35.
“Yes.”
Although I hadn’t been formally presented to high society yet, the marriage was registered, and the rumors had clearly rippled throughout the capital. Given the weight of the Mayous name, such scrutiny was only to be expected.
Judith offered a polite bow and steered the conversation to the purpose of her visit.
“I came to this shrine to pray for the well-being of my unborn child and the safe return of my husband, Ekian Mayous.”
Beside her, Master let out a sharp, audible huff. Judith ignored him, continuing her practiced script.
“But while I was inside, I heard the voice of the priestess.”
At that, Master, who had been staring off into the distance, lunged forward and gripped Judith’s arm.
“Is that true, Judith? A voice? What did the priestess tell you?”
Judith flinched, but Marquis Shoden stepped in, bustling over to pull Master’s hand away.
“Now, I understand your fervor, but do try to show some restraint. This is a married woman, and she is with child. If Young Duke Ekian Mayous were to return, you might find yourself a dead man.”
The Marquis, sporting an expression of forced benevolence, seemed genuinely concerned for Master’s survival.
“I’ve only seen him once or twice in his youth, but from what I recall, Young Duke Ekian Mayous is not a man of easy temperament.”
He scanned Master from head to toe, clicked his tongue, and muttered, “Well, I suppose that’s why you insist on wearing that mask… Still, if you are going to harbor a crush on a married woman, you must be prepared to risk your life.”
He seemed to have settled on his own conclusion regarding why the man hid his face. Every word the Marquis uttered was spectacularly wrong, but that was hardly the priority. Judith glanced at Master, signaling him to keep his silence, and turned her attention back to the couple.
“In any case… the message the priestess wished to convey was this.”
She had intended to address the Marquis, but Master was visibly vibrating with tension. Judith wondered, *Why on earth is he like this?* before continuing.
“She said that the missing eldest son of House Shoden is at the Mayous Ducal Mansion.”
At her words, the Marquis and Marchioness collapsed where they stood. Master, meanwhile, furrowed his brows as if reality itself had failed him.
“…What did you say?”
His voice was thick with a cocktail of disbelief and bitter disappointment. Judith shrugged, offering a casual, “Exactly what I said.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know. I’m simply relaying what I heard.”
Judith gave Master a dismissive glance and offered a soft, placating smile to the couple.
“Things being as they are, why don’t you visit the Mayous Ducal Mansion? It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try.”
The Marquis and Marchioness locked eyes, nodded, and then turned to Judith with sudden, fervent desperation.
“Of course we will!”
“All the times I have visited this capital have finally paid off… For the Last Priestess to use her remaining strength to find our son!”
“Shall we leave at once?”
The couple scrambled to their feet, their faces radiating a frantic, fragile hope.
Judith smiled brightly. “You may join me. I arrived in a Mayous carriage; if you follow, we can head straight to the mansion.”
There was no warmth between the Mayous and Shoden houses. They were not political rivals, but they were certainly not on terms that allowed for informal visits. Under normal circumstances, the Shodens would be required to submit an official petition for an audience. However, as Judith was a member of the Mayous household and personally inviting them as her guests, they would be granted immediate entry. She could handle the explanations upon arrival.
“My heavens… thank you so much.”
“Young Duchess, we are profoundly grateful for your grace.”
The couple bowed repeatedly, their eyes brimming with tears, while Master stood apart, still muttering to himself.
“…It’s unfathomable. The Last Priestess meets Judith, spends her final strength… and merely grants a wish for the Marquis and Marchioness Shoden? Not even for her own child? What kind of twisted logic is that?”
The Marquis, overhearing this, grumbled with palpable displeasure.
“Merely? Are you dismissing the sacred bond between parent and child as ‘merely’? A parent worries for their child until the very moment their eyes close!”
“That is precisely my point!”
Master let out a frustrated, hollow laugh. “Isn’t it a parent’s nature to be concerned for their own flesh and blood above all else?”
“Precisely!”
The Marquis shouted, then abruptly realized the conversation had veered into the nonsensical. He concluded it was impossible to hold a coherent dialogue with the masked stranger. Ignoring him entirely, he took the Marchioness’s arm and turned to Judith.
“We leave it to you. Truly, our thanks. House Shoden will never forget this debt. Whatever you ask of us, we shall grant.”
“Ahaha… then let us be off.”
As Judith walked toward the Mayous carriage, Master fell into step beside her.
“Excuse me, Judith.”
“Yes?”
“May I accompany you as well?”
“Yes? Why?”
“The fact that the Last Priestess would spend her final strength on the affairs of the Shodens… I cannot accept it. I must verify this with my own eyes.”
Setting aside the awkwardness of their last encounter, Master spoke with unnerving earnestness. “I happen to know that the Last Priestess has a son.”
Judith went still. It was exactly what the priestess had told her—a secret unknown to the public. Yet, Master seemed aware of it. *As expected of the master of the Information Guild,* she thought.
Master urged her, his voice insistent. “Was there anything else? Anything at all?”
“Yes? Ah… but why are you so invested in this shrine? And how did you even find your way all the way out here?”
Master didn’t hesitate. “For the head of an Information Guild, what mystery could be more compelling?”
It was a fair point; a supernatural phenomenon was the ultimate prize for any information broker.
“I will pay whatever price you ask,” Master added, his voice bordering on desperation. “If there was anything else, please, tell me.”
Judith wrestled with her conscience. She couldn’t justify taking gold to peddle the private, final confessions of the Last Priestess. *If it were me—if I had poured out my final secrets only to have them sold to an information broker—I would be devastated.*
Judith sighed and answered slowly.
“There was one other thing.”
She couldn’t read his expression through the mask, but she could feel the erratic fluctuation of his emotions.
“But I am not sure if I should tell you,” Judith continued calmly. “It is a private matter. I need to think on it. However…”
“However?”
“Since you are so obsessed with this case, I will permit you to attend as a guest. You may come with me.”
Master had never asked a favor of her before. In all their dealings, he had remained composed, professional, and detached. To see him this unraveled was unsettling. She didn’t intend to indulge all his whims, but she wasn’t so cold as to turn him away entirely.
“I mean,” she added, “that I will allow you to see for yourself whether or not the Marquis and Marchioness find their biological child.”