The countess's office, usually a bastion of cool control, felt stifling this new morning. Files and documents stood like towers of quiet judgment across her polished desk. Her hand, once the embodiment of efficiency, moved slower now each signature weighed down by something heavier than duty.
Mr. Kaito, ever silent, poured tea into her delicate porcelain cup. The gentle clink of ceramic was the only sound in the room.
"My Lady," Kaito said softly, his voice a balm. "Are you certain you don't wish to rest? You've been pushing yourself to exhaustion."
The countess didn't answer at once. Her pen hovered, then dropped with a quiet thud. Her fingers reached for the next document before her eyes even finished scanning the current one.
"I can't rest now, Kaito," she murmured, eyes fixed on the ink. "Not when you know what's happening in the shadows."
Kaito placed the teapot down carefully. "I know, My Lady. But must you work yourself to ruin? If I may… I can handle some of this burden."
Without looking up, she lifted a hand, graceful, dismissive. "No need. You and Angelo already do enough."
"Yes, I know that, My Lady, but…"
"Sigh. Kaito." Her tone shifted, weary but edged. "You are truly distracting me."
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stepped forward, gaze unreadable and gently, but firmly, reached across the desk to stop her hand from moving.
Her head snapped up. The weariness in her eyes didn't dull the sharpness in them. "What is the meaning of this, Kaito?"
He ignored the bite in her voice and began gathering the scattered documents into a neat stack. "Forgive me, My Lady. But you will rest today. I'll settle the rest."
A soft, dry chuckle escaped her lips, one without warmth. "Oh, Kaito… you're playing a dangerous game with me."
"Yes, Ma'am. I know that." His voice was steady, calm.
"Good. If you know that," she said, leaning back slightly, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest, "then you should also know what we're truly dealing with."
Kaito's hands paused, if only for a breath. Then continued, precise and sure. "Yes, I do know, My Lady. But allow me to remind you… I am not your Angelo, to be toyed with like some pliable thing. I have known you far longer. And this…" his tone tightened just slightly, "…this is where I draw the line. At you destroying yourself for things that require your mind, not your corpse."
She stared at him for a long second. Then, surprisingly, picked up the teacup. She took a slow, deliberate sip, her eyes never leaving him.
"You're remarkably bold, Kaito."
"I learned from the best, My Lady," he replied, voice soft but steady.
She chuckled again, this one more amused, though still dry. "So, after drinking this tea, you'll just have me sleep? Knowing fully well the King would punish me for such a… dereliction of duty?"
"Oh, My Lady," Kaito said, almost gently. "Isn't the King punishing you enough? He's placed all these burdens on your shoulders, hasn't he? And he still watches... silently. Knowing full well about your secret efforts to find the Princess." He paused. "With the Prince, no less."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "That is true, but…"
"But what, My Lady?" he pressed, his voice quiet but unrelenting.
The countess sighed, long and low. "But nothing, Kaito."
A small, satisfied smile touched his face. "I finally won, My Lady."
"There's no need to get ahead of yourself," she warned, eyes narrowing slightly, but not unkindly.
"Oh, I wouldn't dare," he said, a glimmer of playful insolence curling at the edge of his voice. "Knowing you'll want to get back at me."
The Countess set her teacup down with a decisive click, her eyes narrowing with sharp amusement. "Damn right I will. Now, since you refuse to let me do my job, why don't we chit-chat on the latest updates? Take a seat."
"As you wish, My Lady." Kaito smoothly pulled up a chair and sat, folding his hands with his usual poised grace. "What would you like to know?"
"Well…" she tapped a finger against her cheek, as if considering. "I'd like to know how the children are doing."
"They are doing well, My Lady," Kaito answered, and his tone softened, losing its usual edge. "Thanks to the King's orders, through you and the Queen, things have been going quite smoothly. Some of the children are even smiling now."
"Hmm… I see." The Countess's expression didn't shift, but something in her voice grew distant. "Though I haven't seen them myself."
Kaito gave a brief nod. "The Queen went to visit them recently."
"I know," the Countess murmured, a flicker of annoyance stirring beneath her calm. "She told me she went to see them directly but didn't give me the full details why."
Kaito chuckled, quiet and calculated. "My Lady, I thought you and the Queen were very good friends."
The Countess rolled her eyes, the gesture smooth but sharp. "Yes, we are. But the King hasn't been allowing me to speak to her properly. Anytime I go and visit her, the King always finds a way to interfere. It's vexing."
"Oh my, My Lady," Kaito said with a teasing glint. "The Queen certainly is lucky to have such a… devoted man in her life."
The Countess's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that? Are you mocking me right now?"
"No, no, nothing like that, My Lady," Kaito replied innocently, though his eyes still danced with quiet mischief. "But did the Queen ever complain about those interruptions?"
She leaned back in her chair, a sigh escaping her lips like something long held and bitter. "Complain? She can't complain when the King has her completely wrapped around his finger. She practically stops thinking when her precious King shows up. And he knows that. Always barging in when we're just talking."
"So, My Lady is jealous of the Queen now?" Kaito asked lightly, testing the line between jest and truth.
"Don't push it, Kaito," she warned, though her voice lacked venom. "Jealous? No. I'd say it's more like I envy her."
"Envy?"
"Yes, Kaito, I envy her," the Countess said, her words slow and deliberate, as if admitting a private confession. Her gaze drifted toward the window, eyes unfocused. "She has it all. A good husband…even if he is a scumbag…a daughter, and she is practically a Queen. And let's not forget, she was a former Paladin Knight. A title held with great honor."
Kaito tilted his head, observing her closely. "Hmm… but don't you desire this life you have, My Lady?"
The Countess gave a short laugh, dry, hollow. "Oh, my sweet Kaito… this life is good, yes. But when it comes to what truly counts…" She paused, fingers curling slightly. "I would rather pick the Queen's life over this. It's tiring, fighting battles with known and unknown forces, when… one is basically powerless against them. It's only the fact that I know when to back down and create alternative routes that has been useful."
Kaito's voice was quiet, but there was steel underneath. "My Lady is just realizing that?"
"Realizing?" The Countess's tone snapped like a whip, and her gaze locked onto his, cold and sharp. "Kaito, I am no fool. I knew about all this. But I still chose this path. So, even though I deeply regret it from the bottom of my soul, there's no point in dwelling on it too much."
"Oh, My Lady, that is where you are wrong," Kaito countered, voice firm and unrelenting. "Because if there was no point in dwelling on it, you wouldn't be thinking about all this in the first place."
The Countess stared at him for a moment, then let out a long breath. "Well, Kaito, we learn to agree to disagree," she said, waving her hand dismissively, as though brushing away something unpleasant. "Now, why did the Queen go see the children?"
Kaito straightened slightly. "The Queen went to help and heal those who were physically damaged, regenerating lost limbs."
"I see…" The Countess's voice dropped into a murmur, thoughtful and unreadable. "And what was the children's reaction?"
"Some were amazed," Kaito replied. "While others were deeply thankful. The caretakers had tears in their eyes."
The Countess smiled to herself, a rare, delicate thing that never quite reached her eyes. "The Queen really is a good figure in all this," she murmured. "As for the caretakers and the knights… I only hope we haven't been compromised."
"No, My Lady," Kaito said with calm certainty. "We've already rooted out the compromised caretakers and handled the knights aligned with the Commander. It wasn't easy. But we left no stone unturned."
"Yes…" she murmured, fingers brushing the rim of her teacup, "that is a job well done." Her voice was calm, but her gaze flickered with unease. "Still… we cannot afford to grow too comfortable. Not with the High Chancellor looming. They'll want to know exactly where those children are."
"You needn't worry, My Lady," Kaito said, leaning forward slightly. "For now, we're safe. The supplies have been sent discreetly to the caretakers. Not a single trail to follow. Though… the Commander has been making noise, according to our spy stationed near him."
The Countess scoffed, waving a hand as though swatting away a mosquito. "Let him scream until his throat dries. As long as he doesn't know the location of the children, his tantrums mean nothing to me."
"You're right, My Lady," Kaito said, nodding. "Then… what will you do about Angelo's report from the other day? Are you still going ahead with your plan?"
A long pause settled between them. Then, the Countess let out a sigh—heavy, slow, and laced with exhaustion. "Yes, Kaito. I have no other choice. I must go through with it."
"But…" Kaito hesitated. "Are you certain? You could still walk away from this. The King already knows where his daughter is. That doesn't mean you have to be the one to find her."
"You're wrong," the Countess said, voice sharpening like a blade being drawn. "It's not that the King discovered her whereabouts recently. No. He knew where she was from the very beginning. He simply chose to say nothing. Because he knows the Queen would never approve of what he's doing. Even though… in his own twisted way, he believes his daughter will benefit from it."
"Then why not just tell the Queen yourself?" Kaito asked, brow furrowed. "Save yourself the burden. Give her the truth, and be done with it."
"Truth?" she echoed softly, a wry smile pulling at her lips. "You call it that so easily…"
"Yes, My Lady. It's trouble. From what we know, the Prince left yesterday for his own kingdom, even though he claimed you had full control over his people, which I highly doubt, knowing him. And yet, instead of giving the Queen the truth, you're working with a Prince whose loyalty is as fickle as spring wind."
The Countess tilted her head, eyes narrowing in quiet amusement. "Hmm… but you're missing something."
"Oh?" Kaito asked, folding his arms. "Do enlighten me."
She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "You believe I could simply walk into the Queen's chambers and reveal her daughter's location. That I could bypass the King and undo what he has carefully hidden. But if I did that…" She gave a thin smile. "The King would dispose of me. Without hesitation."
"I doubt that…" Kaito said, though his voice lacked conviction. "The Queen has protected you before…from the Council. Why couldn't she protect you from him?"
The Countess laughed. Not warmly. Not kindly. A dry, bitter sound that echoed with too many memories. "Protected me? Yes, she has. But only because the King allowed it. Don't mistake her Paladin strength for independence. She is powerful, yes, but blind where he is concerned. He lets her believe she has power over him. Gives her enough freedom to chase shadows… while he pulls the real strings from the dark."
Her voice grew quiet calm, but filled with venom.
"He allowed her to shield me from the Council because it suited him. Because it kept her focused on enemies she could see. But if I were to step beyond the script…if I told her the truth about her daughter, exposed the King's twisted games… he would strike. Swiftly. Cleanly. He'd make it look like an accident, erase every alliance I've built, every secret I've guarded. And once I'm gone, he'd move on to those around me… including you, Kaito."
She met his eyes. "Do you think a man like that would spare you?"
Kaito's composure faltered. His throat tightened, the weight of her words sinking in like lead.
She's not wrong. I didn't consider how deep this truly runs…
"You are right, My Lady," he whispered. "I didn't… think it to that extent."
He looked away, the silence growing thick.
"But… based on Angelo's report… do you think the Prince's men can truly handle it?"
The Countess's eyes turned cold again, her mouth twisting in disgust. "No. They won't succeed. And I think that's exactly what the King wants."
Kaito blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," she said slowly, "the King made the Prince leave early for a reason. He doesn't expect them to succeed. He just wants to see how his daughter responds. Whether she survives being hunted. Whether she breaks… or becomes something more."
"Hmm… I feel you must have done something to the King for him to be punishing you like this," Kaito ventured, trying to lighten the suffocating tension.
"Well, whatever it is, I will gladly go on my knees and apologize," the Countess said, a trace of dark sarcasm lacing her tone. Her fingers curled slightly against the armrest. "Now, if that is it…"
Kaito leaned in slightly, voice low. "Do you think the subordinates will be able to get past the maid?"
"No," the Countess replied, her expression darkening. "From what Angelo reported… they will have to tread with extreme caution."
"And when they fail…" Kaito asked, a hint of quiet resignation in his voice, "what will you tell the Queen?"
The Countess gave a small, cold smile. "I will gladly tell her I failed in finding her daughter. Then she will be forced to turn to her husband and demand the answers herself. And the King…well, I believe he'll finally tell her where their daughter is located."
"Clever thinking, My Lady," Kaito said, with a glimmer of reluctant admiration in his eyes.
"It is draining," the Countess murmured, reclining slightly as weariness settled over her features. "And knowing fully well… that what we are going to face just makes me a little afraid."
"Not to worry, My Lady," Kaito said gently. "I am sure everything will go well."
"No, Kaito," she said with quiet finality, her gaze drifting. "It's not going to go well."
"Oh, but I believe it will," Kaito said, trying to inject some hope. "Since the Paladin Knights are here too."
"Ah yes… the Paladin Knights," the Countess echoed softly, the words tasting bitter in her mouth. "I did hear Mira has been looking for me."
"Yes, she has," Kaito confirmed. "And I would say she's getting impatient, even with the fake letters I've been sending in your name."
The Countess chuckled dryly. "Let her remain patient. It's not like I'm going anywhere. But… we'll truly need them for what's to come." She exhaled, long and tired. "Sigh… Kaito, this whole bloodbound covenant… and from what we've learned through our spy, I fear we may all die."
"No, My Lady," Kaito said firmly. "You have Angelo. And me."
"Hmm, Kaito…" her voice dropped, almost to a whisper. "This is not just another battlefield. Not a petty plot. We are talking about something far beyond our comprehension. A being. A myth. And a fallen angel. What do you say about that?"
"I don't think it's a myth, My Lady," Kaito replied, his gaze shadowed with certainty. "I think what happened in the past… the weapon that was stolen, the shadows left behind… it's all coming back to haunt us. In this world, we can't afford to call anything a myth anymore. People will always find a way to twist power. All we can do is wait and prepare. And… I believe you already have a way to protect yourself."
The Countess gave a bitter laugh, low and hollow. "Hmm. Yes. I always have, Kaito. Now we wait. Let's see how the Prince's subordinates perform."
Kaito rose. "Very well, My Lady… allow me to fetch some snacks for you."
A tired smile touched her lips. "Thank you, Kaito."
He bowed and stepped out, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
Silence returned.
The Countess remained seated, still as the dead. Her gaze drifted to the untouched stacks of documents and blood-marked reports.
Will I be able to protect my possessions?