CH 20

She blinked for a second. What did he want her to read with a book that was all blank?

“I don’t know why you look like that.”

“Well, since the Duke is saying strange things…”

“Am I saying something weird?”

“Yes. I’m embarrassed to be asked to read a blank book.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This book is a mystery novel mixed with philosophical content.”

A mystery novel mixed with philosophical content? That blank book?

“Duke. The book is blank. There are no words written on it.”

“It’s written like this, but I don’t know what white paper is.”

She stared at the Duke quietly. There was not an inch of deceit on his face. Due to the Duke’s personality, he probably wouldn’t want to play around with her. She took the book in his hand and looked at it again. However, no writing was written anywhere in the open book.

She shook her head.

“No matter how you look at it, it’s blank.”

The Duke, frowning, tugged on the rope beside him, and his attendant came inside.

“Did you call, Duke?”

“Does this look like white paper to you?”

“No. The letters are tightly written.”

The Duke looked at her without saying a word.

“…No, wait a minute.”

She opened the door with a book in her hand. She pushed the book to Richard and Jade.

“Is there really writing on this? Not a blank piece of paper?”

She looked at Richard and Jade, who were looking at the book, with puzzled eyes.

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about either. Isn’t there a lot of writing on it?”

As soon as she heard that, she turned around. The Duke lifted his chin as if to look at it. At this point, she wondered if everyone except her was in a situation where everyone was fixing things up. What the hell was this?

“I’m sure it looks like a blank page to my eyes. It’s a blank page no matter where I open it. A blank page.”

“What the hell are you talking about? I don’t even know where the white paper is.”

Everyone, including the Duke, looked at her strangely, and she felt frustrated and going crazy. Well, she was not lying. She was about to pass the book to the Duke, who still looked at her strangely, and asked her to take another look. Because she passed it hastily, she ended up cutting her finger long with the paper blade.

“Oh,”

She grimaced slightly at the stinging pain. Nothing was working, really. She sighed and looked down at the book. There was a fine smudge of her blood on the paper blade.

“I understand. But I just want you to know that I’m not lying…”

She couldn’t even speak at all. It was because an unbelievable sight unfolded before her eyes. Black smoke was rising from the book. It also had the shape of a demon. She quickly threw the book away. Black smoke billowed from the books that had fallen to the floor. It seemed she wasn’t the only one surprised. The Duke, who got up from his seat, stared at the scene with a slightly surprised look.

“My, Duke. What the heck is this…”

The startled attendant stammered and stepped back. The knights also came inside and aimed their swords at the smoke. It was the Duke who made the first move in an imminent situation. The moment he stretched out his hand toward the black smoke, a tremendous scream filled the room. The noise sounded like it would tear the eardrums, so she quickly covered both of her ears.

She didn’t know what it was, but the black smoke kept trying to avoid the Duke’s hand. She heard only the realization that the Duke was doing something. The smoke that had been writhing around began to fade gradually. Soon the smoke disappeared completely and all that was left was a burnt book.

“Immediately request an interview with the Mage Tower.”

“All right.”

Jade bowed his head at the Duke’s command and immediately left the office. He said this time to Richard.

“I will gather the Knights and search the entire mansion.”

When Richard left the office, the only people left were her, the Duke, and the attendant. Let the Duke wink at the attendant and send him away, in the end, only her and the Duke were left here. 

She was confused as to what the situation was, but she was very anxious. No matter what you think about it, what happened a little while ago was a perfect scene to misunderstand. Black smoke coming out of the book when it was in her hand… She couldn’t even figure out what to explain to avoid suspicion. It was a moment when her mind was complicated.

“I’m worried that I might be suspicious.”

“That is…”

“I have no intention of interrogating you, so please leave.”

“Do you believe I didn’t do it?”

The Duke silently picked up the book and wiped the burn marks with his finger.

“It’s a situation I’ve been through many times before.”

“That means…”

Suddenly, the Duke’s eyes were heavy.

“…yes. As you said, it’s blank. Nothing is written there.”

The Duke muttered to himself, and let out a breath. It was a light breath, but somehow it sounded heavy to her.

“Get out now.”

She looked at the Duke and reluctantly took a step.

Click.

She stared at the closed door for a moment before moving her legs. The face of the Duke from earlier had stuck in her mind and did not disappear. As she walked absentmindedly, she was in front of her room before she knew it. There, she opened the door and entered the room and sat down on a chair. No matter how much she searched her mind, nothing like this came to mind. It seemed that the situation with the book just before had been omitted as if it had not happened.

The way the black smoke took the shape of a demon, and the way it screamed… Was there some kind of magic? But even if that’s the case. Why did it seem like a blank slate to her from the beginning? That was the biggest question.

“Haa, what the hell is this situation J…”

As she thought about this and that, her head throbbed. She walked straight to the bed and fell face down. 

‘Let’s take a deep breath and think again.’

So she tried hard to sleep.

* * *

As soon as she opened her eyes, she stared blankly at the plump thing she saw. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t still awake, she saw a soft peach in front of her eyes, and then pressed on. It looked like a baby peach, or like a ball of white cotton… She raised her hand and poked at the light pink convex thing. As expected, it felt soft and warm to the touch. She heard a small laugh as she unconsciously tinkered with it.

She finally came to her senses and looked up at the child in front of her. Looking at it now, it seemed that she was touching the child’s cheek.

“Elia.”

“…Hmm, did you come after class?”

“Yes. I just came. Did Elia sleep because she was tired?”

“I guess I just wanted to get some sleep and slept soundly. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m a little hungry.”

“Then let’s go to dinner.”

After lightly relaxing, she got out of bed. She took the child’s hand and headed for the door.

“Now the mansion is very noisy.”

“Are you upset?”

“Yes. The knights are all running around. Do you know why?”

She looked down at the child who tilted his head for a moment. The situation she had just seen seemed best to hide from the child.

“…Um, well. Did something happen?”

“I asked Lubart, but he said he didn’t know.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

It was when she had just left the room with Deliam. The maid came towards them.

“I think we should have dinner in the garden tonight.”

“In the garden?”

“Yes. He said that it would be good for the time being as well as the current situation.”

The lady-in-waiting looked at the child and said that.

“Did Lubart say that?”

“Yes. Shall we prepare another place if it is inconvenient?”

At the words of the maid, she shifted her gaze to the child.

“Liam, what do you think?”

“I like it!”

“That’s right. Then we’ll eat in the garden.”

“All right.”

“Where can I go?”

“I will guide you. Please follow me.”

Deliam and she followed Shiner while holding hands. As if they had already finished their preparations, a seat was prepared on the other side of the garden. She looked at the food on the table and sat down. Then she brought the child’s plate and took a little bit of this and that. Since there was nothing to cover, the child ate well.

“What did you learn in class?”

“What I learned today. So…”

While talking and eating with the child, she suddenly remembered the Duke again. She didn’t know why it kept bothering her. Was it because the expression she saw earlier was stuck in her head? She didn’t know if it’s okay. It looked like he would be at the Magic Tower by now.

“Elia, aren’t you eating?”

“…uh? I will eat.”

“Go on. This is delicious.”

Deliam held out the fish flesh to her. When she opened her mouth, the fish meat slipped inside.

“It’s good.”

“Right?”

The child ate the flesh of the fish in front of him with a fork. Unlike a peaceful child, her head was disturbed. It was because the black smoke in the shape of a demon that she had seen in the office earlier came to mind. Thinking back, it was kind of terrifying. Didn’t the smoke even scream as if it were a creature? If it was a type of curse magic, it was unpredictable how many similar things could be found in the mansion. She was fed up with curse magic. Weren’t the curses hanging over her body still unresolved?

After being sick once, nothing happened because she was fine, but it was just as bad. She didn’t know if it’s going to be okay like this. There’s nothing wrong so far, but wouldn’t it be better to completely break the curse? When the Duke returns from the Mage Tower, should she ask him for a sneak peek? About whether he could clear the curse on her body.

While thinking for a while, she heard a small hum. The child was rocking his body back and forth as if he was happy.

“What’s up with you?”

“I looked closely in the mirror earlier, and I saw that my body had really grown. I was so amazed and happy.”

“My Liam, I hope you grow up well like this, right?”

“Yes!”

She smiled happily when she saw the child who answered vigorously.

* * *

The Duke returned to the mansion just as the child had just fallen asleep. After thinking about it, she came to the conclusion that she would visit him tomorrow separately. It was late, and it seemed like a nuisance because she had visited late once before.

She looked down at the sleeping child in her arms and slowly closed her eyes. However, no matter how much time passed, she could hardly fall asleep.

“…I care.”

Involuntarily, she muttered to herself. It was because the image of the former Duke filled her mind. Did he make her worry on purpose by making that expression in front of her? It was the first time she had ever seen the Duke’s expression like that. He looked like someone who had been trapped in an abyss for a long time and had become empty. Was it because he lost someone dear to him?

Maybe it was because she hadn’t had a similar experience, so she had no way of knowing how he felt. Anyway, she just got confused. It seemed like she wouldn’t be able to sleep. Should she take a walk at night? She thought about it for a while, then cautiously got up.