Even with Hwangbi’s command, the knights didn’t move easily.

Upon reflection, it was simple. The position called Hwangbi was like a bubble that would quickly disappear once the emperor’s favor vanished.

On the other hand, what about Duke Crestel? He held control over Hesse and was once the supreme commander of the war.

No matter how much it was in the past, the knights standing here had personally experienced his presence, even in a distant battlefield.

‘Besides, this is my father’s territory.’

Even if there was no one around me right now, the sound of me making a small “Oops!” would attract knights rushing towards me.

No one would dare to touch my body bravely in a place like this.

And especially after hearing Hwangbi’s absurd words.

In the unmoving appearance of the knights, Amelia Hwangbi made an astonished expression and scolded them.

“What are you doing now? Can’t you hear me?”

When Amelia Hwangbi expressed her anger, one of the knights cautiously spoke.

“Excuse me, Hwangbi-nim, but we are not your knights.”

“What did you say?”

“We came to escort Hwangbi-nim by the order of His Majesty, the emperor.”

Snap!

With a sharp sound, the knight’s head snapped back. Amelia Hwangbi’s face turned slightly pale.

“The lady used dark magic. As an imperial member of this empire, facing a dark witch harmful to the empire, I am giving orders. Can’t you understand even now?”

At the mention of dark magic, the knights all seemed to hesitate. The use of dark magic was strictly forbidden, and the punishment for those who used magic was severe.

However, they only hesitated, and the knights still couldn’t approach me easily. Probably, it was because they didn’t believe Hwangbi’s words.

While the knights were hesitating, I took a step closer to Amelia Hwangbi. Seeing me like that, Amelia Hwangbi quickly stepped back.

It wasn’t because she was surprised by me. Her gaze was fixed on the silver snake flickering its red tongue.

‘Where did it learn such language?’

The snake wagged its tail as if extremely annoyed. Instead of being angry, I was more dumbfounded.

“Dark magic? Really?”

“Yes, yes! I have all the evidence that the lady used dark magic!”

When Amelia Hwangbi clapped her hands, Aldwood Jajak threw something towards me.

With a sharp sound, a round crystal rolled and lightly touched my foot.

The first thing that appeared inside the crystal was a supernatural being. Then, my face followed.

Looking at me, who was reflected in the crystal, I asked the white snake.

‘What? Is it real?’

The displayed scene was short. What the crystal showed ended there.

However, in that brief scene, I could immediately figure out what Amelia had discovered.

‘So, that’s why she was so confident.’

“Everyone, watch the recorded footage in the tracking crystal! See who the lady is having a conversation with!”
“Yes, yes! The lady recorded in the tracking crystal is having a conversation with that white snake!”

Upon Amelia Hwangbi and Aldwood Jajak’s claims, I sighed.

There were various types of dark magic. Not all types of magic were aggressive. One example was magic that allowed communication with animals.

However, the reason communicating with animals was designated as dark magic was because the materials used to cast the spell were inhumane.

To implement the spell, the bodies and parts of various animals had to be mixed. Furthermore, spells that communicated with animals could also manipulate their minds by taking away their will.

I was aware of this theory as well. However, I felt quite unjustly accused.

‘I didn’t use dark magic…’

Of course, as Hwangbi claimed, I could communicate with the silver snake strictly speaking, not an animal, and not just the snake but also with other animals.

I had known this fact since I was four years old when I first met Jo Seo-jo, the magpie.

‘I knew this would happen, so I deliberately kept it a secret from everyone.’

I was aware. Such abilities were not welcomed by people.

I had kept it a strict secret even from my family, not because I didn’t trust them, but because I could see their worries.

Anyway, with what Hwangbi was claiming, the evidence was overwhelmingly lacking. However, it couldn’t be denied that the situation was a bit awkward.

‘I can’t talk about why I stole the magical stone.’

Amelia Hwangbi and Aldwood Jajak still seemed unaware of that point.

They were busy trying to label me as a dark sorceress just because the scene of me talking to the snake was recorded.

“If, if that’s true…”

At that moment, a knight standing behind me put his hand on my shoulder. It was the moment when I tried to brush it off.

“Argh!”

A strong wind blew from behind, and the knight screamed.

At the same time, a familiar voice came from behind.

Aldwood Jajak swallowed hard with a disgusted expression.

“What is this kid doing now?”

The boy, who was gnawing on dried squid with an insolent attitude, had a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through my back.