The next day, the count left early, saying he needed to visit the Terakanis Temple. Kyla, unable to sleep while thinking about her missing escort knight, got up at dawn and was on her way to the dock. 

As she got off her horse, her nanny, Isabelle, came hurrying up as if she had been waiting.

“Young Lady, a letter has arrived.”

The envelope bore the seal of Maryville Yoker and seemed to have been sent the day before.

“It’s fine. I already spoke with her, so just put it away.”

Her back, dressed in riding clothes, looked as determined as knights about to engage in a duel.  

“Princess Everitt has also come early and is waiting in the reception room. Will you go right away?”  

“Just let me change my clothes.”  

After changing from her dusty outfit into a neat dress, she headed straight to the reception room.   

Everett was drinking black tea from a dainty teacup adorned with purple cosmos, as usual. The princess smiled comfortably, as if this were her own home, and greeted the hostess.

“You’re back? Where did you go so early in the morning?”

“To the dock for a bit. My escort knight disappeared yesterday, so I was looking for him.”  

“Your escort knight disappeared? Why?”  

Kyla pulled out a small glass vial from her pocket. It was something she had found near the dock that morning.  

“I found it in an alley, so I decided to investigate.”  

“And then?”  

“I saw a familiar face.”  

The man holding the medicine vial—Levi—was trembling with rage.

Thud, thud!

“Speak up if you want to get fired, you bastard!”  

Someone had been repeatedly beating and tormenting Levi. That’s why Kyla was able to read the furious Levi’s memory so clearly. A familiar face appeared in his memory. Everett smirked as if she didn’t even need to look.

“Gellensid again?”

“Yeah.”

Kyla nodded.

“He must’ve acted while we let our guard down, thinking he was still under punishment. I didn’t expect him to move so quickly.”

Kyla stared solemnly into her teacup, then picked it up by the handle. Everett asked worriedly,

“Have you managed to persuade the Duke yet?”

“He refuses to meet me. That’s why I tried to talk to Maryville and arrange a meeting…”

After taking a sip of her tea, Kyla slowly set the cup down and looked straight at Everett. 

“But thanks to you getting in the way, that meeting never happened.”

Suddenly, a suffocating silence fell. The princess, who had been blinking innocently like she knew nothing, was now speechless.

“…”

Kyla wet her dry lips and stared at the flustered Everett. Until now, she had believed she understood Everett well—that they were sailors on the same ship, heading toward a shared goal. But this incident strayed from that purpose and offered no benefit to either of them.

‘Why would she do something like this?’

‘Had Everett… betrayed her?’

Yesterday afternoon, Maryville Yoker’s ship arrived at the port earlier than expected. Delays were common, but arriving early was rare. Excited to have saved time, Maryville was hurrying off the ship with her luggage when, suddenly, a pile of boxes—seemingly stable—collapsed and fell on top of her.

“Young Lady, did you hear about Miss Maryville?”

Rumors spread faster than letters.

Kyla, already on her way to the port, changed course and went to see Maryville. There, she heard the shocking news: Maryville’s right shoulder had been crushed like a baguette. And…

“I saw a man running away.”

Someone had deliberately tried to harm Maryville. So Kyla started investigating the merchant ships at the port, touching and checking everything.

“And that’s where I found your traces.”

Everett Blanverque.

Kyla didn’t want to suspect her friend, but the thought of betrayal made her chest tighten. Whether Everett understood Kyla’s thoughts or not, she gave a bitter smile and set her teacup down. Her softly arched brows trembled as if holding back tears.

“…As expected, I can’t fool you.”

“At least give me an excuse.”

“An excuse…”

“You didn’t betray me, right?”

“I didn’t.”

As the princess shook her head, Kyla felt a wave of relief—but she still needed to hear the reason clearly.

Kyla continued, her tone purposely colder.

“You almost ruined everything. If this wasn’t betrayal, should I really believe that?”

Maryville was the main source of funds for the noble faction.

If it had gotten out that Everett, who was aligned with the royalists, had attacked Maryville, it could have sparked a civil war.

“We nearly lost everything we’ve built so far. If you keep acting like this, forget about unifying the factions.”

Kyla called out her name coldly, her voice heavy with disappointment.

“Everett. Tell me. Have you lost your original purpose?”

At that, the princess, who had been silently hanging her head, finally took a deep breath and spoke with courage.

“I didn’t want to lose the time I have with you… if she came back.”

“What?”

That was really the reason?

Shock overtook Kyla’s face.

She couldn’t believe Everett had nearly destroyed everything they’d painstakingly built—just because of some petty jealousy. It was infuriating.

She stood up harshly, ready to leave, but Everett grabbed her wrist and shook her head with a desperate, familiar smile.

“I’m really sorry, I did it out of jealousy! I didn’t think Maryville would get that hurt… I swear.”

The blonde princess clung to Kyla’s arm, tears streaming down her face in a frantic desperation as if she couldn’t bear to let her go.

“Kyla, please. Don’t abandon me. I’m the only royal who’d throw away even her family to stand by you if needed.”

As if she felt the need to prove her worth, Everett shifted her eyes nervously and continued to make excuses.

“I’ll never betray you again. Can’t you trust me just this once? Please?”

“…Everett.”

Kyla bit her lip slightly.

In truth, even before Everett apologized like this, Kyla had already dealt with the situation. Regardless of the reason, Everett was her partner—and her mistake could’ve severely impacted their business.

So Kyla had already gone to Maryville, apologized, and negotiated proper terms to close the deal.

‘And if this ever gets out… the two factions would end up in a bloody war again…’

Maryville didn’t want that either.

In the end, the answer was clear.

Kyla had always intended to forgive the princess, whatever her reason was.

She didn’t want to become like her father—an insane man who could kill or dispose of someone over a single mistake.

Kyla said,

“Promise me you’ll never do anything like this again, Everett.”

“I promise.”

Everett nodded tearfully.

Watching her cry so pitifully, Kyla gently wiped away the princess’s tears with her finger.

“I really mean this—you’re one of my few precious friends. And you’re also my only partner who shares the same goal. You know all my secrets.”

“…Yeah.”

“You’re just as important to me as I am to you.”

Everett gave a bittersweet smile and murmured in a tiny voice,

“Thank you.”

But this had to be the first and last mistake. There would be no second chance.

Kyla patted Everett’s shoulder as she cried, then gave a bright smile.

‘Our alliance has to continue.’

Their family’s twisted relationship with the royal bloodline—an old grudge from her father’s time.

Now, the key to ending that grunge was in their hands.

***

Later, Kyla was summoned to the study for the first time in a while.

‘I haven’t caused any trouble lately… what could it be this time?’

She stood in front of her father’s study, counting on her fingers any possible reasons she might be in trouble, when the door suddenly flung open and startled her.

“What are you standing around for? Get in.”

Her father’s voice sounded calm—he hadn’t started yelling yet.

Kyla squeezed through the door that the butler held open, clasped her hands neatly, and stared off to some random spot.

“I heard you almost got yourself killed yesterday.”

“Did the Duke tell you?”

‘Didn’t know he had such a loose tongue. Can’t believe he tattled to Father.’

“What does it matter who told me? Even if no one had, I’d still know exactly what you’ve been doing and where you’ve been.”

“Not exactly a comforting thing to hear.”

“Kyla Bailey.”

Only Kyla had the special talent of making her father angry within a minute of starting a conversation.

He rubbed his temples like he had a headache and spoke quietly.

“I’m getting older. My body isn’t what it used to be. I can’t always entertain your whims.”

As if you ever did in the first place…

Kyla gave a forced, pleasant smile.

“But there’s one thing I can still do for you… Tell me, what would it take for you to behave yourself for a while?”

“Really?”

Wow. Is this like a reward for surviving all those near-death experiences?

Her face lit up in excitement, eyes gleaming.

Her father, looking more exhausted than usual after visiting the temple that morning, nodded.

“Yes. What do you want?”

“You’ll really grant me anything?”

Her father stroked his long, white eyebrows like some wise old sage and nodded again.

“I said I would.”

Why bother thinking too hard? She already knew exactly what she wanted.