“I didn’t expect something so horrific to happen in the forest, but since it occurred due to my request, I will take responsibility. Charlotte will be placed under house arrest and barred from attending any social gatherings. Compensation will be provided to the families of the deceased.”
The Marquess carefully skirted around the actual events in the forest. He made no mention of Aster wielding corrupt power, nor of Charlotte’s involvement in it, so Seiyad brought the matter up directly.
“You’re trying to brush off what happened in broad daylight far too easily. But you must know better than anyone that this can’t be swept under the rug. What I witnessed in the forest was an eerie power I’ve never seen before. The Marquess’s daughter was commanding a monster that couldn’t possibly be called a Nir’a, and it not only offered people as sacrifices but also manipulated them to threaten me. For such power to be in the hands of Charlotte Saklani can only mean that your house is involved with devils.”
The moment the word devil was uttered, the Marquess’s faint smile vanished. He rubbed his meticulously trimmed mustache for a brief moment, then gave an order to the attendants in an even tone.
“That’s enough. You are dismissed—wait outside.”
The attendants carrying the hors d’oeuvres all withdrew in unison. As the hall’s doors closed, the once-busy room fell into a tense silence. Stella took a sip of the wine in front of her, then continued where Seiyad had left off.
“The kingdom’s been in turmoil all summer because of devils. There are signs that a sealed devil from ancient legend has slipped into the royal palace, and His Majesty is paying close attention. If he learns that such signs have appeared in the Marquess’s territory… who knows how he’ll respond.”
“It’s true that Charlotte was involved in an unfortunate incident, but tying that to devils… you may have gone too far.”
Though his smile had faded, the Marquess hadn’t lost his composure. Still, he cast another glance toward Ressas, as if confirming a prior agreement. Sensing his intentions, Seiyad looked across the room—and their eyes met.
Ressas didn’t appear ready to speak. His lips were sealed, his gaze locked on Seiyad with a face so beautiful and gentle, it stirred a deep desire to know what he was thinking. A gnawing thirst rose up within him, and Seiyad followed Stella’s lead, picking up his wine glass. Keeping his eyes locked with Ressas, he slowly brought the glass to his lips as he organized his thoughts.
“There are plenty of witnesses, Saklani. Even if you deny it, you can’t silence the mouths and ears of the dozens of locals who saw what happened. The rumors are already spreading. We’ll protect the witnesses from today. No matter how rich or powerful a house may be, once they’re tied to a devil, they’ll always end up losing something. The Shildras family should’ve taught you that well enough.”
The Marquess remained silent. As his green eyes cooled into a chill, Ressas finally opened his mouth.
“I’ll make sure that nothing said in this room leaks outside. So acknowledge the truth and speak of the promise you made. The one you’re dealing with is Tither. For the sake of national stability, it’s necessary—stop the pointless pretense.”
Unlike the serene demeanor he showed in front of Seiyad, Ressas’s voice now held an elegant, icy edge. The command carried an eerie weight that made the listener’s skin crawl. The Marquess sighed deeply, his tone a mix of frustration and defeat as he finally spoke.
“His Highness Aster wasn’t always like this. I don’t know when this dormant power awakened, but his temperament grew increasingly violent in recent days, leading to what happened today. I merely served the Crown Prince I had always pledged my loyalty to.”
“You’re using the wrong title.”
Given that the moment the sword was retrieved, the title of Crown Prince would pass to Ressas, the Marquess’s insistence on calling Aster by that title grated on Seiyad. Upon being corrected, the Marquess briefly regarded him, then muttered with a gaze clouded by conflicted emotions.
“You’ve changed, Your Grace. You were once so devoted to His Highness Aster.”
“I simply found a sovereign who treats me properly.”
Not just a sovereign—his guide, and the one who would become his lover. Stella noticed the slight softening in his previously cold expression and smiled faintly.
“…In any case, I’ve lost much as well. Out of consideration for my child, I tried to maintain my loyalty to His Highness, but in the end, I lost my other child. That is why I agreed to cooperate with Prince Ressas on this matter. So I ask that all of you keep what happened today strictly confidential.”
Losing his “other child”—just as Charlotte had said—meant that her brother, Cedric the Young Marquess, had been the monster. Was he really no longer a Nir’a? The idea that a devil could twist a human in such a way left Seiyad with a bitter unease, prompting him to ask.
“The creature in the forest—was that the Young Marquess?”
The Marquess of Saklani pressed his lips shut. His face darkened with anguish, and after tightly closing his eyes, he asked Seiyad:
“Did you end his life without pain?”
“…Yes.”
“Then that’s enough. Yes, he was my son. Whatever dwells within His Highness Aster knows full well how to turn men into the devils’ thralls.”
“Then why did you send the Young Marquess into such a thing?”
“…By all rights, my son should’ve died years ago in a hunting accident. But His Highness saved him. I thought it a miracle that such healing could be granted even to ordinary people, but now I see—it was an act of planting something strange inside him.”
That revelation hit Seiyad like a blow. Something utterly unforeseeable. Yet Ressas showed no reaction, clearly already aware. Even Stella looked genuinely shocked. The Marquess sighed once more, then got to the heart of the matter.
“Nothing is more futile than the tales of the dead. So I’ll tell you what His Highness wished to know. Aster currently resides between the Bridehit territory in the west and the capital. He’s planning to bring down the royal palace soon. You’d do well to act quickly. The most you have is ten days.”
So that was what Ressas had been after—Aster’s whereabouts. If anyone close to him, like the Marquess of Saklani, were to know, it would be him. Perhaps this was the bargain they’d struck.
It was valuable information. Even without an exact location, knowing Aster’s intent allowed them to take the lead. The idea of attacking the royal palace echoed in Seiyad’s mind, bringing forth the vision he had once seen in the past.
The image of Ressas standing alone in the ruins of a fallen palace, sword in hand, flashed through Seiyad’s mind, sending a cold shiver down his spine. Even in the past, that vision had always left him unsettled, but now, with his emotions fully realized, it filled him with a fear sharp enough to twist his stomach. The sight of him facing a massive serpent all alone felt like a looming reality rather than a distant possibility. Seiyad furrowed his brows and made up his mind. No matter what happened, he would not leave Ressas alone.
“So you knew all this, yet continued helping His Highness Aster?”
As Seiyad collected his thoughts, Stella rebuked the Marquess with a look of horror. He answered her with a resigned expression that suggested he had long given up on many things.
“Because it didn’t pose any harm to my position.”
“So you were preparing to commit treason?”
“Under ordinary circumstances, His Highness Aster was to ascend the throne. Regaining a rightful claim can hardly be considered treason.”
“Then why the sudden change of heart?”
In response to Stella’s persistent questioning, the Marquess glanced at Ressas and gave an answer that was, in its way, quintessentially him.
“Because a good merchant understands the tides of the world. I at least have enough sense to know who now holds the upper hand. And besides…”
The Marquess cast his gaze briefly toward the window, in the direction of the forest, then sighed bitterly.
“I don’t wish to become a father who has lost two children.”
With that, he wiped his untouched lips with a white cloth napkin.
“There’s no time to waste. I suggest you all move swiftly. As agreed with His Highness Ressas, I will head to the capital first and report everything concerning His Highness Aster directly to His Majesty.”
There was a distinct difference between mere rumors pointing at Aster and his closest ally, the Marquess of Saklani, turning his back on him and testifying. If Ressas had orchestrated this scenario, it would make the next step in taking down Aster much smoother.
It was impressive, even admirable, how quickly Ressas had negotiated all this. A wave of affection swelled within Seiyad—he wanted to caress him, hold him close, right then and there. He took another sip of wine, just as he had before.
At that, Ressas’s violet eyes briefly flicked toward him, laced with a hint of worry. Something was clearly bothering him. Seiyad opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Ressas let out a small sigh and turned away. Then he spoke to the Marquess.
“Be ready by tonight. At dawn, you’ll accompany me to the capital.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Then, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave. I’m sure the three of you will prefer my absence. I’ll send in the attendants to finish serving the meal. Good day.”
Though both Seiyad and Stella felt the urge to hold the Marquess accountable for his crimes, they didn’t stop him. The truth was, he was still useful. Politics was, after all, a game of interests and negotiations. Still, for someone like Seiyad who wasn’t used to such dealings, the situation felt oddly foreign.
But what truly unsettled him was Ressas’s declaration that he’d be heading to the capital at dawn. Seiyad decided to address it head-on.
“Your Highness, you mean to depart tomorrow morning?”
“That’s right. The devil likely suspects the Marquess’s betrayal. I need to protect our witness and make sure he keeps his word.”
“Then we’ll prepare to depart in the morning as well.”
“No. The Duke of Vetria will be accompanying me. You have a different task. Return to the North and investigate the forest. From what we’ve seen, the most likely place for the ‘Holy Death’ to appear is the Forest of Night. With your power, you should be able to enter the forest alone and retrieve the sword.”
Ressas had unexpectedly separated Seiyad from the rest of the group. He knew about the sword and understood its importance, but the abrupt order in such a situation left Seiyad momentarily stunned.
He looked at Ressas, as if to ask whether he truly meant it. Ressas caught the suspicion in his furrowed brows and reaffirmed his reasoning.
“The Duke of Vetria confirmed that no Nir’a remain in her forest. The same goes for the western regions. Over the summer, I surveyed the western forests with Duke Bridehit. Like the Vetria forest, they were empty. Which means the northern forest is the most secure place left to hide the sword.”
Even after hearing that explanation, Seiyad continued to gaze steadily at Ressas. Despite the impropriety, Ressas didn’t react with anger. Instead, his pale face softened into startled concern. Stella, caught between them, sipped her wine and silently watched.
After carefully gathering his thoughts, Seiyad finally made his decision. Breaking the silence like a blade slicing through ice, he spoke in a low voice.
“If I ride without rest, I can reach the North in two days. And if Count Miriam dispatches someone from the palace, I can return from the North to the capital in less than half a day.”
Stella and Ressas both blinked, startled by the sudden calculation. Seiyad, having completed his mental arithmetic, declared firmly:
“Which means even if Your Highness travels to the North with me and returns, we’ll still have time. While the Marquess’s safety is important, retrieving the sword is our top priority—and for that, I need you.”
