Chapter 27

“The person who was waiting for me… was Freyer?”

 

I blinked hard in shock. The dazzling silver-haired Freyer didn’t disappear.

 

“You seem surprised.”

 

Only then did I shake my head and pull myself together.

 

“No. May I ask what brings Your Highness to our trading company…?”

 

“Can you spare some time? There’s something I didn’t get to say before.”

 

I froze. I understood immediately what that meant. Freyer had told me before, in the palace garden.

 

‘Right. He’d said he’d been looking for me…’

 

Because of the royal-supplied goods and Nazlee’s explosive comment, I’d forgotten it. The phrase ‘crime of assaulting a prince’ flashed across my mind again. Freyer had more than enough reason to come all the way here.

 

‘Is he here to drag me away? What do I do?’

 

Hiding my unease, I glanced beside him.

 

‘Only our staff. No one else.’

 

Then—my eyes flicked toward the window.

 

‘No knights accompanying him.’

 

Relief washed through me, but outside the window, I saw curious noble ladies tilting their heads.

 

‘They recognized the Second Prince.’

 

At the Return Banquet, a royal event, Freyer had been present. Any young noblewoman who attended would recognize him.

 

‘The “Tragic Second Prince”… he rarely shows himself in public.’

 

Now I could feel even the nobles inside the shop becoming conscious of him. They kept sneaking glances at us.

 

‘They definitely overheard what he said to me.’

 

It was a small shop. Anyone could easily listen if they tried. And noble gossip thrived on interesting stories.

 

‘The Second Prince speaking privately to a woman? Perfect scandal fodder. If he brings up that night here…’

 

The groundless rumor would explode.

 

‘I need to get him out of here.’

 

I clenched my fist and deliberately raised my voice.

 

“Oh my, isn’t this His Highness the Second Prince?”

 

“?”

 

“You must’ve come to purchase materials from our trading company!”

 

I cupped my ear dramatically.

 

‘This should throw them off.’

 

“I heard the palace staff loved the new uniforms? So you wanted to buy the same fabric yourself and visited personally?”

 

“…”

 

Freyer narrowed his eyes.

 

‘Don’t say anything. Please. Not here.’

 

“And you’d like to discuss details upstairs in the owner’s office? Of course. It’s on the second floor. This way.”

 

I grabbed his sleeve and tugged him toward the stairs.

 

‘He gets what I’m doing. He’s coming quietly.’

 

As we headed up, the nobles who had been eavesdropping looked disappointed.

 

‘Good… that was close.’

 

I exhaled in relief and led him to the office.

 

 

***

 

 

Freyer had come to see Lilithia.

 

“So I finally have the time.”

 

After confirming the location of the gold vein and discussing future plans, he’d been too busy to visit. He entered the shop, passing the line of waiting customers.

 

“I’m here to see Lady Lilithia Baimery.”

 

“The deputy merchant leader?”

 

“I’m not here for the deputy leader. I’m here for Lady Lilithia Baimery.”

 

“The young lady isn’t here right now…”

 

“Then I’ll wait.”

 

The clerk looked flustered. Freyer didn’t care. He stood firmly in the center of the shop.

 

He’d gone through hell worrying about Lilithia. This time, he wasn’t backing down.

 

‘They recognized me.’

 

Nobles in the shop were sneaking glances at him. Unimportant.

 

‘Meeting Lilithia comes first.’

 

After some waiting, Lilithia finally appeared. And she instantly started performing, loud and exaggerated to mislead the audience.

 

‘Being associated with me must be troublesome for her.’

 

Freyer followed in silence. Papers were stacked all over her office desk. She looked exhausted.

 

‘I heard the Crown Prince bought fabric from this place.’

 

He’d seen the change in the palace staff uniforms. And Baimery Trading Company was a famous name.

 

Swish—

 

Lilithia closed the curtains. Probably to block outside view. Sensible—he was surrounded by rumors.

 

‘No wonder she doesn’t want to be seen with me.’

 

He clenched his jaw at the thought.

 

She pointed to an armchair.

 

“Please sit, Your Highness.”

 

“……”

 

“Thank you for following me without saying anything. Too many watching eyes downstairs.”

 

Lilithia sat across from him.

 

“I was worried you might get dragged into gossip because of me.”

 

Freyer murmured,

 

“So you were worried about me….”

 

“Pardon? What did you say, Your Highness?”

 

A thought sparked. He asked her, “I said, since I followed you quietly and helped you avoid trouble, shouldn’t you repay the favor?”

 

Even to him, the logic was absurd. Lilithia blinked in confusion.

 

“Uh…?”

 

“No?”

 

“…Well… I guess, in a way, that is true.”

 

She tilted her head. Freyer found it amusing.

 

She was truly pure.

 

‘Someone like this wouldn’t approach me with ulterior motives.’

 

Even if she wouldn’t stop his nightmares, that was fine—this was the perfect chance to confirm it.

 

‘Just in case…’

 

He smiled brightly.

 

“The reason I was looking for you was because I wanted to taste Baimery’s black tea.”

 

“Black tea…?”

 

“I want the repayment to be a cup you brew personally.”

 

He bent to pick up papers scattered across the floor. Lilithia gasped and snatched them from his hand.

 

“Ah! Why was this here—”

 

“I’d love tea here, but this room isn’t exactly suitable for a pleasant conversation.”

 

Freyer stroked his chin, thoughtful.

 

“What should we do?”

 

“Then… I’ll tidy this office and Your Highness can visit again—”

 

“No. We should meet in the palace.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I’ll send a carriage to the barony tomorrow.”

 

Lilithia’s eyes went wide. Freyer smiled and left the office.

 

 

***

 

 

At the palace, Freyer arrived to an unusually noisy afternoon.

 

“The new administration officers were supposed to be assigned today.”

 

Servants and officials rushed everywhere. Ricardo had given advance notice.

 

‘With so many new people, more threats to watch.’

 

He had lived quietly, invisible, fulfilling no duties and avoiding palace affairs.

 

Now that he’d chosen to show himself, many would resent it. Someone’s blade could come from anywhere.

 

‘There may already be someone sharpening a knife in the West Palace.’

 

Even his residence might no longer be safe.

 

‘Only Derek at my side.’

 

As he turned toward the West Palace—

 

He collided hard with a young assistant scribe with amber hair.

 

“Ugh—”

 

The scribe crashed to the floor with a groan, clutching his shoulder.

 

Papers scattered everywhere like fluttering snow.

 

Freyer frowned. The boy’s face turned pale.

 

“Oh no… I’m late already…”

 

He scrambled to pick up papers.

 

‘I didn’t feel his presence.’

 

Freyer’s martial ability rivaled a knight commander’s. There was no reason he shouldn’t detect anyone near him.

 

But the boy’s build was thin, his presence faint.

 

‘He’s weak. That’s why I didn’t sense him.’

 

Freyer crouched to help gather papers. Something gleamed beneath them—silver.

 

A pendant.

 

‘The shock must’ve snapped the chain.’

 

He picked it up to return it—and froze.

 

He knew that emblem. Too well.

 

“This is a symbol of treason, so I will keep it, Second Prince.”

 

The Empress had stolen his childhood handkerchief the moment she saw that same emblem, shuddering in disgust.

 

‘It’s identical to the symbol on the handkerchief Mother gave me.’

 

The royal family’s crest.

 

The defeated kingdom had been purged brutally. Everything burned. Anything bearing the royal emblem was nearly impossible to find.

 

Freyer knew instantly.

 

‘This pendant belonged to Mother.’

 

Only she would have kept a royal item.

 

His vision blurred.

 

“My apologies, Your Highness. I acted carelessly.”

 

The assistant scribe bowed. From behind him—

 

“Assistant Scribe Jaybil, hurry!”

 

“I’m coming!”

 

Startled, Jaybil looked back, then bowed again.

 

“Then I’ll be going.”

 

He sprinted toward the main palace. Freyer stood frozen, staring at the pendant in his hand.

 

“What is this…?”

 

The taste of blood filled his mouth.