Chapter 46
Even if the capital’s nobles were gossiping nonstop about the mysterious commoner-born mage suddenly brought in by the Duke of Hertrio, that wasn’t enough reason for someone to try to kill Rena.
To them, Rena was just an ordinary person—someone whose death would benefit no one. At least, that’s how it would seem to those who didn’t know her well.
So if someone did try to kill her, it could only mean one thing:
They recognized her value.
Perhaps because of the dragon hidden in the basement.
Rena had clearly stated the culprit wasn’t the Emperor.
“She definitely knows something.”
Her attempt to check the guest list before the party, and her continued silence and inaction even after surviving the poisoning—Rena seemed to have some theory of her own.
Suddenly, Calix recalled something she’d said:
“Did you poison my drink?”
“Do I really seem that untrustworthy to you?”
Even as they laughed and joked afterward, she never actually denied that thought.
A bitter smile crossed his face.
“So that’s all the trust I’ve earned.”
No wonder Rena was trying to keep things from him.
A dragon’s value was limitless. A being from legend said to control the world’s magic, the very source and creator of magical power itself. Anyone who knew of its existence would want it for themselves.
A new hypothesis dawned on Calix:
“Was the intruder the same person who tried to poison Rena?”
But after the poisoning, the Imperial Palace had been sealed off.
And if Rena was right—that the Emperor wanted to possess her—then he would never have let so much as a rat enter or exit the palace during that time.
“Unless he had an accomplice.”
As soon as the palace reopened, Calix sent Ishar out at once.
Riding the fastest horse, he reached the old Troxia estate. And sure enough, there were signs of a break-in.
That meant the intruder had visited Troxia while Rena was still unconscious.
One enemy inside the palace. Another outside.
“Maybe even more.”
Could they be part of a larger organization?
“How much does the Emperor know?”
Did he know the truth behind the death of the innocent maid? Did he know someone forged her suicide note?
When Calix thought of Rena’s safety, anxiety clamped down on his chest. When she collapsed in front of him, vomiting blood—he saw one of his oldest nightmares come to life.
It had been terrifying. No—that word didn’t even begin to describe it.
It was pure, gut-wrenching horror. The kind of terror that leaves you speechless, screaming like a madman.
When Rena had jumped from the cliff long ago, he hadn’t even screamed. He had simply stared, wide-eyed, as she fell—helplessly watching the cliff where she disappeared.
Clinging to the hope that maybe it wasn’t real. That maybe she’d used magic and hidden herself. That she’d come climbing back up any moment now.
If his knight hadn’t dragged him away, he might’ve waited at that cliff forever. Maybe even days. Maybe months.
And even after being forcibly brought back to the duchy, he never accepted her death. No body had been found. So he clung to the belief that she had to be alive somewhere.
Now that he thought about it, maybe he simply hadn’t had the courage to see her dead.
So he lied to himself. Told himself over and over again that she must be alive.
But this time…
If he really saw her dead body with his own eyes—
That thought alone made him tremble. Every moment after the poisoning had been a waking nightmare. If Rena really stopped breathing… if she really died…
It would be like being pushed off a cliff himself.
And all he could do was sob, “No.”
So powerless.
If Rena died, he could never forgive himself. Her death wouldn’t just be painful—it would be pain itself.
That ordeal made it all clear to him:
He would do anything to keep Rena safe. If it meant keeping her close—even if he had to sell his soul to the devil—he wouldn’t hesitate.
“If the culprit really isn’t the Emperor, like Rena believes, and it’s someone else we don’t know…”
Then even the Emperor would be desperate to find the one who tried to steal his treasure.
And if it meant protecting Rena—
Calix was even willing to make a deal with the Emperor.
* * *
Another dream.
“Ugh, not this one again?”
I’d had it so many times that I could recognize it as a dream almost immediately.
In the dream, I became many different people. Some were strangers from unknown lands. Some were completely ordinary—people you could find anywhere.
I was them. And they were me.
And the dream always ended the same way:
Two enormous pairs of eyes staring straight at me.
Whenever I had this dream, waking up always left a lingering discomfort. And the weird part was—I could never clearly remember the dream. Just the feeling.
Maybe that’s why I suddenly said what I did during breakfast with Calix.
“I want to do some research on dragons.”
Surprisingly, Calix didn’t question it.
“Sure. Can’t hurt to know more. But… where are you planning to find information?”
I already had a place in mind.
“The Imperial Library.”
“Only high-ranking nobles or royals can enter there…”
“Exactly. That’s why you have to go in for me.”
“Me?”
“Yep. And I’m coming too.”
“How?”
He gave me a puzzled look—but I only responded with a sly grin. He seemed a little uneasy, but maybe that was just my imagination.
A few hours later, we were standing in front of a small kitten.
“Do we really have to do this?”
“Yes. We really do.”
I nodded firmly as Calix made a grimace.
Sir Warret had found the kitten wandering around the palace yesterday. It must have lost its mother. Warret, moved by the sight, had picked it up and brought it in.
“At least it looks healthy.”
Calix didn’t seem quite as impressed.
“Seriously, is this really necessary?”
He’d already asked that multiple times, each with the same reluctance.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I focused my attention on the kitten’s eyes.
“Link the mana… link the mana… Just imagine that I am the cat.”
Since I’d done this once before, it was easier this time.
Soon, Calix and my own faces appeared huge in front of me, peering down.
I let out an excited little chirp. Calix’s expression twisted into something between laughter and horror.
My own face, though—it was fascinating. It was like seeing myself not in a mirror, but through the eyes of an entirely different being.
“This is… so strange.”
I closed the kitten’s eyes and returned to my human perspective. Calix stood with his arms crossed, staring at the kitten with a deeply troubled expression.
“Is this really necessary?”
“Yes. It is.”
I scooped up the kitten and gently tucked it into the front pocket of Calix’s frock coat. I’d specifically told him to wear one with a front pocket today.
“This feels so weird.”
The tiny creature squirmed in his coat, and Calix visibly tensed. But he didn’t protest further.
“It’s like… I have a second heartbeat.”
I could tell the warmth and life pressing against his chest was making him uncomfortable.
I’d tried this before with a small bird, so I was better prepared now.
“Okay. If I lift my right paw, go right. If I lift my left, go left.”
“Right…”
“If I meow, that means stop. Got it?”
“Got it. Just—please—let’s finish this quickly.”
I was tempted to tease him more, since it was so rare to see him this flustered. But now wasn’t the time.
I settled quietly in a corner and closed my eyes.
In a flash, I was back inside the kitten’s body.
Then I proudly raised my little paw.
“Meow!”
Mission codename: LaXttuX Operation.
The route to the Imperial Library was empty aside from the occasional passing maid.
Thanks to that, I was able to peek out of Calix’s coat pocket and enjoy the view of the palace halls. My front paws rested on the edge of the pocket.
“Well, yeah. Who’d visit a library during a party?”
The greenhouse party was ongoing 24/7. Day and night—just like the Emperor had wanted.
“Of course he thinks everything he owns is beautiful.”
Anyway, we arrived at the library without a hitch. The guards outside checked Calix’s noble ID and waved us through without question.
And when we entered—
I was speechless.
“I thought the Hertrio estate’s library was impressive, but this…”
The Imperial Library was beyond anything I’d imagined.
Calix always called his estate’s collection a “study,” and I used to question how such a vast collection could be called that.
But now?
“Compared to this, his library really is just a study.”
It was massive. Towering bookshelves reached toward the ceiling, some supported by magic. Books stacked to infinity.
Calix, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed—he’d clearly been here before.
Inside his coat pocket, I poked my head out and scanned the area with curious eyes. My cat nose twitched with excitement as I took in all the smells: old paper, polished wood, dust, and faint traces of perfume.
