Three questions allowed for today.
There was a lot I wanted to ask. The only limitation was the number of opportunities.
‘So I have to be as careful as possible…’
Sitting on the experiment table, I let out a low groan. Nox didn’t rush me, waiting patiently as I deliberated.
What’s gotten into him? That grumpy magician.
The conversation earlier had already given me a good amount of information. If I also factored in the conversation I secretly overheard last night, then the mages currently active in the North were…
“‘Hollow Wraith,’ ‘Drowned Corpse,’ ‘Undertaker,’ and ‘White Phantom.’”
Nox, wearing his monocle, kept his usual unreadable smile. It was hard to tell if he was pleased, wary, surprised—or maybe even harboring murderous intent.
But it didn’t matter. If I was curious about something, I’d ask directly, and if I didn’t get an answer, I’d find it myself.
“These four mages are considered the core of the Northern Mage Corps, correct?”
The first priority was determining what needed to be investigated. Before starting anything, it was essential to define the scope and identify the key figures.
Nox nodded.
“That’s right. Exactly.”
“And among them, Lukit, also known as ‘Hollow Wraith,’ is already dead, correct? His soul was torn to shreds long ago, leaving only an empty shell.”
Lukit died a hundred years ago in an incident. That was something I had confirmed through my own research in the territory. And if I combined that fact with what I overheard from them yesterday…
“The three of them are using Lukit’s empty body as a conduit to communicate, aren’t they? Like my system.”
“Smart. You’ve got a mage’s talent.”
He grinned broadly and added,
“Should I take you in as my apprentice?”
“What nonsense. I’ll pass.”
“What a shame. It’s a rare opportunity.”
“Rare opportunity, my ass. So, is my assumption correct?”
“That too, yes.”
Nox’s eyes curved slightly in amusement.
“By the way, your ‘system’—that’s what you call your assistant, huh?”
…Damn. I didn’t need to mention that. I just handed him a useful piece of information.
I clicked my tongue, but Nox just jabbed my shoulder with his finger, telling me not to be so stingy.
“At least try to hide how much you’re enjoying this. Anyway… fine. That’s enough of a haul for now. Let’s move on to the next question.”
“For someone who took so long thinking, you sure don’t hesitate when asking.”
“That’s because I already spent time deliberating. And even if I overlook a few details, there’s always tomorrow.”
“You talk like you’re sure you’ll survive until then.”
At that, I grinned confidently and replied,
“Of course. His Highness wouldn’t let me die, now would he?”
“Hmph…”
As Nox shrugged, I pressed on with my next question.
“The disappearances occurring across the Meinhardt territory.”
“If you’re asking whether I’m behind them, I already told you last time—I’m not, kid.”
“No. That’s not what I’m asking today.”
The nooses around both mine and Nox’s necks only reacted to lies. In other words, there were ways to work around them by carefully concealing the truth.
Nox likely never gave a direct order for those disappearances. Which meant he technically hadn’t lied to me.
But what if that wasn’t the whole story?
“Are those disappearances related to the creation of the ‘Heart of Winter’?”
“……”
A brief silence followed.
Nox bared his teeth slightly in a grin.
Ah, I get it now. I finally understand what this chill in the air means.
It was half curiosity, half hostility. A primal kind of aggression toward someone who dared to step in and try to decipher him.
“You learn faster than I expected. Bold, too.”
“You still owe me an answer.”
“…Well, fine. Since you’ve already figured it out.”
Nox dipped his head slightly as he spoke.
“Yes.”
Another silence. This time, it was much more unnatural, carrying an almost palpable sense of danger. A shiver ran down my spine.
‘…Is this really okay?’
Surely, he wasn’t about to strap me down to the experiment table and dissect me, was he? We had even signed a magic contract—I doubt he’d be that impatient.
Just then, a blue system window appeared before my eyes.
[Shu]
Messenger of Love!
It was a message from Kyle. My body instinctively tensed.
And before I could even respond, more messages followed in rapid succession.
[Door]
[Trapped]
[Attack]
[Corpse]
[Coming to you now]
‘…What?’
A series of unsettling messages.
I couldn’t hold back my anxiety any longer and shot up from my seat.
What the hell is happening?
What’s going on? Did something happen to Kyle? He wouldn’t send messages like this unless the situation was dire.
I needed to check his estimated time of arrival first—
“What’s got you so absorbed?”
Before I could react, a large hand clamped around the back of my neck.
Nox had drawn close without a sound, his icy-blue eyes gleaming with an eerie light.
“The experiment isn’t over yet. There are still two hours left before the six-hour mark, kid.”
This wasn’t the time for this.
Even as his grip tightened around my throat, I struggled, grasping his wrist in return.
“…Haven’t you gotten everything you wanted? What about wrapping things up early today?”
“Unfortunately, I’m not inclined to. It hasn’t even been three days since I took pity on that sickly brat.”
“……”
Kyle…
At the very least, I needed to check how much time Kyle had left.
But the moment I tried to summon the system, his grip tightened. Not enough to kill me, but enough to make breathing difficult.
“You seem desperate to go somewhere. Is your beloved Highness in some kind of trouble?”
His voice carried a knowing amusement, as if he fully understood why I was on edge.
‘Of course. He’s doing this on purpose.’
What a pain in the ass.
“You seem to have planted quite a number of underlings in the tower. Didn’t see many of them alive, though.”
“You noticed well. The living tend to be an annoyance, so I don’t keep many around. You and the Grand Duke are rare exceptions.”
Come to think of it, even if Kyle was being watched by Nox’s living subordinates, I wouldn’t have noticed. No one had knocked on the laboratory door since we arrived.
‘…If it’s not the living, but the dead he’s communicating with.’
He was already conversing with mages, so why not his servants as well? That would be a strong possibility.
It suddenly struck me—Nox’s power, Deviation Interference, and my own power, Miracle, were eerily similar in nature.
“You seem uneasy, kid.”
I replied sullenly.
“Mind your own business.”
The grip around my neck gradually loosened. After coughing a few times, the stinging discomfort in my throat completely faded.
Just as I was clearing my throat, the laboratory door burst open. Not just an ordinary turn of the knob—whoever was outside hadn’t even bothered to knock.
“Really now, is kicking the door open necessary?”
Nox clicked his tongue, unsurprised.
Beyond the door stood Kyle.
He had his sword drawn, his crimson eyes burning fiercely as he scanned the room. His entire body was drenched in thick, dark blood.
“Your Highness.”
I rushed to him in an instant. Kyle hesitated, probably because of the blood covering him, but after a short sigh, he lightly pulled me into his arms.
“You’re safe. I’ve come to get you.”
“We signed a contract, you know. Isn’t that a little too little trust? I had no intention of harming the kid, Grand Duke.”
“Your servants, however, showed clear intent to kill me.”
“They simply reacted because it wasn’t time for you to leave yet. You tried forcing the door open, didn’t you?”
Listening to their exchange, I muttered absentmindedly,
“…Door?”
Right, Kyle had mentioned looking for an exit.
He must have tried to open a passage to the outside… and in the process, either broke through a lock or attempted to override it, which likely led to a confrontation with the servants.
Since those things were merely preserved corpses, it made sense that the blood covering Kyle was such a deep, blackened red.
“Seems like you put on quite the show.”
Nox smirked as if assessing something for a brief moment.
Kyle narrowed his eyes and responded coldly,
“When my life is on the line, I see no reason to hold back.”
“Oh, that’s a misunderstanding. I knew you wouldn’t die from such petty attacks. It’s not a contract violation, after all.”
“Enough wordplay. I’m taking Shu with me.”
I grabbed onto Kyle’s arm anxiously.
Nox had explicitly said no earlier—if Kyle insisted on taking me, would this turn into a fight?
Kyle was exhausted, while Nox was still full of energy. Leaving them alone together was far too risky.
[Current Deviation Interference Rate: 30%]
It had increased quite a bit, but at this level, it wouldn’t be much help.
‘What should I do…?’
As I was racking my brain, unexpectedly, Nox stepped back.
“Well, fine.”
Wait—what?!
Not long ago, he nearly strangled me just for communicating with Kyle, and now he was letting me go?
I shot him a sharp glare, but he only shrugged.
“I just thought of a new experiment for tomorrow. And there are still plenty of questions I want to ask. It’ll be a grueling day, so rest up.”
“……”
“It’s a warning, kid—prepare yourself.”
What the hell does he want to ask?
Did he realize something about me?
A bad feeling crept over me, but I refused to let it show in front of them. I simply nodded with an indifferent expression.
“Then, I’ll be going without hesitation.”
“I’ll have some bathwater sent up. Enjoy your time.”
Kyle, having confirmed that Nox wouldn’t interfere any further, immediately scooped me up into his arms.
He clearly didn’t want to stay here a second longer.
“Your Highness! I can walk!”
“I know.”
He knew, but he sure wasn’t acting like it.
‘I have four functional limbs and I’m a perfectly capable man, damn it!’
But my silent protest didn’t matter.
Kyle carried me effortlessly, taking the stairs three steps at a time, all while keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings.
Even after we arrived at the room in no time, he showed no sign of relief.
After checking the area multiple times, he finally set me down in a chair. Then, kneeling on one knee, he gazed intently at my face.
“You look uneasy, Shu.”
The same words I had heard earlier.
But strangely, just hearing him say them made my heart feel a little lighter.
“Can you really tell just from my expression now?”
Kyle ran a hand over my neck, where faint red marks were still visible. His smile was bitter.
“I pay a lot of attention to you.”
“Well, of course. You like me.”
“Yeah. But… is it selfish of me to want the person I like to be safe?”
Kyle gently wrapped his arms around my waist, as if seeking comfort.
It almost felt like he was clinging to me.
“Looks like I was born under an unlucky star. Are you frustrated because things aren’t going your way?”
Still resting his head against me, Kyle mumbled softly,
“No.”
“……”
His voice carried a quiet, unwavering determination.
“No matter what, I’ll protect you. That’s all that matters.”
