Chapter 53
The moment I heard those words, I took a short breath.
“You’ve had a hard time due to the unexpected accident. I’m glad you’re alive… that you came back and didn’t die.”
I could tell he was failing to maintain his composure. His face must have looked strange.
The duke cleared his throat and continued.
“Thank you for saving Reedim as well. You are my benefactor. It must have been tough in that dungeon. Well done.”
He awkwardly reached out his hand.
Unable to touch my exposed shoulder, arm, or face on the bed, he hesitated, unsure where to place his hand, and finally patted somewhere between my knee and calf.
‘This is… so, right now…’
It felt as if my heart had stopped working. I forgot to breathe. My body stiffened, and my tongue went numb. No proper reply or reaction came out.
After repeating this a few times, the duke reluctantly withdrew his hand. Only then could I breathe again.
“We are, of course, investigating what happened in the dungeon. The crime of daring to touch Desmir is so great that death itself cannot repay it.”
He, who had been as clumsy as I was, suddenly flashed a sharp light in his eyes as if that had never been the case. A sinister chill seeped into his tone.
“If we catch a clue, we will dig into the root no matter what. We will find the mastermind behind this and have vengeance done.”
His words and attitude were neither kind nor warm, nor could they be called gentle.
But I felt something in those words. Some fragment. A small piece. A streak of emotion that could also be called affection…
“You must be tired from taking up so much time. Rest now.”
“…Yes.”
My voice barely came out. I cleared my throat and spoke again.
“Yes. I will.”
Hesitating, I added,
“Thank you for coming to see me…”
He furrowed his brows slightly once again, then stood up silently.
His large hand rested briefly on my head, then quickly pulled away.
“Rest.”
He closed the door behind him and left.
I remained dazed for a moment, then slowly slid under the pillow. After lying flat on the bed briefly, I raised my hand, pulled the pillow down, and wiped my face.
I stared at the ceiling for a while, blinking. Then I turned my body to the left.
What had happened in Medina seemed to have unknowingly piled up inside me, heavily choking my breath. It now seemed to be melting away one by one.
Some of it came out through my eyes. I buried my face in the pillow.
Many thoughts crossed my mind—Reedmore with his eyes closed, Felicia with her mouth shut, Claude exhausted and soaked in blood.
My thoughts traveled far back, all the way to when I first entered this house. Obed, Ayla, Duke Desmir.
The pillowcase grew damp.
But these were not tears of sorrow.
A few days later, an imperial decree arrived.
I heard the news during breakfast with the duke and Reedmore, enjoying the weekend.
A messenger entered, placing a sealed letter from the emperor on a silver tray and knelt before the duke.
The duke gracefully wiped his mouth and accepted it.
His long fingers elegantly unfolded the letter, and his eyes—similar to his son’s—quickly scanned it.
After a moment, he handed it to me. As I took it and tried to read, a calm voice spoke behind me.
“His Majesty expresses concern and sympathy over the unfortunate accident that happened in the Medina dungeon recently, and wishes to ask you a few questions about what occurred that day.”
My fingers clutching the letter trembled with faint hope and great fear.
After preparing, I went to the palace immediately. Duke Desmir was to attend as well, so we moved together.
Following the duke’s escort and servants, I stood in front of the conference room, and my heart pounded heavily.
“Miss Estelle.”
Claude seemed to have been waiting for me. He stood next to the closed door with his hands behind his back and quickly approached when he saw me.
“Duke Desmir.”
I greeted the duke afterward.
“I greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
The duke exchanged greetings with him. Claude said no more to the duke and instead greeted me. The corners of his mouth lifted freely.
“It’s been a while.”
His voice was low and calm. His hair, which had grown quite long to come down beneath his eyebrows, was neatly trimmed.
The shorter hair highlighted his delicate features and handsome masculine bone structure.
Though he often left the palace looking like a beggar in the market, his face always shone.
Since the dungeon accident, something had changed in him. In recent days, he had been behaving like a proper prince, and his appearance dazzled me.
He seemed like a stranger.
“…Your Highness.”
I bowed briefly. Claude extended his hand to me.
The duke escorting me glanced between us and frowned faintly.
Despite the awkward atmosphere around, the prince stood firmly.
The servant hesitated whether to announce our arrival inside the conference room while glancing our way.
His face looked like it might turn red.
‘What is going on?’
If no one was watching, I might have sharply scolded him.
His strange behavior during his stay at the palace was shameless and odd in a different way.
Part of me worried whether he would act so friendly again after leaving this conference room today.
Slowly, I raised my hand and grasped his.
“Let’s go in.”
Claude smiled broadly. The duke standing next to me was naturally pushed behind. He looked somewhat baffled. I wanted to disappear.
“I will open the door.”
Only then did the servant loudly announce our arrival and open the conference room door.
The conference room was very spacious. The center was empty, with long tables lined with high nobles seated on both sides.
Between them was a simple chair. Claude escorted me to the chair, then stepped back. Duke Desmir went to the right table and sat in an empty seat.
I looked up ahead. At the far end of the room, on a raised platform, sat the emperor. I bowed deeply.
“I greet His Majesty, the glory of Runic, the sun of the empire, ruler of Rasaide and the Northern Sea, rightful lord of all people and land, the most honorable emperor under heaven.”
“Sit.”
The emperor gestured. As I sat down, I felt the nobles’ piercing gazes from both sides. I straightened my back and maintained my composure.
The emperor sitting with his chin resting askew on his hand looked subtly like Claude.
His blond hair streaked with gray was a little duller than Claude’s, but the elongated eyes and deep-set pupils were strikingly similar.
It was like looking at an older Claude. A moment of strange feeling passed before the emperor’s voice scattered it quickly.
I felt sorry for Claude. My face tightened slightly, but I tried my best to show impeccable manners so as not to give any cause for reproach.
“How is your health?”
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s concern, I have recovered my strength.”
“I have called you to hear about the accident in the Medina dungeon. I have already heard from the first prince, but I want to hear your side in detail.”
I began to calmly recount what had happened there.
But it was a carefully edited version, with all unnecessary elements removed.
For example, Claude’s outstanding swordsmanship was thoroughly concealed.
It was something we had agreed upon while I stayed at his palace for treatment.
Reedmore and Felicia’s abilities were already publicly known.
Therefore, my recently revealed elemental magic skill was greatly enhanced in the story.
I also altered the dungeon difficulty.
Though the monsters were stronger than those in a lower-tier dungeon, I made it so that four students could handle them, rather than being impossible to survive without a swordmaster-level ally.
I also removed the part about a single Seedroach being killed before a pack appeared.
I judged it was unlikely to survive that otherwise.
But I did not omit anything essential.
“I felt a strange energy from the life core of the cave ogre. It spread an evil, ominous black aura before disappearing when the core was destroyed.”
“The prince also mentioned that.”
Emperor Tearnon lowered his eyes and pondered.
After a moment, he spoke.
“We found and interrogated those who had been given the artifact that failed to activate. They all said they lost consciousness suddenly while resting or spending free time in their quarters. They only regained consciousness after the students had already entered the dungeon.”
“That’s…”
“One of them said he last saw something like a black aura approaching. He was one with a faint sacred power. He said he felt ominous traces of a demon god within the black aura.”
The nobles’ murmurs grew louder.
“If the aura you saw on the ogre matches what he sensed, then the monster was surely empowered by a servant of the demon god.”
Anxiety surged through me, and I clutched the dress tightly.
What we experienced in that dungeon was not simply the empress’s plot targeting Claude.
It was far more serious—a hidden mastermind connected to the demon god.
