Just before Whitney’s eting with the Shadow Witch.
In the knight-exclusive rest area of the Ringaarden Count’s mansion.
“Haah... This isn’t what I ca here for.”
Ferris, the wolf knight, who had once again been worn down to a pulp by intense training, slumped into a seat and wiped the sweat off her face with a towel as she muttered.
“...What the hell is with this damn training.”
She, too, had lived through slavery and experienced every kind of hardship imaginable.
But the intensity of training imposed by Lunelle on the three squad captains—Johan, Ferris, and Evangeline Misthylene—was, without a doubt, the harshest thing even Ferris had ever endured in her life.
‘Even when I got caught stealing bread and got beaten up by a bunch of rchants... it wasn’t this bad.’
Placing the towel down beside her, Ferris sighed and touched the bruises covering her body in self-mockery.
She felt, for so reason, the helplessness from her younger, weaker days creeping back into her flesh again.
The problem was, she wasn’t hungry now, nor weak, and no one had ganged up on her.
That’s right. The person who gave her all those bruises was none other than Lunelle Misthylene.
While the other three captains charged in wielding real swords, Lunelle used nothing more than a wooden sword wrapped in sword energy.
And yet, within ten minutes, she managed to put every captain into a groggy state.
All without a single scratch on herself.
‘How is that even possible? That damn gorilla woman.’
Naturally, such a difference in ability between users of sword energy shouldn’t exist.
Unless, of course, the opponent was soone like Lunelle Misthylene—whose swordsmanship was so supre no one could even co close.
“Tch...”
Ferris, pulling up her clothes to wrap a bandage, suddenly frowned and lowered her shirt again as she noticed several eyes on her.
“...n. Of course.”
Leaving behind those cold words, she opened the door and exited the lounge.
“Phew...”
Letting out another sigh, she glanced around cautiously and then quickened her pace.
“Ah! Wh-Where’d she go?”
‘...Finally shook her off.’
Hearing Sasha’s panicked voice behind her, Ferris narrowed her eyes and leaned against the wall at the end of the corridor, deep in thought.
‘This mansion really is weird as hell.’
She hadn’t revealed her identity, and yet at so point, she realized the mansion’s maids were monitoring her every move.
And aside from that, there were plenty of other strange occurrences in the mansion.
‘Like how whenever laughter cos from the office, all the staff cover their eyes and ears... or how at night, no one’s allowed outside unless they move in pairs... or how no one is allowed to ask about the basent’s existence...’
So of those rumors included things like the basent not even existing in the first place—yet all the maids would avoid the topic and leave when it was brought up.
‘Just what the hell is going on in this place?’
Thus, as soone sent in by Lord Maier himself, Ferris was growing more suspicious of the Ringaarden mansion with each passing day.
“Mmm-hmm-hmm~♪”
“...!?”
Sneaking through the mansion again today, trying to avoid all eyes, Ferris was startled by a sudden humming voice from the opposite hallway.
“...Huh?”
And then, involuntarily, she let out a dumbfounded sound.
“Ah? Who’s there?”
‘The Prince? Why is he here?’
But Ferris, reacting quickly with her excellent reflexes, lowered herself behind the wall and peeked at the Prince, who had turned his head to search for the source of the sound.
‘Wasn’t he reported missing?’
Just a day ago, Lord Maier had discreetly delivered that very piece of intel.
It hadn’t been made public yet, but once it did, the entire Empire would be turned upside down.
“Hmm... Must’ve imagined it?”
Yet the very subject of that major intel was now walking through the mansion’s hallway, humming, in nothing but a rag and carrying bath supplies.
‘Soone who looks like him? No, that’s impossible...’
Ferris blinked in disbelief, but the familiar scent of sweat and body odor wafting from him left no doubt.
As Lord Maier’s shadow and bodyguard, she had naturally morized the scent of the Prince—who had once stayed often by Maier’s side.
And wolves, once they’ve locked onto prey, never mistake its scent.
‘At least I’ve got sothing useful to report about this absurd mansion.’
The shock only lasted a mont. Realizing she’d caught major intel, Ferris began to smile darkly and moved quietly.
She just needed to return to the lounge unnoticed, then sneak out of the mansion at dawn to pass the information to her contact.
And if Lord Maier found the intel impressive enough, maybe she’d get her recall orders even sooner...
“I already know soone’s hiding there.”
“...!”
“...Co on out.”
Just as she was trying to sneak down the corridor, a calm voice from the opposite end made her choke.
‘Was I... caught?’
Instinctively reaching for the dagger at her waist, cold sweat forming—
“Ha-haha! I guess there’s really no one there!”
“......”
“But just in case, no peeping allowed!”
A mont later, the Prince shouted in a needlessly loud voice and rushed into the bathroom, leaving Ferris blinking in confusion and finally sighing in relief.
“That idiot... Sotis he’s weirdly sharp.”
Even back when she accompanied Lord Maier, the Prince would occasionally glance in her direction, cocking his head as if sensing sothing.
For Ferris—who was under strict orders to remain undetected by everyone except Maier—it had been an uncomfortable experience.
“...Good thing ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ he’s dumb. Otherwise, he might’ve beco Lord Maier’s enemy.”
Both she and Maier knew just how monstrously strong the Prince’s swordsmanship was.
If they had to face him head-on, it would take both of them together just to have a chance.
And even then, victory wasn’t guaranteed—such was the power of the First Prince.
So, they were lucky his intelligence was rock-bottom.
‘Anyway, now I really need to...’
Just as she finally cald down and turned toward the lounge with dreams of a soft bed and cold drink—
—Bzzzzzzz...
“...!?”
She froze again, not because of anything in the corridor, but due to the massive energy radiating from outside the window.
“...Th-This...”
That ominous and overwhelming aura wasn’t felt only by Ferris; everyone in the mansion had noticed it.
But the mansion remained eerily quiet.
Because they were used to it. Their master’s presence was sothing they all experienced at least once a week.
“Th-This can’t be...”
But sotis, knowing too much is its own curse.
And for Ferris, standing pale in the hallway, that curse had just activated.
“Why is she here...?”
A being of absolute authority who occasionally visited Lord Maier, watching with amusent as he knelt and bowed.
Ferris had seen it many tis—and had been terrified to the bone every ti.
In simpler terms, this was Lord Maier’s strongest connection, the superior who pulled his strings.
And the aura and stench of that Shadow Witch was now swirling around Ferris, despite the considerable distance.
—Shiver...
Overco with primal fear, Ferris couldn’t help but tremble as she turned to check the window.
“...Eep.”
And instantly regretted it.
The Shadow Witch, sitting at a tea table beyond the window, was clearly smiling at her.
‘She saw .’
And more terrifying than that—
‘Sir Whitney... too...’
Whitney Ringaarden, sitting opposite her with his back to the window, had turned slightly... and seed to be smiling in her direction.
‘No way. No... I must be seeing things. I’m just tired...’
Gripped by mounting terror, Ferris peeked again.
“...Phew.”
After a mont, a sigh of relief escaped her lips.
“Just my imagination...”
The Shadow Witch and Whitney were simply smiling and chatting warmly.
Yes, just a silly, friendly scene...
‘...Wait. What?’
As she wiped the cold sweat from her brow, Ferris suddenly froze in place.
‘The... the Shadow Witch is here?’
If it was just a private visit, that would’ve been understandable.
The Shadow Witch was known for secret etings with power figures like Lord Maier to build her faction.
But Ferris had never seen her speak to soone as an equal.
That woman preferred to make people kneel, then speak while standing on their backs.
‘...And she’s even using honorifics?’
So the sight of the Shadow Witch politely conversing with Whitney at the sa table... was utterly shocking to Ferris.
“I... I have to report this...”
After staring blankly at the unbelievable scene, Ferris finally staggered away—
“...Report to who?”
“...!”
A cheerful voice behind her.
“To whom, exactly?”
Parsha, having regained her usual smug smile despite being slightly pale, was standing there with a soft grin.
“Oh, and don’t bother reaching for your hip.”
Ferris’s hand moved instinctively toward her waist—but fell limp at Parsha’s next words.
“In about ten seconds, His Highness is going to run out of the bath wearing nothing but a towel.”
“......”
“You don’t want to end up charged with attempting regicide, do you?”
By that point, Ferris began reading Parsha’s expression and adjusted quickly.
“...What do you want.”
“Oh, nothing much.”
Not that such tactics usually worked in the Ringaarden mansion.
“Co to the basent tonight.”
“...What?”
“Master wants to speak with you. Personally.”
The chilling look in Parsha’s eyes made Ferris swallow dryly and nod without realizing.
“Feel honored. Haha...”
“...Damn it.”
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