Chapter 221: Side Story 13

Though Dana tried to sound calm, her eyes were tinged with sadness.

Until now, she had only pushed aside everything related to the Valentine family, never truly knowing their inner circumstances.

‘There’s no lady of the house here now.’

Sabina’s eyes widened in surprise, then she tightly grasped the hem of her skirt.

The deceased Grand Duchess was, after all, what her future held.

“Was she a good mistress?”

Judging by the look in Dana’s eyes, it seemed so.

“How could we, mere servants, dare to appraise the noble character of such an esteemed person? However…”

Dana hesitated for a moment, as if wondering whether she should continue.

However, looking into Sabina’s eyes, which seemed purer and more honest than any knight’s, she felt compelled to share.

“She was so delicate, frail, and pitiable.”

“Is that so…”

“She was always closest to death. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t heal her wounds.”

Just from hearing this, Sabina had a rough idea of what kind of person the Grand Duchess was.

Likely a suicide wisher or a sacrificial person, as desired by the Valentines.

Regrettably.

“What about the Grand Duke then?”

Sabina asked, seizing the moment to inquire about him, given that he was still alive, indicating Tristan was still the Grand Prince.

However, she had never seen his face.

“The Grand Duke…”

Dana trailed off, glancing briefly out the window.

“You’ll probably never meet him in your lifetime.”

***

Aaaaah!

Help, save me!

Aaah, aaaaah–

It was as if she had heard desperate screams in her dream.

Startled awake, Sabina threw off her blankets and sat up.

‘Dream? Reality?’

Getting out of bed, she flung open the firmly locked window.

She scanned around with tense eyes.

But only silence.

In the serene night, only the occasional sound of insects filled her ears.

No matter how long she waited, the screams did not return.

Was it a hallucination, or a terrible nightmare?

Sabina sighed deeply.

‘I must be under extreme stress.’

That would make sense.

Talking face to face with the Grand Prince was suffocating and mentally exhausting.

‘It’s like something inhuman trying to imitate a human.’

As she leaned against the window, looking up at the star-filled night sky, an old palace caught her eye.

It looked completely out of place amidst the grandeur and opulence of the Valentine palace.

‘Now that I think about it…’

Sabina recalled her morning conversation with Dana.

When talking about the Grand Duke, the maid’s gaze had landed on that place.

‘Is the Grand Duke living there?’

And she had said she would likely never meet him in her lifetime.

It couldn’t be some absurd reason like the Grand Duke being shy.

If he was alive but never left the palace, it could mean…

‘Is he imprisoned?’

Whether by choice or force.

If it’s not confinement, what other reason could there be for a Grand Duke to not step outside?

Sabina thought of the imprisoned Grand Duke, the frail Grand Duchess, and the mad Tristan.

It felt like she had inadvertently opened the first page of a story entangled with Valentines.

‘Forget it. It’s none of my business.’

Why should she bother knowing the backstory of these insane devils?

‘If I get the chance, I’ll run without looking back.’

She harshly closed the window and locked it firmly.

Never intending to open it again.

***

Another person had died in the old palace.

Hearing the news, Tristan responded nonchalantly.

“Did he break the barrier again?”

Dwayne gasped at Tristan’s casual use of ‘he.’

But he soon let out a long sigh and spoke as if lamenting.

“This time it’s not something to be taken so lightly.”

Dwayne pulled out several envelopes from his pocket and stacked them on the desk.

When Tristan looked at him questioningly, he clearly replied.

“These are petitions from the wizards of the Magic Tower.”

“Petitions?”

“The wizards from the Magic Tower seem to be too afraid of the royal family and the former Grand Duke to resign, so they are pleading for some leniency instead.”

“Tch, incompetent fools.”

“I partly agree, but…”

To question the competence of these wizards was indeed an exaggeration.

The wizards residing in Valentine were originally the best in the field, tasked with protecting the royal palace.

Yet even they struggled to manage the demonic curse that came with the Valentine bloodline, a curse overwhelmingly powerful.

“Even so, the former Grand Duke is unlikely to break through the multiple layers of barriers placed around him.”

“Isn’t that enough then?”

“But every time the barrier is forcibly broken, the wizards vomit blood and grow weaker. They fear they might not live even half their lifespan if this continues.”

“Tch, weaklings.”

Tristan scorned the wizards of the Magic Tower as incapable and frail.

He tossed the petitions unread into the fireplace and put a cigarette in his mouth.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Ask them if they’re willing to shorten their remaining lifespans to just one day.”

I knew he would say that.

Dwayne swallowed his words and lit the fire.

He felt sorry for the wizards, but anything was better than allowing the Grand Duke of Valentine to escape the secluded palace.

“It’s astonishing. Not a single competent wizard in this empire.”

“Unfortunately, that seems to be the limit of the highest authorities in the magic industry.”

There was nothing that could be done about it.

“Just tell them to hold on a little longer. Soon, all the demonic power will transfer to me. Then, the Grand Duke will be nothing more than a powerless madman.”

Tristan exhaled smoke, imagining himself trapped in the old palace someday.

He was born with a body stronger than any previous Grand Duke.

Even stronger than his own father, who was said to be the strongest.

‘But like my parents, my mind is the weak link.’

His mother died insane, and his father was imprisoned in madness, waiting for death…

Tristan could easily foresee his own future.

‘With a strong body but weak mind, who could stop me if I were to go mad?’

That’s why he urgently needed to produce an heir to inherit his malice.

Once the malice was fully passed on to the child, his own urge to rage would disappear.

“The magic industry should develop further.”

He muttered casually, a statement that would make any wizard foam at the mouth.

“They need stronger barriers to contain a Grand Duke’s rampage.”

Tristan laughed twistedly, tapping the desk aimlessly.

Then, he suddenly asked.

“What is Lady Valois doing?”

Dwayne responded with a cautious tone.

“If you mean the task you ordered previously, we’re still sending out the Black Hawks to search. It’s expected to take a few days.”

Hopefully, he wasn’t planning to execute that chilling plan immediately.

That was the concern.

But Tristan’s sudden mention of Sabina wasn’t for any specific purpose.

Just,

Thinking about going mad…

Suddenly, the image of her flaming red eyes came to mind, and he wanted to see them in person.

“Lead me to her. Where is she now?”

***

Valentine was thoroughly isolated from the outside world.

Not only that, but the entry of outsiders was also strictly screened.

The grand and magnificent castle was nothing less than a colossal prison for Sabina.

‘There’s probably no way she can escape on her own.’

If only there was a slight chance.

Walking silently along the corridor of the main palace, she was lost in thought.

Still, she was checking every possible escape route in case of an emergency.

“This is the office.”

The middle-aged butler, leading Sabina around the castle, pointed to an ornately decorated door.

“His Excellency the Grand Prince is in here.”

She cast a questioning look, as if to say, ‘So what am I supposed to do about it?’

“It’s almost time for dinner; perhaps you and His Excellency could dine together…”

“I refuse.”

“Understood.”

The butler, William, didn’t press further and tactfully withdrew.

“It seems I’ve seen enough of the castle. Could you guide me to the training ground?”

“The training grounds, my lady?”

The experienced butler had no choice but to question her request.

‘Why would she want to go to that sweaty place?’

It wasn’t just the sweat smell.

The scent of metal, blood, oil – all sorts of odors lingered in the air at the training grounds, a place neglected despite the air being filled with various stenches.

Even the maids avoided it.

“…This way, please.”

But if the future Grand Princess wished to go there, what could he do?

“Huh, madam!”

“It’s the madam.”

The Black Hawks stirred at the sight of Sabina.

She frowned slightly.

‘Why am I being addressed as madam everywhere before even getting married?’

As Sabina was about to correct her title, one of the knights eagerly approached her.

“Madam, is it true?”

Unfazed by the sudden appearance of the man, Sabina asked,

“What’s true?”

“That you single-handedly defeated several carnivorous rabbits!”

The butler, who was covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief, turned to Sabina with a shocked expression.

“The Madam?”

Carnivorous rabbits?

As Sabina looked clueless, the knight excitedly explained.

“You know, those creatures that look like cute, harmless rabbits, but if you’re fooled by their appearance and approach them, they suddenly turn into muscle-bound monsters and attack!”

What in the world…

“Huh? Why do you look like you have no idea what I’m talking about?”

As she looked puzzled, the Black Hawks who had been part of the scouting party chimed in.

“Didn’t you catch several carnivorous rabbits and roast them when you were in the Ingo Mountains?”

“Wow, really? Even I can’t do that. You’re extraordinary.”

“That’s impressive! I saw it myself – exactly five of them.”

“To catch five carnivorous rabbits at once? You could even take down that guy.”

“You’d be sprawled out in no time.”

The Black Hawks were enthusiastically praising Sabina.

Of course, Valentine’s elite knights could easily handle five carnivorous rabbits.

They were delighted.

The previous Grand Duchess had been physically and mentally frail, inspiring pity even from a distance.

Not that they resented her, but…

They had hoped the Grand Prince’s partner would be strong both physically and mentally.

To them, Sabina was the perfect Madam.

“I could learn a thing or two from you.”

“Haha! Maybe one day, when I’ve improved my skills, I could formally request a sparring match with the Madam?”

The Black Hawks seemed to be in high spirits, oblivious to what they were saying.

‘What are they even talking about?’

The rabbits Sabina had caught were just ordinary ones.

Not muscle-bound monsters.

“The rabbits I caught were just…”

“Just ordinary rabbits.”

That’s when another knight, who had been silent until now, joined the conversation.

He scanned Sabina from head to toe, then let out a snide laugh.

It was a clear sneer.

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