Riche swallowed her breath quietly at Celine’s words.

She had never considered that someone might have witnessed the previous incident. She hadn’t felt anyone’s presence.

The time Ian had fallen into the lake.

She had told no one except for Blake. Not even to Deon.

That Ian, a gifted individual from a ducal family, had such an incident at midnight would make for good gossip. She couldn’t rule out the possibility of strange rumors spreading.

“When was this?”

“Two weeks ago.”

She saw it. Riche’s heart pounded.

However, Celine’s answer didn’t end there.

“The week before that.”

“What?”

“And last year.”

Confused by what she was hearing, Riche and Philip blinked their eyes at Celine.

“I first found out about it during last year’s autumn semester.”

Entering the room, Riche sipped the tea that Philip had poured and was lost in thought.

“I haven’t told anyone. Talking to other gifted people is scary… but I thought Tria Riche could find a way.”

Celine had confided her long-held worries to Riche since last year.

In the end, it was probably easier for her to talk to Riche than to other dukes or gifted people.

That aside, it wasn’t necessarily bad news for Riche. After all, she had to be involved in Ian’s life and death.

‘Did Heickanka know?’

So, did he appear suddenly that day?

She couldn’t ask him right away. But the day when Python would be restored was only about two weeks away. He would come that day. She would stay awake that night.

“Lord Gerwer, might he be suffering from somnambulism?”

Philip, sitting in a wooden chair, asked Riche.

He was also concerned about what Celine had said. He thought Ian Duane Gerwer was a decent noble, and he had saved him once from cardiac arrest.

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“In that case, it wasn’t someone else who made Lord Gerwer fall. His attendants are useless. They don’t even know their own master leaves at night.”

Philip clicked his tongue.

“If the condition is that serious, he would be receiving treatment, right?”

“Well…”

Riche found it difficult to answer easily.

It might be something that Duke Gerwer had orchestrated. Instead of treating it, he might even be inducing symptoms of sleepwalking.

‘The artifact Ian carries around is suspicious too.’

A necklace that prevents one from using their abilities.

Duke Gerwer might have done something else sinister. He was always plotting two or three steps ahead.

‘It would be good to know the cause.’

If Ian’s condition didn’t end once, there was a chance the incident on the entrance ceremony day could happen again.

“Should I ask him?”

“Philip?”

“Lady Riche can’t speak in front of Lord Gerwer.”

Philip grinned.

“Are you joking?”

“No way.”

Philip seemed happy, thinking Riche had romantic feelings for Ian. From experience, explaining it now would just lead to more misunderstandings.

Riche simply nodded her head.

“Then I’ll ask him.”

“Sure.”

So Philip began thinking of the list of questions he would ask Ian.

Height, shoe size, wealth, grades, social relationships, plans after graduation…

‘We can’t just give Lady Riche to just anyone.’

Of course.

Philip nodded, crossing his arms like a fussy sister-in-law.

The same night.

Ian sat on his bed unable to sleep, fiddling with his necklace.

“Lord Ludwig, I need your help.”

Days before imagining a silver moon from Riche,

Ian had left the academy, citing poor health as an excuse to go outside. The place he discreetly visited was the Ludwig mansion.

Ian confided everything that Duke Gerwer had done to him to Blake.

“My father wishes for my disappearance.”
The medicine he had consistently taken since he was young, the attitude of Count Gerwer who restrained him, and the symptoms of sleepwalking that occurred without reason after entering the academy.

“Understood.”

Blake, who had been quietly listening to Ian’s story, said he would look for a solution.

They agreed to meet again soon, but the problem was tonight.

Calculating the cycle of the days he woke up outside, his body was bound to move again tonight, against his will.

‘I’m scared to fall asleep.’

The thought that he might never wake up if he falls asleep now crossed his mind.

He was scared to lie in bed.

Wouldn’t the drowsiness go away if he took in some night air? If he kept walking until daylight, he might live another day.

Ian stirred himself to move. Leaving the room was easy, but the front gate was locked. He opened a window in the hallway and went out.

He kept walking. Past the dormitory, through the garden, and past the classroom buildings. The lake where he had fallen in before appeared as he continued walking through the spacious academy.

‘It’s dark.’

The scenery he had briefly glimpsed that day was bright. Now, it was pitch-black.

Ian stood by the lake, staring at the ripples that faintly glowed under the reflected starlight.

Then, he suddenly felt his body being lifted into the air, accompanied by a loud noise from behind.

“Caught you!”

“……?!”