***

A woman in a maid’s uniform with overwhelmingly striking beauty.

Luka, handsome despite his burn scars.

And a man who had covered his face with a cloak, but even from his exposed jawline, one could guess his handsome features with the keen eye of someone who had lived as a spy for 10 years.

They were truly beautiful, truly tall, and truly suspicious.

What on earth had happened to bring those three together here?

Nathan grabbed Aina’s arm as she approached stealthily and sent her behind his back.

Then, firmly holding the restless Aina’s hand, he asked Luka.

“Why did you call me?”

Luka was dumbfounded by Nathan’s gaze, which looked at him as if he were a ruffian approaching a precious lady.

Why was he being treated like a ruffian from all directions today?

“You were the one who pushed that woman into my territory first. Knowing that everyone related to the Borba troupe’s great fire is in my custody.”

“It’s only natural for an investigation to begin when suspicious activities are detected. Why make a fuss now?”

“That woman isn’t even one of your subordinates, Nathan. If she had been one of your people from the beginning, you wouldn’t have come running as if she were being held hostage.”

Luka struck his opponent’s weak point based on cold judgment.

It would have seemed more impressive if he hadn’t been the only one soaking wet in the room for no apparent reason.

“Seeing how you immediately hid her behind your back when you arrived, she must be quite precious to you.”

Leticia tapped Luka’s arm as he brushed back his dripping hair. The moisture dried instantly.

Though nothing could be done about the clothes that had become wrinkled from suddenly getting wet and then dry.

Seeing this, Nathan muttered.

“……A magician?”

“Pay no attention to this.”

Just as Nathan had done with Aina, Luka grabbed Leticia’s arm and sent her behind his back while speaking.

Unfortunately, Luka’s attempt ended in failure.

The moment Luka’s hand touched Leticia’s arm, Chamuka knocked away Luka’s hand with sudden, violent motion, lifted Leticia’s waist, and placed her behind himself.

Chamuka warned Luka in a low voice.

“Don’t touch her.”

“I’m her brother. Who are you to put your hands on someone else’s sister?”

“Both of you, please stop fighting……”

“Honestly, if anyone has ulterior motives, it’s you, not me.”

“Whether I have ulterior motives or not, don’t touch her. What if she gets hurt? Because of dangerous people like you who grab without thinking, I can’t let Le……”

Chamuka stopped speaking.

He hadn’t yet received an answer to the question of whether she wanted to change her name.

For now, I shouldn’t call her by name.

“I can’t leave the baby alone.”

“Why not just say the baby will fly away if the wind blows?”

“I’m neither a baby nor a child. So both of you, please stop……”

Nathan wondered if they had forgotten about his presence amid the chaos unfolding before his eyes.

Aina, who had stealthily clung to Nathan’s back, stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear.

“Let’s escape.”

Nathan’s ears turned bright red at the breath touching his ear.

But before Aina could notice the change, Leticia exploded.

“Everyone, stop!”

Water streams suddenly sprouted from all directions, binding the four people, excluding Letici,a and forcing them to sit in chairs.

Leticia opened her eyes fiercely and pointed at each person one by one as she shouted.

“You said you’d bear with it! Is this bearing with it, brother?! You can’t even take a single word gracefully?!”

“But he started it first…!”

“Shut up! Be quiet! And Aina! Escape? Escaaape?! Did you think I couldn’t hear you? Will running away solve this situation?!”

“It’s an ability developed for survival.”

“Don’t make excuses! And… sir!”

Leticia glared more fiercely as she muted Chamuka’s name.

What was the point of trying so hard to hide his identity when the person himself wasn’t even trying!

“You said this was a safe house for imperial spies, so why can’t you stay still and keep picking fights! What if your identity leaks out!”

“I don’t care.”

“How can you not care- no, we’ll talk about this later. When all the family is gathered.”

Basilinte and the Empire are practically enemies.

In such a situation, what would it mean to the Empire if all of Basilinte except Master Gaien were inside the capital?

They might immediately try to assassinate the Basilintes, or they might block their way back and attack the Grand Duchy that had lost its leadership.

Of course, Leticia trusted Luka. And Aina too.

Aina’s brother, well. She wasn’t sure.

Well. Luka said Aina’s brother was loyal to the imperial family, but Leticia doubted that Aina’s brother, who had lost his family and was forced to become an imperial spy, would be loyal to the imperial family.

Unless he was pretending to be loyal. Like Luka.

But despite all these assumptions, there was always the possibility of “what if.”

Leticia couldn’t attempt anything that had even the slightest chance of endangering Basilinte.

If Luka felt hurt that she didn’t trust him, it couldn’t be helped. Even so.

‘Basilinte is my family now.’

Leticia released the water stream binding Chamuka and said.

“So, I’ll be back soon, if you could just go to the family first for a moment……”

“You don’t want me to hear what you’re going to discuss here?”

“No. I’ll tell you everything we discussed here when I return. So please don’t worry and just-”

“Then why do I have to leave? If it’s not something you want to hide from me.”

“If you stay here-”

Leticia faced Chamuka and mouthed the words.

‘Your identity might be exposed. It could be dangerous.’

“You think I should leave you in this dangerous place just for that reason?”

There was no place in the world dangerous for Leticia. She could survive in the middle of a desert or the deep sea.

Luka made a sour expression, suddenly becoming the person who had brought his sister to a dangerous place after 10 years apart, all because of one word from Chamuka.

However, his expression soon changed to shock at what happened next.

“If that’s the case, I might as well reveal it now.”

With those final words, Chamuka removed the hood of his cloak, revealing his silver hair and golden eyes, features too distinctive to explain away.

He ran his hand through his hair that had been uncomfortably pressed down. The silver hair, which reflected slightly different light depending on the angle, was disheveled wildly by his large hand.

“I am Chamuka Basilinte.”

“……”

“……”

“Now you can stop worrying about my identity and continue the conversation. So, Le- no, baby, what were you going to say here-”

“Please call me as you have been. Chamuka……”

“So, Leti, what were you planning to discuss here?”

Leticia sighed first at the shocked expressions of Luka and Nathan, who looked as if they had just seen the heir of an enemy country appear out of nowhere.

It wasn’t exactly a wrong comparison.

Everyone knew that while the Grand Duchy of Basilinte was called a Grand Duchy in name, it was virtually no different from an independent kingdom.

And that the relationship between Basilinte and the Empire was poor.

“……A dream?”

Nathan denied reality.

“H-h-how is he here- no, why is he here, no, what is he doing here……”

Luka even stuttered.

Then, as if remembering his conversation with Chamuka, his voice grew increasingly quieter until he closed his mouth completely.

Luka’s gaze swiftly turned toward Leticia.

Leticia avoided his eyes, which seemed to demand what on earth she had been doing for the past 10 years to bring back the heir of the Grand Duchy.

“What exactly… did you seduce……”

By the looks of it, he won’t be shaken off.

I didn’t do anything.

However, Chamuka, who had no interest in Luka’s miserable state of mind, grabbed both of Leticia’s cheeks, who was having an eye conversation with Luka, made eye contact with her, and asked.

“Leti. What were you going to talk about?”

With an attitude that suggested he wouldn’t back down until he got an answer, Leticia finally replied with a sigh.

“Revenge against the imperial family.”