“You’re here.”
Standing at the entrance of a cluster of shacks surrounded by dense bushes, Tale spotted Edmund and ran towards him. He was about to bow, his long navy hair tied high swaying behind him, but stopped when Edmund raised a hand.
“Is this the place?”
“Yes, he was known to frequent this gambling den.”
An illegal card gambling den hidden deep in the forest, notorious for occasional smuggling activities. Entry was heavily guarded, and the procedures were strict.
“I’ve already bribed one of the staff. Shall we enter through the back door to investigate?”
Edmund nodded and followed Tale.
The two maneuvered through the thicket, taking a winding path until they arrived at a shack covered with a stained cloth, as if someone had tried to shield it from the rain that fell a few days ago.
“This is it.”
Tale put his hand to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. Soon, a man emerged from behind the shack. He had a haggard face, as though he hadn’t slept for days, with a diagonal scar running across his cheek.
The man gestured to Tale with his fingers. Tale tossed him a pouch of silver coins from his coat. The man caught it mid-air, peeked inside to confirm its contents, and gave a nod.
“The manager is out right now, so make it quick.”
Once the staff disappeared, they entered the shack. Immediately, the thick scent of tobacco smoke hit them.
The dimly lit interior had hazy light seeping through the small windows on either side of the inner walls. Scattered round tables filled the room, with people gripping their cards tightly.
Some cursed while staring at their hands, others shook their legs nervously, or scratched their heads in frustration. Edmund stood at the entrance, silently scanning the shady scene before walking further in. As he moved through the center of the room, curious eyes discreetly followed him.
Most of the patrons had vacant, unfocused gazes, their appearances disheveled from a life of hardship.
However, this new stranger was different. He had a refined and noble appearance, but something about him made it hard for others to approach. He exuded an air of intimidation.
His cold golden eyes swept over the room until they stopped at one particular person.
A man with messy black hair was slouched in his chair, staring at his cards and mumbling about his bad luck.
“Ah, damn it!”
The man threw down his cards, declaring his withdrawal from the game. He then angrily flipped his empty coin pouch, while those around him sneered, telling him to leave if he had no money.
Edmund walked straight toward him.
“What the hell?”
The man, annoyed by the shadow looming over him, raised his chin irritably—then flinched.
Edmund stared at him for a moment before his expression darkened.
At a glance, he bore some resemblance to the person in the portrait they were searching for. But he was reckless and posed no threat whatsoever.
Edmund exchanged a glance with Tale, who was still standing by the entrance. He gave a small shake of his head. Tale sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, an apologetic look crossing his face for wasting his master’s time.
Just as Edmund was about to turn away, the man abruptly straightened and called out in a hurry.
“Hey, are you looking for someone who looks like me?”
Edmund, halting mid-step, raised an eyebrow. Slowly, he turned back, his eyes growing colder as he looked down at the man.
“Someone who resembles you?”
“Yeah, someone who looks just like me. Apparently, there’s another guy out there with this stunning face. Crazy, huh?”
“Do you know him?”
“By the way, where are you from? You don’t seem like a local.”
Edmund’s golden eyes narrowed. The sharp look in them made the man gulp nervously.
“I was recently fired from my theater troupe and ended up here, but people keep saying they recognize my face…”
The man glanced at Edmund with frightened eyes before shifting his gaze back to his empty coin pouch. Edmund raised his hand, prompting Tale to take out another pouch of coins from his jacket and step forward.
As soon as the others at the table saw this, they mocked the man, warning against wasting money on a liar. Angered, the man slammed his fist on the table.
“I’m serious! Someone who looks exactly like me was seen lurking around here, pretending to be some noblewoman’s lover! Then one day, he just disappeared!”
Realizing his slip, the man paled and turned back to Edmund, whose golden eyes were now shadowed with a chilling intensity.
Clink.
Edmund grabbed the pouch from Tale and tossed it onto the table before speaking in a cold tone.
“Tell me everything you know about him. Leave nothing out.”
Leaving the shack, Edmund moved swiftly through the trees, with Tale following closely behind.
“It must’ve been a noblewoman from this region. His looks were so striking that women with bad habits couldn’t resist calling him in… But one thing was odd.”
Glancing around cautiously, the man tucked the coin pouch into his coat before continuing.
“Some say his eyes were eerie. So unsettling, they could haunt your dreams.”
Eyes that could haunt your dreams. Edmund exhaled, his voice barely distinguishable between a sigh and a breath.
His sharp gaze sliced through the air.
One step. Just one step closer.
“Tale.”
“Yes, Master.”
Tale, who had been lagging behind, quickly caught up.
“Search the local noblewomen. Find the one connected to the man in the portrait.”
“But will they be willing to talk about their former lovers?”
Even if it was an open secret, noblewomen were reluctant to expose such affairs.
“Do I have to tell you how to make them talk?”
His mood had turned ominous. Tale hesitated for a moment before rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.
“I’ll handle it.”
Tale took a step back and gradually faded from sight.
Once Edmund confirmed he was alone, he turned toward Buell Territory. By the time he arrived, dusk had fallen.
He had felt nothing unusual until he caught sight of the red-bricked building where Etricia would be. Suddenly, a sense of urgency gripped him. A feeling like he was being chased.
At the entrance, Etricia stood face-to-face with a man.
“I heard one of the high-ranking executives is arranging a match with a merchant’s son.”
An unpleasant memory surfaced, making Edmund scowl.
Etricia wore a flowing chiffon evening dress in pale green. Since it was within her domain, there was little formality, and her outfit was lighter, more revealing than usual. Her delicate neckline and shoulders were fully exposed.
More than anything, she was smiling. Brightly.
Her red hair swayed like the sunset they once watched together. Her gemstone-like eyes, the same shade as her dress, shimmered.
Even from a distance, she was breathtaking.
“……”
Unconsciously, Edmund clenched his teeth so hard his throat tightened.
A heavy, suffocating emotion weighed on his chest. It felt both bitter and twisted.
Just then, their eyes met. Etricia’s expression brightened as she hurried toward him. If not for her returning smile, he might have lashed out and stabbed the man beside her.
“Brother, you’re back?”
“…Yes.”
Even though his response was delayed, Etricia simply smiled. She didn’t ask where he had been or what he had done. It was her way of being considerate, and Edmund knew it.
But in that moment, he nearly let his jealousy slip. Nearly told her not to look at other men. Not to smile at them.
And that realization made his grip tighten even more.
Edmund gently held her wrist so she wouldn’t be startled.
Surprised, she quickly turned her head and looked up at him.
When their eyes met—his burning with heat—her eyelids trembled slightly in confusion.
“Little brother?”
Her green eyes shook for a moment.
Edmund, who had been quietly staring into those eyes, slowly let go of her wrist.
“It’s nothing,” he said.
He clenched his jaw to swallow the impulsive words he almost blurted out—
telling her not to go to another man, not to smile at him.
Etricia stood in the center of the ballroom, receiving much attention and affection from many people.
It was natural—this was the hometown where she was born and raised, and now, she was its ruler.
In the shimmering light pooling in the middle of the banquet hall, she smiled brightly as she moved gracefully.
Every now and then, feeling someone’s gaze, she turned her head and gave a shy smile.
She didn’t notice the men who blushed while sneaking glances at her.
Edmund slightly regretted not saying what he had swallowed earlier.
Honestly, his situation was no different from hers.
It was just that he didn’t try to find a reason to speak to the handsome, melancholic-looking knight who came with the lady of the land, and he deliberately kept passing women out of his line of sight.
To be exact, even if he felt their presence, he pretended not to notice—
because all his attention was on Etricia.
