CHAPTER 24
Louisa had already been curious about her unusual constitution, so she welcomed the idea of learning more about it. This seemed like a good opportunity to head north.
Especially considering how often she’d been coughing up blood lately—it just didn’t sit right with her. Maybe there was more demonic energy in the air than she realized.
‘There shouldn’t be any miasma in the capital. That’s only found in the outer regions…’
In a way, this trip could be a blessing in disguise.
Shane, the second prince, had made that unsettling comment about divine power at the garden party. Louisa figured that if she stayed away long enough, people might start to forget her. And if she put some serious distance between herself and Raphael, she was convinced a formal breakup—likely with a hefty settlement—would eventually follow.
Her expression quickly relaxed, and a relieved smile spread across her lips.
“I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go to the north.”
“Really?” the Duke raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
“Yes. It’ll allow me to focus entirely on my treatment. Going to the north seems like the better choice.”
“…You don’t have to decide right away. Take your time to think it over.”
“No, I’ve already thought it through. Even if I mull it over more, I’ll come to the same conclusion. So, when do we leave?”
Her answer came so quickly and confidently that the Duke looked a little taken aback.
Seeing Louisa blink at him expectantly, with such calm determination, it was clear she had made up her mind.
The Duke let out a long sigh before speaking again.
“I have to leave tomorrow due to an urgent matter. You two can follow later at a more comfortable pace.”
His gaze shifted to a small box he had been fidgeting with since earlier—clearly indicating that whatever was inside was the cause of his haste.
‘What’s in there? He hasn’t let go of it since he arrived…’
Louisa tilted her head, looking at the box. The Duke had returned from an emergency meeting at the palace and hadn’t once let it out of his hand, his face tense the entire time.
Usually, he’d have his aide carry something like that. The fact that he was holding it himself was unusual and concerning. Something serious must have happened.
She briefly debated whether it was safe to follow him if the item inside was dangerous. But staying here was no better—there was the risk of further exposure to miasma. It was dangerous either way.
And frankly, even the north—with no guarantee of being completely safe—sounded better than staying here where Raphael was. She needed to get away from him.
“…I’ll go tomorrow too. I don’t have anything else to do, and I think it’ll be better to just go and rest as soon as possible.”
“There are portals between regions, but you’ll still need to take a carriage part of the way. It’ll be tiring. You could stay and recover a bit more first.”
“I’ll be fine. What about you, oppa?” she asked, her eyes wide.
With just a hint of pressure behind her gaze, Damien couldn’t help but smile faintly.
“…If you’re okay with it, then so am I. I’ll go with whatever you decide.”
“Thanks. Then we’ve got a lot to do. If we’re leaving tomorrow, we’d better start packing now.”
Louisa clapped her hands lightly, as if everything was already settled.
The Duke let out another deep sigh at the fiery determination in Louisa’s eyes. And then, with a reluctant nod, he accepted her decision.
For the past three days, Raphael’s mind had been a complete mess.
Every time he tried to take a breath, thoughts would rush in like a flood, completely tanking his productivity.
As a result, the only thing waiting for him now was late-night overtime, thanks to the backlog of work piling up.
Today, he had planned to skip dinner again—but the deputy commander wasn’t having it and practically dragged him to the palace dining room.
Tonight’s menu featured a thick steak. Steam was still rising from the freshly grilled meat, tantalizing his senses.
‘…Come to think of it, I think she liked meat.’
He was cutting his steak absentmindedly when the thought suddenly popped into his head.
And once it did, it triggered a cascade of other memories, as if a panorama had unfolded in his mind.
Louisa enthusiastically cutting her meat. Louisa widening her eyes after a bite. Louisa smiling the whole time she was eating.
Every single memory was of Louisa.
‘I didn’t even pay that much attention to her—so why are these memories so vivid?’
Raphael’s brow furrowed irritably.
He had been losing sleep for days now, unable to stop these memories of Louisa from surfacing. And now, it was happening again.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
No matter how much he focused on work, even the briefest break would bring flashes of her into his mind—each one dragging his mood further down.
“It’s an engagement that will end eventually. I hope we don’t waste effort on it.”
“Have you no shame?”
And of course, it had to be those moments that resurfaced—the times he’d been especially cold, deliberately trying to shut her down.
‘Is this guilt? But that doesn’t quite fit…’
He had said far crueler things before the engagement, so it was hard to measure.
Maybe it was because her reaction had changed. She used to show her hurt so openly, but now… she just seemed distant.
‘Or is it… because I’m starting to think she might not like me anymore?’
When he thought back on it, her face had seemed detached. As if she were a different person—or like none of this even concerned her.
He felt a strong urge to confirm whether his memory was playing tricks on him.
“Haa…”
Raphael sighed, pressing his fingers to his brow.
‘What am I even trying to confirm? This isn’t the time to be entertaining such pointless thoughts.’
He had lost all appetite. He figured he’d return to his desk and tackle his mountain of reports instead.
As he looked up, he met the eyes of his deputy commander, Kyle, who had been watching him quietly.
“Commander, is something wrong?”
Kyle was worried. He had been watching Raphael poke at his food with a dazed expression, barely eating a thing. It had gone on for days.
“…It’s nothing,” Raphael muttered.
“Is it because of the increase in miasma?”
Raphael didn’t respond. He hadn’t even noticed the numbers in his distracted state. But Kyle, a man who thought of nothing but work, took the silence as confirmation.
Thinking his commander was burdened by the Empire’s growing danger, Kyle’s voice took on a proud, resolute tone.
“I heard Duke Blake returned to the north urgently. Something about a sanctified flower being corrupted. Shouldn’t our knights mobilize as well?”
Kyle’s words jolted Raphael’s memory—back to the emergency meeting a few days ago.
The sanctified flower, which contains divine power and is the only thing that can suppress the spread of miasma, had been found contaminated along the eastern border. It caused a huge alarm.
Even though only three flowers had been affected, any contamination was a serious issue. Some speculated that the miasma might rapidly spread because of it.
‘I really must be possessed or something.’
Raphael’s expression hardened. With something this serious going on, how had he allowed his mind to wander so much? Clearly, something was wrong with him.
“…Has the Royal Guard submitted their dispatch list yet?”
“They’ve just finalized their members. Sir Andy went to retrieve the list this morning. He should return soon.”
“And ours? We’re done compiling?”
“Of course. That was finalized over a week ago. We’ll send the combined document as soon as the Royal list arrives. But I’m a bit concerned about the northern team. With the increased number of monsters and now the issue with the flowers, I wonder if we should send more personnel. Especially since even the Young Duke of Blake, who’s been staying in the capital, is heading north. It might be worth considering before we submit.”
Raphael nodded—then suddenly froze.
“…The Young Duke went north?”
“Yes, I heard he left two days ago. It takes about a day even using the gate, so he should’ve arrived in Blake territory by now.”
“Then… Lady Blake stayed behind in the capital?”
“No. The Lady also went north.”
His blue eyes flickered.
Stunned, Raphael’s lips parted slightly, his voice finally pushing its way out.
“…In her condition?”
“Oh? Is the Lady unwell? Then maybe she went along for convalescence.”
“Who goes to a dangerous region for convalescence?!”
His voice rose, taut with alarm.
Though there was a hint of panic in his tone, Kyle—who had no sense for anything outside of work—simply chalked it up to concern for a hazardous area and answered dutifully.
“Well, I heard the distance between the border and the duke’s estate is quite vast. And the Duke and Young Duke will be there too—what’s there to worry about?”
But that answer didn’t reach Raphael at all.
She went north?
