A person who appeared to be in his mid-twenties approached Éloïse Moreau at the counter to inquire about a perfume he desired. He leaned in close, resting his arms on the counter, and placed a bottle of premium-quality perfume in front of her.
The perfume was a yellowish color, and the glass bottle was adorned with an intricate flower design. The label read "Brume d'Or" (Golden Mist).
With a tone full of happiness and curiosity, he broke the silence in the shop, asking, "Madame Éloïse, how much does this cost?"
Éloïse shifted her attention from Henry to the young man and picked up the perfume, holding it aloft by its neck. She smiled and said warmly, "Great choice! Brume d'Or is a fantastic option for a gift."
Locking her gaze with his deep black eyes, she continued, "It's a premium option, so it will cost…" She paused to think for a moment and added, "40 Aurex for 10 ml, 120 Aurex for 30 ml, and 200 Aurex for 50 ml."
In the Empire's markets and across the world, one Aurex was equivalent to about a dollar seventy—enough to afford a modest meal or even a bribe if one knew the right guard.
He remained silent, still intrigued. He stared at the bottle, and after a brief pause, he spoke up, his voice tense. "Well, it's premium and looks like a good gift, but is it worth it? Are there not better options than this?"
Éloïse didn't respond immediately; instead, she leaned her hand toward the top of the bottle to open the cap.
When Éloïse uncapped the bottle, a soft golden mist unfurled into the air—delicate yet commanding. The top notes sparkled with hints of bergamot and wild honeysuckle, bright and fleeting like morning sunlight on dew.
Beneath that, a heart of golden osmanthus and jasmine bloomed, rich and velvety, evoking memories of sun-drenched gardens in late summer. Finally, the base settled into a warm embrace of amber resin and white musk, lingering like the last rays of dusk on polished wood.
The moment he caught the scent of Brume d'Or, he stopped in his tracks, inhaling it deeply, almost as if he were mesmerized. Suddenly, Éloïse spoke up with a smile, "So, what do you think? Is it a good choice or a bad one?"
He pulled out his wallet from the pocket of his suit coat, retrieved two clean 100 Aurex notes—made of paper but coated with transparent plastic—and placed them on the counter.
With a cheerful tone, he said, "I would like to buy a 120 ml bottle of Brume d'Or."
She smiled as she took the money and handed it to a staff member standing behind the counter, saying with genuine interest, "Oy, Léon, come over and give him what he wants.
You can deal with him." Turning to Henry, who was resting his chin on his palm with his elbow on the counter, she added with a serious tone, "I have critical business to handle."
Léon nodded and took her place. Éloïse stepped out from behind the counter and stood behind Henry, resting her hand on his shoulder. With a smile, she asked, "Sir, if you don't mind, would you like to go for a drink with me?"
Henry didn't move but narrowed his gaze at her, responding playfully, "Is that a date we're going on?"
She nodded, a slight breeze passing between them, then broke the silence, saying, "Pretty much… yes, a date."
Henry remained in his position, sitting at the counter, and replied with a charming yet teasing tone, "Lucky me, I get to spend time with Caelvara's prettiest lady. I just arrived here from Velgravia." He stood up, adjusting his black suit, and added, "So it's proven right: Caelvara is the land of love and freedom."
At those words, every staff member in the shop grew serious and began to gaze at Henry as he straightened his tie.
She gestured to the staff member with a hand sign, signaling them to continue with their task. Henry quickly organized his clothes and reached the door before Éloïse could react. Then, he turned his head toward her, gazing at her unusually as he whispered, "Madame Éloïse Moreau, if you don't mind, shall we keep going? I have a feeling this date is going to be quite long."
How did he move so fast that I didn't even see him? Éloïse Moreau thinks while moving toward the door of the shop to leave. She reaches the door, and Henry opens it for both of them. They both leave the shop.
As they left the shop, the shop fell silent again before the same person who had come to buy Brume d'Or spoke with a pleasant tone, "Sir, if you don't mind, now can we focus on our deal?" Léon turned toward him, shifting his whole attention to him, and other staff members also started shifting their focus to the shop.
…
They both came toward the fountain, which was in the center of the plaza, and then Éloïse Moreau turned to her left while Henry followed her. As they walked the path, they saw many artists performing their art on the side of the plaza and musicians standing outside of cafés performing music to entertain the people who were coming to the café.
Henry keeps following her until she stops at a tavern, which was made of wood, while its design in the upper area was mostly done by cobblestone, and in some parts, ivy covers the wall. And a board on the ground fixed to the wall where the shop name, Charme du Tombeau (Charm of the Tomb), is written. The wooden walls were mostly polished while holding glass, which was reflective but was purely transparent, showing people who were sitting inside the tavern enjoying the drink with their friends.
Éloïse Moreau moved toward the shop's door and gripped its handle to open it up while she stared into the tavern through the glass in the wooden door. She enters the tavern after opening the door. Henry follows behind her and enters the tavern. The air was thick with the scent of wine—dark and heady, like crushed blackberries left to dream in oak barrels. It mingled with the musk of old wood, pipe smoke, and the faint trace of spilled cognac.
His gaze first landed on the people who were enjoying the wine at the table with other people. They were laughing, talking around, and cheering up the drink. Then his eyes narrowed through the clean ground; the wooden floor was fully polished and clean, reflecting his blurry reflection. Near the wall of the tavern, which was made of cobblestone and wood with glass fixed in it. The tables were lined up where people sit and drink wine.
His eyes narrow through all of them and reach the ceiling of the tavern. On the ceiling, a candle holder was hanging, which held up to 14 candles, lighting up the tavern, while most of the light was coming from outside, passing through the glass.
He then stared at the bartender, who was cleaning a glass with a cloth. Three people were sitting around the counter; two of them were men in their late 20s, and a woman sat on the edge of a chair. She appeared to be in her early 20s, holding a glass of wine. The other three chairs were empty.
Éloïse Moreau goes toward the bartender and sits on one of the empty chairs. She laid her hands on the counter, putting her face on the palm of her left hand, and then with her other hand tapped on the next chair to her and whispered, "Sit here, young man."
The bartender, who was dressed in a simple but good outfit, leaned close to her and whispered with a calmness in his voice, "Madame Éloïse, what would you like to have today?"
She turned her eyes toward him, speaking with a smile in a flirty tone, "I would like to have Brume Pourpre. As for him…" She turned her interest toward Henry and spoke, "Young man, what would you like to drink?"
He turned his body toward the bartender and spoke with awkwardness in his tone, "I don't like drinking; just give me water."
Éloïse Moreau shook her head and let out a gentle laugh, then whispered, "Haha… Well, that was a surprise." She was about to speak further, but then the woman in the chair at the edge of the counter spoke up.
"Royal guard of Velgravia, and don't like drinking? Well, you are worthy of my interest, after all." As she finished speaking, she sipped from her wine glass.
Her light and fluffy hair was tied to her back, while half of it was left free on her shoulder, curling naturally. Her light blue eyes turned to see Henry, who was in shock after what she said.
Before anyone could speak, Éloïse Moreau stood up and whispered to the bartender, "Mr. Lucas, if you don't mind, can we all take the 3rd room of the black mirror?"
The bartender nodded and whispered, "Madame Éloïse, of course you can." Then Éloïse Moreau turned to them and whispered, "Please, you two, follow me. I know a better place where we can talk."
Then the men who were also sitting on the counter stand up, but then that girl with black hair and blue eyes whispered to them, "You two remain here; I'll be fine."
They both bowed while their right hands were on their chests and whispered, "As you wish, Princess."
As they spoke these words, all who stood near were shocked. Éloïse controlled her emotions and remained tough in the situation, but after hearing them say "princess," a shock passed through her spine. Henry looked shocked but maintained his calmness, pretending that it was regular for him.
She turned her face toward both Henry and Éloïse and stood up. After seeing her face, a thought in Henry's mind ran: Princess Louise, she came to Caelvara before then, I think.
Éloïse Moreau went through the door that was on the opposite side of the bartender. Henry and Princess Louise follow her to that oak door. All of them entered the room, and in front of them, there was a room that felt like it was made for a person to live here.
On the wall, a steam lamp was fixed and lit up the room; in the center, near the front wall to the door, a bed lay. That bed was normal, while near the bed a desk lay, and on it an empty glass of water rested.
The room was simple; not a single painting or anything on the walls, just a normal cobblestone wall. And near the bed, a round table with 2 chairs around it. The air in the room was normal, nothing too much, just smelled of oil from the steam lamp.
Éloïse moved toward the bed and sat on it, folded her legs, and set her dress. Then suddenly the door of the room opened, and bartender Lucas entered the room with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses on a tray.
He spoke with a calmness in his tone, "Madame Éloïse, your wine." She didn't speak but pointed her finger toward the table. Lucas nodded and put the tray on the table. And after putting the tray on the table, he leaves the room.
Henry took some steps and sat on a chair near the table. He put his neck on the chair's upper edge, then widened his legs to relax with a sigh.
Princess Louise also sits on the other chair, but in her royal style. She set her dress well and changed her tone from royal to normal and spoke up, "What are you doing here in Caelvara, Henry? According to my younger sister Amelia, you were about to take the throne of Velgravia."
Éloïse Moreau didn't bother them and let them talk. She grabbed the wine bottle from the table while sitting on the bed and took a glass. She opened the bottle, and the smell of crisp wine spread in the room.
Then she put the wine in a glass, which was the color of crimson. After filling her glass, she put the bottle back on the table and then leaned back in bed comfortably and started drinking the wine while examining the conversation.
Henry didn't reply to her hurriedly; he remained in that position and then spoke with an awkward tone, "Really, Louise, you think taking the throne is that easy?" He then sits perfectly on the chair, turns his interest to Princess Louise, and adds.
"He is King Augustus; you know him better than I do. He will not lose that easily. So to take that throne, I will play according to his mind and defeat him. No matter how much time it takes, that throne will be mine."
Princess Louise smiled, and then she held the bottle of wine and the glass near it, put the crimson wine in the glass, and put the bottle on the table, which was mostly empty. She sipped once from the glass and put it down and spoke with a deep tone, "And you think I'll let you."
Henry didn't reply but stood up from the chair and went near. He opened it and turned his head to the outside to speak with a loud, "Hey, bartender, didn't I ask you earlier? I need water."
The bartender stared at him with a smile and eyes closed, then he nodded and whispered, "Right away, sir."
Then Henry came back to his chair after closing the door; he stared at the steam lamp and then spoke with a tone that broke the silence in the room, which was already filled with the sound of wine in glasses, "No, instead, you will help me complete my goal. And I'll not force you to help me, but you will do it by yourself."
Princess Louise stared at him while sipping her wine. Éloïse Moreau was also enjoying both of them while sipping tea. Princess Louise put her glass down on the table, holding it by its edges. She whispered with a tone that felt like commanding, "And how will I help you of my free will?"
Henry again spread his legs and put his neck on the chair's upper edge and stared at the ceiling, which was also made of cobblestone. He speaks with an interest in his tone.
"Oh, you're pretending that you care about royal blood. But no, I know damn well that you love your passion more than your blood. You don't care who dies or who lives; for you, your passion is everything."
Éloïse Moreau, after hearing what he said, laughed a little. Both stared at her, the air thicker in the room, but then she whispered, "Hmph, sorry, my apologies; please continue your conversation."
Princess Louise turned her eyes toward Henry and was about to speak while staring at him with her deadly light blue eyes. But Henry spoke up without letting her speak, "Do you know who killed your mother, Queen Victoria?"
Princess Louise's face shocked eyes open widely, staring at Henry. Henry continued without letting her speak for a moment, "Of course you don't, because you were told that she died because of illness."
As Henry finished speaking, Éloïse put her wine glass down with wide-open eyes, staring at Henry. The room fell silent, but Henry kept staring at the ceiling. Both Éloïse and Princess Louise are staring at him like he has their breath in his hand.