#90. Knowing Full Well
When Khalid and Belia returned to their palace, they continued their meeting with grave expressions.
Around them were Ashid, other knights, and scribes.
“…This is a trap.”
“I know.”
Belia had tried to dissuade him from going, but deep down, she already knew the truth—there was no way Khalid could refuse the Emperor’s proposal.
Not only did they lack grounds to reject it, but the potential rewards from successfully completing this diplomatic mission were immense.
Though the Second Prince Khalid had been gaining visibility recently, he still lacked that decisive event to cement his recognition as heir.
And this negotiation was the perfect opportunity to prove his capabilities.
Most of the negative rumors about Khalid had already faded.
Yet if asked whether he was competent, the majority would still answer with uncertainty—or even claim he wasn’t.
That was why this mission to Yakum, though obviously a trap, was an irresistible chance. The fruit waiting at the end of the path was simply too sweet.
“It’s too dangerous to go without knowing what they’ve hidden.”
“There’s no helping it. At least they’re sending Marquis Caprié and even a knightly order with us. We’ll have to hope it’s not the worst kind of scheme.”
Belia, too, wanted to use the excuse of the Kingdom of Ronica to accompany him, but Khalid had not permitted it.
If it truly was a trap, she, of all people, must not go. Bringing her into a situation filled with unknown dangers was far too risky.
“First, request every bit of material we can get from the Central Palace.”
Khalid ordered Ashid.
Then, turning to the knights and scribes, he assigned tasks one by one.
They had to set the departure date, hold further meetings, and narrow down the members of the delegation.
All at once, a mountain of tasks came crashing down.
“Once all the materials are gathered, we’ll start the meeting immediately.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Everyone responded vigorously and began to leave the chamber, but Khalid held Ashid back.
“And deliver this letter to Marquis Caprié.”
Today, they needed to assess everything they could. Tomorrow, they would convene with the nobles who were to accompany them. The representative of those nobles would naturally be Marquis Caprié.
‘…Something feels off.’
As a neutral figure, including him in the delegation wasn’t strange.
But sending him along just now—when rumors were spreading that he supported the Second Prince?
‘Could it be they’ve caught on…?’
He himself had leaked hints deliberately, but there was no concrete proof yet.
And yet, in this obvious trap, they chose to send along Marquis Caprié of all people.
Khalid frowned in thought, then stopped Ashid just as he was leaving. Grabbing a blank sheet of paper, he hastily scribbled something on it.
“Give this to the manager of the infirmary.”
At that, Belia hurried forward and intercepted the paper before Ashid could take it.
“Belia?”
“I’ll go to the infirmary. There’s something you want checked, isn’t there?”
There was only one reason to send a message to the infirmary.
It had to be about contacting Derrick, master of the information guild Lunes.
Belia could not easily intervene in problems that required close coordination inside the imperial palace.
So she had to help with what could be handled externally.
Once everyone else had left to handle their duties, only Khalid and Belia remained in the chamber.
“…Raoul must have plotted something.”
It was strange for him to withdraw from such matters.
Stranger still that even the Emperor had agreed to it so easily.
Belia tried to recall her past memories.
But nothing came to mind.
What had she been doing at this point in her previous life?
‘We were busy preparing the wedding then.’
The discovery of the gold mine had been delayed, and the search dragged on, so Raoul had stayed in the Kingdom of Ronica for quite some time.
And after Belia left for the Empire, it had taken longer than expected before they even got engaged.
So during this period, she had been preoccupied with wedding preparations.
‘If I had known, I should have paid attention and grasped the situation from the very start…!’
She had only begun assisting Raoul seriously with his work after they were married.
As crown princess, she had felt obligated to help, but before that, she had been too absorbed in romance to notice much else.
Recalling that foolish past self made Belia grit her teeth.
“He might try to kill you.”
Raoul would surely seize this opportunity to threaten him.
And in the process, Khalid might even lose his life.
Raoul was a cruel man.
Biting her lip in worry, Belia was startled when Khalid reached out and brushed her lips gently.
“I told you not to bite them like that.”
“…Oh.”
Belia widened her eyes, startled. She hadn’t even realized she was doing it.
“Don’t worry.”
Khalid pulled her into his arms.
“There’s no way I’d die and leave you behind. To die while leaving you here with Raoul in the palace? Just thinking of it irritates me.”
He frowned in distaste.
“I’ll return safely. That’s what all this preparation is for.”
She knew he was more capable than most realized. He had many hidden cards, and the skills to save himself if need be.
And yet, despite that—
“…All right. I’ll trust you.”
Belia buried her rising anxiety deep in her chest.
As she left, Ashid spoke up with concern.
“Your Highness, shouldn’t we at least inform His Highness?”
While Khalid gathered Marquis Caprié and the others for the negotiation meeting, Belia slipped out of the palace with Ashid, who had been assigned as her escort.
“If something happens while you sneak out like this…”
“All I need to do is stop by the Mage Tower to fetch one item. Nothing more will happen. I can’t drag His Highness into action just to retrieve a single object, can I?”
Belia smiled lightly.
Ashid sighed softly.
“Please be prepared, then. Mages are all eccentric creatures. They may give you trouble.”
Ashid remembered how often Belia’s knowledge had helped them succeed before. Once again, he decided to trust her.
“Thank you, Sir Ashid.”
Belia gave him a grateful smile and quickened her pace.
The Mage Tower stood not in the city, but in the forests on the outskirts of the capital.
Since the road was rough, their carriage could only go so far. They had to walk the rest of the way.
Rustle, rustle.
Only the ticklish sound of grass brushing against their shoes filled their ears. Strangely, around the tower there were no bird calls or insect sounds—an eerie silence cloaked the place.
Ashid had been here on missions before, but never grew accustomed to that uncanny atmosphere.
He glanced sideways to see if Belia was unsettled.
But she strode ahead calmly, utterly at ease.
“…Doesn’t this feel strange to you?”
“What does?”
Ashid gestured around.
“First-time visitors to the Mage Tower are always startled by this atmosphere.”
“Ah…”
Belia smiled, as if unbothered.
It was her first time here in this life, but in her past one, she had visited countless times.
“Don’t worry. We’ve arrived.”
The moment her hand touched the heavy iron door—thud—it swung open on its own.
Familiar, as always.
“Let’s go in.”
Belia stepped inside without hesitation, and Ashid followed, bewildered.
She had said this was her first time here… so why did she seem more familiar than even him?
It was full of mysteries, but Ashid simply pressed his lips shut and followed silently.
“What brings you here?”
Suddenly, an elderly woman appeared before them, smiling kindly at Belia.
Neither footsteps nor presence had been sensed.
It should have been shocking, but Belia didn’t react—her priority was her task.
“Where’s Habisa?”
“How do you know her name?”
“I have a request. Please arrange for me to meet her.”
The old woman was silent for a moment, then bowed.
“After hearing your request, Habisa will decide.”
Belia nodded.
The old woman lifted a lantern to light the dark and led them up a winding stair.
They climbed for quite a while, then turned down twisting corridors until she stopped before a small door.
“This is the place.”
Belia swallowed hard.
Habisa was one of the most unusual mages.
Her power was formidable—but more than that, her temperament was utterly that of a mage.
Belia exhaled deeply, then gripped the handle and pushed the door open.
“…What the hell.”
As expected.
The moment the door creaked open, a sharp voice rang out from within.
Belia told Ashid to wait outside, then entered.
Inside, colorful reagents and odd items were stacked chaotically. The room was messy and cluttered, and in it sat a fierce-looking beauty in a mage’s robe, glaring at the door.
She hadn’t changed a bit.
“Good to see you.”
“I’m not glad at all. Who are you, barging into my room uninvited?”
Habisa ruffled her hair in irritation, mimicking Belia’s tone mockingly.
“You don’t like roundabout talk, right? I’ll get straight to the point.”
Who she was, why she had come—Habisa wouldn’t care for long-winded explanations anyway.
Hearing that, Habisa’s lips curved into an amused grin.
“Well now. It’s been a while since someone came to me without being a nuisance.”
She flopped down onto a shabby sofa, crossed her legs, and laughed boisterously.
“All right! I’ll be generous today. Sit down. I’ll hear you out.”
She had always been like this—whether facing a prince, princess, or crown princess.
To Belia, it was a familiar attitude, nothing surprising.
“Something you’re working on or have finished.”
Belia met Habisa’s eyes firmly.
“Give me the Bracelet of Blessing.”
