Chapter 123
t was a dark underground space where you could barely see ahead.
This place, reached by forcing our way through thick bushes, was darkness itself.
Why on earth had the puppies come all the way down here?
“Isn’t it too dark?” I whispered.
“Of course it is. We’re underground,” the Crown Prince replied.
I wanted to use a light spell, but this was the Imperial Palace.
A barrier had been set, making it impossible to use magic.
In the end, we could only focus on the faint outlines around us as we continued walking.
How much time had passed like that?
“…A-at my feet!”
The Crown Prince suddenly stopped, his voice trembling.
“My feet? Why? What is it?”
“Ahhh! Something bit me! I-it has to be a snake!”
“A snake?!”
But I quickly realized what it really was.
Something brushed past the hem of my dress.
That soft sensation could only mean one thing.
“It’s the little ones!”
When I met Ron in the cave, the feeling of puppy Roro pressing against me had been exactly like this.
As soon as I spoke, barking erupted as if the puppies had been waiting for my voice.
“Phew… so we finally found them.”
The Crown Prince let out a deep breath.
And faintly, I could sense the puppies racing back the way we had come.
“Should we head back too?”
“Yes… though I had no idea the palace had a place like this.”
The Crown Prince stopped, turning his head as if fascinated.
I glanced around too, but since I couldn’t see much, I just wanted to leave quickly.
“Let’s go now—”
“Shh!”
The Crown Prince signaled for silence again.
And a moment later, a faint light began to seep in.
We held our breath and froze in place.
Thankfully, the space was wide, and a massive pillar concealed us.
Someone carrying a small lantern appeared, cloaked in a robe.
The unidentified figure slowly moved along the wall.
Judging by how they shone the lantern against it, something seemed to be written there.
But I couldn’t tell what.
The Crown Prince, even more curious than I was, finally began to move.
As the Empire’s only Crown Prince, even a hooded stranger wouldn’t dare resist him.
But just as he stepped forward—
“…!”
The robed figure was faster.
In an instant, they dimmed the lantern and vanished.
“…Let’s go.”
With no choice, we left the underground passage the same way we came.
When sunlight poured down again, my eyes stung from the brightness.
The puppies, who had already escaped earlier, were happily rolling around in the grass.
“Who do you think that person was?”
“This underground area seems connected to the First Imperial Palace.”
“The First Palace is where His Majesty the Emperor stays…”
“Then that means no one can enter freely.”
“…Exactly.”
A deep worry settled over the Crown Prince’s face.
Then he spoke.
“Lady Delve, no matter how special our relationship may be… I’d like you to stop your curiosity here.”
“This is the Imperial Palace, and uncovering that person’s identity is my responsibility.”
“…”
I wanted to argue, but his firmness left me unable to.
Just then, servants searching for us appeared.
In the end, I handed the golden puppies back to the Crown Prince, promising we would meet again later.
The next day, the Duke and I stood before the estate dressed appropriately for a funeral.
It was my first time truly entering Duke Alter’s residence.
I had always waited only at the entrance before turning back.
So stepping through the wide-open doors felt strangely awkward.
Inside, the grand hall glittered with elegance and refinement.
Masterpieces hung on the walls, and even the chandeliers and vases looked like they belonged in a gallery.
This doesn’t feel like a place holding a funeral…
It didn’t suit a mansion that should have been soaked in grief.
Everything looked as beautiful as decorations for a ballroom.
Just then, I heard murmurs from mourners behind me.
“I still remember how unwell Duke Alter looked before he passed…”
“I remember too. It was like he became a different person… even his expressions were strange.”
“They say something went wrong with his mind. Rumor has it he ended his own life…”
Their voices abruptly stopped when a butler appeared.
“Please proceed inside.”
As they moved ahead, I repeated the words in my mind.
Could it really be true?
Not long ago, Duke Alter had visited the Emperor, pushing forward Bianca’s marriage talks by boasting of her holy power.
And now he was suddenly dead.
It was strange.
“I will guide you.”
The butler returned, forcing me to stop thinking.
I followed Duke Kereis, who had been speaking with others.
In the hall where all mourners gathered, the appointed time arrived.
Bianca appeared.
…Bianca!
I couldn’t help but gasp as I watched her descend the stairs calmly.
Something is different…
The last time I saw her was three years ago, so of course she would have changed.
But this was different.
She was still beautiful, but…
She looked terribly thin, sharp, almost brittle.
And her once-clear eyes seemed dull and unfocused.
“Poor thing… she must be suffering terribly.”
“The grief must be overwhelming. She adored her parents so much.”
The nobles’ whispers helped me understand somewhat.
If she had been close with her family, losing her father must have crushed her.
I greeted other nobles as Bianca drew nearer.
“Lady… it’s been a long time. Do you remember me? I’m Marianne.”
Bianca stared at me with empty eyes.
Then she bowed her head, repeating the same words she had said to everyone else.
“Thank you for coming for my father.”
Then she turned and offered the same greeting to the next mourner.
“…”
I felt confused.
Could grief truly change a person so completely?
“Anne, what is it?”
The Duke beside me asked just as—
“The Duchess has arrived.”
At someone’s announcement, everyone’s attention turned to the staircase.
Soon, Duchess Alter appeared.
She wore a large black hat, and a veil draped down, covering half her face.
Only her thin lips were visible.
She, together with Bianca, began offering thanks one by one.
When it became our turn—
“…!”
I felt an inexplicable energy.
My stomach churned.
The mana inside me, which had been calm, suddenly stirred violently.
I hurried to suppress it and listened carefully to the conversation between Duke Kereis and Duchess Alter.
“Thank you sincerely for coming.”
“They say Duke Alter and Duke Kereis were on terribly bad terms.”
The nobles inhaled sharply.
Everyone knew the two families stood opposed.
That was why people wondered why Duke Kereis had come at all.
“Yes. That’s true. Duke Alter was a man I couldn’t stand.”
Shocked murmurs spread.
How could he say such a thing at a funeral?
But Duke Kereis continued.
“However, we once made a promise.”
“No matter how much we hated one another… if one of us left this world first, the other would see them off.”
The tense atmosphere gradually settled.
Behind the veil, the corner of Duchess Alter’s lips lifted slightly.
“I see. Then my husband must have departed knowing that sentiment.”
She finished speaking and walked past Duke Kereis, Bianca following behind.
And then—
“…Urk!”
Suddenly, nausea surged up.
I clapped a hand over my mouth, but since they were so close, Duchess Alter and Bianca stopped.
The Duchess turned and approached me.
Then her red lips parted.
