The root of the problem

"Have you ever heard of enchanted artifacts?"

Was it because of his perceptible, profound animosity toward her father? She felt that his question was inculpatory.

For most of her life in the Archduchy, Adela heard all kinds of stories about magic in their world from her lady-in-waiting, Baroness Freida. Yet none of those were relatable. Her manaless homeland seemed like an ordinary place to Lady de Lanark. 

Her hand was back in her view again as she observed her father's ring. Apart from being on the wrong finger of the wrong person, de Lanark's golden signet ring — engraved with a shield between the two wings of a falcon — looked as normal as ever to her.

As an object of Egon's surveillance right now, she kept her growing anxiety to herself, not wanting to ruin the small progress the two of them were making. The mysterious man was finally communicating with her. Perhaps this was her father's intention of sending her here on his behalf.