When I entered Sovieshu’s room, his secretary, Count Pirnu, was already inside. I was unsure if they were deep in a long conversation, but Sovieshu was sitting in front of the table while Count Pirnu was standing beside him. I saw quietly opposite of Sovieshu, thinking that the count would leave soon given that he already had his hat in hand. Sovieshu wouldn’t have allowed him to come here in the first place if he didn’t mind being overheard.“A ring with healing magic, correct?”“Yes.”“Are necklaces, bracelets, and swords acceptable?”“No. It should be a ring. No, no. A bracelet is fine, too.”“Very well. They’re extremely rare, and the search will be very wide.”“Find one anyway, and as soon as you do, buy it.”“Yes, Your Majesty.”Count Pirnu gave a low bow to Sovieshu and I, then left the room with the close of the door. Sovieshu smiled in my direction and rang a bell to summon the servants. They had been waiting beforehand, and immediately brought in a lavish dinner of grilled goose skewers, stew, and bread with cheese. After the servants left, I directed the conversation to the scene from earlier.“Don’t you already have a ring with a healing spell, Your Majesty?”“Oh…yes. But I don’t have it now.”“I see.”He didn’t seem to want to tell me why it was gone. Instead of questioning him further, I ate a spoonful of stew. I thought I was relieved to find a topic of conversation, but now I was at a complete blank. The room lie in complete silence, as we had been taught at an early age to not make loud sounds with our untensils against the dishes.Only after emptying his bowl of stew did Sovieshu speak.“Empress, if you don’t mind, can you lend me the Desert Flower until I find a new ring?”