The next day.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I went straight to Atticus.
"Young Lady?"
He was briefly surprised to see me visiting him so early in the morning, but soon welcomed me warmly.
"I hope I'm not taking up your time."
"How could you say something so disheartening, Young Lady?"
Well, that was a relief...
Atticus seated me and naturally brewed some tea. Once the room filled with the scent of tea, I brought up the main topic.
"I have something to ask about my engagement with Ricardo."
"Ask me anything."
Soon, a teacup was placed in front of me. I fiddled with the handle as I continued speaking.
"...I heard the engagement happened because of a promise made during the Magic War."
"Yes."
"Is that really the reason?"
Wasn't there another reason for Harnen?
I swallowed the latter part. But if it was Atticus, who was sharp, he probably understood what I meant.
At my words, he fell into brief thought. How much time had passed like that? His closed mouth finally opened.
"He's not the kind of person who would send off a precious young lady for such a reason."
I already knew that. Grandfather wanted me to live proudly as the Duke's wife.
"...However, I believe Lord Harnen had other thoughts."
〈If the House of Hessen doesn’t want to break off the engagement, then it’s clear they’re after Drimokan.〉
〈I plan to uncover the secrets the Empire is hiding.〉
As Cedric and Idette’s words overlapped in my mind, the blurry image gradually came into focus.
I retraced my memories.
"...I remember hearing before that the Duke’s mother committed suicide."
"I think it was more of an accident than a suicide. An unexpected accident."
Atticus quietly rubbed his chin.
"Then do you think that was also a kind of curse?"
At my words, he closed his eyes deeply as if contemplating, then opened them.
"...People may not say it out loud, but I think they believe so. I suspect Lord Harnen called it a suicide to cover up the fact that it was a curse."
"Why would he need to cover that up?"
I couldn’t understand it at all.
"Because the stigma of being a cursed family is not favorable."
But he’s a hero who saved the Empire.
Who would point fingers at a hero who gave his life to save the country, just because he’s cursed?
He’d rather earn sympathy.
Just like the current House of Roygin.
"Lord Harnen lost his wife during the war. He couldn’t even recover her body."
"..."
"I've never seen a couple as affectionate as them in the social circle..."
I recalled hearing something once.
Harnen and Veronica.
They were known for having a rare, epic love. At one time, a play portraying their tragic love story was popular among the commoners.
‘A man who lost the one he loved.’
If I were Harnen, I would want to find a clue about my lover’s death.
Even if it wasn’t certain that the tragedies in the House of Hessen were caused by the Drimokan curse, the arrow of rage would still point toward Drimokan.
‘What Harnen wants most...’
It was probably revenge.
Something Ricardo had to do on behalf of the aging Harnen.
I reached the end of the truth and tightly closed my eyes.
Was this what you wanted to tell me?
"I serve Lord Blua, but I also wish for Lord Harnen’s peace."
"..."
"I am only alive thanks to the two of them."
I didn’t know what kind of expression to make.
"Thank you. That was very helpful."
Still, all I could think about was Ricardo.
"Come to think of it, Young Lady."
As I was about to leave the room, Atticus’s voice stopped me.
"There's a strange rumor circulating among the ladies these days."
"...What kind of rumor?"
"That the Tower Master has awakened."
I couldn’t bring myself to smile at his following words.
* * *
I was never fond of tea parties to begin with, so I didn’t know much about the gossip in the social circle.
Part of it was also because I intentionally avoided them after everything with Ricardo.
Bang!
"This is ridiculous."
Idette slammed her fist on the table and shot up from her seat.
"P-please, calm down first..."
"I can’t calm down!"
I came to see if Idette knew anything about Peril, but she was in no better a position than I was.
"Leaving Lady Bianca behind and coming back alone, that doesn’t make any sense, does it?"
"Right. That’s not like him."
I agreed with her and continued speaking.
“So, I was wondering if you might’ve heard anything through His Highness?”
Idette had awakened Peril from his sleep. There was no guarantee that Erkishian hadn’t noticed this.
But even during the previous imperial palace terror incident, he had anticipated that Idette would be kidnapped.
So there was no telling what might happen.
“About Peril? Hmm, he didn’t say anything in particular.”
After finishing her words, Idette’s gaze turned hazy as if sifting through her memories.
“...I don’t know if it’s related, but Erkishian has been looking for a suspicious item.”
“Is it related to Peril?”
“I’m not sure.”
Idette added that I should take it with a grain of salt, just in case.
“There’s a shop that deals in items that supposedly let you maintain youth and beauty forever. I think it’s because of that item.”
It was something I had never heard of before.
“Since there’s also a rumor that Peril has awakened, they might think it’s his magical tool.”
“...”
“I heard the princess found out about it while searching for the item.”
Idette let out a deep sigh.
‘If the story about the Moon’s Shop has spread, then the culprit might be inside the tower.’
But only a handful of people knew about the shop. It was a place where secrecy was everything.
I fell into thought for a moment, then vaguely recalled something Emily once told me about the ‘underground street.’
She had said it was once a place that dealt in potion ingredients for witches.
Whether I could find Peril’s whereabouts there was uncertain, but it was worth a shot either way.
* * *
“...Now I understand why the Marquis is worried.”
Allen sighed as he followed behind me.
“How could he not be, when you're heading somewhere this dangerous?”
“Shut it.”
“Well, the Marquis is already watching over you, so there’s no need for me to say more.”
When I glared at him at those words, Allen protested as if he were wronged.
“I have to make a living too! The Marquis told me to keep a close eye on you.”
“...So that’s why you’re doing this?”
“Otherwise, it would be dereliction of duty.”
I scoffed and stepped deeper into the alley.
〈The fourth manhole in Citron Alley. The password is cornelian cherry fruit.〉
I barely managed to track down someone who ran errands into the underground street, and bought the information.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be a place where outsiders were completely forbidden.
“If it’s the fourth one, isn’t it that one?”
Counting the manholes as he followed me, Allen came to an abrupt stop.
“Looks like that’s it.”
I stopped too and approached the manhole. I quickly recited the password, but there was no reaction.
“...”
Watching me, Allen’s face turned bright red as if he were trying not to laugh. I was just as embarrassed, so I silently glared at him.
He barely held back his laughter, then stepped onto the manhole and tapped it with his foot.
Still, there was no reaction.
“By the way, do you really believe that kid’s story, Young Lady?”
Allen let out a small sigh.
“I’ve never even heard of the underground street. And if it’s true, that would mean someone’s living down there, but there doesn’t seem to be that much space.”
Seeing him bouncing on the manhole made my heart jump in fear.
“Get off that thing, right now! What if something happens!”
“Oh, our Young Lady’s still so young and naive.”
Ignoring my fear, Allen shouted the password with gusto as if telling me to just watch.
“Cornelian cherry fruit, cornelian cherry fruit, cornelian cherry fruit! See? No matter how you look at it, that guy was lying…”
But at that moment.
“Ahhhhhh!”
The manhole split open sideways, and his scream faded away in an instant.