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Chapter 7
Diena let out a sigh of relief.
Malacar cast a spell to prevent any sound from inside the carriage from leaking outside.
“Shh, you only need to stay quiet for a little while.”
“I…”
“You don’t have to say anything. So this is why you ran away. You’ve awakened an ability, haven’t you?”
Diena carefully nodded.
“Yes. I possess the ability to purify darkness.”
“A purification ability?”
“It’s an ability that can draw in darkness and erase it, or transfer it to another ability user.”
Malacar stared blankly in shock, his mouth slightly open.
“To think such an ability exists…”
“I’ll puri—Sir Malacar’s darkness for you. So could you please ask Lord Barkan to take me with him?”
Like Diena, Malacar thought of Barkan and the people around him, all of whom suffered side effects because of their powerful abilities.
If not only himself but all of them could be purified by her—
It would be an enormous help. Enough to make that Duke Rothwell bastard afraid.
Of course, even without that, he had already intended to help Diena escape. He wasn’t heartless enough to ignore a girl trapped in such a pitiful situation.
“I can ask him, but…”
Whether Barkan would actually agree to take her was another matter.
That stubborn fellow never listened to anyone if he didn’t feel like it.
At that moment, a commotion erupted outside the carriage.
“Stop at once!”
Instinctively, Diena pulled the blanket tighter around herself and curled up.
“His Grace the Duke of Rothwell has arrived!”
Soon, Baltazar’s low, anger-filled voice rang out.
“What business does someone from the Cardian family have all the way out here?”
Diena focused intently, determined not to miss a single word of the conversation outside.
Barkan replied in a blunt voice.
“I don’t see any reason why I should explain myself.”
The people around them held their breath at his insolent attitude.
His tone was far too casual for someone speaking to the Duke of Rothwell.
Baltazar showed his displeasure.
“If you refuse to explain yourself, then I suppose I may act as I please.”
Barkan answered without yielding an inch.
“That won’t be possible. This procession was authorized by His Majesty the Emperor.”
“His Majesty?”
“Sir Malacar is inside the carriage at the moment.”
“…”
“One of the five elders of the Mage Tower. We were entrusted with his escort.”
At those words, Baltazar fell silent for a moment.
But soon his angry voice rose again.
“This is my territory. Since we’re within my domain, I have the right to inspect the carriage. Open the door immediately.”
“I’m afraid not.”
Barkan’s voice was firm.
“No matter if you’re the head of the Rothwell family, you do not have the authority to search a Cardian carriage. On what grounds do you intend to conduct this inspection?”
“Young Master Cardian! How am I supposed to believe your claim that Sir Malacar is inside?”
“Did I ever ask you to believe me?”
Silence followed.
After a while, Baltazar spoke again in a calmer tone.
“You know, don’t you? I have a niece who never awakened an ability.”
“…”
“She made a minor mistake recently. My wife disciplined her.”
“…”
“But apparently she couldn’t accept the discipline and rebelled.”
Shaking his head, he continued.
“She escaped from the punishment site. I believe she’s hiding inside that carriage.”
Realizing intimidation wasn’t working, Baltazar changed tactics and tried to persuade Barkan.
“I am asking for your cooperation in retrieving a member of my family. Surely the Cardian family would be worried too if one of their own disappeared?”
Barkan gave no answer.
Baltazar let out an irritated sigh.
He had realized that Barkan had no intention of opening the carriage door.
After staring at the carriage, he suddenly raised his voice.
“Diena! That’s enough. Come home now! Even my wife is worried about you!”
Diena held her breath.
A serious look crossed her face.
If Uncle acts like this…
She could already predict, to some extent, how Barkan would react.
“The world is colder than you think. No matter where you go, I doubt anyone will welcome you.”
At first glance, it sounded like concern.
But Diena knew exactly what he meant.
Do you really think a useless non-ability user like you will be welcomed anywhere?
Baltazar’s voice grew colder.
“A member of a great family shines brightest within that family. Do you think people who aren’t even your relatives would take in someone as useless as you?”
His irritation was obvious.
Even after saying all that, he still hadn’t gotten a response.
At that moment, Malacar shook his head and gently covered Diena’s ears.
“Don’t listen. It’s all nonsense.”
He was worried she would be hurt by those words.
He’s standing up for me…
Diena was about to tell him she was fine, but she stopped.
Even though Malacar was covering her ears, she could clearly hear Barkan’s reply.
His voice had risen with anger.
“That’s only your opinion.”
The outside suddenly fell silent.
“The young lady is not in my carriage. But even if she were, and even if she truly had no abilities…”
Barkan’s voice was calm but unwavering.
“If she asked for help, I would have helped her. That’s how my parents raised me.”
After a brief pause, he continued.
“I awakened my ability later than most people as well. Yet no one ever called me useless.”
“Barkan Cardian!”
Baltazar shouted angrily.
But Barkan paid him no attention.
“So I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t present your opinions as though they were absolute truth, Your Grace.”
Until then, Diena had been hiding completely beneath the blanket.
Now she cautiously peeked her head out.
Thank goodness.
At least she no longer had to worry about being dragged back to Rothwell immediately.
Thank you, Uncle. For explaining so thoroughly to Barkan exactly what kind of person you think I am.
Her chest tightened, and her nose stung.
It wasn’t because Baltazar’s words had hurt her.
Perhaps before recovering the memories of her previous life, they would have.
But now that she remembered everything, his words couldn’t wound her anymore.
The reason tears threatened to spill from her eyes was different.
The Barkan before her overlapped perfectly with the Barkan she remembered.
The way he spoke so confidently was exactly like the Barkan she knew.
If anything, her uncle’s words had probably only strengthened his determination to take her away.
That’s so like Barkan.
The ally who always showed a particularly nasty side whenever he dealt with the Rothwell family.
Seeing that familiar side of him again made it difficult to hold back her tears.
With a jolt, the carriage finally left the Rothwell estate behind.
Watching the mansion’s roof grow smaller and smaller through the window, Diena let out a long breath.
Relief washed over her at having escaped at last.
Yet anxiety still lingered.
Carefully raising her head, she looked at Barkan, who sat across from her.
“Why did you help me? You told me to return to my family willingly.”
For a long moment, Barkan continued looking out the window before slowly turning his gaze toward her.
“I already told you. That’s how my parents raised me. I hate the Rothwell family, but you’ve done nothing wrong.”
“…”
“And besides, I didn’t want to do what Baltazar wanted me to do.”
It was such a simple answer.
But Diena clasped her hands tightly together.
Because she knew just how significant those words were.
Even so, he chose to help someone from the Rothwell family…
Ability users suffered from darkness as a lifelong side effect of their powers.
To alleviate it, they required suppressants.
And the Rothwell family currently held control over the supply of those suppressants, using that leverage to pressure the Cardian family.
