"You're wanted for high treason," Daisuke said, his tone heavy. "They've pinned your father's murder on you, along with several other fabricated crimes."
The princess's lips parted in silent shock, her face blanching.
"What!?" Lyndoria shot to her feet, slamming her palm on the table. "That's outrageous! Everyone in this room knows those are lies! Baseless, shameful lies!"
"They'll twist anything to suit their goals," Josephine muttered bitterly.
Sister Aeliana shook her head slowly. "To accuse her of regicide—how far must their corruption go?"
"Naturally, none of it is even relatively true," Daisuke clarified, holding up a hand to calm them. "But the point is—what's true doesn't matter when you have the court and half the city's aristocrats behind a lie."
He looked toward Lumielle again. "It'll be your word against theirs. And given their reach and influence, they'll make sure the people never hear your side. That's the same reason Eleonore chose not to challenge them directly."
"So, what do we do now?" Tiphanna asked, her elven ears red with fury. "They've clearly declared war. What's the next move?"
"I anticipated retaliation like this," Daisuke said calmly. "That's why I made sure I was ready to retrieve the king if necessary."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "And using the dark guild's name—it's doing exactly what it was meant to. It's stirring fear and breeding hesitation. Even if the aristocrats aren't shifting back to our side, their momentum's stalled. That indecision gives us exactly what we need—time."
"To do what, exactly?" Brek asked, a single fang poking out from his mouth.
"We assess and interrogate," Daisuke answered. "Starting with the court's nobility. We press them, one by one, until we reach the core—the true mastermind."
"And once we find them?" Lyndoria asked, copper eyes burning.
"We apprehend them," Daisuke's words were delivered with a frown. "And once they're in custody, uncovering the rest of their network becomes a lot easier. After that, we'll need to present the truth to the people in a public declaration."
"I'll back that plan," Garrett said firmly.
"Same here," Ribbit nodded, this time surprisingly serious.
"We can't let the people be led by shadows," Sister Aeliana added.
Daisuke gave a small nod. "Which brings me to our immediate priority. We need to find Lord Zerbst and also reach out to the official who oversees the city gates."
"That would be Warden Tiberian Evermere," Lumielle informed candidly. "He's a good man. He's very loyal and level-headed."
"Then we'll need him on our side," Daisuke said. "If he helps us monitor gate activity, we'll know which nobles are trying to flee. Anyone attempting to escape now is automatically suspicious. We'll mark them, track them down, and interrogate them."
Lyndoria folded her arms. "What about the rest of us? What are our roles in all this?"
"We keep the current structure," Daisuke replied. "Sister Aeliana—you continue running the orphanage. It needs that sense of normalcy so that the children feel safe."
"With all my heart," Aeliana uttered with a warm smile. "The children are my priority."
"The Slum Sprites will protect the orphanage," Daisuke added as he shifted his gaze toward them. "It's your turf—you know it better than anyone."
"Always," Brek said with a proud grin. "We've got it covered."
"No one's getting past us," Poppy chimed.
The others nodded solemnly.
"Zephyr will help where needed," Daisuke reassured. "As for the king—it's imperative that we keep him safe. Right now, everyone believes he's dead. So, if he takes center stage at the right moment, no one will be able to deny the truth anymore."
"Let's hope that moment comes soon," Josephine murmured.
Daisuke then turned to Tiphanna. "You should return to the forge. Business at the blacksmith's stagnated while you were out risking everything to save those kids."
"But—" Tiphanna started, clearly ready to argue.
"Blacksmithing means the world to you and your father, doesn't it?" Daisuke reminded her gently. "You told me once it was your shared dream. Don't let it die."
Josephine placed a hand over the elf's. "He's right. You're keeping his legacy alive through the shop."
Tiphanna sighed but nodded. "Fine. The Glacium Heartwood is still marinating. Once it's ready, I'll forge you something worth the wait."
"I'll be looking forward to it," Daisuke said with a grateful grin, then he glanced between Lumielle and Lyndoria. "The three of us will begin reaching out to the aristocracy in secret.
Since most of them don't know whether Lumielle or Lyndoria survived the fire, their attention is probably focused inward—protecting themselves. That gives us a window to maneuver."
"And if something happens while you're away?" Garrett asked.
"Midnight will stay in touch," Daisuke answered. "If anything comes up, call to him through your shadow. He'll hear you."
Just as the group began shifting in their seats and preparing to rise, Sister Aeliana looked toward Daisuke. "Ah—one last thing. I nearly forgot to mention… someone came by earlier asking for Silvestia."
Daisuke turned instantly. "Who?"
"She claimed to be the girl's sister. I believe they're still in one of the smaller tents out back."
Daisuke froze.
A pang of unease lanced through him as he remembered the rose pink aura he had sensed watching him when they left the slavers' camp. Midnight never mentioned Silvestia had a sister…
His brows furrowed. Was that person following us? Dammit. Did she come to take Silvestia away?
More troubling still, Zephyr was nowhere to be seen. He was absent for most of the meeting. Without another word, Daisuke rose to his feet and left, his pace urgent as he made his way toward the back of the orphanage.
***
The tent loomed just ahead. The moment Daisuke caught sight of the familiar rose-pink aura glowing faintly from within, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. A dagger materialized in his hand with a sinister gleam as his body dipped low, the bangs of his hair rising.
In a flash, he burst inside, seized the wrist of the hooded figure, and slammed her against the tent wall—his blade pressed against her throat.
"Who are you?" Daisuke hissed through his teeth.
Fay gasped when he roughly hoisted her hand over her head, the color draining from her face.
"Answer me!" Daisuke demanded again, the cold steel of the blade now kissing her vulnerable skin. "What do you want with Silvestia? And what are you?"
But the wide-eyed girl couldn't find her tongue. Her heart had lodged itself in her throat and she could hardly breathe.
In one smooth motion, Daisuke released her hand and drew back her hood. At that very moment, Zephyr sprang from her head, clamped his jaws onto Daisuke's pant leg, and gave it a firm tug, growling in protest.
What the hell? Zephyr? Daisuke blinked in surprise. Wait—is he… trying to protect her? But why?
Finally, his gaze drifted upward—and stilled. Wrapped snugly around the girl's neck was an orange scarf he knew all too well.
"That scarf…" he murmured. The glow of the Eye of Verity faded from his pupil like a receding tide.
Color returned to Fay's cheeks—richer now—when he relinquished the weapon and the tension eased. Those same butterscotch eyes she remembered from that fateful day found hers again, locking in a gaze that felt timeless, like a sacred thread had been drawn tight between their souls.
And in that moment, Daisuke knew.
She was the girl from Percival's manor—the one cloaked in mystery, the one who stirred something cosmic within him. The one he'd felt compelled to give his mother's scarf.
It had been several months, but the pull between them hadn't waned. If anything, it was even stronger now—more profound, irresistible.
Fay shyly averted her crimson eyes, the blush deepening until it tinged even the tips of her ears. She tucked a few strands of pink hair behind her ear, trying to compose herself.
Daisuke swallowed hard, his pulse thundering in his veins as he took her in. Her fair skin glowed softly beneath the manalight, and her delicate features—an adorable face framed by shoulder-cropped hair, those heart-shaped lips, the subtle mole beneath her eye—imbued her with a captivating charm.
As she nervously cupped her elbow, his gaze traced the perfect contours of her petite frame, and he found himself unable to look away.
At last, his gaze sank into the depths of her eyes—crimson pools so vivid and entrancing that he felt himself unraveling, helplessly and willingly. There was no struggle, no resistance. Just surrender. Daisuke had faced monsters, murderers, and corrupted aristocrats, yet nothing had ever disarmed him like this moment.
He couldn't help but note that in the twelve-plus years he'd been trapped inside Sehreneti, he had never once found himself truly drawn to anyone—not like this. Not to the point of dumbfounderment.
He had so many questions—who exactly was she? Where had she come from? Where had she gone after the incident at Percival's manor? And most baffling of all… why was he so inexplicably drawn to her? A girl he'd met only once, and only in passing—yet the pull he felt now was undeniable, almost magnetic. It defied logic, defied reason.
DING!
[You are being subjected to a mental and emotional influence. Αφινίτη's Blessing will not intervene.]
Wait, what? That's a thing?!