Currently, Kevin was the one operating the Cain Trading Company.

Dekain had stepped down from the position of head merchant as he was officially recognized as an imperial prince, fulfilling Kysandra’s wishes. He then entrusted the company to Kevin, his childhood friend and most trusted person.

Kevin’s father had been a merchant working for the Igteon Trading Company. Perhaps influenced by watching his father since childhood, Kevin had become an exceptionally capable businessman.

After Dekain became Emperor of the Rajent Empire, the Cain Trading Company soared to unprecedented success. Naturally, it benefited greatly from its association with the former emperor.

Though the Cain Trading Company had always been prosperous, it was now called the foremost trading company in the entire Rajent Empire.

Because of this, Kevin was buried under an overwhelming workload.

Moreover, recent movements from the Kalua Empire had been increasingly suspicious. As ominous rumors of possible war began circulating, commodity prices skyrocketed, forcing the Cain Trading Company into even busier operations.

Ultimately, he found himself sitting at his desk again tonight, working late into the night. He was so exhausted that dark circles had formed under his eyes, nearly reaching his jawline.

‘Is this the third day in a row I haven’t been home? If I’d known it would be like this, I should’ve refused when they offered me the position of head merchant.’

Kevin bitterly regretted his past self, who had eagerly accepted the offer without hesitation.

In truth, although Dekain had officially stepped down as head merchant, he remained the true mastermind still controlling the Cain Trading Company behind the scenes.

Kevin held only the title of head merchant, which inevitably meant he was drowning in work, groaning under the pressure.

‘This won’t do. Next year, I absolutely must ask for a higher salary.’

Rubbing his dry, tired eyes, he resolved to renegotiate his salary with Dekain once again.

It was at that moment.

Knock, knock. Accompanied by the sound of knocking, one of the Cain Trading Company’s workers entered.

“Master Merchant, do you have a moment?”

Kevin looked at the worker with a puzzled expression. He couldn’t guess why someone would come to see him at such a late hour.

“What’s the matter?”

“Well… I discovered something strange today. I thought I’d wait until tomorrow morning to report it, but it kept nagging at me, so I came.”

Discovered something strange?

Kevin had no idea what the worker could possibly have seen. But since the worker had bothered to come all this way, there must have been something genuinely noteworthy.

With a weary expression, Kevin nodded. Whatever it was, since the worker had come this far, he might as well hear it out and judge for himself.

“Alright. What did you see?”

“This morning, I went down to the pier to receive goods arriving from another empire, and I saw our company’s cipher written on the wall.”

“Cipher?”

Every organization had its own secret symbols or signs known only to its members—whether simple hand gestures or coded symbols.

The Cain Trading Company also had several unique characters known only to its members, designed to maintain secrecy.

So it was strange indeed to suddenly find the Cain Trading Company’s cipher scrawled randomly around the pier.

Kevin asked,

“What did it say?”

“It said, ‘Help.’”

“Help?”

Kevin tilted his head in confusion. But with only that single word, there was nothing he could deduce.

After pondering briefly, Kevin murmured softly,

“It’s unsettling, but with just that, we can’t figure out what’s going on.”

“Yes. I thought the same and almost walked away, but while eating dinner, I kept thinking about it—and remembered there was a drawing beside the cipher. At first, I thought it was just graffiti, but now I’m not so sure.”

“What kind of drawing?”

When Kevin asked with curiosity, the worker stepped forward and drew directly onto the paper lying on the desk, replicating what he had seen.

Swish, swish.

The drawing the worker completed was somewhat messy, but unmistakably resembled an eagle.

‘Eagle? Help?’

Kevin stroked his chin, deep in thought. It felt like a riddle.

‘Eagle…’

Suddenly, something flashed in Kevin’s mind—the emblem symbolizing the Brellof family.

The Brellof family’s crest depicted an eagle fiercely baring its talons.

Previously, when Tanashia Brellof had stayed in the Rajent Empire, she had exchanged several letters with the Brellof family residing in the Arwen Empire.

Since the Cain Trading Company had served as the intermediary for those letters, Kevin had seen the family crest stamped in sealing wax multiple times.

Bolt upright, Kevin rose from his seat with a grave expression. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy the worker’s report felt—he couldn’t simply dismiss it.

‘Could something have happened to Lady Brellof?’

At first, he’d listened to the worker’s report lightly, but now it felt different. This was serious enough to set aside every single task piled on his desk.

He’d heard Tanashia had returned to the Arwen Empire and embarked on a journey. A suspicion now arose—could something have happened to her during her travels?

The worker flinched at Kevin’s sudden movement. Misinterpreting the reaction, he scratched his head awkwardly and said,

“I hope I didn’t waste your time with something trivial, Master Merchant…”

“Which pier did you see this at?”

“Ah, well, it was…”

“Never mind. Lead me there immediately. Summon our people and conduct a thorough search of the surrounding area. There might be more undiscovered ciphers.”

“Yes, Master Merchant.”

At Kevin’s command, the worker hurried toward the door. Watching his retreating back, Kevin spoke softly,

“And you—once this matter is settled, come back to me. I’ll have new work for you.”

Surprised by the unexpected remark, the worker stopped and turned around, then asked with a confused expression,

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“It means I’ll promote you.”

This was something easily overlooked, but the worker’s keen eye had caught it. Kevin had no intention of letting hidden talent within the company go to waste.

At the news of promotion, the worker’s face brightened. But since now was not the time for idle chatter, Kevin quickly added,

“Let’s finish this matter first, then we’ll talk.”

“Yes, Master Merchant!”

The worker’s voice now sounded noticeably more spirited.

Kevin had not yet reported to Dekain his discovery of the cipher, presumed to have been written by Tanashia.

He could investigate on his own first and report afterward—it wouldn’t be too late. Reporting prematurely before confirming anything would be far too hasty.

Thus, based on the worker’s testimony, Kevin searched the vicinity of the pier.

It turned out the cipher wasn’t written in just one or two places. Following the trail of ciphers starting from the pier, they led to an abandoned cathedral.

One of the subordinates searching the area pointed toward the cathedral and said,

“Master Merchant, over there. The cipher trail ends at that spot.”

Kevin nodded cautiously. He still couldn’t confirm whether this was truly connected to Tanashia.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Yes!”

At his command, dozens of men moved forward. Since it was the middle of the night, each held a torch in hand.

Creeeak—

With a rusty groan, the cathedral’s door—looking as if it might collapse at any moment—swung open.

The shabby interior of the cathedral was not large. As many people entered, torchlight illuminated two figures seated on the pews.

It was Tanashia and Ascan.

Though Tanashia appeared somewhat disheveled, as if she’d been through something, she remained as beautiful as ever.

Strangely, Ascan was slumped against her shoulder, pale and bloodless, seemingly asleep—or perhaps even dead.

Upon discovering them, Kevin exclaimed in shock,

“Miss!”

He’d speculated from the worker’s description that it might be Tanashia, but actually seeing her with his own eyes left him utterly bewildered.

Tanashia gazed at Kevin with an expression full of conflicting emotions—relief, worry, and a tangle of other feelings.

“…You finally came.”

“What happened here? Why is he like this…?”

Kevin instantly sensed that Ascan’s condition was serious. Before he could finish speaking, Tanashia cut in,

“There’s no time to explain. Send someone from the Cain Trading Company immediately to the place I’ll tell you.”

Kevin was dumbfounded. He had no idea why Tanashia, who was supposedly traveling, was here—or why Ascan was in this state.

But he sensed desperation in Tanashia’s face. Whatever the reason, this was clearly an urgent situation where every second counted.

“Tell me. Where should I send them?”

Thanks to Kevin’s quick perception, no time was wasted.

Tanashia hurriedly replied,

“The Kingdom of Athes. There’s a lake there called Suarunes.”

The Kingdom of Athes was located in the northern part of the continent, a land blanketed in snow year-round. The Suarunes Lake there was perpetually covered in ice.

At the very bottom of Suarunes Lake bloomed Arhane, a legendary flower said to blossom only once every hundred years.

“Hire divers to go into the lake. At the bottom, you’ll find a single flower blooming. I need it immediately.”

The reason Ascan had searched for the Arhane flower for so long without success was because it bloomed underwater.

Many had mistakenly assumed it grew like an ordinary flower on land, but the Arhane flower was a mystical plant that grew beneath the lake’s surface.

Though Kevin didn’t understand the full context, he nodded immediately. He had no reason to refuse Tanashia’s request.

“Understood. I’ll send people there right away.”

“Please, as quickly as possible. Every moment counts.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Thank you.”

Only then did Tanashia’s expression relax slightly. Her gaze turned toward Ascan, asleep against her shoulder.

His face was deathly pale, but he was not yet gone. Through their contact, she could still feel his faint pulse and warmth.

Gently, Tanashia brushed back Ascan’s hair. Then, in a voice heavy with worry, she murmured,

“Ascan, just hold on a little longer…”

She couldn’t let him go yet.

There were still far too many days she wished to spend with him.

Ascan was unconscious.

The last thing he remembered was seeing Tanashia in that shabby cathedral.

He had tried desperately not to lose consciousness, not wanting to worry her—but at some point, his awareness simply faded. Apparently, his willpower alone could no longer sustain him.

As he closed his eyes, he felt Tanashia—her scent, the warmth against his skin, her beloved voice whispering in his ear.

He had thought marrying Tanashia, the woman of his dreams, would leave him with no regrets. But he was wrong.

He now felt even more attachment to life.

He wanted to stay by her side—one more day, one more hour, even one more minute.

He had only just attained what he desired most, and the thought of breathing his last now felt unbearably painful.

Perhaps reflecting that longing,

Even in unconsciousness, Ascan endlessly searched for Tanashia—through the Kalua Empire, the human weapon laboratory, the Brellof estate, all the way to the Rajent Empire.

He wandered every place he remembered being with her, but she was nowhere to be found.

His heart clenched tightly. Anxiety choked his breath.

‘…I miss you.’

He felt he might go mad from missing Tanashia so intensely.

Could this be what death felt like? What if he never saw her again?

His mind swirled with chaotic thoughts. He fervently prayed—for anything, anything at all, as long as he could just see Tanashia once more.

As what might be his final moments approached, his deepest desire became crystal clear.

Tanashia. Only her. She was all he needed.

Then, unexpectedly, before the aimlessly wandering Ascan appeared the fortune-teller he had met long ago.

An old woman with white hair, her face half-hidden beneath a hood. The fortune-teller fixed him with milky, pupil-less eyes and spoke:

─If you continue like this, you will die.

He had heard those words before.

─Do not linger where you wish to be. You may lose your life.

This must have been a memory lingering in Ascan’s subconscious.

The place he wished to be—then and now—was only ever one place.

Right beside Tanashia.

Looking back, the fortune-teller’s ominous prophecy hadn’t been entirely wrong. Every time he stayed beside Tanashia, his life had been threatened.

But he had no need for a long life without her.

Even if this love led him to ruin, so be it.

Even if it meant death.

Because the only thing he wanted was Tanashia.

Ascan recalled what he had told the fortune-teller ten years ago.

─I’ll decline your advice. There are things worth risking my life for.

Though much time had passed, his answer remained exactly the same.

“If I can stay beside Tanashia, I’ll gladly give up anything—even my life.”

He simply missed her.

Even now, trapped in this illusion, he felt he might die from longing to see her.

Just as that aching yearning made him shudder,

A voice calling him drifted from somewhere—faint, as if from far away, yet unmistakably Tanashia’s.

“…Scan, Ascan.”

He followed that voice with all his being.

Suddenly, brilliant light flooded his vision. Just as he reflexively tried to shield his eyes, he awoke from the dream.

Ascan, lying neatly on a bed, stirred. Slowly, his tightly shut eyelids lifted.

The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Tanashia’s face. She was gazing down at him, her expression filled with worry.

“Ascan, are you awake?”

For a moment, he couldn’t speak.

He didn’t know where he was, or how much time had passed since he lost consciousness.

But the longing he had felt throughout that long dream still lingered, making his chest ache.

“I fed you the Arhane flower, but you wouldn’t wake up—I was so worried. How are you feeling now…?”

Before answering, Ascan reached out and pulled Tanashia into a crushing embrace.

Only then did it feel real. The woman he had missed so desperately was right here before him.

In a voice thick with emotion, he whispered,

“…I thought I’d die from missing you.”

He realized anew: worse than hell was any place without Tanashia.

If heaven existed for him, it was this moment—holding her like this.

The fortune-teller’s words no longer felt threatening. What he truly feared wasn’t death. What terrified him was never seeing Tanashia again.

Besides, “you may lose your life” was just a possibility—nothing more.

Therefore, the fortune-teller’s prophecy had been wrong. It was Tanashia who had saved him—and he would never, ever let go of the happiness now held firmly in his hands.