Chapter 9
From behind the screen on the other side of the long table, a man with light brown hair snorted.
“If you’re going to be late every time, just tell me to come late too. And stop scribbling ‘Today will be different’ in the footnote of every message.”
“But I really thought I could make it on time today.”
“You say that every time.”
“It’s because Renata got home later than I expected.”
Cassian shot a sidelong glance at his childhood friend, unimpressed by the excuse.
Now that he thought about it, even back at Barkalia, Lenac had made a habit of showing up well past the agreed hour.
Then again, unlike himself—who only recently began working as the successor to his family after returning from the war—Lenac had been adopted specifically to become his house’s heir. The affairs of the Carnelluti family had always come first for him.
“Anyway, drink up. I’ve already finished half of this waiting for you.”
“You beast. This stuff is strong.”
Cassian ignored the performative scolding and poured himself a drink. As he filled his own glass with amber liquid, Lenac sighed.
“I went there a few days ago. Just like you said, it was strange. No corpse—well, I guess that much was expected…”
“Didn’t I tell you something was off? You’re always so suspicious.”
“I know what I saw, but even seeing it with my own eyes—it’s hard to believe.”
Lenac recalled his visit to the cathedral three days earlier. He had suspected something strange about the official cause of death for the former crown prince Izar, and had quietly brought something with him.
A small glass vial, no bigger than a fingertip, containing the blood of a mage believed to have been alive up until about thirty years ago.
“They say when mages encounter one another, their blood resonates.”
He spoke the word mage just loud enough for Cassian to hear, then continued in a hushed tone.
“So I got my hands on that vial through certain… backdoor channels, and brought it to the cathedral.”
“That’s a dangerous stunt. What if one of the high priests with real divine power had caught you?”
“How many priests these days have real divine power?”
The age of science had long since arrived.
Once, mages had tried to rule over non-magical folk with their mystical powers. But they were hunted nearly to extinction by those same non-magic people—who vastly outnumbered them.
And as if tied to that history, those with divine power had also started to disappear over the years.
These days, even a priest who could barely make a single wildflower bloom would be hailed as a saint.
The current Archbishop, for instance, had been elevated to his station for coaxing a single sprout from parched soil as a child—a “miracle” barely worthy of the name.
“Still… You never know what might happen.”
“You worry too much.”
Cassian downed his drink and scolded him lightly. Lenac only raised a brow, as if to say, Really? That’s your concern?
Cassian tossed a piece of exotic fruit into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
“In any case,” Lenac went on, “the blood in that vial resonated inside the cathedral. Right there in my pocket, it started trembling violently. I had a hell of a time trying to hide it.”
“You’re saying… there was a mage inside the cathedral?”
“That’s right. For some reason.”
He fell silent, resting his chin on laced fingers as he sank into thought. His jet-black lashes cast shadows over his red eyes, which blinked slowly, lost in contemplation.
Cassian leaned his arm across the back of the chair and watched him quietly.
“…Cassian. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“…Yes. I think the explosion on the battlefield may have been caused by a mage. And the fact that the former crown prince vanished without a trace—that’s definitely suspicious.”
“And there’s one more thing… Which means, if that’s true, then Prince Izar might still be alive. Wait. Do you think this was a staged accident—a kidnapping?”
Lenac groaned, rubbing his temples as if his thoughts were physically painful.
Of course, this was all speculation—pure conjecture between two friends.
Still, one thing was certain: a mage had been near the cathedral when Izar died.
Whether that meant Izar himself was alive was an entirely different matter.
It wasn’t impossible… but that didn’t make it likely.
Cassian, who had been at the scene of the explosion, had seen it with his own eyes: the blast had reduced everything to rubble. Izar had vanished completely, while the soldiers nearby had died gruesome, unspeakable deaths.
“Even if he’s alive, it’s hard to imagine he made it out unharmed…”
Cassian ran a hand over his face, as if trying to wipe away the horrific memory.
And yet—what if?
The thought crossed his mind like a phantom, calling back memories of when he himself had suffered severe burns on the battlefield.
Just then, Lenac’s voice pierced his reverie.
“Alright. Let’s say we do this.”
“If I say no?”
“Come on, Sir Cassian. I haven’t even told you what it is yet.”
Cassian instinctively declined, but Lenac was already grinning, as if he had anticipated the response.
Cassian could sense trouble circling like a vulture.
“In the slim chance—really slim,” Lenac said, his tone now dead serious, “that Prince Izar is alive…”
“I’ve already told you—even if he is, he won’t be in any condition to return to the palace.”
“Just hear me out. If it happens, then marrying Renata to the current crown prince would be… well…”
He trailed off, but Cassian caught the implication.
If Izar were alive, the line of succession would be thrown into disarray. And Renata—and by extension, her family—would be caught in the fallout.
Everyone knew Emperor Icallis II adored his firstborn.
“Even if he came back missing a leg, His Majesty would still pass him the throne.”
“And what about Miss Renata, then?”
“That’s why I asked you here. I need a favor.”
Cassian reached for his drink, but his throat remained parched. Before he could speak, Lenac refilled his glass.
“I heard the crown prince can’t stand her. Even if the engagement is unavoidable, could you… do something to stop the actual marriage?”
“That’s not something I can just make happen.”
Cassian frowned deeply, but Lenac was ready for that, too.
He reached into his pocket and produced a small, velvet box. Then he placed it in Cassian’s palm, forcing his fingers closed around it.
“You can figure out how. Use that pretty face of yours if you have to. And don’t forget—I’ve kept your secret.”
“…No shame at all, do you? Using that against me.”
Cassian glared at him, but the truth was, Lenac’s silence had protected him—and still did.
He bit his lip, then looked down at the box. A pair of ornate cufflinks made of pale blue gemstones glittered back at him.
“What is this?”
“I had them made for myself, but—eh, take them.”
“A bribe?”
“Call it a gift. From an old friend.”
“You call this friendship…”
After graduating from carefree boyhood to polished suits and diplomacy, Cassian had developed a taste for rare cufflinks.
And Lenac knew—Cassian had an eye for beauty. There was no way he could ignore Astantine sea stones.
Lenac watched him with a faint smile.
But Cassian didn’t immediately accept the gift.
Finally, Lenac reached over and pressed the box into Cassian’s hand again, this time firmly closing his fingers around it.
Cassian let out a startled laugh.
“You’re insane. You said I should handle it myself.”
“And I meant it, you lunatic. I’m too busy to check in all the time. You’ll manage better than I can.”
