Chapter 58
He had probably marked me as his successor from the moment I requested a private audience—or perhaps even before that. But… was this something he was allowed to tell me?
While I hesitated, the Marquis spoke first.
“I can tell you know, but don’t know how to answer. Yes. I wanted to show you the study that Lady Rohella will use in the future.”
He glanced around the room, and naturally, so did I.
The study was filled wall-to-wall with enormous, utilitarian bookshelves—constructed solely for the purpose of holding books—and every shelf was packed with volumes of varying thickness.
He continued.
“These books have been collected from the first head of House Huebener up to my generation. There are even rare ancient texts you won’t find easily elsewhere.”
The moment he said this, my mind snapped into focus. Could there be books related to mana here? If so… did that mean I wouldn’t have to attend the Academy?
But as if reading my thoughts, the Marquis gave a faint smile.
“Unfortunately for you, Lady Rohella, there are no books related to magic.”
I suppressed the disappointment that almost slipped out. Still, a library preserved for so long might contain other important information for me.
But I probably wouldn’t be able to access the material immediately.
Just as I came to that conclusion, he continued.
“So, in honor of you becoming my successor, I wanted to give you a tour of this study…”
I widened my eyes and stared at him. This was an unexpected gain. Clutching the fabric of my dress tightly, I asked,
“Does that mean you’ll allow me to read the books in the study?”
“Well, the study technically belongs to the head of the house, so think of today as a preview—just for the day.”
As expected. Still, being allowed to see it at all was something.
I exhaled. Countless pieces of information I needed surged and vanished in my mind.
Then my thoughts settled on one thing.
“Then… is there any information on the Empire’s early records?”
House Huebener was a long-standing noble line that had slowly risen to the rank of Marquis over a very long history. Surely they had records from the Empire’s early days.
“I want to know about the era before the Empire was founded—the period full of wars—and the moment the Empire came into being.”
“Do you want factual records, or is it acceptable if some myth is mixed in?”
Given that I needed to understand who the Star was—and whether House Huebener held any exclusive, passed-down stories—the latter seemed more useful.
I answered immediately.
“Mixed with myth is fine.”
“Then I’ll guide you myself.”
The Marquis smiled and stood. I did the same, following him, taking mental notes on where certain sections were located.
He stopped before the most secluded bookshelf.
“The oldest one here… is this book.”
He pulled out a thin navy book decorated with gold leaf. It had no title, but gold leaf dotted the cover like stars, making it obvious that the book was about the Star.
“May I read it?”
“Of course. As much as you’d like.”
He handed it to me. Despite its age, the book was in excellent condition. When I brushed my hand over the cover, it felt rough to the touch.
Inside, the handwriting was uneven, as though it had been compiled from handwritten notes—quite unlike its ornate exterior.
I read through it quickly.
The book was short—short enough to finish in moments.
“…”
Thack.
The sound of me closing the book echoed in the study. I stroked the cover once more and handed it back to the Marquis.
He shelved it and said,
“Then I can show you the other books—”
“That’s alright. Thank you.”
I gently declined his offer with a bow.
As I placed a hand over my chest, I could feel my heart pounding violently—as if it would leap out of my throat if I relaxed even for a second.
What did I just read?
It felt like half my mind had been bleached white. The story passed down through House Huebener was not much different from the one Dorian had told me.
Except—it omitted the part where the Star shared its blood with fire and water. Instead, there was a line—written as though by someone in deep despair, scribbled in a frenzy.
[Fire burned Water and the Star!]
The rough handwriting looked like it had been added abruptly at the end.
As if something monumental had happened.
As if the writer had fallen into utter despair.
But… hasn’t House Huebener avoided magic for generations?
The “fire” mentioned here was likely the Imperial family, and “water” the Duchy of Brecht.
But it made no sense that the Imperial family burned the Duke of Brecht and the Star.
The Star… wasn’t the Star an ancestor of the Imperial line?
Then the Marquis’s worried voice broke through my thoughts.
“…Are you alright?”
I snapped back to myself.
He smiled gently.
“The final line seems to have bothered you. The strange handwriting and dramatic tone are indeed unsettling. But that last sentence was added in a later era—so you needn’t take it too seriously.”
“…Thank you.”
It was only natural that he didn’t know what “fire” and “water” truly symbolized.
In the written story alone, fire and water appeared abruptly, with no connection to anything else.
Trying to compose myself, I asked,
“If it’s alright… may I return to my room now? My body still feels a bit…”
“Oh dear, it seems yesterday’s heatstroke hasn’t fully passed. Go on and rest.”
It was an obvious lie, yet the Marquis accepted it without issue.
He summoned the head butler, who had been waiting quietly by the sofa, and instructed him:
“Lady Rohella still seems unwell. Please escort her to her room so she may rest.”
Soon, I followed the head butler out into the corridor, and he escorted me to my room.
“If you start feeling worse, please pull the bell cord right away.”
“Yes, thank you. And… do you know what time it is now?”
“It is currently three o’clock, My Lady.”
Being called “My Lady” so suddenly made my skin tingle with awkwardness. I thanked him and sent him out.
“…Three o’clock.”
I didn’t know until what hour Lewin considered “evening,” but surely not before five.
I recalled the contents of the book. The Star must refer to Shekhinah and Hiram. After all, Hiram’s mana looked like glowing veins—a trait of the Star.
Dividing them into fire and water meant the Emperor and the Duke.
But why would one be an emperor and the other a duke?
And what did it mean that fire burned them?
Reading the book had been an unexpected boon, but it didn’t give me the decisive clue I needed.
I couldn’t understand why such a fairy-tale-like story was fragmented and orally passed down—and then kept in a place like the head of house’s private library.
If only Shekhinah would appear in my dreams again.
Maybe she would tell me another story—perhaps about fire and water, not Hiram.
Stretching my body, I lay on the bed. The mental strain of preparing the briefing had left me exhausted.
It bothered me that there was no alarm, but Iva would wake me up, right?
I loosened and removed the dress. It was an indoor dress, so it wasn’t difficult to take off.
The bed was so large that even after tossing the dress aside, there was still plenty of room. I stretched my arms comfortably.
The sheets felt cool against my skin.
Star… Star.
If I pictured Shekhinah’s starlike eyes, maybe I could meet her more easily. I closed my eyes, hoping to see those eyes in my dreams.
Of course, that wasn’t how dreams worked. Someone was massaging my arm. As I blinked awake, a voice spoke beside me.
“My Lady, did you sleep well?”
Iva brushed my forehead gently. I squeezed my eyes shut, then reopened them.
Meeting her in a dream? No—I had just slept soundly.
I pushed myself up.
“What time is it?”
“We’re set to leave soon. The butler said you were resting, so I came instead. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yeah. I just made an excuse. You saw me—I was perfectly fine.”
I stretched my arm upward, raising the corner of my lips. Iva smiled as well and stood.
“Then let’s get ready. This time, His Grace prepared horses.”
“Huh? It’s not even that far.”
I tilted my head. Because tensions were still high over the carriage seat and Helen incident, we hadn’t left the area around the Marquis’s estate yesterday.
“It’s an hour and a half away, though.”
If you left the estate and went down the hill, there was a sandy beach nearby. Iva handed me the riding outfit she had prepared.
“But with the strong sunlight, he was worried about heatstroke again—like yesterday.”
Iva naturally helped me stand and began dressing me. As I slipped my arms into the top, I asked,
“Then whose horse am I riding?”
“The ones from the Duke’s estate. He said he wanted to take them out for a walk.”
“The horses… including Lewin’s, that’s four, right? Then whose horse do I ride?”
“Probably His Grace’s, I imagine?”
I stared at Iva with a look full of betrayal. She hurriedly defended herself.
“I did learn horseback riding, but I’ve never ridden with two people on the same horse. Riding with His Grace will be safest.”
As she spoke, she dusted off my outfit. I muttered resentfully,
“…Fine. But Lewin’s horse—was its name Roti? Isn’t he… way too small to keep up with us? Will he even be able to come along?”
