Haven’s Outer City was a sprawling mass of buildings, roads, and people. Seeing it all reminded me just how massive the imperial capital was, and just how many people lived here. The level of wealth and affluence varied from neighborhood to neighborhood. They ranged from those that rivaled those of the Inner City, to wretched slums where people struggled to eke out a meager existence. The orphanage that Lina and I were heading towards was located in one of the latter.

The buildings in this area were old and worn. Many of them were crumbling and unfit for human habitation. However, people in this part of Haven had little choice in the matter. It was either find shelter in a crumbling ruin, or live on the streets. The people looked just as worn as the buildings around them, tired after struggling to survive day after day.

The roads in this part of the Outer City weren’t in the best condition. As a result, the carriage Lina and I rode in made a lot of noise as it rumbled down the street, attracting a lot of attention. Well, it would have attracted attention regardless. The carriage stood out like a sore thumb in this neighborhood, as if it belonged to a different world altogether.

“I hadn’t realized it was this bad.” Lina said, looking out the window. Her mouth was set in a grim line. “I can see why Henriette is so passionate about her work.”

I nodded, my expression mirroring her own. The Riverlands was wealthy and prosperous, thanks to the leadership of House Guld. Most of the money they earned was spent on various projects and investments meant to improve and develop the region. While some areas were poorer than others, such as the orphanage I grew up in, none were as bad as the slums around us.

When we reached our destination, Lina and I exited from the carriage. The first thing that I noticed was the smell: dust and rotting garbage, with a faint hint of human waste. I wrinkled my nose, but otherwise didn’t react. As bad as this smelled, it was leagues better than the stench of demonic beasts and their corruption.

It was a gray and overcast day. A blanket of clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun. It was warm and muggy out, which I hated. A part of me yearned for the cold of the Barrens. I understood why Dad hated coming south. If it hadn’t been for House Guld and the imperial succession, I wouldn’t have come to Haven in the first place.

I knew we were in the right place, since I saw that ours wasn’t the only carriage in the area. There were several parked nearby, enough for Princess Henriette and whatever retinue she brought along with her. A small contingent of the Imperial Guard protected the carriages. They noted our arrival, but left us alone.

Lina and I walked towards the orphanage. Sir Kane fell in behind us, keeping a watch on our surroundings. A masked figure wearing the uniform of a Golden Rose knight followed behind us as well. After everything that had happened with the Tower of Magic, Father had declared that everyone in House Guld would bring at least one bodyguard with them when they went outside.

This masked figure was Lina’s bodyguard. However, to my surprise, he was only an Aura Warrior. Not only that, but he had a slight build. This worried me, since I doubted he would be enough to keep Lina safe. Well, no matter. I was around.

As our group walked towards the orphanage, people watched us with suspicion and wariness in their eyes. I didn’t blame them. As nobles, Lina and I didn’t belong in a place like this. Things might be different for Princess Henriette, because of all her charity work, but not for us. We were outsiders and intruders.

The orphanage was one of the better looking buildings in this area, though that wasn’t saying much. It was two stories tall and built from wood and stone. It was old, but clean and well-maintained. I’d say that it wasn’t much worse than the orphanage that I grew up in. Maybe it was even a little better.

When Lina and I entered, a thin young woman, who was either one of the older orphans or an employee of the orphanage, approached us. She radiated nervousness as she bowed to us.

“My lord.” the thin young woman said, her voice shaking a little. “My lady. How may I help you? Are you looking to adopt?”

Huh. That wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. This was an orphanage after all. It was the dream of every orphan to be adopted, though most never were. I was one of the lucky few in that regard.

“I am Lady Lina Guld,” my spring queen said, giving the thin young woman a soft smile, “And this is Lord Wulfe Kaltbrand. May I know your name?”

I remained silent. On the way here, Lina and I decided that it was best if she took the lead at first. Given her beauty, people were more likely to let their guard down around her.

The thin young woman swallowed and started to tremble when she heard our names. Everyone in the Reichwald Empire had heard of House Guld and House Kaltbrand. In her shoes, if scions from two of the most prestigious families within the empire showed up right in front of me, I’d be trembling too.

“Be-Beatrix, my lady.” the thin young woman said. “Though, most people just call me Bea.”

“Bea.” Lina said. “What a beautiful name.”

“Than-Thank you, my lady. Ma-May I ask why you’re here?” Her expression turned panicked. “If it’s not too insolent of me to ask.”

Lina shook her head.

“It is not, Bea.” She said. “I am here to see my cousin, Princess Henriette. Please take us to her.”

“I’m sorry?” Bea said, surprised. “I don’t know what-…”

“I know she’s here.” Lina said, cutting her off. “She told me she would be. If it’s too much of an inconvenience to bring us to her, we can always wait outside.”

Bea paled at that. If we waited outside and something happened to us, then it was possible that she would be punished for it.

“No, there’s no need for that.” Bea said, giving us a wan smile. “I can bring you to the princess. She’s meeting with the director in the director’s office.”

Lina nodded and gestured for Bea to lead the way. As we followed her to the director’s office, I kept an eye on our surroundings. The interior of the orphanage seemed as clean and well-maintained as the exterior, yet something felt off. However, I couldn’t put my finger on what.

Along the way, we passed by several orphans. They eyed us, their expressions a mixture of hope and fear. I frowned when I saw them. The orphans were clean and wore good clothes, but seemed thin and malnourished. That wasn’t too unusual for orphans. However, this was an orphanage sponsored by a member of the imperial family. This place should have had enough funds to ensure that every orphan had enough to eat.

Bea led us to a closed wooden door on the second floor. Two of the Imperial Guard flanked the door. They seemed surprised by our arrival, but otherwise didn’t react.

“It looks like they’re still in the middle of their meeting.” Bea said, giving us a nervous look. “Should I knock or…?”

Lina shook her head.

“There’s no need.” She said with a smile. “We can wait here until their meeting is over. Thank you, Bea.”

Lina’s smile flustered the thin young woman.

“May I get you something to eat or drink?” Bea asked. “Though, I don’t know if we have anything suitable for an elegant lady such as yourself.”

Lina shook her head.

“We’re fine,” she said, “But thank you. We appreciate the offer.”

With that, Bea left, though it was clear she was reluctant to. I understood her feelings. Being around Lina was like basking in the gentle warmth of a sunny spring day. Of course, few people ever realized just how cold and ruthless Lina could be underneath her warm exterior. I remembered how she punished Baroness Lafrenz, House Guld’s nanny, by cutting off the latter’s tongue when she learned how the baroness abused me.

While Lina and I waited for Princess Henriette to finish her meeting with the director of this orphanage, I strained to listen in on the conversation. It was rude, yes. However, I was here to determine whether or not House Kaltbrand should support Princess Henriette’s bid for the throne. Every bit of knowledge was useful in this regard, including how she interacted with the director of an orphanage.

Unfortunately, the walls in this orphanage were thick. All I heard was a muffled conversation, even with the sharp senses of an Aura Master, though some words made it through.

“… troubling… finances…”

“… choice… help…”

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However, even those few words painted an interesting picture, when combined with what I observed so far. My intuition told me that there was something off about this place. Maybe the director of this orphanage was embezzling funds. That was what happened in the orphanage I used to live in. The director there took the funds meant to feed us and pocketed it for himself. Greedy bastard.

After half an hour, the door to the director’s office opened up and Princess Henriette stepped out. I blinked in surprise when I saw her. We had never met before, but I once overheard that Lina and Princess Henriette looked a lot alike. This wasn’t surprising, since they were cousins. However, I hadn’t realized just how similar they appeared until now.

They both had sun-kissed skin with golden undertones, long blonde hair, and angelic beauty. If someone told me they were sisters instead of cousins, I would have believed them. However, there were a few differences between them. Princess Henriette’s hair was more akin to sunlight than spun gold, and her eyes were golden in color as well.

When Princess Henriette saw us, she showed little reaction except for the slight widening of her eyes. Her gaze flickered between Lina and I, before settling on Lina and a wide smile spread across the Princess’ face.

“Lina!” She exclaimed. “It’s so good to see you. You should have told me you were coming.”

She walked over and pulled Lina into an embrace. I looked behind her and saw a middle-aged woman standing in the door to the director’s office. The director of this orphanage, I assumed. She looked thin, gaunt even, and exhaustion marred her face. I frowned. She didn’t look like someone embezzling funds for her own profit. Rather, she looked like someone who had been carrying a heavy burden and looked ready to give up.

“I wanted to surprise you.” Lina said, her words pulling my attention back to the hugging cousins. “You’re so busy with your charity work these days that I never see you anymore.”

The two pulled apart.

“These are interesting times.” Princess Henriette said, before turning her attention to me. “And who might this be?”

Unless she was a complete idiot, she already knew my identity. However, we still had to go through introductions for formality’s sake. Sometimes, the rules of high society irked me.

“Henriette, this is Lord Wulfe Kaltbrand,” Lina said, gesturing to me, “My soon-to-be fiancé.” She gestured to her cousin. “Wulfram, this is my cousin, Princess Henriette Reichwald.”

I bowed.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Imperial Highness.” I said.

“The honor is mine, Lord Wulfe.” Princess Henriette said, giving me a nod. “I have heard much about your family, though this is my first time meeting someone from House Kaltbrand.”

Silence followed her words. However, before it turned awkward, Lina spoke up.

“I know you’re busy with your inspections, Henriette,” she said, “However, may we join you? There is something we wish to discuss with you.”

Princess Henriette looked thoughtful at that.

“I’m amenable to that.” She said. “In fact, you came at a fortuitous time. You may ride with me in my carriage. There is something I wish to discuss with you two as well.”

She spoke that last sentence with a slight edge to her voice. However, I sensed that her ire wasn’t directed towards us. Interesting. I wondered what she wanted.

“Director Magda,” Princess Henriette said, turning to face the orphanage director, “It was a pleasure to see you again. I hope to bring you good news the next time we meet.”

Director Magda bowed.

“The pleasure was all mine, Your Imperial Highness.” She said, fear and hope in her eyes.

With that, Lina and I followed Princess Henriette out of the orphanage. All of our bodyguards followed after us. As we passed by the orphans, most of them called out to Princess Henriette. Rather than grow upset, she said goodbye to each one. They were sad to see her leave. Some even asked her to stay a little longer, which she declined with reluctance. From what I could tell, she meant it.

After we exited the orphanage, a surprising sight greeted us. A small crowd of people surrounded the House Kaltbrand carriage. Rather, they surrounded the driver. At first, I tensed and moved forward to intervene, since the driver was one of my people. However, I paused when I saw how happy and relaxed everyone looked. The driver, a young man named Tobias, acted familiar with the people who surrounded him.

It took me a moment to remember that most of the servants that worked at Kaltbrand Manor were of humble origins, as Baron Kurz put it. This included young men and women from the slums who wanted to support their families and improve their station in life. Tobias must have been one of them.

I walked over to the House Kaltbrand carriage, while Lina and Princess Henriette went over to one of the latter’s carriages. When the crowd of people noticed my approach, they grew tense. Their happiness and relaxation turned into suspicion and wariness. Tobias approached me with a panicked expression on his face.

“My lord, I apologize-…” He started to say, but I cut him off.

“There is no need to apologize.” I said, waving off his concern. “As long as you aren’t slacking in your duties, I won’t punish you for saying hello to people you know.”

Tobias relaxed at this.

“Thank you, my lord.” He said.

I nodded to the carriage.

“Lady Lina and I will ride in Princess Henriette’s carriage.” I said. “Since there is no need for you to drive an empty carriage, you may return to Kaltbrand Manor.” I gave him a meaningful look. “You have until sunset.”

In other words, I was giving Tobias the day off. He picked up on that right away and gave me a grateful look.

“Thank you, my lord!” He said, this time with more enthusiasm.

I gave him a nod, before I turned and walked off to join Lina and Princess Henriette.

“That’s the noble you’re working for, Toby?” Someone in the crowd asked as I walked away.

“Yes.” Tobias said. “That was Lord Wulfe Kaltbrand.”

“He seems decent enough.”

I stopped paying attention to that when I reached Lina and Princess Henriette. The latter studied me for a moment, before the three of us entered one of her carriages. Lina and I sat together, facing Princess Henriette. The Princess’ escort of Imperial Guards filled the others, and soon we were off.

“Now then,” Princess Henriette said without any preamble, “What did you wish to discuss with me?” She smirked. “I assume it involves the imperial succession.”

“Indeed.” I said, nodding to her. “How insightful of you, Your Imperial Highness.”

Princess Henriette shook her head.

“Even a dullard could’ve figured it out.” She said. “Why else would you approach me? The imperial succession is all anyone talks about these days.”

Fair enough. I supposed we were rather obvious about it.

“I assume you wished to determine whether or not to support my bid for the throne, yes?” Princess Henriette asked.

I nodded.

“In that case,” she continued, “You will be disappointed to learn that I don’t intend to fight for the throne at all.”

I blinked at her in surprise.

“What?” Lina blurted out, a shocked expression on her face. “Why?”

Princess Henriette nodded towards the carriage window.

“For their sake.” She said. “Those from the lower rungs of society. I can do more for them in my current position than I ever could as empress. That is why I built up my current powerbase. Not to fight for the throne, but to help those who need me the most.”

I frowned.

“I don’t understand.” I said. “If you become empress, you would wield a great deal more power than you do now. With that power, you could do more to help them.”

Princess Henriette nodded.

“Yes.” She said. “However, that power comes with a great deal more responsibility.” She gestured to herself. “I would have to divide my attention between the empire as a whole.”

Ah, I understood what she meant now.

“Whereas now, you can focus your attention on the less privileged.” I guessed.

Princess Henriette smiled.

“Exactly.” She said. “So, I apologize. You’ve wasted your time by coming to me.”

While I felt disappointed, I didn’t think that seeing Princess Henriette was a waste of my time. If nothing else, it gave me a great deal more to think about.

“Are you sure we can’t change your mind?” I asked, making one last attempt.

Princess Henriette paused for a moment.

“You likely could.” She admitted. “However, I would rather you didn’t.”

“You can’t stay in your current position forever, Henriette.” Lina said in a quiet voice. “Whoever succeeds your father will push you out of House Reichwald and keep you in check, if only to secure their own position. And that is if they’re feeling merciful. Otherwise, they may just have you killed.”

I understood Lina’s worry. If Father hadn’t proposed to Mother after she lost the fight for the throne, she would have been banished from the Reichwald Empire or killed.

“When the time comes,” Princess Henriette said, her expression hardened, “I intend to marry into a noble family whose goals align with my own. However, until that becomes necessary, I intend to take advantage of my position as a princess as much as possible in order to achieve my goals.”

Lina reached forward and grasped one of Princess Henriette’s hands.

“Please be careful.” She pleaded. “I know that your work is important to you, but your life is even more important. Even if you don’t intend to fight for the throne, the others may still see you as a threat. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Princess Henriette’s expression softened and smiled.

“Don’t worry about me, Lina.” She said. “I don’t intend to fight for the throne, but that doesn’t mean that I will let the others push me around. I can protect myself.”

Lina held onto Princess Henriette’s hand for a few more seconds, before she let go.

“Moving the conversation along,” I said, “What did you wish to discuss with us, Your Imperial Highness? Why did you invite us to join you in your carriage?”

Princess Henriette tilted her head and studied us with a thoughtful expression on her face.

“I’ll tell you about it later.” She said. “After we finished inspecting the orphanages. For now, I just want you to keep your eyes open and observe. You’ll understand what I want afterwards.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering what her game was. A part of me wanted to decline, since there wasn’t much benefit for me to spend more time with Princess Henriette. After all, one of the reasons why I was in Haven in the first place was the imperial succession. If Princess Henriette didn’t intend to succeed the throne, there wasn’t much point in speaking with her further, at least in that regard.

However, forming ties with Princess Henriette could prove beneficial later on. She was still a princess, one with a solid powerbase. More than that, she was Lina’s cousin. Not every relationship needed to be transactional. Besides, a few hours of my time was a small price to pay.

Lina and I both agreed to Princess Henriette’s request. With that, we joined her as she inspected the orphanages under her patronage.