Fortunately, Fejin, who was in the carriage with April, didn't say a word to her. He had always been perceptive. Though, even when he was perceptive, his annoying behavior made him even more unbearable. Perhaps due to the interrogation or the relief of returning home, April struggled to keep her anger in check and was overwhelmed by a severe drowsiness. Not wanting to sleep in front of others, she fought to stay awake. Fejin, in an innocent tone, suggested, “Just sleep. You look like a sick chicken.”
“...”
“Why are you glaring at me? I was just sharing my thoughts.”
“Keep your thoughts to yourself. I’m not interested.”
The unfortunate truth was that this exchange was the least boring part of the long carriage ride. April desperately tried to stay awake, and Fejin, thinking his presence was the reason she couldn’t sleep, moved to another carriage. April finally succumbed to sleep soon after he left.
When they arrived at the Lunos mansion, the police officer who opened the carriage door hesitated and spoke to Fejin, “She seems to be asleep.”
Before Fejin could respond, Paul stepped in, “I’ll wake her.”
“No, I’ll do it,” the officer replied hastily.
While the officer woke April, Paul, who had followed Fejin from the Lasa Empire, commented, “If she’s asleep, just wake her. The Deus Grand Duchy police never seem to take initiative.”
Paul often voiced what Fejin wanted to say, and the Deus Grand Duchy police looked away in silence. The influx of officers from the Lasa Empire had disrupted the atmosphere at the police station. As someone who grew up on the right island and spent his youth on the left island, Fejin and Paul couldn’t understand the lukewarm attitude of the Grand Duchy’s police.
The right island was originally a nation of seafarers. With its harsh, snowy climate for half the year and scarce arable land, the island’s inhabitants spent most of the year at sea as traders and pirates. Though now under the Empire's rule and with imperial churches replacing the pirate hideouts, their pirate traditions lingered. A hundred years ago, the Emperor of Lasa, trying to appease the conquered islanders, bestowed the old god's name, Deus, upon the Grand Duchy, which seemed successful. Yet, names like Fejin's, carried traces of their traditions.
Fejin 'Raine' Deus. Waves were the only thing the brave seafarers feared, and thus, the old island royalty was named Raine, meaning 'wave'. Traditions lingered for Paul, Logan, and even April. Though April, under house arrest, hadn’t undergone the island's traditional coming-of-age ceremony, others had. For the islanders, coming of age meant owning a ship.
Whether the spirit of this culture had vanished in seven years or not, Fejin and Paul found the Grand Duchy’s police lacked ambition and independence. They began to understand why elders lamented about 'today's youth'. Such minor differences underscored the divide between the Empire's officers and the Grand Duchy's police.
Shortly after waking, April descended from the carriage. After seven years of confinement, this outing was far from pleasant, leaving her looking glum. She avoided looking around and, as if in a trance, began walking towards the mansion. Police officers watched as she approached the dark, overgrown mansion. From the outside, the Lunos mansion looked like nothing more than an abandoned house, a far cry from the grand estate it once was.
The mansion, which even twenty skilled servants struggled to maintain, was impossible for April to manage alone. The hastily dug holes and uprooted stakes made the mansion appear even more decrepit. Sparse, barren winter trees surrounding the mansion on the hill added to its desolate appearance.
Though many were present, only Logan, known for his mischief and love of people, expressed concern for her. “It still has a solid foundation. With some repairs, it’ll regain its grandeur.”
April forced a smile in response to his kindness. “Will it?”
“Of course! Surely, you have many fond memories here?”
“Not really,” she murmured, staring at the mansion.
“I don’t remember much. It’s been a while since I’ve thought about it. Missing it won’t bring it back.”
She turned to Logan, who noted her smile. The other police officers felt an eerie chill at her peculiar smile. Fejin, hearing Paul's grumbles about the local police, glanced at April, whose golden hair blew in the cold wind. Her words about not recalling good memories echoed in his mind.
April had spent the last seven years consumed by misfortune. Memories of losing her lover before her eyes, the mockery and ostracism from society, her parents' anger at their tarnished honor, and subsequent executions filled her thoughts. Knowing her parents had plotted to kill the Duke of the Grand Duchy, she realized her life wouldn’t be peaceful even if house arrest ended. She was certain Miller would try to kill her, one way or another.
Turning to Fejin, she noted the clear division between the Empire's and Grand Duchy's officers at the police station. They avoided each other, preferring their own groups, and it was clear the local officers would lose out in promotion battles.
Maintaining the Lunos mansion required substantial funds. To restore the mansion, she needed to reclaim some of her wealth, which required the support of the only person capable of challenging the Duke: Fejin Deus. Yet, what could she offer him? Confessing to being a witch, his greatest wish, was not an option. She pondered his other weaknesses.
“Have you met the Duchess?” April asked, interrupting Fejin’s conversation with his subordinates.
Despite resembling a feline predator, Fejin’s eyes were as unsettling as ever, especially at night, making anyone he faced uneasy.
Beautiful yet insolent, April thought if she had the power, she’d banish him from her domain forever. Nevertheless, he was the only one she could turn to for help. Thus, she needed to understand what he desired.
