof of the royal Diamond Palace loomed right before her eyes.
Completely dumbfounded, Silia slowly turned to Yotun, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“…Oh, noble and great guardian dragon, have you finally gone mad from living too long?”
“But admit it—you’ve wanted to see this place yourself.”
They said dragons were whimsical. Whoever said that clearly underestimated it. “Whimsical” didn’t even begin to describe Yotun. He was unpredictably, infuriatingly free-willed—to the point of being unbearable up close.
Yotun continued casually, as if reading her thoughts.
“Don’t worry. I left an illusion spell inside to take your place.”
As expected of a being said to have lived for over a thousand years—his magic defied all logic. Not that it made her feel any safer.
‘Well… we’re already out here, so there’s no helping it.’
“We’ll take a quick look, like the wind, and return right away.”
Silia sighed and decided to play along.
“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Yotun’s grin widened.
“That’s the spirit.”
She let out another sigh. Things had gone too far already; best to look around quickly, confirm what needed confirming, and return. Playing along with the dragon and earning his favor wouldn’t hurt, either.
“The problem is, the palace is enormous.”
“That way.”
Without hesitation, Yotun pointed and started walking.
“Do you even know where you’re going?”
“No. Just a feeling.”
A dragon’s intuition. Great. Silia gave up, lifted her skirt, and followed after him. Then Yotun tapped her shoulder again.
In an instant, her daring red gown and mask transformed into the neat uniform of a palace maid. Her hair was tucked tightly under a bonnet.
Yotun smiled smugly.
“I’ve made you less conspicuous.”
“So you do have common sense?”
“Naturally.”
Of course, he himself stayed in his same simple clothes, strolling along without a care. Soon, the grand entrance of the palace came into view, with a few guards loitering nearby. The atmosphere was relaxed thanks to the ongoing ball, but it wasn’t something she could just walk through unnoticed.
Yotun whispered,
“I can sense something around here.”
“…If only that guy were here.”
“Who?”
“A certain someone who knows all the palace’s secret passages and guard schedules by heart. He’d be very useful right now.”
But calling him here would raise too many questions…
“You mean that person?”
“What?”
Silia turned to where Yotun pointed—and froze. The man looking back at her was equally shocked.
“You said you weren’t coming.”
“And you’re the one who shouldn’t be here! This is the main palace—”
It was Crondel. He wore a fine gold-embroidered mask, a dark wig, and formal attire, all meticulously styled.
“So you did come to the ball?”
“…No. I turned back at the entrance.”
No surprise there. The prince avoided royal events like the plague. Silia gave an honest impression.
“It suits you.”
“Thanks. Marcella dressed me. Didn’t get to show it off, though. You…”
“Me?”
Silia lifted the hem of her maid uniform. Crondel chuckled.
“I saw you earlier—coming in. Red dress. It looked good on you. But… who’s your companion?”
He glanced warily at Yotun.
“The ball’s at Garnet Palace. What are you doing here in the Diamond one? And who’s this?”
“Ah. You’ve realized at last.”
Before Crondel could react, Yotun appeared before him in the blink of an eye.
Startled, the prince froze. Yotun reached out gently and patted his head.
“You’ve grown so much.”
“…Not many dare touch a member of the royal family so freely.”
Crondel’s displeasure was clear. Silia hurriedly intervened.
“It’s fine. He’s Nórmungand.”
Crondel’s eyes widened.
“…The guardian dragon?!”
“Ah, Acla’s child—you’ve grown indeed.”
Acla? The Tower Master?
Realization struck Silia.
‘Right, the Tower Master is known as the only one who can communicate with the guardian dragon.’
So Yotun was meeting the son of an old friend. No wonder he was so familiar—
“Wait—guardian dragon, sir—”
“Oh dear, you must not remember. I saw you when you were still a babe. Speak freely.”
“Stop. That’s too much.”
Patting a grown prince’s cheeks was going way too far. Silia quickly pried Yotun off the flustered Crondel.
Ignoring their awkwardness, Silia asked,
“Actually, we needed to see something. Can we get inside the main palace?”
“The main palace?”
She briefly explained the experiment and her suspicions—skipping unnecessary details. Crondel’s expression turned serious.
“I haven’t spent much time in the palace. Even if something like that happened, I wouldn’t know.”
“You haven’t heard anything?”
He shook his head, then took the lead.
He brushed his fingers along a plain stretch of wall near the guards, then pressed a spot. A section of the wall slid open just enough for one person to pass through.
Yotun whistled in admiration.
“A secret passage. Not even the Tower has so many.”
Inside, the tunnel connected to a bright corridor.
“If we’re caught,” Crondel murmured, “you or I will—”
“Call me Yotun, young one.”
“…Yotun, then—you’ll look like a lost guest. She’ll pass as a servant thanks to the outfit. Just say she’s guiding you back outside.”
“Good. Yotun, where exactly do you sense it?”
“Hmm.”
The dragon tilted his head, uncertain. Silia urged him with a glare—they had to be quick.
“Strange.”
“What is?”
“Once we came inside, the signal scattered. I’m feeling it everywhere.”
“Then just pick the worst-feeling place. The creepiest, most suspicious one.”
“Very well.”
Yotun waved his hand, indicating a direction. They followed, dodging the occasional servant with ease thanks to Crondel’s quick thinking.
The deeper they went, the more Silia expected to see some dark, sinister sight—perhaps a secret lab hidden beneath the royal palace.
Instead, Yotun led them in the opposite direction.
“I said the creepy place.”
“That’s where we’re going.”
“…”
But the further they went, the grander and brighter everything became—decorated, spacious, luxurious.
Just as Silia gave Yotun a skeptical look, Crondel stopped abruptly.
“This place…”
“What’s wrong?”
Yotun halted before a massive door glowing softly under candlelight.
“We’re here.”
“Silia, wait—”
Before Crondel could finish, Silia pushed the heavy doors open.
“…”
She frowned instantly.
“Here? Really?”
“Yes.”
Yotun nodded enthusiastically and strode forward.
They were standing in the royal audience chamber. Yotun wandered near the throne where the royal family would normally sit.
Silia quietly asked,
“Crondel. During official audiences, where does the crown princess usually stand?”
“…Beside His Majesty.”
Silia moved quickly to that spot and found something on the floor—a small fragment shaped like the Heart of the Earth.
It was identical to the shard the scarecrow sorcerer had shown her.
Yotun tapped the fragment lightly. It floated into the air.
“Follow it.”
The fragment shot forward like an arrow. They ran after it, out toward the palace’s outer grounds—until Silia suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
Near one of the exits stood several cargo wagons. Faint noises came from inside.
A chill ran down her spine. She rushed forward, yanked back the canvas—
“…Please.”
“You’re…”
“Please save us.”
A frail child, thin as a reed, ran out from the corner the moment she saw Silia. Silia caught her instinctively. The girl sobbed desperately.
“Sister! I know you! You saved us from the monster and the fire that time! Sister!”
“It’s all right. You’re safe—”
“Please save my sister!”
“What?”
The scarecrow sorcerer’s words flashed through her mind:
“Every once in a while, I saw people being dragged down into the underground.”
At that moment, fireworks burst from Garnet Palace, drawing everyone’s attention.
Yotun touched Silia’s shoulder. Her gown and mask instantly returned.
“I’ll send you back. Leave the child with me.”
“But—!”
“It seems my illusion spell has been discovered.”
He took the girl from Silia’s arms, pressed his fingers together, and whispered,
“I’ll contact you soon.”
A surge of power shoved Silia and Crondel backward—
Whoosh!
—until the next instant, they were standing in front of the guest room assigned to Silia.
Still dizzy, she stumbled through the door—
“So. It was a fake.”
Silia froze. Instinctively, she gripped Crondel’s hand tightly.
On the floor lay the unconscious attendant who had escorted her earlier.
And across the room—
The Crown Princess stood, plunging a sword through the chest of Silia’s illusion.
The copy smiled like a lifeless doll before shattering into dust.
The princess turned, her icy blue eyes cutting through the air.
“So tell me,” she said coldly,
“Where exactly did you go—with him—that you’d go this far to deceive me?”
“Can you explain yourself?”
