Sieg knew that the margrave was receiving guests. New people from the capital and the supplies they brought stirred up the mundane schedule of the wall’s garrison. When he knocked, he expected the conversation Nolden had with the newcomer to be over. But the margrave opened the door and let him in. Sieg stepped inside the study and stopped at the threshold. He wasn’t so surprised, even when Dietrich paid them an unexpected visit.

For the past two years, there have been no orders or even a hint of permission to return to the capital. And although he missed his friends from Lazaretto, Sieg unquestioningly obeyed his superiors. Life on the border was not bad. But at this place, with its dusty winds and constant threats from the outside world, it was impossible to meet this person here. Yet she was there. Beside the sofa, she stood as still as he; her gaze locked on him through her green eyes.

Nolden placed his hand on Sieg’s shoulder, and this made him return to reality.

"Let’s talk when you finish here," said the margrave, and left the room. He kept it short, as if guessing that his other words would not be heard.

With Nolden gone, Cornelia took the opportunity and reached for the cup. All of the sudden, her throat felt dry. But it was already empty. Her movements, as well as the pause in confusion, did not escape the guy’s gaze.

"Oh, I can make tea." Sieg headed straight for the cupboard. "Lord Nolden won’t be against it. If anything, he enjoys it when others enjoy tea…"

He stopped, trying to focus on making the drink. The right words eluded him; instead, a torrent of silly ones flowed freely, like the water from the kettle.

"Thank you."

Sieg turned to the princess. The gratitude felt excessive for such a trivial thing.

“It’s just the tea,” replied the guy, and turned to Cornelia. She shook her head. Her expression made him stare in confusion. Sieg expected the princess to scold him for hiding his origins, or he hoped she might be glad to see him again. There was no smile and no sign of displeasure on her face. She looked sad, which made him clench the kettle’s handle.

"No, thank you for saving my life at Anatolia, mine and Mr. Webber’s. And I’m sorry for all the hardships that led you through."

Then she did something even more unbelievable: she bowed to him. For a moment, Sieg froze in disbelief, then he rushed to the princess, hastily placing the kettle on the coffee table.

The guy took her hand, saying, "Please, Your Highness, there’s no need for an apology!"

When Cornelia raised her head, he recognised another mistake he had just made and let her hand go. He stepped back, creating a proper distance between them. Sieg took a deep breath. He needed to calm down or he would make too many mistakes.

"But it was my decision that led to your assignment at the border." Looking at him, she straightened up, but guilt still seeped through her words.

"If you decided otherwise, it would lead to the death of an innocent person. I have no regrets about my actions that day, and neither should Your Highness. And serving at the border is rather interesting."

His last words made the princess look straight into his eyes. "How are the soldiers here? You are not being mistreated, are you?"

"No, everyone is nice. And Lord Nolden has a long history of working with Magic Snatchers..." Sing paused. He assumed this topic was no longer a secret without confirming it first. But Cornelia didn’t look surprised or puzzled.

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"I’ve visited Lazaretto a couple of times," said the princess, averting her gaze. "No, actually, more than a couple of times. And met with Dr. Neumann as well."

The confirmation of his guesses made the guy feel relaxed. "Knowing your personality, I believe Your Highness has found out everything you wanted about Magic Snatchers and our background."

Sieg hoped his words would reassure the princess, but they didn’t relieve her feelings of guilt and remorse. She apologized once more.

"I’m sorry. I obtained this information without your consent."

"No, that’s for the best. Your Highness deserves to know. And I don’t think I could tell the truth myself."The topic was not an easy one. Not to mention, there were restrictions on sharing secret information.

Finally, the tension left her shoulders. A tentative smile rewarded Sieg for his successful efforts. The princess still had short hair and was wearing comfortable travel clothes. Even after a long and tiring journey, despite the dusty winds, she remained beautiful. 'Maybe it’s the royal blood that gives that dignified and elegant impression,' Sieg thought and noticed her glancing at the coffee table.

"Right, the tea," Sieg suddenly remembered and took the kettle again. He dashed to the cupboard, but his hand trembled as he reached for the cups. The guy took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. The unexpected meeting had brought out too many emotions. He needed to calm down before he made any more mistakes or offended the royalty.

When he returned with the filled cups, Cornelia was already sitting on the sofa. She clasped her fingers, but her face looked calm.

"Thank you," said the princess, taking the cup. "To tell you honestly, no one shared your location with me. Jack even avoided me on purpose."

It wasn’t surprising. Knowing how everyone felt about the royal family, they would avoid telling the truth unless they were ordered to do so. But she wasn’t the person to do so, and that made Sieg feel relieved.

"But what is Your Highness doing at the border?"

"It’s a long story, but to keep it short, I was given permission to arrange and lead a diplomatic mission to negotiate with the Indivisibles." Cornelia took a sip of her cup. The tea was strong and had a malty aroma. Only then did Sieg realize he hadn’t asked if she wanted sugar or milk. But the princess seemed content with the simple drink. She turned her gaze away from the cup and towards the guy’s face. "I was prepared to speak with the margrave. But while I didn’t expect to see you here, I’m so relieved you’re alright."

***

Sieg headed straight to the margrave right after guiding Cornelia to her room. He found Nolden in one of the brick warehouses. Several soldiers were moving crates and filling travel bags with food and ammunition.

"If it’s possible, I would like to help with this mission," the guy stated his purpose right away.

Nolden simply nodded. His eyes were on the men arranging and checking the packed supplies.

"I thought so. And it makes sense. Crossing the wasteland and getting to the Indivisibles Caves without your magic will be difficult."

"Thank you, Lord Nolden." Sieg wasn’t sure he would get permission even more easily. But the margrave’s words made sense. The wall defense can hold even without magic, but water supplies could be lost due to various misfortunes. In that case, his abilities would come in handy. Not to mention nymphs. To journey that far and not meet a single one would be a miracle.

Nolden nodded towards the exit, and both left the warehouse. It was already late, and the clouds had partly covered the moon, making it even darker. Sieg thought that the man had called him to discuss the details of the mission or to emphasize the importance of guarding the princess carefully. But Nolden had other thoughts in his mind.

"You are the sixth Magic Snatcher that I have been working with. I remember all of them. Paul died during the mission early on, so we were not close. Mark served for the longest time. At the time, I knew little about your restrictions, and I shamelessly took advantage of his abilities. And he was too kind to tell me. He died fighting his third cancer when he was barely thirty," the margrave said, lighting a cigarette, as if his story did not concern his own health.

"When I realized it, it was already too late. My regret made me anxious to ask for help or give orders to a new Magic Snatcher. And this led to the death of Kate. With Leon, I was not so reckless or cautious anymore. He survived and was sent to the capital on another assignment. Ilse was also doing well. Yet, in the end, that foolish girl selflessly acted as our hero and protected us. I’ve told her countless times to value herself more, yet..."

Wenzel stopped talking, staring into the distance. The smoke from his cigarette straightened up, rising into the night sky.

"I hope you will listen to me, unlike Ilse. If the need arises, don’t throw your life away without a care. Hardly anyone would appreciate it."