Chapter 65
Isollen sighed and messed up her hair. Cheshion smiled softly and comforted her.
“When Mori returns, she’ll make lots of dark mana stones. That will solve the money problem.”
“Is it really okay to spend so much?”
“Of course. I’m leaving now.”
“Take care.”
Isollen went down to the first-floor lobby to see Cheshion off. Alice and Seahra waved goodbye too.
Back in the maids’ office, Isollen looked at Mori’s empty seat. She could almost see Mori’s gloomy face as she worked on paperwork.
‘You have to come back. You’re my friend.’
Isollen sat down and pulled out a blank sheet of paper. She would have to rewrite the budget and prepare over a hundred sacred relics, which meant working day and night for a while.
As papers started piling up on the desk, Anna walked in with snacks.
“Mori really was a witch! I was right, wasn’t I?”
“Yeah, your instincts are good. But not everyone in the Grand Duchy likes witches, so don’t call her that out loud.”
“Then I’ll call her a beauty instead.”
“Good idea, beauty.”
“But what are you going to do now? You look really serious.”
“I’m going to spend money. A lot of it.”
Three days later.
Isollen sold everything valuable, including loot from the ancient dragon and dark mana stones. She used the money to buy as many sacred relics as possible.
When piles of relics arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence, the butler rushed to find Isollen in panic.
“Lady Isollen, I heard His Grace ordered relics to be bought, but may I ask what all these are for?”
“I don’t know either. I’m sure His Grace has a reason.”
Isollen checked the relics with a magnifying glass and answered vaguely. How could she explain they were to create a barrier to block the Witch Hunters? No one would believe it, and it would throw the Grand Duchy into chaos.
“I’m worried. What if His Grace is spending recklessly to deal with his stress? Shouldn’t you stop him?”
“How could I go against his orders? I have no choice but to follow them. Will you help me? I’ve already bought about 50 relics. I need at least 50 more, and even more if possible.”
“Nobles heard His Grace is buying relics and now they’re selling them at absurd prices! You’re not going to buy those too, are you? The deficit will be huge!”
“Maybe. But our people won’t go hungry. I think His Grace knows what he’s doing.”
“Oh dear…”
The butler held his forehead and left. Isollen put down the relic she was examining and scribbled a deficit note on the budget.
‘This is starting to look risky.’
Most relics at the auction were bought. The only ones left were rare and privately owned by noble families.
Isollen first sent letters to nobles friendly to House Edel. Most of them agreed to trade willingly.
‘That’ll get us about 30 more. The last 20 will be the problem.’
There was one big problem. Aside from the Great Cathedral, the Ortega family owned the most relics. The cathedral’s relics couldn’t be bought or borrowed, so that left only the Ortegas.
She would have to beg for relics from Catherine and Kenneth. Isollen leaned back in her chair with a sigh.
‘A normal deal won’t work. What kind of condition would satisfy that awful family?’
Just then, a letter arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence.
The Ortegas had heard that House Edel was collecting relics—and they jumped at the chance to send a message.
“You are now Serietti.”
Late at night, with an unexpected voice in her head, Gremory woke up lying in a forbidden forest.
The scene around her was horrible. The corpses of terrifying monsters were everywhere.
‘Did I lose control again without realizing it?’
After Cheshion almost died, her body and mind had started changing quickly. She craved blood and meat. She wanted to hurt people.
So she had run far away, to a place humans never came—a forbidden zone filled with monsters, not even on maps.
Gremory tried hard to control her rising hunger. When it became too much, she would hunt and eat the monsters.
‘I can’t go back to the Grand Duke’s residence looking like this.’
She lay flat on the ground, tears forming in her eyes. She hated herself. But she still missed everyone back home.
Especially Cheshion Edel. His face kept appearing in her mind under the night sky.
She was confused. Did she want his love… or his blood?
Then, she heard footsteps.
A monster? Yes, probably a monster. No human would ever come this deep into the forbidden zone.
Normally, she would have sensed someone much earlier. But now she was too weak to react fast.
A moment later, she heard the voice she missed so much.
“Mori.”
It was Cheshion.
Gremory jumped up in surprise. Cheshion was right in front of her. Behind him, Alice and Seahra held hands tightly.
Seahra smiled brightly when her eyes met Gremory’s.
“I actually have an ability to track people. So I was able to bring my brother here.”
Alice looked around at the monster corpses and clicked her tongue.
“Mori, let’s go home. I’ll make you something that calms your cravings. You should have told me earlier. I could’ve fixed this quickly.”
Cheshion walked slowly toward Gremory without saying a word. His face was hidden by the darkness.
Like she’d seen a snake, Gremory quickly stood up and backed away from him.
“How did you know my appetite changed?”
Cheshion answered quietly.
“Ham told me. That magical creature from Ibelia.”
“…”
“Let’s go home, Mori. Once you eat Alice’s food, you’ll feel better.”
“I can’t. If I stay near you, you’ll be in danger again. Do as I said—stay safe behind the relic barrier. I’ll deal with the Witch Hunters.”
“So you’ll just live out here? Starving yourself, fighting monsters, losing control until you can’t think anymore? I won’t let you live like that.”
Cheshion suddenly rushed forward. Before Gremory could react, he grabbed her hand.
“Mori, remember what I said? You don’t have to go through hard times alone. Rely on me.”
“Let go. If you don’t want to get bitten.”
“Come home. You can live safely with us inside the barrier.”
“How can it be safe with me there? I’m like a bomb that could explode at any moment.”
“I can handle it. And I don’t care if you’re a witch or anything else. Everyone at the Grand Duke’s house feels the same. We’re all waiting for you.”
Cheshion slowly reached for her face. His hand wiped away the tears around her eyes.
“Cheshion.”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you doing all this for me?”
“Because I love you.”
“…What?”
“You once told me you didn’t want a life without me. I feel the same. These past days without you—I was like a madman. Every time I felt your absence, it hurt so much I could barely breathe.”
“…”
“Are you really going to leave me like this? You said you loved me. That you couldn’t live without me.”
Tears poured down Gremory’s cheeks. Before, she didn’t understand what tears meant. But now, she finally did.
‘Tears fall when sadness becomes too strong to control.’
If only she were just an ordinary human. If she’d been a simple victim of witch hunts, rescued by Cheshion, she wouldn’t have to suffer like this.
“I know my place, Cheshion. I don’t belong next to someone like you. You’re just under a witch’s spell. So wake up and give up.”
“Yeah, I’m under your spell. You cast it on me. So take responsibility. Don’t witches always take responsibility for their own magic?”
“That’s only when they make a contract…”
“Then make a contract with me. Promise to stay by my side. In return, you can take anything from me.”
