As the carriage made its way to the West Villa, G6 silently stared out the window.
Tina and Lilia did not dare to speak, assuming her silence was due to the tension on the balcony earlier.
Pete. That damn kid. He's just another weight I have to keep an eye on.
Then G6's thoughts remembered the pending mysteries she should be unraveling first, to put some ease in her mind that is troubled due to a lot of missing data.
"Tina," G6 called.
"Yes, Lady Reise?" Tina asked.
"Can we talk later?" G6 said, her eyes still fixed on the passing scenery.
The invitation made Tina's face light up, as if her lady were finally turning to her for support again. "Absolutely, yes, Lady Reise," she said, smiling. Lilia also smiled at the exchange.
G6 did not bother to answer further, her mind locked in a never-ending cycle of calculation and analysis of her situation.
Okay. I'll stop shrugging this off. I'll start investigating why Reise killed herself.
After several more minutes of silent travel, the carriage stopped in the front yard of the West Villa's main building. Tina and Lilia stepped out first, followed by G6.
As she descended from the carriage, she saw Leo already waiting at the villa's entrance. Their gazes met, and no words or gestures were needed. Their stares were a conversation in themselves.
"Tina, Lilia. Wait for me here. I will be going to see the Queen," G6 commanded.
"Do you not need company, Lady Reise?" Tina asked.
"I will manage," G6 said and walked toward Leo.
"Then we will be waiting, Lady Reise," Tina said. She and Lilia offered a curt bow as their lady departed.
G6 merely glanced at them before walking ahead, with Leo following behind. They circled around the villa on their way to the Queen's chambers, purposely avoiding the usual shortcut through the buildings.
"Is she already there?" G6 asked as they walked.
"Yes. In fact, we arrived not long ago," Leo answered from behind her.
G6 fell silent again. This was not a simple meeting; it was a confrontation between two chess masters.
Their walk was a study in silence. Leo could feel the weight of the conversation that awaited them.
They soon arrived at the Queen's private chambers. The ornate doors stood before them like the gateway to a gilded cage, and behind them waited the one person who held all the strings. G6 paused for only a heartbeat, her expression a mask of cold resolve, before stepping inside to face the architect of her new prison.
G6 did not wait for formality. She shoved open the door to the Queen's office with force.
As she entered, the Queen did not flinch. She merely sat quietly behind her desk.
"You are too heated, Reise," the Queen said.
"Cut the games," G6 said, her voice low and dangerous.
"Leo, wait outside," the Queen commanded. Leo left the room and closed the door behind him.
As it shut, G6 strode to stand directly in front of the Queen's desk.
"You knew, didn't you? From the start," G6 demanded.
"Well, I had my suspicions. I knew, for instance, that Edmund leaves every day after lunch," the Queen began, her tone deceptively light.
G6's eyes were planted on the Queen, sharp enough to steal the breath from her lungs.
"But that is all I knew. I merely instructed Leo to log Edmund's comings and goings at the Main Palace gate," the Queen said.
"Tell me more," G6 commanded.
"Listen, Reise. Believe me, I did not hire anyone to tail you. You could have kept your double life secret from me, if not for Edmund's carelessness," the Queen explained, laying the parchment on the desk. Their aliases were exposed for both to see.
"Edmund and Alistair are the only Saiden men known in this kingdom. 'Eddie Saiden'? That is like digging his own grave. Do you have any idea how scandalous it would be if his other persona were revealed?"
"I don't care about your concern. Tell me what the fuck you want from me," G6 said, her temper fraying.
"So you will not even hear my genuine concern for you? Do you truly believe everything is a transaction?" the Queen's voice was rising, matching G6's heat.
"Then why take the parchment if you didn't know it was us?" G6 shot back.
"I saw the color drain from Edmund's face! Your ridiculous attire—you hate suffocating clothes, yet you showed up in that heavy coat and gloves. As far as I know, the last time you were in this office, your dress had a slit right up to your rump. Do you think I am stupid, Reise? I know your capabilities. I am the one who arranged your guild status so you could walk freely around the Collegium!" the Queen retorted, her composure cracking.
"So? You want me to be indebted to you for saving our asses? I could get out of that trouble. I'd push all the blame onto Edmund and watch him get scorned by your rule-runners. And I wouldn't care," G6 stated, her voice utterly flat and devoid of emotion.
The Queen's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine shock breaking through her regal mask. For a moment, she was speechless. The cold, transactional cruelty in G6's words was more revealing than any confession.
"You would… throw him to the wolves so easily? Your most loyal shadow?" the Queen's voice was a hushed, horrified whisper. "A man who willingly put his head on the guillotine to help you out of the palace?"
The Queen's response to her forced lies made G6 swell with rage. Of course she knew how far Edmund would go for her. She was acutely aware of his dedication, of how he meticulously arranged every perfect alibi to grant her a taste of liberty.
Of course she would never rat him out or betray the person she considered her partner. G6 may have had grey morals, but she was coded, branded. She was a Gemcardia.
"I told you already…" G6's voice lowered, trembling with suppressed emotion. "That you wouldn't like to imagine the measures I'm willing to take, the obstacles I'm willing to erase to get what I want."
The Queen stood up and slowly walked towards her. "Then, tell me. What exactly do you want?"
The Queen's question hung heavily in the air. G6's eyes flickered, her defiant mask faltering for a split second.
What is it that I really want? What's the exact reason I'm even in this mess?
Right. What I want… what I really want is the truth. To end this fucking cycle of mysteries. To have me really able to proceed.
Was the reason why things kept falling out was because I didn't really know what I was really here for? Was I going in the wrong direction because I moved hastily? Was I… in a complete mess trying to run away from the reality that I am no longer just G6 but now a noblewoman in this gilded cage?
As had been showed many times, G6 could not recognize genuine concern that she had not manufactured herself. She was utterly oblivious to the natural flow of human emotion.
"What I want is none of your concern. Stop acting like a concerned mother. I know people like you. The way you speak, the way you pause before you answer… the way you looked at me in that meeting room at the Collegium Library…" G6 stepped closer, invading the Queen's space. "I know your mind is running through a dozen ways to use me. You see right through me. And I know I am nothing but a tool to you."
The Queen remained silent, observing a G6 who was not her usual, controlled self. She was losing her composure.
"My concern for you is genuine. I have no need to use you as a tool. You are the daughter of—" The Queen was cut off as G6 shattered a glass window with a sharp, compressed Wind Blade.
"I told you to stop playing games," G6 said, her voice flat and deadly.
The Queen stepped back, her own composure shaken. She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out the book on Cryomancy, opening it directly to a marked page.
"Do you remember when I said that Cryomancy could only be obtained through death and rebirth?" she began, gathering her resolve. G6 remained silent. "I accounted for your attempt on your life with the White Drop and your miraculous revival. I thought, 'That must be the reason this ancient affinity landed on her.'"
The Queen's gaze was intense. "Yet, I read the other requirement. I have been trying to dismiss it, to mark it as an overstatement by the ancient authors." She paused, her voice dropping. "'Only one who kills can wield.'"
G6's brows furrowed in genuine confusion.
What… What is that supposed to mean?
The Queen's next words were deliberate, released after a steadying breath. "You are not Reise anymore, are you?"
The question struck G6 with the force of a physical blow. She had been figured out. Who would have known her greatest adversary would be the Queen herself?
G6 was silent for a long moment. Then—an expression of extreme sadness was seen on her face, as if the Queen's question had struck something profoundly painful.
"You're right… I am not Reise anymore… I am not what I used to be anymore," she began, her voice, once laced with anger, now weakened.
She sat, looking at the ornate center table in front of her. "When I thought I was going to die from taking the poison… I had a ridiculous dream. It felt like a haven, completely different from the life I have here," G6 said, a hint of nostalgia in her tone.
For her, her previous life was her everything. She had never felt a hint of contempt for it, nor had her father. She had never felt guilty about any of the lives she had taken. She was proud of it.
G6's gaze remained fixed on the table, her voice distant, as if recounting a memory from a thousand years ago. "In that dream, I had a purpose. A real one. Not this… noble performance. I was a tool, yes, but a perfect one. Sharp. Honed for a single, beautiful objective." A faint, almost reverent smile touched her lips. "I was taught that the world is a system of cause and effect. That every problem has a solution. And some solutions… are permanent."
She finally looked up at the Queen, her grey eyes clear and chillingly calm. "I learned that a single, precise cut could prevent a war. That eliminating one loud, greedy voice could save a thousand silent ones. There was no good. There was no evil. There was only order and chaos. And my purpose was to impose order. I was not a hero. I was not a villain. I was… a conclusion."
Her voice softened, laced with a genuine, heartbreaking longing. "It was simple. It was clean. It was real. And it was so much stronger than she was."
G6 leaned forward, her intent clear, ensuring the Queen understood the literal truth she was weaving into her metaphor. "The Reise you knew, the one who was so fragile and trapped in this cage… she stepped into that dark poison and found my world waiting for her. But she couldn't carry its weight. That dream didn't just change her; it was a vast, cold ocean, and she drowned in it. She sank, and I am what was left floating on the surface. I am the dream that consumed the dreamer."
She leaned back, the momentary vulnerability vanishing behind a wall of cold finality. "So you see, you got your death and your rebirth. The girl you betrothed to your son is gone, swallowed whole by a life she couldn't handle. You're left with me. And I am the consequence of her despair."
As G6 spoke, a chilling understanding settled in the Queen's mind, colder than any Cryomancy.
So that is the truth of it. It is not a new persona that inhabits her, but the old one, utterly unmade. The gentle girl did not vanish; she was shattered and reforged in the crucible of that dream. The poison did not kill her body, but it murdered the person she was. What woke up was not a stranger, but Reise herself, hollowed out and filled with this terrifying new purpose. She isn't possessed; she is transformed. The core of her is the same, but every instinct, every desire, has been twisted toward that brutal dreamscape.
The ancient text's words echoed in her memory: 'Only one who kills can wield.'
Gods above. It was never a metaphor. The affinity didn't just require a brush with death. It called to the killer that was born in her during that delirium. A soul for whom killing is not a sin, but a function. A 'conclusion,' as she so terrifyingly put it. The dream she describes… it was a vision of her own potential for violence. And she craves to make it real.
A shiver, sharp and involuntary, ran down the Queen's spine. The woman before her was not an imposter. She was Reise Worthon, fully awakened to her most terrifying self, and she was starving for the hunt.
Slowly, deliberately, the Queen moved. She did not retreat, but instead walked around her desk and sat in the chair across from G6, closing the distance between them. She leaned forward, her expression not of fear, but of intense, careful focus.
"That dream…" the Queen began, her voice low and measured. "That feeling of purpose, of clarity… If you were given a chance to grasp it again, to feel that reality in this world… would you take it?"
A slow, chilling smile spread across G6's lips. What a foolish old woman. She actually bought the facade. What a fool. Tch.
"I already grasp it," G6 said, her voice a soft, sinister purr.
"The warm blood of that so-called new-type demon you all fear felt like slaughtering a giant pig," she added, smirking.
The Queen studied her, a cold knot tightening in her stomach. "So it was you who killed it."
"If I'd known it would be used as evidence on the throne, I would have convinced Edmund to bring you its head as a trophy. Pft." She scoffed, a sound of genuine disappointment.
This sick child. What kind of dream did you have on the verge of death that made you such a psychopath? the Queen thought, a wave of revulsion washing over her.
"Very well. I can see that if I tried to cage you completely, every window in the entire chamber of mine would be shattered," the Queen conceded.
"You are not truly serious about sacrificing Edmund, are you?" the Queen asked. G6's gaze locked onto hers, seeming to look not just into her eyes, but through to her very soul.
"Do not dare use Edmund against me. You will not like getting on my bad side," G6 said, her tone deadly serious.
The Queen let out a low, humorless laugh. "I surmised as much, even before I understood the depth of this… fierceness in you." She leaned back slightly. "But Edmund will eventually be put in danger if you continue this. Let us make a deal, Reise."
"And yet you claimed this conversation was not a transaction," G6 retorted, mockery dripping from her words.
"After hearing your story, I know you cannot be stopped. And as one of the few who knows your capabilities and what you're hiding, I will formally enter this conspiracy," the Queen stated. G6 crossed her arms, her intrigue visibly piqued.
"Listen, Reise. I am betting the reputation of the Royal Family on this. In exchange for maintaining your double life and protecting Edmund, you will report any and all abnormalities you find on your… excursions."
The deal was music to G6's ears. It was exactly what she wanted—to make the Queen dependent on her, complicit in her charade.
I got you.
"Is that all?" G6 asked.
"For now," the Queen answered.
"Then I have a proposal," G6 said. "Three full days at the Collegium, and three full days at the 'Utility Magic Department'." She finally brought her pending demand to the surface.
"You are proposing to spend three consecutive days outside the palace?" the Queen clarified.
"It's not a bad deal. It gives us ample time, and it benefits you as well," G6 stated. "Take it or leave it."
"Prince Dio will be a pain in the neck, questioning this sudden change," the Queen said, worried about her son's reaction.
"That's your problem, not mine."
The Queen was silent for a long moment, looking at G6, who showed no sign of budging. "Promise me a few things," the Queen finally said.
"I don't make promises."
"Then consider these orders. Do not come back covered in bruises. Take care of yourself. Do not do anything recklessly stupid. Return before the palace's last bell. And, most importantly, stay alive." The commands were not those given to a hired agent; they were layered with a concern that felt entirely out of place.
"Tch. If that's all, I'll do my best to adhere to your… suggestions," G6 said, the word laced with contempt.
"Do you believe what I told you?" G6 asked abruptly.
The Queen looked at her and offered a faint, weary smile. "That is the only way these current changes would make sense."
"I see. If there's nothing else, I'm leaving." G6 stood to leave, but the Queen's voice stopped her.
"I am not yet finished. Now that our initial conflict is resolved and our deal is sealed, I believe I have a right to know what is happening beyond my capital, do I not?" the Queen said.
G6 smirked and sank back into her chair, the picture of sinister amusement. "At least offer me some tea."
The Queen retrieved the tea that was waiting on her counter and placed it on the center table between them.
Then, G6 began her story. She told of finding the horde of goblins formed up like a military unit on a foraging mission, and how she and Edmund had attacked them. She described discovering the newly emerged dungeon and her fight against the new-type demon.
She provided the details they had withheld from the Guild: how the new-type demon had wielded elemental affinities, both Wind and Earth; the dead forest; and how they had found the source of the mana dampening—the black paper inscribed with the language of high-ranking demons.
The Queen's face turned to horror. "What… This is far more extreme than mere monsters appearing! Reise… how can you be certain the natural mana was gone? That is impossible. Nature is mana."
"My body can tell if there's mana or not. It probably has something to do with my own mana being immeasurable," G6 answered.
"That… makes a certain sense. But a new-type demon using elemental affinities? That is another absurdity—a dangerous new level of threat! We must… we must take this with the utmost seriousness." The Queen's voice grew more urgent. "And the Charnel tongue… are you certain?"
"Edmund stayed up late last night investigating it. He confirmed it, but he failed to decipher it," G6 answered.
"Your blood deactivated the spell on that paper? Where is it now? Why your blood? What… what is happening?" The Queen's composure fractured, her words coming faster, laced with rising panic. "We have received no reports from the northern expeditions… no indication of any breach in the Charnel barrier…"
Before G6 could answer, Leo opened the door. Before he could speak or question the shattered window, his gaze fell upon the damage.
"Forgive my interference, Your Majesty, but the King requests your attendance in the main palace immediately. It seems an urgent matter requires the attention of the Head Pillars and the Courts," Leo said, holding an elegant paper bearing the royal seal.
"Very well. I will come at once," the Queen said. She turned to G6. "Reise, we will continue this another time."
"You're the boss," G6 answered. Then she added, "Can I have that book?" She was referring to the old book on Cryomancy.
"It is the original text on Cryomancy Affinity Theory. Very well, it may help you. However, do not attempt to use it yet. I have not had word from my master; he must be occupied with his experiments," the Queen said, standing up.
She walked to her desk, retrieved the book, and handed it to G6.
"Keep our deal. And remember my orders," the Queen said.
With the heavy tome in her grasp and a web of dangerous secrets now shared, G6 watched the Queen depart. The game had escalated, the board had expanded, and she held a new piece—a key to understanding the icy power within her. For now, the immediate storm had passed, but the clouds on the horizon promised a far greater tempest to come.
___
G6 walked back to her villa alone. The sky was beginning to show an orange hue, a sign that the day was ending, soon to be replaced by darkness.
She took their usual route through the Annex-Unus. As she entered, the annex was silent. It felt as if the servants were nowhere to be found. The interior was already growing dark, and in her all-black attire, she blended into the shadows.
As she strode up the stairs of the annex toward the open bridge connecting to her quarters, a terrifying smile spread across her face as she hugged the book.
"Who would have thought I'd be able to pull the strings on that witch?" G6 whispered to herself.
Then she laughed, a low, mocking sound. "How can people be so easy? Now I've taken care of two things. Secured my three-day liberty and the book on Cryomancy." She smirked. "I even got the original version, with the Queen dancing in my hands."
As she reached the second floor, she scanned it again. Was it because only men lived here? This place is so bland.
She continued her stride, and when she turned onto the open bridge, she saw a man leaning on the railings.
What's that geek doing here? It's too early for him to be back.
She did not speak and simply halted. When Earl turned toward her, not only was his face startled, but his whole body jumped. Who wouldn't be? A lady in all black standing silently in the dark.
Tch, what is he so scared for? He must be looking for his death.
G6 continued walking until the fading sunlight finally illuminated her. Earl cleared his throat, and his eyes fell upon the book G6 was holding.
"Why are you so early, geek?" G6 asked, as if she had not threatened to maim him earlier.
Earl gathered himself and adjusted his glasses. "I was not in the mood to work, so I excused myself early," he answered.
"Ah. Whatever," G6 replied, almost musing.
She started to walk again and was about to pass Earl when he spoke once more. "Please forgive me for my unmannered actions earlier, Reise…" Earl said, his tone unusually worried.
G6 stopped and turned to him. "It was nothing. I am not mad at you. Forget it," she said, her voice flat and devoid of expression.
"Really? Are you certain?" Earl asked, the life slowly returning to his demeanor.
"You're pissing me off. I hate people who crave words of affirmation," G6 said, showing her annoyance.
"Then I will take your word for it," Earl said, the worry finally leaving his face.
"Then I'll be going," G6 said, but Earl spoke again.
"Might we talk longer? If you are not in a hurry," Earl said.
"What exactly do you want to talk about?" G6 asked.
"Perhaps some words of wisdom, or about that book…" Earl said, looking at the tome G6 was hugging.
Words of wisdom? Give me a break, I'll gut you.
G6's face changed. "What?"
"I was the one who issued that book to Her Majesty. For her to give it to you without any formal documentation… I am not a fool, Reise," Earl stated.
What is this? Am I being figured out again? Seriously, what's wrong with this day?
"Fine. Let's talk," G6 said. If I killed him, no one would think it was me, right? Hmm…
"Shall we talk in my office, then?" Earl said. G6 just nodded.
They both walked back into the Annex-Unus. Earl led the way to a room with two ornate doors and opened it.
As G6 entered, she saw a room typical for the son of a wealthy family. It was elegantly designed and spacious—wider than her own room.
She scanned the area. It had two adjoining rooms, and the space where they stood served as Earl's study. Stacks of paperwork were piled on the floor beside his desk, and shelves were filled with books, while various artifacts lay on a long table against the wall.
"You're really a geek even in here," G6 remarked as she welcomed herself onto the couch.
"Well, that is the field of work I am best at," Earl said as he prepared tea at the counter.
"But you're also good at fighting," G6 said. "I kind of hate the fact that I've only won once against you."
Earl, with his back to G6, smiled. That was the first time anyone had acknowledged his combat skills.
He then carried the tray to G6 and set it down on the center table. "I also won once against you," he said, sitting across from her. "I know that you were holding back your real potential."
"Who knows?" G6 said, still holding the book. "So, what exactly is your theory about me?" she asked, this time fixing him with the same soul-piercing look she had given the Queen.
Before Earl spoke, he took a sip of his tea. Lowering his cup, he faced G6. "Releasing spells without a chant. Your overflowing mana that requires restriction. Your rapid adaptation to new skills. You are too strong for your own body," Earl began. G6 remained silent. "We have known each other for a long time, but I do not know what happened in the three years we were apart. However, I am certain—you have changed. And the Queen knows it."
"I found it strange when the Queen requested the book on Cryomancy from me, especially the original version—the one that should never leave its secure cabinet. Yet… she gave it to you without any formality. She even issued you a professional card without going through the Guild. She is willing to stake her own credibility to protect you," he added.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" G6 asked.
"In that particular area, nothing. Just, I do not want you to act carelessly. I do not want you to draw attention to yourself. If the Queen is going to such lengths to hide you, it must be for a controversial reason that would place you in a den of wolves," Earl said, his voice filled with concern.
Wait, was the reason he yelled at me earlier because I shot that guy? Right. If anyone knows my skills best, it's him, since he was the one who truly trained me. Tch. He could have just said so. What a lame guy.
"A den of wolves? Ah, are you referring to those weird nobles on the other side of the throne room earlier? Tch. I don't care about them," G6 said, her arrogance intact.
"The court houses have always held a grudge against us, especially to your family. Have you forgotten? How many times have the Higher Courts tried to ruin your family's reputation by accusing your house of eventual treason? It never worked, because the Royal family knows the sacrifices the Pillars have made to fill the void left by the loss of their signature affinity," Earl explained, his tone shifting back to the lecturing manner he often used with her.
How would I know about that stuff? It's not like I grew up here.
"Ah, so you're concerned," G6 said flatly. "So you won't question me about this book?" she asked, waving the tome in front of him.
"Hold it with care!" Earl said, his scholarly instincts causing him to panic. "I will not. I do not wish to pry. I respect whatever secret you and the Queen are keeping," he said, adjusting his glasses.
Tch. This geek. G6 then smiled, a silent acknowledgment of his respect for boundaries. It was now clear that his outburst earlier had not been merely because she had hurt someone, but out of fear that the incident would be used against her.
"That's why I like you the most," G6 said, flashing a mischievous smile.
Her words struck Earl's calm heart like an electric shock. His face and ears suddenly turned bright red.
"What now? Don't tell me you're sick. Your face is bright red. Tch, what a bother," G6 said, annoyed.
He immediately touched his face and took a calming breath. "I am not sick. Anyway, if there is any script in that book you do not understand, do not hesitate to ask me," he said.
"Thank you for that. I'll keep it in mind," G6 said. "I won't be able to eat dinner now, tch. I've already had enough tea." She mused, yet she still drank the rest of her tea in one go.
Earl could not help but smile. He did not understand why the thought of G6 being angry with him and potentially distancing herself felt like his world was crumbling, filling him with such worry. But one thing was certain: something was growing within him—something G6 had never intended to plant, and something that went entirely against her oath.
"Then, if that is all you wanted to talk about, I will be going now. I arranged to have a sit-down talk with Tina," G6 said and stood up.
"Reise," Earl called. "Wait for a moment." He stood and retrieved a small velvet jewelry box from his coat's inner pocket.
"Here, this is for you," he said, handing it to her.
G6's face showed confusion. "What's this?"
"It is… uhm… a necklace," he said shyly.
Necklace? Oh, is this… "Is this a magic tool?" G6 asked, her voice full of excitement as she opened the box.
It revealed a thin silver chain with a pendant that looked like a diamond, yet its color reminded her of her own eyes. G6 was immediately captivated by its marvelous design.
Oh… this one more like a jewelry than being a magic tool.
"That necklace is a combination of multiple magic stones, most collected from new-type demons. Its function is mana preservation—like a jar you can fill with your own mana," Earl explained, smiling.
"Filled with mana?" G6 asked, confused.
"It is often used by those sent on expeditions to Scutum, where hordes of monsters and new-type demons reside. Though new-type appearances are rare, this necklace can store up to thirty percent of your mana. It can serve as an emergency resource for an escape or an attack in a tight situation," Earl explained.
Then why is he giving this to me? Tch, don't tell me he also has an idea of what I've been doing.
"Why give me this?" G6 asked.
"When I saw it the other day at my brother's table, its color reminded me of your eyes," Earl said, smiling.
"What?" G6 asked, his answer not at all what she had expected.
Earl's eyes widened as he realized what he had said. "I… I mean, I knew you would like it and accept it as my apology gift," he stammered.
G6 just stared at him, then closed the jewelry box. "Then I will gladly take this," she said. "I will be leaving now." She added and started to walk toward the door.
"Let me at least walk you back to your chambers," Earl offered, following her.
As they walked through the quiet halls, the newly acquired tools of power—both the book and the necklace—felt heavy in G6's grasp. One was a key to understanding her strange new abilities, and the other, a gift whose true meaning hung unspoken in the air between them, as complex and layered as the man who offered it.
When G6 and Earl arrived in the open area of the main building's second floor, G6 turned to face him.
"Then, I'll be seeing you around. Thanks for the gift again," G6 said to Earl, her flat face showing no trace of gratitude.
"It is nothing. I suppose we cannot have dinner together tonight," Earl said. "Prince Dio and Keith will likely be staying late at the Bastion, as will Zen and Brenda." He hinted at the preparations for the arrival of the commoner knights at the Collegium, a place previously exclusive to nobles.
"I guess so. Like I said, I'm full from the tea," G6 replied.
"I will be returning to the Collegium to assist them. Keith must be in a foul mood over my absence by now," Earl said, his expression clearly imagining a whining Keith.
"Alright, then take care," G6 said. Earl merely nodded and smiled as she turned away.
As Earl watched her retreating figure, a wave of faint relief and a smile washed over him. He, too, then descended the stairs toward the rear of the villa and the path to the Collegium.
However, while this simple exchange might have appeared warm, perhaps even romantic, to an observer, it did not go unwitnessed. A servant stationed in the Annex-Duo, who had accidentally stumbled upon them on her way back, remained hidden in the shadows of a corner.
And so, the day's intricate web of alliances and affections was spun. A dangerous pact was sealed in the Queen's chamber, binding the crown to a Reaper's shadow. A gift, given under the guise of an apology, carried the unspoken weight of a scholar's burgeoning heart. And from the darkened corner, a servant's eyes mistook cautious diplomacy for cozy intimacy, a small spark of gossip that could one day be fanned into a dangerous flame.
—To be continued…—