Chapter 90
‘First, should I check that?’
Didn’t Sillian tell her a story about a hero? She wanted to know if it was real. After all, it had been the first time she had ever heard of it.
There weren’t many books dealing with lands outside the Empire, but the Imperial Library had a far greater collection than anywhere else.
“What was the name of that country again….”
Lynette carefully retraced her conversation with him. He had said a hero had founded a nation, but she couldn’t quite recall its name.
It sounded unfamiliar, since she was hearing it for the first time.
After much thought, she finally managed to recall the name.
“Etel.”
When she spoke it aloud, it felt certain.
Leaving her spot, she moved on to another bookshelf. She could hear Eric’s footsteps following at a small distance.
Should she look for books with information on foreign countries? Or perhaps search through the history section?
‘Or maybe it’s in the realm of legends.’
She stopped in front of a shelf lined with books about other nations and scanned the titles. Many of the names were ones she had never seen before.
Her eyes skimmed over them one by one until she caught sight of the word ‘Calles,’ and halted.
She remembered Sillian had suggested going to Calles.
She glanced back at Eric once, then carefully pulled the book out. He could see if he wished, but for some reason, she didn’t want word of this to reach Euphen.
She skimmed through the text describing Calles’s history. There was even a finely detailed map. Calles lay deep inland, bordered by a rugged mountain range that made it quite closed off.
‘Why did he suggest going there?’
It was far from the Empire. Reaching it would surely take months.
Lynette flipped past passages about wars, territories gained and lost. Near the end, she came across something about the royal family.
The Albérna family of Calles was known for having an unusually large number of Espers, for being more adept than other nations’ royals at discovering their true fates, and for producing heirs with red eyes.
Her gaze froze on the page.
She traced each line again slowly, word by word. Skimming earlier, she hadn’t thought much of it, but when she carefully read it again, Sillian’s image immediately came to mind.
‘He spoke of a family, didn’t he?’
Ordinary people didn’t talk about “families” in that sense. At minimum, one had to be of noble birth to speak that way. And then there was his unusual magical pendant. Not to mention the most decisive proof of all, his red eyes.
It wasn’t that red eyes didn’t exist, but they were rare and exceptional. Could it be possible that Sillian was merely an ordinary man from a common household who just happened to be born with such eyes?
‘Impossible.’
Everything made sense if she thought of him as a royal prince.
The way he danced so naturally, the confident hand he offered her, the refined escorting. Even the way he stood proudly before an Imperial Prince was far too composed for someone who claimed to be nothing more than a guard.
Whether he was a prince or simply a royal relative, there was no doubt that he was tied to the Albérna royal house. Lynette let out a faint, incredulous laugh.
‘So this was why he suggested going to Calles.’
If he were royalty, it would be nothing for him to take responsibility for her. In his homeland, living would be easier.
She slid the book carefully back into its place.
What would he say if she confronted him? Why hadn’t he told her? No, more than that, what was a Callesian royal doing here in the Empire, working as a mere guard?
Lynette bit down on her lip. She had wanted to look into Etel as well, but her mind was already overloaded.
She hadn’t expected to uncover Sillian’s true identity by accident.
Letting out a long sigh, she pressed her forehead.
“Are you not well?”
Eric, who had been quietly watching her from a little distance, asked.
“Hm? Oh, no.”
She shook her head. Her body was fine. It was the shock that had rattled her mind.
After checking the time, she left the library. There was still some time before her walk with Sillian, but she needed to clear her head. She gazed blankly out the carriage window at the scenery passing by.
‘What should I even say?’
Why had he deceived her? What else was he hiding? Why was he here, working as a guard?
There were too many questions, and she didn’t know where to begin. The words rose to the tip of her tongue, only to be swallowed back down with another deep sigh.
By the time they returned to the Detached Palace, there was still plenty of time left. But the more she tried to steady herself, the more tangled her thoughts became.
Before Sillian arrived, Lynette went down to the lobby and sat in a chair.
She didn’t know how long she sat there with her arms folded. When the hour struck, the man with long golden hair tied loosely stepped through the door.
“Were you waiting?”
He asked with slight surprise. Lynette rose from her seat and gazed at him quietly.
“Yes. I was waiting.”
Saying so, she ignored his extended hand of escort and walked outside first.
“Lynette.”
She heard his footsteps following behind.
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