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Chapter 53
Creaaak…
A chilling sound scraped across the wooden floor, echoing several times through the wide, empty room.
There was nothing inside — just a single chair and a small side table beside it.
Cold wind blew through the open window.
Someone sat in that chair, head lowered.
Creak.
A slim, sharp-eyed man entered through the door, placing a jug of water and a loaf of bread on the table.
“Please eat. It’s not much, but it’s something.”
“…This is more than enough.”
“I’ll feed you myself, then.”
The man tied to the chair — Krondel — smiled faintly. His wrists and ankles were bound to the chair.
“I’m not really in the mood to eat.”
“You might not get another chance. You don’t think I’d untie you and let you eat on your own, do you?”
“Of course not.”
Even tied up, Krondel spoke with calm composure.
The sharp man — Jin — acted with impeccable politeness despite keeping his prince bound, making the contrast between them oddly eerie.
“You understand this is all for His Highness’s sake, yes? You’ll be moved elsewhere tonight.”
“Is that so?”
Krondel’s light reply carried no resistance.
At least that was one thing convenient about the reckless prince — once he decided something made sense, he wouldn’t argue or fight back.
Thanks to that, getting him here was easy enough.
But Jin couldn’t keep him here for long.
There’s an important meeting here tonight.
No one could stop his master, the Crown Princess.
Jin quietly calculated when the carriage meant to hide the prince would arrive — never noticing Krondel’s faint smile as he sat there, head bowed.
“Is it this way?”
“Lady Celia, to your left—”
“Oh. Thanks. Yeah, that looks right.”
Celia turned down the dirt path Flier had pointed out.
The address written in the Crown Princess’s letter had been deliberately scrambled.
Read as it was, it led to a nonexistent place.
Right. Julin had opened it first. She must’ve written it that way so no one else could read it.
Celia ran her fingers over the carved letters, rearranging the words in her mind.
It’s just like the military ciphers we used before.
Once she realized that, the code was simple. She quickly decoded it, yielding a new address — a forest clearing far off the map’s edge.
Flier muttered uncomfortably,
“I thought Her Highness would summon you to the palace.”
“This is actually a smart move. Places like this are perfect if you want to quietly get rid of someone who doesn’t play along.”
Flier’s face darkened at once. Celia lightly tapped his arm.
“I’m joking.”
…But she wasn’t.
That was exactly why she had brought him — someone trustworthy, discreet, and capable in case the Crown Princess tried something.
Whatever happened here tonight would stay buried.
How did I even end up in this mess…
Celia sighed, then smiled faintly at him.
“Anyway, thanks for coming with me.”
“I should thank you for trusting me with the truth.”
“Please. I just didn’t want to come alone. It’s… nerve-racking.”
Flier gave a soft, knowing smile — as if to say you don’t fool me.
Maybe I should use this chance to probe the Crown Princess too. If I find something shady, I can use it later — some leverage can’t hurt.
Even if Krondel seemed suspicious, that didn’t make the Crown Princess innocent.
That “puppet sorcerer” had seen something inside the royal palace — and only someone with real power could’ve given that kind of order.
Not to mention… the man who looked like Jin.
And what Royhan said before still lingered in her mind:
“If the prince has disappeared, the Crown Princess is the most likely culprit.”
So she really might be hiding him somewhere.
They pushed through a few dark bushes until they saw a distant glow.
“There,” Flier said.
Under the moonlight stood a slightly aged but elegant mansion.
It wasn’t marked on any map, but it didn’t feel out of place here — the mansion fit the forest perfectly, like it belonged.
To anyone else, it would just look like a noble’s secluded mountain villa.
“Perfect for a secret meeting,” Celia murmured.
Yet the place felt oddly familiar.
The path here too — déjà vu.
Where have I seen this before…?
“Flier, could you wait here for me? I’m supposed to go in alone.”
“Be careful.”
He obediently stepped back and melted into the shadows between the trees.
Dependable as ever.
“You’ve arrived, my lady.”
As soon as Celia stepped through the entrance, a servant hurried out and bowed deeply.
She acknowledged the greeting, but something felt… off.
It’s chaotic.
People were moving around in small groups, almost frantically, like they were searching for something.
“Please, wait inside.”
The servant — clearly expecting her — opened the mansion door politely.
“Her Highness the Crown Princess will arrive soon.”
Celia nodded as she was led into a wide room — and then froze.
“…”
It wasn’t a person, but something she sensed — a familiar magical energy, faint but unmistakable.
She looked down instinctively at her side.
Her black sword, Periot, still hung silent and dead.
“Then what was that just now…?”
She focused. The signal was coming from elsewhere — from the conch shell Royhan had given her.
“…”
Celia peeked down the hall. Empty.
Quietly, she slipped away and began walking soundlessly down the corridor.
She tried each door she passed, but every room was empty.
Through the windows, she could see shadows and lights moving outside — the staff all seemed to be out there.
“Not here either…”
Finally, she checked the last room — empty too, though signs of someone being held there remained: untouched bread and water, an old chair with ropes still tied to the legs, curtains whipping wildly in the open window.
“…”
Something about this room bothered her.
It didn’t feel right to just leave.
Thunk.
A faint scraping came from somewhere — wood against wood.
Celia paused, located the sound, and quietly closed the door.
She dragged the chair from the center of the room and jammed it under the doorknob — a quick barricade.
Then she stepped to the center of the floor and lightly tapped her boot against it.
Tap, tap.
The strange scratching stopped immediately.
Celia waited in silence, then deliberately made another sound.
“What was that?”
The floor trembled slightly.
As she suspected. She crouched down and pried up a wooden plank.
It lifted easily — someone had tampered with it before.
A staircase descended below. She didn’t even need to go down — the conch in her hand was already trembling faintly, resonating with its twin.
So he really was here.
“Did you come because you already knew?”
A weak voice drifted up from below.
“No, you idiot,” she muttered, peering down.
There lay Krondel, slumped on the landing, face pale as death.
“So… you met Royhan,” he whispered.
“Yeah. Anyway…”
Even if they weren’t exactly on good terms, she couldn’t just leave him like this.
Celia hoisted him up — just as a commotion broke out outside.
The Crown Princess had arrived.
Krondel gave a breathy laugh.
“Oh dear. They’re going to be scolded.”
“Why?”
“They were supposed to move me before she got here. But they didn’t.”
“Because you hid too well.”
“Got lucky. I figured this mansion would have secret passages — same sense I used to find the royal ones. Didn’t think one would be right under that room, though.”
Supporting him, Celia descended the stairs and shut the floor hatch.
Noise echoed faintly above. She whispered a small spell, light glowing softly to reveal a passage.
“I’ll get you outside first, then go talk to your sister.”
“No need. You don’t want to anger her. Just… leave me and—”
“Save your breath. Look at your condition.”
He was sturdy by build, yet he could barely stand. His face was tight with pain, sweat pouring down like rain.
Celia whispered soothingly,
“There’s someone outside who can help you. I brought him just in case. You can trust him.”
“But—”
Before he could finish, Celia wrapped an arm firmly around his waist, cutting him off.
He stumbled, then leaned heavily against her.
Sensing his worsening state, Celia cast a quick healing spell — only to feel her mana being pulled into him, drained as if absorbed.
Far too strongly.
“…”
The strange sensation made her stop the spell at once. She pressed on through the tunnel, feeling along the wall until she reached open air again. The cool night breeze hit her face.
“Let’s see… I told Flier to hide around here somewhere…”
“You… found your way out… of that dark place…”
“In tunnels like that, you just stick to one wall and keep going. Come on — keep your legs steady. Almost there.”
She encouraged him, setting him down for a moment—
Flinch.
“Celia… right now…”
“I feel it too.”
Something trembled beneath their feet.
Rumble.
“…!”
Without warning, the ground gave way beneath them.
