The two weeks in Erdei passed in a blur of activity.

First, they had to commission a crafted piece to use as bait for the thieves — something so dazzling that it would be impossible to resist. After much discussion, the family decided on a brooch.

Liton was concerned that a brooch might not be large enough to lure the thieves, but he agreed without further objection when he heard that it would be made using the finest ruby in the Erdei Count’s collection.

As soon as the idea of commissioning a ruby brooch was raised, her brothers called an emergency meeting.

If they failed to recover Ailie’s original gift, it seemed that they were determined to protect this brooch at all costs and give it to her instead. They even stayed up all night agonizing over the design.

This level of enthusiasm was overwhelming for Ailie, but—

Nevertheless, she could not bring herself to dampen the spirits of her brothers, who were putting in so much effort for her sake.

“Claren, I’m deeply disappointed in you.”

“And I’m disappointed in you, Brother. Dark-colored jewelry would make Ari shine even more!”

“Both of you, stop being stubborn. Look at the dress Ari’s wearing today. She’s liked that color since she was little, so of course the ribbon should match.”

They even argued over which color of ribbon to pair with the ruby.

Emond favored a clean white. Claren, however, insisted on a deep antique crimson. Paulo wanted pale pink, similar to the color of Ailie’s dresses.

The final decision remained a secret known only to the three of them.

Ailie’s curiosity got the better of her and she asked several times, but the only response she received was, “You’ll see later.”

‘What if you end up losing the brooch too…’

This made it all the more imperative that they catch the thieves.

To avoid drawing the thieves’ attention, Breni delivered the order form in place of her brothers. Unlike Butler, Damon or the estate’s maids, Breni had only briefly lived in Erdei as a child, when she was Ailie’s attendant. Therefore, there was no chance the thieves would recognize her.

Ailie tried to accompany her but was firmly refused. They accused her of wanting to sneak a look at the order.

‘That thought… wasn’t entirely untrue.’

It was a real shame.

Once the brooch had been commissioned, the next step was to secure the cooperation of the county castles and enlist the help of mages for the operation.

Skill was essential, of course, but if word of the plan leaked midway through, the consequences would be disastrous. To prevent this, Ailie and Ricciardo met each candidate individually, conducting interviews and selecting them based on their judgement alone.

Liton carried out exhaustive background checks on everyone selected. He examined whether any of their family members, relatives, friends or neighbors had ties to the thieves and established what they had been doing at the time of the theft, as well as when they had first begun working at the count’s castle.

Of the eleven mages ultimately selected, one was appointed as their representative and given a communication device linked directly to the count’s estate, allowing them to be summoned into the operation at any moment.

Finally, one last request remained.

She needed to ask Deputy Commander Liton to accompany them.

“You sent for me, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, Sir Liton.”

Liton arrived in the reception room with Breni, who had delivered the message. He would have accompanied her anyway under Emperor Benate’s orders, but Ailie wanted to ask properly and formally request the cooperation of someone who had helped her so much.

“I had tea prepared. Let’s sit and talk.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

While the maid poured the tea, Liton sat upright, his gaze fixed on his cup. A weighty seriousness lingered in his dark brown eyes.

On her first day in Erdei, Ailie had wondered if Benate had assigned the deputy commander of the Imperial Knights to her as a form of surveillance. Before her regression, when she had requested to go to Erdei, he had indeed posted a guard to follow her.

‘But there were no signs of that now.’

Throughout her stay in Erdei, Liton only accompanied her when she went out. Whenever she spent time with her family, he withdrew. Even when she went to look for Ricciardo in the garden, he merely asked her to inform him if she intended to leave the grounds, before waiting where he was.

If his purpose had been surveillance, he would have been far more thorough.

Moreover, he had cooperated earnestly and without complaint throughout the operation. It was becoming increasingly clear that his role during this visit had truly been to protect her.

‘Why Benate would do that is still a mystery—but anyway.’

For now, she decided not to dwell on it.

After confiding in Ricciardo about the Emperor’s infidelity, her heartache finally began to subside. She slept better. She no longer flinched at every knock on the door. The pallor in her face improved, and her headaches eased considerably.

It was a positive change.

Now, even if she were to encounter Benate unexpectedly, she felt she wouldn’t run away.

So that was fine. She couldn’t afford to let her doubts about Benate’s intentions distract her from her current task.

“Thank you for helping in so many ways with this operation. Without you, Sir Liton, it would have been very difficult.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. I only did what was required of me.”

Although he was modest, it was impossible to deny the scale of Liton’s contributions. Without his magical communication device, they might have been trapped in that labyrinthine hideout like her brothers, unable to resist due to being immobilized by magic.

The investigation into the backgrounds of the castle mages had not even begun at Ailie’s request. Liton had taken the initiative himself, insisting that the operation had to be completely airtight.

Ailie slowly shook her head.

“Sir Liton, your role was truly invaluable. Because you came all the way to Erdei, I had nothing to worry about.”

“Ah… thank you.”

Flustered by the praise, Liton hesitated before finally offering his thanks. The absence of guilt in that response only reinforced that he wasn’t acting as a spy.

Satisfied, Ailie smiled and lifted her teacup.

That was enough preamble. It was time to get to the point.

“So. The reason I asked to see you is to request your cooperation.”

“Cooperation… you mean for this operation?”

“Yes. It would be invaluable to have someone of your skill involved. With you and the Duke of Alvaro’s son, there’s no enemy we’d have to fear.”

“You honor me with such high praise.”

“And of course, the magic device you carry will also be extremely useful.”

Ailie added honestly, smiling faintly.

Liton looked momentarily surprised, his eyes widening before a light smile curved his lips.

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

He accepted readily.

Ailie nodded again and again, her expression openly satisfied.

“As much as you have trusted me, I will devote myself fully and ensure this operation succeeds.”

***

On the day that marked two weeks and three days since arriving in Erdei, word came that evening that the ruby brooch would soon be completed.

At last, the chance to catch the thieves had arrived.

Ailie calmly gathered everyone in the count’s basement.

“This is our one and only chance to capture the thieves before things spiral out of control. I want everyone to give it their absolute best, without a single mistake.”

If the thieves escaped again, they would certainly abandon their hideout for good. Once that happened, the situation would escalate beyond anything that could be resolved in Erdei alone.

Her warning was met with firm responses from all sides. Soon after, the assembled group began making their final preparations.

With the exception of Damon and one mage, who were to remain on standby at the shop, the rest were to head directly to the hideout and carry out a surprise raid. Ricciardo spread a map of Erdei across the table and began to explain the entry routes.

“The team entering from the north will be four people. You’ll go in through the side street by the plaza and make a full loop around the northern residential area.”

The mages nodded, their faces set in determination.

Liton sat to one side, quietly checking his weap*ns. Meanwhile, her brothers paced about, fully armed and brimming with motivation, as though they might storm the hideout at any moment.

Ailie reviewed each person carefully, ensuring nothing had been overlooked. Although her status as empress and concerns for her safety meant she was confined to the role of communications coordinator, she did everything she could to ensure the operation’s success.

This was nothing like her first visit to Erdei, when she had intended to rest quietly without revealing her identity as empress.

Nor was it anything like before her regression, when she had given up on everything and endured in silence.

The change within herself felt unfamiliar… and, strangely, admirable.

“It seems it’s time for us to wait at the shop. We’ll contact you via the communication device as the situation develops.”

Damon rose from his seat with his dependable smile and was accompanied by one of the mages.

The operation had begun.

The teams left the count’s estate at staggered intervals, each team departing according to their assigned route. Ailie and Breni, the communications team, fixed their gazes on the magic device, their hearts trembling with anticipation.

This communication tool was a glass orb, roughly fist-sized, which reflected the situation of each group as it unfolded.

Though simple enough for anyone to operate, the device was far from efficient. It only functioned within the same territory and, since each unit worked as a matched pair, it could not connect to any unmatched device.

This is why a communications coordinator was essential: to receive information from one pair and relay it swiftly to those who needed it.

“Breni, don’t be too nervous. Don’t try to watch everything. Just focus on relaying the information accurately.”

“Yes, my lady!”

“I suppose I’m not really in a position to say this, but…”

There was only one chance.

Ailie drew in a deep breath, trying to ease the tension gripping her.

Seeing that, Breni hesitantly reached out and took Ailie’s hand. She couldn’t see Breni’s face since both of them were focused on the communication device, but Ailie could easily imagine her round brown eyes sparkling with a smile.

Picturing that expression, Ailie let out a small laugh.

“Do you feel a bit calmer now?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

“My lady, the operation will succeed. And even if it doesn’t…”

“…Even if it doesn’t?”

“That won’t be your fault.”

Hearing those words naturally brought back memories from before her regression.

No matter how hard she tried not to think about them, they were always there, like an old wound that still throbbed occasionally, even after it had healed.

Ailie knew the true nature of the person holding her hand. She knew that if she ever spoke the truth aloud, that same person might scream as if they had never been on her side at all.

‘But right now, even just the words…’

They were comforting.

She wanted to take those words she had waited so long to hear—that it wasn’t her fault—and give them to the pitiful Ailie she had once been.

“You’re right.”

“I am, right? I knew it. So, my lady, relax a bit. Smile. Okay?”

“All right, all right.”

Unable to resist her coaxing, Ailie finally broke into a laugh.

‘I shouldn’t let myself believe too easily…’

“For now, let’s focus on the operation.”

‘Now wasn’t the time for stray thoughts.’

Her pale rose-colored eyes sharpened, fixing clearly on the communication magic device.