"What do you mean by that?"
Talulah couldn't quite wrap her head around Harmonie's words at first. What did she mean, where did you take Reed? Hadn't Reed departed on her own that very night?
Did she fail to return to Dublinn? If so, where was she now, and what was she up to? Both Jeanne and Talulah pondered the mystery.
"I see... So neither of you knows either," Harmonie murmured, realizing from their expressions that they were genuinely in the dark. She turned on her heel to leave. "No matter. She will return to us sooner or later. That much is inevitable."
Without another word, the green Feline glided away, leaving Jeanne and Talulah standing in bewildered silence.
Did this woman come all the way here just to drop a cryptic remark? The whole encounter felt absurdly off.
Jeanne scratched her head, thoroughly perplexed by Harmonie's motives. Playing mind games like this for no clear reason was just... odd.
"Are you really going to let her walk away?" Jeanne asked, watching Harmonie's departing figure. "Her rank in Dublinn must be pretty high. If we capture her, we might be able to draw out that hidden Draco."
Jeanne knew Talulah had been searching for that elusive Draco for a long time, but opportunities had been few and far between.
"Let it go," Talulah replied after a moment's thought. "As tempting as that sounds, she's currently here serving as the representative for a Grand Duke. Detaining her here would only stir up unnecessary chaos."
Jeanne's suggestion was certainly enticing, and Talulah had little doubt that seizing Harmonie would force the other Draco into the open. However, doing so right now offered zero practical benefit.
Ultimately, Talulah passed on the tempting idea, watching the green Feline fade into the distance as her own restless thoughts settled back down.
Stepping into a secluded corridor, Harmonie let out a long, quiet sigh of relief. She cast a backward glance to ensure neither Talulah nor Jeanne was pursuing her. Once certain she was safe, she relaxed her guard, quickened her pace, and made a swift exit from the Cumberland estate—and eventually, from Londinium altogether.
She had taken enough risks for one day. Remaining here to gamble further was simply not her style. In fact, her retreat was so rapid she moved with the silent agility of a fleeting cat.
"Allow me to congratulate the three of you on a successful conference," Allerdale offered politely as Jeanne, Talulah, and Fafnir stepped back into the main hall. As host, she greeted them warmly, hoping to discern how the negotiations had concluded. "It seems you achieved what you came for. Perhaps a small celebration is in order?"
"I'm just glad it's over," Jeanne let out a tired sigh, rubbing her temples. "Tangled in mind games with those old politicians is exhausting. Give me a straight-up fight any day; it's infinitely easier."
Talulah glanced at Jeanne—who hadn't uttered a single word throughout the entire meeting—and wondered what on earth she was so exhausted from.
Was she mentally drained? But shouldn't the person who actually did the heavy lifting and dealt with those insufferable Dukes be the tired one here? What is she complaining about?
"To hold your ground against such prominent figures for so long is impressive in itself," Allerdale said with a polite nod, taking Jeanne's comment at face value. "Had it been me, my knees would have been trembling from the start."
Talulah could only twitch her lips in silence. Outing Jeanne's complete lack of participation in front of the host felt poor form, so she resolved to give her friend a proper earful later.
Still, neither woman accepted Allerdale's repeated invitations to a victory feast. They saw no point in making polite conversation with Victorian aristocrats—especially since once the nobles parsed the details of the agreement, none of them would be in the mood for a party anyway.
"We'll pass on the banquet," Talulah declined flatly. "Neither Jeanne nor I care for those kinds of events. You can host your guests without us. We'll be taking our leave."
Seeing how eager they were to leave her residence, Allerdale didn't press the matter further. She could easily guess why Talulah was reluctant to linger in her home.
This was Victoria, after all. Given Talulah's fiery nature, speaking to them with such level-headed composure was already a remarkable display of restraint.
"By the way," Talulah paused near the entrance, turning back to look at Allerdale. "You can pass word to the rest of them. I will not be taking that throne. Anyone hoping to curry favor with me can save their breath; no amount of brown-nosed flattering will change a thing. You can lay down that heavy burden you've been carrying and breathe a little easier."
Talulah had noticed the heavy gloom hanging over Allerdale throughout the entire visit—as if the noblewoman were dragging an anchor wherever she went.
Though Talulah harbored little affection for Victorian nobility, Allerdale had hosted them properly, and Talulah felt obligated to offer a word of comfort, even if it changed little.
Allerdale froze in place, Talulah's words striking her like a physical shock. Long after the trio vanished through the doorway, she remained standing in the hall like a marionette whose strings had been cut, completely motionless.
"My Lady, the guests have departed," her elderly housekeeper reminded her softly, stepping up to her side. The old servant's eyes were filled with quiet concern for the young woman she had raised.
"Thank you," Allerdale gasped out, snapping back to reality. She offered the old woman a weak, strained smile before looking toward the open doors. "Tell me... was it really that obvious how heavy my heart was?"
"It is not my place to judge, My Lady," the old housekeeper murmured gently. "But true smiles have grown rare on your face as of late. Perhaps you might decline a few social calls and take a well-deserved rest."
A helpless smile touched Allerdale's lips at the old servant's concern. Yet, a moment later, resolve returned to her eyes. She straightened her posture; she still needed to notify the waiting aristocrats that their long-awaited Draco King would not be ascending the throne—lest those eager nobles lose their tempers.
Still... once this affair settles down, perhaps I really should close the estate gates for a while, Allerdale thought to herself. I can simply claim poor health and rest for a while. I truly do need a break.
"So what's the plan for today?" Jeanne asked curiously as they stepped out of the Cumberland estate, catching up to Talulah. "Are we going to hunt down some legendary Draco treasure chest?"
She felt that any proper tale involving a dragon ought to feature a hoard of ancient gold somewhere, right?
"Where on Terra did you hear such nonsense?" Talulah cast a look of utter disdain at Jeanne. "Since when do Dracos keep treasure hoards?"
"How can a dragon not have a treasure hoard?" Jeanne countered instantly, returning her look of judgment. "Is it even a real dragon without a pile of gold? Are you secretly hiding a rainy-day fund behind my back?"
"Exactly!" Fafnir chimed in from the side, nodding her small head vigorously. In her mind, a dragon's lair without sparkling gold was entirely unthinkable. She had even been hoping to add a few shiny trinkets to her own little stash!
"There is no treasure," Talulah insisted, gently rubbing Fafnir's head while patiently breaking the harsh reality to her. "Dracos don't have a habit of hoarding shiny trinkets."
"Ehh...?" Fafnir's face fell, her little world crumbling in an instant. A dragon's lair without treasure? What kind of dragon was that supposed to be?!
"Your ancestors were so lazy!" Fafnir declared, looking up at Talulah with a mix of pity and profound disappointment. "They couldn't even keep hold of their gold!"
Dracos aren't literal dragons! Talulah screamed internally, though she maintained a serene smile on her face, gently stroking Fafnir's small head to keep her temper in check.
"Though there's no hidden hoard," Talulah turned to Jeanne, her tone shifting to a serious key, "there is a place I intend to visit."
"The only problem is, I don't know the exact coordinates," Talulah continued, her hand reaching toward a heavy iron key resting in her coat pocket—a legacy left behind by her father. "Which means I'm going to need your help to find it."