Chapter 10
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
Sitting atop a galloping horse, Yurein turned to look back.
A veil of silver magic was elegantly draped over the Tarbargen estate.
It fluttered like chiffon curtains, shimmering as if the mansion were wrapped in an aurora.
She knew exactly what that meant.
Time within the Tarbargen estate had stopped.
As long as that silver barrier—visible only to her—covered the mansion,
‘Yeah. Now, no one will be able to follow us.’
Yurein gave the mansion one last glance before turning her eyes forward again.
As long as that barrier remained, there was no need to worry about any search parties chasing them.
‘Well, I did leave them a little surprise, though.’
She blinked and smiled faintly.
Even after that silver curtain vanished, the Duke wouldn’t bother searching for her and Rebecca.
Something rather entertaining was about to happen there soon, anyway.
And besides, a man as indifferent as the Duke would never bother looking for her.
She had never expected otherwise.
‘More importantly…’
Lowering her posture, Yurein fixed her gaze straight ahead.
A faint light flickered in her eyes.
It was finally time to meet him.
Zarkal Belteron.
The Second Prince of the Belteron Empire.
“Um, my lady… you mean to stay here?”
Rebecca spoke cautiously, glancing nervously at Yurein.
Her tone was polite, but the shock in her voice was unmistakable.
“Yes. We’re staying here.”
Yurein smiled at Rebecca’s reaction.
Even with her firm answer, Rebecca still hesitated, looking around uneasily.
“But, my lady… this place is a bit—”
“What’s the problem? It’s a rather famous inn around here.”
Yurein’s eyes drifted up toward the crooked signboard.
<The Crooked Crow’s Cry>
‘Yep, this is the right one.’
The innkeeper clearly had terrible taste in names, but this was indeed the place Yurein had been looking for.
And just as she’d told Rebecca, it was one of the most well-known inns in the area.
Creak—
The moment Yurein pushed open the door, the noisy inn fell silent.
Then, as if nothing had happened, the chatter quickly resumed.
Rebecca couldn’t hide her distaste as she scanned the interior.
The floor was sticky, and drunk men were shouting across the room.
It was hardly the sort of place a young lady of noble birth should be staying in.
To be fair, it was clean enough for a local inn—but to Rebecca, who had served in the Duke’s household for years, it was intolerable.
Why on earth had Lady Yurein come to a place like this?
After leaving the Tarbargen estate, they had only stopped briefly to exchange jewels for coin and make a small disguise before riding here nonstop.
And this shabby little inn was their destination?
The innkeeper passed by carrying a tray of ale, casting a sideways glance at them.
He slammed the mugs down on a nearby table and turned toward Yurein.
“Oi, the two of you. Lookin’ to stay the night?”
“Yes. Three nights for now.”
At Yurein’s nod, the innkeeper strode toward the counter.
“A lady, huh? Must be stiflin’ under that robe. One room or two?”
“One is fine.”
The innkeeper nodded and plunked a key onto the counter.
It was an old, grimy key hanging from a rough wooden tag.
Rebecca frowned at his crude manner but held her tongue.
Yurein picked up the key.
“What about meals?”
“Bring them to the room. Just the basics.”
The innkeeper scribbled something on a piece of paper.
“Meals and lodging for three days… comes to fourteen silver.”
Clack.
Yurein pulled fourteen silver coins from her pouch and placed them on the counter.
Then she looked around.
‘For such a famous inn, it’s quieter than I expected.’
Parmahal.
A small city, but with large cities nearby, it usually saw constant traffic from merchants.
Naturally, where there were merchants, there were guild members, mercenaries for hire, wanderers, and travelers.
Yet now, there were barely any mercenaries around.
Only a few locals filled the tavern seats.
There didn’t seem to be any overnight guests at all.
She glanced toward the rows of keys hanging behind the counter—most of them were still there.
‘Strange.’
Yurein narrowed her eyes.
By now, Zarkal should have arrived here.
She recalled something Lampos had once said—
“We’re already up to our necks dealing with the Regale Subjugation Campaign… what’s all this new commotion about?”
The Regale Subjugation Campaign.
A horde of monsters had suddenly attacked the city of Regale.
The one credited with leading the successful counterattack was none other than Crown Prince Yustaf.
But Yurein remembered clearly—
a night when Lampos, normally so cold and composed, had gotten drunk and started talking in the dining hall.
It was the first and only time she’d seen him so disheveled.
“Ha… must be nice, huh? You get to live happily at home without a care in the world.”
Lampos had sneered at her, his smile sharp as a blade.
Yurein had instinctively stepped back.
But he took another swig and continued, twisting his lips into a bitter grin.
“They say His Highness the Second Prince died today—died defending the Empire. Funny thing is…”
Lampos had grimaced several times before downing the rest of his drink and growling—
“Crown Prince Yustaf is using it. Using his own half-brother’s death for political gain.”
Then he’d collapsed onto the table, drunk beyond reason.
At the time, Yurein hadn’t understood what he meant.
She’d only thought about pleasing her eldest brother, hurrying to fetch the servants and tend to him.
She hadn’t minded Lampos looking down on her—
after all, he worked in the Imperial Palace; his burdens must have been unimaginable.
But the next day, grim news swept across the Empire.
The death of Second Prince Zarkal Belteron.
He had taken command at the frontlines, personally fighting the monsters flooding into Regale and the nearby city of Parmahal.
The Crown Prince mourned his half-brother deeply, saying he had sent him only because there was no choice—for the sake of the people.
Had the Second Prince failed to stop the monsters, they would have broken through Parmahal and reached Regale, dooming the campaign.
So Yustaf’s sorrow was noble.
His popularity soared overnight.
The Empire wept for Zarkal while hailing Yustaf as a hero who put the people above his own family.
Yurein let out a cold laugh.
Lampos’s drunken words had just been his way of easing his guilt.
The rumor had been spread by none other than the Imperial Administration—where Lampos himself held office.
‘He couldn’t bear his guilt, so he drowned himself in drink and self-pity.’
In the end, both the administration and the Crown Prince had exploited a dead man for their own gain.
That was the truth.
Turning away from that truth for comfort—
that was all it had been.
At the time, she had been flattered, thinking Lampos trusted her enough to confide in her.
But now she realized—she had simply been an easy target.
He had vented his frustration at her because she was there.
How pitifully beneath him she must have seemed.
Yurein narrowed her eyes.
Never again would she allow anyone to treat her that way.
No one would protect her—she had to protect herself.
And to do that, she had something important to accomplish now.
She scanned the tavern once more, her eyes sharp.
But there was still no sign of Second Prince Zarkal—or his subordinates.
‘He hasn’t arrived yet?’
Yurein planned to reveal herself as a Guide and propose a contract.
As an Esper, Zarkal would need the help of a Guide.
But with Ayla—the Crown Prince’s fiancée—around, he would be denied any formal guidance.
That made Yurein all the more valuable.
And she needed him desperately, too.
They were perfect for each other.
“By the way,” the innkeeper suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Guess you ladies are pretty lucky, huh?”
