Chapter 08
At some point, I started to feel the stares of people watching me run toward the tower.
Some shouted for me to come back, while others turned their heads away as if they couldn’t bear to look.
Among all that, what I saw was…
“A purple gem.”
I picked up a purple gem lying cracked on the ground.
It was a deep, dark purple—like something a devil would hand over in a fairy tale in exchange for granting a wish.
I glanced back and forth between the cracked barrier stone and the pedestal rising beyond it.
I could tell—the magic circle engraved inside the gem was identical to the one on the pedestal.
The fierce wind blew, making my robe flutter wildly.
I gripped the large barrier stone tightly.
It felt like all the warmth from my body was being drained into it.
What were the mages doing…?
Well, I could guess.
Those eccentrics were probably too busy saving their magic books or experiment results, even with the tower crumbling.
The barrier stone was quite heavy despite its small size.
I frowned against the forceful wind.
Those who had been murmuring and watching from afar went completely silent the moment I picked up the stone.
As I got closer, the wind grew stronger, and my robe completely flipped over.
“This is the right place, right?”
My pitch-black hair fluttered in the wind.
“Ugh…!”
I slowly took in the collapsed magic tower, full of despair.
With trembling hands, I struggled to place the gem on the pedestal.
My skin tore from the intense resistance, and blood dripped onto the ground.
The sting was sharp and vivid.
“This is nothing…!”
I clenched my teeth and placed the gem onto the pedestal.
A metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
Then—
The barrier stone floated into the air and began spinning in a diamond shape.
The violent wind instantly stopped.
Even the explosion sounds vanished.
Soon after, the scattered debris began to gather. The missing upper part of the tower started to rebuild itself.
Everyone, myself included, tilted their heads back and stared in awe.
“Gasp!”
“No way!”
“Hurrah!”
“We’re saved!”
“Ahh…”
All the strength left my body.
As I lowered my head again, I listened to the sighs of relief around me.
‘So tired.’
My black hair fluttered as it brushed over the robe emblazoned with the grand crest of the ducal house.
At that moment, someone looked at me in shock, eyes widening as they shouted out.
“L-Lady Mertiel!”
Only then did people realize who had stabilized the situation.
“What did you say?”
“She’s our Lady Mertiel!”
“Our lady?!”
Like barnacles clinging tightly, their gazes locked on me—far more than before.
And when our eyes met—
“The lady saved us!”
“She’s the one who saved our lives!”
Cheers erupted around me, echoing in my ears.
✦ ✦ ✦
I hadn’t even realized my arm was scraped up.
I haphazardly tidied my tattered clothes and treated my wounds.
I threw away my shredded gloves and put on a new pair.
After tying up my messy hair, I collapsed onto the carriage cushions.
“Would you like some cold water?”
Kistchel asked with a crooked smile.
I shook my head to refuse.
I’d just barely escaped from the crowd that had suddenly swarmed around me.
I just wanted a break.
If it weren’t for Kistchel, I really would’ve been stuck there for good.
Kistchel glanced at my treated arm with a look like he wanted to scold me, then just let out a heavy sigh.
“I’ll get the carriage moving.”
“Ah, yeah.”
The carriage began to clatter along.
“I’ll send people to spread the word quickly. So, how does it feel to have a competent attendant who handles things without being told?”
“Nice. But it’d feel more reassuring if you left out that last part.”
Even the knights and the attendants we brought along were clearly surprised.
A quiet noble lady, raised entirely within the walls of the estate, wasn’t supposed to act like this.
“I think the tower will be fully restored. All because someone returned the barrier stone to its place before it was too late.”
That truly was a relief.
Yes, there were lives at stake. Yes, my reputation mattered. But aside from all that—I was the only remaining bloodline of the ducal family now.
If the magic tower in the duchy had completely collapsed…? Just the thought was horrifying.
What if I had only heard the news after arriving in the capital?
“That was close.”
“Close? Do you think I’m blind or something? Am I the only one seeing the wounds on your arm, my lady?”
He pointed his chin at my arm, where the sleeve had slipped down.
I pressed my foot against him at his insolent attitude.
He acted like he was pushed, but soon returned to his seat with an amused smirk. That smug grin annoyed me even more.
✦ ✦ ✦
I wasn’t struggling with the carriage ride, but the person next to me clearly was.
Kistchel groaned beside me from motion sickness as I looked up at the dark night sky and rose from my seat.
“I’m going to wash up.”
“Please take a maid with you.”
“I’m fine on my own.”
As I declined, he also got up as if to follow me.
“Then I’ll… ugh.”
“Why don’t you just rest?”
“Yes.”
Leaving him behind, I set out to find the river nearby.
‘I’ll go quickly and quietly.’
I wanted to soak in the cold water at my leisure.
Even though it was nighttime, it wasn’t hard to find my way.
I slipped into the river that sparkled under the moonlight.
The water was so cold it gave me chills, but it also felt refreshing.
And as I sat submerged and looked around—
“Beautiful.”
I was captivated.
In the stillness with not a single sound, moonlight melted into the darkness and shimmered across the water’s surface.
It was the first time I had ever seen such a breathtaking scene. My heart stirred.
“……”
I lifted the moonlit water in my hands.
The clear liquid slipped through my fingers without waiting even a moment.
As I wiped down my body, my eyes landed on my chest.
There was a grotesque red scar.
A remnant of the moment I had brushed with death.
“I need to accomplish my goal and get rid of this fast.”
I traced the scar with my fingers and turned to grab the towel I had brought—
“Lady… Mertiel?”
Startled by the voice calling me, I quickly raised my head.
“Who’s there?!”
I instinctively shouted.
A dark figure hidden in the shadows flinched and revealed himself at the sound of my voice.
When I saw who it was, I froze.
“Pablo?”
His name slipped out of my mouth before I realized it.
A man who had practically been my enemy in my past life.
When he saw me, he immediately turned his head away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
Only then did I register my state.
I hastily covered myself with the towel, glaring at the wretched man’s back.
“What are you doing here?”
I couldn’t keep my words polite.
He looked flustered and began babbling.
“I was dispatched by His Majesty the Emperor with a message, wishing for your safe journey. I wasn’t trying to spy—I just sensed movement as I passed by…”
By then, I had stepped out of the water.
He flinched at the splashing sound.
I let out a mocking snort and began putting on my clothes.
“I’ll guide you to our camp’s knights. Please follow me.”
He began following behind me.
Seeing his face—one I had no desire to see—completely ruined my mood.
And then he said something even more infuriating.
“Um… I know this may be rude, but… may I ask about that scar?”
I wasn’t even worried that someone had seen the scar I had to keep hidden. I was simply dumbfounded.
“You don’t need to know.”
“I apologize for my rudeness.”
Seeing Pablo lower himself made me even more annoyed, so I added a jab as I walked ahead.
“You’ve seen a noblewoman’s body. How will you atone for that?”
“……”
Pablo was a knight, so he was bound to be sensitive about this kind of thing.
Knights and their damn chivalry—they treat noble ladies like precious jewels to be guarded in their arms.
‘In my past life, he saw me as a traitor and didn’t even treat me like a person.’
As I walked on with a slightly lighter heart from his lack of response—
“I’ll take responsibility.”
I had no choice but to freeze mid-step.
