CBDBS l CH 29

Posted by Eleanor, Released on September 10, 2025

Chapter 29

“Tsk. Still alive, is he?”

At the mention of Erjin, König clicked his tongue in annoyance. Gerard only stared blankly into the air, his face haggard. Even a sly fox like him seemed worn down by court life.

And then it hit me.

Ah—Erjin Astarhan!

I’d been so caught up with Bishop the eagle that I’d completely forgotten about him. But I had a deal with him!

And if he was under brainwashing… that spell wouldn’t stop until the target was eliminated.

Is he even okay down there?

Gerard let out a heavy sigh. “We just need him to get through today without incident.”

I understood at once. Gerard had seen it too. He’d been visiting the dungeon for interrogations—of course he would have noticed Erjin’s condition.

And that was the real problem.

If they released him, he’d just attack König again. But if they kept him locked up, they couldn’t get anything useful out of him. A stalemate.

Worse still, time wasn’t on their side. Erjin was only at Black Dragon Castle because he was co-leader of the joint investigation into Baron Varun’s lands. Once the report was finished, he’d have to return to the capital.

And then who knew what he might try?

So while he was still here, the brainwashing had to be broken.

There must be some way…

I chewed on my lip in frustration, but no good ideas came.

Then, like a bolt of lightning, something flashed through my mind.

The mark.

Those who were brainwashed were always left with a special mark. If I could just confirm the symbol, I could trace which family cast the spell. That would make undoing it so much easier.

And more importantly—I had my own reasons for needing to see it.

Which meant tonight, while König was fast asleep, was my only chance.

***

The Midnight Mission

[Nom nom… this way.]

At dawn, while König slept deeply, I set out with Sebi. The little lizard munched happily on the snacks I’d smuggled out, guiding me through the castle.

From the duke’s bedroom on the fourth floor, past the banquet hall, through the kitchens…

Our final destination: the underground dungeon where Erjin was held.

[Do we really have to go?]

Sebi stopped for the third time, his voice uneasy.

[Every hallway is crawling with scary guys.]

Earlier, while I distracted König, he’d scouted ahead. Even along routes that should’ve been ordinary, guards were posted everywhere. He said it took every ounce of caution just to get here.

No surprise. Erjin wasn’t just anyone—he was the heir of House Astarhan. If he tried to escape, even Black Dragon’s elite knights might not hold him.

Gerard himself had ordered it:

“No gaps in the patrols. Double, triple the guards. Another mistake will not be forgiven.”

The knights’ faces then had been like cold stone. They’d served König long enough to imagine all too well what would happen if things went wrong again.

So the castle’s defenses were iron-tight.

But I had no choice.

I have to see that mark.

Resolved, I followed Sebi’s lead—

—only to trip over his tail when he stopped short. I toppled forward with a thud.

[Watch where you’re going, will you?]

Hey, you stopped without warning!

My protest fell on deaf ears. Sebi just pointed ahead.

[That way down.]

In the back of the kitchen storeroom, a wide drainpipe slanted into darkness.

“…Is that safe?”

I peered inside. It was dry and clean, used mostly for air circulation, not sewage. Still, the pitch-black tunnel looked like a whirlpool ready to swallow us whole.

My stomach tightened.

Then—

Squelch.

Sebi’s damp little hand slid into mine.

[Don’t worry. Trust Sebi.]

His obsidian eyes gleamed faintly in the dark, like he was trying to give me courage.

…Why are you licking your lips though?

Before I could finish the thought—

“Se-Sebi, maybe you should go fi—Waaahhh!”

He shoved me.

Down I went, bouncing painfully on my tailbone as I shot through the pipe.

Thump. Crack!

At last, I landed on a cold stone. The dungeon floor.

“Ow… my poor tail…”

I straightened up and looked around. Pitch black. But the chill in the air told me enough.

Cold. Too cold.

Colder even than the castle above, sharp enough to prickle the back of my neck. This was the kind of place where only the worst of the worst were sent.

I shivered, ready to retreat—

Squelch, squelch.

Footsteps.

Sebi crawled down gracefully, clinging to the wall like it was nothing, and dropped beside me. Not a hair out of place, not a bruise to be seen.

[So… are we going or not?]

“…Yeah. We’re going.”

I sighed, steeling myself. We had to find Erjin, check the mark, and get out before König woke up.

But then Sebi tilted his head.

[And… what’s the plan, exactly?]

Don’t worry. I have one.

I flicked my tail confidently.

Right then—