Chapter 85
The head attendant of House Winter had been busier than ever in recent days. The reason? The family had returned to the North without any prior notice.
Though the North was barren and sparsely populated, the head attendant maintained frequent contact with merchants and was thus privy to circulating rumors – rumors that His Excellency had divorced his wife and married the Imperial Princess.
At first, even the head attendant found it hard to believe. But the merchant's account was unusually detailed, and in time, he had no choice but to accept it.
The first thing he set out to do thereafter was to erase all traces of the Madam of the house, to ensure that the princess would be satisfied upon her arrival.
‘That was a close call.’
A week had passed, yet the memory still sent chills down his spine. He had very nearly erased the Madam's presence based on nothing more than hearsay. What now made him so certain the rumor was false was simple: Edmund had returned not with the princess, but with Daphne.
‘But something still feels off.’
The head attendant stopped in his tracks, unease lingering in his chest for days. He was standing outside none other than the Madam’s quarters, more precisely, the Duchess’s chambers.
Even when Madam Sophia was not present, the Duchess’s room had always remained empty. But now, it was Daphne who occupied it. From that alone, things felt amiss. A strange tension hung in the air, and a frigid atmosphere smothered the mansion like a blanket.
He glanced around instinctively. The corridor was deserted, and so he cautiously stepped closer to the door. Pressing his ear against it, he held his breath, but no sound came from within.
‘Strange.’
He hadn't seen the Madam anywhere around the estate, so she had to be inside. And yet, there was no sign of life. Acting on a vague sense of foreboding, the head attendant knocked.
"Madam, may I come in for a moment?"
There was no response. Nonetheless, he tightened his grip on the doorknob.
"I’ll take the silence as permission and… ahh!"
The door suddenly swung open with such force that he lost his balance and fell inside.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
“Y-Your Excellency!”
The head attendant scrambled to his feet at the sight of Edmund towering above him.
"I-I had something I needed to tell the Madam…"
"What was so urgent that you thought it acceptable to barge in without permission?"
Cold sweat broke out on the attendant’s forehead. It wasn’t just the intensity of Edmund’s questioning. His newly gaunt features and sharpened gaze made it all the more unbearable.
“I-It’s just that…”
His vision blurred, his words stumbled. The suffocating weight of Edmund’s gaze made him blink rapidly. And just as Edmund took a step toward him…
"Your Excellency."
At the voice, Edmund turned, and the sudden break in tension allowed the head attendant to inhale sharply. He seized the opportunity to bow and excuse himself.
“Then, I shall take my leave…”
Edmund narrowed his eyes as he watched the man retreat down the corridor in a flustered rush.
Madam Nouvelle had taken on all responsibilities, so the other servants had no way of knowing Daphne’s current condition. Not that many in the household had paid her much attention to begin with, but Edmund assumed it was thanks to the Baroness’s efforts.
“Did something happen?”
At Johann’s question, Edmund looked back into the room. Aside from the faintest sound of breathing, there was no sign of movement. He shook his head and closed the door.
“Nothing. Why are you here?”
“Sir Alec has returned.”
— — —
A week ago, Alec had arrived at the estate without incident and had immediately set out for the snow-capped mountains, where magic stones were said to lie. There had been no way to contact him, so all they could do was wait and now, at last, he had returned safely.
The mountains had been harsh, and Alec looked haggard.
“Well done.”
“It was nothing.”
Without even changing his clothes, Alec had come straight to see Edmund.
“…It’s true.”
Edmund exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he’d been holding. The others, who had been listening in tense silence, visibly relaxed.
“There’s a massive magic stone in the mountains. About the size of a grown man.”
The principle behind magic stones was simple. There existed rare stones capable of holding mana, magical energy, or divine power. By infusing them with energy, they became functional magic stones.
The size and potency of a magic stone were directly correlated, and once used, they could not be reused, making them exceedingly valuable. Most were the size of a fingertip, and anything as big as a fist was considered large. But a stone as big as a grown man? It could hold an unfathomable amount of power.
"With something that size, given the Madam’s condition… she could easily hold on for several more years.”
All that remained was to find a way to awaken Daphne within.
Madam Nouvelle, who had grown as pale as Alec from a week of anxious waiting, finally let out a breath of relief.
"Thank goodness..."
"But there’s a problem."
“What is it?”
Alec hesitated. Even now, he wasn’t sure he had seen it correctly. It had been that eerie, that grotesque. He swallowed and spoke.
“There were monsters.”
Johann adjusted his glasses calmly.
“The snow mountains are known to be a monster stronghold. It’s only natural that they would be heavily infested.”
“I had expected that much. But…”
Remembering the scene, Alec shuddered. Cold sweat ran down his spine.
“The monsters were hibernating around the magic stone.”
Hundreds, no, thousands of them, encircling the stone. As if…
“…As if they were guarding it.”
Johann was the first to respond.
“That’s impossible. Monsters live in packs, yes, but never more than a hundred.”
“There were at least several thousand.”
Alec pressed his tired eyes with trembling fingers.
“I’m certain.”
They had finally found a way to save Daphne only to be met with an overwhelming obstacle.
“Ah…”
Baroness Nouvelle staggered, leaning heavily against the Baron.
“Benjamin, please take her.”
Supporting his wife, Benjamin led her out of the room. As the door closed behind them, Baron Nouvelle turned to Edmund.
“I’ll go.”
“My lord…”
Johann’s eyes widened.
“I may be old now, but I was once a Swordmaster. Alec leads the Black Knights, and Your Excellency must remain to protect the duchy.”
Everything the Baron said was rational but still, Johann couldn’t accept it.
“Even so, it’s impossible. Not even the entire Black Knights could handle that. For you to go alone…”
“Are you planning to commit suicide?”
Edmund cut in.
The suicide of a magic wielder was unlike any other. By pushing their power to its absolute limit and releasing it all at once, the body could no longer withstand it and would explode. This was what they called ‘suicide.’
“…Yes.”
“My lord!”
“Be silent.”
“…”
“Your Excellency, I ask this as my final request.”
Despite Johann’s protest, Baron Nouvelle looked Edmund squarely in the eyes.
“…It’s on hold.”
“Your Excellency.”
But before the Baron could say more, Edmund had already turned and stormed out of the room.
* * *
“Father.”
At Damian’s call, Edmund turned his gaze from Daphne’s pale face.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
Damian had fainted from overexposure to magic stones but had recovered within half a day.
“I heard there’s no real way to save Mother.”
“…We’ll find another way.”
“But Madam Nouvelle said she’s never seen a condition like this before.”
Damian’s voice trembled.
“Is she going to die like this?”
“Damian.”
Edmund’s brow furrowed. Damian looked down at Daphne’s colorless face in silence.
“What happened to her?”
He voiced the question no one else had dared to ask.
Edmund reached back in his memory, her body collapsing, lips pressed together, the metallic taste of blood. Daphne had fallen as if all strength had drained from her.
“Daphne…”
Just as Edmund’s lips parted…
“Your Excellency!”
Benjamin burst into the room, breathless.
“You’re all here.”
Without even catching his breath, he stepped quickly toward them.
“Someone has appeared. Someone who claims they can save the Madam.”
Edmund’s eyes slowly widened.
“And that person… says she is a Saintess.”