The Beginning of Another Encounter
Even if she sided with them now, she would only get caught up in their schemes.
‘No matter how hard I try, it won’t work. I’m tired of being told to just endure it. I hate this innate limitation—it’s truly awful…. If even getting married is this difficult, how much harder will life be after marriage?’
Barbara’s small grievances, which had simmered through summer and autumn, boiled over most fiercely in the cold winter.
The cause was obvious.
It was because of Dorothea, who had risen from a commoner at the monastery to an eina at the ducal residence and was now officially recognized as Lady Klein.
The story of the Drakan Rider was something else entirely. With her special abilities and the fruits of her own efforts, Barbara lacked the nerve to even look at her with envy.
The fact that she was a woman meant nothing in the face of her being a mage who commanded a Drakan. There was no room for argument.
What good would it do to be jealous of innate talent?
But what about her, who had reclaimed the name Tiana?
‘She was born with the right bloodline. She suffered a little in her childhood, but now all that’s left is to enjoy a life of splendor. She’s even changing the debutante season…. Ah, I’m so envious.’
When the young lady had acted as Barbara’s eina, there had been no shortage of people who looked down on her as a commoner. Now those same people were scrambling to send gifts to the Klein ducal house, desperate not to fall out of the Duchess’s favor. It was almost laughable.
Barbara, who had always maintained a demure facade, found it deeply satisfying. If they had simply stayed quiet, none of this would have happened. They had brought it upon themselves by flaunting their pride.
The young lady would make her debut at the first spring ball and officially enter high society, wouldn’t she?
That was why it was difficult to see her face these days.
Ah, how enviable. To become a lady whose mere glance made everyone tremble.
If only that were her. If only she were that young lady. How wonderful would it be?
While Barbara’s endless fantasies continued somewhere in the capital, the tale of the Drakan Rider was also the talk of another place.
It was the office of the Blue Rose Knight Order’s commander, inside the Imperial Palace.
“It’s inconvenient for you to visit without an appointment, Sir Raphael.”
“Haha, please don’t be so stiff with me, Commander of the Blue Rose Knights. After everything we’ve been through together, drawing such a clear line makes me feel a little hurt.”
“……”
“Are you going to discard our friendship just because you’ve become commander?”
Raphael spoke in an even smoother tone than usual. The fact that he had switched to perfect formal speech only made Cassel feel worse.
It was like having an entire barrel of olive oil poured straight into his stomach.
The word “olive” brought back unpleasant memories.
“Here, this is a gift to celebrate your appointment as commander.”
Raphael smiled brightly and pulled something from his pocket—an olive branch, of course.
Cassel’s expression turned grim.
“Put it away right now, or I’ll throw it into the fireplace.”
“How cruel.”
Raphael grumbled but carefully tucked the fresh branch away.
Did he know about the subtle tension flowing through the Imperial Palace?
The Crown Prince wanted the Blue Rose Knights to lead his faction and tip the balance of power in his favor. The reason the Russell family had boldly proposed breaking off the engagement to His Highness was likely connected to the Orleans ducal house. He had said as much.
The reason for the conflict with the Huiante marquisate still needed further investigation.
‘In my opinion, Raphael knows nothing about the details.’
Though Cassel had been born as the heir to a ducal house and enjoyed considerable power and wealth, Raphael’s situation was even more extreme.
Unlike Cassel’s family, the Orleans ducal house had very few direct descendants. Raphael, his father, and his grandfather had all been only children with no siblings.
Even though Raphael was a knight, he would rarely leave the capital in his lifetime. His father had been protected in the same way. Even if the entire Crow Knight Order were mobilized, Raphael would likely remain active only within the capital.
It had always been that way.
Such a precious son, and one who showed no sign of taking over the family affairs in earnest—Raphael.
If Cassel had been part of the Orleans household, he would have kept such matters secret from the bright, sheltered Raphael. Raphael would probably protest that it was unfair and pound the ground with his spear.
When Cassel remained silent, lost in troubled thoughts, Raphael leaned casually against the desk.
“Commander?”
“…Sir Raphael, stop it. We’re not in front of others, so hearing you use honorifics feels awkward.”
“Hahaha! There’s no need for such modesty, Your Grace the Grand Duke’s son.”
“Enough. If you have business, don’t hesitate—say it.”
Cassel was busy. Not truly busy at the moment, but with Raphael in front of him, tasks kept coming to mind, and he wanted to hurry him out.
So he spoke quite directly, issuing an obvious dismissal. Yet Raphael’s expression remained as bright as midday sunlight.
“Are you already trying to chase me out? Without even offering a cup of tea?”
“Sir Raphael…! Haah, let’s stop this. I know the Crow Knight Order’s duties and administration are no easy matter. The fact that you’re lingering suggests you’ve been given leave.”
Even when Cassel showed an opening, Raphael continued in the same manner.
“Ah! Now that you mention it, I just remembered. This morning I went to the stables to check the tack, and Morris was doing well.”
“……”
Raphael smiled radiantly, like summer sunlight.
“I thought you might be curious, so I made sure to remember. Morris is very diligent!”
“Is that so.”
“When he gets too tired, he sometimes falls asleep right there in the stables. If he keeps this up, there shouldn’t be any problem with his knighthood. At the latest, by the end of next year or the year after?”
He spoke so casually about things others would never dare mention—without malice, honestly. It seemed Raphael truly supported Morris.
That was both Raphael Orleans’s greatest strength and his most serious flaw….
When Cassel’s red eyes cooled, Raphael, who had some sense after all, quickly changed the subject.
“Ah, so I do have a reason for coming, Commander.”
“What is it?”
When Cassel gave a slight nod, Raphael brought up something unexpected.
“It’s about that Drakan Rider.”
“Why her?”
Cassel cut him off abruptly in his haste.
“I heard you visited the Magic Tower several times before introducing the Drakan Rider to His Highness the Crown Prince. So I thought I might go there myself—to meet her.”
“Sir Raphael, you and Lady Pay have never even met! The Magic Tower generally dislikes outsiders entering, yet you’re talking about visiting so casually. That’s hard to believe.”
Cassel spoke almost as if scolding him, but Raphael remained as cheerful as ever.
“Everyone has a first meeting, don’t they? The image of her riding that valiant Drakan across the palace skies sometimes comes to mind….”
“From the ground, you’d mostly see the Drakan’s belly and wings. How could you say that? Lady Pay will be visiting the palace regularly from now on, so don’t go to the Magic Tower and disturb her research!”
Cassel’s face flushed bright red as he passionately defended Pay—an extremely rare sight for someone known to be indifferent.
“……”
Even Raphael was taken aback and couldn’t respond. Cassel calmly admonished him as if lecturing a child.
“Lady Pay is a proper mage of the Magic Tower, and her current affiliations span both the Tower and the Crown Prince’s palace. You could suggest a meeting, but if you impose on her like that, how could she stay comfortably at the Tower?”
“I could meet her once at the Tower and then suggest meeting outside afterward.”
“No! Sir Raphael, stop it. If you want to meet Lady Pay privately—or rather, separately—then show proper courtesy by obtaining an introduction from a suitable person. I’ll inquire and arrange a time and place for an invitation, so give up on contacting her directly. I’ll be in touch later.”
Cassel had only lowered his voice slightly, but his tone was almost threatening as he tried to seize control.
Far from being offended, Raphael looked delighted.
“Is that true? As expected of Sir Cassel—no, Commander! Very well, I’ll wait for your message.”
After Raphael left without lingering once his goal was achieved, Cassel was seized by a faint sense of self-loathing.
In the end, hadn’t he been completely played by Raphael’s scheme?
Still, it couldn’t be helped.
Raphael was a flawless knight, but if left alone with his innocence, cheerfulness, and tendency to push forward recklessly, Pay would be the one to suffer.
The innocent girl getting involved with that guy… No, Raphael hadn’t done anything wrong, but still, it was out of the question!
Besides, Raphael wasn’t just any man—he was that Raphael Orleans.
‘If I let them meet in some ambiguous way, it’ll be disastrous. It’s a hundred times better for them to meet in a place where I’m present.’
The tasks he had planned to do while Raphael was there had all flown from his mind.
What mattered now was finding a place outside the Magic Tower to summon Pay and make her happy.
He was about to call for his adjutant when he instead decided to leave work early and seek out his attendant Paul, who was staying at the palace.
“I need to find a place where one can stay for half a day to a full day within the capital.”
“What exactly do you require?”
Cassel spoke as the ideas came to him.
“First, it must be quiet, free from prying eyes, with beautiful interior decor, plenty of things to see, and easy to arrange refreshments and meals on short notice.”
“Yes.”
“It should also be convenient to travel to, and immediately satisfy any need for rest. Carriages and horses to return to one’s residence must be easy to store at all times. Since the main guest is a lady, I’ll need flowers, handkerchiefs, and every other preparation. Is that possible?”
Raphael’s existence had been completely discarded; Cassel’s mind was now solely focused on Pay.
Paul was silent for a moment, struck by the consideration hidden in Cassel’s lengthy request, then asked,
“…My lord, I won’t ask who the other party is.”
“Hm?”
“Are you finally planning to propose to someone? If it’s your own decision, I’ll keep my mouth shut for now.”
Cassel shook his head in surprise at the absurd remark.
“It’s nothing like that. I simply need to treat the lady I’m meeting with the utmost care.”
The loyal attendant wore an openly disappointed expression. He had thought that after four years away from the mansion, his master had finally fallen into an inescapable romantic mood—only to be told otherwise.
“I was certain of it. What a shame.”
“I told you it’s not! Anyway… I need exactly that kind of place. If necessary, I’m willing to rent an entire building, so don’t worry about the budget and look into it.”
The attendant nodded.
“Yes.”
However, there weren’t many places that perfectly matched Cassel’s criteria—wonderful, well-hidden, and free from gossip.
In the end, Cassel decided to rent the Mijuang Hotel, a place he knew well and had visited often.
Pay agreed to come, and the promised day arrived sooner than expected.