~Chapter 118~
After the commotion passed, the mansion, which had been filled with chaos, gradually returned to calm.
Atticus wiped the sweat soaking his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Truly, one lives long enough to see everything…”
He sighed again and again, utterly exhausted.
“Who could have ever imagined imperial knights storming into House Roygin during our lifetimes?”
Cedric, his eyes heavy and dark, gave orders to the servants to straighten up the mess inside the estate.
While Atticus and Cedric spoke, Allen quietly approached me and whispered,
“My lady, why don’t you return to your room and rest? The Marquis has returned, so you can leave the aftermath to him.”
I forced a smile and shook my head. Allen scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed.
“Sigh, I should have stood up to His Highness like a true knight at your side. At times like this, I resent my low status the most.”
“…If you were really my knight, then following my order to step back was the right thing to do.”
“Oh, I was only speaking out of frustration. My lady, don’t you understand a joke?”
He gave me a mock glare, though his tone was light.
“Still, I’m just glad you’re unharmed. Lord Bluea will surely be proud of you.”
“……”
“After all, whose granddaughter are you?”
Maybe he was trying to ease the tension, but I couldn’t respond.
“…Cardiff, you mean?”
Just then, Atticus’s voice, speaking with Cedric, struck my ears.
“You once asked me to investigate Dremokan. I suppose this is a continuation of that matter.”
“But moving a sacred relic—the very treasure of the temple—into Dremokan? Was that your own decision?”
“Nothing connected to Dremokan can be done without the Empire’s hand in it.”
…A relic?
“What do you mean by that?”
Interrupting, I asked without thinking. Cedric immediately turned his head toward me.
“Dremokan is an outcast existence, cast outside of imperial doctrine. Are you saying they’re storing a holy relic in such a place?”
“Yes.” Cedric’s face was troubled as he went on.
“Faith rests on people’s belief. Even if some truths are hidden, faith itself won’t collapse.”
“…But is it truly a relic?”
My suspicious question made Cedric tilt his head.
“What do you mean?”
Dremokan—the place where Ailins is sealed. And Erkessian wanted to transfer her power into Idette.
In such a situation, wouldn’t it make more sense to use the relic as a substitute—to channel magic into someone before Ailins’s seal breaks?
That explanation seemed far more natural.
But Cedric wasn’t the person I could share this with, so I replied casually,
“It wasn’t meant in any particular way. Atticus said it was strange, so I wondered if it really was a relic.”
“I don’t know exactly what kind of relic. I was only told, without explanation.”
Cedric gave a crooked smile.
“…Then, when will Dremokan be opened?”
“In three days.”
“My word. What’s the rush? Yet another matter to worry about…”
Atticus clicked his tongue, covering his face with both hands.
“There’s no need to fret. From what I see, they want us uninvolved in this.”
At his words, the room fell into silence.
No doubt they were all remembering how the crown prince himself had marched knights into our estate earlier.
But my mind was filled with other thoughts entirely.
***
“I knew without a doubt Lady Roygin would contact us one day.”
Onyx greeted me with a bright smile. I gave an awkward little laugh.
“Why refuse the chance to broaden one’s horizons?”
“Just as I thought—I didn’t misjudge you.”
His hospitality was so warm that my guilty conscience almost hurt. I thought I had worn it down long ago, but it still pricked at me.
Onyx led me forward.
“Come, let’s go inside. Once the busywork is done, we’ll hold a welcome party for our new member, Lady Roygin.”
Oh no, they didn’t need to go that far.
“Thank you…”
“Think nothing of it.”
Even as we moved, Onyx never stopped talking—about Cardiff’s history, about things he hadn’t finished explaining before.
My ears are going to burst at this rate!
Clearly, the reason he had invited me to join was because he needed someone to listen to him.
Proof was written all over Yurian’s face—relief at finally being free of him.
“Yurian seems very glad to welcome you as well.”
…That’s not what her face was saying.
“I’m happy we’ll be seeing each other often!”
“Me too. Please take care of me.”
Yurian gave a short squeal and shook my hand up and down vigorously. Then, glancing nervously at Onyx, she whispered to me,
“Since I joined earlier, let me give you a bit of advice… Avoid staying near Lord Onyx as much as possible.”
“…What?”
She rubbed her ear with a grimace.
“Eventually, just hearing his voice will make you queasy.”
“Ah…”
“And then you’ll even start hearing it when he’s not there.”
“Yurian.”
“Oh no. See? I’m hearing it now.”
I darted my eyes toward Onyx standing behind her. Only then did Yurian realize, forcing a sudden switch.
“What I mean is… Lord Onyx’s voice is so wonderful! A voice so rich you never get tired of hearing it! So good it makes me think like this!”
“……”
“You understand my heart, don’t you?”
Dripping with sweat, she spun around and flashed him a forced smile.
“Yurian, I’ll deal with you later.”
“But it was a compliment, why!”
Onyx frowned deeply, but when he caught me watching, he quickly cleared his throat.
“Lady Roygin, the other members will arrive soon. Please wait a little.”
“Oh, so Lady Roygin will also be coming along?”
At that, Onyx, who had been busy welcoming me, froze for a second.
Yurian hurriedly covered it up.
“Ah, I meant the library this afternoon! For… research papers!”
“Ah! Research. Of course Lady Roygin must join us for that!”
“Ha ha…”
“Ha ha…”
The two of them laughed awkwardly at each other.
Terrible acting.
It was obvious to anyone that this “research” was about the relic.
Of course, it would be too much to invite a new member like me to something so sensitive.
Still, as the heir of House Roygin—the effective master of Dremokan—I had half-expected they might include me.
“Ah, about that study you promised to share with me if I joined Cardiff?”
I asked smoothly. Onyx blinked, caught off guard.
…So their research really was connected to this matter. That was a lucky discovery.
He quickly composed himself.
“Yes, of course.”
“Good. That was the part that most excited my scholarly curiosity.”
I had to press this angle—because what Onyx expected of me was exactly this kind of academic enthusiasm.
“If you’ll teach me, I’ll listen carefully.”
I widened my eyes like a curious student. Slowly, Onyx began to waver.
