Early the next evening, Kel dresses as Kel Anjuman and arms himself before escorting Anjelica to a secret meeting. In the courtyard, Lilibet mistakes Kel for Conor, then questions him about Anjelica, criticizing the princess’s stubbornness and her insistence that her elephant remain in Marivent. Kel deflects Lilibet’s questions by claiming Conor is with Mayesh discussing Solstice Ball invitations, and Lilibet leaves to find them.

Kel meets Anjelica and Kurame at the West Gate, gives Benaset a plausible explanation for the outing, and rides with Anjelica into the city. During the journey, Anjelica admits Conor is not what she expected: instead of a careless wastrel, Anjelica sees a responsible and sad man burdened by the Shining Gallery tragedy. They arrive at a Kutani teahouse on Castle Street, where Kel is shocked to find the meeting is with Andreyen Morettus, the Ragpicker King, and Ji-An. Andreyen and Kel silently maintain the fiction that they do not know each other.

Anjelica asks Andreyen to help contact Laurent Aden, a pirate and former suitor who is blackmailing Anjelica with old romantic letters. Anjelica explains that if Aden exposes the letters, the scandal could threaten her marriage alliance with Conor and worsen tensions between Castellane and Kutani. Andreyen warns that Aden is dangerous and asks what Anjelica can offer in payment. Anjelica reveals that Prosper Beck has returned to Castellane and is hoarding weapons in a warehouse on Arsenal Road, information that shocks Kel, Andreyen, and Ji-An.

Anjelica also reveals that Anjelica knows Ji-An’s identity and past in Geumseong, unsettling Ji-An and increasing the danger of the exchange. Andreyen ends the meeting, saying that if the warehouse information proves true, Anjelica can expect to hear from Andreyen about Aden. Meanwhile, Lin studies Mariam’s borrowed notes and learns that Source-Stones were once bound to their owners in the Place of Bitter Water. Aron then arrives with a translation of Fausten’s notes, which appear to be a remedy containing yellow poppy, a crude sedative, and reacts sharply when Lin asks about the Place of Bitter Water, confirming it once existed deep underground near old Aram.

On the ride back, Kel confronts Anjelica for using Prosper Beck as leverage without warning Kel. Anjelica apologizes, and the two discuss broken things, repair, and disguise while passing the Broken Market. Back at Marivent, Conor is waiting by a fountain; Anjelica covers for the outing by saying Kel showed Anjelica the city. Conor invites Anjelica to choose the Solstice Ball costume theme, and Anjelica chooses beasts, assigning Kel a chameleon and Conor a lion before kissing Conor on the cheek and leaving.

After Anjelica departs, Conor tells Kel that Conor is in an oddly good mood because Conor feels like a sailor finally seeing land. When Kel asks whether Conor found what Conor sought in the library, Conor says Conor thinks he did. The next morning, Lin is startled to find Mayesh in Lin’s kitchen with a note from Conor ordering Lin to come to Valerian Square during Conor and Anjelica’s public blessing, when Marivent will be nearly empty. Mayesh deduces that Conor is using Lin for something connected to King Markus, warns Lin that Conor’s plans have caused disaster before, and arranges for Lin to bring Mariam to the ceremony so Lin will have a good view.