“Judging by your expressions, it looks like things aren’t going well.”

Kael said as he sat down in his office chair. In front of him stood Zion and Vero.

While Adeline was trying to fulfill her role as the grand duchess, Kael was trying to catch who was behind Vanessa and the culprit who had brainwashed her.
The captain of the Red Knights, whom they continued to interrogate, repeatedly said that he didn’t know who the person who told him that Adeline was the murderer was, and died while screaming without much outcome. No significant clues had been found despite the information network he had released throughout the empire to find even the tiniest piece of information.

“The path to purchase the poison that Lady Felix and the dagger imbued with dark magic is still ambiguous. Since it’s a poison that contains viper venom and a dagger imbued with strong black magic, the only way to obtain them is by going through the black market. It can rarely be found.”

Vero spoke as if he didn’t understand, showing his frustration. The situation was so strange that it even made Vero, who never showed his emotions, like this.

“No matter where I look, there is no record of poison being bought. I can count with my fingers the places that handle viper venom, but there are no traces anywhere.”
“What about the servants?”
“I looked into them, but they didn’t even get close to the black market.”

Normally, if he clung to it this much, he was bound to get something. The amount of information Vero held was vast, and his skills were excellent.
However, Vanessa’s case barely progressed.

“Then it’s been settled from within the mansion.”
“Yes. So I left that possibility open and looked at the situation in the mansion, but there is no singularity there either.”

When Vero finished speaking, Zion immediately took over the report.

“Perhaps because of the bad public opinion that resulted from the announcement that they would not be charged, His Majesty investigated Count Felix’s mansion not long ago.”
“Did he send the military police?”
“Yes, Your Grace. However, there is no record of anything particularly striking. There was not much to record in the first place.”

The report Zion had obtained through the commander of the military police wasn’t very substantial.

“It seems that His Majesty has merely deceived them.”
“What did they write down?”
“They noted that nothing was found. There was no visible evidence of sorcery or magic tools in the mansion. The only thing written was that Count Felix was sitting there like he was out of his mind.”

Kael calmly listened to the report, then frowned slightly.

“Are they still blocking all access to the mansion?”
“Yes. They’re keeping it locked all the time. The servants’ access is also being minimized. Even the butler rarely comes outside.”
“And the Count?”
“He’s still staying at home. He’s not even moving.”

Zion sighed slightly as if he were as frustrated as Vero.

“That’s usually not a big deal. He must have prepared meticulously. Don’t be too impatient. First, pay close attention to the vicinity of the mansion. If there is a way to get inside, you must use it.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“There are problems with his province, so he can’t just sit idly by. Don’t miss out on Count Felix’s movements. There may be someone contacting him in secret.”

Kael organized the situation and thought for a moment.
He asked him not to be impatient, but there wasn’t much progress either.

‘Do I have to approach it in a different way?’

Kael erased the Felix family from his mind for a moment and thought about Adeline’s words.

‘She said she didn’t doubt her brainwashing because she already knew what was going to happen. She thought it was fixed. If it happened up until the masquerade ball…’

Adeline kept saying that she thought she was following exactly what was written in a book.
It was something that shouldn’t be overlooked. If she had foreseen the future, it wasn’t a simple brainwashing. It was even more serious if it was assumed that Adeline’s brainwashing took place on the night the Marquis and his wife died.

‘It means that she looked ahead a few years. And on top of that, it wasn’t wrong.’

The more he thought about it, the more complicated the situation was.

“Your Grace. Do you have a hunch?”

Zion asked cautiously as Kael fell into thought with a serious expression.

“Check to see if anyone in the capital has had frequent contact with a prophet. Long before the incident with Marquis Tien.”
“A prophet?”
“Adeline said she knew about the future ahead of time. That was why she couldn’t wake up from her brainwashing more easily.”

Zion and Vero looked at Kael in surprise.

“It’s simple to plant thoughts, but foreseeing the future along with brainwashing is different. That could be a clue.”
“I’ll focus on looking for one.”

Their expressions turned resolute. Kael hoped that this approach would yield even the slightest result.

“Ah, did you contact Herma?”
“I already did it, Your Grace. She was on a trip, so she said we had to double the money because she had to stop and come back.”

When Kael changed the topic to Herma, the heavy atmosphere became a little lighter.
His head hurt because there were so many unresolved troubles, but there remained something equally important and pleasant.

“I have to take a lot of money with me. It can’t be just empty words.”

Kael smiled and got up from his seat.
It was time to prepare Adeline’s gift.

***

“It’s a beautiful forest.”
“You shouldn’t let your guard down, Your Grace. There is mana flowing in this entire area. You have to stay alert.”

Melissa, who was by Adeline’s side, said as she looked around. The two were in the woods a little distance from the castle.

It was hectic just learning about the northern part of the country, but the more she focused on it, the more Kael floated around in Adeline’s mind.
More precisely, Kael’s curse rarely left her head.
Her feelings towards Kael kept overflowing. Her desire to love him wholeheartedly kept coming into her head.
Adeline had lost her constraints, but Kael still thought he couldn’t love Adeline completely.

‘It’s the curse. It must be because of the curse on his shoulder.’

No matter how many times she thought about it, the curse seemed to be the biggest cause. Adeline wanted to break that curse.
In order to break it, she had to know. The first thing Adeline recalled was Kasus, whom she had met in the prison of the temple. No matter what anyone said, he was the most well-versed in magic in the empire, and he was sure to be proficient in the curse of darkness.
But to meet him, Simeon had to risk his life once more. Besides, he couldn’t hold a long conversation, and going to the capital was a burden.
So, she asked Melissa for help.

[The best wizard in the North?]
[Yeah. A person who is proficient in all kinds of magic. Even in fields that are forbidden in the Empire.]
[Seeing you speak like that makes me scared. What are you looking for, Your Grace?]
[I can’t tell you in detail. But it’s very important.]

Although Melissa was quite anxious, she told her about the best wizard in the north.
As soon as daylight came, Adeline headed for the forest.

“You mean I have to go alone from this point onwards?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”

Melissa answered, looking at Adeline with worried eyes.

“What are you so worried about? It’s not a bad wizard.”
“That’s true, but… Either way, you’re going in alone, so I can’t help but worry.”
“It’s alright. I’m not a child. Don’t worry. Just wait here.”

The wizard said that only the person requesting it could cross the barrier and come into the cabin. Adeline smiled at Melissa as she stood in front of the sign informing her of the barrier.

“You have to be careful, Your Grace! Don’t forget!”

Melissa shouted at Adeline, telling her to be careful again and again. Adeline paused, nodded, and then moved forward.

“The wizard said it would appear soon after crossing the barrier. Ah, I can see it.”

Adeline sped up as soon as she found the cabin.
She had a few things she wanted to ask. She wanted to go as soon as possible and reduce the time she had to distance herself from Kael as much as possible.

‘Is there no door?’

She walked along the path where the picturesque cabin was visible, but when she arrived in front of it, she couldn’t see the door.

‘Do you come in through the back?’

Adeline walked towards the other side of the entrance, puzzled. She took one spin around the cabin.

“… Huh?”

But Adeline suddenly stopped. It was before she even found the door to enter.
The small window she found first reflected the interior of the cabin. Whether it was under the influence of mana, or because of the pouring sunlight that was uncharacteristic of winter, she could see everything inside clearly.

“… Kael.”

Kael was in the cabin.
A woman with purple hair was standing in front of him. The two stood facing each other, talking, and Kael smiled slightly when the woman said something.
The moment Adeline saw this, her mind went blank for the first time. For seeing Kael smiling at a woman other than her.

–