Ainen had gone on a mindless shopping spree at the department store.
Even after buying the clothes, cosmetics, and accessories she had always wanted, there was still money left on the gift card.
It was a substantial amount for a prize won by answering a quiz question.
She was on her way down to the basement to buy groceries last.
“?”
Someone walked alongside her as she turned a corner.
She thought they would pass by since they were following from behind, but they matched her pace.
“……???”
She glanced to see if it was someone she knew, but it was a stranger.
“Ah, excuse me?”
“Shh.”
The man spoke quietly.
“There is someone waiting for Ms. Ainen. This way, please.”
The man nudged Ainen slightly and directed him towards the way he was going.
The man’s guidance was not forceful but polite.
Ainen could have refused if he wanted to.
“Who is waiting for me?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
“Why not just tell me here where no one is listening?”
At Ainen’s words, the man leaned closer.
He whispered into Ainen’s ear.
“Ms. Philly Terst is looking for you.”
“Phillyly Ter… could it be Her Majesty’s…!”
“Shh.”
The man cautioned, and Ainen closed her mouth.
She hiccupped because she closed it too quickly.
“Why, why me?”
Ainen asked in a shrinking voice.
“I was only ordered to bring Ms. Ainen.”
The man spoke as if he had rehearsed the line.
It seemed he wouldn’t give any more answers.
As Ainen was led by the man, she racked her brain.
‘Philly Terst, the Empress of the empire!’
She was far too high-ranking for someone like her to deal with.
She wasn’t a combat instructor at Constel, just a mere librarian.
Ainen couldn’t fathom why the Empress was looking for her.
‘And why move so secretly?’
If it was the Empress, couldn’t she just command openly?
Ainen Flot, come forth and heed my command!
Just those words would eliminate the need for such a complicated process.
‘There must be a tricky reason she can’t come forward, or she doesn’t want the palace to know….’
Either way, it was a bitter taste for Ainen.
The man guiding Ainen opened a door marked ‘No Entry Without Authorization’, turned right after entering, opened another door, then descended stairs past a ‘Construction in Progress’ sign, and finally opened another door.
And then, she walked down a one-way escalator in the wrong direction.
‘So, so outdated….’
It seemed thoroughly secured against intrusion, yet also miserly.
And when the man finally opened a metal door.
“…Wow.”
The place they arrived at was definitely not a department store.
There were lavish ornaments and art pieces that seemed inspired by the interior of the palace.
‘Come to think of it, They did say Philly Terst liked warm colors.’
Reflecting that preference, the room was filled with red, orange, and yellow.
Walking a bit further, a table came into view.
On the table, cups filled with tea were already prepared.
“Please, take a seat and wait.”
With that, the man left.
Ainen blankly looked around the room.
‘…Should I run?’
She briefly considered it, but it was futile.
No matter how suspicious, she couldn’t defy the summons of the Empress.
And there wasn’t time to contemplate further.
“Wow, you’re here, Ms. Ainen.”
A warm voice sounded.
The tone and manner of speech were comforting.
As Ainen hurriedly stood up to kneel,
“Ah, no, you don’t have to do that.”
She waved her hand with a relaxed voice.
“Please, take a seat.”
As she took a seat first, Ainen finally got a proper look at her.
Hair as white as her eyes.
A youthful face that made it hard to believe she could be a mother, with slightly parted red pupils.
The atmosphere seemed to grow round and soft all of a sudden.
‘…The air is languid.’
Speaking of languid, it reminds me of the human sloth in Constel.
He always had a sleepy face. Or should I say, a drowsy face.
But unlike Frondier, Philly exudes a bright atmosphere.
It’s not the languidness that comes from being sleepy or tired.
It’s a peacefulness that seems to spread around her, a mildness.
“You must have been quite startled? I’m sorry. I just really wanted to meet you.”
“Are you, talking to me?”
Ainen’s tone turned strange.
He must have had a conversation with royalty before.
Philly laughed.
“Just speak comfortably. Here, the Empress is nothing special.”
If only it were that easy.
Ainen couldn’t find the words to say and sipped his tea.
Philly asked.
“Did you make good use of the department store gift card?”
“Wha-?! Cough, cough!”
Startled, she suddenly inhaled her tea.
Ainen coughed, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Ho-how did you…?”
“Actually, we were the ones who issued that quiz.”
“The Empress…?”
Philly nodded with a smile.
“That’s why we were looking for Ms. Ainen. We never thought someone would actually get the expert answer right.”
“So, the reason you were looking for me was…”
“Yes. Because of the quiz.”
Ainen nodded blankly at Philly’s straightforward answer.
She felt a bit more organized in her thoughts.
Wondering why someone with no connections to royalty was being sought after.
It was because of the quiz.
‘They were looking for the person who got the expert answer right.’
Hold on.
So, what the Empress wants to know now is……
Philly wore a subtle smile as she leaned closer.
“So, Ms. Ainen.”
“Yes, Ye-Yes?”
There was a hitch in her response.
Philly, undeterred, asked,
“How did you come to know about the dragon heart?”