CHAPTER 136……………………………………
“Owen, why do you look so dazed? Did something happen at the temple?”
“Ruspell…”
“What is it? What happened?”
“It’s about the Dark Spirit… apparently, it has no mouth.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Dark Spirit acts purely on instinct. It can’t converse, and it can’t take commands. That’s why there’s no Dark Spirit Sorcerer—it’s useless to try making a contract.”
“So the Duke tricked us? And what about that sword? You said it was possessed by a Dark Spirit?”
“I’m not sure. The only swords that display that much power without a spirit are Ego Swords. But where would the Duke have gotten an Ego Sword?”
“That’s true… Wait, but how did the Duke know about Adela?”
“Exactly. Who on earth told the Duke about Adela?”
The three men were intensely curious.
Why did she know so much about Adela?
By comparison, being deceived by Adrian was nothing.
Even suspecting that Adrian might not be a Dark Spirit Sorcerer but a Dark Sorcerer didn’t seem to matter.
It wasn’t important to them.
“Why aren’t you answering? You knew, didn’t you?”
Ruspell scratched the back of his head.
“Your Majesty… do you really want to hear it?”
“No, never mind. Don’t tell me. Even hearing it would make my blood boil. You just didn’t know, got it?”
“……”
“Did you hear me? Got it?!”
“Yes…”
At that moment, Leonhart’s eyelashes trembled.
Slowly, his thin eyelids rose, revealing deep-set eyes.
“Adrian…”
The emperor let out a disbelieving, hollow laugh.
“Good grief, the first thing you say upon waking is that name?”
“Your Majesty…”
His pale face and cracked voice softened the emperor’s anger.
“…How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Sorry for showing such a pitiful sight.”
“You know, don’t you? How pitiful you look right now.”
The emperor mocked him while scanning Leonhart’s complexion.
“The Duke took the Saint, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“And the theft of the forbidden tome from the temple was also the Duke’s doing, right?”
“Yes.”
“To transfer my soul into the Saint’s body, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Hmm…”
The emperor let out a heavy sigh.
“Why would a perfectly healthy person covet forbidden magic? Have you ever thought about that?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“I didn’t believe it either. No matter how much I think about it, there’s no reason for the Duke to do such a thing. I even summoned the Duke family’s physician just in case.”
“Sir Andrei, you mean?”
“Yes. Did you learn nothing from him?”
“I… I don’t understand what you mean.”
“The Duke has an incurable disease.”
“…!”
Leonhart’s eyes widened, his pale face turning even whiter.
“From birth, his heart was malformed, and recently it worsened. One more episode of coughing blood could stop his heart.”
“…”
“That’s why the Duke resorted to forbidden magic—wanting to prolong a life of uncertain length, even if it meant taking over a child’s body.”
“…”
“Truly a thought worthy of a Dark Sorcerer.”
The emperor paused.
In the past, Adrian had displeased him.
An arrogant noble filled with a sense of entitlement. That was the impression Adrian left.
But during her five years in seclusion, something had changed completely.
The moment the emperor noticed her transformation was when she submitted a proposal for the central plaza construction.
He was astonished—not because she designed a device powered by magic, but because every device favored the convenience of commoners.
A person who once didn’t even treat commoners as human…
Seeing her in person, it was almost unbelievable.
Her cold tone carried courtesy, and her gaze radiated warmth.
Her resolve was incredibly steadfast.
Adrian Ibrante—the epitome of arrogance and obstinacy—had changed.
The emperor was very pleased with her transformation and decided to connect her with Leonhart.
He believed that the new Adrian would be a great support for Leonhart.
So, pretending not to hear anything, behaving like a senile old man, he pushed for their engagement.
Though flustered, she remained polite to the end.
The emperor had even chuckled to himself imagining her bewildered face.
Adela Helsington used to cringe whenever he did that, and Adrian’s similar reaction made him even happier.
‘But why would she have come up with such a ruthless plan…’
Leonhart parted his dry lips.
“Your Majesty, the Duke has fallen into a trap.”
“What trap?”
“I don’t know the details. But Your Majesty, you also know—she’s not that kind of person.”
The emperor recalled the last image he had of Adrian.
While it was true that she was a Dark Sorcerer, she was not the kind of villain to steal a child’s life out of fear of death.
“The Duke attacked me deliberately—for me and my friends.”
“Almost dying from a stab to the abdomen, and yet you take her side? That’s no excuse.”
“Your Majesty…”
Leonhart rose from the bed and knelt on the floor.
Despite his recent severe injury, his movements were smooth.
“At that time, I was defenseless. Even if the Duke had struck my heart, I could only have endured it. Yet she attacked a place completely unrelated to vital areas.”
Leonhart paused.
If he had been prepared, could he have stopped Adrian?
He couldn’t be sure. Her strike was fast, precise, and carried no intent to kill.
“Even if what you say is true, it doesn’t change the fact that the Duke is a Dark Sorcerer.”
“I will handle it. Please give me time.”
“Handle it? You’re the one who didn’t even realize you were being used!”
“Your Majesty!”
“Dark Sorcerers are subject to immediate execution. You cannot change the law for one person. This matter will be left to the First Prince, so do not act rashly.”
The emperor’s firm words narrowed Leonhart’s eyes.
“If you do not allow it, I will leave the royal court.”
“What did you say? You dare threaten your father?!”
“Does it sound like a threat?”
Leonhart looked up at the emperor.
Whether for a woman or not, he seemed ready to give up everything, his dark eyes calm and unwavering.
“This… this boy… he’s completely bewitched by a Dark Sorcerer!”
The emperor, scolding him fiercely moments before, shouted solemnly.
“For this incident, the Third Prince is confined for four days!”
Ruspell and Owen held their breath at the emperor’s authority.
But Leonhart kept his head high, staring at the emperor.
“For four days, the Third Prince shall not step outside the palace, and no one may enter the Third Prince’s residence!”
“…”
“Why no answer? Do you need a harsher punishment to realize your fault?!”
The emperor’s roar echoed through the bedroom.
Ruspell and Owen exchanged a glance, silently urging Leonhart to respond.
Finally, he slowly spoke.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As soon as the emperor left, Leonhart changed clothes.
His perforated shirt and blood-soaked pants were tossed haphazardly on the floor.
Owen cautiously asked, sensing his urgent intent.
“Your Highness, what are you planning?”
“I’m going to find the Duke.”
“What about the confinement order? If the emperor finds out…”
“Your Majesty must have anticipated that too.”
“Excuse me? Anticipated what?”
“That I would go after the Duke. That’s why no one is allowed in the palace for four days—to give me time to solve the problem.”
“Ah…”
No need for words—the father and son perfectly understood each other.
“Ruspell, what’s the teleportation range?”
“To the city boundary. From there, they would have ridden a horse.”
“Current location?”
“Wait.”
On the saddle of the white horse Adrian rode was an inscribed tracking spell.
After the war with the Demon King, Leonhart had been so harassed by assassins that Ruspell inscribed it himself just in case.
As long as Adrian didn’t abandon the horse, they could track her anytime.
Ruspell closed his eyes. His lips, moving swiftly to chant the spell, suddenly froze.
“Hm… she’s stopped for now. Not too far yet. Probably slowed down because of the little one.”
“Direction?”
“South. Check if the Ibrante family has a villa there.”
Owen tilted his head.
“Ruspell, would she really flee to such an obvious place?”
“She revealed her plan completely and took the little one with her. She wants us to catch up quickly.”
Leonhart thought the same as Ruspell.
He gently traced his side, where only bloodstains remained, leaving no other marks. Owen and Ruspell’s eyes followed.
“Here… Owen, remember when you told me about this place before?”
“How could I forget? It was the first day you turned dark.”
“When did I turn dark? I only got a little angry.”
Owen pouted, recalling yesterday’s events as if they had just happened.
“There were three battles in a single day, and Your Highness was injured in all three. I could see you risking yourself completely, trusting only me. How could I not be upset?”
When people attack, they naturally tense and recoil.
But Adrian didn’t flinch at all.
The entire process—from removing the hairpin to stabbing Leonhart’s side—was precise, as if she’d done it hundreds of times.
And the strike targeted that one secret spot known only to them.
It was inevitable that one name came to the three men’s minds.
Adela Helsington.
The puzzle pieces, previously unsolvable, clicked into place with only one last piece.
They exchanged glances.
“No need for a magic circle?”
“We can run through the night.”
“Your Highness, we absolutely cannot lose her. Understood?”
“I know.”
Leonhart vaulted over the spear.
To find the final piece of the puzzle.
