Gopher stared intently at Mixel. His cousin, who wore the same gloves, fastened the same belt, and carried the same pocket watch, was now even after his dog.

Until now, Gopher had tolerated Mixel, understanding that being compared to him all the time must have been stressful. But he couldn’t take it any longer.

“You haven’t even named it yet. You don’t care that much, do you?”

Gopher spoke, glaring at Mixel with dark eyes.

“I have named it.”

“You did…?”

This was the same Mixel who had almost killed the dog and now had the audacity to covet it.

What infuriated Gopher the most was that if Mixel swallowed his pride and begged his father, stealing the dog would be effortless. Gopher’s parents could never stand up to his uncle.

How could he protect his dog? How could he make Mixel lose interest? Ah, a brilliant idea came to him. Softening his voice, Gopher spoke.

“I named him Rex.”

“Rex? That’s awful.”

“Well, it can’t be helped. He’s part mutt, after all.”

As Gopher stared pointedly at Mixel, the latter’s face slowly stiffened as if realizing Gopher’s intent.

“Hey. Don’t tell me you named it after me?”

“What makes you think that?”

Gopher asked with a smile.

“Are you a mutt too?”

At that moment, a fist flew at his face.

After a brawl that left their faces battered and bruised, the adults severely scolded them. Yet, out of pride, Mixel never explained why he’d gotten so angry.

Since then, Mixel has stopped copying Gopher’s belongings. He also stopped coveting the dog. But in the end, when looking at the broader picture, Mixel killed Rex.

~~~~~~~~~~+++~~~~~~~~~~

A nearby presence pulled Gopher out of his thoughts. Lowering the hand covering his eyes, he turned to see his subordinate, Zachary, reporting on what he had discovered.

“As you suspected, My Lord. While the locals attribute it to bandits, all men who approached the young lady have been killed.”

Gopher gritted his teeth silently.

If Bleria was merely a hostage to Mixel, he had no reason to kill everyone who approached her. Such conspicuous actions wouldn’t benefit him. Mixel’s behavior was excessive, no matter how one looked at it.

From what Gopher knew, there were two reasons someone might act in such an irrational manner.

One: they were executing a plan with hidden motives.

Two: they were overcome by emotions.

“…”

If Mixel desired Bleria, there was no telling what he might do. And there might be no way to stop him. Gopher had already lost his footing.

‘If Grandmother promises him the title, it’s over.’

Gopher began to consider Mixel’s weaknesses. Stella would never tolerate Mixel’s misuse of the Allnight organization or his personal vendettas against civilians.

But even Mixel, who had broken principles, was still better than Gopher, who had already fallen too far.

He needed to resolve the situation before Stella declared her successor. Anxiety gnawed at him as he rubbed his face, trying to force his sluggish mind to find a clue.

There were still many oddities about the situation. Why hadn’t Mixel appeared before Stella? Why did the informants obey orders that violated principles without hesitation? Why were they allowing Gopher to visit her house if they were fully aligned with Mixel?

Then, he suddenly remembered something from a while ago. When he had gone to ask if Bleria had been fed Dreamer’s Bloom, one of the informants had tried to say something.

“Young Duke, there’s something I must tell you—”

If it was about Mixel, perhaps cracks were forming within the organization.

They might still think Gopher had a better chance of becoming the duke, or they might harbor resentment toward Mixel but were restrained for some reason.

At the very least, it seemed likely that Mixel’s organization had its problems.

In that case, Gopher couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

****

“I need to talk to you.”

As soon as Bleria stepped out of her room, Gopher spoke stiffly.

She blinked a couple of times. Her outfit was slightly different from usual—she wore a large hat that covered half her face and a skirt made of thin fabric.

“I was just about to head to the bakery—”

“This is important.”

“I have an important errand, too. Shall we go together? Wait, before that—”

Without waiting for his answer, Bleria turned around and disappeared into her room, leaving Gopher in the hallway. When she returned, she was holding a black man’s hat.

To think they were about to casually visit a bakery in such dire circumstances.

He could hardly believe himself but felt a strange relief. No matter how he phrased it, he doubted Bleria would react positively. He wanted to delay the inevitable chaos, even if only briefly.

As he pondered how to persuade her, Gopher looked at her profile. The soft breeze blew her tawny hair gently. Watching her, he felt a slight sense of calm.

To ease his nerves, he tried making small talk.

“Have you finished the bread you had?”

“Of course not. The shelves are still full. Didn’t you see them?”

“Then…”

“I’m not buying bread for myself.”

Adjusting the brim of her hat against the persistent breeze, Bleria added,

“There’s an orphanage nearby. I’ve been asked to bring them bread from time to time. And just so you know, it’s not because I’m trying to appear kind.”

“Is there another reason?”

“I have a lot to atone for.”

For a moment, Gopher was at a loss for words.

To hear the word atonement from Bleria Haven—it was a word that didn’t suit her at all.

What fault could there possibly be in someone who was forced to live as Bleria, failed to kill Eos in the end, and disappeared without even being able to fire a crossbow at him?

Yet, to Bleria, who didn’t even remember him, Gopher couldn’t offer a single genuine word of consolation. With a heavy heart, he spoke.

“Perhaps I’m the greater sinner.”

“Is that supposed to be comforting?”

“It’s an objective fact.”

“You’ll need to make a lot of donations to the temple then.”

It was unclear whether the gods would accept his money, but he was already making plenty of donations.

While exchanging such words, the two arrived at the bakery. As the door opened, the cheerful chime of the bell rang out.

Although Gopher had visited this shop before, the atmosphere was markedly different.

A crowd of people was gathered near the counter, and Aaron Baker stood at its center.

I told him to stay inconspicuous, yet he practically begged for trouble.

Just as Gopher’s brow twitched, Aaron noticed him as well. Aaron’s face turned pale instantly, and he began shoving through the crowd in a panic.

“I-I’m so sorry, but I have to leave now. Thank you all for seeing me off!”

With that, he bolted out the back door. His suspicious behavior drew everyone’s attention toward the entrance.

The gazes eventually landed on Gopher and Bleria, and murmurs quickly broke out among the onlookers. One voice rose above the rest.

“See? I told you there’s something off about that woman.”

Gopher immediately glanced at Bleria. Her expression appeared composed, but he knew better than anyone how skilled she was at masking her emotions. Her fingers were trembling slightly.

As Gopher set his jaw and moved toward the crowd, Bleria grabbed his arm and shook her head, silently asking him not to. Reluctantly, he clenched his fists tightly.

The crowd continued to chatter freely.

“Lately, there’s been an unusual number of robberies.”

“Shouldn’t we drive her out? Is she really the daughter of the merchant guild?”

“What is the lord even doing? If they don’t handle this, we should—”

“Enough!”

A resolute voice cut through the gossip. It was the bakery’s owner.

“Even if Aaron said such things, how is any of that her fault? Why are you talking about chasing out an innocent person? If you want to gossip, do it at home, not in my bakery.”

“But it was your nephew who got hurt! We’re just worried, that’s all.”

“She’s done plenty of good. Do you know how much bread she’s donated to the orphanage? She’s here for that very reason today, isn’t she?”

The owner shot a meaningful glance as if prompting agreement. Gopher, seeing Bleria hesitate in her discomfort, answered on her behalf.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“See? Don’t bother a kind person. Instead of wasting time here, go mind your own business. Out, now!”

Muttering complaints, the crowd dispersed. Once they were gone, the owner sighed heavily. Now, only three people remained in the bakery. The owner approached Bleria and spoke.

“I’m sorry you had to hear all that nonsense. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. However…”

Lowering her voice, Bleria cautiously asked,

“May I hear what you mentioned earlier?”

“Oh, that?”

The owner glanced at Gopher for support, but he remained silent. With another sigh, she began recounting the incident involving Aaron Baker. She added a warning.

“It seems someone suspicious has been tailing you. Be careful. By the way, my nephew also described the person’s appearance.”