Chapter 45
Once, that smile used to feel reassuring.
Now, it didn’t.
“Scar, you were working with Gillian, weren’t you? He asked you to spy for him — I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
“So you know that’s treason, right?”
“Of course.”
“And if you want to live, you’d better start explaining yourself.”
…I trusted you.
“You’d better give me a proper explanation. If you don’t, I’ll strip you of your position as butler and have you punished by the estate’s law.”
“My lady.”
“Am I still your lady? Or is Gillian the real master?”
“No, my lord. I never intended to hide it forever.”
Scar bowed deeply.
“I wanted to confirm one last thing first. After that, I planned to report everything to you myself.”
“Why didn’t you just say that earlier?”
“Lord Gillian was constantly suspicious of my connection with you.”
“I told you to make an excuse, but that’s too obvious. You had plenty of chances to tell me the truth. If you had, I might’ve even helped you cover for it.”
“You’re not a very good liar, my lord. You know that, right?”
“Tangent, is that true?”
“Oh, come on. My lady’s a level ten liar!”
Tangent looked up at the ceiling as she said it — meaning, yes, it was true.
“Fine, whatever. So what exactly were you trying to find out?”
“The family’s hidden heirloom.”
The spoon in my pocket gave a violent shiver.
“I heard the Marquis family has a secret treasure passed down for generations. Supposedly, it can change a person’s heart, bring unimaginable fortune, and even alter fate itself.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. I thought if you had it, you’d never have to consider a political marriage again. You’re already doing well, but having the heirloom would make all the difference, don’t you think?”
He wasn’t wrong.
If it weren’t for Grandpa, Catherine and Tangent wouldn’t even be standing here.
“I never meant to betray you. Please believe me.”
I placed a hand over my chest dramatically.
‘That thing you’re talking about… it’s right here.’
Grandpa the spoon trembled in my pocket.
“So all this chaos… was because you were chasing after that heirloom?”
“Yes.”
“You really…”
The words rose to my throat — and fell back down.
“Still, that’s no excuse. Why act without orders? How do I know you didn’t cooperate with Gillian for your own gain?”
“I’m sorry, my lord.”
“I don’t even want to look at you for a while. Go to the professional magic tower and focus on making crystal devices. Don’t appear before me until I say so.”
“I’ll accept my punishment.”
“When you’re punished, you’re supposed to say you’ll take it gratefully, not accept it.”
Scar stepped back. I thought he’d argue, but at least he knew he was in the wrong.
My head throbbed. No — it felt like it was splitting open. I clutched it and bent over.
“Are you alright?”
Tangent’s voice sounded muffled, like underwater. I tried to say I was fine, but my throat felt scratchy.
What’s this? Did I swallow wrong? I opened my mouth — and started coughing.
“Cough—!”
“My lady!”
“Oh no, oh no! My lord!”
Everyone rushed over in panic. I’d only coughed, for heaven’s sake. I tried to wave them off and stand up — but Scar turned back immediately.
“I told you to… cough… get out.”
“Just a moment.”
He went pale, gripping my chin to lift my face.
“My lady, look at me. Hurry.”
“G-get off me—”
“Please don’t be stubborn!”
“Who’s being stubborn here…”
“It’s my fault, alright? It’s all my fault! Now please, open your mouth and lift your head.”
Scar begged me like a desperate man.
Seeing him groveling like that actually calmed me down a little.
“Like… this? Cough—!”
Ugh. Gross. Spit flew everywhere again.
But something felt wrong. Everyone was staring at me — then I looked down.
Blood. Bright red blood.
“Huh?”
I coughed again. This time, Scar’s face turned red — not from anger, but from the blood that splattered on him. He stared straight into my eyes, with a look that told me exactly who he saw instead of me.
“My sister…”
Of course.
Even in this mess, I almost laughed.
So even now, you’re not seeing me — just the shadow of your dead sister.
“You only needed to die once… Why would someone innocent like you have to die again…”
He was completely gone. Talking nonsense like a man possessed, Scar’s hands trembled as he tried to steady me.
“It’s okay… I’m a genius. I can fix this.”
Yeah, sure.
With shaking hands, he checked my face. I tried to speak, but every time I opened my mouth, more blood gushed out.
Tangent’s face turned ghostly pale.
“Is it contagious? Bari coughed blood too before she collapsed!”
“She’s been sick for days! Was it a plague?”
“I saw her too! Am I infected?!”
No, you idiots, it’s not that—
I couldn’t talk. I could only choke on my own blood. It wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard I tried.
Everyone’s panic started spreading to me, too. Even though some part of me knew I wouldn’t die, fear took over.
“I-it’s okay… It’ll be fine…”
Scar shoved his gloved fingers into my mouth. His white gloves quickly turned red.
“Wha… Scar…”
“It’s alright. Don’t bite down.”
His thumb pressed against my tongue. The torn flesh burned, making my eyes water. He gently rubbed the inside of my mouth, calming the bleeding.
“It’s okay if the blood splatters. It’s okay if you gag. Just open wider. Please, my lady…”
If anyone walked in now, they’d think his tongue was the one shredded, not mine.
I did as he asked and opened my mouth wider.
Now two of his fingers were inside. I gagged again at the strange sensation, and then Scar murmured a spell.
“[In the name of the Night, let everything return to how it was.]”
A cool, sharp scent filled my mouth. The pain dulled, and my tongue tingled as if new skin were growing.
What was this feeling…
“Tastes like mint?” I managed to mumble.
“No one’s ever described my magic like that before.”
Scar chuckled faintly and withdrew his fingers. His spotless hand brushed over my lips again, picking up a smear of blood. It dripped down my chin, drawing gasps from the others.
“Everyone calm down. I’ve seen more composure in a room full of five-year-olds.”
“But my lord was—!”
“This isn’t an infection.”
“She was coughing blood!”
“Do you not remember the doctor saying it was pneumonia?”
“Then the doctor was wrong! It must be a plague!”
Even though this was technically a fantasy world, the society was somewhere between the Middle Ages and the modern era — meaning disease terrified everyone.
Scar, however, stayed perfectly calm.
“I said it’s not. Why won’t you believe me? She just bit her tongue while coughing.”
“That much blood from a bite?!”
“She bit down hard. And she hasn’t been feeling well lately. That made it worse.”
To prove him right, I stuck out my tongue. Catherine leaned in to check, then nodded.
“She’s right. Just a bad bite. The bleeding’s stopped — nothing in the throat.”
As expected from a mercenary captain. Sharp eyes.
“Everyone, relax. The lord just hurt her mouth. We overreacted.”
Tangent forced an awkward laugh, clearly embarrassed for shouting “plague” first.
“Scar, thank you for helping the lord.”
“Apologize to her, not me,” he replied calmly.
Then he turned to me with a faint smile.
“I don’t ask for much, my lord. Just… please take care of yourself. You’ve already hurt yourself barely a minute after being ordered to rest.”
Even though he’d gone pale earlier, even though he’d mistaken me for his dead sister, now he just shrugged it off like nothing happened.
“Scar.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me.”
With that, Scar bowed and left the room.
***
She escaped. She actually escaped…!
Lillith — once the mistress of House Dante — bit her trembling lips.
In her hands was a precious item.
The mole crest.
The very object Eileen and Gillian had been searching for so desperately — stolen right from under their noses.
Clutching it tightly, Lillith slipped into a dark alley.
Her heart was pounding so fast she felt dizzy.
The memory of how she’d stolen it and fled flashed before her eyes like a spinning lantern.
