chapter 18
Three instances of threats and a persistent obsession with the child.
Surely, there’s something I don’t know.
But Dorian isn’t telling me.
“Even if the child had been kidnapped, we’ve only known each other a short while… maybe it can’t be helped?”
I saved the child, yet it’s like this. I decided to just forget about it.
What I know lacks proof, and Dorian refuses to share what he knows.
Time might solve it gradually, but do we even have that much time?
It was frustrating, but there was no clear solution.
I crossed my arms.
“Anyway, we need to focus on protecting Lewin. It’s probably best to refrain from horseback riding for a while.”
“…Lewin loves riding the most…”
The duke muttered regretfully at my words. His first impression was cold and ruthless, the very image of a black-hearted villain, but when it came to his younger sibling, he turned completely doting.
“That doesn’t mean we can keep exposing him to danger.”
“Right.”
He agreed simply. I rested my hands on my waist and looked at him.
When I stared silently, he asked, puzzled:
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“How am I looking at you?”
“Quite… displeased, it seems.”
He said that and lightly scratched his cheek, avoiding my gaze.
“Wow—fortunately, you’re quick-witted. You know the reason, right?”
“…Yes.”
Dorian’s face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
It’s kind of cute when someone handsome looks like that.
I wondered why villains in romance fantasy worlds always have to be ridiculously good-looking, then spoke.
“I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“I used magic, right? I want to measure the amount of mana remaining in my body.”
“Ah.”
The duke nodded, then stepped back a few paces and pulled a cord. Immediately, someone knocked on the door.
“I’ll come in.”
The voice belonged to Iva. She opened the wooden door lined with velvet cloth, probably thinking I had called.
Dorian looked at her and said:
“Lady Iva. Have the knights outside bring the mana measuring device into this room.”
“Yes.”
Iva bowed and quickly left. Her face was tense, as if the situation was serious.
‘Seeing her like this, she really does seem like a loyal retainer of the black-hearted kind.’
Before leaving, Iva met my gaze and gave a reassuring smile.
I waved absentmindedly and then looked back at Dorian.
“By the way, what’s Iva’s specialty?”
“Huh?”
“I don’t think you would assign an ordinary girl as my lady’s attendant.”
She had been replaced right after I was kidnapped. Moreover, her recent gaze was fierce, completely unlike the cheerful Iva who had been smiling since we met.
Like the difference between a hedgehog and a porcupine.
Dorian seemed to understand and spoke:
“Rochella, you are indeed perceptive. She does have a specialty, though it is not combat-related. Iva is skilled in alchemy. In the House of Viscount Artur, she was praised as the ‘Golden Star’ for her excellence in alchemy.”
“Alchemy?”
“Artur is the family of Alfred, a great sage known as one of the three greatest alchemists.”
Ah, that’s why the name Artur sounded familiar! I clapped my hands without thinking. Dorian’s eyes sparkled at my reaction.
“You know? Ah… you must have studied it at the academy.”
“Yes. So Iva’s family is indeed Artur!”
The Artur family excelled in alchemy, but all their experiments were for sheer interest, not on anyone’s orders.
Although their contributions could have earned them a marquis title, they ignored all imperial requests, barely maintaining the viscount title.
Because the Artur family didn’t comply with imperial commands, other alchemists ignored them as well, earning the imperial family’s disfavor.
Yet, this family now serves as retainers for the duke’s household. It was puzzling.
“So, if she was praised as the Golden Star of Artur, her alchemy must be excellent.”
“Yes. The House of Viscount Artur sent her as a talented individual. We are always grateful.”
Uncharacteristically, Dorian’s voice softened. A faint smile appeared on his face.
So, he is more well-liked than I thought.
I remembered that Iva had wanted to go to the academy if she weren’t in the duke’s household. If she had an interest in alchemy, the academy would have been more appealing.
Why did Iva want to come to the duke’s house?
I studied Dorian, who was staring at his younger sibling in front of me.
Even disheveled, his black hair looked neat, his strong features prominent. Subtly glimmering red eyes and healthy lips.
Even in a world filled with handsome and beautiful people, he was unnecessarily good-looking for a villain.
As I admired his appearance, someone knocked at the door.
“Your Grace. I’ve brought the mana measuring device you requested.”
Judging by the deep voice, it wasn’t Iva. Dorian raised his head, making eye contact with me.
He looked puzzled, perhaps not expecting me to be looking. Then he turned to the door and said:
“Enter.”
A man in uniform stepped in first, standing beside the door, followed by two others carrying something resembling a side table covered in purple cloth.
They carefully placed it down. Judging by their struggle, it was quite heavy.
“You may leave now.”
“Yes!”
The three knights left, and the thick door slowly closed.
Dorian approached the side table and removed the cloth, revealing a translucent silver hemisphere embedded in it.
It was a magical device I had never seen since entering the academy.
Having something like this in a mansion—truly a black-hearted duke’s household.
I inwardly marveled, and Dorian asked me:
“Are you ready? Shall we start?”
“Yes. Waiting won’t change anything.”
I walked briskly to Dorian. It had been years. Preparing to measure my mana again made my hands sweat.
Wiping them on my clothes, I placed my hand on the device. The sphere gradually became transparent, and the opaque part began swirling like mist, forming a galaxy pattern.
“Breathe slowly.”
Nervously, I felt Dorian’s soft voice calming me.
“Slowly. Feel the mana in your body.”
Even though he said that, as someone who had lived without mana all her life, it was difficult.
I tried to recall the sensation of using magic. My fingertips grew hot again.
Red light began spreading from the center of the sphere.
“This is…”
Dorian frowned.
Unfortunately, I had never learned to read the results of a mana measuring device at the academy, so I didn’t know why he looked like that.
“Truly unbelievable.”
“Pardon?”
“How you could put this much mana into a human…”
Huh? I watched the red mist still swirling in a galaxy pattern.
Dorian looked furious. Or rather, shocked beyond words.
“How much mana is it?”
I couldn’t contain my curiosity and asked. Our eyes met in midair.
Dorian moved his lips and slowly said:
“It exceeds most people… even the faculty at the academy.”
That much? Even though some was lost using that strange safety net spell earlier today.
I was shocked at the scale villains operate at but also secretly thrilled.
So I could keep using magic for a while? If I didn’t use it, could I maintain the sensation and live peacefully?
It was like a toy dog finally getting batteries.
Unable to contain my excitement, I exclaimed:
“That’s wonderful!”
“Wonderful…?”
“Well, for an ordinary person it would be dangerous, but for me, it’s like getting an oxygen supply without side effects.”
“Oxygen supply?”
“Well, something like that! Anyway, it’s a good thing for me.”
I smiled brightly and removed my hand from the sphere. Dorian looked at me and gave a small smile.
“Good to hear you’re okay. Still, you should be careful.”
“You’re the overly cautious one, Dorian. Don’t worry about me. I now have a means to protect myself even without magical tools.”
Of course, since it wasn’t originally my mana, I still felt queasy when drawing it up. But I had mana now!
I spun around and grabbed Dorian’s hand. He shivered slightly at the sudden contact.
“Shall we discuss something important?”
I smiled broadly. Lewin was still in a deep sleep, understandably shocked.
We needed to finish talking before Lewin woke.
“Important?”
“Yes. Thinking about it, there’s something both of us have completely forgotten.”
Though we wore gloves, I could feel warmth through our joined hands.
Yet, the strange tension that once ran through my chest was gone.
‘Maybe it was because we were trapped before.’
Dorian looked down at me. His black bangs cast a shadow over his eyes.
There was a questioning look in his sunset-colored gaze.
‘Alright, seems he has no clue.’
Feeling a bit shy to speak, I clenched my fists, cleared my throat, and said:
“Let’s write a contract.”
