Chapter 3

Arcitina was the first to sense the oddness of the silence.

“That’s all?”

“Yes.”

Arcitina pressed her temple with her finger, looking rather conflicted.

“Hailey. If you need money, you could just ask me for it now, couldn’t you?”

“The amount I need is quite a lot.”

“Name a high number. Whatever it is, there’s nothing I can’t give.”

To the head of a great noble family, encouraging her to ask for a hefty sum, Hailey shook her head firmly.

“I don’t think the information I have is worth that much.”

Arcitina didn’t hesitate long. She extended her white hand, representing the Council, to Hailey.

“I accept your proposal. In exchange for your information, I’ll hire you as a retainer of our family.”

Hailey took her hand and smiled brightly. At this moment, she was overjoyed. Later, she would find herself jumping for other reasons, but for now—

* * *

In the quiet dawn, shrouded in fog, small boats slept at the Arasil harbor, resting their weary bodies.

‘Rick’ wiped his face repeatedly against the muggy humidity.

He had lived with the sea since birth, but the half year spent in the desert nation of Vitesa had made the familiar air of his homeland feel strange.

He pulled his hood lower and kept walking. According to plan, there should be a small ship waiting to take him to Ilrid. But at the dock, there was nothing but the sound of waves.

Rick took out his pocket watch. When it came to time, he was almost obsessive, so there was no way he was late.

Just then, feeling a presence behind him, Rick spun around. A black-haired man in a long coat, as if to block the damp morning fog, bowed his head to him.

“Welcome home, Lord Latrian. Did you enjoy your journey in Vitesa?”

“Milo…”

“The head of the family was very worried. Please, let’s go back.”

The man called Milo looked at him with a wistful gaze. But Rick—Latrian Akrender—was in turmoil.

‘Did they find out? By whom? How did they know?’

Questions swirled, cold sweat running down his neck. Latrian bit his lower lip hard and spoke.

“Can’t you just turn a blind eye this one time?”

“Lord Latrian.”

“When I come back next time, I’ll confess to the nanny that I blamed you for breaking the flower vase when I was little.”

“I was really upset about that 15 years ago. Thank you for saying you’ll explain it to Mother, but… I can’t.”

“Milo. You also think what Aris is trying to do doesn’t make sense, don’t you?”

“That’s…”

Latrian subtly slid his right foot back.

Just as the old wooden boards creaked and Milo narrowed his eyes, Latrian grimaced and crouched down.

“Ugh. My leg was injured in Vitesa…”

Latrian sighed inwardly. Even to himself, his acting was painfully awkward. He thought no one but a fool would fall for it.

“Are you alright? Which leg is it? Right? Left? How did you get hurt?”

Milo, pale as a sheet, knelt on one knee and checked his leg. Seeing Milo so anxious, Latrian felt a bit deflated. Even after twenty years, this aide still treated him like a baby. But that was that.

Latrian took advantage of Milo’s distraction and firmly wedged the edge of his coat between the cracks in the wooden floor.

“Sorry, Milo.”

‘Apologize first, then strike boldly from behind’—the somewhat dubious family secret passed down in the Akrender family. As soon as he finished speaking, Latrian kicked Milo’s ankle.

“Ugh!”

Caught off guard, Milo tumbled to the floor. He tried to get up immediately, but the coat caught between the floorboards left him flailing, unable to move. Latrian didn’t miss the chance and dashed out of the dock.

“Lord Latrian!”

As Latrian fled, another man blocked his way, arms spread wide.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

It was a brown-haired man in a black robe. Latrian ground his teeth.

So Denny didn’t come with Milo, but waited in case he slipped away?

After briefly admiring his aide’s tactics, Latrian turned to the right. While running, he spotted a pile of boxes.

He kicked the boxes as if he’d been waiting for this moment. Luckily, they were filled with cylindrical wooden crafts. Latrian calmly dodged each rolling object. And then—

“Ahhh!”

Of course, Denny tripped.

For Latrian, shaking off Milo and Denny was easier than breathing. Milo, who strained his eyes reading books, had poor night vision, and Denny, who never watched where he was running, tripped over obstacles nine times out of ten.

But they’d been together for twenty years. Most of the time he succeeded in getting away, but there were times he’d been caught. So Latrian ran with desperate energy, breath burning in his throat.

In the deepening darkness, moonlight embroidered the canal’s water in silver threads. As he paused to catch his breath, a familiar voice echoed from a narrow alley.

“Rick?”

Hailey stood there, bundled in a black robe and hat.

“Lord Latrian…!”

The distance was considerable, but Denny and Milo were still searching for him. Latrian slipped into the narrow alley where Hailey stood. He blew out the candle she was holding. Raising his index finger to his lips, Latrian whispered,

“Quiet. I’m being chased right now.”

Hailey’s shoulders shrank at his words. Between their faint breaths, the footsteps of men shattered the dawn silence. The number of pursuers seemed to have increased, and various voices overlapped. ‘Go left, check that way, look for anyone in a robe in the dark.’ Latrian even stifled his breathing and swallowed dryly.

Only when the sounds faded did Latrian exhale. Despair. Not only was there no boat, now he was being hunted. And with Arcitina aware, he couldn’t ask the Port family for help anymore.

Clinging to hope, Latrian looked at Hailey and spoke.

“Help me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I have to leave Mart right now. If I don’t… ha.”

Latrian wiped his face with a nervous hand.

“I’ll be in big trouble.”

Hailey blinked and carefully asked,

“Did you… commit a crime? Did you rob an Akrender merchant ship?”

“Of course not.”

“Then, why not just talk it out first?”

“There’s nothing to talk about. Some things in life are just… non-negotiable.”

“It could be a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding…”

Latrian, who had been replying obediently, paused. He slowly turned his head and gazed down at Hailey. His eyes flickered.

“Hailey. What are you doing at the harbor at this hour?”

“…I thought you’d depart from here.”

“You figured I’d come to Arasil after seeing the route instructions? At dawn?”

“To take the Abiteran route, dawn is best since the Ateras current isn’t active.”

“Not Eden Harbor but Arasil?”

“Eden Harbor is crowded with large ships now. It’s hard to leave on a small vessel. And Rick, your route is fastest by small boat.”

Latrian’s eyes widened. Not only had she predicted the route and its problems, she’d even deduced the date and port of departure—from a single-page summary?

A laugh, tinged with admiration, slipped between his lips.

“If you’re that sharp, getting hired at Akrender shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Oh. I’m already hired. I went straight to the mansion after getting the brooch.”

Latrian felt a chill down his spine at Hailey’s answer.

“…Don’t tell me.”

He stepped back. His suspicious doubts were turning into certainty.

“You told them I’d be coming here?”

“Um, well…”

Hailey trailed off, clutching Rick’s robe and lifting her chin.

“Rick. Why don’t you talk with the head of the family?”

“What?”

“She said there was a misunderstanding. I don’t know what it is, but she really seemed sincere. If you talk before you leave, even just briefly…”

“Hailey!”

Latrian, raising his voice without realizing, hurriedly clamped his mouth shut. His clenched jaw trembled.

“You’re meddling. It’s pointless, unnecessary. And—”

Latrian shook off Hailey’s hand and pulled his hood down. Moonlight shone sharply over his head. The gentle goodwill in his green eyes disappeared, replaced by cold resentment.

“You’ve returned kindness with betrayal.”

“Rick.”

“D*mn it.”

Latrian spun around and left the alley.

At that moment—

Piyooooong!!

Latrian turned his head at the strange sound. He locked eyes with Hailey, who was holding a ceramic whistle shaped like a chicken—or maybe a duck. Stunned, Latrian forgot he should be running away.

“If you think that whistle’s going to help, you’re wrong.”

“No, it’s not that…”

Hailey’s gaze was fixed behind him. As her golden eyes flashed in the moonlight, a flapping sound sliced through the dawn silence.

Hailey pointed at Latrian’s furrowed brow.

“This way! Rabin!”

“Rabin?”

As the wingbeats drew closer, Latrian hurriedly looked up. A black parrot was circling above his head.

“What the…”

“Rabin! That person’s bad!”

The parrot, apparently understanding Hailey’s command, forcefully opened its closed yellow beak.

“He’s a creep!”

The shriek from the tiny bird was astonishing.

As Hailey smiled in satisfaction and clenched her fist, Latrian, face red with anger, also clenched his fist.

“Who are you calling a creep!”

Unable to control his fury, Latrian shouted again. He gritted his teeth, but it was pointless. The parrot circling his head was squawking many times louder than his own voice.

“He’s a creep! Help! He’s a creep! Help!”

Latrian tried to shoo the bird away, but it dodged his hand nimbly, continuing to circle overhead. Hailey hurriedly explained,

“Sorry! Rabin only understands ‘bad person’ as ‘creep’!”

Latrian decided he’d rather run away with the parrot on his head than stay. But just as he turned, he saw a group of burly men running toward him. He quickly turned the other way, but it was the same.

No escape. The realization made Latrian’s anger boil like lava.

“He’s a creep! A creep! Here! Creep!”

The lively parrot, now perched on his head, contributed greatly to his rage.