“Biflten is ruled by four families.”
Ilyin could not understand what the maid, who introduced herself as Lizzie, was saying.
There would only be one owner of the land, as the Biflten lands were owned by Duke Biflten.
A maid with a red hairband disappeared and did not return and maids with blue hairbands came to her room.
Colors seemed to be important in this castle, as Lidan introduced himself as the Blue North and his robes had blue tassels.
She thought of the man with the crystal blue eyes, he wore 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 Red Delrose is Sir Aden Biflten." Lizzie explained further.
Ilyin looked at the blue bracelet Lizzie was wearing.
‘She would have something red.’ Ilyin thought of the man she had met again and wondered if he was the Duke’s subordinate.
“If you like Biflten, you will marry him.”
“Will I come back if I don’t like it?”
“I’m afraid so.” Lizzie smiled, but Ilyin thought it was too serious to be real.
“Do you have any questions?” Lizzie continued.
Ilyin looked at her and said:
“I have many, but one for now.” Lizzie was massaging Ilyin's body with a scented cream that warmed her and even with a fireplace lit, the room was still cold.
“Please ask.”
“Why is the Duke thinking about marrying a nobleman from 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 know.
This seemed like a different country, so why?
“It’s because he can’t marry one of the Red Delroses ladies and isn’t interested in the other families.”
The Duke may not have been 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?” asked Ilyin.
“He is an elder from the Blue North.” Ilyin nodded slowly and now she thought she could understand Biflten's system of government.
It seemed like the Red Delroses were the real aristocratic family and the other three seemed to be the Delroses' subordinates.
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 around the mansion and she gauged her position by the way Lizzie treated her.
Aden Biflten seemed intent on marrying someone from outside his lands and she knew that no lady in the Empire 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 it couldn't have one of its women marry the Duke.
Kindness has always had a price.
Ilyin instinctively knew who was hostile and who wanted something from her, she was able to distinguish this all her life.
She was in a dangerous and strange land, and many will 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 because it gets really cold here,” Lizzie warned Ilyin, who saw that they had reached a hallway with large glass windows and she could see the thick snow outside.
“Are you cold?”
Ilyin looked at her clothes at the maid's question and although they were thinner and lighter than Ilyin thought, she was warm and feeling like she was covered with a hot water bottle.
His hands were cold though, but it was bearable.
Ilyin shook her head and her blue tassels swayed as she replied:
"I'm fine actually.
Thank you."
“Please let us know if you have any problems.” Lizzie said as she lowered her head and Ilyin felt some discomfort knowing what Blue North was after.
Suddenly a man appeared as Lizzie took a step to leave and Ilyin let out a sigh as she recognized that he was the man she had seen outside the castle walls and her blue eyes narrowed at the sight of the two women, like a wolf that saw its prey, the hallway filled with tension.
“This is not a place where the Blue North should roam.” 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 didn't introduce himself, focusing his cold eyes on Ilyin, she couldn't open her mouth to respond when the man's gaze looked over her blue outfit, clothes and her face.
She felt chased like she had to run away from the red monsters again and now she knew she couldn't escape.
The man was so formidable.
“She is the lady of the sunny lands.” Lizzie introduced Ilyin to the man.
“Is she?” The blue eyes looked at Ilyin again indifferently, but their tone sounded surprised.
“I am Ilyin of Arlen of the Empire.” Ilyin looked at the man with a look that asked him to introduce himself and she finally managed to move and the man's eyes lit up at the change in his body language.
“I am Den from Red DelRoses.”
He was now more polite and Ilyin thought that perhaps it was because he now knew that she was not allied with Blue North.
“Thank you for saving my life!” she blurted out.
The man stopped before Ilyin's thanks and his crystal blue eyes looked at her again.
“You shouldn’t stay outside in the winter.” His words were cold as he walked past her.
Lizzie let out a sigh and Ilyin tilted his head.
She liked his warning more than Blue North's kindness, as it was so clear that the latter wanted to use her.
Ilyin thought she would remember his name as she followed in Lizzie's footsteps.