Lina’s siblings stared at her for several seconds as they digested her words. Mika was the first one to react.

“What?” she said, standing up. “Wulfram’s coming back?”

“Yes,” Lina said. “In a year.”

A bright smile across Mika’s face. It reminded Lina of the sun rising on a beautiful spring day: warm and radiant. Mika ran over to Lina and embraced her.

“Oh, I’m so happy!” Mika said, still hugging Lina. “I can’t wait for you two to get married so we can all be one big happy family again.” She pulled away. “I don’t want any more stupid misunderstandings to ruin our happiness.”

Lina almost pointed out that the reason why Wulfram ran away was more than a “stupid misunderstanding”. However, she refrained since she didn’t want to dim Mika’s joy. Her little sister hummed as she sat down again.

“I thought you said that it would take much longer for Wulfram to return.” Sieg said. “What changed?”

Lina nodded. Wulfram’s original plan was to join the Order of the Coldsteel Blade and earn the title of baron after serving the requisite number of years. After accomplishing that, he would return to Guld Manor as a newly elevated noble and marry into House Guld. It was a plan that would have taken years to succeed, perhaps even a decade, but Lina was willing to wait that long for Wulfram.

“I don’t know,” Lina said in an exasperated tone. “Wulfram was sparse on the details, as always. He just said that after his current job, he would be able to return.” She frowned. “However, in order to make that happen, he needed a favor from me.”

“What sort of favor?” Sieg asked.

“He wants House Guld to partner with House Gerhard,” Lina said. “So that most of the food we export to the Barrens goes through House Gerhard first, with one Lady Adelheid Gerhard acting as the bridge between our two families.”

A beat of silence followed her words.

“Ah,” Sieg said. “That would explain your expression earlier.”

Mika looked between the two of them with a worried look on her face.

“There’s nothing to worry about, right?” she asked. “Everyone knows Wulfram is head over heels in love with you, Lina.”

Lina gave her a tight smile.

“Of course there is nothing to worry about,” she said. “However, it doesn’t hurt to find out more about this Lady Adelheid Gerhard.”

Mika flinched at this and leaned over towards Sieg.

“Big Brother,” she said, pretending to whisper. “The look in Big Sis’ eyes is scaring me.”

Sieg reached over and patted Mika’s head.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll protect you.”

Mika beamed at him. Lina rolled her eyes at her siblings’ antics.

“Gerhard,” Sieg said, facing Lina. “That name sounds familiar.”

“They’re one of the families in the Barrens that supplies us with mana crystals,” Lina said. “Given the quality and quantity of the mana crystals they provide, I was considering making them our main supplier.”

Lina opened her mouth to continue, but paused when she caught sight of Franz and Yorick heading towards the gazebo. The latter must have been closer to Guld Manor than she feared.

On the surface, Yorick looked nothing like what one would expect of a spymaster. He was a middle-aged man, with tanned skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. His plump body gave him a jolly and jovial air, and he always wore a cheerful smile on his face. He wore simple but expensive clothing, the kind any moderately prosperous merchant would wear. All in all, Yorick looked like a harmless fellow.

This facade hid a sharp mind and a ruthless pragmatism, both of which served Yorick well as a merchant and a spymaster. However, people always underestimated him because of his appearance and assumed he was dimwitted. Yorick was more than willing to take advantage of this in the pursuit of profit and information.

When they arrived, Franz bowed.

“I brought Yorick to you as commanded, my lady,” he said.

“Thank you, Franz,” Lina said. “You may go now.”

Franz bowed once more, before leaving.

“Lord Sieg,” Yorick said, bowing to each of them in turn. “Lady Lina. Lady Mika.”

Lina and her siblings nodded in greeting to him.

“How may I be of service to you?” Yorick asked.

While Yorick made it appear as if his question was directed at all of them, everyone knew that he was really talking to Lina. After all, while Sieg was the heir to House Guld, Lina was his immediate superior, and Mika wasn’t in his chain of command at all.

“Tell me everything you know about Lady Adelheid Gerhard,” Lina commanded.

If this question surprised Yorick, he didn’t let it show.

“Of course, my lady,” he said. “At twenty three years of age, Lady Adelheid is the second oldest child of House Gerhard. She debuted in the Barrens’ high society when she was seventeen. When it comes to magic, Lady Adelheid is considered a genius. She became a Sage last year, making her one of the youngest magicians in the history of the Reichwald Empire to reach that level of power.” He paused. “Of course, she is nothing compared to Lord Emmerich.”

Lina nodded. Her youngest brother, Emmerich, became a Sage at the age of seventeen, making him the youngest magician in the history of the Reichwald Empire to reach that level of power. This made him the darling of the Tower of Magic.

“Lady Adelheid is also involved in many of her family’s ventures,” Yorick continued. “Including selling magic crystals to House Guld. However, she has a reputation for having a hot temper, so her standing in the Barrens’ high society isn’t high.”

Mika put her elbows on the table and propped herself up.

“Wow!” she said. “I can’t believe you know that much about this woman off the top of your head, Yorick. You’re amazing!”

“Thank you, Lady Mika.” Yorick said with a nod. “However, this is the bare minimum. I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t know this much about Lady Adelheid, especially given her connection to House Guld.”

Lina frowned.

“Is that everything?” she asked.

While what Yorick told her was informative, it didn’t explain how and why Wulfram became involved with such a woman. That was what concerned Lina the most. Then again, what could Lina expect? While this Lady Adelheid was connected to House Guld, it was a minor connection at most. Beyond that, there was no reason to investigate her. Of course Yorick’s knowledge of the woman would be limited.

“No,” Yorick said, shaking his head. “Until recently, Lady Adelheid was considered one of Grand Duke Kaltbrand’s potential heirs, since House Gerhard is a collateral branch of House Kaltbrand.”

Lina narrowed her eyes at him.

“Yorick,” she said. “That is the sort of thing you should lead with instead of waiting until the very end.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Lady Adelheid was a potential heir to House Kaltbrand? That would explain Wulfram’s actions. Everyone in high society knew about the political situation in the Barrens. What if Lady Adelheid offered to make Wulfram a noble in exchange for his help in securing her position as the heir to House Kaltbrand? Thanks to the Pact, House Kaltbrand boasted several rights and privileges that no other noble house in the Reichwald Empire enjoyed. Because of this, the Barrens was effectively a sovereign kingdom in its own right, albeit one under the aegis of the empire.

If Lady Adelheid became Grand Duke Kaltbrand’s actual heir instead of his potential heir, she would be more than able to reward Wulfram with a noble title for his help. However, Lina’s anxiety spiked. What if Lady Adelheid realized Wulfram’s worth and decided to keep him for herself? If nothing else, Wulfram was an Aura Expert. Northerners prized martial prowess above all else, so having someone like Wulfram by her side wouldn’t hurt Lady Adelheid’s position.

“That is because Lady Adelheid is involved with another matter I’m investigating,” Yorick explained. “However, progress has been slow, which was why I hesitated to mention it.”

“What matter?” Lina asked.

“And what did you mean when you said ‘until recently’ earlier?” Sieg interjected. “Are you saying that Lady Adelheid is no longer one of Grand Duke Kaltbrand’s potential heirs?”

Yorick took a moment before answering.

“She is not,” he said. “That is because Grand Duke Kaltbrand has named, or will name, his illegitimate son as his heir. For the sake of this son’s safety, it seems that the grand duke has kept him hidden until now.” He hesitated. “The son’s name is Wulfe Kaltbrand.”

Silence fell over the gazebo as Lina and her siblings stared at Yorick.

“Wulfe Kaltbrand.” Lina said, breaking the silence. “Are you sure about that?”

Yorick nodded.

“Yes, my lady,” he said. “When I heard the name, I tried to look deeper into the matter, since it may be related to Lord Wulfram. However, our people have made little progress. Someone is interfering with our investigation. What little we do know about this Wulf Kaltbrand is from gossip and rumors.”

“Yorick,” Lina said. “I remember telling you to report anything and everything related to Wulfram to me. Why are you just bringing this up now?”

While Lina was willing to give Wulfram the time needed for his wounds to heal, that didn’t mean she didn’t want to know where he was and what he was up to. However, Wulfram himself never told her much. To that end, she tasked the Pink Orchid Trading Company with keeping their eyes and ears open for news about Wulfram and his activities. Unfortunately, they had a small presence in the Barrens, so information about her beloved was sparse.

“I didn’t mention anything about it until now because I wanted to bring you something more substantial, my lady,” Yorick answered. “Except for their names, nothing ties Wulf Kaltbrand and Lord Wulfram together. Anything beyond that is speculation.”

Lina opened her mouth to berate Yorick for his failure, Sieg placed hand over hers and shook his head.

“Yorick is right, Lina,” he said. “While their names are similar, we have no proof that Wulfram and Wulfe Kaltbrand have anything to do with each other. For all we know, they’re two separate people.”

Lina studied her brother’s face, before she let out a sigh.

“I know that when it comes to Wulfram, I can be somewhat…irrational,” she said.

“Somewhat?” Sieg said in a teasing tone.

“However,” Lina continued, as if her brother hadn’t said anything. “Yorick should have still reported the matter to me.” She looked over at the spymaster. “Grand Duke Kaltbrand has named an heir. That is the sort of news that can rearrange the political landscape of the entire Reichwald Empire. You should have told me for that reason alone.”

Yorick’s eyes widened.

“I…didn’t think of it in that light, my lady,” Yorick said. He bowed his head. “I let my prejudice cloud my judgment. Please forgive me.”

Lina narrowed her eyes at him.

“Why should I?” she asked. “You failed me, Yorick. It is not your place to decide what to tell me and what to withhold. If I can’t trust you to perform your duties, then I’m not sure I can trust you at all.”

Yorick’s expression crumpled. He fell to his knees and prostrated himself before her.

“I have committed a grave sin.” he said. “I know I am unworthy of your forgiveness, but please allow me to make up for my mistake. I will do everything in my power to prove that I am worthy of your trust.”

Lina studied Yorick without saying a word, letting the silence stretch on. The tension in the air grew taught, like a string ready to snap at any moment. Sieg sipped his tea, seemingly unaffected, while Mika fidgeted in her seat.

“Very well,” Lina said. “I shall forgive you this time.” Her expression hardened. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Yorick, still prostrated, nodded.

“Now then,” Lina said, standing up. “Get up. You and I have a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time in which to do it.” She pinched her chin. “It will take me two-…No, three days to make all the necessary preparations.”

Sieg sighed and looked up at her.

“Is that really necessary?” he asked.

As expected of her eldest brother, Sieg figured out her intentions right away.

“Of course it is,” Lina said, scoffing. “In order to confirm things for myself, I need to go there in person.”

Mika looked between them in confusion.

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “Where are you going?”

“Frostheart,” Lina answered. “If Wulfram is Wulfe Kaltbrand, then he has gotten himself involved in something dangerous. I should be with him, in case anything goes wrong. If Wulfram isn’t Wulfe Kaltbrand, then I will be one of the first nobles outside of the Barrens to greet the next grand duke of the north.” She shrugged. “Besides, it will give me an opportunity to meet with House Gerhard and fulfill the favor for Wulfram. Either way, it won’t be a wasted trip.”

“Assuming Father and Mother agree to this,” Sieg muttered under his breath, before raising his voice. “Are you sure this is a good idea? If Wulfram isn’t Wulfe Kaltbrand, then you’ll see him within a year’s time anyway. As for the next grand duke, you can see him when he makes his debut in Haven. Going up there yourself puts you in House Kaltbrand’s power. What if they decide to take advantage of the situation?”

Yorick stood up.

“Actually, this may be the perfect time to go to Frostheart, my lord.” he said. “Grand Duke Kaltbrand will soon host a week-long banquet to celebrate his son’s appearance. This will be an opportunity to meet with Wulfe Kaltbrand without raising too many eyebrows and forge ties with the north. There will even be a ball on the last day of the banquet.”

“See?” Lina said. “This is an opportunity we can’t afford to pass up.”

Sieg furrowed his brows.

“Perhaps.” he said. “However, is the risk worth it? If Wulfram is Wulfe Kaltbrand, then your appearance may make things more difficult for him.”

Lina paused at that, before shaking her head.

“No,” she said. “I’m still going. If something goes wrong, then my presence may make a difference for Wulfram.”

Sieg sighed.

“Very well,” he said. “Once your mind is set on something, trying to convince you otherwise is futile. Even if I forbade you from going, you would just find a way to sneak out. I’m better off helping you, to minimize the chances of something going wrong.” He pointed a finger at her. “However, I will only allow this if Father and Mother give their permission.”

“I’m going too!” Mika yelled, standing up.

Lina and Sieg glanced at each other.

“Mika,” Lina said, facing her younger sister. “The Barrens is a cold and desolate place. It’s full of demonic beasts and other dangers. You should stay here, where it’s warm and safe.”

“No!” Mika rushed over to Lina’s side and grasped her hands. “Please, Big Sis! I may not love Wulfram the same way you do, but I love him all the same. I miss him. Please, bring me with you.”

Lina looked over at Sieg, who just smirked at her.

“Don’t look at me.” he said. “I was against this idea to begin with. If you don’t want her to go, just stay here.”

Lina clicked her tongue in disappointment. Some older brother he was. She looked over at Yorick.

“What do you think?” she asked.

Yorick looked thoughtful for a moment.

“The addition of one more person wouldn’t be that much of a burden,” he said. “However, we would have to hurry in order to attend the banquet in time. Even then, we would arrive on the last day. I’m not sure if such a rough journey would suit someone as young as Lady Mika.”

“There you go,” Lina said. “The journey would be too rough for you.”

Mika clenched her jaw and glared up at Lina.

“I’m going,” she said. “If the journey is safe enough for you, it’s safe enough for me. I can handle it.” She clenched her fists. “I wasn’t there for Wulfram when he needed me. I want to be there for him now.”

Lina had no argument against that. Well, no. That was a lie. She had several. However, she understood where her younger sister was coming from. They all shared in the guilt of failing to help Wulfram when he needed them most. That was enough to sway her.

“Very well,” Lina said. “However, as Sieg said earlier, I will allow it only if Father and Mother give their permission.”

“Yay!” Mika embraced her. “You’re the best big sister ever!”

Lina grumbled, but returned the embrace.

“I feel left out now,” Sieg said, though the smile he wore took the sting out of his words. “I wish I could go with you. However, unlike you two, I can’t go gallivanting off to the north.”

Sieg loved Wulfram as much as Mika did. However, as heir to House Guld, he had several duties that kept him tied down in Guld Manor. Not only that, but if House Kaltbrand turned against House Guld and took him hostage, it would be a disaster.

“Let’s go,” Lina said. “We have much to do, and every second counts.”

Her heart burned with excitement. Despite her words earlier, the reason why Lina wanted to head north was not for her family’s benefit. Yes, forging ties with the next grand duke of the north would benefit House Guld, if it went well. However, Lina had a simpler and more personal motivation: she wanted to see her beloved again.

Lina had been patient thus far. Now that an opportunity to see him again had presented itself, she found her patience crumbling, like a damn under too much pressure. She would see Wulfram again, even if it meant braving the dangers of the north. And Lady Adelheid was key to that. Lina looked forward to meeting the woman. The two of them had so much to talk about.