CHAPTER 30……………………………………

My head ached as if it would split apart.

No, it wasn’t just my head—my whole body hurt. I wasn’t in good condition at all. A few days after drinking the Tear of God, I’d felt relatively fine, but now…

Does the effect only last three days?

I had just been regretting that even the finest healing potions seemed ineffective for heart-related issues.

“Duke?”

Why was the Duke of Northdian in my room?

Then I remembered—before I fainted, the Duke had appeared out of nowhere and saved everyone. The golden aura swirling dramatically and the dowager’s scream flashed in my mind like afterimages.

I pressed my throbbing temples with my fingers and forced myself to sit up. My whole body felt heavy.

Then the Duke spoke.

“Why do you have this?”

“Huh?”

I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but the Duke’s presence was… intimidating. He stepped closer and repeated the question.

“Answer me.”

His voice was cold. At that moment, I noticed what he was holding in his hand.

“Why… why do you have that, Duke?”

“You know what this is.”

He opened his hand toward me.

“…That is…”

I hesitated to answer.

The Duke of Northdian was holding the healing potion Repei had given me—the Mana Enhancement Catalyst.

Then my eyes fell on the other items in his hand: the pouch containing the reward Risha had given me.

Ah, the potion must have been in there too.

Apparently, Risha had made a mistake.

It wasn’t like I had obtained it illegally, so I could have explained, but I had heard it was better if fewer people knew about this. Should I even say anything?

I hesitated, and the Duke’s voice dropped lower than before.

“This potion was made by Beatrice.”

“Beatrice?”

It was the name the dowager had mentioned earlier. So that must be the person who made the potion.

How does the Duke know that?

I didn’t know much about it myself, and I wasn’t sure if it was safe to tell him.

There was a huge human magic array on his back. He was a criminal hunter, yes, but could he really be someone who avoided that line of work entirely?

I hope I’m not leaking information to the wrong person…

While I hesitated, the Duke took another step closer.

“You’d better tell me how you got this.”

His fierce threat made me flinch. He has one of the deadliest secrets in the world, and he’s treating me like a criminal? But I’m innocent!

“I can’t tell you. No, I won’t.”

“Ha! So you really are one of Beatrice’s people, huh?”

The Duke tossed what he had been holding on the bed. Gold coins and potion bottles clattered onto the blanket.

Startled by the threatening gesture, I shivered, but at the same time, something about his reaction felt… off.

He had always stayed calm when the Count slapped me or when I emerged suspiciously from the bathroom. Even when he laughed at everything, I had thought he was just a little strange.

Now, he looked desperate, as if being chased by something.

“What exactly is this Beatrice you keep talking about?”

Let’s at least start with that. From the moment that word came up, he had been sharp.

The Duke of Northdian didn’t speak immediately. Instead, his deep crimson eyes bore into me, as if he intended to uncover every intention in my mind with relentless precision.

But I wasn’t about to back down. As far as this potion was concerned, I had done nothing wrong. I was born Eloah, and except for an illegal intrusion, I had never committed a crime!

I stared back, refusing to yield. The Duke studied me silently for a moment, then slowly spoke.

“…Beatrice is the worst criminal guild, specialized in human experimentation.”

“…!”

I inhaled sharply.

I had expected an illegal magic potion to come from a criminal group, but one that conducted human experiments? That meant just knowing the name alone was dangerous.

A sudden realization struck me.

No way…

I remembered the human magic array on the Duke’s back. It might be a wild guess, but somehow I had a feeling there was a deep connection between him and Beatrice.

“Miss Eloah.”

The Duke of Northdian approached, looming over me threateningly. His sharp, feral aura reminded me of that night in the hunting grounds.

“Beatrice has been under my pursuit for the past ten years. So it would be wise not to pretend you don’t know anything.”

“Ugh.”

I tried to step back, but my back quickly hit the headboard. There was nowhere to escape.

The Duke then pulled something from his pocket and extended it toward me.

“If you want this back…”

I recognized immediately what dangled from his fingertips.

“That’s my mother’s necklace…! Ah!”

I’d made a mistake.

I hastily covered my mouth, but it was too late. His eyes narrowed.

“So, you were the intruder that day.”

…You knew?

I had thought I hid it well, but he had already suspected me. Come to think of it, on the day I left the Yuberis mansion, he had told me I didn’t seem like a stranger.

I closed my eyes tightly.

It’s over.

I wasn’t good at hiding things, apparently.

Now that I’d been caught, it was all over.

I waited for the Duke’s judgment, but nothing happened.

Why isn’t he just killing me? That would be the easiest way to silence me.

Even if he had hesitated before, there was no reason now. Then, a thought struck me.

It’s because of the contract.

The proposal to act as the Duchess for one year. By now, rumors about me had spread to the Emperor, so killing me outright would be difficult.

I hadn’t expected that dangerous contract to serve as my shield.

Moreover, the Duke seemed to consider the information about Beatrice extremely important. He threatened me, yet didn’t lay a finger on me.

Thinking this gave me a tiny boost of courage.

“Don’t you think it’s unfair to threaten someone powerless?”

It was my best attempt at defiance, and the Duke chuckled as if amused.

“You are not a Nochi, are you?”

“I can’t use magic. If I could, I would have escaped from you long ago.”

“You did escape from the mansion, didn’t you?”

“That wasn’t magic.”

“Not magic…”

He sneered at my words, and slowly closed the distance.

What the—suddenly?

He rested one knee on the bed, his hand brushing slowly past my face. There was a crushing sound—something broke. Gold coins and potion bottles fell from the bed.

Peeking, I saw the headboard completely smashed. He hadn’t even used aura—his grip was immense.

Eek!

Pieces of the broken headboard tumbled where he had touched. Cold sweat ran down my back.

“Miss, I suggest you behave. Do you think creatures like you have only deceived me once or twice? Or must I show you a harsh lesson before you open your mouth?”

He was truly angry.

I couldn’t see any golden aura, but I could feel it radiating from somewhere—my whole body tingled. I had seen many frightening expressions, but never faced one like this directly.

I was scared, but that fear only fueled my stubbornness.

I’ve done nothing wrong—why should I be threatened like this?! He’s the one carrying all the dangerous stuff on his back!

Tears stung my eyes from the injustice.

“Go ahead. I’m used to being right, anyway.”

It was a reflexive retort, but the Duke’s reaction was odd. He looked at me with a sudden expression, as if realizing something.

“I…”

He didn’t finish, staying silent for a moment before pulling his arm away, releasing me. The suffocating tension eased instantly.

“…Anyway, if you don’t tell me how you obtained the potion, I can’t return the necklace.”

His tone had softened considerably.

For some reason, it felt like we had passed a critical point.

I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my dress. I was angry and frustrated, but first, I had to get my necklace back.

“I’m not one of those dangerous guild people. I swear that to God.”

Even in this world devoted to magic, there was still God. Of course, one who governed magic.

He leaned back in the chair, looking away from me.

“I don’t believe in God.”

His stubborn tone made me flinch.

“Fine! I mean, I’m telling the truth! And you answer me first.”

“My question comes first.”

“No, mine comes first! How do you know about that potion? Only people under investigation could know.”

I ignored his question and pressed my own. The Duke quietly met my gaze, and I stared back without yielding.

After a tense moment, he sighed briefly, admitting defeat, and answered.

“A few months ago, incidents related to mana increased noticeably, so the Emperor ordered an investigation. I found that this illegal potion was involved. Fortunately, I traced its source, and I plan to handle it soon.”

“That’s… a relief.”

It was good news. No more victims of the dangerous potion. I exhaled in genuine relief.

“Since you answered, I’ll speak too.”

He was still dangerous, but I could no longer hide it.

I hesitated briefly, then spoke.

“I can read mana.”

“…Really?”

The Duke’s crimson eyes widened. It seemed like a rare ability.

I nodded slightly.

“So I was commissioned to visually detect errors in the potion’s composition. That’s why tracking magic couldn’t detect me.”

“…It was you?”

“Yes?”

“I hadn’t heard reports that anyone visited the mansion…”

“….”

I didn’t answer, and he seemed to understand what that implied.

“Another of your abilities, then. The one you used to escape from me that night.”