chapter 12
“Of course….”
The duke rose unsteadily to his feet.
It was evident that he was careful not to let my hand slip from his shoulder as he stood.
The shirt under my palm stretched taut with his movements, then loosened into wrinkles.
It tickled.
“Thank you.”
I stifled the ticklish feeling and offered a brief greeting. From this closer distance, I leaned in to examine the fragments that had come from the wall.
Up close, the edges shimmered with a blue hue, but the cross-section had a reddish tone.
“Duke, do you know about Algoy rock?”
“Algoy rock? Isn’t that a specialty of the Grand Duchy of Ostalgoy?”
He scanned the wall with sharp eyes as he spoke.
“I’ve never heard of such large deposits being buried. I heard recently that their reserves have sharply declined, and they are working on developing substitutes.”
I nodded. I had studied this during geography class back at the academy.
Algoy rock.
A mineral with a 78% affinity for mana, essential in magical artifacts.
Its power was so great that even a pure piece could siphon the mana from any magical artifact and render it useless.
This rock could only be obtained in the Grand Duchy of Ostalgoy, making it a significant political and economic resource.
However, because the deposits were limited and magical tools were becoming more widespread, the available supply was gradually shrinking—a growing problem.
“That’s right. There’s no single rock large enough to carve out an entire room like this.”
I kept one hand on the duke and used the other to pick up a stone that had rolled onto the floor. Upon closer inspection, red lines crisscrossed the stone’s cross-section like a web.
“…And Scarlett used magical tools to escape from here. This isn’t Algoy rock.”
I handed the fragment I held to the duke. He took it and examined it.
I made sure not to block the light so he could clearly see the red, spiderweb-like veins and the cross-section.
“The hallmark of Algoy rock is its strong mana sensitivity, and its smooth, seemingly soft white color.”
“You know your stuff.”
“I learned it.”
I had never seen this type of stone before. Fortunately, the fragments were slowly disintegrating under the duke’s mana, but it was still suspicious.
What is this?
As the wall grew thinner, a humming resonance began to fill the room.
I had a strong feeling we would be able to get out soon.
“I need to go out and examine it.”
The duke spoke as he clenched the stone tightly.
And then—
Crack.
A breeze swept in.
I carefully chipped away at the wall along the crack. As the gap widened, the light in the room gradually dimmed.
Looking closely, the wall had a triple-layered structure, with a thin layer of Algoy rock tiles embedded in the middle.
‘That’s why the knights couldn’t break through the wall entirely.’
Even if the tiles were thin, as long as the rock remained intact, magical tools would be unable to function.
Tap, tap. As the room darkened, the sound of blood dripping from the duke’s hand became more distinct.
‘I must be careful not to scratch him while getting out…’
I focused on the crack, enlarging it as much as possible.
It took time, but once the first hole was made, it became easier to carve the rock outward from that central point.
“Finally!”
A hole large enough for a person to pass through had formed. Beyond it, a vast plain and a star-filled navy-blue night sky stretched out.
I removed my hand from the duke’s shoulder. Our eyes met. I clenched and unclenched my empty hand, while the duke awkwardly placed his intact hand back on his shoulder.
“Let’s go out now.”
The outer wall had already been broken by the duke’s subordinates.
Gravel and rubble crunched underfoot. Fresh air filled my lungs.
The joy of being able to use magic and stepping outside lifted my spirits.
“Duke!”
The knights emerged hastily, torches in hand.
Ah, the duke! I turned my head.
Inside the room, he had looked calm, but outside, his face was pale.
“Quick, a healer!”
A knight wearing a blue pauldron stepped forward and brought a magnifying-glass-like magical tool to the duke’s wound.
Soon, black smoke began to collect at its center.
“What’s that?”
Unable to suppress my curiosity, I asked, and the knight beside me spoke in a gentle voice.
“It’s a magical tool for extracting poison.”
“Could it be… that…?”
“Yes. One of the few human-specific extraction tools in the empire.”
I widened my eyes as the black smoke slowly condensed.
Eventually, a black crystal rose in the center of the magnifying lens. The healer, wearing gloves and a handkerchief, picked up the crystal.
The bleeding from the duke’s hand stopped.
Seeing that, my anxiety slowly faded.
“Excuse me, I will proceed with the examination, Your Grace.”
The healer said, drawing a needle from their waist.
I noticed the duke biting his lip as he looked at the needle, his eyes betraying uncertainty.
‘Afraid of needles? How unexpected…’
This was a common tool even in the academy infirmary.
It didn’t actually pierce the skin; stitching in the air healed the person directly.
Yet he was this flustered.
“If you’re nervous, you can close your eyes.”
“I’m not nervous at all.”
Though he said that, his eyelids trembled whenever the needle passed over his hand.
“Pfft.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Not to mock, but because the sight was unexpectedly cute for someone his size.
Though in the situation, it probably sounded like mocking. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand.
The knights looked at me with puzzled expressions.
“I… wasn’t laughing at him…”
“It’s alright.”
The duke replied briefly without looking at me. His cheeks and ears were flushed.
“Well, I’m afraid of needles too! Even if they don’t actually pierce, you still flinch, right?”
I hurriedly defended him, and the surrounding knights all chimed in.
“Exactly, Lady! Needles must be sharp, after all.”
“Right! Even if they don’t pierce, making them blunt would be so much better!”
The knights spoke passionately. The healer, silently stitching in the air, finally opened their mouth.
“Please keep quiet; you’re disturbing the duke’s treatment.”
“Yes, of course.”
Had we overreacted? I carefully checked the duke’s expression.
He had his eyes tightly shut.
We took a carriage on the way back.
We had to walk a little to reach the carriage parked on a hill. Faint light had begun to appear as we walked.
Seeing the carriage sitting among the horses, I asked the duke,
“Is it far from the duke’s residence?”
“Not too far.”
He escorted me to the carriage and said we were fortunate to find it. By now, the wound on his hand had healed completely.
A glowing crystal was embedded in the carriage ceiling. When the duke touched it, the light turned on.
It felt oddly like a car from my previous life.
“This is a neighborhood I’ve never seen.”
I rubbed my shoulders. It was still early summer, and the dawn air was chilly.
The duke frowned sharply, apparently displeased. He opened the window and called a nearby knight.
“Brud.”
The knight whose name was called pressed close to the carriage while mounted on his horse.
“I shall obey your command, Your Grace.”
I recognized him. He had been the loudest to cheer when the duke had flinched at the needle.
The duke pointed to the cloak he wore.
“Could you lend me your cloak?”
“My cloak?”
“Yes. It would be bad if Lady Rohella caught a cold.”
The knight quietly unbuttoned his cloak and removed it. Even while on horseback, he folded it neatly and handed it to the duke with both hands.
Before I could admire it, the duke handed the cloak to me.
“The night air is cold.”
Though it was more like early morning than night.
Embarrassed by his courtesy, I accepted the cloak while adding a few words.
“Won’t the knight be cold?”
“I’m fine.”
Despite my concern, the knight quickly remounted. He smiled and added,
“Then I’ll return to the formation.”
Click, clop. The sound of hooves gradually faded.
“Don’t worry, just wrap yourself in it.”
The duke said, gesturing toward the cloak. I hesitated briefly before spreading it over myself.
It was warm, though thinner and lighter than expected.
“It seems easier to tear than I thought.”
“Yes, so you can escape if captured.”
The duke said, adjusting the cloak so it wouldn’t slip off the seat. I watched quietly and asked,
“Aren’t you cold, Duke?”
He furrowed his brows. Had my words upset him?
As I worried if I had offended his pride, he spoke.
“No… By the way, how long will you keep calling me ‘Duke’?”
“Huh?”
I asked in surprise. He looked away, hand near his mouth.
“You should use my name in front of Lewin. Getting used to calling me by name in everyday situations will make it easier.”
“Ah…”
I nodded. That made sense. I noticed his cheeks slightly pink.
Perhaps he felt embarrassed being called by name by a commoner.
He added softly,
“Come to think of it, we haven’t formally introduced ourselves. I am Dorian Everhart von Brecht, the 8th Duke of Brecht.”
“Thank you for the introduction. I am… Rohella. As a commoner, I have no surname. I’ll shamelessly call you D… Dorian from now on.”
When saying his name, my tongue almost froze. Probably because the social hierarchy in this world had been deeply ingrained in me.
I managed to get the words out.
The carriage jolted. For a moment, I thought I saw Dorian smile.
When I blinked, his expression had stiffened again.
After the fear of being kidnapped and nearly dying, it was only for a moment.
Wrapped in the warm, soft cloak, I relaxed as the carriage rocked.
Seeing something like his smile made me feel even more at ease.
We were finally safe.
The glow of the crystal flickered with the carriage’s movement.
I smiled brightly and said,
“Then D… Dorian, should I get used to you calling me ‘mother’?”
“…We’ll consider it.”
I burst out laughing. Though the dialogue was different, it felt like a perfect déjà vu.
Soon, the carriage driver announced that we had arrived at the duke’s residence.
