Chapter 3 Ghostland
Shartus smiled sincerely. It was a smile filled with life. No one had ever spoken so clearly about their own death.
Her words were filled with a conviction that almost felt dangerous.
The enemy of the Sorcerer Empire, he knows that this woman, who revealed her name as Roan, did not come before him easily.
Her grandmother threw herself in front of the carriage, and her granddaughter, with her life in the hands of the royal family, used all sorts of threats. Shartus Kartazen is in front of her.
"You know something."
That was the only way he could think. An intangible aura rippled around Shartus. It was a struggle for Rosentine, who had never trained in martial arts, to endure.
She felt nauseous and suffocated. It was a different kind of pressure than anything she'd ever felt before. But Rosentine stood still, clenching her fists, enduring the dizziness that threatened to knock her out at any moment.
She felt dizzy. She couldn't count how many times she bit my lip.
She pulled herself together, and it was only when she began to gather her strength that she was able to breathe again, with a wry smile on her face.
"I'll watch you."
"...So, do it.”
"As you said, your life and my life are intertwined."
"Even if it's to save my life."
"Remember it."
It will definitely be. Answering inwardly, Rosentine thought of Corte and Heimt. Even the Duke's many ceremonial brushes.
Knock knock.
The knock rang, and the hostel came in just in time. He held paper and pen in his hand.
***
"Roan... The Second Prince Shartus."
"Please correct it to Party A and Party B."
Hostang, who was holding the pen, stopped. Party A and Party B? He looked like he didn't understand.
Rosentine looked at him and smiled. It was the moment she had been waiting for.
"Yes, let the Prince be the Party A and me the Party B."
"Does it make sense?"
"It will be easier for you to write. Rather than using Roan and the second prince, Shartus, every time."
"Did you learn it?"
"It is said that it is a method used by merchants in the northern Hachden region."
Shartus looked intrigued. Rosentine said nothing more, just salivating.
Hostang, who held the pen himself, nodded in agreement.
If there was even the slightest mistake or misalignment, Rosentine would immediately change the paper, so it was a more convenient measure for the host. Rosentine was calling for good news in her heart.
The method was used by the Hahden merchants. The first time she saw it was on Earth.
In the northern desert of Akrana on the continent, the Auroga were inhabited by the Hachden clan. They were engaged in commerce and made their home in oases.
Their faces are dark red, and their height is imposing. Rosentine first saw them as guests of Heimt who visited the Duke's house.
In the contract that the elderly man showed Heimt, the words for the two were Party A and Party B. It had never been seen in the previous contract.
Ahna, a man from Hachden, who was a guest of Heimt, explained to the curious Rosentine: Their names change every 33 years, so they have to use this method.
Rosentine came up with this method from that story.
Originally, her name was Rosentine Arzen. If she wants to save the Prince and fulfill the contract, she will be in great trouble if she uses this name as an excuse to say that she will not be able to fulfill the contract.
To prevent this from happening, Rosentine wrote the spelling of Shartus Kartazen on Party A and Rian on Party B. The spelling was also the initials of Rosentine Arzen.
She had behaved so unusually that Hostang didn't take it seriously.
"What is the contract?"
Rosentine took a deep breath. She spoke to Hostang, but fixed her gaze on Shartus.
He was also looking at Rosentine. Intense eyes, a face that looks like a demon. Perhaps it is natural for her to sign a contract with him, who is called a witch.
"When I save you from danger, and everything is over, please guarantee my life."
"Good."
"No matter what happens, please don't use this ability as an excuse to harm my family."
Shartus looked at Rosentine for a moment without answering. The eyes they met were sharp, but Rosentine did not avoid them.
He was looking at Rosentine's intentions.
And after a while, he smiled slightly. Was this it? It was a face that asked so.
Indeed, he was curious. Why would she take such a risk and appear before the royal family, seeking such a sure guarantee?
"Good."
Approval fell slowly.
Rosentine couldn't stand it and breathed a sigh of relief. Shartus was looking at Rosentine intently.
It was time to take a seal. Shartus told him to bring the contract, and he took out a ring with his seal. It was the moment when Hostang was about to melt the candles.
Rosentine, who had been observing the series of actions, exclaimed as if he remembered something. Her face beamed.
Hosting felt a slight sense of unease.
"Wait a minute. I remembered something very important now, Prince."
"Was there anything else to decide? What is it?"
"Roan doesn't attend to the night service."
It was the moment when he received the same ridicule he had given the old woman the night before.
Shartus burst into laughter. She was indeed a woman who recovered quickly.
***
- They say a man and a maid met under the clock hands.
- An order was given to swap the Crown Prince's cup with the Second Prince's at a scheduled time.
The conspiracy the ghost foretold was simple and elaborate.
The moment Rosentine heard the plan, she realized this was not a clumsy plot. One servant to poison the cup, and one maid to change the cup.
For now, here's what she knew: they probably didn't even know each other were part of the plan.
They were simply bribed or ordered to carry out their duties. Therefore, it was impossible to simply arrest the servants and maids and interrogate them.
Even if you catch one tail, you'll cut it off. It was a lizard-like plan, the outline of which you couldn't know until you caught the main body. Even all three plans were like that.
The reason Rosentine was able to divide the plan into three categories was simple.
Each plan had a different face for the person giving the orders. The ghost described their appearance, and Rosentine realized that these middle caretakers were also part of the same tail.
Even if they were caught, the mastermind of the conspiracy wouldn't emerge. In that case, it would be better to uncover the overall outline of the conspiracy and identify the mastermind behind it.
If left alone, there was no telling when the mastermind might attempt Shartus's life again.
Even after fulfilling the contract, Rosentine couldn't ignore the Second Prince's plight. The only person who could guarantee her life was Shartus.
If he dies, she too will face a crisis. That's why it was necessary to uncover every single incident from the beginning.
***
Rosentine was sitting in the carriage and looking out.
The magnificent building is decorated with elaborate patterns with gold in between. The arranged garden leading from the gate of the imperial palace showed the majesty of the Imperial family.
She let out a series of light sighs. Hostang looked proud at this, and Shartus just passed by the landscape without any expression. Of course, Rosentine was pretending to be a newcomer to see the imperial palace for the first time.
Looking at the scenery without exaggeration, she recalled her childhood. When she met Shartus, or rather, 'Shatt,' When she glanced at Shartus, he had a sculpted profile as he had when he was a child.
'You were like an angel back then.'
Now that she thinks about it, she just wonders how she could ever think of that face as an angel.
Rosentine shook her head and looked out the window again. It was her first official day as Roan. Several ghosts were following the royal carriage. One of them was clinging to the window, peering inside.
Rosentine's eyes met the ghost's. The ghost looked away indifferently, seemingly oblivious to her disguise.
'The makeup looks pretty good.'
In a place like this, where one's worth is determined by the splendor of one's clothing, one piece of clothing can make all the difference. It was even stranger to find the status of a court lady in this situation.
The carriage passed through the garden and entered the palace.
Today, she officially begins her duties as Shartus's vassal. It wasn't a prestigious position.
They would just consider her as a servant that Shartus uses for a short time.
However, it was clear that this would become a hot topic since Shartus did not accept vassals well.
That's what Rosentine wanted. A position that would attract a certain amount of attention but would be looked down upon by others.
She shook her head at Shartus's question about whether she should be given a proper title. She simply replied that "maid" would suffice. Just being Shartus's maid would attract attention.
But that's all, as long as the higher-ups recognize that she is a maid, they will naturally ignore her.
As maids, they were in the best position to gather information, traveling the palace's many paths. Strictly speaking, nothing was better than a ghost, but she couldn't become one right away.
"Let’s get started."
From here, her lifeline began. The long garden path leading to the palace felt to Rosentine like the path she was destined to walk.
***
"I expected this," Rosentine thought with a sense of dejection. "Yes, the path to the palace seemed rather long and arduous."
She actually thought, "Maybe, maybe this is how it could be." Those who parachute in are always bound to be envied. But when she actually faced that treatment, she was dumbfounded.
"You said you were the new maid?"
The woman who introduced herself as Moren had a venomous expression on her face. Rosentine, who had received the rag, was far away.
She just looked at Moren.
"What are you doing? Are you not going to clean it? Are you slow or stupid?"
Rosentine sat quietly, analyzing the situation. For a moment, panic set in, and her mind spun slowly.
So, is this a situation where you sign a contract as a detective and become a servant to the family?
The situation was so new that even responding was delayed. Moren, thinking she was frightened by the sight, straightened her back impatiently.
Eventually, she went so far as to kick the laundry that was lying next to her and send it in front of Rosentine.
"You'll have to do this laundry after you finish, so wouldn't it be better to move quickly?"
The smell was so bad that she thought they were supposed to throw the used rags in that bin.
Rosentine could have hung the rag she was holding onto the fact that the laundry in that bin was originally Moren's job.
The situation was this. Shartus introduced Rosentine personally to the chamberlain and the attendants. As a maid, it was natural for her to introduce herself to the attendants, but this was probably the first time he had personally stepped forward.
"She will assist me in the future.'
Rosentine clearly saw several of the attendants' faces turn dark at those words. They were probably those who harbored affection or excessive respect for Shartus.
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