Episode 110

10. You haven’t fallen into darkness; you’ve just become human.

The cracks began in the smallest of places.

“What’s that blood?”

“Ah, it got on her while treating the wounded.”

On his way to meet Viviana, he happened to see her clothes carried by the maid in charge of the laundry.

He saw the blood on the clothes.

Dylan, who had been unable to shake the unease about Viviana, couldn’t ignore this momentary discovery.

“During the treatment process?”

The maid bowed politely in response to Dylan’s question.

“Yes.”

It wasn’t a strange statement.

Recently, she hadn’t left her room due to mourning the knights sacrificed by the dark mages, but in the past, Viviana used to often tend to the wounded.

It could just be that she was keeping the blood-stained clothes to wash them later.

…Even as he thought that, Dylan couldn’t shake the suspicion because, no matter how he looked, the blood on those clothes didn’t seem that old.

“Dylan! There you are!”

Just then, Viviana appeared. Though she was still pale after a few days, she seemed to have regained some of her energy.

Dylan dismissed the maid and faced Viviana without revealing anything on his face.

“I heard that the battle is more or less over. It’s the first time the dark mages retreated without holding a gathering, right?”

“Yeah.”

After the discovery of the knights’ bodies, the enraged Audrian knights raised their voices, insisting that the dark mages must be eradicated immediately.

The momentum was so strong that Dylan couldn’t stop it, and in the end, a major clash occurred.

However, the one thing that was off was the dark mages’ behavior. Given how horrific the state of the corpses was, it was assumed they had done it to provoke them, but once the battle began, the dark mages retreated quickly.

Not only that, but the number of dark mages at the gathering was far too few.

“There was sad news, but it seems everyone fought even harder because of it. At least we can honor the knights who went before us this way.”

Dylan gazed at Viviana, who was kindly celebrating the victory, then glanced behind her.

Beyond the hallway was Viviana’s private room.

“Have you been in your room the whole time?”

“Ah, yes… I had just encouraged Sir Brad the day before, and the next day he was found like that… Even I couldn’t easily overcome the shock.”

She lowered her head, still trembling as if she were overwhelmed by sorrow.

Normally, he would’ve said some awkward words to comfort her, but for some reason, Dylan couldn’t stop thinking about the laundry he’d seen earlier.

If she had been in her room for days, then where did that blood come from?

“You haven’t taken care of any wounded recently, right?”

“Ah… I feel bad about that. Now that I’ve recovered, I plan to take care of people again.”

Viviana answered in a discouraged voice and forced a smile. The quiver in her lips suggested she was forcing herself to hide her sadness.

“I’ve been neglecting you too, haven’t I? Would you like some tea after a long time? Did you drink all the tea leaves I gave you? Or should I check on you with magic to give you a boost?”

She was definitely the Viviana Dylan knew. So, had she always maintained this kind of careful distance?

“Sorry, I’m a bit busy right now.”

“Not even time for tea… Dylan, are you busy looking for that person I asked you to find?”

That person?

Before Dylan could ask anything, Viviana gently grabbed his arm.

“You don’t have to. You’re already busy with the dark mages, and I think I made a needless request.”

Only then did Dylan realize who Viviana was referring to.

She was talking about the person she previously mentioned, ‘the one surrounded by magical energy.’ Dylan remembered how peculiar Viviana’s reaction had been back then.

“You were curious, weren’t you?”

“Of course I was. But if it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again.”

At this moment, Dylan realized that if he simply agreed with her, he could continue to see the same kind and gentle Viviana.

But is that the real Viviana? Has the Viviana he’s known truly been everything?

‘Giselle Roycevin’s words…’

What did she mean when she said there was much he didn’t know?

“…No. If you showed that much interest, there must be a reason. I’ll look a bit harder.”

As Dylan shook his head and stepped back, Viviana tightened her grip on his arm and quickly spoke.

“Actually, now that I think about it, having magic swirling around you doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a talented mage. It could mean something dangerous… like someone who’s summoned a demon. That’s why I don’t want you to find her and put yourself in danger. Especially after what happened to Sir Brad, it scares me even more.”

‘I don’t think I ever mentioned that the person was a woman.’

From her explanation, Dylan realized something for sure.

Viviana knew the person he was talking about was Giselle Roycevin.

This meant she had caught onto his lie. Yet, she still pretended not to know, showing no signs to him.

Dylan felt a bit creeped out by Viviana, whose expression remained completely unshaken.

“Alright, I understand.”

“Then let’s…”

“But Viviana. I’ve been looking for my mentor. Do you know where he is? I need some advice.”

Viviana seemed disappointed, and Dylan consoled her, saying he’d make time soon, then went to find his mentor.

Now that he couldn’t trust Viviana, there was no one else he could seek advice from.

His mentor, seeing Dylan’s confusion, sighed deeply before speaking with a somber expression.

“Our mentor said that Viviana is intoxicated by excessive greed.”

Rainiel remained silent. Dylan continued speaking, indifferent to his reaction.

“He also said that in the past… she was the one who attacked you first. The reason she searched desperately for you was to claim the mentor’s magic, which you had taken.”

When Dylan asked how that was possible, his mentor gave him a bitter smile.

“She found the answer in dark magic.”

Bloodstained clothes, the lifeless bodies of the knights, and the dark mages who were too few to have initiated the fight…

Am I jumping to conclusions? Dylan swallowed the words he couldn’t ask anyone.

“What is it that you want to know?”

“Is what my mentor said true?”

“If it’s true?”

“I’ll have to make things right.”

Rainiel tilted his head at Dylan’s answer.

“Make it right?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t say what exactly he would make right. One might have asked, but Rainiel didn’t seem interested at all.

Dylan bit his lip. The mentor, despite the shocking situation, urged him to remain calm and sat him down in a chair.

“As you know, in this body, drained of magic, I couldn’t stop Viviana’s rebellion. But Dylan, with your help, we can still make things right.”

“How so?”

“Bring me Giselle Roycevin.”

“Why…?”

“Viviana is targeting her. It seems Giselle Roycevin has manifested a special constitution, one any mage would covet. If she falls into Viviana’s hands, we’ll lose our last chance to stop her. We must secure Giselle Roycevin first.”

Then he handed him a glass of cold water.

It had the same scent as the tea Viviana often served Dillon.

“…I understand.”

“Dylan, I trust only you.”

In front of his pleased mentor, Dylan pretended to drink, only wetting his lips, before calmly placing the glass down and leaving the room.

He couldn’t tell how much of his mentor’s words were true, but he couldn’t shake the suspicion that his mentor and Viviana were sharing something.

Wasn’t it his mentor who first told Viviana about the ‘eye that sees the essence’?

And since it was his mentor who taught Viviana magic, if she found answers in dark magic, then that…

The more his thoughts progressed, the harder it became to breathe. Dylan gritted his teeth and hastened his steps.

“Turns out there’s a lot you don’t know.”

As he left the base of the Audrian Knights, he thought of Giselle, who had once mocked his so-called ‘eye that sees the essence.’

‘I’ll find out what she knows directly.’

Dylan decided to find the truth himself, by taking action.

“I get your delusions, but where exactly does my Giselle fit into this?”

Rainiel’s sharp question snapped Dylan out of his thoughts.

“She… she helped me gain insight. I want to thank her personally.”

Caught off guard by Dylan’s words, Vaidro, who had been listening nearby, whispered to Rainiel with an uneasy expression.

“He’s completely lost it. Isn’t one crazy person, Giselle Roycevin, enough for us?”

“I told you not to put them on the same level.”

Annoyed, Rainiel scolded Vaidro and swept his hair back.

“Hurry up and dig. We need to bury it and leave.”

Rainiel grumbled about wasting time on nonsense. As Dylan looked up at him, he spoke in a strained voice.

“She might be in danger.”

“Isn’t your queen so powerful that no one would dare lay a finger on her?”

“Not Viviana… I mean Giselle Roycevin.”

Mentioning Giselle was the right choice.

Rainiel, who seemed like he would ignore anything Dylan said, reacted immediately.

“This bastard doesn’t listen when I tell him to stay out of it. Is it because he’s not human that he can’t understand human speech?”

“Let me meet Giselle Roycevin. I’ll warn her personally.”

“Ha… Giselle must have some kind of demonic charm. It’d be better to keep her locked up in the estate.”

Naturally, Rainiel didn’t even pretend to listen to Dylan. But Dylan stubbornly continued.

“You won’t be able to protect her.”

Rainiel’s expression twisted with anger at Dylan’s definitive tone. But what could he do?

Dylan was certain. Rainiel would never be able to protect Giselle. Especially with the holy scars Viviana had left on him.

Dylan’s gaze shone with stubborn determination.

“At this rate, you won’t win.”