Fisalia and I decided to walk together.

  To be fair, I had not the slightest intention of spending time with my fiancé, so I quickly separated from him once we were far enough from the crowd. Just thinking about his face made me frown.

  I still can’t believe that idiot ruined my pn.

  I didn’t expect—and judging by the way Fisalia keeps gncing at me, I know she didn’t either—that that cat would be bold enough to call him. Much less that she would do it with such confidence, as if the world would actually answer her.

  However, what confuses me the most… is that that selfish man helped her.

  Yes, he may be quite infatuated with her, but I had never seen him put in so much effort to help one of his “conquests.” Much less one who punched him in front of so many people. He was proud… so why?

  It can’t be because of… that, right?

  It must be impossible. A man so selfish and self-centered can’t develop those kinds of feelings.

  But… what if…

  “…Shit.”

  I feel a sharp pain settle behind my eyes.

  I’m getting a migraine.

  Something quite frequent since Nen’s arrival.

  “Lady Carlotta,” Fisalia said after a few steps of silence, “would you like to rest for a moment in the park?”

  That made me stop dead in my tracks, as if my feet had been nailed to the pavement.

  I looked at her with some disbelief.

  “Seriously? I didn’t think you were the type who enjoys spending time in a pce like that.”

  I had always considered her someone more… indoors, not to say someone gloomy who doesn’t enjoy lively pces filled with sunlight. The type who avoids mingling with common folk, who looks down on them even while walking among them.

  Even so, I didn’t reject the proposal. The idea suited me perfectly to release some of the stress that was eating away at me from the inside. I’ve always liked these kinds of open spaces, although, being honest, I’d rather be here with my little siblings.

  We sat down. The bench was cold, but it was a bearable cold. One that helped you think.

  “Alright,” I finally said. “Say it. Say that I ruined the pn.”

  Fisalia gently shook her head.

  “Not at all, my dear friend. It wasn’t your fault. We should have foreseen that Nen would use Lord Kaelvarion’s nobility to her advantage.”

  “Yeah…”

  Although nobility isn’t the term I would use. I’d rather call it the lust of that corrupted man.

  But it doesn’t matter, the point is that she beat us with that stupid move.

  I looked away, watching people pass by. Everything seemed so normal. So detached, though I noticed there was a small crowd around a statue.

  Is there a speech going on?

  But it’s not election season for any civil representative or anything like that. How strange…

  “I beg you to change that expression,” she continued. “We may not have expelled her, but I’m sure Madam Herz gave that cat a clear warning. We caused enough of a stir for the situation not to be ignored.”

  “I see,” I murmured.

  I understand her point. We managed to make Madam Herz “spend” her reputation to get her out of trouble without a major scandal. That means…

  “So we only need another incident. One harder to deny and more scandalous.”

  “Exactly. For now, the victory is ours.”

  And it was.

  We weren’t discovered. We managed to tarnish that plebeian’s reputation.

  The only thing we didn’t achieve… was turning Lady Ryu against her.

  Everything went retively well.

  If not for the fact that the idiot I have for a husband now seems even more attracted to that cat.

  I pressed my fingers into my skirt hard enough that I’m sure it left marks on my skin.

  “Argh…”

  I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

  Just wait, Nen.

  You have no idea what’s coming for you.

  Although I still don’t understand one thing.

  “Why were you about to fight with Lady Ryu? I thought the pn was to distract her and try to get her away from Nen.”

  “…Ah, that? Her arrogance annoyed me.”

  That was a lie.

  As much as we haven’t spoken in years, Jade and I were best friends in childhood. I know every inflection of her voice, every unnecessary pause. I can still tell when she lies.

  What were you looking for, dear Jade?

  “Besides…”

  Fisalia moved her lips, ever so slightly, in an almost imperceptible way. She made no sound at all.

  I was about to ask her what she had said. To demand an answer. But I gave up.

  I don’t have the energy to wander through the byrinths of her mind. If she doesn’t want to share it with me, then it must not be relevant to our shared goal. And if it isn’t relevant, it doesn’t deserve my attention.

  “Now, you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Why did you decide not to say anything when Lady Ryu started lying? I saw you—you were about to.”

  “That? Well, just think about how the situation would have looked. Three against one. Three who cim to have been together and whose stories had no major inconsistencies to break their logic, against a ‘jealous’ fiancée who has no proof of their lies.”

  “That’s right, if I kept my mouth shut, it’s because if I hadn’t, my reputation and, by extension, my family’s would have been damaged. As it is, I already have the bad reputation of being a ‘sadistic jealous witch’; I couldn’t afford to add hysterical to that unpleasant catalog of infamy.”

  “That simple, huh?”

  “That simple.”

  I’m a superficial woman. It’s the truth. But she was too, so we’re the same.

  I even know why she didn’t open her mouth either.

  She knew Auren would find out somehow if she did, and that’s something she couldn’t bear.

  As I looked at her profile, soft hair fell over her cheek and she brushed it back into pce with an overly sweet gesture. It reminded me of the innocence we used to have. Back then, it would have been my hand fixing her unruly strands.

  That innocence that vanished years ago bitterly reminded me that my self from that time had vanished as well.

  I wonder… what she must have gone through with that Ice Prince to fall so deeply in love…

  Either way, it’s not my concern.

  So…

  “One st thing. Aren’t you afraid Madam Herz will punish you? You and I both know she’s capable of recognizing the spell you cast. And although I don’t like admitting it, you’re the most talented person I know when it comes to Aquatic Sorcery.”

  “Mmm. No. Not at all.”

  “Seriously?”

  “That’s right. Without proof, and with only her word, there’s no case against me. Sure, Madam Herz is an authority, but there’s no such thing as absolute authority. What I mean is… there’s no evidence it was me, beyond her word. My family is quite important, so I don’t think she’ll risk putting herself on the bad side of the Fisalia. At least that’s what I hope and since she didn’t stop me today, I think I won.”

  Damn it, her innocence and sweetness really did vanish like a drop of water in the desert.

  That only confirms what I had already suspected. We’re both quite damaged.

  So all that’s left for us is to walk this corrupt path toward our goals.

  “Shall we go?”

  I offered her my hand after standing up to help her rise. She accepted it without saying a word.

  As we began to walk, I couldn’t help but let my gaze drift toward the center of the park. There, surrounded by stone paths and ancient trees, stood the statue that dominated the pce: a white marble eagle, wings spread mid-beat.

  The symbol of this city’s freedom. I had always found it ironic.

  People from all social csses gathered around it. Children pying, elders sitting on benches, street vendors. Everything seemed calm… too calm.

  “Are you curious, Lady Carlotta?” Fisalia asked, noticing my silence.

  “…A little. I wonder what’s going on.”

  “Let’s get closer. After today, I think we deserve a break.”

  I nodded.

  We approached slowly. Then I saw them.

  A group of people wearing masks… extravagant, to say the least. Bright ornaments and colors. They were handing out flyers to those present. They weren’t shouting. They weren’t pushing. They were simply giving out papers with unsettling calm.

  One of them, the tallest and wearing a sad jester mask, stepped forward.

  “Dear people,” he began, “aren’t you tired of carrying that hatred in your chest?”

  His voice was soft, but firm. He wasn’t trying to impose, but to invite people to listen. For some reason, it reminded me of Father’s voice when he talked about politics at gatherings.

  “Tell me, how many of you don’t suffer day after day? Illness? No, that’s not it! Bad luck?” He took a confident step and grabbed a man by the shoulders as he clenched the flyer. “Not that either, right!”

  He spun him halfway around and shoved him back into the crowd.

  “We suffer day after day from a more vile, dirtier, and above all, more repugnant evil. Injustice.”

  The crowd fell silent.

  Some people looked away. Others frowned.

  “Injustice. Injustice…” the masked man repeated, lowering his tone each time, as if it disgusted him. “Which has ended so atrociously, don’t you think? I do. I believe it with all my being.”

  “…These are...”

  “Anti-magic,” Fisalia cut in quietly as she moved closer.

  “You there! The young man with worn boots and dirt on his face! I can see you’re an honest worker, right?”

  “Huh? Me? Y-Yeah! Of course!”

  “And what about you, beautiful dy?” he asked, taking the hand of a woman wearing a baker’s apron. “You work from sunup to sundown, providing delicious food for several families, am I wrong?”

  “Of course!”

  “Exactly! We’re all the same, don’t you think!”

  He raised his arms along with the woman’s, and the rest of the crowd cheered.

  “All of us… except them. The ‘nobles.’” His deep voice sharpened into a caricature before he returned to his spot. “‘Nobles.’ ‘Nobles.’ Nobility—what is that, huh? As far as my humble knowledge allows me to understand, nobility isn’t a term for people who can use Aura. Do you know what true nobility is?”

  The murmur among the people grew louder, so much so that passersby stopped to watch.

  “You. All of you are the true nobles. People who work. Who sweat. Who break their backs for their families and community. And them?” He sneered. “I’ll tell you what they are. Trash.”

  “Trash? How dare you-”

  “All of us work our entire lives to enrich those who have never touched a tool. We pay taxes that never return to our neighborhoods. And even so, when we raise our voices, they call us troublemakers. When we demand justice, they call us criminals.”

  He paused. My heart began to pound too fast… We shouldn’t stay here.

  “Do you hear that? Cri-mi-nals. That’s what they call us when we decide to raise our voices! That some are born to rule and others to obey. But tell me… do they bleed less? Does a plebeian’s pain weigh less than a noble’s?”

  The silence grew dense. Until...

  “You! Stop right now!”

  The voice of a man in a knight’s uniform shattered the atmosphere.

  The masked man spread his arms theatrically.

  “Come… come! My friends, run. Don’t let them catch you, and remember… we’ll meet again. You know where.”

  The way he said it sent a chill down my spine.

  Then the others threw vials to the ground. Thick smoke burst forth.

  “Time to go.”

  “Agreed.”

  Thankfully, we were at the back of the crowd. Otherwise… I don’t know if that man would have attacked us.

  I swallowed.

  “How scary…” I murmured. “Let’s leave.”

  We walked away, leaving behind the statue, the chaos, and… sounds of fighting?

  I chose not to look back.

  A bit cowardly for a noble, I admit. But this is not my pce.

  Ouro