The card was a VIP pass to the capital’s premier intelligence organization, <Hecate’s Tavern>.
The badge was the badge of a regular member of the Order of Knights of Castraine, who could receive a second-class rank at the very least.
The silver ring… Although it looked like silver on the outside, it was actually not silver, but a rare metal mainly used by apothecaries. It was useful when distinguishing between poison and medicine.
The pass was brand new, the paper and the gold leaf still shiny, but the badge and ring had been carried and used by their owner for many years. The implications were clear. It meant that the owner of these things would soon be sent to me. I flipped the card over, and the thin note stuck underneath fluttered away.
‘I’ll be watching.’
“…”
I read the words and froze, goosebumps creeping up my spine like a frog in front of a snake. I could recognize Raymon’s handwriting, and this wasn’t it. Serious, old-fashioned cursive. This was the handwriting of Duke Orto Castarine himself!
As I stared down at those words carefully, Lysianthus grumbled to himself.
“I don’t know what the hell my father was thinking.”
“…You’re better off not knowing.”
“What?”
“Is that all you can tell me? Tell me when exactly they’re coming in, if there’s anything I can identify them with, and if the fee for this pass is included.”
I asked bluntly, all playfulness gone.
Lysianthus hesitated, as if he hadn’t expected the question at all, but it didn’t take long for him to speak, as if he’d been told what to say beforehand.
“…Ahm. I was sure you wouldn’t actually ask, but… He said he’d have it sorted out within the next week or so, and they’ll be contacting you first, so it doesn’t matter if you look into them or not. Also, there’s a one-time service fee included in the card.”
The payment was more generous than I thought. In particular, the pass to <Hecate’s Tavern> was way beyond what I expected.
Of course, since I handed over none other than <Gloriana’s Insignia>, I could have asked for more, but I didn’t. The truth is, however, that <Gloriana’s Insignia> was not meant for me anyway. It’s no secret that my mother and I don’t get along. Moreover, the iron mine that the Imperial Family gave away in exchange for selling her to them?
I realize that it’s not something I can touch, and it’s not something I have any use for.
An artifact with the power of light, especially in the Imperial Court, would be something of a curse. The Imperial Family had long since buried the power of all gods as a legacy and legend of the past. But to have an Imperial family member manifests the power of the first Emperor?
It’s war in another sense.
In a way, they would have more legitimacy than the current Emperor.
When I gave the insignia to Duke Castraine, I meant for them to take it and use it as a sacrifice to strengthen the Northern Boundary later.
Theoretically, the Imperial Family had access to the power of all the gods, as long as they could perceive it. How could Titania wear something like Gloriana’s Insignia and use the power of light? It was ridiculous.
However, in the eyes of Duke Castraine, my current behavior would only be strange.
No wonder he gave me this pass to <Hecate’s Tavern>, he probably wanted to know how I was going to use it, and what my purpose was.
I hid my feelings and lowered my eyes.
“Tell him thank you.”
Lysianthus gave me a quizzical look at my nonchalant response. You know, the one where you see something that isn’t there, but you can’t explain exactly what it is? If a monster suddenly jumped out of the stuffed rabbit at the foot of your bed, you probably would look at it that way.
He stared at me for a long moment, as if staring at something he couldn’t understand, and then a question popped into his head. His voice was hushed when he asked me.
“…Are you Titania?”
* * *
“I need you to bring this to her.”
When Lysianthus Agni El Castraine heard the order from his esteemed father, he frowned. It was only because it was his father who was speaking to him that he didn’t immediately object.
“…And my brother?”
“Your brother has his own business.”
Lysianthus eyed the items in front of him suspiciously.
They weren’t even sealed, as if to tell him to check them out and take them himself. A card, a silver ring, a badge, even a note, the ink barely dry as if it had just been written.
As a member of House Castraine, where the power of the sword, medicine, and the pen was so necessary, it was impossible not to know what they meant.
‘And I’m supposed to bring all these precious things to that damned creature?’
Confusion filled Lysianthus’s red eyes.
Personally, he despised Titania. There was no way around it.
He hated the Imperial House and its people. Even more so, he hated anything that stood in the way of House Castraine. His dignified older brother, his honorable father, and his cute younger siblings. Everyone was a nuisance to him, except for the people he had to protect.
The nobles were either a bunch of idiots who gossiped about House Castraine based on hearsay or a bunch of bums trying to get a piece of the pie. And all the while, they pitied his family’s fate as the hounds that hunted down demons and defended the empire.
“Why do I need to show myself to her when she’s my brother’s fiancée? She’s a cowardly little girl….”
“Your brother was quite restless at the sight of the Princess Titania that rose from the dead.”
Lysianthus’s eyes narrowed at the blunt words.
Lysianthus was well aware of his own limitations.
He hated complicated things. He didn’t like backroom deals and shady dealings between people. His brother, who was far better than him, would inherit the family name. Therefore, he must be trusted and followed.
He was a pretty good swordsman, and he liked swords, but he thought he wasn’t as good as his brother.
In many ways, he was inferior to his brother, but he never resented him for it.
On the contrary, he respected and loved him.
That’s why he hated the fact that such an insignificant woman was his fiancée.
‘Would you rather have me take your place?’
Oh, yeah, one dance, that’s it. When Raymon had danced with another woman, in order to get <Flamberge’s Wrath> without anyone noticing. Hearing of Titania’s fainting spree, Lysianthus had been genuinely annoyed. So he had made a suggestion to Raymon.
‘To be honest, I don’t think the Emperor’s actually planning on tying my brother up with that stupid princess. Our youngest brother couldn’t do it, no way, so I’ll sacrifice myself.’
‘Lysianthus.’
‘Sheesh, I was never going to get married anyway. I don’t care if my reputation gets ruined, but you…’
That’s a lot for you to sacrifice. Lysianthus had swallowed hard, holding the words back. At the expression of his cheeky younger brother, who seemed to be genuinely worried about his brother’s future, Raymon’s eyes flashed with complicated feelings.
‘…Still, until we break up, I’ll be responsible for her.’
Maybe it was because of his own feelings, but the look in Raymon’s eyes as he said those words to Lysianthus was too heavy to be merely guilt.
‘In the first place, you don’t even like her… You shouldn’t be asking to marry her when you don’t even like her.’
But that didn’t mean his brother liked that girl.
The only reason he didn’t say so was because Lysianthus knew Raymon’s complicated feelings. No matter what the woman said, Raymon harbored a small amount of guilt that she genuinely liked him. Though Princess Titania herself might not know it.
But he trusted his brother. He was the heir to this great and powerful House. Guilt, pity, he would blow them away like dandelion seeds. He would make the right choice.
But to think that his great brother would be restless because of such an unworthy woman!
When Lysianthus was furious, he would go to Titania, who was waiting for Raymon, and taunt and curse her, claiming that he was ‘filling in’ for his brother because something more important came up. Despite Lysianthus’s ranting, cursing, and impatient attempts to raise her temper, she never gave in.
It would be amusing to watch her rush toward him, so he could pull out of the way at the last moment, leaving her to fall to the floor in a pitiful heap, gnashing her teeth. Still, it was at least fun to watch her badly hidden anger and rage as she tried to maintain her ‘noble’ demeanor.
How dare she want to be his brother’s wife? Since no one would get her to understand her place in the world, he ought to take matters into his own hands.
If she gave up, it would be easier for her.
That’s what he thought.
“So you should go see her and judge for yourself.”
Now that she had risen from the dead, did that change anything? Why was his brother so restless?
“…Well, okay,” she was probably faking it, anyway. It was a futile exercise, as if a little scratch would make any difference. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll be back with a good, thorough examination.”
And with that confident declaration, Lysianthus took the items and headed for the palace.
With only the vague conviction that Titania would be no different than usual.
