The rain kept falling.
Luo Ye walked along a cobblestone path, making his way to a dense forest on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
A uniquely designed courtyard stood there.
It was clear this was Princess Alicia’s private residence.
Under the heavy, oppressive clouds, even the ancient, rustic gate ahead seemed somewhat stifling. Looking through the iron bars, all he could see was lush greenery—obviously, the lady of the house had put a lot of effort into the garden’s plants.
But if one looked closely, traces of weeds could be seen poking out here and there; it hadn’t been tended to in days.
Luo Ye and Anna stopped in front of the courtyard’s main entrance.
In the rainy night, two Royal Guards clad in silver armor blocked their way.
Anna held up a black umbrella and pulled a Knight Medal from the pocket of her mourning clothes.
The two guards glanced over it, then saluted in unison. Along with Anna, they turned their gaze to Luo Ye.
Luo Ye raised an eyebrow slightly. Did he need to present proof of identity?
He wasn’t even sure if the original owner had brought anything like that before leaving home.
Luo Ye tentatively reached into his pocket, and suddenly his fingers touched something hard. He paused, then pulled it out to see—a badge that looked much like a student ID: the Imperial Magic Academy Student Badge.
Chairman of the 23rd Year Magic Department.
“So it’s Lord Luo Ye. Please, go in.”
The two guards looked as if they’d just realized something.
Luo Ye put away the badge and followed Anna through the guards and the iron gate.
Passing between the two armored figures, Luo Ye felt as though, even through their helmets, he could see the mocking smiles hidden beneath.
Were there really people in the Imperial Capital who didn’t recognize him now?
Or perhaps, even if some shut-in in the city didn’t know him, how could a Royal Guard from the palace not recognize the Princess Consort?
Stopping him and Anna was, on the surface, a routine identity check, but in reality, it was just an excuse to give him trouble. That “Lord Luo Ye” was spoken without a hint of respect—if anything, there was a trace of mockery.
But Luo Ye didn’t mind.
At least during this period after the princess’s funeral, everyone—dead or alive—had to behave themselves and show him proper respect on the surface.
Entering the courtyard, he pushed open the villa’s door. At the entrance, he put away his umbrella and placed it on the rack nearby.
Unlike the damp, chilly air outside, inside was warm and dry. There was no gloomy twilight under heavy clouds, only bright, warm-colored glowing crystals.
“Lord Luo Ye, please follow me.”
Anna took off her mourning coat, revealing her slender, graceful figure, her cheeks slightly flushed as she spoke.
Her voice was soft now, no longer as stern and cold as before.
Luo Ye, walking behind her, nodded lightly.
For some reason, he felt Anna’s aura had changed—especially her tone, which gave him a strange feeling.
But following behind, he couldn’t see Anna’s face, so he couldn’t read her expression.
Considering their positions, it was Anna, the one directly responsible for the princess’s safety, who should be blamed more than him, the Princess Consort in name only, unable to stay by Alicia’s side. She had no reason to resent him; in a way, they were both in the same boat.
Thinking this, Luo Ye stopped paying attention to Anna’s change and chalked it up to his imagination. After all, even his own mood had improved after entering the house, so it was no surprise if Anna had changed a bit too.
Better to spend his energy gathering information from the house.
From the entrance to the living room, then up to Alicia’s bedroom on the second floor—it was all typical Western European Style architecture. Aside from a few decorations that revealed the princess’s personal tastes, there wasn’t much difference.
Even the bedroom was the same—apart from its spaciousness, its most notable feature was the lack of decoration. It was hard to imagine this was where the Empire’s princess lived; everywhere exuded a sense of simplicity.
The most eye-catching things were a grand piano by the window and a desk by another window not far away. On the desk were books written in the Empire’s language, arranged neatly and at angles. It was clear the princess loved reading and playing piano.
“Lord Luo Ye, would you like something to drink? Black tea or coffee?”
“Coffee, please,” Luo Ye replied instinctively, used to working late.
Anna paused for a moment, then nodded in response.
“Lord Luo Ye, there are some envelopes in the desk drawer. I’m not in a position to open them, but if you do, it’s not a problem. If there’s anything I should know, please be sure to tell me.”
Luo Ye couldn’t help but feel surprised—such a loyal guard.
“Alright.”
Anna’s face showed a clear look of excitement. She bowed and then turned to make the coffee.
Luo Ye walked over to the desk and glanced at the elegant tea set atop it. It was obvious Alicia loved black tea. If it were coffee, there should be a jar of sugar cubes nearby.
He pulled open the drawer on the right.
Inside were several envelopes.
One of them, astonishingly, had himself as the sender.
Luo Ye froze.
He opened it, finding the letter filled with formal greetings like “Your Highness Aili, I hope you are well,” while Alicia’s reply was equally official—phrases like “Thank you for your concern, I appreciate your kindness.”
Luo Ye thought, “You two haven’t even gotten together, and you’re already being so polite. ‘Respecting each other like guests’ doesn’t even begin to describe it—you don’t treat each other as family at all.”
Still, there was useful information to be found.
Two weeks ago, the Imperial Magic Academy held a seminar for their year, appointing the three top students to participate. The teachers didn’t join; the results would be submitted afterward.
But the third-ranked Lilyth was suggested by Alicia to the teachers to be left out for efficiency’s sake. She and Luo Ye would conduct the discussion, and simply copy the conclusions to Lilyth.
So only the top two of the year got to join the seminar, huh?
What kind of American-style bullying was this?
All the top students participated in the seminar—guess who didn’t get an invitation?
For some reason, as Luo Ye picked up the letter and saw the elegant handwriting, a vivid figure suddenly appeared in his mind.
A girl of graceful bearing and exquisite beauty, with waist-length pale blue hair and amber eyes, her gaze always carrying a subtle, gentle smile—easy on the eyes, her every movement radiating elegance and charm.
So this was the princess?
Luo Ye couldn’t say why Alicia’s image would suddenly pop into his mind. Maybe it was the influence of her portrait at the funeral and the handwriting before him, stirring up memories of Alicia.
Like the unattainable white moonlight of his youth.
“What a wonderful girl… How could she have died?”
Luo Ye put away the letter, sighing softly as he lamented inwardly.
“Lord Luo Ye, are you mourning the princess?”
A sudden female voice nearly startled Luo Ye. He forced himself to turn around calmly, only to see Anna gracefully set down a coffee cup, tuck a strand of golden hair behind her ear, and gaze at the letter in Luo Ye’s hand, a little surprised.
“Ah, that matter… The day Her Highness returned, she even said, ‘A man and a woman alone in a room is just like a date,’ though she was half-joking.”
Anna’s voice carried endless delight, along with a faint, meaningful smile.