~Chapter 121~
Time flew by while Leah was working with Dorothea to make a more effective potion that neutralizes black magic.
“My goodness, Leah. You were so focused you even forgot today’s the banquet day.”
Isabella gently touched Leah’s face as she rushed down from the lab.
“You look tired.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? I was just worried you might be overdoing it.”
Isabella waved her hand and took Leah’s hand as they went down the steps together.
“I’m really not pushing myself too hard, don’t worry.”
Leah smiled to reassure her.
The two of them waited in the carriage for Johann.
A moment later, Johann was about to
climb in when Samuel came running up in a hurry.
“Your Grace, Your Grace!”
“What is it?”
“Huff… I found him, I found the former Tower Master!”
“What? Are you serious?”
Not just Johann—Leah and Isabella, who were in the carLeahge, widened their eyes in surprise.
“Yes, he’s in Essen, in the Bamber region.”
“Bamber… that’s the Empress’s family’s territory.”
“Yes. He’d changed his name, so it took some extra time to track him down.”
“I see. Bring him in immediately, but make sure the Empress’s side doesn’t notice.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
It was farther away than expected, so bringing him would take some time, but there was still room before Johann had to head to the Black Mountains.
“Phew.”
He let out a sigh of relief and got into the carriage.
—
Leah stepped into the bustling banquet hall and immediately noticed something different.
Until the hunting festival, people used to look at her with suspicion or contempt, but today, their eyes were oddly warm—even friendly.
Some even seemed like they wanted to strike up a conversation.
“Lady Leah!”
Someone called her cheerfully.
“Lady Tatiana.”
It was the young lady from the Bloom family, the one Leah had saved during the hunt.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come today!”
Tatiana grabbed Leah’s hand, her eyes sparkling.
Ever since the hunting festival, she’d become a die-hard fan of Leah.
“For me?”
“Yes! We were just talking about how amazing you were that day.”
The ladies with Tatiana gave Leah polite nods.
The story of Leah’s feat at the festival was still a hot topic in society.
In a place where gossip and fads faded fast, that was unusual.
‘Maybe because a commoner-born, ordinary woman managed to take down a bear by herself.’
“Lady Leah, could you come over and tell us the story directly?”
“Uh, well…”
Feeling shy, Leah glanced at Isabella and
Johann.
“Everyone really wants to hear it from you.”
“Leah, why don’t you go ahead and tell them? They’re curious.”
Isabella nudged her gently.
“Yes, Mother.”
Leah rubbed her nose in embarrassment and followed Tatiana.
Johann stepped aside to give the women their space.
“The star of the hunt is finally here.”
“They say you weren’t hurt at all—really?”
With Leah and Isabella joining in, the circle of women grew even livelier, laughter filling the air as they talked about the hunt.
More noble ladies gathered, except for those closest to the Empress.
“His ImpeLeahl Highness, Crown Prince Mathias Valerius, and Her Highness the Crown Princess are entering!”
The doors opened, and the herald announced loudly.
As soon as the Crown Princess Josephina entered, she came straight toward Leah’s group.
“What’s everyone chatting about so happily?”
“We were talking about the hunt. Some ladies want to learn, so we were discussing starting a hunting club, Your Highness.”
Marchioness Melua answered with a smile.
“Would complete beginners—those who’ve never drawn a bow—be allowed in?”
One countess, usually known to hate exercise, asked.
“Of course! Everyone starts somewhere.”
Josephina laughed warmly, patting her hand.
“If you want to join, just submit an application to Marchioness Melua.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Several women nodded with interest.
“Lady Leah, you’ll join us too, right?”
Josephina linked arms with her.
“Yes, I’d love to.”
While Leah was with the ladies, Johann was talking with Matthias and the other men.
“There’s about a month left before the monster subjugation this year, right?”
“Roughly, yes.”
Johann glanced at Leah, then turned back.
“Duke Blumenthal, we’ll be counting on you again this year.”
An elderly count stroked his mustache.
“They say the monsters have grown fiercer these past ten years. Must be tough work.”
“More precisely, it started eight years ago—the year the Duke first went.”
Mathias corrected him smoothly, as if already briefed by Johann.
“Strange. Monsters acting up, starting exactly from his first campaign?”
“Now that you say it, it is odd.”
“Duke, did your late father ever mention anything?”
They tilted their heads curiously.
“My father once said he saw a suspicious figure near the Black Mountain’s entrance.”
Johann recalled.
“What? Really?”
“Who was it, and what were they doing there?”
“I’m not sure… but likely something dangerous…”
“Her ImpeLeahl Highness, Empress Narcissa Valerius, and His Highness Prince FloLeahn are entering!”
The herald’s announcement cut him off.
‘Well, that should be enough to plant some doubts in their minds.’
—
When Isabella saw the Empress enter, she let out a small, pained sound only Leah could hear.
She bit her lip hard to hold back her fury.
Leah noticed and quietly took her trembling hand.
‘It’s okay.’
She spoke with her eyes.
Feeling Leah’s steady grip, Isabella’s trembling stopped.
Leah then looked at the Empress.
‘…Something’s different. What is it?’
As the Empress drew closer, the answer became clear.
Carmen, who always shadowed her like a shadow, was missing.
Why wasn’t she there?
“So, everyone’s gathered here.”
The Empress approached, and the women curtsied.
“With the champion of the hunt present, of course everyone naturally gathered in one place.”
Josephina smiled.
“Indeed. Lady Leah did wonderfully that day.”
The Empress smiled elegantly at Leah.
‘Back then, she lost control of her expression completely, but today she looks so composed.’
Maybe she’d just regained her calm with time, but it felt unsettling.
“By the way, Crown Princess, didn’t you think something was odd?”
Tatiana frowned slightly.
“The bears we hunt are usually given a sedative potion, aren’t they?”
“That’s right.”
Josephina’s face darkened.
“But the bear we faced looked like it had taken the opposite—something that made it violent.”
“Yes, I told my husband the same. Even normally gentle animals, like deer, acted strange. That’s why there were more injuries this year.”
Marchioness Melua added.
“Oh my, what’s going on?”
“Maybe the handlers messed up?”
“Still, is it even possible to make a potion that makes animals more aggressive?”
“Exactly, something like that shouldn’t exist…”
“…It’s possible if it’s forbidden magic.”
Leah, who had been silent until now, spoke carefully—her gaze fixed on the Empress.
“Forbidden magic?”
Tatiana asked, eyes wide.
“Yes. I read about it in a book—magic created by forcibly extracting mana from others, in cruel ways.”
“Now that you mention it, I remember learning that in the Academy too.”
Marchioness Melua nodded.
“Magic created like that carries evil energy. It can harm people.”
“Ugh, that’s horrifying.”
Tatiana and others rubbed their arms against the goosebumps.
“How barbaric! Who would invent such a wicked spell to steal someone else’s mana?”
One lady exclaimed in anger.
Twitch.
The Empress’s eyes flickered for the briefest moment—despite her calm mask.
Leah caught it.
