But how to prevent it?

It’s difficult to discover who will be bribed and how poison will be used, even when monitoring the entire outer city.

There are over a thousand servants in the Southern Grand Duke’s main castle alone. And more than half of them know how to wield a sword or use their bodies.

This place is a huge trap to devour the North.

The Southern Grand Duke Lahert must have invited the North with a reason difficult to refuse. He probably instigated the Emperor’s influence, and the Northern Grand Duke couldn’t refuse and came here.

Requesting a place to celebrate victory was different from the previous life, but it would have been the minimum pride that the North couldn’t concede.

I can’t blame the Northern Grand Duke for coming here. It was a dangerous decision for him, but for me, it created the only hope of reaching him.

There’s only one way to save Arcadia.

I relaxed my clenched fist and loosened my body.

Since I can’t know all the situations, I should let them defend themselves.

‘I need to meet the Northern Grand Duke and tell him what I know.’

It might be a gamble, no, it is a gamble, but let’s try.

But how do I meet him?

Will he believe my words?

I felt troubled. But I hope he believes me.

Even I think it’s a groundless hope.

The only point of contact I’ve had with him in this life was five years ago when we briefly crossed swords. It was when I was fourteen and he was seventeen.

After the death of the previous Northern Grand Duke, he lived in the capital like a hostage by the Emperor’s order and returned to the North at the age of fifteen.

Driven to all sorts of battlefields, he briefly returned to the capital by the Emperor’s order again when he was seventeen.

Will he remember the masked monster who had to briefly cross swords for the Southern Grand Duke’s amusement?

He had said, looking into my eyes as I lay fallen after defeat. That warm voice is still vivid in my memory.

I’m hoping he remembers me.

***

The place where the Northern Knights’ Order stays is in the southernmost part of the main castle. It was the blue annex castle used for hosting external guests.

It’s the tallest and most beautiful castle in the main castle, except for the fortress where the Southern Grand Duke’s direct line lives. A castle where you can see Lake Asseo in the South, where blue salt is said to be produced, in the distance.

Although the surroundings are wide open, it’s rather difficult for outsiders to approach.

‘I can’t visit openly.’

It’s not a person someone like me now can dare to reach.

But since this place was also built by Lahert, there are secret passages even in this annex castle.

In my previous life, I also used that passage to go to Arcadia Nugent’s room.

The secret passage used by the assassins of the Southern Grand Duke’s family for generations is the underground waterway in the well.

If you crawl through the waterway that starts at the bottom of the well in the east of Rachel Forest, you’ll reach the blue annex castle after a while. From the waterway in the basement of the castle, you transfer to the smoke exhaust pipes connected to the furnaces of all rooms in the annex.

The smoke exhaust pipe, like an ant tunnel, is just wide enough for one person to barely fit in. Inside, there are very small handles to prevent assassins from slipping.

But those small handles are not enough to prevent falling.

I remember encountering the skull of someone who died after getting lost in that exhaust pipe.

But there was no time to hesitate. Once the poison is in Medeia’s hands, it’s only a matter of time before it’s used.

I secretly entered the well in Rachel Forest. The long-unused waterway was sticky with rotten leaves and insects.

For a long time, I moved forward, curled up in the narrow waterway, looking only ahead. Into the invisible darkness.

The air that had been trapped for years smelled acrid. The further away from the well, the harder it became to breathe.

Finally, I reached a place where I could feel the relatively clean outside air. The lower part of the blue annex castle, where the waterway connects to the smoke exhaust.

I recalled the ‘map of secret passages’ I received from the black insect in my previous life and moved to the exhaust pipe.

‘Lord Arcadia Nugent’s room is on the fifth floor, third from the left. Then where the Northern Grand Duke, Sion Belfast, stays is……’

Probably likely to be next to his aide Nugent’s room.

Then would it be the room to the left of Nugent, or to the right? Or the room in front?

My head became complicated. There are three rooms in the blue annex castle suitable for an Imperial Grand Duke to stay.

Among those three, the most modest but with a direct view of Lake Asseo is next to Nugent’s room on the right. It’s the only room on the same floor as Nugent among the three.

A bitter sorrow was felt.

In my past life, I memorized where he stayed to kill Arcadia Nugent.

‘Do I still remember the location of his room?’

I gathered my strength and climbed straight up.

***

All guest rooms in the blue annex castle have quite high ceilings. Because of this, the exhaust pipes connected to the furnaces of the guest rooms also have height differences as much as the ceiling height. If you can’t overcome that height with your own strength, the result is a fall.

Death.

Climbing up the exhaust pipe with minimal handles is like climbing a slippery rock wall.

I discarded distracting thoughts to focus on climbing. And finally, I reached what I presumed to be Arcadia Nugent’s guest room.

Centered on that, the room next door to the right. After crawling through the flat exhaust pipe and jumping over two spaces open above and below, a wider exhaust pipe than others appeared.

Being wider means it’s that much easier to fall down. But this exhaust pipe should be connected to the furnace inside the guest room where the Northern Grand Duke stays.

I raised my arms with all my might to grab the slippery handle high up in the exhaust pipe.

I hope the Grand Duke is in the place I’m trying to reach.

After crawling up to the guest room, I carefully put my ear against the exhaust pipe wall. Hoping to hear that voice I know.

The low and resonant voice of Sion Belfast, the Northern Grand Duke.

As I recalled his voice, the last words we exchanged in my previous life came to mind.

His figure bound in iron chains, me handing him wet cotton, him asking my name, me asking if it was sympathy and him answering it was interest.

Distracting thoughts came in.

I instinctively tightened my grip on the handle. Now, when I have to hang only by the strength of my arms and core without footholds, distractions are forbidden.

Hanging with one arm, I took the other hand off the handle and pulled out the note I had in my mouth. It was fortunate that even after regression, the abilities I built as a Sword Master in my previous life hadn’t disappeared.

Thanks to that ability, I can support my whole body weight with these thin arms.

With the hand holding the note, I pushed the side of the furnace next to the exhaust pipe very slightly. I could feel a little of the air inside the guest room.

But I couldn’t hear any human voices.

Is there no one?

Only the flow of quiet air can be heard from the closed room.

It might be an empty guest room.

But I can’t give up rashly. This note alerting about the danger of poisoning must reach the Grand Duke himself.

I gathered courage and pushed the side of the furnace a little more. The white ceiling of the guest room was visible through the opened gap. The day must be setting as golden sunlight was casting long rays on the ceiling.

That’s when it happened. Something blocked that ray of light and looked at me. I was startled as if my breath would stop.

“Uh, uh.”

I pulled back my head like a turtle and hung onto the handle in the exhaust pipe for dear life.

In doing so, I dropped the note I was holding in one hand.

My heart races madly.

I’m crazy. No, I’m going crazy.

If my memory isn’t wrong, the one who made eye contact with me was…….

“Who are you?”

A low and calm voice filled the furnace.

The Northern Grand Duke, Sion Belfast.

If someone asks who you are, can you answer who you are? In this situation?

I clung to the handle even more tightly like a cicada, wailing inwardly.

What should I do, what should I do.

It was a situation I hadn’t imagined.

Then, his voice was heard once more.

“I asked who you are.”

A voice so calm it was excessive. To the point where my own extreme tension seemed ridiculous.

What should I answer? Who should I say I am?

The Southern Grand Duke’s dog but one who no longer wants to be a dog? Just a nameless traveler? I can’t say I’m a white butterfly since I haven’t become one yet. Then what……

Bella?

I swallowed that name that had come up to my throat.

No. This is a fake name given by Medeia.

My real name is…….

The name my mother called me in the past shown by the dagger.

Esther.

As I recalled this name, I felt pain as if my heart was being torn. A name that shouldn’t be uttered.

I shouldn’t say it. I don’t have the qualifications befitting this name yet.

“I’m called a bug. I have no name.”

I barely opened my mouth to speak, but regretted it as soon as I did. What the Grand Duke was curious about wasn’t my name, but what kind of person I am.

Sure enough, his tone became a little faster.

“What are you doing?”

As soon as those words fell, a sound rang out – shring. The sound of pulling a sword from its sheath.

But I can’t back down.

He said.

“Show yourself.”

I gathered courage and opened my mouth.

“There is something you must know, so I took this risk to come here. Please put away your sword.”

I spoke as clearly as possible, so my voice would reach him.

But no answer came back.

What’s going on? He couldn’t have not heard.

A short but eon-like silence passed. It was my side that couldn’t bear the silence.

“Grand Duke Lahert is plotting a scheme, Your Highness. Medeia,”

That’s when it happened. The sound of the guest room door opening was heard.

“Your Highness, it’s Arcadia.”

And at the same time, the slightly opened furnace door slammed shut. The Northern Grand Duke had closed it.

Shortly after, pungent smoke began to flow into the exhaust pipe. Followed by increasing heat.

‘He lit a fire?’

Why?

He didn’t recognize me. He’s trying to eliminate me.

It’s a brief encounter from 5 years ago. It’s natural he doesn’t remember.

But how could he light a fire so quickly?

At that moment, I realized in what situation I had encountered the Grand Duke just before. Of all times, I had opened the side door of the furnace just as the Grand Duke was about to light a fire in the fireplace.

Could he have heard me climbing up? Did he think I was an assassin?

I started to lose strength. I couldn’t open my eyes due to the thickening acrid smoke. It was hard to breathe. My lungs began to feel like they were being torn apart.

How much time had passed?

Just as my consciousness was becoming hazy, the heat seemed to subside and then there was a loud clanging sound of something opening forcefully.

At that moment, one of my hands slipped and my body fell downward. At the same time, something grabbed my hand.

A long, firm, large hand.

Looking up, there was the Northern Grand Duke. His blue eyes were staring at me.

“Hold tight, don’t fall.”