Meanwhile, the Northern Rune Knights…
“I miss the Commander.”
Once again, they chatted idly as they shoveled snow.
“Yeah, where did he suddenly disappear to?”
“He probably went to the Imperial Palace. He is a prince, after all.”
“Is that so?”
Just then, a knight on guard duty appeared, sniffling.
He was a burly man with short hair, holding a large rabbit plushie in his hands.
The name ‘Merida’ was embroidered on the plushie’s paw.
“I don’t miss the Commander at all.”
“What? Are you sulking again?”
“The Commander said my Merida got fatter than last year!”
Hmm.
Hearing that, the knights who had been shoveling snow gathered around.
“She did gain weight.”
“Yeah, she got chubbier.”
And so, for the next three hours, they debated how Merida had ended up gaining weight.
Not a single one of them questioned whether a plushie could even gain weight in the first place.
***
Peter Milo was a brilliant graduate of the Academy, finishing with top marks.
Immediately upon graduation, he was appointed as an imperial aide.
And not just any aide—he was assigned directly to the Third Prince!
It was an incredible honor for someone so young.
Amid the cheers of his family and friends, Peter entered the Imperial Palace and set out to meet the prince.
However, waiting for him was not the Third Prince but an imperial attendant.
‘Greetings! I am Peter Milo, appointed as the aide to His Highness the Third Prince, starting today!’
Standing stiffly at attention, Peter announced himself, but the attendant responded with an expressionless face.
‘His Highness is not here. You likely won’t be seeing much of him in the future, either.’
‘…Excuse me?’
‘He has been away from the palace for a long time and prefers to handle things on his own.’
The attendant wasn’t lying.
While the aides of the other princes were constantly running around, the Third Prince’s aide had absolutely nothing to do.
The Third Prince neither issued orders nor spent his allocated budget.
In fact, there wasn’t even an opportunity to meet him.
All Peter ever heard were terrifying rumors about him—
That he single-handedly took down northern monsters…
That he was unimaginably brutal in combat…
Moreover, he never attended festivals or official events.
The reason was simple.
He couldn’t be bothered.
Only a handful of attendants had ever seen his face.
Because of this, Peter spent his days idling at his desk.
‘I just want to work…’
Today was no different.
Before he even had the chance to welcome the Third Prince back from the North, Peter had already been reassigned as an administrator in the Ministry of Magic.
And not once did the prince ever summon his aide.
Peter absentmindedly picked up a blank sheet of paper and began doodling.
‘I drew a butterfly yesterday, so maybe I’ll draw a bird today…’
The only thing improving over time was his drawing skills.
Then—
Knock, knock.
A knock at the door.
“What is it?”
Peter responded in a lifeless voice.
But what he heard next was completely unexpected.
“His Highness, the Third Prince, is requesting your presence. Immediately.”
“…What?”
This early in the morning…?
Peter blinked in confusion.
The attendant, unable to wait any longer, threw open the office door.
“Hurry! He said it’s urgent!”
Peter shot up from his seat so fast that his legs wobbled, slamming his thigh against the desk.
But he didn’t even feel the pain.
His Highness is calling for me…!
At last, my first task…!
With a bright smile, Peter quickly followed the attendant.
“Presenting His Highness, the Third Prince.”
This man… is the Third Prince?
Peter stared blankly at the man before him.
Standing in the sunlight, the tall figure was simply dazzling.
With a face so gentle and angelic, he gazed down at Peter.
He looked nothing like the rumors described.
The sheer contrast left Peter speechless.
Ahem!
The attendant, sensing the awkward silence, cleared his throat.
Snapping out of his daze, Peter hastily bowed.
Having sprinted all the way there, he was completely out of breath.
“Your Highness… haah…! I… huff… am… P-Peter Milo… haah…!”
“Alright, Huff… Milo. I called you because there’s something urgent I need you to investigate.”
“Whatever it is… Huff… please tell me!”
Edwin gave a slight nod to the attendant.
Understanding the signal, the attendant quickly left the room, leaving them alone.
“Look into the situation of House Hartwin. How bad is it, and in what way?”
House Hartwin?
It was an obscure, minor noble family Peter had never even heard of.
Catching his breath, he asked, “Do you mean… Huff… financially?”
“Yes. And while you’re at it, find out where their income comes from.”
Why is the Third Prince interested in this family’s affairs?
But a true aide never questions their lord’s orders.
With a determined look, Peter answered, “I will have the report ready within a week!”
“No.”
Edwin replied calmly.
“By the time I return from my trip.”
Peter’s eyes darted around in confusion.
What is this? Is he testing my skills as an aide?
If so, he had to do his absolute best.
Edwin added, “Huff… Milo, I care about results.”
“…So you don’t care how I obtain the information.”
Quick-witted, Peter immediately understood what Edwin meant.
At that moment, a carriage pulled up in front of him.
One glance was enough to tell it belonged to the Imperial Palace.
Edwin tilted his head slightly, as if wondering why Peter was just standing there.
‘He’s letting me ride in this…?’
This was a level of treatment befitting the highest-ranking aides.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Peter immediately boarded the carriage and left the prince’s palace.
‘I will investigate every last detail, no matter how small!’
The same tenacity that had once made his professors at the Academy shudder was now burning brighter than ever.
***
Dana had to leave early in the morning for her business trip.
She packed thick clothes from her wardrobe into her suitcase and made her way downstairs.
Glancing around, she confirmed the house was silent.
The maids hadn’t arrived yet, and her family was still fast asleep—no doubt after spending the night hopping between parties and gambling halls, drinking themselves senseless in the dining room until dawn.
Dana reached into her bag and pulled out a small cloth pouch.
Inside was what appeared to be an ordinary glass orb—
But in reality, it was a magic recording device, powered by enchanted stones.
Thanks to Edwin, obtaining such a tool had been effortless.
Following his instructions, she held the crystal with both hands and twisted it in opposite directions.
Click.
The recording had begun.
‘I need to capture evidence of their unjust dealings, no matter what.’
Dana wanted both her family and Viscount Hembern to be punished.
However, even if she reported them, her family might try to escape responsibility, claiming they were coerced by the Viscount.
She needed proof that they were fully aware of the contract’s contents.
That was why she had borrowed the magic recording orb—
To provoke them into revealing the truth themselves.
She carefully hid the device deep inside a cupboard—
A place where the Viscountess stored her most treasured yet purely decorative dishes.
After a final, thorough check of her surroundings, Dana turned to leave—
“What are you doing?”
A sharp voice cut through the silence.
“……”
Dana froze, her body stiff with shock.
A cold chill ran down her spine as beads of sweat formed on her back.
The voice belonged to Jamie.
Leaning against the wall, he rubbed his temple—
Clearly suffering from a hangover-induced headache and thirst.
Dana spoke in a calm, collected manner.
“What do you mean, ‘what am I doing’? I’m getting ready for work.”
“Here?”
“Is it strange to drink water before leaving for work?”
“Then what was that I just saw?”
“Saw…?”
Her heart skipped a beat again.
Trying to keep her expression neutral, Dana narrowed her eyes at him.
Jamie pointed at her suitcase.
“Don’t tell me… Are you running away? Because you don’t want to pay off the debt?”
“…Are you saying you ‘saw’ my suitcase?”
“Yeah, my eyes don’t lie!”
Dana barely stopped herself from sighing in relief.
Jamie’s bloodshot eyes were wide open.
She gave him a look of pure exasperation.
“I’m leaving for a business trip to the North today.”
Oh.
Jamie’s expression softened in an instant.
He had always been simple-minded—
Quick to get worked up, but just as quick to let things go.
“Well, yeah, you’d never abandon your family.”
Ignoring him, Dana walked past.
A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
Why is he so sure that I can’t escape?
Her family had always treated her carelessly—
Like an animal in a cage.
As if they knew she had nowhere else to run.
‘Now that I think about it… why have I always just accepted it?’
That same question resurfaced once again.
It had always felt like something terrible would happen if she disobeyed them.
Like she had no choice but to dedicate herself to them.
Even though she knew deep down how unfair it was, she had always swallowed her resentment.
‘What changed? Why do I suddenly feel different?’
Dana tilted her head slightly, lost in thought.
Still pondering, she reached for the mansion’s front door and pulled it open.
Her eyes widened in shock.
“…Edwin?”
