091. Warning (3)

Edward drew the heavy curtains shut as soon as they stepped onto the terrace, sealing them off from the banquet hall. Taking a deep breath, he called out softly.

“Lucia.”

“Do you intend to persist in your insolence?” Lucia tilted her head slightly, her tone sharp at his continued use of her name without permission.

Ignoring her warning, Edward pressed on. “I’ve done everything I could to accommodate you.”

Rather than an apology, this was the excuse he offered. Lucia narrowed her gaze, as though trying to discern his intentions. The emotions swirling in his eyes were dark and opaque—not because they were hard to see, but because they were sticky and vile in nature.

“I still don’t understand why you demanded our engagement be broken. I’ve always acted in your interest.”

Edward was a man devoid of guilt. Whether it was an inability to feel emotions or a warped moral compass—or perhaps both—was unclear. But one thing was certain: he was scheming, and his current outpouring of emotion was nothing more than a prelude to his plot.

“But nothing I did worked, so I’m left with few options now. Forgive me for the offense.”

A dark aura erupted, swirling like black flames. Facing the ominous energy, Lucia immediately grasped his intentions.

“Dark magic…”

There were only two possibilities for someone born with such a black aura: either they were of Verdun’s direct bloodline or they had dabbled in forbidden dark magic.

“You might feel a bit dizzy for a moment, but it will pass. After that, everything will be fine again.”

The black energy spiraled upward, crackling as it filled the space.

“I’m going to put you under hypnosis. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to call it a suggestion.”

As Edward spoke, the dark magic coalesced into an intricate, eerie magic circle floating in the air. It was covered in ancient script, the meaning of which was impossible to decipher at a glance.

“It’s a spell to manipulate the mind. I’ll plant the thought that you desire me.”

The magic circle glowed black, a clear sign that it was activating.

“Forget the Duke of Verdun completely and become mine.”

* * *

“It’s really snowing heavily,” Bella remarked.

Just as she had predicted, Owen and his party were snowed in at Taylor’s estate. By the next morning, the snow had piled up to a grown man’s knees, making it difficult even to set up protective wards. With great effort, Bella and the knights had managed to reach the Misty Forest and erect a barrier of protection.

Though they made it back to the Taylor estate, the snowfall persisted, rendering carriages and horses immobile. The storm was so severe that visibility was almost nonexistent.

“When do you think the snow will stop?” Bella asked, glancing at Count Taylor.

The count, visibly sweating, stammered, “Well… this is quite unusual. We don’t typically see snow like this in September…”

“That’s a problem,” Bella muttered, her tone filled with concern as she gazed out the window. Beyond the glass, the relentless snowfall painted the world white.

As she watched the snow, Bella found herself thinking that it reminded her of Owen—pure, cold, resolute, yet oddly innocent.

“Your Grace,” she called out.

Owen stood by the window, his dark eyes fixed on the snowy horizon. There was a faint trace of unease in his gaze, as though he was worried about the situation in the capital.

“Are you concerned?” Bella asked, attempting to provoke him.

“…Perhaps,” Owen replied vaguely.

Is he seriously acting calm right now? Bella stifled a laugh at the absurdity. This wasn’t the time for Owen to be so composed. Without teleportation—which was outlawed by imperial law—there was no way to reach the capital quickly.

And in the capital, the Marquess Celid’s younger son was waiting, no doubt biding his time for Owen to leave Lucia unprotected.

“I suppose I don’t need to worry, as my fiancée is rather strong-willed,” Owen remarked, as though that explained everything.

Bella gave him a pointed look, her expression betraying her disbelief. She almost let her face twist in irritation but managed to keep her composure.

“Lady Lucia is indeed strong-willed,” Bella conceded. As ridiculous as Owen’s reasoning sounded, it wasn’t untrue. Lucia was unyielding and decisive, especially when it came to fending off those who coveted what she considered hers.

“Still, engagements are serious matters,” Bella said, steering the conversation with subtlety.

They were currently gathered in the main hall for a meeting to discuss contingency plans for the sudden snowfall and the appearance of a large magical beast. Since early morning, the group had been deliberating how to adjust their plans and draft reports on the incident. Count Taylor had joined briefly to provide insight into the local weather, and now they were on a short break.

“If things go awry, it could cause a lot of trouble. Are you prepared for that?” Bella’s true meaning was clear.

If Lucia fell victim to one of Edward’s schemes, everything would fall apart. How would Owen handle that?

“She’s not the sort to be affected by something like this,” Owen replied with calm confidence.

Bella arched an eyebrow, unimpressed by his nonchalant attitude. For a moment, she considered snapping back, but she held her tongue. After all, Owen wasn’t entirely wrong—Lucia was indeed resilient. But she couldn’t shake the nagging thought that this time, the danger might be greater than he realized.

Owen remained resolute and unwavering, his confidence in Lucia steadfast.

Bella felt a flicker of irritation at his unshakable faith in her.

“Of course, that’s all you can do—just believe in her,” she thought bitterly.

But when she considered it more deeply, she realized that Owen had no other choice. It wasn’t so much confidence as it was a shield against the gnawing anxiety that must be eating at him.

“I hope that faith of yours shatters into pieces,” Bella mused as she exhaled, her gaze fixed on him.

Owen, who had been responding to her moments ago, had already turned his attention elsewhere—toward Kyle.

The two men seemed to always be deep in conversation whenever they were together, as if they had endless things to discuss. Even though Bella knew Kyle harbored no romantic feelings for Owen, the sight still stung enough to spark a twinge of jealousy.

“I just want this situation resolved so we can all go back,” Bella thought as she tore her gaze away from them, turning to the snowstorm raging outside.

She wished for time to pass quickly, for them to return to the capital, because she knew everything would be different once they did.

* * *

“Dark magic, you say?”

The Marquess Celid’s younger son was a practitioner of dark magic.

Rumors about his involvement in questionable activities had always circulated, but Bella hadn’t expected him to delve into something as forbidden as dark magic.

“Yes. Magic that involves hypnosis, mind control, or suggestions,” Edward had explained.

“Isn’t that… illegal?”

“It is,” Edward admitted without hesitation.

Magic in this world was divided into two distinct types: the lawful general magic and the outlawed dark magic.

The mages of the Magic Tower, as well as the ones commonly known to the public, all wielded blue mana and practiced general magic—magic that adhered to the empire’s laws.

“Dark magic isn’t all that different from general magic. It’s just… more convenient for manipulating others.”

Once, long ago, dark magic had been considered legal. This was an element of The Flower of the Empire’s worldbuilding.

However, over time, nations like the Freion Empire banned it, as dark magic was increasingly used for nefarious purposes.

The reasons were simple. Dark magic allowed its users to reanimate corpses into undead creatures, manipulate minds, distort memories, and compel obedience through hypnosis or suggestion.

In other words, it was a perfect tool for crime and malevolence.

The origin of dark magic was tied to demons, a fact Bella hadn’t fully grasped until Edward elaborated.

“Dark magic isn’t inherently evil. It’s simply magic that originated from demons. In ancient times, dark magic was the only form of magic. What we now call general magic evolved from it.”

Edward claimed that magic itself was a gift from demons. Humans, seeking power to conquer the world, had learned magic from them.

Over time, the mana in human bodies diverged from that of demons, resulting in its blue hue. The practice of general magic became mainstream, while dark magic was vilified.

“How ridiculous. They detest the power of demons yet exalt the Verdun family.”

Suddenly, Edward shifted to criticizing the Verdun Dukedom.

“The Verdun family’s emblem is a black wolf because their founder was a half-demon. Their black aura stems entirely from their demonic bloodline.”

This revelation startled Bella. She had never heard this detail before. At the same time, it only deepened her admiration for Owen.

A family so secretive, exceptional, and unique—it made Owen all the more fascinating to her.

Though internally impressed, Bella kept her expression neutral. Edward clearly harbored a deep inferiority complex toward the Verdun family, particularly Owen.

“And yet, they’re treated as noble and honorable, while dark mages like me are branded as criminals. I won’t let someone like that have Lucia.”

Edward’s tone was bitter as he declared his intention. He was determined to use dark magic, if necessary, to marry Lucia and keep her away from Owen.

It was almost laughable. Bella humored him with a nod.

In truth, she didn’t care about Edward’s methods. All she needed was for Lucia to distance herself from Owen. Once that happened, Bella could take care of the rest.

Even if Edward failed and his plans collapsed spectacularly, it didn’t matter to Bella.

“After all, he’ll take the fall alone.”

Edward’s long list of offenses—practicing dark magic, capturing magical beasts using illegal methods, running a gladiatorial arena, trafficking drugs, gambling, and even human trafficking—meant he had no shortage of enemies. Bella knew all his vulnerabilities and how easily they could be exploited.

Agreeing to his scheme was a win-win for her. All she had to do was keep Owen and Kyle occupied long enough for Edward to execute his plan.

Of course, should the transcendent mages intervene, all of Edward’s efforts would be rendered useless.

Bella finished her musings as she watched the snowflakes swirling outside the window.

“I just hope he doesn’t botch everything like the fool he is.”

 

 

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