Carlot was in a very bad mood.

The reason was none other than related to his sister, Elodie.

‘Why doesn’t anyone tell me anything?’

The incident started with Elodie’s absence.

It was the weekend, the day she usually comes to Perdia, but Elodie asked for understanding, citing personal reasons, and didn’t come.

As soon as he heard the message delivered through Severes’ servant, Jansi suddenly went outside. When he returned, he whispered something quietly to his father.

“Father, Lili…”

“Ah, again this time…”

The brother and father started talking about Elodie, leaving Carlot out.

If it were about something else, it wouldn’t matter, but why aren’t they telling him what’s going on when it’s about his sister?

“Father! What’s going on?”

The answer to Carlot’s question was cold.

“Never mind, just go train.”

“I’ll be back, Carl.”

Leaving only those words, the two left the mansion. Left alone suddenly, Carlot sat still for a while with a dumbfounded face.

“What is it, what’s going on.”

Belatedly coming to his senses, he tried to contact Elodie through the communication magic tool, but it failed, perhaps because she was outside the communication range.

Carlot had no way of knowing what had happened to Elodie.

He couldn’t personally operate Perdia’s secret organization, Black Tiger, created after the family symbol, as it only follows the orders of the family head and heir, Jansi.

He had already been scolded by his father for asking them to find Gretel’s location last time.

“Tch, and Mother is away right now…!”

Thus left behind in information, Carlot thought of the only mutual acquaintance between him and Elodie.

Gretel Sangpan, the only friend his sister had made who never had any friends before.

Carlot didn’t care that the other party might not consider him an acquaintance even though he called her a mutual acquaintance.

According to his previous investigation, Gretel should be at the orphanage at this time.

‘Since she’s a friend, she must know something, right?’

Carlot also immediately went to the stable, mounted his favorite horse, and headed towards the orphanage he had visited once before.

It would be nice to see her face since he had some personal matters to settle as well.

***

Gretel, who was hanging out laundry, turned her head at the sound of approaching hoofbeats.

The first thing that caught her eye was the red hair fluttering in the wind.

“Young master?”

As soon as she saw Carlot, Gretel reflexively spoke with caution.

“I don’t owe you anything anymore, you know.”

“What do you mean you don’t owe me? You just entered and ran away right after. Even though you were my partner.”

“Wasn’t that just entering together?”

“If it was just entering, why be partners? I could have just entered alone. Be my partner one more time next time.”

“That’s…!”

“You will, right? You will!”

Gretel could only gape at Carlot’s insistent behavior.

She couldn’t refuse because it seemed he would have his way no matter what she said.

Gretel sighed.

‘I guess I’ll have to attend one more party.’

Dismissing it lightly, Gretel looked up at Carlot, who was smiling cheerfully.

“Did you come here to say that?”

“Huh? No.”

“If you have something to say, say it quickly and go. And please don’t come looking for me anymore, I’m busy.”

Gretel spoke deliberately coldly and firmly.

To be honest, continuing to be entangled with the young master of Perdia like this was a little, no, quite uncomfortable.

There were already various rumors going around because of entering together last time.

‘They say I deliberately became friends with Miss Elodie to approach Young Master Carlot…’

It was an unpleasant rumor that left a stigma on three people, including herself.

However, she had no intention of distancing herself from Elodie, so she thought she just needed to keep Carlot at a distance.

‘I’ll be his partner at one more party, and then draw a firm line.’

Gretel spoke with an expressionless face on purpose, but Carlot didn’t even blink.

“What are you so busy with?”

“I’m very busy.”

Carlot looked at the laundry basket in front of Gretel. The large bed sheets inside did look difficult to hang.

He boldly snatched the laundry from Gretel.

“I can help you with this. Give it here.”

“What? Young master!”

Like Gretel had done earlier, he vigorously shook out and spread the bed sheet.

But then…

Riiip-.

The bed sheet, unable to withstand Carlot’s strength, tore in half.

Carlot looked down at the bed sheet with bewildered eyes, then raised his head sheepishly.

“…Sorry.”

“Sigh.”

Gretel only sighed without saying anything else. She took the bed sheet from Carlot’s hands and put it back in the basket.

Carlot fidgeted, watching Gretel’s cold reaction.

“I’ll buy you a more expensive and better one.”

“It’s fine.”

“Was that piece of cloth so precious? I said I’m sorry…”

Gretel burst into laughter seeing Carlot flustering over tearing just one bed sheet.

It was also strange to see him apologizing first without even knowing why she was being cold.

Still, he was the young master of Perdia.

She asked Carlot while shaking out and hanging another piece of laundry.

“So why did you come here?”

Carlot’s expression immediately brightened, taking Gretel’s question as forgiveness.

“I came here today because I couldn’t contact my sister. You must know where Lili is, right?”

Of course, Gretel knew where Elodie had gone. But as she had said before, she had no intention of passing on information related to Elodie to others.

“I don’t know either.”

“Why don’t you know? You’re friends, aren’t you?”

Friends.

That one word slightly crumbled Gretel’s wall.

‘Does it look like we’re friends in the young master’s eyes too…?’

Lately, Gretel’s self-esteem had been quite low from hearing only that she was sticking to Elodie to get something from her.

In such a situation, Carlot’s question about whether they were friends was enough to move Gretel.

“That’s right. I am Miss Elodie’s very close friend.”

“So does that mean you know where my sister is?”

“I can’t tell you that much… but Miss Elodie is safe. So please don’t worry and go back.”

She thought he would leave after being told this much, but Carlot was very persistent.

“How do you know if she’s safe or not? I can’t believe it unless I see it with my own eyes!”

“I have a way of knowing.”

“No, how do you know!”

Carlot took a few steps closer to Gretel, beating his chest as if frustrated.

At this rate, he seemed about to tear down the orphanage, so Gretel finally grabbed his hand.

“Follow me.”

“Uh, uh…?”

Despite it not being a very strong force, Carlot was dragged along by Gretel.

He tried to shake her off, but couldn’t muster the strength.

‘What’s this? Is she actually stronger than me?’

While Carlot was having such foolish thoughts, Gretel pushed him into a room and locked the door.

Click.

After checking that it was properly locked, Gretel looked up at him.

“It’s humble, but bear with it.”

“When did I say it was humble?!”

Carlot burst out angrily.

Of course, he did think the room was too small for the two of them.

The room, which barely fit one bed and one table, was claustrophobically cramped. If they moved even a little, they would slightly touch each other.

Whether Carlot was embarrassed by the unintended contact or not, Gretel pulled him and sat him down on the chair at the table.

“Look at this.”

“What am I supposed to look at… Sister?”

In the basin of water that Gretel pointed to, unbelievably, Elodie’s image was reflected.

Carlot stared intently at the water’s surface with wide eyes.

Elodie was talking with Severes’ knights.

Although he couldn’t tell the exact location, he could confirm that nothing was wrong.

“Miss Elodie is safe, right?”

“…What is this? Don’t tell me it’s a power?”

Apart from Elodie being safe, Carlot couldn’t help but be surprised by this strange ability.

It was a power that couldn’t be explained except as a power.

“Is it clairvoyance? I’ve never heard of someone like you who can use such a power.”

For a power of this level, he should have known about it somehow, but he didn’t at all.

Expecting such a reaction, Gretel answered nonchalantly.

“That’s right, it’s a power. But I can only use it for short periods, so it’s not that great.”

Elodie had earnestly asked her not to reveal her power to just anyone, but she judged Carlot to be a trustworthy person.

At least his feelings for his sister always seemed genuine.

Even if a bit extreme.

Before Gretel could ask him to keep it a secret first, Carlot grabbed her shoulders.

“You, this, don’t tell anyone about this. Ever.”

Carlot urged her repeatedly, visibly anxious.

‘She might go around telling others since she told me.’

Carlot had the same thought as Elodie. There was no way the humble Sangpan family could protect such an incredible power.

Gretel, who had been looking at him quizzically, blurted out:

“But, Young Master Carlot, you’re not just anyone, are you?”

“You, th-th-that, wh-what do you mean…?”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Carlot’s face turned red as if it was about to burst. Gretel blinked in confusion.

‘I just meant he is the brother of Miss Elodie, who’s a friend…’

Why did he turn so red?

As Gretel soon realized the reason, her face also flushed.

“Then please go back now!”

She left Carlot alone in the room and hurriedly went outside.

***

Elodie waited for Adenmir to come out of the temporary barracks.

A moment later, after the interrogation by the subjugation commander was over, he came out.

“Lady.”

“Did the interrogation go well?”

“It was no different from what you told me. For now, we need to move that fellow to the capital for treatment.”

“Then I can travel with him on my way back to the capital.”

“You’re going back?”

Elodie’s statement about returning was quite unexpected.

From the moment he first encountered Elodie in the Black Ravine, she had consistently shown a strong will to search for the missing and investigate the rift.

Of course, Adenmir wished for Elodie to be in a safe place, as it was dangerous here.

“Yes. That’s a good decision.”

“I’m planning to leave right away. So, Your Highness.”

Elodie took a brief breath and looked straight into his eyes.

“Please make sure this rift doesn’t fall into the hands of Her Majesty the Empress.”

A voice firm and resolute.

This strong side of Elodie made Adenmir’s heart race.

He smiled faintly, hiding his inner thoughts.

“Don’t worry. I had no such intention to begin with.”

“I’ll trust only you, Your Highness.”

Looking at Elodie smiling brightly, Adenmir asked casually.

“Still, this is somewhat of a battlefield. Won’t you give me a token of good fortune?”

It was a joke mixed with a bit of sincerity, but Elodie asked back with a serious expression.

“A token of good fortune?”

“No. It was a joke, so you don’t need to-“

Elodie, who had been thinking for a moment, untied the ribbon that was holding her hair. Adenmir blankly watched as her long hair flowed down.

She held out the ribbon to him as if it wasn’t difficult at all.

“Will this do?”

Their skin touched for an instant as he received the ribbon.

“…It’s enough.”

Adenmir answered, tightly grasping the thin ribbon crossing his palm.

Do you even know what you’ve given me?