“Ha… Haha…”
On a night with a crescent moon hanging in the sky, a sharp-eared elf woman leaned against the terrace and let out a chuckle.
As she swept her palm before her face, she turned into a human woman with a commoner’s appearance.
The specialty of the Crow organization was Disguise Magic.
When asked if this was her original form… that was a tricky question to answer.
She had changed her appearance so many times that it had long been forgotten.
This face was merely a reflection of her childhood self that she had pulled out from her memories, not something she could truly call her original face.
“Who on earth is that…?”
Schlus Hainkel saw through this disguise.
Even deceiving the Emperor and the Royal Guards. It was a perfect magic that he took pride in, capable of fooling even himself.
There’s no way it could have been detected with any Detection Magic.
She hadn’t sensed a flicker of the spell in action.
Then did she make a mistake somewhere? Had she carelessly leaked some information?
That seemed unlikely.
After years of living in the underground life, her security instincts were deeply ingrained in her.
Moreover, if she had made such a fatal mistake without realizing it, noblemen with better information networks than Schlus Hainkel would have noticed first.
But looking at those nobles enjoying the party so calmly, that possibility dwindled down to zero.
‘How did Kingheart find out…?’
Then came another unsettling sound.
Schlus had mentioned the name “Kingheart.”
Kingheart, a boy who recently became a member of the Crow and had stirred quite a controversy among them for his impressive skills at such a young age.
If Schlus Hainkel was merely looking for the Crow, it wouldn’t be strange.
But the problem was that Kingheart’s name hadn’t been formally registered yet.
Introductions as a Crow would only happen after official registration.
So there was no way Schlus Hainkel could know his name.
Unless there was one possibility…
‘Could it be…?’
What if Schlus Hainkel was also a member of the Crow?
Then everything made sense.
He could know about Kingheart before his registration.
This elf’s appearance was also one he often wore as a disguise, so if he frequently met partners, he’d probably notice.
Moreover, if he killed Henderson while he was caught off guard by seeing Schlus’s appearance, it all aligned.
I wondered how that monster had been killed…
Before long, suspicion turned into certainty.
‘One of the Crows? Who could it be?’
Jin’s mind flickered through the faces of the Crows.
Face. Voice. Build.
There wasn’t a single one that matched.
So did Schlus Hainkel also use Disguise Magic while working as a Crow?
“Ugh. That’s creepy…”
To think one of my partners was playing such a stable young man in the open.
It sent chills down my spine and felt a bit vexing.
Around the same time, a smile crept onto Jin’s lips.
‘Crows should only live in the shadows.’
I wanted to drag Schlus down.
I wanted to pull him back into the shadows, where he mistakenly thought he belonged to the light.
There was no particular reason.
There wouldn’t be any gain from doing this.
But it was an impulse close to instinct.
‘I’ve forgotten my original self, yet you live so brilliantly? That’s not fair…!’
An impulse rooted in jealousy, which is almost the essence of being human.
Jin was already snickering with a hand covering her mouth.
*
“Madam, here’s some water.”
“Thank you.”
Madam Lichtenburg gulped down the cold water.
Still, her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
It wasn’t just the shame of being embarrassed by a commoner.
It was the long-lost feeling of fear creeping back.
Was there someone in this continent who could threaten Lichtenburg by mentioning her daughters?
Excluding the Majin, no one had the capability or courage.
But Schlus’s deadpan eyes.
Those eyes belonged to a conqueror.
No matter how powerful Lichtenburg’s authority was, there was no stopping a lightning bolt from striking out of nowhere.
Schlus’s existence was like that.
An unstoppable natural disaster.
It was already a lucky break that he was showing mercy.
‘Is there really no way out…?’
The madam crossed her arms and slowly stepped out to the balcony.
The cool breeze was likely to help cool her head.
There was no way to confront him with power.
Was there some way to shape public opinion against him?
Would it work to plot against his reputation…?
‘That won’t do…’
Madam Lichtenburg shook her head quietly.
In her eyes, while Schlus was bold, he wasn’t reckless.
He was the type to only pick battles he was sure to win.
On the day Schlus revealed he had noticed her assassination attempt…
He must have already secured evidence that I had Henderson poison the well.
With such leverage, he surely came at Lichtenburg for a fight.
If I engaged in public opinion warfare, Schlus would immediately counter with the evidence.
“Ugh…”
I’m losing in strength and in information.
There’s no sign of victory, that’s what it means.
It’s pitiful that the third great magic noble family, Lichtenburg, is being bested by a commoner.
Yet that commoner was practically a walking catastrophe.
The future looked grim.
I could already see that arrogant guy taking ridiculous demands and basking in his victory.
No matter how embarrassing it might be, I would do anything to drag down Lichtenburg’s honor.
But if he crossed a line, if he touched my daughters…
Then I wouldn’t hold back.
I would lead Schlus to destruction by any means necessary.
With everything Lichtenburg had on the line.
The madam vowed this and steeled her resolve.
“Ugh… Hehe… Heh…”
“…?”
But at that moment, hearing the strange laughter from beside her, the madam slowly backed away from the balcony.
There stood a red-haired woman radiating an ominous and unsettling aura.
“Oh? Speaking of which, what about Julia?”
The moment the madam looked around and realized Julia was absent.
“She stepped out to the garden for a moment; she said she wanted some fresh air.”
“Wait, where’s Schlus Hainkel?”
“That guy also seemed to have gone out a little while ago.”
“…!”
Schlus and Julia are outside at the same time?
That should provide ample opportunity for a clash.
Madam Lichtenburg turned around without looking back, clutching her skirt and racing toward the front door.
“Madam! It’ll be alright! The maid is with her!”
Ignoring the butler’s hollow shout.
*
As soon as she stepped outside, the loud noise mysteriously quieted down.
The bright hall behind and this fragrant garden felt like another world.
Has the garden been poorly managed?
The chirping of crickets and grasshoppers filled the quiet night.
The nobility would probably be disgusted, but I found it soothing, reminiscent of my grandmother’s house in the countryside during holidays.
While I enjoyed this beautiful, pseudo-nature…
“…”
He appeared.
Or rather, a child who resembled him infinitely.
From his fragile build that looked breakable to his feeble smile, it was like a perfect match.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
I was ready now…
“It’s a nice garden, isn’t it?”
That was what I thought, until I heard Julia’s voice.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard her voice during our first meeting.
So I assumed I could face Julia adequately.
But that was an illusion.
That alluring voice…
With that added, I could no longer see Julia as just a character from a novel.
‘Julia is not him. Julia is not him. Julia is not him…’
After mentally fortifying myself with self-deception, I was finally able to speak calmly.
“There are a lot of bugs around. Isn’t it messy?”
“Not necessarily. I’ve only seen quiet gardens… I like this kind of garden more.”
It felt exhausting.
The drain on my vitality and mental strength was extreme.
I wanted to run away now.
“You called me out for something. Please just get to the point.”
“What’s the rush?”
“I’m always in a hurry.”
“Hmm… Maid, could you please leave us alone? Let us talk in private.”
“Yes, miss.”
The maid soon left, and Julia beamed at me, gazing intently.
Is she asking me to push her wheelchair?
I sighed deeply and moved behind Julia, grabbing the handles.
Her fine hair dazzled in my eyes.
I forced my gaze up to admire the night sky and slowly began to push the wheelchair.
“I’ve been having strange dreams lately.”
“…”
“In those dreams, I’m no longer myself.”
“…”
“People usually say such dreams are scary, but I didn’t feel that way. Waking up, I still felt nostalgic. I might end up not being myself in reality too.”
I had clearly instructed her to get to the point, yet here I was babbling on.
“Maybe that’s too vivid a dream. Just forget about it.”
“That’s not the case; I keep having similar dreams.”
“Similar dreams… what kind of dreams?”
“I’m going to show you. That’s why I called you out here alone.”
Julia gently turned around and tugged at my sleeve.
I was drawn to her frail hand and turned to face her again.
“…?”
Julia grabbed my hand.
Even with both hands, she couldn’t fully wrap around my palm.
Then she tried to lift my hand higher.
Without much resistance, I went along.
Tap…
Once she released her grip from my hand, I finally understood her intention.
My hand was suddenly resting atop Julia’s head.
That soft hair. A head small enough to be cupped with my hand settled against my palm.
This is… a request to pet her?
I slowly swept her hair aside, utterly bewildered.
I could have refused; I could have asked why she was doing this.
But as if entranced, I found myself petting her without asking anything.
However, the one who initiated this mysterious act bowed her head and said nothing.
“Miss?”
“I’m done now.”
Julia forcibly shoved my hand away.
It wasn’t with much strength, yet my hand helplessly dropped down.
Then, she turned her back on me while gripping the wheels of the wheelchair.
“That’s all for my business.”
“…What?”
“I’m really sorry for such trivial matters. I just wanted to recreate the dream scenario.”
That was it?
If that’s all, she could’ve called Erica or the madam to do it.
I couldn’t understand why she had to go through the trouble of calling me separately.
The madam must’ve already thought of me as an enemy, and yet she tried to avoid her eyes.
“Are you leaving first?”
“Let’s go together. I’ll push your wheelchair.”
“No. I want to look at the night sky a bit longer.”
“Then I’ll wait.”
“Aren’t you always busy?”
“…”
At this point, it was almost like coaxing me to leave first.
I wasn’t so oblivious as to miss that, so without hesitation, I turned away.
Even though I should feel empty for being called out for something pointless, even though I should be annoyed…
Strangely, I didn’t feel that way.
It was painful. It was tough.
But at the same time, the sensation remaining on my palm…
‘Was soft.’
Lingering in my mind.
It was an indescribable feeling.
*
Schlus emerged from the flowerbed with a grim expression.
The maid immediately responded, dashing towards Julia.
With her head bowed low, Julia sat in the middle of the flowerbed in her wheelchair.
The maid hastily knelt down to look up at Julia’s face, her heart racing with concern.
Juxtaposed with that moment came a single droplet that fell onto Julia’s knee and shattered.
Julia was silently and endlessly crying.
Her innocent skirt was tightly gripped in her tiny hands.
“Did that commoner do something terrible?”
“…”
“Did you hear something awful?”
“…”
Despite the maid’s repeated questions, Julia shook her head vigorously in silence.
Her tears showed no sign of stopping.
“Maid?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
“My heart hurts so much… What do I do? This has never happened before…”
It was the first time I saw Julia, who always carried herself confidently, weep like a child, begging for answers.
The maid was left at a loss for words, only able to pull Julia into an embrace.
I could somewhat guess why this was happening.
She had finally been hit by the inevitability.
The bitter pain of heartbreak.
Seeing how Julia had called out to Schlus and how he emerged with that dark expression made it all so clear.
In times like this, any attempt at clumsy consolation could do more harm than good.
So the maid quietly patted Julia’s back until she stopped crying.
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