Episode 70
Heron’s playful face as he casually asked me out on a date came to mind. Since we would see each other anyway while I was staying at Sylvia’s mansion, I figured he would tell me eventually.
When that time came, I would learn more details, besides just being a runaway bird from the temple.
What the abundant divine power within me meant. How the Holy Kingdom, far from the Empire, was connected to me. And what the Empress, who wore a brooch similar to the temple’s mark, had to do with them.
“…I hope it’s unrelated to the original story.”
I couldn’t shake off the feeling that everything was somehow connected.
Stealthily, like a stray cat, I handed my leave request to the butler and slipped out of the mansion.
It was the perfect time since Sylvia was busy learning Spirit Arts from Heron.
‘It’s better if they don’t find out. I’ll meet Prea quickly and come back.’
If they found out, they would vehemently oppose it, saying it was dangerous, and confine me.
Feeling like a runaway heroine, I headed towards the main gate. Just as I was about to leave, with my hat pulled low to protect my skin from the sun, a strong gust of wind ruffled my hat.
The wind felt strange, so I looked closely and saw wind spirits, giggling, clinging to my hat.
‘Is it Sylvia? No. Sylvia wouldn’t play a prank like this.’
I was about to go after my hat but shook my head and turned back towards the gate. Then, cold water seeped into the hem of my dress.
‘Only one person can control both wind and water spirits!’
He clearly wasn’t going to let me leave quietly.
I followed my hat as it flew away. It landed neatly on Heron’s head. His long, well-maintained hair swayed with his movements.
‘He should be teaching Sylvia Spirit Arts at this hour.’
I hid my surprise and asked,
“Spirit Summoner, what are you doing?”
Despite my annoyed tone, his demeanor remained gentle.
“Where are you going? Sneaking around like a stray cat.”
“…I’m going out for a bit.”
“Really? Lady Veronica seemed to be unaware of that.”
“I just didn’t tell her because she was busy.”
“Then I can tell her for you.”
His languid eyes crinkled at the corners. His teasing smirk annoyed me.
“No, you can’t.”
“Who are you going to see?”
“Promise me you won’t tell Sylvia.”
“I told you, didn’t I? I won’t do anything you don’t like.”
His words, as sweet as a melody, felt seductive. I was startled, even though I knew he was teasing.
“Don’t joke around.”
I saw the amusement in his eyes, tinged with a reddish hue. He knew I would be flustered by his actions, yet he continued teasing me.
He seemed to enjoy my startled reactions; acting on his whims was his nature.
“I’m going to see Lady Prea Seirthe, the only daughter of the Seirthe Marquisate.”
“Why are you sneaking around so cautiously? And you look worried.”
I brushed away the spirits playing with my hair and replied,
“Because Sylvia would be worried. And… I’m a little scared to go alone.”
Prea was treating me kindly for now, but she was ruthless towards those who displeased her.
If I became useless or an obstacle to her getting closer to Sylvia, she would get rid of me. Eliminating a mere maid wouldn’t be difficult for her.
“Then shall I go with you, Valerie?”
He readily offered me his hand.
I hadn’t expected him to come with me, since he disliked bothersome things. I had hinted that he could just lend me a spirit or two…
“Is that why you told me?”
He lowered his long eyelashes, seeing right through me, and rested his face against my hand. His languid expression, like a cat basking in the sun, contrasted with his gleaming red eyes.
“Use me, Valerie.”
His words snapped me back to reality. Startled, I exclaimed,
“Use you?! Don’t say that. I’d be grateful for your help! I’ll even repay you!”
“Heh.”
I saw his shoulders shaking slightly. He chuckled, seemingly amused.
“Alright, I’ll help you. But you haven’t fulfilled my previous request.”
“Ah, I’m sorry about that. But you also misled me with… a d-date invitation.”
I had seriously rejected his playful remark, misunderstanding it. I clutched my dress, recalling that awkward moment.
The clueless spirits giggled and fluttered around me, playing with my hair. As I focused on smoothing down my hair, which was threatening to stand on end, I saw Heron’s eyes twitch slightly.
But in a blink, his usual relaxed expression returned.
“It was amusing seeing you reject me so firmly because of a misunderstanding.”
“P-please stop.”
“Alright. Then I’ll accept your repayment later. But I do have a request in return for the help I didn’t receive properly before.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t like the way you address me. How long are you going to call me ‘Spirit Summoner,’ Valerie? You called me Heron before.”
“That was because I was in a hurry…”
Heron was bringing up something Cesar had also mentioned. I had gotten used to speaking informally to him as a bird, so my habit resurfaced when I was flustered.
“Call me Heron now. It’s more comfortable.”
“But wouldn’t it be inappropriate to call you by your name in public?”
“Then call me that when we’re alone. Weren’t you doing the same with Lady Veronica?”
I had no choice but to nod since he brought up Sylvia. Heron smiled with satisfaction and continued,
“I’ll assign a spirit or two to you. Don’t worry; I’ll sense it if anything happens.”
The spirits playing with my hair nodded. I chuckled, imagining these tiny Sylphs protecting me.
But then, they suddenly disappeared with a poof. I stepped back in surprise, and Heron tilted his head.
“…Valerie, another spirit wants to be with you.”
“Really?”
I waited for a moment, and a gentle breeze enveloped me. Instead of the small, transparent Sylphs, a spirit about my size, emitting a gentle light, stood before me.
—Hello.
“It can talk?”
I had expected a high-ranking spirit to be in an animal form, like an eagle. I stared at it with wide eyes, seeing its human-like appearance.
“Because it’s a high-ranking spirit.”
“How high? Mid-level or high-level?”
“Well, something like that… probably?”
His answer was vague.
‘It’s not Silape. Then is it a high-level spirit? That’s why it can talk.’
—That’s right. I’m a high-level spirit. So don’t worry and go where you need to go.
The voice in my head was comforting.
‘Spirits wouldn’t lie.’
I headed towards where Prea was waiting, accompanied by the spirit Heron assigned to me.
I checked the time, making sure I wasn’t late, and arrived at the red-roofed general store on the second street of Entern. I tried to recall the novel’s contents, wondering why she had chosen this place, but I couldn’t remember anything specific.
‘Prea does hire the dark guild to kidnap Sylvia, but the details of how it happened aren’t mentioned.’
I wished everything could be resolved by following the novel, but reality wasn’t that simple. I had already messed up several incidents trying to follow the original story.
‘Just like my debts.’
The thought made me want to cry.
The day I would be dragged back to the Imperial Palace wasn’t far off. The turmoil in the Imperial Palace would begin in earnest after Prea’s incident was resolved.
The time when I would be officially involved in the power struggle, providing information to the Crown Prince, was fast approaching.
I nodded, thinking I should try to reduce my massive debt by appealing to Sylvia, the future Empress.
—Is that the meeting place?
“Yes.”
—It seems your contact is inside, so why don’t you go in?
“Don’t you sense anything strange?”
—It doesn’t seem like she’s set any traps, like poison or bombs. You shouldn’t be in any physical danger.
Her cheerful words were unsettling.
‘What kind of lives do these spirits’ contractors lead, that they can talk about such dangerous things so casually?’
And here I was, feeling relieved by her words.
‘My life is truly precarious.’
My once-fragile heart, constantly threatened by assassinations and blackmail in the Imperial Palace, had become stronger. Although it seemed like there wasn’t a single peaceful day, even outside the palace.
She had said to meet her outside, but since the spirit said she was waiting inside, it seemed better to go in.
Creak.
I carefully opened the door and entered. From the outside, it looked small and shabby, but the inside was spacious and had a unique atmosphere.
I observed the dim lighting and the few customers and then paused, struck by a sudden thought.
‘This is the perfect setting for a kidnapping.’
If Prea had brought Sylvia here, she would have been captured by shadowy figures appearing out of nowhere. Kidnappings were a cliché for heroines in novels.
—Who are you looking for?
“Lady Prea of the Seirthe Marquisate.”
—Hmm. Would you mind going a little further inside?
I followed the spirit’s instructions and went deeper inside. The more I walked, the more paths appeared, and a sense of unease washed over me.
—Left here. And tell the employee that the red roof has faded.
I turned left and saw an employee with gray hair.
“Excuse me…”
“Yes, hello. Are you looking for something?”
“No. The red roof has faded.”
“Ah! Please wait a moment.”
“Okay.”
I stood there, waiting. Then, I felt a sense of déjà vu.
Entering a seemingly ordinary store in a busy street, reciting a secret code, and being guided inside…
Just as I felt something was wrong, a man with a hat pulled low over his face approached me. The gray-haired employee was gone.
‘A suspicious-looking person has appeared.’