In a lavish room, dark purple curtains concealed the sun's warm light—draping the space in a dim, muted glow.
The green walls, adorned with delicate golden floral patterns, were nearly hidden behind overcrowded shelves filled with various herbs, their disorganized state making the air rich with a blend of sweet and sharp aromas.
At the center of the room sat a man, his face buried beneath a towering pile of books stacked haphazardly on his desk.
The faint rustle of paper echoed softly as his fingers flipped rapidly through every page—absorbing their contents in mere moments.
He had been like this for hours—if not the entire night.
His breath left him in a low, weary groan as he pressed his fingers against his forehead—his skin damp with the ache of exhaustion.
Just as he exhaled deeply, faint footsteps echoed outside the heavy oak doors.
A voice called out.
"Prince Denver Achlys of the Empire of Ephamour. The Imperial knight, Lancaster Farrimond, has requested your eminent presence."
Denver's pale fingers froze on the edge of the page.
Lifting his head, he snapped the book shut—the sound cutting sharply through the thick silence.
"Let him in."
The doors creaked open, allowing a sliver of bright golden light to spill into the dim room.
A figure stepped inside—metal boots clanking softly against the polished floor, steady and deliberate.
As the hall's light faded behind him, his features came into view—dark auburn hair, striking grey eyes, and honey-colored skin.
He knelt, bowing deeply.
The door behind him closed, casting the room back into shadows.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I have come to report some essential information regarding recent events."
Denver's gaze lingered—his light purple eyes cold beneath the thin glass of his monocle.
"You may rise."
Lancaster straightened—his posture upright, unwavering.
"Continue with your report."
A pause lingered before Lancaster spoke again.
"As Your Highness already knows, we still do not know how the Imperial field of violet spider lilies bloomed this early. However, we confirmed that the phenomenon left behind traces of an immense concentration of mana. Our troops thoroughly investigated the entire Imperial Palace but found no exact match to the source."
Denver's gaze sharpened slightly. "And?"
Lancaster hesitated.
Clearing his throat, he shifted uncomfortably before continuing.
"Well… Our troops did not find anyone within the Imperial Palace, however yesterday, Clarkson Ardit discovered a rather suspicious individual outside the palace grounds—one whose core radiated an extraordinary amount of energy."
Denver's brow furrowed slightly. "Outside? Are you suggesting that one of the aristocrats is responsible for this?" The faintest trace of disbelief flickered in his tone.
"No." Lancaster shook his head. "The individual was found in a local market—far from the aristocratic district."
Silence.
Denver lingered on the thought before speaking again—his fingers tapped lightly against the edge of the desk. "How did Ardit find this individual?"
Lancaster let out a deep, exhausted sigh before answering.
"About that…"
His voice wavered slightly—as if dreading the next words. "…Clarkson Ardit was assigned as a personal knight to the Crown Prince."
Creeeek!
The sharp screech of the chair echoed through the room as Denver abruptly stood.
His voice dropped, strained with irritation. "Did he…"
He stopped himself, pressing a hand against his face.
Lancaster shifted his stance. "The Crown Prince left the palace unnoticed."
Denver's fingers curled against his temple.
'Of course, he did.
That reckless boy...'
Denver exhaled sharply. "I assume Ardit followed him?"
"Correct. He eventually found the prince but, in doing so, discovered something else—a child."
Denver's eyes flicked toward him. "A child?"
Lancaster gave a firm nod. "Yes."
A pause.
"A little girl who emanated the exact mana and energy of the violet spider lilies that bloomed out of the blue in late spring."
Denver's light purple eyes widened slightly.
His mind connected the pieces.
He considered asking if Clarkson had pursued the child, but he already knew the answer—Clarkson would have prioritized retrieving the Crown Prince and returning him safely.
Which meant the girl had been left behind.
A long silence settled between them.
Finally, Denver issued his orders.
"Find that child and bring her here.
If she has anyone looking after her, bring them to the palace—separately.
And no matter the circumstances, prevent them from meeting or interacting until the investigation ends with a valid outcome."
Lancaster bowed deeply. "Understood, Your Highness."
"That is all. You may leave."
Lancaster turned, opening the door.
The fleeting brightness spilled into the dim room, momentarily illuminating Denver's green hair, light purple eyes, and monocle, along with his dark green formal suit.
As the door slowly closed, the light faded, and shadows reclaimed the room.
Denver remained motionless—his face veiled beneath the dim glow.
-----
A few days had passed since I woke up without any recollection of who I was.
In that short time, many things had happened.
Sir Exios had saved me from falling off a cliff and offered me shelter in his tavern. He let me stay with him—despite knowing nothing about me.
I got lost once, trying to search for him, only to find a strange woman instead—his friend, who still looked at me with lingering suspicion.
But the most surprising thing was...
Sir Exios and I became close.
He taught me how to help him around the tavern—small tasks at first.
Carrying drinks. Delivering one plate at a time to each table.
And after several tries, I finally learned how to make iced tea—the drink I liked the most.
Every time we went out to buy supplies, sir Exios would always make me carry the large cotton bag—even if it was almost bigger than me.
Whenever I saw something I liked from the open shops, I would point at it, and sir Exios would silently buy it for me without asking any questions.
He never refused.
By now, most of the regular customers had grown used to seeing me around the tavern. They greeted me by the name sir Exios had given me—
Liliana.
But...
Sir Exios never called me by that name.
He always called me kiddo.
I didn't mind.
Though, every morning when I woke up, I would find myself staring through the windows beside the bed—watching the other children play outside.
I always wanted to join them.
Without even noticing, I would smile whenever I saw them laugh and run around.
But I never asked sir Exios if I could go out.
I didn't want to bother him—especially after everything he had done for me.
Instead, I stayed in the tavern and helped him however I could.
That was enough for me.
I was... satisfied.
---
The midday sun filtered faintly through the windows.
The tavern was still closed—too early for customers.
I sat quietly on a chair, drawing on the small book I had bought from the open shops with sir Exios's money.
Beside me, a glass half-filled with iced tea rested on the table, slowly sweating against the warm air.
Sir Exios was at the counter—organizing supplies as always, lost in his own rhythm.
The gentle scratch of pencil against paper filled the silence...
Creeeek.
The front door opened.
Footsteps echoed across the wooden floor—slow, measured steps.
They stopped halfway through the tavern.
"I'm here to bring the things you asked... and to pay you a visit."
I immediately recognized the voice.
I looked up.
The red-haired woman from a few days ago stood near the entrance—her piercing yellow eyes fixed on me.
"Sigh... I can't believe she's actually staying with you."
Her voice carried the same annoyed tone as before.
I stared at her for a moment, then quietly bowed my head.
"Good day."
I greeted her politely.
The woman blinked, slightly taken aback by the gesture—but she quickly masked it with a scoff.
Sir Exios glanced at her from behind the counter.
"And I can't believe you actually brought me the things I asked for... especially after telling me how 'busy' you were."
He smirked faintly.
The woman rolled her eyes as she walked toward the counter, pulling several small objects from inside her worn leather jacket.
"A tiny sack of magnolia... another sack of jasmine... 100 grams of red chili powder... and an amulet."
The last object she pulled out was the same amulet I had seen glowing inside her tent.
I froze for a moment—my eyes fixed on the flickering dull red stone embedded in the pendant.
She placed everything on the counter without sparing me a glance.
"You could've just bought flowers from a regular shop."
"I already asked around." Sir Exios examined the tiny sacks.
"None of the shops had these particular herbs. Since you're always traveling, I figured you might have some tucked away."
He opened the sacks briefly—sniffing the contents—before sealing them back up.
"Besides... I'm making different types of iced tea."
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
"It's for the kid."
My heart skipped slightly.
'Different types... of iced tea?'
I blinked, trying to contain the small excitement bubbling up inside me.
The woman shifted her gaze to me, her eyes narrowing.
For a second, I thought she might say something.
But she only sighed.
"You still haven't given her a name... That's good, I guess."
"She has a name."
Sir Exios's voice was calm—but firm.
"It's Liliana."
The woman blinked—her yellow eyes flicking back to him.
A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Oh... Don't tell me you named her just because I told you to."
She pressed two fingers against her forehead, visibly exasperated.
Sir Exios didn't hesitate.
"Exactly."
"It was sarcasm."
"Too late."
The woman groaned.
Sir Exios's face remained calm as he turned his attention back to the amulet.
He closed both hands around it—concealing the dull red stone entirely.
For a brief moment, he stayed like that—holding the amulet between his palms in silence.
Then—without a word—he walked out from behind the counter and approached me.
He crouched down, meeting me at eye level.
I looked at him curiously.
Without explanation, he gently pinned the dull red amulet onto my upper clothes.
I glanced down at it—feeling the faint coldness of the metal against my chest.
I didn't understand why he was giving me this—
But for some reason...
It made me feel safe.
Creeeek.
The front door opened once again.
A loud, cheerful voice echoed through the room.
"Hey, Exios! I'm here with the kids—they're waiting for her outside."
A woman with a deep, warm voice peeped through the doorway, smiling from ear to ear.
I blinked—confused.
I looked up at sir Exios, unsure if I had misheard her.
He was already gazing at me—his brown eyes gentle, a faint smile resting on his face.
"Go ahead, kid." His voice was calm—reassuring.
"You can't always stay inside helping me." He ruffled my hair gently—ruffling my long black hair.
"You're always with me... and honestly, it feels like I'm forcing you."
I opened my mouth to protest—
"You've helped me enough." His smile softened.
"As long as you have this... you'll be safe." His fingers lightly touched the dull red amulet pinned onto my upper clothes.
"Everything will be all right."
I stared at him—my small mouth slightly open.
A warmth began to rise in my chest—so unfamiliar, yet so comforting.
Slowly, I stood from the chair.
My small hand clutched the strap of the cotton bag I always carried—out of habit.
Sir Exios tilted his head playfully, as if giving me permission to leave.
Joy began to sparkle faintly in my black eyes.
Without another word, I walked quickly toward the door.
The woman by the door stepped aside, making room for me to pass through.
I paused—turning back one last time.
I glanced back—
Sir Exios was still looking at me, arms crossed, wearing that gentle smile.
I smiled back at him—small but sincere—
Then turned and stepped into the sunlight.
---
Outside, the afternoon breeze carried the distant chatter of the village.
A group of children stood waiting in front of the tavern.
They were the same children I had been watching through the windows every morning.
Now they were right in front of me—
Their curious eyes shining brightly beneath the warm sunlight.
One girl with long brown hair tied into two braids ran up to me, her amber eyes beaming.
"Hey! What's your name?"
Her voice was cheerful— pure excitement.
I froze—caught off guard.
I glanced at all of them—at their curious, expectant faces.
I clenched my fists tightly, suddenly flustered to meet them face to face.
Glancing at all their eager faces, I gathered the small courage within me.
"My name is... Liliana."