Subliminal Wayfarer

“We hope you are pleased with your purchase. Please visit us again.”

Selena’s face flushed with excitement as she received the item, which was neatly packaged in a simple wooden box.

“I had asked around but never really expected to find it… I’m truly delighted.”

Climbing into the carriage, Selena, unable to set down the box or conceal her excitement, spoke in an animated voice.

Grace couldn’t help but find Selena’s demeanor somewhat endearing as she smiled.

“May I ask what it is, Madam?”

“It’s a miraculous item said to induce wonderful dreams. It’s rare everywhere in the world, and hardly anyone knows about it. I’ve been searching for a long time, and it appeared at an auction about a year ago.”

What could possibly have her so excited?

Selena whispered carefully, as if sharing a secret of the world.

“Are you curious, Grace?”

The look on Selena’s face suggested she would be disappointed if the answer were no.

Grace nodded with a smile, knowing well what to expect next.

As if she already anticipated Grace’s response, Selena excitedly untied the lace ribbon of the wooden box.

“The only regret is that this item originally came with a key. Thankfully, it’s still usable without the key, but I can’t help but wish it had come with one.”

The neat packaging slipped away, and the lid of the wooden box was opened.

Carefully, Selena took the item out with both hands and presented it to Grace with a flourish.

“Here it is. The Dream Incense Censer. It’s supposed to let you dream whatever you wish. Isn’t it marvelous?”

“……!”

Grace’s gaze trembled as she stared at the item Selena had revealed.

She covered her trembling mouth and let out a gasping moan.

‘How… Why is this here?’

Grace blinked several times in disbelief.

It was an item she had forgotten, but unmistakably recognized.

‘This is…’

“Grace? What’s wrong?”

“This… you mean… this was auctioned?”

“About a year ago, yes… Why, Grace? Do you recognize this item?”

Thud.

The carriage moved, and the incense censer on Selena’s lap wobbled.

The faded white ivory incense censer.

Aged red gemstones were embedded on the lid, and its base was shaped like a round flower.

As beautiful as it was unique, this item was certainly not from the Zeronium Kingdom.

Grace’s trembling eyes landed on the floral base of the censer.

‘There.’

And the moment she found the slot she was looking for, she closed her eyes tightly.

It was hers.

Definitely.

“It’s something you recognize, isn’t it?”

Indeed.

She knew it all too well.

How could she not recognize it?

“Yes, probably.”

Grace’s trembling hand lightly touched the smooth surface of the incense censer.

It was an unforgettable surface.

Exactly as she remembered.

“It is my departed mother’s keepsake.”

The very incense censer that her mother had left behind, which Grace had held for several nights, crying after her mother’s death.

 

“Grace, let me keep this for now. I’ll return it when you get married. Come, give it to me.”

“But Father, this was a gift from Mother to me.”

“I know. Didn’t I just say I’d return it when you get married? Give it here. I need to check something.”

“Father, no. I don’t want to.”

“Oho! What poor manners! Don’t you know that everything you own is mine? Don’t be disrespectful, Grace!”

 

Grace clenched her fist tightly.

‘You had promised to return it… Yet, Father, you sold it after all?’

 

* * *

 

“What…? 200,000 Crans?”

The hands of Marquis Kafrenn O’Ellin, who was adjusting the tax rates of the O’Ellin fief, stopped.

True to his fastidious nature, he felt the need to verify each and every minor document personally. Hundreds of papers were piled up in front of him.

The marquis irritably threw his pen down and looked at his butler.

“I already paid the temple. And now they want more money?”

“It’s just that…”

Marquis O’Ellin’s long-time confidant, the butler Thomas, wiped the cold sweat dripping beneath his glasses.

“It seems the Young Master had tampered with something at the temple.”

“…What?”

“He got caught trying to touch the holy water… The fine is 100,000 Crans, and another 100,000 for contaminating the vessel that held it.”

Marquis O’Ellin’s face contorted.

“Why would Norman do something so foolish…”

He could hardly believe it.

It was inconceivable that his smart and capable son would commit such an idiotic act.

Touching the temple’s holy water out of boredom?

If he had actually stolen the holy water, the issue would escalate to a fine of two million crans, not just two hundred thousand.

The temple’s matters did not end at the temple alone.

Being closely linked to the royal palace, damaging the temple’s property or attacking the priests could lead directly to imprisonment in the royal dungeons.

Yet, Kafrenn couldn’t believe that his son would foolishly meddle with such matters.

‘…Did that incident jostle his brain too much?’

From the start, he had wondered why his son had fearlessly approached a massive black horse, but after being struck by the horse and hitting a tree, his son’s condition seemed a bit off.

‘This is serious.’

If the family’s only heir’s condition was deteriorating, the future of the O’Ellin marquisate looked grim.

Marquis Kafrenn O’Ellin’s expression turned grave.

Norman was the heir destined to lead the legacy of the O’Ellin marquisate.

Despite his potential to achieve even more than his father, he couldn’t stand by as an unfortunate accident clouded Norman’s future.

His proud son couldn’t possibly become a fool, but still, he had to prepare for any unforeseen risks.

“As soon as he’s treated, I need to hasten Norman’s marriage.”

Bad rumors could jeopardize his marriage prospects, and that would be a loss for the marquisate.

It was unlikely, but he had to hurry just in case.

There was nothing to be gained by dithering.

“Settle the payment to the temple immediately.”

If the incident at the temple could be resolved for two hundred thousand crans, it was relatively cheap.

Still, the thought of unnecessary expenditures twisted his gut.

“Damn it, where did that black horse even come from?”

Everything was because of that black horse.

Norman going to the temple for treatment, the absurd amount of money extorted from them at the Heath Intelligence Bureau—it was all because of that damned black horse.

Despite searching far and wide, he couldn’t find it.

Such an extraordinary horse must have been seen by someone somewhere, yet it had vanished without a trace.

“Pardon, Your Excellency. The temple has contacted us demanding that the Young Master be taken away immediately.”

“What?! I’ve already paid for a month. Why is this happening?”

The marquis, clueless about the reason, questioned back. Thomas looked troubled before finally speaking.

“They say they can’t risk taking responsibility for someone who might tamper with temple property again. His wounds have almost healed, so they suggest he should return home to recuperate.”

“They’ve already been paid—shouldn’t they do their job properly?!”

Marquis O’Ellin could not contain his anger and abruptly stood up.

Feeling stifled, he craved a smoke.

He pulled out an expensive cigar, which was exported from the eastern continent.

The strong scent filled his throat.

His head spun, calming the turmoil inside him.

Huu—

After smoking the cigar for a while, his pupils slightly dilated as he asked,

“…How is Grace doing?”

Huuu—

The pungent smell of the cigar quickly filled the room.

The butler, trying not to grimace, answered,

“…Her Ladyship’s leg injury seems to have recovered now, but, uh, her arm, um, we’re told that she had injured her arm. House Blacke has sent word that she needs a few more days of treatment there. And, uh, the former Duchess has returned to the townhouse, and it seems Lady Grace has, um, become friends with the former Duchess. They’ve requested that she stay at the ducal residence for a few more days.”

The butler’s bronchitis was acting up.

Every time the smoky stench hit his nose, he had to suppress the urge to cough.

But no matter how hard it was, he couldn’t show any discomfort in front of the Marquis.

“Hah! What nonsense could they possibly be talking about when women get together? As usual, lazy folk only think about having fun when they gather.”

The marquis’s tongue was thick from inhaling the smoke.

He slumped for a moment and then waved his hand dismissively at Thomas, signaling him to leave.

The butler wasted no time in leaving the smoke-filled room.

Hu—

After smoking for a long time, the marquis staggered and opened the safe under his desk. As soon as he saw the inside, his eyes widened.

The sight of the sparkling contents always pleased him.

There were precisely twenty gold bars. There were also quite a few collateral documents obtained through various means.

Just looking at them was satisfying enough to fill his belly.

The marquis chuckled with satisfaction as he took out several heavy gold bars.

“Those filthy pigs… I’ll feed them this and hasten the marriage. Right, just hasten the marriage. Hahaha.”

After extracting five gold bars from the safe, he closed its heavy door with a trembling, powerless hand—as though blood had just been drawn from him.

But just then, right before the door closed, he saw a paper that shouldn’t have been visible among the documents.

Flinch—

Startled, his hand involuntarily flung the safe open again.

The marquis’s eyes, previously hazy, widened.

“I-It couldn’t be… Not again…”

Disbelief shook his eyes as he saw a yellow paper clearly hidden among the documents.

No, that’s impossible.

…Impossible!

The intoxication he felt from the cigar smoke vanished instantly.

The sobered marquis hastily pulled out the yellow paper.

“……!”

Gasp.

A shocked breath choked his throat. An involuntary, terrified voice leaked out.

“I, I destroyed it… I definitely, definitely burned it, so why, how, how is it here again…?”

The yellow paper was a contract.

A formal contract bearing his name and seal.

The counterpart of the contract was the former marchioness.

Namely, Grace’s mother.

—Eleanor Rhodesia.