Chapter 814 |
Diana turned toward them.
Ian curled his lips and tipped his chin slightly in greeting. She gave a faint nod in return, but her green eyes remained dull.
Beside him, Thesaya let out a quiet scoff.
"Honestly, pointy-ears and their dramatics. Being the acting head of a house can’t possibly be harder than surviving the Black Lands."
For her, it might be.
Ian glanced at Thesaya. Her gaze, fixed on the ship, had already turned cold. Beneath the fluttering hood, her pale face was expressionless and rigid.
Still holding a grudge, I see.
It was enough to make Ian swallow a bitter smile.
Then again, expecting the two of them to get along had been his wishful thinking. To Thesaya, Diana was the daughter of an enemy. Placing her in the position of acting head had been a form of revenge.
Ian turned his gaze back to Diana. She was glancing toward the deck, gesturing slightly.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Diana faced forward, then kicked off the railing and leaped down.
Her short platinum hair and hooded cloak fluttered, revealing the sleek dark leather armor beneath. It was only for an instant, but Ian immediately noticed the leather straps securing multiple daggers across her. There was also a new mask hanging at her waist.
Thud—
Diana landed lightly in the middle of the dock, bending her knees slightly. As her cloak settled, she turned and walked toward them, passing the workers.
"Mind if I go first, Ian?" Thesaya asked.
Ian nodded without hesitation. "Of course. You’re the head."
"Thanks. I’ll keep it brief." Smiling faintly, she removed her hood and stepped forward.
Diana stopped at a measured distance. Her hollow gaze briefly passed over Ian before she lowered her head.
"We’ve arrived, my lord."
Her voice—flat and drained, barely a murmur—matched her expression, as if meant only for herself. Anyone but a fairy would have missed it entirely.
Of course, it reached Ian’s ears with perfect clarity.
"You’re a bit late. I thought you’d arrive early and be waiting."
Thesaya replied in the same low, cold voice, skipping any greeting or show of courtesy.
"I miscalculated the timing. Everything else is as reported." Diana answered immediately, without the slightest hint of offense.
If anything, she seemed too drained to react at all.
"Well, we’ll see if that’s actually true."
Thesaya didn’t press her attitude either. If anything, she almost seemed to be enjoying Diana’s state.
Then she casually extended a hand.
"First, give me a cigarette."
"Yes." Diana stepped closer at once, reaching into her coat and pulling out a small wooden case.
She must’ve been pretty desperate.
Suppressing a quiet laugh, Ian shifted his gaze past Diana’s shoulder. Like her, a line of fairies in gray hooded cloaks had begun disembarking. On the deck, some carried heavy wooden crates in pairs.
"Once you’ve verified everything, are my duties finished?"
Diana’s low voice slipped out like a whisper. She had just lit Thesaya’s cigarette and stepped back half a pace.
Exhaling slowly, Thesaya replied without hesitation. "No. I’ll be heading to the South for a while."
"What?"
"So until I return, you’ll continue acting in my place."
One of Diana’s eyes twitched faintly.
She stared at Thesaya, who was calmly drawing on her cigarette, before asking, "Why do you suddenly need to go to the south?"
"I don’t recall being obligated to explain that to you."
The cold reply left Diana speechless. After a moment, she shut her eyes tightly and nodded.
The breath that escaped her nose sounded like a quiet sigh, making the corner of Ian’s mouth twitch faintly.
So this is how they’ve been talking this whole time.
He’d heard about it before, but seeing it firsthand was something else.
"I’ll hear the rest of the report from Phoebe." Thesaya flicked the cigarette between her fingers and started walking, glancing briefly back at Ian. "I’m sure Ian wants a word with you."
"Yes." Only after Thesaya passed did Diana open her eyes again.
Ian met her gaze, still wearing that faint, wry smile. "It’s been a while, Diana."
"Ian Hope…" She exhaled his name like a sigh, then lifted the cigarette still in her left hand. "Mind if I smoke first?"
"As long as I can join," Ian answered easily.
Diana quickly pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a small flint, stepping closer. She took a deep drag, holding it for a moment.
"Save me… this isn’t living…."
She exhaled the smoke like a sigh. Her tone made it clear she didn’t care if Thesaya overheard.
Ian let out a chuckle. "I figured as much. Handling both duties and training at once must’ve been rough."
"I’d rather go back to the Black Lands." She nodded without hesitation, inhaling again before adding, "I thought about it countless times… I even came close to acting on it more than once."
"Just hang in there a little longer. Once this is all over, she won’t push you like this anymore."
Probably.
The word stayed unspoken as Ian held out his hand. Diana passed him the cigarette and stepped a little closer.
"I’ve endured this far because I owe you and Lucifer. But I’m at my limit. If, even after this is over, that Elder, who might as well be an archdemon, doesn’t let me go…."
She looked back up at Ian, eyes sharp with desperation.
"Then I’ll run. I’ll disappear somewhere and live in hiding. If that happens, please look the other way. Ian Hope."
There was real desperation in her eyes. She clearly believed that if she fled, Ian would be the one sent after her.
Ian held her gaze, then shrugged lightly. "Sure. As long as you give it everything you’ve got until then."
"Alright. I will." Diana nodded firmly.
Ian raised the cigarette to his lips, smiling faintly. "Then take a step back, would you? You’re about to get burned."
"O-Oh. Right. Got it…."
Diana blinked in surprise and quickly stepped back, turning her head aside. She even covered her mouth with her fist, letting out a small, awkward cough.
Ian smirked faintly as he took another drag.
"So you’re really planning to stand against the Crown Prince?" Diana asked quietly, still half-hiding her face.
She glanced at Ian, then continued, "I heard things back in Rune Catis. Looks like everything’s unfolding just as expected. Everyone thinks it’s a great opportunity, but I’m not so su—"
"Let’s talk about that later." Ian cut her off flatly, holding the cigarette between his fingers. "It’s too long and too important to discuss here."
"Right. I rushed it." Diana nodded, lowering her hand at last.
Ian gestured past her shoulder with his chin as he held out the cigarette. "So, have they gotten any more useful?"
"Hard to say. I worked them to the bone, but we’ll only know after real combat. There wasn’t enough time."
Taking the cigarette, Diana clicked her tongue lightly. Her tone had already turned cold again.
"They’re nothing like they were during the war. Much weaker now. Especially the younger ones."
Ian chuckled. "I didn’t expect to hear that from you."
"That’s how pathetic they were. At first, I could barely stand to watch." She clicked her tongue.
Ian tilted his head to the left. "What about the ones over there?"
Diana’s gaze shifted. Across the dock, another ship that had arrived with her was pulling in. Workers hauled ropes to secure them.
She turned back to Ian, frowning. "Don’t tell me she didn’t tell you anything."
"She said she wanted it to be a surprise."
"You’ve got to be kidding me." Diana sighed, pressing a hand to her face.
Ian took the cigarette and asked, "They’re from the Deep Forest of the South, right?"
It wasn’t hard to guess. There was only one fairy faction in the south that would lend Thesaya support.
"Yeah. The wardens." Diana dragged a hand down her face and nodded.
As expected.
Ian smirked slightly and looked back toward the ship, cigarette between his lips. "Didn’t think they’d agree to work with beastfolk."
They weren’t part of House Erenos, after all. That might’ve been one of the reasons Thesaya hadn’t told him earlier.
"Yeah, there was a lot of friction at first. Nearly killed me trying to mediate. And listening to those damn beasts growling at each other didn’t help." Diana clicked her tongue again.
Ian exhaled smoke and glanced at her. "Don’t forget—the leader of those ‘damn beasts’ is a friend of mine. And your head’s."
"I-I know that," Diana answered quickly, averting her gaze. "Your friend was at least reasonable. Had complete control over the others, too. Thanks to that, no one died or got seriously hurt."
So there was still some bloodshed.
Ian scanned the hazy figures beyond the ship’s railing through the drifting smoke.
"Could you get the rest of the report from the head instead? If I explain everything here, it’ll just make things more troublesome for me," Diana said quietly.
"Fair enough. Let’s go." Ian handed the cigarette back.
Diana took it and stepped aside.
Ahead, Thesaya stood with a line of fairies beside her. They all wore stiff expressions, glancing subtly at their heads, waiting for her lead.
Looks like she’s already tightened discipline in that short time.
Ian suppressed a laugh and walked forward.
Thesaya stood there, expressionless, watching the newly docked ship while she smoked. Beside her, her attendant Phoebe was whispering something urgently.
Sensing his approach, Thesaya turned. "Welcome back, Ian. Did you have a good chat?"
She shifted the cigarette between her fingers, her face blooming into a bright, easy smile—as though she hadn’t been cold just moments ago.
It was clearly for the fairies’ benefit. They still believed she and Ian were lovers.
Ian shrugged lightly. "Well, enough."
"Then come here and accept the gift prepared by the fairies of my house," Thesaya added, lifting the hand holding the cigarette slightly over her shoulder.
At the signal, Phoebe stepped forward, taking out a small wooden case from her cloak.
When she carefully opened the lid, a smile spread across Ian’s face.
"Now that’s a gift I can’t refuse."
Inside were neatly rolled, thick cigarettes—packed to the brim.