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Alexandra’s laughter gradually faded. Outwardly, there seemed to be no difference from before the conversation. She maintained a terrifying poker face. She took a sip of the tea in front of her.
“The excuse of going to learn magic was just that, an excuse.”
“Yes…, that’s right.”
Alexandra continued calmly.
“First, go ahead. Once things are more certain, we can talk again. We need to get a sensing tool.”
“A sensing tool?”
I asked her about the unfamiliar word I had never heard before.
“Yes. It’s an item that can determine if someone is blood-related. It’s a magical tool.”
Ah. I nodded. If it determined that the boy was indeed blood-related to Roan, it would prove that he was of the Bannister lineage.
-Knock knock.
At that moment, someone’s voice came from outside.
“Your Grace, the prince has arrived.”
“Ah, I see.”
After responding to the maid, I turned to Alexandra.
“You don’t need to see me off.”
Did she plan not to anyway? As I spoke, the thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t show it.
Fortunately, Alexandra replied without any sign of disbelief.
“Alright. Safe travels.”
Safe travels. Somehow, it felt like warm words contrasting with her cool demeanor.
***
Before meeting Jafflin, I stopped by my bedroom to retrieve the imaging stone where I had diligently recorded the event yesterday.
After some contemplation, I decided not to mention anything about Roan’s half-brother in the footage. I didn’t want to burden Roan, who would be weary from battle, with troubling thoughts.
When I descended to the first floor, I saw the staff ready.
“My lady, please travel safely.”
“Yes. Don’t worry too much.”
I reassured Victor, who still seemed worried. The butler really does have it tough. Lately, it seems like 80% of his worries are because of me. If I bring Roan’s brother, will he faint? I offered him my sincere condolences.
“Delis, have a safe trip!”
“Come back soon!”
“Always be careful.”
This time, the fairies didn’t insist on coming with me, which was unusual.
“Good job, not pestering me this time.”
“Going outside is exhausting!”
Seirin exclaimed energetically, and I muttered.
“Who did you learn that from….”
“Have a safe trip.”
From him, I see. I looked at Reb, who had recovered enough to move freely.
“Alright. Don’t teach the fairies strange things.”
“What? I’m just teaching them the truths of life.”
Reb replied nonchalantly. His wounds had healed, but it seemed only his mouth was more active. I sighed quietly, looking at the now even more sly dwarf.
After receiving farewells from the fairies, the dwarf, and the staff, I left the mansion and headed to the clock tower.
“Master, here it is.”
I handed him the imaging stone inside the carriage.
“Can you send this directly to Roan’s camp?”
“Yes. Ah, first, we need to identify the sender.”
Jafflin seemed to mutter something as he ran his hand over the stone.
“Wow.”
On one side of the stone, the words “From Delis” appeared. Impressed, I asked Jafflin for one more favor.
“Could you also write the recipient? Someone else might touch it.”
“That makes sense.”
Nodding at my request, Jafflin repeated his actions, and beneath the words “From Delis,” the words “To Roan” appeared.
“Alright. Now all we need to do is send it.”
“Dereti Silva.”
Jafflin chanted what I assumed was a spell. The stone in his hand shone brightly for a moment and then disappeared without a trace.
“Oh? Is it done?”
“Yes, it’s done.”
Jafflin smiled and shrugged.
“Sometimes, even I’m amazed at my own genius.”
“…….”
I acknowledged it, but I didn’t want to admit it. Listening to Jafflin’s nonsense made me feel sleepy.
It seemed the side effects of waking up early were catching up to me. Falling asleep in such a situation felt like a testament to my nature, but soon my body and thoughts were entirely separated.
“…Student. Student.”
A weak force shook my body, lifting my eyelids to see Jafflin’s hand gripping my arm.
“We’ve arrived.”
Struggling to open my drowsy eyes, I saw that we had indeed arrived.
“…What?”
I suddenly realized that I was leaning against something other than the carriage wall. I noticed Jafflin’s thigh in the same direction. No way.
“Ugh.”
As soon as I realized where my head had been resting, I quickly straightened up.
I had been sleeping on his left shoulder. I scanned the area with hawk-like eyes. Hopefully, I hadn’t been drooling. I quickly apologized to Jafflin.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. You kept bumping your head against the carriage wall, so I let you use my shoulder for a while.”
Come to think of it, Jafflin, who had originally been sitting across from me, was now on my right.
“Haha… I see. Have we arrived at the tower?”
“Yes.”
Just as Jafflin answered, the carriage came to a complete stop. Even inside the carriage, the bustling sounds made it clear we had arrived in a busy area. We soon got off the carriage.
Anywhere on this street, the clock tower of Redegoz, with its bell at the top, was clearly visible. Was this the bell that created so many romantic stories? Looking up at the bell, the blue sky beside it blended into the view. It was a scene that made it seem as though white doves would fly by the bell at any moment.
It felt tragic, perhaps even ironic, that a red-light district, a place full of desires, existed in this seemingly peaceful area. It reminded me of the saying,
“Life is a comedy when seen from a distance, but a tragedy when seen up close.”
The place was bustling with people, no doubt due to its fame. Everywhere I looked, there were people, all with bright expressions. However, thinking about the child we were about to meet made my heart feel heavier.
“Where should we go?”
As we stood at a point where the road split into several paths, I asked Jafflin.
“We need to go near the clock tower. It’s in a corner, but surprisingly right next to it.”
Ah, I see. We turned left towards the clock tower. As we walked, the tower began to loom larger and larger. There were even more people as we got closer. I thought we might get trampled before we even got there.
We slowly made our way through the crowd until we finally saw the clock tower in full view. The open plaza gave us some breathing room, allowing us to avoid bumping into people, which was a relief.
Despite my now relaxed expression, Jafflin’s face was even more tense than before.
“We’re almost there.”
I looked around but couldn’t see any red lanterns. Jafflin started walking into an alley off the plaza.
Following Jafflin through a street lined with various shops, we soon saw it in the distance—the red lights. As the lights grew brighter, I felt a strange sensation.
As we got closer, the women became the most noticeable feature. Despite it being summer, they were barely clothed, with their sheer garments revealing much of their skin. In the shadows nearby, I saw a burly man sitting and fanning himself.
The red lights seemed to shine more brightly than the sunlight.
And then,
“We found him.”
I saw the side profile of a scrawny boy holding a bouquet of colorful flowers. His hair was so messy that it was hard to make out his face from the side.
Jafflin gestured for me to approach.
I took cautious steps toward him. As I reached the front of the boy, he lifted his slightly bowed head.
His hollow golden eyes finally met mine.
‘……!!’
It felt like all my thoughts came to a halt.
The boy’s eyes, looking at me who couldn’t even blink, showed a hint of curiosity.
I felt like there was no need for a magic detection tool.
Anyone could see that face,
“……?”
“…….”
was Roan’s brother.
TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories