CHAPTER 81………………………………………….
It had been exactly a week since Sierra had been forcibly brought to the mansion, and finally, she could face Derik.
Pausing briefly at the door, she steadied herself with a blank expression.
“On the day of the banquet, until then, I must keep quiet.”
She had to hide her resentment.
Knock, knock—
“Come in.”
Derik welcomed her, adopting the posture of a nobleman, just as he had once done.
Behind him, the warm afternoon sunlight poured in—uncharacteristic for someone as cold as him.
“You’re here, Sierra.”
“I didn’t expect you to leave me waiting so long. You dragged me here by force, and now…”
She worried that her words might reveal her resentment, but she couldn’t hold back any longer.
“What do you intend to do with Ashur?”
“Don’t worry. It will go as you wish.”
At Derik’s indifferent answer, Sierra could only bite her lip.
“What I want is to leave this place.”
“That, unfortunately, I cannot grant.”
His curt response made it hard to breathe.
Sierra forced back her rising anger and lifted her head.
“Then at least let me see him.”
“Be patient for a little while. Don’t you have anything else to say?”
“…I’m not sure what you mean.”
Derik studied her face carefully, as if trying to read something.
His gaze didn’t match his indifferent expression.
Sierra clenched her damp palms in tension.
Yet she could not understand what he wanted.
“Then, leave.”
In the end, she had no choice but to exit the study without gaining anything.
The grand banquet hall of the Estevan Mansion had opened for the first time since Frederick inherited the dukedom.
Countless nobles came to the mansion, hoping to catch the duke’s attention.
“As expected, the Estevan family is different.”
The dazzling chandeliers filled the lavish hall with light.
Even among the ornate decorations, the luxurious magical artifacts for the banquet stood out.
Chloe Belheim’s green eyes scanned the hall from corner to corner.
“I wouldn’t have decorated it like this.”
Those following her closely also surveyed the surroundings sharply.
“‘That young lady’ will appear today, right?”
“Do you think we’ll actually see the barbarian?”
Amid the elegant melodies, quiet whispers floated.
But the curiosity laced with disdain was soon cut off by someone’s arrival.
“Prince Alejandro Amir Heriberto Altareon has arrived!”
“Oh my, even the prince?”
The prince entered confidently alone, but Elaina, appearing immediately after, captured his attention faster than anyone else.
“Your Highness! Thank you for coming.”
“Elaina.”
The prince’s violet eyes darkened subtly at the sight of her.
It was common knowledge that they were a couple.
Some approached them with fake smiles, hiding their discomfort.
“Lady Elaina, you look stunning tonight. The wine-colored dress suits the prince perfectly. Did you coordinate it at Camilla’s boutique? I’m jealous.”
Elaina smiled pleasantly at the praise.
“Really? By the way, everyone, you’re in for quite a spectacle tonight.”
Amid the noisy hall, Sierra appeared, wearing a pale-colored dress.
The golden embroidery and large emeralds on her dress concealed her paleness.
Since entering the mage tower, this was her first appearance in society.
Many had never seen her, not even at a debutante ball.
A rumored eccentric young noble turned mage.
Most had prejudices assuming she would be a tomboy.
Yet Sierra’s appearance was unexpectedly beautiful.
“Miss Kleshad! It’s been so long.”
Some familiar faces approached her first.
Sierra greeted them with a doll-like smile.
She paid no mind to the whispers behind her.
Her mind was focused solely on her conversation with Derik.
“Be patient, he says… I can’t wait any longer.”
Tonight’s banquet was a critical moment.
The plan to extract Ashur had been meticulously prepared.
Success depended on her allies.
Her role was simply to attract attention here.
Sierra’s back stiffened with tension.
Yet Derik, watching her with his subtle gaze, had still not appeared, making her increasingly uneasy.
Her eyes fell to her hands.
The mana suppression bands still constricted her wrists.
“If only I could remove these before escaping myself.”
Since her mana had been completely blocked, the ring of fate on her left index finger had been immobile.
Even the mana in her earrings was weak, as if it would soon fade.
In a sanctuary, the natural mana would have been sufficient to maintain their function.
But the kingdom’s mana in the air was thin, likely drained by countless magical artifacts.
Derik finally appeared when Sierra’s lip quivered slightly from smiling greetings.
Four large shadows, their hoods drawn low, stopped near the Estevan Mansion.
“[Today’s the chance.]”
Kadiya’s group planned to raid the prison where Ashur was held, taking advantage of the banquet’s distraction.
Red mystical markings adorned the backs of their hands.
“If we trace the Estevan Mansion’s boundary sigil just like this, we should pass safely.”
Sierra had thoughtfully sent a note with a drawing of the ritual circle.
“When did she even learn rituals?”
Considering Ashur’s own skill with advanced rituals, it seemed plausible if they had discussed magic and rituals together.
Sierra was a genius.
“I hope Ashur hasn’t learned magic too… that would be cheating!”
Following Sierra’s instructions carefully, Kadiya’s group traced the circle slowly.
Thanks to this, they scaled the mansion walls without triggering the security sigils.
According to Sierra, at worst, a dozen guards usually stood before the prison.
Fortunately, some had gone to the banquet, reducing the number, though still not few.
“[Perfect, four of us. Take one each.]”
Pressing close to the wall, Kadiya motioned silently to her allies.
Despite being well-trained soldiers, the kingdom’s weak defenses collapsed easily under their surprise attack.
“[Let’s go.]”
From one of the fallen guards, presumably a warden, they took the keys at his waist.
Nothing remained to hinder them.
Creak—
Opening the old iron door revealed a dark staircase.
“[To keep someone here… ugh, the air is so damp. What is that smell?]”
Covering her nose, Kadiya heard Alnab mutter shortly behind her.
“[They treat prisoners thoroughly as criminals.]”
“[It’s a good thing Sierra doesn’t see this, she’d probably faint.]”
Rohita grumbled, but Kadiya replied calmly.
“[No, Sierra’s stronger than she seems. She’d get angry, not collapse.]”
After a brief conversation, they reached the end of the underground prison.
Yet the cell was empty.
“[What?! Ashur… did he escape on his own?!]”
“[Sierra said the mana suppressor is incredibly strong. Could he have snuck out alone?]”
Barel mentioned the guards lying at the door.
“[If anyone notices how we got in, Sierra will be in trouble.]”
Kadiya paused, then said:
“[Right. I’ll cast a memory-confusing spell. Scatter the fallen guards so no one notices.]”
They carefully spread out the unconscious guards and cast the spell to confuse memory.
The group climbed back over the wall.
“[This is troublesome. What now?]”
“[Let’s wait for Sierra’s signal, then plan how to find Ashur again.]”
Meanwhile, a shadow watched them from a distance.
Unaware of the watcher, the group slowly moved away from the mansion.
After watching them disappear, the figure faded from sight.
