Episode 285

Under the bright moonlight, a small carriage racing through the streets came to a halt in the middle of a main road.

Long shadows stretched across the polished stones. The only sound was the distant, staggering footsteps of a wandering vagrant.

Ian adjusted the lantern’s light and gave his orders.

“We’ll proceed on foot from here.”

“Understood. We’ll prepare.”

“She’s no ordinary gypsy. Be on your guard.”

It would be ideal if they could persuade her to come willingly, but given the nature of gypsies, that seemed unlikely. If so, they had no choice but to detain her by force.

Timothy—and beyond that, the relationship with the Kingdom of Burgos—her presence would give Bariel the upper hand. Ian gave a slight nod and scanned the alleys.

“This area and that one are especially tricky. Seal them off with protective barriers.”

“Yes, Lord Ian. Don’t worry.”

The more their superior emphasized caution, the more alert the subordinates became. After one last check of the map, they slipped silently into their assigned alleys, vanishing like shadows. Without Ian’s command, not even a rat would be allowed through.

“Let’s go. Ian, the moon looks beautiful tonight.”

Meanwhile, Beric was carefree, as if out for a casual nighttime stroll. He hummed a tune, leading the way. He was piecing together fragmented memories to pinpoint their exact location.

“Beric, are you sure the crescent moon will be up? Why is it so quiet? I don’t see a soul around.”

“I’m telling you, it’s right. How does Lord Romandro live not trusting people so much?”

“It’s not that he doesn’t trust people, it’s you…”

“Shhh.”

Ian’s sudden signal made both men freeze.

His gaze landed between two buildings, where a pile of unidentifiable cargo lay covered in cloth, blending into the darkness, making it hard to discern any details.

Squinting, Romandro spotted something writhing beside it.

“Gasp.”

A faintly shimmering crystal orb—the same one they’d seen in the park! Romandro fidgeted nervously, whispering to Ian.

“That’s right. It’s the same gypsy we saw with Your Highness back then. The crystal orb was unique and left a strong impression.”

“What are they up to? They’re not sending an old man without legs to scout, are they?”

Ian shook his head and gripped the lantern with his left hand—a signal for everyone to stay alert now that they’d encountered the gypsy.

Beric crouched before her, chuckling.

“Grandma, hello. Been waiting long?”

“Waiting? You just happened to come to me in the night.”

“Judging by your words, you’re in fine shape. See, Lord Romandro? I didn’t cause any trouble.”

Romandro didn’t reply but politely tipped his hat and nodded. The gypsy repeated her intrigued exclamation.

“Hmm. Aren’t you the gentleman we met in the park?”

“Good to see you again.”

“Why the formalities? What’s different between the gentleman then and me now?”

They say the first meeting is chance, the second is fate, and the third is destiny. And gypsies worship fate. She instinctively knew that meeting Romandro again was no coincidence.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

“Grandma, the really interesting part is I brought someone else along. Whether that’s good or bad, Ian wanted to meet you too.”

Her gaze swept upward—from the polished leather shoes, the neat trouser cuffs and coat, to the shimmering golden hair. When her eyes met Ian’s absinthe-green ones—

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the gypsy bent forward and moved closer, as if entranced, barely aware of her own motion. Like a blind ant searching for sweets, circling and circling until it finds something rich and sweet, wanting to dive in, swim through, and lose itself.

She savored the rising joy deep in her chest and reached out.

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh my, oh my.”

“Ian Hielo, Minister of Magic.”

“Yes, yes. In all my life, I’ve never met anyone like you. Not even the Burgos king has your kind of flavor. Incredible. That lowly scoundrel has truly done something remarkable.”

“Lowly scoundrel?” Beric, who had been silent, tried to add something, but Romandro quickly stopped him.

The gypsy was showing Ian great favor. This meant things would likely go smoothly. No need to stir trouble. Romandro covered Beric’s mouth and stepped back five paces.

“Ian Hielo, you say?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh! Surely you have a true name? That must be a great secret. Tell me, and I’ll tell you what you desire.”

His true name—that was Ian Verosion.

But Ian smiled gently and knelt on one knee before her. As their eyes locked more closely, the gypsy felt a shiver run even through her missing leg.

“Gypsy, what is your name?”

“I have none. I am one who devours secrets.”

“I see. Then, do you know? The King of Burgos is searching for you.”

“Is it only the King of Burgos? Countless want to cut me open. Inside me are thousands of voices.”

…Cut me open? Ian hesitated at her words. The old woman added playfully.

“Perhaps you want to cut me open too. But remember why I’m still alive.”

If she died, thousands of voices would burst forth, deafening all who heard, and ancient grudges would drive minds mad.

Secrets, instead of returning to their owner, would spill into the world, sowing chaos. Ian didn’t know the details, but he understood the nature of the world.

“There’s nothing to remember. Those who plot to harm me are poisoned themselves.”

“Wise words! Ha ha ha!”

“One question. If I wanted to learn a secret, is there no way? You devour secrets, so are they gone forever?”

The old woman beckoned him closer. When Ian leaned in cautiously, she grasped his sleeve and whispered.

“This is something only shared with those who carry very delicious secrets.”

She rubbed the crystal orb meaningfully. The universe inside it spiraled, as if human fates were entwined and swirling together.

“If I digest and regurgitate a secret, its owner can speak it aloud, realizing it’s been leaked. But it won’t be whole, like when first swallowed. The longer the time, the more only the shape remains. If that’s acceptable, then let’s share. Your secret and the ones inside me.”

Ian nodded, agreeing to the trade. Suddenly, it clicked—why the King of Burgos was hunting this gypsy.

“If a secret leaks, the owner knows. So the King searches her out—to find who leaked it and bury it completely? Or to deal with it before it escapes? Best to listen to everything first, then piece it all together.”

“Why do you do this?”

“Because I’m amazed you’ve lived so long.”

Honestly, when Ian first heard about this, he thought secrets were completely destroyed. But this meant her very existence was precarious.

The gypsy giggled, clutching the crystal orb.

“Nonsense. Everything takes time to digest. The harder and bigger, the longer it takes. After that, it disappears from the world entirely. I don’t lie. And do you think I offer this to just anyone?”

That meant Ian’s secret was coveted—so vast it could fill her belly if she disgorged it all.

Ian quietly revealed a secret tucked deep in his heart—one so long held it had almost slipped from his awareness.

“…I hide many things from those I journey with.”

“I see the bottom of the secret you can offer. Even if you only give me the surface, my belly won’t be full. Reveal everything.”

Hiding itself was a secret, but savoring each thread was her feast. Knowing there was a banquet, she wouldn’t settle for mere scraps. The gypsy motioned for him to wait.

“The hungry have no choice but to show kindness. I’ll give a little first. Now then, what was it you wanted? The kings of Burgos?”

“First, the possessions of the ‘deceased’ former king.”

To keep the deal with the gypsy secret, he asked for the secrets of the dead first. She snapped her fingers lightly, as if bestowing a favor.

Whoosh.

The crystal orb flared to life. At the same time, she lifted her robe. There was a slit along one side of her cheek—just as Jin had described, almost like a gill.

The old woman grinned slyly, then tilted her head slightly and began to reveal the secret. The slit on her cheek moved little by little. That was, in fact, a mouth that spat out secrets.

“The previous king and queen of Burgos… hated each other. Their hatred was so intense, it was drawn like a shadow over every moment of their lives. It all began when…”

Her voice was faint and thin, making it hard to catch every word. Ian frowned and leaned in closer, but the story came in broken fragments. These were secrets from a past generation, clearly already half lost to time.

‘When I checked the historical records, there was little indication of any special discord between the king and queen. Publicly, they maintained the appearance of harmony.’

“It started from the birth of the current king. He was bright, flawless as a child… but strangely, problems arose as he grew. Over time, the king and queen each fathered children with different lovers, and those children… secretly infiltrated every corner of Burgos. Their identities are as follows…”

Hidden royal bloodlines of Burgos. Ian listened intently, committing every word she uttered to memory. Was this what the current king wanted to know? Was he searching for his siblings, those who hid their fangs somewhere in the shadows?

Whoosh.

The gypsy suddenly looked up at the sky. Her pale eyes trembled mercilessly, like the crystal orb, like the vastness of the universe itself.

“The king of Burgos knows this. And in exchange, he told me.”

The gypsy stepped close to Ian, her gill-like slit twitching. Now, it’s your turn to pay the price.

Ian pulled out a secret he had long buried deep within.

“…I am not Ian Hiel. I am Ian Verosion, from Bariel, a hundred years in the future.”

“I was the one who sowed discord between the king and queen. The hatred between them was stirred by me.”

“…I was the emperor.”

“I am living a second life.”