Chapter 11.9

“Um, Miss…”

Having heard what happened inside, Garzen watched Brienne’s face anxiously for a long time. He seemed to have trouble keeping up with Brienne’s brisk pace, stopping several times.

“I’m really sorry. You got caught up with that lunatic because of me. I can’t believe I share a father with someone like that…”

“I told you, I’m fine, Zen. By the way, where’s Herace? Where is he?”

Brienne cut off Garzen’s repeated apologies and looked around.

Garzen quickly pointed ahead.

“He’s waiting for you outside the palace. I managed to get in, but the mage couldn’t get entry permission to the Second Prince’s palace.”

“I see.”

Brienne nodded and let out a sigh. Now that the tension had eased, she felt completely drained.

After realizing she couldn’t refuse the Second Prince’s summons, Brienne had asked Herace to keep her clothes wet. She hadn’t wanted to show proper manners to someone like that.

Herace, though worried, had agreed to her request. Knowing she had a self-defense spray, he even cast a defensive spell.

If Brienne felt threatened, the spell would push the other person away.

“So, what did you do to that guy? He was lying on the floor, bawling his eyes out.”

“I sprayed him.”

“What?”

“The self-defense spray. Lusell gave it to me as a gift at the entrance ceremony.”

Brienne, with a proud smile, took out the small spray. Of course, she’d tested it before using it on Perian. Since she couldn’t spray anyone directly, Herace had just sniffed the scent in the air.

Garzen flinched and stepped back.

“Wow, that Lusell… What kind of dangerous gift is that…”

“It was better than the giant bouquet you sent me, Zen. At least it’s practical.”

“Better than my gift! That enormous bouquet—I even lost sleep making it, one by one…”

Muttering with a frown, Garzen suddenly closed his mouth. Brienne tilted her head.

“One by one, what?”

“One by one, yeah, I checked them one by one… Never mind, forget it. It was nothing.”

Grumbling for no reason, Garzen rubbed the back of his neck and walked ahead of Brienne. Brienne asked,

“By the way, Zen, is Miss Diashi doing alright? We exchanged letters, but I haven’t heard how she’s been since.”

“Oh, fortunately, she’s healthy. She’s still in my palace. I barely managed to talk her out of commuting to the Academy. She was gloomy for a few days, so I moved her lab from the Academy here, and now she just stays in there all day, busy making something. What was it again?”

Garzen scratched the back of his head at that moment.

“Your Highness, didn’t I tell you it was a communicator? It’s a magical device that allows communication over long distances. I’ve told you this ten times already—don’t tell me you forgot the name again?”

“Lusell!”

At the voice from behind, Brienne was startled and turned around. Holding documents in his hand, Lusell bowed with a tired-looking face.

“It feels strange meeting at the palace. Lady Brienne, I heard you achieved excellent marks on your first exam with Miss Diashi. Congratulations.”

Recalling the letter sent to Diashi, Brienne smiled sheepishly.

“Thank you for congratulating me. Lusell, you look busy as always?”

“Yes, as you can see…”

With a gloomy face, Lusell gestured to the documents in his hand.

“I’m investigating the wound Miss Diashi received then, to find the components of the drug. If I make an antidote, I might be able to find a way to restore her memory.”

“Really? That’s a good idea.”

“Yes, the previous victims didn’t have any substances left, but Miss Diashi still has traces of the drug in her body…”

Brienne continued listening to Lusell’s story as they left the palace. Lusell, having finally met someone who understood quickly, spoke without pause.

It was only when Lusell’s story ended that Brienne spotted Herace at the main gate of the royal palace.

“Excuse me! Can’t you hear me? Didn’t I tell you not to stand here!”

Ignoring the angry knight, Herace was looking only toward the inside of the palace. When Brienne met his eyes, she hurried over to him.

“Herace! What are you doing here? You could have waited in the carriage.”

Herace, checking Brienne’s face, let out a sigh of relief.

“How could I stay in the carriage when I couldn’t follow you? Since the magic didn’t activate, it seems nothing happened, thank goodness.”

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine. This spray was much stronger than I expected.”

Herace draped the outer coat he’d been carrying over Brienne.

“It’s late, and the temperature has dropped. You might really catch a cold this time, so let me help you dry your clothes.”

“Thank you.”

“Clothes?”

Garzen, who had approached, tilted his head.

“Oh, what’s this? Now that I look, your clothes do look a bit damp. Did you meet Perian like that?”

“Yes, he insisted I come immediately upon receiving his letter. Thanks to that, I wrung out all the water from my dress onto Prince Perian’s carpet.”

“What? How did you end up like that?”

Garzen laughed as if amused, but Herace subtly blocked his way.

“There’s no need for you to know, Your Highness.”

A cold smile appeared on Herace’s face as he drew a clear line.

“That’s a memory I want to keep just between Brienne and me.”

* * *

A secluded Cafe Terrace in the back alleys of Peterman.

Melosi anxiously glanced around. She’d come to the address written in the letter, but she wasn’t sure if she was in the right place.

The street she was standing on was far too shabby. Ordering coffee and tea with a doubtful look, Melosi worried that maybe Kaiden was playing a prank on her.

She didn’t know what this meeting meant to him, but Melosi was sincere. Her hands, tightly clasped on her lap, kept trembling, and she couldn’t sit still.

She jumped up when she spotted a man walking from afar.

“Kaiden…!”

Her cheerful voice echoed across the quiet street. Kaiden’s brows instantly furrowed, recognizing the owner of that voice.

But Melosi’s gaze wasn’t on his face.

“Your outfit… What on earth is that?”

Melosi’s face showed embarrassment at his appearance, which couldn’t possibly be called gentlemanly. As Kaiden approached and sat down, he spoke coldly.

“Your outfit isn’t much better.”

Unable to take her eyes off Kaiden’s clothes, Melosi blushed and sat back down. She looked elegant like a lady from high society, but what she wore wasn’t a tightly-fitted dress.

It was a roomy, old robe.

On top of that, Melosi had pulled the hood down over her eyes. Biting her lip, she handed Kaiden tea and cautiously spoke.

“…It’s because of circumstances.”

Her pale blue eyes, lowered, turned to Kaiden.

“In a way, it’s because my fiancé stood me up on the day of our engagement without a word.”

“….”

Kaiden nodded as if he’d expected such words. But Melosi didn’t give him a chance to apologize.

“I won’t ask about that day. I won’t blame you for anything. So, Kaiden, let’s stop this and come back to Rontiano. No, come with me.”

“…What?”

Kaiden looked at her in confusion at her getting straight to the point as soon as she sat. But Melosi was more serious than ever.

“Please, I’m still your fiancée. Just this once, please listen to me.”

Hearing her earnest whisper, Kaiden frowned. There was no good feeling between them. Melosi Bailey disliked Brienne and never hesitated to show it.

A woman who habitually lied.

Kaiden had seen her twist Brienne Ford’s words and spread them more than once. Even when advised not to, Melosi Bailey always said,

<Why should I?>

Recalling that unpleasant memory, Kaiden let out a short laugh.

“…Why should I?”

He intentionally spoke coldly, but Melosi didn’t seem willing to back down.

“You’re smart, so you know what happens to a woman abandoned by her family.”

Melosi, gripping her coffee cup tightly, continued with a faint smile.

“My mother was expelled from the family after getting pregnant with me from a one-night mistake. My father wanted an heir, so he married her, but unfortunately, I was born a girl. The following year, when he had a son with his mistress, my father never looked at my mother again.”

Recalling those memories after so long, Melosi’s voice choked.

“My anxious mother tried to kill the mistress and her son by poisoning their tea.”

Melosi looked down at her cup, then smiled at Kaiden.

“I was sent to the countryside with my divorced mother. My father remarried right away, but my mother waited her whole life for his forgiveness.”

“So.”

“I’m telling you that you’re my only salvation. I have no other choice left.”

There was a moment of silence between them across the table. But when Kaiden finally spoke, his answer was not gentle.

“I knew you’d try to gain sympathy again, but I didn’t want to hear that obvious story from your past.”

“I just want to put everything back where it was, Kaiden.”

“…If you’re going to keep calling me that, I’m sorry, but let’s pretend this meeting never happened.”

Kaiden sighed and stood as if he had nothing more to hear. Melosi hurriedly grabbed his arm.

“Brienne Ford doesn’t love you!”