Chapter 44
“The monster we saw yesterday… it didn’t seem like it was in pain.”
Melody’s voice grew quieter and quieter.
“If what the merchant said is true, and the barrier is still working… then it’s strange. Mages can enter the holy barrier even if it has no cracks, but monsters can’t? But both use dark power.”
Mages used the power of darkness. Monsters were said to be born from darkness. If they shared the same origin, then why would they react differently to the barrier? Melody didn’t understand.
“Maybe it’s because monsters are bigger?”
“The one we found yesterday was a baby monster. It was small—about the size of a goblin.”
“What if a dumb monster got stuck inside the barrier and gave birth?”
“That would be even weirder. If the barrier blocks monsters physically, then they shouldn’t be able to enter or stay inside at all.”
“…I don’t get it.”
“Me neither.”
Even after looking through several books, Melody couldn’t find a clear explanation. She began searching the shelves for a new book.
Then Anna, who had been looking at one of Melody’s doodles, suddenly remembered something.
“This might not be related, but… My grandma used to say that, in her time, people didn’t call monsters ‘creatures of darkness.’ They used to call them ‘creatures of chaos.’ Back then, people believed monsters were born from chaos. But chaos, darkness… they’re kind of the same, right? Scary, dark stuff.”
“Chaos…?”
It was Melody’s first time hearing that. Anna nodded and sat up straighter.
“Yeah. Chaos.”
“Then… was the god of darkness once called the god of chaos too?”
“I don’t know about that part.”
Just then, as Melody reached for a book on ancient holy powers—
Knock knock.
A knock came at the door. When she opened it, the head servant stood there with a strange expression.
“You need to come with me for a moment.”
He led Melody to the drawing room. There, a long table was completely covered with gold-wrapped gift boxes and flower baskets—more than one.
“What… is all this?”
“They’re from the Imperial Palace.”
A small card sent by Ryan was included with the gifts. It thanked her for saving his life and asked to meet before he left on a mission.
In the novel, Ryan’s deployment was more of a show. The real work had already been handled by the Holy Knights and the Duke’s knights.
Melody lowered the card with a sigh. She felt more annoyed than excited. After a deep breath, she pointed to the gifts.
“Could you help me open them?”
Melody, Anna, and a few maids started unwrapping the packages. Inside were fabrics, jewelry, shoes, and even tools like hammers.
“Wow, look at this fabric. It’s beautiful.”
Anna gently touched a bright red cloth, embroidered with shiny golden thread.
“Anna, you can have it.”
“Really?!”
Melody only picked out a few accessories and some tools for repairs.
“This is enough for me. The rest… Steward, please take care of them. You can share them with the servants if you’d like.”
The steward thought for a moment and said,
“Miss Anna would be better suited for that task.”
“Leave it to me!”
Anna clapped her hands, excited.
“I’m going to put these flowers in your workshop. You stay there all day—it’s so gloomy. And with this fabric, I’ll make you a dress that goes perfectly with the accessories. You barely have any clothes for going out.”
“I wasn’t planning to wear them.”
“You’re just going to keep the bracelets and necklaces locked away?”
“It’s not like I leave the workshop much.”
Some she planned to use for testing, others as emergency savings. But all of them were too fancy for her plain clothes.
“Keeping such pretty things in boxes is a waste. Just like magic tools are made to be used, these were made to be seen.”
The maids all nodded in agreement at Anna’s passionate words.
“She’s right!”
Melody felt her resolve waver. Thinking from the magic tools’ perspective made her feel guilty.
“…Fine. I’ll wear them… sometimes, when I go out.”
“Of course you will!”
They continued organizing the gifts under Anna’s directions, when suddenly—
“What is all this?”
A familiar voice came from behind.
Melody, crouching down to look at the fabrics, turned her head quickly. Deonis was standing at the door, looking tired but imposing in a dark navy uniform. His presence was sharp and serious.
In her rush to stand, Melody dropped some fabric. His cold red eyes scanned over the cloth, then met her face.
“They’re from the Crown Prince. A thank-you gift to Melody for saving his life.”
“The Crown Prince’s thank-you gift…”
Deonis repeated the words slowly. His cold tone made Anna quickly gather the fabric and head for the door.
“Good day, Duke. Oh—I just remembered I left water boiling at the dress shop.”
“Ahem. I have urgent matters to attend to. I’ll excuse myself.”
Even the steward and maids slipped out, leaving just Melody and Deonis alone in the room.
Deonis looked between the fabrics in her arms and her face, clearly unhappy. Melody guessed he was just worn out from enduring the pain at the palace.
“You’re back.”
“Yes.”
“The meeting must’ve gone long.”
“They think they’ve found the starting point of the holy barrier’s break. I’ll be leaving soon on an expedition. I’ll be joining the Holy Knights.”
The future had changed. Since the Holy Knights were going with him, the Duke’s men wouldn’t suffer major injuries like in the novel. But Deonis still had to go.
Melody looked up and met his eyes.
“Please… take me with you.”
“…Why? Because Ryan’s going too?”
His voice and expression were both sharp and sarcastic.
“The Emperor already ordered the head of the Holy Knights to go for Ryan’s safety. Even though he’s already protected—”
He clenched his jaw.
“You’re planning to throw yourself in harm’s way to protect that man again? Is that what you meant by ‘handling things on your own’?”
The misunderstanding was so ridiculous that Melody couldn’t even reply at first. She took a deep breath before speaking.
“If you mean what happened at the black market, that was an accident.”
“Blocking Ryan’s path wasn’t an accident.”
“Well, I’m used to monsters.”
“Being used to something doesn’t mean it won’t kill you.”
Deonis’ eyes turned colder, like he didn’t believe a word. Melody could hardly breathe under that sharp gaze.
“You’re not coming with the expedition.”
“But this has nothing to do with the mission—!”
Her protest didn’t change his decision.
“I’m tired.”
Deonis turned on his heel and walked away.
He bit his lip as he left—but for some reason, the way he turned his back made it feel like he was running away from her.
