Chapter 112: A Twist of Fate

Morning sunlight spilled over the distant mountain ridges, which seemed veiled in wisps of pale mist.

Adeline Klenma, our poor little princess, stood upon a vast terrace. She wore nothing but a loose lotus-colored nightgown and was barefoot. Her snow-white feet rested on the cold marble floor, while both hands gripped the terrace railing and she gazed silently into the distance.

The estate was circular, and the enormous garden below resembled a vast square. Row upon row of holly bushes had been trimmed to resemble city walls. Servants in gray linen robes had already begun their morning work, sweeping away the leaves blown down by the cold night wind. Gardeners in hats carefully clipped the holly with enormous shears.

The terrace was filled with flowers—flowers that had no business blooming in this season. They had been transported from the distant south, and only the master of an estate such as this could possess the immense wealth required for such extravagance. Magic had been used to preserve the flowers’ vitality, but even so, they would wither after three days.

Poor Adeline looked melancholy. In truth, during all the days she had lived here, a smile had never once returned to her face. The cold morning wind had drained the color from her cheeks, and her soft, pale-golden hair clung to them, making her appear especially fragile.

A door opened behind her. Adeline turned and saw a stern-looking middle-aged woman—her personal lady-in-waiting. In keeping with her position, the woman wore an unchanging expression of solemn severity. Two young maids followed her inside, one carrying a tray bearing breakfast, the other holding the princess’s outer garments.

“Your Highness, you will catch a chill dressed like that.”

The lady-in-waiting’s voice was as rigid as ever. She crossed the room and, with gentle but unyielding determination, pulled Adeline back inside. Then she shut the doors and windows.

“You must eat breakfast now and dress afterward. You have only one hour. His Highness the Crown Prince arrived this morning and is waiting for you downstairs.”

Adeline’s face had grown somewhat gaunt, giving her chin a narrow, pointed appearance and making her eyes seem especially large. She glanced at the lady-in-waiting she disliked and sighed.

Breakfast consisted of fresh honey tea, golden toast, and sweet honey jam. But Adeline had no appetite. She merely forced down two distracted bites before abandoning the food and sitting there in a daze.

The lady-in-waiting had long since grown accustomed to the princess’s habit of staring blankly into space. At once, she waved her hand, and the two maids brought over the clothing and began dressing their mistress. Adeline was like a puppet, allowing herself to be manipulated without resistance.

The slender waist belt was fastened far too tightly. The court-style gown lifted her chest high, yet made breathing difficult. Such magnificent clothing looked beautiful, but only someone who actually wore it could understand how uncomfortable it truly was.

One maid skillfully arranged Adeline’s hair into an elegant, noble coiffure. Soon several more maids entered carrying over twenty necklaces and ornaments of different designs: pearls, gemstones, gold, agate, cat’s eyes, and more.

If that bumpkin were here, he would probably stare until his eyes fell out at the sight of all this.

Suddenly, Adeline remembered the sight of that fellow grinning broadly. Her expression became vacant and foolish, and a silly smile appeared on her lips.

That country bumpkin must still be in Wildfire Town... Has he bought a house yet? Does he still go hunting with that old, ugly pitchfork? Hmm, perhaps he has already become a mercenary?

The maids nervously tried one piece of jewelry after another on the princess. Beside them, the lady-in-waiting rejected each item with a stern, critical expression. At last, a necklace of deep green emeralds won her approval, and she gave a reluctant nod.

When Adeline had been dressed to perfection, she looked like a doll. Her golden hair had been swept up into a splendid and elegant coiffure, with two locks hanging down on either side to complement the shape of her face. Her green-and-gold court dress cinched her body into an hourglass figure—a shape most men loved to see, though only poor Adeline knew what a torment it was.

The emerald necklace was placed against her chest. Its languid glow seemed dazzling beneath the high, pale expanse of her bosom.

Only then did the lady-in-waiting smile with a trace of satisfaction. She immediately resumed her stern expression and said, “Your Highness, remember your manners.”

Poor Adeline sighed inwardly. She rose, her expression blank and her eyes devoid of light.

“I will.”

Garcia Klenma, heir to the imperial throne and its sole successor, sat in the hall enjoying a cup of black tea. It was a tribute imported from the Landis Empire. He did not particularly enjoy tea, but in terms of appearance alone, there was not the slightest flaw to be found in the Crown Prince.

His golden hair was combed with immaculate neatness. His handsome face was pale and solemn. His formal attire had been tailored perfectly to his body, and even his cuffs and collar were flawless. Holding the teacup in one hand, he wore an expression of complete concentration, as though the act of drinking tea were the only matter in the world worthy of his attention.

Even when he heard footsteps descending the stairs, the prince did not raise his head. He finished his tea with impeccable poise, then drew out a snow-white silk handkerchief and wiped the already spotless corner of his mouth. Only then did he rise unhurriedly.

“My dear sister, you look well today.”

The prince wore the most perfect of smiles.

Anyone unfamiliar with him would have assumed that he was the very model of a flawless royal. His manners, bearing, appearance, and conduct were all beyond reproach. Even his court etiquette tutor could not find the smallest fault in his behavior.

Whenever he faced others, he wore a smile: proud, restrained, and elegant. His clothes were always immaculate. Even after riding hard on a hunt, there would not be a speck of mud on his boots.

As heir to the throne, Garcia had always been a meticulous man—meticulous even in his every gesture. From the moment he had entered this world, he had understood that there was only one thing he needed to do: wait.

Wait for his imposing and brutal father to grow old, then place the vast empire into his hands.

Until then, all he had to do was maintain a perfect posture and remain quietly still.

If one knew only the Crown Prince’s reputation and the legends surrounding him—especially the scandalous stories about him and the man he loved—most people would assume he was a debauched, shameless playboy, forever immersed in a life of luxury and decadence.

But in truth, the exact opposite was true.

His teacher, Cavisher, the wisest man in the empire and the emperor’s most trusted adviser, had offered a rather amusing assessment of his student:

“If not for his peculiar orientation, my student would be the most disciplined and cautious man I have ever taught.”

Of course, excessive caution sometimes manifested as cowardice.

The young Crown Prince had never dared defy any command issued by his father. The tyranny and brutality of the great Emperor had been the fundamental cause of his timid nature.

Yet there were exceptions. This usually mediocre, even somewhat cowardly Crown Prince had defied the emperor’s will on only two occasions.

The first, naturally, concerned his peculiar orientation.

The second concerned his sister, Adeline.

Thus, although Cavisher did not particularly like his student, his evaluation of him was:

“In truth, our Crown Prince is a good man with a great deal of human feeling.”

Cavisher had never said the rest aloud, but everyone could think of it themselves.

A good man with too much human feeling was often not a good emperor.

Garcia slowly approached Adeline. Every step he took was exact—the length of his stride, his speed, even the distance between each footfall seemed measured with a ruler. He gently lifted Adeline’s hand and placed a perfect kiss upon it.

Adeline sighed inwardly and dipped into a curtsy.

“I hope I have not disturbed your rest by coming so early,” Garcia said. His voice was gentle and pleasant, and it was partly this voice that gave people the impression that he was weak.

“I am fine.” Adeline sounded visibly listless.

“But your lady-in-waiting tells me that you have not been sleeping well. If it is because you dislike this place, I can have you moved elsewhere.”

“No, this place is fine.” Adeline seemed to smile, though her smile was tinged with helplessness. “In the end, everywhere is the same, is it not? The most beautiful scenery and the most beautiful estate are nothing but a prison to me.”

The Crown Prince fell silent for a moment. Whenever confronted with an awkward subject to which he had no answer, he usually remained silent and evaded it. This, too, was a manifestation of his timid nature.

Then he smiled, still warm and gentle.

“I know you must be lonely by yourself, so I came to accompany you today. I thought we might go riding together.”

“You really do not have to do this.” Adeline gave a bitter smile. “Garcia, I know you are busy. I am grateful that you always make time for me. But... I am worried that your actions will anger His Majesty.”

The Crown Prince remained silent again. Then he changed the subject.

“I heard that you have been growing less and less active lately. I do not think that is good for your health, so—”

“Brother.”

Adeline could not bear it any longer. Her voice rose, sharp and piercing, but when she saw Garcia’s brows draw together slightly, she sighed and lowered her voice.

“Your Highness, I simply do not like being locked inside a huge house all day. The only time I can go outside and breathe fresh air is when I wait for you to come visit me.”

The Crown Prince blinked. At last, he looked to either side and raised a finger slightly. The maids and the lady-in-waiting all bowed and withdrew.

Only after the siblings were alone did Garcia turn around and sit down slowly. In his pleasant voice, he said, “You should understand that this is for your protection.”

“If the price of staying alive is losing my freedom, I would rather die.”

Adeline’s face was pale as she shook her head fiercely.

Garcia frowned as he looked at his sister. Ever since she had returned from her attempted escape, she had seemed somewhat unfamiliar. She appeared bolder than before, and her thoughts had become increasingly difficult for him to understand.

“It is only temporary,” Garcia said gloomily. “I spoke with Father. I asked him to forgive you, and he agreed. So long as you are willing to remain here peacefully and do not run about recklessly—”

“Forgive me?”

Adeline suddenly screamed. Anger and hatred surged across her face.

“Forgive me? He actually used that word? He wants me to live here quietly and not run around? Ha! Is he afraid I will reveal his filthy, ugly, unspeakable crimes?”

The Crown Prince’s expression changed. He rose abruptly and stepped in front of Adeline.

“Enough!”

Garcia raised his hand. But when he saw Adeline standing before him with her chin held high, meeting his eyes defiantly, his hand froze in the air.

At last, it did not fall. He slowly lowered it.

A helpless expression crossed Garcia’s face, and there was even greater pain in his eyes as he looked at Adeline. Her heart softened, and guilt rose within her.

“I am sorry, Brother. I know you have already defied him to save me. I know you have done so much for me. I—”

“I have no brothers. You are my only sister. I do not want to reach the future and find that I have no family left beside me with whom I can speak.”

Garcia shook his head. His gaze softened, but that trace of gentleness was quickly restrained, and he once again resumed his polished, courteous expression.

“You truly should not have done that,” Adeline said, shaking her head. Her voice was sorrowful. “You know what kind of person His Majesty is. Garcia, my brother... Our father has never been merciful. In order to purge his political enemies, he was even capable of imprisoning our grandmother in the palace for five years, and he never once visited her before she died. He was even capable of doing such cruel things to our mother—his own sister—”

“Do not say any more.”

Garcia’s voice was cold. The chill and suppressed anger in it made Adeline’s heart jolt.

“You are my cousin. I have no true brothers or sisters, and you are the only member of my generation who is family. Whatever happens, I will preserve your life.”

His tone was calm.

“So please, do not speak of death in front of me again. Can you do that?”

Adeline nodded and finally sighed.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Very well.” Garcia spoke faintly. “It seems your mood is poor today. This is not a suitable day for riding. I shall come to see you another time.”

With that, the Crown Prince inclined his head, lifted Adeline’s hand once more, and brushed it lightly against his lips. Then he turned and departed with perfect, flawless manners.

But when he reached the doorway, his steps slowed.

“Endure it, Adeline. I have heard that his health is poor. So endure it.”

After Garcia left, the doors of the hall slammed shut. The thick panels blocked out the bright morning sunlight beyond them. Adeline looked at the magnificent yet lifeless hall and suddenly felt utterly lost.

With a dull thump, she sank to the floor and sat without the slightest concern for decorum upon the cold steps.

Adeline stared blankly downward for a very long time.

At last, half an hour later, the stern lady-in-waiting came slowly toward her like a ghost. Her footsteps made no sound upon the marble. She stood before Adeline for quite some time, studying the sorrowful princess. A trace of pity flickered through the woman’s usually rigid features.

“Your Highness... When His Highness the Crown Prince departed, he instructed me to tell you that so long as you do not leave this house, any request you make may be granted.”

“Any request?”

Adeline suddenly raised her head.

“Yes. Any request.”

“Good!”

Adeline abruptly leapt to her feet. She tore open the belt around her waist, undid the laces of her corset, and began violently ripping off the magnificent court dress.

She stood there wearing only her undergarments. She was clearly shivering from the cold, yet her face showed excitement and irritation—a thoroughly petulant expression.

“I want an axe... The largest, heaviest battle-axe you can find! And a massive warrior’s shield! I want a wolfskin cloak, one made from the hide of a dire wolf. And...”

Poor Adeline thought for a moment, then touched the corner of her mouth.

“I need a dentist!”

She announced it loudly.

“Find me the finest dentist! I want false teeth! Gold teeth!”

The lady-in-waiting had shown no reaction to the earlier requests, treating them as nothing more than the strange demands of a sulking child for unusual toys.

But...

Gold teeth?

Gold teeth?!

* * *

While poor Adeline was throwing a furious tantrum, the country bumpkin was laughing heartily, grabbing fistful after fistful of gold, silver, and copper coins from the table in front of him.

They were seated at a table in an inn along the road.

The group had been traveling together with one of the merchant caravans that roamed far and wide. Xia Ya seemed to be enjoying himself. During their breaks, they drank and chatted, and naturally, they found ways to amuse themselves.

Because Xia Ya’s standards where women were concerned were rather strange, and because the country bumpkin had already begun to harbor suspicions, he had no intention of exposing his weakness. In the end, a gambler’s suggestion won everyone’s support.

For people who traveled far and wide—coachmen, mercenaries, merchants, and the like—gambling was one of the entertainments men enjoyed most.

Now, several Landis men sat at the table with miserable expressions as their last few copper coins were taken away.

Whether it was guessing the coin, rolling dice, or betting on odd or even, this Byzantine lord was miraculously unbeatable.

And he was clearly not cheating. The coins had been produced by the Landis men, the dice had been carved from wood by the Landis men, and the sticks used for the odd-or-even game had also been brought by them.

Xia Ya happily won all their money. After three days, nearly every Landis traveler had emptied his pockets.

But winning money was not Xia Ya’s only reason for being happy.

More importantly, he was experimenting with a small spell.

The female dragon named Dora, who lived within the pendant, had finally begun teaching him the magic of the dragons. The dragon-soul mark she had granted him was extremely weak, so he could use only the simplest and feeblest spells.

But magic was magic.

The first spell Dora taught Xia Ya was clairvoyance.

The spell was not particularly useful in actual combat. But for a country bumpkin—especially a country bumpkin whose virgin heart was beginning to stir with restless curiosity—it was extremely satisfying.

At the very least, the spell could be used to spy on young women.

With the weak dragon-soul mark, the greatest effect he could currently achieve was to concentrate his mind and see through an obstacle roughly as thick as a finger for the brief duration of five heartbeats. The denser the material, the more difficult it was to penetrate. His attempts had yet to let him see through walls or iron plates, but wood and clothing posed no problem.

Although each use lasted only five heartbeats, that was already more than enough for gambling.

Spying on women, however, was somewhat more difficult. When the spell was cast, not only did the user have to concentrate, the target had to remain completely motionless.

He could hardly deliberately ask a girl to sit in front of him without moving so that he could look through her clothes.

Of course, he could spend money to have several prostitutes sit before him.

But if he did that, what would be the point of spying?

After several days, Xia Ya had won the last copper coin from the Landis warriors. Even the fat Guro had lost several gold coins to him.

Over those days, Guro and the country bumpkin had grown quite close—at least, that was how it appeared. Guro had cautiously probed Xia Ya’s background and had more or less figured it out.

In truth, Xia Ya had no mysterious background to uncover. His origins were clear and simple. He had been born among common folk and had risen through the ranks after performing great deeds during the war.

The military’s public reports and commendations had already laid all of this out plainly.

And yet, the more ordinary Xia Ya appeared, the more convinced Guro became that there was something extraordinary about him.

One important reason for this was, to put it mildly, rather laughable.

That night, during their rest, Guro entered a room. The refined young man inside was still waiting for him.

“Any progress today?” the young man asked with a sigh.

“My lord.” Guro hesitated. His expression was solemn. “I believe Xia Ya must have an extraordinary background. I even suspect that he comes from one of the great military families of the Byzantine Empire. He has deliberately concealed his identity and used this war to...”

He lowered his voice.

“I believe a powerful force must be hidden behind him.”

“Oh? Why?”

“One of his attendants.” Guro spoke with complete confidence. “I have carefully observed his followers. There is one thin fellow who does not look like a warrior at all. Yet he is serving as a knight’s attendant, which is quite puzzling. Today, I secretly hid a magical testing crystal inside my clothing. And the result... I detected a magical reaction!”

Guro lowered his voice further.

“The reaction was extremely weak, probably only at the level of a first-rank low-level mage. But that is enough to prove that the attendant is a magician!”

“Oh?” The young man’s eyes brightened.

“Yes! A magician! I suspect that he must possess some magical artifact capable of concealing his power, which is why none of us noticed anything before. He must actually be a powerful magician of considerable ability.”

Guro snorted.

“Xia Ya was able to fight Blackmore, so his own strength is naturally far from ordinary. How could someone so formidable have only a low-level magician at his side? Therefore, that magician must be deliberately concealing his true strength!”

“Moreover, if Xia Ya can use a magician as an attendant, then his origins are certainly extraordinary. The only question is whether he belongs to the military faction of the Byzantine Empire or is a piece cultivated by the imperial family.”

In the stables, Dodoro, who was feeding the horses, sneezed. He rubbed his nose and muttered under his breath, “Making me feed horses again. I, Lord Dodoro, am a noble magician...”

The young man stood up and pondered for a while, walking twice around the room.

“If there really is a powerful faction behind Xia Ya, then his promotion after this achievement is certainly no simple matter. When he returns to Osgilia, he will undoubtedly be entrusted with important responsibilities and become an influential figure in the Byzantine court.”

He waved his hand decisively.

“Buy him over! Find a way to buy him over! Whatever he wants—money, women—buy him! If necessary, provide him with assistance. Give him benefits. Find out what he wants and satisfy him as much as possible. Do not make any demands of him yet. Feed his greed. Do everything possible to establish a friendship with him!”

“Any important figure who wishes to obtain long-term benefits from someone must invest before that person has truly risen to power. So... buy him over!”

Having received his orders, Guro continued cultivating his relationship with Xia Ya the next day.

“Lord Xia Ya, with achievements such as yours, you are certain to be entrusted with important responsibilities when you return to the imperial capital, are you not?” Guro flattered him. “What a glorious life. Wealth and power will surely come rolling toward you from every direction.”

Xia Ya suddenly sighed, his expression indifferent.

“Wealth and power? Hmph. What of it?”

He rubbed his nose as he sat on horseback, the cold wind making it run.

“Money only needs to be sufficient. As for food and clothing, having enough to fill one’s stomach is enough. No matter how large a house is, a person still sleeps in only one bed. Delicacies are delicious, but eating them every day would become tiresome.”

So he did not care for money. Then he must like women.

Guro reached this conclusion and said, “A young and promising man such as yourself must surely have some beautiful companion at your side.”

That question struck directly at the country bumpkin’s sore spot.

Xia Ya’s expression changed at once.

Women...

He remembered the child at the tavern in Wildfire Town leaping into the arms of Aunt Sophia’s niece and calling her “Mama.”

A tragedy.

Seeing the change in Xia Ya’s face, Guro immediately became excited. He was certain he had found his breakthrough.

This fellow had a weakness where women were concerned.

Guro carefully drew him out, determined to discover what sort of woman the country bumpkin preferred.

It did not matter if a person had strange tastes. What mattered was having no tastes at all.

Whatever kind of woman Xia Ya wanted—beautiful, seductive, icy, innocent, mature, or youthful—if he would only say the word, Guro had the means to provide her.

After probing for quite some time, however, Xia Ya, who clearly had an embarrassment he found difficult to express, refused to casually reveal the standards for women that the old man had once instilled in him.

He had a vague feeling that the wicked old man might have deceived him.

The old man... once again, smiled beneath the earth.

Still, Guro did not leave empty-handed. After questioning Xia Ya for a long time, he finally managed to extract one useful sentence.

“The woman I like? I suppose... Hmm, probably someone like Aunt Sophia. Yes, probably someone like that.”

Xia Ya’s tone was no longer as certain as it had once been.

But Guro treated those words as a priceless treasure. That very night, he returned to his room and discussed them with the young man.

The mysterious young man issued an immediate order.

“Investigate! Mobilize the entire intelligence network! Find out everything about this woman named Sophia! I want to know every detail about her!”

Soon, every Landis intelligence organization in the northern part of the Byzantine Empire received an urgent order.

Mobilize every available force and quickly uncover all information concerning a woman named Sophia who lived in Wildfire Town.

For a time, the entire region descended into chaos.

Countless elite spies and intelligence agents who had been carefully trained by the Landis Empire and had remained hidden within the Byzantine Empire for years began converging on the small town in the Wildfire Plains.

Many, many years later, Guro had become the Minister of Intelligence Oversight of the Landis Kingdom. Whenever he recalled this incident, he was filled with grief and outrage. He considered it the greatest stain upon his life.

He had actually mobilized one-third of the forces concealed in the northern enemy territories to investigate a vegetable-selling auntie in a small town.

The affair became the greatest joke of Guro’s entire career.

“Damn it! I was fooled by that bastard back then! That bastard had no background at all! He was nothing but a complete country bumpkin! A foolish little virgin who had never even seen a beautiful woman!”