Chapter 9

“Biflten is ruled by four families.”

Ilyin couldn’t make sense of what the maid, who had introduced herself as Lizzie, was saying. There would be only one owner of the land, as the Biflten lands were owned by the Duke of Biflten.

A maid with a red hairband disappeared and did not come back, and maids with blue hair bands came to her room. Colors seemed to be important in this castle, as Lidan had introduced himself as the Blue North and wore blue tassels. She thought of the man with the crystal blue eyes, he had worn red tassels

“The Blue North, the Red Delrose, the Green Mille, and the Bright Elo. Sir Lidan and I belong to the Blue North. The head of the Red Delrose is Sir Aden de Biflten.” Lizzie explained further.

Ilyin looked at the blue bracelet Lizzie was wearing. He would have something red on him. Ilyin thought of the man she had met again and wondered whether he was the Duke’s subordinate.

“If you like it here in Biflten, you will marry him.”

“Do I go back if I don’t?”

“I’m afraid so.” Lizzie smiled, but Ilyin thought it too earnest to be real. “Do you have any questions?” Lizzie continued.

Ilyin stared at her and said, “I have many, but one for now.” Lizzie had been massaging Ilyin’s body with a scented cream that warmed her up. Even with a burning fireplace, the room was still cold.

“Please ask.”

“Why is the Duke thinking of marrying a noble of the Empire?” Ilyin now knew that Biflten was not influenced by the Empire and four ruling families were already against the law. If the Empire had allowed this system, everyone would have known. This seemed to be like a different country, so why?

“It’s because he cannot marry one of the Red Delroses and is not interested in the other families.”

The Duke may not be interested in women, but he had to be interested in their families. Ilyin knew that the Red Delroses were not friendly with the Blue North, and perhaps also with the other two families.

“Who is Lidan?” Ilyin asked.

“He is an elder of the Blue North.”

Ilyin nodded slowly, and now she thought she could understand Biflten’s ruling system. It seemed that the Red Delroses were the real aristocratic family, and the other three seemed to be the Delroses’ retainers. This was a strange place.

“Are you warm now?” Lizzie asked with a smile, and Ilyin acknowledged with a nod.

Later, Ilyin asked the maid to guide her through the mansion and she gauged her position from the way Lizzie treated her. Aden de Biflten seemed to be set on marrying outside his lands, and she knew that no Empire lady wanted to marry him. This meant that Ilyin was a rare chance, and the Blue North, being so kind, would probably try to stay close to Ilyin if they could not have one of their women married to the Duke. Kindness always came with a price.

Ilyin instinctively knew who was hostile and who wanted something from her; she’d been able to distinguish this her entire life. She was in a dangerous and strange land, and many would blindly follow those who were kind to them, but not her. If the Blue North and the Red Delrose were enemies, the Duke would not marry someone close to the North.

“You have to wear a coat since the cold becomes severe from here,” Lizzie warned Ilyin, who saw that they had come to a corridor with wide glass windows and she could see the thick snow outside. “Are you feeling cold?”

Ilyin looked at her clothes at the maid’s question, and while they were thinner and lighter than what Ilyin had thought, she was warm nonetheless and feeling as if she were blanketed with a hot water bottle. Her hands were cold though, but it was manageable. Ilyin shook her head, and her blue tassels swayed as she replied, “I’m all right actually. Thank you.”

“Please let us know if you have any problems,” Lizzie said as she lowered her head. Ilyin felt some discomfort in knowing what the Blue were aiming for.

Suddenly, a man appeared as Lizzie took a step to leave. Ilyin let out a gasp as she recognized that he was the man she had seen outside the castle walls. His blue eyes narrowed on seeing the two women, like a wolf who’d seen its prey; the corridor filled with tension.

“This is not a place where the Blue North should wander about.” The man spoke slowly, and Lizzie bowed while Ilyin thought about what to say. She was a guest in this castle and she didn’t know who the man was so she wasn’t sure how to respond. The man would not introduce himself, focusing his cold eyes on Ilyin. She couldn’t open her mouth to respond as the man’s gaze looked over her blue cloth, clothes, and her face. She felt hunted like she had to run from the red monsters again and now she knew that she couldn’t escape. The man was that formidable.

“She is the lady from the sunny lands.” Lizzie introduced Ilyin to the man.

“She is?” The blue eyes stared at Ilyin again indifferently, but his tone sounded surprised.

“I am Ilyin de Arlen from the Empire.” Ilyin looked at the man with a gaze that asked him to introduce himself. She finally was able to move, and the man’s eyes glistened at the change in her body language.

“I am Den of the Red Delroses.”

He was now more polite, and Ilyin thought maybe that was because he now knew that she was not one from the Blue North. “Thank you for saving my life!” she blurted.

The man stopped at Ilyin’s thanks, and his crystal blue eyes stared at her again. “You shouldn’t stay out in the winter long.” His words were cold as he passed her by.

Lizzie let out a breath, and Ilyin tilted her head. She liked his warning better than the Blue North’s kindness, as it was so clear the latter wanted to use her. Ilyin thought she would remember his name as she followed in Lizzie’s footsteps.