Chapter 21
It had been about a month since Celine first discovered Lu.
With a loud crack, the frozen lake split open and a pillar of water shot upward. The monsters that had been charging across the lake tumbled into the water in an instant.
Celine froze the surface again. Monsters couldn’t breathe underwater—if she left them for a day, they’d die on their own.
She gently stroked the small dragon wrapped around her wrist—Lu. Without Lu, using a spell that consumed five mana stones at once would have been suicidal.
Leonhardt handed her a few blood–soaked horns.
“The leader’s horns.”
Celine carefully held the horns and began purifying the monster’s mana with her own.
It didn’t take long before the horns started breaking apart, revealing jewel-sized mana stones among the crumbling dark powder.
Lu slipped off her wrist and swallowed each mana stone whole.
Hiccup!
He hiccupped every time he swallowed one, then purred contently and puffed out tiny sparks of flame.
They mounted Leonhardt’s horse and slowly rode back toward the castle. The sight of the castle towers—now familiar—came into view.
Naturally, the two headed toward Leonhardt’s tower.
The largest and coziest room in his tower was now filled with things that belonged to Celine:
soft cushions she liked, a carpet because the floor was “too hard,” and even snacks that were replaced daily.
As Leonhardt went to change out of his blood-splattered clothes, Celine half-lay across her favorite sofa and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
…I have to wait.
It still wasn’t time.
When spring came and the ice melted, she’d finally ask Leonhardt for a favor—one that would never be easy.
Leonhardt’s amused voice came from behind her.
“What are you thinking about so seriously?”
She lifted her head slightly. He was dressed comfortably now, holding a small box.
“I was thinking about how good the snacks taste.”
“Looks like hiring a pastry chef paid off.”
Leonhardt sat beside her—naturally, as if it were routine.
Celine formed a fox-fire and tickled his nose with it. Leonhardt reached out to grab it—
—but Celine was faster.
The little flame darted to his shoulder, then to his waist, then hovered in front of his eyes again.
But this time, he managed to catch it.
“You’ve improved.”
Celine only smiled.
The first time they played this game, Leonhardt had caught the flame in three seconds. Now it took him dozens. She really was getting better.
Celine summoned another one.
This time—near the ceiling.
Leonhardt raised a brow.
“Someone really wants to win.”
“Of course.”
In the next instant, he leapt upward like lightning and snatched the flame out of the air.
“That was eas—”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Because he had fallen forward—right over Celine, who was still lying on the sofa.
Leonhardt instantly pushed himself up, face flushed. His heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his ears.
For the first time in a long while… silence settled between them. The kind of silence where neither knew how to speak.
Wh-what should I say…?
Celine didn’t know why she couldn’t even blink, why not a single word would leave her mouth.
All she could do was hope Leonhardt would be the one to break this unbearably awkward moment.
His lips parted—slowly.
“Cel—”
Just then, someone knocked. His attendant called from outside.
“My lord, I have something to report.”
“C-come in.”
The attendant glanced between Celine—still stiff on the sofa—and Leonhardt, whose hand opened and closed nervously. But it wasn’t unusual, so he didn’t think much of it.
“His Grace requests your presence.”
“I’ll go.”
Leonhardt immediately stood. The attendant’s gaze shifted to Celine.
“Lady Celine Lute, you are to come as well.”
“Me?”
Confused, Celine followed Leonhardt and the attendant. No one spoke, each too busy trying to cool their flushed faces.
The Grand Duke’s office was unusually cold, filled with a biting chill. Celine warmed herself and Leonhardt with magic instead of shivering.
The moment she saw the Grand Duke, anxiety gripped her.
He stood with his back to them, staring down the cliff outside the window.
Leonhardt spoke first.
“You called?”
The Grand Duke turned toward them—slowly.
Celine couldn’t hide her shock. He was nothing like his usual tidy, gentle self.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair—normally flawlessly styled—was a mess.
“Father… what happened?”
“The Emperor.”
The Grand Duke’s voice was hoarse.
“He has given you an assignment.”
“The Emperor?”
Leonhardt frowned.
For years, the ones who issued assignments to him were Crown Prince Ricardo. It was rare for the Emperor to do so directly.
“Yes.”
Leonhardt’s frown deepened.
“Don’t tell me… His Highness Ricardo doesn’t know about this.”
“He knows. He simply opposed it.”
The Grand Duke sounded exhausted—clearly, he’d wrestled with this decision.
“What is the assignment?”
Leonhardt’s voice wavered. If the Emperor supported it and the Crown Prince opposed it… it would not be a normal mission.
The Grand Duke inhaled slowly.
“…Infiltration.”
“To where?”
Leonhardt sounded bewildered—for good reason. Every noble in the empire knew his face. Sending him undercover was absurd.
The Grand Duke exhaled.
“To His Highness Ricardo’s side.”
“……!”
“Several black sorcerer markings were found inside the Crown Prince’s palace.”
Celine sucked in a breath.
Black sorcerers—according to Leonhardt—turned whatever land they settled in into lifeless wastelands. They were pure evil.
And their markings were found… in the Crown Prince’s palace?
“Does His Highness Ricardo know?”
“Of course.”
The Grand Duke’s answer was sharp.
“He claims it was an outsider’s intrusion. But the Emperor…”
“…suspects one of his close aides.”
“Yes.”
The Grand Duke sighed heavily.
“He ordered you to stay in the Crown Prince’s palace and track down the black sorcerer.”
Silence weighed on the room like iron.
“Will I be… investigating His Highness directly?”
“Of course not.”
The Grand Duke waved the idea away.
“Publicly, it will be announced that you were invited to the palace to rest through the winter under His Highness’s hospitality.”
“His Highness will hate that.”
Leonhardt tried to sound calm, but his confusion and unease were obvious.
“He won’t be pleased. Naturally.”
The Grand Duke met his son’s eyes.
“My son… I want to refuse. But this is an imperial order. I cannot stop it.”
Leonhardt nodded slowly.
“I understand.”
The walk back to the tower was silent. Only when they reached his room did Leonhardt speak.
“I’ll go alone.”
“Leonhardt—!”
Celine began to protest, but he interrupted.
“Wait. Just hear me out.”
Leonhardt shut his eyes tightly, then opened them.
“His Highness isn’t a bad person. But… when he gets angry, he can be unpredictable.”
Leonhardt’s hand twitched toward hers—then stopped.
“You could get caught up in something.”
“And what about you?”
He let out a soft, humorless laugh.
“If he gets angry at me, that’s just him cutting off his own arm.”
Celine had to agree. Leonhardt was the only one of his kind—irreplaceable. The Prince couldn’t afford to lose him.
“Your sleep—”
“It’s fine.”
He cut her off quickly.
“It’s been a month. I know your strength now. I won’t worry.”
“Really?”
Their eyes met—ice-blue and ocean-blue—and tension coiled between them.
Celine didn’t believe him.
For the past month, Leonhardt had barely left her side—not just to accompany her, but to train her relentlessly.
No matter how much she practiced, he always demanded more.
His answer came slowly.
“…I’ll try.”
“You won’t sleep. You know that.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
The sharpness of his words made Celine frown.
“Of course it matters. You came to me because you couldn’t sleep.”
Leonhardt started to speak, then shut his mouth.
“And besides… I was already planning to go to the capital.”
“…What?”
Celine swallowed.
Throughout the conversation with the Grand Duke, one thought wouldn’t leave her mind:
This was her chance.
In the last month—
Celine had died six times.
Twice to monsters, once slipping in a hallway, twice learning to ride a horse, once experimenting with wind magic…
Without Leonhardt and her newly-assigned bodyguard Dani, she would’ve died far more.
Celine had believed once she learned magic, she’d stop dying—that she could revive only when she wanted to.
Too optimistic.
Death endings lurked everywhere. Unless she had animal-like reflexes, she would die again and again.
She had to escape this life.
A life where she couldn’t run in hallways or mount a horse.
She had to go back to that cursed mansion.
From the moment she realized she was inside a game, the thought lingered:
A game ends only when you see the ending.
If I clear the game… maybe I can return home.
But she hadn’t even cleared the first stage—the cursed mansion.
When winter ended, she had planned to ask Leonhardt to take her there. Now, with this mission, the opportunity came sooner.
“I need to go back to that house.”
“…What are you thinking?”
Leonhardt looked horrified. Celine chose her words carefully.
“The curse started there. Maybe there’s a clue to breaking it.”
She couldn’t explain everything—that she wasn’t from this world, that this was all a game.
Leonhardt fell silent, deep in thought.
She hurried on.
“I know what you’re worried about. And honestly… I can’t promise I won’t die again. But breaking the curse is important to me.”
Leonhardt slowly nodded.
His eyes were filled with firm resolve.
“Alright. I’ll help you—whatever you need.”
