—Clang, clang, crack… crkkhh…
Leca brought his pickaxe down hard on a massive boulder. But even from this one, no ore was found. Only clouds of dust swirled over the dry ground.
Nakil—the wasteland on the western edge of Sibareth. The land was so barren and desolate that it had long been considered useless for farming. But due to a series of natural disasters and worsening soil conditions, King Minophon and the elders of Sibareth had recently decided to begin cultivating it.
Moreover, some of Nakil's rocky hills had recently been dubbed "diamond hills," as a few rare gemstones had been discovered there. With its vast area and considerable number of stone mountains, King Minophon had invested heavily in developing this land.
However, the labor was grueling, and the compensation was poor. Few commoners volunteered for it. As a result, the workforce in Nakil mostly consisted of prisoners, beastfolk, and slaves.
"Hey, Leca. Lunchtime."
One of the workers wiped sweat from his brow as he spoke. His face and body were grimy, and his clothes tattered. Leca followed him silently to the mess station. There, he received a wide, flat round of bread, a bowl of thin vegetable soup, and some water, then sat down in a circle with a few other men.
"You're pretty strong for a newbie."
This came from Russ, the group's senior and de facto leader. Rumor had it he used to be a bandit. Judging by his strength and build, it seemed likely.
"…"
Leca didn't answer and simply ate. No one here knew he had once been the High Commander of the royal guard. People of such high status didn't come to a place like this.
Most of the workers here were from the lowest social classes—many had never even seen the royal palace from a distance. As always, they were curious about the newcomer. Questions flowed non-stop: What crime did he commit? How old was he? Where was he from?
Leca answered vaguely. He told the truth about his age and said he had worked under a high-ranking lord but offended his master. That wasn't a lie. And the others, hearing that much, understood well enough and stopped prying.
Another man, watching Leca eat in silence, grinned and joined in.
"You married?"
Leca shook his head.
"Seriously? A guy that good-looking and no woman's snatched you up?"
"What about a lover?"
"…I don't have one."
The chatter grew rowdy. Leca continued to respond in short, clipped replies. Normally, newcomers were teased and bullied in this place, but no one dared to treat Leca that way.
They sensed it instinctively—beneath that elegant face was an unusual aura, and the countless scars across his body spoke of a long-trained warrior. A warrior of no ordinary skill.
Though his mana had been sealed, Leca didn't feel overly distressed. Just this morning, a dove sent by his father had delivered a message.
—Your master is safe. Do not worry. Stay calm and wait for the right moment.—
"…Good. Word hasn't reached Muria yet."
Julius looked down at the subordinate kneeling before him.
"There's nothing to be gained from letting that leak. Keep reporting back on the situation."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"You searched thoroughly around the palace? Also checked nearby households?"
"Yes. It's certain she's not anywhere near the palace. There were some who claimed to have seen Lady Mia before her disappearance, but no sightings since then. At least, not in the surrounding villages."
"Understood. You may go."
After dismissing his subordinate, Julius decided to cool his head in the rose garden. But just as he was about to leave, a man seated at the parlor table raised a hand in greeting.
"Well, Julius. Long time no see. How've you been?"
It was his friend, Rodolphe. Julius smiled in surprise.
"What brings you here, Rodolphe? Haven't seen you around lately."
"Pretty sure you're the one who disappeared, not me."
Just then, Anna entered with tea and cookies. The moment Rodolphe saw her, his eyes went wide.
"Wait, that girl is…"
"Yeah. The one I took from Baron Lamion's estate."
"No, I know that, but—what the hell is…"
Rodolphe stared at Anna, scanning her from head to toe with a shocked expression. She had short hair down to her chin, wore jeans and a white T-shirt. Sensing his stare, Anna quickly set the table and practically fled the room in embarrassment.
"…Jules, you…"
Rodolphe was speechless, but Julius remained unfazed.
"Well? Go on, try some. This tea is made from roses I cultivated myself. The aroma's exquisite."
"What the hell is with that outfit? Unless I'm losing my mind, you've made her look exactly like—"
Julius cut him off.
"You really are out of touch with the world, aren't you? Outfits like that are perfectly normal in some places."
He casually savored the scent of his rose tea. Rodolphe picked up a cookie, but his face was still a mask of confusion.
***
Shamanaz stood before a large full-length mirror in a dress shop, visibly irritated.
The dress brought out by the shop owner had failed to meet her expectations.
"Forget it! I said I wanted something iridescent, with a subtle hint of green. Not this blatantly tacky shade of moss! Didn't I make myself clear?!"
"I… I made it exactly as you described…" the owner replied with a teary expression.
Shamanaz waved her hand dismissively, full of disdain.
"Enough. I'll pay for it, but I won't be taking the dress. Or would you like it, Arisa?"
Her friend Arisa touched her temple and gave a light chuckle.
"If you're offering it as a gift, I'll take it. But maybe you're asking for something a bit too difficult."
"It's not my fault that the tailors can't match my taste. Let's go, Arisa."
Arisa's handmaiden, Chamian, took the neatly wrapped dress. It seemed heavier than expected, as a slight grimace crossed her face.
Shamanaz and Arisa, along with their maids Laila and Chamian, stepped out of the luxurious dress shop. The sunlight was warm, and the well-paved road gleamed underfoot.
They were in one of Sibareth's wealthiest districts, lined with stores favored by the women of the Twelve Bloodlines.
"She still hasn't come back," Arisa muttered. "You think she really died?"
Shamanaz scoffed.
"She probably thought she could show off just because she had wings. But most likely, she didn't make it far before some monster devoured her."
"But if she's gone for good, does that really mean you'll become Jules' one and only?"
That question made Shamanaz halt in her tracks. Arisa looked at her with a sympathetic expression.
"And by the way, that dress color you requested? It reminded me an awful lot of Mithys's hair."
For a moment, Shamanaz glared at her friend with irritation—but then answered calmly.
"I suppose one could think that. Right now, only fae have that hair color."
"So if you wear that, wouldn't it remind Jules of Mithys?"
"…No, Arisa. Jules…"
"Yes?"
Shamanaz's gaze drifted into the distance, into an old memory.
It was ten years ago. Julius was twenty, and Shamanaz was eighteen.
A hurricane and tidal wave struck the coastal villages of Sibareth, causing massive damage. But strangely, after the disaster, the villagers became absurdly wealthy.
The reason? Sea sirens.
Dozens of unconscious sea sirens had washed up on shore.
Sirens were a subspecies of merfolk, but they were so rare in the human world that sightings or captures only happened once in several decades.
They looked almost identical to mermaids—except sirens had iridescent hair and the power to sing with an otherworldly voice that could enchant anyone. Unlike mermaids, who couldn't sing and were relatively tame, sirens were far more vicious and impossible to domesticate.
And now… dozens of them had shown up all at once. Unconscious.
The villagers seized the opportunity. They quickly captured the sirens and sold them to nobles for a hefty price.
Unluckily for Shamanaz, Julius became the owner of one of them.
With the beauty of Eros and a cold, regal personality, Julius was admired by many of Sibareth's noblewomen. But until then, he had never given his heart to anyone.
And yet, the first woman he ever loved…
was that unconscious siren girl.
She never even spoke. Just lay there, asleep, with shimmering rainbow hair. But Julius cared for her day and night, tirelessly. He read her stories, groomed her hair, told her tales, even slept by her side every night.
"He really believed she would eventually wake up," Shamanaz said, her voice faint and watery.
It was a story Arisa had never heard before. Both maids leaned in, their ears perked.
"So… did she ever wake up?" asked Laila, Shamanaz's handmaid.
Shamanaz continued.
The siren girl did wake up—or so they believed. Because one day, she simply vanished.
She wasn't the only one. Other sirens sold across the kingdom disappeared the same way: in the dead of night, while their owners slept.
Julius went mad with grief. He rampaged like a man possessed. After that, no matter how many noble girls tried to win his favor, he never opened his heart to another. It stayed locked tight.
"I think Jules desires the unattainable," Shamanaz said. "Something otherworldly. Preferably non-human."
"So then… did he fall for Mithys, too?"
At Arisa's question, Shamanaz nodded.
"But Mithys isn't that mysterious a race. The fae are common in Muria, after all. Her being mixed with the Peridot bloodline made her somewhat unusual, but still…"
"Then that Mia girl…"
Laila trailed off, and Arisa finished her thought with a nod.
"A human who bathed in a fae's metamorphosis spring—the only one of her kind in this world. Rarer than any sea siren. No wonder she's driving Julius insane. He's a collector of rare species, after all."
"Exactly. That's why it's so infuriating," Shamanaz hissed.
"She has to disappear. For good."