IDED | Chapter 125

Episode 125

A secluded villa on the outskirts of the capital.

On the surface, it appeared to be an ordinary castle, but in reality, it was a lavish prison.

Nocturne stood by the firmly locked door, gazing out the window. Outside, knights were stationed under the pretense of guarding the castle.

But Nocturne knew the truth—those guards were there solely to prevent his escape.

Shackles already bound him, yet they had gone so far as to place sentries. The Duke was clearly taking extreme measures.

The situation had strayed completely from Nocturne’s original plan, leaving him unsettled. He had deliberately sent Pai to infiltrate the Duke’s estate while pretending to follow orders.

The Duke had a tendency to personally handle important matters, so Nocturne had been certain he would come looking for him. That would have provided the perfect opportunity to raid the Duke’s study. He had even made a copy of the key in advance.

Until Pai contacted him, Nocturne had planned to act as if he were simply enjoying a luxurious stay at a hotel.

But when he finally came face-to-face with the Duke, he realized he had made a grave miscalculation.

— Did I not warn you? A dog should do nothing but wag its tail at its master.

— I am not Your Grace’s dog.

— Nonsense. As long as the mark remains, you cannot defy me, Nocturne. You know this—that’s why you returned of your own accord, didn’t you?

— And yet, Your Grace keeps me alive because you need me.

— Arrogant wretch. No matter what you do, you cannot win against me. Did you really think you could leave after coming here on your own?

— Surely… you don’t intend to imprison me?

— Only until the Founding Festival. By then, everything will be over, and you’ll have no strength to resist.

From the start, the Duke’s goal had been to capture and confine Nocturne, fearing he might interfere by aiding Azaid.

Having already obstructed the Duke’s plans once before, Nocturne knew he was being closely monitored. He had attempted to escape multiple times, but every attempt had failed. And there had been no word from Pai.

‘I need to get a message to Azaid as soon as possible.’

Nocturne anxiously bit his nails, unable to hide his growing unease. Not knowing what the Duke’s deadline signified only made it worse.

The Duke was far more ruthless than Nocturne had anticipated. His schemes were like an intricately woven spider’s web, crafted over a long period with meticulous care.

Every thread was woven with precision, ensuring that once ensnared, there was no escape.

Only now did Nocturne fully grasp that he was just another prey caught in that web.

With shackles restricting him, he could use none of his magic except for the spells he had prepared in advance.

Thus, he could only wait for Pai’s return. But even that had its limits.

‘Why is he taking so long?’

Restless, Nocturne paced back and forth.

He had left a note.

If the magic had activated, then there was no way Azaid hadn’t seen it. Yet, no response had come. Not from Azaid, and not from Pai either.

Pai was intelligent—he would have infiltrated the Duke’s estate without issue. An escape route had already been mapped out, ensuring he could reach the note immediately after completing his mission.

Yet, with no word until now, something had clearly gone wrong.

‘Could it have been caught?’

Being trapped like this, unable to see anything for himself, only fueled his unease. Just as Nocturne was preparing for his tenth escape attempt, something caught his eye—a familiar gray tail flickered outside the window.

“Finally, you’re here!”

Nocturne eagerly opened the window to welcome his visitor. Pai slipped inside and nestled into his arms. Seeing how plump Fai had grown in his absence, Nocturne felt a sense of relief.

“I thought the Duke had caught you. Why are you so late?”

“Meow.”

“Good boy.”

As Nocturne stroked his back, Pai purred in contentment. After showering him with affection, Nocturne reached for Pai’s neck to check the information he had brought.

A soft jingling sound filled the room. Nocturne removed the small bell and gently shook it.

Though it appeared to be an ordinary bell, it was actually a magical device—an artifact designed to copy and store documents. For Nocturne, who specialized in elemental magic, using it was effortless.

The Duke, on the other hand, could only pretend to wield such power. The artifact was of Nocturne’s own creation, rendering it inaccessible to anyone else.

Cradling Pai in his arms, Nocturne examined the evidence stored within the bell. It seemed Fai had spent quite some time in the Duke’s estate, as the information was remarkably detailed.

“So, you were with Ophelia.”

True to his sharp instincts, Pai had immediately found the safest person to stay with in the Duke’s castle.

Ophelia had a foul temper, but she was one of the few people in the Greenwood family who could be reasoned with.

Moreover, she had a weakness for small and cute things—though she pretended otherwise, it was obvious.

So it made sense that she wouldn’t have harmed or driven Pai away.

As Nocturne skimmed through the information, his eyes suddenly darkened.

Pai had copied something unexpected.

“This is…”

Nocturne’s hand brushed against his lips in shock.

It was a kill list—an execution notice.

Names that had already been crossed out belonged to those who were no longer alive, while the names still written were those yet to be eliminated.

Seeing the record of people the Duke had killed sent a chill down Nocturne’s spine.

The implications were unmistakable.

“Has he finally lost his mind?”

When he saw the last name on the list—[Azaid Khan Crotten]—Nocturne nearly threw the book across the room.

Azaid was in danger.

Realizing the Duke planned to assassinate Azaid at the Founding Festival, Nocturne shot to his feet. Even if it cost him his life, he had to warn Azaid immediately.

Once the Duke discovered that the records had been scanned, he would undoubtedly suspect Nocturne.

The Duke had always wanted to keep Nocturne bound to the family. Perhaps it was because Nocturne resembled him the most.

But Nocturne no longer wanted to remain under his rule.

Even knowing that the Duke held his life in his hands, Nocturne had defied him. And though the Duke had turned a blind eye until now, it seemed his patience was running thin.

If he learned of this, he would not show mercy. He would kill him.

As Nocturne, deep in thought, hesitated, Fai looked up at him with a questioning gaze.

“Pai. Do you like Ophelia?”

“Meow.”

Pai purred in response, and Nocturne let out a small chuckle.

If he died, at least Ophelia would take good care of Pai.

She had already named him Dorothy and was doting on him.

“That’s one less thing to worry about.”

As Nocturne absentmindedly scratched Pai’s back, steeling himself for what was to come—

Cough—!

Pai suddenly gagged and spat something out.

Nocturne’s eyes widened in shock.

“This is…”

What Pai had spat out was a familiar badge. The golden badge bore the imperial seal along with the name “Serena Vincent.”

It seemed to be a message from Azaid. Remembering that he had previously planted a listening device there, Nocturne activated it.

And at that very moment—

Amidst the unpleasant static noise, a familiar voice flowed out.

[Mr. Nocturne, can you hear me clearly?]

“Miss Serena?”

At the unexpected voice, Nocturne’s eyes widened.

Serena had proposed to Azaid’s group the idea of using Pai. Azaid, as if confirming her explanation once more, spoke.

“So, you’re saying we should use Pai to inform Nocturne of our situation?”

“Yes, exactly. If he realizes that I can use absorption magic, he won’t think of throwing his life away.”

“But for that magic to work, you and Nocturne have to come into contact, don’t you?”

When Lily pointed out the issue, Serina replied.

“That’s right. That’s why we need to inform Nocturne of the situation to buy time. If he remains unaware, he might end up making a reckless, life-threatening decision.”

“Nocturne is definitely capable of doing that.”

Leonard nodded, supporting Serena’s words. Nocturne was usually rational but had a tendency to act impulsively at times.

Especially since he often treated his own life as expendable, he was one of the people who required extra caution.

As everyone seemed to agree, Serena moved on to discuss the next crucial part of the plan.

“And I also intend to weaken the Duke’s power.”

“How?”

Azaid asked, worried that Serena might attempt something reckless. Serena lightly grabbed Azaid’s hand and smiled slyly.

“After what happened with His Majesty, I’ve been thinking. My magic is extremely dangerous to Awakened beings.”

Ever since she discovered her unique magic, Serina had been contemplating how it could be utilized.

The conclusion was simple: its potential was limitless. Since she could manipulate mana freely within a body, she could silently kill an Awakened being.

Not only that, but she could also completely drain their mana, rendering them incapable of combat.

Hadn’t Azaid himself unwillingly experienced that, leaving him in a weakened state?

Serina planned to disarm the Duke—so that he could no longer commit any more atrocities.

“For all the suffering he’s inflicted on others, isn’t it only fair that he experiences some suffering himself?”

As Serena smiled knowingly, Azaid immediately understood her intent.

“Wait, are you planning to steal the Duke’s mana?”

“Yes, exactly. We have to make sure he can’t toy with people’s lives anymore.”

“But trying to get close to him could put you in danger.”

Azaid didn’t look pleased, but Serina paid no mind and continued with her argument.

“I don’t need to get close to him.”

“Then how?”

“You’ve already seen that I can drain mana without meeting someone in person.”

Serena tapped on the drawing on the note she had used to summon Pai.