FCHTIB Chapter 32

'An animal inside the Grand Duke’s residence?'

It would still be unacceptable even if it were in the garden but inside the residence? What on earth were the knights doing?

Jennifer's eyes flared with anger as she looked around, ready to summon someone to drive the beast out.

No.

More accurately, she tried to look around.

But as if mocking her will, her head remained fixed, stiff and unmoving, her gaze locked on the black beast.

As though bewitched, she stared blankly into its golden eyes. Her body wouldn’t move as she wished. She was frozen, as if under a spell.

'Wh-What is this?!'

She tried to shout in alarm at the strange phenomenon, but her lips were sealed shut. Not a single sound escaped her mouth.

The black beast simply stared at her in silence.

Its dark eyes shimmered like flickering flames, as if consumed by rage.

In that moment, a powerful will crashed down upon her, pressing into her very subconscious like a weight.

[Bow before Railey Elestine.]

The moment her instincts rejected the command, a wave of terrifying fear washed over her.

Drool spilled from her lips. Her body trembled in irrational terror.

Jennifer had no choice. It was as if this command was some absolute truth, something she must obey.

The moment her subconscious accepted that truth, her body slowly began to regain control.

"Ugh… Haah…"

Gasping for breath, Jennifer lifted her head. Without realizing it, she had collapsed onto the hallway floor.

The strange stillness had vanished. She could hear the usual bustle of people and chirping of birds.

"My lady! Are you alright?"

Her sudden collapse in the corridor must have seemed strange, an attendant rushed over and helped her up.

"I-I’m fine…"

As Jennifer replied, a sense of dissonance hit her.

Something had just been standing in front of her.

But what… was it?

She shook her head, feeling a brief wave of dizziness. Perhaps it had all just been a hallucination.

More importantly, she needed to head to the southern quarters where the Grand Duchess resided.

Jennifer quickly resumed her steps.

And as she walked, even the memory of having seen a mirage was completely erased from her mind.

***

Though the garden had been arranged somewhat decently, in Railey’s eyes, it still felt inferior to the Elestine estate’s garden.

Of course, the palace’s location in the north played a part, but still… was there really a need to treat the Lady of the Grand Duchy this poorly?

As Railey was lost in such thoughts, Aidelica spoke up first.

"We’ve put enough distance. It should be fine now."

"…Yes."

"You’re wondering why I want to sell the jewels and get cash, right?"

As Railey gave a slight nod, the Lady smiled gently.

"I want to leave the Grand Duchy and disappear."

"…!"

"I wanted to go far away and somehow save enough money to live on my own."

"Th-that’s…"

From beginning to end, it was utterly senseless and childish.

How could a girl in her mid-teens hide her identity and live safely on her own in the world?

No matter how you looked at it, it was an absurd fantasy.

Perhaps noticing Railey’s look of disbelief, Aidelica continued right away.

"Yes, I suppose you think it makes no sense."

"…!"

"But it’s alright. As long as I secure the money, I already have a plan in place to get out."

"A way to escape?"

"Mm-hmm."

Aidelica placed a small figure of a stag made of colored glass onto the gazebo table. The stag had pitch-black antlers.

‘That symbol…’

Railey’s eyes widened as she recognized it, and the Lady spoke into the figure.

"Paul. Respond."

[Aah, you brought that girl who figured out your identity in an instant?]

A playful boy’s voice came from the stag.

It appeared to be a magical communication device but Railey could immediately tell that this one was far more advanced than the usual kind.

Unlike typical ones that distort voices over long distances, this one sounded as if the speaker was right next to her. If the technology was this refined, it must also be incredibly secure.

"Watch your mouth. Lady Elestine, this is Master Paulton, heir to the Tower Master."

"…!"

Railey gasped.

So her guess had been right.

The black stag’s antlers symbolized the Magic Tower.

Master Paulton was known as a genius of magic.

Not long ago, he had officially been named heir to the Tower Master despite his young age, making headlines across the Empire.

"…I am Railey Elestine, as introduced. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

[Well, no need for all that formal stuff. Hi, little lady.]

"Paul! Watch your mouth! Show some manners!"

[Why are you lecturing a mage about noble etiquette? The little lady can talk casually with me too, you know.]

"No, you’re much older than me. It’s fine."

[Hmm.]

Paul gave a hum, sounding entertained by her reaction.

Aidelica let out a long sigh and apologized on his behalf.

"Sorry. He really is an annoying brat… But at least he doesn’t hold grudges, so you can talk back to him if he annoys you. No need for formality."

[Delica, that’s harsh, don’t you think?]

"Try reflecting on your behavior first."

Listening to the conversation, Railey realized something, these two were surprisingly close.

"Are you two friends?"

"Friends? More like bad ties of fate."

[That's harsh. We're more like childhood friends? Something like that.]

Though Aidelica shrugged nonchalantly, she didn’t deny Paulton’s comment. It seemed they were indeed quite close.

From the flow of the conversation, Railey was able to draw a conclusion.

"Then... is Master Paulton, your friend, the ‘way out’ you were referring to?"

"…Yes. You really are clever."

If the heir to the Magic Tower was backing her, then the Lady’s safety and livelihood would be guaranteed. From that angle, it made sense.

"But… wouldn’t that mean you don’t really need money?"

[Ah, that was my condition. Kind of a bet.]

Paulton scoffed as he explained.

[I’m not a charity worker. Why would I help with such a ridiculous request? Sure, I could hide her for the rest of her life if I wanted to, but she’s still the first in line to inherit the Grand Duchy.]

"…That’s true."

[So I told her to get the money. Whether she sneaks it from her private vault or finds another way, if she has that kind of capability and determination, I’d recognize that. Besides, it’s not bad for me to get a commission fee.]

But from Paulton’s tone, it didn’t seem like he truly believed Aidelica would succeed in meeting that condition.

He likely imposed it just to get her to stop acting recklessly and cool her head.

[And yet she tried selling off jewels and got caught by this little lady? Really. It’s a good thing she ran into you, if it had been a palace guard, she might’ve been arrested.]

"I-I was confident I could run if that happened…!"

[Yeah, yeah. Thanks to the magic tools I gave you, right?]

"…."

At Paulton’s sarcastic jab, Aidelica lowered her eyes, a silent admission that she herself realized how reckless she had been.

[Anyway, Delica told me she got caught by you. Then she asked if the money she got through a deal with you would count. I said sure, a deal’s a form of ability, too. But I added a condition.]

"A condition…?"

[She has to clearly explain to you why she needs the money.]

"…."

[Think about it. If you hand over money, and the heir to the Grand Duchy vanishes in the night, who would be okay with that?]

Paulton wasn’t wrong.

Railey also hadn’t intended to help Aidelica escape her title, she simply wanted to build a relationship with her.

Aidelica’s lowered head made it hard to read her expression.

To Paulton, this probably seemed like escapism or a rebellious whim.

But Railey had a feeling that this wasn't something to be brushed off lightly.

"Your Ladyship."

"…Right. I suppose it sounds ridiculous to you. I understand."

"No, more than that… I want to understand the real reason."