Chapter 197: That Man's Trick (1)

"No. It would be unacceptable to go as the Grand Duke's troupe. Because it's going to be loud. We are going to create a suitable crime so as not to attract attention."

At that, I tilted my head.

"It's a bit strange, can the Grand Duke commit a crime and enter Kambrakam?"

"There will be some damage to his reputation, but that's okay. With a light charge, everyone would think so."

No matter how hard it looks, I don't have to worry as long as Hernim doesn't fall.

"Actually, if you look back at history, high-ranking nobles were sentenced to go there once. It's often used in a way of having distant relatives go instead of the Head of the family."

"They hire an agent?"

"Like everything in the world, this is also the case. Power."

For example, it is said that there are no clean people with money and power. Jaire, who had been talking up to this point, gave a perplexed expression for a moment.

"Excuse me. It wasn't something I could talk about in front of a lady."

"It doesn't matter."

Maybe it meant that I went to Kambrakam for the sins of my brother and my father, but it didn't matter. Because I didn't go for real sins.

"I went to Kambrakam because it seems like I didn't want to get involved in the fight between my father and my brother."

"Are you guessing?"

"Wasn't it right?"

As he was talking about this and that, Jaire stroked his chin. It was a face of less tension.

"Come to think of it, thinking of the basement in Kambrakam, an interesting fact has recently been discovered."

"Interesting facts?"

"Yes. A space to enter with His Excellency."

"It's a place where you go to break the curse."

"Yes. It was also the place where the Blue Rose could break all curses. At the same time....... They said it could move between dimensions."

At that moment I stopped.

"Dimension? That's sudden."

"Yes, it's a crazy topic for the average person, but it's been an interesting topic for wizards for a long time."

However, his lips were faithful to the conversation and continued to spit it out. Jaire said calmly as if he didn't feel anything strange.

"Isn't it interesting? I excluded it from the report because it has nothing to do with His Excellency."

He grinned.

"Isn't it fun to move between dimensions or someone comes by just memorizing ancient spells?"

He always said nonsense, but...... It was a story I could never overlook. After all, this world was not mine.

"It's a story I want to study someday. If there is peace."

It was true.

I woke up one day in the prison.

"I see."

I kept my lips shut.

In fact, I didn't pay any attention to how I woke up there. It wasn't that I didn't put an effort, but it was close to not having it. As soon as I opened my eyes, I was busy adapting.

Besides, after I got used to it, I thought it wouldn't matter. It's already happened, so to know why, I wouldn't be able to go back anyway. That's why I didn't really care what kind of person Iana was or what family it was.

I was just thinking about living a good life in the future.

'I think that was a mistake.'

Kambrakam, the Blue Rose, and me.

Could this really be irrelevant?

In order to do this kind of movement, a dimensional movement, in Kambrakam...... was said to require great power to execute this ancient spell. It's not usually huge, but it requires a very, very, very large amount of power. It was said so in an ancient text.

"Jaire, if you want to use that spell."

"Yes? Are you talking about dimensional movement? It seems that the Miss was also interested."

"Yes. Let's say that. Except for breaking Ricdorian's magic. Is that spell only available for the Blue Roses?"

Jaire blinked and smiled, saying he didn't expect to be asked such a question by the Miss.

"In conclusion, this may not have to be a blue rose."

"Then......."

"But, like I said, it requires tremendous power."

"How much?"

"Even though a single rose has great power, it is not enough. It's a strength that one person can never have enough."

After Jaire finished his explanation, he was silent for a moment. He was looking out the window. A serious expression on his face was telling me. We were not far away from the destination.

"Not much time left."

I nodded. But my thought was still stuck in the story he told me. Looking out the window, the forest was not clear. It sounds like we still have time to think.

'Think.'

Let's assume

What if I had come through a dimension shift? What if someone executed such a spell in Kambrakam? Then who is that person?

Tak, tak, tak, tak.

The wheel of the carriage spins wildly. The wheels in my head also turned violently. Finally, the wheels in my head coincided with where I was heading.

Let's dig a little deeper, let's assume.

'Iana''s heart stopped.

If someone used a spell to save Iana. What if it was possible for that spell to summon another soul and awaken an empty body?

Even though it was full of logical leaps, for some reason I didn't seem to have chosen the wrong answer.

My sense was speaking.

The person who used that spell was 'Chaser'.

At the same time, the carriage stopped. I stopped all my thoughts and looked up.

"Then it's time to go, Miss."

There was a large magic circle where the door opened and I followed Jaire's guidance. It was probably a magic circle that would take me to a familiar place. I quietly headed towards the middle of the magic circle. It had already been discussed. Just as I stopped in the middle, a huge wind blew.

Jaire stood at the edge.

"Then I hope you take care of yourself."

"...... Jaire, too."

A blue light enveloped my body. The magic used by wizards is blue. It was a different light from the translucent color like the ocean emanating from the blue rose I had only seen once.

When I closed and opened my eyes, I saw a familiar mansion in front of me. It was the Domulit mansion.

I took a deep breath and started walking.

Back to the mansion.

***

The mansion standing tall in front of me was nothing different from before. Of course, how much time passed and whether there was any change, it was surprisingly the same.

I've only seen the appearance of this mansion twice.

When I entered this mansion after being released from Kambrakam, and when I got on the carriage to go to the Imperial Castle. Of course, there was that time when I sneaked to Schirmela, but I couldn't see the window because I was hiding, so let's make an exception.

Once again, I was struck by my situation.

I couldn't even take a single step outside. I laid down my eyes. A small laugh leaked out.

'It's not that I didn't know. I turned a blind eye to it.'

It was enough to ring the bell to enter the mansion that I came back to. Of course, I didn't really ring the bell, and it was enough to call a nearby knight and show my face.

I walked along with Chaser's elite men who had rushed out. The destination they were guiding was clear. I walked surrounded by them in a circle as if I was a prisoner, but looking at their faces, the word 'accomplishment' was never suited for me. I don't know if it's something an actor who suffers from extreme fans would know.

'It seems that the boundaries are getting stronger.'

Not that it wasn't, but the security in the mansion was strict. At the funeral of the former Duke Domulit, or when I wandered around with chains, it didn't seem like this...... A large door opened before my eyes, and I was finally reunited with the person I was looking for.

"...... What's going on?"

Chaser was lying on the sofa. He said without looking. Of course, there was a slight annoyance in that voice. Chaser's voice was irritated, so it felt quite fresh. Because he was the man who never had a negative voice in front of me.

And, the room I was guided to...... it was expected that it would be my room in a way.

I burst into laughter.

"You don't even notice that the Blue Rose is nearby, do you?"

At my words, Chaser paused. He also stood up for a moment.

"Iana?"

I was startled.

Is this man really the man I knew? He was a man who was ascetic only in appearance. The messy appearance was not fresh and even unfamiliar. Chaser's shirt buttons were not fastened and more than half were untied. Chaser ruffled his matted hair, and frowned.

"Another fantasy?"

"It's not a fantasy."

"Everyone's fantasies are like that."

He was a little skinny. It made him look sharper.

"I said it wasn't a fantasy."

A delicate smile flowed from between the wrinkled frown lines. Chaser smiled, half covering his face.

"It's a very convenient ability, but sometimes it gets annoying."

Between his fingers, his red eyes gleamed low like that of a beast. Along with madness, something incomprehensible murmured.

"Even those who use it brainwash themselves."

"......."

"I was just muttering that I wanted to see you. Iana."

Instead of being scared, I stared at him. This is what I saw countless times when he caught people like rats. Of course, it was only natural that those people were the ones who harmed or were meant to harm me. Because he was extremely sensitive to my dangers.

"Well, it doesn't matter."

The anger slowly subsided from Chaser's face. The subsided madness disappeared in a smile. And all that remained was the soft face I was familiar with. He walked over and raised his hand. His hands went down softly and grabbed my cheeks. It was a careful hand as if handling a fragile and precious thing.

"If only I could see you, what would it matter, Iana?"

His fingers ran down my cheek. His eyes twitched. It was a smile full of temptation, like a devil's smile.

'Hey, you're crazy.'

Whether I was real or not, he should have noticed right away when he saw his men. The door has already been closed, and the subordinate has been out for a long time, but not recognizing this....... Could he be anything but crazy? He was a man who pursued perfection above all else, so he was unfamiliar and strange.

What's more, there was black shadow under Chaser's eyes. He hadn't slept so much that I could see the bloodline bursts on his whites. The problem is that these factors did not tarnish the beauty, but rather only made him look more decadent and sensitive.

On top of that, he was half naked, his buttons unbuttoned, and there was nowhere to put my eyes. I've seen Ricdorian with only his loose shirt, but Chaser is different.

The shock and ripple effect was greater when a person who had been stubborn had it released. Thinking that far, I sighed. No, what else am I thinking up to here?

"Excuse me, brother."

I wiped my face. I admitted that what I had decided to do was overshadowed by the visual.

"I am real."

It was foolish to say such a thing. I can't believe I'm doing this to this man who is not someone else and was so good and playing with people's heads that there's no one else to compare with.

"Yes, Iana."

Chaser smiled languidly as he grabbed my hand. It was the laughter of a predator.

"It's very easy to tell if it's real or not."

"...... Huh?"

Chaser's shadow fell over my face. As soon as I blinked, Chaser turned his head.

I could feel the sweet scent on my face in front of me. It's a scent I remember....... It was the scent I felt in Domulit's black rose garden.

"If I kiss you, won't the fantasy remain?"