Chapter 26
The moment they entered the shed, a foul stench hit them like a wall.
Bags of fertilizer left untied, cobwebs thick across the roof, small holes likely made by rats, overflowing trash barrels—everywhere reeked of neglect.
Deter covered her nose with the back of her hand, struggling to hold back nausea.
Is the young lady, okay?
To her relief, Nivellia didn’t seem affected by the smell at all.
It must be the mask the Marchioness gave her.
It almost felt like the thing had divine protection—it really seemed to block out the odor.
Feeling reassured, Deter looked deeper inside.
“……”
But Nivellia’s eyes were fixed on a single spot above.
“Deter,” she said, pointing upward.
“There’s someone up there.”
“But…”
It wasn’t that Deter didn’t believe her.
There was simply no staircase or ladder to reach the upper level.
That must mean there’s a hidden mechanism…
She pictured the structure of the shed as seen from outside.
The walls were tall, and the roof was peaked. Roofs like that usually have attics.
An attic.
This shed was hiding one.
Deter gently set Nivellia down on the ground. Unlike usual, Nivellia stood quietly, watching Deter closely.
But soon, she began fidgeting anxiously.
“Deter! Hurry! You have to go faster!”
“Just a little longer, please. That awful couple really hid it well. I mean, for a shed this old to have such a complicated mechanism—!”
“They’re going to die!”
Nivellia suddenly shouted.
“Up there! There’s someone up there, and they’re—they’re sparkling, but it’s getting smaller…!”
“…!”
Deter didn’t waste time questioning her odd description.
She rushed Nivellia outside at once.
“This way!”
At her signal, a group of masked individuals approached.
“There’s someone in the attic. I’ll go in myself—please take care of the young lady.”
“N-Nini wants to come too—!”
“It’s too dangerous!”
Deter handed Nivellia off to the nearest person and smiled.
“I’ll be back soon. You’re an investor, remember? You have to wait patiently—this is how hard it is to earn money.”
“……”
“Will you be alright with strangers for a little bit?”
Behind the mask, Nivellia’s blue eyes burned with resolve.
“I hate it, but I’ll try!”
The masked adults were caught off guard by the blunt honesty of the child.
“You’re amazing. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
But as soon as Deter disappeared into the shed again, Nivellia sniffled.
She didn’t cry, though.
She held it in.
“Lady Nivellia.”
One of the masked women—someone close to Deter’s age—knelt down to speak to her.
Startled, Nivellia gave a little jump.
The woman’s voice was gentle.
“To come here so early in the morning, to such a scary place—you’re very brave.”
“Nini’s kind of like that.”
She still didn’t like strangers, but she made herself respond.
“Because Nini’s an investor. That means I have to check things for myself.”
“I see. What did your parents say about this?”
“Mom and Dad said no. But Grandma said I should. So I came.”
“The Saint’s orders, then.”
I thought they just spoiled her, but this is tougher training than expected…
As the woman, who had been quietly gathering information on the Saint, prepared to ask more—
Crash! Glass shattered, and something flew down, landing at her feet.
“That’s Deter’s!”
Nivellia pointed to the dagger stuck in the ground.
“……”
The masked woman swallowed hard and slowly stood up.
Note to self: gather more intel on the young lady’s maid. Or perhaps… Lady Della already knows…
Moments later, the shed door burst open.
Deter emerged, covered in sweat and dust, her face strained but triumphant.
Her breathing was ragged, and someone was slung over her back.
The figure’s face was hidden beneath a blanket Deter had packed earlier, but their limp limbs made it clear how critical their condition was.
“Let’s head back now, shall we?”
Marquis Caleo Deiamor had a very capable secretary.
His name was Viseretos.
A man with chestnut-brown hair and composed green eyes, Viseretos had such a refined presence that people often just called him “Secretary” rather than his full name.
When he had first been appointed as Caleo’s personal aide and chief of staff—
“Secretary Secretary.”
“Marquis, please, just call me once.”
“Your name and your title are different. I should say both.”
“‘Secretary’ is a title, not a nickname. Please don’t say them together. I sound like an animal trying to bark…”
His name had always been a bit of a joke.
But today—at least in this life-and-death moment—no one was joking.
“Secretary, what’s the situation?”
Caleo asked, flipping through documents, his expression grim.
“The child we rescued hasn’t regained consciousness yet,” Viseretos reported calmly. “But the Marchioness said her life isn’t in danger.”
“What about the Plaude couple?”
“They’re being held in the underground prison. There were no witnesses during their capture, and no evidence was left behind. The contract is included in the documents you’re reviewing now.”
Having finished the report, the secretary held his breath.
We should reflect. This could’ve caused serious damage.
Though House Deiamor was a merit family, it had long stayed away from power. Yet in under forty years, it had become one of the wealthiest and most influential houses in the Empire.
Many had once looked down on their modest ways. And now, those same jealous, petty nobles were still waiting for a reason to strike.
They had almost handed them the blade to do it.
“Secretary.”
“Yes, Marquis.”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Viseretos refocused.
“Send word to the Mage Tower and our informants. Find out how far they’ve progressed with the medicine using the pink mushroom we sold them.”
The toxic pink mushroom Soles had discovered in the forest.
It had been Soles’ idea to split the supply between the Mage Tower and the underworld apothecaries. But truthfully, the adults had already planned it.
House Deiamor intended to turn the deadly mushroom into a cure.
Viseretos hesitated.
“Do you mean to push them for results? That might provoke complaints from both sides…”
“No. Tell them—if progress is slow, we’re willing to collaborate.”
“But we don’t have any technical knowledge in that field.”
That was the entire reason they sold it to others in the first place.
Confused, Viseretos looked up, but Caleo simply gave him a quiet smile.
“…Understood.”
He finally nodded.
Caleo doesn’t speak without thinking.
Though a Marquis by title, Caleo never acted like someone seeking the spotlight.
As a boy, he was known more for being the Saint’s and Holy Knight’s son. After marriage, he stood quietly in the shadow of his wife, the powerful head of Rubeo Corporation.
But instead of resenting it, Caleo just kept doing what he could, consistently and wisely.
And Viseretos knew this better than anyone.
He’s not the head of House Deiamor for nothing.
He was the one who had grounded the house’s rapid growth in stability and strategy.
“Oh—one more thing.”
Caleo’s expression shifted as he suddenly remembered something.
“Where are the children?”
Because, as the head of House Deiamor, he believed in acknowledging merit—especially when it came from those who earned it.
“Ow! That hurts!”
Nivellia, who had played a key role in the operation, was now whining as her grandmother pinched her temples.
“Grandma! It hurts! Hurts!”
“Oh hush, it’s not that bad. Just hold still—it’s almost done.”
Muniel pressed her thumbs gently into Nivellia’s temples, murmuring a soft chant.
“Smarter and smarter… sharper and sharper…”
“Eeeee!”
Nivellia finally wriggled free, covering her sore temples with both hands and yelling.
“Grandma, you’re mean! That hurt!”
“Did it really hurt?”
“…Not really.”
Nivellia admitted honestly.
If it had truly hurt, she would’ve cried. But her eyes were just glossy and healthy—not teary.
“But it felt weird. Like… right here felt strange.”
She pointed to her chest, face puzzled. Even she didn’t quite understand what she meant.
What was that feeling?
As she tilted her head, trying to figure it out, Muniel asked another question.
“Nini.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s five plus five?”
“Ten!”
“There! See? You got smarter already!”
“…It’s true!”
Nivellia gasped in awe at her newfound brilliance.
“If I get too smart, I might end up ruling the world…!”
“Haha! But if you rule the world, won’t you be too busy to eat chocolate cookies?”
“…That’s not okay.”
And just like that, Nivellia abandoned her dream of world domination.
Thinking about cookies made her crave them. She smacked her lips.
Muniel, amused, asked her one more question.
“Sweetie.”
“Hm? Hm?”
“Do you want to become a Saint someday?”
“Nope.”
Nivellia shook her head. Her long silver hair swayed behind her like a cat’s tail.
“Nini’s gonna make money. I don’t want to be a Saint.”
“I see. Then there’s something you mustn’t do.”
“Mustn’t do what?”
“I locked it today. Don’t unlock it again.”
“Tied ribbons must stay tied! So do shoelaces! They told me at preschool not to untie my shoes!”
“You’ve learned something very important. Yes—don’t untie it.”
Muniel’s warning was oddly cryptic.
Nivellia didn’t really understand it, but she nodded anyway and promised not to undo it.
When they stepped outside hand in hand, Aref, who had been pacing anxiously nearby, came running over.
“Aref!”
Nivellia ran to meet him.
The two little ones embraced tightly and began patting each other up and down, inspecting one another as if checking for injuries.
To Muniel, they looked like small animals sniffing each other in greeting.
She smiled quietly, watching them.