The afterglow of the setting sun stretched slowly across the horizon.
The sunset bled a bewitching crimson, merging and overlapping with the thick dark clouds in the distance like a heavy quilt, blanketing the border village of Loralin completely.
Wild crows circled in the sky, their shrill cries mingling with the twilight-shrouded village, giving the place the eerie air of a desolate city built with blood, more like a haunted prison of the underworld.
Along a bumpy, muddy country road, an old-fashioned carriage rumbled its way forward.
Inside the carriage, light and shadow danced as a glowstone shimmered faintly, illuminating the beautiful young woman seated within.
She had long, smooth hair as dark and mysterious as the night, with a face so perfectly sculpted it seemed unfit to belong to this world so flawless, it bore not a single blemish.
Beneath her delicately arched lashes, her eyes remained gently closed, her cold expression lending her an air of serene pride.
The girl wore a red-and-gold military uniform designed for men, one that balanced elegance with practicality.
Though tailored for the male form, it fit her striking figure perfectly.
With her blend of beauty and commanding presence, she wore it as if it had been made for her alone.
From her stunning looks and refined attire, it wasn’t hard to tell she held an especially noble status in this kingdom.
And indeed, she did.
Vanessa von Silithes—that was her name.
She was the third princess of the Kingdom of Silithes, the current commander of the Silithes Knights, and the former fiancée of Kane.
Or perhaps “former” wasn’t quite accurate.
Due to certain political circumstances, their engagement had not yet been officially annulled, so in the eyes of the world, they were still betrothed.
Inside the carriage, aside from Vanessa, sat another woman—dressed in a female officer’s uniform, a tight black skirt paired with sheer stockings, and rimless round glasses.
This officer was Beth von Isabella, Vanessa’s adjutant since childhood and her most trusted aide.
Upon hearing Beth’s reminder, Vanessa slowly opened her night-brown eyes.
Her cool gaze carried a kind of innate authority, as if a single glance could survey the entire world.
She loosened her arms, gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and glanced outside, responding softly:
“Let’s stop the carriage here for now.”
Though there was still some distance to the village, Vanessa chose to cloak herself and her adjutant in hooded cloaks, hiding her striking black hair, and proceed on foot.
After all, they had come here with a specific purpose—to secretly investigate the border villages.
The fewer people who knew of their presence, the better.
Before long, the two entered the village.
Strolling along the rustic countryside paths, Vanessa noted that while this was indeed the borderlands, the roads here were far more well-maintained than the muddy paths they had traveled to get here.
On either side of the road, golden fields of rapeseed and wheat stretched out, thriving in abundance.
Villagers could be seen setting up large tarps to shield from the rain, their faces glowing with hope for a better future.
“The villagers here seem to be living much better than I imagined.”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes slightly, touched by the warmth of the scene.
Loralin, located just across the sea from the demon-controlled lands, had an environment, security, and general morale that far surpassed any other border village they had seen.
No, “better” wasn’t even the right word—this level of prosperity completely defied their expectations.
“I wonder what kind of governance the local lord is practicing here to achieve such remarkable results. If possible, we should consider implementing it in other border villages.”
Vanessa spoke calmly.
Though she often seemed distant, like an icy sculpture untouchable by warmth, her heart had always belonged to her kingdom and its people.
Beside her, Beth adjusted her glasses with her index finger and opened a notebook, saying:
“The lord here is Seth von Loralin, the Earl of the Border. His manor is still some distance away, and it’s getting late. We should head there soon.”
She paused, glanced up at the overcast sky, and added:
“And with this weather, it’s not ideal to look for Miss Taliya right now.”
Yes, Vanessa’s secret mission this time was centered around one goal: to find Taliya and bring her back to the capital immediately.
Strangely enough, at every village they visited, the local lords would mention that Taliya had been searching for her too.
But somehow, every time, they just missed each other by a hair’s breadth.
As if some invisible hand was deliberately keeping them apart.
It was downright eerie.
“Hopefully we’ll find her this time. If not, we’ll have no choice but to ask her master to step in.”
As Vanessa spoke, she and Beth began heading in the direction of the Border Earl’s estate.
Though the sky remained overcast, neither of them hurried.
Instead, they took their time observing their surroundings, occasionally striking up conversations with nearby villagers.
The fastest way to understand the true state of a town was to conceal one’s identity and speak directly with the common folk.
Vanessa had always relied on this method and because of it, she had uncovered countless shocking truths.
Thanks to these findings, she had successfully brought down numerous corrupt nobles who preyed on the people.
This had caused her succession ranking in the race for the throne to climb steadily—so much so that she now posed a real threat to the current First Prince.
And precisely because of this, Vanessa had become a thorn in the side of many other noble factions.
But Vanessa had no regrets.
More than the throne itself, what she truly cared about was the happiness of the people.
That was her guiding principle—as a princess, and as a knight of the realm.
From a young age, she had always acted swiftly and decisively.
No matter how unreasonable the circumstances, she never wavered from her code.
However, when she learned from the villagers of Loralin why their village had become so harmonious and prosperous, even this iron-willed princess knight was briefly at a loss.
“You’re saying… all of this came from things you bought from Kane?”
Thinking she might have misheard, Vanessa asked again for confirmation.
“Yep! That handsome young fellow—he’s not just good-looking, he’s got a sweet tongue too. The stuff he sells is great quality and super affordable. Ever since he opened his shop, we don’t even need to make the long trip to the big towns anymore—we can get everything we want right here!”
“Cheaper than in the big cities too!”
“Loralin owes its prosperity to Boss Kane!”
“…”
The women—young and old alike—praised Kane endlessly.
No matter who Vanessa asked, the answer was the same: Kane’s popularity in Loralin was overwhelming.
Well, not all the reviews were good.
Among the men, the sentiment was much less favorable.
Ever since Kane’s arrival, it seemed like the women only had eyes for him, leaving no room for the other men to shine.
“Your Highness, this… must be someone with the same name, right?”
Beth’s mouth twitched.
She couldn’t bring herself to believe such glowing praise could be directed at that infamous scoundrel.
Compared to Beth, who could barely keep a straight face, Vanessa’s naturally cold demeanor allowed her to remain much more composed.
But when she finally spoke, the heaviness in her voice still betrayed her inner unease:
“…But Kane was indeed exiled to Loralin.”