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"Something's off. Even though we haven't received any letter explaining the current situation, the two spies we sent should have returned two days ago. However, we're already at the end of the third day, and we haven't heard any news from them"

Albert's voice carried a grim tone as he spoke. Currently, it was me, Albert, and the king, gathered in a room to discuss a matter of utmost importance. This was directly related to what could happen in the future.

While the king and Albert discussed among themselves, I delved into my own thoughts on the matter. I arrived at two possible conclusions after pondering for a bit. The first is that the spies encountered some difficulty, preventing them from returning and, consequently, from passing on the information they obtained to us.

And the second, which seemed to be the most likely, was that both of them were discovered. I really didn't want to believe that, but given the circumstances, the second option seemed to be the most viable. After all, even if they encountered some problem, it's strange that they didn't even attempt to transmit the information they acquired to us.

This also leads us to another question: was the patriarch leader behind this, or was it the work of another patriarch? Honestly, I just hoped it was the latter option since that wouldn't mean we would go to war with the other continent.

"What do you think, Ren? You must have thought of something, right?"

The king asked, his gaze fixed on me. Both he and Albert seemed eager to hear my perspective on the matter. I pondered for a moment whether I should share my thoughts with them. After all, they were just speculations, and I didn't want to cause unnecessary worry. However, as the saying goes.

"Two heads are better than one"

"In my opinion... it's quite likely that the spies have been captured"

I declared. The ensuing silence in the room was almost tangible, and I could feel the atmosphere weighing heavily around me. Albert seemed especially serious, and it wasn't hard to understand why. He had always been extremely careful with his subordinates, to the extent of offering all possible support, using his authority as the crown prince, should anything happen to them.

"So, that means..."

The king started, but I interrupted him before he could finish his words. The somber expression on his face clearly indicated his concerns, and I knew exactly what he was about to say.

"I have a basic idea of what you must be thinking, Your Majesty, but I don't think the patriarch leader is to blame for this"

I replied, keeping my tone calm and steady.

"You've read the letter I read, so you must know that this doesn't align with his personality"

Upon hearing my words, Albert seemed to ponder for a few seconds. His eyes met mine, and for a moment, silence hung in the room. I could feel the tension in the air as he gathered his words, as if he was carefully choosing each one before speaking. Finally, he broke the silence.

"So, does that mean the spies are safe?"

Upon hearing Albert's question, a deep silence fell over the room. It was an incredibly difficult question to answer, as there was no indication I could use to find the answer. I opted for honesty in my response since it wouldn't be fair to feed false hope to Albert.

"As for that question... honestly, I'm not sure"

I said. Upon hearing my words, Albert just nodded. He was surprisingly calm, much more than I had initially expected.

"You still have something else to say, don't you? Please, go on"

Albert said. Hearing Albert's words, I let out a small sigh before continuing.

"It's likely they haven't been killed yet, considering that the same person who sent the assassins who tried to kill me might also be responsible for capturing them. Both of them are likely to be interrogated in an attempt to gather additional information. Moreover, we were able to confirm that the spies who were here couldn't obtain more than information about our daily lives on the continent. So, these spies might be valuable sources of information"

Despite knowing this, both Albert and the king maintained grim expressions on their faces. The reason was simple: even though they were both spies, they were considered expendable, though no one officially called them that. The reason for this was clear – they didn't possess crucial information. If they were captured, they wouldn't have anything significant to reveal or would be forced to tell lies.

However, another inevitable question arises: for how long will they be able to endure this situation? When the person who captured them realizes they have no valuable information, it is highly likely that both will face a tragic fate.

Finally, the king and Albert recognized that we couldn't reach a solution at that moment. They decided to conclude the discussion and announced that the verdict on what we should do would be issued the next morning. It was evident that we couldn't leave the situation as it was. In my opinion, it would be wise to schedule a meeting with the leader of the patriarchy and personally discuss the situation with him before things worsened.

With this thought in mind, I left the room and headed towards the garden. Emi was probably in the bedroom, so I chose to take a walk to clear my mind. Although there was no specific purpose, it was a decision I made to relieve stress.

The garden was surrounded by a multitude of fireflies, casting an ethereal glow over the surroundings. Each flower seemed to come to life with vibrant colors radiated by the tiny luminous insects. Amidst this sparkling wonder, there she was, my wife.

She wore a white dress that gracefully flowed over her body, her hair skillfully braided, adorned with a delicately positioned white flower. She looked like a fairy straight out of a fairy tale, or perhaps I was entering my own enchanted tale.

In a serene gesture, she was crouched in the midst of various flowers, her radiant smile illuminating the garden. Her golden eyes were fixed on the sky, where the moonlight reflected, giving them a unique and magical sparkle. Upon witnessing this scene, an involuntary smile appeared on my face as I slowly approached Emi.

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