Chapter 89……………………….
A little later.
The attendants who had followed Sion outside returned, carrying a small palanquin with four handles.
On top of the palanquin, decorated beautifully with fragrant wood inlaid with gold, sat two boxes—one large, one smaller.
The large box was adorned with pure white ivory and crimson rubies, while the smaller one was decorated with blue silk and glittering pearls.
On the lids shone the emblem of the Argos Trading Company, which Sion managed, resplendent for all to see. It was clear to anyone that this was a gift prepared with the utmost care.
“Wow…”
Even the duke’s aides murmured in admiration at the sight of these grand gifts that displayed Sion’s prestige. Smiling warmly, Sion spoke.
“The wagons are filled with the spoils from the northern expedition, but these are things I prepared separately, with special care.”
Then he lifted the large box himself and offered it to Duke Canel.
“Uncle, please open it.”
“Let me see.”
The duke opened the box.
At that moment—
“Oh?”
A small exclamation slipped from his lips.
Duke Canel, who usually dismissed most things as trivial, was actually impressed? Everyone, curious, asked:
“My lord, what is inside?”
Instead of replying, the duke reached in and pulled out the item for all to see.
“…!”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
It was a helmet, pure white. Mysterious and unique, it gleamed as though it belonged to another world, capturing hearts at once.
Most striking was the beautiful horn atop it. Depending on the angle, it looked like transparent ice, or else it sparkled as though forged from starlight.
The duke asked in astonishment,
“What creature’s horn is this? I can’t place it at all.”
“It belongs to a White Griffin,” Sion answered, his eyes shining.
“While patrolling the territory, I happened upon a flock of griffins. Unusually, among them was a White Griffin—its entire body snowy white, with a horn on its head—leading the flock.”
“That is curious indeed.”
“Yes, uncle. In the North, there’s a legend that the White Griffin symbolizes immortality—that one who possesses its horn will live forever.”
“…Nonsense.”
Was he really expecting them to believe such childish drivel? Duke Canel looked as though he wanted to say so, but after glancing at Sion’s earnest face, he held his tongue.
Sion went on eagerly,
“That’s why I swore to myself I would catch it no matter what. I wanted dearly to present its horn to you, Uncle, since your health has not been the best.”
“Even though we tried to dissuade him, saying griffin hunting was too dangerous, he refused to give up,” Helmut added, shaking his head.
“We all gave up and withdrew, but he challenged it again and again until he finally succeeded. It was sheer grit and determination. Though he was injured…”
“What?”
The duke was alarmed.
“Where? How badly?”
“Just my arm. Please don’t worry—it healed quickly,” Sion said, shaking his head.
“Anyway, I commissioned the North’s most renowned master craftsman to forge this helmet. What do you think? Do you like it?”
“Like it? I love it.”
The duke nodded.
“But from now on, you must never take such reckless risks again.”
“It wasn’t dangerous—just time-consuming,” Sion said brightly, smiling.
“For you, uncle, I’d do anything. And for sister, too.”
Then he turned his gaze toward me.
“I know well that I’m a brother who often falls short in your eyes, sister. But I like you so very much, and I wish to draw closer to you. With that feeling in my heart, I prepared this small gift—please accept it.”
“Very well, Sion.”
I quickly opened the box meant for me.
Inside lay an astonishingly beautiful, delicate rose sculpture.
It was pitch black, gleaming with a mysterious sheen, crafted down to the veins of the leaves and the tiny thorns.
The craftsmanship was so fine it seemed lace could be woven out of stone.
“Everyone, look at this!”
When I lifted the rose high, all eyes widened in shock. Duke Canel asked,
“Is that obsidian?”
“Indeed. The North has a very famous obsidian mine,” Sion replied, nodding with a smile.
“That one in particular is of the finest quality—most radiant and pure. I discovered it by chance inside a beast’s lair. The moment I saw it, I thought of your Black Rose Company, sister. I worked hard to obtain it for you.”
Then he looked straight at me.
“Obsidian is born from volcanic fire—it’s cold and sharp, yet holds the essence of flame within. Perfect for you, sister. It naturally resists ice magic and keeps the body warm. Keeping it close will be very good for you.”
“Really?”
It wasn’t the most expensive gem, but the craftsmanship alone rivaled gold in value.
It was exactly the sort of unique, special gift Aristina loved.
Even if it came from her detested cousin, it was tempting to covet it.
He certainly chose well.
Which meant he put a lot of thought into it. Very well—let’s see what lies beneath.
“I love it so much!”
I covered my face with both hands in delight.
At that instant, the power of my ring activated. My vision shifted, as though I’d donned golden spectacles.
At first, nothing seemed wrong. But when I focused, I saw faint wisps of dark energy seeping from the obsidian rose.
And then…
A whisper reached my ears.
「Ser, ser…」
That’s how it sounded.
I couldn’t understand the meaning, but along with it came a flood of impressions in my mind, as though explained by some unseen narrator.
According to this, the object wasn’t something that killed outright.
But keeping it close was indeed harmful—it caused nightmares, drained vitality, and even led to fainting spells.
Just as I thought.
My suspicions turned to certainty.
If memory served, every gift Sion ever gave was strange. Always beautiful and desirable, yet once placed in a room, things turned eerie.
Objects moved on their own. Crying sounds were heard. Just looking at them made one nauseous.
And when I dropped or threw them away in fright, everyone scolded me.
“Don’t be so hard on sister… she can’t help it.”
Each time, Sion would sulk with a wounded look, drawing even more sympathy.
That was no coincidence.
I had long suspected there was some hidden secret—and sure enough, these objects were cursed.
Not lethal, but slowly draining the life of anyone near.
What kind of person does this?
Yes, he put effort into preparing the duke’s gift.
But what use is such devotion if it comes with poison underneath? If you rise by trampling others—did you think those crushed will stay quiet forever?
There are limits to how much you can belittle people.
Now it’s your turn.
I clutched the rose to my chest.
“Thank you so much, Sion! It’s the best gift I’ve ever received! I’ll even hug it in my sleep from now on—”
I shouted joyfully, then suddenly cut off, collapsing to the floor. Everyone cried out in alarm.
“My lady!”
“Aristina!”
Duke Canel rushed to my side, helping me up.
“What’s wrong? Aristina!”
“M-my head…”
I tried to feign weakness—but then the faint voice in my mind grew sharp and clear.
Huh?
That was a word I knew. Was it connected to the true nature of this obsidian rose?
Feigning difficulty breathing, I whispered,
“I feel dizzy. A name is echoing in my head… ‘Serpentas’… What is Serpentas?”
“What!?”
The duke gasped, instantly clamping his hands over my ears.
“Destroy that accursed thing at once!”
“Pardon?”
“What are you waiting for? Smash it! ‘Serpentas’ is the word for a mad dragon! When dragons fall into corruption, their scales turn pitch black! A shard of such a scale drives human souls into madness!”
“Heavens! My lady!”
My guard, Hannah, reacted fastest—seizing the Diamond Angel statue and smashing the rose to pieces.
“Raphaes!”
“Yes, my lord!”
The duke’s learned aide rushed forward. With gloved hands, he carefully examined the shards, then breathed a sigh of relief.
“Fortunately, it’s not dragon scale.”
“What? Is that true?”
“Yes, my lord. This is obsidian. But… it seems to have come from the lair of a corrupted dragon. It can cause nightmares and drain energy, but not to the extent of driving one mad.”
“Still dangerous enough. Dispose of it at once!”
Sion, who had been frozen, suddenly jolted, then dropped to the floor in apology.
“I was careless! I only thought of pleasing my sister, and failed to inspect it properly. Please punish me!”
He trembled as if reliving the terror of slavery.
The duke sighed at the pitiful sight.
“Who could blame you? Between beast hunts and preparing gifts, mistakes can happen. Luckily, Aristina saw through it quickly.”
“….”
Sion raised his head.
The obsidian rose was long discarded, yet the duke still held both my ears tightly shut.
How astonishing. He had moved so swiftly to shield me, and even after the danger passed, he continued to protect me without letting go.
The crisis is already over…
Still, I saw no reason to push his hands away.
In fact—
“I’m still dizzy,” I murmured, leaning even closer into the duke’s arms.
At the same time, I shot Sion a cold, cutting look.
See? Do you understand now who the true heir of this house is?
“…!”
Sparks of fury flashed in Sion’s eyes.
