“I’m feeling a bit weird.”
Sometimes, emotions could make a person anxious.
They would suddenly rise up when there were no thoughts at all, messing with a person’s feelings for no reason.
That can’t be right.
At least, as far as she knew, this kind of anxiety shouldn’t be happening.
Adele rubbed her temples and frowned.
It had already been a month since she returned to the North, and the chill in the air was getting harsher.
It meant that winter was coming again, but unlike usual, this news was a little welcome.
Not in every winter, but this one there would be a guest.
Since they said they were coming, they must come.
What if they don’t? She was thinking of using a bit rougher methods.
Raiding was a fine culture of the North.
What’s the big deal about raiding one man from House Taylor?
Recently, there had been rumors about her becoming the head of the family, but such things didn’t concern Adele.
She was only thinking about whether Robert would keep his promise; as for the head of House Taylor, they’d never met often, anyway.
However, it was certain that this strange feeling that arose lately was disturbing Adele’s peace.
Lothos, observing Adele, muttered casually.
“Are you jealous?”
“…Have you gone mad? Jealous? Why would I be?”
“No, it looks like you’re worried sick that the guy you like might meet another woman. That guy Robert doesn’t seem to have much luck with the ladies, though.”
“I know that. And I’ve never worried about such things.”
Adele frowned further as she replied.
Why on earth would she be jealous?
They weren’t even that kind of relationship, and the feeling she was experiencing was a bit different from that.
It felt as if something she had claimed first was being soiled… What should she even call this peculiar sensation?
Clicking her tongue softly, Adele glared at Lothos, prompting him to bow his head and close his mouth.
Thinking back, it was frustrating for no reason.
She hadn’t asked more because it was a secret, and hadn’t mentioned the level of what was hidden.
Being a Grand Duchess of the North, if it were someone else, they would have trembled at the mere mention of the name Adele Igrit.
Yet here she was, allowing a mere man to take the lead in such a situation.
Of course, it wasn’t that she disliked Robert himself, but it was undeniably bothersome.
Still, she couldn’t say anything; what could she say to a man who would probably be staying near the celestial pole by now?
Initiating contact first felt like losing, but she couldn’t just sit and wait until winter came.
“…Speaking of which, you mentioned you knew the Saint.”
Adrian, that pure girl, came to mind.
From what was said, it didn’t seem like they had just exchanged glances; they probably had a personal acquaintance.
She was a woman standing in direct contrast to Adele.
Leading a mercenary group since childhood, and Adrian leading an order.
The difference in their temperaments was striking, to say the least.
This uneasy feeling seemed to swell especially whenever she thought of the Saint, so Adele was particularly suspicious of her.
Whenever Adelle thought of the Saint, her gut feeling nagged at her particularly often, making her suspicious of the Saint.
She didn’t seem like the type to do something, but her instincts were generally on point, weren’t they?
Just as Adelle was lost in thought, Lothos suddenly spoke up.
“I heard something, but I don’t know if it’s true. It’s about Prince Robert Taylor.”
“Quit stalling and get to the point. Is there something I don’t know?”
“There are rumors that the Saint will be heading to the South together. This winter, by the way.”
In that moment, Adelle’s body stiffened, and Lothos swallowed hard as he observed her reaction.
It had been a while since he had seen her so flustered.
However, knowing that the reaction coming next wouldn’t be warm, Lothos cleared his throat and casually stepped back.
Keeping a safe distance was crucial in any situation.
Especially next to Adelle, who would ‘soon’ be angry.
“…Ha ha, so she’s going to the South.”
Giggling, Adelle slowly wiped her face.
She didn’t mind if the Saint went to the South. The timing, however, was the issue.
Hadn’t she just said she was coming to the North in winter?
To say that out loud in front of her, only to then plan a trip to the South?
“Well, it probably won’t overlap. They said it’s after the New Year, so Prince Taylor will likely arrive around the end of the year.”
“That’s not what matters.”
“Then what is important?”
“My mood just took a nosedive. Like, really, really low.”
Usually, she intended to stay in the North until winter ended.
With the prowess in handling magic, and if he were there, they could wrap up the sluggish immigrant subjugation quickly.
She had thought of subtly persuading him to stay longer, but the Saint was beating her to the punch.
So, that ominous feeling she’d had all along—it was about this.
Adelle let out a hollow laugh as she looked at Lothos.
“You need to find out exactly when they’re going to the South and report back to me.”
“Canceling the schedule could be tough. Isn’t it something the Order’s overseeing?”
“I’m not thinking of canceling the schedule. Even I have things I can’t do.”
Seeing Adelle smile like that, Lothos felt a surge of tension spike in his mind.
Whenever she smiled like that, she always brought up something outrageous.
Worrying about what absurdity would pop out of her mouth, Adelle continued.
“But it shouldn’t be a problem for them to go together.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just find out the schedule. I’ll make the call, since there won’t be any plans after the New Year anyway.”
They couldn’t refuse if they bump into each other, could they?
Adelle thought.
Even if she lucked out and met the Saint and Robert in the South, it wouldn’t be the situation she intended.
As she pet the wolf lying next to her, a faint smile blossomed on Adelle’s lips.
#
The barrier guarding Arwen’s house had long since disappeared.
Now, it was back to hanging a sign for a general store, so people could occasionally be seen coming and going.
Had she decided to return to her everyday life, perhaps?
Of course, she wasn’t hiding anymore like before, but there was something she needed to do.
Trying to sneak in like she did before, she turned towards the main gate instead.
I headed towards the door.
I didn’t want to see myself fainting in shock again.
If I screamed for nothing, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
So, I knocked on the door and waited for a while, until finally Arwen peeked her head out.
At first glance, she looked just like a child who had just started to grow, and I had to look down for a while before our eyes finally met, which made Arwen sigh.
“You came after all.”
“Since you called for me, I had no reason to refuse.”
“Come in. First… let’s talk a bit.”
The scenery inside was slightly different from before.
This was probably one of her abilities, a barrier, but from now on, I guessed she would be changing the environment inside daily.
Always having a space to breathe is a good habit to maintain.
Especially for someone like her who’s always under the threat of assassination.
With a wave of her hand, Arwen conjured a teacup out of thin air, and the teapot moved on its own to fill the cup.
It was a marvelous sight every time I saw it.
Typically, ordinary magicians couldn’t use magic power so flexibly.
As I examined the tea, Arwen stared at me and added,
“I didn’t add poison, so it’s okay to drink. And you should be able to tell if there’s poison in it, right?”
“I’m not at that high of a level yet, so I’d need to check several times. I’m not suspicious; I’m just a little curious.”
“Clearly, you came to find me for that reason you mentioned last time, right? About killing the Crown Prince.”
Arwen’s voice trembled, but it didn’t seem like it was from fear. Instead, it felt more like she wanted to confirm if that was truly my true purpose.
Nodding firmly, Arwen put down her teacup and gazed at me quietly.
“You seem to know already, but I originally belonged to an organization called ‘Icarus,’ which was responsible for collecting information within the Imperial Family.”
An organization that gathers intel, sort of like a spy group.
Such organizations exist anywhere, but the one she belonged to was a bit more in the shadows.
If the nation commanded it, she’d dive into enemy territory without hesitation.
It was a good place for Arwen, who had magic power specialized in illusions and barriers, to excel, and that’s why she had remained with that spy organization.
The continuing story was similar to what I already knew.
And the reason she had left Icarus and was now being hunted by the Crown Prince was also the same as what I knew.
“I completed various missions while with Icarus. There were simple espionage tasks and information gathering, but among them were also civilian assassinations.”
Her expression darkened whenever she brought that subject up.
If we were to talk about Arwen’s character, she was not someone who could be labeled as evil.
In fact, she was so kind that it made one question how she was affiliated with an organization like Icarus; it wasn’t long ago I had doubted she was part of it.
After staring at her clean hands for a moment, she began to speak again while rubbing her cheek.
“Killing someone who has a family isn’t a pleasant task. I even killed a mother in front of her daughter, so at one point, I started to feel discomfort with what I was doing.”
“Am I really doing the right thing?”
“It’s said that it’s all for the country, but I had my own line. The reason I continued working in Icarus at first was that I hadn’t crossed that line too often. But then… Kaitel finally began to cross the line.”
“I had a line I believed in. The reason I kept working at Icarus at first was that I generally wouldn’t cross that line. But… Kaitel finally started to step over it.”
The story she brought up was about an entire village that had vanished.
An incident where they attempted to wipe out a village altogether because a danger had infiltrated it.
It was a top-secret event, so it remained unknown, but the reason Arwen had given up and fled was precisely that.
“If I hadn’t warned you ahead of time, hundreds of people would have died. Can you believe it? Hundreds of lives lost. And seeing someone decide on something like that without a hint of concern made me realize. The Crown Prince… is no longer the sharp-minded person he once was.”
“Are you saying the Crown Prince has changed?”
It was a story Arwen had occasionally brought up in previous arcs.
That the Crown Prince’s brilliance had faded, and unlike before, his eyes now held madness.
Of course, the Crown Prince I faced was still the same, so I didn’t feel anything was odd, but
with how frequently it repeated, I couldn’t help but think there was something to it.
“First, I want to ask you something. Why do you want to kill the Crown Prince?”
“The reason.”
I looked at Arwen for a moment. I couldn’t explain about reincarnation.
I had brought it up once before, but back then, Arwen hadn’t understood what reincarnation was either.
The reason I wanted to kill the Crown Prince was simple.
It was because the moment my life spiraled out of control, when I was framed for betrayal and killed.
Before I ended this reincarnation, I just wanted to crush the point where my reincarnation had started.
Come to think of it, was this the first time I had directly stated that I would kill the Crown Prince?
I had no idea what kind of response I would get. But suddenly, the answer that popped into my head was quite vague.
“…So many have died.”
Even excluding myself, many who I considered precious had also died.
Just recently, Adele hadn’t been killed by the Crown Prince? I forced a bitter smile.
For a moment, emotions surged, causing my lips to tremble slightly, but then I pressed them shut.
No matter how much I wanted to forget, there were some things I couldn’t erase.
I might forget my own death, but I could never forget the sight of someone else dying in front of me.
As I looked at Arwen, she lifted her small frame and wrote characters in the air.
Familiar symbols. A magic for recording and documenting something,
and as I stared intently, Arwen responded to me.
“This is a magic that allows me to record and save my words. What I’m about to tell you is something I haven’t shared with anyone before. It’s a fact I’ve been investigating independently.”
I had never heard such words before.
This was my tenth meeting with her, but Arwen hadn’t given me much information.
She would only share what I requested, and I had to pay the corresponding price for it.
“Independently?”
“The reason the Crown Prince wants to kill me is simple. It’s not just because I escaped from Icarus, but because I know things I shouldn’t.”
As I squinted at the news I was hearing for the first time, Arwen continued with a serious expression.
“Do you happen to know about the Dead Dragon?”
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