“You seem uncomfortable.”

“…..”

“I will help you, so you can go down with ease, my lady.”

I wasn’t sure how he intended to help… but this didn’t seem right. However, asking him to use magic wasn’t an option with Nergal following along.

“That won’t be necessary for now. You can help if I stumble.”

I glared at him as I shot back, and Lord Joseph brazenly replied.

“If you were to fall, my lady, wouldn’t it be too late by then?”

“I’m aware of Lord Joseph’s reflexes. So please…”

Move aside!

When I lightly jabbed my elbow backwards, Lord Joseph retreated with a laugh that sounded like a sigh.

Ahem, Nergal’s fake cough rang in my ears, and when I turned around in embarrassment, I ended up making eye contact with Sergei who was staring intently at me.

“…..”

“…..”

I don’t know why the shame is only mine.

In any case, after that, Lord Joseph did not touch me until we finished descending the stone steps.

Though he did try to flirt, saying I should let him know anytime I needed help.

It’s best not to create unnecessary trouble. I stepped down the stairs as carefully as possible.

Only after descending for quite some time did I understand why this space was so humid.

“To think there was such a cave under the castle.”

The fog that hung so thickly it was suffocating retreated a few steps away from the lantern on my staff.

Thanks to that, the surrounding scenery became a bit clearer.

The cave beneath Landgritz Castle.

No, just calling it a cave wasn’t quite appropriate.

The passage that appeared as soon as we descended the stairs was so filled with seawater that it seemed utterly inaccessible by foot.

Yes, it would be more fitting to call this a sea cave.

Of course, thanks to the thick fog completely blocking everything in sight, I couldn’t dare to estimate its size.

“We’ll take that gondola over there, Lieselotte.”

When I turned my head to where Nergal was pointing, there was a gondola with both ends excessively curved like crescent moons.

Though I’d never seen this style before, its appearance was extremely elegant. I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration.

“This form is from the Magical Era.”

“It must be imbued with magical power.”

Sergei and Lord Joseph took turns expressing their appreciation for the gondola.

I, however, was more interested in something else.

‘It’s exactly the same as what was written in the will.’

Grandfather’s will had detailed instructions on how to reach the place where the legacy of Landgritz, that is, the Magical Emperor, slept.

Following grandfather’s instructions, I boarded the gondola holding the lantern staff that served as the key.

Being a boat, I almost lost my balance the moment I stepped on.

Fortunately, Lord Joseph and Sergei rushed over simultaneously and grabbed both my arms, so there was no danger of falling.

“Thank you, both of you.”

“Please be careful, Duchess.”

“I’ll go down first and help you.”

But it feels like I’m being overprotected.

As there was no reason to refuse their kindness, I gladly accepted the escort of the two men. It was true that I was physically uncomfortable.

“Hey, won’t someone… help me too?”

Ah, Nergal was still there.

Unable to board the gondola on his own and struggling, he finally managed to get on safely after receiving Sergei’s exasperated escort.

I thought I saw Sergei glare hostilely at Nergal during that, but that must have been my imagination?

Eventually, everyone settled into their places on the gondola.

Thankfully, it was large enough to easily accommodate up to six adult men.

As written in grandfather’s will, I hung the lantern staff on the curved part of the gondola.

Then, without anyone rowing, the gondola started moving on its own.

Swoosh.

The gondola glided into the foggy cave, cutting through the seawater.

It truly was an amazing phenomenon.

To think that right beneath where I lived as a child, the power of magic that everyone in the world now denies still remained.

Even I had denied the existence of magic until I met Lord Joseph.

Like an adult who had lost their innocence during years too burdensome to live in reality, I had forgotten the secret I shared with my grandfather.

Out of curiosity, I turned my head this way and that to look around.

Unfortunately, the range in which the lantern pushed back the surrounding fog was only about the size of the gondola, so all that entered my view was a wall of dense fog.

“It’s like a foggy path spread out on the distant sea.”

The words Sergei suddenly uttered as he looked around like me drew everyone’s attention.

“Back then too, it was impossible to gauge the surroundings like this.”

I have never experienced a foggy path.

I’ve been on ships for upstream travel, but I’ve never been near the forbidden foggy paths, even by accident.

Therefore, the only foggy path I knew was the wall of dense fog I had looked down upon from the top of the tower as a child.

And yet.

Strangely, I felt like I understood.

That the fog surrounding us and the fog beyond the walls had the same origin.

Making a swishing sound, the gondola continued to swim through the fog where direction could not be gauged.

As the quiet time passed, however, no one opened their mouths anymore.

That’s how overwhelmed we all were by this mysterious experience.

Meanwhile, spring was also coming to Castle Daiern, where Lieselotte and Joseph had left their posts.

However, Daiern, located in the north of the continent, tends to have a later spring than average.

Snow only starts melting in April, so now, with only half of March passed, it is still covered in a snowy landscape.

“Euphemina.”

And with the acting duke absent, the de facto highest authority in Daiern now was Kardiel.

The young duke who would turn sixteen in about a month and be able to have his debutante.

Although not legally an adult, once he has his debutante, he will be eligible for marriage, so no one treats Kardiel as just a young duke or a child anymore.

Above all, Kardiel had shown maturity far beyond his peers even at a younger age.

“Where have you been wandering off alone these days?”

The person Kardiel has been keeping the closest eye on recently was none other than his sister.

Euphemina Sishel Daiern.

A girl with a face as beautiful as a porcelain doll and an innocent expression, yet harboring an abnormal cruelty within.

No matter how much one hates someone, dropping a flowerpot on the head of an injured father couldn’t be considered normal behavior.

The fortunate thing was that Teacher Rozier had gotten her interested in caring for plants.

Thanks to that, she learned to find satisfaction in observing rather than satisfying her curiosity by destroying things around her.

I don’t know for sure… but if it weren’t for that educational method, Chersion’s beloved Kongsam probably wouldn’t have survived until now.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re coming back from the greenhouse.”

The direction was different. Moreover, it was too late to be returning from the greenhouse.

Without her nanny, it was impossible to know where she had been.

“Hmm…”

At Kardiel’s call, Euphemina barely stopped walking and turned around.

As she moved, her dress skirt spread elegantly like a butterfly’s wings before settling down.

“That’s right, I actually had something to tell you and Chelsi. But you’ve been so busy lately, brother.”

The mole under her eyes curved lovingly as she smiled broadly.

“Did you have a sword practice session with His Highness the Imperial Prince until late today as well?”

“I believe my question came first.”

“I was just taking a walk. With mother gone, I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately.”

“…..”

It was difficult to detect any lies in her attitude as she answered with an innocent face.

Even for Kardiel, who was known for his good intuition and quick wit.

Perhaps because she wasn’t someone who could be understood through common sense?

“I’ll tell the court physician about your sleep issues. Still, it’s not good for you to wander the corridors alone at this hour, Euphemina.”

Let’s go back to your room.

With that intention, he held out his hand, and Euphemina sweetly smiled and linked arms with Kardiel.

“But I asked you earlier if you’ve been having sword practice until now.”

“…That’s how it’s been lately. Until the exam results come out, I don’t particularly feel like studying more.”

“I see. But…”

Euphemina’s voice, as she clung to his arm, suddenly sounded ominous.

“Brother, how strong are you?”