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Episode 6: There Are No Eternal Secrets in the World
After successfully completing the contract and leaving Aitan, the carriage was filled with a strange atmosphere.
Gray didn’t know what to say and stared out the window with a red face, while Kasa stuck close to Roze with a mischievous grin.
“Hmm, Roze. I didn’t expect this from you… Look, even my usually calm cheeks are red. See? Like a little apple, right?”
Roze felt irritated and wanted to hit him immediately.
Sensing danger, Kasa quietly moved to the other side. His playful red eyes sparkled like a mischievous kid.
“Are you angry?”
Roze pressed her lips tightly. Kasa laughed as if it was the funniest thing ever.
“Come on, you know… it’s okay. Even if it’s voyeurism, why shouldn’t women feel desire? If you want to watch secretly, why not? I understand it. If our Roze wants to do it, a little spying is fine.”
Roze growled through clenched teeth.
“I already said no!”
“You sure? You looked guilty.”
“No! I didn’t!”
Roze, who was a confident leader in front of Gray and the others, acted differently with Kasa.
Perhaps it was because their first meeting was messy.
Their conversation felt childish because neither had many pretenses.
Finally, Roze grabbed Kasa’s hair to emphasize her point.
“I never met the duke. I don’t care about men. I wouldn’t spy on anyone on purpose.”
Kasa’s red eyes narrowed.
“Really?”
“Stop teasing me.”
Roze’s voice became cold. Kasa sank into his seat and said,
“Fine, let’s assume that. But when you return, the elders of the guild will cause trouble about this contract. Are you ready?”
Annoyed, Roze turned to Gray, who had been silent after the contract. He looked worried, his eyebrows furrowed.
Roze sighed and called him.
“Gray, if you have something to say, speak up.”
“…Roze, you’ve always succeeded in your plans, so I trust you this time too.”
“Don’t hold back. Say it if it bothers you.”
Gray, unable to keep it inside, finally spoke.
“As the duke admitted, Aitan has mental issues. The previous duke didn’t care, but the successor… the successor…”
“The successor?”
Gray grimaced.
“Isn’t he too handsome? They say men who are too good-looking rarely turn out well!”
Roze didn’t expect Gray to say that. Gray kept pounding his knee and venting his frustration.
“And he looked so shameless! If that man pursues you, Roze… who will stop the Sword Master? Huh?”
He pointed at Kasa, who laughed and waved his hand.
“I can’t. The duke is a Sword Master. Are you asking me to die?”
Gray smacked Kasa’s back in frustration. Kasa frowned but kept talking.
“Ouch! Don’t hit me! You can’t vent your anger at the duke, so you’re taking it out on me.”
“Enough!”
Gray tried to hit Kasa again. Roze was more worried about Gray’s reckless confidence than the fight itself.
Finally, Gray calmed down and continued.
“Those are personal feelings. But officially, Aitan is dangerous. The house has mental illness. Many wives die young. And crazy magicians have tried to uncover the Sword Master’s secrets—clothes only, nothing else. And they dared to add conditions for us! I can’t trust someone so shameless!”
Gray paused, then continued more calmly.
“But if we overlook these things… we can manage. Roze wants Aitan, and that’s why we compromise.”
Roze, relieved, straightened up and explained.
“The Chaos Guild controls the continent’s money, but that also brings pressure from others. Teran and Arga are watching us. I didn’t come here just because I’m the former Empress of Arga. If that were the case, I could hide or disband the guild. But that wouldn’t help. The war between the two largest empires is spreading, and the North’s power must hold to protect the balance. Aitan can be trusted because he only cares about his people. That’s why I need him as a shield.”
Gray nodded in agreement.
“The North defends but doesn’t attack. They survive harsh conditions but rarely expand. They are proud heroes, self-sufficient. Even if poor, they won’t beg Teran nobles. Persuading or marrying the Duke is their safest option. Before outsiders interfere, the duke acts. That’s why he wants a fake lover. He needs time to fix internal issues. That doesn’t concern us directly.”
Roze smiled.
“Exactly. The North follows the duke, no one else. Teran won’t influence them. The North is perfect as a shield. Its advantages outweigh weaknesses. We cannot give up.”
Gray, reluctantly understanding, frowned but agreed.
“The North can hold, but the young emperor’s backer, Duke Duncan, lacks flexibility. Teran’s army is weak compared to the North. If the North falls, Teran can’t survive. That’s why your plan matters.”
Roze leaned back, tired, and explained further.
“I want a shield, Gray, but a shield is made of people, not iron. They can die. No matter how much money we pay for safety, lives are more valuable.”
The carriage went silent. Roze’s voice was calm but firm.
“I compromised once with the duke. He carried the burden of being feared by Chaos Guild. We each gave a step back.”
Gray, relieved, admitted,
“I thought he was testing us. Maybe he understood the full purpose of this deal?”
Roze nodded.
“Probably. He’s not easy to fool. He understood we involved him just to protect the guild under the vague ‘full protection’ clause.”
She smiled slightly.
“From his tone and short words, I think he wanted me to step back. A reasonable request.”
“Of course,” Gray chuckled.
Kasa, eating an apple, teased,
“What if the fake becomes real? I heard Aitan is obsessive. Can you handle that?”
Roze took a bite of the apple too.
“I’ll deal with it if that happens. Train hard, Kasa. Be ready to be the tail I cut off if needed. I support you sincerely.”
Gray, watching, shook his head.
“The duke wasn’t surprised by our visit, handled all spies quickly. Aitan’s information network is strong. We need to control exposure carefully.”
“No need,” Roze said softly.
She smiled and leaned deeper into the carriage.
“There are no eternal secrets. Let things happen. Don’t stop them.”
Gray thought, then nodded slowly.
“Even if the duke knows, he can’t act. Everyone knows his obsessive love, and they’d stay silent. You are his lover.”
Gray laughed quietly.
“No matter the plan, he’ll protect us. No doubt about it.”
Roze closed her eyes, but she couldn’t rest. The duke’s question kept running through her mind:
‘Do you have voyeurism?’
It wasn’t a tease. He was testing her.
‘Did he… recognize me?’
In dreams, Aitan sometimes seemed to notice her presence—from the bath, battlefield, or forest.
‘Was I really there in that moment? That’s why he recognized me?’
It was confusing but not worrying. The duke could not catch the illusion. Yet his gaze, with a trace of satisfaction, unsettled her.
Kasa, watching silently, wiped the smile off his face and thoughtfully adjusted his sword.
The carriage moved quietly toward the Chaos Guild headquarters in Teran, with no sound but their breaths.
