Chapter 46
So that’s how it was.
Windsor fell deep into thought while listening to Erne’s story about the founding of the “Crows”—a tale that conveniently left out all the business about Neshled’s downfall, secret plots, and shady dealings.
He vaguely recalled a recent joke making the rounds in Neshled:
“If you want fruit, go to a vegetable stall. If you want shoes, a general store will do. But if you want something that isn’t visible… then go find the Crows!”
Alongside the joke, he remembered the boisterous laughter of shady folks echoing in the streets. He must have overheard it while walking through the kingdom.
Back then, Windsor hadn’t fully grasped what the Crows were. But as time passed and the guild’s reputation grew, he couldn’t remain ignorant of them any longer.
What made the Crows particularly noticeable to Windsor was their frequent involvement in his business affairs.
“Miners are trapped in a collapsed mine. It’s the Aiterin Mine in the west. An earthquake occurred at dawn—it seems the tremor caused the collapse.”
It was unusually early in the morning when a pale-faced Huger rushed into Windsor’s bedroom with this news.
“A telegram came urgently from Aiterin. We need to send people for a rescue. Should I dispatch the knights?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Send the Douglas family soldiers, and hire mercenaries if you must. Make sure they’re rescued.”
“Understood.”
“But wait, Huger. Isn’t it strange? The quake happened just this morning, and someone’s already here delivering the message?”
Windsor, decisive in matters of life and death, was already heading to his study when something about Huger’s report struck him as odd.
A quake at dawn. And now, just past dawn, a messenger had already arrived at the Douglas estate.
“Isn’t that too little time?”
Huger cleared up Windsor’s doubt with a single name.
“The Crows. They sent someone from Aiterin.”
“The Crows?”
“You haven’t heard of them? They’re all the rage in Neshled lately. They do everything—creating jobs, finding people, delivering news… even matchmaking. They’ll do anything for money, except harm others.”
As Huger’s voice trailed off, Windsor’s eyes began to darken.
Looking at Erne in front of him, Windsor finally sighed deeply.
“So the guild master of that Crow organization… was Erne all along.”
What a cruel twist of fate.
“And of all names—Crows.”
Windsor’s expression darkened visibly.
“What’s wrong?”
Erne, ever perceptive, noticed right away and asked. Windsor responded with a weary voice.
“It’s just… of all birds, why crows?”
Sure enough, Erne’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Doesn’t it remind you of anything? Something from long ago, a piece of history that’s mostly forgotten?”
Naturally, as someone possessing another’s body, Erne couldn’t possibly know. The ones who answered were Norma and Rivera, standing beside her.
“You mean those called the Star Chasers—sorcerers, right?”
“Yes. You can’t find any sorcerers in Neshled now.”
Their remarks gave Windsor more ground to speak.
“The Star Chasers—sorcerers—used crows as their main method of communication. There’s an old legend about how they used crows to spread wicked magic, exchange messages, and manipulate the world.”
“Huh?” Erne blinked, startled.
She had heard something similar in the carriage while traveling from Vanessa to the royal capital—something the Marquis Demian had also mentioned.
“Crows are revered as divine animals among sorcerers. They say even wild crows, which rarely approach humans, will recognize a sorcerer and initiate a bond.”
As Windsor’s explanation continued, Erne’s expression grew more rigid.
She remembered the crows that followed her so loyally: Coco, Nanne, Perel, and Roche.
“But I’m not a sorcerer…”
Which meant, in short, she was in a perfect position to be mistaken as one.
She hurried to clear up any potential misunderstanding.
But Windsor, from the beginning, had honestly not cared who she was.
“I know. Honestly, even if you were a sorcerer, I wouldn’t really mind.”
However, there was one thing that did trouble him.
He remembered what Dr. Henter had once said about Erne’s heart condition—and how unusually attached the crows were to her. Too many suspicious signs were piling up.
He glanced out the now-darkened window and slowly stood up, thinking he would need to move at first light.
“That’s enough for today. You must be tired, Princess.”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
“But I’m not.”
As Erne stood with Windsor, she suddenly stumbled.
She’d been sitting too long, and her leg had gone numb. Windsor caught her by the waist, his face turning pale.
“A balanced diet and regular routines are the foundations of health, and nothing is more important to me than Your Highness’s health.”
Here we go again. The health watchdog.
With a dry face, Erne glanced at Norma and Rivera before speaking up.
“Then… could my friends sleep with me tonight?”
“Must they? I was going to have guest rooms prepared.”
“Well, it’s just… it’s been a while, and I wanted to catch up with them before bed…”
Erne fumbled awkwardly, wanting to talk more about the Crow Guild with her friends without going into detail.
Windsor looked over at Norma and Rivera.
Norma—whom he had once mistaken for a man—and Rivera, the red-haired one said to be Norma’s younger sibling.
After a pause, Windsor nodded.
“Then I’ll have plenty of bedding prepared. I suppose a warm chat among the three of you would be nice.”
He didn’t want to become a man who meddled obsessively in his beloved’s friendships.
“It’s just three women sleeping together—what could possibly go wrong?”
Thinking this, Windsor offered to walk Erne back to her room.
As he complied without resistance, Erne let out a sigh of relief.
But then Norma nudged Erne with her elbow.
What? Erne mouthed, and Norma looked slyly at Windsor’s back, then turned toward Rivera.
Erne tilted her head, confused. Norma bit her lips, suppressing laughter.
“Erne. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Windsor. And thank you for today. About my friends… I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s alright. Your friends…”
Windsor turned to look at Norma and Rivera.
Norma barely managed to stifle her laughter with a cough.
“Have a peaceful night, Miss Norma… and Miss Rivera.”
“…?”
Erne looked confused and darted her eyes around.
Sensing something off, Windsor asked innocently.
“Do you need anything?”
Norma’s shoulders now shook noticeably.
“No, it’s just…”
Finally, Erne realized why Norma was laughing.
A sideways glance revealed Rivera frowning in irritation.
With a deep sigh, Rivera half-heartedly confessed:
“Rivera is a man, Your Grace.”
Windsor froze on the spot.
“They often get mistaken for girls due to their looks,” Erne added, trying to soften the blow. “Please don’t be too discouraged.”
But instead of feeling relieved, Windsor turned ghostly pale and buried his face in his hands, utterly devastated.
Erne thought he was just mortified at having offended Rivera.
“A man? A man?!”
With a crazed look in his eyes, Windsor snapped his head up.
Finally, he noticed the prominent Adam’s apple and the lean, tall frame.
“What’s with these twins?”
Though they were both slender, the Adam’s apple couldn’t be hidden. Windsor clenched his jaw and forced his voice low.
“Mr. Rivera… you’re a man.”
Saying it aloud made it impossible to deny.
Now, Windsor wanted to punch himself for escorting them to Erne’s bedroom with his own two feet.
“What… what did I just say?”
“Excuse me?” Erne blinked, startled.
Windsor asked again:
“Did I just tell you to have a pleasant night?”
“…Yes, you did.”
Disaster. Windsor was about to tear his hair out.
Erne, seeing how bad he looked, took a step back.
“I said… the three of you should talk and catch up? That was me?”
“Uh, I think so…?”
“Was that really me? Please say it wasn’t. Erne.”
Windsor’s smile cracked as tears welled in his eyes. He looked like he might cry.
Panicking, Erne tried to end the situation quickly.
“Haha. Anyway, we’re tired, so we’re going to bed first.”
“…To bed?”
Windsor’s eyes trembled like a rudderless ship.
Oblivious to the firestorm brewing inside him, Erne motioned Rivera and Norma into her room.
“Goodnight, Windsor. Sleep well.”
“Don—!”
Before he could say don’t, the door closed in his face.
Three people. A woman and two “others.” Sharing a room for the night.
Windsor’s knees buckled beneath him in despair.
What had he done?
He couldn’t forgive himself.
Norma was there too, of course—but by then, Windsor had erased her from his memory.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
That night, Windsor’s silent screams echoed in the hallway for a very long time.
