As morning dawned, Carver quickly prepared and headed out in his carriage. Thanks to having handled his work overnight, he was fortunate to have some free time in the morning.
As a result, although his subordinate, Harban, had struggled with work without getting any sleep, he had secretly felt relieved seeing Carver working diligently.
However, that relief was short-lived, as Harban was startled to find Carver missing when he woke up from a brief nap.
“Where are you going so early in the morning? Have you seen my resignation letter?”
Harban stood in front of the carriage, blocking its path. Despite having spent the previous night dealing with that matter, the resignation letter placed on the desk was nowhere to be found.
“Oh, that? Look for it carefully. It’s probably already turned to ashes by now.”
Carver replied in a nonchalant tone as he passed by him and climbed into the carriage. With no strength left to retort, Harban shouted towards the departing carriage,
“From now on, overtime work will be paid double!”
Carver’s hand suddenly emerged from the window as if to say it didn’t matter, forming a circle with his fingers. Helpless, Harban sank to the ground.
“Darn it… I should have run away when I was younger… I’m already doomed.”
Harban had grown accustomed to the taste of money, making it hard for him to quit.
Inside the carriage headed towards the mansion where Leta stayed, Carver closed his eyes. He felt uneasy due to the memories of yesterday that kept resurfacing.
That day, he had watched Riley and Ren with his own eyes. Perhaps Ren didn’t even realize that he might have feelings for Riley.
“I’m sure he knows I’m watching…”
His fists clenched. Carver left a letter at the mansion where Leta stayed, suggesting they go together since he would be sending the carriage.
“Yeah, that could be possible. Even the commoners don’t know me…”
Changing clothes and carriages, and being relatively unknown even by the people in the outskirts, made it difficult for them to recognize Carver.
Just in case, he had temporarily removed the wanted posters, but he still wasn’t entirely confident.
Driving swiftly towards the shop, picking up Leta who was waiting in front of the mansion, Carver drove on. Inside the carriage, Leta clenched her hands tightly with anxiety, closing her eyes.
A mix of unease and anticipation caused her heart to tremble incessantly. Sweat chilled her palms, and unconsciously, she clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to relax her tension.
“Is it really her?”
Yes, it was her. I cannot deceive my eyes.
Thinking of Riley, Carver smiled softly. However, without any evidence, it was not easy to be sure about Leta.
“She’s in disguise, so it’s obvious I’d ask how I recognized her.”
He knew about the pattern, but he didn’t know about Ren’s presence as the black. If he knew he was hiding, who knows what might happen.
“She was wearing a butterfly pin.”
Carver remembered the butterfly pin Riley used to wear.
Responding to Carver’s words, Leta cautiously took out a butterfly pin from her handkerchief. It was the same pin as the one Riley was wearing. It was a gift Carver had given to both of them when they were young.
“Leta, even if you saw Riley, please keep my identity a secret.”
She probably won’t betray him.
“Understood.”
Leta obediently complied with Carver’s request. Looking at Leta, who was gazing at the butterfly pin in silence, Carver asked,
“Are you not going to ask why?”
“I know everything Your Highness does for my sister. So, I don’t need to know the reason.”
Perhaps Leta vaguely understood the resentment Riley harbored towards her father and the royal family.
“Thank you.”
Leta expressed strong trust in Carver. She was convinced. Carver was not someone who would harm her sister.
The carriage swiftly headed towards where Riley would be. Leta, wearing a large hat, nervously chewed her lips.
Arriving in front of the shop, Carver and Leta took deep breaths. Trying to hide their nervousness as much as possible, they entered the shop together.
Ding—
As always, the clear sound of the bell rang out. And there she was, smiling as always.
“Welcome! Oh, you really came!”
Riley glanced at the woman beside Carver quickly upon seeing him. Fortunately, her prepared jewelry seemed to match well with the woman’s attire.
“Her hair is silver…”
A pang of pain. His heart ached. When the sunlight touched it, her hair, which appeared to be of various colors depending on the light, came to mind. The same hair color as “Leta,” his own sister.
Riley softened her expression, folding away her suspicions.
“Is this lady…?”
Carver nodded slightly in response to Riley’s question. Belatedly, Ren, who had been tidying up inside, came out. His eyes widened subtly at the sight of the woman wearing a hat.
“She looks familiar?”
Though it was difficult to say outright, she seemed familiar. He had been listening to Riley’s request to put the requested gemstones on the display, and Ren’s eyes quickly shifted between Carver and the woman.
“That rascal… could it be…?”
After enduring a lecture from Riley yesterday for quite some time after getting a good thrashing, Ren couldn’t help but feel uneasy seeing Carver arrive with a woman.
“Madam, if it’s not too much to ask, could you please take off your hat for a moment?”
Riley cautiously addressed Leta. Carver’s head turned slightly towards Riley at the word “madam.” However, he didn’t say anything else.
There was no need to say it out loud.
Leta handed the butterfly pin she held in her hand to Riley.
“…Huh?”
Riley’s pupils shook as she looked at the butterfly pin, identical to the one she had. At the same time, Ren’s expression stiffened.
“Darn it.”
Ren quickly tried to cover Riley’s eyes, but it was too late.
Removing her hat, Leta took Riley’s hand. She recognized immediately that this woman was her sister, Riley, despite the difference in appearance.
Even though their appearances were different, she could feel it.
“…Sister, right? It’s you, isn’t it?”
With a face similar to her own and silver hair, Riley froze on the spot.
“It’s me, Leta.”
Seeing Leta shedding tears, Riley’s head throbbed, and she felt intense pain.
How many times had she imagined this moment? She had returned to the day before being sent home in countless dreams.
It was unbelievable.
“Is it really Leta…?”
Her sister, whom she had thought was dead, was standing right in front of her. Riley’s heart pounded fiercely, feeling like it was being squeezed painfully.
“Ahh… Ah!”
Startled by Riley’s contorted expression of pain, Carver hurriedly reached out, but only for a moment. Ding— the sound of the door opening interrupted.
Turning back to look at the door, the man who was surprised to see Leta and stumbled backward, sitting down hesitantly, was Theo.
As soon as he saw him, everyone’s faces contorted. Theo, who was hesitantly backing away as he met Leta’s gaze, sank back further.
“Le… Leta, how…?”
Theo suddenly entered.
Leta was supposed to be dead. But to anyone’s eyes, she was unmistakably her. Theo had been discreetly gathering information here and there to find Riley.
As a result, he got hold of information about a woman resembling Riley living here. Theo immediately began searching the village for Riley, quietly following her trail upon hearing news of the royal knights searching for her.
Upon crossing this street, he heard about a woman with a similar appearance in the jewelry store. It was valuable information obtained thanks to the acquaintanceship with the villagers.
“I may not know why the prince is looking for Riley so desperately, but that implies she must possess something significant.”
Without hesitation, Theo quickly found the store. As he looked around and tried to enter, he was stopped by Harban.
“Darn it…!”
Suddenly being silenced and taken elsewhere left Theo utterly bewildered.
Surrounded by knights, seeing Harban standing in front of him, Theo swallowed hard.
“You must not set foot in there.”
“…What do you mean?”
“It means everyone’s having a hard time because of you. I don’t know why you’ve come here, but I hope it’s not for the reason I suspect.”
Harban smirked, not a threat but a thinly veiled one.
“What does the royal family have to do with this? Are you implying that if I come here again, you’ll suppress me?”
Harban shrugged lightly in response to Theo’s words. He gestured to each of the knights, saying,
“If that happens, this one will cut off your arm, that one your leg, another your hand, and finally, someone will slit your throat.”
“…Is this a threat?”
“Does it sound like a threat? It’s not a threat, but rather a genuine concern. Everyone’s lives are being tossed around because of you.”
Theo’s throat tightened. The gazes of the knights surrounding him were filled with an unknown vitality and weariness.
‘I’ll die. I’ll definitely die.’
He reluctantly nodded. He hadn’t promised not to come back, as he hadn’t said it out loud.
Theo wanted to confirm, at least once, just once.
As a result, despite the threat to his life, he rushed in and opened the door, entering the store. By summoning every ounce of strength, he managed to enter the store before the knights could stop him.
