CH 59

Whenever their master vomited blood, Belluna recalled Oliven, who was watching the sight with his reddened eyes. The anger that filled those red eyes was not directed at their master.

"Good."

Belluna completely retracted her mana. Then a harsh cough erupted from Oliven's mouth.

"Cough, cough! Thank you so much for trusting me!"

Benjamin took a deep breath as he looked at Oliven, who didn't stop being sarcastic to the end.

"......So what did you find out? How are you going to use Master's magic stones?"

"They’re the tool to recognize Master. If you just spill them nearby, Master won't be able to let them go."

"In order to do that, Master will have to use her power again!"

"Did you think you could find Master without any cost?"

Benjamin couldn't say anything at Oliven's words. Their master would never reveal herself. If it was an identity that would be revealed so easily, she could not have hidden it so tightly during the countless hours they spent together in the magic tower.

"Our relationship with Master ended at the magic tower. She told us disciples to live our own lives and let her go."

"......"

"We're not ready yet, but Master who left without saying anything like that is bad."

There was a faint cry in Oliven's voice. He clenched his fist for a moment, opened it, and soon raised his head and said.

"So, first of all, I contacted the First Prince in Alton Estate."

"The First Prince? Why the First Prince?"

"Think about it. Master is here in this Empire, do you think she'll just be quiet? I'm sure she's the one who's going to make a big incident out of it."

"That's true."

At Oliven's words, Benjamin unconsciously nodded his head. Their master was definitely a person who drove accidents. Among the incidents that occurred in the magic tower, their master was always involved in the major incidents.

"So I investigated the most tumultuous incident in the Empire. That's the case in which the First Prince was deprived of his right to inherit the throne."

"......It is said that he has a vicious personality and lacks qualities. I've heard the rumors about him from the magic tower as well."

"Do you know what was the most decisive factor?"

Oliven lowered his voice subtly as if he were telling a secret. It was a voice that had made them have no choice but to pay attention to him. Benjamin, who knew what happened when Oliven used this voice, narrowed his forehead and wrinkled his face. Just imagining how shady the plans were made his head hurt.

"......"

"......"

Benjamin and Belluna's gazes met. They knew that they were thinking the same thing without saying anything. However, it was true that there was no other way, so in the end, they had no choice but to listen to Oliven.

"He touched Young Lord Ambrosia."

"......What does that have to do with our master?"

"To be exact, he wielded a sword at Young Lord Ambrosia and his nanny. It is said that the Duke of Ambrosia, who witnessed it firsthand, spewed fire from his mouth."

"I know. That’s why I wanted to know what does that have to do with our master?"

"Even after hearing this, don't you feel something? What have you been doing in the capital all this time?"

Benjamin, who was quietly listening to Oliven's words, sighed and added some words.

"The Duke of Ambrosia made a new nanny for his son. They say she's the heir to Count Millen’s family."

"Oh, Benjamin. You weren't just idling around, were you?"

"Shut up."

Belluna slapped Oliven’s finger, which was pointing at Benjamin while he was smiling, and urged him to continue to talk.

"So? Keep talking."

"Don’t you think it’s a bit weird? Well yes, the First Prince did wield his sword a little, but could that deprive him of his right to succeed to the throne?"

At Oliven's words, Benjamin reorganized the information he had gathered in the capital again in his head. Then, the parts that felt reluctant started to surface one by one.

"......Ambrosia's power could have been that significant."

"Or there might be something that makes the Emperor more frightened than that."

"Or maybe it's something like this. For example, it was his nanny, not Young Lord Ambrosia, that shouldn't have been touched."

"......"

At this moment, the same doubt entered the minds of the three of them. As they looked at each other, the doubt gradually turned into a feeling close to certainty. At that time, Oliven smiled and said.

"Now, here's the problem. What did I find out after contacting the First Prince?"

***

The party he came to for the first time was spectacular. There were many people in many colorful costumes. When he first entered the Stenia Hall, his eyes that had been spinning had now regained stability and he could look at people one by one. His father, Ethan Ambrosia, was surrounded by adults from afar, and so was his nanny. Ethan and Sarah stayed away for a while, saying that they would not disturb the children's play, as it was a party attended by children of Claude's age.

'No one plays with me'

Contrary to their expectations, however, children of his age were nothing more than boring callow and ignorant kids to the relatively mature Claude. The more grown-up children did not even approach Claude, as the Young Master of Viscount Naven’s family mistreated Claude and his whole family got an admonition. He didn't even want to approach the children who avoided his gaze every time they made eye contact. In the midst of so much dissatisfaction, it was Sarah who caught Claude's attention.

"May, May."

"Yes, Claude-nim."

"See that old man over there smiling at Nanny?"

"Yes, I can see him very well."

Claude stared intently at an unknown man in the distance, conversing with Sarah. He was an attractive man with tall stature, wide shoulders, and a refreshing smile. He had been tired of watching men rushing to his nanny like fire moths before, but if he was to choose the best out of them, that man was a decent person. Unlike the other men who backed away without even talking to his nanny a few times because of some excuses, that person had been talking for quite some time. However, in Claude's eyes, he who seemed like a star was only flirting next to his nanny.

"He doesn’t even know that Nanny just smiles out of courtesy."

"It seems that he mistakenly thinks that Sarah-nim is really enjoying herself."

"What an ugly sight."

"He desires the one who is out of his league."

May and Claude's eyes met as they exchanged words one by one.

"......"

"......"

Even if they didn't say anything more, they understood each other. Claude and May held each other's invisible hands and strengthened their solidarity.

"Go to Nanny and tell her I fell."

"Yes, Claude-nim. I'll run right away."

May ran towards Sarah without looking back. Claude then lay down on the floor without hesitation.

"Ah, Young Lord Ambrosia?"

The eyes of children of the same age and aristocrats around him gathered on Claude, but he did not care. It bothered him to see a man uglier than his father attached to his nanny, and he couldn't stand it.

"Sarah-nim!"

Meanwhile, May stood in front of Sarah with a very tense face.

"May? What's the matter?"

"That’s, that’s……"

May was restless and whispered in a small voice in Sarah's ear.

"Claude-nim fell down, but he can't get up for some reason."

"What?"

What do you mean he can't get up?

Sarah's face quickly became contemplative. With her face that had hardened in an instant, Sarah completely forgot the existence of the unknown man with whom she had been talking a while ago, and immediately turned around and left.

"Ah, that…...! Countess Millen!"

The unknown man pitifully reached out to Sarah's back, but she was already far away. After her first dance with the Duke of Ambrosia, he was stunned to get a chance to talk to Sarah Millen, who was not dancing with anyone, by beating other suitors who flocked around her like bees. May, who was looking at it, swallowed a fishy smile without knowing it.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, Sir. Something happened to a very important person to Countess Millen-nim, so she left first without leaving such a farewell."

To May, who apologized politely while bending one knee, the man struggled with a shivering face and nodded.

"It, it doesn't matter. She might be."

"Thank you for your generous consideration."

May blatantly patted her chest as if she was happy, and smiled brightly. Then she turned around and muttered in a very low voice, but audible enough to that poor man.

"Sarah-nim is also not interested in men at all."

"......!"

Upon hearing May's murmur, the man realized that he had been dumped now and drooped his shoulders.