Chapter 23
“You said you found him.”
“Ah, come in.”
At Lain’s response, a chubby man stepped inside. He had an unremarkable and ordinary appearance.
“Your Highness, this is the informant from the Western Mage Tower.”
At Lain’s brief introduction, Kazar spoke.
“Not long ago, the Tower Lord and the mages from the Western Tower must have moved together. Do you know anything about that?”
“The Tower Lord handpicked a group and left somewhere for about a month. All who went with him, aside from the Tower Lord himself, were third-circle mages. They specialize in magic circles, and I heard they were selected based on skill. So, those selected boasted about being given important tasks from the imperial capital, even though they complained a bit. But once they returned from their mission, they all shut themselves up in their rooms and focused solely on research. They mentioned seeing something astonishing, but no matter how much their curious colleagues questioned them, they didn’t say a word. It seems like they made some kind of mana-bound vow.”
That’s what the Edelweiss informant, who had worked as a cook in the Western Tower for five years, reported. Kazar, who had been listening quietly, asked,
“Did they mention where they went? I saw them use Teleport Gate #4.”
“There was no mention of their destination. Come to think of it, I heard them say it was a boring place with nothing around.”
Regis had also stayed in Aden for about a month. This lent more credibility to the hypothesis that the Western Tower had something to do with the mana depletion phenomenon near Aden.
“Good work. Remain on standby at headquarters.”
When Kazar gave the order, the Edelweiss agent bowed and left. Though the instruction came from Kazar, not the leader Lain, no one found it strange.
Once the agent left, Lain asked with a puzzled expression,
“Why aren’t you sending him back? Do you know how much we spent to get him into the Western Tower?”
“If he returns, they’ll eliminate him. He took leave during a sensitive time, so the Tower will have noticed. Since the imperial capital is involved, they’ll react sensitively. For now, assign him to paperwork at HQ.”
“Well, yeah. The imperial capital and the Western Tower together—that’s a dangerous combo. Oh, by the way, what will you do about the royal guard? We need to recruit a new one.”
“It’s not easy to find a trustworthy aura user.”
Otherwise, it’s like inviting someone into your home who might aim for your neck.
“Hm. Maybe I should apply myself. It’d be nice to come and go from the capital freely.”
“You’ve barely got enough aura to fill a thimble.”
Lain pouted. Kazar was right—Lain was a half-baked aura user. He could coat his sword in aura, but not for more than three seconds. No matter how hard he trained, his aura wouldn’t grow.
Since imperial guards had to be able to freely control their aura, Lain didn’t meet the requirements.
“You’re just a monster, Your Highness.”
To have that much aura at fifteen? Even if he was blessed by mana, it was practically cheating.
“Get the carriage ready. I’m not going to the capital.”
“Then where are you off to?”
Kazar replied in a low voice.
“At this point, it feels like it’s calling me back.”
Aden.
Life at the Spes Duchy residence flowed peacefully. Eluana no longer came down to the dining room for meals. The overwhelming spread at the table made her uncomfortable. It felt wrong to enjoy such luxury in someone else’s house.
Cindy, who had once been oddly halfhearted, now showed outright laziness. She only appeared to bring washing water or meals, but Eluana found that more comfortable.
So passed the eighth day since the Duke of Spes left for the capital.
‘Heir. Heir. Heir.’
The word “heir” swirled in Eluana’s mind from the moment she woke up. Instead of getting out of bed right away, she rolled over and lay facing the other way. Sunlight tickled the corners of her eyes through the window that wouldn’t open.
Books she had found in the library said the firstborn in a noble house began education at the age of six. Starting with etiquette, they studied the imperial and ancient languages, history, society, theology, natural sciences, geography, governance, and even basic industries like commerce, agriculture, mining, animal husbandry, and tourism.
By the age of fourteen, some even managed small family businesses. It was the pinnacle of early education.
The problem was, Eluana was already fifteen. Besides reading, writing Imperial, and making swords, she hadn’t learned much. Though she had the ability of alchemy, she hadn’t fully grasped it yet.
‘Is it really okay to become the heir just because I want to feel safe?’
Eluana knew well how important a “lord” was. They practically held the fate of all the people in their territory in their hands. And this was the Duchy of Spes—the largest in the Empire. She would be responsible for the lives of everyone living there.
Even though the Duke said it was fine, the fact that she was a woman would also become a major obstacle. The Empire’s first emperor, Cantio, had been a woman, and thus the law technically allowed female succession. But ever since the Fortuna dynasty came into power, no woman had ever ruled.
Just to be sure, Eluana looked up records on noble succession. Not only dukes but even marquises, counts, and viscounts—there wasn’t a single record of a woman inheriting a title.
In seven hundred years.
Eluana rolled over again and hugged her warm blanket tightly.
‘I wonder if Louis is sleeping well.’
Unlike Eluana, Louis had quickly adapted to life at the duchy. He often came back with snacks from the staff. Sometimes he gave Cindy a grumpy look, but that was it. There was no need to get along with every servant, so Eluana didn’t mention it.
After gazing at the golden frame’s pattern on the window for a while, she got up and went downstairs.
Washing her face with the water Cindy had brought cleared her groggy mind. Next, she had to choose her clothes. In the dressing room, she picked a plain indoor dress with no decorations. Though she’d been told she could wear anything, she didn’t feel comfortable doing so. It was hard to find clothes without jewels dangling everywhere, and most were too difficult to wear alone.
After changing, she was brushing her hair when Cindy wheeled in a breakfast tray. Tomato stew, freshly baked bread, and salad made for a fitting breakfast.
‘It’s nice not having to cook every meal.’
She had eaten about half of the soft bread dipped in stew when Cindy announced a visitor.
“Baroness Rice wishes to see you.”
Eluana remembered what the Duke had said to the butler upon arriving. Something like, “Bring in Baroness Rice. If you tell her the Lavender Room’s mistress has returned, she’ll come crawling.”
From the tone, it seemed the woman was related to her mother.
“I’ll meet her.”
As soon as Eluana said that, a kind-faced elderly woman entered with graceful steps. Every move she made radiated elegance—even her gestures and breaths.
The noblewoman said to Cindy, who stood awkwardly near the entrance,
“You may leave.”
After confirming Cindy had exited and closed the door, the baroness—Roze—faced Eluana. In her eyes came a wave of shock, sadness, and emotion.
Eluana greeted her brightly.
“Hello. My name is Eluana Vita.”
It was a greeting lacking any formal etiquette, and Roze let out a soft groan. But that hardly mattered. With overwhelming energy, Roze stepped forward and stood before Eluana.
“May I give you a hug?”
“Pardon? Oh, yes.”
Before the words were even fully out, Roze pulled Eluana into a tight embrace.
Eluana blinked, startled by the sudden hug. Roze only let go after a long while—and even then, only to get a better look at Eluana’s face.
“To think you’ve grown up so beautifully, and I never knew…”
This made the third person—after aide Noah and butler Dave—to become overcome with emotion just from seeing Eluana. The affection and longing in her face weren’t truly for Eluana, but for Stella—yet Eluana didn’t feel uncomfortable.
Eluana cautiously asked the elegant older woman,
“…Who are you?”
“Oh my, this old woman is being silly. I’m Roze Rice. I served Lady Stella since she was a baby.”
“You were my mother’s nanny?”
“I was.”
Roze took out a handkerchief to dab her eyes, which were glistening with emotion.
If she had been the nanny, then she must have spent Stella’s childhood with her. Suddenly, Eluana felt a sense of closeness to the elderly woman before her.
Until now, the only world Eluana knew of her mother was “Aden.” But to think there were so many who cherished her mother outside of it—it was both surprising and heartwarming.
Just as she was about to ask a question about her mother, Roze’s eyes suddenly turned cold.
Eluana instinctively took a step back, swallowing her alarm.
“…Is something wrong?”
The kind noblewoman was gone. The eyes that had once been tearful were now sharp and calculating. Fortunately, that piercing gaze wasn’t directed at Eluana, but at the breakfast on the table.
“Is this what you were served for breakfast?”
Roze poured her fury upon the stew, bread, and salad.
“Yes. It’s delicious.”
Even as she answered, Eluana tilted her head.
She had no idea why Roze was angry. Roze sighed lightly and examined every corner of the Lavender Room. Then she walked gracefully to the still-uncleared washbasin and dipped her fingertips in it.
“It’s cold.”
“Yes.”
Again, Eluana tilted her head, not seeing the problem. Was she supposed to wash with warm water instead?
With a hardened expression, Roze pulled the bell rope. It was Eluana’s first time seeing it used, as she had never pulled it before.
When Cindy entered, Roze gave a cold order.
“Bring Dave.”
At the mention of the butler’s name, Cindy replied, “Yes,” bowed her head, and left. Her demeanor was entirely different from how she acted around Eluana.
“…Why are you doing this?”
“Young lady, this is not the kind of treatment you should be receiving. Hah. Dave needs to see this mess himself.”
Roze looked genuinely upset, her eyes growing red. Eluana still had no idea what the problem was and glanced around in confusion.
