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'The Binding Magic was undone in just three days.'
Iana stared at her right hand, now glowing with a blue light, her face etched with shock.
"Mule, I'll go get the Archmage."
Charles, equally surprised, hurried out of the room.
Iana was left alone to reflect on the events of the day.
She hadn't felt anger or fear.
She had been annoyed by Carrion's visit to the stables, but not angry, and Riel throwing Ru was already a day old.
'There was nothing that could have increased my magical power enough to break the Binding Magic...'
Bang-.
A moment later, Charles and Mule came in together.
Mule, looking alarmed, examined Iana's hand and said,
"What on earth is going on?"
"I don't know either. I definitely didn't feel any anger or fear."
"Well, you need to be investigated immediately, so I'll cast the Binding Magic again."
Mule chanted a small incantation, and the Binding Magic was cast. Fortunately, the blue light disappeared from Iana's right hand.
Charles said to Iana with a worried expression.
"Refusing to cooperate with the investigation itself can be a crime, so just show your face to the investigation team."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I will arrange for you not to be investigated for too long."
Iana nodded and was about to go out the door when the blue light flared up again on her right hand.
"⋯⋯!"
Everyone stared at her hand in astonishment.
"It seems my Binding Magic no longer works on you."
"Archmage, what do we do now?"
Iana's mind went blank.
If her magical power was exposed like this, Marcel might do anything as a consequence of her failure to fulfill the promise.
"Archmage Mule, is there really no way?"
Charles, also anxious, pressed Mule for an answer.
"There is one way, but..."
Mule trailed off with a dark look on his face, and Iana said urgently,
"Tell me. I'll do anything."
"It's something that could cost you your life."
"⋯⋯!"
Iana and Charles' eyes widened.
Mule continued in a chilling voice.
"Magical power is like a dark desire. It will constantly try to control you, as it is now, and it will always be looking for a chance to devour you."
"M-Magical power?"
Iana looked at the blue light with a frightened expression.
"I was hoping you would calmly look back on yourself and learn how to control your magical power on your own..."
"⋯⋯."
"Raise your magical power to the maximum and fight it. With the determination that it's either eat or be eaten."
"How?"
"The teachings I can give you end here."
Mule's attitude was firm.
Knock knock.
At that moment, a senior royal guard urgently opened the door and said,
"Your Highness, the investigation team knows that Iana is back and is searching the Ducal Palace thoroughly."
"Shall we go out of the Ducal Palace through the secret passage?"
Charles shook his head at Iana's words.
"Going outside in this state is also risky."
"Then what do we do?"
Iana looked down at her right hand, which was glowing with blue light.
"A place that even the Emperor's investigation team can't search recklessly."
"Where is that?"
Iana asked, and Charles said firmly,
"Let's go. To my bedroom."
✦ ✦ ✦
Meanwhile, Riel was sitting face to face with Karen, a healer from the Ducal Palace, conducting an investigation.
Behind them, Carrion listened to their conversation with his arms crossed.
Karen held out a container of Medicinal herb and said,
"Ervin has many high-altitude areas, so many people have breathing problems."
"⋯⋯."
"Your Highness has also learned medicine, so he saw Iana's symptoms at the time and told her about it. He told her to come to Ervin for treatment."
"Medicine?"
Carrion twisted his lips in a sneer.
"So this medicine wasn't paid for from the royal guard's operating expenses?"
"Yes."
Riel, who had been listening quietly, asked a question.
"I heard it's a precious Medicinal herb, so who paid for Iana's medicine and treatment?"
"That's..."
The eyes of the healer, who had been speaking calmly, flickered slightly.
'She probably didn't think this would be a problem.'
A faint smile spread across Riel's lips. She began to pressure Karen to get the answer she wanted.
"Don't say that Grand Duke Ervin showed his kindness because he was grateful that you stayed at Count Dietrian's estate. If it was such a simple act of kindness, it would make sense to tell the Count first."
"⋯⋯."
Karen was silent.
"If you're going to answer that Marquess Rechelles paid for it, the amount has to be the same. Oh, and just in case you were going to coordinate your stories, I sent an investigator to the Rechelles family in advance."
'No matter what you answer, you can't escape my scheme.'
Riel thought as she watched Karen struggle.
If she answered that Grand Duke Ervin paid for Iana's treatment, she could be tied to evidence of an affair, and if she answered that Iana did, she could be tied to embezzling funds from the Dietrian family.
Perhaps noticing this, the healer Karen hesitated, and Carrion drew his sword and held it to her neck.
"I, I know that Your Highness paid for it."
Karen, frightened, answered as if confessing.
Evidence of an affair.
Riel looked at Carrion with an expression that said she had secured a piece of evidence.
Carrion said with a resentful face.
"It's very strange to pay for the treatment of a woman who clearly has a husband."
"Count, shouldn't we check whether the healer's words are true or not?"
Riel gave Carrion a look, and Carrion gave orders to the Imperial Army.
"Bring Iana here as soon as possible."
✦ ✦ ✦
The narrow secret passage stretched on for a long time.
Iana, cloaked, moved with Charles to the main castle.
"There was a place like this here."
"There are many battles in Ervin, so many secret passages are built underground."
Creak-.
After a while, they reached Charles' bedroom in the main castle.
His bedroom was neat and tidy. There was a large bed, a sofa, and a small closet.
Then, below the window, she saw the rabbit cage where Ru was.
"Ru!"
"Karen said she was going to be investigated, so I brought Ru here. Just in case something else happens."
"Thank you."
Charles stood silently by the window, watching the movements of the Imperial Army.
As Iana approached the rabbit cage, Ru struggled as if asking to be taken out.
She squatted down in front of him and soothed Ru.
"Ru, I can't take you out right now."
As if understanding her, Ru stopped moving and ate the hay quietly.
'Why is this happening?'
Iana looked at her right hand, where the fire spread was appearing.
It was different from when the fire spread had occurred before.
At that time, the blue light clearly appeared and disappeared repeatedly, but now the blue light had not disappeared for over an hour.
Charles, who had been staring out the window, said with a sharp look.
"They're searching the Spire and now they seem to be coming to the main castle."
"Did they get some kind of excuse?"
"I don't know. It seems the investigation team has locked Karen up and blocked contact."
Iana was lost in thought at Charles' words. Then he suddenly spoke.
"Still, it's a relief."
"Yes?"
"The last time the Binding Magic was undone, you had a fever and were in a lot of pain, weren't you? Are you okay now?"
Charles reached out to touch Iana's forehead.
She reflexively stepped back.
Charles might have just been trying to see if Iana was in pain. But for some reason, Iana became conscious of even Charles' smallest actions.
When he had touched her cheek in the underground room, telling her that she was pretty, her heart had fluttered at his worried gaze, and her heart had raced at his comforting touch.
It might just be Charles' human affection, with his kind nature.
"⋯⋯!"
His hand remained in the air.
A silence flowed in the atmosphere, as if rejecting his touch.
Iana tried to change the awkward atmosphere and spoke.
"I'm, I'm okay. I don't have a fever."
"⋯⋯."
Charles lowered his hand silently.
"I'll try to do what the Archmage told me to do over there."
Iana took a seat in a corner of the room.
"Then I'll go out for a while and check on the situation."
Charles quietly left the room.
"Raise your magical power to the maximum and fight it."
Iana tried to draw out her anger, recalling Mule's words.
But the blue light that appeared on her right hand did not grow.
How much time had passed? As darkness fell outside the window, the blue light on Iana's right hand shone even brighter.
"Get out of the way!"
Suddenly, a commotion was heard beyond the window.
Iana looked at the entrance of the main castle from behind the curtains.
The Imperial Army and the Ducal Palace royal guards were facing off fiercely.
Bang-.
Then the door opened and Charles came in.
"It seems the investigation team has noticed that you're in the main castle."
"Yes?"
Iana was lost in thought when Charles began to take off his top.
"⋯⋯!"
Iana was startled and turned away.
"I'm sorry. I'm going to pretend that I woke up drunk."
Charles put on a gown and opened a bottle of alcohol and drank it. Then he came to her and reached out his hand as if asking for permission.
"Take hold of me."
The moment Iana took his hand, Charles swept her up into his arms. Perhaps because he had been drinking, his body was hot against hers. Embarrassed by this, Iana couldn't even meet his eyes until Charles put her up in the closet.
Knock knock.
A senior royal guard's voice was heard beyond the door.
"Your Highness, the investigation team is coming."
Iana watched the situation unfold through the crack in the closet door.
Was he trying to make it look like the bed had been used? Charles ruffled the blankets on the bed and put something inside. Then he placed Ru's rabbit cage next to the bed.
'What is Your Highness doing?'
After a while, a commotion was heard beyond the door.
Charles opened the door, looking drunk.
"Count Dietrian, what's going on here?"
"Where is Iana now?"
Carrion glared fiercely at Charles and asked.
"I wonder. Where could Iana be?"
"Then allow me."
"⋯⋯."
"To check Your Highness' bedroom."
Iana stared at her right hand, now glowing with a blue light, her face etched with shock.
"Mule, I'll go get the Archmage."
Charles, equally surprised, hurried out of the room.
Iana was left alone to reflect on the events of the day.
She hadn't felt anger or fear.
She had been annoyed by Carrion's visit to the stables, but not angry, and Riel throwing Ru was already a day old.
'There was nothing that could have increased my magical power enough to break the Binding Magic...'
Bang-.
A moment later, Charles and Mule came in together.
Mule, looking alarmed, examined Iana's hand and said,
"What on earth is going on?"
"I don't know either. I definitely didn't feel any anger or fear."
"Well, you need to be investigated immediately, so I'll cast the Binding Magic again."
Mule chanted a small incantation, and the Binding Magic was cast. Fortunately, the blue light disappeared from Iana's right hand.
Charles said to Iana with a worried expression.
"Refusing to cooperate with the investigation itself can be a crime, so just show your face to the investigation team."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I will arrange for you not to be investigated for too long."
Iana nodded and was about to go out the door when the blue light flared up again on her right hand.
"⋯⋯!"
Everyone stared at her hand in astonishment.
"It seems my Binding Magic no longer works on you."
"Archmage, what do we do now?"
Iana's mind went blank.
If her magical power was exposed like this, Marcel might do anything as a consequence of her failure to fulfill the promise.
"Archmage Mule, is there really no way?"
Charles, also anxious, pressed Mule for an answer.
"There is one way, but..."
Mule trailed off with a dark look on his face, and Iana said urgently,
"Tell me. I'll do anything."
"It's something that could cost you your life."
"⋯⋯!"
Iana and Charles' eyes widened.
Mule continued in a chilling voice.
"Magical power is like a dark desire. It will constantly try to control you, as it is now, and it will always be looking for a chance to devour you."
"M-Magical power?"
Iana looked at the blue light with a frightened expression.
"I was hoping you would calmly look back on yourself and learn how to control your magical power on your own..."
"⋯⋯."
"Raise your magical power to the maximum and fight it. With the determination that it's either eat or be eaten."
"How?"
"The teachings I can give you end here."
Mule's attitude was firm.
Knock knock.
At that moment, a senior royal guard urgently opened the door and said,
"Your Highness, the investigation team knows that Iana is back and is searching the Ducal Palace thoroughly."
"Shall we go out of the Ducal Palace through the secret passage?"
Charles shook his head at Iana's words.
"Going outside in this state is also risky."
"Then what do we do?"
Iana looked down at her right hand, which was glowing with blue light.
"A place that even the Emperor's investigation team can't search recklessly."
"Where is that?"
Iana asked, and Charles said firmly,
"Let's go. To my bedroom."
✦ ✦ ✦
Meanwhile, Riel was sitting face to face with Karen, a healer from the Ducal Palace, conducting an investigation.
Behind them, Carrion listened to their conversation with his arms crossed.
Karen held out a container of Medicinal herb and said,
"Ervin has many high-altitude areas, so many people have breathing problems."
"⋯⋯."
"Your Highness has also learned medicine, so he saw Iana's symptoms at the time and told her about it. He told her to come to Ervin for treatment."
"Medicine?"
Carrion twisted his lips in a sneer.
"So this medicine wasn't paid for from the royal guard's operating expenses?"
"Yes."
Riel, who had been listening quietly, asked a question.
"I heard it's a precious Medicinal herb, so who paid for Iana's medicine and treatment?"
"That's..."
The eyes of the healer, who had been speaking calmly, flickered slightly.
'She probably didn't think this would be a problem.'
A faint smile spread across Riel's lips. She began to pressure Karen to get the answer she wanted.
"Don't say that Grand Duke Ervin showed his kindness because he was grateful that you stayed at Count Dietrian's estate. If it was such a simple act of kindness, it would make sense to tell the Count first."
"⋯⋯."
Karen was silent.
"If you're going to answer that Marquess Rechelles paid for it, the amount has to be the same. Oh, and just in case you were going to coordinate your stories, I sent an investigator to the Rechelles family in advance."
'No matter what you answer, you can't escape my scheme.'
Riel thought as she watched Karen struggle.
If she answered that Grand Duke Ervin paid for Iana's treatment, she could be tied to evidence of an affair, and if she answered that Iana did, she could be tied to embezzling funds from the Dietrian family.
Perhaps noticing this, the healer Karen hesitated, and Carrion drew his sword and held it to her neck.
"I, I know that Your Highness paid for it."
Karen, frightened, answered as if confessing.
Evidence of an affair.
Riel looked at Carrion with an expression that said she had secured a piece of evidence.
Carrion said with a resentful face.
"It's very strange to pay for the treatment of a woman who clearly has a husband."
"Count, shouldn't we check whether the healer's words are true or not?"
Riel gave Carrion a look, and Carrion gave orders to the Imperial Army.
"Bring Iana here as soon as possible."
✦ ✦ ✦
The narrow secret passage stretched on for a long time.
Iana, cloaked, moved with Charles to the main castle.
"There was a place like this here."
"There are many battles in Ervin, so many secret passages are built underground."
Creak-.
After a while, they reached Charles' bedroom in the main castle.
His bedroom was neat and tidy. There was a large bed, a sofa, and a small closet.
Then, below the window, she saw the rabbit cage where Ru was.
"Ru!"
"Karen said she was going to be investigated, so I brought Ru here. Just in case something else happens."
"Thank you."
Charles stood silently by the window, watching the movements of the Imperial Army.
As Iana approached the rabbit cage, Ru struggled as if asking to be taken out.
She squatted down in front of him and soothed Ru.
"Ru, I can't take you out right now."
As if understanding her, Ru stopped moving and ate the hay quietly.
'Why is this happening?'
Iana looked at her right hand, where the fire spread was appearing.
It was different from when the fire spread had occurred before.
At that time, the blue light clearly appeared and disappeared repeatedly, but now the blue light had not disappeared for over an hour.
Charles, who had been staring out the window, said with a sharp look.
"They're searching the Spire and now they seem to be coming to the main castle."
"Did they get some kind of excuse?"
"I don't know. It seems the investigation team has locked Karen up and blocked contact."
Iana was lost in thought at Charles' words. Then he suddenly spoke.
"Still, it's a relief."
"Yes?"
"The last time the Binding Magic was undone, you had a fever and were in a lot of pain, weren't you? Are you okay now?"
Charles reached out to touch Iana's forehead.
She reflexively stepped back.
Charles might have just been trying to see if Iana was in pain. But for some reason, Iana became conscious of even Charles' smallest actions.
When he had touched her cheek in the underground room, telling her that she was pretty, her heart had fluttered at his worried gaze, and her heart had raced at his comforting touch.
It might just be Charles' human affection, with his kind nature.
"⋯⋯!"
His hand remained in the air.
A silence flowed in the atmosphere, as if rejecting his touch.
Iana tried to change the awkward atmosphere and spoke.
"I'm, I'm okay. I don't have a fever."
"⋯⋯."
Charles lowered his hand silently.
"I'll try to do what the Archmage told me to do over there."
Iana took a seat in a corner of the room.
"Then I'll go out for a while and check on the situation."
Charles quietly left the room.
"Raise your magical power to the maximum and fight it."
Iana tried to draw out her anger, recalling Mule's words.
But the blue light that appeared on her right hand did not grow.
How much time had passed? As darkness fell outside the window, the blue light on Iana's right hand shone even brighter.
"Get out of the way!"
Suddenly, a commotion was heard beyond the window.
Iana looked at the entrance of the main castle from behind the curtains.
The Imperial Army and the Ducal Palace royal guards were facing off fiercely.
Bang-.
Then the door opened and Charles came in.
"It seems the investigation team has noticed that you're in the main castle."
"Yes?"
Iana was lost in thought when Charles began to take off his top.
"⋯⋯!"
Iana was startled and turned away.
"I'm sorry. I'm going to pretend that I woke up drunk."
Charles put on a gown and opened a bottle of alcohol and drank it. Then he came to her and reached out his hand as if asking for permission.
"Take hold of me."
The moment Iana took his hand, Charles swept her up into his arms. Perhaps because he had been drinking, his body was hot against hers. Embarrassed by this, Iana couldn't even meet his eyes until Charles put her up in the closet.
Knock knock.
A senior royal guard's voice was heard beyond the door.
"Your Highness, the investigation team is coming."
Iana watched the situation unfold through the crack in the closet door.
Was he trying to make it look like the bed had been used? Charles ruffled the blankets on the bed and put something inside. Then he placed Ru's rabbit cage next to the bed.
'What is Your Highness doing?'
After a while, a commotion was heard beyond the door.
Charles opened the door, looking drunk.
"Count Dietrian, what's going on here?"
"Where is Iana now?"
Carrion glared fiercely at Charles and asked.
"I wonder. Where could Iana be?"
"Then allow me."
"⋯⋯."
"To check Your Highness' bedroom."
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