Chapter 50
On a night when everyone was asleep,
I quietly slipped out of bed.
I couldn’t go out in my pajamas, so I found the most practical dress and boots I could and put them on.
Once I finished preparing to go out, Blanche tapped the birdcage with his beak, as if reminding me not to forget him.
“Follow me quietly.”
When I opened the cage, Blanche flapped his wings and perched on my shoulder as if he understood.
Since I already knew the layout of the early-morning mansion and the guards’ positions, leaving the mansion without being noticed wasn’t difficult.
The problem came after that.
“Where should I go now?”
<This way.>
Blanche confidently led me.
Although the streets were shrouded in darkness at this late hour, the darkness wasn’t much of an obstacle for me.
Following the familiar route we used to take by carriage, Blanche and I arrived at the royal family’s villa.
From here, the path differed from what I remembered.
Instead of leading me to the main gate where we had entered by carriage, Blanche guided me to a secluded part of the castle wall.
Cautiously following him with a hint of suspicion in my heart, I soon saw a small hole in the old wall.
It was too small for an adult, but a child of my size could easily pass through.
‘This time, I guess Blanche’s stalking habits actually helped…’
I looked at him with reluctant, sharp eyes, and he flapped his wings triumphantly.
<Behold! I never lie, my king!>
“Shh! Quiet!”
I calmed Blanche, who was making a fuss, and squeezed myself through the small opening.
Inside the wall, it was as quiet as the outside.
“Which way is the lake?”
<Just trust me. This way.>
I brushed the dirt off my clothes and followed Blanche.
Since the villa was usually empty, there were fewer guards, making it easy to approach the lake.
‘I came all the way to the lake without a plan…’
But seeing the vast lake before me, I couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed.
The only clue I had was that the necklace changed color when it fell into the water.
‘Then I guess I’ll just have to go in.’
Since the clue was simple, the approach had to be simple as well.
“Blanche, I’ll go into the water for a bit, so keep watch.”
<What if someone approaches?>
“Make a lot of noise like you usually do. Knock them out if you have to.”
<Easy.>
After confirming that Blanche had taken a perch in a nearby tree, I removed my boots and dress.
‘It’ll only get in the way underwater anyway.’
Wearing just a thin nightdress, I felt much lighter.
I slowly waded into the lake.
From ankles to knees, knees to waist, waist to head.
As soon as I was fully submerged, I dove to the spot where I had recently felt the strange flow of water.
Though it was darker than before, the water’s current felt even more distinct.
The closer I got to the center of the strange force, the stronger the current became, making it hard to control my body.
‘Ugh. Why is the current so strong?’
It was certainly not a normal flow.
Whether it was the power of a dragon the empire believed in or something else, there was clearly something below the lake.
I struggled to steady myself and looked at the necklace.
But in the dark waters of the deep night, I couldn’t see any color change clearly.
‘I’ll have to check it from above.’
Now was the time to focus on the source of this strange power.
The source was a large stone at the bottom of the lake.
All the power radiated from it.
I cautiously approached and ran my hand over the stone’s surface.
Familiar letters could be felt under my fingers—ancient language.
‘It’s hard to read by touch alone…’
As I tried to carefully read the letters, suddenly—
‘Huh?’
A faint light began to emit from the necklace.
It was reacting to something within the stone.
But it wasn’t just the necklace that reacted.
In an instant, an immense force shot out from the stone, pulling me downward.
It was a force too strong to resist.
‘Ugh!’
I instinctively shut my eyes, and my body plunged endlessly downward.
It was a sensation similar to the moment when I recalled memories from my past life.
Sounds faded, and my senses became distant.
At the edge of my fading consciousness, a familiar voice reached my ears.
<Wait, Danae. Don’t cause trouble.>
“Miss!”
I jolted awake to Marina’s shocked shout.
Sitting up quickly, I looked around and saw the familiar scenery of my room.
‘Huh? When did I get back?’
“My goodness. Why are you sweating so much? Did you have a nightmare?”
“Nightmare?”
I blinked in a daze.
‘Was that a dream? Can a dream be this vivid?’
But if it wasn’t a dream, there was no way to explain how or when I had returned to my room.
‘Ah, maybe Blanche rescued me when I lost consciousness in the water…’
I quickly turned to look at the birdcage. But it was empty.
“Uh… the bird…?”
“He wasn’t there this morning. Maybe he went for another walk?”
Marina said casually, as she assumed Blanche went out whenever he pleased.
But Blanche had never left the cage without my permission.
“Miss, you need to hurry today. We have to return to the North immediately.”
“So suddenly?”
“Yes. Last night, monsters appeared beyond the barrier. Seven of them, in fact. It’s the first time so many have crossed the barrier since it was erected.”
Marina wiped the sweat from my forehead with a slightly worried expression.
“But the Grand Duke and the Mist Knights will handle it quickly. Don’t worry too much.”
Coincidentally, both Baratheon and Hedin, key members of the Mist Knights, were in the capital.
‘That must be why the urgent return was decided.’
This was exactly why I had opposed Hedin staying as my bodyguard.
I let out a sigh as I looked at the empty birdcage.
Blanche must have remembered my orders to deal with the monsters and headed to the North.
‘I should praise him later.’
Once the situation was roughly clear in my mind, the tension in my shoulders eased.
‘But… was what happened last night a dream or reality?’
Unlike the leisurely trip down to the capital, the return was urgent.
The Grand Duke said I could take my time, but I didn’t feel like leisurely enjoying the journey alone, so I chose to rejoin the main group.
Hurrying this way tired the horses faster than the people.
During long journeys, breaks are always taken to replenish the horses’ stamina.
However, thanks to Siesse’s recovery magic, the group could continue without stopping.
“I’m dying… I’m just going to sleep all day today…”
After pouring recovery magic into the horses, Siesse collapsed upon arriving at the winter villa and crawled into her room like a zombie.
The Grand Duke, Baratheon, and the Mist Knights immediately rushed to the site where the monsters appeared, leaving me alone in the villa with Lucas.
“What should I do now?”
Lucas smiled gently at my stunned expression.
“Nothing. Just stay in the villa comfortably, as usual.”
“Huh? Just stay still?”
It looked like quite an emergency, though.
I tilted my head in confusion, and Lucas looked at the villa staff.
“Yes. Your role is to act as if nothing happened. That way, others will see you and feel reassured.”
Following Lucas’ gaze to the staff, I understood his meaning.
When a superior wavers in such a situation, the subordinates naturally become anxious.
“So, even if it’s chaotic outside, we must maintain calm inside?”
“Yes. That’s the role of the master. Monster appearances happen frequently, so if you remain composed, the Grand Duke will appreciate you. Right now, you are acting as his substitute.”
“Got it. Just stay relaxed as usual? I’m actually pretty confident about that.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
I shrugged confidently at Lucas and strode toward the kitchen.
“I’m hungry! Cook me some meat!”
