Chapter 15
At his words, Damian also fell into thought.
I rolled my eyes and then opened my mouth.
“Are you wondering how to meet them, Da—my love?”
Damian’s gaze immediately turned toward me.
He raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise, then softly smiled.
“That’s right, my wife.”
“How about asking Charlotte? She acquired a relic recently, didn’t she?”
Damian shook his head.
“I already asked her last time, but she didn’t know much either.”
“But the merchant group that traded that relic must have met the hunters, right?”
“Are you suggesting we go through the merchant group?”
Damian fiddled with his fork.
“I’ve already tried, but they refuse to give any information about the treasure hunters.”
“That’s…”
Was that the result of approaching them under the title of Baron Wijess?
I was about to continue but swallowed the words.
Mikhail was still here.
And if Damian insisted on using his baron identity even though it involved Charlotte, then it meant it wasn’t something to be made public.
He’s definitely up to something.
An awkward silence fell over the table.
Fortunately, before it stretched too long, Damian sighed.
“I suppose that’s the only way left. I’ll have to visit Charlotte for a while.”
Without a sound of a chair scraping, Damian rose lightly from his seat.
Just as I was about to stand and follow, I met Mikhail’s eyes. He raised a hand and gave me a sheepish smile.
He’s the one who appraised that book, right?
Wait a second.
Could I ask whether my diary also came from the Land of Death—or if it’s related to it?
Instead of getting up, I smiled at Damian.
“Would it be all right if I stayed here? I’d like to enjoy the moment a bit longer.”
Damian looked between Mikhail and me.
Then, thinking there was no harm or danger, he finally nodded.
“That would be best. I’ll be back soon.”
After Damian left the table, I turned to Mikhail.
He was staring at me wide-eyed; up close, his eyes looked surprisingly fresh and bright.
I smiled at him.
“I have something I’m curious about as well.”
“Y-yes?”
His voice cracked unexpectedly. So timid! I tried my best not to appear intimidating.
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. It’s just—Countess Charlotte showed us something quite fascinating today.”
At my words, his eyes behind his glasses fell into shadow, as if deep in thought.
“Ah… that book.”
“Are all books that look like that from the Land of Death?”
“Books that look like that, you say?”
He blinked and repeated the question, then added,
“Please, Madam, speak comfortably. I’m just a commoner, after all.”
Clearing his throat, he smiled pleasantly.
“Have you perhaps seen a book with the same design before?”
Judging by how persistently he asked, it seemed such books weren’t common at all.
I studied Mikhail’s face—his gently drooping eyes, shining pupils, and faintly flushed cheeks.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a way that made him look harmless.
He’s a commoner, and I’m using a false identity—this should be fine.
I nodded lightly.
“Yes, the cover looked exactly the same.”
Mikhail’s mouth fell open, then he quickly shut it again.
“May I ask where you obtained it…? You don’t seem to be from a merchant group.”
Of course. If I had bought it from a merchant group, I wouldn’t have told Damian to ask Charlotte.
“Oh, it was given to me by my former nanny—she’s retired now.”
I lied easily, and he accepted it just as easily.
“I see.”
I decided to seize the opportunity.
“Would that book also belong to the Land of Death?”
“Well…”
Mikhail didn’t give a clear answer. He tilted his head thoughtfully.
“If it were from long ago, obtaining an identical book would’ve been nearly impossible… But without knowing what material it’s made of, I can’t say for sure.”
“You’d need to see the real thing, then.”
“Of course. In this field, a careless appraisal can cause serious trouble.”
Mikhail smiled, his eyes crinkling.
“Despite appearances, I’m actually a very skilled appraiser—so good that it’s nearly impossible to hire me for private requests.”
His voice carried soft confidence and pride in his craft.
“Since you’re Lady Charlotte’s esteemed guest, if you’d like to show me the book, I’d be happy to appraise it for you anytime. I also feel bad that I couldn’t give your husband the answer he wanted.”
He wrapped his fingers around the teacup on the table. His hair drifted slightly as he moved.
What should I do?
If the diary truly was from the Magic Empire, then I could finally understand why I possessed Rosalyn’s body—and why that diary appeared before me.
But…
I had already resolved to burn it if no new entries appeared before the wedding day.
Would finding out where it came from even matter anymore?
Perhaps my hesitation showed on my face, because Mikhail quickly added,
“Of course, Madam—it’s clearly something important to you. Please feel free to request an appraisal at your leisure. I’ll be staying at this mansion for a while.”
“Really?”
My face must have brightened, because Mikhail smiled warmly.
“Yes. And… it’s a secret from your husband, isn’t it?”
I was genuinely startled this time. I just stared at him wordlessly.
Mikhail scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Forgive me if I overstepped. It’s just—you asked me right after the Baron left. And earlier, you kept glancing at him…”
I didn’t respond. He balled his hand into a loose fist, coughed lightly into it, and said,
“My apologies. Please forgive my rudeness.”
I turned my gaze away.
Even without a mirror, I could tell my lips had stiffened.
I thought he was a bit clumsy, but as expected of an appraiser—his insight and perception were sharp.
“…Please keep the matter about the book a secret.”
When I glanced back at him after saying that, he nodded.
“Of course.”
For some reason, the air between us carried the faint, clean scent of trees touched by spring rain.
After finishing his conversation with Charlotte, Damian and I briefly toured the salon’s exhibits, then excused ourselves to return early.
As soon as we boarded the imperial carriage, Damian asked,
“What did you talk about with that man?”
He had seemed uninterested, yet clearly he had been paying close attention. I feigned nonchalance.
“Oh, we just talked about desserts.”
Indeed, while waiting for Damian, the latter half of our chat had been about desserts—pralines, macarons, and so on.
Before that, I’d asked about the Land of Death, but, unfortunately, gained nothing useful.
‘I do visit the area often, but I’ve never heard of anything unusual happening there.’
No need to mention that part. I quickly changed the subject to divert his attention.
“The Countess’s chef is quite skilled, isn’t he?”
“Did you enjoy the meal?”
“Well, our head chef is still better, of course.”
I teased playfully, and Damian nodded, looking rather pleased.
Riding the mood, I decided to probe about the part he’d kept hidden. My fingers fidgeted with my dress hem.
Avoiding his gaze, I asked casually,
“Damian, are you interested in treasure hunters?”
“Hmm, I suppose you could say that.”
Contrary to my expectation that he’d evade the question, he admitted it easily.
But why? Could it be he’s trying to uncover the Saint’s existence through relics?
A sense of caution instinctively rose within me.
“Because of the relics?”
“That’s part of it, yes.”
He lowered his voice. Though the carriage was well-insulated, he still seemed wary of being overheard.
“I plan to make them into a new elite unit.”
Now I understood why he’d lowered his voice.
“A new… elite unit?”
There was already a special division operating in the Land of Death—
not the guards of the Imperial Palace, but a team composed of true veterans.
But he couldn’t be referring to that. Damian went on enthusiastically,
“They know the terrain of the Land of Death better than anyone. Naturally, they’re also more familiar with the monsters that dwell there.”
To gauge how much he knew—or how far he planned to go—I played along.
“If you use the treasure hunters’ knowledge, you could suppress the monsters more efficiently.”
“Exactly. And through them, I can gather relics and collect clues about the Land of Death.”
It made sense. I’d always known Damian was strategic, but I hadn’t realized he was thinking this far ahead.
“Clues?”
When I echoed the word curiously, he nodded with a grave look.
“Did you know the Land of Death is slowly expanding?”
Of course I didn’t.
In the past, I’d never cared about that place—and even after regaining my memories, I’d treated it lightly.
Even now… that hadn’t changed.
