Chapter 25
“Jura is quite intense, isn’t she? She believes she must save lives.”
Theophanes smiled gently at Daphne, who looked discouraged.
“My lady, Jura, was right. Your body was nearly poisoned by contamination. If things had gone wrong, you might have completely rotted away without a trace.”
“But I was fine.”
“That was only because you have Iniphium.”
“Me? But the Iniphium of Himonas was in the Marquis’s hands…”
“That was only part of it. There is a faint but definite presence of Iniphium inside you.”
Iniphium.
It was the source of power for Transcendents—their very heart.
Normally, when a Transcendent awakens, the Iniphium stored by their family is naturally absorbed.
Himonas had gone a long time without a Transcendent, so it’s Iniphium had never been taken in.
“But I’ve never absorbed Iniphium before.”
“Perhaps you absorbed it when you weren’t aware. Otherwise, this doesn’t make sense….”
Daphne hesitated, opening her mouth slightly before closing it again.
She remembered seeing the Iniphium in the family’s treasure room when she was a child.
But she had never absorbed it.
Then, what was this Iniphium inside her?
She would have to look into this later—right now, other things were more important.
“Regardless, it was acting as a barrier, trapping the contamination inside. It didn’t purify it, though.”
Daphne ran her hands over her body.
“You won’t find it that way. Every Transcendent’s Iniphium is in a different place.”
Suddenly, she remembered a scene from her dreams.
“Then, what about your Iniphium, Theo?”
Theophanes hesitated for a moment.
“…Mine should be around here.”
He pointed to his heart.
“Have you ever seen it?”
“…….”
Instead of answering, Theophanes just smiled.
“Iniphium doesn’t reveal itself. It only becomes visible when a Transcendent finds someone they love.”
“When will they fall in love?”
“Yes. When a Transcendent loves someone, their Iniphium moves outside their body.”
“But Iniphium is like a heart to a Transcendent, isn’t it? Why does that happen…?”
“Who knows? Only the gods would understand that.”
Lowering his hand from his chest, Theophanes continued,
“In any case, we need to purify the contamination inside you. And I’m the only one who can do that, as the Transcendent of Spring.”
Daphne had always been weak, even back in Himonas. She was often sick, suffered from dizziness, and sometimes even collapsed from nosebleeds.
She had expected her body to be fragile because of the experiments, but she hadn’t realized it was this bad.
“If it had been anyone else, they would have died.”
Hearing Theophanes’ words, Daphne finally understood. She had survived simply because she was lucky enough to be born with Iniphium.
“You’re right. The others… they all died.”
Theophanes quietly took her hand.
“I’m… glad you survived.”
His voice was filled with emotion.
He meant it.
“How do we purify it?”
She didn’t want to dwell on the past any longer.
The others were gone. There was no point in thinking about them now—she had to focus on herself and Jacquette.
She could remember them later when she had the luxury to do so.
As if sensing her reluctance to continue the conversation, Theophanes held her hand a little tighter.
At first, it seemed like he was simply holding her palm, but soon, his long, firm fingers slipped between hers.
“Like this.”
“…What?”
“Purification requires physical contact. The more contact, the better.”
Seeing Daphne’s expression, he stopped talking. She looked amused—like she was up to something.
A strange sense of unease crept over Theophanes.
“If contact is important, then it goes both ways, doesn’t it?”
“…Excuse me?”
“You said more contact is better. So, why don’t we start with a kiss?”
Theophanes was silent for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter.
His deep, clear laughter filled the office, so full of energy that it was almost infectious.
But Dante, who had just entered the room, turned pale.
Has my master finally lost his mind after living so long?
“Why are you laughing like that again? Every time you do, it stresses me out.”
If Theophanes was laughing like this, it meant he was extremely troubled.
“She’s bolder than I thought.”
“Who…?”
“Never mind.”
Theophanes glanced at a document on his desk titled [Marriage Contract].
The only reason he had agreed to this ridiculous contract marriage was simple—
To make her fall in love with him.
“And what will you do once she does, Master?”
“I’ll take back what’s mine.”
“And after that?”
Theophanes blinked.
He had never thought about that before.
Once he got it back… then what?
“Is there even a point in thinking about that? She and I will be done by then. A future only matters if there’s a relationship to continue.”
His tone was indifferent as if stating an obvious fact.
“Ah, yes… of course.”
Dante nodded, unconvinced.
But was that all?
Could love be cut off so easily?
Dante wanted to ask, but seeing Theophanes’ face, he held his tongue.
Theophanes slowly got up and walked to the window.
From there, he could see Henderson guiding Daphne through the mansion.
If she loved him… he would accept anything.
Even if she betrayed him again.
“Since my master is busy after returning, I will guide you around the mansion instead.”
“Thank you.”
Henderson, the mansion’s head butler, showed his respect for Daphne.
If loyalty had a human form, it would be Henderson.
“Jacquette is taking a nap at the moment.”
A capable and perceptive man.
“Thank you.”
“Where would you like to start?”
“I’ll follow your lead.”
“Then, let’s begin with the main building.”
Henderson gave a concise but thorough explanation.
He skipped unimportant details and only showed what she needed to know—the various rooms, the basement, and the vault that stored the duchy’s treasures.
“This corridor leads to the central courtyard.”
The warm sunlight and the gentle breeze felt pleasant.
Henderson’s calm voice added to the peaceful atmosphere.
As they walked, a beautifully arranged garden came into view.
“The flowers are lovely.”
“My master enjoys gardening. He tends to the mansion’s flowers, especially this courtyard.”
“He cherishes it?”
“Yes, he even plants some of the flowers himself.”
Daphne stopped walking.
“Would you like to take a closer look?”
Noticing her curiosity, Henderson smiled and gestured toward the garden.
“Yes, I would.”
Daphne hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the courtyard.
It was quite large—picturing Theophanes crouching down to plant flowers made her smile.
A big man like him, sitting in the dirt, carefully patting soil over tiny plants… It was almost like he was playing house.
“What kind of man is your master?”
“I wouldn’t dare say.”
“How long have you served him?”
“Since I became an adult. I started as a regular servant.”
“Then you must know.”
Daphne lightly touched a blooming rose.
Henderson immediately understood what she was asking.
“I have known about his true identity since I was young. Those who serve him closely inherit their positions, including his vassals.”
Hearing this, Daphne finally understood why Anaxi was so closed off.
There weren’t many branches of the family, and there weren’t many vassals either.
“Has anyone ever betrayed him?”
“My master personally handles such matters. Anyone who betrays him pays the price.”
“The Duke has lived as a son, a father, and a grandfather… Yet, he has never once chosen to marry.”
Daphne stopped in her tracks.
“Not even once?”
“Never.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“There are records passed down in our household.”
“Then this marriage is quite unusual.”
“Yes. That’s why the few remaining family members will likely visit you soon.”
“I’ll discuss that with the Duke.”
“This may be overstepping, but my lady and the young miss have brought joy to my master.”
“Joy, huh…”
Daphne trailed off, recalling her recent conversation with Theophanes in his office.
