Chapter 60

Three years ago.

It had been her fifteenth birthday.

They were having dinner at home for the first time in a long while, and somehow, the topic came up at the table.

Or perhaps it hadn’t been coincidence at all.

‘Still picking fights, aren’t you?’

At Demius’s offhand remark, Natalianne’s throat tightened.

The grand meal that the chef had spent an entire week preparing tasted like nothing.

The food she forced down felt as if it would rise back up from her stomach.

Clenching her jaw against the bitterness that reached her throat, she whispered,

‘…Stop it.’

‘If you don’t want to hear it, then answer properly. Do you even know how much happened while you were hiding in the Tower? Do you know who took responsibility for it?’

‘We’re eating right now, Demius.’

Asellion spoke gently to stop him, but Demius’s tone remained cold.

‘Remember what the family has done for you, Natalianne. Obey the family.’

Damn it.

Natalianne’s teeth ground together. Her chest felt tight. Tears threatened to rise but she swallowed them down.

That was her family?

Her eyes moved slowly. Every servant standing around the table avoided her gaze.

That was her home?

Ha.

Natalianne let out a small laugh.

She accepted the truth of the world with that laugh.

Home?

Family?

Such things did not exist.

The ones who should have protected her were the very people who hurt her most cruelly.

Only when she returned to her room, away from them, did she truly accept it.

There was nothing in this world worth trusting.

Right.

When the butler came in, she must have been smiling.

Because it was absurd enough to laugh.

Of course.

Natalianne’s lips twisted faintly as she muttered,

“When I returned to the Tower, I looked into the symptoms my opponent had shown during the duel.”

And then,

“I found out about that drug.”

The Smile of the Spirits.

An illegal, unapproved substance in the Tower.

Its effects enhanced both the body and mana, increasing aggression and violent tendencies.

But when taken in excess, it caused one devastating side effect, coma.

Demius, who had been silent, spoke softly after a pause.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Forget it.”

Natalianne gave a short laugh through her nose.

She didn’t need that.

She hadn’t told him all of this just to get an apology.

But still.

“We have to make sure Teacher isn’t dragged into this. It’s too dangerous.”

For a brief moment, a face flashed in her mind.

Soft orange hair like sunlight, freckles dotting a round cheek, and that bright smile blooming like a flower.

It was like spring sunshine or no, maybe something a little warmer and stronger.

Yes, more like the summer sun.

Without realizing, Natalianne was smiling. Then, catching herself, she straightened her expression.

“I’ll handle this myself. When the investigation team returns, share the results with me too.”

“…Alright.”

Demius nodded, but Natalianne didn’t look back. She turned and walked away.

Ssshh

The cool wind stirred her long hair.

As her figure disappeared into the dark foliage, Demius’s eyes trembled faintly.

Had he really said such words to her back then?

His lashes lowered and a sigh escaped, heavy with regret.

‘Right.’

That sounded like something the man he once was would have said.

A few years ago, he had still held pride in the Eisenhart name and admired his mother, the ruler of the northern lands.

‘Back then.’

Yes, back then.

His eyelids, weighed down by guilt, lifted toward the night sky.

Under the pale starlight, a face flickered in his mind.

“…Brother.”

Back then, Asellion had been there.

A quiet but dependable mother, and an affectionate brother who would one day succeed her.

He had once felt proud to serve under their guidance, to dedicate his sword to the future they represented.

But.

‘If you enjoyed the privileges of a noble house, you must bear the responsibilities that come with them.’

‘Now that the young master has returned, it’s time for you to take up the duties you abandoned.’

How ironic.

The very words Linburton had once said to him when he returned to the capital were the same ones he had thrown at Natalianne.

A hollow laugh slipped from his lips and echoed in the dawn air.

Obey the family.

What a foolish thing to say.

“…Ha.”

He exhaled a breath that carried the weight of old scars.

The good days were gone, his brother was gone.

The mother he had once respected had abandoned that brother, and he had fled the family to search for him.

Between the past and the present stretched a river he could no longer cross. That distance had become the nightmare that still haunted him.

But.

A faint light flickered in Demius’s eyes.

‘Natalianne.’

Had she always thought that way?

Then maybe.

‘Will you try to escape, at least?’

A faint smile touched his lips.

If he could help her escape this cursed place, if he could free her from the chains of this wretched family,

Would that be enough to atone for the past?

His gaze drifted toward the forest where his sister had disappeared.

He remained there until the western stars began to fade.

For a very long time.

* * *

The next day, the report from the investigation team brought only confusion.

“…What did you say?”

At Demius’s question, the captain answered nervously.

“When we arrived, the circus troupe was gone.”

“No trace of them?”

“None, sir.”

“…!”

Demius’s eyes hardened.

The captain quickly continued, his tone heavy.

“What’s even stranger is that no one claims to have seen them at all.”

He clenched his lips before finishing.

“Not a single person.”

* * *

“Fools!”

Crash!

A heavy crystal ashtray shattered against the wall.

Sharp shards flew across the room, one grazing the cheek of the man standing nearby.

A thin line of blood ran down the skin beneath his rabbit mask, but he did not move.

“Tsk.”

The middle-aged man seated in the armchair clicked his tongue in disgust.

“Talking to you is a waste of breath.”

“I apologize.”

A cold pair of eyes glanced toward the masked man.

“There will be no forgiveness for another mistake.”

“Understood.”

“Leave.”

The man in the rabbit mask bowed silently and walked out.

Tsk.

The Duke tugged irritably at the ends of his neatly groomed mustache.

Duke Zachariel Peln Valenstein.

He clicked his tongue again, thinking of the masked man.

The so-called host of the circus was no mere entertainer.

He ran an illegal fighting arena.

A bloody spectacle where drugged fighters were used as playthings.

It was a favorite pastime among the Empire’s upper class and beyond, a profitable business.

And yet, it had nearly been exposed.

Worse, it had drawn the direct attention of the Grand Duke’s family.

“Idiots.”

Why had they gone to Eisenhart territory of all places?

And not the outskirts, but a location so close to the capital itself.

‘Now I have to clean up their mess.’

The Duke tugged harder at his mustache.

The show, which should have lasted several days, had been abruptly shut down in a single night. In their panic, they were forced to retreat and either silence or bribe every witness who had seen the circus.

“Tsk.”

He sank deeper into his chair with a bitter expression.

Still, he could understand the man’s reasoning to a point.

In the past year, Eisenhart territory had become unstable.

Monsters that once appeared only in winter now emerged year-round, stretching the guards thin.

The disappearance of the first son Asellion and the absence of the second Demius had left a vacuum in leadership.

The weakened security had given the host an opportunity. It was how he had always operated, profiting in the gaps left by chaos.

After all, his target had been the Eisenhart Grand Duke himself.

Taking advantage of such a powerful man’s rare vulnerability must have been thrilling.

It could have even brought him new clients.

But still…

“Careless fool.”

The Duke clicked his tongue again, striking the armrest of his chair.

The Grand Duke of Eisenhart.

Seres von Eisenhart.

Though she had grown frail with age, she was not one to be underestimated.

Her politics might have been lacking, but her military prowess was among the greatest in the Empire.

And that stubborn sense of righteousness, how he despised it.

He had even crafted a plan to rein her in.

But recalling that now only left a sour taste in his mouth.

“Duke.”

A secretary entered and whispered something in his ear.

The Duke’s brow lifted, and then he laughed quietly.

“They dare try to bargain with me?”

“What shall I do?”

“Hmm.”

He stroked his mustache for a moment before answering curtly.

“Send them in.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The secretary bowed deeply and left.

Moments later, a small group entered the room. Their clothes, once fine, were now stained with dirt and dust, and their backs were slightly bent in nervousness.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace…”

“Get to the point.”

Gulp.

At his cold tone, the members of House Arke swallowed hard.

His sharp gaze swept over them slowly.

“You demanded a personal audience with me.”

Like a snake’s stare, his eyes made everyone shrink. Then, the corner of his mouth curved faintly.

“You must have brought news worth my time.”

“…”

One of them flinched.

The Grand Duke of Eisenhart was called a monster for a reason, but the pressure radiating from Duke Valenstein was of an entirely different nature.

It was the feeling of fangs brushing your throat.

“O-of course.”

A noblewoman among them finally spoke, forcing a brittle smile.

As expected, the eldest sister took the lead.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward her in tense expectation.

She moistened her lips, her tone softening as she began.

“Perhaps…”

Her gaze lowered, then lifted with quiet calculation.

“Have you heard of the engagement of the second son of Eisenhart, Demius?”