Chapter 59: Unfinished Words
Aracila tilted her head, wondering if Sisle had lied about something else.
If it was something truly important, that would be a problem.
Seeing Aracila’s expression grow more serious, Sisle hurriedly spoke.
“I meant the reason I chose you, Lady Aracila. The truth is… I’ve known about you for quite some time.”
A faint blush spread across Sisle’s cheeks.
She had first come across Aracila in the newspapers a long time ago.
It was a small article tucked away in the corner of the last page, reporting that Aracila had been recruited into the Mage Tower at the youngest age in history.
At the time, Sisle had thought Aracila was amazing—and she had been envious.
They weren’t that far apart in age, yet while she had been living a miserable life, Aracila had been recognized for her exceptional talent and scouted by the Mage Tower.
Half admiration, half jealousy—Sisle had kept an eye on Aracila’s career.
She was curious to see how far this young noblewoman would go.
At first, Aracila’s name only appeared in small news sections, but over the years, she started making front-page headlines.
Her achievements grew, and she was credited with significant accomplishments on her own.
Watching Aracila rise higher and higher, Sisle had gradually found herself genuinely cheering for her.
Of course, as a noble, Aracila was someone far removed from her world, and she probably wouldn’t care about the support of someone as insignificant as Sisle.
But Sisle admired how she carved out her own path, and in a way, it felt like a kind of vicarious satisfaction.
So when she decided to accuse Johnny Pattinson, it was only natural that Aracila was the first person who came to mind.
In a Mage Tower filled mostly with senior male mages, Aracila was one of the few young, promising female mages.
She was someone Sisle respected and supported.
Even knowing it might be a burden, she had sent the accusation to Aracila, believing she would at least listen.
And when things started to go wrong, she had deliberately pushed Aracila away to prevent her from getting caught up in the fallout.
Of course, from Aracila’s perspective, these were all just excuses.
“I apologize for causing you trouble in so many ways. It may be foolish of me to say this, but… I truly wish you happiness and success in everything you do.”
Sisle bowed her head respectfully.
Aracila listened quietly, then, after a long pause, casually remarked,
“That’s not foolish at all.”
“…”
“Why wouldn’t I welcome support? What do things like status or profession matter?”
Aracila had too many enemies—at the Academy, in the Mage Tower, in noble society.
She had learned to appreciate encouragement, no matter who it came from.
Especially since her ultimate goal was to become the Mage Tower Master, someone who should be respected by everyone.
“Keep supporting me, Sisle. I will become the Mage Tower Master.”
Aracila lifted her chin, grinning confidently.
Rather than seeming arrogant, she exuded an unshakable confidence built on effort and ambition.
Sisle, eyes wide, found herself smiling.
For some reason, she felt certain—if she continued to believe in Aracila, one day she would witness her rise to the top.
“I definitely will.”
“Good. Thanks. Oh, and take this.”
Aracila pulled a small pouch from her uniform jacket and handed it to Sisle.
In truth, this was the real reason she had come to see her today.
Sisle opened it and, realizing it was filled with money, looked bewildered.
“Why are you giving this to me…?”
“Sisle, I won’t say we’ll meet again.”
Aracila spoke plainly.
Their pasts had been different. Their futures would be, too. The chances of their paths crossing a second time were slim.
“Take that money, go somewhere, and start a new life.”
“…”
“And in that new life, never lie to anyone again. Fighting against that urge until the day you die—that’s the punishment you must bear.”
Tears clung to the corners of Sisle’s eyes.
She bit her lip, trying to hold them back.
Sniffling, she carefully tucked the pouch away, bowed deeply, and turned away from Aracila.
Logically, Sisle knew her future wouldn’t be easy.
It wouldn’t be happy, or beautiful, or prosperous.
But that was okay.
Because now, she could finally honor Rose’s wish—to live a new life.
Aracila watched Sisle’s determined figure disappear into the distance.
Then, she turned and walked away.
—
Meanwhile, the Red Falcon Knights remained shaken after the shocking revelations of Johnny Pattinson’s crimes.
Their trusted comrade had been nothing more than a cowardly murderer.
Even after the Emperor’s final ruling, some knights still struggled to accept the reality.
But fortunately, their commander was a man of discipline and excellence.
Damian, alongside Isaac and the other senior knights, quickly reestablished order.
He strengthened discipline among his subordinates, banned any mention of Johnny Pattinson, and implemented training sessions on the dangers of black magic.
Most importantly, he made it clear—regardless of rank, anyone who committed a crime would not be protected.
“Loyalty to your comrades is only valid in the face of an external enemy. If the knight beside you has committed a crime, then as a fellow knight, it is your duty to bring them to justice.
Respect your bonds, but do not forsake your duty.”
With their commander setting a clear standard, the knights simply had to follow.
Even those who had hesitated at first gradually accepted the truth.
Johnny Pattinson was a criminal.
Letting go of lingering attachments, the knights moved forward.
Once order was restored, Damian finally allowed himself a brief moment of relief.
That evening, he returned home, exhausted.
He sat on the office couch, closing his eyes for just a moment, when Aracila appeared.
“To what do I owe the visit, wife?”
“I came to inform you that Johnny Pattinson has safely arrived on Luson Island.”
During his transport, Johnny had attempted something reckless, causing an incident.
But ultimately, he had survived and reached Luson Island.
“I see. It’s good that he will now pay for his crimes.”
Damian rubbed his eyes, answering calmly.
Aracila leaned against the doorframe, watching him.
Once, she wouldn’t have cared about her knight husband’s condition.
But now, the slight weariness in his face caught her attention.
“…Are you okay? Johnny Pattinson betrayed you, in a way. It must have stung.”
“It doesn’t bother me. I’ve never trusted people that deeply.”
Damian let out a cold chuckle.
At one point, he had trusted Johnny enough to clash with Aracila over it.
But in the end, Johnny had betrayed that trust.
He wasn’t even surprised.
People he had trusted had betrayed him before.
“Perhaps my judgment of people is still lacking. I’ll need to refine it—and manage my subordinates more carefully.”
He intended to move forward as a commander, learning from this mistake.
Just as he was about to end the conversation, Aracila, who had been scrutinizing him, suddenly spoke.
“Johnny Pattinson being a piece of garbage isn’t your fault.”
“…”
“There are many people in the Red Falcon Knights. One of them turned out to be corrupt. That’s all this is.”
It wasn’t as if the entire knight order had been complicit in Johnny’s crimes.
It had been a personal act, committed alone.
Aracila knew that no organization could perfectly monitor every individual’s personal life.
So she wasn’t about to blame him for it.
Damian, surprised by her unexpected support, met her gaze.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m just a little surprised. I didn’t expect you to say something like that.”
“Then what did you expect me to say?”
“Something along the lines of: ‘Why didn’t you develop better judgment sooner?’ ‘You need to keep your subordinates on a tighter leash.’ ‘The Red Falcon Knights and you should learn from me, a mage.’”
“…….”
“I assumed you’d use this opportunity to gloat.”
Damian spoke with sincere honesty.
Aracila let out an incredulous laugh.
“Hah… Well, I did think those things to myself.”
She admitted it easily.
“But I also know when it’s appropriate to say them out loud.”
This entire ordeal had been a tragedy for many people, and Aracila herself had made mistakes along the way.
She had no desire to speak thoughtlessly.
Damian, still finding her reaction unexpected, studied her with a curious expression.
“You wouldn’t have been wrong to say it.”
“It’s fine. I don’t need to flaunt my superiority—I already know I’m outstanding.”
“Now that sounds like something my wife would say.”
Damian chuckled.
Aracila had such a distinct personality that even a brief interaction was enough to grasp what kind of person she was.
But people were complex, multi-dimensional beings.
Now that he had gotten to know her better, he could see new sides of her—such as the way she set her own boundaries and showed consideration for others in her own way.
‘…Maybe that’s a relief.’
Even though he had insisted he was fine, the betrayal had still left a bitter taste in Damian’s mouth.
Johnny Pattinson hadn’t just betrayed him—he had betrayed the entire Red Falcon Knights.
If Aracila had taken this opportunity to gloat, it would have stung far worse.
“In any case, you’ve worked hard. Now that it’s all over, get some rest.”
“That’s my line. You should rest, Damian.”
“Understood.”
At Aracila’s pointed remark, Damian nodded obediently.
They still bickered, but there was no mistaking it—their sharp edges had softened toward each other.
—
Meanwhile, Nora White regularly hosted gatherings with young noblewomen.
It was part of her effort to expand her influence in high society and establish herself as a central figure with loyal followers.
With the strong support of her mother, the Marchioness of White, Nora had quickly become one of the most influential young ladies among the nobility.
Today, she was hosting another tea party in the garden of the White Marquisate.
Only ladies of viscount rank or higher had been invited.
As they sat elegantly, sipping tea and discussing the latest trends, it was no coincidence that the topic of Johnny Pattinson’s scandal came up.
After all, it was Nora’s closest confidante, Lady Cooper, who brought it up.
“I was absolutely shocked when I heard about Sir Pattinson’s crimes. He always seemed so kind when I ran into him.”
“This proves that you can never judge a person by appearances.”
“I heard the investigation was actually completed by the Red Falcon Knights, even though the Mage Tower had already closed the case.”
“That’s right. But even so, the Red Falcon Knights couldn’t completely avoid the stain on their reputation.”
As the ladies exchanged their thoughts in a somewhat sympathetic tone, Nora gracefully set her teacup down and spoke.
“At least Lady Vandemir’s honor has been restored.”
All eyes turned to her.
“She was in charge of the case at the Mage Tower, wasn’t she? At first, there were a lot of unpleasant rumors about her. But after she worked with the Red Falcon Knights to apprehend Sir Pattinson, those whispers disappeared.”
Her tone was subtle.
To some, it might have sounded like an innocent remark.
To others, it carried an unmistakable hint of sarcasm.
The more perceptive young ladies pricked up their ears, carefully gauging Nora’s true intent.
Their reaction would depend on why she had brought this up.
Seeing that she had their full attention, Nora smiled slightly before continuing.
“She’s quite impressive. If it were me, I would have been too afraid of harming my husband’s reputation to interfere. But she stepped in and handled everything herself. A woman of pure rationality is indeed on another level.”
The meaning behind her words was unmistakable.
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