Duke Wade lost his wife early. He never remarried and raised his only daughter, Heyla, with great care.
Heyla loved reading books since she was young and was very curious. While other noble ladies were busy with elegant ballroom dancing, etiquette, and embroidery, Heyla would stay in her study and just read books.
Duke Wade did not try to change Heyla. He just left her alone. More than anything, the Duke wanted Heyla to live happily. He thought it would be a shame to raise her as a flower in a greenhouse because she was so intelligent, so he sent her to study abroad, which was unusual for a girl.
But then, out of the blue, a boy was suddenly sent home along with a letter.
"To my beloved father.
Astin Targayel, who will deliver this letter, is a truly brilliant and good-natured man. He is someone I can respect and admire.
I felt like I could spend my life with this person. I'm sure my father would like it. Please let me marry him.
Hey, Olympus."
The short letter was really direct. He always thought of her as a child, but when did she grow up to the point of sending such a bold letter? He suddenly felt the passage of time.
Duke Wade hesitated for a moment whether he should praise his only daughter for choosing a groom on her own or say something solemn. Then, without realizing it, he stared at the boy sitting in front of him.
“So... Astin Targayel?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Astin, sitting across from him in the reception room, seemed a little uncomfortable but did not avoid eye contact. The boy with a thin body and glasses seemed fragile, but his clear eyes were firm and sharp. His appearance as he answered neatly was polite and upright.
Duke Wade thought about Shan Cirxus for a moment. He was the complete opposite of Astin. He naturally liked Astin more than the vicious-looking guy.
“...”
Duke Wade thought as he drank his tea. He had been looking for a suitable partner for Heyla ever since she was young. However, Heyla, who was arrogant, rejected every man he brought, saying that he was ignorant and treated her like an inferior creature.
Naturally, the other young people were also upset that Heyla was being too harsh and manly. As a result, rumors about Heyla began to spread throughout the social circles. It was a scandal that Heyla was being talkative and not befitting of a noble young lady.
Because of this, marriage proposals suddenly stopped, and the occasional marriage proposals that came in were nothing more than a half-assed ploy to ride on the Duke's coattails.
The Duke was worried that his precious daughter's marriageable age would pass when Heyla suddenly sent him Astin Targayel with a letter.
In any case, Count Targayel was from a prestigious family and could easily be the marriage partner of a Duke. Because of Shan Cirxus, Astin would not inherit the earldom, but that was nothing to worry about. Duke Wade had no heirs, so he was left to a distant relative to inherit the title.
Rather than passing it on to a relative with whom he was not particularly close, it would have been much better to pass it on to a trustworthy son-in-law who could take good care of his beloved daughter.
As he imagined the succession to Astin in his head, the Duke felt a desire to test whether he could trust Astin with my daughter. Duke Wade put down his teacup and spoke to Astin.
“Did you say you majored in public administration at the University of Britain?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I wonder if you have any law knowledge.”
The Wade family was a family that held a firm grip on the laws and administration of Baluar under the motto of ‘honesty and discipline.’ To lead the family, one had to have both administrative and legal knowledge.
Astin politely lowered himself and answered the sharp words that Duke Wade threw out with his eyes shining.
“I have some qualifications, though they are lacking.”
For once, the humble attitude was a pass. Duke Wade nodded and said to Astin.
“I’m sorry for suddenly asking you this, but can I ask you a few questions?”
A moment of confusion crossed Astin’s face. But he coolly replied that he would. Duke Wade asked Astin questions that mixed legal and administrative matters.
From simple introductory questions to difficult questions that mixed knowledge from various fields including law and administration, the level of difficulty was such that even the clerks working under Duke Wade had difficulty answering them.
But Astin answered without hesitation. Even though he answered on the spot, his logic was so smooth that it seemed like he had thought it through for a long time. It was so perfect that he couldn't find a way to nitpick.
Duke Wade closed his eyes tightly. A shiver ran through his body. Having worked in the legal profession for a long time, Duke Wade had met many people who considered themselves geniuses. However, not a single person had ever impressed him.
As expected, he is the son-in-law chosen by our clever Heyla. Duke Wade slowly opened his eyes and called out to Astin.
“Mr. Austin.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
And then he held Austin's hand tightly and asked him a serious question.
“Aren’t you thinking of marrying our daughter?”
Shan, who returned home after finishing his work at the palace, wasn't particularly surprised to hear that Astin had arrived. It seemed like he had already heard the news.
Shan took great care to ensure that Astin would have a comfortable stay in Targayel. He knew full well that winning Astin's favor was the shortcut to winning Elze's heart.
It was basic for Astin, who returned home without taking the exam, to prepare the materials needed to write the report to be submitted in his place for the exam.
Shan even offered to invite prominent scholars in the field to give advice, although Astin flatly refused, claiming it was unfair.
There was another piece of news that surprised Shan and Elze. After Astin came back from Duke Wade's residence, he had a strange feeling. Astin, who was restless and didn't know what to do, quietly called Elze over and spoke.
“Excuse me, sister..."
Astin, with a pouty face from lack of sleep, made a bombshell statement to Elze.
“His Excellency the Duke of Wade wants to take me as his son-in-law.”
Soon after, a letter arrived from the Wade family, requesting a formal marriage proposal.
“Marriage...”
As expected, what Astin said turned out to be true. Elze stared blankly at the letter with Duke Wade’s seal.
She thought that someday Astin would find a partner and get married. But it was just a vague thought. When the marriage proposal came like this, she was so flustered that she couldn't think of anything. And it was from the Wade family.
Although Astin was old enough to be born into a noble family, he still had no fiancé. Until then, letters asking for Astin’s hand in marriage had occasionally arrived in Targayel, but Elze had politely declined them all. This was because she wanted Astin to marry someone he liked, not someone of political convenience.
However, the marriage proposal from the Wade family was different. First of all, the Wade family's only daughter, Heyla Wade, was a classmate of Astin's at Britain University.
Moreover, it was not the Duke who had chosen him as her daughter's husband, but Heyla who had proposed to the Duke first and had been the one who had actively courted him. Astin was embarrassed, but he did not seem to dislike it.
The Duke seemed to have already firmly decided on Astin as his son-in-law. There would be nothing to be sorry about for the Duke of Wade, but his impatience was evident in the letter.
There was even a specific plan written down, such as having a simple engagement ceremony first so as not to interfere with their studies and then marrying them off later when the two children graduated.
“You, aren’t you going to meet His Excellency Duke Wade when you enter the palace today?”
Elze said, smoothing out Shan's slightly wrinkled shirt collar.
“Tell me about Astin too.”
Shan replied, ruffling Elze's slightly disheveled hair.
“I will make sure to do so.”
“Of course. But...”
Elze hesitated and then asked.
“Are the Duke really planning to pass the title on to Astin?”
“Princess Heyla wants it, and Duke Wade would be better off taking in a son-in-law who will cherish the Princess rather than passing the title to a distant relative.”
“That’s true, but...”
Elze lowered her eyes slightly. Old memories came to mind. It was when her parents had passed away and Targayel was in ruins.
Astin, who was not gifted with the sword, became a Count and was forced to lead a penniless family. Suffering from the immense pressure and self-reproach, Astin chose suicide. The scars of that day still remain on Astin's wrist.
The sight of Astin sobbing with blood and tears mixed in her eyes... That was a sight Elze never wanted to see again in her life.
It would be great if Astin became the Duke of Wade. However, Astin might feel burdened by the idea of inheriting the dukedom. Elze's opinion was the most important thing to Astin.
“I’ll talk to Astin again. He's busy writing the report right now, so let’s move on. You find out exactly what Duke Wade means.”
At Elze's command, Shan promised to do so obediently.
“I’m going to enter the palace first, so if possible, let’s leave the palace together.”
Shan said a brief farewell and headed to the palace first. Then Elze also began preparing to enter the palace. Since Crown Princess Iarin had requested to enter the palace, Elze was also scheduled to go to the palace today.
“Madam, this is Ivanna.”
Elze allowed her to enter after hearing the knock on the door. Ivanna entered with a solemn expression. However, as soon as she closed the door and was alone with Elze, her face relaxed.
"Captain!"
Ivanna hung onto Elze's arm and called out to her in a coquettish voice. Elze smiled and accepted Ivanna's words.
Normally, the maids would have taken care of her. But today, for the first time in a while, she received help from Ivanna. When Elze had something to talk to Ivanna about, she would ask her to help her dress up instead of the maids.
And today, she had something to ask Ivanna.
“Have you looked into it?”
Ivanna explained, making a salute with her hand.
“Yes. I thought it wouldn’t work out for us, so I asked Epen for help. They’re assassins, so they’re used to tracking down targets.”
Elze was looking for the merchant woman who had raped him for the first time, based on some clues she had gotten from Shan. She couldn't go there herself, so she left the tracking to Elijah. Ivanna chattered while changing Elze's earrings.
“I sent you some Mazehag flowers because I thought you needed a little interrogation, so I think you’ll be fine.”
“Mazehag flower?”
“These are the flowers I collected in Himov at that time. I put them in my coat...”
Ivanna rummaged through her coat, took out a glass bottle, and showed it to me. Inside was a beautifully dried, pale pink flower.
“It’s often used during interrogations because it has strong hallucinogenic properties. If you mix it with a little bit of torture and a little bit of hallucination, it’s a fantastic interrogation combo.”
In Himov, Ivanna encountered a group of bandits while collecting Mazehag flowers. Of course, after the Battle of Himov, she returned to the forest to collect flowers.
At that moment, Elze smiled as the memory came back to her. Ivanna, who realized why Elze was smiling, pouted for a moment but continued to dress up quietly.
Today's outfit was a long-sleeved dress that clung tightly to the arms. The reason she wore such a dress was because of her right arm.
Elze told her that the wound on her right arm had been cured thanks to a good medicine that was among the treasures bestowed by the Queen of Ryeo. It was decided to say only that to the public, as it seemed that the situation would become more complicated if she talked about the divine power of Ilwooz.
Everyone was curious, but there was no way to find out. No one really knew about Ryeo, and the only one who knew was the Count of Epernon, who was in custody.
Since Ryeo is considered such a mysterious country, it would be a reasonable excuse to cover it up.
However, she was thinking of covering her arms for the time being because showing her arms too cleanly could easily arouse suspicion.
After completing all preparations, Elze boarded the carriage heading to the palace, escorted by Ivanna.
Elze hasn't seen Iarin since that day's hunting competition. She heard that Iarin was suffering from guilt because Elze got hurt in her place.
Of course, it wasn't Iarin's fault. She just fell into a trap that someone might have set. Shan could have fallen into that trap, or Elze could have fallen into it.
So Elze didn't blame Iarin. However, Iarin must have had a hard time because she sent Elze long letters filled with her heartfelt feelings several times.
“Erzenes...”
As soon as she saw Elze, Iarin let out a sigh of relief. She whispered with a pale face.
“Thank goodness. I was really worried.”
Since she had decided to have lunch with Iarin, Elze was guided to the dining hall of the Crown Princess Palace. As she sat down at the large table with Iarin, she noticed her figure.
Today, Iarin, wearing a dress with a high collar, looked even more gaunt. She looked like a dried flower as if it would crumble and make a crunching sound at any moment.
"Your Highness."
At Elze's cautious voice, Iarin put down her fork. Then she muttered in a pained voice.
“I shouldn’t say this to you, who I haven’t seen in a long time... but I haven’t been able to sleep well lately.”
Iarin's hands were shaking. She looked ominous.
“Your Highness. What is the matter? Please tell me.”
“...”
Iarin looked at Elze. Her face looked like it was about to burst into tears. However, she didn’t seem to know how to cry or how to cry. She just trembled her lips and touched her collar with her hands. After a while, Iarin said.
“I know it’s rude of me to ask you this, but there’s something I really want to ask you...”
Elze answered in a calm tone to reassure Iarin.
“Please speak as you wish, Your Highness.”
Iarin looked around. She confirmed that all the maids were far away, and she closed her eyes tightly. Then she pleaded in a weak voice.
“Can you just stay at the Crown Princess’ Palace for today?”
Elze sent a maid to Shan to inform him that she would be staying at the Crown Princess Palace today. Shan replied that they should meet and talk.
So the two met briefly in the palace. It was a long passage overlooking the garden. The wind blew gently through the long columns.
“Elze!”
As soon as he saw her, Shan called out to Elze as if he hadn't seen her in three days. As soon as Elze answered him, Shan suddenly asked her a question.
“You’re saying you’re going to spend a night at the Crown Princess’ Palace?”
“Her Highness asked me to just sleep for today.”
“Hmm.”
Shan had a very unpleasant expression on his face. It had only been a few nights since they had spent together in the bedroom, and now they had to be apart again. Shan was very unhappy about this.
“Do you really have to do that?”
Elze glanced around at the people around her, then lowered her voice and spoke.
“I think Her Highness the Crown Princess is in a slightly strange state.”
"...What?"
“It’s true. She looks so precarious like something could happen at any moment...”
Elze stopped talking and closed her mouth. A maid had passed by the two. After confirming that she had passed, Elze spoke again.
“Anyway, I think I should stay with her tonight. How about Duke Wade?”
"Ag."
Shan seemed to be struggling with what to say to Elze's question.
“It’s a bit... long. I’ll tell you when you get home.”
Anyway, there were a lot of people passing by here right now, and Shan was busy, so he had to go back quickly. Elze nodded to Shan's words. Shan sighed and said.
“I guess I’ll have to work overtime today to catch up on work at the palace. I’ll be leaving the palace tomorrow morning, so let’s go home together.”
At Shan's words, Elze frowned and said.
“You don’t have to do that either.”
Shan is already having a hard time these days. Although Elze is helping with the running of Targayel, she can't help with the work of Machangs or the palace.
Recently, Elze got hurt, so Shan ended up taking on all of Elze's work. Now that Elze is completely healed, she's back to work, but he's indeed been working too hard.
“Go home first and get some rest.”
At Elze's words, Shan pretended to frown, following Elze's example.
“That’s too much. Are you telling me to go home alone without you?”
Many people were watching, but he acted slyly. Elze looked around and scolded Shan.
“What is too much? Stop talking nonsense.”
At Elze's words, Shan laughed heartily.
“I had a lot of work to do anyway.”
Elze glared at him. But instead of showing a reflective expression, Shan smiled silently. It was a face that said she would not bend until she was allowed to.
“...Yes. Let’s go home together tomorrow.”
In the end, Elze had no choice but to accept Shan's will.
As always, the time with Iarin was enjoyable. Iarin smiled and chatted brightly in front of Elze like a young lady of her age.
Elze also felt at ease when talking to Iarin. When the two of them were together, there was no need to be humble like when talking to other nobles.
A friend who is okay, to be honest. That was the relationship between Iarin and Elze. After Elze saved Iarin's life, she seemed to have come to trust Elze completely.
The day ended after chatting about various things and taking a walk in the garden of the Crown Princess Palace. Elze had a simple dinner with Iarin.
Iarin seemed greatly encouraged by the thought of Elze spending the night with her. Unlike the morning when she had only eaten a corner of cake, she ate a full meal. She ate soup and even a few pieces of meat. And then her face brightened up considerably.
“Oh, I can’t remember how long it’s been since I felt this full.”
It was a bit crude for a Crown Princess to say, but neither Elze nor Iarin paid any attention to it. The two women looked into each other’s eyes and giggled.
As they chatted about this and that, it was soon time to go to bed. Iarin instructed that Elze be placed in the room next to her bedroom.
Oddly enough, as bedtime approached, Iarin began to feel depressed. She sighed several times.
"Your Highness."
Elze grabbed her trembling hand. Iarin lowered her head. Her shoulders were shaking. Iarin spoke softly.
“I have a nightmare.”
"Nightmare?"
“Yes, nightmares. I’m afraid of the night coming... I’m always afraid...”
As Iarin was about to say something more, trembling, a maid's knock was heard. Iarin stopped talking and allowed her to enter the room. Then, the maid came in, dragging a tray.
On the tray was a kettle with hot water, a teacup, and a small plate. The plate contained dried flower buds. Elze was wondering what it was, and Iarin explained it to her.
“It’s flower tea, which is said to help you sleep well. It doesn’t have much of an effect, but it’s better than not drinking it.”
Iarin said as she put a flower bud in a teacup and poured water over it as if she was used to it.
“Would you like to try some too? It’s most effective if you drink it before bedtime, so I’ll tell them to prepare some for yourself.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Elze said that and took a peek at Iarin’s teacup. Then, her face hardened slightly so as not to show it. After that, Elze was guided by the maid without saying anything else and prepared to go to bed.
The room where Elze slept was the room next to Iarin's bedroom.
After changing into comfortable clothes while being served, she was about to go to bed. The maid placed a teapot, teacups, and a plate of dried flower buds on the table next to the bed. It was the same as what Iarin had been drinking.
“Her Highness has sent it. It is a precious tea, and she would like you, Madam, to try it.”
Elze stared at it blankly for a moment before answering her maid.
“...I see. I’ll make sure to drink it. Leave it and go.”
The maid bowed politely and left. As the maid left, Elze poured hot water into the teacup. Flower buds bloomed brilliantly in the water. The fully bloomed flowers swayed their light pink petals.
And Elze knew what that flower was.
“Mazehag flowers...”
It was definitely the Mazehag flower that Ivanna showed her today. Drinking a flower that is said to have hallucinogenic effects as a medicinal tea... It wasn’t normal.
When she held the teacup up to the light, shr could see the powder that hadn't completely dissolved had settled to the bottom. The scent was slightly different from the tea Iarin had been drinking, and it seemed like something had been added to Elze's tea.
She didn't know if she had put in something like a sleeping pill. Elze waited for the water to cool down, took out the flowers, opened the window, and poured out the tea. Then she plucked off one of the petals hid it in a drawer, and put the rest back in the teacup as they were.
She was lying in bed pretending to sleep when she heard the door click open.
“...”
The maid confirmed that Elze had emptied her teacup, then quietly took the tea set and disappeared. Elze waited for her footsteps to fade away before opening her eyes again. Then she crept over to the door and opened it slightly.
She could see Iarin's bedroom. Moonlight was shining through the window onto the bed where darkness had fallen. Iarin seemed to be sleeping deeply. Elze could hear her breathing evenly. She watched for a long time, but nothing happened. It was around the time when she wondered if the Mazehag flower could really be used as a medicine.
“Ugh...”
Iarin groaned and twisted her body. Sobs flowed from her mouth.
“I was wrong, I won’t do it again... I’m sorry, I was wrong...”
It was a nightmare. Elze was about to wake Iarin, but the bedroom door opened.
The one who opened the door and came in was a male servant. There was no reason for a servant to enter the Crown Princess’s room. In addition, he was wearing a black mask on his face. It was a familiar mask that she had seen somewhere.
As she watched, wondering what was going on, the guy slowly climbed onto Iarin's bed. And at the next scene, Elze doubted her eyes.
“!!”
The attendant began to strangle Iarin's neck. Iarin sobbed in a suppressed voice.
“Ah, ahh! Huh... Ugh... !”
Tears flowed down her cheeks without stopping. Iarin trembled all over her body, but she couldn't move. She looked like someone who had been accustomed to fear for a long time.
She couldn't stand it any longer. Elze kicked the door open and ran out.
“!!”
The servant was startled by Elze's sudden appearance and froze. But he soon came to his senses and tried to run away. Elze spoke softly in the darkness.
“Don't move.”
The servant stopped walking without realizing it at the sound of her voice. Elze looked straight at him and said.
“The moment you run out of here, I will scream.”
“...”
“I don’t know who your master is... but I don’t think you want a commotion.”
The servant looked at Elze in silence. Without taking her eyes off him, Elze slowly approached Iarin. Iarin was covered in sweat all over.
"Your Highness!"
“Uh, Erzenes...?”
Iarin stared blankly at Elze with dilated pupils. Iarin, who had not yet fully awakened from her dream, had confused eyes where hallucinations and reality were mixed together.
At that moment, a cold, metallic sound was heard along with a click. The servant, whose escape route was blocked, pulled out a dagger from his bosom. Holding the dagger, the servant slowly approached Elze.
Elze bit her lower lip. Iarin trembled and held onto Elze. Elze stroked her and whispered.
“Your Highness, do you trust me?”
“Close your eyes and cover your ears now.”
Elze said as she covered Iarin's head with a blanket.
“Until I wake Your Highness, you will not move from under the covers. Do you understand?”
And then Elze slowly got up from the bed.
“Please wait a moment...”
Elze's blue eyes hardened.
“Everything will be resolved.”
Heyla loved reading books since she was young and was very curious. While other noble ladies were busy with elegant ballroom dancing, etiquette, and embroidery, Heyla would stay in her study and just read books.
Duke Wade did not try to change Heyla. He just left her alone. More than anything, the Duke wanted Heyla to live happily. He thought it would be a shame to raise her as a flower in a greenhouse because she was so intelligent, so he sent her to study abroad, which was unusual for a girl.
But then, out of the blue, a boy was suddenly sent home along with a letter.
"To my beloved father.
Astin Targayel, who will deliver this letter, is a truly brilliant and good-natured man. He is someone I can respect and admire.
I felt like I could spend my life with this person. I'm sure my father would like it. Please let me marry him.
Hey, Olympus."
The short letter was really direct. He always thought of her as a child, but when did she grow up to the point of sending such a bold letter? He suddenly felt the passage of time.
Duke Wade hesitated for a moment whether he should praise his only daughter for choosing a groom on her own or say something solemn. Then, without realizing it, he stared at the boy sitting in front of him.
“So... Astin Targayel?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Astin, sitting across from him in the reception room, seemed a little uncomfortable but did not avoid eye contact. The boy with a thin body and glasses seemed fragile, but his clear eyes were firm and sharp. His appearance as he answered neatly was polite and upright.
Duke Wade thought about Shan Cirxus for a moment. He was the complete opposite of Astin. He naturally liked Astin more than the vicious-looking guy.
“...”
Duke Wade thought as he drank his tea. He had been looking for a suitable partner for Heyla ever since she was young. However, Heyla, who was arrogant, rejected every man he brought, saying that he was ignorant and treated her like an inferior creature.
Naturally, the other young people were also upset that Heyla was being too harsh and manly. As a result, rumors about Heyla began to spread throughout the social circles. It was a scandal that Heyla was being talkative and not befitting of a noble young lady.
Because of this, marriage proposals suddenly stopped, and the occasional marriage proposals that came in were nothing more than a half-assed ploy to ride on the Duke's coattails.
The Duke was worried that his precious daughter's marriageable age would pass when Heyla suddenly sent him Astin Targayel with a letter.
In any case, Count Targayel was from a prestigious family and could easily be the marriage partner of a Duke. Because of Shan Cirxus, Astin would not inherit the earldom, but that was nothing to worry about. Duke Wade had no heirs, so he was left to a distant relative to inherit the title.
Rather than passing it on to a relative with whom he was not particularly close, it would have been much better to pass it on to a trustworthy son-in-law who could take good care of his beloved daughter.
As he imagined the succession to Astin in his head, the Duke felt a desire to test whether he could trust Astin with my daughter. Duke Wade put down his teacup and spoke to Astin.
“Did you say you majored in public administration at the University of Britain?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I wonder if you have any law knowledge.”
The Wade family was a family that held a firm grip on the laws and administration of Baluar under the motto of ‘honesty and discipline.’ To lead the family, one had to have both administrative and legal knowledge.
Astin politely lowered himself and answered the sharp words that Duke Wade threw out with his eyes shining.
“I have some qualifications, though they are lacking.”
For once, the humble attitude was a pass. Duke Wade nodded and said to Astin.
“I’m sorry for suddenly asking you this, but can I ask you a few questions?”
A moment of confusion crossed Astin’s face. But he coolly replied that he would. Duke Wade asked Astin questions that mixed legal and administrative matters.
From simple introductory questions to difficult questions that mixed knowledge from various fields including law and administration, the level of difficulty was such that even the clerks working under Duke Wade had difficulty answering them.
But Astin answered without hesitation. Even though he answered on the spot, his logic was so smooth that it seemed like he had thought it through for a long time. It was so perfect that he couldn't find a way to nitpick.
Duke Wade closed his eyes tightly. A shiver ran through his body. Having worked in the legal profession for a long time, Duke Wade had met many people who considered themselves geniuses. However, not a single person had ever impressed him.
As expected, he is the son-in-law chosen by our clever Heyla. Duke Wade slowly opened his eyes and called out to Astin.
“Mr. Austin.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
And then he held Austin's hand tightly and asked him a serious question.
“Aren’t you thinking of marrying our daughter?”
***
Shan, who returned home after finishing his work at the palace, wasn't particularly surprised to hear that Astin had arrived. It seemed like he had already heard the news.
Shan took great care to ensure that Astin would have a comfortable stay in Targayel. He knew full well that winning Astin's favor was the shortcut to winning Elze's heart.
It was basic for Astin, who returned home without taking the exam, to prepare the materials needed to write the report to be submitted in his place for the exam.
Shan even offered to invite prominent scholars in the field to give advice, although Astin flatly refused, claiming it was unfair.
There was another piece of news that surprised Shan and Elze. After Astin came back from Duke Wade's residence, he had a strange feeling. Astin, who was restless and didn't know what to do, quietly called Elze over and spoke.
“Excuse me, sister..."
Astin, with a pouty face from lack of sleep, made a bombshell statement to Elze.
“His Excellency the Duke of Wade wants to take me as his son-in-law.”
Soon after, a letter arrived from the Wade family, requesting a formal marriage proposal.
“Marriage...”
As expected, what Astin said turned out to be true. Elze stared blankly at the letter with Duke Wade’s seal.
She thought that someday Astin would find a partner and get married. But it was just a vague thought. When the marriage proposal came like this, she was so flustered that she couldn't think of anything. And it was from the Wade family.
Although Astin was old enough to be born into a noble family, he still had no fiancé. Until then, letters asking for Astin’s hand in marriage had occasionally arrived in Targayel, but Elze had politely declined them all. This was because she wanted Astin to marry someone he liked, not someone of political convenience.
However, the marriage proposal from the Wade family was different. First of all, the Wade family's only daughter, Heyla Wade, was a classmate of Astin's at Britain University.
Moreover, it was not the Duke who had chosen him as her daughter's husband, but Heyla who had proposed to the Duke first and had been the one who had actively courted him. Astin was embarrassed, but he did not seem to dislike it.
The Duke seemed to have already firmly decided on Astin as his son-in-law. There would be nothing to be sorry about for the Duke of Wade, but his impatience was evident in the letter.
There was even a specific plan written down, such as having a simple engagement ceremony first so as not to interfere with their studies and then marrying them off later when the two children graduated.
“You, aren’t you going to meet His Excellency Duke Wade when you enter the palace today?”
Elze said, smoothing out Shan's slightly wrinkled shirt collar.
“Tell me about Astin too.”
Shan replied, ruffling Elze's slightly disheveled hair.
“I will make sure to do so.”
“Of course. But...”
Elze hesitated and then asked.
“Are the Duke really planning to pass the title on to Astin?”
“Princess Heyla wants it, and Duke Wade would be better off taking in a son-in-law who will cherish the Princess rather than passing the title to a distant relative.”
“That’s true, but...”
Elze lowered her eyes slightly. Old memories came to mind. It was when her parents had passed away and Targayel was in ruins.
Astin, who was not gifted with the sword, became a Count and was forced to lead a penniless family. Suffering from the immense pressure and self-reproach, Astin chose suicide. The scars of that day still remain on Astin's wrist.
The sight of Astin sobbing with blood and tears mixed in her eyes... That was a sight Elze never wanted to see again in her life.
It would be great if Astin became the Duke of Wade. However, Astin might feel burdened by the idea of inheriting the dukedom. Elze's opinion was the most important thing to Astin.
“I’ll talk to Astin again. He's busy writing the report right now, so let’s move on. You find out exactly what Duke Wade means.”
At Elze's command, Shan promised to do so obediently.
“I’m going to enter the palace first, so if possible, let’s leave the palace together.”
Shan said a brief farewell and headed to the palace first. Then Elze also began preparing to enter the palace. Since Crown Princess Iarin had requested to enter the palace, Elze was also scheduled to go to the palace today.
“Madam, this is Ivanna.”
Elze allowed her to enter after hearing the knock on the door. Ivanna entered with a solemn expression. However, as soon as she closed the door and was alone with Elze, her face relaxed.
"Captain!"
Ivanna hung onto Elze's arm and called out to her in a coquettish voice. Elze smiled and accepted Ivanna's words.
Normally, the maids would have taken care of her. But today, for the first time in a while, she received help from Ivanna. When Elze had something to talk to Ivanna about, she would ask her to help her dress up instead of the maids.
And today, she had something to ask Ivanna.
“Have you looked into it?”
Ivanna explained, making a salute with her hand.
“Yes. I thought it wouldn’t work out for us, so I asked Epen for help. They’re assassins, so they’re used to tracking down targets.”
Elze was looking for the merchant woman who had raped him for the first time, based on some clues she had gotten from Shan. She couldn't go there herself, so she left the tracking to Elijah. Ivanna chattered while changing Elze's earrings.
“I sent you some Mazehag flowers because I thought you needed a little interrogation, so I think you’ll be fine.”
“Mazehag flower?”
“These are the flowers I collected in Himov at that time. I put them in my coat...”
Ivanna rummaged through her coat, took out a glass bottle, and showed it to me. Inside was a beautifully dried, pale pink flower.
“It’s often used during interrogations because it has strong hallucinogenic properties. If you mix it with a little bit of torture and a little bit of hallucination, it’s a fantastic interrogation combo.”
In Himov, Ivanna encountered a group of bandits while collecting Mazehag flowers. Of course, after the Battle of Himov, she returned to the forest to collect flowers.
At that moment, Elze smiled as the memory came back to her. Ivanna, who realized why Elze was smiling, pouted for a moment but continued to dress up quietly.
Today's outfit was a long-sleeved dress that clung tightly to the arms. The reason she wore such a dress was because of her right arm.
Elze told her that the wound on her right arm had been cured thanks to a good medicine that was among the treasures bestowed by the Queen of Ryeo. It was decided to say only that to the public, as it seemed that the situation would become more complicated if she talked about the divine power of Ilwooz.
Everyone was curious, but there was no way to find out. No one really knew about Ryeo, and the only one who knew was the Count of Epernon, who was in custody.
Since Ryeo is considered such a mysterious country, it would be a reasonable excuse to cover it up.
However, she was thinking of covering her arms for the time being because showing her arms too cleanly could easily arouse suspicion.
After completing all preparations, Elze boarded the carriage heading to the palace, escorted by Ivanna.
***
Elze hasn't seen Iarin since that day's hunting competition. She heard that Iarin was suffering from guilt because Elze got hurt in her place.
Of course, it wasn't Iarin's fault. She just fell into a trap that someone might have set. Shan could have fallen into that trap, or Elze could have fallen into it.
So Elze didn't blame Iarin. However, Iarin must have had a hard time because she sent Elze long letters filled with her heartfelt feelings several times.
“Erzenes...”
As soon as she saw Elze, Iarin let out a sigh of relief. She whispered with a pale face.
“Thank goodness. I was really worried.”
Since she had decided to have lunch with Iarin, Elze was guided to the dining hall of the Crown Princess Palace. As she sat down at the large table with Iarin, she noticed her figure.
Today, Iarin, wearing a dress with a high collar, looked even more gaunt. She looked like a dried flower as if it would crumble and make a crunching sound at any moment.
"Your Highness."
At Elze's cautious voice, Iarin put down her fork. Then she muttered in a pained voice.
“I shouldn’t say this to you, who I haven’t seen in a long time... but I haven’t been able to sleep well lately.”
Iarin's hands were shaking. She looked ominous.
“Your Highness. What is the matter? Please tell me.”
“...”
Iarin looked at Elze. Her face looked like it was about to burst into tears. However, she didn’t seem to know how to cry or how to cry. She just trembled her lips and touched her collar with her hands. After a while, Iarin said.
“I know it’s rude of me to ask you this, but there’s something I really want to ask you...”
Elze answered in a calm tone to reassure Iarin.
“Please speak as you wish, Your Highness.”
Iarin looked around. She confirmed that all the maids were far away, and she closed her eyes tightly. Then she pleaded in a weak voice.
“Can you just stay at the Crown Princess’ Palace for today?”
***
Elze sent a maid to Shan to inform him that she would be staying at the Crown Princess Palace today. Shan replied that they should meet and talk.
So the two met briefly in the palace. It was a long passage overlooking the garden. The wind blew gently through the long columns.
“Elze!”
As soon as he saw her, Shan called out to Elze as if he hadn't seen her in three days. As soon as Elze answered him, Shan suddenly asked her a question.
“You’re saying you’re going to spend a night at the Crown Princess’ Palace?”
“Her Highness asked me to just sleep for today.”
“Hmm.”
Shan had a very unpleasant expression on his face. It had only been a few nights since they had spent together in the bedroom, and now they had to be apart again. Shan was very unhappy about this.
“Do you really have to do that?”
Elze glanced around at the people around her, then lowered her voice and spoke.
“I think Her Highness the Crown Princess is in a slightly strange state.”
"...What?"
“It’s true. She looks so precarious like something could happen at any moment...”
Elze stopped talking and closed her mouth. A maid had passed by the two. After confirming that she had passed, Elze spoke again.
“Anyway, I think I should stay with her tonight. How about Duke Wade?”
"Ag."
Shan seemed to be struggling with what to say to Elze's question.
“It’s a bit... long. I’ll tell you when you get home.”
Anyway, there were a lot of people passing by here right now, and Shan was busy, so he had to go back quickly. Elze nodded to Shan's words. Shan sighed and said.
“I guess I’ll have to work overtime today to catch up on work at the palace. I’ll be leaving the palace tomorrow morning, so let’s go home together.”
At Shan's words, Elze frowned and said.
“You don’t have to do that either.”
Shan is already having a hard time these days. Although Elze is helping with the running of Targayel, she can't help with the work of Machangs or the palace.
Recently, Elze got hurt, so Shan ended up taking on all of Elze's work. Now that Elze is completely healed, she's back to work, but he's indeed been working too hard.
“Go home first and get some rest.”
At Elze's words, Shan pretended to frown, following Elze's example.
“That’s too much. Are you telling me to go home alone without you?”
Many people were watching, but he acted slyly. Elze looked around and scolded Shan.
“What is too much? Stop talking nonsense.”
At Elze's words, Shan laughed heartily.
“I had a lot of work to do anyway.”
Elze glared at him. But instead of showing a reflective expression, Shan smiled silently. It was a face that said she would not bend until she was allowed to.
“...Yes. Let’s go home together tomorrow.”
In the end, Elze had no choice but to accept Shan's will.
***
As always, the time with Iarin was enjoyable. Iarin smiled and chatted brightly in front of Elze like a young lady of her age.
Elze also felt at ease when talking to Iarin. When the two of them were together, there was no need to be humble like when talking to other nobles.
A friend who is okay, to be honest. That was the relationship between Iarin and Elze. After Elze saved Iarin's life, she seemed to have come to trust Elze completely.
The day ended after chatting about various things and taking a walk in the garden of the Crown Princess Palace. Elze had a simple dinner with Iarin.
Iarin seemed greatly encouraged by the thought of Elze spending the night with her. Unlike the morning when she had only eaten a corner of cake, she ate a full meal. She ate soup and even a few pieces of meat. And then her face brightened up considerably.
“Oh, I can’t remember how long it’s been since I felt this full.”
It was a bit crude for a Crown Princess to say, but neither Elze nor Iarin paid any attention to it. The two women looked into each other’s eyes and giggled.
As they chatted about this and that, it was soon time to go to bed. Iarin instructed that Elze be placed in the room next to her bedroom.
Oddly enough, as bedtime approached, Iarin began to feel depressed. She sighed several times.
"Your Highness."
Elze grabbed her trembling hand. Iarin lowered her head. Her shoulders were shaking. Iarin spoke softly.
“I have a nightmare.”
"Nightmare?"
“Yes, nightmares. I’m afraid of the night coming... I’m always afraid...”
As Iarin was about to say something more, trembling, a maid's knock was heard. Iarin stopped talking and allowed her to enter the room. Then, the maid came in, dragging a tray.
On the tray was a kettle with hot water, a teacup, and a small plate. The plate contained dried flower buds. Elze was wondering what it was, and Iarin explained it to her.
“It’s flower tea, which is said to help you sleep well. It doesn’t have much of an effect, but it’s better than not drinking it.”
Iarin said as she put a flower bud in a teacup and poured water over it as if she was used to it.
“Would you like to try some too? It’s most effective if you drink it before bedtime, so I’ll tell them to prepare some for yourself.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Elze said that and took a peek at Iarin’s teacup. Then, her face hardened slightly so as not to show it. After that, Elze was guided by the maid without saying anything else and prepared to go to bed.
The room where Elze slept was the room next to Iarin's bedroom.
After changing into comfortable clothes while being served, she was about to go to bed. The maid placed a teapot, teacups, and a plate of dried flower buds on the table next to the bed. It was the same as what Iarin had been drinking.
“Her Highness has sent it. It is a precious tea, and she would like you, Madam, to try it.”
Elze stared at it blankly for a moment before answering her maid.
“...I see. I’ll make sure to drink it. Leave it and go.”
The maid bowed politely and left. As the maid left, Elze poured hot water into the teacup. Flower buds bloomed brilliantly in the water. The fully bloomed flowers swayed their light pink petals.
And Elze knew what that flower was.
“Mazehag flowers...”
It was definitely the Mazehag flower that Ivanna showed her today. Drinking a flower that is said to have hallucinogenic effects as a medicinal tea... It wasn’t normal.
When she held the teacup up to the light, shr could see the powder that hadn't completely dissolved had settled to the bottom. The scent was slightly different from the tea Iarin had been drinking, and it seemed like something had been added to Elze's tea.
She didn't know if she had put in something like a sleeping pill. Elze waited for the water to cool down, took out the flowers, opened the window, and poured out the tea. Then she plucked off one of the petals hid it in a drawer, and put the rest back in the teacup as they were.
She was lying in bed pretending to sleep when she heard the door click open.
“...”
The maid confirmed that Elze had emptied her teacup, then quietly took the tea set and disappeared. Elze waited for her footsteps to fade away before opening her eyes again. Then she crept over to the door and opened it slightly.
She could see Iarin's bedroom. Moonlight was shining through the window onto the bed where darkness had fallen. Iarin seemed to be sleeping deeply. Elze could hear her breathing evenly. She watched for a long time, but nothing happened. It was around the time when she wondered if the Mazehag flower could really be used as a medicine.
“Ugh...”
Iarin groaned and twisted her body. Sobs flowed from her mouth.
“I was wrong, I won’t do it again... I’m sorry, I was wrong...”
It was a nightmare. Elze was about to wake Iarin, but the bedroom door opened.
The one who opened the door and came in was a male servant. There was no reason for a servant to enter the Crown Princess’s room. In addition, he was wearing a black mask on his face. It was a familiar mask that she had seen somewhere.
As she watched, wondering what was going on, the guy slowly climbed onto Iarin's bed. And at the next scene, Elze doubted her eyes.
“!!”
The attendant began to strangle Iarin's neck. Iarin sobbed in a suppressed voice.
“Ah, ahh! Huh... Ugh... !”
Tears flowed down her cheeks without stopping. Iarin trembled all over her body, but she couldn't move. She looked like someone who had been accustomed to fear for a long time.
She couldn't stand it any longer. Elze kicked the door open and ran out.
“!!”
The servant was startled by Elze's sudden appearance and froze. But he soon came to his senses and tried to run away. Elze spoke softly in the darkness.
“Don't move.”
The servant stopped walking without realizing it at the sound of her voice. Elze looked straight at him and said.
“The moment you run out of here, I will scream.”
“...”
“I don’t know who your master is... but I don’t think you want a commotion.”
The servant looked at Elze in silence. Without taking her eyes off him, Elze slowly approached Iarin. Iarin was covered in sweat all over.
"Your Highness!"
“Uh, Erzenes...?”
Iarin stared blankly at Elze with dilated pupils. Iarin, who had not yet fully awakened from her dream, had confused eyes where hallucinations and reality were mixed together.
At that moment, a cold, metallic sound was heard along with a click. The servant, whose escape route was blocked, pulled out a dagger from his bosom. Holding the dagger, the servant slowly approached Elze.
Elze bit her lower lip. Iarin trembled and held onto Elze. Elze stroked her and whispered.
“Your Highness, do you trust me?”
“Erzenes...”
“Close your eyes and cover your ears now.”
Elze said as she covered Iarin's head with a blanket.
“Until I wake Your Highness, you will not move from under the covers. Do you understand?”
And then Elze slowly got up from the bed.
“Please wait a moment...”
Elze's blue eyes hardened.
“Everything will be resolved.”
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