Chapter 27
Everyone was asleep in the late night.
Only one person, Roshanne, couldn’t fall asleep.
‘The Magic Tower…’
Roshanne couldn’t drift off as she replayed the events from earlier that day. She had naturally assumed the spy was planted by another family checking the ducal house or by the imperial family, but she never expected the Magic Tower to pop up.
‘With the Magic Tower… it’s truly a cursed connection.’
It was the mages who had first bound Roshanne to the imperial family with sealing magic.
That’s why she had initially vowed never to cross paths with mages again.
‘Have they figured out my identity?’
Roshanne’s eyes gleamed sharply.
No, that couldn’t be. The spy had clearly been working in the Railaten family even before this body’s owner had changed.
That meant the Magic Tower had been keeping an eye on the Railaten family from before then.
Outwardly, the Magic Tower didn’t submit to the imperial family, but they always sent mages belonging to the tower to the emperor, so it was fair to say they were on the same side.
‘The current Magic Tower Lord might be jealous of the Railaten family, being the emperor’s closest confidants.’
Roshanne, who had always been busy following the emperor’s orders and then being sealed away again, had no way of knowing who managed the Magic Tower.
She didn’t know who the Magic Tower Lord was, but it seemed they wished to become the emperor’s dog of their own accord.
‘If the Magic Tower is watching the Railaten family, I should be a bit more careful with my actions.’
Even though she hadn’t uncovered anything yet, the thought that pursuit had already reached right up to her chin made her feel stifled inside.
‘I could use a drink.’
She recalled the last night when she had clinked glasses with her comrades from the mad dragon subjugation party, talking about returning alive.
People who no longer existed in this world.
Roshanne swallowed the swirling emotions and closed her eyes.
＊＊＊
The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Roshanne went to find Duke Railaten. And she requested permission to take Henry not as the library librarian but as her personal secretary to accompany her.
In truth, it was more of a demand than a request.
Duke Railaten, who had always regretted that Henry’s competence wasn’t shining through, gladly agreed.
“Miss.”
Having diligently finished even breakfast, Roshanne was strolling through the garden when Henry came to find her.
“I’ll formally greet you again.”
Henry bowed politely at the waist.
“This Henry Osten is honored to serve you, miss. I will devote myself fully so that there are no shortcomings.”
“Good, Henry. I’m counting on you.”
“Then, I’ll start right away with the report on yesterday’s matter.”
Yesterday’s matter.
It was undoubtedly about the spy they had caught yesterday.
Roshanne shrewdly signaled with her eyes to the maids following behind to wait, then moved her steps. Henry naturally followed behind Roshanne.
Once all signs of people around them had vanished, Roshanne nodded as if to say, report.
“His name is Gary. He’s been confirmed as a mage affiliated with the Magic Tower.”
So, the claim that he was sent by the Magic Tower wasn’t a lie.
“Five years ago, he entered the Magic Tower, but he had no particular achievements. His mana reserves were minimal, so his position in the Magic Tower seems to have been ambiguous.”
“How long has he been working for the family?”
“Thirteen years. Thirteen years ago, he was employed by the Railaten family as a servant. Probably because his mana was so minimal, the mana detection failed.”
To work as a servant in the family, a mana test was mandatory. It was standard to exclude those with mana because you never knew what might happen if mana holders worked in the mansion.
That’s why most people with mana had to head to the Magic Tower to find work.
“Just because his mana was minimal doesn’t mean the mana detection wouldn’t have picked it up.”
“Yes?”
“Where was the magic tool for detecting mana made?”
At Roshanne’s question, Henry pondered for a moment before opening his lips.
“…The Magic Tower?”
“Exactly. Since it was made by the Magic Tower, evading mana detection would be nothing to them. Mages are like that, after all.”
“Ah.”
Henry parted his lips in realization.
“What did the duke say?”
Henry briefly pondered who Roshanne meant by ‘duke.’ But he soon realized it was the way she addressed his own father and bit his lips hard to suppress a laugh that threatened to burst out.
“The du…, ahem. Ahem. His Grace has decided to start by investigating those in the mansion who were close to Gary as usual. It seems he intends to thoroughly check if there are any other spies within the mansion.”
“…Oh. He must have sent a demand to the Magic Tower to clarify the facts, right?”
“He did send it, but…”
Henry’s words trailed off. Roshanne immediately sensed the situation.
“No response?”
“Yes.”
Henry immediately answered Roshanne’s question.
If the Magic Tower simply denies any knowledge of it, that would be the end, so they wouldn’t bother to explain themselves.
‘I should let him handle this kind of thing on his own.’
After all, experience and real-world practice are what matter most.
The Magic Tower, huh.
“The current Magic Tower Lord is…”
As Roshanne trailed off, Henry quickly opened his mouth.
“The Magic Tower Lord is Illian. He’s a man called a true genius. They say he’s so secretive that only a very few in the Magic Tower have ever seen him. There are even rumors that he shifts between the appearance of a child and an old man, making his real age impossible to guess.”
“He changes his appearance?”
To drastically alter one’s appearance requires not only incredibly complex magical formulas but also a constant supply of mana, so it’s not something just anyone can do easily.
‘A tremendous genius has become the master of the Magic Tower, it seems.’
In that case, it would be even more dangerous for Roshanne to stir things up. If she encountered someone like that, he might instantly figure out who the current Roshanne really was.
‘I need to be even more careful.’
Roshanne resolved.
“…Shall I look into the Magic Tower Lord further?”
“No, that’s fine. The duke will handle this on his own. It’s not my business.”
No sooner had Roshanne finished speaking than she sensed the presence of a maid approaching from where she had withdrawn earlier.
Roshanne raised her hand as if to say she wouldn’t receive any more reports. The quick-witted Henry immediately closed his mouth without adding a word.
“Miss.”
No sooner had the two fallen silent than the maid came closer.
“His Highness the Grand Duke Barpheus has arrived.”
“Oh? Tell him I’ll be right there, so no need to bother escorting him to the drawing room—just have him wait briefly in the carriage.”
“Yes, miss.”
As the maid retreated, Henry approached Roshanne’s side.
“Shall I call for a carriage?”
The distance from where Roshanne and Henry were to the mansion’s entrance where Cheyton would be waiting was quite far.
Naturally assuming they would take a carriage, but Roshanne tilted her head at Henry’s question.
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“Why call for a carriage?”
“…Pardon?”
Did I hear wrong?
“It’s right in front of us; we can just walk.”
Roshanne extended her finger, pointing toward the mansion’s entrance. Of course, the entrance wasn’t even visible.
“Right… in front of us?”
Henry looked back and forth between the direction Roshanne’s finger pointed and her face, his expression bewildered.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Roshanne started walking. Then, the maids waiting at a distance followed naturally behind her, as if already accustomed to it.
“…Really?”
Henry’s eyes wavered as he watched Roshanne’s retreating figure and the maids subtly stretching their ankles before following.
And inevitably, Henry began walking after Roshanne as well.
＊＊＊
“…Isn’t this telling us to go back?”
The knights murmured as they looked at Cheyton, standing rigidly in front of the carriage, fully exposed to the harshly beating sun.
“Making us wait without even guiding us to the drawing room in this hot weather…”
“Wasn’t it the Lady Railaten who asked to make an appointment and visit?”
“Shouldn’t we just leave?”
The small whispers of discontent from the Grand Duchy of Barpheus’s knights gradually grew louder.
“It’s not proper to chatter so loudly in someone else’s home. Everyone, be quiet.”
But Cheyton was firm. Having silenced the knights’ complaints in one go, Cheyton waited for today’s appointment without even furrowing his brow once.
A few more minutes passed like that.
“Huff, gasp, huff…”
From somewhere, a heated, dying groan began to be heard.
“Huff, gasp…”
It was a ragged breathing as if from a full sprint. The knights of the Grand Duchy of Barpheus tensed up at the sudden rising breaths, scanning their surroundings.
Cheyton was the same.
This was the mansion’s entrance, not a training ground, so there was no reason for such labored sounds. As Cheyton sharpened his senses and stayed alert around him.
“Grand Duke.”
A soft, familiar voice shattered Cheyton’s wariness. Cheyton turned his head.
“Did you wait long?”
Roshanne appeared, looking perfectly fine, accompanied by maids who were sweating profusely and panting heavily.
“…My lady.”
Roshanne approached Cheyton, who wore an expression of utter confusion about the situation.
“They all seemed exhausted after just a short walk, so we rested a bit and ended up later than expected…”
Roshanne paused mid-sentence.
‘Wait… do ordinary people get tired from walking this much?’
Roshanne’s eyes wavered.
It had only been moments ago that she had resolved to be more careful since the Magic Tower was watching closely.
“My lady?”
Seeing Roshanne suddenly stop in place, Cheyton called her again.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Roshanne squeezed her eyes shut. Because it was an action she couldn’t bear to watch with her eyes open.
“…Ouch.”
With a somewhat artificial cry, Roshanne staggered. Startled, Cheyton instinctively reached out and caught the fragile Roshanne, who seemed about to collapse any moment, into his arms.
The boiling madness began to subside, as if someone were forcefully pressing it down.
The filthy stains that had clouded his mind were washed away cleanly, bringing a refreshing sensation. It was an exhilarating thrill that could become addictive.
“…Are you alright? My lady.”
Without realizing it, Cheyton held Roshanne tightly and asked.
“…My legs hurt from walking here.”
Roshanne murmured softly, her expression showing no sign of fatigue at all.
‘With this, even the Magic Tower won’t dare suspect who I am.’
Because they would never imagine that hero could be this weak.
Not only the maids but also the grand duchy’s knights were witnessing this scene in stark detail.
‘Perfect.’
Roshanne, being supported by someone for the first time, inwardly cheered in her awkward posture.
