Chapter 7
“A request?”
“I need proper transportation and an escort. I’d like it arranged as soon as possible.”
At my words, Carlos frowned.
“Didn’t I just tell you to lie low?”
“That’s precisely why. I need to travel west. I can’t make such a long journey alone.”
Originally, I had planned to wait longer.
But I changed my mind.
If this artifact could conceal my identity even slightly, then moving sooner was wiser than delaying.
“Once the guardianship is formalized, imperial surveillance will tighten. The necklace won’t be enough then. It’s better to move now, while scrutiny is lighter.”
The west was the land of mages.
Untouched by concentrated miasma, it attracted powerful mana users who owed allegiance to no central authority.
And above all—
He should still be there.
I needed to meet him as soon as possible.
“You come seeking protection, and not even two weeks later you want to leave ducal territory….”
Carlos’s gaze swept over me, cold and unreadable.
There was not a trace of trust in it.
“Why should I grant such a request?”
“You already know I escaped the Emperor’s watchful eye to get here. If you truly suspect my intentions, inform him. Tell him the Princess is here and let him retrieve me.”
At my blunt response, his eyes narrowed.
“It’s necessary.”
“…Does this concern the purification stones?”
“Most likely.”
Silence settled between us.
He was weighing me—measuring the risk, trying to discern what scheme I might be plotting.
As if he could ever imagine it’s for your sake.
Our gazes locked.
“….”
Carlos looked away first.
He closed his tired eyes briefly.
“…I’ll consider it.”
And then—
Bang!
“Father!”
The office doors burst open.
Before I could fully turn, a tall figure strode in and slammed a hand against the desk.
“I heard the Princess came here—what in the world—!”
He stopped mid-shout when he saw me.
Black hair—the symbol of the Carter line. Green eyes, likely inherited from his mother. A face still carrying traces of youth.
…Damian Carter.
The heir to the ducal house.
The man who should have been my older brother.
This is the first time I’ve seen him this young.
The last face I remembered was older—sharper—wearing that constant mocking smile whenever he looked at me.
Seeing him visibly agitated felt unfamiliar.
Despite my altered hair and eyes, he recognized me instantly.
“What right do you have to step foot here, Your Highness?”
His voice cut like steel.
“I knew you were mad, but this is impressive. Gambling with your own life now? If that’s why you crawled in here—”
The insults came swiftly.
Yes. That was Damian.
Unlike Carlos, he never hesitated to antagonize me openly—carefully toeing the line of treason without crossing it.
I’d lost count of how many times he made my blood boil.
“Damian. That’s enough.”
“But Father—!”
“Enough.”
Carlos waved a hand irritably.
“Princess. You should leave.”
“Yes.”
I rose immediately.
Facing Damian now would accomplish nothing.
“I’ll take my leave.”
I passed him without another word.
Let’s not cross paths again.
Even as I felt his glare burning into my back until the door closed.
After Rhea Left
“Father, what are you thinking? Why would you even entertain that cursed woman—!”
“Lower your voice. You’re giving me a headache.”
Carlos leaned back in his chair.
“How are things in the eastern territory?”
“…Monster attacks have increased. We cleared the nearby nests. It should hold for now.”
“The miasma has reached the mountain range.”
“We’re distributing purification stones regularly. Including the batch we recently purchased. It’s manageable.”
Carlos nodded slowly.
The eastern lands, closest to the miasma’s core, remained stable thanks to Damian and his knights.
“And the matter I asked you to investigate?”
“There’s no record of that stone anywhere in the Empire. Not in the capital, not through guild channels. Even the imperial family appears unaware of its existence.”
“Certain?”
“Yes. But what exactly is it? You said its effectiveness was dozens of times stronger than standard purification stones.”
Instead of answering, Carlos handed him a palm-sized wooden box.
Damian opened it—and froze.
Dozens of dark red stones filled the interior.
“What is this…?”
“The Princess brought them. She claims she can provide as many as we require. In exchange for guardianship.”
“…Guardianship? What does that even mean?”
Confusion overtook Damian’s expression.
“She says she needs protection from the imperial family.”
“That’s absurd.”
“Exactly as I said.”
Damian’s face twisted.
“She’s the Emperor’s favored monster. Why would she need protection?”
Rhea Frieze’s name was infamous.
How many had fallen because of a single word from her?
“She must have another scheme. And you’re considering trusting her?”
“Yes. I know. It’s suspicious.”
Carlos closed the box quietly.
“That’s why you’ll watch her.”
His crimson eyes shifted toward the door she had exited through.
“Whether she’s truly desperate… or merely playing a deeper game—we’ll find out.”
