Kasha, guided to the second-floor study, quietly looked around the bookshelves.

Befitting a ducal family ranked within the top five in the imperial succession, the collection of books was impressive.

‘That book wasn’t even in the imperial library’s catalog…’

Kasha was itching to open and read the books.

‘Calm down. This isn’t the time for that.’

To divert her gaze that kept turning towards the books, she stood up and walked around every corner of the study.

‘Ah. This is…’

A portrait of five beautiful family members posing affectionately. Among them, the small baby smiling next to Leon caught her eye.

‘This baby is… Eve Aranias.’

The youngest of Leon’s two siblings and the ducal family’s late-born only daughter. She must be about ten years old now.

Suddenly, she remembered Leon’s muttering on that night in the ruined temple.

‘If only I had hugged her one more time, if only I had turned back and met her eyes once more. I regret it so much.’

The emptiness in his eyes at that moment came to mind.

Leon’s youngest sister, who was more precious to him than anything.

‘And…’

Kasha’s face clouded as she gazed at baby Eve’s innocent face.

‘Another victim of the magic stone.’

Thinking about what Eve would go through, she felt uneasy, as if the cookies she had just eaten weren’t digesting.

‘For now, I need to change things one at a time. I have to make Leon my ally first. There’s still time before Eve is in danger.’

Kasha calmly composed herself.

The baby in the picture looked about two years old, suggesting the portrait was painted about 8 years ago.

Leon, too, appeared to be in his late teens, with a completely different aura from now.

A coexistence of fresh vitality and purity, one might say. A boy with an impression so holy it was as if a halo shone behind his head, befitting his age.

‘There’s no trace of his current dangerous aura.’

The sickly-looking pretty boy standing on the opposite side of Leon, with their parents in the center, must be Anthony, the first younger brother.

‘Anthony takes after his mother a lot.’

While Leon and Eve were the spitting image of Grand Duke Osilote with his blonde hair and purple eyes, Anthony had inherited his mother’s silver hair and green eyes.

‘…This is Saint Larisa.’

Leon’s mother, Larisa, was a beauty with a pure impression like a lily of the valley.

In life, she was revered as a saint with one of the strongest holy powers in the history of the empire. Though she passed away the year Eve turned three.

Leon must have grown up bearing all the expectations as the son who would succeed his late mother.

Of course, he became a holy knight not only because of his holy power but also due to his good physical condition and excellent swordsmanship.

Seeing the photo of five similar-looking people smiling gently made her a bit envious.

‘Family.’

After all, Kasha had never had a proper family.

Perhaps because she was too deep in thought.

Kasha didn’t hear the footsteps approaching from behind her.

“It seems you have a hobby of snooping in other people’s studies.”

Startled by the sudden voice, Kasha turned her head.

Leon was standing about three steps away, looking at her.

Was it because of his wet hair and moist eyelashes from just having washed? His beauty was particularly eye-catching.

Too bewitching and dangerous an atmosphere to be simply called beautiful.

Wearing a thin shirt, the contours of his muscular body were clearly visible.

The thought suddenly struck her.

He really was a man anyone would want to have.

Noticing Kasha’s gaze that shamelessly looked over his body without blushing, Leon furrowed his brow and gestured.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to talk? Sit down.”

“Yes.”

As Kasha was about to sit in the chair next to her, Leon flinched and pointed to the chair across the table.

Leon spoke as soon as Kasha sat down, for some reason avoiding eye contact.

“You know that if I wanted to, I could easily get rid of someone like you.”

A threat right off the bat. Kasha replied as kindly as possible.

“Of course.”

He raised the corner of his mouth.

“I’m glad you understand. Actually, I’m still considering at this moment. What would be the most effective way to make you tell the truth.”

Leaning back in his chair and interlacing his long fingers, he continued slowly as if warning her. Just looking at his cold eyes made it clear he wasn’t speaking idly.

Kasha calmly opened her mouth.

“What you’ll do with me. Listen first, then decide.”

Just then, a servant knocked and entered, placing a tea set on the table.

As her throat was parched, Kasha reached for the teapot without hesitation.

While she slowly poured the tea, he silently watched her.

The porcelain teapot was heavier than expected, causing blue veins to stand out on the back of her pale hand.

Gurgle.

As the tea fell into the cup, the atmosphere in the room seemed to grow heavier, but she didn’t notice, focused on pouring the tea.

When she finally raised her eyes after filling the teacup, she did see him quickly lowering his gaze as if flustered.

Ahem.

Leon cleared his throat.

“Then let’s start by hearing about that curse you mentioned.”

Kasha moistened her throat with tea before speaking.

Considering how much to reveal to him.

Three magic stones.

Three transparent stones, each named Onor, Opus, and Kylum.

These magic stones, created through a contract with the devil, each contain different powerful forces.

The first magic stone, Onor, brings charm and fame. Whoever obtains it becomes loved by all.

The second magic stone, Opus, grants strength. Its possessor gains an indestructible body that no one can break.

The third magic stone, Kylum, grants eternal life. The owner of this stone literally lives forever.

However, these magic stones also contain powerful curses that match their powerful abilities. That’s the reason why they remained dormant for such a long time despite their power.

Among these, the curse of the first magic stone, Onor, is lust.

In exchange for tremendous charm and fame, one suffers from the curse of lust. It’s truly a trap that only a devil would set.

“The curse you’re under… is exactly that.”

Kasha concluded her explanation.

Leon listened patiently without interrupting the story that, though stammered at times, was delivered calmly.

“The magic stone Onor.”

Leon leaned back in his chair after muttering those words.

His expressionless face made it difficult to read what he was thinking.

Kasha hoped he would believe her story.

Only if he joined hands with her could all the plans to save him and herself proceed smoothly.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

Leon raised his head.

His burning purple eyes. Meeting them made her whole body tingle.

“How on earth do you know all these facts?”

“……”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’m the vice-captain of the Holy Knight Order. Also, my mother was one of the greatest saints in the continent’s history. I grew up learning about God and the devil since childhood. But I’ve never heard or seen anything about these magic stones. So you, what exactly are you to know about such magic stones?”

Kasha moistened her lips with her tongue. Everything she had told him so far was the truth.

But from now on, she had to mix lies and truth equally. To protect herself.

Focused as she was, Kasha didn’t notice that Leon was staring intently at her tongue as it licked her lips.

“I am… a magical tool craftsman.”

Leon raised an eyebrow, as if it was an unexpected confession.

“A magical tool craftsman?”

“Yes. I’ve been researching on my own… for three years, and it’s been about a year since I’ve seen results.”

“Are you affiliated with the Magic Tower?”

“No. I studied… alone. I’m introverted, so being part of a group is a bit…”

“……”

Leon stared at Kasha’s face.

Introverted, he thought.

She certainly had a different aura from the ladies commonly seen in social circles. Her attire wasn’t flashy, and she was delicate to the point of being noticeable, yet the atmosphere created by her expressions at times was mature.

But considering how she had approached him at the ball and how she had barged into the duke’s residence like this, it seemed a bit of a stretch to call her introverted.

“Anyway. Let’s say I believe that. So, how did you come to know about the magic stones?”

“There was… a magician who gave me advice about the magical tools I created, and he… told me. About the three magic stones.”

Kasha explained. This magician had accidentally discovered a way to separate the power and curse of the magic stones.

However, the stones were subsequently stolen unintentionally, and in the process of tracking them down to recover them, he learned that Leon was the victim of the first stone.

Most of it was true, except for the fact that Kasha herself was the unknown figure she named as that magician.

“What’s this magician’s name?”

“…Wolfbane.”

“Can you contact him?”

“No. I don’t… know his whereabouts now.”

“Wolfbane. It sounds like a name I’ve heard somewhere before.”

“……”

Looking at Leon’s furrowed brow as he was lost in thought, Kasha felt a bit anxious.

Wolfbane. It’s a name that would become widely known across the continent in just a year.

As the leader of the Mein and magical beast groups spreading like poisonous weeds throughout the continent.

And Wolfbane was actually the owner of one of the magic stones, Opus.

Could it be that someone Leon knew had such a name?

Thinking this, Kasha gathered her hair and swept it behind her shoulder. This revealed her collarbone along with the round neckline.

Leon, who suddenly looked up, was caught by her movement. Losing his concentration in an instant, he spoke irritably.

“Fine. Let’s say I believe your flimsy story for now. Then the next question.”

“……”

“So, what do you want from me?”

“I…”

“Cut out the nonsense about wanting me to be happy.”

He continued, not hiding his sarcastic tone.

Unlike his words, he lowered his gaze as if avoiding Kasha’s eyes.

“Lady Kasha Lyuschino. You’re holding an enormous weakness of mine. If you so much as open your mouth, my family and I will be buried, and I’ll become a fugitive hunted by the Holy Knight Order. A fallen holy knight cursed by the devil. Kuk.”

He let out a self-deprecating laugh and suddenly closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the chair.

Blue veins were standing out on his temples.

Is the symptom appearing again?

Kasha felt a piercing pain in a corner of her heart.

She always felt heartache when she heard the resentful wails of the victims of magical tools and magic stones in prison.

However, seeing Leon’s pain caused a different kind of intimate agony.

Whether it was simply guilt, or if the tangled fate between Leon and Kasha was creating this complex state of mind.

As she struggled to suppress the urge to approach him, he suddenly opened his eyes.

The whites of his eyes were bloodshot.