After the cult figure's departure.
Out of curiosity, Reynard opened the wooden box, but he couldn't recognize any of the herbs inside, much less their usefulness, so he simply stored them in a drawer in his study, putting the matter aside for now.
The other party's intention was to buy Baron Alderan's favor, making him more receptive to their approach. Despite not knowing the usefulness of the herbs, they should be something valuable enough to sway the baron.
'Things are getting more turbulent...' Like a small boat bobbing in the middle of a storm, he was at the mercy of the waves' forces. The more he thought about his situation, the more he cursed his bad luck and his predecessor's misfortune.
No matter how he tried to set a safe course, all of them seemed to lead to danger.
The only less problematic route seemed to be... fleeing.
Yes. Gathering all his valuable possessions and fleeing in the dead of night. He could try to restart his life, assuming a new identity in some distant location. The cult wouldn't consider him important enough to chase after him.
There was no need to start a hunt to find a common untitled noble who fled in the dead of night.
The kingdom might conduct some searches, trying to discover what happened to him and his whereabouts, but by the time they realized he had fled, much time would have passed. Enough time for him to be far away.
The kingdom wouldn't punish him for fleeing, would it?
Pausing to think... the answer was obvious.
When the messenger delivered the threat, or rather, the kingdom's warning about not attending the meeting, it was clear how the modus operandi of the Solaris Kingdom worked.
This was still, in the end, a feudal society. The desertion of a noble would be seen as an act of treason or, at the very least, a breach of the oath of loyalty to their liege lord, the king.
The basis of the system was loyalty and service in exchange for lands and protection, whether those lands were granted to him by the kingdom or by another lord above him.
Fleeing now meant abandoning these obligations, and it was likely that Reynard would have his title confiscated and his lands seized. This would be the most immediate and probable consequence.
Reynard would be forced to live a nomadic life, moving from one place to another and constantly hiding his identity to avoid discovery. He would have to be careful when entering cities, effectively killing his social life and ceasing to exist as a citizen of the realm.
And that sounded a little ironic. If he fled now, his greatest enemy wouldn't be the Shadow Cult, but the Solaris Kingdom.
He could even lose any legal protection.
So he discarded that idea.
At least for now.
If it were truly necessary to flee to save his life, Reynard wouldn't hesitate. His life was worth much more when he was alive, and even if he needed to live hiding as a fugitive, the system was still flawed.
He could find somewhere to live his life.
'Perhaps the fields...' He had always wanted a quiet and simple life, and the idea of becoming a farmer didn't seem so bad.
Reynard smiled at the thought. He had strayed from the subject.
Now he was no longer worried about being killed by the Shadow Cult. The figure had already shown that it had plans for him at this meeting, so he was still safe for a few days.
If he could get through this, he could think about what to do next.
He thought about going to Eleanor's room but gave up the idea when he saw her door locked. It was late for him to simply intrude, and he wasn't in the mood for such things today.
His mind was tired, and he just wanted to sleep.
When he reached his room, Reynard wasted no time. Locking the door and windows, he went straight to the large, luxurious bed positioned in the middle of the large room, leaping onto the soft mattress with open arms.
He felt his body being embraced by the expensive sheets.
He couldn't tell what they were made of, but they were definitely costly, and he was already getting used to sleeping in them.
It seemed the original owner had his priorities straight.
'Reynard has good taste...' He murmured, falling into a deep sleep.
***
Somewhere, inside a bustling tavern.
The tables were full; people chatting loudly and laughing could be seen everywhere as they ate and drank. Some had dice being rolled, screams of ecstasy filling the lively atmosphere.
They were having fun.
The kingdom didn't offer many leisure options for these people, which made taverns and brothels the most frequented places at night, especially among men.
Some had finished their work in the fields, visiting the tavern to meet some friends, wet their throats, and tell stories. Others had been working in the city since early morning, making the tavern their last stop, not at all worried about arriving home drunk.
After all, they wouldn't be sober enough to remember their wives' reprimands.
The nighttime atmosphere seemed to intensify as time passed. Some already had red faces, hiccuping while swinging their mugs, asking for more.
The waitress, an old lady as wrinkled as a raisin, was walking back and forth carrying trays, serving customers with a vacant expression, her balance being remarkable considering her age.
During all this time, two figures were seated in a corner of the tavern. The old waitress didn't approach them at any point, leaving them alone.
"Did you succeed?"
The first figure who asked had a cold expression.
Her face was beautiful.
With thin eyebrows, the area between her large eyes was well-spaced, her red lips contrasting with her milky white skin that seemed to glow under the tavern's soft lighting.
But an ugly scar on her cheek spoiled this painting, giving her a fierce appearance.
It was as if something was wrong with her face, making people sigh with pity for the wasted potential.
"Yes. The mission is complete."
Another figure, seated in front of her, nodded. Her appearance wasn't bad either, but it seemed more ordinary. Her figure was slightly smaller, and her hair was black, matching the color of her eyes.
Both were wearing simple cloaks, hiding the clothes they wore underneath, but it was still possible to see parts of the thick, dark linen fabric.
"That untitled noble, Reynard... he managed to escape death. All his castle servants died, except for him."
"He is truly too cautious for a simple noble..." The scarred figure commented, her gaze shining with some interest that was quickly dismissed.
"Or too cowardly. Should we kill him?" The black-haired figure commented casually, licking her lips after taking a sip of her beer. It didn't seem like they were talking about another person's life.
If Reynard were present, he would have cursed the two of them for deciding his life so simply and casually.
"It's not necessary. Time is up, and the kingdom's correspondent has already arrived. The kingdom has eyes planted everywhere. If our movements are discovered now, we'll be finished." The scarred woman spoke after thinking for a few seconds.
It wasn't that she didn't want to kill this noble.
It was just that it was no longer necessary for the cult. Making a move now wouldn't bring any benefit and could even alert the envoy about their movements. The plan had already worked anyway, and it was natural for some to escape.
Especially those who had privileged knowledge about the meeting long before the kingdom's messenger arrived.
These were the worst.
"Did you find out who the correspondent sent by the kingdom is?" The black-haired figure stopped playing with the rim of the glass. A rare gleam of curiosity shone in her eyes as she questioned, oblivious to the thoughts of the figure in front of her.
"Sword of Dawn..." Without thinking much, the scarred woman let this name slip between her clenched teeth. But a touch of caution and bitterness could be felt in her tone.
She didn't seem very happy.
"Seraphina?" The black-haired girl was surprised. Her finger stopped circling the rim of the glass, freezing in place.
"Quiet!" The scarred woman reprimanded with a whisper, her expression a little fierce.
Noticing that her voice might have been a little loud when pronouncing that name, the black-haired figure quickly looked around, her heart racing.
Her hand instinctively slid to her waist, prepared to act at any suspicious movement.
"I won! I won!" A drunk rolled the dice, shouting excitedly.
No one.
She really was overthinking things.
"Seraphina is the kingdom's envoy? What is she doing in this place?" The black-haired figure moved her hand away, relaxing a little.
"I don't know." The scarred figure shrugged, her eyes sweeping the tavern environment coldly. "The higher-ups only ordered us to wait."
Hearing this, the black-haired figure's eyes became even more confused. "Wait? What are we waiting for?" She thought they could return after completing the mission.
No one talked about waiting.
"Reinforcements. We are waiting for reinforcements..." Touching the scar on her face, she continued: "Now that you have delivered the poison and the herbs to the nobles, we might have more attack opportunities. If one is not enough, smother them with numbers."
The black-haired girl fell silent. Picking up the glass again, she took another sip of her beer without asking anything else.
The scarred figure didn't speak anymore, either.
The lively sound of the tavern continued, these people oblivious to what was happening in that corner.
After a while, one of the figures stood up and left first. The other figure followed after some time, disappearing into the middle of the night.
***
Time seemed to fly when one was having a good time. The following days were peaceful for Reynard, who hadn't done much besides spending hours in his study and enjoying himself with Eleanor.
He was feeling intoxicated by this woman.
"Lord Reynard, coffee is ready!"
Reynard woke up slowly in his bed, hearing Lydia's voice calling him from outside his room.
Some beams of light crossed the heavy curtain, softly illuminating the dark room, announcing that morning had arrived.
The sound of birds singing outside also managed to penetrate the window, tickling his ears and making the mornings more familiar.
For a moment, he almost forgot where he was.
'It's a good day to be alive...' Stretching, Reynard got out of bed with slow, unsteady steps. He put on his clothes after a few minutes, making sure his appearance in the mirror was good to start the day.
When he opened the door, he was greeted by Lydia's delicate figure waiting for him outside, her hands clasped behind her back. Her face seemed a little flushed, giving a touch of natural red to her cheeks.
The brown dress she was wearing today matched the color of her eyes and hair, accentuating her slim and delicate waist.
Looking at her, Reynard felt his mood automatically improve.
"Lord Reynard, Mother has already prepared things for the trip." Lydia parted her red lips, whispering slowly word by word.
Reynard's mood was ruined.
Was it already time to leave?
He knew today was the day to leave with Eleanor for Baron Alderan's mansion. He had simply gotten used to the peaceful days in the castle, and now he was reluctant to let it go.
"All right. Tell Eleanor to get ready, we'll leave soon." He had no other option, so he didn't try to think much about it.
"I will notify Mother..." Lydia nodded her head, giving Reynard a look before bowing and quickly fleeing.
Reynard looked at this without understanding. He was oblivious to the thoughts of the poor girl who had been having trouble sleeping recently due to certain noises and thoughts that haunted her nights.
After having breakfast, Reynard went to find Eleanor in the castle hall.
"Did you sleep well?" As soon as he opened the hall doors with a creak, a flirtatious voice traveled to his ears.
A familiar voice that he was used to hearing in various tones.
"Yes. But it was a bit cold tonight. Perhaps you should warm the bed longer next time..."
He murmured without thinking, used to provoking her, but as soon as his eyes adapted to the change of environment, he located Eleanor's figure.
And the sight he had left him pleasantly surprised.