The road to Eichenwald Castle, inside the carriage
The carriage bearing the crest of a stylized swallow in flight against an azure field rolled smoothly along the uneven road leading toward the distant, radiant silhouette of Eichenwald Castle.
Inside, lounging on the velvet seats, were two people.
Kaito
, heir to the Duchy of Tsubame («Swallow»), a young man with sharp, almost fox-like features and mocking hazel eyes, lazily adjusted the cuff of his midnight-blue doublet. Opposite him, gazing out the window at the passing pines, sat his younger sister,
Hikari
. Her name, meaning «Light», suited her perfectly — pale golden hair arranged in an elegant updo and large, lively blue eyes.
“Well then, little sister, brace yourself for the greatest show of the season,” Kaito drawled, extending a box of candied violets toward her. “‘Duchy of Eichenwald proudly presents: The Resurrected Heir and His Golden Nanny.’”
Hikari snorted and pushed the box away.
“Don’t be such a cynic, Kai. Randel was *this* close to death. It really must have been a miracle that he survived.”
“A miracle?” Kaito arched one perfect brow. “My sweet Hikari, in politics there are no miracles. There are convenient coincidences and skillfully played cards. And this whole story with the ‘Keeper’ reeks of… far too much theater.” He bit into a violet with obvious pleasure. “Just think about it: the heir disappears without a trace, the entire duchy mourns, and then — bam! — he reappears in a blaze of glory accompanied by a mysterious maiden in golden armor who, according to rumors, can reduce entire companies to ash with a flick of her wrist.”
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“They say she’s unimaginably powerful,” Hikari said with a faint shiver of awe.
“They say a lot of things,” Kaito countered. “I prefer to believe what I see. And tonight I intend to see this ‘Keeper’ up close. Look into her eyes. Watch how she carries herself. Every mask cracks under close scrutiny.”
“You always make everything so complicated,” Hikari sighed. “What if she really is… just a good person? Or being. Who saved Randel.”
“‘A good person’ is the first candidate for the grave in our game,” Kaito remarked coldly. “But I’ll allow for the possibility that she might be genuine. And if that’s the case—” his eyes flashed with genuine excitement “—the game becomes a thousand times more interesting. Imagine it, Hikari. Real, living magic walking among us. A power before which all our armies and schemes pale into insignificance. The only question is: whose side is she on? Or, far more likely — on the side of *whom*?”
“You mean Randel?” Hikari whispered.
“Obviously.” Kaito’s smile turned razor-sharp. “The entire court is trumpeting that he looks at her like she’s the embodiment of every deity combined. And if the rumors are true, he publicly broke off his engagement to Yui de Linne for her sake.” He gave a soft, delighted laugh. “Now
that’s
a twist, isn’t it? Poor old Taivin must be tearing out what’s left of his gray hair. Throwing away an alliance with the Linnes for… whom exactly? What do we actually know about her? Precisely nothing.”
The carriage glided to a gentle stop before the brilliantly lit main entrance. The hum of voices and music already spilled out from within.
“Well then,” Kaito straightened, his perpetual mocking expression seamlessly replaced by the flawless mask of high society. “Time to take our seats in the stalls. Come along, little sister. Let’s see whether our ‘Keeper’ can play her part as well as the rest of us. Or whether tonight we’ll witness the first crack in her legend.”
He offered his sister his hand, and they stepped out of the carriage — two perfect, smiling aristocrats ready to plunge into the swirling vortex of intrigue, beauty, and secrets that churned at the heart of House Eichenwald.
For Kaito, this was no mere banquet.
This was a battlefield.
And he could hardly wait for the battle to begin.