141.

“Cardier. Is the meal to your liking?”

“……Yes.”

“That’s good. I always find it pleasant to see someone eat well.”

Cardier looked at ‘it’—the thing draped over Lea’s body—and smiled with only his lips moving.

“You’re not eating anything yourself, though.”

“I had a hearty lunch, so I’m full.”

“Really?”

He averted his gaze and glanced briefly at Anna standing pale-faced behind ‘it.’ Anna’s pupils seemed oddly lifeless. Her expression wasn’t one of clear awareness, but rather like someone wandering through a dream—just like the strange looks he’d seen on people throughout the capital during his journey.

“……Rhea?”

He realized ‘it’ had called him several times. The face still wore a kind smile, but the eyes were sharp with irritation. He apologized.

“Oh. Just something I forgot to handle earlier.”

“Work?”

“I was supposed to submit a report on the war’s progress, but the moment I arrived, I saw you, and completely forgot.”

At his words, ‘it’ blushed even to the cheeks.

“I see.”

“Yes. I’ll be off. Don’t wait—go to sleep first.”

“Right now? Dessert hasn’t even been served yet.”

“Better to take care of it while I remember.”

When he stood, ‘it’ also rose in a flustered manner. But it seemed there was no justification to stop him. Cardier took ‘it’s’ hand and merely lowered his head slightly, pretending to kiss the back of it without actual contact.

The moment he stepped out of the banquet hall, he felt a strong wave of nausea. Though ‘it’s’ hand looked smooth, in reality, the bones beneath were clearly felt when touched, and a foul stench rose from its body. It wasn’t easily noticeable due to the overpowering scent of a toxic flower that permeated the capital, but still… perhaps the light afternoon rain had diluted the odor somewhat. Thanks to that, Cardier could vaguely guess ‘it’s’ true identity.

‘Audrey. That woman.’

How could he mistake that heavy fragrance? He’d been wary of her since the moment she drugged Ro with hallucinogens, but he never imagined she could use magic or curses of this sort—something like possessing another’s body. It felt like facing an evil force that belonged only in dreams, illusions, or myths.

Cardier steadied his breath to regain composure. Ro should still be inside the palace. Still alive. The place was swarming with people due to the ball—far from an ideal moment to kill someone. If he were to act, it would be better after everything ended, or perhaps midway through the banquet… In that case, she wouldn’t be far from the hall, and couldn’t be moved somewhere too distant without being noticed.

Cardier opened every corridor leading from the residence to the main palace, every garden, and every darkened guest room one by one. Not even a trace of Ro or any sign of human presence could be found. As options dwindled, hope flickered and was crushed repeatedly. He checked the final door, every closet, every storage room. But Ro was nowhere to be found.

He covered his face with trembling hands. Even while pretending to walk steadily, he collapsed to his knees after just a few steps. He felt utterly powerless. While he was running around pointlessly, Ro might already be dying somewhere. The mere thought made it impossible to breathe. Calm down… please. Cardier loosened the cravat tightening around his throat, clenched his teeth, and had just stepped down into the garden when—

“Cardier.”

A man leapt from behind a garden shrub, grabbed his sleeve, and pulled him into the inner corridor. Cardier murmured the man’s name in bewilderment.

“……Owen?”

“Shh.”

The man swiftly placed a finger to his lips and hissed sharply. Even as he did so, his bloodshot eyes scanned the surroundings with deadly intensity. For a fleeting moment, Cardier questioned whether this ‘Owen’ was truly the nobleman he knew. This man seemed utterly unlike the carefree, idle fellow he was accustomed to… The man spoke.

“You’re looking for Lea?”

* * *

Ro opened her eyes with a start. She had dozed off while waiting for her watchers to leave. Waking abruptly left her head not refreshed, but throbbing worse than before. She had only closed her eyes briefly… but how much time had passed was uncertain. It was hard to gauge time in this dimly lit underground prison, where only scattered torches provided light.

The prison was unnaturally silent. Only the occasional drip of water, or the whispering of a mad woman imprisoned in the cell beside her, broke the stillness. She had crawled to the bars and pressed her face tightly against them. The few people she’d seen before falling asleep had now completely disappeared.

Ro stared across at the opposite cell and sharply inhaled. The sight of lifeless, unconscious people packed tightly together, staring blankly at the wall, was enough to chill even the boldest heart. Their breathing was so faint they hardly seemed alive at all. Still, escaping this place was the immediate priority. Their fate could wait.

Ro reached her arm through the bars and examined the padlock wrapped in iron chains. The lock had a simple mechanism—something that could be turned by force from the inside, if only she had a sturdy pin. Suddenly, she remembered the key hanging around her neck. But it was far too large for the lock’s hole.

Anxiously scanning her surroundings, Ro spotted a pile of rodent bones stacked in a corner of the cell. Carefully sifting through the skeletons, she selected a bone that was relatively thin and firm. She cautiously inserted it into the lock.

‘It… went in!’

This was a far better sign than something too loose. She took a deep breath. After a few attempts, she felt something properly engage and turn, without slipping. The problem was applying too much force and breaking the bone inside. Ro exhaled slowly and gently applied pressure with her fingertips. Then, suddenly, a gruff voice rang out from the top of the stairs.

“This is getting tiresome.”

At once, the mad woman’s muttering from the adjacent cell stopped. A brief silence. Then bright light poured in, followed by the sound of several guards descending.

“How many this time?”

“Twenty.”

“How many more will they devour…”

Peeking through half-closed eyes, Ro saw a guard open the neighboring cell and begin dragging people out one by one. Since she didn’t see them use a key, the adjacent cell likely had no lock at all. One of the guards shuddered in disgust.

“Ugh. Horrifying. Look at their faces. I don’t even want to touch them.”

“New recruit! Watch closely and be careful. If we didn’t get that root every morning, we’d already be in their state.”

“Don’t scare the kid for no reason.”

“Still, if eternal youth is the price, what wouldn’t we do?”

Ro thought she heard a sound like a scoff from the neighboring cell. But it was very faint, and the guards, chuckling among themselves, didn’t seem to notice.

“All right, let’s go.”

The dragged-out people offered no real resistance and obediently followed the guards up the stairs. Ro stayed flat on the floor until all sounds of movement faded completely, then cautiously lifted her head. It seemed safe to move again. Just as she hurriedly reached for the lock once more—

“Can you… open that?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Ro flinched. At the same moment, she realized it was the woman from the adjacent cell who had been muttering like a madwoman. The cell was too dark to see her face clearly, but Ro could make out her fierce, unsettling eyes. The gaunt outline of her face seemed oddly familiar. Who was she? Before Ro could respond, the woman pressed.

“You’re not deaf, are? I asked if you can open the lock.”

Ro frowned. She didn’t want to answer, but from experience, crazy people were capable of far crazier actions.

“Possibly.”

The woman instantly became polite.

“Good. Then if you succeed, you’ll get me out too, right?”

“Why should I?”

“Because the hairpin I have will be more useful than that bone fragment.”

The woman’s thin hand reached through the bars, holding a slender pin with an amethyst at the tip. Ro tried to snatch it quickly, but the woman pulled her hand back with an unnervingly fast reflex.

“Promise me first. Will you get me out or not?”

“I’ll try.”

“No. I’ve changed my mind. Unless you promise right now to get me out, I’ll scream immediately.”

“Damn it…”

“And even if you break your promise, I’ll scream anyway.”

Ro bit back a curse. Damn it, what a desperate woman. Hesitating, Ro couldn’t decide quickly. This time, the woman pleaded.

“I’m starving. I have no strength. They’re planning to kill me.”