Chapter 33. Identity Exposed

“I’ll allow up to 10 people. That should be enough, right?”

“Yes. That’s sufficient. Thank you.”

“Now, back to the auction talk, there’s something I’m curious about.”

The Emperor’s eyes flashed, returning to their original cold, blood-red color.

“I heard Ailexia was fine despite the fire, is that true?”

Aster quickly caught the hidden intent behind those words. This wasn’t a question. It was merely confirming a fact he already knew.

“…I left in the middle of the auction, so I don’t know the exact situation. But your thoughts are probably correct. The sudden fire turned the auction house into chaos, and when I encountered Ailexia outside while looking for her, her dress was already blackened in several places.”

“As if she had been in the middle of the fire?”

“Yes.”

At those words, the Emperor let out a sneer, then laughed out loud a few times, and suddenly wiped away all traces of laughter, resting his chin on his interlocked hands.

“Duke, shall I tell you something interesting?”

“……”

“The rogue of the secondary palace goes berserk at the mere sight of fire. A woman who acted recklessly as if she feared nothing would foam at the mouth and have seizures.”

Aster’s expression involuntarily furrowed at this new information, and Helios gave a languid smile.

“But why didn’t that happen this time?”

With a chilling question hanging at the corner of his mouth.

“Well, she might have been distracted by something else. If that was possible. Or…, the seizures have been fake all along. Though that’s the least plausible assumption.”

“……”

“Now only three people know this fact, including you, Duke.”

Helios didn’t seem interested in Aster’s response and immediately moved on as if it wasn’t important. Yet he indirectly conveyed the message to keep it secret. Then he lowered his gaze back to the documents he had been looking at, as if there were no more matters to discuss.

It was an indirect dismissal signaling the end of the audience.

“…I hope you find her, Duke.”

With those quiet words from Helios, filled with an unfathomable, complex emotion, Aster left the office.

* * *

Finishing his reminiscence, he pondered for a moment what that emotion might have been, then shook off the thought.

It seemed similar to how he felt about Iella, yet at the same time, different. A feeling as if a longer time, depth, and numerous emotions had accumulated. It was something he couldn’t possibly understand from just a brief, fragmentary experience. In fact, he didn’t need to know.

‘More importantly, if the Emperor’s words are true, Ailexia would have struggled just to escape the building, let alone save a child. But when I found that woman, she didn’t even show signs of an impending seizure.’

Aster returned to his original train of thought.

‘The fire trauma can’t be fake.’

Considering her behavior and temperament, she seemed like someone who would act tough even with real weaknesses. To survive in this cold imperial palace and the dismissive social circles, one couldn’t show even the slightest weakness.

So if the person who knew her weakness was just an ordinary nobleman, the truth should have been questioned first. But only three people knew her weakness, including himself. And one of them was the Emperor. The person who knew Ailexia best from a position of superiority.

That alone guaranteed the credibility of the information for now.

[“Well, she might have been distracted by something else. If that was possible.”]

Then was that the reason, as the Emperor suggested? Aster was certain it wasn’t.

It’s a trauma that causes seizures and fainting. Rather than being distracted from the fire by something else, the opposite situation would be difficult.

“Damn it.”

Aster cursed under his breath and struck the nearby tree pillar hard with his fist. With all assumptions proving wrong, a thought he had been trying to ignore rose to the surface in the empty space left behind.

The most implausible, the one that shouldn’t make sense, yet one he had already considered once before.

[“What are you doing now?”]

“…Iella.”

‘Why now, of all times? Why do I recall our first meeting?’

‘Why does the image of you, holding a stick that posed no threat, mustering courage to save a child, come to mind?’

‘And why did I naturally think that woman saved the child?’

“Have I finally gone mad?”

He felt like tearing his mind apart for having such thoughts.

* * *

‘Isn’t he chasing after me?’

Meanwhile, Iella, who had fled from Aster, finally looked back as she was about to leave the garden. Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone following her. Not a single strand of dark blue hair was visible.

Only then did Iella stop and catch her slightly elevated breath. At some point, she had been walking at a speed that could be almost considered running.

‘…Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned the child.’

Now somewhat calmed, she reviewed her conversation with him. She began to slightly regret mixing the truth so subtly into her words.

‘Would it have been better to counterattack? Come to think of it, I could have asked if he found what he was looking for at the auction.’

Of course, even if she could go back to that moment, she would probably act the same way. At the time, she thought avoiding was the best course of action, regardless of counterattacking or anything else.

‘…It can’t be helped. It should be fine since I plan to stay as quiet as possible until I return to my original body anyway.’

She would pretend to be Ailexia, but she didn’t intend to go out directly like before. Vanessa would take care of that now.

Iella, sighing as if to release tension, moved towards the secondary palace building to avoid any possible situations. She would have to stay quietly in her bedroom for a while, even if it felt stifling.

However, as if to dash her hopes, a man was standing in front of the secondary palace.

“…Huh?”

Iella stopped abruptly just before reaching the secondary palace when she spotted the man.

Fortunately, the other party didn’t seem to have noticed her presence yet. Thanks to this, Iella had time to observe him carefully from head to toe.

‘Where have I met him before?’

As she did so, she felt a strange familiarity. As if she had met him before.

While rummaging through her hazy memories and pondering deeply, Iella’s eyes suddenly widened not long after. Under the half-set sky, dark reddish hair tied in a half-bun caught her eye, just like back then.

‘The man I met in the basement of the auction house!’

Just then, the man’s gaze, which had been directed elsewhere, moved. Soon, her deep pink eyes met his light gray ones. His eyes curved gently.

“You’re here now.”

Iella doubted her own eyes for a moment. It was completely different from the sly smile she had seen then. The way his brows furrowed like he was acting coy was flirtatious.

As she stood there without answering, just staring, he moved first. Iella tensed, about to step back as the distance closed, but forced herself to stop and looked up at him as he approached. He was unnecessarily tall.

“Where have you been?”

“……”

“Hmm, it seems you want me to guess. Then let me try as you wish.”

He smiled slowly, raising the corners of his mouth, and gently tilted his head to the right. His long bangs, parted evenly on both sides, swayed softly to the tilted side.

As if to show he was thinking, he placed the blade of his index finger against his right cheek, supporting his chin.

“Seeing that you don’t have a robe, it doesn’t seem like you’ve ventured out again. And since I just came from the harem until a while ago, you couldn’t have been there either.”

Then, straightening his head, he snapped his thumb and middle finger together with a click.

“Ah, I see you’ve been out for a walk.”

“…That’s right.”

Iella reluctantly nodded as his light gray eyes stared at her intently, seemingly waiting for an answer.

As she did so, she quickly scanned him with her eyes, and he had quite a handsome face. Iella realized from his words just now that he was a man belonging to the harem.

‘But why was someone like that at an illegal auction house?’

At that thought, her mind was suddenly filled with questions. But it wasn’t something she could ask about.

Seeing the man’s different attitude from before, it was clear he hadn’t recognized the person he had bumped into as Ailexia, and there was no need to create unnecessary trouble.

“Why are you here?”

Quickly suppressing her curiosity, Iella pretended to be Ailexia. Anyway, what was important now was his purpose for being here.

If he wanted a night with Ailexia, she needed to send him away before the situation became even stranger. Even if that wasn’t the case, a prolonged confrontation with a man she had no information about would only be detrimental to her.

“What other reason could there be?”

“If you’ve come to warm my bed, go back. I don’t need it.”

“Oh my, how disappointing. We were quite…”

But despite Iella’s firm attitude, the man didn’t budge an inch. Instead, he narrowed the gap between them and slowly stroked her hair with the back of his hand.

Before Iella could frown and try to swat his hand away, he whispered.

“Weren’t we hot?”

‘How would I know that……’ Iella desperately held back the urge to retort. She also swallowed hard the words that it was none of her business whether Ailexia and he were hot or not.

‘Ailexia really……’

Even though she was set up to prioritize pleasure, Iella wondered how on earth she managed to deal with all those men in the harem. She felt drained just from having a conversation.

Swallowing even her sigh, Iella coldly swatted away his hand. Fortunately, he withdrew his hand without saying anything.

“Hasn’t it cooled off long ago?”

Because Ailexia had been favoring only Allen for a while, she at least had something to say in response. Iella raised her eyes.

“There’s always a reason for not calling for someone for a while. Don’t make me more sick of you and go back.”

Leaving behind a warning-like advice, she passed by him. Or rather, she tried to. If he hadn’t grabbed her wrist.

“You should reconsider.”

“…What?”

“It’s too… big a fire to cool off so quickly. It was as red as that mask back then.”

In an instant, he switched to the sly smile and tone he had at the auction house basement. Iella easily noticed.

He had recognized Ailexia back then.

“Looks like you got out well though. Your feet are no longer covered in blood.”

“So? Stop beating around the bush, what do you want to say?”

Iella turned her head towards him. She didn’t back down even as their gazes met immediately, as if he had been looking at her all along. As she boldly confronted him, his smile deepened.

“Let’s have a chat, Lady Ailexia. Ah, no.”

His curved lips came close to her ear.

“You poor little miss who’s entered Ailexia’s body.”