“We might have to move Lady Rippo somewhere else soon,” Ilyin said worriedly.
“Are you going to bring her to the 7th floor?” Aden asked. The 7th floor was secure Delrose territory. If Ilyin asked for it, he had every intention of allowing it, but Ilyin shook her head.
“We can’t compromise the security of the 7th floor for Rippo,” she said. Friendly or not, the moment someone from another house came to the 7th floor, it would create a hole in their security? But if she were left on the 6th, Ilyin feared word would get out that Rippo was with Delrose.
Not that she distrusted the Delrose on the 6th floor. But the security for the 6th floor was different than that of the floor where Aden and Ilyin stayed.
“Honestly, it’s hard to trust that Lady of Mille,” Aden said. Ilyin understood – it was hard to trust someone who hasn’t revealed their intentions.
“If she were caught by Mille’s people, the Delrose would be held responsible,” Ilyin said. “The best scenario in that situation would be that she stands on Delrose’s side and admits that she came to Delrose of her own free will.”
“But if she changed her words and said she was locked in Delrose,” Aden added, “then Delrose would have no evidence to the contrary.”
And anyone who offered themselves up as a witness would simply be accused of being part of a Delrose conspiracy. Ilyin flinched at the thought.
“That’s…,” she began, but couldn’t finish the thought. It was she who had accepted the girl as the guest of Delrose. There was still a chance that could have been a costly mistake.
Aden squeezed her shoulder lightly.
“That doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong,” he said. “Her information has definitely helped Delrose.”
He was right. Rippo may have come for her own reasons, but the information she brought had been of great help – and the Delrose never forgot such things.
“It was she that told us Elo was already in contact with the Yesters,” he said. “And Mille, we still don’t know it for certain, but . . .”
She felt Aden shift slightly, as though he were uncomfortable. He didn’t show a reaction, but she understood what he felt.
“If the Yesters are looking to grow through marriage, there is no better time than now,” he said. “And there would be nothing more useful than bringing in the Mille that can use the divine power to be the heir’s wife.”
Now that they knew the Yesters almost certainly had a divine object, someone that could use divine power going to the Yesters could only mean trouble. Depending on what the Yesters’ divine power was, it could be disastrous for Bilften.
“If we can’t get rid of the Lady of Mille, nor take her in, there’s only one way,” he said, his cold voice ringing in the bedroom. “Completely destroying Mille.”
“Soon there’ll be a chance,” he said. “If the elder of the Mille really is in league with the Yesters, he’ll be sure to contact them as soon as possible. Or the Yesters might contact him first, given their dire situation. And they’ll expect Rippo to be brought to them quickly. And then I can find where the rest of the Yesters are hiding and annihilate them completely.”
“Then we have to wait for them to make contact,” Ilyin said, leaning against him.
***
Officially, the person staying in Delrose on the 6th floor was Bertha. But it was actually Rippo. She never left her room, as she seemed to understand the awkward position she was putting her hosts in. Besides, she had nowhere to go, and the Delrose treated her like a guest. And today, she was treated with even more honor. She was visited by the Master.
“Greetings, Master of the mansion,” she said. The girl bowed formally.
Aden glared at the Lady of Mille with none of the softness he reserved for Ilyin.
The Duke of Winter. He walked unaffected by the weather, stalked across countless battlefields as the Grandmaster of the Delrose knights. Rippo said nothing, but merely stood with her head bowed.
Before the Yesters had gotten their oracle and the elder of Mille decided to sell her off to them, she would have been the next elder of the Mille. That would have been her destiny if the heir of the Yesters hadn’t wanted her.
“I didn’t think you’d visit,” she said. She’d thought all that would be asked of her was to stay silent until the Yesters were taken care of.
“I have no intention of a long chat,” Aden said.
“Did you come here because of father?” she asked carefully. Aden nodded.
“I saw the Mille’s carriage,” she said. “Did he come?”
Of course, Rippo had known the round table meeting was happening. But when the elders of Elo and North had left, Mille’s elder had remained behind. She of course had assumed he’d had some reason.
“He was looking for you,” Aden said.
“Ah,” the girl responded, and her face went slightly pale.
“You’re not Delrose,” Aden continued
“Yes,” Rippo said. She didn’t dare meet his eyes. Not because of the rumor – that meeting the eyes of the Duke of Winter made one freeze. She just didn’t have the courage to meet the eyes of someone with so much winter in their voice.
“So,” he said. You can’t remain on the 6th floor much longer.”
“I’m . . . aware,” Rippo responded.
“We might have to move Lady Rippo somewhere else soon,” Ilyin said worriedly.
“Are you going to bring her to the 7th floor?” Aden asked. The 7th floor was secure Delrose territory. If Ilyin asked for it, he had every intention of allowing it, but Ilyin shook her head.
“We can’t compromise the security of the 7th floor for Rippo,” she said. Friendly or not, the moment someone from another house came to the 7th floor, it would create a hole in their security? But if she were left on the 6th, Ilyin feared word would get out that Rippo was with Delrose.
Not that she distrusted the Delrose on the 6th floor. But the security for the 6th floor was different than that of the floor where Aden and Ilyin stayed.
“Honestly, it’s hard to trust that Lady of Mille,” Aden said. Ilyin understood – it was hard to trust someone who hasn’t revealed their intentions.
“If she were caught by Mille’s people, the Delrose would be held responsible,” Ilyin said. “The best scenario in that situation would be that she stands on Delrose’s side and admits that she came to Delrose of her own free will.”
“But if she changed her words and said she was locked in Delrose,” Aden added, “then Delrose would have no evidence to the contrary.”
And anyone who offered themselves up as a witness would simply be accused of being part of a Delrose conspiracy. Ilyin flinched at the thought.
“That’s…,” she began, but couldn’t finish the thought. It was she who had accepted the girl as the guest of Delrose. There was still a chance that could have been a costly mistake.
Aden squeezed her shoulder lightly.
“That doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong,” he said. “Her information has definitely helped Delrose.”
He was right. Rippo may have come for her own reasons, but the information she brought had been of great help – and the Delrose never forgot such things.
“It was she that told us Elo was already in contact with the Yesters,” he said. “And Mille, we still don’t know it for certain, but . . .”
She felt Aden shift slightly, as though he were uncomfortable. He didn’t show a reaction, but she understood what he felt.
“If the Yesters are looking to grow through marriage, there is no better time than now,” he said. “And there would be nothing more useful than bringing in the Mille that can use the divine power to be the heir’s wife.”
Now that they knew the Yesters almost certainly had a divine object, someone that could use divine power going to the Yesters could only mean trouble. Depending on what the Yesters’ divine power was, it could be disastrous for Bilften.
“If we can’t get rid of the Lady of Mille, nor take her in, there’s only one way,” he said, his cold voice ringing in the bedroom. “Completely destroying Mille.”
“Soon there’ll be a chance,” he said. “If the elder of the Mille really is in league with the Yesters, he’ll be sure to contact them as soon as possible. Or the Yesters might contact him first, given their dire situation. And they’ll expect Rippo to be brought to them quickly. And then I can find where the rest of the Yesters are hiding and annihilate them completely.”
“Then we have to wait for them to make contact,” Ilyin said, leaning against him.
***
Officially, the person staying in Delrose on the 6th floor was Bertha. But it was actually Rippo. She never left her room, as she seemed to understand the awkward position she was putting her hosts in. Besides, she had nowhere to go, and the Delrose treated her like a guest. And today, she was treated with even more honor. She was visited by the Master.
“Greetings, Master of the mansion,” she said. The girl bowed formally.
Aden glared at the Lady of Mille with none of the softness he reserved for Ilyin.
The Duke of Winter. He walked unaffected by the weather, stalked across countless battlefields as the Grandmaster of the Delrose knights. Rippo said nothing, but merely stood with her head bowed.
Before the Yesters had gotten their oracle and the elder of Mille decided to sell her off to them, she would have been the next elder of the Mille. That would have been her destiny if the heir of the Yesters hadn’t wanted her.
“I didn’t think you’d visit,” she said. She’d thought all that would be asked of her was to stay silent until the Yesters were taken care of.
“I have no intention of a long chat,” Aden said.
“Did you come here because of father?” she asked carefully. Aden nodded.
“I saw the Mille’s carriage,” she said. “Did he come?”
Of course, Rippo had known the round table meeting was happening. But when the elders of Elo and North had left, Mille’s elder had remained behind. She of course had assumed he’d had some reason.
“He was looking for you,” Aden said.
“Ah,” the girl responded, and her face went slightly pale.
“You’re not Delrose,” Aden continued
“Yes,” Rippo said. She didn’t dare meet his eyes. Not because of the rumor – that meeting the eyes of the Duke of Winter made one freeze. She just didn’t have the courage to meet the eyes of someone with so much winter in their voice.
“So,” he said. You can’t remain on the 6th floor much longer.”
“I’m . . . aware,” Rippo responded.
