Chapter 28
Timing aligned perfectly, and a murmur spread through the crowd. The murmuring was quiet yet reached every corner of the hall.
Just like when Dorian and Scarlet danced, everyone’s bodies and gazes turned toward the center.
Through the gaps in the crowd, familiar lavender-colored hair became visible.
I saw Scarlet moving toward someone through the crowd. She was standing in the center of the hall, but she wasn’t alone.
She beamed brightly as she clasped the hand of the person opposite her.
A familiar silhouette.
At the same time, the sound of a clarinet signaled the start of the music, swallowing the murmurs. Amid the crowd, a red dress spread out like petals.
A light, graceful movement that captured not only the eyes but also the mind.
Opposite Scarlet, silver hair shimmered like the aurora, scattering like liquid light.
It felt like icy water had been poured into my heart.
“…It seems a free-spirited personality doesn’t fade with age. Still, it’s fortunate that His Highness has appeared now.”
“Seeing her pair up with Miss Ostalgoy like that, could it mean that the rival duchy is finally merging into the empire?”
“Even after so long, nothing has changed. His Highness remains as he always was.”
People in front of me whispered to each other about various topics. I stiffened as I listened, unable to react at all.
No, that man is the Crown Prince…
I clenched my fists.
Why were these people calling Hiram the Crown Prince?
He had clearly said he had just attended the Crown Prince’s entrance ceremony.
Could it be that I’ve been mistaken all this time? That the one at the academy is fake…
Could I be sure that the man in front of me wasn’t the Crown Prince?
I lacked confidence. I had only “read” about the Crown Prince; I had never experienced meeting him firsthand.
At least some of the people in this hall must have actually encountered the Crown Prince. They recognized him instantly. There was no guidance from the attendants, no word from the Emperor.
At that moment, a warm, large hand gently rested on my shoulder.
“That man is not His Highness the Crown Prince.”
A familiar, low voice. When I turned, I saw red eyes looking at me.
Under the chandelier, their light was purer and more transparent than any fabric on the dress—a color that could not be dyed or changed.
I nodded.
“…Right. The Crown Prince is at the academy. He said he came to see the entrance ceremony.”
“Yes. Though I haven’t seen His Highness the Crown Prince in a long time, it was not him.”
Dorian spoke firmly. But I still felt uneasy.
Then, who was he? And Scarlet—what was she?
I recalled Scarlet exchanging glances with the Emperor. Did the Emperor know that Hiram was a fake, that Scarlet was a fake?
I turned and grabbed Dorian’s sleeve.
“Do we have more business at the ball?”
Under the lights, Dorian’s cheeks had a faint blush, but his voice remained calm.
“No.”
“Then let’s hurry back. I’m worried about Lewin and Eva. And there’s something we need to confirm.”
The Emperor hadn’t shown any reaction when facing Scarlet. Did he meet Hiram? Was Hiram hiding on the terrace to deceive even the Emperor?
I couldn’t be certain, but now that the Emperor had stepped back, it was as if we had entered enemy territory.
Dorian nodded.
A short while later, without turning on the glowing stones, Dorian and I silently rode the carriage led by Hartman, leaving the royal garden.
Dorian led the way, and the knights lined up, opening the gates of the duke’s residence.
The sparkling chandelier and the black marble floor came into view.
At first, when I entered, the grandeur had been intimidating, but after visiting the imperial palace, this residence seemed refined and tastefully decorated.
“Already back?”
As the door closed behind me, a lively voice came from the right. I turned and saw Eva, as if coming down from the stairs to the basement.
With her chocolate-brown hair tied in a single strand and wearing a gown, Lewin stood beside her.
“Could it be… you were in the basement with Lewin?”
“…Lewin enjoys it. It must have been a pleasant time,” Dorian said with a nod. Looking closer, I saw Lewin’s cheeks were flushed.
I turned to Dorian in shock.
“Pleasant time?”
The answer came from Eva.
“Of course. It had been a while, so he enjoyed it even more.”
“Fun!” Lewin exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. While I was still stunned, Dorian observed my face and spoke.
“Now that I think of it, you haven’t gone down there in… quite some time. It might not be a bad idea to visit with Lewin soon.”
I stared at Dorian in disbelief. Not only did he go to the basement dungeon with the child, but now he was suggesting I go down myself?
Even before turning dark, the mastermind was still the mastermind, huh? Of course, people don’t become twisted immediately, but…
Are we giving Lewin early lessons in being a mastermind?
Dorian raised an eyebrow, seeming puzzled by my gaze. Then, as if realizing something, he continued.
“If you’re worried about hygiene in the basement, there’s no need. Ventilation is good, with magical tools installed. Spiders, centipedes, crickets…”
Dorian began listing details I did not want to know. Fortunately, Eva hurriedly interrupted him.
“That’s enough. Her expression is turning pale, you know?”
“Ah… my apologies.”
Dorian immediately apologized. I waved him off.
“No, it’s not that. The important thing is something else.”
I looked at Dorian. He nodded gravely and then spoke to Eva.
“She met Scarlet.”
“…What?”
Eva’s gaze instantly hardened, a look that never failed to unsettle me.
She quickly checked on me.
“Are you safe, ma’am? No strange incidents this time?”
“Ah… about that…”
I didn’t know where to start. Ostalgoy Duchy, the dresses, Hiram, the Crown Prince—explaining everything step by step was possible, but knights, servants, and Lewin were all present.
While I hesitated, the mansion door opened and closed again behind us.
“Everyone’s still here!”
The lively voice belonged to someone I didn’t need to see to recognize. Hartman’s presence slightly loosened the tension that had gripped the room.
Hartman approached Eva and naturally scanned the surroundings.
“Since the young master must be tired, shall we head to his room first?”
“Yes. The others, return to your positions.”
Dorian nodded. The attendants who had gathered around dispersed naturally.
Lewin approached me and took my hand. I held his tightly.
Dorian reached out toward the empty hand.
“Then, let’s go inside.”
We all entered Lewin’s room and laid him on the bed. He must have been very tired; after blinking a few times, he fell asleep immediately.
I tidied his blanket for a while, and once his breathing stabilized, I stood up.
“Shall we go to the next room to talk?”
Everyone in the room nodded. Although Lewin was asleep, we couldn’t risk serious conversation in front of the child.
We carefully opened the door and moved to the next room. Moonlight streaming through the windows revealed furniture covered with cloth.
Dorian went first, removing the cloth. The furniture was well-maintained; no dust rose. He reached toward a revealed couch.
“It would be best if everyone sat while we talked.”
“I’ll remain standing,” said Hartman. I and Eva sat on the couch, while Dorian took a single-seat sofa nearby.
Once seated, the silence around us was remarkable. Eva broke it first.
“The analysis is complete.”
I looked at Eva. Before I could ask what she analyzed, Dorian asked.
“What did it reveal?”
“Two people.”
Two people? I didn’t understand and glanced at Hartman. He shrugged.
Good, I wasn’t the only one unaware of what was happening. That was somewhat reassuring.
“Two people…?”
Dorian frowned as he repeated the words. Our eyes met with Hartman’s again.
Quick-thinking Eva elaborated so we could understand.
“Yes. The previously provided unidentified stone was analyzed, and it revealed information pointing to two people. Interestingly, they have similar ‘mana patterns.’”
Mana patterns referred to the unique imprint each person’s mana waves left on their body.
Whether the pattern came first or the wave did was debated at the academy, but similarity meant the two were related by blood.
I looked at Eva in admiration. She had been entrusted with the stone analysis—Arthur’s star, indeed. Not an ordinary maid.
Eva continued.
“The strange thing is, the time gap between the mixing of the two components is very large.”
Eva crossed her arms, her glasses reflecting the moonlight. She looked somewhat dissatisfied.
Hartman asked her,
“Strange?”
“Sacrificing two blood relatives consecutively could be considered a human offering, but the interval is too long. Not ordinary.”
“How long?”
“Approximately seven centuries.”
I raised my hand.
“At that distance, could it not simply be coincidence that two related individuals were sacrificed?”
“Yet that’s the strange part.”
Eva removed her glasses and rubbed her temples. We waited as she continued.
“We thought it was remains, but it was blood.”
“That is…”
“Only the blood of the two was detected. And strangely, both were firmly bonded to the stone, inseparable. Determining the mana pattern and the two individuals took considerable effort.”
“What did the mana patterns look like?”
Dorian, who had been quietly listening, asked. Eva put her glasses back on. Her gray-blue eyes were clouded, dark in the shadows.
