Chapter 16 – The Variable
After that day, our dinner atmosphere changed.
Caylan, who had always eaten in silence, began exchanging conversation with me—and me alone.
“They say the missing earrings of Countess Theron have been found.”
“Oh? At another auction house?”
Our dialogue was like a cautious dance, probing each other. Caylan’s words were sharp and veiled, while I responded with a pleasant smile, parrying them.
“No, they say they turned up at an ordinary jeweler’s this time.”
“I see… I hope the Countess is safe. That’s worrisome.”
Anna, Haldeir, and Reina still hadn’t spoken a word.
I wondered if they had made a pact or something—eating in complete silence couldn’t be easy.
Knock knock—
“Madam. Forgive the interruption, but—”
The butler entered mid-meal.
Ordinarily, no servant would dare intrude during dinner, so his appearance meant something urgent had come up.
“What is it?”
He bowed respectfully and approached me, cupping his hand to whisper in my ear.
“A messenger from the Imperial Palace has arrived. He’s waiting in the parlor.”
Someone from the Imperial Palace?
I quickly rose to my feet.
The children, who had been glancing curiously at the butler whispering to me, were startled by my sudden movement.
Before leaving, I spoke to them gently.
“Something urgent has come up. I’ll excuse myself. Please, enjoy the meal.”
I lifted the hem of my heavy dress, which felt especially cumbersome tonight, and quickened my pace.
The butler followed behind and continued what he hadn’t had time to say earlier.
“The messenger insisted on meeting you personally to deliver a reply, Madam, so I seated him in the parlor and served tea.”
“Very well. Did he say what this is about?”
“No, only that it was an urgent message from His Majesty.”
A royal message at this hour?
I wanted to get there quickly, but the parlor felt absurdly far tonight—as if the ducal estate had grown larger.
Finally, the reception room came into view. Several servants and palace attendants stood at the door.
Ahem—
I let go of my dress hem and gave it a quick shake to tidy it before approaching.
“Open the door.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The door opened, revealing a man seated on the sofa, the tea untouched before him.
As I entered, the man immediately rose to greet me.
“I apologize for the sudden visit, Madam. I am Kanon Borche, in service to His Majesty.”
“No need to apologize. You must’ve had a difficult journey. I’m Belladonna Dilan.”
“Thank you. His Majesty asked me to deliver this.”
He bowed slightly as he handed over the envelope.
I confirmed the imperial seal, broke the wax, and unfolded the letter to read it thoroughly.
Kanon Borche stood silently, waiting as I read from beginning to end. I couldn’t afford to misread even a single word.
After carefully reading the letter, I asked calmly:
“Do I need to send a written reply?”
“Under normal circumstances, yes. But given the urgency, a verbal answer and the Dilan family seal will suffice.”
“I see. One moment. Butler—”
“Yes, Madam.”
I called the butler and spoke quietly.
“There’s a seal in the second drawer of my desk in the study. Bring it quickly.”
“At once.”
He left at a brisk pace. I gestured toward the sofa for Kanon Borche to sit.
“Please, make yourself comfortable. The seal will be here shortly.”
“Thank you, Duchess.”
“By the way, do you happen to know why His Majesty is calling an imperial meeting?”
“Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to say.”
“I see…”
I took a sip of tea—it had cooled, and I was embarrassed to offer it now. Just then, Kanon Borche picked up his cup.
“I apologize—the tea is cold. I’ll have them bring a fresh pot. Please, don’t drink that.”
“It’s fine. I’ll drink it as is.”
Ignoring my protest, he drank the tea, then looked at me.
“While we wait for the seal, may I have your response?”
“Yes. I will attend the imperial meeting tomorrow.”
“Understood. I will inform His Majesty that House Dilan will be present.”
Knock knock—
Perfect timing. The butler had returned.
“Come in.”
“Madam, I have it.”
“Let me see.”
I took the Dilan seal from him and pressed it firmly onto the imperial envelope. After confirming a clean impression, I handed it to Kanon Borche.
He tucked it into his coat and stood up.
We walked together in silence to the front of the manor to see him off. Neither of us spoke a word.
“Apologies again for disturbing you at such a late hour.”
“No, not at all. Have a safe journey back to the palace.”
“Oh, that reminds me—there was one more thing I forgot to mention.”
“Yes?”
Just before stepping into the carriage, he turned back as if he’d suddenly remembered something.
He came closer. Closer than I expected.
“They say Itanus has surfaced… at an auction house. I don’t know which one.”
“…Pardon?”
I thought I’d misheard him, but he said no more. He simply turned and stepped into the carriage.
I wanted to call him back, to ask if it was true. But I held my tongue.
“Send Caylan my regards, Duchess Dilan.”
And with that parting message, the carriage rolled away.
So… he knows Caylan?
Is that why he told me?
That night, I dismissed all the maids early, saying I wanted to sleep.
The room was still and quiet, interrupted only by the occasional cry of a night bird. But my mind was racing.
Itanus.
Events that hadn’t happened before my regression were unfolding rapidly. A sense of unease crept through me like smoke.
It was all becoming more difficult.
“Things are happening that I don’t know about.”
The moment I spoke those thoughts aloud, a chilling fear set in.
I had assumed that knowing the future would give me an edge—that I’d always be one step ahead.
That I’d no longer be the fumbling Belladonna of the past, but the capable Duchess Dilan who could handle anything with grace.
But dying and returning didn’t make me someone new.
I’m just an extension of who I was.
Was I too arrogant?
But hadn’t I already secured Oksana’s ring?
Oksana’s ring…
Could the auction house where Itanus appeared be the same one I attended?
“I don’t know which one… but Itanus has appeared at an auction house.”
He did say he didn’t know which.
But in the previous timeline, Itanus never revealed themselves.
Now, they had.
And the only thing I had done differently this time… was compete for Oksana’s ring.
“I was the variable.”
Itanus.
Originally, they were a nameless organization.
No one knew when they first emerged. They had never been seen, but their existence was undeniable.
The world only learned of them after the infamous assassination of the Crown Prince during the reign of the first Emperor.
The prince had been found dead in bed, as if peacefully asleep.
No wounds. No signs of struggle in his chamber.
Only after committing such an unprecedented crime—murdering the empire’s heir—did traces of the organization surface.
The press named them Itanus.
Decades later, the investigation remains unsolved.
No one knows how they infiltrated the palace, how they killed the prince, or how they escaped.
Speculation spread—perhaps they were foreign assassins. But the Imperial Palace firmly denied it.
Hearing that name now, of all names, I felt the whole timeline had already gone off track.
Something heavy dragged me downward.
No. I’m spiraling into worst-case thoughts.
It might not even be the same auction house. There’s no need to panic.
They’ll probably disappear again, like always—leaving behind no trace.
But why would Itanus show themselves at an auction?
What were they after?
If they really appeared at the auction I attended, and not the original winner, the Grand Duke…
Then…
Belladonna sat bolt upright in bed.
“That magician… the one I thought worked for the Mage Tower?”
The one who stole the fake ring from me at the last moment.
What if he wasn’t from the Mage Tower?
“Right. I just assumed he was because he used magic. But what if… he’s with Itanus?”
If that’s true… then Itanus is after Oksana’s ring?
Belladonna gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.
Of course. A magician could kill the Crown Prince without leaving a mark.
At the time, magical assassination had been considered. But the Mage Tower and the Imperial Family were on excellent terms.
No one even considered it a possibility.
After all, the Crown Prince had married the Tower Master’s daughter. She was even pregnant.
Magicians were strictly controlled by the Tower and Palace. Everyone in the Empire believed no one could wield magic unless they were from the Tower.
From nobles to commoners, everyone is tested at birth for magical aptitude.
It’s an innate gift—you either have it at birth or you don’t.
Acquired magic? Impossible.
But what if… someone outside the Tower could use magic?
And that someone was from Itanus?
“No. That’s not possible. No one can skip the magical aptitude test.”
Maybe I’m overthinking it.
Maybe the person at the auction wasn’t from Itanus at all.
Maybe the report was wrong.
Unlike the Grand Duke or the Second Prince, I know nothing about Itanus.
I can only hope it’s not true.
My head feels like it’s about to explode. Enough.
I’ll find out everything at tomorrow’s imperial meeting.
“Right. Sleep first.”
And with her mind still tangled and uneasy, Belladonna finally closed her eyes.
