The moment Mayfield entered the Crown Prince’s reception room, she saw a bright red back of a head. Smoke from a cigarette rose above the large figure leaning against the window.
“I’ll be fine, wait outside.”
After Mayfield dismissed the attendants, the reception room door closed in silence. Hiss – the sound of a cigarette being slowly crushed out in a crystal ashtray echoed.
“Quite a nice reception room. Though not as grand as the Imperial Palace…”
Levian turned around leisurely as he spoke. It was the moment his brazen face, one she hadn’t wanted to see even after so long, came into view. Mayfield shot back coldly.
“That’s why I chose it. I didn’t feel the need to properly host you.”
“How disappointing.”
Unlike his words, Levian smirked without a trace of actual disappointment. Sitting casually on the sofa with his back to the window, he took a sip of the prepared black tea.
“It’s been a while, my lady. How curious to see you living so well. And here you were, despising demon-kind so much.”
Only one person has the right to call me ‘my lady.’ Though the words rose to the tip of her tongue, Mayfield skillfully swallowed them as she took a seat opposite him.
“I don’t know what brings you all the way here.”
“I can’t keep someone busy running a country for long. I’ll get straight to the point.”
Levian tilted the ceramic teapot being warmed by a small candle. Black tea streamed into Mayfield’s empty cup. Despite the pressure conveyed in the silence, Mayfield maintained her indifferent attitude.
Clank – rough hands set the teapot back down.
“I’ve come to retrieve my property.”
The afternoon sun streamed through the half-open window. In his black countenance backlit by the rays, only his predatory golden eyes stood out ominously.
“I hear it drifted here by chance.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mayfield feigned ignorance while drinking her tea. Levian tilted his face, marked with prominent sword scars, at an angle.
“Are you aware of the demon massacre that occurred recently in the Empire?”
“How could I not be? Even from the perspective of a former imperial citizen, it’s indefensible. It deserves condemnation.”
“Egru lost his life there.”
“…Is that so?”
Mayfield widened her eyes, pretending to be surprised.
“That’s regrettable. How unfortunate.”
“Do you know what state his corpse was in? Arrows stuck in his flimsy gut, stiff as a wax doll.”
“…”
“And what of the dried blood around his mouth? He must have died feeling the temperature of his own blood grow cold as he kept vomiting it up.”
“That’s enough. I don’t know what you’re trying to dig up about a master-servant relationship.”
Mayfield lifted her teacup, showing clear displeasure.
“That child is merely a fragment of my past.”
“That can’t be true.”
Levian slid something across the table. A cheap piece of cloth. As if offering it generously for her to wipe away tears.
Mayfield gave a low scoff. It was a useless item to her. After all, Egru had long since come under her protection.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m saying that’s hard to believe given the circumstances. I used to collect all the letters that came regularly until the massacre.”
“What?”
“‘Egru. You are my one and only friend.'”
As he casually recited the letter’s contents, Mayfield slammed down her teacup. Tea spilled over her trembling hand. For the first time in a very long while, intense anger welled up. His rough, low voice continued to scrape at Mayfield relentlessly.
“They made excellent kindling. Thanks to my lady’s warm heart, our guild’s fireplace burned all winter.”
“You shameless thug!”
Mayfield raised her voice without realizing it.
“Then as now, you’re obsessed with playing with others’ sincere feelings. Fine, Egru died because of your negligence. Is that what you wanted to hear? What nerve do you have showing your face to me?”
“I see my lady has no intention of telling the truth.”
One never wants to let go of a fish once caught, you know. Levian spoke with a composed smile. Mayfield’s gut twisted at his attitude of seeming to see through everything.
“I wasn’t the one who killed Egru. It was the work of a cowardly emperor and a madman who knew how to use him.”
Levian placed a pill on his tongue and swallowed it without water. The familiar shape of the pill suddenly reminded Mayfield of the past – the bottle full of mysterious pills that Egru used to carry.
Pheromone suppressants.
Levian had already made thorough preparations to leave no trace of himself. The alpha scent he once emitted so strongly was completely gone.
There could only be one reason for such underhanded behavior.
Mayfield clenched her fists. Whatever that sinister mind was plotting, she could not let him take Egru away.
“My lady should hope he’s alive here. After all, you’re still of imperial blood, even as a Grand Duchess.”
As Levian slowly rose, his huge shadow loomed over Mayfield.
“As it happens, I’ve grown sick of the imperial family.”
“Get out of here now. Don’t ever show your shameless face again.”
Levian chuckled softly. His eyes, already looking like they’d been slashed by a blade, curved sharply.
“Since I’ve come all this way, I might as well do some sightseeing.”
“What?”
“I hear the orc territory is full of entertainment. Let me play the role of a foolish, directionless adventurer for old times’ sake.”
Thump – heavy footsteps turned toward the reception room door.
“Then I’ll take my leave. May you enjoy long life and good health.”
“…”
Step by step, the threatening figure receded.
Mayfield gnawed her lower lip. She couldn’t predict what Levian was scheming at all.
Even if I strengthen palace security immediately…
Was it certain that Levian lacked the ability to infiltrate secretly? If that were truly the case, he wouldn’t have withdrawn so easily.
What about warning Egru? But if he actually wanted to meet Levian, things would become completely twisted.
In reality, there was no absolute justification to forbid a meeting with Levian. Yet he was more lethal than poison to the impossibly pure Egru.
For Egru to clearly recognize Levian’s danger, he needed to learn more about the world and gain understanding.
But even so…
She couldn’t just confine Egru to his room without reason.
As countless thoughts flashed through her mind, Levian turned the reception room doorknob with a clunk.
“…Wait.”
Mayfield finally stopped Levian.
***
“Did you wait long, Egru?”
Mayfield returned to the previous hall with a bright smile.
“How’s the writing lesson progress, Teacher Toby?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Egru is a student who absorbs knowledge like a sponge.”
At the elderly Toby’s praise, Egru lowered his head. His pointed ear tips turned red like autumn fruit.
“That’s amazing, Egru!”
“T-Teacher Toby taught me well.”
“Is that so? That’s wonderful.”
Mayfield paused briefly before speaking.
“I’m sorry to interrupt while you’re making such progress, but could I take the remaining class time, Teacher Toby?”
Toby bowed his head with a polite smile.
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Is that okay with you too, Egru?”
“Yes, yes! My lady! As much as you’d like!”
“Good, then would everyone else please clear the room so it’s just the two of us?”
Starting with Toby, the various subject teachers and attendants waiting by the window rose. After paying proper respects to the queen, they all left the hall with dignified steps. How much time passed after their footsteps faded from the vast hall?
“My lady?”
Mayfield’s eyes filled with Egru’s puzzled face. Taking a deep breath, she carefully sat down in the chair beside Egru – the one Toby had left behind.
“We’ll have a special lesson for the remaining time, Egru. I’d like you to think of it as time to examine your heart.”
“Yes! I’ll work hard, my lady!”
“Actually… This might involve digging up painful wounds. Would that be alright?”
“Painful wounds?”
“Yes, but I guarantee it won’t be bad for you.”
Mayfield clasped Egru’s hands.
“Can you trust me and follow along?”
“Ah…”
After blinking his amber eyes a couple times, Egru smiled as clear as the dawn sky.
“Of course, my lady.”
Mayfield hugged Egru tightly. Egru happily returned her embrace.
Such a noble and lovely child…
I absolutely cannot hand him over to someone like Levian.
Mayfield had Levian stay in the eastern palace annexe. Using the ridiculous pretext of the queen’s mercy.
They both saw through each other’s lies. What remained was who could find – and hide – things better.
Rather than letting Levian act freely…
It was better to keep him within her sight. Since he was a man whose actions were unpredictable, she needed to restrict and control his possible activities. Mayfield ordered the soldiers guarding the Crown Prince’s palace to monitor and report his every move.
I’ll need to manage Egru too, keeping him from leaving the main palace for now.
It’s fine. She was confident she could hide him well. After all, the palace was her domain, no matter what anyone said.
However, at this point, Mayfield didn’t realize it. That this Levian character was far more meticulous than she expected, while also being recklessly bold beyond reason.