chapter 10
I was greatly relieved to find out that Lennox wasn’t Karinne’s man, and at the same time, surprised at myself.
Why am I relieved?
Just because he had a valid reason for recognizing the Kualum leaf doesn’t prove he’s unrelated to Karinne.
So then, why do I want to trust this man?
A man I only met today.
Get a grip.
I shook off the distracting thoughts and returned to the original topic.
“But the Lutolu Forest is a restricted area, isn’t it? How could leaves from trees that grow there be distributed in the capital?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” he replied.
“Could it be that someone snuck past the barrier and stole them?”
“No living being can set foot in the Lutolu Forest without my permission.”
“Then what about getting out of the barrier?”
Lennox hesitated briefly before speaking.
“Leaving the barrier is also impossible—except for one exception.”
“Evil spirits.”
When he gave me a slightly surprised look, I shrugged.
“I just took a guess. I heard the Lutolu Forest has many wicked beings.”
Besides, I had seen him exorcise an evil spirit with my own eyes.
Either way, it wasn’t a hopeful situation.
To think something that shouldn’t even exist in this world was mixed into tea I drank…
Just as a sense of dread crept in—
Neigh—
With a horse’s cry, the carriage came to a stop.
Lennox glanced out the window and spoke slowly.
“Seems like you were planning to confirm the identity of the tea leaves at the apothecary.”
“Yes. But… after talking to Your Highness, to be honest, it doesn’t seem worth it anymore.”
I mumbled weakly and looked down at the leaf resting on the handkerchief.
Even if it was an apothecary, it was unlikely they would recognize a Kualum leaf that only grows in the Lutolu Forest.
They wouldn’t know its effects or toxicity either.
Given the situation, meeting Lennox was truly a stroke of luck.
Aside from the person who put it in my tea, he might be the only one who knows what the leaf is.
“Kualum leaves mixed in the tea you drank…”
In the quiet carriage, Lennox furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
His long fingers began tapping on the table.
With each lazy flick of his wrist—tap, tap—a rhythmic sound echoed.
“I don’t know how to interpret this situation.”
Considering the Kualum leaf, which should be in the Lutolu Forest, was found in the tea caddy of a noble household in the capital, I could understand his suspicion.
“Is there a chance this leaf might not actually be Kualum?”
“None.”
He firmly shook his head in response to my cautious question.
“Things that come from the Lutolu Forest have a distinct aura. I can sense it. This leaf is definitely Kualum.”
“Ah…”
[If I had to describe it, I’d say it smells… foreign to this land.]
He was right.
I smiled bitterly, recalling Ash, who still hadn’t shown himself.
Then Lennox muttered with a frown.
“It doesn’t make sense. There’s no reason to secretly add a Kualum leaf, which has no effects.”
“It’s not poisonous, is it?”
It was a bit of a risky question.
I was practically admitting I might be in danger of being poisoned.
But Lennox, unshaken, replied calmly and factually.
“The toxic part of the Kualum tree is its fruit. The leaves are colorless, odorless, and just ordinary plants.”
“That can’t be…”
That was truly unexpected.
Was I completely off track?
If that’s the case, I was back to square one. My energy drained.
I’d been full of resolve when I left, but now I had no idea what to do next.
“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”
“I think I’m just a bit tired. I’ll be fine after some rest.”
I waved my hand and forced a smile.
But the turmoil inside me couldn’t be hidden.
Lennox let out a soft sigh as he looked at me.
“I don’t know your circumstances…”
He paused for a moment, seemingly pondering something, then spoke in a more careful tone.
“But whatever choice you make, I hope it’s for yourself.”
What did that mean?
It was too vague and broad to interpret clearly.
But somehow, it was comforting.
All the way back to the viscount’s estate, I kept thinking about those words, turning them over in my mind.
Thanks to Lennox, I returned safely to my room.
Not only did he escort me back to the estate, he also took a side path to avoid being seen.
There, beside the mansion, was a small hole just big enough for a small person to crawl through. In the original story, Olabia had often used it.
Later, Ash returned to the mansion and couldn’t avoid my interrogation.
“Be honest. You knew there was a chance evil spirits might target me, didn’t you?”
[N-no! I-I didn’t know!]
“Don’t lie. You clearly said with your own mouth that many beings covet Epure’s power.”
[Th-that’s…]
“Well, I guess we’ll find out tomorrow morning. After all, a liar grows horns on their butt.”
[Eek!]
At my threat, he panicked and fidgeted, and eventually confessed before falling asleep.
I moved the muttering, half-asleep Ash to the bedside and lay down next to him.
It had been an exhausting, draining day.
But even as the world sank into the darkness of night, I couldn’t fall asleep easily, just staring endlessly at the ceiling.
Two peaceful days passed without incident.
I had regained my energy after feeling discouraged from the events during that outing.
I still hadn’t touched the tea with the Kualum leaves in it, secretly dumping it out.
I just can’t trust it.
Even if the Kualum leaf isn’t toxic, I had no desire to drink it.
After all, secretly adding anything to food couldn’t come from a good place.
“The weather’s nice.”
Having stayed cooped up in my room, avoiding attention, I longed for the warm sunlight.
Even a short exposure would do me good.
“Do you see anyone by the stairs?”
[No one! I think you can go out now!]
As Ash flapped his wings while standing guard, I dashed quickly down the corridor and descended the stairs.
I was sweating nervously at the thought of possibly running into Karinne.
But my worry was needless—I didn’t see anyone on my way out.
“Whew…”
I don’t know what gave me the courage to sneak out of the mansion the other day.
Maybe hope that things would work out had outweighed the fear.
[I’ll go scout the mansion now!]
“I’ll see you in the back garden. Be careful not to get caught.”
I waved lightly at him and turned around.
The path to the rear garden was quiet.
Unlike the well-manicured front garden, the area was more like a wild grassy field, but the warm sunlight made it feel like a pleasant stroll.
As I walked slowly, something caught my eye.
A swing tied under a large tree.
A swing, in a place like this?
It was crude but sturdy and polished smooth with frequent use—clearly well maintained.
Should I give it a try?
I sat on the swing and pushed off a few times. That familiar floating sensation returned.
The swing moved in a wide arc.
The cheerful sound of wind slicing through felt refreshing.
“…If only I could live like this forever.”
A life without threats, filled with simple happiness.
To do that, I needed to find a way to stay safe.
To survive my enemies.
I wonder what Karinne is doing.
I had stayed in my room on purpose to avoid running into her.
Because I had no idea what might happen if we faced each other without a plan.
Fortunately, nothing unfortunate like her seeking me out had happened.
But as time passed, my unease gradually grew.
Maybe it was Epure’s sensitivity.
No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem likely Karinne would just sit back and do nothing.
She’s probably thinking of how to get rid of me right now.
Trying to shake off the gloom, I kicked the air harder.
My body rose higher. The open field stretched out before me in a wide view.
The lush green spread out before me helped calm my muddled mind.
A narrow path ran through the grass, looking quaint and peaceful.
Where does that path lead?
[Olabia!]
Ash’s voice cut through my thoughts.
“You’re back?”
As I slowed and stopped the swing, he landed on my lap as if he’d been waiting.
“How was it? Did you find Karinne?”
[No. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see her. Are you sure she’s even in the mansion?]
“That’s strange. You checked the rooms one by one through the windows, right?”
[Yeah. But some rooms had thick curtains drawn. I couldn’t see inside at all.]
It was a disappointing answer, but instead of showing it, I gently praised the tired Ash and patted his head.
“I see. Good job.”
Just then, a voice called from behind me.
“Lady Olabia.”
It was Mary.
