“During the days you were lying down, the entire military was in a state of semi-alert. The situation only ended when the Emperor and Empress returned to the capital with the imperial guard.”

Rohana had expected as much. She recalled the faint scent of gunpowder and the snowstorm that clung to Kaiden’s body.

“In the capital, they’re using your assassination attempt as an excuse to target people from Kark, especially magic users. There are incidents of lynching happening in the capital.”

Rohana let out a frustrated sigh.

“And here?”

“Here…”

Heath spoke carefully.

“Here is fine.”

A lie. Rohana thought, ‘Heath can’t lie’, as she dropped her gaze.

Even when she first arrived at Pincheser, she could sense the cold stares and displeased movements of the servants.

Let alone now.

Come to think of it, Heath sticking so close to her must have been to prepare for any possibility.

“Everyone’s suffering because of me.”

“Don’t think that way.”

Noticing that his lie hadn’t worked, Heath gave up and spoke calmly.

“Aurelia…”

Heath, rarely, furrowed his brow as he continued.

“She’s the daughter of a baron who accommodated Kaiden when he stayed in the south. I heard she even asked him to take her with him when he left for Nopthal.”

This was news to Rohana. ‘The south…’ So Kaiden had taken refuge there, where Bardi hadn’t gone.

“So she stayed here. To be precise, Kaiden arranged a house for her in the city, but she refused to leave the guest room here. She didn’t really get along with anyone and only trusted and followed Kaiden.”

Heath continued after a brief silence.

“I see.”

Rohana unconsciously glanced out the window before looking back. Heath hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“Although she was adopted by a southern family, she’s actually from here. She’s a Kark native.”

Rohana’s eyebrows rose.

“She was an odd one. On top of that, she couldn’t control magic, so she must have been ignored by most people from a young age.”

“She couldn’t use magic at all?”

“Sometimes that happens, just as there are occasions where Arin people can use magic.”

Rohana cleared her throat unconsciously at Heath’s explanation.

It was a strange thing.

“Madam Eloi, could you bring all the cakes we have prepared here?”

Madam Eloi nodded with a kind smile at Heath’s request.

“When you’re feeling weak, you should eat something you like.”

Rohana blinked in surprise.

“I heard from the young ladies in the capital that your brother, Brandt, hired the best pâtissier in the capital just for you.”

The days they had spent in the capital felt like a distant memory, but Rohana was surprised that Heath remembered such a trivial thing.

“You remember that?”

“I have a very good memory.”

Rohana smiled at Heath’s playful grin. But then, Heath’s eyes shifted beyond her.

“Kaiden.”

Heath’s smile faded slightly. Rohana turned to see Kaiden standing there.

With his hair neatly styled and dressed in formal attire, it looked like he had come straight from work. The space between his dark eyes furrowed slightly.

“Rohana, why…?”

“I was about to eat and head to the library. I’ve been lying down for too long.”

His eyes still showed a hint of disapproval, silently asking why she wasn’t resting more.

He pulled a chair over and sat down, his broad shoulders barely fitting in it as he glanced at her again.

“Heath, this.”

Kaiden handed Heath a letter he had just opened. Rohana thought this might not be a matter for her to get involved in, so she remained quiet, but then Kaiden spoke.

“Rohana, I have some bad news to share.”

Heath chuckled lightly as he read the letter. Kaiden, too, sounded a bit troubled.

“What is it?”

Rohana looked back and forth between them.

“We’re expecting more visitors. It’s just a simple visit, but…”

Kaiden’s expression showed that he found the situation bothersome.

“It’s Shatonwell.”

Rohana immediately thought of Earl Huxley—the man with greasy blond hair who had made rude remarks at the coronation.

“Marquis Jordic.”

Kaiden shook his head.

“No, it’s Princess Serin.”

Rohana suddenly recalled something Marquis Jordic had said long ago:

“Our princess has really been dying to come. She simply must like the Duke.”

“Ah, the one who likes the Duke…?”

Heath laughed and nodded. Kaiden gave a slightly embarrassed look as if to say, ‘What are you talking about?’

“Well… I suppose that’s one way to see it.”

Rohana blinked, looking up at Kaiden in surprise.

“She’s still a child, really.”

Kaiden gestured to Heath, silently asking him to explain, but Heath only propped his chin on his hand, smiling mischievously.

“She’s coming tomorrow.”

Heath explained.

“Given the current situation, they can’t officially send an envoy, so they’re sending an unofficial diplomatic group.”

Just as Heath finished speaking, Galad knocked on the dining room door.

“Your Grace, from Shatonwell…”

“Is Lord Arthur coming with them?”

Kaiden turned his head slightly as he asked. Galad’s eyes widened in surprise, as if wondering how Kaiden knew.

“Prepare.”

Galad nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

A brief silence filled the room. Then Kaiden spoke first, turning his gaze to Rohana, who nodded in response.

“Heath, there’s something the three of us need to discuss.”

Heath raised one eyebrow and tilted his head.

“Rohana is a magic user too.”

At this sudden revelation, Heath’s eyes briefly hardened. Under the table, Kaiden’s large hand rested on Rohana’s knee.

“And we plan to help her develop that ability.”

“What…?”

A strange tension filled the air.

“It’s the opposite of the case we were just discussing.”

Sensing the growing awkwardness, Rohana spoke a bit cheerfully. Heath’s pale eyes briefly flickered towards her before returning to Kaiden.

“The opposite of the case?”

“We were talking about Aurelia earlier. She’s from Kark but has no magic, so she was ostracized.”

Heath’s response was sharp, and he quickly added,

“It’s too dangerous.”

Kaiden rested his chin on his hand, aware that Heath wasn’t wrong.

“I insisted on it.”

Rohana suddenly spoke up.

“At least I want you to be able to defend yourself.”

Kaiden added quietly.

With such low expectations, Rohana raised an eyebrow at Kaiden, who sat beside her. She had no intention of settling for that.

Kaiden pushed his chair back and stood up.

“It’s cold outside, so be careful if you go out.”

“Don’t worry.”

Heath slightly tilted his head and spoke. Kaiden gently placed a hand on Rohana’s shoulder before turning to leave. Just then, Madam Eloi entered carrying the cakes.

As she listened to Aurelia’s background earlier, Rohana felt guilty for not saying anything to Heath, so she opened her mouth to speak.

“Heath, about earlier, I didn’t say anything because…”

“My lady.”

His voice was softer than usual.

“It’s alright.”

Heath smiled as if he hadn’t been tense a moment ago.

“You don’t have any more questions?”

Rohana hesitated for a moment before speaking. The beautiful slices of cake Madam. Eloi brought out were a pleasant distraction.

“What exactly is magic?”

With a playful smile, Rohana asked a question that sounded like something from a university 101 course. Heath, recognizing the playful tone, laughed along with her.

***

The sunset was casting a beautiful glow. Though much of the thick snow had melted over the past few days, the air was still cold, just as Kaiden had said. When she exhaled, thin clouds of white breath formed in the air.

From behind Rohana, who stood on the balcony, she heard the sound of the door opening.

“It’s cold.”

The mansion was so vast that Kaiden, who had just opened the door far away, walked over in large strides.

“It’s refreshing.”

Kaiden looked slightly disapproving but soon stood beside her, leaning on the balcony railing.

His sharp profile and high nose caught the light of the setting sun. Rohana stared at his silhouette for a moment.

“What should I do tomorrow?”

At her bright question, Kaiden quietly grasped the railing with his long fingers.

“Tomorrow, I’ll probably lose all my time to Heath because of Shatonwell.”

“I feel bad for Heath. He must be bored having to stay by my side all the time…”

“I also learned magic from Heath.”

Rohana’s eyes widen at his unexpected remark.

“How did you meet Heath?”

“After escaping the imperial palace, I briefly hid in the south. I later moved to Nopthal, and it turned out Heath was essentially running things there.”

“He must’ve been quite young back then.”

Kaiden only smiled faintly, without saying much in response to Rohana’s question.

“So, you’ve been together since then?”

“There were some ups and downs in between, but yes.”

As the sun set, dusk slowly turned the sky blue. Aurelia, Heath, and Kaiden had all grown up together here in Nopthal. Rohana felt a strange sense of something she couldn’t quite name.

“Shall we go inside?”

Kaiden’s broad back moved as he walked ahead. His straight posture was striking.

Come to think of it, after all those days of crying herself to sleep, they hadn’t really had a proper moment together.

“Kaiden.”

Calling out to him on impulse, Rohana suddenly felt at a loss for words. Kaiden immediately turned around as soon as he saw her trembling eyes.

“Where is Jody? What’s happened to her?”

Kaiden’s gaze darkened.

“She had no family, and as a criminal sentenced for high treason… in accordance with the law, her body was cremated and interred outside the city.”

Rohana’s expression grew somber.

“There was no other way?”

“You should be thankful she was even interred.”

His cold tone made her stop before saying anything further. What good would endless words do now?

“I’ll take care of you.”

Kaiden’s low, whispered words drained the strength from her body.

In those days, after Jody’s death and her subsequent collapse from illness, she had often wondered if it had all just been a dream.

Every time she recalled that moment, Rohana felt as if countless tiny cracks were forming in her heart.

‘I can’t trust anything anymore.’

With a complicated mix of emotions, Rohana looked up at Kaiden.

Whether he understood her feelings or not, Kaiden, with his perfect smile, gently wrapped his arm around her waist and walked her back inside.

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories