8.

Zephion… you haven’t changed.

Zephion von Tenev — heir to the Count Tenev family, long-time vassals of House Astria.

Since childhood, he had served closest to Estelle: her guard knight and most loyal adjutant.

He was the only person who knew of Estelle’s secret organization, yet she had not told even him about her escape plans — for the sake of a perfect disappearance.

But Zephion was a brilliant strategist.
If there were only one person in the world capable of noticing and tracking Estelle’s schemes, there would be no disagreement that it was him

Estelle’s gaze flickered to the bouquet in his hand.

So… he already knows.

Blue delphiniums — her favorite flower.

Will you try to take me back to the capital… or will you still follow the master you once lost?

Her thoughts tangled.

He had indeed been a trustworthy adjutant, but in the end, he was still a Tenev. Just as the Tenev family had served Astria for generations, during her absence he might now belong to the Duke.

Maintaining a calm façade, Estelle walked to the center of the reception room with straight posture.

Zephion rose and approached her. As always, he stopped about two steps away and bowed respectfully.

“Pleased to meet you, Lady of the Erme Company. I am Zeon, master of the Rodalan Guild.”

It was a flawless greeting, without the slightest lapse. And Lady, no less — far too refined a courtesy for a mere commoner merchant.

Is he probing my intentions?

Realizing the meaning behind the gesture, Estelle bowed as well and replied,

“Please dispense with such formality. I am accustomed to dealing with nobles, but having lived as a commoner all my life, such etiquette suited to noble ladies embarrasses me.”

Zephion straightened slowly and faced her in silence.
Estelle’s pitch-black eyes, dyed by the disguise mana stone, met his teal gaze in midair.

They examined each other in wordless scrutiny, neither looking away.

After a moment that felt like years, the corners of Zephion’s teal eyes softened once more.

“You are deserving of respect. In less than four years, you have not only dominated the South but even earned recognition from proud Deutche — are you not such a guild master?”

The success of the Deutche trade has not yet been publicly revealed…

His information network was, as ever, impossible to deny.

Though it might have unsettled another, Estelle concealed her thoughts perfectly and continued the conversation.

“Then please address me simply as the guild master.”

“Very well. And please call me Zeon.”

The name Zeon was the nickname Estelle had used for Zephion back when she was still the Lady of House Astria — a name steeped in the past.

What does he want? Is he hoping I’ll reluctantly reveal my identity? But his attitude is too compliant for that…

She could not read the intentions behind the bright expression with which Zephion offered the name.

“Nice to meet you, Zeon.”

Yet speaking that name again — for the first time in decades if she counted her previous life — stirred memories of her childhood: the days she had dreamed of becoming head of the ducal house and supporting Kaian’s future.

But it was pointless. Protecting Aeir mattered more than clinging to old dreams.

Right now, all I have to do is draw Zephion in and develop the cure.

Above all, Aeir must not be discovered. Aside from his blue eyes, the child resembled Kaian far too closely. If anyone grew suspicious of Libeta Marian or the Erme Company’s master and learned of the child’s existence, there was no telling what might happen.

Should I have changed Aeir’s blond hair with a mana stone too…

The mana stone was said to be harmless even for pregnant women, but there was no certainty about prolonged use on a child still in early infancy.

Because of that, his blond hair—so reminiscent of Kaian—and the deep blue eyes recalling House Astria remained unchanged.

Focus. Just as I know Zephion well, he’ll see through me too. Until I’m certain of his purpose, I must not give him even the slightest justification.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please, let us sit and talk.”

As the two took their seats, a maid from the company arrived at the perfect moment with refreshments. After waiting briefly and confirming the attendants had withdrawn, Estelle began explaining why she had sought out the Rodalan Guild.

***

“Aren has developed far more than I expected. It’s almost unrecognizable.”

Mounted on a noble white horse as he entered the forests of Aren, Kaian spoke while guiding the reins at a slow pace.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I was quite surprised myself. Compared to the imperial inspection tour right after Your Majesty’s ascension five years ago, it has become an entirely different town.”

Following behind him was Cedric. They were heading toward the cabin where the same symbol as the one on the safe left by the late Consort Serena had been discovered.

Even while searching for traces of his mother, the streets of Aren they had passed through lingered in Kaian’s mind.

That was only natural — the town looked nothing like the impoverished Aren he remembered.

Aren was the region closest to Deutche Island within the Lecanto Empire. In other words, it had suffered the greatest damage during the Lecanto–Deutche war some thirty years ago.

Even after reconstruction began, rebuilding the devastation here took far longer than in other regions, and the destitute were naturally pushed into settling here.

Father continued to support its recovery for years, yet Viscount Bernes, the lord of Aren, eventually gave up entirely. Rumors even spread that his house was on the verge of bankruptcy.

That had certainly been the case five years ago.

Yet now, upon returning, the town had transformed into a clean settlement with unexpectedly developed infrastructure.

Reports did mention Aren was regaining some vitality… but to this extent? Could this really happen in only five years?

The vagrants who once crowded the streets were gone, and the shabby buildings that had filled the town center had been replaced by rows of newly built shops.

“I’ve heard that a newly established trading company called Erme, which began operating about four years ago, played a major role.”

“Erme?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Not only has every venture the guild master touches produced explosive profits, but a portion of those earnings has also been used for the town’s revitalization and welfare projects.”

“What about information on this guild master?”

“They always wear a mask, so nothing is known except that the person is a woman. Even so, the influence is said to be immense — enough that even the local lord, Viscount Bernes, treats the unidentified guild master with the utmost respect.”

Hearing Cedric’s explanation, Kaian’s interest in the Erme Company and its master naturally deepened.

“I’d like to meet this guild master sometime. Quietly, of course.”

“I will make arrangements, Your Majesty.”

As the conversation ended, Kaian halted before a modest cabin beside a small pond.

“This is the cabin?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The deep forest, rarely visited by people, was peaceful.
Though it was still early February, the southern village — the warmest on the continent — felt more like early spring compared to the capital. Fresh buds had begun to sprout throughout the woods.

Warm sunlight filtered gently through tender leaves, and birds chirped here and there.

It was a landscape entirely unlike the imperial palace, where even blades of grass seemed sharpened by tense political conflict.

Creeeak—

Kaian pushed open the cabin door and stepped inside. The warped wood shrieked sharply, mirroring his tangled and sensitive state of mind.

The interior was modest. The first floor held a combined kitchen and sitting area with an old wooden table and chairs, while a wooden staircase in one corner led up to a bedroom on the second floor.

Though it seemed untouched for a long time, the sunlight streaming through the windows gave the place a faint warmth.

“Please be careful, Your Majesty.”

Following Cedric’s lead, Kaian headed upstairs. Each step groaned beneath his weight, the sound drilling into his ears.

What connection could this place have to his mother?

With every step upward, his nerves tightened.

During the years he had investigated his mother’s safe, Kaian had been forced to accept one truth — he knew almost nothing about her.

She had been a dancer at an imperial banquet, and his father, captivated by her, had taken her as a consort. Beyond that, nothing about her past was known.

Not only her life before entering the palace, but even her connections, her origins — not even her surname could be found. It was as if everything had been deliberately erased.

Because she had been executed as a traitor, all of his mother’s belongings and clothing had been destroyed according to custom.

It was only natural, then, that Kaian clung so obsessively to the safe — the only relic she had left behind.