CH 78

What came out of his mouth was too surprising.

“Miss Lia… that must be right.”

The fact that Lia Colt, the ice wizard, is actually her mother’s sister, Illia Hillace.

“She escaped?”

That she escaped the ancestral Silkisian couple from the dungeon of the imperial family.

And that,

“The cause of the North was because of the forbidden magic?”

In one of the Lestir Territories in the Northernmost regions, the sudden desertification recorded in the history books was related to forbidden magic.

As he was facing Psychke, who was utterly shocked, he nodded his head.

“Calling them parents…. It feels quite unfamiliar so I’ll call them ancestors. Our ancestors died trying to find the connection between desertification and forbidden magic.”

“Then isn’t the Duke in danger too?”

A look of sorrow fell on Psychke’s face.

“Duke is also chasing forbidden magic, right?”

Verndia laughed.

“My stamina is good enough that I don’t die from anything. If something suspicious happens, I will kill it right away.”

Thanks to that, he was nicknamed crazy dog for killing anyone, but Verndia said jokingly.

She did hear a terrifying rumor that if one did something wrong, he will be killed without spare.

There are only rumors, but no one has actually seen the murder scene, and recently, even such rumors have not been circulating, leaving only the nickname ‘Crazy Dog’.

‘There must have been a story like that.’

“About ten years ago, they did not touch that case, but occasionally yes, yet they stopped out of the blue.”

“…”

“So, I thought they gave up, but who would have known that they were making a reagent that separates my ability to kill me.”

“Is it a separatist reagent?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?”

Verndia told her what he heard from Aiden. He left out words that Aiden was indeed a worshipper too, which surprised Psychke, again.

“That.”

Then, thanks to the bizarrely calm Verndia, her mind suddenly jumped.

It was such a big deal yet why was the Duke so relaxed?

“Are you okay, Duke?”

“What do you mean?”

Her face turned pale when she realized she didn’t know what to ask.

That is not an all-right situation. He had to adapt to the world that he didn’t have any knowledge of, only so that he could live.

How long did it take for him to become so numb to death threats?

“Release your expression. I understand why, but I’m also grateful for your concern, but you don’t have to make that kind of expression. If anyone sees you, they’d think that you were beaten up.”

He mischievously tugged at her sad cheek.

“You can just hit before it hits you.”

“I will help too.”

Although he had a mission to retrieve Silkisia, it was also related to forbidden magic, so she could be of some help in pursuing those worshippers.

The purple eyes that were looking at Psychke narrowed.

Ah, how can you choose such pretty words?

“Princess, you don’t have to help, you just need to focus on your own. By the way, didn’t you say you had a favor to ask of me?”

The day before she went to the association, she had a favor to ask of her, which she evidently did.

She had been so distracted that she forgot about it, but now she remembered it.

“Oh, um.”

Psychke fell silent.

She was going to ask him about it but the memory of forbidden magic prevented her from doing so.

And she wasn’t in a situation to say much even now. For that reason, the future was very uncertain.

“Later.”

“Later, again?”

“Yes, I will tell you later.”

“Are you going to run away?”

“No.”

“Are you going to ask me to let you go after our breakup?”

“Not even that. It’s not that kind of favor, so don’t worry.”

She slipped from his back and stood up from the sofa, yet as if he didn’t want to let go of her, he half-hugged her, smiling sweetly.

The engagement rings were on each other’s fingers.

(TN: Literally took a long time to process, and just blush, Ugh, Verndia ‘Inlove’ Lestir is on different level.)

“I’ll inform you in advance, but you’re not allowed to go out of Lestir anymore. I won’t even let you take off your ring.”

“Our breakup agreement, I’ve never gone back on it.”

“Yes, you can break up with me if you want then see how I will change.”

On the back of her neck was his hot breath that went down.

He put his lips to her ear and whispered low.

“I am also curious, how will I change? Would you like to try it, firsthand?”

Her hair stood up on its end, as if they were electrocuted- his words still ringing in her ears. Her heart was beating uncontrollably and couldn’t stand it anymore.

Psychke removed his clasped hands and jumped up.

“I think I’ve had enough rest, so I’m going to practice.”

Verndia, who smiled, stood up as well.

Her excitement was conveyed through the ring, but the way she tried to pretend that nothing was wrong was so cute that he wanted to tease her more.

“You can’t dance because your heart is beating fast.”

“…”

“Take care of your heart, princess. Your feelings are conveyed through this, hmm?”

“Just go practice dance with me.”

Throughout their practice, Verndia teased her happily.

Psychke glared at his toes with her bare-blushing face.

* *

After a while, the day of the banquet for the second prince’s coming-of-age ceremony finally dawned.

“Isolet.”

The man who had been waiting for his fiancée while sitting on the sofa in the hall of the Lestir Mansion began to speak.

Unlike in the past days, Verndia today was dressed to the fullest.

Not to mention his neatly combed hair which elaborated his appearance more.

Combined with the dark blue uniform he wore to match his fiancée; he was now something everyone will look back on at least once.

Isolet wondered if even the employees who were familiar with him looked back once in a while passing by.

He was so well-dressed that for some reason he had a distraught expression all morning.

“Yes.”

Isolet, who was standing quietly beside him, replied.

He wasn’t quite dressed as good as Verndia, but he was suitably dressed.

“About the Princess.”

“I have already found about 100 dating courses.”

“Do you see me as someone who only dates?”

“I had already spread the rumors that Miss Glorielle Silkisia will appear today.”

He didn’t mean to say that, but when the words came out, he became curious and accepted the aide’s words.

“How will the nobles react?”

“As expected, half of them dismiss it as nonsense, but the other half seems dubious.”

“Is Silkisia coming today?”

“Yes. I heard that all members will come.”

“All right.”

Verndia leaned back on the sofa. He leaned over and rested his chin on the handle, resting his elbow on the same spot.

When that posture merged with his expression, Isolet was bewildered because he looked like someone who was troubled by something.

“Why is that?”

“I’m worried.”

“Worried?”

His master was worried, who doesn’t look like he will bleed even if he pricks with a needle.

He doesn’t know what it was, but it probably was not normalk. Isolet’s eyes widened.

“About the Princess.”

“Is there something wrong with the princess?”

“There is a big problem.”

“…!”

On a day like today?

On days when everything was perfect?

Isolet felt his eyes darken as he waited for his words to follow.

However, it was very spectacle that she came out after a while.

“We’re not short of people.”

“Yes?”

“She’s pretty, she’s cute, she’s good with a sword, she’s got good hair, and now she’s going to have a good family name.”

“…”

“I think the wrong guys will cling to her. I can’t kill them all, so what should I do?”

Verndia was fed up with work, anything, but relationship was never he had any experience with, which irritated Isolet.

Suddenly, Isolet’s voice became sharper.

“Since when did you stare caring for everyone?”

“Are you telling me to kill everyone?”

“I don’t think the princess will do a good job blocking them all. She’s engaged with you, so what are you so concerned about? There are rumors of feud between you two, though.”

“Right. I don’t know why that d*mn feud theory…… won’t go away.”

The corners of Verndia’s mouth twitched.

Unless the rumors of their feud subsided, there would be impure men who would seize the opportunity to do something to her.

“Looks like you don’t have to worry. The duke’s personality has to be a bit awesome- no.”

His ferocious eyes flew by.

Isolet hurriedly changed his words by saying that if he was a person who wanted to die gracefully, he would not dare touch the princess.

“You just have to show them that they will not dare.”

“What more can I do there then?”

“Um…”

“How about a little skin ship?”

Suddenly, a third person’s voice interrupted him.

The two men’s attention were gained by that voice.

On the central stairway leading to the hall, there was Cecil smiling meaningfully and Psychke carefully descending while waiting on her.

In an instant, Verndia’s eyes fluctuated greatly.

The only accessories that Psychke wore were the circlet, magic crystal earrings, and brooch that she bought together in the past.

With each step she took, each step she came down the stairs, his eyes dazzled as if he were seeing the light from a chandelier.

So, he was even more annoyed. Who else would she show that to, besides him?

Cecil, who had led Psychke to the irritating Verndia, asked a mischievous question.

“What do you think, Duke?”

“What?”

“I mean skin ship. Like kissing the princess on the forehead instead of the back of her hand after the first dance? Then no one will talk about the feud?”

A strange light flashed in Verndia’s eyes.

Psychke, not seeing it, shook her head in an instant.

“You don’t have to go that far.”

“It’s good, though?”

“What?”

“Let’s try it now.”

He swiftly rose from his seat, leaning over her.

She was stunned by his face, which in an instant came close to her. So embarrassed, Psychke pushed him as hard as she could.

“No, I do not want to!”

Dump.

Shocked by her no-no, his body collapsed onto the sofa. Her purple eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck.

* * *

“Did you hear that? That Glorielle is coming here today.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know how she’s still alive, and if she was, there’s no proof that she’s the Glorielle.”

“There was a word called a competent person.”

“Ey, she is the daughter of Leas, the competent person. What kind of stranger would you come if not the real one?”

“If she was truly capable, wouldn’t His Majesty the Emperor pardon her?”

“For that reason, an oracle…. Some say that Princess Lillian has powers.”

“If Princess Lillian had the ability, the words would have come out a long time ago. I heard, she also received a discernment ceremony.”

“Didn’t it come out no?”

“Prince Lennox said that the color of the holy water has changed… Shh, they’re near.”

Seeing Lillian getting closer, the nobles shut their mouths at the same time.

Lillian couldn’t hear them well because of their distance, but from the look on their faces, she could tell from one glance what their topic was.

Lillian bit the tender flesh in her mouth.

To manage her image, she had to act like she didn’t know anything and pretended to be naive, but it didn’t work out because she was feeling aggravated as of the moment.

One of the young ladies, who was chatting with others, smiled and approached Lillian.

“Oh, Princess Lillian! You are so beautiful today!”

“Thank you for your kind words. What were you talking about with them?”

“Ah, they were talking about the rumors floating around recently…”