The first time Marina delved into black magic was when young Franz fell ill. Marina, who had been hiding with the child to avoid the Empress’s gaze, boldly brought the child to the palace when Franz celebrated his thirteenth birthday.
Despite bravely molding the child into a prince and starting a royal life, Franz struggled with being treated as a stranger in unfamiliar surroundings and fell seriously ill. No matter how many good medicines were tried, Franz’s condition did not improve.
Upon hearing the doctor’s warning that they should prepare themselves if the fever did not subside, Marina, half out of her mind, searched for everything she could do. In the end of her efforts, she resorted to black magic.
Seeing that the unsolvable problem was immediately resolved by forbidden means, she completely changed.
“Why go back when there’s an easy way to get what you want,” was her argument. For years, Marina continued to practice forbidden magic, paying a high price in the end.
Black magic, stemming from a malicious intent to harm someone, brings curses upon the practitioner as well. Unaware of this, Marina delved into black magic with all her heart whenever she desired something. Gradually, her wishes turned more sinister, her rituals more intense.
As she added more spells, darker sacrifices were demanded. Starting from small animals to large ones, then livestock, Marina realized that animals would no longer suffice.
She should have stopped there. But having crossed an irreversible threshold, she proceeded to commit unforgivable acts.
Her dreadful appearance now was the consequence of those actions.
“Marina, Isaac has arrived at the capital.”
The door opened, a large man rushed in, informing Marina of Isaac’s arrival. Marina, who was angered at being revealed behind the curtain, paled upon hearing Isaac’s name.
“Isaac!”
“I am pleased to meet you, Marina.”
A man of imposing stature in armor appeared. Marina seemed to want to run towards him, her legs moving as she smiled widely, but her body wouldn’t obey. Just as she nearly stumbled after taking a step, Garcia quickly caught her.
Isaac was Marina’s confidant, planting seeds of doubt as she left the capital. Gathering all the rumors and news from the capital, it was his main task to deliver them to Marina once or twice a month.
“Marina, there are things you must know.”
“Yes, Isaac. Report to me quickly about the events of the past month.”
Garcia sighed endlessly. After seeing Marina, who didn’t even turn around to listen to Isaac, he closed the curtains that had been opened.
The room was once again immersed in darkness, like Marina lost in black magic.
“Well, is that really true?”
Soon, Marina’s mocking laughter filled the room.
“Karl has become a father?”
As soon as the word “child” came out of Marina’s mouth, Garcia stiffened. It felt like every hair on his body stood on end.
A child. It was a word that should never have come out of her mouth.
“Oh, gods. The gods have not yet forsaken me. Indeed, the gods are on my side!”
And for a long time, her laughter rang out throughout the mansion, sounding almost like tearing.
***
Lekeptus tea leaves had arrived, and Laila received the notification. It was so popular and hard to come by that she had ordered it a few months ago and forgotten about it. Without a second thought, Laila immediately hopped on a carriage and set off upon hearing that the Lekeptus had finally arrived.
Although it was somewhat late to go out, waiting until dawn would risk others getting to it first. Laila spared no effort when it came to matters concerning Mrs. Pulcheria.
“I contacted you first. Do you know how much noble ladies are searching for Lekeptus these days?”
Mrs. Nito, the owner of the tea house, welcomed Laila with a smile. There were many tea houses in Laheart, but not many handled such precious tea leaves. Laila beamed with a wide smile.
“Yes, indeed. I am always grateful.”
“Are you going to give it to Mrs. Pulcheria again this time?”
“Yes. The lady really enjoys the aroma of Lekeptus tea. It soothes her mind.”
“Of course. Lekeptus has exceptional effects on healing and stability.”
“It certainly seems that way. She drinks tea brewed with it every day, so the amount I brought from the last order has already run out.”
“Has she experienced its effects?”
“Yes, she says it greatly boosts her energy.”
After exchanging brief pleasantries, they continued with compliments toward each other. However, time was passing, and they couldn’t talk for long. Laila purchased the required amount of tea leaves and expressed her gratitude once more before leaving the shop.
“Where did the carriage go?”
While she visited the tea house, she had asked the coachman to stop by the apothecary to get what she needed. The carriage was nowhere in sight yet, indicating that her errands weren’t over. Laila recalled her request and headed towards the apothecary.
It was her first time venturing out to the square in such darkness. Laila carefully scanned her surroundings, feeling slightly tense.
She had valid reasons for being cautious. Beyond the square lay the slums, a highly dangerous place for a young woman like her, despite being accompanied by a coachman. Familiar with the roads from riding the carriage, she felt both at home and out of place.
“Here seems right, but what if it’s not?”
Laila tightly held the tea leaves in her arms. The alleys all looked similar, making it hard to distinguish one from another.
This road seemed familiar, but that one didn’t. The feeling of the streets she had seen from the carriage and the ones she walked on directly was quite different.
“I should have just waited quietly in front of the shop…”
She regretted declining Mrs. Nito’s offer to have a drink. Laila quickly became distressed as she wandered around looking for the carriage, realizing she had nothing, not even a lamp, as she had left everything in the carriage and walked away. What should I do? Laila fretted.
She didn’t know where she was. Relying solely on her memory, Laila, step by step, realized she was lost at a dead-end alley.
Thinking of turning back the way she came, she turned around, but as she walked, she found it wasn’t the way back; it was a new path.
“What should I do, I don’t know.”
The surroundings grew too dark. The path narrowed, strange smells arose, and it seemed like she had entered the feared slums. The rough, unpaved road was uneven, and mice were scurrying about.
Should she stop someone and ask for directions? There was no one on the road.
Looking around the dark alleyways, Laila heaved a deep sigh. Being overly eager could invite trouble.
She had always been told that when it came to matters involving Mrs. Fulcheria, she should act with restraint and moderation. Being too eager could hinder rather than help, and now was one of those times.
If she continued this way, even if the carriage returned to the teahouse, she wouldn’t be able to get on. How could she turn back?
Deep in thought, she suddenly noticed some movement in the distance. Startled, Laila instinctively hid behind a wall and cautiously peeked out to locate the source of the sound.
It was too dark to see clearly, but it seemed to be a group of men, their black attire making them blend into the darkness, with at least six or more of them visible from afar.
Should I ask them for help? Or is it better to just stay quiet?
While considering whether they might be dangerous people, the men approached closer. Eek, Laila hid her head that had been extended towards the wall.
Just when it seemed like the sound of footsteps was getting closer, the men passed by her without noticing Laila. Fortunately, it seemed like they didn’t see her.
For a moment of calming her startled heart, she casually glanced at the side of the man passing by among the crowd and was surprised.
