TSHL 28

Chapter 28

“Hello, Cassia. I just heard the news about the Third Prince. It’s suddenly become the talk of the town.
With Duke Whidrian and Nick by your side, I can imagine how uncomfortable it must be.
I wish I could come get you right away, but I worry it might raise suspicion.
I want to see you as soon as possible. I’ll always be on standby, so contact me whenever you feel frustrated.
—Michael”

Michael’s letter lifted my spirits even more. As expected, he was such a kind person.
With my heart warmed, I carefully wrote a reply to Michael, sending each word with care.

“Hello, Michael. I received your letter safely.
Life has become a bit complicated with Duke Whidrian and Nick visiting, but I’ve made up my mind.
I won’t endure it any longer. I will protect my own life here, no matter what.
If I ever need your help, I’ll contact you. I’m always grateful.
And I want to see you too.
—Cassia”

The meticulous knights even inspected the letters I sent to Michael before allowing me to send them.
I couldn’t put the knights in a difficult position as their orders were to follow, so I quietly showed them my letter.
They were not at fault. If anyone was, it was the one who gave the orders.

After sending the letter, I spoke to them.
“Please allow me to see His Grace the Duke.”

“Leave my space.”
As soon as the gallery door opened, I strode up to the Duke and said this, and a hush fell over the room.
Amid the silence, I observed the gallery filled with unfamiliar things.
The gallery, which served as a search base, was crowded with maps depicting Lorencia and the empire, weapons, banners for military command, and other unfamiliar items.
The air felt strange. Through it, Duke Whidrian approached me.

“What is it?”
“I realized it’s unfair. Even if you need to search, choose another place as your base. You can do that, can’t you?”
“…Cassia.”
“And please reduce the number of guards watching me. Having knights constantly observing me is uncomfortable.”

The Duke looked at me, seemingly unsettled by my unusually assertive behavior.

“I don’t care about compensation for potential losses. Right now, I want the right to be alone here. I want my right to live freely.”

The Third Prince, the Whidrian family—it didn’t matter to me.
Honestly, I just wanted them all to disappear from my presence.
Was it really such a big wish to peacefully run a gallery in Lorencia, selling coffee and painting, without conflict?

“But Cassia, this is a matter of the state. Moreover, solving the Third Prince’s disappearance is His Majesty the Emperor’s special order.”
The Duke continued.

“All citizens of the empire are obligated to obey the Emperor’s command. I, too, am participating in the search for that reason.”

I looked at the Duke. He continued:

“Your lending this space is the same. We could set up another investigation headquarters, but given the nature of a disappearance, time is of the essence. Besides, you’ve been coming here, so it’s likely the prince might come here again.”

“….”

“You mentioned it’s uncomfortable, so I will order a reduction in the level of surveillance. But I hope you cooperate with this matter.”

“Understood.”

“…Yes?”
Having spoken firmly, I immediately agreed, causing the Duke’s eyebrows to twitch.

“I said I understand. But make sure the level of surveillance is reduced. My life is too uncomfortable as it is.”
“…Understood. We will do so.”
“Then, take care.”

I smiled politely and bowed to the Duke before walking out of the shop.

Not long after I left, the Duke realized something.
Cassia had not come to hinder the investigation. From the start, she had intended to lend the space.
She had come to issue a warning: from now on, she would not respond easily to anything.
And in this power struggle with her, he had just been completely defeated.

Returning home with the knights, I felt even happier.
I had no intention of defying the Emperor’s order to search.
As the Duke said, every citizen had a duty to participate in the Third Prince’s search.
Even knowing the prince’s whereabouts and hiding him could be considered a crime.
It was fortunate that Emperor Fontreich and the Duke, in charge of the investigation, were reasonable men.

What mattered to me was showing the Duke that I would not give up even the smallest thing easily.
It was a declaration that I would protect my life perfectly from now on.
Thankfully, it seemed my intention succeeded.
Hadn’t the Duke agreed to lower the level of surveillance on me?

One of the knights walking with me said:
“If the surveillance is reduced by one level, we will monitor you from outside the house instead of inside. But when you go out, we must still accompany you, so we’d appreciate your cooperation to that extent.”

“That’s very good. Thank you for explaining. You all always work so hard.”
“It’s our duty.”

Relieved of tension, I smiled at the knights accompanying me.

At home, I found a small white note on my vanity.

[See you tonight at 77 Revan Village. —Arwin
P.S. The knights rotate shifts at midnight. Keep that in mind.]

That afternoon was a blur. I couldn’t believe the note from Arwin.
Had he come by while I was away? How did he get here?
My heart pounded.
During the brief time I had visited the gallery, Arwin had come to my house.
Since he disappeared, I had been worried about him and wanted to help in any way I could.
And now he had come to reach out to me.

The knights withdrawing from the house was perfect timing—a rare opportunity.

All afternoon, I prepared food.
I worried that Arwin, hiding away, might not have been eating properly.
I made simple stews and sandwiches, stacking them neatly in a basket.
It was quite a generous amount.

I wanted to bring him the warm coffee he liked and desserts we often had at the gallery café, but I settled for what I had.
I wondered what else I could do for him, but there was nothing else I could offer.
He hadn’t specified in the note what he needed, and I didn’t know the reason he wanted to see me.
All I could do was this.

Most importantly, I had to leave the area without being caught by the knights.

“I’m going for a short evening walk before bed.”
“Let us accompany you, Madam.”

Using the excuse of a walk before bed, I stepped outside in the early evening with the knight following me.
We walked slowly, checking the path from my house to the gallery and then to Revan Village, as mentioned in Arwin’s note.
Fortunately, Revan Village was not far.
All I had to do was cross the main road in front of the gallery and the wide-open countryside would appear.

Arwin had helpfully given a hint: the knights’ patrol is weakest at midnight.

“Go to bed early tonight. Thanks for everything, everyone.”

I smiled at the knight and closed the door naturally, checking the route one last time.
All that remained was to wait.

Midnight came.
In the countryside, everyone had already gone to bed, so it was a deep, dark hour.
Even the birds had slept, leaving the night completely silent.
I quietly opened the window at the back of the house to peek outside.
No one was there. Satisfied, I fully opened the window.

Holding the basket carefully, I climbed out and jumped into the night.
It felt like an unfamiliar adventure. If anyone who knew me as the Duke’s wife saw this, they would be shocked.
Climbing out the window in the dead of night—I felt strangely unfamiliar to myself.

But this was a moment I wanted to give entirely to Arwin.

Though staying in Lorencia had been Arwin’s choice, I felt a sense of responsibility.
The Duke had come looking for me in Lorencia, which meant Arwin’s position had been exposed to him.
The Duke was polite in general but relentless when working.
I knew how doggedly he had hunted for Arwin with sharp eyes when he was the Duke’s husband.

I sincerely hoped Arwin would not be cornered or have his location discovered.
I understood the fear of someone searching for him, and I wanted to help in any way I could.

That was why I risked so much to help Arwin.