They had all become part of the Imperial family after they were discharged.

“No, they might have been here even before you went abroad.”

“Oh… So I’m just now seeing them?”

“I guess so. One of them may have come back a second time. And the other one… well, uh, that one is unexplainable.”

The Emperor was lost in thought, tapping his armrest.

He could barely make out Levisia in his head, who was said to be close to his nieces, nephews, and youngest these days. Although she had entered after her discharge, she was the one who had never paid much attention to him.

Why all of a sudden…

It was a bit weird to say this, but the emperor had never once thought anything good about his nieces and nephews, who’d taken after his older sister. Their thought process was cleverer than anyone else, so he didn’t think they would move for no reason.

That is except for Levisia. In some ways, they followed her around—she seemed to have no outstanding aspect. And not only his nieces and nephews but also his bright son.

The Emperor, who took that very strangely, was somewhat convinced.

They were such extraordinary young people that they may have seen things that ordinary people weren’t able to.

“Maybe there’s something latent in the girl that only you guys can recognize that I didn’t recognize.”

After hearing him say that, Aurora’s eyes grew wider, then she nodded with a smile on her face.

“That is really possible.”

Coming out into the hallway after their conversation was done, she stood blankly and thought for a while.

Which way should I go first?

Three choices came up in her head.

The first one was to go see her siblings who’d come out to greet her.

The second…

Go and meet the one who had come back a second time—which was rare to do.

But from what I heard Merril was the first one.

Lightly tapping her fan on her chin, Aurora gave up her disappointment, consoled herself, and thought of the last option.

Levisia..

Aurora had pretended not to know her but already knew about her through sources.

The one who had stolen the hearts of Lidan, Siaphyl, Elizabeth, and Merril.

From what I saw, even Cassian seems to take notice of her…

Even while talking with them earlier, she’d realized that all of their attention had been on Levisia. Even worse, even Cassian.

This worry of hers did not last long. She said, after tapping the end of her hand on her palm,

“Good. I’ve decided. Please let me know where Levisia is.”

“Okay.”

Aurora walked away humming after giving orders to a servant.

She was very excited to see how Levisia was, who was the Kraidens’ center of attention.

* * *

It was right after she’d torn away from the other Kraidens that she felt a presence following.

Who is that?

The other person continued to follow her without narrowing their distance, talking to her, not going their own way.

The clacking footsteps in the hallway sounded like male dress shoes, but she had no idea why they were following her.

Eh… I don’t care.

My room for the night was just a little way up the hall, so if they’re following me because they have something to say, they’ll say it before I get there, she thought, turning the corner. Then she stopped in her tracks.

What’s that?

The footsteps behind her had sped up as soon as she turned the corner. Now it sounded like they were running.

Is it because I’m out of their sight?

Was there someone spying on her? Who? And for what?

She raged through her thoughts, then she stopped. Without taking another step, she turned around. If it were a man following her, he had no choice but to turn this corner anyway.

Let’s see who it is.

She was curious about the steps lurking behind her. If it was someone she didn’t know, she could interrogate the person who ordered them to follow her.

When she was thinking about this and that, a man hurriedly appeared around the corner.

And their eyes met.

At that moment, his expression, which had seemed surprising, was now twisted. She knew that face.

She was surprised by the unexpected culprit and stepped back.

“You…”