His fox-like eyes, sharp jaw, and cunning demeanor reminded me of a trickster from a storybook.
Marquis Retan had left for his western estate right after his wedding to Levina. She was reluctant to part with me, but she didn’t protest his decision. Having chosen to marry him, she knew she had to become a woman of the West.
Despite his haste, Retan hadn’t forgotten my request. He left his aide in the capital to answer my questions about the West and Inayari.
He didn’t instruct his aide to answer politely—just to respond. It was up to me to extract answers. Though softened by Levina, Retan was still a wary westerner at heart.
“What do you mean…?”
The man scratched his head, tilting it with feigned confusion. His glinting orange eyes betrayed his calculated nonchalance.
“I want to know about the West and Inayari. I asked Marquis Retan, and he sent you. Is anything else needed?”
His relaxed demeanor shifted instantly. His probing gaze followed me as I lifted my teacup, lingering even as I sipped.
He’s cautious.
Setting the cup down, I studied him. His dark, western complexion and lean, muscular frame showed he wasn’t just a desk-bound schemer.
“Finished sizing me up?”
“…!”
“As I said, I don’t like being tested. That’s enough courtesy for Marquis Retan.”
“Ha, I thought I hid it well. Was it that obvious?”
He scratched his cheek, grinning awkwardly.
“Fine. What do you want to ask?”
“Your name is Kasan, correct?”
“…Yes.”
Caught off guard, he answered a beat late. His orange eyes darted, irritatingly evasive.
“You…”
My mouth moved before my mind caught up.
“You’re Inayari.”
“…!”
I couldn’t explain why I felt it. The moment I met his eyes, I knew instinctively he was Inayari.
Before I could blink, Kasan vanished from my sight. A cold blade pressed against my neck. It happened in an instant.
Calming my racing heart, I spoke evenly.
“They checked for weapons before you entered. Clever hiding.”
“You never know when trouble might strike.”
Despite his calm tone, his body radiated sharp menace. I met his gaze and smirked.
“You don’t think you can harm me and escape, do you?”
Knights, hidden around the room, emerged, their killing intent fixed on Kasan. He kept the dagger at my throat, his eyes scanning the knights warily.
As his blade pressed against me, their swords aimed at his neck. He had no escape.
“I could take you hostage to make a way out.”
“Have you considered that your recklessness could endanger House Retan?”
“Even the emperor can’t easily touch House Retan.”
Kasan’s face brimmed with confidence. He believed no harm would come to Retan, even if he died here.
His belief wasn’t unfounded. House Retan had fought Inayari for generations. Their knights, each a formidable warrior, could face a hundred foes. Their estate, a natural fortress, was nearly impregnable.
As he said, even the emperor would hesitate to challenge them.
But he overlooked something. Combat wasn’t the only form of battle. Sometimes, subtler forces prevailed.
“Tch, a marquis’s aide who relies on brawn over brains.”
Kasan frowned, not grasping my meaning. I explained, as if to a student.
“Lady Retan and I are close friends. If I’m harmed or killed by you, what do you think she’d do?”
“…!”
“You, as his aide, know better than I how Marquis Retan feels about his wife. Need I say more?”
His already dark face turned ashen. I could almost see the image of a furious Marquis Retan in his mind.
“…One question.”
The blade at my neck eased slightly. His menace faded.
“How did you know I’m Inayari?”
He glanced between me and the knights, still on guard.
The knights hadn’t flinched during our exchange, their glares murderous. My safety was their priority, and they made it clear they’d strike if I was harmed.
“Lower your swords.”
“We can’t, my lady.”
“That’s an order.”
“My apologies, my lady.”
One knight shook his head. I swallowed a sigh and looked at Kasan.
“How about you lower your blade first? We can’t talk like this. I’ll answer your question once this is settled.”
Clang.
Kasan closed his eyes briefly, then dropped the dagger. Instantly, the knights pinned him to the floor, restraining his limbs.
“Let him go.”
“We can’t.”
“He’s a guest formally invited to House Eliant. Our house has never treated a guest this way.”
“He threatened you with a blade. We can’t let him go unpunished.”
“Are you saying you’ll make an enemy of House Retan?”
The protesting knight fell silent, but Kasan remained pinned.
My knights answered to my father, Sys, and Evan. They’d likely been told to ignore my orders if I were in danger.
Pison’s knights hesitated, but Eliant’s and the imperial knights didn’t budge.
“I’ll take full responsibility.”
I played my final card.
“This is my last order. Let him go.”
“…!”
I showed them the head’s seal and the Ring of Glory. Recognizing them, the knights knelt swiftly.
The seal, entrusted to me when my father left for the estate, hadn’t been reclaimed. It symbolized House Eliant’s authority, overriding even my father’s orders in his absence.
The Ring of Glory, emblematic of the empress, compelled Sys’s knights to obey, even against his commands.
Reluctantly, they released Kasan. I gestured for him to sit. He complied, eyeing the knights warily.
“It’d be easier to talk alone, but that’s impossible now. You’re not blameless, so bear with it.”
Even with the seal and ring, the knights would protest if I insisted on being alone with him.
Had Kasan not acted out, they’d have stood silently. But the damage was done. Knowing their loyalty, I didn’t stop them from surrounding us.
“I can see that,” Kasan muttered, still tense, ready to bolt at any chance. I reassured him.
“If you don’t harm me, they won’t act.”
“Seems so.”
“No need to be so guarded. Nothing said here will leak.”
“How can I trust that?”
I placed the seal and ring on the table. His eyes gleamed.
“I swear on my name.”
“…Your friend’s quite a dangerous ally, my lord.”
Staring at the seal and ring, he scratched his head with a resigned look, his tension easing. He grumbled, as if giving up.
“I told myself not to come south. Felt a bad vibe.”
“Ready to talk now?”
“First, I want an answer. How did you…”
His gaze flicked to the knights. He hesitated, wary of speaking in front of them.
If it became known that Retan’s aide was part-Inayari, it’d cause a stir. He was worried about that.
I understood his desire to hide, but my patience had limits.
He’d complicated a situation that could’ve been resolved through talk. Sighing, he accepted reality.
“How did you know I’m Inayari?”
“I don’t know.”
“…What?”
His narrow eyes widened, his orange pupils trembling with unease.
