“The remnants of the Bourbon royal family of Falano?”
Seated in the private booth of the bar, Dorothy showed a trace of surprise in her expression after hearing Adèle’s explanation. She had suspected Adèle was from Falano, but she hadn’t expected her to possess an even more distinguished background beyond that.
For a moment, Dorothy’s thoughts wandered as she tried to recall what she knew about the Bourbon dynasty of Falano.
In the mundane history Dorothy was familiar with, the Bourbon Dynasty—also known as the Wine Court Dynasty—was the final royal line in Falano’s history, marking both the peak and the end of Falano’s monarchy. It was founded over six centuries ago and continued its rule until the Cold Moon Revolution just over a century prior, when it was overthrown by a coalition of resistance forces from across the nation. It was one of the rare monarchies on the main continent to have been completely dismantled. Today, Falano remained one of the few mainland countries with no monarchy and no ruling royal family.
“From what I know, during the Cold Moon Revolution, nearly the entire Bourbon royal family was convicted. King Robert and countless members of the royal household were executed, and the few who survived fled overseas. All royal property was confiscated by the new revolutionary government. How could there be any royal inheritance left to claim? Even if there were, the current Falano government would never recognize it.”
Dorothy spoke seriously, watching Adèle closely. Adèle, in turn, gently sipped her wine and set the glass down with a relaxed air.
“That’s right~ Near the end of its reign, the Bourbon royal family, led by the so-called Greedy King, imposed ruthless taxes and extorted the entire country, offending nearly everyone. When the revolution succeeded and he was executed, the entire Bourbon name became synonymous with sin. No matter how distant the bloodline, all their property was seized to compensate for the damage that king inflicted on the country. Theoretically, the Bourbons shouldn’t have any legacy left. And even if there were something, we—being branded descendants of criminals—would never be allowed to inherit it. The Falano government would have swallowed it long ago.”
Adèle waved her hand as she spoke. After hearing her explanation, Dorothy replied in a measured tone.
“So… the letter you received might just be a hoax?”
“To be honest, I don’t think it’s merely a prank. Very few people even know I’m from Falano, let alone that I’m a descendant of the Bourbons. Ever since the Cold Moon Revolution, my ancestors went into hiding, changed their surname, and severed all political ties within Falano. There shouldn’t be many people alive today who could connect me to the Bourbon line.
“Moreover, the letter came with several small items—jewelry and trinkets of a certain age. I had them appraised, and they were all confirmed to be courtly accessories popular in Falano’s royal palace over a century ago. These aren’t cheap. If it were just a prank, the cost would be far too high.”
So replied Adèle. Dorothy furrowed her brow, then continued.
“Can I take a look at the letters?”
“Of course.”
Adèle opened her ladies’ handbag and pulled out three unsealed envelopes, placing them on the table.
“I’ve already examined them thoroughly—no mystical traces attached, and no cognitive poison either. They’re perfectly safe to read.”
Dorothy picked up the envelopes, did her own quick scan, and then carefully unfolded the letters inside to examine them.
All three were written in the same neat handwriting—elegant Falanoan script—and the tone throughout was courteous and respectful. The author maintained a tone of admiration and flattery toward Adèle.
The sender identified himself only as “Mr. F”, claiming his ancestors once served the Bourbon court as palace attendants, loyal to the royal family to the bitter end. He expressed long-held resentment over the so-called “mob” overthrowing the monarchy and said that his family had always wished to do something for the disgraced Bourbons.
Mr. F wrote that over the past century, their family had been secretly gathering information and searching for descendants of the Bourbon line living in hiding, offering aid when possible. Recently, they discovered clues pointing to a hidden treasure left behind by the last Bourbon king—King Robert the Greedy.
According to their estimations, this treasure was vast. Mr. F hoped to gather the most pure-blooded and qualified Bourbon descendants to search for it together, and divide the inheritance among them.
“Therefore, we are certain that not all of King Robert’s amassed wealth was uncovered by those revolutionaries. Some remains, slumbering beneath the soil of Flottes, awaiting the arrival of Robert’s heirs—the true lords of Falano. And we, too, await them…”
Reading the final lines of the letter, Dorothy fell silent for a moment. After a pause, she looked toward Adèle and asked.
“You think it’s likely that loyal supporters of the Bourbon dynasty survived after its fall?”
“It’s possible,” Adèle replied.
“The Bourbons ruled Falano for several centuries. Their influence ran deep. Even after the revolution, royalist factions remained an important force in Falano’s politics. They were strong enough to contest the five Consul seats, launched several major campaigns, and caused significant political unrest at times.
“Though the royalist faction has now dwindled due to repeated crackdowns, and has mostly faded from the political scene, that doesn’t mean it’s gone entirely. It’s very possible that remnants still exist and are quietly active today.”
Due to her lineage, Adèle had always kept a close eye on Falano’s affairs—far more than Dorothy ever had.
After listening to Adèle’s explanation, Dorothy began recalling Falano’s current political system. The government now operated under a system known as the Five Consuls, where national power was concentrated in the hands of five leading officials. Among them, one served as the Chief Consul, acting as the head of state, while the other four served as Deputy Consuls, each overseeing key administrative functions. If the royalist faction of Falano had once possessed the political strength to compete for a Consul seat, then their influence must have been truly considerable.
“How much more do you know about the Bourbon Dynasty—especially regarding its hidden history?”
Dorothy continued, glancing at Adèle. After sipping her red wine, Adèle responded.
“Not all that much. I just know that the Bourbons rose to power during the War of Succession more than six centuries ago. The Duke of Bourbon defeated both domestic rivals and the invading Pritt intervention forces to claim the throne, with support from the Church.
“Back then, the Prittish Roaring Spear Dynasty took advantage of Falano’s civil strife. King William, citing a claim to Falano’s throne through marriage ties, led a military expedition across the sea to invade. While the local lords of Falano were unable to fend him off, Duke Bourbon miraculously won several decisive battles. He claimed the Trinity had granted him divine guidance in those victories. The Holy See later endorsed that claim, which became a turning point—the Church entered the fray in full support of the Bourbons and opposed their longstanding rival, the Roaring Spear Dynasty. With the Church’s help, the Bourbons won the war, unified Falano, and expelled the Prittian invaders. From that point on, the Church established deep roots in Falano.”
Adèle explained while recalling the events. After hearing this, Dorothy frowned slightly and asked.
“So the Wine Court Dynasty had Church backing from the very start? Then during the Cold Moon Revolution, didn’t the Church help them weather the storm?”
“That… not really. As far as I know, the Church basically watched the Bourbons fall during the Cold Moon Revolution without intervening. The revolutionaries never targeted the Church either. After the new government was established, the Church swiftly acknowledged it, and in return, retained its special status in Falano. It’s hard to say what role the Church really played during the revolution.”
Adèle replied calmly. Hearing this, Dorothy rubbed her chin, deep in thought.
As she recalled, the Cold Moon Revolution had not been a large-scale event—it was a short-lived uprising limited to the capital city, Flottes, and didn’t escalate into a nationwide civil war like the Addus Revolution. In her original world, such a revolution might have been possible, but in this world of mysticism, things felt off. The Bourbon royal family was known to possess the highest combat power in the nation—Crimson-rank Beyonders. Without equivalent mystical strength on the revolutionaries’ side, it would’ve been nearly impossible to topple them easily. The real events behind the Cold Moon Revolution must have been far more complex.
How many Crimsons were in the Bourbon Dynasty? How many among the revolutionaries? What degree of intervention did the Church enact? All of this remained buried in mystic history. The Bourbons may have fallen due to rampant greed, but if they’d truly controlled the nation’s upper-echelon Beyonders and retained Church support, then how could mere corruption have brought them down?
Judging from what she now knew, the Bourbon royal family may have, at some point, lost the Church’s support, which led the Church to either abstain or perhaps even secretly assist the revolution. Why that shift occurred was still a mystery.
“Given what we know, this Mr. F who sent you those letters is highly suspicious. Falano may have a royalist tradition, but he hasn’t proven the sincerity of his so-called loyalty. Everything you know is based solely on his own words. Adèle, the risk of wading into this mess doesn’t justify the potential reward. You’re not exactly desperate for money, are you?”
Dorothy placed the letters back on the table and looked at Adèle with a serious expression. Her tone clearly discouraged Adèle from responding to the invitation. But Adèle replied calmly.
“You’re right—I’m not short on money. But what’s possibly hidden in that treasure could be even more tempting than wealth.”
“More tempting than money… What do you mean?”
“A clue about the worship of the Goddess of Abundance.”
Adèle’s reply was solemn. As she noticed Dorothy’s puzzled expression, she continued.
“You should know that the Desire Path I inherited came from my teacher, Darlene, through her lifelong pursuit of the faith she followed since childhood. She was once part of the last remnants of Abundance worship in this era. The secluded sanctuary she once protected was located in the former Bourbon duchy in Falano. Her research indicated that Falano was once a thriving center of the Goddess’s faith.
“These past few months, I’ve been organizing both the memories and notes she left behind. I discovered that several organizations in Falano had studied the remnants of Abundance worship, and the largest among them was the former Bourbon royal family. For a long time, they secretly excavated Falano’s buried mysteries and achieved considerable results…”
“So your theory is that the Bourbons secretly studied the buried legacy of the Abundance faith within Falano?”
Dorothy asked. Adèle gave a firm answer.
“It’s not just a theory—it’s a fact. Look at this.”
As she spoke, Adèle reached into her bag again and took out a small silver dinner fork. She turned it around to show Dorothy the end of the handle, which bore a stylized symbol: a lotus flower with seven petals.
“This symbol is called the Seven-Step Blooming Lotus. While it may look like an emblem, it’s actually a choreography diagram. The dance consists of a seven-step cycle that, when performed, forms the image of a blooming lotus. Repeating the cycle produces seven lotus blooms. This dance—Blooming Lotus Dance—was one of the sacred rituals passed down to my teacher and is one of the divine dances devoted to the Goddess of Abundance. It’s also the fundamental form in the Desire Path. This symbol is incredibly significant to our Path.
“This fork is one of the items Mr. F sent me, claiming it to be a relic from the Bourbon palace. He said it was one of the scattered objects they recovered from the treasure. If it’s real, then the Bourbon treasure might contain key symbols or artifacts related to Abundance worship and the Desire Path. If I can obtain those, it may help me on my path to advancement.
“I’ve been stuck at the White Ash-rank for quite some time… What I need now is a way to break through.”
Adèle’s tone was resolute as she held the fork. Hearing her words, Dorothy began to understand why Adèle was so invested in this mysterious letter.
“You… believe that among the so-called Bourbon treasure might be a way to advance to Crimson-rank in the Desire Path?”
“Exactly. It may not be likely, but I still want to try. I’ve had no progress through other means, so this is a chance I can’t ignore.”
Adèle replied. Then she turned her gaze toward Dorothy and added with a sly smile.
“Speaking of which, little detective, aren’t you also looking into clues about the First Dynasty and the Star Numerology Scriptorium? The First Dynasty once flourished in North Ufiga, and the Scriptorium—its legacy—also conducted extensive activity there. And which colonial empire had the deepest influence on North Ufiga? Who plundered the most artifacts? Falano.
“If you come with me to Falano, you might just find the clues you’ve been looking for~”
Adèle offered the tempting proposal with a smile. As she spoke, Dorothy touched her chin and sank into deep thought.