“You lost your memory?”

“Yes. He will be coming here shortly. I will have to ask for details then.”

Casus grasped Atia’s chin with a face lost in deep thought.

Her slim, oval face reflected in Casus’s clear eyes.

Casus slowly approached and their lips met.

Atia’s eyes widened.

Though surprised by the unexpected kiss, she didn’t want to refuse.

It felt like a warm comfort to her dying self.

After breaking the kiss, Casus told Atia to rest, then left the room to wash his face.

If black magic and Atia are really connected, I must act quickly.

Casus suspected a link among the royal priests, Harad family, and the men in black masks including Atia.

(This is a time marker.)

Moments later, individuals who had almost been sold into slavery visited the Duke’s residence.

There were nine victims in total.

Zen had interrogated illegal human traffickers but they seemed to remember only being paid for the transaction.

Zen and the knights first arrested the sellers, then brought the wouldbe victims to the Duke’s residence.

People of various ages, all looking somewhat emaciated from lack of food, were mixed in.

Casus, seated in a room at the Duke’s residence, called for Zen.

He first ordered him to bring only the daughter of an old man named ‘Red.’

Zen led her to Casus.

The woman, a redhead with freckles, was visibly tense, her head bowed.

“You are Red?”

The woman nodded and answered in a faint voice.

“…Yes.”

Casus observed her closely.

Though she wore tattered clothes, she appeared unharmed.

Her expression wasn’t particularly gloomy.

She simply looked bewildered as to why she was there.

“I heard you were kidnapped. Tell me the details.”

“I was just heading home as usual… and the next thing I knew, I was in a slave market.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes, I really don’t remember anything. I don’t even know why I was there.”

Red, who was responding, trembled as she caught the gaze of Casus and the surrounding knights.

She had to speak important facts but couldn’t remember any.

“I’m said to have been kidnapped, but I don’t remember any such thing…”

“You don’t remember.”

“Yes, the people who were arrested with me told me. Men in black masks sold me off at night…”

Red shook her head, unable to comprehend.

Though shocked, her inability to remember frustrated her.

A mix of shock and anxiety crossed her emotions.

Casus approached the bowing Red and spoke in a low voice.

“Raise your head.”

Red slowly lifted her head.

Casus looked into her eyes.

Her eyes were filled with fear for what she did not know.

Her slightly trembling shoulders caught Casus’s eye.

‘She truly doesn’t know.’

Casus gave another order to Zen.

“Bring the other eight.”

“Yes!”

Zen and the knights soon brought the other eight.

Old and young, men and women, entered.

Casus observed them.

All were in tattered clothes but appeared mostly unharmed.

Except for one.

A blonde woman with long hair had visible wounds on her arms, legs, and neck.

Though curious, Casus had them recount their circumstances first.

They testified about what they saw and heard while in the slave market.

“It was… dark, so I couldn’t see well.”

“All I saw were people in black masks coming and going…”

“What I saw was murky at the time I was caught. Now it’s clear.”

While the victims from the slave market were testifying, Atia entered the room.
“Knock, knock, knock. The hallway’s a bit noisy… May I stay here for a bit?”

Atia was restless from not being able to exercise.

Due to Casus ordering her not to go out and to stay still, she decided to at least walk in the hallway.

Justifying that merely walking didn’t count as moving.

However, when she came because she heard a noise, it turned out to be this place.

“The atmosphere seems serious.”

Atia shrugged her shoulders and sat in the chair that was in her line of sight.

The people in the room momentarily lost themselves, glancing at the duchess’s beauty they saw for the first time.

However, they soon sensed the solemn atmosphere and lowered their heads, realizing they shouldn’t dare make eye contact.

Everyone kept their heads down, avoiding even eye contact with Casus.

But the blonde woman was different.

She stole glances at Casus continuously.

Under her long eyelashes, a cool forestlike green gaze flickered, touching Casus from head to toe.

‘Hmm?’

Atia sat in her chair, quietly watching her.

She was repeatedly glancing at Casus as if she had seen something extraordinary.

‘What’s that look? It’s similar to when I go to take an empty exercise machine.’

Upon closer inspection, the woman seemed to be utterly smitten by Casus’s looks.

Her slightly flushed cheeks were as if she had applied blush, lightly warmed.

In this space, it seemed like her eyes were fixed on nothing but Casus.

‘Ah… she’s staring because he’s handsome.’

Atia understood and unknowingly agreed.

While others dare not even make eye contact, the blonde woman openly stared at Casus.

Without any other statements, Casus looked around and opened his mouth.