Chapter 42
Sylas paused briefly in front of the castle gate.
The surroundings were quiet.
Moonlight faintly draped over the castle walls, gently illuminating his face.
The world, bathed in silver, felt like a dream.
Lost in thought, Sylas moved to step through the gate.
“Sylas!”
But a desperate voice calling out to him made him turn around.
A woman stood there. Her face was clearly visible under the moonlight.
Those desperately trembling eyes—he knew them well.
“It’s been a while, Niel. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“…”
“Why are you here?”
Sylas spoke as if he were merely curious.
But in truth, he wasn’t happy to see her. To be more precise, he simply wasn’t interested in her.
Whether Niel was here or not—it didn’t matter.
Because she wasn’t Catrina.
“You met Catrina, didn’t you?”
Niel asked him.
Sylas stared quietly at her for a moment.
“You really came all this way just to see Catrina?”
“I did meet her.”
He started walking.
Step by step, he approached Niel.
“Niel France.”
His low voice fell upon her shoulders.
Sylas lightly tapped her trembling shoulder.
“Stop caring about me and live your life.”
At those words, Niel’s eyes wavered.
“Don’t set foot in this land again. Got it?”
Sylas moved to walk past her.
But Niel grabbed him in a panic.
“Sylas, wait!”
“What now?”
Sylas sounded annoyed, but he turned back willingly.
“How long are you going to keep doing this?”
“What am I doing?”
“Are you really never coming back? Are you going to keep living like some criminal?!”
Her voice echoed through the air.
Sylas lifted his head to the sky without a word.
The moonlight was beautiful.
“Don’t worry. I was already planning to go back.”
“What?”
Sylas smiled faintly.
Maybe the past truly does stay with you for life.
Maybe it controls you forever.
Maybe the place he was meant to return to had always been decided.
“I’m going back. To where I belong.”
To the Grand Duchy of Rockfenheim.
He planned to begin his next move there.
Fortunately, Gilbert did not die.
When Niel infused him with holy power, his wounds healed.
As soon as he realized his plan had failed, Gilbert fell to his knees and began to beg.
“I-I committed an unforgivable crime! Please, have mercy…!”
He quickly gave up denying everything and begged directly before Catrina.
Clearly, he thought there was no hope left.
“Tell the truth. Without a single lie.”
Though he spoke fluently in front of her, there was still one question Catrina couldn’t answer.
“I don’t have dark magic.”
Then why had she been affected by the flute?
Because of this, it was hard to pinpoint what the victims had in common.
But judging by Gilbert’s reaction, it seemed the flute had targeted those with dark magic.
Through the ancient artifact.
“Unlike eleven years ago, Gilbert gained nothing from this incident.”
That damned bastard had smuggled children for profit eleven years ago.
But this time, it was different.
“His ledger was filled with debt.”
Yet he still lived lavishly.
Catrina concluded that the incident eleven years ago had definitely been Gilbert’s doing.
But this one…
“I—I only did what I was told!”
He was following orders?
“It—it was a red-haired man!”
Catrina had a good idea of who that man was now.
“It—it was last year. A man said he’d pay me if I collected dark magic and gave him a flute.”
Catrina furrowed her brow at the nonsensical statement.
“Collect dark magic?”
Every patient she had seen had their dark magic forcibly removed.
“I had a book that explained how to gather dark magic. So the man…”
“A book?”
“I-It’s in my office. I’ll bring it right away!”
“Wait.”
Catrina raised a hand to stop him.
Her mind was a mess.
“As you know, Lady Catrina, our territory’s situation is…”
While she deliberated, Gilbert tried desperately to explain himself.
What a repulsive man.
Soon, Hildegard would learn of what he had done.
And when she did…
“He’ll be executed.”
A fitting end for him.
“…You said the red-haired man ordered you?”
Sylas Rockfenheim.
What are you thinking?
“Why did he want to collect dark magic?”
“I… I don’t know…”
Gilbert couldn’t answer that either.
“He just said it had to be gathered quickly.”
Quickly?
Then that meant he was preparing something.
“When by?”
“He didn’t give a specific date. Just said he’d return soon…”
So that chaos yesterday—it had been his return.
“Do you remember the man wearing the lion helmet? That’s the one who ordered me!”
“…”
“I didn’t know he’d betray me like this… Ahem.”
Gilbert was fuming, then suddenly realized his slip and shut his mouth.
That seemed to be all he knew about Sylas.
Catrina decided to change the subject.
“How did you get the flute?”
“…That, I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Well…”
Gilbert hesitated.
“I was given it as a gift. But I don’t know who gave it to me.”
He didn’t know?
“I only know it was the same person who gave me the book.”
“…Then bring me that book. Right now.”
She had to verify it.
A short while later, one of the castle attendants brought the book Gilbert had mentioned.
Catrina opened it immediately.
And froze.
The handwriting… was all too familiar.
It belonged to Arabella, the late duchess of Abiché.
Catrina received a reply from Hildegard.
The letter contained only a single line: “Well done.”
“Greetings, Lady Catrina. I was sent by Lady Hildegard.”
Along with the letter, Hildegard had sent someone.
“She has entrusted the final matters to me. She also said that you may return now.”
Catrina finally felt it—this ordeal was truly over.
The man calmly explained what would happen next.
“She instructed me to find a new lord. In the meantime, I will handle affairs as the acting steward…”
“P-please! Spare me! Please!”
Behind him, Gilbert was being dragged away by knights.
“Aaagh! I told you everything! You promised to let me live!”
He was a pitiful mess.
But somehow, the sight suited him perfectly.
“Lady Hildegard has promised to ensure your safety and provide you with a generous reward, as agreed.”
The man spoke calmly, as if Gilbert didn’t exist.
“Thank you for all your hard work, Lady Catrina.”
