The afterglow of dusk cast a layer of dark golden light over this small city.
After the convoy underwent a simple inspection at the city gate, it quietly blended into the noisy streets.
Saint Eustacia had already made arrangements. They stopped in front of a clean inn. She herself had changed into a set of gray casual clothes, with her hair covered by a hood. Astreya had also concealed the features of her pointed ears.
“I’ll go contact the informants I arranged earlier. You all settle in first. If possible, check if there are any suspicious situations around.” Saint Eustacia lowered her voice and said to the others, “But you must stay low-key! Don’t get exposed!”
“Alright. Be careful.” Astreya still wore her signature smile, as if this was not a secret mission but a vacation. She looked very relaxed.
The remaining three walked into the inn lobby. The receptionist was a somewhat lazy-looking young attendant who was languidly wiping the counter.
When he saw the three of them enter, he immediately sat up straight. “Would you like three rooms?”
Astreya stepped forward, said a few brief words, and successfully booked three adjacent rooms on the second floor.
After receiving the keys, Astreya did not go upstairs immediately. Instead, she turned to Movira. “Could you come with me for a moment? There’s something I need to tell you.”
Movira’s first reaction was to turn and look at Seraphina, as if asking for her opinion.
Although Seraphina also wanted to hear what it was about, Astreya seemed to have deliberately called only Movira. “It’s fine. You two go ahead.”
Seeing that she had no objections, Movira nodded in agreement.
Astreya took Movira back to the front desk and asked the attendant, “Excuse me, is the kitchen available for us to borrow? We’d like to prepare a simple dinner ourselves.”
The other was stunned for a moment and scratched his head somewhat awkwardly. “This… The kitchen is usually not open to guests. I’m just an employee. I can’t make that decision…”
Upon hearing this, Astreya did not say much. She pinched a shiny silver coin between her fingers and casually flicked it. It slid silently in front of him.
“Can you make that decision now?”
The attendant’s eyes instantly widened. His drowsiness vanished as a more enthusiastic smile appeared on his face. “Of course I can! There’s no one in the kitchen right now, but… a small reminder for you two adults — please be quick!”
After saying this, he looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then led the two of them to the kitchen in the back.
“Alright, there’s no one here now. While we have time, how about I teach you a few more simple and delicious dishes?”
Astreya’s relaxed attitude was truly at maximum. Even Movira, who was not particularly concerned about this operation, could not help but glance at her several times.
“You really are extremely relaxed…”
“If I’m not relaxed, what else can I do? Do you expect anxiety to make potential enemies deliver themselves to the guillotine? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, inside the second-floor guest room, Seraphina looked around the room.
Although it was not large and the furnishings were relatively simple, it was very clean and tidy. A bed covered with a thick quilt occupied most of the space. Besides that, there were only a table and chairs.
The window faced the street and was not fully closed. The evening breeze carried the clamor of the city inside.
Seraphina quickly closed the window and took the opportunity to glance outside.
Pedestrians hurried along the street. Most were citizens returning home after work, along with vendors shouting their wares.
Watching all of this, Seraphina realized that she seemed to have not experienced this kind of ordinary life for a very long time. This morning’s outing could count as one such instance.
After finishing her observation of the street, her thoughts flew to the horizon. She could not help but think of Lina.
If she really was that Princess Ira… then what exactly had she experienced?
What did “Rusted Dawn” have to do with Lina? Did Lina even know how important her identity was?
This series of questions surged into her mind, making Seraphina feel a wave of frustration and powerlessness. She longed to do something instead of passively waiting for news like this.
The incident in that small town was the same. She had been the last to know… If Movira had not let it slip, she probably would have been kept in the dark forever!
Thinking about the magic she had learned recently, at least she was no longer completely powerless. But it was still not enough!
All of this made her restless as she lay on the windowsill. In truth, she did not even know if any of this could actually be useful. Could she really protect herself, or even help Movira?
Seraphina waited in the room for a long time. The lights outside the window were lit one by one, yet the two still had not returned. Could they have run into trouble? Did ordering a few dishes really take this long?
She decided to go downstairs to check. Just as she turned around, footsteps sounded outside the door, and it was pushed open.
Movira and Astreya walked in one after the other. Following them came several floating meal trays, filling the room with an enticing aroma.
“Sorry for the wait. Eat something first. There might be action later. Stamina is important.”
Astreya waved her staff and placed the meal trays on the small round table.
The small complaint in Seraphina’s heart was immediately dispelled by the food. She walked to the table and looked at the several dishes laid out. They were not lavish, but being able to eat hot food was already quite good. At least Seraphina was content. There was a large bowl of thick soup, steak, salad, bread, and the like.
In a place Seraphina had not noticed, Astreya quietly pushed Movira and gave her a meaningful look.
Movira gritted her teeth and replied in a low voice, “Of course I know…”
She then stepped forward, served Seraphina a bowl of soup, and cut a piece of steak onto her plate. “You… try it. See if it suits your taste.”
Seraphina looked at this scene and felt that something was strange, but she could not quite put her finger on it. However, since Movira had “fed” it right to her mouth, she would obediently accept it.
She first took a sip of the soup. The flavor was rich and mellow. The warm sensation instantly dispelled the chill from her body.
“It’s really delicious. By the way… why aren’t you two eating?”
When she looked up, she saw that both of them were still standing and had not sat down. Movira’s movements were also a bit awkward and unnatural. As for Astreya, she was looking at her with an even brighter smile.
“Alright then. Let’s eat too.” Astreya gently pressed on Movira’s shoulder and pushed her into a seat.
“Good.”
Because… this soup and steak were made by her own hands. Even after sitting down and starting to eat, Movira’s mind was not on the food in front of her at all. Her entire focus was on Seraphina beside her. However, it seemed the response was quite good! This allowed Movira’s anxious heart to relax a little.
Just as Seraphina was almost finished eating, there was a knock on the door. It was then pushed open, and Saint Eustacia’s figure appeared in the doorway.
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