Chapter 34
A man sprawled over a desk, guzzling from a bottle, gave me a crooked grin while chuckling.
“You don’t look like someone who’d come to a dump like this.”
Though he spoke in the plural, his eyes were locked onto me, scanning me meticulously as if he could devour me with just his gaze.
Before coming here, I had dyed my black hair a dull wooden brown and changed my gray eyes to a violet hue.
But the man, even while drunk, seemed to see straight through me. He slouched deeper into his chair and wagged one leg lazily.
“How about a drink, huh?”
This kind of place felt utterly foreign to me.
Even so, I came here with a clear purpose.
I let out a soft sigh, recalling what happened a few days ago.
“What’s this?”
The navy envelope with golden trim shimmered slightly. It had no seal, no sender, and no recipient listed.
That was Kiscel’s reaction when he saw the suspicious letter I had received from the Empress.
I sat him down and briefly explained how I came to possess it.
Frowning, Kiscel tried to open the letter.
Tried, but couldn’t.
The moment he touched it—snap!—a spark flew out, and the letter refused his touch.
His fingertips blackened and smoked where the letter had made contact.
Startled, I hurriedly placed my hand over his.
I couldn’t hide my shock.
“What the—! That’s dangerous magic!”
“And a pretty high-level one at that.”
Smoke drifted from both his hand and the letter.
When the smoke finally subsided, I pulled my hand away.
I examined the letter again. Now that the smoke had cleared, it looked no different than before.
“Should I open it?”
When I tore the envelope, a scroll sprang out with a gentle glow.
I gaped at the scroll as it unfurled in mid-air.
“Duke, you can marvel later. The text will vanish soon, so read it quickly.”
Kiscel turned his head away, saying he couldn’t see anything.
There was a reason scroll letters were so expensive. Only the intended recipient could read them, and the contents would disappear shortly after being revealed.
The glowing text quivered as if it might flutter away at any second.
– At En Derangte Marie
The goddess of frost kisses your cheek
On the night when the goblet overflows with holy water, those who have laid their necks before the god of death shall gather to speak
That shall be the final Holy Grail
As soon as I read the final line, the letters scattered into the air and exploded in a soft pop.
It was such a charming little exit that I almost wanted to ask the Empress where she’d bought the scroll.
“‘En Derangte Marie’… if translated from Arint, it roughly means ‘Peach Tavern in the North,’ I believe.”
“The day ruled by the goddess of frost is this month… and the night with a goblet full of holy water… Hmm.”
Fortunately, Kiscel said he had a guess about the peach tavern in the north.
But figuring out the ‘goblet full of holy water’ had both of us wracking our brains.
“Ah! Wait a second. ‘Holy water’… could it be related to the temple?”
Kiscel and I continued interpreting the riddle together.
And that led us here, to this place.
I blinked, finishing my recollection—or rather, I had no choice but to stop.
‘Look at them kissing over there!’
Over Kiscel’s shoulder, I saw various scenes.
A man and woman, drunk with pleasure, exploring each other’s lips. People arguing heatedly. Two men seated together, chuckling and laughing loudly.
‘Wow…’
I thought I’d seen all kinds of things while living as a fugitive, but this was a whole new level.
Kiscel, wary of the curious stares we attracted as obvious outsiders, pulled me into his robe.
“If you’ve got no business here, get lost! Best to leave when you’re told!”
A man across from us suddenly barked angrily.
“How rude. You’d better shut that mouth of yours.”
Without a word, I pulled out the letter and laid it on the table.
Kiscel, who couldn’t touch the letter, pointed to it with his fingertip.
“Do you know what this is?”
The man’s eyes changed instantly.
Letting out a strange huff, he suddenly abandoned his rude demeanor and stood up—like he had never been drunk at all.
“Please, follow me.”
“……”
“……”
“Oh—just the owner of the letter, please.”
Still hidden within the robe, I looked up at Kiscel.
He gave me a reassuring nod, and I stepped out, facing the open doorway.
“Let’s go.”
“It’s dark.”
“I can light the way.”
At his words, lights suddenly illuminated the dim hallway.
I stepped forward, following the now-lit corridor.
‘So many high-grade light orbs.’
Maintaining them with expensive magic… and not a speck of dust in sight. The marble corridor was a stark contrast to the noisy bar we had just left.
After a few more steps, I noticed something strange.
My hair, reflected faintly in my vision, was beginning to darken—jet black.
Like someone had dropped black ink onto white paper, my hair color slowly changed.
I whipped my head around toward the man.
Though I couldn’t see my own eyes, I was sure their color had changed too.
“A necessity to welcome esteemed guests.”
I held back a sigh and followed him.
It was no surprise—this was the place the Empress had invited me to. Not just anyone could come here.
After a long walk, we finally reached a staircase and began ascending.
It hit me then—walking endlessly in a sealed space with no windows was exhausting in its own way.
Eventually, a large, suspicious door came into view.
“You may enter. If you need anything, ring the bell inside.”
With that, the man disappeared.
I hesitated at the door, then slowly lifted my hand and touched it.
The heavy door swung open silently.
And as I stepped into the room, the first thing that hit me was—
‘Peach scent.’
A sweet, rich aroma filled the space.
One wall was covered in windows, and beyond them, peach trees—brimming with fruit, though it was the wrong season.
The room’s only source of light—a lantern—was suddenly snuffed out by a breeze.
But it didn’t matter.
I was too distracted by the scent to realize there were others in the room—until it was too late.
A man sat, legs crossed, reading a book like he was posing for a portrait.
Another lay back on a sofa, eyes closed.
The moment both turned to look at me, moonlight spilled through the windows.
And in my heart, I had no choice but to call out—
‘The sons of House Jayfino!’
Though I had never met them before, I knew instantly who they were.
Silvery hair like morning dew shimmering in the moonlight.
Eyes of green and blue blended perfectly.
And the identical faces—unmistakably twins.
The famed twin sons of House Jayfino.
Gripping the doorframe, I steadied myself—not from shock, but from exhilaration.
‘So it really was them.’
It was the joy of being right.
‘I had guessed the Empress would only introduce someone of great importance. And…’
The man on the sofa sat up.
‘These were the most suitable people.’
He rose all at once, large frame towering as he stood on both feet.
“Oh?”
Without hesitation, he strode toward me.
He came close—far too close—and bent slightly to meet my eyes.
“A guest I never imagined.”
He smiled boldly.
✦ ✦ ✦
The moment I figured out who they were, one of them closed the distance in a flash, eyes widening.
“There’s only one person in the capital with that hair color. Hm.”
It was clear—they recognized me too.
Even during my stay in the capital, I had never seen a single trace of the Jayfino household. Yet here one stood, right before me.
‘I really should thank Her Majesty the Empress.’
To think I would meet such esteemed figures in person.
This encounter was, for me, a most welcome one.
Then, the man reached out a hand toward me.
“Don’t touch me.”
I swiftly dodged, twisting my body away from his hand.
