Chapter 54

“Aitor.”

“Yes.”

“Have you done something wrong?”

“Me?”

Rayden, who was intently watching Louis sift through the documents brought by Rayden and Aitor, jabbed Aitor in the side. Aitor shook his head, indicating he had no idea, causing Rayden to furrow his brow.

“If we push the Moore side a bit more, Cloak will move. It seems we’ve got a rough outline of the Mage Tower’s wizards too.”

As Louis spoke, Rayden and Aitor, who had been whispering, straightened up into attention.

“Yes. We’ve also sent a message to the Mage Tower, so we’ll keep watch until there’s further contact from them.”

Louis nodded at Aitor’s response. While reviewing the documents again, Louis instructed Rayden to support Aitor until the matter was resolved. Just then, Allen informed them that Hugo had arrived.

“Did you have an appointment with Sir Hugo?”

At Rayden’s question, Louis nodded and stood up from his chair, looking at Aitor.

“Wait here for a moment. It shouldn’t take long.”

Leaving Rayden and Aitor behind, Louis exited the office. Watching his retreating figure, Rayden scratched his chin, puzzled.

“He seems angry, yet not really.”

“Is that so?”

Aitor asked, and Rayden gave him a sharp look.

“I’ve been by His Highness’s side for quite a while. I can usually tell just by the shape of his eyebrows, but right now, it feels like he’s bottling something up.”

“Should I just come back to the palace later?”

“Do you think entering the palace is easy? It’s better to get the beating over with.”

“It’s never pleasant to face it.”

Rayden praised Aitor for being smart like a wizard and gave him a thumbs-up.

Rayden coldly left, ignoring Aitor’s plea not to be left alone. Since the Crown Prince had asked Aitor to stay, it wasn’t Rayden’s responsibility, and he mercilessly rejected Aitor’s request for help.

Left alone, Aitor sat on the sofa in the office, anxiously shaking his leg. He regretted not bringing Zero with him. Just then, the office door opened.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Louis entered with a stride that was neither fast nor slow and sat down. He looked noticeably more tired in the short time he was away.

“Did something happen?”

Aitor glanced toward the door as he asked.

“I met someone exhausting.”

Louis brushed back some hair that had fallen.

“It must have been difficult to sneak into the palace.”

“It’s fine. I can handle that much now.”

Louis chuckled at Aitor’s reply. Seeing Louis’s smile, Aitor felt some of his tension ease.

“Why did you come to meet me directly instead of through Rayden?”

“…It’s about my adoptive father. While looking into it, I found a small clue.”

“A clue?”

At Aitor’s words, Louis leaned forward, removing his back from the sofa.

“It seems my father met with His Majesty the Emperor while at the Mage Tower.”

“What do you mean…?”

Aitor pulled out a stiff piece of paper from his pocket.

“I found this while searching the Marquis Cloak’s estate.”

Louis accepted the paper Aitor handed over and carefully unfolded it. It contained several words written in an ancient language.

[The blue moon that meets the sun. From the silent tree where dewdrops hang.]

“The ‘blue moon’ was a name my father used like a code when he was at the Mage Tower.”

“If it’s as you think, then the sun refers to His Majesty the Emperor.”

Aitor nodded.

“I couldn’t bring the original from the Marquis Cloak’s safe, so I copied just the sentence.”

“What about other information?”

“There was none. That’s all there was.”

Louis exhaled deeply, looking at the text again. Not many in the Empire could read the ancient language.

Whether Marquis Cloak could read it or not was uncertain, but if he had interpreted it through someone else, he likely knew its meaning.

“The silent tree where dewdrops hang…”

Louis tapped the part of the text with his index finger.

“Any idea what it could mean?”

Aitor shook his head with a frustrated expression.

“Bringing this to me means you need my help.”

“At the magic school and the Mage Tower, there was no significant information about my father. Or rather, it’s almost as if it doesn’t exist. As if someone deliberately erased it.”

Aitor clenched his hands tightly. He gripped them so hard that his fingertips turned red with blood.

“But I found a shadow of my father in an unexpected place. It might be useless information, but to me, it’s like grasping at straws.”

Louis nodded and carefully folded the paper, handing it back to Aitor.

“I’ll look into it from this side too.”

“Thank you.”

Aitor bowed his head in gratitude. Looking at the genius boy who would become a great wizard at 18, Louis suddenly recalled a memory from when they were younger.

• You can refuse.

Louis had said to Aitor, who was staring intently at the magic school admission letter.

• No, I’ll do it.

Aitor replied as he folded the admission letter in half. At Aitor’s feet, a small Zero was curled up asleep by the warm firewood.

• It’s not an easy path. No one will force you, not even His Majesty the Emperor.

• Is that so?

Aitor smiled faintly. He had gained some weight since he first came here, but he still had a small frame.

• It might be dangerous.

• It might be.

Louis felt angry. Even if Aitor wasn’t given dangerous tasks, being admitted on the Emperor’s recommendation meant Aitor would have to face harsh scrutiny and suspicion.

Without any shield.

• It’s not a question to answer so easily.

• I know. But, Your Highness.

Aitor lifted his eyes from the floor to meet Louis’s gaze. In his beautiful blue eyes was a firm determination.

• It’s my will to go there.

Louis quietly held Aitor’s gaze. He wondered if an 11-year-old child could really have such a look in their eyes.

• I want to know about my father’s death.

Louis had taken a step toward Aitor but stopped.

• Your father’s death?

• My adoptive father, who raised me, was a wizard. And a wizard…

Aitor’s face twisted in pain.

• I want to know. My father told me to forget everything and live, but no! I want to know. So even if it’s a cliff, I’ll go there.

At Aitor’s cry, Zero, who had been sleeping, lifted his head. Seeing the tears in Aitor’s eyes, Zero whimpered and tugged at Aitor’s pant leg.

Louis could never forget Aitor’s eyes that day. They were so vivid. Aitor’s eyes, and Zero’s whimpering.

“I’ll contact you as soon as I find out.”

“Thank you.”

Aitor bowed his head in gratitude.

“It’s the least I can do.”

Louis tapped Aitor’s shoulder lightly. At that moment, the necklace Aitor was wearing emitted a red light.

“Oh dear. It seems I’ll be followed. I should return immediately.”

“Alright.”

Aitor stood up.

“Wait.”

As Aitor was about to turn the doorknob, Louis called out. Aitor turned around, and Louis, who had already risen, scratched his nose as he spoke.

“Is the place you’re staying comfortable?”

“Sorry?”

“I mean staying at Duke Dinever’s mansion. I asked if there was anything uncomfortable.”

There was a hint of irritation in Louis’s voice. Rayden’s advice that the Crown Prince disliked being asked twice came to mind.

“Yes. I’m very comfortable. Zero has also become very close with Ian.”

“Is that pig really a Teria? Is it the kind of animal that gets along with humans so quickly?”

“Ah… I was a bit surprised too, but it seems Ian’s scent is similar to Vivian’s.”

Louis snorted, muttering about a pig with no integrity.

“If you’re uncomfortable, let me know anytime. I’ll find a better place for you.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, you might be uncomfortable.”

“I’m not…”

“You might be.”

Does he want me to be uncomfortable?

Aitor couldn’t understand Louis’s thoughts and replied vaguely before leaving the Crown Prince’s palace.

* * *

“Really, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Rosie couldn’t hide her amazement as she watched Ian and Zero playing. Rosie had finally succeeded in entering the Dinever mansion following Vivian.

Vivian placed the documents she needed to review today on the desk and called to Rosie, who was glued to the window.

“Hurry up and finish what you were saying earlier.”

“In such a hurry…”

Rosie clicked her tongue and sat down by the prepared tea. Lifting the teacup, she took a sip and praised the tea from the Dinever mansion as exceptional.

“Are you going to keep praising the tea?”

Rosie looked at Vivian with a pout and set the teacup down.

“Earl Moore’s family. Have they always been such big spenders?”

“Earl Moore’s family?”

As expected, Rosie knew something.

Vivian stared intently at Rosie’s lips, waiting for them to open again.

“Until last year, Earl Moore’s situation wasn’t great, so they came to our house to borrow money.”

“Last year?”

“Late last year? I think it was around then. My father was very worried about lending such a large sum to Earl Moore.”

“And? Did he lend it?”

“Yes. Not the amount they asked for, but about half? Still, it was quite a large sum.”

Rosie crossed her arms and tilted her head, gazing into the distance.

“But shortly after, they paid it back generously, with interest. My father felt uneasy about accepting that money.”

“Why?”

“Because there was no visible source of income for the Moore family.”

Rosie crossed her legs and tapped her ankle.

“It seemed like money from a shady source… or something. But we had no way of knowing.”

“When did they repay it?”

“This May.”

The Water Roses were purchased in July this year. Considering the time they borrowed money from Countess Langdne’s family last year, it suggested that Earl Moore’s involvement in the black market could have started as early as six months to a year ago.

“Do you have any dealings with the Marquis Cloak’s family?”

Vivian asked.

“Cloak? No. They have their own distribution channels. We hardly interact with them.”

Vivian nodded. The Marquis Cloak’s family distributed magic stones through the Duchess of Nesman. Turning their back on the Duchess of Nesman would be difficult.

“But Vivian.”

Vivian, who was thinking about the Marquis Cloak’s family and the Duchess of Nesman, looked up at Rosie’s call. 

Was there more information? 

Vivian nodded, urging her friend Rosie to speak quickly.

“Aitor… Is that wizard not at the mansion right now?”

Vivian blinked slowly, looking at Rosie’s slightly flushed face.