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Chapter 58
It was an ordinary morning, no different from usual.
Kischel woke me up.
Seeing him attending to me as usual, I said casually, almost as if letting it slip:
“Get me a maid to take care of my morning routine.”
Kischel froze for a moment, halfway through helping me put on my shoes.
“Am I not enough for you?”
“It’s just… it feels odd for you to always be the one serving me.”
He stayed silent for a long while before slowly speaking.
“Would you really be okay if anyone else came near you, even just to wake you up?”
“It’s the morning anyway; they’re just here to wake me. What’s so special about that? Besides, I can’t rely on just you all the time.”
Kischel said nothing in response.
After a simple breakfast, I began my day’s work immediately.
I still hadn’t told him about the intruder from last night.
The one who had sent the assassin was a man named Will Diavre, a well-known noble aligned with the Emperor’s faction.
Sigh…
I had confined Will Diavre to a room, but the assassin he sent would probably wash his hands of it, claiming no involvement, and soon be released without consequence.
I suppose I can’t help it.
Any retaliation would have to wait for later; I couldn’t keep them detained indefinitely.
But the real problem arose elsewhere.
“What? Who’s dead?”
While I was focused on Will Diavre, the people I had sent on errands from the Duke’s mansion returned—several of them dead.
All of them… were children I had personally brought in.
Shocked, I barely managed to throw on some clothes and ran out.
Seeing those I had laid in coffins, my legs went weak.
“They probably passed without pain.”
I sank down, clutching a coffin.
Neatly laid in polished coffins, they were… now unreachable.
There was no way to trace their deaths or determine the cause.
How could this happen?
I called their names several times, as if they might open their eyes at any moment, but only the echo of my own voice answered me.
My heart ached as though it were being torn apart.
“Who could have done this…”
As I closed each coffin lid one by one, Kischel approached.
He wiped the water from my hair before I could stop him, my hair still wet from running out.
Who did this? Who could…!
But the question didn’t linger for long.
“Will Diavre was the bait.”
While I had been focusing on him, this had happened elsewhere.
“The Emperor.”
Only one person could have manipulated things this way to gain something.
Before those whose eyes had closed forever, I couldn’t even utter a curse, burying my face against the coffins.
How long I stayed there without moving, I couldn’t tell.
Finally, I resolved myself and stood up.
Kischel, who had been waiting at the door, quickly approached when I said I wanted to be alone.
“Hian and His, they haven’t left yet, right?”
“No. They’re still in the guest room.”
“Call them… to me.”
Those who had touched my people would pay. Even if it costs me, I will return the favor.
“There’s something I need to tell them.”
Even if the other party is the Emperor.
✦ ✦ ✦
Before meeting Hian and His, I went to the Duke’s underground chamber to find the sealed forbidden tome they had mentioned.
“Here… there’s a false wall.”
I opened each unused basement room in search of traces and noticed a strange flow of air. I stood tall.
“Should I break it?”
I tapped the wall lightly; it sounded hollow.
Taking a deep breath, I kicked the wall.
Boom!
With a loud crash, the wall collapsed, and a fierce gust of wind from the enclosed space swept over me.
Through the crumbling wall, an unsettling green light seeped out.
“The forbidden tome?”
Following that eerie light, I looked up and saw a book unlike any I had seen in the Imperial Library.
Two snakes coiled around its pedestal, the book floating above.
“How many layers of sealing are on this?”
Unlike a healing tome, it seemed poisonous; I pinched my nose.
It was likely a remnant of one of the many sealing layers.
“Looks like I’ll have to die for this seal to be broken.”
Seeing the magical circle closest to the pedestal, I shook my head in exasperation.
“I need to reinforce the barrier.”
Just in case… if the Emperor ever tries to break this seal, I would invest everything I have to create a new, stronger sealing circle.
Time passed, and I went to meet Hian and His.
I found them sprawled on the sofa; they hurried over as I entered. I guided them to sit and spoke.
“I’ll hold your hand.”
“Huh?”
“We made an alliance because of the Emperor, remember? Let’s do it.”
“Oh… right, that’s true.”
“You remember?”
Seeing my crooked questioning, the two flinched.
“I forgot for a bit. It’s already like some sort of alliance anyway, right?”
I nodded quietly, understanding what Hian meant.
I linked arms and made a request.
“Then, assuming we’re allies, I have one demand.”
“What is it?”
“Say it.”
I had thought about it for a while before speaking.
“Let me meet Princess Jepino.”
At my words, their bodies stiffened.
“I promised to heal her. That’s why I want to meet her.”
His, stretching his arm across the back of the sofa and resting his face on it, lightly tapped the floor with his foot and shook his head.
“It’s too soon. I haven’t convinced her yet, haven’t even brought it up.”
“It doesn’t matter—just let me meet her as soon as possible.”
“…”
“If you do that, I’ll heal her and even offer some extra help.”
He folded his extended arm into mine, murmuring in surprise.
“Help?”
“I won’t hand the forbidden tome to the Emperor. That alone isn’t enough; we need a concrete plan to protect it. I’ll help you make that plan.”
I looked at Hian and His seriously.
Honestly… leaving these two to their own devices, they’d just drink and waste time without thinking about Jepino’s future.
In other words, her fate being in their hands made me uneasy.
“I’ll help you grow stronger.”
They might seem uninterested, but if they’re rational, they wouldn’t refuse.
Still, just in case, I lowered my eyes slightly.
“Still… will it be difficult?”
Seeing me show concern, they immediately responded.
“Since you’re asking, of course we’ll let you meet her.”
“But that’s up to her. She won’t even come near the door, so we can’t force it.”
I nodded; forcing her out wasn’t possible. For now, that was enough.
“Then please at least have her come to the door.”
They agreed.
“But you’ll help us grow stronger—how exactly will you do that?”
I stood and smiled.
“I’ll tell you tonight.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Late at night, the world was silent.
It felt like no living being existed at this hour.
I went to the terrace and saw the twins’ room lights on.
As I walked toward them, I knocked on the door and found Hian, wearing just a loosely draped robe.
“Hian?”
Why are you dressed like that?
Seeing my surprised expression, His peeked out from behind and waved.
“Do you like this look?”
Thankfully, His had the robe fastened.
Two brothers in barely-covered robes… what were they thinking?
“Good, that works.”
“Really… you like it?”
Ignoring His, I went to the dressing room and rummaged through the clothes they had brought.
This won’t do, that’s not right… ah, this works.
“Both of you, change into these. Why do you even have the same clothes?”
“Matching different clothes is a hassle.”
“Fine, fine.”
How cooperative of them.
They changed into bright white uniforms.
“What are we doing?”
I took them to the underground prison.
The place where the assassin I captured yesterday was held.
