Chapter 10

Our eyes met. Revelin smiled gently, as if telling her to keep going. Because the moment a time came later when Chedwin grew suspicious of Revelin, the things Mila said today would act as a shield to deflect that suspicion.

“Young Lady!”

At that moment, the sound of tearful footsteps running from behind was heard. Turning her head at the familiar voice, she saw her maid and knight, whom she had left parked at a distance, running toward her in a frantic rush.

“Gasp!” She had completely forgotten that they were waiting for her.

Her original plan had been to purify the contaminated zone together with Sophia and return in a hurry, after all! Chedwin handed Revelin over—who was being supported by her running maid and knight—and stepped back.

“Where, where on earth were you, Young Lady! We searched all over for you! Are you hurt, did you get hurt anywhere? Please!” “When we heard a contaminated zone had broken out nearby, we honestly…!” “Sir Joseph even thought about charging straight into the contaminated zone to look for you!”

Arent’s overprotective streak, which had been legendary since childhood, had thoroughly permeated the Eterion mansion, so whenever it came to Revelin’s affairs, the servants would roll up their sleeves and jump into action first without asking questions.

Revelin brushed off the worried reactions with familiar ease. “I’m fine.”

She intentionally didn’t mention that she had been inside the contaminated zone because it would only worry them. However, defying Revelin’s intentions, Chedwin chimed in with an extra remark.

“The young lady was caught up in the contaminated zone, so you should have a doctor examine her.”

It wasn’t like he lacked situational awareness, so why on earth was he blabbing about other people’s business so carelessly?! Revelin glared at Chedwin with sharp eyes.

The faces of the maid and knight turned pale white. “P-Pardon?!”

“A-A contaminated zone?” “Young Ladyyy!! Are you alright?!”

It was getting noisy on the ears. Revelin soothed her servants, telling them she was really fine.

At that moment, a muffled sound of laughter, “Pfft,” came from nearby. Turning her head, she saw Mila covering her mouth with her palm, pretending to hold back her giggles.

“I’m sorry, Lady Revelin. It’s just… the thought of a purifier getting caught up in a contaminated zone is a bit funny.” “Funny?”

“Just saying. You’re a purifier, after all, so why didn’t you try doing some purification while you were in there? Ah, right, you’re a Level 10 purifier anyway, so it wouldn’t have mattered.”

The servants nearby felt their blood boil. The maid looked ready to march over and argue, and the knight clenched his teeth tight. Revelin patted the backs of their hands, smiling and telling them it was alright.

I’m right in the middle of having her loudly broadcast that I’m an incompetent Level 10 purifier, so why are you getting mad!

With things heard to this extent, Chedwin surely wouldn’t suspect that the person he met on the banquet balcony and Revelin were the same person.

However, Revelin’s breath caught at Mila’s next words. “Or were you perhaps too terrified of the magic beasts to move? Lady Revelin always avoids contaminated zones because she’s scared of magic beasts, after all.”

Revelin’s face, which had remained unfazed the entire time, hardened rapidly. The expression she had worn while smiling at her servants instantly grew chillingly dark.

She had stayed quiet because she wanted to engrave the idea that she was incompetent due to being a Level 10 purifier into Chedwin’s mind. This was crossing the line.

As her head grew hot, Revelin’s lips opened of their own accord. “If I let you slide when you’re behaving, you should just stop right there, but you really have zero tact and just blurt out whatever you want, don’t you?”

Revelin tapped lightly on the backs of her servants’ hands with a smile. Then, she turned her head toward Mila.

“That’s right. I avoid contaminated zones because I’m scared of magic beasts. You see, someone at the academy graduation exam deliberately provoked a magic beast and ran away, nearly leaving me behind to be chewed to pieces.”

She had no idea what gave Mila the confidence to bring this topic up first when she was the perpetrator. Did she think Revelin would cower in fear just by recalling the memories of that day?

“Lady Mila remembers it too, right?” Why on earth was she acting so brazen?

“Back then, Lady Mila ran away after provoking the magic beast, nearly leaving only me to be chewed up.”

When Revelin dug up a story that had been buried for a long time, Mila’s face flushed beet red with humiliation and fury. Revelin sneered at that reaction.

Did she think I’d tremble and shake in terror?

She simply couldn’t fathom Mila’s thought process. Well, if she were someone capable of understanding, she wouldn’t have pulled such a stunt in the first place.

Shock and dismay washed over the faces of the maid and knight, who were hearing this story for the very first time.

“That ended as a mere mistake. Don’t attach other personal opinions to it, Lady Revelin.” “Ah, yes, a ‘mistake’. You mean the ‘mistake’ where you finished your graduation exam first, but mistakenly wandered into the contaminated zone, provoked a magic beast, and ran away’?”

Memories of that day came flooding back. Perhaps feeling the same, Mila’s expression stiffened into hard stone, too.

“Hah. So did you die? No, you didn’t. I heard your scar treatments were all finished, so why……” “Lady Peil.”

Just as Mila was about to retort, Chedwin cut into the conversation. Biting off his gloves with his teeth, he pulled them off, tucked them inside his coat, and slipped on a fresh pair of gloves.

“Who is the person that started the purification of this contaminated zone just now?” “It’s me! Me!”

As if she had never been angry just a moment before, Mila raised her hand with a bright expression. “Worried about Your Grace, I led the other purifiers in, and we started the purification!”

Since purifiers on-site frequently followed the orders of the highest-ranking purifier present, this wasn’t unusual. Chedwin swept his gaze over the four purifiers standing behind Mila.

“Lady Peil, do you happen to know the ranks of the purifiers accompanying you?” “Pardon? Ah, um, two Level 5 purifiers and two Level 7 purifiers. Since I’m a Level 3 purifier, the one who used the most power was obviously……”

“Right. Weren’t you taught that starting contamination purification before the magic beasts have been cleared out leaves the demonic energy dense, placing a heavy burden on lower-ranking purifiers? Furthermore, I never sent a signal that the magic beasts were cleared, nor did I issue an order to begin purification.”

The subject of the argument shifted in an instant. At Chedwin’s question holding her accountable, Mila’s face turned pale white.

Is he perhaps trying to take my side? No. For one, she had lied about her name upon first meeting him, so there was no way he’d do that.

“I—I was just worried about Your Grace……” “Worried about me.”

Chedwin firmly echoed Mila’s words. “Lady Peil. In your eyes, I must have looked like some incompetent fool who couldn’t even handle magic beasts on his own and recklessly rushed in, putting people in danger.”

“A—Ah, no! How could I possibly dare to think of Your Grace like that…! Absolutely not!” “Didn’t you just say that, worried I might fall victim to the magic beasts, you ignored protocol and acted of your own accord?”

“I didn’t mean it like that—” “I had no idea I was a man trusted so little. I should ask His Majesty to rescind the title of ‘Hero’ he bestowed upon me.”

As things blew out of proportion, the color drained entirely from Mila’s face. “Grand, Grand Duke. There’s been a misunderstanding! My worry was based on affection for Your Grace……”

“Then does that mean my subordinates numbering in the hundreds have not a single drop of affection, since they waited without worrying about me?”

Realizing that Chedwin wasn’t looking for an answer, Mila swallowed her retort and bowed her head. Seeing Mila stop making excuses, Chedwin brushed off his dirty clothes.

“Lady Peil.” “Yes, yes. Your Grace.”

“State the reason why purification must not be initiated when there is no signal from the knights deployed ahead.”

Like a stern, indifferent superior strictly disciplining a trouble-making subordinate who wouldn’t listen, Chedwin’s tone was strictly business.

“It can create… mutual confusion.” “And another reason.”

“Also, also…… because magic beasts that haven’t been reported yet might appear……” Mila answered in a small voice, her face flushed red.

“Correct. Now tell me why such a protocol was established in the first place.” Instead of answering, Mila bit down hard on her lower lip.

She seemed to find receiving this kind of treatment in front of people a huge blow to her pride. Mila kept her mouth firmly shut, as if her lips had been locked.

“Lady Peil, you are a Level 3 purifier active on the field.” However, Chedwin showed no mercy.

“If you are deployed to the field without knowing basic common sense and protocol, it becomes a major problem, so answer the question.”

Other purifiers and the surrounding onlookers all cast sidelong glances at Mila. Feeling the weight of multiple gazes, Mila clenched her trembling fists. Her neck turned bright red with humiliation.

“Because if a purifier enters arbitrarily before the team deployed beforehand has entirely dealt with the magic beasts…… there is a risk of death.” “Right. I’m glad you know. Then you must understand how dangerous the action you took just a moment ago was.”

Chedwin rebuked Mila indifferently. “Because of Lady Peil’s arbitrary actions today ignoring protocol, the lives of two Level 5 purifiers and two Level 7 purifiers were put in danger. Are you aware of this?”

“……” “If you truly didn’t trust me and were genuinely worried I might fall to the magic beasts, you should have stayed out of the contaminated zone all the more.”