The following day dawned peacefully.
The sun rose slowly over the horizon, and the distant crowing of roosters broke the silence of that forgotten territory.
I stood by the window.
Fragments of the previous night crossed my mind like persistent flashes.
The night before…
I looked outside once more. The moon seemed to be watching me, its cold light spilling into the room.
"I want to disappoint those who are waiting for my death," I said, turning to face her.
"They think I'll die without a fight."
"They're wrong."
Lygni watched me in silence. Then her expression changed. A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips—
for the first time, I saw her smile.
"Very well. If that is what Your Highness desires, I will do my best to teach you," she said, bowing lightly.
"What did I say?" I replied. "Don't be so formal."
A small smile escaped me before I added:
"After all, I'm the one who should be formal now… since you'll be my teacher."
I left the room.
The house was still completely disordered. Dust covered the furniture, old sheets hid what remained of the décor, and the silence only reinforced the sense of abandonment. Only my room seemed to be in decent condition, as if it were the last place that still deserved to be called a home.
I went down the stairs.
In the main hall, an elderly woman was cleaning the upholstery of the old sofa with firm movements. When she saw me, she quickly set the cloth aside and came toward me, making a brief bow.
"Good morning, Your Highness," she said. "My name is Liss. I am the hired housekeeper."
So we still had enough money to hire help.
That was… surprising.
"Good morning," I replied. "Have you seen Lygni?"
"Miss Lygni left early," she explained. "She went to the center to deal with a court matter."
She looked at me for a moment longer than necessary.
"She…"
She stopped abruptly.
"She…?" I prompted, keeping my eyes on her.
Liss seemed worried. She clasped her hands in front of her before continuing.
"She went to deal with a small rebellion," she said apprehensively.
"A rebellion?" I repeated.
"The people became somewhat agitated after the king sent you here," she added, choosing her words carefully, as if trying to conceal something greater.
"And why would they be enraged because of me?" I asked.
Liss took a deep breath.
"Forgive my bluntness, Your Highness," she began, "but everyone knows you are the bastard prince."
"Many say that after years without any member of the royal family visiting this territory, they decided to send the bastard to govern it."
She spoke carefully—almost too carefully.
I should have praised her choice of words. It was obvious that Aether was not welcome in many places, yet she had managed to soften the blow of reality.
My approval as a ruler was already below acceptable levels.
What should I do?
As I thought, an idea crossed my mind like an arrow.
"Where is she?" I asked.
"Who?" Liss asked, confused.
"Lygni," I answered without hesitation.
"Where is she?"