With every second that went by, the carriage wheels got smaller as they rolled over the stone road.

  With his hands silently in his pockets and his gaze focused on the fleeing car, Sévon stood at the compound's entrance.Only then did the aristocratic whispers behind him start to grow louder once more.

  As Kiichi exited the estate, he looked back at Sévon's motionless form from the road.

  Kiichi muttered as he approached him, "There's no way in hell you just said 'interesting.'" "By that, what do you mean?"

  Sévon didn't even look or respond. Kiichi regretted asking, but the silence lasted just long enough. Sévon turned and started to leave the compound gates without responding. Tasia followed right away, her steps quiet and deliberate.

  Kiichi blinked.

  He called after them and said, "You won't even explain?"

  As they emerged into Yorna's streets, the estate gates towered over them. The noble district was as immaculate as ever, with silk banners dangling from balconies, polished walkways, and far-off conversations in elegant tones.

  But beneath that grace, there was a sense of unease. Kiichi ran to catch up.

  "Sévon. You can't simply say something like that and then stop talking."

  It appeared as though Sévon had not heard him at all for a brief moment. Then he spoke at last without slowing down.

  "Come on. Let's return to the inn.

  Kiichi scowled. "Return? Is that all?

  "We'll carry on tomorrow."

  It was long since quiet in the inn.

  In contrast to Yorna's aristocratic estates, the ryokan-style inn welcomed calm instead of conflict. The air smelled faintly of warm cedar, paper-paneled doors closed softly, and wooden corridors stretched in neat lines. A wind chime rang once in the distance before fading away into the darkness.

  Sévon was sitting close to the low table in his room, holding an open book.

  After a few minutes, he stopped. His eyes moved to the shoji window, and he reached out and opened it a little.

  Yorna was already in the dark outside. The distant silhouettes of pagodas stood silently against the dark sky, while lanterns along the streets glowed like strewn stars. At night, the city's elegance remained; it just grew more subdued and cautious.

  Sévon put the book aside with a gentle thud that reverberated throughout the room.

  He stood silently.

  He moved slowly and deliberately. After adjusting his sleeve, he went out into the hallway and headed for the late-night bath.No one else appeared to be awake, but the wooden floors creaked slightly under his feet.

  Even though the pages were chock-full of dense text, his eyes glided over them with effortless focus, as though the outside world had been completely blocked out. Beside him, a lantern flickered softly, illuminating the plain interior and the tatami mats with a warm glow.

  No one else appeared to be awake, but the wooden floors creaked slightly under his feet. After a long day, the guests of the inn had either retired for the night or decided to stay in their rooms.

  A faint stream of steam rose from the bathing area in front.

  After putting his folded clothes away neatly, he entered and moved toward the hot spring bath. Warm and soothing, the rising mist encircled the room, obfuscating the lantern light's edges.

  Then he intervened. Instantly, the water was warm, steady, and comforting against muscles that had been tense for much longer than he appeared to have.

  A quiet exhale escaped him and only the gentle ripple of water and the faint hiss of steam filled the air.For a while, he did nothing, just simply soaked. Eventually, though, his eyes half-lidded not from sleep, but from contemplation. His thoughts replayed Esyn's expression with an unnatural clarity.

  His fingers lightly drummed the water's surface, causing tiny ripples that warped the lantern's overhead reflection. Most people would freak out if they were accused of murder in front of witnesses in a posh estate. Protect themselves. Be afraid. Be angry.

  Neither had she displayed. Instead, when she passed him, her eyes had directly met his, and she listened before leaving as though the whole accusation didn't matter to her.

  Sévon's eyes dropped to the water's surface.

  "Dead body," he whispered to himself.

  The next morning Kiichi was walking the halls, his movements were very tired. As he arrived at the table where they all sit he was surprised to see Taisa already eating. She did not even waste any of her time waiting for the others to wake up.

  Kiichi was a little bit annoyed at first but shrugged it off and also started to eat his share of the food as well. Whilst they were eating Sévon arrived as well. Both Kiichi and Tasia look up to see him.

  He was still the normal Sévon, but something was a little bit off about it. Someone would say he did not get enough sleep but that was not the case at all. Sévon started to dig through his pocket and eventually took out a velora, a soft red, not just bright but also rich, like a sunset before night. The borders would be smooth and refined, but also slightly layered.

  Kiichi and Tasia glare at the flower that was thrown down to their level, confusion showing on their faces. Then they looked at Sévon who was still quiet. That's until he spoke and said,"I may have found out who our suspect is."

  Kiichi looked at Sévon extremely confused

  "Wait, what?"

  Halfway to Kiichi's mouth, his chopsticks froze.

  He blinked at Sévon and said slowly, "Wait.What was that?"

  Sévon sighed quietly, as if he had anticipated the response.

  "I may have discovered who our suspect is," he repeated calmly.

  The velora flower, its crimson petals soft but eerily vivid in the morning light, remained on the table between them. It didn't seem appropriate for a breakfast table. It appeared purposeful. Unsuitable.

  Kiichi squinted at it as he leaned forward.

  "Are you basing that on a flower?"

  Tasia did not respond right away.

  Before she spoke, she carefully set down the cup after finishing her sip.

  "Where did you find that flower?" she inquired calmly.

  For a moment, Sévon's gaze moved to her.

  "At Masao's estate," he answered.

  After a brief silence, he continued, "Quieter,

  "But more precisely... on his body."

  The room became silent. Kiichi's face fell instantly.

  "On the body?" he repeated.

  Tasia's fingers completely stopped moving. Her calm manner became more analytical as she looked down at the velora, studying it more intently.

  "That's not possible," she muttered.

  Kiichi gave a blink.

  "Is it impossible? Isn't it just a flower?

  Tasia gave a single shake of her head.

  She clarified, "No, Velora does not naturally grow inside noble estates." Not in bed rooms, in particular. Deliberate cultivation, shaded humidity, and regulated soil conditions are necessary.

  Her eyes narrowed a little.

  "If one is discovered on a corpse, it indicates that it was positioned there. purposefully.

  Kiichi leaned back in his chair slowly.

  "You mean someone left a calling card for a deceased nobleman?"

  Sévon took a moment to respond.

  Rather, he leaned his elbow lightly on the table and looked toward the shoji window, which let in the dim morning light.

  "The doctors were concentrating on the cause of death when we got there yesterday," he said.

  He lowered his gaze a little.

  "No injuries. No signs of poison. Absence of internal rupture

  The thought was completed by Tasia.

  "A death that is hollow."

  Kiichi leaned in closer to the table and squinted his eyes as he looked closely at the velora flower. At first, he didn't touch it. Instead, he tilted his head to the side and looked closely at the petals' curves, layers, and unnatural deep red color, as if he thought it would suddenly show him a hidden clue.

  "...It really does look out of place," he said quietly.

  He finally looked up at Sévon after a few seconds.

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  "How did you even find something this small?If it was hidden like you said, the doctors and servants should have missed it completely."

  Sévon, who was already sitting properly, picked up his chopsticks with an air of indifference.He didn't answer right away.

  He just moved his sleeve a little and then started eating as if they were talking about something boring instead of a possible murder clue.

  "I found it at the nape," he said calmly as he chewed.

  Kiichi blinked.

  "The nape?"

  "Behind the collar line,it was stuck between the folds of his skin. Not visible to most people. Sévon said to make it clear

  Tasia's eyes got a little sharper.

  "That is an extremely deliberate placement."

  Sévon gave a little nod.

  "It wasn't clear unless the body was looked at closely."

  Kiichi crossed his arms.

  "But you said no one saw it. Not even the staff at the estate.

  "They wouldn't," Sévon said.

  He put one elbow lightly on the table.

  "I used a light breeze to look over the body."

  Kiichi hesitated for a moment.

  "You what?"

  "Just enough to trace irregularities along the surface without disturbing the corpse," Sévon added matter-of-factly. When something is hidden underneath fabric, it moves differently.

  He gave the table one tap.

  The collar area was caught in the airflow. That's how I verified it.

  Kiichi merely gazed at him.

  then leaned back slowly.

  "That is both amazing and a little scary.

  Sévon remained silent, eating as though that degree of accuracy was entirely typical. Tasia was still across the table.Her eyes stayed fixed on the velora blossom. Her eyebrows knitted.Tasia took a while to respond.

  "I am positive that this flower symbolizes a certain group or faction," she said slowly.

  Kiichi immediately leaned forward.

  "Oh? That seems significant.

  Tasia lightly touched her temple with her fingers.

  "I've seen it previously.The hue, the method of cultivation, the use as a subtly noticeable marker...I'm thinking about it a lot.

  She closed her eyes, obviously trying to get her memory to cooperate.Her face tensed.She stood motionless, lost in thought, and both Kiichi and Sévon watched in silence.Some time passed and she was still in deep thought.

  Then all of a sudden she just gave up, after all of that hard guessing she stuck out her tongue in defeat.

  "My brain refuses to cooperate," she said flatly. "I tried."

  There was a brief silence.

  Then Kiichi exploded into laughter.

  "Pfft...you looked so serious just then!"

  Even Sévon couldn't help but make a faint, quiet snicker under his breath, but Tasia didn't seem to mind.

  "I made an honest effort," she said with all due dignity, her tongue poking out for an instant before she corrected herself.

  Kiichi wiped at the corner of his eye.

  "That was the most intense thinking failure I've ever seen."

  Sévon set his chopsticks down carefully.

  "You were almost there," he said.

  Tasia blinked.

  "...Almost?"

  Calmly, he stated, "They are not working alone." With half-lidded eyes, he continued, "We are dealing with a team and Esyn is part of their roster."

  Kiichi's eyes instantly became more focused.Tasia straightened up, her playful demeanor vanishing as her instincts took over. Both of them fell silent, prepared to hear Sévon's forecast.

  Then, rather than hurrying his explanation, he took another bite of his food, chewing slowly as though organizing his thoughts. Then he raised his drink, took a slow sip, and sighed quietly before uttering the name.

  "The Puppeteers."

  Kiichi's fingers gripped his cup more tightly.

  "You're not kidding."

  In a bath of floating velora petals, a woman lay in the warm water as if she were sitting on a throne instead of in a bath.

  The crimson petals drifted languidly across the surface like shards of silk as the steam curled softly around her figure. She remained motionless for a while.

  When she did, it was leisurely and slow.

  With the quiet elegance of someone who is completely used to luxury, she emerged from the bath, the petals opening around her as the water fell silently from her skin. Her eyes moved to the room's scarlet window. She just stared at it for a moment.

  Then, without a single unnecessary step, she moved forward, grabbed a gown, and elegantly and calmly draped it over herself.

  She found herself in a silent inner room beyond the bathing chamber.

  A slender, graceful, and unnatural tree with branches covered in blossoming velora flowers stood in the middle of it all. Even in the dim lantern light, the crimson petals were vivid, clustering along the limbs like drops of frozen blood.

  Without making a sound, the woman came in.

  She approached the tree, draped in her gown, as one would approach a sacred object rather than a decorative one. She touched one of the petals with her fingers, then reached for a tiny porcelain container that was lying close by.

  She started to carefully and slowly pour water at the tree's base, making sure that not a drop was wasted. As the moisture seeped into the soil, the petals trembled slightly, their carmine glow color slightly deepening as if in response to her tenderness.

  There were footsteps coming from the hallway.

  Esyn entered after the door slid open. Without hesitation, she bowed gracefully, her head lowered in complete recognition, her posture perfect.

  "Here, I welcome the Princess of Insatiable Crimson. Lady Yserola.

  The sound of the water pouring stopped. There was utter silence in the room for a moment. Yserola turned slowly after that.

  She seemed at first to be merely a human woman of extraordinary beauty. Realistic, warm skin. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down her back, with faint wine-dark strands tucked away like silk veins.

  Her pupils thinned ever so slightly as the lantern light caught her eyes, giving the impression of vertical slits before returning to something more human. Her eyes were a deep, piercing red.

  Her blood-red lips curved into a warm, inviting smile that was completely devoid of warmth.

  "Esyn, you're late."

  Esyn looks down and gives a polite apology for her late arrival, she then addresses what she had just accomplished. Yserolda does not say a word and just glares at Esyn. Slowly she started to approach Esyn and as she walked there only elegance followed her.

  Yserolda arrives at Esyn and makes her lift her head. This made Esyn slightly confused but at the same time a little bit excited because she knows that the princess always gives out rewards in her own way. But what happened next was not what she had expected.

  A velora flower started to bloom on her left eye and this made her wary. She wonders to herself with small amounts of sweat going down her face.What did she say wrong? Yserolda closes the gap between her and Esyn and looks directly into her eyes almost as if she was looking into her soul.

  One might believe that she was about to kill her, well at least that was what Esyn told herself. But how could she die without ever receiving a single reward from Yserolda. That was something she had never wished for. But then Yserolda kissed the blooming flower that was growing on Esyn's eye and it withered away. She then walked back to her tree and continued to pour some water on it.

  "I would be very furious at your actions.But you did use your charm to kill a high ranking human so I will let you off the hook for now." Yserolda said.

  Esyn could not breath normally as she was scared at first but because of Yserolda's mercy to her she was thankful.

  "It was just my service to you princess. I only do as foretold that is all."

  Yserolda did not answer back and attended to her velora tree.

  "Esyn,I have a question for you. Do you believe that my mother is proud of my actions?" Yserolda asked.

  "Even in her resting place, I believe that her smile is wider than our lives."

  "Is that so?"