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chapter 32
I immediately moved above Erjin’s head.
Lifting the blanket slightly, I could see his face.
His luscious blond hair was soaked with cold sweat, and drops of red blood threatened to fall from his tightly bitten lips.
Erjin’s rampage was imminent.
“If I can’t stop it, I need to weaken the brainwashing, at least a little.”
Once I resolved that, I quickly moved into action.
First, to place brainwashing on an heir of a family like Astrahan, it would require persistence.
There was no one accompanying Erjin, and he hadn’t met anyone special in Black Dragon Castle either.
“That means…”
It had to mean there was a medium—some conduit.
I hastily began searching Erjin’s body.
Most of his belongings would have been confiscated when he was brought to the prison.
Weapons or escape tools could be dangerous if left unchecked.
“What items could be exceptions?”
That thought crossed my mind at that moment.
Could it be?
My gaze fell on the jacket carelessly draped by his head.
Unlike usual prison procedures where prisoners are stripped of all possessions and dressed in prison clothes, Erjin was still wearing the clothes from before.
This was because he belonged to a ducal family like Kreuz, and the main purpose of his confinement was to restrict movement.
I hurried to the headboard of the bed and rummaged through the draped jacket.
“Found it!”
Inside the jacket’s inner pocket was a neatly folded letter.
[Pain Astrahan]
It had come from Erjin’s father, Duke Astrahan.
“I don’t usually indulge in the bad habit of reading other people’s letters…”
…but today, I decided to make an exception.
The content was ordinary father-and-son small talk, asking after each other’s wellbeing.
If I knew nothing about it, I would have thought nothing of it.
“Is Duke Astrahan still the same?”
“Yes, he’s still in a dazed state. Currently, his younger brother, Sir Pavel Astrahan, is acting as regent on his behalf.”
This had been the conversation between Gerard and Kenich tonight.
And this wasn’t just a one- or two-day problem.
“Rumors about Duke Astrahan’s poor condition have quietly circulated among high nobles for several years.”
My father, Marquis Aymond, had described him as “mad.”
Furthermore, the moment I saw this letter…
“Ugh, something’s wrong.”
A headache accompanied by nausea washed over me.
Maybe it was just my imagination… but I had to do everything I could for now.
“Once I handle this letter, I’ll know the truth.”
Swoosh—
I grabbed both ends of the letter and tore it lengthwise.
Every time the paper creased and tore, a sharp sting shot through my hand as if thorns were pricking it.
The nausea worsened, but I didn’t stop.
“This letter is definitely the medium for brainwashing.”
The more I tore it, the stronger my conviction became.
Finally, the pieces of the letter were smaller than my fingernails.
The tension that had made the air feel as if something would happen eased, and Erjin’s rapid breathing gradually calmed.
His hands, which had desperately gripped the bed frame, returned to their frail, natural state.
“Thank goodness, thank goodness…”
My whole body felt drained.
Collapsing onto the bed, a laugh escaped me involuntarily.
“Could this letter really be the medium for brainwashing?”
I couldn’t believe it with my own eyes.
And it made sense—brainwashing mediums were usually watches or accessories.
They could be carried without arousing suspicion and weren’t easily removed from the body.
“Did they use reverse psychology because of the target?”
Whoever it was, they were meticulous and strategic.
Such people wouldn’t have relied on just one medium.
I cautiously began searching every corner of Erjin’s body.
I was certain there would be another form of it this time.
Then it happened.
“Ah, that’s…”
Through Erjin’s half-undone shirt, I glimpsed something.
It was a fleeting moment, but a clear pink mark appeared just below his collarbone.
It was clearly a sign of brainwashing.
Despite finally obtaining the goal through countless obstacles, I couldn’t move easily.
“That…”
I had only seen a small part, yet the image was vividly imprinted in my mind.
A pattern too familiar to me—wisteria blossoms in full bloom.
“How can the Aymond family’s mark remain on Erjin?”
Everything was confusing.
Three years ago, all members of the family except me were slaughtered by unidentified assailants.
Could someone still be alive?
Where? How?
Thoughts piled on one another like waves crashing over me.
But for now, something more important remained.
“…Hrm.”
A warm breath brushed the back of my neck like a statue coming to life.
Soon after, a sweet, crafted voice settled near my ear.
“…Really, you’re unpredictable.”
“Chuu, chuuu?”
Raising my head stiffly, I met Erjin’s eyes, slightly lowered.
“Since when have you been watching me?”
I sought an answer through my spinning gaze, but communication was impossible.
Erjin tilted his head slightly and stared at me.
His sweat-drenched hair and flushed face were erotic in a way different from Kenich.
If Kenich was blatantly alluring, Erjin was subtly seductive.
“Even I feel a bit embarrassed about this…”
“W-what…?!”
Why is he trailing off his words suddenly?!
I hastily broke free from his persistent gaze.
Only then could I reflect on the previous situation.
Erjin Astrahan was half-naked and sweating, and my hands and eyes had been on his chest.
“Oh…?”
Why am I doing this?
Since when?!
“Chuut!”
A misunderstanding!
I swear on my secret storage in Bear Mountain—there was no other intention.
“Hrm…”
Why is he looking at me so primly…
“Chuu, chuuut…”
This is… troublesome.
“Chuuu…”
What do I do?
I was trapped by Erjin’s gaze, unable to move.
Bang, bang—
A thunderous noise rang from beyond the bars.
“Prisoner, keep quiet!”
A knight warned, turning his head slightly.
He pounded the wall with his spear as a warning.
Tsk.
He didn’t see me, did he?
A black blanket covered me, pressed flat over my head.
It was Erjin.
“…A bit bothersome.”
Erjin’s usually gentle face had hardened into a cold expression.
“Is this the same person from before?”
Even though he wasn’t speaking to me, my hair stood on end.
The cold dungeon air felt icy.
Soon…
“Ugh, ugh—.”
A moan came from beyond the bars, followed by a heavy thud as something hit the floor.
“It’s better if you don’t look.”
Erjin covered my view with the blanket, so I saw nothing.
But the source of the noise was undoubtedly the knights.
“Y-you…!”
