74.

 

“Damn it, Merke Rodensi has a proper ally.”

By the time Kano reached the place where the 2nd Princess was rumored to be, Merke Rodensi had already left. All that remained was a decoy who mimicked her.

The fools sent by the Emperor or Empress were busy watching the fake, completely unaware that the real Merke had vanished long ago.

Just as Aisa had said, it wasn’t going to be easy. Naturally, Kano’s return was delayed. He bit the inside of his cheek in frustration.

The farther west he went, the more limited the communication via messenger birds became. When Kano’s beast-like instincts warned him that something was wrong, he finally found Merke Rodensi in a small village known as “The End of the Earth.”

To be precise, Merke contacted him. As Aisa had said, she was neither stupid nor insane. Well, maybe “insane” wasn’t entirely off the mark.

Merke Rodensi was certainly a handful. Despite her dazed appearance, she abruptly shouted that she wasn’t stupid or crazy, then asked if that answered all his questions.

“I’ve been especially generous, so hand over your gold.”

Displaying the haughty demeanor expected of someone of royal blood, Merke demanded gold like a mountain bandit. She seemed pleased with what Kano handed over, adding with a bored tone:

“I have no intention of returning to the Empire, so don’t come looking for me again.”

She also warned him that if he sent anyone after her, she’d do something his master wouldn’t like, while recklessly throwing a dagger at his feet. Her brazen behavior made Kano’s thick eyebrows twitch.

“Do you even know who my master is?”

Intrigued by the unexpectedly entertaining encounter, Kano chuckled like a low-grade villain.

“Are there two people in the Empire who command pirates?”

“Are there only a handful of pirates?”

“You’re not as cautious as your reputation suggests. You’re too confident and not nearly meticulous enough. If I were your master, you’d be a real nuisance.”

Kano frowned at the unexpected criticism. Hiding himself had always been an easy task for someone with no real rivals. Being out at sea had indeed made him complacent.

“A new sun will rise. Do you think you won’t need protection? You’re not alone; you’ll need it.”

Annoyed, Kano tried to provoke Merke. The “new sun” referred to the new Emperor of the Empire, and to Merke, it meant she had a child.

Merke’s expression flickered with surprise but was quickly replaced with a mocking smile.

“You know I have a child, but you don’t know who’s backing me?”

“Is the child’s father someone powerful?”

“…Hmph. If you don’t know who I’ve allied with, I guess that idiot still hasn’t found his sister? He meddles in everyone else’s business but can’t even handle his own.”

She muttered to herself, looking thoroughly exasperated.

“I already have a—very important person—assigned to protect me.”

Kano narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out who could be helping Merke avoid the Imperial Family.

‘Diazi or McFoy? Or perhaps someone from the Eastern Continent?’

“So don’t bother with me anymore and just get lost. Even if all the gods’ suns die, I’m not going back to the Empire.”

Merke acted as if she truly had no regrets about leaving the Empire. Even so, Kano planned to secretly keep someone tailing her. He turned away, feeling the urgency of the time he had wasted.

“But if that stupid blond couldn’t make it back to McFoy, what happened to the wedding?”

However, Merke’s muttered words made Kano stop dead in his tracks before he’d taken more than a few steps. His animal instincts screamed a warning. He slowly turned back, his mind filled with unpleasant possibilities.

“…Wedding?”

Well, well. Merke chuckled at the unexpected turn of events.

‘Looks like the rumors about the witch and the pirate weren’t entirely baseless after all. Even if the witch isn’t involved, the pirate clearly is…’

She relished the sudden entertainment.

“Wow, what do you even know? The infamous witch of the West and her pirate—was all that just lies?”

“I’m asking you again. What wedding are you talking about?”

“Oh dear, it seems you’ve been out of touch with the news while searching for me. My apologies.”

Long ago, Merke had made a deal with Nicholas Diazi. In exchange for telling him the horrifying truth about what her foolish sister, Calliphe, had done to Norma Diazi, and the secrets the royal family had buried, she gained protection.

Just before Kano found her, Merke had suddenly gone into hiding because of the marriage between Diazi and McFoy.

The union of these two great noble families was enough to unsettle the Rodensi royal family. The news had reached her faster than anyone else, warning her to be particularly cautious.

‘I thought Ophelia was finally putting her past to rest when I heard about the marriage between McFoy and Diazi. But it turns out they really did fall in love?’

Well, if I were McFoy, I’d have cut Ophelia’s head off the moment I saw her. Merke mused as she opened her mouth, a smile of amusement spreading across her lips.

“Your master, Aisa McFoy, is getting married.”

Kano’s expression crumbled.

“To that insufferable Nicholas Diazi’s brother—”

Kano didn’t wait for Merke to finish her sentence. He disappeared from her sight the moment she spoke.

“…Ha. Hahaha, hahah!”

Watching his retreating figure, Merke doubled over, clutching her stomach as she laughed loudly.

At that moment, a man cloaked from head to toe in a long robe finally revealed himself. He sighed deeply as he watched Merke laugh uncontrollably.

“Please. There was no need for you to show yourself.”

“Hahaha! Sir Bains, did you see that? It’s hilarious, truly.”

“It’s not funny at all.”

Sir Mac Bains, the eldest of the Bains brothers and an elite knight of the Diazi family, let out what felt like his hundredth sigh. Merke Rodensi’s mouth was like a ticking time bomb. If things had gone sideways, he would have had to reveal himself and cross swords with that man Kano to silence her.

“Haha! But it’s hilarious, isn’t it? Acting all high and mighty, only to realize the carriage left ages ago. Seeing that big guy scrambling to chase after his master—tell me that’s not funny! I think it’s hilarious!”

“Your personality is truly… quite… unrefined.”

Mac, usually stoic, had recently become rather sharp-tongued when speaking to Merke. She was so much like a wild colt that if he didn’t speak this way, he felt like the frustration might kill him. Even his youngest brother, Fon, who was often considered difficult, seemed graceful compared to her.

“Ah—this is fun. The Empire is the most boring place on earth, but lately, it looks like it’s becoming the most interesting.”

Mac cast a look of disdain and concern at her, but Merke didn’t seem to care.

“So, is the witch of the West as charming as the rumors say? Seeing Norma Diazi and that pirate go wild like this makes me a bit curious.”

The former princess spoke about a noblewoman like a common street thug.

Mac’s cold, disdainful gaze recalled the pale woman who would charge at his master Nicholas without hesitation—the McFoy head who literally tried to bite him.

‘…Charming isn’t the word I’d use.’

“Hey, Mac. Anyway, it looks like we’ll be able to live luxuriously for a few days. Shall we hole up in ‘Ikio’ for a while?”

Merke tossed a gold coin into the air as she spoke of Ikio, the pleasure island. Her behavior was so much like a common criminal that the elegant knight of Diazi felt the familiar pang of a headache.

* * *

The maids crowded around the one who had just exited the room, practically swarming her.

“Well? Well? How was it?”

“Honestly! What do you think? We’ve already had him once, haven’t we? What’s the big deal?”

The maid who had just come out, her cheeks flushed with excitement, cupped her face in her hands and answered primly.

“That time, the servants from Diazi were all over him, so we couldn’t serve him up close!”

“…That’s what I’m saying!”

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, the maid who had come out of the room finally shouted.

“Our future lord—”

The maids clasped their hands together, holding their breath in anticipation. The tension was so thick you could hear them swallow.

“He’s definitely an angel!”

Kyaaah! The ecstatic cries in front of Norma Diazi’s room had been ongoing for days.

“At least pretend to be cautious at first. This is only his second visit, and it’s like you’re all ready to hand over your hearts, souls, and even your livers.”

I shuddered as I spoke, hearing yet another round of squeals and screams echo from somewhere.

Lady Seymour, who was sitting elegantly across from me, sipping tea, gave me a steady gaze but said nothing. She thought to herself, *You’re one to talk,* but wisely kept silent.

My irritation since this morning was entirely due to my impudent nephew.

Archie McFoy, the heir to McFoy, who was soon to turn twelve, had become utterly infatuated with Norma Diazi and Antoinette. So much so that he had begun skipping our morning tea times, abandoning his aunt in favor of playing with them.

That’s right. I had been stood up again today.

People had told me that no one in the Empire was a match for aunts, but Archie’s quick betrayal left me bewildered. Reflecting on how my nephew had so swiftly discarded me, I came to realize once again that even blood ties were worthless.

“So.”

I, still fuming, now turned a suspicious gaze on Lady Seymour, who was attending tea alone, without Archie. I was well aware that I had caused quite a stir. Yet, the fact that *Lady Seymour* remained silent made me feel uneasy.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Well—”

Lady Seymour set her teacup down without a sound and began to speak.

In addition to her role as Archie’s nanny, she also managed the household affairs of the main estate. For the past few days, she had personally shown Norma around the McFoy estate. As she thought about the prospective lord, Norma Diazi, she recalled his words:

“The wedding ceremony should be meaningful rather than extravagant.”

*Frugal.*

“I’ve been captivated by her virtuous nature—”

*Able to see beyond appearances.*

“This winter has been colder than usual, so we should adjust the estate’s budget accordingly—”

*Wise.*

“The McFoy estate seems to embody the very history of the Empire. Especially the spire at the front gate—”

*Knowledgeable.*

“Please, go ahead, my lady.”

*Elegant.*

Most importantly, the reason Lady Seymour had quietly declared Norma a success in her heart was because Archie adored him, and he, in turn, cared deeply for Archie.

“As a servant, I simply follow the will of the head of the household. And the head’s will is the will of all McFoy. I’m glad we quickly found a suitable match for a new lord.”

For Lady Seymour to be won over so quickly… Norma Diazi was certainly no ordinary man. Erika, being the type who never showed clear preference, wasn’t a reliable measure. In that case, the only one left who might reject Norma in this estate was…

*Sir Dogman.*

Speaking of my loyal knight, he had nearly drawn his sword in earnest when he saw me leaving Tibey’s mansion hand in hand with Norma. When I brought Norma into the estate, Sir Glen Dogman had nearly foamed at the mouth in his frustration.

*At least Glen has some principles.*

It was then that uninvited maids filed into the parlor.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean, what? The urgent matters have been settled, so it’s time to start preparing for the wedding.”

Lady Seymour spoke as she drained the rest of her tea in one gulp. Her uncharacteristically forceful behavior made me blink in surprise.

“Preparing for a wedding is never a simple task, and for someone like the head, who dislikes parties, it will be particularly taxing.”

Damn.

“Since you also need to prepare for the festival, you’ll be busier than ever.”

The busiest spring of my life had begun.