Chapter 37
“The word is that with public opinion against Kaisa, even Arcada is finding it difficult to step forward…”
At his aide’s report, Chenoa snatched up his silver goblet and hurled it.
The goblet struck the aide’s shoulder, clattered noisily to the floor, and rolled away.
The wine it had contained splattered like blood across the floor.
“Kaisa! Kaisa! Damn Kaisa! If it hadn’t been for that cursed hunting competition!”
Chenoa’s blue eyes blazed with fury.
It was after the hunting competition that the two houses who had supported the Taylors began to show wariness.
The news that the cursed sorceress Kaisa had been revived spread rapidly across the empire, and all the arrows of blame turned toward the damned Winchesters’ rivals—the Taylors—instead.
Even when they openly denounced the spies sent by those dogs, the other noble houses did not back them.
They had been completely isolated.
It would likely take considerable time before the other houses lowered their guard again.
“In order to resume our business and political activities as before, it seems we have no choice but to accept Winchester’s terms.”
The Winchesters had the gall to demand a hostage in exchange for a peace treaty.
They had protested the unfairness, but with Kaisa’s sorcery revived, the other houses felt a hostage was only reasonable.
They wanted the Winchesters to serve as a check on the Taylors.
“…Damn it.”
Chenoa Taylor had only two children.
Evan Taylor, heir apparent to the title, and an infant son born of a concubine.
It was certain that Evan possessed only meager abilities—he had yet to manifest his clear light even at the proper age.
“The young master is intelligent. While he’s there as a hostage, he might even discover Winchester’s weaknesses.”
At his aide’s words, Chenoa’s brow furrowed.
He felt no real regret about sending that weakling away—but this was a matter of pride.
Never in the history of House Taylor had such a thing occurred.
“That’s only if Evan can be trusted.”
“…It’s true that the young master speaks little and rarely reveals his thoughts.”
Sometimes, when Evan looked at him, Chenoa felt a chill.
He knew full well that Evan, born heir to House Taylor, could not escape his fate—but there was something subtly ominous about the boy.
Thus, Chenoa had no confidence that Evan would fulfill his role properly as a hostage.
“Considering your concerns, Your Grace, I’ll devote my utmost effort to his training. And buy us some time as well.”
Chenoa spoke grudgingly.
“Time… Yes, we’ll need time to prepare. And…”
He continued,
“Investigate the Winchester duke’s third child thoroughly.”
Chenoa recalled the footage he’d seen from the hunting competition’s ball.
“You mean Sasha Winchester… that little child?”
“She’s no ordinary child.”
A mere one-year-old infant had stopped a man under Kaisa’s curse.
It was unthinkable.
“Not going to read it?”
On their way back from the training grounds, Jin asked.
“I told you to throw it away,” Othello replied.
The letter a servant had just delivered from Permetis was still in Jin’s hand.
It was written in a childish scrawl, addressed to “Brother Othello.”
But Othello’s face was full of irritation.
“You should learn how to maintain unpleasant relationships.”
Jin had a point.
“You don’t have to like it—just survive.”
It was the same reason the hostile Vashron family had never been entirely purged.
“Someday, they might still be useful. We need a steady flow of information on Vashron.”
Othello had ignored him until that last remark, then turned his head and said coldly,
“That’s if they’re not a threat.”
“You’re saying Permetis is a threat to you?”
Jin’s voice made it clear he thought that was ridiculous.
The difference in ability between Jin and Othello was vast—but the gap between Othello and Permetis was at least ten times greater.
It was like how Ricardo found Vashron bothersome, but never truly threatening.
“You, who could strangle her with black flame right now?”
The moment Jin spoke, black flame flickered out from behind Othello.
With eyes sharp as blades, Othello said,
“I never said she was a threat to me.”
At that, Jin’s eyebrow twitched, and his lips parted slightly.
After a pause, Othello added in a low voice,
“Yes… sometimes I regret not killing her then. It would have been better.”
“Othello.”
“So burn the letter. Just thinking about that day makes my killing intent boil over.”
Othello’s eyes glinted with murderous heat.
“How dare she lay a hand on my little sister.”
Jin stared at him for a long moment. Black energy surged from his hand, and the letter from Permetis crumbled into ash.
Seeing that, Othello resumed walking.
Jin looked at his now-empty hand for a moment before murmuring,
“Did your simplicity let you hear Sasha’s footsteps before I did…?”
When Othello reached the mansion’s front entrance, a familiar voice called out.
“Ball! Ball!”
Sasha and Maya were in the garden, apparently out for a bit of playtime.
The ball Sasha had been chasing rolled away from her and came to rest at Othello’s feet.
Sasha called again,
“Othello! Ball! Ball!”
“…”
Jin couldn’t see Othello’s face.
But from Sasha’s frown, he could guess what Othello was about to do.
With a whump, Sasha’s ball arced high and far away.
“Y-you… you…!!”
Sasha’s brows shot upward.
She jabbed her index finger at Othello.
“Bad! Dummy! Uu… uu… bad!!”
She bounced on her feet, glaring daggers at him.
Unfortunately, those were the only negative words she knew.
Othello smirked faintly.
“Better run and fetch it. Might be tough with those short legs, though.”
His teasing expression made Sasha glare at him once more before dashing off after the ball.
Maya gave Jin an apologetic smile and a small bow before following Sasha.
Jin glanced from Sasha to Othello.
A moment ago, Othello had been radiating murderous intent—but now he was humming as he walked into the mansion.
A faint smile touched Jin’s lips.
“Othello… you… crazy jerk.”
Would it kill him to just hand the ball back nicely?
Panting, I finally caught the ball.
“Miss? What did you just say?”
“Mm?”
“Haha, I must have misheard. Never mind.”
Maya fanned herself, claiming she must have been overcome by the heat.
In my arms was a ball—not heavy—made of golden cloth and embroidered with gold thread.
It was a gift, and a challenge, from Hector Winchester.
For the past week, Hector Winchester had been staying at the Winchester estate, occasionally spending time with me and telling me stories I couldn’t find in books.
Today, he’d told me about the civil war a century ago—why all the noble houses dreaded “Kaisa,” and the cruel, inhuman experiments the Taylor head of that era had conducted through her.
It was unpleasant material for a child to hear, but in true Winchester fashion, Hector told it without sugarcoating.
A little filtering might have been nice.
When the story ended, Hector had handed me something.
— This belonged to Eshir Taylor, Kaisa’s daughter. She was only twelve when her father ended her life.
The Duke of the Taylors I’d read about was centered on Evan Taylor’s story, with the Taylors portrayed as an entirely noble house.
Kaisa’s curse was mentioned, but only as a brief stain in the family’s otherwise shining history.
But Hector’s account had been as horrific as any wartime genocide.
It made me think the “Light” in “Light of the Taylors” should be stripped away entirely.
— Kaisa had five children. But Eshir was the only one who died. This ball holds the reason why. If you can discover that secret, Sasha…
I stared at the ball in deep thought.
— Next time, I’ll give you a clue about the thing you’ve been curious about.
When I’d told Hector I wanted to know more about the Elixir I’d read about, he said we’d have to start slowly, and that he’d need to search through the Black Tower’s archives.
The Black Tower was a legendary repository of Winchester knowledge—unlike a library, it wasn’t open to just anyone. I had the feeling he was testing whether I was worthy of being let inside.
Getting this ball only strengthened that impression.
After all, my ultimate goal was the Elixir—and a healthy, well-lived life, not the sickly fate the original Sasha had.
If solving this puzzle would get me more information, then I had to do it.
And besides—
[You have achieved the achievement: “Trust of the Old Scholar.”]
[Quest function unlocked.]
