***

Leticia was sitting curled up on the bed with a pale face.

She had walked in weakly at dawn and remained in that position until sunset.

Aina looked around the room as she brought in some simple food.

The Basilinte people, who always had at least one person accompanying Leticia, had not shown even their shadows today.

“Your Highness, please eat something. You haven’t had anything all day.”

“It’s fine. You can go now…”

She could have simply ignored Aina’s words, but it was remarkable that she still responded politely despite looking so terrible.

Well, she had always been an excessively kind child.

Though she might think of herself as cunning…

Being kind doesn’t mean being stupid, and being intelligent doesn’t mean being cunning.

Leticia Borba was a child with a bright mind and beautiful appearance, who merely pretended to be tough and cunning to survive. While believing herself to be that kind of person.

Of course, if she really were such a person, she wouldn’t have kept an imperial spy by her side. She would have found some way to dispose of her.

Like Prince Sion’s entourage, who were disposed of by Basilinte ten years ago.

Aina was the only survivor of the “prince’s entourage” besides Leticia.

Because Leticia had allowed it, Basilinte had spared Aina.

She thought that boldly approaching that child, who had nothing but a beautiful face, claiming to be “on your side” ten years ago was the best decision of her life.

She had said all sorts of things about hiding her identity, helping her, becoming her ally, but even to herself, those words had no weight.

Even Leticia, who was only 10 years old then, could sense that her words carried no power.

So the reason Leticia accepted Aina was simply because she was kind.

Despite being younger herself, she worried about the hardships a 16-year-old girl would face if cast out.

Being kind didn’t mean being stupid, so Leticia once asked Basilinte to investigate Aina’s background.

And after discovering that Aina was indeed, as she claimed, a low-level spy with no connections, not even a remaining tie to the Empire, Leticia opened her heart to Aina a little more.

Aina eventually found out about this because Leticia later came to apologize for the investigation.

At that time, Leticia promised Aina that now that she knew she was innocent, she wouldn’t do such things again.

How incredibly kind she was.

Aina believed that only those who had lived in abundance without experiencing hardship could be good, but when she looked at Leticia, she sometimes thought there could be exceptions.

“Give me your hand, Your Highness. Even if you won’t eat, we need to change the bandage.”

“It’s fine.”

“Her Grace sent medicine specifically for you.”

Taking advantage of Leticia’s hesitation, Aina quickly grabbed her hand and changed the bandage.

The blood had stopped, but the long cut across her palm looked painful.

As she applied medicine and wrapped a new bandage, she asked.

“What happened to make you like this?”

“Nothing.”

“You can tell me. You know well that I have nowhere to share it.”

Leticia, weaker than usual, hesitated before blurting out.

After all, Aina already knew that Leticia drew blood every night.

“They found out why I’ve been drawing blood.”

“What is the reason?”

“I can’t say.”

“Not even to me?”

Leticia smiled faintly.

Though they had spent the last 10 years together, their relationship wasn’t particularly special.

Aina emphasized their bond and shared understanding at every opportunity, claiming that she was the only one who knew her secret, but well.

If they truly shared such a special bond, would there be any need to constantly emphasize it verbally?

“I’m on your side, Your Highness. For the past 10 years, how faithfully have I served you?”

“….”

“Talking with me might help you think of a solution. It would be better than suffering alone.”

At a glance, she seemed like a truly loyal maid to her master.

Normally, Leticia would have just brushed it off. There was no need for them to become uncomfortable with each other.

But Leticia was unstable now and vulnerable. So she questioned Aina’s words.

“What kind of relationship do we have?”

“Your Highness.”

They had merely been using each other to a reasonable extent.

“You helped hide my identity, and I helped you settle here. That’s all we’ve given each other. What more is there between us?”

Now it was Aina who fell silent.

“You don’t even like me.”

“The same goes for you, Your Highness.”

Aina fiddled with Leticia’s bandaged hand and sneered.

“It’s obvious even without you saying it. I don’t know what it is, but this is ultimately another case of you sacrificing yourself for Basilinte, isn’t it? You’ve always been like that since you came here. You’re on Basilinte’s side and you hate the Empire. You also hate me, who came with you from the Empire.”

“…I don’t hate you.”

“Then do you like me? Of course not.”

Aina shrugged and leaned toward Leticia. Then, with her lips almost touching Leticia’s ear, she quietly taunted.

“What you like is the Borba troupe and this Basilinte…”

It had been their habit for the past 10 years.

Being careful that no one could hear anything related to Leticia’s identity.

As the two were huddled close together, unaware of how they appeared, the door suddenly opened, and Chamuka entered.

“Leti, no matter what, you can’t go all day without eating any—”

Chamuka’s words cut off as he saw the figures pressed close together on the bed.

Leticia quickly pushed Aina’s shoulder away and stood up.

“Chamuka.”

“What… were you doing?”

“We were changing the bandage. Her Grace sent new medicine.”

Leticia didn’t show even a hint of hesitation or embarrassment.

If she had appeared flustered, it really would have looked suspicious.

Chamuka had said he felt possessive enough to want a romantic relationship with her.

In Leticia’s view, that was similar to a child’s possessiveness toward a friend, but regardless, he would clearly dislike anyone who was close to her.

And while it might be just a minor annoyance for Chamuka, given the power difference between them, it could be a major threat to Aina.

Leticia didn’t like Aina, but she didn’t want her to be hurt or killed.

“But Aina doesn’t have much strength in her hands… Would you do it for me, Chamuka?”

While pulling on Chamuka’s arm, Leticia deliberately avoided looking at Aina.

Aina, reading the situation, quickly left the room, leaving behind the bandages and medicine.

His gaze followed Aina’s retreating figure, eventually fixing on the closed door.

“Chamuka?”

At Leticia’s careful call, Chamuka’s eyes slowly turned back to her.

“Don’t act. If you tell me not to touch that one, I won’t.”

“….”

“I’ll listen to you very well, Leti.”

***

After leaving Leticia’s room, Aina strode across the corridor.

“Aina, where are you going?”

“Did something happen to His Highness?”

“Try eating this. Yesterday was when new food supplies arrived, so just in time…”

Each passing maid addressed her. It was evidence that Aina had completely integrated into this castle.

Aina naturally greeted them as she went down to the kitchen.

“Chef, His Highness can’t eat anything at all, so I’ll take some fruit at least!”

Leaving the busy kitchen behind, Aina entered the food storage and headed to the section where fruit was kept.

Each item had a label indicating where it was imported from.

Fruit was still not grown in Basilinte, so all of it was expensive imported goods.

Aina flipped over the label attached to a fruit placed on the topmost shelf.

There, clearly engraved, was a mysterious number that had never been written there in the past 10 years.