Chapter 5

As the servant cleared the floor, it was Russell, who entered with a leisurely pace, who set the tone of the room.
 
Russell ordered the ceremony to begin immediately without introducing Erez, implying that it was not worth the trouble of introductions before them until Erez’s claims were proven true.
 
“Bring the Pen of Observation.”
 
As ordered, Duke Clorin stood before a golden table lined with parchments.
 
He opened the box handed to him by his chamberlain, and a quill of gold glittered as brightly as his master’s pride.
 
Carefully removing the quill, or rather, the glory of observation, the Duke of Clorin raised his head and looked up at the Emperor.
 
At Russell’s nod, the duke recited the opening words in a solemn voice.
 
“Oh, Glory of Observation, praise the day as bright when night falls.”
 
In response to the opening words, the Pen of Observation slowly rose from the Duke’s palm. It then flew onto the parchment and began to dance and write.
 
In the process, the Pen of Observation carved a trail of gold, unaided by anyone’s hand.
 
Aneta, witnessing the second ceremony process in her eyes, gazed at Erez, standing alone in the center.
 
Unaware of the meaning behind it, Erez kept glancing at Aneta and Carlos’s jacket around her waist.
 
The emotion in his green eyes was one she knew well.
 
Jealousy. How could one not recognize such a distinct emotion?
 
Even with the blackened emotions stirring within, his outer shell was still pure and beautiful.
 
Aneta gazed at the chandelier hanging above Erez’s head. Its position was similar to the original Aneta’s.
 
No matter how fancy she looked, she was nothing more than an expendable object that would only enhance and illuminate Erez beneath her.
 
She was unable to leave on her own terms or stay as she was.
 
‘I don’t want to live like that.’
 
She must find a way out. While Aneta was hardening her resolve, Carlos, who was observing her expression, whispered softly.
 
“You don’t look well. Is it because of what I said?”
 
“No.”
 
“Then why…….”
 
He was about to continue when the Pen of Observation stopped moving with a humming vibration, and his lips parted to ask why.
 
“It seems like the record has ended, Your Majesty.”
 
“Indeed.”
 
The Duke of Clorin took his pride in hand, then gathered up the parchment and offered it to the Emperor.
 
As Russell accepted it, the room fell into silence once again. The moments seemed to pass slowly as he read from the record without moving.
 
Soon, Russell laid down the parchment and lifted the seal.
 
Filling in the blank space with the emperor’s symbol, Russell looked up and cast his gaze toward Erez.
 
“Erez Bauter.”
 
As Erez was called, Duke Hetchen swallowed nervously.
 
“The statement that you are the owner of the ‘Nameless’…?”
 
While the others anxiously awaited what would come out of his mouth, not knowing what to expect, Aneta, who knew the outcome, remained calm.
 
“It’s true.”
 
As expected, the words that came out of Russell’s mouth were affirmative. The nobles fell silent, trying to control their rising emotions.
 
“Erez Bauter, I recognize you and your family as the Eight House of Glory. Let the name of the ‘Nameless’ be Shine.”
 
“It is my family’s infinite honor, Your Majesty.”
 
For the first time, Erez spoke out loud and bowed. His voice, as neutral as his appearance, resonated brightly.
 
‘Shine’. It was a fitting name for the necklace that emitted light around his neck.
 
However, the original name of the nameless was not Shine but Control. Aneta knew this fact but couldn’t mention it.
 
“The Duke of Clorin, when daylight comes, make the contents of the record and the presence of Shine public.”
 
“As you ordered.”
 
“Then I think we should end the ceremony here.”
 
Russell departs, saying he will return first, leaving only the nobles.
 
Since the Emperor had already acknowledged it, there was no need for anyone to verify the truth by checking the records.
 
“I am Erez Bauter. Please take care of me from now on.”
 
The nobles warmly accepted Erez’s greeting with smiles. Carlos, who had been the first to meet Erez, skipped his turn as if implying his introduction was unnecessary.
 
The only one left was Aneta. Erez took a step back, and when it was her turn, he looked at her with a searching gaze.
 
“Aneta Adenauer.”
 
As she said her name, Erez, who had been addressing her with astonishment, couldn’t hide his surprise. He hadn’t misheard. Words flowed out uncontrollably from his slightly parted lips.
 
“Why, why are you here?”
 
With a bluntly hardened expression, Carlos furrowed his brow.
 
“What is that supposed to mean? Is there some reason why Aneta shouldn’t be here?”
 
“There is a very good reason.
 
He openly displayed his discomfort, and Aneta swallowed a bitter laugh.
 
“Uh, I mean…….”
 
Meanwhile, Erez, realizing his mistake from Carlos’s question, hurriedly searched for an excuse. As he pondered, a spark of insight flashed in his mind.
 
“It’s…… because I saw that the Adenauer and Raphaeli families weren’t participating in the ceremony.”
 
Erez thought his excuse sounded plausible, but he was deluding himself.
 
Not only did he appear flustered, but he also inadvertently revealed through his own words that the future he could see was uncertain.
 
Aneta glanced at Carlos, and he was looking at her, too.
 
Locking eyes, they nodded at each other with a shared thought.
 
He would report this fact to the Emperor.
 
***
 
The owner of the ‘nameless’ appeared.
 
As the news began to spread like wildfire, it swiftly turned the Empire upside down.
 
The anonymous figure brought hope to those who wished to carve the name of glory before their family names. The appearance of a figure that shattered the expectations secretly held by many would undoubtedly have significant repercussions.
 
An appearance that captured everyone’s attention in an instant. If that was what Erez had hoped for, he had succeeded brilliantly.
 
Of course, there was something else she truly wanted to applaud. Thanks to the changes he brought, the pressure she felt whenever she acted contrary to the original story had diminished significantly.
 
Completely.
 
Change had arrived with several variables. It was an opportunity given to her.
 
Aneta couldn’t afford to miss what she barely managed to grasp, and to do so, she needed to learn more about Erez.
 
The top priority was undoubtedly investigating the late Marquis Bauter, who met an untimely death.
 
Aneta did not casually dismiss Erez’s revelation about his grandfather’s death. Aneta slipped the earring back into her ear as she racked her brain for someone who might be able to help her with this task.
 
Then she reached for the familiar shape of the perfume bottle and paused. The perfume she wore out of habit was a gift from Carlos.
 
She remembered the perfume, the gifts he’d given her, and the words he’d spoken. Every moment with him had been the most secure and comfortable she’d ever felt in her life.
 
This was the scent that held those memories. The one that always lingered on the tip of her nose was a constant reminder of Carlos Baltimor.
 
Perhaps it was because of this scent that she still had feelings for him, even though she didn’t love him, Aneta surmised.
 
‘I need to change it.’
 
After a moment of contemplation, she picked up a different perfume.
 
As the unfamiliar scent wafted from her, she felt as if she had become a different person.
 
“It must mean I’ve become so accustomed to that scent.”
 
Looking at the perfume bottle left untouched, Aneta quickly moved to prepare for work.
 
*** *.
 
The commotion at the palace upon her arrival by carriage was different from yesterday.
The seemingly insignificant Marquis Bauter turned out to be the ‘nameless’ owner who gained the title of Glory of Shine.
 
Their expressions were all over the place as they discussed the drama of the situation, even though they were discussing the same topic.
 
The atmosphere inside Lennox was no different.
 
Aneta clicked her tongue as she climbed the stairs, feeling the gazes.
 
If she had been at all comfortable with them, they would have approached her without hesitation and bombarded her with questions.
 
Aneta opened the door to her office, feeling fed up, and was greeted by Carlos, who stood with his back to the window.
 
“Welcome, Aneta.”
 
He was enveloped in the light pouring through the transparent window, as if he himself were made of light.
 
She glowed with a warmth that seemed to engulf him, but that was all. It was a vague sensation, as if she could reach out and grasp nothing.
 
Aneta couldn’t reach him, surrounded by a cluster of lights.
 
‘You can’t catch the light, and even if you could, it wouldn’t be good.’
 
Her rational voice warned her.
 
Erez’s gender change didn’t make it any less likely or impossible for them to fall in love.
 
Aneta thought it was ridiculous to assign a gender to the emotion of love. No one gets to choose who they fall in love with.
 
“Why are you standing there?”
 
Carlos put down the papers he was holding when he saw Aneta stare at him as if she were looking at something other than him.
 
“Is something wrong?”
 
He asked with concern, and Aneta buried the rest of her emotions like residue.
 
“Nothing; I’m just a little tired.”
 
“Then get some sleep.”
 
Carlos gestured to the overstuffed couch, and Aneta shook her head.
 
“I don’t think I can afford that.”
 
She gestured towards the pile of documents on the desk.
 
“That makes me feel like I need to sit down at my desk right now.”
 
The tower of backlogged papers made her feel tired. Aneta sat down, lamenting that she hadn’t been able to take a day off since she returned to the capital.
 
It was going to be a busy day with no time to spare.
 
“Still, not bad for being gone for nearly a month.”
 
Although it was an unwanted journey, she had no choice but to accept the outcome. Since there was no tangible target for resentment like in the original story, dealing with the aftermath was entirely her responsibility.
 
“Still, don’t overexert yourself.”
 
“Okay.”
 
Aneta picked up a pen and hastily began reviewing the documents. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she was adept at handling paperwork.
 
It wasn’t until several hours had passed that Aneta, who had her nose buried in the documents, raised her head again.
 
“Take a break, Aneta.”
 
“Okay.”
As Carlos, who had prepared tea, suggested a break, Aneta readily agreed and stood up. Feeling the limits slowly approaching, she thought it was a good idea.
As Aneta sat on the sofa, massaging her temples, Carlos poured tea into a cup.

As he leaned forward to place it in front of her, a strange scent grazed his nostrils.
The source of that scent was Aneta.
“Did you change your perfume?”