‘Medea… trying to involve Julia this time too? Was this recruitment earlier than in the previous life?’

Sion remembered what Julia did to him in the past life.

How could he forget?

Then, in the footage, the red caterpillar, as they called him, tormented Esdel.

“Your smile is still quite unpleasant.”

Sion felt a surge of uncontrollable rage.

“Do you know who assassinated the former Northern Grand Duke’s deputy?”

Esdel, grasping the retreating red caterpillar, brought up ‘Hern Nugent.’ The red-haired man mentioned the ‘black beetle’ again.

Sion gently pressed Arcadia’s hand, offering comfort.

He had long suspected the South’s involvement in Hern Nugent’s death, but without evidence, it was mere conjecture. Arcadia thought the same.

But this footage revealed to Arcadia Nugent that Rahert used the assassin, the ‘black beetle’, to personally kill his father, the deputy Grand Duke of the North. It was more than just being a mastermind.

‘Esdel, you are exposing too much to us.’

Sion knew the black beetle was the murderer, but Arcadia did not.

Arcadia’s fists trembled under the Grand Duke’s palm.

Esdel, in the cold air, was running.

Running and running, capturing the scene where the red caterpillar met with Cecilia.

Medea had marked herself, the Northern Grand Duke, as the power behind Cecilia.

“Those bastards.”

Unable to contain himself, Arcadia erupted in anger.

The footage ended with Cecilia waking up from hypnosis and leaving.

A heavy silence filled the room.

The Grand Duke was the first to break it.

“Arcadia, are you alright?”

“…Yes. No, I’m fine, Your Highness.”

“…”

“Actually, I’m not fine, Your Highness.”

“Arcadia, we have a lot to do now…”
The Grand Duke showed a faint smile.

His friend’s eyes were burning with rage, or perhaps tears overflowed from too much anger, he thought.

He gazed at the small sofa beside the Pechka, where a tiny woman curled up. She hadn’t moved since a while ago.

Sion Belphegor stood up and approached her.

Esdel was deeply asleep, her face showing extreme fatigue.

Approaching her, a faint sound, like a baby bird’s breathing – ssk-dash, ssk-dash – was heard.

Sion knelt on one knee and quietly observed the sleeping woman.

Her slightly disheveled silver hair draped over her ears, and her long silver eyelashes seemed as if they’d never open again.

Was it the warmth of the Pechka? The pale cheeks, once cold and colorless, had regained their original rosy hue.

‘On this cold night, you took such risks.’

Sion unknowingly bit his lip.

What is making you like this, Esdel? What turns you into a white butterfly fluttering into the flames?

I can’t just watch you struggle alone anymore. I want to trust you, to cast away all doubts.

Sion’s large, long fingers carefully tucked Esdel’s silver hair behind her ear, as gently as if handling a delicate glass about to shatter.

“She’s fallen asleep.”

Sion murmured.

Then, Arcadia came to the Grand Duke’s side, silently picking up Esdel. She seemed weightless like a feather in Arcadia’s arms and thankfully, did not wake up.

“Arcadia?”

“She seems to be sleeping deeply. I’ll take her to her room. We can’t have her snoring in Your Highness’s office.”

“Do you know where her room is?”

“Of course.”

Arcadia walked towards the door, carrying Esdel.

“Arcadia.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. There’s no more misunderstanding or doubt left. I owe an immense debt to her. She enabled me to avenge my father by my own hands. She helped me take down the black beetle, my father’s killer. I’m at a loss for how to express my gratitude.”

“Alright. I entrust it to you.”

“Yes.”

“And Arcadia. After laying Esdel down, go meet Baron Schumael.”

“You’ve thought of a plan.”

Arcadia looked at Belphegor with a trusting gaze.

“Yes. We have time until tomorrow morning before Luchella appears at the ball. Tell the Baron I’ll visit his manor at dawn.”

“Where are you heading now?”

“To a place that can lift the hypnosis. Could you call Hans?”

“Hans, summoned.”

Hans, the butler, replied from halfway through the door.

“Hans, are there any fortune-tellers who can cast or lift hypnosis?”

“Certainly. You’ll find them at the same place where you bought the vision stone.”

“Prepare the fastest horse for me.”

That night, a black horse dashed out of the Belphegor Manor in the North. It was ridden by Sion Belphegor.

Covered with a black cloak, amidst the cold wind, Sion thought:

‘The footage alone won’t directly prove Rahert’s crimes. It can prove the red caterpillar’s, but not that Rahert and the red caterpillar are in cahoots. If I expose the footage, Rahert will just cut off the red caterpillar.’

Sion remembered the blind old man he met in the fortune-tellers’ district.

‘Perhaps he could lift the hypnosis on Cecilia.’

By tomorrow morning, it will be revealed that Cecilia is not the Emperor’s granddaughter.

If then she points to the North, under the hypnosis imposed by the red caterpillar, a storm too hard to handle will break out.
Of course, that’s what would have happened if I hadn’t known the truth. Now, it’s an event that will never occur.

Esdel, ‘my butterfly,’ the evidence you’ve arduously obtained will be methodically stored in my sword.

Wait for it, Rahert.

You will receive the storm of retribution for your misdeeds, for making my butterfly leap into the cold wind.

Sion involuntarily pictured the face of Esdel, who was asleep.

Please, don’t wake up until I return, and rest, even if just a little.