“Could you wake her up?”

Cecilia, a maid, was asleep in the adjoining room attached to Lady Dabano’s chamber.

Usually, the maids’ rooms were in the sunless basement. But Cecilia’s room had a small window that let in quite a bit of light.

“Everyone, leave.”

I checked Cecilia’s carotid artery and wrist pulse while ordering the young ladies out.

Though pale with fear that the coma might be contagious, the young ladies stubbornly bit their lips and held their ground.

“Please leave. I’ll stay here.”

Even when Lady Dabano told them to leave, the young ladies didn’t budge.

“Lady Dabano too.”

“Is it a treatment I shouldn’t see? Oh my. But I must watch.”

Lady Dabano narrowed her eyes, fidgeting with her small hand in her dress pocket. Did she hide a magic tool to record my treatment in her pocket?

“I won’t be responsible if you faint from fear.”

“I don’t faint even at the sight of bugs or snakes. Northern women aren’t startled by small things.”

Lady Dabano straightened her back and lifted her chin proudly.

“That’s right. We are women of the North.”

The young ladies behind Lady Dabano nodded vigorously and spoke in unison.

A wave of plump flowers surged from the doorway of the side room to the corridor.

The noble young ladies of the North weren’t raised like hothouse flowers like those from other regions.

Their fathers were frequently called to the battlefield. Their mothers defended their territories, dealing with the harsh weather and subjects as rough as the dry, barren northern lands.

These were the women who came to my wedding with poisoned hairpins in their elegantly styled hair.

Hmm. Come to think of it, it’s quite admirable.

“Then only Lady Dabano stays, everyone else out. You’re just hindering the treatment.”

“Everyone out. Quickly.”

At Lady Dabano’s urging, the young ladies left like the receding tide, their faces full of lingering regret.

“Could you close the door? I need to concentrate.”

As Lady Dabano turned around, I struck the back of her neck with the side of my hand. Admirable is admirable, but troublesome is troublesome.

“Whew~”

His Highness Revis, disguised as Delilah, whistled in admiration, then winked at me as he helped move the young lady to the bed.

“Lady Bi. If you keep showing such cool sides, I’ll be in trouble. What if I keep falling for you more and more and start getting greedy?”

Cassandra, who had just returned from escorting the young ladies downstairs like herding sheep, had sparks flying from her eyes. Black magic energy rose from Cassandra’s hands as she gritted her teeth.

“Lord Shavell. There are two types of people I hate. Women who steal other people’s husbands. And women who steal other people’s husbands and shamelessly pursue them. But Lord Shavell, you’re both, aren’t you?”

Ah. Right. Cassandra doesn’t know that Shavell is His Highness Revis.

“Cassandra. Do you want to go back to the cave?”

“Lady Bi…!”

“Shavell is someone important to the Grand Duke, and those important to the Grand Duke are important to me too. So you should serve her with respect and loyalty, as much as or even more than you do me.”

“How can you ask me to follow such words…?”

Cassandra’s eyes were brimming with tears. I never thought the day would come when the Empire’s greatest black magician would cry for me.

“If you won’t follow my will, I can’t keep you by my side. If you understand, nod your head.”

Cassandra nodded, shedding tears like chicken droppings.

His Highness Revis linked arms with me, then leaned his pretty head on my shoulder, showing off to Cassandra.

“Did you hear that? I’m a very ‘important’ person to Lady Bi. Don’t even dream of turning me into a pig.”

“Shavell. If you ever become a burden to the Grand Duke, I’ll tell Cassandra to turn you into a pig and sell you at the market anytime. If you don’t want to end up as a delicious meal on someone’s table, you’d better behave.”

The pretty head attached to my shoulder flinched away.

His Highness Revis stared at me quietly, as if amused.

I lifted my chin and met his gaze boldly.

Anyway, right now he’s Shavell disguised as Delilah, not His Highness Revis. And my lord is the Grand Duke, not His Highness Revis. I have no intention of retracting my words.

“I’ll take care of it quietly, Lady Bi. Just give the order anytime!”

Cassandra glared at His Highness Revis with sparkling eyes.

Sensing that his joke had gone too far, His Highness Revis bowed his head to me.

“I’m sorry. I went too far.”

“If you both understood what I said, go out and stand guard.”

The Empire’s greatest black magician and the future Emperor, His Imperial Highness, left the room with slumped shoulders.

I don’t understand. Why do such great people act so lightly and cutely?

I sighed softly and opened my handbag to take out my portable silver needles.

As soon as the bag opened, Airy popped out and flew to Lady Dabano.

[You wicked thing! Ill-mannered thing! How dare you with that loose mouth!]

Airy’s tiny fists ruthlessly struck the young lady’s cheeks.

It doesn’t leave marks, but that really hurts.

I once got hit while playing with Airy, and my teeth were so loose I couldn’t chew meat for days.

Popo, who crawled out of my handbag, also tugged at Lady Dabano’s voluminous hair with his small front paws.

I don’t know how that feels, but the hair that was once glossy instantly became dry and lifeless like straw.

“Popo. She’s an unmarried young lady. If you’re going to make her bald, stop right now.”

As if he really intended to make her bald, Popo glumly removed his paws.

[Even turning this whole house to stone dust wouldn’t be enough punishment for such disrespect, but I was merely going to settle for making her bald.]

“Rather turn the house to stone dust. Hair is precious.”

As if he really intended to turn it to stone dust, Popo straightened up, floated in the air, and shook his four paws.

“Popo! It’s a joke. You’ve lived since the beginning of time, and you still can’t tell?”

[Popo is stupid! Airy knew it was a joke.]

Airy giggled, mocking Popo.

[Lies! It’s written all over your bewitching face that you didn’t know either.] [Airy didn’t lie! Airy isn’t bewitching! Popo, are you already senile?] [Senile…! Not everything that comes out of that three-inch tongue is words!] [Airy’s tongue isn’t three inches! Popo, have you gone blind in your old age?]

Airy stuck out her small tongue, teasing Popo.

[Old…! You and I are divine creations born on the same day and hour! Tsk tsk. To think such a stone head is the spirit of the holy sword. You should be ashamed.] [Airy isn’t ashamed! You’re the one who should be ashamed, Popo!]

“If you’re going to fight, you go out too. I need to concentrate to treat her.”

The two small spirits, who had existed since the beginning of time but couldn’t distinguish between jokes and seriousness, glared at each other and shut their mouths.

I composed myself and removed the blanket covering Cecilia. Then I unbuttoned her nightgown and started inserting needles from her abdomen.

Green healing light began to enter Cecilia’s body along the silver needles, one by one. Then I inserted needles into her forearms, shoulders, and front thighs.

Airy blew gently on my forehead and temples, cooling my sweat.

Popo placed his small four paws on my increasingly exhausted feet, supporting me with the energy of the earth.

I continuously inserted needles along both sides of Cecilia’s spine, iliac area, back of the thighs, and calves.

But…

There was no change. Cecilia didn’t wake up.

Even after pouring in healing energy, it seemed acupuncture alone couldn’t wake a coma patient.

“Airy. Popo. Can you do what you did when you saved me?”

Airy shook her head.

[It’s impossible. Back then, we could infuse Solas’s soul into Yuriella’s empty body. But this child’s body contains her own soul, so it doesn’t meet the conditions for possession.] [But it’s strange. This child seems to have died and come back to life once.]

Airy placed her hand on Cecilia’s forehead and nodded.

[That’s right. There are such people sometimes. Cases where the soul leaves the body and immediately returns.]

“What does that have to do with the coma?”

[I don’t know. But it’s strange. I sense an energy in this child that goes against the flow and order of nature.]

“Energy that goes against?”

I ordered Cassandra to check if black magic had been used on Cecilia.

Cassandra placed her hands on Cecilia’s temples and began to read the energy flowing within her.

“Oh oh. This is…! Traces of black magic! Amazing. How is this possible…! Carina Pioni is truly a once-in-a-century genius!”

“You’re saying this is the work of the Saint candidate?”

“It’s definitely not the Empress Dowager’s energy. Having grown up together, I would certainly recognize Sofia’s energy. So this must be the work of the Saint candidate. To reach such a high level at just twenty… It’s truly remarkable.”

“It could be the work of another black magician. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. There’s no evidence yet that it’s Carina’s doing.”

“Since the late Emperor thoroughly cleaned up the black magicians, no notable black magicians have appeared in the Empire. Only Sofia and I, with the backing of the Figuera family, could hide well enough to escape the iron hammer.”

I know that well too.

I’ve read in history books that after the great purge of black magicians began 100 years ago, the eradication campaign continued until the late Emperor, resembling a war.

The corpses of black magicians burned on tall pyres formed mountains, and the black smoke from burning them reportedly blackened the sky of the Empire.

“But why…?”

More than who did it, I was curious about why they were doing this.

Why a thousand people were sleeping as if dead. What they were aiming for through these people.

“Let’s go for now. We need to report to the Grand Duke. I need to inform him that I can’t wake the coma patients with my power.”

With a heavy heart, I packed up my silver needles and woke Lady Dabano.

“Young lady. Lady Dabano.”

“Mmm…”

“Are you coming to?”

“Why am I…?”

Lady Dabano raised her body with a puzzled face, then groaned and held the back of her neck, frowning.

“You fainted from fear when you saw me inserting needles.”

“What? Me?”

“Yes. You did.”

My duck feet seemed quite plausible, as Lady Dabano’s face turned apple-red.

The young lady jumped out of bed, scurried to the side room, pointed at the still deeply sleeping maid, and lifted her chin stiffly.

“Cecilia hasn’t woken up. How disappointing. This proves it wasn’t Lady Bi’s acupuncture that saved the Grand Duke from poison.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m sorry. That my skills are only this much for now.”

The young lady’s eyes narrowed. Her clear dark brown eyes moved busily, as if gauging my intentions.

“But I promise. I’ll definitely find a way to wake Cecilia from her sleep. I’ll make it so you can play with your friend again.”

“F-friend? As if I’d be friends with a l-lowly maid.”

“You are friends. That. And that.”

My fingertip pointed to the chess set on the small table beside the bed and the faded poetry book by the window.

“Aren’t those things you played with Cecilia? The chess set seems to be left as it was when you last played with Cecilia. And that poetry book, you gifted it to the maid, right?”

“It-it’s not like that…”

“It is. That chair next to Cecilia’s bed. It’s the chair from your dressing table, isn’t it? You’ve been keeping vigil by Cecilia’s side every night, haven’t you?”

Lady Dabano’s eyes began to redden.

“I can see the paper where Cecilia copied poems next to the poetry book. Those round, cute letters above the crooked writing are yours, right? Were you teaching your friend how to write?”

Lady Dabano’s eyes widened as I looked at her admiringly.

“She’s more precious to you than those young ladies outside, isn’t she? You must have been the one changing her position daily to prevent bedsores, wiping her with a wet towel, and washing her hair.”

“No, that’s not…”

“It is. Even your provocation asking me to use acupuncture was actually because you heard rumors that I cured the Grand Duke, and you were hoping I might be able to wake this child. Isn’t that right?”

Lady Dabano burst into tears and fell to her knees before me.

“Please wake Cecilia. I’m so scared Cecilia might die like this, I can’t sleep at night. What if she dies while I’m sleeping? Uwaaang…”

I approached Lady Dabano, who was crying with her face buried in her skirt, and patted her shoulder.

“It’s because of your attentive care that Cecilia has held on until now. No matter how deeply she’s sleeping, she must be feeling her friend’s sincerity and holding tightly to the thread of life. So please hold on a little longer. I’ll find a way somehow.”

Lady Dabano suddenly hugged my waist and started crying with her nose buried in the front of my dress.

“Thank you, Lady Bi. Thank you so much. Hueng… And I’m sorry… Hueng. I was bad… Hueng.”

My heart warmed as much as my clothes getting warmly wet.

For the sake of stopping the young lady’s tears, which were light and cute but deep and sincere in friendship towards her friend, I must break this black magic.

Carina Pioni. The Empress Dowager. And Justin Della Ponti.

I will never forgive those standing behind this black magic.