Chapter 5
It was a deep sleep, as if fallen into an endless mire.
Kylus, wandering through a seemingly endless cave, was growing increasingly weary. But then, a single ray of light appeared. Light shining in a place where only darkness had existed before. Kylus chased after that light like a madman.
And finally, the moment he emerged from the cave that had seemed to have no end, his breath caught in his throat at the flood of intense light.
“Huh!”
As his blocked breath was released, a rough exhalation escaped.
“Haa, haa…”
Kylus, his eyes snapping open, slowly exhaled the breath that had risen to the top of his throat. His heart, which had felt like it would burst, began to calm gradually.
As he gazed at the familiar ceiling, he slowly moved his hand to check if this moment was a dream or reality. He felt a clear sensation in his tightly clenched hand. This was not just a terrible dream.
Kylus twisted up the corner of his mouth and muttered lowly, “Ha, finally…”
He had awakened.
Having finally regained consciousness from the endless mire, Kylus’s black eyes flashed dangerously towards his dear mother who had made him like this.
Death’s shadow had always followed Kylus since childhood.
His mother, who passed away miserably not long after giving birth to him.
Quillian Orpheus, the new mother who arrived as soon as his mother’s funeral ended.
The Orpheus Baronial House.
Quillian, a noblewoman from an insignificant aristocratic family whose name was barely known in the Pentaum Empire, seduced Kylus’s father, who was obsessed with women’s charms, and became a duchess in one fell swoop. This was because she was the only one among numerous women who became pregnant.
He couldn’t remember, but it was said that Lady Quillian had entered the duke’s household with a swollen belly, not far from her due date.
However, the first child she gave birth to unfortunately died as soon as it saw the light of the world.
Because she had given birth to a dead child, everyone thought Lady Quillian would be driven out of the duke’s household. After all, the only reason she, who had neither family background nor money, could become a duchess was because of the child.
But Lady Quillian was truly lucky.
Just days after her child died, the duke had a horseback riding accident.
It was an accident that occurred while he was drunk, playing around with a woman from a tavern on his horse.
In any case, the duke became incapacitated due to the fall, and the retainers of the duke’s household had to protect the ducal house whose honor had hit rock bottom due to numerous incidents and accidents caused by the duke.
So they had no choice but to entrust the ducal house to Lady Quillian.
At that time, Kylus was only two years old.
But Lady Quillian turned out to be an even more vicious woman than the retainers had thought.
Once she took control of the ducal house, she began to be irritated by the growing Kylus.
Fearing that he might take the Dearrut Duchy away from her.
Therefore, Lady Quillian did not hesitate to do everything to kill Kylus.
From poisoning his food to even sending assassins.
Despite all of this failing, Lady Quillian used the Duke of Dearrut to send Kylus, who was only 12 years old, to the battlefield.
Everyone thought Kylus would die on the battlefield.
But he survived. In fact, he grew even stronger after experiencing the brutal battlefield.
Thus, at the age of 16, having achieved great merits in the war, he proudly succeeded to the title of duke and finally succeeded in reclaiming the ducal house from Lady Quillian.
It was an exceptional age, but since he had reached the age where he could inherit the title and had also achieved great merits, there wasn’t much difficulty.
Only one thing bothered him.
The younger sibling that had appeared while he was away at war.
Somehow managing to have a child with his incapacitated father, Lady Quillian was waiting for him with a five-year-old younger sibling.
He had intended to drive Lady Quillian out, but he couldn’t expel her after she had given birth to the former duke’s child.
Kylus had to be satisfied with sending Lady Quillian to a separate building of the ducal castle.
After becoming the duke, Kylus changed all the servants of the ducal household from top to bottom.
He sent some of Quillian’s maids to the separate building with her, and filled the main castle with his own people.
Then he focused on raising up the fallen ducal house.
After all, the Dearrut Duchy was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Perhaps it was because he had been too focused on rebuilding the duchy for a full 10 years.
Kylus momentarily forgot about Lady Quillian living quietly in the separate building.
Like a fool, he had failed to completely eliminate the source of trouble.
And in the end, Lady Quillian succeeded in poisoning the incautious Kylus.
“How foolish.”
The war isn’t over until you’ve completely severed the enemy’s neck.
Kylus blamed himself for his foolishness.
But he couldn’t spend all his time blaming his foolishness.
Just when he thought it was the end, he had miraculously awakened, so this time he had to completely cut off the enemy’s lifeline.
After organizing his thoughts, Kylus slowly rose.
He couldn’t gauge how long he had been unconscious.
But his body, heavy as a rock, was telling him it wasn’t a short time.
“Ah, I’m going to have a hard time for a while.”
Kylus, getting off the bed, let out a tired sigh at his body that wasn’t the same as before.
Brushing back his hair, he took off the slip gown he was wearing.
The candlelight’s shadow flickered over his sculpture-like body.
As he was heading to the dressing room, he suddenly stopped, looking at his smooth arm.
“…What’s this?”
There had been a scar from magic on his left arm.
It was a wound from the war, a scar that would never heal.
A dark magic scar that he would have to manage for the rest of his life.
But that scar had disappeared without a trace.
How did it heal when neither holy power nor magic potions had any effect?
Kylus stroked the place where the scar had been.
He felt an unfamiliar soft skin texture.
It was as if new skin had grown.
“…How did this happen?”
Kylus thought for a moment.
He wondered if perhaps he hadn’t yet awakened from the dream.
But the clear sensation that made his hair stand on end wasn’t a dream.
“The important thing is that I’ve awakened.”
He cut off his deepening thoughts. Right now, it was more urgent to grasp what had happened after he collapsed.
After finding and putting on dark black clothes in the dressing room, he headed for the window.
Opening the largest window, he jumped down into the chilly wind blowing outside.
* * *
The next day at noon.
Alice was summoned by Lady Quillian.
“I heard you performed the task I assigned well.”
It seemed Maris had reported exactly what she had seen yesterday.
Alice, glancing at the sullen face of Maris standing behind Lady Quillian, answered with a docile expression.
“Yes, I will do my best to serve your will in the future as well, mother.”
“Hmm, I thought you were lacking, but it seems you know how to use your head quite well.”
Lady Quillian let out a light laugh while looking at Alice.
It was a laugh that showed satisfaction.
At this, Maris’s face crumpled while a smile played on Alice’s lips.
Both Maris and Lady Quillian are much easier people than I thought.
Well, that’s probably why they were killed in the early part of the book.
Originally, the Dearrut Duchy was just a medium for the female protagonist to develop a desire for revenge against the imperial family in the early part of the book, before meeting the male protagonist.
So there probably aren’t any particularly clever people here.
It wasn’t an important place, after all.
This was truly fortunate for Alice, who wanted to live.
Since they were simple people, she could avoid suspicion just by flattering them appropriately.
“From now on, don’t do anything rash and just do what I tell you to do. When everything is finished, I will give you a small reward.”
Lady Quillian said as she put down her teacup.
It’s not a reward, but a hanging, right?
Alice, knowing Lady Quillian’s true intentions, laughed inwardly but didn’t show it.
She just clasped her hands as if moved.
“Oh my! Mother, I will truly do my best.”
“Yes, that’s how it should be.”
Thinking Alice was stupid, Lady Quillian withdrew her gaze with a sneer.
As her gaze moved away, Alice looked at Helkin sitting quietly.
Helkin, whose eyes met Alice’s, flinched.
If you try any tricks, you’re dead.
Alice’s eyes said that.
Helkin, seeing Alice’s flashing golden eyes, swallowed hard and lowered his gaze again.
He seemed to be thoroughly frightened.
And rightfully so. Alice hadn’t just threatened him, she had also told him that there was inescapable evidence.
Namely, the name of the shop where Helkin had conducted his illegal dealings.
Fortunately, Alice remembered that name.
Because it was such a unique name.
Therefore, Helkin had no escape route.
There was no point in denying what he had done, because if the shop was raided, Helkin’s name would come out.
Alice had a firm grip on his lifeline.
“Helkin. You’re unusually quiet today.”
At that moment, Lady Quillian suddenly called out to Helkin.
Helkin glanced awkwardly at Alice, then smiled awkwardly and said,
“Haha, I didn’t sleep well yesterday, so I’m a bit tired. I’m sorry, Grand Madam.”
“Hmm, I see. I have something to ask of you.”
Fortunately, Lady Quillian didn’t seem interested in Helkin’s condition and got straight to the point.
“Yes, Grand Madam.”
“Edellm says he needs more of that fatigue recovery potion you gave him last time. Make it today and send it to the academy right away tomorrow.”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
“Then you may all leave now. I need to rest a bit.”
“We’ll take our leave, Grand Madam.”
“Rest well, mother.”
As soon as they exited the room, Helkin bowed and left, almost as if fleeing.
Alice smiled blandly at his retreating figure and was about to return to her room.
If she hadn’t encountered the butler who was just coming here.
“Young Madam.”
“Butler, are you here to see the Grand Madam?”
Alice asked, looking at the envelope in the butler’s hand.
“Yes. A letter has arrived from the Meltain Barony, one of the vassal houses of the duchy, and I came to deliver it.”
“Meltain Barony…?”
Alice’s face stiffened slightly.
Then the butler continued nonchalantly,
“Yes. The young lady of the Meltain Barony has sent a request to stay at the ducal house for her social debut.”
“…!”
No way.
For a moment, Alice couldn’t control her expression.
The young lady of the Meltain Barony.
That young lady was none other than the female protagonist of the novel.
