#40
At the far entrance of the banquet hall with its high ceiling and hanging chandeliers. People entering through door gaps that opened and closed quietly enough not to attract attention.
Groups of three or four wearing black robes carved with strange patterns, filing in.
They kept their heads down as if not wanting to draw gazes. The hem of their robes was designed to barely graze the floor, and each of their movements was unified without an inch of wavering.
‘Half-demons.’
That word automatically surfaced in my mind. A reaction as if blood was flowing backward. With mana faintly wavering now, just the fact that they were near me made my wariness reach extreme levels.
Yes, before my regression, they had arrived the moment Sercil revealed himself as a fairy and began targeting him.
They moved secretly while selecting targets, and no one noticed until battle broke out. Even when Sercil’s identity was revealed, most nobles regarded them as mere supporting characters. But ultimately, they were the most dangerous ones.
Such people were approaching the Archduke.
The flow was strange. Their movements were by no means random. Even within the plaza that was the ballroom, they were moving with clear objectives and trajectories.
Very secretly.
Not even footsteps could be heard. At a distance invisible to ordinary people’s eyes, they were changing positions as if seeping into the Archduke’s surroundings.
‘Wait.’
At that point, my brain hesitated.
Why the Archduke?
Not Ersen Mayer, not Crown Prince Theodore, not Sercil—but Archduke Rodias?
It might simply be coincidence that they were heading toward where the Archduke was, just passing by to get to their own seats, but something felt ominous.
My heart unconsciously began beating rapidly. When I closed my eyes once and opened them, my vision shook blurrily.
Something always happens when I get this feeling.
Premonitions always came this way, and I always regretted ignoring them. In the past, and in the original story too.
Don’t they say ominous premonitions are often accurate?
Those words weren’t passed down for nothing. That sensation was close to survival instinct.
So I need to go—I need to go.
I tried to move my legs, but my body wouldn’t follow. My knees swayed and shook, and my vision tilted toward the floor. The moment I tried to lift my gaze to look toward the Archduke again, my eyes blurred.
“Ersen?”
Eventually, Theodore hyung caught and supported me as I collapsed, calling my name.
Hyung’s hand slipped under my arm. Strong, firm touch. I could feel the temperature.
Since mana depletion symptoms were already worsening, the Rosie was more fatal to me than expected.
Pain felt from deep within my organs was gradually spreading. My breathing cut off and resumed, and my ears felt slightly dazed.
When I couldn’t answer and was enduring while swallowing the blood rising up,
I felt the iron scent rising from inside my throat. The sensation of blood trying to come up through my esophagus. Hot energy swirled at the tip of my tongue.
The young lady approached one step as if she’d been waiting and spoke.
Her steps came slowly, but at very determined angles and timing. She approached not by pushing through gaps between people, but as if she’d been watching from the side.
“His Highness the Second Prince seems to be feeling unwell. His complexion…”
Her voice was gentle, but it was a tone as if confirming something. As if saying ‘Yes, I knew this level of reaction would come.’
“Ersen, why are you suddenly like this? Wait, you’re bleeding!”
Theodore hyung’s voice became urgent.
“Hyung, my tongue, hyung.”
I became short of breath. I barely swallowed the blood that filled my mouth.
I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with this for today.
When I closed and opened my eyes, I was still holding onto my reason. But I didn’t think I could endure much longer.
Trying not to show the nobles my vomiting blood, I turned my head toward hyung and pointed toward the Archduke with my finger.
Squeezing all my strength into my fingertips, just once—I wanted to convey at least that direction.
Theodore hyung, who quickly scanned that direction, frowned deeply.
He was wordless, brief, but had an expression that clearly understood the situation.
“Tch.”
After the short sound of tongue-clicking, he immediately moved his body.
He signaled toward the Archduke with his eyes, then lifted me up as I was.
Marcus hyung was there too, so whatever happened, that should be enough.
When my thoughts reached that point, I felt somewhat relieved. Marcus hyung was skilled at instinctively sensing situations despite appearances, and above all was thorough about responsibilities he undertook. Just having him beside the Archduke secured at least a minimum defense line in case something happened right now.
Lady Marsien, who had been showing subtle amusement while looking at me, opened her eyes wide with a hardened face.
Her pupils shook minutely, and all the muscles in her face hardened firmly. Just moments before, she had been leisurely lowering her gaze with a smile. The moment Crown Prince Theodore carried the Second Prince in his arms and left the ballroom—all those plans and balance had been shaken.
She probably hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to personally carry me.
Actions in noble society represent positions. The act of the Crown Prince personally carrying a prince has weight in itself. A scene impossible without emotional intimacy. The young lady probably hadn’t anticipated the ripple effects this scene would create.
‘Too bad.’
I should have drawn out more of this reaction. Even in my fading consciousness, one very short and clear regret lingered in my mind.
Though it leaves more traces than fear magic, Rosie poison is also difficult to detect unless someone sensitive to mana was watching her closely.
Most nobles are ignorant about black magic and only have awareness of formal magical schools. Rosie doesn’t leave external evidence that ‘someone used magic.’ Symptoms occur purely within the target, and to those without mana, it could just be considered indigestion or tension.
Even if things flowed toward me being nearly poisoned, she wouldn’t receive any punishment for it.
There’s no evidence. In noble society, it’s impossible to hold someone legally responsible based only on the victim’s words. Unless someone dies or faints in a public setting, ‘suspicions’ just become rumors.
‘Still, this would be the beginning.’
Exactly this much. Just this much was sufficient. That she first used black magic on me, that it failed, that I was aware of it. And that she knew this fact.
Having been marked by her, it was certain she would continue attempting black magic at levels that wouldn’t kill me.
First attempts always appear in the most cautious and restrained forms. She’s the type who can’t move boldly without confidence. Then the next would appear much more blatant and less refined than now.
Then I would also become the target of things the half-demons do in cooperation with her going forward.
Having already seen half-demons approaching around the Archduke, the possibility of their connection with Marsien couldn’t be excluded. Rather, it seemed natural. Half-demons are notorious for leaving no traces while simultaneously being skilled at secretly extending their influence.
That level would be mission accomplished.
This ball had gained meaning beyond a simple event. Information, positions, reactions, and future directions. Everything was contained in this occasion.
“Ugh, huh.”
Though I closed my mouth, faint groans leaked out. The feeling of blood rising again. Even as my insides emptied, I could feel my stomach contracting.
“Don’t lose consciousness. I’ll call for — immediately.”
Hyung’s voice was quiet yet firm. As if trying to distribute my weight more stably while holding me, he adjusted his posture to maintain balance.
Unable to continue thinking, I buried my face against hyung’s chest and coughed up a handful of blood with a “Cough!”
The wind swirled slightly around us and stopped.
The blood had temperature. When it pooled in my mouth and burst out, the lukewarm feeling swept down my throat and chin. The wind was quiet. The crowds and lighting of the ballroom disappeared for a moment, and now it felt like a disconnected space.
When I barely managed to check with my hazy consciousness, the surroundings had changed.
The ceiling decorations and wall patterns were different. When I slowly turned my head, curtained windows and bookcases came into view.
And after a moment.
Something touched my lips, and a clear-feeling liquid flowed into my mouth.
Neither cold nor hot, a gentle sensation. It slowly soaked through, moistening my lips.
“Your Highness! Quickly, you must drink at least a sip!”
Sercil’s voice.
His voice was trembling, with urgency seeping into his words. His hands were gentle, but there was force in his motion of tilting the cup.
Then this must be His Highness Theodore’s office.
Spaces that could be reached this quickly were limited. Passages directly connected from the banquet hall, VIP rooms, and the Crown Prince’s office space.
Sercil would have been waiting there.
There was nothing strange about it. He, who had been assisting me, would have been somewhere nearby throughout the ball.
When I unconsciously swallowed the liquid being given, the hot flames raging inside seemed to subside just a little.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
