Shadowless Night

It was clear that Laheansi was referring to an incident in which the mangled body of a priest was discovered in the royal forest before the hunting competition. Had it happened again during this time? It couldn’t have been a coincidence.

“Was another body found?” Ricardis’ tone returned to normal. Laheansi smiled with relief and answered.

“Oh! This time, the priest had his throat cut! The head hasn’t been found yet!” The High Priest said this with an almost unsettling cheerfulness. When Ricardis frowned, Laheansi’s eyes wandered around the edge of the table. Ricardis tapped his fingers on the table.

“Did the priest disappear from the Great Temple?”

“Yeah, he disappeared just yesterday. We estimated the time of death, and it seems to match. Judging by the injuries, it seems like he was pierced and torn apart, limbs broken all over. Oh, and the head? Can’t seem to find it anywhere.”

“They’re covering up a series of priest murders? What’s wrong with everyone?”

“The founding day is just around the corner. His Majesty is in no mood to deal with rumors at this time.”

Ricardis shook his head with a furrowed brow. The old man regarded that damn imperial dignity too much.

Another priest had died. Ricardis was convinced that Diech and the Black Moon were involved in the background of both priest murder cases. Why did Diech, or perhaps, what were they thinking? If it were merely vengeance, it wouldn’t have stopped at just two victims. So was it out of necessity? Could something powerful disguised as the 5th Prince and the formidable force of the Black Moon achieve anything significant with just the deaths of two priests?

Crunch, crunch.

Interrupted by the audibly casual munching of a cookie, Ricardis was pulled back from his contemplation. Laheansi was chatting with Isserion, idly crunching cookies.

“Did my brother apologize to Sir Rosaline first?”

“…”

Correction: Laheansi was the one chatting, and Isserion was observing silently. Ricardis’ expression started to turn stern, prompting Laheansi to pay his attention back to him.

“Hehe, Brother, I brought you good news, right?”

“… Yeah, well, good job.”

The two exchanged a few more words. Laheansi discussed how Verum was researching card games all night, plans to renovate the abandoned garden, and the young priests being restless due to a statue of a woman holding pottery being broken. He also mentioned how Prince Haqab visited the temple, looking handsome, but reassured that Ricardis was even more good-looking. About 90% of what Laheansi said was pointless chatter.

When the conversation turned to jealousy about Rosaline’s beautiful hair and how Ricardis could learn her secret, Ricardis raised an eyebrow slightly. He spoke with a serious face, “When you treated Sir Rosaline.”

“Hmm?”

“Did you notice anything unusual?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“I’m talking about magic. Did you notice anything unusual when using holy power on her?”

“Oh, well, it felt a bit odd, like my power was leaking. Maybe because she’s a mage.”

Leaning against the back of the sofa, Ricardis cocked his head slightly. “Really? Because she’s a mage, you say?”

Laheansi felt cold sweat trickling down his back. Was his brother insane? Wasn’t he keeping this hidden?

“Well… maybe.”

Ricardis chuckled and stood up from his seat. He headed to the opposite sofa. Ricardis sat next to Laheansi, draping an arm over his shoulder. Laheansi stiffened, only blinking.

“My dear brother, Laheansi…” The tone was ominous. Why was his brother acting like this? “You seem to be hesitating and reevaluating. If you keep hesitating, you’ll miss the moment when you need to take action.” Ricardis gently stroked Laheansi’s head. Laheansi sounded strangled. His eyes glanced sideways for a moment and met Ricardis’ shining eyes.

“Now’s a good time to bet your life, isn’t it? Right in the midst of this impending war. How could a gambler like you lay low?” Ricardis grinned. “If you want to have a special discussion about Sir Rosaline, come find me again. Now, go. You have work to do.”

Ricardis, done with his words, got up and returned to his desk. Laheansi stiffly left the study. A carriage was waiting at the main entrance. He passed by the carriage door that Verum was holding open, as if he were a ghost. As he stepped inside and sat down, laughter bubbled up involuntarily. Laheansi made a strange sound.

“Hehehe… Quite a terrifying brother…”

Ricardis was fully aware of the possibility that Laheansi might notice Rosaline’s anomaly. The Ricardis Laheansi knew was not the type to gamble. He was certain that Laheansi wouldn’t casually disclose that Rosaline was different from a typical mage.

Laheansi scratched his head.

‘I did act a bit suspicious.’

Moreover, whenever some incident occurred, Laheansi would rush over eagerly and be the first to inform Ricardis. It was easy for Ricardis to recognize that his interest lay in Rosaline.

Yet all he had were just pieces of information. How to handle them was still unknown. If he acted hastily, he might end up dying with nothing gained. Laheansi’s ultimate concern regarding the outcome was not just about ‘dying’ but about ‘gaining nothing.’

However, just as his older brother, Ricardis, had predicted, the events started to unfold rapidly. Big things clashed, creating a whirlpool in between. Laheansi knew he would soon have to dive into that whirlpool.

As he tried to soothe his uneasy feelings, Verum next to him suddenly burst out in anger. Lately, he had been losing often in card games, making his temper short.

“Did you cause trouble again, Your Holiness? Please behave properly! I can’t bear the shame.”

“No, you-! I haven’t done anything today! I don’t care if you’re biased against me, but don’t accuse me without reason!”

Laheansi threw his shoes out the window. After Verum lost his temper, he went to pick up the shoes that were now scattered all around.

***

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap…

The applause reverberated in the room without ceasing. Baroness Laritya, along with her servants, the handmaids of the Cimmaron Manor, and even Chloe—all of them clapped with impressed expressions. Beside them, Leticia’s face turned red as if she would keep clapping forever.

How could a piece be so perfect? Flawless from head to toe!

“It’s beautiful, Sir Rosaline. Truly.”

“Thank you, Sir Leticia.”

Chloe, perhaps reminded of past nightmares, teared up briefly and discreetly wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

“Sir Rosaline, could you turn around once?”

Rosaline twirled around. The hem of her dazzling white dress swayed with her movement. Chloe closed her eyes and nodded approvingly.

“It can’t get more perfect than this. Baroness, truly…”

“Yes, it’s a masterpiece of my life! Utilizing all my skills and resources!”

Rosaline admired her reflection in the mirror. The dress her mother, Edelweiss, had given her in the past was beautiful with its richly adorned sleeves and hem; but even with her eyes, she could tell the current dress suited her much better.

It wasn’t the typical dress with a puffed-up skirt. The dress followed the contours of her body, snugly coming down, and flared out broadly towards the back from below her hips. The white fabric was adorned with lace, embroidery, and sparkling gems that emitted a consistent glow.

The upper part of the dress was a form where lace was layered over opaque white fabric hugging the inside of the body. It appeared as if white flowers and plants were growing, spreading from the white fabric covering her chest. The lace generously exposed her shoulders and collarbone, finishing tightly around her arms. The exposed arms and upper chest, covered only with lace and without layered fabric, revealed Rosaline’s skin.

The shoes she wore were also adorned with intricate jewels on a white base. Additionally, she was wearing a pair of ornate earrings with many kinds of gems.

“These earrings are incredibly heavy. I think I could use them as weapons.”

Rosaline considered throwing the earrings away in a pinch. Chloe gasped and held out her hands.

“Cakes!”

“Excuse me?”

“With those pairs of earrings, you could buy about 860 cakes, Sir Rosaline!”

Rosaline’s eyes widened. “W-what in the world am I wearing on my ears?”

860 cakes?

“Really, Sir Rosaline. You’re wearing earrings. You wouldn’t want to dirty them while eating or get blood on them while fighting. Blood doesn’t come off easily.”

“I won’t eat. I won’t fight!”

“Well, that’s very kind of you.”

Feeling her strong sense of determination, Chloe looked at her with a warm smile. Rosaline remained frozen, looking awkward. She seemed like a wooden doll with a dress put on. Chloe chuckled.

“It looks more like formal attire than a ball gown. Perhaps because it’s white.”

At the National Founding Festival, only those of noble blood and their partners were allowed to wear white. There were less than fifty out of hundreds of people in this category. Even though Rosaline might not be aware, it was certain that many people’s attention would be on her. It wasn’t just the color of the dress; many factors were at play.

“If we list a few problems…”

Right now, Rosaline was walking cautiously, step by step, like a newly born animal. In a little while, she seemed like she might crawl on all fours. Chloe shook her head.

“Put your hips in.”

Chloe pushed Rosaline’s hips, which were slightly sticking out.

“Straighten your chest. Tuck your chin slightly downward.”

Chloe continued to gently press the center of Rosaline’s sternum while keeping her chin fixed, maintaining the usual straight posture she had seen in Rosaline.

“Well, good. You have to walk like this, understood, Sir Rosaline? You’ll get scolded if your hips stick out.”

Chloe lightly tapped her on the hips. Rosaline nodded.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door. Chloe smiled mischievously.

“Oh my, so impatient. Sir Rosaline, it seems Prince Ricardis has come to escort you.”