The chilly air bit at Duke Solon Vestein’s skin as he treaded upon the empty expanse of the cave. He made sure to make his footsteps loud and clear, enough for a curious predator to approach him. Still, he was met with silence. Dread crawled down his spine.

He said, “I know you’re here. I know you’re watching me.”

“...” What answered him was the rush of a breeze past his ears and the echoing droplets of water as they plopped to the ground. The atmosphere within the cave was so humid it nearly stifled his breathing, but he persisted. At his waist hung his sword, a Vestein heirloom named Aloras. He unsheathed it in one swift motion. Yet instead of brandishing it against any potential attackers, he flung it away from him. The clang it made echoed loudly, ringing through his ears.

“This is our family’s most precious treasure. It’s what my brother desired to obtain the most while he was alive!” He called out for anyone–anything. “All I ask is for you to cease watching my family!”

The wind whipped by his head. Its whistle twisted into a sound so high pitched, it sounded like a child’s screams. Duke Solon could not help but take a step back as he shielded his eyes with his arm.

There was a deafening clang again. When he lowered his arm, he saw the sword Aloras still laying in the same place and position.

Except its blade was split cleanly into two.

He fell to his knees and bowed his head towards the empty darkness. “I beg you. I beg you to leave my wife and daughters alone.”

‘I’ve raised Ellowyn to be an upstanding noble. She will become a knight Alor could only imagine himself to be.’

“If you must have your revenge, take my life instead. My daughters truly have nothing to do with the past. You’ve seen them, haven’t you? The only sins they’re guilty of committing is being born under the Vestein name.”

Duke Solon did not dare look up as he pleaded. He had already accomplished everything he wanted to do in life. If it ended here and now, he would be satisfied.

The wind began to slow down. He could have sworn he heard laughter. A sound so vaguely familiar yet deeply unsettling. He almost expected his head to be lopped off right then and there.

But instead of that, the wind snuffed out the one lamp he’d brought before disappearing completely. The cave was no longer chilly despite how dark it was.

…

Agriselle Soliere had long since retired from ruling the South Province. Although now at the age of what one would definitely consider elderly, she was far from losing the spunk of her youth. She was quite content living out her retirement in the opulent Luvaird capital of the empire. There, she could simply remain a governess who spent her days attending salons and tea parties. Those were the places she ruled albeit in a different way, with her crafted sentences and fan wielded in her hand. She not only focused on conversations about business and trade, but gossip and fanfare as well. She truly believed there was value in both, as they resulted in various types of interesting information. Call it an old woman’s inclination to alleviate her boredom if you will, but it was a great benefit for her as a member of one of the four ducal families to attain.

On this particular day, she was holding a telescope up to her eyes whilst lounging beneath a white canopy. In her view, the younger nobles merrily strolled along a man-made lake in a park built just for the capital’s aristocracy. A young man helped his fiancé get out of a boat, which another pair of nobles who had been waiting for their turn soon took over. Laughter and conversation flitted about the greenery.

When a shadow fell over her, she set down the telescope and grinned at the woman who approached her. “Lady Charliette, how nice of you to greet me.”

Charliette curtsied gracefully. “Of course, Your Grace. Isn’t it such a lovely summer day today?”

“Now, I would agree if I was still your age. But I am simply having a rest before leaving for my next engagement. It’s so easy to get exhausted in this heat!”

She brightened. “If I may, Your Grace, I’ve brought a cooling mana artifact with me. Would you like me to make you a cup of iced tea?”

The duchess waved her suggestion away. “Don’t bother. I’m not in the mood to be near mana artifacts today. And what are you young ones drinking these days? Cold tea. Tsk!”

Already used to her nature of speaking, the young lady simply nodded and situated herself on an empty seat next to her. “If I may be so bold to ask, is the reason for your ill mood that engagement you speak about?”

The dowager duchess snapped open her fan so that only the lady may see her face from the side. She did not bother to hide her exasperation this time. “I’m only telling you this because I’m quite fond of you, Lady Charliette, but I have to welcome my grand-niece at Murwic this time. It’s always a headache, these types of things.”

One could take that to mean that she detested her own relatives, but Charliette’s face did not show what she thought of her words. She was a noble raised lady, through and through. “If you want, Your Grace, I can go in your stead. I am attending the same class year as Lady Florencia.”

“Young lady, that is simply improper. Do not suggest such a thing again.” Her words were less of a scolding and more a formality, as the duchess actually appreciated that suggestion. Knowing it couldn’t actually be enacted was fine, as the lady’s willingness already lifted her mood. ‘Florencia, the famed beauty of the empire? That girl’s a brat just like her mother! If only Lady Charliette was my grand-niece, then I wouldn’t have engaged her to that unpleasant Lord Alciel!’ “However, I do hope you are nice to Florencia once you meet her. She may seem very exuberant at first, but you may find it in yourself to like something about her.”

“Of course.” Charliette placed a hand on her chest. “I hope for Lady Florencia to enjoy her time at the academy and will aid her if need be. She is your family, after all.”

Pleased, the dowager duchess nodded. “Well, it seems it is time for me to go. Do have a pleasant afternoon, Lady Charliette.”

Before the woman could respond, the tone of the conversations surrounding them suddenly turned gloomier. From a distance, one nobleman who could not keep his voice low enough asked, “What is the Royal Knightage doing in the park?” He was hushed immediately after, but it was too late. The dowager duchess already spotted the few men who marched in formation, wearing garbs that stood out in this area for social gathering.

And they were marching straight towards her.

She slowly straightened and jutted her chin sideways. “Lady Charliette, stand behind me.” The woman did not need to be told twice. With the fan still covering the lower half of her face, she narrowed her eyes as the knights came closer. “Now to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you men of the royal guard today?”

“Agriselle Soliere, Dowager Duchess.” The knight at the forefront saluted her, yet did not meet her eyes straight on. “We’ve come to deliver urgent news.”

She scoffed loudly, which caused the knight to imperceptibly wince. “Since it’s so urgent, out with it!” She nearly barked. She was certainly in no mood to deal with this kind of thing today. If the royal family wanted to speak with her so badly, they should have sent an invitation to her villa.

Yet it seemed there was a reason for the knight’s easy loss of composure, after all. “Your Grace, please, Lady Florencia Vestein is nowhere to be found!” He relayed the attack on her traveling carriage, including the sordid note left behind at the scene. Behind her, Lady Charliette audibly gasped. The two women were the first in the capital outside of the academy to be hearing this news.

When the dowager duchess took too long to say something, the young woman could not help but address her carefully. “Your Grace?”

“Ha.. Haha. Ahahahahaha!”

Lady Charliette doubled back in shock. This was not the usual reaction to one’s own relative’s kidnapping! She was at a complete loss for words.

Dowager Duchess Soliere remained holding firmly to her fan. “The Vesteins are finally facing their comeuppance!” she said despite being in earshot of a noblewoman and the royal guard. “Fine, you think I’m a suspect, correct? You can detain me and search my home right now. But I’ll have you know, this is only the beginning for that family. Their enemies span the entire empire!”