As he walked down the hallway of the mansion, Kiole exhaled a breath of relief.

‘...I can’t believe that actually worked.’

It was Kishiar who had said they could force their way in like this.

‘Knowing Duke Diarca, he probably limited the flow of information even among the staff working at such a secret location. If most of them don’t know who they’re working for or what they’re guarding, then all we need to do is use that fact and push through.’

Even his most trusted steward hadn’t been informed of the exact location of this mansion or the secret vault. That made it highly likely that the workers here didn’t know what this place was for—or even who they were working for.

And that assumption turned out to be exactly right. The man guarding the gate recognized Kiole’s face as similar to the “master’s,” but didn’t know much beyond that. Just putting Kiole forward and intimidating him slightly had been enough for all four of them to gain entry into the mansion with little trouble.

Still, the way they’d coached him—telling him all he had to do was act like a typical young noble of House Diarca—really? That was all it took?

‘Just talking like this is enough to find the secret vault?’

Trying to force it out intentionally only made his voice go stiff and awkward, but fortunately, no one seemed to notice anything strange. That alone was a huge relief.

“What’s going on? It was noisy outside.”

A new figure appeared inside the mansion—a woman in black, hair tightly bound. Her face was pale as a corpse, half-covered with a black veil, looking like something out of a ghost story.

Seizing the moment, the servant who had brought them inside hurried to speak.

“Madam Bishu, this man says he’s the master’s son, but I haven’t received any word, so I didn’t know what to do, so I...!”

“The master’s son.”

The woman, addressed as Madam Bishu, repeated the words slowly, as if tasting them. Kiole felt a chill under her gaze.

‘Wh-what? Did she realize I just forced my way in...?’

“Are you Kiole, son of Lady Eshi?”

“...H-how do you know that?!” 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

That wasn’t an act—it was a genuine reaction. Kiole stared, stunned, and Madam Bishu quietly replied,

“You look exactly the same as when I saw you before. Of course, you were far too young then to remember me.”

“What?!”

“He is indeed the master’s son. You may leave.”

Madam Bishu waved off the servant with a cold flick of her hand. The man, relieved that he wasn’t being punished for letting them in, quickly disappeared.

She turned away.

“Follow me.”

Kiole walked as if in a daze, almost hypnotized. The other three followed behind him silently, like proper guards.

They were led into a parlor that looked very old. After seating them, Madam Bishu stared at Kiole for a long moment.

“So, what brings you all the way here?”

“I... I...”

Caught off guard, Kiole stumbled over his words—until he met eyes with Yuder Aile, who stood nearby. He could barely see through the robe’s shadow, but the cold gleam in Yuder’s gaze jolted his memory.

‘Right. I have to act like a true Diarca...! A Diarca wouldn’t flinch in a place like this!’

He swallowed hard and forced his voice to be short and commanding.

“I don’t recall you. Did you know my mother? When did we meet?”

“I was Lady Eshi’s nursemaid. I was by her side when you were born, and again when she returned here after falling ill, and even when she passed under the call of the gods. I remained here to preserve what she left behind. Is that so strange?”

“Did Father approve of that?”

“He acknowledged that no one else could maintain Lady Eshi’s quarters as well as I could.”

Her face still seemed entirely unfamiliar. But then again, even his own mother’s face—whom he hadn’t seen since infancy—only came to mind through the portrait. Of course he wouldn’t remember her.

Was it a good thing to meet his mother’s nursemaid here? Or something more dangerous? He couldn’t tell. But Kiole decided to act confident.

“Fine. Then I’ll call you Madam Bishu too. I came here because my father... gave me something. He said I should use it.”

He didn’t say what he’d received, or what he wanted to use it for. But instead of asking, Madam Bishu gave a look that suggested she understood.

“I see. So he sent you here himself.”

“Something like that.”

“I’d heard from afar that you’d become a knight, so I didn’t expect a day like this to ever come.”

Apparently, she even [N O V E L I G H T] had a fair idea of how he’d been living.

“But it’s strange that the master didn’t come himself. Did something happen?”

“Something”... too many things had happened.

But how could he explain all that here?

Kiole stared at her for a moment, then lowered his head.

“...My father is bedridden now. He couldn’t come. If not for that, I probably would’ve never learned this place even existed.”

“I see.”

He had expected a more dramatic reaction—but that was it.

‘She’s the one guarding this place... and she doesn’t even care that my father’s incapacitated?’

It was unsettling. But at least, she didn’t seem hostile toward him.

‘Maybe it’s just my imagination...’

If she truly remained here to guard his mother’s memory, she must be a good person... right? She had to be.

Kiole watched her cautiously, then decided to just ask outright.

“...Madam Bishu. Could you tell me what my father did when he came here?”

“That would be difficult.”

She answered calmly.

“I only manage this place. I was never given permission to serve him directly when he visited. Even if I knew something, I wouldn’t be allowed to say.”

Of course. So he’d still need to track down the vault and his father’s traces on his own.

But the three others had come here expecting this—it didn’t feel hopeless. Kiole collected his thoughts, let out a breath, and nodded.

“All right. I understand. I don’t remember you from when I was young, but... thank you. I appreciate that you’ve kept this place. Later, when there’s time... I’d like to see something that belonged to my mother.”

At that moment, something in Madam Bishu’s demeanor shifted ever so slightly.

“You wish to see it?”

“Huh?”

“If you say you came here to look at what Lady Eshi left behind, I can assist you. As her nursemaid, it’s within my role to do so.”

“...Huh?”

“There are many of her belongings, rooms she stayed in, places touched by her hands. I’ve kept them all very well, exactly as I was told to.”

Her sudden enthusiasm caught Kiole so off guard that he could only stare in a daze—until Kishiar stepped in smoothly from behind.

“The young master is very pleased. Thank you for your generosity, Madam. He said he’s quite thirsty after the long ride—if you could offer us some tea, he could refresh himself before viewing those traces.”

“Of course. I’ll go prepare it now.”

Madam Bishu rose and left the room. With only the four of them remaining, the three others exchanged glances.

“Truly, Kiole la Diarca. Your luck is nothing short of remarkable.”

“...Huh?”

“Mentioning your longing for your mother at just the right moment was perfect. That woman was testing you—and now she’s moved. She’s completely let her guard down.”

What? Who was testing who, and what do you mean let her guard down?!