Enya walked toward the door, tidying her silver hair into a bun.
Standing outside the room, she still wore that plain rough-spun dress.
The dragon egg was tucked beneath her skirt, creating a smooth, rounded bulge.
The egg couldn’t leave her side.
Even carrying it in a backpack made her uneasy.
And even though it was still just an egg, the little one inside had emotions.
Whenever it sensed Enya’s aura was gone, it would release a magical pulse—something like the wail of a baby—to get her attention.
How did Enya know this?
Well, she had once tried putting the egg in a basin and giving it a gentle push down the river… only for the egg-baby to start crying very sadly.
So much so that Enya couldn’t bring herself to go through with it.
In the end, she jumped in, fished the egg out, and spent a long time comforting it until the crying stopped.
Ever since then, Enya kept the dragon egg tucked in front of her clothes, pressed close against her body.
It looked a bit odd, sure, but at least it was safe.
At first, when she entered the city, Enya hadn’t noticed anything strange.
Not until someone asked her, “How many months along are you?” did she realize how it must appear.
She wanted to explain, but didn’t know how.
What was she supposed to say—that she was carrying a dragon egg?
Enya understood this was the effect of “the lie,” so all she could do was smile bitterly and keep playing along.
And thus, a rumor was born: a stunning widow named Phil Clorcy had moved into the rental home, carrying her unborn child.
She had come from afar to seek refuge with distant relatives.
That became her official backstory.
A lie must be supported by more lies.
And as those lies piled up, Phil Clorcy came alive.
Eventually, she might even replace Enya, the woman behind the mask…
That was one of the side effects of “the lie.”
But Enya wasn’t too worried—she had natural immunity to soul damage.
Sigh.
No point talking about it—it just brings tears.
She was furious when she first realized she had ended up with an identity like this.
Back to the main point: as soon as Enya came downstairs, sure enough, the neighbors gathered around and asked what had happened.
Enya simply said that a squad of knights came by to warn her about cultists who prey on the minds of the weak.
Nothing else.
Clearly, they didn’t fully believe her.
They then asked what she was heading out for.
Enya replied that she was going to buy some prenatal medicine.
And then added, “Why? Do you want some too?”
That sarcastic jab made everyone look awkward and return to their homes.
Enya did actually go to the herbalist—after all, if she was acting, it had to be convincing.
Carrying the medicine bag, she wandered the streets for a while.
Her presence drew plenty of attention.
She was, after all, out on a stroll with the egg-baby, and also trying to shake off any knight patrols keeping tabs on her.
Eventually, Enya slipped into a shabby little house.
Inside was a stooped old man.
At first, he was startled by her arrival.
But when Enya showed him a particular bracelet, the confusion on his face turned to a smile.
He first closed the courtyard gate, then politely led her into a side room.
He moved aside some firewood and opened a hidden tunnel.
Just before Enya descended, the old man said:
“Some big names have shown up lately. Be careful with what you say and do. Don’t make them angry.”
“…”
Angry?
I’m the one who should be angry!
Enya frowned slightly and rubbed her temples.
Her emotions had been unstable lately.
“Is it the influence of the dragon bloodline? Even though I sealed it…”
Deep within the underground chamber, several people dressed in black sat around a table, engaged in conversation.
“Our spy confirmed it—Princess Vivienne of the Western Wind Empire is heading north to the Elven Kingdom. This is the best ambush spot we’ll get.”
“They say she’s accompanied by a Commonblood Sword Saint…”
“That’s old news—over a year ago. Haven’t you heard? That Sword Saint died together with the dragon! Her Highness the Princess refuses to believe it though. She’s still searching everywhere for that so-called Commonblood Sword Saint.”
“Pfft, the Commonblood Sword Saint is just a joke.”
“Boss, keep your edge sharp!”
“We’ve even got help from the so-called ‘Blood God’—this mission’s basically in the bag.”
“Once this job’s done, I’m going back home to get married.”
The relaxed and cheerful atmosphere had barely begun when the door to the chamber was suddenly flung open.
A scrawny man stumbled in and collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath as he shouted:
“I-it’s… it’s broken in! They broke in!”
“Broke in? Who broke in?”
“A preg—”
“A preg-what? Say it!”
“Aaaaahhhh!!”
The man screamed in panic, eyes fixed in terror toward the doorway—where Enya now stood with a strange expression on her face.
“Did you just say Vivienne?”
With a flick of her slender hand, Enya cleansed her regulation longsword of all the blood that stained it—three heartbeats, that was all it took.
Her dual vertical pupils swept over the now-chaotic room.
Enya furrowed her brows slightly, a trace of doubt in her eyes.
“This level of power is supposed to be a threat to Vivienne? More like a bunch of warm-up dummies.”
She couldn’t believe these people—whom she had dealt with effortlessly—could pose any danger to Vivienne.
As an imperial princess, Vivienne would never be short on capable protection.
And besides, Vivienne herself was far from the delicate little flower people assumed her to be…
Thinking of her brought a moment of dazed emotion.
Enya had been avoiding Vivienne for the past year.
Meanwhile, Vivienne had been searching tirelessly for her.
The guilt in Enya’s heart welled up, along with thoughts of that surprise gift she never got to receive.
Her heart wavered.
“Should I go see her?”
The idea of meeting Vivienne bubbled up inside her—and immediately, the dragon egg pulsed with a faint, whimpering emotional ripple.
Enya blinked back to awareness and hurried to soothe the egg’s mood.
“Mama would never abandon her baby. Don’t worry, little one. Once I’ve taken care of everything here, I’ll hatch you safely, okay…?”
What a weird thing to say.
Enya chuckled wryly.
She hadn’t even been a father, and now here she was playing the role of a mother.
Fate really had twisted her path.
Behind a wooden door lay a study: shelves lined the walls, and a desk cluttered with various blueprints stood in the center.
Papers were strewn across both table and floor.
Enya stepped up to the desk.
Her gaze quickly landed on a fully spread-out blueprint.
It was a map of the underground tunnels!
Stamped on it was the crest of a noble house—the insignia of the Assades family, rulers of the Redpine territory.
Enya took the map and tucked it away.
Her eyes then shifted to the bookcase against the wall.
She walked over, grabbed the edge of the bookcase, and gave it a gentle push.
It slid aside to reveal a staircase, stretching into utter blackness, with no end in sight.
“Looks like the real secrets are buried even deeper…”
Enya narrowed her eyes.
She hesitated for a moment—but ultimately, she descended.
This wasn’t just about removing a threat to Vivienne.
She also didn’t want the citizens of this city to suffer because of some hidden evil.
Deep below the surface, within a vast cavern, stood ancient ruins: a massive stone plaza, a staircase of a hundred steps, and a gate large enough for giants to pass through.
The ten-meter-tall stone doors were cracked open just a sliver—yet within, only darkness loomed.
Just looking at it made one’s heart tremble.
At the center of the plaza, a dozen hooded figures stood in a circle.
They each held a ceramic vessel in their hands and chanted an eerie incantation in some ancient, twisting tongue.
As the chant ended, the lead figure slowly turned around…
Tftc!