“So, what exactly is your connection to Ideana?”

Shed lowered his hand from his chin and straightened up in his seat.

The gesture felt so pointed that Eclace straightened his back unconsciously in response. Under Shed’s probing gaze, as though he were determined to test Eclace, he put on his usual easy smile, slipping on his mask.

“You were the one who told me to get to the point, and now you’re playing coy?”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking. I assume you came here hoping to lobby for business rights in the Ideana territory. Trade, finance, development, distribution, transit—”

Eclace gave an awkward laugh at the embarrassingly blunt list. It was as if all his hidden ambitions had been laid bare.

“Sorry, but I don’t plan to hand over a monopoly on any business in Ideana to a single party.”

“Ha, of course not.”

Eclace smiled amicably but thought to himself,

‘Who else but me would even bother trying to get involved in Ideana? Still, he’s playing hard to get.’

Then Shed added,

“You might be thinking there aren’t any merchants or investors willing to touch Ideana…”

As if he’d read his mind, Eclace’s fingers twitched around his teacup. D*mn, was there some secret Lupus mind-reading technique passed down through the ages?

Shed’s insight always had a way of throwing him off balance. But that was as far as it went.

“So is there someone else interested in Ideana’s business rights besides me?”

Eclace was certain—he was the only one showing any real interest in Ideana. The risks were too great; anyone else was still hesitating, weighing their options, watching from a distance.

“Of course not.”

Shed replied, lifting his teacup.

Just as Eclace had expected—empty words—

“But there will be, now that you’ve come looking for me.”

“…!”

Shed took a leisurely sip of his tea.

Eclace clenched his teeth behind his smile.

“You mean you’re going to let everyone know I came here? That’s hardly good business, Duke.”

“Is there such a thing as morality when it comes to money?”

Shed spoke indifferently.

What a damned duke.

Eclace hadn’t told a soul about his visit here. Even Shed had looked surprised to see him arrive.

‘He knows exactly why I came here quietly, and yet…’

Eclace was the wealthiest man in the world, running the largest trading company in existence. If word got out that he was interested in business in Ideana, there would be plenty of others eager to follow his lead.

Eclace had no desire to mix with small-time competitors or invite unnecessary rivalry. But Shed intended to use him for that very purpose.

‘…So he wants something after all.’

Eclace clenched his fist as he thought. Restoring ruined Ideana would be impossible without help from the Vitel family. And yet, for Shed to risk offending Vitel from the very start meant he must have some other agenda.

‘He’s far too clever for someone who was born a slave.’

It would have been much simpler if Shed were just a brainless brute who knew only how to wield a sword.

‘Then again, a fool never could have risen this far in the first place.’

None of Shed’s victories had been won through brute strength alone. While people liked to think that he was simply lucky, Eclace disagreed.

Shed was a man who made his own luck.

He had saved the previous Duke Josef Lester’s life and become his adopted son. He had led the army from the front lines with sharp strategy, earning every accolade he received.

The title of ‘Undefeated Hero’ misled people into believing that all that was required was a strong sword arm, steady aim with a bow, and good horsemanship.

In reality, he won half of his battles without spilling a drop of allied blood. He was a brilliant strategist and a true commander — the kind of leader that even the Empire’s proudest knights would follow, Lupus or not.

‘And yet the nobles waste no time looking down on him. They don’t realize he’s the one they should fear most.’

Or perhaps, they do fear him—and that’s exactly why they try so hard to keep him underfoot. It’s that instinctive sense of danger, the feeling that if they don’t crush him now, they’ll end up being crushed themselves.

Either way, it made Shed a difficult man to handle, exhausting to debate with—and, Eclace had to admit, fascinating.

“What is it you want, then?”

Eclace crossed his arms, irritation clear, and leaned back in his chair.

Shed set down his teacup and tilted his head.

“Nothing special. I just want to keep the scales balanced, as always.”

🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺

She watched the flicker of the burning candle quietly. Meanwhile, he fiddled with an old newspaper whose letters were worn thin by time.

In every sense, it was a relic — brittle and faded. She held the edge of the paper to the flame.

The dry, weathered newsprint caught fire easily. The old letters burned black and crumbled, turning to fine white ash.

The crude image of the young girl’s face vanished too. The flames devoured the record of the past.

Everything disappeared that way.

He opened the window, scattered the ashes into the air, and turned towards the bath.

As he slipped off his loosely draped robe, his scarred body came into view, bearing witness to the brutal events of his past.

They were so old and familiar that he sometimes forgot they were even there. But today, for some reason, they stood out in stark relief. Gazing at the faded scars, reminiscent of the old newspaper clipping he had just burned, he finally turned away and headed for the bath.

As he slipped into the hot water, the exhaustion from his long journey seemed to melt away. The moment his skin touched the water, the old wounds he had forgotten about began to sting, reminding him of their presence.

There were still unhealed injuries on his arms, hands, and shoulders. After so many years of war, it was only natural that his body would be far from whole. Pain like this was so familiar that it almost made him laugh. He simply leaned back in the tub and closed his eyes.

But there was one wound he couldn’t ignore.

‘Luise Ideana.’

Even with her eyes closed, she emerged from the darkness. She seemed smaller than he remembered, her once frail body having become even more emaciated. Her beautiful, shining hair had turned dark and dull, as if she had used dye or medication, and she spoke with a perfect southern accent.

‘I almost didn’t recognize her…’

He slowly opened his eyes and stared through the mist hanging in the air. But his worry was baseless — he recognised her instantly. Despite the darkness of the forest and her ragged maid’s clothes, and regardless of her hair colour, he could sense what others couldn’t.

She was Luise Ideana.

His saviour who had pulled him from the mud. She was also his betrayer, who had thrown him into the depths. And the runaway who had dared to fake her own death and disappear.

How could he forget? He had seen her face in his mind every single day since then.

He had once devoted everything to her. He’d risked death countless times, crawling like a dog at Ideana’s feet. But in the end, all he got was betrayal.

He remembered the countless lupus who had been slaughtered at her hands.

“What did you expect, really? You’re just a Lupus…”

She had laughed at him like a well-trained dog. He’d foolishly believed that, at least, she would be different from the other Ideana nobles.

How naive.

He had clenched his teeth around the bit like a beast and sworn revenge. But damnable Ideana had stolen even that from him.

“The entire Ideana family—confirmed dead.”

Treason. Black magic. Curses. Self-destruction. Before he could even do anything, his chance at revenge ended in vain.

…Or so he’d thought.

‘But she survived…’

A bitter, incredulous smile tugged at his lips.

He could finally feel his blood begin to stir after so long. The moment he found her in the forest, a wild, frenzied exhilaration had rushed through him.

That indescribable rush of excitement sent a surge through the apathy that had long hollowed him out. At last, he’d found a reason to keep living in this dull, suffocating world. Now, he had something worth risking his life to achieve.

🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺

Liana ran her fingers over the silk, brushing her skin. It was a thin, white silk nightdress that was almost transparent. It felt nothing like the coarse fabric of a maid’s uniform.

There was a time when she wore clothes like this every day. She could remember feeling uncomfortable in those cheap uniforms, unable to get used to how scratchy they were.

Now, the sensation of silk — soft as flower petals against her bare skin — felt unfamiliar and almost unsettling.

The house was warm, yet Liana hugged her arms around herself as if she were cold. Fresh from her bath, her skin carried the faint, sweet scent of roses.

She curled up tightly, glancing around her. A softly lit bedroom, the gentle glow of candles, a room furnished in dark wood, plain and undecorated.

The only thing that stood out was a single sword propped against the head of the bed. Its rough, black scabbard left no doubt—it wasn’t just for decoration.

Anyone could tell this room had not been prepared with Liana in mind.

Out of habit, she bit her lip. Lowering her head, she saw her pale, bare feet, covered in fresh scratches. The coldness of the marble seeped up from her toes.

This chill started at her feet, crept up her spine and settled cold and heavy at the back of her neck.

Liana lifted her gaze to the window. Dusk had fallen outside.

Her reflection hovered in the darkened glass: a pale face suspended in the night sky, ghostly and unfamiliar. Even her white silk nightdress looked spectral in the moonlight.

Carefully, she reached out and touched her pale reflection. She felt as though she might slip right through the glass and disappear with a single gesture, like a ghost able to flee far away from here.

Just then, the creak of a door hinge interrupted her thoughts.

Startled, Liana jerked her head away from the window. She turned and saw a tall shadow cast across the doorway.

Shed Lester stood in it.