Chapter 31

Flenn looked at Isabella with quiet eyes as she picked a few violets blooming in the garden and spoke in a bright voice.

“Mrs. Peterson, aren’t these flowers lovely? What do you think about putting them on the dinner table tonight?”

At that sight, Flenn drew in a sharp breath.

Isabella probably didn’t know. That in this garden, only she had the right to pick flowers. And only she had the authority to place them on the table. Flenn couldn’t begin to understand why Cedric permitted her every action so freely.

But there was one thing she could feel. That Isabella would stir a new wind within Cedric who had been frozen in time. It was what everyone in the ducal household had quietly longed for.

So in a way, it was only natural that they treated Isabella with such care and devotion. Eventually, Flenn walked over to her.

“That’s a lovely idea. I’ll prepare a vase to match the flowers as soon as we’re back inside.”

“Great. Let’s pick one together while we’re at it.”

Isabella, seemingly in high spirits from her rare flower-gathering outing, let out a cheerful laugh. And just like her laughter, a refreshing breeze swept between her and Flenn.

“…!”

In that moment, Flenn felt as though she had stumbled upon one of the garden’s long-hidden secrets.

Isabella’s eyes, curved gracefully beneath the fluttering veil. Her violet irises sparkled like jewels, and for a moment, Flenn couldn’t look away. But she quickly shook her head.

‘No… it couldn’t be.’

She dismissed the thought as absurd speculation. After all, the two of them had grown up in entirely different worlds.

As Flenn wrestled with her confusion, Isabella was absorbed in a completely different train of thought, her eyes subtly scanning the surroundings while gathering a small bouquet.

‘Hmm, that wall might work.’

Behind the veil, her eyes glinted as they fixed on the outer wall at the back of the garden. And at the same time, a sly smile crept across her lips. Had Baal, who’d opted to skip the walk and rest instead, seen that smile, he would have been horrified by how suspicious it looked.

* * *

Several hours later, night had fallen over the ducal estate.

Rustle, rustle.

In the silent rear garden, where not even a single insect cried, someone strolled in calmly. Another figure followed behind, steps far more hesitant and anxious.

“Do we really have to do this? This is a crime, you know.”

“It’s fine. As long as we don’t get caught.”

The late-night visitors to the garden were none other than Baal and Isabella.

Baal, frantically trying to dissuade her, ran a hand down his dry face in exasperation at her shameless, nonchalant response.

“No, the problem isn’t just getting caught… Haah, at this rate I’m going to age twenty years overnight.”

Just two hours ago, Baal had heard Isabella’s shocking plan and his mouth had gone completely dry from nerves.

“Have you developed a taste for escapes lately? You tried running away last time, and now you’re breaking out of the ducal estate?”

As Isabella continued to study the wall, seemingly ignoring him, Baal grumbled like a man resigned to his fate.

“Even if you’re worried about that Lady Cherville or whoever she is, sneaking in like this is still breaking and entering. Can’t we just send an official request tomorrow and wait?”

Practically pleading, he trailed after her and offered what he thought was sound advice. But Isabella only responded with a sigh.

“Think about it, Baal. Let’s say, by some stroke of luck, someone I barely know invites me over. Am I supposed to just blurt out, ‘That necklace is cursed!’?”

She acted out the scene with exaggerated gestures, then drew a circle near her head with her finger as if emphasizing her point.

“Wouldn’t they think I was insane? And if I went so far as to demand they hand over the necklace to lift the curse, do you think they’d just give it to me?”

“…”

Baal had no rebuttal. She was right about all of it.

Isabella continued coolly, “Sometimes, a clever workaround is more effective than the direct approach. So come on, help me.”

“Where do you even learn things like this… Ugh. Fine, what do you need me to do?”

At last, Baal gave up trying to stop her.

Isabella glanced between him and the outer wall, then asked, “Now that I see it up close, it’s taller than I thought. Could you carry me over it? Or should I extend some vines?”

She seemed to be weighing whether to use her own power or rely on Baal. Sizing up the wall’s height, Baal shrugged and replied without much concern.

“I can manage if I return to my true form.”

“Really? Then that’s probably better. It’s night, so we’re less likely to be seen.”

Isabella nodded readily and looked around to make sure no one was nearby. But just then, a silhouette appeared at the entrance to the garden.

“Gasp!”

Caught off guard, Isabella panicked. The entire area was a flower field so there was nowhere to hide.

‘Ugh… whatever!’

She seized Baal’s hand and summoned her magic. In an instant, both Isabella and Baal faded into transparency. It was her unique ability, Ghost Form.

In that invisible state, she quickly turned to see who had entered the garden.

‘The Duke?’

The late-night visitor was none other than Cedric.

‘What’s he doing here at this hour?’

Unaware that this garden was his secret retreat or that he often took walks at night, Isabella held her breath and observed him. Cedric stood still as if absorbing the entire view at once, unmoving amidst the moonlit flowers.

“…”

Bathed in moonlight and standing alone in the breeze, he looked almost too ethereal, like something out of a dream. Maybe that was why she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

But then, Cedric’s gaze, which had been fixed on nothing, suddenly turned in her direction.

‘Huh? Could he actually see us?’

She didn’t feel like they’d made eye contact, but it seemed as though Cedric’s eyes were scanning the area, searching for something near her. Whether it was her imagination or not, the night breeze felt like it was growing stronger the longer his gaze lingered.

Something didn’t feel right. Isabella glanced toward Baal and signaled with her eyes.

‘Should we run now?’

She even gave a subtle nod in the direction of escape. But Baal’s expression didn’t look good. In fact, he looked like he’d just suffered a major setback.

Before she could silently ask what’s wrong now?, a dark shadow fell across her hair, illuminated by moonlight.

‘…’

Isabella wanted to believe it couldn’t be. There was no way he could have found her in her Ghost Form. Even if she looked down at her own hand, there were no black gloves, only the faint rustle of statice flowers swaying in the breeze.

But Cedric’s next words shattered her denial.

“I distinctly told you not to use that power carelessly.”

His cool, low voice carried a warning that made her throat go dry. When she slowly raised her eyes, she saw Cedric staring directly at her.

How? she wondered.

At the same time, she found it absurd that she had to feel guilty for using her own power. Resigned, Isabella dropped the Ghost Form and spoke.

“You said not to use it in front of others… but you never said not to use it at all…”

But as she began to reply, her voice gradually trailed off. She couldn’t hold his piercing, teal gaze, so cold, so sharp. Something about standing under that gaze made her feel as though she’d done something terribly wrong.

Cedric looked down at her, shoulders hunched in defeat, for a moment before speaking in a heavy voice.

“Do you truly not understand the danger of your ability, my lady?”

Isabella quickly protested.

“I do! Every power comes with a price!”

“A price?”

Cedric’s brow twitched, as if he was hearing something completely unexpected. Perhaps she’d said too much. But it was already too late to take it back.

“…I thought you already knew.”

When her Ghost Form had been involuntarily triggered in that village attacked by undead, Cedric hadn’t looked the least bit surprised even when she began to vanish. She had assumed he already knew, as a fellow member of a hero bloodline.

But it seemed she was mistaken. 

And now she couldn’t help but wonder: why was he so sensitive about this ability?

So she asked.

“If that’s not it, then what exactly are you worried about?”

Cedric didn’t answer immediately. Then, after a pause, he said something completely unexpected.

“Espionage, manipulation of information, infiltration of enemy leadership, assassination… Depending on how it’s used, your power has limitless value. Not only would the Empire’s nobles covet it, but foreign nations and even criminal syndicates would, too.”

“…”

“That is why, if word of your ability gets out, your life could be in danger.”

At that, Isabella’s eyes widened.

To her, Ghost Form was just a way to become invisible, a petty, unimpressive trick. She had never even considered what others might think of it.

‘I didn’t know it was that dangerous.’

She wasn’t so foolish as to ignore heartfelt advice out of sheer pride.

“…I see. Thank you for telling me. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

She couldn’t promise to never use it again.

But it seemed Cedric was satisfied that she’d taken his warning seriously, and the crease between his brows eased slightly. Watching him silently, Isabella grew wary that he might press further about what she’d meant by ‘price,’ so she quickly changed the subject.

“More importantly, Duke… what brings you out here at this hour?”

Cedric, who had been staring straight at her, turned the question around.

“That’s what I should be asking you.”

“…Ah.”

Now that she thought about it, he had a point. This was his home. It made far more sense for the owner to be wandering his own garden at night than for a guest like her to be sneaking around.

Feeling awkward, Isabella averted her eyes, her gaze drifting off to the side. But Cedric’s gaze remained fixed, unyielding and sharp.

……

T/N: Oooh, Cedric is worried pfft 🤭