“I was ordered to support you with all my heart and soul. If you require any materials, I am to hand them over. If you wish to learn secrets, I am to tell you.”

Tie’s eyes widened.

Dominic rose from his seat.

“To be honest, I have no interest in the cult or the false god. There is only one thing that interests me. Who will take the new throne.”

His gaze slowly settled on Tie.

“But it seems obvious that you are the one who changed the princess.”

“......”

“That is why I showed you this.”

Dominic tapped the contract tucked against his chest.

“As far as I know, the imperial court handed three selection grounds over to the Dark Spirit Squad. The forty ninth checkpoint post where your subordinate was attacked is one of them as well. I left the rest in the records and handed them to Prince Luminel, so check them once I return.”

Tie could not take her eyes off Dominic as he turned toward the exit.

“I hope we will have a chance to meet again. If we both survive.”

The basement door, which had opened only briefly, slammed shut with a loud bang.

Silence settled over the room.

Every member of the squad wore a complicated expression.

“......So the association head, no, the princess is planning to start a rebellion?”

At Ribia’s words, Allerik let out a heavy sigh.

“Yes. It seems her intention to seize imperial power is completely serious.”

“N no, but why are we getting dragged into this?”

Ribia walked over to Tesetan.

“Vice Captain, is this really true? We even have a child with us. Isn’t this way too dangerous?!”

“What are you talking about? The emperor already hates us anyway, so maybe this is actually better. If it works out.”

Bale cut into the conversation.

“And what, you still don’t know? For the little one, the princess is......”

But he abruptly shut his mouth.

As silence ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) fell again, everyone’s eyes turned toward Tie.

The girl was still staring at the door Dominic had left through.

The way her lips were tightly pressed together made it obvious she was thinking about something intensely.

“......Anyway. This was bound to happen someday.”

Bale forcibly changed the subject.

“The imperial authority needs to change too. Ever since the previous emperor, no, even the one before him, what kind of rotten mess has this place become?”

A grinding sound escaped between Bale’s clenched teeth.

“I’m already sick of them stuffing the map full of nonsense like the Ancient Border. People outside the system are dying and nobody gives a damn.”

“......”

“They treat mercenaries and mages like trash. Only Holy Knights are considered heroes. Didn’t mercenaries only start being allowed to earn proper money a few years ago? Before that they were used as meat shields on the front lines.”

Basto quietly closed his eyes.

“And the fact that everything keeps getting tangled up with the cult is their fault too! The imperial court is rotten to the core, so they keep enabling all the cult’s shady dealings!”

Normally Ribia would have immediately snapped at him for yelling.

But even she seemed to have nothing to say right now.

“Then fine, let the princess become a usurper. Even this morning was the same. Is that thing really called an emperor? All he does is pick on a kind and beautiful little girl. Any stray mutt could do a better job. A rebellion is only called a rebellion if it fails, but if it succeeds then it becomes a revolut.......”

“Why?”

At that moment—

Tie’s voice cut Bale off.

When everyone looked up, they realized Tie had already turned around with a strange expression on her face.

Looking at Tesetan and the officers, the little girl asked:

“Why...... are you all doing this?”

Bale slowly closed his mouth.

“It’s dangerous. You could get hurt.”

Tie lowered her gaze.

For some reason, she looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment, and Basto hurried toward her.

“Tie. This......”

“The princess is strange. Very strange.”

Tie lifted her head.

The child’s eyes trembled faintly.

Basto’s face hardened.

‘Damn it. She’s really scared.’

That was only natural.

Tie was a smart child.

There was no way she could fail to understand what rebellion meant and what Ardiana was trying to do.

And of course she was terrified that all of it was connected to her, to Papa, and to the members of the squad.

Basto quietly exhaled before continuing.

“Tie. A rebellion is not necessarily something evil.”

“......”

“If everything is prepared carefully, unnecessary casualties can be minimized. And if it succeeds, many people dying beyond the Ancient Border can be saved.”

“......”

“And it would also become easier to fight against the cult threatening you......”

At that moment, a hand landed on Basto’s shoulder.

Tesetan spoke.

“......That’s not what she’s talking about.”

Basto’s eyes widened.

Tie was not talking about the rebellion?

‘Then what is she talking about.......’

For several seconds, Basto’s gaze moved back and forth between Tie and Tesetan.

“Why does the princess show Tie secret documents?”

Tie murmured quietly.

“And back then too, in the clock tower of the old palace, when Tie and Papa fell underground.”

“......”

“Why did she come save Tie? Why does she keep getting hurt so badly?”

The corners of the child’s eyes drooped.

“Why is she suddenly starting a rebellion? Why did she order her subordinate to help Tie? Why, why......”

The girl nervously fidgeted with her fingers.

Her green eyes wandered emptily as though searching for an answer before finally stopping on Tesetan.

“Why is it always Tie.......”

‘I’ll come back soon.’

She had said it with those eyes.

‘What do you mean obstacle. How could you, how could you possibly.......’

And she had cried with that face.

“Why does Tie.......”

Why had she hugged her so painfully tightly, yet so warmly?

Within her blurred vision appeared the figures of the squad members.

Ribia with reddened eyes.

Bale and Basto lowering their gazes to the floor.

Even silent Allerik.

Looking at the child desperately holding back her tears, Tesetan slowly knelt down.

“Tie.”

Tie raised her head.

“Papa is here.”

“U, hng.......”

Only then did the tears she had been holding back begin falling.

Papa was right.

Papa was here.

This was not rainy Jongno anymore, nor Gold Yeonrip Room 106 where Tie had been left all alone.

“And I’ll stay here from now on too. You understand what Papa means, right?”

She nodded.

But she still could not stop the tears flowing because of the strange feeling rising inside her.

Truthfully, that feeling had already existed somewhere deep in her heart for a long time.

Ever since she learned that the princess disliked carrots just like Tie did?

Or from the moment she realized the princess and Papa loved each other very much?

“Actually, the princess is waiting upstairs. She said she absolutely needed to speak with Tie.”

Breathing suddenly became difficult.

When Tie rubbed her eyes, her palms were instantly soaked with tears.

“If Tie doesn’t want to talk right now, Papa can go upstairs and tell her to leave for today.”

“......”

“What should Papa do?”

Tie pressed her lips together tightly.

But after making up her mind about something, she pulled out the handkerchief Papa had given her from her pocket and sniffled loudly.

Then the girl lifted her head.

“Tie will go talk to her herself.”

Tesetan froze.

“Tie also has something she absolutely needs to say to the princess.”

After putting the handkerchief back into her pocket, Tie stretched both arms wide toward Tesetan.

Back when they lived in Jongno, she always did this before leaving for kindergarten.

With a sorrowful expression, Tesetan tightly embraced the child.

Tie even kissed Papa on the cheek.

Then she opened the basement door.

“Tie will be back soon!”

Cheerfully climbing the stairs, she saw the squad members gathered on the first floor.

Valentis and Lucarion were there as well.

Tie kept walking.

Finally, the second floor.

At the end of the hallway, the slightly open door to Tie’s room came into view.

The room was only a few steps away, yet it felt farther than Tallocium was from Jongno.

At last, when she opened the door, Tie saw Ardiana sitting on the bed. The woman flinched and quickly looked up.

“......Astie.”

She hurriedly stood.

“About earlier......”

“Wait! Tie also, no, Tie has to say something to the princess first!”

Tie cut Ardiana off.

Gathering her courage, she walked straight forward and stopped right in front of her.

Tie took a deep breath.

“When Tie went on kindergarten picnics, Papa always made her lunch himself.”

“......”

“And Papa braided her hair beautifully every single day too.”

Ardiana’s blue eyes shook violently.

Meanwhile, Tie forced an awkward smile onto her face.

“And when the other kids told Tie she must be sad because she didn’t have a mama.”

“......”

“Tie said she was okay. She really wasn’t sad at all. And she really wasn’t hurt.”

“......”

“Because the grandma next door and Auntie took care of Tie. So Tie was never lonely. Even without a mama, even if it was only Papa, Tie lived well. Tie managed just fine by herself.”

Tears began streaming down Ardiana’s cheeks.

And while looking at her, Tie slowly started crying too.

“So, so.......”

The child failed to finish her sentence. Holding her breath, she clung tightly around Ardiana’s waist.

“Hug, hngh, hurry and hug Tie, Mama.......”