Chapter 49
“Damian Abiche.”
“Yes.”
Damian waited for her reply.
“I don’t need your help.”
Katrina’s lips curled upward as she took in the stiffening of Damian’s expression.
“And I never will.”
“……”
“What I mean is—don’t pretend to care for me while hiding behind your petty desires. Understand?”
Damian’s expression hardened.
But soon, he returned to his usual composure.
“As you wish.”
Damian gave his customary dry smile.
At that moment, Milo came running toward them in haste.
He had said he was going to change his clothes, yet here he was, still soaked to the skin.
“My lady, my lord, I’m terribly sorry, but… I must hurry to the port.”
“What happened?”
“Well… it’s…”
Milo’s face had gone pale.
“I-it’s about our wedding gift.”
Damian’s eyebrows rose slightly.
“You mean the Sunfania?”
“Y-yes… it seems there’s been some trouble with her.”
Cold sweat trickled down Milo’s face.
“I have to go there immediately.”
Katrina and Damian went with Milo to the port.
The harbor wasn’t far from the Carlo estate, so they arrived quickly.
And there they saw it—
The Sunfania, which had departed just a few days ago, was returning.
But something was wrong with the ship’s appearance.
Once a splendid vessel that cut a radiant path across the waves, it now looked like a ghost ship.
Its bright, luxurious exterior had worn away, its colors faded to a dull shadow of their former brilliance.
Rust had eaten into every corner.
“Were they attacked by pirates?”
Even Milo murmured in shock at the sight of the ship.
Finally, the vessel reached land.
Dockworkers immediately began preparations to board her.
“May we inspect her as well?” Damian asked Milo.
“Of course. Follow me.”
Katrina and Damian followed Milo aboard the decaying ship.
And then they saw—
“What in the world…”
The sailors who had left on the voyage had all returned as corpses.
It was as if they had spent countless years at sea.
“What on earth happened out there?!” Milo cried in horror.
For every sailor to return dead… and in such a strange condition…
In this era, death at sea wasn’t particularly shocking.
The sea was a perilous realm—oppressive, scorching sun, sudden storms, and pirates lurking in the shadows.
It was a lawless expanse of water, with danger in every wave and disaster waiting without warning.
But this…
“Did they run into ghosts? What… what is this…”
Katrina stared at what little remained—bones without even flesh to cling to.
They could only identify the sailors from the clothing still draped over the skeletons.
It was far too bizarre.
No human could have done this.
Katrina’s gaze swept over the ship. What in the world had happened here?
Then, behind her, she noticed a strange box.
Inside was—
“An artifact.”
Damian, having spotted the same thing, spoke up.
“My lord, is that…”
“Were you smuggling artifacts?”
Milo froze at Damian’s words.
Smuggling ordinary goods was already a serious crime, but smuggling artifacts was treason.
“And you intended to give this to Abiche?”
“M-my lord, please listen to me! I know how it looks now, but we weren’t doing anything as dangerous as—”
“Lord Carlo.”
Damian cut him off, unwilling to hear more.
“Tell the Marquis Carlo that this engagement is off.”
Katrina turned to Damian in surprise.
“My lord, wait! At least give him a chance to explain—!”
“Let’s go, Katrina.”
Without hearing another word, Damian pulled her away from the ship.
“Katrina, this engagement will not happen.”
Katrina didn’t argue.
He was right.
With an incident of this magnitude, the Carlo family’s smuggling would soon be exposed to the public.
What had happened aboard the ship was tragic, yes, but for Katrina, it might actually be a blessing.
He had just blown apart the match he had arranged for her—surely the Duke of Abiche wouldn’t bring up marriage again anytime soon.
“My lady, this is the friend I told you I wanted to bring! She’ll be helping with your grooming!”
Katrina was in the middle of mulling over the Soul Stone when her maid, Lina, brought in a new maid.
Ah, right.
Katrina remembered that she had asked her to bring someone new.
“I’ll be counting on you. Work hard.”
“Yes, my lady! My name’s Louievi. I promise I’ll do my absolute best!”
The new maid’s eyes brimmed with determination.
Her enthusiasm even brought a smile to Katrina’s otherwise blank face.
Who would have thought waiting on her could stir such passion?
“Yes. I like to see that spirit.”
And so, Katrina now had two maids.
She was about to send them both off when—
“What!? What did you just say?!”
A loud voice carried through the open door.
The Duke of Abiche was shouting in anger.
Has Damian told him about breaking the engagement?
Katrina stepped outside to listen.
“You’re telling me there are rumors that Abiche is involved in treason because of the engagement with the Carlo family?!”
…What?
“Yes, my lord. His Highness the Crown Prince has summoned Lady Katrina.”
“Katrina?”
“Well… since she was the intended bride…”
The duke’s aide cautiously added,
“The Imperial Palace is beginning an inquiry.”
When the Carlo family’s artifact smuggling became public, it caused a massive uproar.
“This is treason in all but name! Do you realize that sending artifacts to another continent endangers the Empire itself?”
The Imperial Court acted swiftly and decisively.
“Especially something as dangerous as this! Any discovered artifact must be reported to the temple without exception! How dare you defy that law!”
Reporting to the temple ensured the Imperial Registry of artifact possession was updated.
But the Carlo family had hidden theirs.
Worse still, an artifact deadly enough to wipe out dozens of sailors in an instant had almost been sent to another continent.
It was as dangerous as leaking advanced weapon designs.
The Carlo family, however, refused to stay silent.
“We admit to the smuggling. Yes, it is a crime. But, but—”
Marquis Carlo’s voice rose in desperation.
“We swear we never sold dangerous artifacts! The ones we sold had little power—mere curiosities for foreign nobles who collect rare trinkets!”
They defended themselves with everything they had.
It was the only chance to avoid complete annihilation.
“We never loaded such dangerous artifacts onto that ship! I swear it!”
He shouted over and over again.
“Someone must have framed us!”
But no one believed him.
“We will spare your family from execution. But as an example—behead the Marquis Carlo!”
“Noooo!”
And thus, the Marquis of Carlo was executed.
But the matter was far from over. One problem remained—
“The Sunfania was supposed to be the Abiche family’s wedding gift?”
Suspicion now turned toward the Abiche family.
