Aden’s curiosity was piqued, and he couldn’t fathom what was going on. “Why Leon?” he asked, his eyes fixed on Milo.
Milo’s face twisted with bitterness, as if he had cited a questionable source. “Well, according to the letter,” he replied. “We had touched a noble house.”
Ilyin’s head tilted in intrigue. Acid had infiltrated a noble house? As someone who recognized Milo’s capabilities, the notion appeared implausible to her.
“But the only noble house I’ve been to recently is the Arlen family,” Milo said.
“Arlen has ties to Leon?” Ilyin asked incredulously. The idea of the Duke of Leon and Viscount Arlen collaborating on anything seemed improbable to her since they were known to have conflicting views. Nevertheless, Ilyin was aware that Viscount Arlen would do anything to rub shoulders with someone of such high status.
“We suspect there was some kind of deal involved,” Milo said cautiously, and Ilyin raised an eyebrow. That was unusual.
Viscount Arlen had nothing that Duke Leon could possibly want. Any valuable assets would have been liquidated long ago for cash, or perhaps have been transformed into opulent decorations to adorn the walls of his mansion.
“What exactly does Arlen have?” Aden asked, voicing his thoughts out loud. The heat was unusually oppressive. It couldn’t have been for carrots, could it? The notion seemed ludicrous, but Aden couldn’t shake the feeling that something crucial was being overlooked.
He placed a reassuring hand on Ilyin’s shoulder. Could it be her precognitive ability that the Duke of Leon sought? Aden quickly dismissed the idea, realizing that it was improbable.
Viscount Arlen had already silenced any lower servants who knew of his family’s circumstances, sending them to the afterlife. However, the only possibility was that someone among the long-term staff had some insight.
“Find out if any of Arlen’s estate’s servants have left recently,” Aden instructed, his eyes narrowed in thought. Something didn’t feel right, and Aden couldn’t shake the sense of impending danger.
* * *
The investigation beneath the blazing sun concluded swiftly, as expected from the visible changes. The winter person’s report, commissioned by Milo, left a shocking impact.
“A lowly maid married a newly emerged noble,” he revealed.
“From Arlen’s estate?” Ilyin gasped at the news.
“Indeed,” Milo nodded, acknowledging her surprise. “It’s been over two decades since a servant lived on in the viscount’s domain.” Milo, who had conducted the investigation directly into Viscount Arlen, could not have been ignorant of the event regarding Sid’s mishap.
“Which family did she marry into?” Aden inquired with curiosity.
“Somebody who purchased their title with wealth. And according to rumors, they shared links with the upper echelon of the center,” Milo informed, his expression grave. If the speculation held any truth, it was a predictable tale of the “high nobility in the center.” It was almost certainly Duke Leon.
“It seems they intend to explore the lower rungs that can be easily severed,” Aden pondered out loud, his lips clamped tightly shut. He had surmised that only the servants who had devoted themselves to the secret for an extended period were left. Ilyin’s account confirmed his assumption.
However, it was shattered now. Someone with the secret had wedded an outsider and had broken away from Viscount Arlen’s hold.
Why had they done it? It was a secret that had been guarded even at the cost of their lives. Was it because they couldn’t refuse? And the outsider in question had ties to Duke Leon. Then, did the Duke of Leon know of Ilyin’s precognitive dreams?
Aden placed his hand on Ilyin’s shoulder, conveying his silent solidarity. She was well aware that Duke Leon was privy to the secret.
What was evident was that Biflten held more knowledge about Duke Leon than the Duke had about Biflten. Aden narrowed his eyes
* * *
The towering presence of Acid served as a lifeline for the winter region’s scarce supplies. Though not the only route, it was certainly the grandest. However, when issues arose along this path, the winter region gradually bore the brunt of the consequences.
“Excuse me?”
Etra, residing in the opulent Biflten estate of the winter realm, was taken aback upon hearing that their stockpile of medicine was dwindling.
The shortage had already begun to spread, slowly seeping into the minutiae of daily life, down to the last remaining tea leaves. Even with reserves, there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. There was a plan to increase the flow of goods from the opposite direction, but it was a complex endeavor that required careful restructuring. Acid, a mere figurehead, could not offer a solution. Under the warm region, the power of the aristocracy was unyielding.
Aden was swift in making his decision. He was not one to opt for moderate measures in any case. Most rumors about him were baseless, but there was always some truth lurking in the shadows.
“Let us journey to the warm region.”
“Your Highness, do you intend to expose the relationship between Biflten and Acid?” Aegis inquired urgently. Aden gave a nod of affirmation.
“There is no reason not to.”
Aden’s curiosity was piqued, and he couldn’t fathom what was going on. “Why Leon?” he asked, his eyes fixed on Milo.
Milo’s face twisted with bitterness, as if he had cited a questionable source. “Well, according to the letter,” he replied. “We had touched a noble house.”
Ilyin’s head tilted in intrigue. Acid had infiltrated a noble house? As someone who recognized Milo’s capabilities, the notion appeared implausible to her.
“But the only noble house I’ve been to recently is the Arlen family,” Milo said.
“Arlen has ties to Leon?” Ilyin asked incredulously. The idea of the Duke of Leon and Viscount Arlen collaborating on anything seemed improbable to her since they were known to have conflicting views. Nevertheless, Ilyin was aware that Viscount Arlen would do anything to rub shoulders with someone of such high status.
“We suspect there was some kind of deal involved,” Milo said cautiously, and Ilyin raised an eyebrow. That was unusual.
Viscount Arlen had nothing that Duke Leon could possibly want. Any valuable assets would have been liquidated long ago for cash, or perhaps have been transformed into opulent decorations to adorn the walls of his mansion.
“What exactly does Arlen have?” Aden asked, voicing his thoughts out loud. The heat was unusually oppressive. It couldn’t have been for carrots, could it? The notion seemed ludicrous, but Aden couldn’t shake the feeling that something crucial was being overlooked.
He placed a reassuring hand on Ilyin’s shoulder. Could it be her precognitive ability that the Duke of Leon sought? Aden quickly dismissed the idea, realizing that it was improbable.
Viscount Arlen had already silenced any lower servants who knew of his family’s circumstances, sending them to the afterlife. However, the only possibility was that someone among the long-term staff had some insight.
“Find out if any of Arlen’s estate’s servants have left recently,” Aden instructed, his eyes narrowed in thought. Something didn’t feel right, and Aden couldn’t shake the sense of impending danger.
* * *
The investigation beneath the blazing sun concluded swiftly, as expected from the visible changes. The winter person’s report, commissioned by Milo, left a shocking impact.
“A lowly maid married a newly emerged noble,” he revealed.
“From Arlen’s estate?” Ilyin gasped at the news.
“Indeed,” Milo nodded, acknowledging her surprise. “It’s been over two decades since a servant lived on in the viscount’s domain.” Milo, who had conducted the investigation directly into Viscount Arlen, could not have been ignorant of the event regarding Sid’s mishap.
“Which family did she marry into?” Aden inquired with curiosity.
“Somebody who purchased their title with wealth. And according to rumors, they shared links with the upper echelon of the center,” Milo informed, his expression grave. If the speculation held any truth, it was a predictable tale of the “high nobility in the center.” It was almost certainly Duke Leon.
“It seems they intend to explore the lower rungs that can be easily severed,” Aden pondered out loud, his lips clamped tightly shut. He had surmised that only the servants who had devoted themselves to the secret for an extended period were left. Ilyin’s account confirmed his assumption.
However, it was shattered now. Someone with the secret had wedded an outsider and had broken away from Viscount Arlen’s hold.
Why had they done it? It was a secret that had been guarded even at the cost of their lives. Was it because they couldn’t refuse? And the outsider in question had ties to Duke Leon. Then, did the Duke of Leon know of Ilyin’s precognitive dreams?
Aden placed his hand on Ilyin’s shoulder, conveying his silent solidarity. She was well aware that Duke Leon was privy to the secret.
What was evident was that Biflten held more knowledge about Duke Leon than the Duke had about Biflten. Aden narrowed his eyes
* * *
The towering presence of Acid served as a lifeline for the winter region’s scarce supplies. Though not the only route, it was certainly the grandest. However, when issues arose along this path, the winter region gradually bore the brunt of the consequences.
“Excuse me?”
Etra, residing in the opulent Biflten estate of the winter realm, was taken aback upon hearing that their stockpile of medicine was dwindling.
The shortage had already begun to spread, slowly seeping into the minutiae of daily life, down to the last remaining tea leaves. Even with reserves, there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. There was a plan to increase the flow of goods from the opposite direction, but it was a complex endeavor that required careful restructuring. Acid, a mere figurehead, could not offer a solution. Under the warm region, the power of the aristocracy was unyielding.
Aden was swift in making his decision. He was not one to opt for moderate measures in any case. Most rumors about him were baseless, but there was always some truth lurking in the shadows.
“Let us journey to the warm region.”
“Your Highness, do you intend to expose the relationship between Biflten and Acid?” Aegis inquired urgently. Aden gave a nod of affirmation.
“There is no reason not to.”
