On the way home, the heiress named Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief as she shared her recent experiences with Tina.
First, she was inexplicably kidnapped by strangers from out of town, then taken to the outskirts, where they told her she would be useful in the future and must survive at all costs.
She had thought there was no way out—that she had become a tool for villains to threaten her family.
But unexpectedly, the person she had been quietly hoping for recovered his health and came through dangers to rescue her.
Such a handsome and powerful figure—how could an ordinary heiress possibly resist?
Yet she felt she was no ordinary girl. Although she neither knew how to entertain guests, cook, nor fight,
she believed that as long as she had feminine charm, that would be enough.
“Um, Miss Tina, who’s this?” Vanessa frowned as she looked at the shy girl trailing behind Tina.
Damn it, she had only been gone a few days, and suddenly there was a new rival.
“Oh, she’s a knight I recently hired,” Tina replied casually, as if she had already grown used to Irene’s presence.
“Is that so?” Vanessa still looked confident, not seeing anything outstanding about someone who only clutched a sword.
Whether in terms of background or demeanor, she was clearly superior. “Miss Irene, what do you usually do? Besides being hired as muscle, do you have any other duties?”
Vanessa’s question was clearly pointed—any normal person would have caught that.
Unfortunately, Irene was too straightforward. “I—I’m not muscle. Usually, I eat, bathe, and sleep with Tina.”
“What?!” Vanessa was utterly dumbfounded by that answer, almost shutting down her brain.
Eat, bathe, sleep? Isn’t that just doing the basics? What kind of joke was this, already progressing to this stage in only a few days?
“Ahaha, actually, Irene says those things because I take care of her; she has a hard time managing on her own,” Tina explained.
“Oh—I thought so,” Vanessa relaxed.
“But I’m not planning to find a partner either, at least not before my final goal is achieved.”
Tina deliberately said this to Vanessa.
To become successful, one must first maintain the Sigma mindset and keep all romantic entanglements far away.
If the emotions become too strong and are truly impossible to resist…
Then just accept it. If you can’t beat them, join them.
Tina had Irene escort Vanessa home while she went ahead to the second floor of the Investigation Bureau to catch the culprit.
“You two better get along, especially you, Vanessa, no bullying Irene, okay?”
“…Fine.”
With things said to this degree, Tina naturally would not lay a finger.
***
After parting ways on the main road, Tina took advantage of the night and climbed to the second-floor window of the Investigation Bureau, preparing to sneak in.
She was going to give that man who pretended to be an expert behind everyone’s back a taste of his own medicine and show him that not just anyone could be framed.
But as soon as she slipped inside, she saw an unfamiliar man working late by the light, his eyes filled with endless fatigue.
“Who are you?” The man was clearly startled and about to call for the guards outside.
“Shh, don’t make a sound. I just have a few questions before I leave.”
Tina sealed his mouth with magic. “If you dare to shout, you’ll never shout again.”
“Ugh ugh ugh—” The man shook his head and settled down obediently.
“I’ll ask you: where is the last person who worked here?” she began her interrogation.
“The last one? You mean Galen? He already quit.”
“Quit? Do you know where he went?” Tina pursed her lips, surprised the coward had run so fast he disappeared within one afternoon.
Information.
“I don’t know. He’d only been here for half a month and said he didn’t want to work anymore, so he left. Didn’t do any tasks; it all got dumped on me.”
This hardworking employee was bitter. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be working overtime.”
“Alright, do you have any records on him? I want to take a look.”
“There are some, but they’re all very normal.”
He fetched a backup file from the bookshelf and handed it to Tina.
Upon careful review, Tina found the employment application very ordinary, recording only the basics: name, age, skills, medical history, and so on.
For a man of his special status, this information was unusually plain—like false data given to conceal his true identity.
“How annoying, he got away.”
From the current intelligence, Tina only knew that the man named Galen was an agent of the Empire, infiltrating Valencia not just to kidnap hostages but with deeper conspiracies at play.
What could it be related to?
Thinking of recent major events, the most likely was the auction—a stage that gathered many forces.
If her guess was correct, what was the Empire’s goal this time?
Many questions remained unanswered; she could only take it step by step.
In the worst case, it might involve Princess Lia. Tina wasn’t always concerned about her, but deep down, she felt a bit indebted. If something really happened, helping out would be a way to repay a favor.
“Achoo—” Far away in Keliville, Lia sneezed.
The weather had turned cold recently, and combined with frequent late nights, she seemed to have caught a chill.
At that moment, the kingdom was holding a farewell banquet to send her off with blessings.
That was how it was said, but the ministers were all enjoying themselves inside the castle, unaware that she was alone on the balcony, leaning against the railing in a daze.
“Your Majesty, won’t you come inside and dance?” The Sage approached with a wine cup, followed by a maid.
“I’m not like you, who has a dance partner. Besides, I don’t drink. This banquet is for you to enjoy,” Lia replied nonchalantly, though everyone knew she didn’t truly feel indifferent.
“Ah, well then, Your Majesty, please take care of yourself.” Everett had originally come just to check on her; since she was unresponsive, he let it go. He still had someone waiting for him to dance with.
After the two walked away, Lia involuntarily turned back.
The castle was lively—this was a rare grand feast for everyone. Even the Sage, notorious for low emotional intelligence, had a dance partner. This made lonely Lia even more upset.
But no matter how upset, it was useless. She wasn’t unable to dance; on the contrary, she had mastered royal etiquette thoroughly since she was a princess.
Unfortunately, the one she wanted as a partner wasn’t here—only the bright moon in the sky and her shadow cast on the ground.
Lia raised her left hand toward the sky, the other arm circling around the waist of her “partner” on the ground, imagining herself dancing gracefully with her beloved under the moonlight.
It was a solitary dance—the dance of longing and deep regret.
“If only I could find you soon,” she murmured.