The atmosphere in the carriage was diluted by the aroma of fruit tea and a game of Satis. A traditional game of the Nadal Empire, first invented in the Astrological Order several centuries ago. Its essence was quite simple.

  Players were dealt a deck of cards, each with a specific astrological meaning. Participants could choose one of the twelve houses of the horoscope. And depending on how quickly the players filled it, the outcome of the game was determined. The one in whose house several planets ended up (three or more) was automatically considered the winner. It all depended on luck, and one game could last either ten minutes or several hours.

  In this case, it was the second option. The game of Satis perfectly brightened up the gray days on the road. The players — a robust young man and an elderly gentleman — had been playing since morning. Next to them, a third companion was present as an observer.

  "Why do I keep getting Mercury?" the old man clicked his tongue in irritation when that ill-fated card appeared in his deck again. It had come up several times in a row.

  "Ho-ho, but I'm lucky," the young man smiled broadly. "Jupiter. I already have one planet, which means I can make a few more moves."

  He demonstratively showed his lucky card and drew several more from the deck. Thus, his victory in this game was becoming quite obvious.

  "It's all because you chose the first house. Isn't it the easiest?" the old man snorted. "Try winning if you had the eighth."

  "Master Padalio, I think I just have an innate talent," the young man stated bluntly. "Isn't it obvious? I haven't been playing long, but I've almost beaten you."

  The archivist squinted.

  "Ha, what insolence! Just like all young people nowadays."

  The chief archivist of the Astrological Order and the young squire played as equals, momentarily forgetting the difference in their statuses. Padalio Xian was clad in a blue robe, and a gilded cassock jingled at his waist. Around his neck were long rosaries with huge beads, which he fingered from time to time. A pungent aroma of spices emanated from the man.

  The young man next to him, in turn, was very young and in the prime of his life. His breath was clean and fresh, his face bright and ruddy. Unlike his older opponent in the game, he was dressed not in a robe, but in the classic black-and-white uniform of a servant. For, although he served the family of the Supreme Astrologer, he was not actually a member of the Astrological Order.

  "Master Padalio, you yourself invited me to play with you. And now you're complaining about me."

  Despite his humble status as just a squire, Orson had an amazing ability to endear himself to people and find common ground with everyone. Even the archivist, usually serious and pedantic, would sometimes laugh at his jokes. He looked at the young man very sternly, but he wasn't afraid.

  "Boy!"

  Orson had the decency to lower his eyes.

  "Yes, Archivist?" he said unusually evenly.

  "Damn you. Make your move before I change my mind," the old man grumbled.

  "Heh heh."

  Even if this lad was a bit insolent, Padalio couldn't deny that he had abilities. At least among all these old men, he was the only one who could play with him on equal terms. Could he so easily lose such a valuable playing partner? At his advanced age, there weren't many reasons for fun left.

  Meanwhile, the young servant's gaze smoothly slid to another part of the spacious carriage. A light breeze from the slightly open window played with her chestnut hair. The girl's face, as always composed and imperturbable, created an aura of inaccessibility that was difficult to overcome.

  Iliana Alseid had been looking at the landscape flashing by the window for a long time, occasionally listening to the game being played in the background.

  The order's heiress had an ascetic appearance that matched her lifestyle.

  She was always madly busy with an endless stream of affairs, leaving practically no time for herself. But now, due to her father's orders, she had to drop everything and come to the capital from her country residence.

  On the trip, she was accompanied by Orson, her personal assistant who was always by her side, and the archivist, returning from a nearby assignment. Very soon they were supposed to arrive at the gates of Astaea. Iliana did not participate in the game, completely immersed in her thoughts, which, again, were related to work obligations. She was brought out of her deep reverie by Orson's question:

  "Your Honor, would you like to play with us?"

  Although Iliana seemed detached from what was happening, she reacted to the servant's question almost instantly.

  "I think I'll pass," the girl shook her head. "My skills can't compare to the Archivist's abilities."

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  The archivist smiled. His right hand fingered the wide beads.

  "It's not often one hears praise from you. Even if it's just to make us leave you alone."

  Iliana smirked.

  At that moment, they were driving over a bumpy road, and the carriage tilted slightly.

  "Alright," the old man sighed absently, throwing the cards back into the deck. "Playing with this boy is nothing but frustration."

  In the end, the three-hour game ended in a draw. Although Orson was sure victory had been on his side.

  Both the old and the young found a more interesting pastime. What could be more interesting than gossip, especially concerning personal relationships? Especially when it came to someone like Iliana Alseid. Nothing was known about her personal life, apart from work. For this, the archivist and the servant even moved closer.

  "Your Honor, are you so silent because you're worried?" Orson inquired curiously. They had known each other since childhood, so the squire could allow himself to talk about more personal topics.

  "Why would I be worried?" Iliana frowned.

  "Well. Won't you be meeting your betrothed at the banquet?"

  When the servant touched on this topic, Iliana's impassive gaze once again dejectedly fixed on the window. She wasn't interested in discussing her wedding.

  The marriage alliance between the Alseid and Carter families had been gossiped about in society for several years. For now, it remained at the stage of a conditional engagement. After being formally introduced to each other, the families occasionally met during joint dinners. The ceremony itself was supposed to take place when both girls came of age.

  Iliana Alseid's noble nature guaranteed that she would not abandon her betrothed and would fulfill all her marriage obligations, but that was it. Orson, who perceived Iliana as somewhat more than just a mistress, was troubled by this.

  "Will you be alright?" he suddenly asked.

  "What do you mean?"

  "You're engaged and about to marry someone you don't even love. You'll have to live with her for the rest of your life, and I'm asking if you'll regret it."

  Orson realized he was poking his nose where it didn't belong, but this thought had troubled him for too long to simply remain silent.

  However, his words seemed inappropriate to the Supreme Astrologer's heiress, and she answered skeptically:

  "In our society, most relationships are arranged. Especially for someone like me. Don't make a tragedy out of it."

  Orson took a deep breath. "Such things apply rather only to you..." In fact, he was sure that Halias Alseid would never force his younger daughter into marriage. Even if Gardenia wanted to stay in her parental home until the end of her days, he would have gladly agreed to it.

  But when it came to Iliana, everything was completely different. She was the heiress and the main hope of the family. No decision could be entirely hers. From childhood, too much responsibility had lain on her shoulders, which she had to bear. Sometimes Orson felt sorry for his mistress.

  "My marriage won't affect my happiness in any way," Iliana closed her eyes briefly in thought.

  "Well..." Orson muttered reluctantly.

  "Besides, in the future, I will head the family, and I'll have to get married anyway," the girl shared, shrugging. "So I'll just make use of the best possible option."

  Katrina, the eldest daughter of Duke Carter, was indeed ideally suited for the role of bride. Moreover, she was gifted with a lucky star, which played an important role.

  Iliana Alseid didn't care about her personal life. As long as her younger sister turned out well. She could experience all the joys for her. And Orson wasn't surprised by such an answer. Legends were told about Iliana's calmness and imperturbability. She was never interested in what concerned mere mortals.

  And yet the squire decided to joke:

  "Don't say that. We never know what might happen to us. Maybe you'll meet your destiny tomorrow? Or even today."

  In response to the servant's ridiculous chatter, Iliana just laughed.

  "Enough empty talk. We'll be there soon."

  "Yes, yes, I know..."

  Orson grumbled discontentedly while the archivist sitting next to him on the adjacent seat had long been snoring from their conversation. A little later, the carriage arrived at its destination. Ahead was a huge queue which they could easily overcome by using the golden pass for entry into the city, which each of the four pillars of the empire and other influential persons carried.

  But Iliana suddenly discerned something in the window and ordered a stop. The archivist snorted and woke up from such a sharp braking.

  "Ah...? What is it?" the old man muttered groggily.

  Orson was also surprised, especially at Iliana's expression. It suddenly brightened. The squire wanted to ask why they had stopped here, but his mistress suddenly spoke to someone. And then the young servant stared at her in amazement. "Why... Is Her Honor behaving like this?" The only word he could use to describe her current behavior was... Affable?

  The squire was puzzled, as this was the first time he had seen such emotions on his mistress's usually impassive face.

  Her conversation with someone continued for some time. Then Iliana ordered the coachman to turn around and continue on their way. Then Orson seized the moment and finally asked what was going on.

  "I met Princess Rania," the girl explained briefly. "We are already somewhat acquainted. I'm going to help them enter the city."

  When the squire realized what had happened, his eyes became huge. Even the archivist abruptly sobered up.

  "Rania... Rania..." he muttered, remembering something. "Isn't that the youngest daughter of the Carter family? The one married off to the cursed princess?"

  Iliana nodded affirmatively.

  Padalio Xian was first taken aback, then became angry.

  "Your Honor, how could you do such a thing?!" the old man even forgot there were other people around and started shouting.

  "What do you mean?"

  "You know!" the archivist exclaimed, his robe rattling from his sharp movements. "How could you... How could you associate with those nobodies? Do you have any idea how angry His Eminence will be when he finds out about this?!"

  Halias Alseid had arrived at the palace early and was already waiting for his daughter's arrival there. It wasn't hard to guess that rumors would reach him almost immediately. But Iliana didn't seem worried about it. For Orson, this was yet another unforeseen surprise.

  "I'm just helping my future sister-in-law," Iliana uttered dryly. "She is the sister of my betrothed. Isn't it normal to help one's relatives?"

  But the archivist wasn't convinced by this statement. Who would seriously consider a girl cursed by an unlucky star as a relative? Even members of her own family wanted nothing to do with her. So what was the point of helping her?

  But Iliana was determined.

  "Master Padalio, I respect you as my elder. But this time, this is my order."

  "Whaaaat?"

  The old man's further protests were interrupted by the jolt of the carriage as it accelerated. Orson could barely suppress his laughter as he was rocked from side to side, and because of this, he couldn't utter a single word properly. Only inarticulate curses escaped his lips. By the end of the ride, the archivist had become deathly pale. Meanwhile, the squire noticed that his mistress looked unusually pleased.

  "I wonder why that is?" the young servant mused.