110. Encounter

I changed into my outdoor clothes and finished a light touch-up. Draping a thin shawl around my shoulders, I felt a strange tension.

Edan, a noble now. I wondered how he was adapting among the high-nosed aristocrats.

More things had changed than I had thought. So much in such a short time.

It was hard to adapt to the situation that had changed so quickly.

The dress, now neatly changed, swished below my waist. Staring at the mirror attached to the vanity, I opened my mouth.

“Could I borrow a hat with a veil?”

“A veil?”

“Yes. A dark-colored veil that can cover my face. I’m going to meet a relative I haven’t seen in a long time, and it feels plain. I think it would be good to have one.”

There might still be knights looking for me in the capital’s streets.

It was a remark added just in case, but the maid immediately agreed as if she understood my thoughts without questioning further.

“The mistress isn’t at the mansion, so I’m not sure if there’s a hat for ladies. Could you wait a moment?”

The maid politely greeted me and went outside.

Through the half-open door, I could see the maids and servants passing by in the hallway. They walked softly without making any sound, like ghosts.

Normally, if someone asked for a veil out of the blue, they would tilt their head in curiosity, but they didn’t. Their consistently expressionless faces made it hard to read their intentions.

Every action was filled with kindness, but it gave me the chills. Every part of the mansion resembled its owner. That man who was hard to read.

Soon, the maid entered through the door. She held a black veil on her arm. The color was so dark that her hand wasn’t visible through it.

The veil was thicker and darker than I had expected. I was satisfied.

“Shall I help you put it on?”

I nodded. The veil was connected to the hat and tied with a ribbon.

When the veil tied around my chin was let down, my face was completely covered. As long as the veil didn’t flutter in the wind, my face wouldn’t be revealed.

* * *

The rattling carriage came to a stop. Through the fluttering curtains, I saw a large mansion. The mansion’s grandeur immediately displayed its owner’s majesty.

The commander of the knights guarding the emperor in the capital. A talent who had been with the emperor through difficult times. The one who received the emperor’s trust in an instant. The mansion deserved all the titles that described him.

I got off the carriage and started walking towards the mansion, then suddenly stopped.

I was bothered by the footsteps following me. A flickering shadow appeared beside me. I quickly turned my head and asked.

“Aren’t you going back?”

Rian was walking about two steps behind me. Despite seeing my frown, he smiled brightly.

“I’ll make sure you enter safely, Miss.”

It was an obvious excuse. I didn’t hide my discomfort and responded bluntly.

“Who would harm me? And in the middle of the city, no less.”

Edan’s mansion was in one of the best locations in the city. Close to the Imperial Palace and excessively grand, just like his stature. Drawing a sword in such a place would surely cause a stir. Since he had just been appointed as the commander of the knights and elevated to nobility, it was unlikely he would engage in reckless behavior.

“It seems you don’t know your relative very well, Miss. Was he obedient when he lived with the family?”

In response to his mocking tone, I replied curtly.

“He was kind to everyone.”

Even willing to help a mere blood bag.

“Unfortunately, the person I know is not like that at all. So, I need to ensure that the person who was hit by my carriage enters safely. I hope you understand.”

Despite showing signs of reluctance, he ignored me and moved aside, walking towards the door. No matter how much I frowned, he had no intention of stepping aside for my sake.

Reluctantly, I followed behind him.

The gate was as extraordinary as the mansion itself.

Was this really the house he had been given? It was a moment when the reality of Edan becoming a noble truly sank in.

The soldiers guarding the front were all clad in thick armor. I hoped to see a familiar face, but none of the soldiers from the north were present.

Everything felt unfamiliar—the title Edan had received, the mansion, even the soldiers by his side. The only thing familiar was the moonflower blooming on the gate, identical to those I had seen in Huangzhaling. Yellow moonflowers adorned the gate.

As I took a step forward, the soldiers watching us extended their hands. The soldiers standing on either side rushed forward, their spears clashing. As expected, they wouldn’t let us in easily.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but…”

“Then please leave.”

The soldier guarding the gate didn’t open it easily.

“I don’t have an appointment, but he will recognize me. Just let him know a guest is here.”

“What is your name?”

At the knight’s question, I glanced towards Rian.

I thought he would leave once we reached Edan’s house, but he remained by my side even in front of the mansion.

He stood with his arms crossed, right next to me. It made it hard to comfortably reveal my real name.

“Li… Linia.”

In the end, I gave the name I had used with Rian.

“There’s no one by that name on the list of acquaintances.”

Of course. I sighed softly, and Rian chuckled.

“How harsh. A distant cousin has come all this way, and they’re turned away. Truly befitting of a mercenary background.”

Rian pretended to console me while belittling everyone. Edan’s origins and my pretense of being his family.

Though we were rejected, I couldn’t easily walk away from the gate and hesitated. Rian clicked his tongue softly.

“Are you not leaving? Luckily, my carriage is still behind us.”

He pointed to the carriage standing behind, as if he had anticipated this. The coachman and the knight who had accompanied us were waiting just as they had been before.

“I’ll handle the rest from here. Thank you for escorting me.”

So go back already, so I can use my real name. But he remained relaxed, arms crossed, looking leisurely at the mansion.

After whistling softly, he glanced at me and then spoke to the gatekeeper.

“Announce that Rian Silic, Secretary to the Imperial Household, is here.”

“What business do you have?”

“Do I need to explain Imperial business to a soldier who hasn’t even received a title?”

At his chilly tone, the soldier flinched. Turning away, they whispered among themselves before opening the gate.

The gate that didn’t open despite my pleading, opened with just his words.

I quickly followed behind him, my steps feeling heavy as if weighed down by sandbags.

“Why did you help? You could have left.”

At my question, he stopped abruptly. Turning around, his face still bore a smile.

“I felt sorry for your situation and… I was curious why you would choose this person’s mansion as your destination.”

As he smiled, his expression gradually turned serious.

“Anyway, I lent you my status, but I can’t guarantee what will happen next.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“They won’t let an intruder leave so easily. Even if that man’s blade is aimed at you, I can’t promise to stop him.”

The atmosphere changed abruptly. Though I met his eyes, it didn’t seem like a joke to scare me.

“Then you won’t be safe either.”

“I can always claim I was deceived.”

He shrugged.

“No matter how heartless he is, he wouldn’t kill a noble, would he?”

Rian muttered quietly as he strolled down the long hallway.

“I won’t stop you from running away. If he draws his sword, you should flee. Being a mercenary, he wouldn’t hesitate to take a life.”

“You speak as if you know him well.”

“When you work in the palace, you often encounter people you’d rather not see, and witness actions you’d prefer not to.”

He smiled bitterly.

“I appreciate your concern, but the Edan I know wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“You didn’t think he’d refuse to open the gate for you either, did you? Even though you traveled from the countryside to see him, and even jumped into a stranger’s carriage to get here. Isn’t that right?”

He glanced back at me with a smirk, then walked past.

His sarcasm was impressive. I stood there for a moment, staring at his receding figure, then followed him.

He painted Edan as if he were the coldest, most ruthless killer. I didn’t want to dwell on it, but his words left an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.

A lot had happened while I was away. The face of Edan I knew might not be the whole picture. After all, I was just a tool to my lord.

Would Edan really help me?

Suppressing the sudden doubt, I followed Rian’s shadow. The hallway was excessively dark without sunlight, and the air was stale.

It felt lifeless.

Though not literally dead, the mansion seemed so. It was colder and lacked warmth even more than the unadorned northern region.

Was it just the dim light? I slightly lifted the veil. The darkness lifted, revealing my surroundings, but the mansion’s lifeless scenery remained the same. Servants moved through the hallway, but the eerie atmosphere couldn’t be hidden.

* * *

Edan’s office was at the far end of the mansion. Following the soldier’s guidance, I finally stood before the door.

As the door opened, bright light flooded in. It seemed the office was situated in the sunniest spot of the mansion.

I squinted against the sudden burst of sunlight.

Closing my eyes slowly and then opening them, the view of the office came into focus. The room was as large as the grand mansion itself but sparsely furnished, almost empty. The office was overly simplistic.

In the distance, I saw Edan, sitting at his desk, meticulously sharpening a blade. Seeing his face after so long stirred a sense of familiarity and relief.

“You have visitors.”

“I don’t recall sending any invitations.”

“The Imperial Secretary, Rian Silic, and… a lady claiming to be your cousin.”

“Cousin?”

A chill permeated his voice.