* * *
Alessio adjusted his clothing with calm precision, smoothing the fabric into place. His shirt, with its wide neckline and loose lacing, naturally framed the line of his collarbone and upper chest.
The material rested cleanly against his form, every detail immaculate—an effortless balance between elegance and ease. A faint flush lingered on his ears, but his expression remained composed. He moved with quiet efficiency, as if pretending nothing had happened, each motion controlled and careful.
"Ahem, you can come in now."
"Excuse me..." I pushed the door open again, my face slightly flushed while my feet hesitated at the threshold.
'Ahhh, I feel like crawling into a hole and just vanishing for a while...'
Among the chairs by the window, Alessio sat with a composed air. He cleared his throat softly, trying to play it cool. And while his posture was poised—shoulders squared and back straight like some dignitary about to give a speech—the tips of his ears were unmistakably burning red.
I sat across the table from him, keeping a safe, formal distance.
"..."
"..."
We both fell silent. A heavy awkwardness settled between us.
I had no idea what to say—my mind was racing, too scattered to even remember why I came here in the first place.
"So... ahem... you said you had some things you wanted to ask me—back on the caravel."
Alessio saved me the trouble by speaking first.
"Ah, uh... right. I did."
Ugh, thank God he started the conversation—this whole situation is mortifying—but I haven't even organized my thoughts!
My mind was still stuck on... on that. His lower half. I saw it by accident, okay?! But it was just so...
'...Majestic... divine... was that a mythological artifact?!'
I hadn't been able to look Alessio in the eye, and before I realized it, my gaze had drifted downward again... directly to that place.
Alessio flinched.
"Ahem. AHEM."
Maybe he noticed the inappropriate direction of my stare. His clearing of the throat was sharp and exaggerated—loud enough to jolt me back to reality.
'Argh, get a grip!' I silently scolded myself, mentally slapping my cheeks to stop my imagination from spiraling into dangerous territory.
"So, about what I came here to discuss..." I lifted my head, and just as I did, our eyes met.
Then we both looked away, flushed with embarrassment.
If we kept this up, we were never going to get anywhere!
"MARIUS!" I blurted, louder than I intended, clenching my eyes shut. Alessio startled slightly.
Who would've thought just saying his name could break the awkward tension?
The weight in the air lifted, and I finally regained control of my expression and posture—ready, at last, to speak with some composure.
If someone had told me I'd be grateful to Marius one day, I'd have laughed. Yet here we are.
"First of all, I have a lot of questions—but I'll ask them one at a time, if that's alright with you."
"Go ahead."
I swallowed hard, trying to word my first question in a way that wouldn't raise suspicion.
"You spent the last three years at the Wittelsbach estate on a mission to investigate Marius' crimes. Was the mission not yet complete? Why were you still at the manor instead of returning to the capital for your public Descent as crown prince?"
Alessio glanced at me but didn't answer right away. After a long pause, he let out a quiet breath, then finally spoke.
"It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear the whole thing?"
"I wouldn't have asked otherwise."
"Alright. But since this includes classified state matters, I'd like to ask you a few questions of my own as well, before I begin."
I froze for a beat. Then I braced myself and gave him a small nod.
"I'll answer everything I can… But, um, if this really will include state secrets, are you sure it's okay to tell me?"
I scratched my cheek with my index finger, hesitating. Hearing the phrase "state secrets" suddenly made me question whether I should even be listening to this. I'd never imagined things would come to this—but my curiosity was bubbling over. I felt like I wouldn't be able to rest until I knew the full story.
"If it's you... I think it's fine. In exchange, just answer my questions honestly."
"Sure, ask away. I'll be honest."
Noticing the determination on my face, Alessio exhaled slowly, a faint smile curling his lips before he spoke.
"Just before we left Grandmama's cottage, you said Marius wouldn't hurt you—and that he'd been interested in you much longer than we thought. Can you tell me more about that?"
'No doubt he's been curious about it. That look he gave me back there said it all.'
I giggled softly.
"You remember I said my memories aren't intact, right? The night before we left Grandmama's cottage, I opened a drawer in the attic where I sleep. I know I probably shouldn't go rummaging through someone else's things, but after staying there for a while—and seeing how ordinary and unremarkable everything felt—I started to wonder. It seemed like anything that might raise suspicion—especially ties to the palace—just wasn't there to begin with. Is that right?"
I leaned in slightly.
"I came to that conclusion because of how calmly Grandmama answered the door when Marius' guards came asking questions."
"Hm. That's a keen observation."
He nodded twice, a touch of amusement in the gesture, as if to say, 'Well spotted.'
"You're right. We never know when a complicated situation might arise. That's why, even with letters—after reading them, they must be burned immediately. Any items that might seem suspicious were either destroyed or hidden—except, of course, for tools that could pass as hunting or self-defense gear. The political climate in the Empire right now is... far from stable."
'That makes sense,' I thought, nodding in agreement.
"Anyway, that night, I opened one of the drawers in the attic. At first, I was just looking for paper and a quill to write something, so I checked there. But instead... I found a stack of old papers and a small wooden box."
Alessio crossed his arms, leaning forward slightly to focus. "And then?"
"I think... that scene must've triggered something. Or maybe it just resembled the setting of a memory that came back to me."
I told Alessio everything—all the memories that had returned. About the dungeon. About a hidden room somewhere in the Wittelsbach manor. And about the many people—men and women alike—who were imprisoned there.
Alessio brought a hand to his chin, eyes narrowing. His calm finally wavered—he was clearly stunned.
"A dungeon...?"
His face suddenly turned serious.