“What, what is that?”
She looked at the person lying there like a corpse and asked, not “Who is that?” but “What is that?” The rigid figure, stiff as a cadaver, appeared eerie.
Why is something like that on the bed? Thinking of things that resembled Larriete made her stomach churn.
“Hmm? Ah. The owner of this room.”
“What?”
He spoke as if it were nothing.
“It’s the real Hubert.”
The real Hubert? Had the person he was impersonating been left here all this time? The man’s fluffy ash-gray hair completely covered his eyes. It was exactly the same as the disguise Lexion had always used.
“Did you knock him out?”
“I suppose you could call it a kind of sleep state. When he wakes up, he won’t remember anything, but his body will feel refreshed. Don’t worry.”
Hearing Lexion’s brief explanation, Milena let out a sigh of relief.
“At least you didn’t kill him. That’s a relief.”
Did she think he had killed the knight and then taken his place? She was more extreme than he expected. Seeing her relieved expression, Lexion swallowed a laugh.
“Hurry up and get dressed. We need to move before the servants wake up.”
As he obediently dressed himself at her urging, he casually asked,
“Where exactly are we going?”
While waiting for him to finish dressing, she busied herself looking around the modest knight’s quarters. Once he had his shirt on, she turned to approach him.
It’s a secret, huh? Though unsure of her intentions, he smirked and sent her a suggestive look.
“Hm, how did you guess? My specialty happens to be doing very secretive and devious things.”
“Leave out the devious part. Are you sure you’re not actually a wizard?”
She lightly smacked away his hand as he slyly reached to stroke her cheek. As he watched his hand get rejected so coldly, he clicked his tongue inwardly.
“Well, it’s something like that.”
His answer was always the same. It was either yes or no—what did he mean by “something like that”? Still, as long as he could use magic, that was all that mattered.
The things they were about to do all involved magic, so having someone who could wield it was a definite advantage.
“Let’s go.”
When she extended her hand, he cautiously placed his previously rejected hand atop her small one. This time, she grabbed it without hesitation.
He truly couldn’t predict her actions.
Even as he allowed himself to be led away, Lexion found his gaze fixed on Milena’s hand holding his.
He had never understood women who were pleased just by holding his hand. Yet now, just this simple contact was enough to bring him a strange sense of peace.
Was it because their magical energies resonated? He couldn’t quite define the reason why touching her felt so comforting rather than suffocating, as it usually did.
Was it the White Magic that suppressed his own power? Or was it simply because she was special?
The place she boldly led him to was truly somewhere that required secrecy to enter.
A hidden space known only to the past heads of the family. Even Ashid, the current Grand Duke’s heir, was unaware of this secret chamber in the ducal castle.
Only Milena, who had acted as the lady of the house in Larriete’s stead, knew of its existence.
Despite her infamous reputation as a wicked woman, she was highly intelligent and had taken charge of many ducal affairs. Thanks to that, she had secretly learned even the most classified information.
“Well then, shall we loot the treasure vault?”
Standing before the door infused with magical energy, Lexion’s heart pounded hard.
Could the gem he had been desperately seeking be in here? A place like this seemed promising.
As Milena stood before the massive stone door, holding the key she had secretly stolen, Lexion found himself gazing at her anew.
A hidden chamber lay beneath the tomb of a former Grand Duke.
The graveyard at the back of the ducal estate—beneath the very place where a previous Grand Duke was buried—concealed a staircase leading underground.
As they descended, the damp air grew increasingly unpleasant.
Clank.
Milena inserted the key into a hole in the stone door and turned it.
Whoosh—
Magical energy rippled outward, dispelling the murky air surrounding them.
Without a sound, the thick door slid open, revealing a vast chamber beyond.
Lexion had worried about security measures, such as defensive spells, but the Grand Duke’s key that Milena held had neutralized them all.
“This place…”
Following Milena inside, Lexion was at a loss for words.
She hadn’t been exaggerating when she called it a treasure vault.
The massive chamber was filled with a chaotic array of artifacts.
Since only past Grand Dukes had known about this space, there had been no systematic oversight of the items stored here.
There was probably an inventory list somewhere, but unless someone checked directly, it would be impossible to know if anything had gone missing.
That was precisely why Milena had targeted this place.
With treasures gathered by successive Grand Dukes, there were bound to be many magical artifacts. The value of these relics was immeasurable.
‘How much is all of this worth?’
From sculptures and paintings to weapons and armor, everything was piled haphazardly like a warehouse, yet preservation magic had kept them untouched by time.
She swiftly scanned the area, looking for items worth taking.
Hmm, is there a bag or something here? I was planning to pocket just a necklace or bracelet, but seeing all this treasure… I should take more.
Financial compensation for emotional distress was best handled with money.
“Lexion, do you know any storage magic?”
“……”
Preoccupied with the gold coins scattered across the floor, she didn’t immediately notice that something was off about him.
“Lexion?”
Lexion had been scanning the room with his crimson eyes, following a familiar trail of magical energy.
His gaze finally locked onto an empty space where nothing seemed to exist.
“It’s not here…”
The lingering traces of magic were clearly visible, yet the source of the power he had been seeking so desperately was nowhere to be found.
He had risked everything to sneak into this place, but now it felt as if he were being mocked.
The power that should have rightfully returned to its original owner was missing.
Even when he had faced the Grand Duke, he had searched his body but found nothing.
‘Where the hell did he hide it?’
There was no time left.
Frustration turned into rage, and his dark magic flared dangerously, spreading through the chamber.
Gritting his teeth, he struggled to maintain control, but it wasn’t easy.
The raw power clawed at him, desperate to break free. He was on the verge of surrendering to it when—
“Lexion!”
A delicate yet firm hand grasped his.
His blood-red eyes flickered down at their joined hands.
“Are you okay?”
His pale face was drenched in cold sweat, and his breath came in ragged gasps. Slowly, he blinked at her words.
“…Ah.”
Now he understood.
Why her touch was so incredibly soothing.
It was because the magic he had been desperately restraining—was afraid of her.
He wasn’t sure how, but the moment she held his hand again, his raging power calmed instantly.
Lexion let out a quiet laugh, his voice cracking.
“Lexion?”
“You told me not to grab you so easily…”
His husky voice was dangerously alluring.
Feeling self-conscious, she quickly withdrew her hand.
“Sorry. You didn’t look well.”
“…I didn’t say you had to let go.”
He stared longingly at her hand before murmuring with an almost pleading look.
“Milena… Can I hold you? Just this once?”
“What?”
“This time, I really will just hold you. I feel like I’m about to collapse… Milena. Please, just for a moment.”
What kind of trick was this?
She tensed, but looking at his face, he truly seemed on the verge of collapse.
In Hubert’s form, he looked even more pitiful.
Sweat trickled down his sharp jawline beneath his disheveled gray hair.
“…Just this once.”
She didn’t know why his condition had worsened so suddenly, but she couldn’t just ignore her supposed husband-to-be.
When she opened her arms, he wasted no time pulling her into an embrace.
