A miserably ruined mansion appeared before Lionel’s eyes.
The last owner of Count Katana’s mansion had left it vacant for a long time.
Lionel found a servant who had worked in the mansion until it closed for good.
The old servant was a butler, driver, and in charge of maintenance.
He even knew the nanny and servants that worked around the time Riv’s mother entered the mansion.
The old servant who was guiding Lionel looked around the mansion, reminiscing about that time.
He stayed in the house for a long time while Count Katana was alive, and supervised construction after his death.
“Sir Wilhelm, who bought this mansion, was one of the creditors of Count of Katana. He took the mansion in lieu of debt at the time, and it seemed he was thinking of renovating it.”
“Was there a problem?”
“Every time a repair was made, workers got hurt or had problems. Sir Wilhelm also had a major accident when he came here.”
After several incidents, Wilhelm gave up on repairing the mansion and abandoned it.
“What I want to know more about is Countess Katana.”
“I heard.”
The old servant didn’t dare to ask why he was curious.
“There was a lot of talk about her identity, but no one knew exactly who she was.”
“Even the Count’s vassals?”
“Yes. Count Katana didn’t want to show her to anyone. It seemed that he didn’t want to lose his beautiful wife, who was only twenty back then.”
“Hmm.”
“So he imprisoned the Countess.”
“…!”
Lionel’s steps abruptly stopped.
“A few months after she was imprisoned, she died giving birth to a child. Only a few people knew that she was the Countess. That was 20 years ago.”
“Didn’t you say that there were traces left of her?”
“Yes. The room she stayed in is still there.”
“Why?”
“Because they said it was cursed.”
“Cursed?”
Lionel shook his head at the unexpected remark.
The old servant thought it was blasphemous to even mention it. He was worried that the curse of the imprisoned woman would be passed on to him.
“Her room has been locked for 20 years. Count Katana couldn’t handle the room either.”
“Handle?”
“You will understand when you see it.”
The servant shuddered.
“This is it.”
Shana, the woman imprisoned by Count Katana. Her room was on this floor.
It was a small room in the corner.
In front of the door was a pile of clutter, and when they cleared it, the entrance was visible.
The door had long since fallen off its hinges, so he could clearly see inside the room.
“Ugh!”
Lionel covered his nose with a handkerchief.
“This…!”
The room was covered in blood.
Lionel tentatively entered.
The old man guiding Lionel turned away, not daring to go in.
“Is this her room?”
“Y-Yes. Sh-She might have been crazier than I thought.”
The terrified old man stuttered from the doorframe.
“Th-That girl must have been cursed. I, I, I w-will go down now.”
The servant fled, and only Lionel remained.
20 years worth of dust swirled in the air around him.
“Hmm?”
Something familiar caught his eye.
Lionel was puzzled as he examined strange characters scrawled on the ceiling, walls, and items scattered on the floor.
Shana apparently collected things just as Riv did, such as antiques.
“Hmm, are they magic tools?”
Lionel, who touched the wall while he was examining the symbols, suddenly smelled the rich scent of the forest.
He fumbled against the wall and spun around. He was now in an old hut.
“…?”
A huge tree loomed outside the window.
Lionel couldn’t believe it and ran out of the room.
He had just exited an old hut on the verge of collapse, in the middle of a forest.
“Where am I?”
Just a second ago, he was on the outskirts of the Royal Capital, in the mansion of Katana.
Lionel felt a presence standing behind him.
“You have finally come.”
A middle-aged man in dark priest’s robes was staring at Lionel and smiling.
“It is commendable that you have gotten this far.”
“Who are you?”
His question was pointless. Lionel knew that this man was Philip.
“And what is this place?”
“You’ll see when you go in, Duke Sentoren.”
He gently pushed Lionel back into the hut.
The inside of the hut had transformed into the room of Shana. The blood on the walls that had turned brown from age had regained its vivid red color.
Philip spoke.
“This is the residence of the Count Katana, but it is also Shana’s space.”
“How?”
“Magic.”
Philip traced the symbols on the floor with his foot.
A huge magic circle was drawn in the center of the room.
“Stand there.”
Every corner of the ceiling glowed, forming silvery symbols.
Everything started to move around Lionel.
“What are you?”
“I am Shana’s, I am the person Riv’s mother prepared.”
“Prepared? What the hell?”
Lionel grew anxious and groped around inside his pocket. He felt the pendant necklace that Riv had left behind, and the Duchess’ ruby ring.
His own mother.
The woman in the pendant portrait.
Riv, who was missing.
And Philip. They were all people that Lionel couldn’t understand.
What was certain was that Riv was a witch, and her powers were hereditary. Philip was closely involved in this too.
“The second act has begun.”
Philip looked very happy.
“I have been waiting for the Duke of Sentoren to come. If the Duke had not opened this door, I wouldn’t have been able to rest.
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you come all the way here knowing Riv Katana was a witch?”
“Yes?”
Lionel stared at the man, deeming him insane.
“It’s a long story. The Duke likely doesn’t know much about it. Riv probably didn’t have much time to explain.”
It was just as Philip said.
Riv confessed to Lionel that she was a witch. He couldn’t comprehend the situation, and before he knew it, she disappeared. Saying she was dead felt like a lie.
“So what do I need to know?”
“Well, I don’t have much time, so I’ll keep it short.”
Contrary to his words, Philip looked relaxed.
“Riv Katana’s death was predestined. When she died for the first time, it was quite a coincidence that she had the ring of the late Duchess.”
“How?”
Lionel pulled out the ring and pendant necklace.
Philip’s gaze turned to his hand.
“Princess Marianne and the Duke of Sentoren were married, and Riv Katana was murdered by Princess Marianne. Marianne threw the ring of the Duchess at Riv.”
Phillip added casually.
“Riv Katana was burned alive. By sheer coincidence, Riv Katana was of witches blood, and the Duchess of Sentoren’s ring was a magical tool. Her will to live awakened her magic.”
“You want me to believe that?”
“It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. Don’t you know?”
Philip pointed to the ring.
“That ring is proof. The ring wanted to save the Duke. After Riv Katana was murdered, you were going to be poisoned by Princess Marianne.”
Philip shortened his words, implying Lionel didn’t need to know this.
“The Duchess’ ring has saved your life many times through Riv, so it has done its part.”
Philip’s gaze was still fixed on Lionel’s hand.
“Open your hand.”
“Why me?”
“Aren’t you here to get Riv back?”
Lionel was confused as to whether this man was a demon or an angel.
At that moment, the pendant necklace in his hand began to shine.
“What…?”
The pendant necklace cast light everywhere.
Lionel realized that this necklace was also a ‘magic tool’.
“Is there magic here?”
Philip’s shadow flickered wickedly.
“Shana’s magic had a fatal flaw. Her spell needs a drop of blood from someone who had risen from the dead. Then her magic will be complete.”
“What do you mean?”
“I need the blood of the Duke of Sentoren, the man who Riv Katana revived.”
Philip pulled out a dagger. He cut Lionel’s fingertip, and blood dripped on the floor.
The magic circle began to shine.
Philip looked ecstatic.
***
A few days later, Lionel entered the palace under Royal Order.
And in front of the audience chamber, he saw Princess Marianne and her husband, the Grand Duke of Shantel.
Perhaps because of their age difference, they looked more like grandfather and granddaughter than a couple.
Marianne’s dress was too revealing, and it didn’t suit her. There were also deep purple bruises on Marianne’s neck and back.
There were rumors that Grand Duke Shantel was abusing Princess Marianne. Apparently, they were true.
“Give me some sweets. I need something sweet and delicious.”
Marianne muttered soullessly.
***
Note: 4 chaps of side stories left.