CHAPTER 25
For a moment, Kaas stared in awe—it was as if he’d forgotten how to think.
But Linaria didn’t have time to care about how he saw her.
“Come this way. Thanks to the assumption that the chaos was caused by foreigners, the guards have relaxed. But once they realize it was deliberate, they’ll catch on.”
As she hurriedly pulled Kaas along, Linaria realized she was rushing too much.
“If it’s hard to walk, take this first. It’s a painkiller.”
She pulled out a painkiller she had asked Anna to prepare in advance.
She had made sure it was the strongest kind, so it would take effect immediately.
But Kaas didn’t take it. He simply looked at her warily, as if seeing a stranger for the first time.
“My name is Linaria. Linaria Obel.”
Introducing herself again, she was struck by how familiar this situation felt.
It had been much the same in her previous life.
“You may already know, but I’m Linaria. From House Obel.”
During their engagement, the imperial palace had been nothing more than a grand cage to Linaria.
A year spent without a single person she could confide in.
One day, unable to bear the loneliness, she had approached him during a walk.
She had seen him resting in the garden from time to time—always covered in blood.
She had felt both pity and a strange sense of kinship for someone who seemed to have no life of his own.
“What’s your name?”
“…Insect.”
He muttered the word with dry, chapped lips.
“No, not the nickname His Highness calls you. I want to know your real name.”
“Trash.”
“……”
“Those are the only names I’m allowed to have.”
He seemed to have forgotten his real name, referring to himself only as “insect” or “trash.”
And he hadn’t remembered Linaria’s name either.
“If you forget my name, I’ll keep telling you until you remember.”
She had handed him her necklace—her birthday gift from her father—while he still looked dazed and confused.
“And if you don’t believe that I genuinely want to help you, then keep this as collateral.”
“……”
“It’s the most precious thing I own. Something I must never lose.”
“You’re giving… something like this to me?”
“You won’t trust me unless I show I trust you first. People’s hearts can change—but objects don’t.”
Trust was never a one-way street.
Linaria desperately needed Kaas. And this was her way of proving that—by giving him something truly valuable.
She gently pushed the painkiller and ointment into his hands.
Rustle—
A sound nearby.
Startled, Linaria quickly tugged on Kaas’s arm. This time, he obediently followed, limping.
***
The incident at the banquet was officially declared an accidental explosion caused by the negligence of a storage manager.
But the excitement had already been ruined, and the chaos wasn’t easily quelled.
In the end, the banquet ended earlier than scheduled, and carriages from each noble house departed the palace grounds.
Among them was one bearing the Obel crest.
Inside the carriage, Linaria, now safely aboard, saw someone already seated.
“Mind if I hitch a ride?”
It was none other than Magnus.
He was calmly chewing on a piece of madeleine.
“Did you accomplish your goal?”
“Yes.”
The real culprit behind the explosion wasn’t foreigners or a careless staff member—it was Linaria herself.
From the beginning, she had attended the banquet with the intention of rescuing Kaas.
‘To do that, I had to divert everyone’s attention.’
Since it was a one-woman mission, there could be no room for mistakes or failure.
She had needed an expert’s review.
‘Before I even told him about fixing Father… I asked casually.’
“You know how fire starts with oxygen, a fuel, and heat above ignition temperature? If we consider dust as the fuel, the wide surface area would make it possible for an explosion, right?”
“Exactly. You have to be more cautious with fine dust and powders than even wood. You’ve heard of unexplained warehouse explosions, right? That’s dust for you.”
Without even realizing it, Magnus had helped her.
“I’ll pack a snack basket for you when you leave.”
“Bah! You think snacks can shut me up?”
Yes.
Linaria knew how to handle him. She listened patiently to his grumbling.
‘After all, he promised not to tell Father about this.’
Magnus was a remarkable ally.
The day before, while preparing the explosion, she had been caught by him and thought she was done for.
“Flour? Why are you stockpiling this? Don’t tell me… you’re planning to cause a dust explosion in the palace?”
Magnus remembered every word of their past conversation.
Her questions about dust explosions.
The sudden collection of flour.
Attending the banquet the next day.
He pieced everything together and reached the truth in no time.
She couldn’t lie her way out of it, so she admitted it.
“Yes, I plan to cause an explosion during the banquet. I’m not trying to hurt anyone—just create a distraction.”
“Got it. Then I’ll help.”
“You’re not going to ask why? Or tell me to stop?”
“You wouldn’t answer if I asked, and you’re not the type to stop just because I say so. Why waste energy? Hand over that flour.”
“……”
“Dangerous work like this is meant for older folks anyway.”
He likely guessed that her actions were tied to her role as the Time’s Contract Holder.
He truly didn’t question or argue—he simply helped.
“There’s no one in the Imperial Family worth their salt. Not even suspicious about a deliberate explosion. Useless!”
“How many people do you think would realize it wasn’t an accident when it was orchestrated by the head of the Ivory Tower?”
Pleased with the praise, Magnus puffed up with pride.
“Still, Linaria… you don’t look like you got much out of it.”
He glanced her up and down.
She was alone in the carriage and showed no visible signs of change.
“We were supposed to meet up later.”
After showing Kaas the way, she had moved separately.
It was too risky to escape together.
She hadn’t expected him to be caught.
Then again, in her past life, he had escaped the palace all on his own.
Though he’d ended up branded a slave afterward.
***
“You’ve been staring out the window a lot lately, my lady. Are you expecting someone today?”
At Anna’s question, Linaria shook her head—but her thoughts were swirling.
‘Something’s wrong.’
She hadn’t met with Kaas that night.
She had waited late into the night and searched the area with Magnus’s help—but he was nowhere to be found.
Just in case, she had even given him the address of the Obel estate, but days had passed, and he still hadn’t come.
‘I can’t wait any longer. If it’s playing out like it did in the past life…’
Where had Maximilian captured Kaas after his escape?
That’s right—
‘The slave auction house.’
The black market.
If Kaas had ended up there… it was a problem.
Just reaching that place would be a nightmare in itself.
Just imagine:
“Liri, where are you going?”
“Ah, Father. I’m going to an auction.”
“An auction? What are you buying?”
“A person.”
Her head throbbed.
And if, like in her past life, Maximilian bought Kaas first, it would be a complete disaster.
‘I have to act fast.’
Rising from her seat, Linaria headed out immediately.
“Liri, where are you off to?”
To her father, Dante.
“I’m heading out, but I don’t have any funds. I came to ask for your help.”
“How much? Is there something you want to buy?”
So far, this conversation was going as expected.
Not wanting to sound suspicious, she gave a very reasonable answer.
“I’d like to have a new dress made. After attending the banquet, I realized I was quite underprepared.”
She wasn’t lacking at all.
But it was a good excuse for someone entering high society without a mother or any friends.
“It would be nice to go out together.”
“No.”
She realized she had been too blunt and quickly backtracked.
“I’ll be visiting a lot of places, and it might be tiring for you. I’ll go alone today.”
“Then I’d better get better quickly so I can accompany you next time. But you need funds, right?”
Dante held out his ring.
“Father!”
Linaria was shocked.
“This is way beyond just pocket money.”
It was the Obel signet ring—worn only by the current Duke.
She had expected a few coins—not the family’s entire fortune.
“If there’s anything you want, don’t hesitate to buy it. Do everything you want to do.”
“But…”
“Think of it as me going with you in spirit. I’ve always wanted to give you everything I have.”
“……”
“So, Liri, don’t refuse.”
She couldn’t.
In the end, Linaria took the ring and went to a jeweler with a knight escort.
‘I can’t go look for Kaas right away with a guard around.’
She needed to build an alibi.
“I’d like to request custom engraving.”
“Th-this? Are you sure?”
While she was there, she even prepared a surprise gift for her father.
“You really want this engraved?”
“Yes. Once it’s finished, have it sent to House Obel.”
“Understood!”
Only after hearing the name “Obel” did the jeweler believe her.
She then headed to a boutique.
‘I should at least pretend to buy some dresses.’
As she was pretending to browse—
“The blue one next to the yellow suits you better.”
A familiar voice.
‘No… why here…?’
Realizing she had run into someone she absolutely shouldn’t, Linaria’s back stiffened.
