[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 47

Only then did the things that didn’t make sense start to come together. The unusually high upfront payment, Beatrice's refusal to reveal the target's identity no matter how much he asked, and now, a huge new mystery emerged.

Why on earth was a precious princess here alone? 

Sonia didn’t even glance at Jade as he followed her inside, instead rising with some difficulty to warmly greet Kirona. Even when Kirona tried to decline politely, Sonia insisted on helping. 

"I'm going to sleep. Let's set out early tomorrow, Jade." 

With that, Kirona pulled a small vial from her pocket and drank it, her eyes quickly turning back to gray. She then claimed the warmest, most comfortable spot near the hearth, pulled a blanket over herself, and closed her eyes. Her face was puffy, likely from crying more than expected at the lake. Sonia noticed this and smacked Jade on the back. 

"You ignorant mercenary! What have you done, not properly attending to the princess? What did you do to make her feel so awful?" 

Was this old witch not afraid of a mercenary with a sword? Normally, he would have glared back, but Jade was too shocked to respond. He asked, still in disbelief, "You knew she was the princess?" 

"And you didn’t? You didn’t recognize those eyes, you fool?" 

"How could I? Her eyes were gray when I took her! My contract was just to bring her to the guild. I wasn’t interested in anything beyond that, and my client didn’t tell me anything more. Do you think I wanted to commit such a serious crime?" 

It was infuriating. If he had known, he wouldn’t have kidnapped her—or taken the job in the first place. Jade was desperate for money, but he had no intention of participating in a crime of this magnitude. Kidnapping a princess? What kind of madness was this? 

"Foolish brutes, deceived by a weak magical potion. This is why muscle-bound idiots are no good. You didn’t even recognize someone so important. How ignorant can you be? What are you going to do now? There’s a basilisk roaming the forest!" 

The witch scolded him, hitting him a few more times. It was as if she were disciplining a wayward grandchild, and Jade didn’t argue. After all, she was right—it was a serious situation. He glanced at the princess, who had fallen asleep with her hair disheveled, and wiped his face with his hands. 

"Dammit. I wish this were all just a bad dream." 

Sonia laid a thin blanket on a dusty, cold corner far from the fire and gestured for him to lie down with a scowl. 

"Here's your spot. Lie down and sleep, you irreverent mercenary. I'd love to throw you to the basilisk, but I need you to get the princess safely out of this forest, so I have no choice." 

The treatment was starkly different from that of Kirona, who was enjoying the coziest spot in the small hut. Jade was the one injured, after all, but he didn’t protest. He wasn’t in any position to complain. 

Sitting in the place Sonia had assigned him, arms crossed, Jade asked, "Old witch." 

"What?" 

"Is the empire falling apart, or am I just losing my mind? This can’t be happening. Why is a member of the royal family here, looking for some mythical flower?" 

"Everything that happens has a purpose." 

Sonia dismissed his question and knelt on the floor to pray. In front of her was a statue that seemed far too large for the humble hut. 

"Everything is part of Theresia's plan." 

Her calm demeanor in the face of such an absurd situation and her almost whimsical remarks made Jade realise what kind of person she was. There were only two types of people in the world who could have such a serene, almost crazy outlook: those who had devoted their lives to the temple, or the few wizards who could see the future. 

Sonia didn’t seem like a priestess, so the answer was clear. 

"Are you a seer?" 

"Yes. I knew that a precious guest with amber eyes would come into the forest." 

Sonia responded with her eyes closed, not breaking her prayer posture. Jade let out a small laugh. Wizards were notorious for their eccentricities, and in his years living in the East, he had encountered many of them. But this one was a first. 

"A wizard believing in Theresia? That sounds like something a temple priest would say." 

"Why can’t a wizard believe? Theresia loves all beings equally, even brats like you." 

"Yeah, sure. She loves everyone—except wizards. You guys are supposed to be enemies of the temple. You're always at each other's throats, trying to destroy one another." 

"That's just the petty squabbling of insignificant humans. The will of the gods isn’t like that. Wizards aren’t Theresia's enemies; they’re just her special servants."