Episode 172

Lloydin’s gaze lingered on me before shifting to Noah.

“First of all, Duke, I would like to express my gratitude to you.”

“For what exactly?”

“For helping Ayla recover completely from her illness.”

“There’s no need for your thanks in that regard. I was among those who most fervently hoped for her recovery,” Lloydin replied, giving me a warm smile.

His gaze held that familiar depth of affection for me, and realizing his feelings hadn’t changed filled me with a rush of excitement—and a twinge of emotion. Squeezing his hand tightly, Lloydin seemed to understand, as he gently caressed the back of my hand.

“Besides, you saved Ian’s life, Lord Noah. Although… it did lead to some unforeseen circumstances.”

He avoided the word “divorce,” but I felt Lloydin’s grip tighten slightly as he alluded to it.

“I also regret how things turned out between you and Ayla, Duke. But it’s not too late to change things.”

“To change things? What do you mean by that?”

Lloydin looked at us in surprise, his eyes darting between Noah and me.

“My lady? What are you saying?” His voice was filled with both anxiety and a glimmer of hope, as though seeking answers.

“This concerns the Crown Prince—and you as well, Duke. We came here urgently because we needed to reach you before His Highness arrived.”

“The Crown Prince… and myself?”

“Yes. I’m not sure where to begin… but you remember that I sometimes have prophetic dreams, don’t you?”

“I remember.”

“Well, it turns out that these visions weren’t mere coincidences. I possess a certain… power. I only discovered this after Noah returned. Noah, I think you should explain this part.”

“Of course.”

With that, Noah began relaying everything he’d told me to Lloydin.

“Duke, beyond divine and magical powers, there is one more force in this world.”

“What is it?”

“It’s called spiritual power.”

“Spiritual power?”

“Yes. Those with spiritual power can have prophetic dreams. Additionally, they possess another ability: by touching others, they can see that person’s past, present, and future.”

As Noah finished, Lloydin’s gaze quickly fell on me.

“Then… when my lady has prophetic dreams…”

“Yes, that’s right. Apparently, I possess spiritual power.” I answered casually, while Lloydin looked both bewildered and stunned.

We went on to tell him everything about the Black Forest’s secret and its ruler.

“The ruler of the Black Forest… I’m aware,” he said quietly.

“You’re aware?”

“Are you really?”

Noah and I exchanged wide-eyed glances, stunned by Lloydin’s unexpected revelation.

“Yes, I know of it.”

“Oh… now that I think about it, that man did say so. He mentioned that the Duke knew of his existence.”

“What do you mean?” Lloydin asked, visibly puzzled.

“I glimpsed His Highness the Crown Prince’s memories.”

“The Crown Prince’s memories?”

“Yes. It was there that I first encountered the man who claims to rule the Black Forest. But, Duke, how do you know of him?”

“Because we are bound to him. Every member of the Blighton family, though they may never have seen him, senses his presence,” Lloydin explained.

“Ah…”

Now it made sense why the Black Forest ruler could incite madness in those of the Blighton bloodline and manipulate them like puppets.

“Our ancestors, beginning with my father, all struggled to break the seal and escape his influence, though none succeeded.”

I had heard of this before. The Black Forest’s ruler supposedly gifted “madness” to any who dared defy him. There were even vague memories of a seal.

The Empire had sealed the Blighton family’s power for generations to prevent them from wielding excessive magical force. Lloydin’s father, the former Duke, had broken the seal, abused his power, and met his end through execution.

As I listened to Lloydin, a theory suddenly dawned on me.

What if the seal wasn’t from the Empire, but from the ruler of the forest himself?

Maybe he held the family in check, allowing just enough power to be useful while manipulating them for centuries—turning the family into his playthings alongside the temple, the imperial family, and the forest’s ruler.

It was only a theory, yet with everything pieced together, it felt very close to the truth.

“Do you know why that attempt failed…?”

I cautiously asked Lloydin, who looked sorrowful as he recounted his family’s history.

“No, I don’t.”

He seemed genuinely unaware of the reasons behind it.

“Yet, I remember you once told me you didn’t know much about the Black Forest. That doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“Honestly, I still don’t know much. The reason I didn’t share details about the ruler of the Black Forest with you was because I feared it might affect you negatively.”

“Affect me negatively?”

“It’s only a theory, but when the head of the Blighton family succumbed to madness and died, their wives followed shortly after. My mother was no exception.”

The story of Lloydin’s father, the former Duke, who was executed after losing control, and his mother, who took her own life afterward, was common knowledge in noble society. Most assumed she couldn’t bear her grief and was too frail to endure it.

“So, do you believe that tragedy is connected to what you suspect, Duke?”

Lloydin’s explanation was entirely different from the usual assumptions.

“Yes. My mother wasn’t the type to leave Ian and me behind. She had promised to protect us, even after Father’s passing.”

“But the Duchess didn’t have Blighton blood. So how could…”

“I never found out why. That’s why I called it a theory and chose not to tell you about the Black Forest and its ruler, just in case.”

Hearing this, I understood even more how deeply Lloydin cared for me. At the same time, I felt a surge of pity and sorrow for him and his family, so much so that the words I’d meant to say became stuck in my throat.

“Duke, you know…”

But I had to tell him. He deserved to know everything, and for our mission to succeed, we needed Lloydin’s help.

Sensing my hesitation, Noah gave me a knowing look.

‘I’ll handle it.’

He was offering to speak for me. I gave him a small nod of agreement.

“Duke, after learning about Ayla’s powers from me, she sought out His Highness the Crown Prince. There, she saw his memories.”

With that, Noah began recounting everything I had told him, not missing a single detail.

Lloydin remained silent for a long time after hearing Noah’s account. I could only imagine the shock he must be feeling. Accepting one’s imminent death was no easy task.

We watched him, giving him the space he needed to process everything.

Then, finally, after a considerable pause, he broke his silence with a reaction we hadn’t expected.

“So, my lady saw me die… again? Sigh… Once again, you had to…”

He…

He was more concerned about my grief over his death than his own impending fate.

“…What?” I stared at him, dumbfounded, unprepared for such a response.

“Didn’t you say I died in one of your previous visions?”

“Yes, that’s true. Though I only saw it from afar…”

“But this time, you saw it up close?”

“Yes… I saw it through His Highness’s eyes. It was right in front of me…”

I replied, still in a daze, answering each of his questions.

Lloydin gazed at me intently, then gently brushed his fingers along my cheek, as if to wipe away invisible tears or to comfort me, silently telling me not to cry.

“Did you cry?”

“…What?”

“Did you weep and grieve again this time?”

“…Yes. It hurt a lot.”

As I answered, nodding, strangely enough, tears began to trail down my cheeks.