And Winfred couldn't help but be tempted by the offer.
From what he's heard, commoners were free to date and had a lot to see and hear. It seemed like Binka could offer some advice.
"Really? Please! Ah! Not now, later. It's economics class soon."
He accepted her offer with a bright voice, feeling as if he had won a thousand armies. Then he retrieved his assignment from among the piled papers on his desk, cradled it in his arms, and left the room.
It was a light step, as if walking on clouds.
And Binka, left alone, smiled contentedly as she watched Winfred's back. However, that smile was a little different from the innocent one she had shown in front of the crown prince.
It was a sinister smile, as if there was some other hidden agenda.
Ophelia was looking at a painting in the dark, leaning on a small lamp. It was a portrait of her daughter, painted by Winfred.
The secret space hidden behind the wall of the Duke's bedroom was good because it was kept out of the light, but it was not a good place to store paintings because it was not well-ventilated.
But this painting was not meant to be seen by others.
For the safety of her daughter, whom she can only see through paintings now, she had no choice but to hang it in this narrow, damp space and admire it.
'Our pretty daughter...'
She gazed at the painting with tearful eyes and carefully reached out to touch it, her hand gently caressing her daughter's cheek.
But the painting didn't convey Aila's soft, smooth skin or its warmth. All that could be felt was the rough texture of the canvas.
At that unfamiliar sensation, tears eventually fell from Ophelia's eyes.
The reason she was crying in this small space was that her daughter appeared in her dream last night.
It wasn't unusual for Aila to appear in her dreams. Ever since she lost the child, she'd been appearing in her dreams every night.
But yesterday's dream was a little different.
Aila, who always appeared as if time had stopped, just as she was back then.
Yesterday, she came out looking like this picture, having grown up so much.
No, she appeared a little more grown up than in this picture, that is, she looked similar to the current child, and she looked at Ophelia silently with sad eyes as if she wanted to say something, and then she quietly left.
There must have been a reason why her daughter appeared in her dream like that.
She gazed at the portrait of her daughter, whom she longed for even in her dreams, for a long time before taking out something like a small hand mirror from her pocket.
It was a magical tool that allowed communication with Candice, a dear friend who had gone to a distant foreign country to track down Aila.
As she activated the communication port, a signal passed for a while, and Candice's face appeared in the spot where her face had been.
“Hey, buddy! Why did you contact me all this time?”
The happy friend smiled, showing her teeth, then widened her eyes when she saw the sadness on her face.
“Did you cry? What’s wrong with your face?”
“No, I didn’t cry.”
Ophelia blurted out a single lie. Her reddened eyes and nose, and her hoarse voice, were clearly those of someone who had just cried her heart out.
And her dear friend fell for her lies. Even the closest of friends sometimes find themselves unwilling to reveal their sorrow.
“Anyway, why?”
"Where are you now? Are you still in the Inselkov Kingdom?"
“Ah, yeah. Looking at the map, I thought it was just a small country, but when I actually looked inside, it was bigger than I thought.”
Candice grimaced, "I didn't know it would be this hard." Then, she heard an unfamiliar male voice beside her.
“Oh, Sister! A booger! It’s sad to see a country with only booger ears!”
“Bernie, get out of here. We’re talking!”
And at that sight, Ophelia let out a small laugh. Every time she shed tears thinking of Aila, strangely enough, Candice made her smile.
"Who is this?"
“...There is a subordinate who happened to appear.”
Candice grumbled with a fresh expression.
"What on earth happened?"
From what he's heard, commoners were free to date and had a lot to see and hear. It seemed like Binka could offer some advice.
"Really? Please! Ah! Not now, later. It's economics class soon."
He accepted her offer with a bright voice, feeling as if he had won a thousand armies. Then he retrieved his assignment from among the piled papers on his desk, cradled it in his arms, and left the room.
It was a light step, as if walking on clouds.
And Binka, left alone, smiled contentedly as she watched Winfred's back. However, that smile was a little different from the innocent one she had shown in front of the crown prince.
It was a sinister smile, as if there was some other hidden agenda.
***
Ophelia was looking at a painting in the dark, leaning on a small lamp. It was a portrait of her daughter, painted by Winfred.
The secret space hidden behind the wall of the Duke's bedroom was good because it was kept out of the light, but it was not a good place to store paintings because it was not well-ventilated.
But this painting was not meant to be seen by others.
For the safety of her daughter, whom she can only see through paintings now, she had no choice but to hang it in this narrow, damp space and admire it.
'Our pretty daughter...'
She gazed at the painting with tearful eyes and carefully reached out to touch it, her hand gently caressing her daughter's cheek.
But the painting didn't convey Aila's soft, smooth skin or its warmth. All that could be felt was the rough texture of the canvas.
At that unfamiliar sensation, tears eventually fell from Ophelia's eyes.
The reason she was crying in this small space was that her daughter appeared in her dream last night.
It wasn't unusual for Aila to appear in her dreams. Ever since she lost the child, she'd been appearing in her dreams every night.
But yesterday's dream was a little different.
Aila, who always appeared as if time had stopped, just as she was back then.
Yesterday, she came out looking like this picture, having grown up so much.
No, she appeared a little more grown up than in this picture, that is, she looked similar to the current child, and she looked at Ophelia silently with sad eyes as if she wanted to say something, and then she quietly left.
There must have been a reason why her daughter appeared in her dream like that.
She gazed at the portrait of her daughter, whom she longed for even in her dreams, for a long time before taking out something like a small hand mirror from her pocket.
It was a magical tool that allowed communication with Candice, a dear friend who had gone to a distant foreign country to track down Aila.
As she activated the communication port, a signal passed for a while, and Candice's face appeared in the spot where her face had been.
“Hey, buddy! Why did you contact me all this time?”
The happy friend smiled, showing her teeth, then widened her eyes when she saw the sadness on her face.
“Did you cry? What’s wrong with your face?”
“No, I didn’t cry.”
Ophelia blurted out a single lie. Her reddened eyes and nose, and her hoarse voice, were clearly those of someone who had just cried her heart out.
And her dear friend fell for her lies. Even the closest of friends sometimes find themselves unwilling to reveal their sorrow.
“Anyway, why?”
"Where are you now? Are you still in the Inselkov Kingdom?"
“Ah, yeah. Looking at the map, I thought it was just a small country, but when I actually looked inside, it was bigger than I thought.”
Candice grimaced, "I didn't know it would be this hard." Then, she heard an unfamiliar male voice beside her.
“Oh, Sister! A booger! It’s sad to see a country with only booger ears!”
“Bernie, get out of here. We’re talking!”
And at that sight, Ophelia let out a small laugh. Every time she shed tears thinking of Aila, strangely enough, Candice made her smile.
"Who is this?"
“...There is a subordinate who happened to appear.”
Candice grumbled with a fresh expression.
"What on earth happened?"
Ophelia smiled slightly and explained the reason she had contacted her.
“Candice, there it is. Now... I think we can stop looking.”
“What? What does that mean?”
She hasn't even met Ayla, let alone been near her, and now she can stop looking for her. It was a strange thought.
“Have you already found it?”
“...No, that’s not it.”
In response to her friend's question, Ophelia quietly collected her thoughts, for she had no idea how to explain this.
“Somehow... I don’t think she’ll be there.”
Strangely enough, from the moment she woke up, Ophelia had a premonition: that Aila had already returned to the Empire.
She sometimes had this very clear premonition.
Long ago, when she was dispatched to the Empire as a researcher at the Magic Academy, it was the same. Leaving her beloved hometown, she had a strange premonition that she would never return there again.
That premonition was right on the mark, and it actually happened.
Now that she's reconciled with her family, she might be able to visit her hometown someday, but it will never be the same.
Now, this Peles Empire was her home.
“Is it that ‘premonition’ again?”
Candice sighed, her voice a bit muffled, knowing that Ophelia's premonitions were sometimes surprisingly accurate.
The fact that she had come all the way to this distant land and had to return without finding Ayla was discouraging.
Ophelia wasn't always right, but she was always right when she spoke so confidently about things that concerned her.
“Your premonition is a premonition... because it’s the perfect time for her to return to the empire.”
Candice sighed and nodded.
When Bernie had recently heard from a fellow intelligence officer that the Sekim had invaded the Empire and that war was brewing, that was the first thing that came to her mind.
Byron might take advantage of this gap to enter the empire.
“Yes, if that’s what you mean... well, it’s time to return.”
Candice was already thinking that she should go back soon, since people in her home country were clamoring for her to come back soon.
When Candice said she would do so, Ophelia thanked her several times before hanging up.
She thought it was time to get out now, because if she stayed in the secret space too long, she would arouse suspicion.
She looked at her daughter's portrait again. And, just as when she woke up that morning, she felt a strange, strong sense of foreboding.
She had a feeling that there wouldn't be much time left until she was reunited with Aila.
“Oh, uh... You heard? That’s what happened.”
Candice, who had put a hand mirror-shaped communication device in her pocket, looked at Bernie. He was looking at her with a sad expression, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Are you really going back, Sister?”
They had become quite close while traveling throughout the Inselkov Kingdom in search of Aila, so it was quite regrettable that they were parting ways like this.
“Yeah, I have a main job too.”
In fact, she's been away for too long now.
“...Your main job? Come to think of it, I don’t even know what you do.”
Bernie's already gloomy expression grew even sadder. He looked like a lost puppy.
“Hmm, yeah, haha.”
Candice smiled awkwardly and scratched her head. At first, she hadn't revealed her identity to a stranger, fearing it would be risky, but after becoming close, she couldn't find a moment to talk.
Although she wasn't sure, Bernie seemed to believe Candice was in a similar industry to his. If she told him, "Actually, I'm the Chairperson of the Tamora Republic's Wizarding Council," he'd surely back down.
“Excuse me, Sister. By any chance... can I come with you?”
But then, Bernie suddenly made this suggestion with his eyes sparkling.
"You're following me? Me? You know what kind of person I am, and you're going to turn your back on your homeland."
When Candice tried to soothe him, never dreaming that he would follow her into leaving Inselkov, Bernie stuck out his mouth and muttered in discontent.
"What could a newcomer like me call home? I have no family, and even though the Inselkov Kingdom is my home, I have nowhere to attach myself to."
“...Hmm.”
At that answer, Candice thought for a moment.
In fact, during their time together, she's benefited greatly from his friendliness and informational skills. It wouldn't hurt to be able to borrow his strengths upon returning to the Republic of Tamora.
Of course, unlike before, she would have to gather information only in legal areas, and she would have to start from scratch in a foreign country with no acquaintances or sources.
Judging from his past experiences, he seemed like a talented person who would be able to gather information among monkeys even if he were thrown on a deserted island.
So, wouldn't it be possible to adapt well in a foreign country that he's never been to before?
“Really? Well, I guess so, then?”
When Candice said that, adjusting her glasses, Bernie looked quite touched.
He said that he had finally met a superior who truly recognized his abilities.
And Candice smiled sinisterly at Bernie, vowing to extract as much information as she could from him.
“Candice, there it is. Now... I think we can stop looking.”
“What? What does that mean?”
She hasn't even met Ayla, let alone been near her, and now she can stop looking for her. It was a strange thought.
“Have you already found it?”
“...No, that’s not it.”
In response to her friend's question, Ophelia quietly collected her thoughts, for she had no idea how to explain this.
“Somehow... I don’t think she’ll be there.”
Strangely enough, from the moment she woke up, Ophelia had a premonition: that Aila had already returned to the Empire.
She sometimes had this very clear premonition.
Long ago, when she was dispatched to the Empire as a researcher at the Magic Academy, it was the same. Leaving her beloved hometown, she had a strange premonition that she would never return there again.
That premonition was right on the mark, and it actually happened.
Now that she's reconciled with her family, she might be able to visit her hometown someday, but it will never be the same.
Now, this Peles Empire was her home.
“Is it that ‘premonition’ again?”
Candice sighed, her voice a bit muffled, knowing that Ophelia's premonitions were sometimes surprisingly accurate.
The fact that she had come all the way to this distant land and had to return without finding Ayla was discouraging.
Ophelia wasn't always right, but she was always right when she spoke so confidently about things that concerned her.
“Your premonition is a premonition... because it’s the perfect time for her to return to the empire.”
Candice sighed and nodded.
When Bernie had recently heard from a fellow intelligence officer that the Sekim had invaded the Empire and that war was brewing, that was the first thing that came to her mind.
Byron might take advantage of this gap to enter the empire.
“Yes, if that’s what you mean... well, it’s time to return.”
Candice was already thinking that she should go back soon, since people in her home country were clamoring for her to come back soon.
When Candice said she would do so, Ophelia thanked her several times before hanging up.
She thought it was time to get out now, because if she stayed in the secret space too long, she would arouse suspicion.
She looked at her daughter's portrait again. And, just as when she woke up that morning, she felt a strange, strong sense of foreboding.
She had a feeling that there wouldn't be much time left until she was reunited with Aila.
***
“Oh, uh... You heard? That’s what happened.”
Candice, who had put a hand mirror-shaped communication device in her pocket, looked at Bernie. He was looking at her with a sad expression, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Are you really going back, Sister?”
They had become quite close while traveling throughout the Inselkov Kingdom in search of Aila, so it was quite regrettable that they were parting ways like this.
“Yeah, I have a main job too.”
In fact, she's been away for too long now.
“...Your main job? Come to think of it, I don’t even know what you do.”
Bernie's already gloomy expression grew even sadder. He looked like a lost puppy.
“Hmm, yeah, haha.”
Candice smiled awkwardly and scratched her head. At first, she hadn't revealed her identity to a stranger, fearing it would be risky, but after becoming close, she couldn't find a moment to talk.
Although she wasn't sure, Bernie seemed to believe Candice was in a similar industry to his. If she told him, "Actually, I'm the Chairperson of the Tamora Republic's Wizarding Council," he'd surely back down.
“Excuse me, Sister. By any chance... can I come with you?”
But then, Bernie suddenly made this suggestion with his eyes sparkling.
"You're following me? Me? You know what kind of person I am, and you're going to turn your back on your homeland."
When Candice tried to soothe him, never dreaming that he would follow her into leaving Inselkov, Bernie stuck out his mouth and muttered in discontent.
"What could a newcomer like me call home? I have no family, and even though the Inselkov Kingdom is my home, I have nowhere to attach myself to."
“...Hmm.”
At that answer, Candice thought for a moment.
In fact, during their time together, she's benefited greatly from his friendliness and informational skills. It wouldn't hurt to be able to borrow his strengths upon returning to the Republic of Tamora.
Of course, unlike before, she would have to gather information only in legal areas, and she would have to start from scratch in a foreign country with no acquaintances or sources.
Judging from his past experiences, he seemed like a talented person who would be able to gather information among monkeys even if he were thrown on a deserted island.
So, wouldn't it be possible to adapt well in a foreign country that he's never been to before?
“Really? Well, I guess so, then?”
When Candice said that, adjusting her glasses, Bernie looked quite touched.
He said that he had finally met a superior who truly recognized his abilities.
And Candice smiled sinisterly at Bernie, vowing to extract as much information as she could from him.
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