Elef ordered his men to bring Rosa and Enoch back inside the house.
At first, Rosa was suspicious.
It seemed like something had flown in from the palace, so she wondered what they were going to do with them.
But her doubts were quickly dispelled.
There was no one guarding the front of the house, and those who leisurely passed by through the snowstorm did not care whether they came out and wandered around.
Even the children looked at them with eyes glistening with interest.
"Enoch, what do you think?"
"It doesn’t seem like they felt what you said was crazy. Their guard has been lowered."
It was just as Enoch said.
She quickly abandoned her plan to flee and hide somewhere.
Of course, she didn’t completely let her guard down.
She simply judged that it would be safer to place her hopes there, than to hide and wander around a place where magic didn’t work.
Finally, Elef finished his business and returned.
"I was late because I needed to check the correspondence and have a quick chat.”
Rosa felt that she was anxious enough and didn’t want to wait any longer.
So, she directly asked,
"Duke Snow, may I ask you about the conclusion you all reached?”
"Of course you may ask."
As he said that, Elef offered a rolled-up piece of paper without hesitation.
It was the letter she had seen earlier.
"Why are you suddenly giving me this….”
It must have been the letter that Theodore had sent to Duke Snow. However, she didn’t understand why he was handing it to her as if telling her to read it.
She didn’t immediately accept it.
"People think we have powers because we have Snow Wolf's blood in us. But we don’t have powers, just our bloodline’s ability.”
[t/n: the term ‘ability’ here is used to reference the powers each ducal family holds. Like Rosa’s power of words/ability to curse others.]
As he said that, Elef began to unroll the rolled-up paper.
Unknowingly, her gaze was drawn to it, but she tried to turn away and asked Elef a question.
“……Are you saying it’s a separate power?"
"An eye that can discern the truth. That's our ability."
He continued quite calmly for someone divulging a secret.
"At the time you spoke, all eyes like mine must have seen the truth. That what you were saying was true.”
As he said that, Elef handed her the unfolded paper once again.
Because of that, she could see the content at a glance even though she didn’t want to see it.
"The drawing in this letter...….”
She immediately took the letter.
She wasn’t surprised by the part saying to turn her in.
There was something else.
There was a hidden message that only she would understand.
"Yes, I brought it because I thought it might be a signal to the Duke.”
Special correspondence could be sent on letterhead.
However, it was common to draw meaningful pictures that were closely related to the content of the letter.
Like now.
"Since you said you had told His Majesty the truth, I think this is your response...….”
While the drawing was unskilled, she was sure it was a drawing Vivian had shown her when she was drawing for fun.
Their own secret hideout.
The picture she had shown her, as if bragging about her drawing of that place…….
***
Early in the morning, the grand conference room of the Imperial Palace.
They’d had meetings for days on end, but no conclusion had been reached.
That’s why the central nobles gathered there again today and were having a heated discussion.
"Your Majesty, you have to make a decision!"
"As time passes, strange rumors about our empire are circulating, and the people are growing uneasy.”
"Even neighboring countries that would normally be unable to do anything are using this as an excuse to belittle us.”
There were some harsh comments, too.
This was because, even though Theodore looked unhappy at recent meetings, he had kept his mouth shut.
Usually, the foxes would get excited when the tiger disappeared.
Just like now.
"We must capture the Duke of Estella immediately! First of all, summon all the nobles who are close to him for questioning……!"
"That's right. We have to catch everyone that left the castle.”
"I've already tried contacting the collateral family members, and they all agree that there was something wrong with Duke from the beginning and there were questions about the process of his succession...….”
Bang!
Even though it was a marble table, Theodore slammed the tabletop as if it didn't matter.
His fists were starting to hurt.
But without even thinking about releasing his reddened fists, he scanned the nobles with a fierce, golden gaze.
They couldn't believe this was the same Theodore who, until a few days ago, was like someone who had forgotten how to speak.
That's how much he had changed.
"I've heard you for a few days now."
Theodore smiled cynically, with one corner of his mouth turning up.
Then he said coldly,
" All the solutions you come up with are one-dimensional and useless.”
It was a tone that suggested he had been hiding his teeth so that he could observe their antics.
In reality, that wasn’t the case.
"I have already sent letters to each of the dukes. It won’t be easy for him to escape anywhere.”
"Then, the East...….”
[t/n: the Magic Tower is in the east.]
Theodore's eyes sharpened.
He looked at the nobleman who had interrupted him with a question and clicked his tongue.
"Tsk."
He rested his chin on his hand, trying to look relaxed, with a look of pity.
Then he called Otis.
"Marquis Marigold.”
"Yes, I have put in the request through my son. The East will, naturally, be of no concern.”
"As I thought."
At Theodore’s leisurely final answer, everyone, including the nobleman who asked the question, remained silent.
Theodore continued, indicating he wasn’t done.
"Aside from meeting with the Estella collateral families, as well as the elder council, do you have any other plans?"
Funnily enough, the moment Theodore began to speak, the noise in the meeting gradually died down.
Of course, this was the plan.
Listening to this point, one would think that the emperor had clearly drawn a line with the Duke of Estella.
It appeared that he was doing all he could to catch him.
But his true intentions were different.
"Now, I will also protect Your Majesty. This is my will, regardless of my promise to Rosen.”
The afternoon before, upon hearing Vivian's words, Theodore was able to easily make up his mind.
He was still overcome with emotions that were difficult to control when he thought of Rosenta...….
However, he would choose to only believe what he had seen and experienced, without being swayed by others.
He would protect them.
***
Rosa spent the afternoon with Elef and his men planning what to do next.
As a result, she fell asleep late.
When she woke up, she was the only one still in bed. It was now the next day when everyone else was up and working.
Late, she rushed out with Enoch.
"Are you awake?"
She came across the guide as soon as she came out.
Judging by her red cheeks, it seemed as though she had wandered around for quite some time, waiting for Rosa to wake up.
Rosa felt sorry for no reason.
She asked her to guide her straight away, omitting as much small talk as possible.
"Please guide me.”
"Yes, follow me.”
She needed a mana stone.
It was one of the necessary materials for the cornerstone of the plan, in preparation for the forthcoming white night.
"Ice Meteor.
It is a kind of terrifying curse that manipulates the weather and causes widespread damage.
That's why you have to memorize an incredibly long spell.
If the spell is interrupted during this process or another necromancer simultaneously cast a conflicting curse, this curse will never work again in that location.
The stronger the curse is, the more rules there are and the stronger the reaction is.”
Caligo would probably appear in person.
She was planning to place magic stones on every road leading into the North.
So that even if they weren’t mages, Enoch would immediately notice anyone entering the North.
So, she was going to visit the mines in the north and dig for magic stones...….
There were already a great number of people there, digging with pickaxes.
As late as she was, she rolled up her sleeves as soon as she arrived. The hem of her skirt was so uncomfortable that she even tied it up like pants.
"You’ll injure your ankles that way.”
"It's okay.”
It was better than being uncomfortable and not being able to dig.
"Wait a minute."
Enoch suddenly rummaged through the pockets of his coat.
Then he took out his handkerchief.
"Let me put this on first.”
Enoch suddenly took a knee, as if Rosa’s answer didn't matter.
He even placed her foot on his thigh.
"Enoch! Your pants…….”
"It's okay. I'd rather my pants get dirty than you get hurt.”
Enoch gave back exactly what she had said.
Pfft, A snicker came out.
Enoch also smiled faintly as he looked up at her face.
Enoch finished wrapping her right ankle and then began to wrap a handkerchief around her left.
I felt like his hands slowed down.
Perhaps that’s why, as time passed, the eyes of those nearby began to fall on them one-by-one.
She was embarrassed. It felt like she was caught doing something cringe-worthy that screamed "watch me.”
She tried to put her foot down, but Enoch wouldn't let her.
"Enoch, hurry up and tie it...….”
As soon as she spoke, he secured the handkerchief and let go of her ankle.
But he didn't stand up.
"I have a question."
Enoch asked while still looking up at her.
It was a random question, too.
"What the hell was that drawing that changed you so much?"
Unsmiling eyes turned to her.
He was really curious, and it seemed as if he wouldn't get up until he heard the answer.
"I was just going to let it go, but I'm curious as expected. I don't know…….”
Enoch swallowed the rest of his words.
It was clear that he had omitted any words with a suggestive implication, perhaps because there were many unfamiliar eyes on them.
But Rosa knew what he meant.
She was sure Enoch was going to say, 'I want to know everything about you that I don't know.'
She shrugged lightly.
“It’s nothing.”
And just as Enoch did, she also omitted any troublesome words.
“...…It just means nothing’s changed.”
The drawing of the hideout.
It meant that he would still trust Rosa and wait for her like he did back when they relied on each other.
But that didn't mean that all of Theodore's sharp, bitter waves of emotions directed at her have disappeared.
There must be feelings of betrayal and love-hate, which are separate from their old friendship.
But it was okay.
It meant that he still cared about her and cherished her as a friend.