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Chapter 25
The White Crow (4)
“Friend, huh…”
Bronwen, leaning against the sofa and moving only her eyes, muttered as she looked at the diary that Berenice had set down.
She had known that Berenice wrote in it whenever she had free time. There had even been times when she had moved with Bledin while leaving Karga behind.
When asked what it was, the answer had been that it was a precious diary that her twin siblings had pooled their money to give her as a gift.
There had even been a moment when Bronwen wondered if having siblings was really that wonderful, seeing the handsome face of someone grinning proudly while boasting about their younger siblings…
“You’re giving it to me? But I never agreed to your conditions.”
“Didn’t you decide to accept both conditions the moment you told me about your relationship with your brother?”
The way she smiled with half-lidded eyes was incredibly beautiful, but her reply was a little irritating.
The eldest of Wiltiera often smiled like that in an annoying way while making requests… Could the other twin be just as annoying?
Deciding to meet the other one soon to find out, Bronwen stood up and picked up the diary Berenice had handed her.
Should she read it now? Or later?
Noticing her hesitation, Berenice spoke.
“Later.”
“…Did I say that out loud?”
“No. I just thought you were thinking about it.”
Though her expression was usually unreadable, thanks to the time they had spent together, Bronwen could clearly see what she was thinking.
“Also, I can’t stay for long.”
“Ah… You mean to go back to that guy you’re waiting for? Really?”
“No?”
“…”
“So, could you just wrap up any item nicely and give me one? And if you could open the exit in a different direction from where I came, that’d be great.”
“Cheeky, just like the eldest. Is everyone in Wiltiera like this?”
“It’s not cheekiness—I just don’t have anyone else to ask. I said I was out to get an item my brother requested, so I could slip it out that way.”
“…Looks like you’re raising a little mouse at home.”
“Raising? No, it’s just freeloading. I’ll chase it out soon enough.”
Bronwen laughed at Berenice’s calm reply without even blinking.
“Wait.”
Placing the diary on her lap, Bronwen muttered incomprehensibly into the air. After about a minute, a small package appeared out of nowhere and fell into her hand.
‘Every time, it surprises me.’
She had seen this delivery method a few times before, but it was still difficult to get used to.
‘Karga? No, Vasco prepared this.’
Seeing the knot on the package, Berenice realized which of the White Crows had prepared it and nodded lightly.
“Did you see something?”
“No.”
“Then why nod?”
“Because it seemed impressive.”
“Oh, I see…”
“No, the one who prepared the item.”
“…”
One thing that hadn’t changed since before her regression was that if she timed it right to tease Bronwen, she could see such entertaining expressions.
Surely, another White Crow watching from somewhere else would be enjoying this as well.
After all, their master, who had lived a long life, rarely showed such expressions over trivial matters.
‘It’s been a long time since I laughed over someone else’s matters.’
Thinking this, Berenice ignored the gazes of the White Crows who had likely been watching since she passed through the ‘door,’ and silently reached out her hand to Bronwen.
“Still cheeky.”
Bronwen, pouting slightly as if displeased, handed Berenice the small package she was holding.
It was fairly heavy and seemed to be made of metal or stone, though its exact nature was unknown.
“I packed something suitable. You’ll probably misstep spectacularly if you follow him, so try to do it subtly.”
“Thank you. And…”
“And?”
“I slipped a note from my brother into one side of the diary. It was hidden in the scabbard, showing who helped him.”
“Scabbard?”
“Yes. It looks like some sort of code. I couldn’t figure it out, so I’m counting on you.”
Hearing the word “code,” Bronwen muttered under her breath, “This old man didn’t tell me a thing and did…!” while Berenice shrugged.
It was a small act of revenge against the old man who had known she was tracking her brother’s secret before her regression but said nothing.
At that time, she hadn’t even known where Bledin’s sword was, so the old man probably didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily.
But that was then, this is now.
Remembering the old man’s face, who would likely be bothered by Bronwen after she left, Berenice draped her robe over herself.
It was time to return home.
“Where should I go out?”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Somewhere near the Lumpen Street would be good.”
She had left traces near the carriage on purpose, and if someone noticed she had disappeared, they would surely go there.
If she caused trouble near the residences of marquises or nobles and they discovered her secret movements, it would make future operations difficult.
So she chose Lumpen Street, far away from the noble districts, as her destination.
There were always incidents happening there, so no one would be suspicious of anything unusual.
Moreover, Lumpen Street had a hidden entrance to the black market.
‘Maybe I can get a decent dagger there.’
According to her original plan, she intended to meet the old man and request a dagger like the one she used before her regression.
But it would take considerable time to build trust and make the request.
Stopping at the marquis’s forge to get the dagger would immediately alert her family to her movements.
‘And visiting other forges as a noblewoman would be a problem too.’
The black market was different. Anything could be bought there, as long as one had money.
The problem was that most black market merchants were scammers…
‘But there’s no way I’ll fall for that, right?’
She was the daughter of her target.
And during eight years on the run, she had learned more than just how to escape.
Basically, nothing could happen to her that she couldn’t handle.
“Not going straight home?”
Bronwen, unaware that Berenice was planning something, tilted her head curiously.
Even Bronwen couldn’t figure out that Berenice intended to visit the black market based on the information she had so far, especially since she didn’t know Berenice had regressed.
“I have something I need to do.”
“Something that requires you to go far from home?”
Berenice nodded silently in response to Bronwen’s mental map of Lumpen Street and the marquis’s location.
“Well, if it’s not too hard, I’ll do that. I’ll contact you once I decode the note.”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to be so thankful. If it gets dangerous, I’ll pull back immediately.”
Knowing the White Crow who helped her to the very end before her regression, Berenice responded with a bright smile.
“…Take this before you go.”
A silver coin, used to travel to this place, flew toward Berenice.
She caught it lightly and secured it in her robes, then stood in the location Bronwen indicated and waved her hand gently.
As a signal, a circle of white light spread outward from where she stood.
Soon, the magical device would activate.
At that moment, Berenice remembered something she had forgotten and spoke to Bronwen.
“Oh right, I’ll be breaking off my engagement soon, so help me then too.”
“What?”
“Thanks in advance!”
“W-Wait…! Hey!”
The white light flashed, and Berenice once again staggered in the strange sensation of floating.
It was a space full of the smell of old mold.
“An empty warehouse?”
She thought she heard Bronwen’s voice scolding her from beyond the space, but ignored it, cautiously opening the door and stepping out.
Lumpen Street.
It was a place where the lower class lived, a place the capital’s nobles denied even existed.
“It’s been a while, this smell.”
Closing the warehouse door and surveying the area, Berenice sniffed the air first before looking and carefully started moving.
She had no way of knowing when those following her trail would arrive.
‘I hope I run into them after buying the dagger…’
Fingering the pouch Bronwen had given her, Berenice cautiously moved through the narrow alley.
Unlike main streets, it was dark and required reliance on moonlight.
If Bledin knew she was being used as bait for a dangerous trap, what expression would he have made?
‘Not a good one, for sure.’
Recalling Bledin’s stern face, she entered another alley.
“Why are you wandering around looking like that?”
Two men appeared from the darkness, blocking her path.
Had they caught up already? That was fast.
As she turned to flee, she realized the voice sounded familiar and instinctively froze, glancing back.
“Every first meeting seems impressive. Don’t you think?”
“…Prince Kaiden?”
Kaiden, pushing back the hood over his head and running his fingers through his disheveled black hair, looked at Berenice.
