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Chapter 7
“Pardon?”
The consultant seemed flustered; this wasn’t a typical request.
Well, it made sense. Even I, who had tried all sorts of requests while habitually attempting to run away, had never needed a handwriting analysis before.
“Uh… just a moment. I need to see if there’s someone who can perform that kind of magic.”
“Also, please check if it can be done within 30 minutes.”
“Excuse me, but such work requires at least an intermediate-level mage.”
“Does that mean there’s no intermediate mage available right now?”
“Um…”
Of course there had to be one. Anyone from the North would fear monsters. Surely there would be a resident mage, at least for emergencies.
The consultant must have thought I didn’t look like I could afford the fee for an intermediate mage.
I swiftly threw off the shabby tablecloth and unbuttoned my shirt.
“Ah! Madam!”
“Here. I’ll pay with this.”
“Th-there’s no need to—Wait? That’s the payment?”
The consultant, who had been covering her eyes with both hands in shock, quickly lowered them.
“Uh…”
Her gaze fell on the jewel around my neck.
Since I had adjusted my plan, the necklace I’d been wearing discreetly was now as vivid and red as my hair.
Its color and cut were extraordinary. I didn’t know the exact value, but it had to be an expensive ruby—there was no way the Marquis Ramirez would have bought a cheap one.
“Ahem! Please wait. I’ll find a mage for you immediately.”
“You didn’t actually expect me to undress and cause a scene, did you?”
“Of course not! Right now, the only available mage…”
The consultant avoided my eyes, hurriedly scanning the appointment sheet, and then froze.
“There’s only one person…”
“I’ll take that one.”
“Madam, this person specializes in artifact development; you’d normally have to wait for someone else—”
“There’s no time. Can’t this handle it?”
I tilted my neck to show off the necklace, and the consultant shook her head.
“It should work… probably.”
“Please wait here.”
With a simple teleportation spell, the consultant brought me to an office on the 11th floor. The mage had accepted the request willingly.
Mages, sensitive and temperamental like artists, sometimes refuse work based on their mood, so I was lucky.
‘Yeah, who doesn’t like money?’
But the owner of this office didn’t look impoverished. Every piece of furniture, immaculately maintained, seemed to be the work of a renowned craftsman.
Where was the mage?
As I looked around, the chiffon curtain covering one side of the office drew back smoothly.
A tall man with brown hair and blue eyes appeared.
“Welcome. I was wondering who would request something unusual like a handwriting analysis—it turns out to be a beautiful lady.”
His smoothly upturned lips and soft voice were striking.
With his neat appearance and refined speech, he looked like a nobleman rather than a mage from the guild.
He gestured for me to sit.
“Would you like some tea?”
“No, there’s no time for tea. Let’s start the analysis. Here.”
I quickly took out two envelopes. One contained part of the proposal Killian had sent, and the other a portion of the note about the attempted poisoning.
It was more accurate to say I had copied them from the papers Anna had given me.
I couldn’t bring the originals, since they openly bore my and Killian’s names.
Fortunately, the proposal was full of conventional phrasing, so even without the names and mention of marriage, much of it was usable.
The poisoning note, however, had become severely shortened—so much so that I doubted it would be sufficient for handwriting verification.
「 Leno Poisoning」
The words were spaced apart, making it obvious that someone had altered it to hide a name, but I pushed the paper toward the mage as calmly as I could.
‘It should be fine.’
He tapped his toe lightly and began the handwriting analysis.
A small magic circle appeared over the two papers, its patterns rapidly changing.
“Hmm…”
His low voice made me fidget with my fingers.
“Will this take long? Is the sample too small?”
He said nothing.
Why wasn’t he answering?
As anxiety made my legs tremble, he finally put the letters down.
“Hah… what to do with this.”
“Wh-why?”
He looked at me intently, without a trace of a smile.
“The two handwritings match. It was written by the same person.”
I froze.
It felt as if all the blood drained from my body.
“Don’t make that face. There’s still a chance of error.”
“…Error?”
“You copied it, didn’t you? No matter how meticulously, unless you’re a professional, you can’t perfectly erase your handwriting. Magic might have recognized your style.”
“And that probability…?”
I knew it was a foolish question, but I had to ask.
“Less than one percent.”
My eyes burned. I bit my lip, struggling not to cry.
“My formula even accounts for situations like this… oh, shall I give you a handkerchief?”
“No need.”
I had barely escaped my family, only to face the ultimate boss: my husband.
Even leaving the Ramirez estate was possible only because my marriage to Killian had miraculously gone through. Could I really escape Killian? A Grand Duke from the royal family, and the empire’s strongest sword master?
Overwhelmed by despair and fear, my vision went dark.
…No. Now was the time to think positively.
‘There must be a way.’
It was a relief to have discovered the poisoning plot before it was too late.
I could gather evidence of the poisoning and infidelity and file for divorce. Even without family approval, I could win.
‘Having this scrap of paper with Killian’s handwriting… that’s already half the battle.’
I stood, removing my necklace while continuing to plan.
‘Get a huge alimony and head south. Somewhere far from both the Ramirez and the North.’
I had memorized escape routes during my runaway days, so it wouldn’t be difficult.
“…Lady.”
“Just a moment. This lock keeps slipping on my nails.”
Annoyed by fumbling, I grabbed both ends of the necklace chain and pulled, but it didn’t work.
“Lady.”
“Damn it.”
I seized the pendant itself and yanked the necklace.
“Stop, you’ll hurt yourself.”
I had to make it work. Somehow.
Despite being constantly cornered, I was still alive.
‘It’s okay.’
I gritted my teeth and tore the necklace free. A sharp pain shot through, but the necklace snapped.
The mage, who had reached out to stop me, pressed his forehead.
“Even after being told not to…”
“It’s payment for your service.”
Ignoring the sting at my nape, I handed over the ruby necklace, but he didn’t even glance at it. Sitting down, he gestured for me to do the same.
“Sit.”
“I already paid. The analysis is done.”
“Not yet. Since you paid well, I’ll do my part properly.”
He snapped his fingers, and the envelope in my hand flew to him, igniting into flames and turning to ash.
“What are you doing!”
Only the copied poisoning note remained.
Startled, I shouted, and he fluttered the remaining paper between his fingers.
“I need to explain this note. Sit, don’t refuse.”
“…Explain what?”
His eyes narrowed as I showed interest.
“This note can be interpreted in two ways.”
Using magic, he seated me on the sofa and summoned a red pen.
He added a few characters to Killian’s copied handwriting and wrote a sentence at the bottom:
「 Leno will be poisoned」
「 Leno is going to be poisoned」
“Are they different?”
“Yes. The first means this man will kill you.”
He held up two fingers.
“The second means this man knows you will be poisoned.”
“You mean… someone other than him is targeting me?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
I blinked in shock.
Me? Being threatened with poisoning?
“If it’s the second case, could this man save you?”
Killian, save me?
For a moment, his statue-like face flashed in my mind, but I quickly crushed that hope.
He had never once had a favorable outcome when I expected something from him.
‘He’s probably just being nice now to make me careless.’
Biting my lip bitterly, I asked the mage:
“How would this man know I’d be poisoned?”
“He’s either the mastermind or in cahoots with the mastermind.”
So Killian is planning to kill me. My hands trembled, and he lightly added:
“Or he came from the future.”
Even he seemed to think that was highly improbable.
I felt drained by the absurdity of it.
“A pointless joke.”
“But at least you seem less tense now.”
Indeed, I felt slightly relaxed. It was worth listening—now I knew someone other than Killian could be targeting me.
I placed the necklace on the table and stood, ready to leave, then paused.
I only now realized how naturally he had mentioned it.
“…How did you know the writer was a man?”
“The letter you showed me looked like a proposal.”
His blue eyes glimmered sharply.
“The one trying to poison you… is your husband, right?”
I didn’t want to admit it.
He didn’t seem to expect an answer either.
“Elaine. That’s my name.”
“…”
“Come to me anytime you need help. I couldn’t stop worrying.”
He smiled slightly and snapped his fingers.
The handkerchief touched my nape, and the faint sting subsided—it seemed he had used healing magic.
“You can return the handkerchief later.”
When I stepped outside, I found myself back where the consultant had used the teleportation circle to bring me to the 11th floor. Elaine must have sent me with magic.
The only problem was the guard standing right in front of me.
“…Kyeong-i, how are you here?”
Randell answered casually.
“Did the work go well?”
“I’m asking how you found me.”
“I didn’t find you; I followed you.”
“You wouldn’t have known I left Lupin?”
“I pretended not to. I was curious where you’d go in disguise.”
…I thought I had tricked him, but his faint smile fooled me.
Randell had clearly never let his guard down. He added calmly:
“Don’t be too discouraged. You lost the other bodyguards well.”
“Other bodyguards?”
Another set of guards?
I frowned at this new information, and Randell looked surprised.
“You didn’t know?”
Gripping my skirt nervously, I asked again:
“Didn’t know… what?”
“There were those secretly following you. From the castle itself.”
…Killian. Just how far has he gone?
