“What do you mean……”

Marianne’s eyes were filled with shock.

“Hearing father’s words makes me even more certain.”

“……”

“I’ll have to follow him.”

“……! Follow… His Highness?”

Marianne’s hand trembled, given the danger involved.

I quietly whispered, placing the concealment scroll I had obtained just in case into her trembling hand.

“Yes. If you follow Tikan, you’ll be able to find out who His Highness is meeting.”

Thanks to Tikan’s fame among the young ladies, there was no one who didn’t know him.

It seemed Marianne was no exception, as she didn’t ask any further questions.

‘I said it was useless to become famous, but who knew it would be helpful like this. Well done, my flesh and blood.’

Marianne hesitated, alternating her gaze several times between my disheveled appearance and the scroll.

The pity in her eyes, which had been looking at me pitifully, seemed to have deepened even more.

Perhaps because of that, it took her only a moment to make up her mind.

“Don’t worry. I’ll investigate and report back.”

Hm– Is my appearance that bad? At any rate, I achieved my goal, so it was fine.

As I nodded, Marianne quickly disappeared outside.

Only after her figure vanished did I notice my reflection in the mirror.

‘It is quite serious.’

*

It was ten days later when Marianne brought back an answer.

“On the first day, after finishing his schedule with the Knights, he met with the investigator.”

‘As expected, you noticed, Casius.’

After that, Marianne reported his daily activities by date.

A useful movement appeared only on the tenth day.

“On the tenth day, Lord Rodgo entered His Majesty’s chambers.”

Marianne said excitedly in a bright voice.

“It seems His Majesty doesn’t have any other woman. I was worried because of the strange rumors, but I’m really relieved.”

Marianne’s cheerful voice continued after that, but I couldn’t hear it properly as my mind was scattered.

My head was spinning hot.

There was still no mention in the political meetings. That means Lord Rodgo probably hasn’t yet uncovered the origin of the mark.

‘Even Lord Rodgo couldn’t uncover it.’

My fist clenched involuntarily.

Rodgo was someone I had worked with several times when he was Casius’s aide, so I was familiar with him.

He used to grumble that after I appeared, he was treated like leftover food, despite being famous as the most promising magician in the imperial family.

Although he was clearly second-in-command, his skill was undeniably exceptional.

It’s just that I was a genius, but if it weren’t for me, he would have been more than enough to be the number one person manipulating the imperial family.

‘To think that even Lord Rodgo couldn’t uncover it…..’

There must be a powerful magician in Snowfel. I felt suffocated, as if someone was squeezing my insides.

‘If only I had my magic power, I could have easily figured out his level and dealt with him….’

I had never felt more regretful about my lost magic power.

But I had no intention of letting things flow according to Duke Diarob’s intentions.

‘Can a man who did it once not do it twice?’

If I let this incident slide, Diarob would spread his wings even more to achieve his goals.

It meant I couldn’t know what would happen to father and Tikan.

Of course, now that Casius knows this fact, he would always be watching Rosemary, but… that alone wasn’t enough to feel at ease.

Tok, tok– My head was spinning faster than usual.

If I can’t solve it, I need to move the pieces.

‘I must make sure Casius uncovers the origin of the mark.’

Simply put, if I could just enter the investigation team, I could reveal the origin of the mark.

But what could be more ridiculous than me doing such a thing?

‘It would certainly look strange in Casius’s eyes.’

No, before that, Duke Diarob would also notice my eccentric behavior.

‘A way to inform without anyone knowing…..’

It wasn’t a difficult task. It just came with risks.

*

Time in the Crown Prince’s palace passed faster than usual.

Nothing drives a person crazier than having suspicions but no physical evidence.

For the past few days, Casius had been engrossed in investigating the case just enough not to die.

If Rodgo’s analysis wasn’t properly completed, even the evidence they had found so far might turn into nothing. Was there anything more frustrating than this?

Unlike his burning insides, time flowed leisurely.

The magic book he had taken out, hoping it might help uncover the origin of the mark, was filled with incomprehensible symbols.

He had been stuck on the same page for days now.

It was impossible for him to accomplish what even those who had devoted long years to magic found difficult to analyze.

As even the concept of time began to disappear, a presence cast over the Crown Prince’s palace.

“Lord Rodgo has arrived.”

A strange light gleamed in Casius’s eyes as he nodded.

The eyes of Casius, looking at Rodgo who hurriedly entered, were filled with desperation.

As if recognizing this, Rodgo hastily reported without even catching his breath.

“We’ve uncovered the origin of the mark.”

Casius’s eyes shone brightly as he took the mark handed over through Tikan.

The seal that Rodgo had uncovered was… so predictable that it made him laugh bitterly.

Tikan also recognized the meaning of that pattern faster than anyone else.

“Isn’t this the seal of House Snowfel?”

Rodgo, who had been gauging the atmosphere, hurried his report in the ominous atmosphere.

“Upon analysis, it was a decryption magic circle.”

“A decryption magic circle?”

That was only used to break sealed magic.

‘They used that magic circle, which isn’t commonly used, in someone else’s mansion?’

It was clear that Snowfel had been trying to do something by disrupting the barrier of Rosemary territory.

‘Did Snowfel really kidnap Rachel?’

The veins on Casius’s hand bulged as if he was about to crush the seal.

In the heavy atmosphere, as silence continued, Rodgo’s lips quivered.

“Um, and……”

“What is it?”

“I was able to uncover this magic circle all thanks to this letter.”

Someone else might have hidden it to monopolize the credit, even if they had received help.

Moreover, it was just a piece of paper without an owner.

But Rodgo wasn’t the type to claim credit that wasn’t his own. Even if it was from an unknown party.

Thanks to that, a mysterious letter was soon placed in Casius’s hand.

The letter, without a single word written on it, simply contained various decryptions and definitions.

“You might not know, but this is an interpretation diagram that magicians use.”

Casius couldn’t take his eyes off the letter.

It contained the patterns that Rachel always used to draw and add.

To be reminded of her by mere circles and lines, not even handwriting. He wondered if he had truly gone mad.

His thoughts, which had gone wild as if struck by madness, didn’t stop there.

The subtle trembling in the lines, the flow, the heavy ending at their tips reminded him of her. The thoughts that rushed like a whirlwind strangely came to a full stop.

The sender of this letter might be Rachel. No, honestly, it was closer to certainty than suspicion.

His hand holding the letter trembled.

“Who’s the sender?”

Rodgo’s explanation was cut off. He thought the prince was focused on uncovering the origin of the mark, but suddenly he asked about the sender of the letter.

Moreover, the prince’s face asking this was pale beyond comparison.

“I couldn’t figure that out either. A familiar flew in yesterday evening, delivered this, and left.”

Casius’s brow furrowed severely.

Seeing his lord’s unusual demeanor, Tikan dismissed Rodgo.

As Rodgo left, Casius handed the letter to Tikan and muttered softly.

“Rachel is alive.”

“……Pardon?”

Only after hearing Casius’s words did Tikan check the letter again.

But there’s no way sister could have sent it.

If sister were alive, there would be no reason to send a letter without anyone knowing.

Even if not before his lord, she would have at least appeared before himself or father.

But Tikan couldn’t bring himself to say those words. Looking at his lord’s current state, no one anywhere could utter such things.

If he thinks about it, he’ll give up– Tikan’s belief was cut off in an instant.

“I’ll write you a search warrant, go to Snowfel immediately and bring that magician here.”

“Right… now?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Snowfel might take issue with it.”

“So what.”

A glint like that of a predator before catching its prey shone in Casius’s gaze.

Tikan hoped that his lord wouldn’t go to extremes because of his sister.

That’s not what sister would want, and above all… sister probably wasn’t missing because of Snowfel right now.

“It would be more appropriate to arrest him through proper procedures……”

“Such courtesies are for worthy opponents.”

Tikan couldn’t miss the viciousness contained in that low voice.

“There’s no time.”

At his lord’s resolute words, Tikan had no choice but to bow his head.

“Understood.”

Tikan, about to leave, stopped for a moment and turned towards his lord.

“What about the luncheon with the Crown Princess?”

Casius let out a bitter laugh as he remembered the forgotten luncheon. To pull such tricks while pretending to know nothing in front of him.

‘Isn’t the level of disgust beyond imagination?’

Tikan stared blankly at Casius, who had a sneer on his lips.

*

As lunchtime approached, the Crown Princess’s palace was bustling with busy movements.

It was because there had been no mention of it since Casius canceled the luncheon schedule a few days ago.

The servants were meaninglessly filling the table with the expectation that he might come today.

Marianne was definitely leading this.

But seeing that there was no news until this time, it seemed Casius had no intention of coming today either.

By now, Lord Rodgo, who received my letter, would have solved the interpretation diagram.

‘I wonder if Casius also found out that the culprit is Snowfel.’

If so, it would be better not to encounter him today.

Meeting an angry Casius would be fortunate if I only heard a divorce declaration, let alone seduction.

“I’ll go and ask again.”

Just as I was about to say there was no need.

Bang−

With a loud door sound, Casius entered.

At the same time, Marianne and the servants quickly disappeared outside.

The space left with just the two of us was terribly fierce.

The moment I saw his expression, I knew.

‘He knows it was all Snowfel’s doing.’