When the maid delivered her report, the hard lines on Jude's usually stern face eased slightly.
He immediately looked to his wife, his eyes carrying a quiet reassurance: See? I told you things would turn for the better.
Then he rose, his tone holding a trace of urgency he didn't bother to hide, and said to the maid, "Didn't I say that if someone came to deliver a key in the near future, you were to show them in at once?"
The maid hesitated and lowered her head, twisting her hands nervously in front of her. "My lord, you did give that order—but… this mage looks very young. I-I was worried he heard you were offering a large sum for keys and came just to make fun of you…"
"Young?" Jude frowned but didn't dwell on it. "It's fine. Let him in."
However, when that "young mage" actually stepped into the brightly lit hall, Jude realized just how wrong his assumption had been.
Standing before him was a black-haired, black-eyed boy—his features still childish, his frame slim—no more than twelve or thirteen at a glance.
Jude found it hard to connect this half-grown child with the guild mages he'd heard about—seasoned, capable, each with their own specialties.
Would Duke Everlue really entrust something as important as a Zodiac key to a boy this young?
Jude couldn't help picturing Everlue's ridiculous, pudgy face.
…Well. If it was that greedy, slippery Everlue—who often acted strangely and sometimes downright foolish—then, maybe it wasn't completely impossible.
Jude took a quiet breath and prayed: As long as the key is genuine, nothing else matters.
While his thoughts churned, the boy seated across from them—Shane—had already produced the rosewood case. Without ceremony, he opened it in front of them.
Inside, against black velvet, the golden key lay still—intricate patterns etched along its surface, pure Celestial Spirit magic flowing through it, giving off a soft, noble glow.
"Ah…" A soft sound escaped beside Jude.
He turned at once and saw Layla's tightly furrowed brow finally ease. A faint, relieved smile spread over her pale face.
"Ah…" Layla breathed again, almost unable to stop herself.
Her constant tension loosened at last; that exhausted face bloomed into a shallow smile of release. "Yes… that's it. There's no mistake—Virgo's key."
She rose—still elegant—but the hand reaching toward the case betrayed how urgent she truly was.
"Thank you for delivering it in person. Please also convey our deepest gratitude to Duke Everlue—"
But just as her fingertips were about to touch the case, Shane's wrist turned lightly. Without making a show of it, he closed the lid and drew the key back.
Layla's hand froze in midair, a flicker of confusion passing over her face.
"I'm sorry, ma'am." Shane's voice was calm, emotionless. "Before handing over the key, the duke added a small additional condition—one the Heartfilia family must satisfy."
So here it comes.
Jude sneered inwardly. He'd seen this kind of last-minute price hike countless times in business.
His voice cooled, carrying the pressure of a commercial titan. "What condition? If it's about raising the payment, name your price."
Even if Jude despised Everlue's opportunism, if it kept that fragile smile on his wife's face, he'd pay gladly.
"No—nothing like that." Shane shook his head, speaking with deliberate seriousness. "The duke is not that greedy."
He absolutely is, Jude retorted silently, keeping his face steady as he waited.
Shane met their scrutinizing gaze and continued, unhurried. "This is a treasure that can summon a Zodiac Celestial Spirit. Because it's so valuable, the duke insists he must know exactly what you intend to use it for."
He lied smoothly, wearing Everlue's name like a shield.
"If you use it somewhere unknown—or extremely dangerous—and it gets destroyed… then even if the key later reforms somewhere in the world, the next owner might not be the duke."
He spoke as if laying out undeniable logic.
"That kind of loss is something the duke cannot accept. Therefore, he must know your true purpose for collecting and using the keys."
The blunt suspicion made Jude's expression sink completely.
"Are you questioning the Heartfilia family's credibility?" he demanded. "We've managed our affairs for generations—do you think we'd covet his key?"
He was about to step forward and press harder, when a cool, soft hand gently stopped him.
Layla.
She gave her husband a small shake of the head—calm down.
Then she turned to Shane, her voice gentle as she dipped into a polite bow. "I truly apologize, but the use of these keys concerns a secret passed down through our family for generations. We cannot reveal it to an outsider."
She lifted her gaze, still composed. "Could you contact the duke and ask if he would consider a different condition? Money or any other compensation—we are willing to discuss it."
But faced with Layla's near-pleading courtesy, Shane remained unmoved.
"Ma'am, this is the duke's only condition—and the one point he will not compromise on," Shane said steadily. "You know how much he values this key. Otherwise he would not have delayed until now before lending it out."
His tone stayed flat. "If I can't know the purpose, I can't hand it over."
If he valued it that much, he wouldn't have entrusted it to a child like you, Jude cursed Everlue in his head.
Seeing Shane's hardline stance, Jude lifted a finger, signaling toward the guards outside—take the key first, sort out apologies and compensation later.
As a man who'd built a continent-famous business empire, he had that kind of decisiveness.
That tiny gesture, of course, didn't escape Shane's eyes.
Shane's gaze flicked—he noticed, but acted as if he hadn't.
"Jude. You will not."
A stern, even harsh voice cut in.
Layla again.
She clamped her hand over her husband's half-raised arm—so firmly Jude actually startled.
"But, Layla—you…" Jude stared at her, confused.
Layla didn't look at him. She faced Shane and bowed deeply—formally.
"I am truly sorry, mage. In his urgency, my husband had an idea he should never have entertained. I offer you my sincerest apology on his behalf. Please forgive his discourtesy."
She didn't belittle Shane for his appearance, didn't treat him as a child. She placed him on equal footing, speaking with full respect.
That attitude—unexpectedly—left Shane awkward.
He wanted information about the "gate" his trial mentioned, and if they tried to solve this with force, he could have simply pushed through. He'd even prepared for that.
But now…
He couldn't bring himself to dislike a woman like Layla.
Finally, Shane spoke, sounding a little sullen.
"Ma'am, I accept your apology. But knowing the purpose is the duke's bottom line. If you truly need this key urgently, please decide as soon as possible."
Layla straightened, her expression shifting.
This was a matter of the Eclipse Gate—four hundred years of waiting, and consequences large enough to affect the world. She couldn't speak lightly.
She stayed silent for a long time before finally conceding without giving in:
"I understand… but this matter is too significant." She drew a breath. "Could you give us a little time to consider? Not long."
Then, carefully: "In the meantime… would you be willing to stay in our home for a few days? We will host you until we decide."
So it really is urgent.
They were firm in tone, yet their "line" kept softening—proof that they desperately needed Virgo's key, and that time was running out.
If anything, Shane's impression of Layla improved. Even with something this important, she still held to her principles.
"Of course." Shane's mood seemed to brighten. "Thank you for your hospitality."
He was genuinely curious now.
This was part of the trial—Heartfilia. He could take this chance to observe what was truly special about the Heartfilia family.
~~~
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