Episode 74

By the time we arrived, Robert had already finished packing and had generously compensated the assistants who had helped him. His house, now emptied, held little of sentimental value, but he made sure to carefully pack a photo of his late wife into his bag.

Other than that, he carried only various research notes and notebooks.

“All set?” I asked.

“Yes, we can leave whenever you’re ready.”

Robert planned to spend the night at the Karsian villa and accompany us to the capital the following day.

He didn’t seem particularly attached to the place, as he left with a relieved expression, holding Sharon’s hand as they walked out.

When we returned to the villa with the new guests, I saw the household staff bustling about, preparing for our early departure the next morning.

“Eve, could you show Robert and Sharon to their rooms for tonight?” I asked.

“Of course, Miss. Please follow me, both of you.”

I watched Eve lead Robert and Sharon up the stairs to the second floor, then headed to my own room.

The view outside the hallway windows showed the dark night settling over everything.

‘We’re finally leaving.’

It had turned out to be a longer stay in the south than expected.

Even Ludwig hadn’t anticipated it, and he’d had to conduct most of his duties from here.

‘I wonder if he’s still in the study right now.’

As that thought crossed my mind, I noticed a tall figure at the end of the corridor, right near my room.

I had just been thinking about him, and there he was.

“Ludwig, what are you doing here?”

“Ah, Sierra. You’ve returned. I was just…”

Ludwig turned toward me, but then he suddenly froze.

His gaze, usually calm and steady with his golden eyes, held an unfamiliar intensity, almost a hint of danger.

“W-What’s wrong?”

Had I done something?

Ludwig raised a hand and gently brushed his fingers against my face. I instinctively tried to step back, but I found the wall behind me.

“Why… were you hurt?”

“Hurt?”

Only then did I realize my state.

After the explosion and the tumble on the ground, my dress was scuffed and torn.

I thought I had brushed off most of the dust, but it seemed that I still looked like someone who had just gone through a rough ordeal.

“Oh, it’s not an injury…”

I was about to explain that it was just dirt when Ludwig’s voice dropped to a low, threatening tone.

“Who dares? Who did this to you?”

Ludwig sounded as if he was ready to hunt down the culprit and deliver justice himself.

His gaze was so fierce that, even though I knew it wasn’t directed at me, it made my hands tremble.

“If you want, I’ll handle this quietly.”

“…I don’t even know who it was. It was an explosion.”

“An explosion?”

In the end, I told Ludwig everything that had happened that day.

I explained how I had encountered the suspicious man on the street, how the explosion spell went off behind me, and how I was unharmed thanks to Eve’s quick actions.

I made sure to emphasize that I wasn’t hurt, only dirtied by the dust.

‘It’s too early in the storyline to mention meeting Jenna, so I’ll keep that part to myself for now.’

“An explosion… then it would be difficult to identify the perpetrator.”

The magic circle could have been prepared in advance and activated remotely, making it hard to trace.

“We’ll conduct a thorough investigation through Queensbury.”

With the wall behind me and Ludwig in front, I had no choice but to nod.

But more than that…

‘He’s too close!’

From a distance, it might look like we were having a secret rendezvous.

And I think I just saw something.

Two maids, gossiping their way up the corridor, spotted us and quickly turned away, blushing furiously.

“I worry when I don’t see you, even under normal circumstances. But today, you’ve had such a dangerous encounter… how am I supposed to let you out of my sight now?”

Noticing how flustered I was, Ludwig mischievously closed the gap between us even more.

“Should I stay by your side all day long just to feel at ease?”

“H-Having the Grand Duke of Karsian as a bodyguard would be too much for me to handle.”

Ludwig let out a short sigh, as if, for the first time, he found his position as Grand Duke to be bothersome.

‘Wait, so he was serious?’

He seemed to consider his options for a moment before speaking again.

“Then how about Eve? As you’ve seen today, she has excellent judgment and would be suitable as both a bodyguard and an assistant.”

“No, that’s not necessary. While Eve did protect me here, I already have a bodyguard in the capital.”

He must have realized I was referring to Desar because I saw a faint furrow in Ludwig’s brow.

Although the two didn’t get along, Ludwig acknowledged Desar’s skills.

“If there ever comes a time when that scoundrel can’t do his job, let me know. I’ll find you a better guard.”

He spoke as if he hoped that time would come sooner rather than later.

‘They really are like oil and water.’

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Only then did Ludwig take a step back.

“Thank you for your concern.”

A friend who gets angry with me over the little things and genuinely cares about my well-being is a rare treasure.

…That’s what I tried to convince myself, but my heart wasn’t so easily convinced.

Ever since the night of the festival, I’d become acutely aware of him, and now even the slightest touch made my heart race uncontrollably.

He truly had the charm to capture the hearts of many women, fitting the role of a male lead perfectly.

It wasn’t fair to blame the Sierra from the original story—Ludwig was naturally the kind of man who could sweep anyone off their feet.

‘But it’s fine. I can handle this.’

Once we returned to the capital, I wouldn’t see him nearly as often as I did in the south.

He would be swamped with the responsibilities of his position, and I would be busy working with Robert on the medicine.

Distance would naturally help me sort out my feelings.

“Have a restful night, then.”

He smiled handsomely as he said those words, making my resolve from a moment ago falter as my heart skipped another beat.

That night.

Perhaps because of the many exhausting events of the day, I found sleep easily, despite the tension earlier.

Tonight would be my last time seeing the vast ocean view from my window.

Just as sleep began to take over, making my eyelids heavy, I heard a strange noise.

[…?]

“Uh, huh?”

I woke up just before drifting off completely, startled by the odd sound.

I sat up in bed and looked around, but the room was as silent as ever.

“Did I imagine it?”

I muttered to myself as I tried to settle back into bed.

[……!]

But as soon as I lay down, a faint sound, like a whisper tickling my ear, reached me again.

It wasn’t just a noise—it felt like someone’s voice.

“…W-what is this?”

It was now well past midnight, and the mansion was completely silent. Not even the servants were moving about the hallways.

‘Does that mean… could it be a haunting…?’

There’s a famous legend in the south.

Long ago, this land was a battlefield against demonic creatures, where many lost their lives. It’s said that the spirits of those who couldn’t find peace still linger….

[That’s nonsense.]

“Ahhh!”

This time, I heard it clearly—every word, as if the voice was hammering directly into my ear. I nearly jumped out of bed.

[You and I seem to have good compatibility. I didn’t think we’d be able to communicate this easily.]

“W-Who are you?”

[You don’t need to speak. We’re conversing spiritually.]

‘Does that mean… a ghost?’

[No.]

“So, have I finally lost my mind?”

Hearing voices at my age—was this another symptom of Lisbeth disease?

Just then, I noticed a faint red light emanating from the gemstone of the necklace I always wore.

“Why is this…?”

It was glowing, just like when it had vanquished the creatures in the forest without a trace during the hunting festival.

[Ah, finally, you’ve noticed. I’m not a ghost, and you’re not losing your mind.]

Seeing the necklace light up with each word, it was clear that the voice was connected to it.

But how could I even begin to explain this strange phenomenon of talking to my mother’s keepsake?

‘Then who are you?’

[I am ‘Askan.’ I am the ancient spirit who made a contract with your mother, Sionna.]

An ancient spirit? One of those beings who, filled with rage at humanity’s constant wars, supposedly vanished without a trace hundreds of years ago….

[It wasn’t just disgust with the weak nature of humans. I overexerted my power in a certain incident, which forced me into a long sleep.]

It seemed we could communicate without words, as he responded directly to my thoughts.

Suddenly, a memory came to mind.

During a conversation I once had with Theodore at the imperial palace, he had mentioned this very necklace. He told me that my mother had claimed a spirit lived inside it.

‘So it wasn’t a joke?’

It was hard to believe, but it was the only way to make sense of this inexplicable situation.