Chapter 20
It had been that way since childhood.
Elion firmly declared he had no intention of marrying or building a family.
Christopher’s heart ached, for he knew well the reason behind Elion’s resolve.
That was precisely why he felt even more determined to manage his brother’s marriage properly.
The late Emperor and Empress had done nothing but give birth to Elion; they had never cared for him.
It was Elion’s maternal grandfather and grandmother who raised him.
Though endless attention surrounded him as a prince, he received not a shred of it from his own parents.
Growing up without the firm shelter of a family, he seemed almost fused with loneliness itself.
He rejected romantic relationships as well as social gatherings among the nobility.
He barely fulfilled the minimal duties expected of a member of the imperial family.
How ironic it was that the Elion who loathed attention was nonetheless exalted as a war hero, receiving the respect and admiration of the Empire’s people.
Christopher let out a shallow sigh before speaking.
“Very well. I shall summon Elion soon. At the very least, I should pretend to ask his opinion first.”
“Yes, an excellent decision, Your Majesty.”
Miranda smiled with satisfaction as she refilled Christopher’s teacup.
She knew full well—Elion would never agree to Christopher’s plan.
Before dawn, after finishing her morning prayer, Saintess Florentia stepped into her office.
A short while later, a knock came, and a middle-aged noblewoman entered, her demeanor graceful.
“Welcome, devotee.”
“Greetings, Saintess.”
The woman bowed politely, then seated herself before Florentia’s desk.
“I’ve brought the results of my investigation.”
“Let’s hear it.”
It was none other than Marco Rusin, an informant disguised with various magical stones.
“It is true that Grand Duke Klitzman’s health has improved. His attending physician, who prescribed him daily medicine for the past year, stopped prescribing it several days ago.”
“Then it really means the headaches and fevers have disappeared.”
“Yes. In addition, Lady Payson was reportedly saved from a monster attack by the Grand Duke. He took her back to his estate and treated her as well. That account even made it into the gossip papers.”
“……”
“Two days after the incident, Lady Payson visited the Grand Duke’s residence again. After a brief conversation with him, she returned home.”
“What was the purpose of her visit? Did anyone hear what they spoke about?”
Florentia’s voice sharpened.
The informant shook his head.
“No one overheard. All the servants were dismissed.”
“……”
Florentia clenched her trembling hands tightly.
What kind of conversation required dismissing every servant?
What was so secretive?
Questions piled upon questions, boiling in her mind.
“Were the Grand Duke and Lady Payson acquainted before then?”
She asked just in case, though she was certain they weren’t.
The informant shook his head.
“No. It seems they first met a fortnight ago, at the imperial banquet.”
“The banquet?”
“Yes. Lady Payson collapsed, coughing up blood, and the Grand Duke—who was beside her—caught her as she fell.”
“…Ha.”
So that was it.
That’s what happened.
That woman… she stirred Elion’s sympathy.
Whether intentional or not.
Florentia’s golden eyes blazed with a fierce light, akin to a predator’s.
“Is Lady Payson unwell as well?”
“Yes. After collapsing at the banquet, Count Payson summoned numerous renowned doctors and healers, but none could determine the exact cause of her illness.”
“And now? Is she still in poor health?”
“It seems so. Though she hasn’t collapsed coughing blood again recently.”
Florentia frowned.
A dreadful premonition gnawed at her.
Could Elion’s recovery be connected to that woman?
The timing of Elion’s stabilized condition overlapped too perfectly with when he met her.
But even she, with her divine healing powers, had been unable to cure him.
So how could a frail woman with no healing abilities possibly have done so?
As she chased the thought, Florentia froze, her breath catching.
Impossible… right?
The world often presented mysteries beyond reason or common sense.
Nothing could be dismissed with certainty.
“Thank you. I’ll rely on you further. Watch everything between the Grand Duke and that woman. Leave nothing out.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
Once the informant left, Florentia slammed her fist against the desk.
Her simmering frustration welled into tears that dampened her lashes.
She felt bitter, wronged.
Her own circumstances were too pitiful to bear.
“I… I’ve longed for so long, yet I still can’t be at Elion’s side… but that woman… that woman who hardly even knows him…”
She could approach Elion whenever she wished.
It was unbearably unfair.
Her chest burned with fury.
I will never sit idly by and let her grow closer to Elion.
Florentia’s golden eyes flashed with a searing intensity.
“Miss, here’s the map.”
“Thank you, Sophie.”
Rubiana smiled brightly as she received the map.
“But what do you need a city map for?”
“I just wanted to look it over. Staying home all the time is boring.”
“Ah… I see. Should I bring you some dessert?”
“I’d love that, thank you.”
Once Sophie left, Rubiana unfolded the map wide.
It was a large sheet, finely detailing the geography of the capital.
Her eyes lit up as she scanned it carefully.
“From the city center, a little to the right… a river nearby… and… connecting the Sandiford marketplace with the Greer district… ah, here it is!”
It was an isolated passageway, surrounded by little else.
There was only one reason Rubiana scrutinized this unremarkable path.
A magic circle that disrupted the city’s protective barrier had been installed there.
The locations of the barrier’s anchors were a top-secret matter known only to the Emperor, the Chancellor, the High Priest, and a few wardens.
It was tied directly to the security of the Empire.
Naturally, the conspirators behind this scheme hadn’t dared tamper with those anchor points—they didn’t even know where they were.
What they had discovered, at great expense, was a single spot where multiple layers of wards overlapped.
In that small area, the condensed forces of the overlapping barriers created a strange concentration of mana.
And that place was right here—this passageway.
Even the wardens hadn’t noticed it.
The conspirators had exploited that oversight, planting their disruptive device with ease.
In the original story, the female lead and the imperial knights’ spirit mage unit had stumbled upon the device while subjugating monsters.
But I’m not part of the knights in this life… so I’ll just have to use my “possessor’s shortcut.”
A sly grin curled Rubiana’s lips.
Reaching for her quill to mark the spot, she hesitated.
“No… this is supposed to be a secret operation. Leaving a mark would be dangerous.”
Her careless nature had nearly betrayed her again.
With a relieved sigh, she studied the map once more.
“I need to handle this quickly…”
If the barrier grew unstable, more monsters would appear, and innocent citizens would suffer.
So far, the knights and city patrol were keeping things under control, but that couldn’t last forever.
“How can I meet Elion outside and lead him past this spot naturally?”
Her plan was to pretend to stumble across the device while passing with him.
“The dressmaker I’m visiting with Mother is near the Sandiford marketplace… If I meet the Grand Duke there and head toward the Greer district, we could pass right by…”
But what was in the Greer district?
What excuse could she use to insist on going there?
Rubiana tapped the map thoughtfully with her finger, lost in planning.
