89.

“What’s so great about some pale, gender-ambiguous guy who looks like a bowl of plain porridge? My physique is better anyway,” Kano grumbled, burying his face in his hands. But Percy, his ever-loyal deputy, couldn’t resist chiming in.

“Still, Captain, if I’m being honest—”

Percy’s mind drifted back to the day he had sneakily watched the grand wedding of Aisa McFoy and Norma Diazi from a distance. Even from far off, where people’s heads looked no bigger than his thumb, the sight of the McFoy lord’s new husband had left an impression.

“Even as a fellow man, I was… well, captivated. I mean, you don’t come across someone who looks like that every day, regardless of gender—”

Kano glared daggers at Percy through the gaps between his fingers, and Percy finally realized his mistake. He hastily corrected himself.

“B-but of course, a man isn’t just about his looks! It’s about the physique, right? And in that regard, no one compares to you, Captain! You’re the pinnacle of physical strength!”

“And what good is that if it’s just in your eyes? Shut up and get lost,” Kano muttered, closing his eyes again as if it was too late to care. Percy, scrambling to recover, began to babble.

“Captain, it’s not like Lady McFoy is the only woman in the world! Don’t worry! I’ll find a lady today who looks just like her—”

“You piece of trash.”

Before Percy could finish, Kano’s fist slammed into his stomach. Percy crumpled to the sand without even managing a scream, writhing like a worm, tears streaming from his eyes.

“Ughh…”

Percy felt somewhat wronged. He had only been trying to comfort his superior, but instead, he’d gotten punched out of nowhere. More than anything, he was upset about being called “trash” by Kano.

Sure, Kano had been behaving like a reformed, proper imperial nobleman for a while now, but it hadn’t erased his history of wild partying. Despite his recent efforts, the image of a promiscuous troublemaker still clung to him, especially among the many women who still considered him the epitome of a rogue.

“And keep my lady’s name out of your filthy mouth. I don’t want to see you for a while, so disappear.”

Kano, now standing again, growled at Percy, who was still rolling on the beach. His face looked ferocious, like a wild beast. Just as he turned to leave, Percy, panicked, grabbed onto the hem of his pants.

“C-Captain, wait!”

Kano felt a rush of anger, his vision turning white-hot. It seemed like Percy had a death wish.

“Ah, wait! Just a moment, please! Captain, it’s not what you think! I still have a report!”

Kano lifted his leg, ready to kick Percy off him, but the desperate mention of a “report” made him pause. Reluctantly, he lowered his foot. Percy, relieved, let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Didn’t you see the message from our merchant guild? I’m on vacation. Save it for later.”

The truth was, Kano had become so disillusioned with everything that even kicking Percy felt like too much effort. He shook off Percy’s grip and started walking again, brushing the sand from his legs.

“It’s about Princess Merke!”

“…What’s that lunatic up to now?” Kano froze, then slowly turned to face Percy.

To Kano, Princess Merke was a complete loose cannon—a troublemaker who grated on everyone’s nerves. Just thinking about her irritating smirk made his blood boil again.

“She’s made a move.”

“What do you mean? She’s not in the Empire, is she?”

Kano’s expression sharpened for the first time in days. With the Crown Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony approaching, it would be a disaster if Merke entered the Empire unnoticed.

“No, but she’s here—in Ogia.”

“…What?”

The tension that had gripped him suddenly released, leaving him feeling deflated. But that quickly turned to anger.

“She arrived on the first ship this morning.”

“There’s no way that crazy woman came all the way here for me.”

“She arrived later than us by traveling overland, but judging by her route, it seems she’s been headed this way for quite some time.”

“Hah! Of all things, a secluded princess comes to Ogia?”

Kano was a man with the instincts of a beast, and right now, his instincts screamed that his peaceful vacation was over before it had even begun.

Kano raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He had a bad feeling that things were about to get much more complicated.

“Damn it…”

He muttered under his breath as he stared out toward Ogia’s small port, where ships were steadily docking.

* * *

Meanwhile, Erika and her mother, Lady Seymour, were walking together through the inner courtyard, a rare moment for just the two of them. The air between them was filled with a tense silence, and the servants who crossed their path couldn’t help but glance at them, sensing the serious mood.

However, there was no conflict or bad blood between them. The silence that hung like a shroud was simply the result of their habit of speaking only when necessary.

Today’s walk was an exception because Lady Seymour would soon be leaving the castle for a visit to the Western Temple. She planned to visit the temple and several major shrines over the course of a week.

She had minimized her escort for the trip, eager to make the journey as quickly as possible. Though Erika didn’t show it outwardly, she was worried about her mother.

“Isn’t your escort a bit lacking?”

“It’s more than enough. I can’t justify moving a whole battalion just to guard one old woman.”

“…”

“You’re busy yourself. There’s no need for you to see me off any further.”

“It’s just to the front of the carriage, not to the drawbridge.”

“Well, do as you like. By the way, how are the preparations for Lady McFoy’s birthday banquet coming along?”

“Everything is proceeding as usual.”

“Good.”

The reason Lady Seymour was visiting the Western Temple and shrines in the first place was to prepare for the upcoming birthday celebration of Aisa McFoy, the head of the family.

It would have been nice if Norma could accompany her, but Lady Seymour had chosen to leave him in charge of household matters this time, wanting to give him a chance to manage things on his own. Besides, someone needed to stay behind to look after Archie during her absence.

“It’s a good thing we have Lord Norma. I never imagined I’d be able to leave the castle with such peace of mind.”

“Yes, the young master is quite fond of him.”

Erika nodded in agreement. Norma had a genuine affection for Archie, quite separate from his feelings for Aisa. He seemed to have a natural love for children.

“He seems to have adapted to life at the McFoy estate remarkably well.”

“Honestly, he’s the kind of person who would be well-loved wherever he goes. And beneath the surface, he’s no ordinary man. All those initial efforts our Lady made to secure his place here turned out to be unnecessary.”

“Yes, he’s a master at navigating social situations. But I find that reassuring. Being gentle alone isn’t enough to manage the responsibilities of a household.”

Lady Seymour spoke softly, a rare chuckle slipping from her lips. Erika couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing.

‘…It seems my mother has truly taken a liking to Norma Diazi.’

“And so what if he’s shrewd? Even I can tell that he loves our Lady deeply. That’s what truly matters.”

Hearing her mother speak such openly sentimental words made Erika’s face twist in embarrassment.

“Love isn’t the key to happiness for everyone. But for someone like our Lady, who only knows how to drive herself to exhaustion, I think it’s something she needs.”

Erika couldn’t deny that from her perspective, it did seem like Norma loved Aisa enough for the both of them.

In other words, from the outside, his affection could appear almost excessive. But to Lady Seymour, these little displays of affection were simply endearing.

Erika maintained her sour expression, refusing to agree out loud. This prompted Lady Seymour to pause and look back at her.

“Erika.”

“Yes, mother?”

“We haven’t forgotten that day, not even for a moment, have we?”

“…What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve scolded myself to ensure I never forget. And our Lady, she’s done even more than us.”

“Why bring this up when we were just talking about the master and her husband?”

“I couldn’t stop regretting that week when our Lady was taken by it. As a vassal, as a caretaker, I regretted every moment I couldn’t act.”

Erika said nothing, but she had spent that time too, berating herself, wondering aloud if Aisa would die so unfairly and waiting desperately for her return.

“We can never forget that day. And we shouldn’t.”

Lady Seymour had lost her entire family in the tragedy eleven years ago, except for Erika. Her husband, her eldest daughter, son-in-law, and grandson—all of them, along with many of her lifelong companions, were taken in an instant.

Erika had survived because she’d been away with her mother in Baghdad for her coming-of-age ceremony. At the time, it felt like nothing more than a twist of cruel fate.

“But now, I think it’s time we allowed ourselves to live our own lives.”

“…”

“We’ve gained new things worth cherishing. It’s not right to live only for that one day anymore.”

For a fleeting moment, Erika thought of Harry Forn, though she didn’t let it show in front of her mother.

“Of course, as long as ‘it’ remains alive, we can’t fully relax… But now that our Lady has become the wealthiest in the Empire and has a husband who’s said to be the most handsome man, I wish she could spend at least half her days enjoying her life.”

‘From what I know, our Lady is already spending more than half her days tangled up with her husband…’

The wistful thoughts quickly passed, and Erika rolled her eyes internally. She resisted the urge to retort, choosing to hold her tongue in her mother’s dignified presence.

“You’ve seen the Lady’s expression lately, haven’t you? I’ve cared for her since she was a baby, but I’ve never seen her look so completely captivated.”

“Yes, it’s the first time I’ve seen her look so… besotted. It’s quite similar to the way she looks at ‘that child’. You know, they both shine in ways that make our Lady lose all sense.”

Lady Seymour’s expression tightened slightly at the mention of ‘it’ and then ‘that child’, but she resumed walking. Erika followed in silence.

“At any rate—”

Just before stepping into the carriage, Lady Seymour spoke again. Erika couldn’t help but think her mother was unusually chatty today.

“It pains me to see our Lady try so hard to hide her feelings, only to push them away out of fear. I can only imagine how Lord Norma must feel.”

“You’re worried about Lord Norma?”

“Of course. He’s part of the McFoy family now, isn’t he?”

Erika was surprised by how much her mother seemed to care for Norma. She felt a strange sense of distance from her mother, who was being unusually sentimental today.

“And the same goes for you, Erika.”

“What do you mean?”

“Time can’t be reversed, and no one knows what the future holds. We don’t know when or where death might come for us. So don’t wait too long before enjoying what life has to offer.”

“I am enjoying my life well enough.”

“Don’t be so stubborn. I didn’t raise you to be foolish.”

Erika bit down hard on her lip, muttering a small protest, but Lady Seymour’s expression remained stern.

“I mean Sir Harry Forn.”

With that, Lady Seymour ascended gracefully into the carriage.

‘Damn it.’

Hearing Harry’s full name fall from her mother’s lips made Erika turn her head away sharply, unable to hide her embarrassment.