‘If anyone is true to their desires, it’s you more than anyone else! And you don’t care who it is!’

Meanwhile, Chase was looking only at her.

‘Such devotion, there’s no devotion like it…!’

Then she froze in shock at her own thoughts. The surge of emotion was extremely embarrassing. Why she felt this way about their relationship, which had absolutely nothing to do with her, was completely baffling. Bluntly speaking, even if Ailexia played with Chase and then discarded him, it wouldn’t concern her at all.

‘…Still, that’s a bit much.’

Iella quickly collected the random thought that had entered her mind due to the inexplicable emotion. Discarding someone—there couldn’t be a more malicious curse than that. Iella reflected on herself.

But she couldn’t stop her petulant reproach toward Chase.

‘This is all because the Grand Duke is too foolish. Why does he give everything to someone like her?’

She remembered their quiet tea time earlier. He had seemed satisfied with just that. No, in fact, he had already seemed happy just by the fact that they were out together. Like someone who had received an unexpected gift.

Somehow, she felt another surge of emotion.

What a foolish person. What a dull person. What’s so good about such a contradictory and hypocritical person?

Iella raised her gaze and glanced at the face across from her. The face, distorted with displeasure and irritation, was her face but at the same time didn’t seem like it. She had never looked so ill-tempered before.

“Sigh. Anyway. Thanks to you, I’ve given up on the Tear of Grace.”

At that moment, Ailexia, who had expelled her built-up irritation with a deep sigh, swept back her hair and spoke. Although her tone seemed sarcastic, Iella didn’t bother to point it out. She didn’t want to waste time bickering over the Tear of Grace.

If the conversation dragged on, Ailexia might question her again about why she had won the bid for the Tear of Grace.

She could have talked about the deal she had made with Chase instead. But she didn’t do that either. It was half impulse. An impulse stemming from the surge of emotion.

Hoping that after returning to her original body, Ailexia would experience even a fraction of the trouble she had caused the Grand Duke, wishing she would face a perplexing situation too.

“……There might be a way even without the Tear of Grace.”

“What way?”

“I know that to break a sorcery spell, you either spread a new spell over the original one to dismantle it, or you directly manipulate the existing spell to undo it.”

Ailexia nodded slightly as if asking her to continue. Iella carefully grabbed her arm.

“But for that, the positions of the sorcery subjects need to be precise. That’s why I’ve been looking for you. So……”

“You want me to return to the secondary palace with you?”

“Yes.”

She seemed to be a quick thinker; Ailexia promptly and astutely figured out what Iella was about to request. Iella nodded without hesitation.

Ailexia stared at her intently. When that gaze became uncomfortable, her light pink eyes lowered and looked at the arm Iella was holding.

Tense from the prolonged silence and the inscrutable gaze, Iella clutched the hem of her dress with her other hand.

Ailexia raised her eyes again.

“Let me ask one thing.”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Iella nodded after a moment. She was curious about what Ailexia would say.

“That sorcery knowledge you mentioned, who did you hear it from?”

A sharp light seemed to flash in those light pink eyes. Iella immediately sealed her lips. Then Ailexia let out a small “Ah” and smiled.

“It’s not for any other reason. Usually, even in ancient books, they only write about the principles of sorcery and such information, not how to break or undo it. So I was curious. You seem to know it quite accurately.”

“Ah……”

“If you were a sorceress, you could have found the sorceresses’ village when our bodies switched, so you’re not one. That means you have someone around you who knows a lot about sorcery. That person is likely a sorceress. Right?”

The years she spent in the imperial palace couldn’t be ignored; it was indeed a sharp deduction. However, Iella didn’t answer hastily.

Vanessa was Ailexia’s personal maid. She must know that Vanessa was by her side. Yet the fact that she didn’t immediately assume it was Vanessa meant one of two things.

Either she didn’t know Vanessa was a sorceress, or she thought Vanessa wouldn’t have revealed it to her. Iella judged that the former was closer to the truth.

‘If it were the latter, she wouldn’t need to ask me who told me. That wouldn’t be important. She could just accept my theory as accurate and then secretly ask Vanessa after returning to the secondary palace…, wait.’

But that thought was reversed not long after.

‘The passage Ailexia used for her secret outings was a hole created by sorcery. Could she really not have recognized that? When her mother was a sorceress?’

Iella realized belatedly. That question was a test. But why?

‘Is there a reason for that?’

Would it be a problem if she knew Vanessa was a sorceress? Because of the negative view toward sorceresses, was she worried her personal maid might get into trouble later? But Ailexia didn’t seem like the kind of attentive and considerate person who would worry about such things.

“……You’re right, I did hear it from someone. But does that matter? Whether the person who told me is a sorceress or not, I just want to return to normal, and that’s enough for me.”

After contemplation, Iella answered defensively. Your assumption is correct, but I don’t care about any of that as long as things can return to their proper place.

Whether she understood the meaning well or not, Ailexia opened her eyes wide. Then suddenly, she burst into laughter.

“Ahaha!”

Her laughter echoed clearly through the narrow, dark alley.

“Ah, you’re amusing.”

“……”

Eventually stopping her laughter, Ailexia wiped her eyes with her fingers. Iella bit her lip tightly at Ailexia’s attitude, which suggested nothing could be funnier than this.

Ailexia lifted Iella’s chin with her index finger and looked up at her from below, as if examining her carefully.

“That you thought I was someone who worries about others, you’re quite peculiar too.”

“……Not really, that’s……”

“Hmm, yes, yes. It must just be your nature. A mind that considers and cares for others. I could see it in the attitude of your household staff too.”

Ailexia removed her hand from Iella’s chin and also removed Iella’s hand that was still holding her arm.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t cause any harm there. It would be a big problem if I caused a commotion and things got out of hand, right?”

“……”

“Well, you seem to have had a hard time in many ways. I didn’t know the emperor would force-feed you peanuts.”

And I didn’t know you’d actually eat them. The heat rushed to the nape of her neck at those words added with a smile. Does she think I ate them because I wanted to?

“Anyway. I know you’re dying to return right away, but give me some time.”

“Time?”

“Whether to break the sorcery or undo it, there’s one thing I need. I have to go get it.”

“I have someone I can ask. If you tell me what it is, I’ll tell them.”

Thinking she shouldn’t let Ailexia slip away, Iella grabbed her again. She worried that if Ailexia disappeared from sight, she would have to track her down again. She would feel more at ease if she could take her to the secondary palace.

Moreover, Ailexia had no money. In such a situation alone, it was impossible to know how long it would take for her to find what she needed, and if she encountered financial difficulties on top of that, that period would clearly be extended.

‘In that case, it would be much better to ask Nix. He’s fast and accurate.’

But despite Iella’s suggestion, Ailexia firmly shook her head.

“No. I hate that idea.”

“Why?”

Iella tightened her grip on Ailexia’s arm. Surely she wasn’t trying to avoid this situation?

The thought suddenly occurred to her that perhaps after actually living there, life in the secondary palace felt too stifling, and so she wanted to enjoy her current freedom more. She even briefly worried whether Ailexia had slept with other men in her body.

At that moment, Ailexia, who had been silent for a while, quietly opened her mouth.

“That item is a keepsake from my mother. I buried it near where my mother is buried, in a place only I know. My mother was buried where I requested, where I wanted.”

“……”

“It’s very difficult to find that place from the secondary palace. Because of that, I haven’t been able to visit since the day of the funeral. I fulfilled my mother’s lifelong wish, but honestly, it’s quite far. Although I do sneak out, there are limits to that too, and even if I somehow managed to get there, it would be with the emperor’s surveillance. Whatever I say or do would all reach the emperor’s ears, and I hate that, you know?”

Iella couldn’t say anything. For the first time, Ailexia showed a forlorn expression.

“Without surveillance, without being rushed. I just want to visit my mother like that once.”

How many people in the world could coldly refuse such words? Iella certainly wasn’t one of them.

Conversely, if she put herself in that position, she thought it would be difficult to even pretend to be calm while speaking. Even if she managed to pretend to be calm, her inner feelings wouldn’t be. That would be the same for anyone, even Ailexia.

In the end, Iella couldn’t firmly refuse.

“……How long will it take?”

“The swordsmanship tournament is coming up, right? I’ll come to the secondary palace by the time it ends, at the latest.”

“Is there no way to contact you until then?”

“I don’t think so. I’ll be constantly moving.”

It meant there was no suitable method. Iella reluctantly nodded. Then, with a sudden thought, she took out a small whistle from her bosom. It was something Nix had recently given her, saying he had prepared one more for her share.

“If you blow this, a small bird will appear. Then attach a note to the bird’s ankle and send it.”

Ailexia accepted it without protest. Iella felt somewhat relieved. Just carrying that would allow her to be tracked. It meant that even if Ailexia didn’t send a message, she could find out her whereabouts through Nix.

“I’ll be going now.”

After briefly looking back, Ailexia pulled her robe’s hood down deeply. Then, with a momentary eye contact as a farewell, she turned around.

But before completely leaving the alley, she turned to look at Iella and warned in a solemn tone as if sharing something important.

“Oh, and don’t trust Vanessa too much.”