Laysandra and Helena walked into the Merchant Guild together.

  Helena held Laysandra’s hand, swinging it back and forth as she walked, the motion careless and light, like a child enjoying a stroll. Laysandra, on the other hand, looked slightly out of place. Her gaze drifted ahead, unfocused, her thoughts tangled.

  She did not know whether she should be happy or sad.

  Happy, because she had suddenly been given a vacation without even asking for one.

  Or sad, because that vacation meant she was now responsible for controlling this particular trouble.

  It was not that Helena had ever caused real problems before. Not for the group. Not for herself. But Laysandra’s instincts kept whispering the same warning again and again.

  Eye of the storm.

  Something was going to happen in the capital. Something big. Something she did not want to be dragged into. She had a small, peaceful life. A routine. A place she belonged.

  And yet, beside her walked this troublesome one.

  A powerful mage.

  A little out of common sense.

  Unnecessarily cheerful.

  A magnet for attention.

  Laysandra’s mind screamed at her.

  Get the hell away. As fast as possible.

  Or you will be dragged into the winds that are about to rise.

  But she did not run.

  She could not exactly leave Helena here and say, “This is the property department. Go buy your house. Sayonara.”

  No. She definitely could not do that.

  This job had been given to her by Rob, her boss. And more than that, even if she thought of Helena as trouble, she still considered her a friend.

  She owed her life to her.

  If not for Helena, she and Rob would have ended up in the stomach of a Night Wolf. Or worse, already scattered on the ground.

  Laysandra shivered slightly.

  Maybe I’m overthinking it.

  She took a quiet breath and muttered under her breath, “Let’s do it.”

  Helena turned her head toward her immediately.

  “Did you say something, Lyasi?”

  Laysandra startled. “No. Just motivating myself. To enjoy my vacation.”

  Helena laughed.

  “Haha. You’re with me. You don’t need motivation to enjoy a vacation,” she said proudly. “I’m currently the Queen of Vacation. I’ve been doing nothing for the last few decades.”

  Laysandra did not understand what she meant, but she nodded anyway. Sometimes the things Helena said made no sense at all. She decided it was probably just another joke and moved on.

  As they walked deeper inside, Helena looked around with curiosity.

  Guild staff moved back and forth, papers in hand. Laborers carried crates. A few shadier looking figures lingered near the edges. Merchants, most likely. They all carried that same atmosphere.

  Most of them did not pay attention to the two of them.

  Some did.

  Mostly toward Helena.

  At first glance, Helena did not stand out. No makeup. Short hair. Simple clothing. She looked like a commoner. Nothing special.

  But those who looked carefully noticed something else.

  A face without makeup that did not need it.

  Short hair that did nothing to dull her beauty.

  Something deeper than appearance.

  It was not just outer beauty. It was something that came from inside. As if a god had taken their time perfecting this one, leaving no flaw behind.

  That was why some gazes lingered.

  Not attraction.

  Admiration.

  The quiet privilege of witnessing the only perfect human.

  Helena noticed the looks and enjoyed them casually. Everything felt fun to her right now. She sensed a few malicious intentions here and there, but it was nothing worth worrying about.

  She was not some fragile young lady who had never left her greenhouse.

  She chuckled softly to herself, imagining scenarios.

  At worst, someone might try to get in her way.

  That was what she expected.

  And strangely, she was looking forward to it.

  “Let’s go in,” Laysandra said.

  Helena snapped out of her thoughts.

  Maybe she had picked up this habit from Jinn. Or maybe Jinn had picked it up from her. Living inside one’s own mind for decades tended to do that, especially when there was no one to talk to.

  They entered the department that dealt with property.

  The office was large. People worked at desks, paperwork piled high. It was far more lively than Helena had expected.

  She frowned slightly.

  Rob had said people rarely sold property in the capital. So why was there so much activity?

  The people inside glanced at them briefly, then returned to their work.

  Helena leaned closer to Laysandra.

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  “Hey, Lyasi. Didn’t Rob say people don’t really sell property in the capital?” she whispered. “Why is this place so busy? I thought we’d walk into a half-dead department.”

  Laysandra replied quietly, “This department handles more than buying and selling. Property management, maintenance services for noble mansions, estates, that sort of thing.”

  She added, “And this is the capital. Even if it’s not a noble’s main residence, they still decorate and maintain it more than their original homes. Just to not lose face.”

  Helena nodded slowly.

  “Hm. So it’s just showing off.”

  “Yes,” Laysandra said. “They spend absurd amounts of money just for show.”

  Helena smiled.

  “I feel motivated to spend my most useless asset.”

  Laysandra sighed softly. “Wait here for a moment. I’ll go speak with the person in charge of property dealings.”

  She took a step away, then hesitated. She turned back and looked at Helena, worry clear in her eyes.

  It was an unspoken question.

  Do you really have enough money to afford a house here?

  She would be using her boss’s name to get this appointment. If Helena suddenly said she was joking or decided not to buy anything, it would put Rob in an awkward position.

  Laysandra trusted Helena.

  But she also cared about her boss.

  She could not make him lose face here.

  If Helena said she did not want to buy a house after all, Laysandra would not be angry. She would simply enjoy her vacation normally.

  But still…

  Helena smiled.

  She understood exactly what Laysandra was thinking.

  From her perspective, the doubt was natural.

  Helena squeezed her hand gently.

  “I really want my sweet home,” she said softly. “I’m not joking, my dear Lyasi.”

  There was something in her tone that made Laysandra’s heart believe her.

  Laysandra nodded.

  Then she turned and walked off to arrange the appointment.

  It did not take long for Laysandra to return.

  Helena wore a gentle smile, her gaze fixed on the loose wristwatch resting on her arm. It hung a little heavy, sliding slightly whenever she moved. She turned it absentmindedly, eyes distant, as if the world around her had softened into background noise.

  Seeing her like that, Laysandra slowed.

  For a brief moment, she thought she should not disturb her. The feeling was strange, almost reverent. Like standing before a painting so perfectly composed that speaking would break it.

  Then she shook her head.

  “Hey, Helen,” she said. “Let’s go. I got us an appointment.”

  Helena’s eyes shifted. Slowly, she looked up. Whatever had held her attention loosened its grip, and her usual expression returned as she stood.

  “Alright,” she said.

  They walked toward another door inside the office. This section of the guild felt quieter, more restrained. Laysandra knocked.

  “Come in,” a woman’s voice answered from inside.

  They entered.

  The room was calm. Sounds from outside reached them only faintly, muted by thick walls. Inside, the clearest noise was the steady flip of paper.

  The woman they were meant to meet sat at the center of the room behind a desk. Two chairs waited opposite her. She looked to be in her thirties, her posture straight, her presence cool and disciplined in a way that did not need effort.

  She set aside the documents she had been reviewing and looked up as Helena and Laysandra approached.

  Her gaze paused on Helena.

  Eyes. Clothes. Expression.

  Nothing stood out. And that, in itself, stood out too much.

  There were no obvious tells. No nervous habits. No eagerness. Either the woman before her was extremely careful, or she was simply unaware of how exposed she should have felt.

  Judging people was part of the job. Judging whether they were worth profit was the important part.

  She would need to look closer.

  “Please, take a seat,” she said in a professional tone.

  Helena and Laysandra sat down. The chairs were comfortable. Laysandra noticed immediately. Most dealings in this department involved nobles or those tied closely to them. The Merchant Guild never failed to treat its money well.

  Laysandra felt a slight tightness in her chest.

  Helena, on the other hand, looked like she was enjoying herself.

  “I am Rias,” the woman said. “Head of the Property Management Department.”

  “Thank you, Lady Rias, for agreeing to this sudden appointment,” Laysandra replied.

  She knew how unlikely this meeting was. At best, one percent of it existed because of Rob’s name. The rest was pure luck.

  They were supposed to meet someone much lower in position. The guild was busy today, preparing for some event later tonight. Appointments were hard to arrange.

  Rias had simply happened to be nearby. She had asked what business Laysandra had, and in doing so, dropped them straight in front of the final authority of property management.

  The thought still made Laysandra uneasy.

  She introduced herself, then Helena.

  Helena offered a small, cheerful greeting.

  “Hello.”

  Rias’s eyes moved again, this time more deliberately. Rings on Helena’s fingers. The strange bracelet on her wrist. The craftsmanship was subtle, but unmistakable.

  Expensive.

  Not ornamental excess. Purposeful.

  An assessor’s instinct stirred. No normal commoner spent money like that by accident.

  Rias’s thoughts settled.

  Accepting this meeting had not been a mistake.

  ---

  Rias began presenting properties.

  Helena rejected them one after another.

  “Too small.”

  “Too isolated.”

  “I’d rather live in a cave.”

  At least ten properties passed in front of her. Not one caught her interest. She wanted something grand. Something that felt like a place meant to be lived in, not merely occupied.

  After nearly half an hour, Rias gathered the remaining documents with a troubled sigh.

  “As a final option,” she said carefully, “would you allow me to show you properties from the Noble District?”

  She hesitated before continuing.

  “Of course, only those that are legal. Properties near the royal castle are restricted to nobles by kingdom law. However, there are a few estates on the outer edge of the district. The Merchant Guild is permitted to sell those.”

  She did not know whether Helena truly had the funds. Prices there were absurd. Even wealthy merchants hesitated before purchasing property in that area.

  “Yes,” Helena said, interest sparking. “Let’s take a look at the noble nests.”

  Laysandra’s tension spiked.

  This was dangerous territory.

  A single property in the Noble District could cripple Rob’s entire business five times over. Even if he sold himself and every employee under him, it would not be enough.

  Before she could warn Helena, Rias had already pulled out the documents.

  Three small mansions.

  Helena glanced over them, her expression visibly bored.

  “Is this the best?”

  Rias stiffened. “Does Lady Helena still find them unsuitable?”

  “They’re too small,” Helena replied. “And old.”

  Rias’s thoughts churned.

  Is she joking?

  These were estates a wealthy commoner could only obtain by sacrificing generations of accumulated wealth.

  “I’m afraid,” Rias said slowly, “this is the best I can offer. Larger properties are limited exclusively to nobles under kingdom law. They are too close to the royal castle.”

  Helena clicked her tongue.

  “Tch. The noble system again.”

  She flipped through the last document Rias had shown her, fingers idly playing with the edge of the paper.

  Too small.

  She was about to dismiss it like the rest when a thought surfaced.

  …Wait.

  Her movements slowed.

  Wasn’t her old family noble?

  She had been sent to a convent as punishment. Not exiled. Not erased.

  A small smile crept onto her lips.

  Then she giggled.

  Laysandra’s blood ran cold.

  It’s here.

  Helena looked up at Rias.

  “If I’m a noble,” she asked lightly, “can you show me the best ones?”

  Rias blinked, clearly caught off guard. She recovered quickly, professionalism snapping back into place.

  “Of course,” she said. “But Lady Helena must be a noble herself. Being merely related is not enough.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Helena replied cheerfully. “I’m one hundred percent pure noble blood.”

  She tapped a finger against her temple, brows knitting as if searching through a pile of useless memories.

  “Ah… right. I remember.”

  Both Rias and Laysandra stiffened.

  “Winterwell,” Helena said casually. “That’s my family name.”

  “…Eh?” Laysandra let out before she could stop herself.

  Rias paused.

  Winterwell.

  She steadied her breath. “You mean… the Winterwell family of Count Andrew?”

  Helena looked at her. “You know him?”

  “It is our duty,” Rias replied carefully, “to remember the heads of noble families.”

  Her gaze sharpened as she studied Helena again.

  Was there a daughter like her in the Winterwell line?

  Helena’s jaw tightened. She looked away for half a second, then spoke through clenched teeth.

  “I am his daughter.”

  The words tasted bitter. She almost bit her tongue forcing them out.

  Helena glanced at Laysandra.

  Laysandra was sweating.

  In her mind, only one thought looped endlessly.

  Please don’t let this be a lie.

  Lying about noble status was a death sentence. If this went wrong, both of them would lose their heads.

  She wasn’t ready to die.

  Rias fell silent. Her expression hardened, professionalism giving way to caution.

  “Forgive my rudeness, Lady Helena,” she said slowly, “but do you have any proof that you belong to the Winterwell family?”

  “I don’t,” Helena answered calmly.

  Laysandra’s vision swam.

  Execution.

  She saw it clearly.

  Helena continued, unfazed. “I don’t have anything on me that can prove it.”

  Rias exhaled, then straightened.

  “In that case,” she said, “there is another method. We can confirm it through the Record.”

  “The Record?” Laysandra asked instinctively.

  “A tool provided by the royal family,” Rias explained. “It contains general information on noble families. Names, members, lineage.”

  Helena nodded once.

  “That will do.”

  Even she wasn’t certain it would still recognize her.

  What if her name had been removed?

  What if she no longer existed there?

  She did not show any of it.

  Rias studied her closely.

  “Are you certain you wish to use the Record to confirm your identity?”

  If Helena hesitated now, it would mean everything.

  Helena did not flinch.

  “Yes.”