Nighttime Encounters - Chapter 28
He firmly placed the empty wine glass down on the table, a sound signaling the conclusion of the conversation.
“Now that you’ve checked where I am, please leave. Let my father know he doesn’t need to worry about me.”
Seeing the seriousness in Master Calskronin’s eyes, the butler held back a sigh. “Very well. I’ll relay the message.”
The butler, adept at controlling emotions, offered a final piece of advice. “Don’t skip meals. Take care of your health. And if there’s anything uncomfortable, feel free to contact the Duke’s residence at any time.”
The Duke of Calskronin always awaits the young Master Calskronin’s return. In the end, the conversation always circled around to that.The butler, having done the best he could, bowed and left the room.
The sound of the closing door sent a deep ripple through the silence of the room. Alone, Kaiden sank wearily into his chair and leaned back. It felt as though the fatigue he’d been putting off for three years hit him all at once.
“This is what I expected when I volunteered to go to the borderlands.”
Unwillingly, he was now pulled back to the capital. Who knew the duties of a mage would be so bothersome? Resting his elbows on the armrests, Kaiden buried his forehead in his palms, sinking deeper into the chair. His deep green eyes stared into the past through the purple ribbon.
“Why now?”
When he had ignored him so desperately in times of dire need… Understanding his busy father as the Duke of Calskronin and as the Commander of the Empire’s Magic Knights wasn’t particularly difficult.
But just in that moment…
Just in that last moment…
To ward off the rising memory, Kaiden deliberately closed his eyes slowly.
“It’s all in the past.”
Kaiden let out a faint sigh and opened his eyes. His eyes, blurred by the past, caught a glimpse of a purple ribbon.
“Meals…”
The butler’s concerned words echoed in his ears, warning him not to skip meals. Kaiden’s gaze naturally drifted to the bag the size of a human head.
It was the food bag Rosiana, the woman, had left for him. Without realizing, Kaiden opened the bag and took out the dishes one by one. Upon inspecting the food again, his face contorted.
“How am I supposed to eat this?”
Just by the appearance of the food, it seemed like it could ruin his taste buds and made him automatically lose his appetite.
“Perhaps I should just dispose of it.”
As Kaiden was about to call a maid to handle it, he paused. At the very bottom of the bag lay a dish—the last one that he hadn’t checked at the Guard Headquarters.
“Chicken soup?”
The clear, fervent plea about how hard it had been to prepare echoed in his ears. Unconsciously, Kaiden opened the lid of the dish to inspect the food.
His emerald eyes glistened as he gazed at the gentle soup. Though chilled, the fragrance of the chicken soup was warm and nostalgic, reminiscent of a time when everything had been comforting.
After much hesitation, Kaiden reached out for the spoon.
“Surely it won’t kill me.”
Kaiden slowly scooped up a spoonful of the chilled chicken soup.
* * *
“He’s probably asleep, dead as a doornail, by now,” Trinity murmured softly as she buttoned up the black outfit. When she reached the last button at the end of her chin, she lifted her head and looked into the mirror. In the mirror, a stranger stared back at her with blood-red eyes. A smirk graced Trinity’s lips as she turned her body from side to side. The figure in the mirror mimicked her movements perfectly.
She was unmistakably herself. As Trinity examined her reflection, someone not mirrored in the glass spoke to her.
[Your hair here.]
“Oh, thank you.”
She tucked the flowing red locks inside the pristine white headscarf and neatly adjusted its ribbon. Her pale and delicate fingers, moving briskly to fix her appearance, showcased a conspicuously glittering crimson ring.
“Look at this. No wonder I wanted to buy a red gem. Who knew I’d have a use for it like this?”
Tonight, Trinity was a maid at the five-star inn, the Roselia.
As she admired her reflection, Trinity lightly brushed off the pure white apron she wore with her black skirt. Smoothing out the wrinkles, she looked up again and into the mirror. After a final check, she smiled slyly.
“This should be enough to fool him.”
Dressed as the perfect maid, Trinity left the servant’s quarters. The dark corridors of the main lobby opened up before her. Unlike the ornate chandeliers of the main lobby, the darkness was illuminated by polished white marble at regular intervals. More comfortable in the dark than in the light, Trinity didn’t hesitate to jump into the shadowy corridor.
Just then came a warning from Luperne.
[Be careful, Rosia.]
