Chapter 68
“…She must be happy, living a life where she can throw money around.”
Of course, that wasn’t something you could just say straight to little Yulia.
“Does spending a lot of money make you happy?”
“Well… Why don’t you try it yourself one day? When you grow up and get to spend freely, tell me then, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now, time for bed.”
Nod.
After gently patting the child who obediently closed her eyes, Ceres turned toward the window.
Tonight, the moonlight was unusually bright.
When she saw the girl breathing softly, already fast asleep without any fuss, Ceres rose quietly and stepped out of the room.
She cracked open another nearby door — inside, Antonian was sleeping soundly.
He must’ve had a rough day of training; he was out cold, deep in slumber.
‘Time to go.’
After confirming her younger siblings were all asleep, Ceres left the mansion. There was something she wanted to check while the streets were empty.
‘Here it is.’
A long line of cordon tape stretched across a dark alley — blocking entry to the place where a body had been found.
Ceres glanced around briefly before ducking under the line and stepping inside.
“A demonic beast, huh…”
The corpse she’d seen earlier that day — no matter how she looked at it, the only logical conclusion was that the victim had been killed by the monster Shakera.
But seeing the scene herself only deepened her confusion.
Whenever a monster appeared, it always left traces.
At least some scratch marks on the surrounding buildings — but here?
“How strange.”
There was nothing.
She’d heard the reports, but still — seeing it for herself, there truly wasn’t a single trace.
Only the dried splatters of blood across the ground proved that someone had lost their life here.
“What could this mean?”
How had the person actually died? Where had the monster come from?
And why hadn’t any of the alarms gone off?
If even a single small monster had shown up, the entire area should’ve been in chaos.
Ceres was here to find the answer to those questions.
“…”
She knelt and placed a hand on the bloodstained ground.
Whoosh—
The flow of air around her shifted rapidly from where her hand touched.
The dried blood vanished, and the traces on the ground dispersed in an instant.
Fwoosh!
“…!”
Something suddenly shot up all around her, enclosing her in an instant.
Her eyes widened at the sight.
“This is…”
The bright moonlight was swallowed whole — what had risen skyward was a wall of black trees.
“The Black Forest…”
Standing within that pitch-dark space, Ceres could only stare blankly for a long time at the sight before her.
“I’ve got a question.”
Ceres, who had been deep in thought all day, suddenly spoke up. Kainel looked up from the documents he was reading.
“Can a small Black Forest appear? Like, one that’s just big enough to fit a room this size?”
“What?”
“I mean, not a whole village or city — just small enough to trap one person. Do Black Forests appear like that these days?”
“These days? What are you, a relic from the past?”
“That’s not the point.”
“…It kind of is, though.”
Kainel sighed quietly and set his papers aside.
“Explain more clearly. A small Black Forest?”
“The body they found — it fits the theory.”
“You mean the one killed by Shakera?”
“Yeah. If a Black Forest appeared that was just big enough to trap one person, that kind of corpse would make sense.”
A Black Forest disappears only when all the monsters inside are gone or when its core — the “boss” — is killed.
And there’s one more case.
When every human inside dies.
When no living being remains except monsters, the Black Forest collapses.
The one she’d seen last night was tiny — barely large enough to trap a single person.
‘If that victim had been caught inside it…’
And if the Black Forest vanished right after their death — everything would make perfect sense.
The problem was, in all her years in Grace, she’d never once seen such a phenomenon.
Could it be that after 300 years, the Black Forests had evolved — that there were now different kinds?
“That’s… an interesting theory.”
“So, you’re saying it’s impossible?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard of.”
“You were holed up in the Principality for ages, weren’t you? Maybe that’s why you don’t know.”
“Could you say that more nicely?”
“You were respectfully holed up for ages, weren’t you? So maybe that’s why you respectfully don’t know?”
“I have plenty of people feeding me outside intel, thanks.”
“…”
So in other words — what I saw last night wasn’t normal.
‘Then what was it?’
What the hell did I see? A mutation?
Should I report it to others?
‘But if I do…’
Would anyone even believe me?
‘I wouldn’t.’
Who would take a young noblewoman seriously if she came spouting something like that?
“I’m the problem. Me.”
Her damn curiosity was the problem.
Would it kill her to just not look into things once in a while?
“Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.”
Creak.
Ceres stood abruptly from her seat by the window.
“I’m leaving work.”
“Leaving?”
“Yeah.”
Waving lightly toward Kainel, she headed straight for the door.
“I made dinner already, so don’t forget to eat.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve got somewhere to be.”
“Where?”
“To see Cheyan.”
“…Cheyan?”
Kainel’s brow twitched. He took off his glasses, eyes narrowing.
“It’s not quitting time.”
“I said dinner’s ready.”
“It’s not quitting time.”
“So what?”
It’s not like there’s anything left to do here.
He’d seen her lazing by the window for ages already — why waste more time sitting around?
Let’s live efficiently, shall we?
But Kainel remained stubborn.
“Don’t go.”
“What?”
“Stay here.”
“Stay? There’s nothing to do.”
“Being by my side is your job.”
“…Hey.”
Ceres could only stare at him in disbelief as he coolly picked his papers back up.
“Who’s here?”
“Lady Ceres is requesting an audience—”
Thud!
Before the butler could finish, Cheyan shot up from his seat and rushed to the door.
“Wait, I can bring her in—”
His secretary Luka tried to stop him, but Cheyan was faster.
Bang!
“…Ceres.”
It really was her — standing right there at his door.
When she saw him, she raised a hand in greeting.
Had it been half a month since they last saw each other?
“Long time no see.”
Nod.
Cheyan only replied with a silent nod, tilting his head slightly.
Had he forgotten how to speak in the meantime?
“Can I come in?”
“Y-yeah…”
Finally, a small answer slipped out.
“It’s been a while.”
He spoke a little late, earning a faint smile from Ceres.
Why so sentimental? What was this, a family reunion?
“Do we have a guest?”
Then, from behind Cheyan, a new voice spoke up.
Ceres turned toward the sound — and her eyes widened slightly.
“Huh?”
The man behind him looked equally startled, his mouth falling open.
“It’s you, isn’t it? From the restaurant.”
He broke into a bright smile.
It was the same man who had come into her shop at almost midnight not long ago.
“What, you two know each other?”
“Yes.”
Cheyan looked just as surprised.
“How?”
“When I first arrived in the capital, I was starving, so I couldn’t go straight to the palace. I stopped at a nearby restaurant…”
“No way.”
“Yes — it turned out to be her shop. It was late, so I couldn’t eat, but she treated me to a rare tea instead. I was very grateful.”
Cheyan looked between the two of them in astonishment, then hastily introduced the man.
“This is my brother, Alex.”
“Your brother?”
Brother — meaning, the prince?
Ceres’s eyes grew even wider.
Wait. The prince was wandering around the streets half-dead?
She gave him a look of sheer disbelief.
‘So my worry that night was totally unnecessary.’
If she’d told him to go see Count Elthesia for treatment, she’d have died of embarrassment — he’d already have had the best healers in the empire at his disposal.
“And this is my friend, Ceres.”
“You two are friends?”
Prince Alex let out a delighted laugh, marveling at the coincidence.
“Alex. It’s nice to meet you again.”
“Likewise. I’m glad to see you alive this time.”
