Fredric and all his party members turned toward the voice. Aeren looked to see a young lady with a smile on her face, staring directly at Fredric.
As Aeren observed her, he felt a sense of recognition. I've seen this lady before somewhere.
Then he remembered immediately. Oh, she's the Viscount's daughter. What was her name again...
While Aeren contemplated her identity and stared at her, Fredric spoke up.
"What do you mean by that, Victoria?"
Fredric was confused by her sudden decision and began doubting her intentions—she didn't even know Aeren.
Before Victoria could answer Fredric's question, Aeren interrupted: "Okay, thank you for accepting me, Lady Victoria."
Everyone was shocked by Aeren's hasty decision. They all turned to stare at him, most watching with disgust.
Victoria noticed Aeren's smile and looked at him with initial confusion, but she understood what was happening behind the scenes and felt pleased. That's how people respond to my commands. See that, Fredric?
She returned his smile with a small one of her own. "Wise choice," she commented on Aeren's decision.
Fredric couldn't believe that this guy who had been begging to join his party just moments ago had now completely changed his stance in an instant.
As Fredric observed Aeren, he concluded that Aeren had fallen for Victoria's beauty and sighed after realizing this truth.
"Well, you're coming with me." Just as Fredric was about to say something to both Aeren and Victoria, Nil interrupted before Aeren could continue his charade.
Nil's voice captured everyone's attention, and they all fell silent in confusion. Aeren also turned his gaze to her.
"What is it? Why would I have to go with you to settle your personal matters, Nil?" Aeren questioned her. He genuinely wanted to experience adventure to discover new freedoms and meanings he hadn't encountered in his past two lives—to absorb all the meaning and freedom he could find.
"I need you, and you're coming with me," Nil spoke quietly but emotionally.
The surrounding crowd began turning their attention to watch this drama unfold with intense interest, though they couldn't see Nil's face beneath her hood, which left them slightly disappointed. However, the emotional effect in her voice was perfect.
Aeren studied Nil and sighed internally, unable to understand her at all. He fell silent and began thinking. While he could refuse her, he realized he had done nothing for her in the past or present.
After considering the situation briefly, Aeren finally decided: "Okay." He said his final word and turned to Victoria and Fredric, who were also watching their exchange without interfering.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I won't be able to join you. After her business is finished, I'll search for you again." Aeren concluded as they finally reached the gate and encountered the guards.
"No worries," Fredric replied to Aeren, while Victoria simply nodded and said nothing.
"Remove your hood," one guard commanded Nil, unable to see her face. Both Fredric and Victoria's curiosity was piqued, and they focused intently on Nil, waiting to see her response.
"I won't," Nil replied to the guard, who was about to say something more.
"Okay, you can enter." The guard suddenly forgot about their conversation, somehow believing he had already seen her face, and allowed Nil to enter the Astoria Estate gates.
Fredric and Victoria were shocked by the guard's sudden change of behavior, but before they could speak to Aeren, he had already vanished with Nil.
Meanwhile, Seraphina was conducting her daily routine, working through paperwork assigned by Count Aldric. She had been promoted to head maid of the Count Astoria family after Nil's disappearance.
Though she didn't know what had happened to her former colleague, she often wondered: "Hah... I never wanted to see her dead, but she hasn't been seen for a year. Maybe she died, or maybe she found a place she could call home." Seraphina spoke to herself while working on her papers and reviewing new recruits for the Astoria Knights.
Watching the recruits, she could see that many young people wanted to join the Astoria Estate, with some even coming from other estates to serve the Astorias.
"Sigh... I should take a break soon." She began thinking about herself while continuing to work on registrations, discarding applications from unsuitable candidates. "People without arms or legs wanting to become knights—what a mess."
Seraphina worked like this for an hour before finally identifying a few recruits who could join directly, while others would need to be tested.
"Reet, come here," Seraphina called to another maid under her supervision and waited for her to arrive.
Reet hurried to Seraphina—she looked similar to Seraphina, both being elves.
"You called for me, my lady?" Reet spoke to Seraphina in a quiet, respectful voice.
Seraphina lifted her head to Reet and handed her several papers. "Inform them that the Astoria family wants to accept them as knights of Astoria." She then took other papers and raised her hand again to Reet. "Inform these others about our test and make sure they're all available tomorrow morning." Seraphina explained the work to Reet.
Reet saw the papers—in one hand she held 3-4 people's applications, while in the other hand she had a bundle that looked like 100 or more...
Seeing the massive workload, she felt tired before even beginning, but she turned to Seraphina and said, "Yes, my lady." Reet followed her orders without complaint, bowed her head, and departed.
As Seraphina watched Reet's retreating figure disappear, she leaned back in her chair and exhaled. "I just need to find a place to see some peace after this test of finding knights for the Astoria estate."
But as she thought about resting, another concern emerged: I won't be able to find rest—I have other things to do. This alliance between the two empires has doubled or tripled my workload.
But everything is proceeding as I wanted to see.
Seraphina contemplated the plan she had devised for herself—she had planned everything meticulously.
"Tessa, come out."
A lady in assassin's clothing emerged from Seraphina's shadow and knelt before her.
"You called me, my lady?"
Seraphina didn't even look at her, still leaning back in her chair. "Did you find any information about Nil?"
Tessa went silent, and that silence gave Seraphina her answer.
Seraphina still felt threatened by Nil, even though she had treated her well and hadn't done much against her. But after the news about Nil's creation of new colors, she had felt genuinely threatened. A year ago, Nil had vanished, and no one knew her hiding place.
Seraphina didn't fear her directly, but Nil could disrupt her plans if she suddenly appeared and claimed her estate.
After further contemplation, she sighed internally and finally spoke: "Focus on your surveillance. Our plan must succeed, or we'll all be dead."
Seraphina's warning was clear, and Tessa understood the gravity perfectly. "Yes, my lady."
"Good. Stay vigilant, and tomorrow we begin our new future." Seraphina's voice carried finality as she emphasized the importance of precision.
Tessa remained kneeling and replied with unwavering respect: "I will not fail you, my lady."
Without lifting her gaze to the assassin, Seraphina dismissed her: "You may go."
As she finished speaking, Tessa melted back into the shadows. But Seraphina's mind was already elsewhere, calculating the perfect timing: The royal family is consumed with their alliance, and every noble house is falling in line behind them. With Astoria recruiting new knights, everyone's attention is divided—this is the ideal moment to strike.
The only obstacle remaining is Nil. If I knew where that girl was hiding, I would have already dealt with her...