IBWMD 44

~Chapter 44~

“Here comes the Grand Duke too?”

First it was the another Hunter, and now the Grand Duke too.
Lately, it felt like the Grand Duke kept popping up in conversations.

I narrowed my eyes and asked,

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Because the dragon’s story is also the Grand Duke’s story.”

“Aren’t you skipping too much?”

That was like going from monkey’s butt to the top of Mt. Baekdu in one giant leap.

Sure, I knew that the dragon was a symbol associated with the Grand Duke, but still…
I didn’t think the average person would make that mental jump.

Karl gave me an unreadable look and spoke quietly.

“About why the Grand Duke wrote that letter, or about what kind of person he really is…”

“…….”

“If you’re interested, I can tell you sincerely.”

At that, the confusion in my head cleared up a bit.

“So you’ve been thinking about this, huh?”

He was referring to that rude letter I received.
I was the one who got insulted, and Karl had only witnessed it, yet he still tried to consider my feelings.

‘He’s oddly considerate in these moments.’

I gave him a faintly appreciative smile and replied,
“Nope. Not really interested.”

“But that letter…”

“Maybe he’s just a jerk?”

“…….”

I spoke honestly, saying what I felt.
“It wouldn’t be surprising for the Grand Duke to hate me because he hates the Emperor. That makes sense.”
“……That’s not necessarily true.”
“Not necessarily?”
“I’ve told you before. His Excellency… he might like you.”

“How can you be sure? You’re not the Grand Duke, Karl.”

And if I were to be completely honest…
“To tell the truth, I don’t care about someone I’ve never even met. Whether he likes me or not doesn’t matter.”
“…….”

That rude letter hadn’t hurt much. It only annoyed me for a moment, and that was it.
‘I never expected anything from him to begin with.’

That cold-blooded man didn’t even care for Reina in the original story until her death. So why would he care about me?

If anything, other people were making a bigger fuss about this than I was.
‘Look at Beth, for example.’

Beth, who had been with me when I read the letter, flew into a rampage, declaring she’d marry me herself if needed.

Karl was acting similarly, trying to justify why the Grand Duke had written such a letter, hoping to make me feel better.

That was why I said I was fine — that he didn’t need to worry so much.

But for some reason, Karl suddenly wore a rare, blank expression before frowning deeply.
“That… Somehow sounds a bit worse than just saying you hate him.”

“Is that so?”

‘I didn’t mean it with that much depth, though.’

Karl had an expression like he was more concerned than I was.
Well, he had mentioned before that he knew a thing or two about the Grand Duke.

‘Could it be that he’s surprisingly loyal to the Grand Duke?’
Although, for some reason, it didn’t seem like a purely positive loyalty.

As I kept mulling it over, another thought surfaced.

“But this dragon relic…?”
“…..”
“Is it located outside, not within the Grand Duke’s estate?”

That thing is valuable, right? I would’ve thought it’d be kept within the Grand Duke’s residence.
Karl responded, still looking sullen.

“It’s not something that can be kept inside.”
“Even if it’s a dragon relic?”
“You’ll understand when you see it.”
“Understand what?”

At that moment —
“Whoa!”

The dense conifer forest blocking my view suddenly gave way, and a breathtaking scene came into view.

A sheer cliff overlooked a snowy forest dotted with rocky outcroppings.
We were standing at the top of a precipice.

It felt crisp and fresh, but… nothing stood out.
I glanced down the cliff and jokingly said,

“It’s beautiful, sure… but you’re not planning to push me, right?”
“…..”
“What, because I said some bad things about the Grand Duke earlier?”

Before I could finish, Karl wrapped a strong arm around my waist. An odd feeling surged within me.

“Karl?”

And then, before I could say another word, he pulled me tight against him — and jumped off the cliff.

“…..!!”
‘What?! He’s serious?!’

I clenched onto Karl as the sound of air ripping past roared in my ears. Yet surprisingly, it didn’t sting, nor was it cold.
Then, in the span of a breath, Karl landed firmly on the ground.

We had fallen from a dizzying height, but it had taken less than three seconds.

‘Whoa, that scared me to death!’
I was certain we were going to die together.

Catching my breath, I grumbled,

“Next time, can you warn me before doing something like that?”

“Didn’t you do the same thing to Elaine?”

“Are you seriously holding a grudge?”

“I can be pettier than you’d think.”

“That’s why I said I’d warn you from now on!”

With that, I gave him a sharp slap on the shoulder, which I was still holding tightly for dear life.
Although he was being petulant, Karl gently set me down, making sure I was safe.

“Anyway.”
“…..”
“We’ve arrived.”

He turned, and I followed his gaze.

“……Wow.”
I was genuinely in awe.

“It’s not a relic.”
“…..”
“More like a ruin.”

What had appeared to be a dense forest from above now revealed a sprawling, ice-covered lake.
Beneath the emerald surface was an enormous tower, rising from the depths.
It was the kind of scene you’d expect in a fairy tale.

The lower half of the tower was encased in ice, its beige walls adorned with golden vines that shimmered like deliberate decoration.
The upper portion was crumbling, exposing its interior like a child’s tower half-smashed.

It felt like a scene from a myth.

‘With such an open area, it’s hard to imagine this being hidden…’

I spoke aloud, still mesmerized.
“Is this place protected by some sort of disorientation spell?”
“Yes.”

Of course.
Apparently, the area was wrapped in a confusion barrier that kept it hidden from prying eyes. It made sense.
If this was related to a dragon, it wouldn’t be out in the open.
And it certainly explained why it hadn’t been kept within the Grand Duke’s estate.

‘They couldn’t possibly move an entire lake and tower inside, after all.’

As I reasoned this out, Karl replied.
“Since you guessed correctly, you deserve a reward…”
“That’s fine. You don’t have to give me anything.”
“I was going to let you touch my muscles.”

At that, I inadvertently glanced down at Karl’s chest.
He noticed, smirked, and crossed his arms, making the muscles in his chest more defined.

I shook myself out of it and met his gaze, baffled.
“Why… why are you suddenly bringing up muscles?”
“I thought it might comfort you for the Grand Duke’s rude words.”
“…..”
“I assumed you liked touching muscles, no?”

He was jumping to conclusions again. And clearly, he’d noticed more than I thought.
“I told you, I don’t care about the Grand Duke’s words.”
“I doubt that.”
“You doubt it?”
“I think it bothers you deeply, and you’re just trying to hypnotize yourself into thinking you don’t care.”
“……Well, thanks for making me care now.”
“Then it worked.”

The teasing in his voice was palpable, and for some reason… slightly flustered.