Episode 68

Though it was only for a fleeting moment, the realization that I had finally encountered Jenna made the forgotten reality crash down on me.

The sapphire-blue eyes I had seen lingered in my mind like an afterimage.

And more than anything…

[Sierra! So, you were here.]

I knew it now.

Jenna had been there in the fragments of memories I lost as a child.

‘They’re only fleeting memories, but lately, they’ve been coming back to me.’

Her cheerful voice, her radiant smile, even the fresh breeze of that time.

“My lady?”

“…”

“My lady?”

“Oh, yes!”

I snapped out of my deep thoughts and lifted my head abruptly.

I was at Robert’s house, where the distinctive scent of medicinal herbs filled the air.

Robert looked at me with a worried expression.

“Is something bothering you?”

“Oh, haha. It’s nothing. I’ve just been a bit distracted lately. What were you saying again?”

“Actually, the work has gone more smoothly than expected, so we should be finished manufacturing all the medicine in four days.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried there wouldn’t be enough hands to help.”

There were over a million people living in the East District alone, after all.

“The assistants you sent are quite skilled. I have you to thank for that.”

“I didn’t do much.”

“Still, there are so many vagrants in the alleys of the East District that distributing the medicine might be tricky…”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure there’s enough financial support.”

I had earned quite a lot from the gladiatorial tournament, so I could afford to make bold promises like this.

“It’s fortunate to have such a generous benefactor.”

Robert chuckled as he spoke, but just then, I felt a small hand tugging at my sleeve.

“Hm? Sharon?”

I turned around to see Sharon looking up at me.

“Sierra, there’s a handsome brother waiting for you outside.”

“A handsome brother?”

I looked in the direction Sharon was pointing and spotted the man who was watching me.

“Ludwig!”

I hurried out the door to meet him.

“You were supposed to meet me at the manor. Did you come all the way here?”

“I happened to be passing by.”

“Are you just now returning from the city hall?”

“Yes.”

He had a breakfast meeting, but it seemed the talks had stretched until late in the afternoon, as the sun was already setting.

He looked a little worn out, probably from the long discussions.

“You must be tired from the long talks. You don’t have to push yourself to go to the festival, Ludwig.”

“I got through the day by thinking about going to the festival with you.”

Behind me, Sharon and Robert watched us, both covering their mouths as they exchanged glances.

Ludwig’s smile was that charming.

“Ludwig must have really wanted to go to the festival…!”

Embarrassed, I averted my eyes and spoke to Robert.

“Well then, Robert, I’ll be heading out now.”

“Oh, go ahead. Don’t worry about things here. Enjoy yourself.”

“If you need help, just reach out through the informants.”

“Of course.”

For some reason, Robert wore a satisfied expression as he and Ludwig saw me off.

“Oh, right. We should bring Eve along too.”

I suddenly realized and turned to look for Eve, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Huh? She was with us just a moment ago.”

“Eve has a mission to carry out under Raven’s orders. She’ll join us at the manor later.”

“Oh, I see.”

She hadn’t told me directly, so I hadn’t known.

Which meant…

‘It’s just me and Ludwig going to the festival alone.’

That was unexpected…

I climbed into the carriage with Ludwig.

By now, the sky was a brilliant shade of crimson, as if it were on fire with the setting sun.

By the time we arrived, it would be night, and the festival lights would be in full glow.

As the carriage slowly started to move, I sat across from Ludwig, feeling a bit odd.

Anyone looking at us would think we were a couple going to enjoy the festival.

‘…This wasn’t the plan.’

I had been so sure that Eve and Raven would join us.

I broke the brief silence by speaking.

“How was the meeting with the mayor of Navon?”

“I’d say we achieved satisfactory results.”

Ludwig gestured toward the tall wall visible through the window.

“For starters, we’ve agreed to tear down that unsightly wall.”

The stubborn wall built by the residents of the West District. Some called it the “Wall of Wealth and Poverty.”

Even though it was part of the same city, the wall divided it into two entirely different worlds.

“That alone is an incredible achievement. There must have been a lot of resistance.”

“The West District and East District will be unified, and all citizens will enjoy equal rights.”

I wondered how Ludwig managed to get the notoriously difficult mayor of Navon to agree.

“It seems the conversation with the mayor went well. That’s a relief.”

“…Actually, it didn’t go as smoothly as you’d think. He wasn’t someone I could reason with.”

“Huh? Then…”

Ludwig smiled, but there was something tense about it, as if he was carefully choosing his words.

“Well, when words don’t work, you have to use a bit of force, right?” I suggested, trying to show that I understood.

Ludwig’s stiff smile relaxed at that.

“Exactly. The mayor was far too old. Not only could he not comprehend what I was saying, but his eyesight was so poor he couldn’t even read the documents properly.”

His smile took on a dark edge as he spoke.

“In short, he was neglecting his duties. So… I appointed his replacement. The mayor will be replaced soon.”

It sounded like this wasn’t just a case of using a little force…

But this was something that had to happen.

The mayor of Navon had indeed been elected, but only the residents of the West District had voting rights.

As a result, there were no policies in place for the people of the East District, not a single one.

While Ludwig’s appointed successor would eventually have to go through an election, it was clear that with the current election system, it wouldn’t be possible.

The residents of the West District would never elect someone who wanted to tear down the “Wall of Wealth.”

Yet, Ludwig seemed confident.

“You’ve proposed an amendment to allow East District residents to gain the right to vote,” I said, watching him.

Ludwig nodded.

“Changing the law will take some time. The election won’t happen for another six months or so, but until then, the mayor will step down due to health reasons.”

“Health reasons,” but it was clearly more like a thinly veiled threat.

‘I knew the Karsian Duchy had a lot of influence in Navon, but I didn’t realize it was to this extent.’

And to think a young Grand Duke, who had just recently taken over, had accomplished something revolutionary.

“The man who once looked down on me and treated me with disdain couldn’t even meet my gaze. I suppose even he feared the authority of the Grand Duke.”

“That’s because it’s you, Ludwig.”

Though I wasn’t there in person, I could imagine that Ludwig had completely subjugated the corrupt officials, including the mayor of Navon.

Whether through power or force, the outcome depended entirely on who wielded that power.

“You did a great job, Ludwig.”

Perhaps because I had just come from witnessing the bleak conditions of the East District firsthand, I couldn’t help but smile sincerely at him.

Ludwig met my gaze and, for a moment, couldn’t tear his eyes away from mine.

He quickly averted his gaze and spoke again.

“…Also, regarding the distribution of the medicine, I’ve arranged for the Navon City knights to assist. With their numbers, the distribution should be completed within a day or two.”

“What, really?”

And he had even taken care of that?

While I had confidently assured Robert that I could handle it financially, I had been uncertain.

Even if I hired mercenaries, their numbers would be too small, and I’d have to go around recruiting from various places.

I had planned to rush around tomorrow, recruiting mercenaries before the Chetwind banquet, but Ludwig had saved me the trouble.

‘This is…’

Hearing how all the issues that had been on my mind were being resolved so swiftly…

‘He’s so reliable.’

Before I realized it, I absentmindedly reached out and patted his soft black hair.

My body moved out of pure habit, as I often did this to Arzen without thinking.

The moment our eyes met, and I saw his golden eyes staring at me in surprise, I snapped back to my senses.

‘What… what am I doing?’

“I-I’m sorry!”

I quickly tried to pull my hand back, but just then, Ludwig placed his large hand over mine.

Then he gently guided my hand back to his head.

“You can keep patting it. I… like it.”

“…”

I suddenly had the impression of a large dog, waiting for affection.

As I slowly moved my hand, running my fingers through his soft hair, a small smile appeared on Ludwig’s lips.

Feeling my touch, Ludwig asked in a tone reminiscent of a child seeking praise.

“Did I… do well?”

His eyes, full of longing for approval, looked at me.