Loran’s movements paused for a moment.
He looked at Chloe beside him. The young woman was still focused on enjoying her milk, as if nothing else in the world mattered.
The way the group acted as if they were completely uninvolved made Yuna, who was standing to the side, pout in frustration. She leaned both hands on the dining table and raised her voice. “I’m saying, why don’t you guys have any reaction at all? This is sensational news! Valgard was practically turned upside down last night. If this isn’t handled properly, there’s going to be a huge mess!”
Only then did Chloe look up. She gracefully wiped the traces of milk from the corner of her mouth with a napkin and then turned her eyes toward Yuna, her voice flat.
“Since this matter involves the Holy See, it should be highly classified information. Where did you hear about it?”
The excited expression on Yuna’s face suddenly dimmed a little. She blinked and lowered her voice.
“Wasn’t there a huge commotion last night… and then this morning I saw familiars flying back and forth very frequently, so I…”
“So you secretly intercepted a few of them?” Chloe looked into her eyes.
Yuna waved her hands dismissively. “No, no, I just directly made a copy of the familiars along with the information inside—”
Hearing this, Loran nearly spat out the black tea in his mouth.
“—But I destroyed everything after reading it. I didn’t dare keep a single copy.”
“You’d better have.” Loran wiped his mouth, speaking sarcastically. “I really don’t want to be sent to prison by my own colleagues.”
“I was very careful, okay?”
“Oh, my dear lady, I’m begging you, please stop talking. If this keeps up, I really will have to go look for a new job.”
Chloe rubbed her forehead and let out a faint sigh. “Anyway, since they made such a big scene, did they catch the attackers in the end?”
“Catch them? They were strangled and killed on the spot by a combined force of the Capital Guard and the Paladins accompanying the Holy See.” Yuna curled her lip. “And as for the identity of those attackers… you definitely won’t believe it when I tell you.”
Loran raised an eyebrow noncommittally, his gaze falling on the small piece of bread remaining on his plate.
“You’ve already made me find this whole thing unbelievable enough.”
He muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Chloe nodded for Yuna to continue. The latter cleared her throat and then spoke.
“The people who attacked the Secretary of State of the Holy See this time were none other than the five bandits we encountered over by the ice lake a few days ago.”
***
On the other side.
In the temporary morgue outside the Capital Guard camp, the air was thick with the heavy scent of blood.
William Albert Wordsworth was leaning unceremoniously against a nearby tree trunk, a makeshift ice pack condensed from simple ice magic pressed against his left cheek.
Through the edges of the ice pack, an unnatural bluish-purple bruise could be faintly seen spreading from his cheekbone to his jaw. The Dean grimaced as he adjusted the ice pack’s position, the cold sensation making him let out a comfortable sigh.
In front of him, the Captain of the Capital Guard, dressed in a crisp uniform, was leading several subordinates in silently counting the bodies laid out on the ground. Wearing gloves, he lifted the corners of the shrouds one by one, checking them against the temporarily written information and occasionally turning back to confirm something with the scribe behind him.
The Dean’s gaze moved past the Captain’s back and fell on that patch of jarring white cloth. He frowned but still took a step forward.
He stopped beside one corpse. The small card next to it showed the name Prinval, a member of the Zayed Brotherhood, imprisoned yesterday for the attempted attack on members of the Rufinias and Blanche families.
The Dean’s eyebrows knitted together. He bent down and reached out to uncover a corner of the shroud. He stared at the corpse’s face for a few seconds, glanced at the content recorded on the card, and then covered the shroud back up.
“With such a big fuss last night, did you really fail to capture even one alive? They were all… wiped out just like that?”
The Captain happened to finish checking the last body. He took off his gloves and turned around unhurriedly. He first gave a salute to the Dean and then spoke.
“The fugitives displayed extreme aggression during their escape last night. To avoid causing wider civilian casualties and to minimize uncontrollable risks, the Guard, together with the Paladins who arrived in time, took decisive measures in accordance with the emergency handling regulations.”
“Decisive measures?”
The Captain nodded slightly. “Yes. All were killed on the spot. No survivors.”
“That’s quite ruthless…”
The Dean clicked his tongue, which tugged at the injury on his face, causing his muscles to twitch.
The Captain bowed to him again. “Additionally, His Royal Highness the Regent Augustus has been informed of the details of last night and has expressed high praise and sincere gratitude for the Dean’s assistance during the crisis. Had the Dean not intervened in time to stop the fugitives’ attempt to penetrate the core of the noble district, the consequences would have been unthinkable.”
“Get to the point.”
“…Hearing that the Dean was unfortunately injured last night, the Regent is very concerned. His Highness is currently on his way here and is expected to arrive shortly.”
“What? Forget it.” The Dean hurriedly stabilized the ice pack on his face. “Let’s not go around publicizing such an embarrassing thing.”
“Oh, right, the academy is about to start its new term, and there’s a pile of junk waiting for me. I really don’t have time to waste here. I’m leaving first.”
After saying that, the Dean didn’t care about grace or etiquette. He turned around and slipped away as if his feet were greased. With the ice pack held to his face and half of it still swollen, his panicked retreat looked quite pathetic.
Within a few breaths, the Dean’s back disappeared around the corner at the end of the street.
The Captain stood in place and shook his head, turning his gaze back to the bodies on the ground.
Just then, a young subordinate ran forward and reported to him in a low voice.
“Sir… compared to the numbers provided by the prison, we seem to be missing one body here.”
The Captain took the list, his gaze finally stopping on a circled name.
“Joe.”
He raised his eyes and looked at his subordinate.
“Take men and continue searching the city. Focus on the area where the riot occurred last night and the boundary zone of the Old City. Radiate out to all possible hiding spots. Sewers, abandoned buildings, slums… don’t miss a single place. I want to see him alive or his corpse.”
***
After finishing breakfast, Chloe looked up at Loran, who was standing up across from her.
The morning light shone through the dining room window onto his face, highlighting the subtle dark circles under his eyelids.
“I’m going back to catch up on some sleep. With all the commotion yesterday, I didn’t sleep well.”
Chloe’s fingers tightened slightly around her cup. She watched the black tea swirl in the cup, lowered her eyelashes, and gave a small response.
“Oh.”
Finally.
The young woman muttered to herself.
Finally, the mansion was quiet today. There were no calling cards, no noble invitations, and no troublesome matters knocking on the door… the snow outside had stopped, and the sky was clear.
She had thought that perhaps, just like back at the castle in their fief, she could have Loran stay with her in the warm little study, guiding her through magic books.
With the fire crackling, time would slowly flow between the two of them.
But he was actually going to sleep.
Chloe didn’t say anything, only watching Loran turn and go upstairs. His back was swallowed by the dimming light deep in the corridor, and the sound of his footsteps gradually faded.
Not happy.
At that moment, a sudden sound of footsteps approached from afar. An attendant stopped outside the dining room door to report.
“Your Highness, a message has been sent from the palace. His Royal Highness the Regent Augustus specifically invites you and Miss Ophelia of the Blanche family to the palace garden this afternoon for tea.”
Chloe pushed down her annoyance for the moment and took another sip of tea.
“Understood. I will be there on time.”
The attendant took the order and withdrew. Chloe sat there quietly, her gaze falling on the empty chair opposite her.
“Elia.” The young woman called out. “Prepare the clothes and carriage for going out this afternoon… also, I want to wear that moon-white dress.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Elia took the order and left. Chloe tiptoed up the stairs. She stepped on the carpeted corridor, making almost no sound.
The girl finally stopped in front of Loran’s door.
The door wasn’t locked. It slid open silently, leaving a crack.
Loran had drawn most of the curtains in the room, leaving only a narrow slit to let a bit of light leak in.
The youth was lying on the bed, the thin quilt pulled up to his waist, his breathing long and steady.
Chloe walked in quietly and closed the door behind her.
She walked to the bedside and looked down at him for a while, then reached out and gently pinched his cheek. Seeing that Loran didn’t wake up, the girl’s courage seemed to grow. Her fingertips moved up and pinched his ear.
It was softer there, and the temperature seemed a bit higher.
A strange sense of excitement enveloped her. Chloe sat down along the edge of the bed and turned to look at him. It was too quiet in the room, so quiet that she could hear the sound of blood flowing past her eardrums and her own heartbeat.
The girl suddenly felt a bit guilty. She subconsciously held her breath, as if afraid she would wake him.
Should I… steal a little bite?
He’s asleep anyway, and since the last time… after kissing him last time, nothing seemed to change.
Chloe pursed her lips and then leaned in slightly, quickly pecking Loran on the lips.
It’s still not enough like this.
The girl rested her chin on her hand, looking at Loran’s peaceful sleeping face.
He was her magic consultant, her vassal, and bore the name of Lufinias… beneath the boundaries of master and servant, those quietly growing feelings still had to be restrained a little.
But, was it going to be like this forever?
Loran had taught her that haste makes waste, so she had been telling herself to be patient, to bit by bit make him get used to her presence and her closeness until he could no longer leave.
But the situation had changed. She could no longer afford to dawdle slowly. Perhaps she should think of a way to make the relationship between them take a step forward naturally.
Chloe tilted her head, looking at the wall thoughtfully.
***
When Loran woke up in a daze, he was shocked to find a graceful silhouette standing quietly by his bed.
Elia stood there holding neatly folded clothes, looking at him quietly with no expression on her face.
Loran’s brain went “buzz.” He scrambled to grab the quilt, nearly tumbling off the other side of the bed.
“Elia? Why are you here?”
Elia looked at his disheveled appearance, a hint of helplessness surfacing in her eyes. She took half a step forward and placed the clothes on the stool at the foot of the bed.
“Mr. Loran.” Elia said flatly. “According to Her Highness’s instructions, you are required to accompany her for the afternoon itinerary. I intended to come and ask you to get up and prepare. When I knocked, I found the door was unlocked, so I stepped in to take a look.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Loran’s still sleepy face.
“Seeing how soundly you were sleeping, I didn’t want to disturb you, but since you are awake, please change quickly. Her Highness has been waiting downstairs for a long time.”
After saying that, Elia bowed slightly, turned, and exited the room, not forgetting to close the door behind her.
Loran sat on the bed staring at the door, only letting out a long sigh after a long while.
—Scared me to death… I thought the nightmare of being ridden had come true.
The youth changed out of his loungewear, only to find a faint, subtle fragrance lingering near the collar of the clothes. Loran held the shirt and was dazed for a moment, then scratched his head and set it aside.
—Well, Elia washes all the clothes, so it’s perfectly reasonable if she used some new incense.
Once everything was settled, the Lufinias carriage rolled over the clean stone road in front of the mansion and entered the somewhat lazy afternoon streets.
Thank God they didn’t need to share a carriage with Ophelia this time, so he had the chance to lean back and take a nap.
The street scenes passing outside the window became blurred and slow in his eyes. He could vaguely hear the occasional sound of Chloe flipping pages across from him and the rustle of fabric as Elia organized things.
After traveling for an unknown amount of time, the carriage slowed down. In his half-awake state, Loran seemed to hear Ophelia’s voice.
He turned and looked out the window. He saw the curtain of the opposite carriage window being lifted by a slender white hand. Ophelia Blanche’s face poked out, happily waving at Chloe.
When she saw Loran behind the girl, she curiously asked if he hadn’t slept well last night, otherwise why did he always look like he hadn’t woken up.
The youth did not respond, instead quietly shrinking deeper into his seat and closing his eyes again.
About half an hour later, the carriage came to a gentle stop.
Loran rubbed his somewhat stiff neck and followed behind Chloe as they stepped off the carriage. He took a deep breath, his gaze unconsciously sweeping across the square in front of the palace gates.
A group of people was walking out from the side gate of the inner palace.
About eleven or twelve people, all wearing long robes embroidered with the emblem of the Holy See, surrounding a single person in the center of the group.
It was a woman.
Unlike the others, she wore a quite magnificent red-and-white formal dress. She was tall, her face pale and cold. Her pace seemed a bit sluggish, her head slightly lowered throughout the walk, with one hand pressed near her heart.
Just as Loran’s gaze drifted over her, the woman happened to stop her steps due to a bout of discomfort. The direction her eyes lifted happened to collide directly with the gaze Loran had cast toward her.
That was the first time he met Liadrin.