Episode 10: On Ranael’s Side
Ranael was finally alone the next night. It had been a chaotic day. From morning till night, she learned the duties of a Crown Princess from the head maid, Helena.
To act as Lady Raphiana’s stand in, she had to perform every moment exactly as the duchess had taught her. It felt suffocating. If she were exposed, Irbes would be punished for deceiving the imperial family, but she herself would not survive.
She did not care about her own life. What mattered was saving Erna. Her beloved younger sister, trapped in the black house, waiting for her sister to come rescue her.
If the truth came out, no one would be able to save Erna. Dealing with a bastard child was considered a family matter. Killing Seran or imprisoning Erna had all been handled within the family.
Exploiting a Spirit King’s contractor might be morally condemned, but it was not something that could be legally punished.
During the day, Blea never left her side. At night, her fake husband came again and again.
After making sure no one was around, Ranael quietly called Nahar. The blue dog, as always, happily burrowed into her arms. The warmth felt just like Erna, and tears burst out.
“Nahar, you’ve worked hard.”
The blue dog gently rubbed his head against her. Nahar could not step into the human world unless Ranael summoned him. After about a day, he had to return to the spirit realm.
He also could not stray far from Ranael, nor use his power unless she ordered him to.
No matter how great a Spirit King was, he still had to follow the rules set by the gods.
<It’s fine. You’re the one suffering more by keeping me summoned for so long.>
Nahar spoke with a sad expression. A contractor had incomparable affinity with spirits, but keeping Nahar summoned all day was still exhausting. For Ranael, who was already weak, it was even harder.
The voice of a water spirit could not be heard by others. But since the days when Nahar had been Seran’s spirit in the form of a blue bird, Ranael and Erna had been with him. Even if they could not speak directly, they had talked through their father like friends, like family.
Now that Ranael was a contractor, she could communicate with him through her heart. Still, out of habit from childhood, she spoke out loud. Even so, Nahar could clearly hear her thoughts. He read even the words she did not say and suffered for it.
Until now, other contractors had treated the noble Spirit King with formality. Even Seran, who had been especially close to Nahar, rarely called him by name.
But because they had grown up with him, Ranael and Erna called Nahar by name like a friend. They treated him warmly. And Nahar did not dislike those small, adorable beings laughing and drawing close.
Spirits were transcendent beings. Unlike humans, they were dull to the pain of death and separation. Until now, it had been nothing more than a contract.
But for Nahar, Seran and Ranael were different from other contractors.
He had chosen Seran lightly, simply because he liked him. That choice ended up shattering the contractor’s short life.
Out of guilt, he had made a contract with Ranael to protect her, but humans turned out to be far more cruel than he had expected.
It was pity. Having stayed close to humans for so long, thinking like one felt ridiculous. Even so, Nahar had to admit that he cared for his small contractor.
“No, my Nahar. I’m just sorry for making you do all this.”
With a tired face, Ranael hugged Nahar even tighter.
<The blonde woman beside you met with the Empress. There is no water in the Empress’s chambers, so I can’t enter.>
Even a single cup of water was enough for Nahar to use as a path. But the Empress believed Raphiana was a Spirit King’s contractor, so she strictly kept all water out of her room.
“So Selina being the Empress’s person was expected…”
Lost in thought, Ranael bit her lip.
“The Empress is the contractor’s mother. She must have expected you to spy on her. It’s better to keep an eye on Selina.”
“Marianne? By ‘that man’, do you mean the Crown Prince?”
Ranael had asked Nahar to watch not only the Empress, but also the Crown Prince, because she needed to see how he would act.
She had already noticed that the guards around her reported her every move to him. In fact, he did not even try to hide it.
But Marianne had been unexpected, and Ranael frowned.
Complicated etiquette. Heavy dresses. Eyes that followed her everywhere.
“So I have three maids. One is the duke’s eyes, one is the Empress’s pawn, and even the last one belongs to the Crown Prince.”
Ranael had no one on her side. No one except the spirit in her arms. Her chest felt tight.
It had been a long day. Despite everything, overwhelming sleep washed over her. After watching the sleeping Ranael for a long while, Nahar disappeared.
“Explain things properly to Lady Clifford.”
When they were alone in the office, Karsian spoke quietly to Derek. Marianne Clifford, whom he had placed as El’s maid, was Derek’s fiancée.
Marianne was quick witted and smart. She was perfect for watching the Crown Princess. Still, the truth that the Crown Princess was fake could not be revealed.
He had asked Marianne to keep an eye on Irbes, in case they had some hidden scheme.
“You finally marry your long awaited first love, and now you’re talking about surveillance. I really don’t understand.”
Derek complained. He had entered the palace as the Crown Prince’s playmate and had watched his friend’s long, one sided love for years.
Derek Shaia, the third son of the Duke of Shaia of Wind. He had neither outstanding spirit power nor exceptional martial skill, but thanks to his natural tact alone, he had reached this position.
Ironically, because Derek had nothing special, he was allowed into the imperial family as the Crown Prince’s playmate.
As a child, the Crown Prince had been a gloomy boy whose sickly body barely survived each day. He had no political backing and no spirit power. He was just a pitiful child who had lost his mother at the age of two.
That was why the Emperor had chosen someone like Derek, with nothing remarkable, as his friend. It was to avoid provoking the insignificant Crown Prince. Derek understood that very well.
He tried not to upset the timid, small Crown Prince. At the same time, he made sure not to pity him in a way that would insult his pride.
After about ten years, those efforts had turned into real friendship. In any case, that tact was what landed him the position of aide.
The power of love was incredible, so Derek could not deny it. His weak friend had reached the level of a Sword Master and grown so impressively, all thanks to his first love.
That was why he could not understand Karsian’s request.
“…The Crown Princess was swapped. The current Crown Princess is fake.”
Derek’s mouth hung open in shock.
“Are you insane? Irbes has crossed the line.”
After hearing everything, Derek exploded in anger. Without realizing it, he had slipped into casual speech like when they were kids alone together. He was too angry to even notice.
Seeing Derek get furious on his behalf, as if it were his own problem, lightened Karsian’s heart a little. Either way, he had to find the real Raphiana.
“Estelle’s business is still doing well, right?”
“…Too well, actually. I can barely even see her.”
The contractor of the Wind Spirit King of the Shaia duchy was Estelle Ruach Shaia. In her mid thirties, she was neither married nor had she inherited the title.
Only direct descendants of the first Spirit Mages could become contractors, but that did not mean the contractor had to inherit the title.
On the surface, Estelle claimed she was busy helping with the duchy’s business. But that was not her real work. The Wind Spirit King, Ruach, could easily gather all information from anywhere the wind spirits reached.
Using that, Estelle secretly ran an information guild. Her intelligence network gave her enormous wealth and power. Very few people knew the truth.
“Quietly find the real Raphiana. I think Irbes is hiding something.”
“Of course I’ll do that. Then what do you plan to do about the fake one?”
Derek had calmed down and raised his voice again.
“What she said isn’t wrong. We need to keep this marriage going to get Raphiana back, don’t we?”
Karsian’s eyes burned even redder with obsession.
