Countless eyes turned toward the platform. But Klaus showed no sign of nervousness, smiling confidently and basking in the attention. He appeared utterly self-assured about the research he was about to present.

As his brief greeting continued, I heard whispers from beside me, chirping like sparrows in the bushes.

“I wonder what he’ll talk about after gathering so many people.”

“To be honest, I’m somewhat suspicious of him myself.”

The mouths hidden behind beards endlessly discussed Klaus’s qualifications. Then a dignified voice cut through, immediately quelling the commotion.

“But you all saw it, didn’t you? Considering Count Asrein is here, it must be quite credible research.”

At the mention of Asrein’s name, even those questioning Klaus’s credentials nodded in unison. 

So this was why Klaus invited Asrein, to establish credibility for his research. Realizing that Asrein had been used for this purpose made me incredibly uncomfortable.

I wondered how impressive this research would be. With fire in my eyes, I glared at my singular enemy. Right on cue, Klaus set down his glass and spoke.

“Now I will present to you all, for the first time, the research I’ve devoted many years to.”

With a slight gesture from Klaus, a servant who had been waiting below the platform came up holding a lamp. Inside the lamp was not a candle but a bundle of herbs rolled into a ball. Smoke continuously rose through the perforated holes as the lamp swayed.

So that was the source of that disgusting scent.

“What does this look like to you?”

The baron asked. But no one except me seemed to notice anything strange about the fragrance. They merely tilted their heads in confusion. Unlike them, I was suffering.

When the servant extended the lamp toward the audience, the scent grew much stronger, making me nauseous.

“To you all, it should smell pleasant. In fact, Count Sapind even whispered to me asking what this fragrance was. He apparently wanted to secretly give it to his wife.”

“Hahaha!!”

The people laughing heartily became like moths drawn to flame, gradually approaching the fragrance. In contrast, I slowly backed away from the scent like a wild animal fleeing fire. Before long, I had retreated alone to a corner, separated from the crowd. It felt like an invisible wall existed between me and them.

“But this is no ordinary fragrance.”

Klaus, who had been deliberately building suspense, finally revealed the nature of the scent.

“It’s an herb that reacts only to the magical power possessed by magical creatures.”

What?

My pupils trembled rapidly in shock. I wasn’t the only one surprised. The warm atmosphere instantly froze over. Klaus continued his explanation calmly, seemingly having anticipated this reaction.

“When ferocious magical creatures inhale this fragrance, they gradually lose their reason and reveal their true nature. But don’t worry. As time passes, the magical creatures will become increasingly weakened without realizing they’re intoxicated by the herb. The stronger the creature, the more powerful the effect.”

People who had been cautiously observing each other soon began to murmur. The herb Klaus had researched had the effect of temporarily making magical creatures’ power run wild. 

Consequently, creatures intoxicated by the drug would have their cores malfunction, ultimately harming their own bodies.

This wasn’t a method to weed out ferocious magical creatures. It was simply administering a stimulant to them.

“However, it’s harmless to humans. To prove this, I’ve been burning this fragrance since before the banquet began. In fact, weren’t you all enjoying the banquet without knowing anything?”

His confident voice echoed through the hall. Some people still looked wary, while others nodded vigorously in agreement. But no one pointed out the flaws in this research. Whether out of fear of judgment or genuine agreement, the silence steered the atmosphere in Klaus’s favor.

“Distinguished guests. How much have you suffered with your territories and people threatened by magical creatures? The obligation to coexist with magical creatures… I understand it well. But how long must humans continue to be victims? Don’t we need to protect ourselves from dangerous magical creatures?”

Klaus stepped forward, placing his hand on his chest as he spoke.

“If we can eliminate risk factors in advance, we can achieve coexistence more effectively.”

Nonsense.

“I will help you all.”

That claim deserves condemnation.

“If you’re interested in this research, please let me know anytime.”

But what followed was applause. Even those who initially showed resistance began clapping after checking others’ reactions. The only ones not joining were those who had come with me.

Klaus’s research was a complete mess from purpose to result, not worth further examination. 

He deliberately made magical creatures, difficult for humans to control, lose their reason by using drugs. Then, when powerful creatures began to rampage, he would use that as an excuse to eliminate them or let them weaken over time.

In the end, it was research meant to justify the extermination of magical creatures. Nothing more, nothing less.

“I await your wise decision.”

Klaus’s true intentions were even more disgusting than the fragrance filling the banquet hall.

After the demonstration ended, Klaus was surrounded by numerous nobles. I needed to inform Asrein about this research content as soon as possible. But despite considerable time passing, Asrein hadn’t returned.

With a foreboding feeling, I was about to leave the banquet hall when someone stepped in front of me.

“How was it?”

It was Baron Klaus, looking quite triumphant. He had been talking with other nobles just moments ago, but now he suddenly appeared, blocking my path. Hiding my anxiety, I responded with a smile.

“Pardon?”

“I’d like to hear your thoughts on my research.”

Since he asked with a casual shrug, I answered as honestly as possible.

“It was impressive research, just as you said, Baron. …Though I’m not sure about its effectiveness yet.”

“Oh? What do you mean by effectiveness?”

“I’m concerned about side effects. Other magical creatures… or rather, to borrow your expression, even those who aren’t ‘risk factors’ might be caught up in the fragrance and end up harming people.”

Though Klaus might have wasted his life on foolish research, he wasn’t stupid. Detecting the sincerity hidden behind my smile, he twisted the corner of his mouth and asked:

“Are you dismissing the depth of my research?”

“How could I dare? I’m merely raising a possibility that might occur.”

“Hmph. Of course I’ve confirmed its effectiveness.”

“I see. It seems I worried for nothing.”

I lowered my gaze and bowed my head, pretending to sincerely apologize. But what I truly wanted to know wasn’t about the confirmed effects, but the methods used to prove them.

“But how did you confirm it?”

“Hmm?”

“The effects, I mean. Surely you didn’t experiment directly on magical creatures…”

As I let my words trail off, one of his thick eyebrows rose slightly. The composed expression Klaus had maintained was on the verge of cracking.

Staring at me with emotionless eyes, Klaus stepped closer, narrowing the distance between us. Then he whispered quietly near my ear.

“You ask too many unnecessary questions. That habit might shorten your life, so be careful.”

It was a clear threat. When I pressed my lips tightly together, Klaus let out a sinister laugh, thinking I was intimidated. Just when I thought he would leave, he looked around and said:

“By the way, where has Professor Asrein gone?”

Damn it. So that’s what he wanted to ask. Trying not to reveal my thoughts, I blinked slowly and answered:

“…He stepped out for a moment.”

“Hmm, leaving at the most crucial moment, must be quite an urgent matter.”

I couldn’t let Klaus become interested in Asrein’s whereabouts. I couldn’t let it be known that even I didn’t know where Asrein had gone.

So I deliberately brought up an uncomfortable topic to make Klaus avoid the conversation.

“It would have been nice if Mrs. Klaus could have been here for such a glorious occasion.”

Klaus’s gaze, which had been actively searching for Asrein, immediately fell on me. A sharp killing intent touched my skin, like he might draw a knife and aim for my throat at any moment. 

But I didn’t blink, looking at him with sympathetic eyes.

“It’s truly unfortunate.”

But Klaus’s reaction was quite different from what I expected.

“Unfortunate?”

“I recently heard the news. That your wife passed away several years ago…”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“…Pardon?”

Klaus tilted his head in confusion. His expression showed genuine bewilderment, leaving me at a loss for words. Just then, another noble approached, naturally drawing Klaus’s attention.

“Ah, Baron Klaus. It’s been a while.”

“I’m deeply moved that you came, Count.”

Though I had fortunately averted the crisis, an unsettling feeling remained. Why had Baron Klaus reacted so strangely to news of his wife? Was he denying the death of his beloved wife? Or was she truly not dead?

The discrepancy between the rumors and Klaus’s reaction made Hyacinth’s whereabouts even more mysterious.

“More importantly, where on earth did he go…”

Meanwhile, there was still no sign of Asrein. I retreated to a corner of the banquet hall and tried calling him through the earring, but he never appeared.

Had something happened to him?

His complexion had looked terrible when I last saw him, so I couldn’t just keep waiting.

Before leaving the banquet hall, I approached Sezan, who was refilling his wine glass.

“Lord Sezan.”

Sezan didn’t turn around, merely nodding slightly. But that was only momentary.

“The professor has disappeared.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

His eyes widened instantly as he turned to look at me. Though I completely understood his concern, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so I calmly asked him for a favor.

“It’s probably nothing. Still, I’m going to look for him, so if the baron tries to leave the banquet hall, please stall him as much as possible.”

“…Understood.”

While Klaus was distracted, I quietly left the banquet hall. Hiding from the servants’ gaze, I stood in a secluded spot and made a slight gesture. Like leaves fallen from trees, the butterflies that had been quietly clinging to the floor and windowsills stirred and rose.

[What is it this time?]

[Another search for suspicious things?]

“No, this time I need you to find someone. You remember the person who helped Hyperion before, right?”

[Of course!]

[We can find him quickly.]

[Leave it to us!]

After the energetic butterflies departed on their mission, I also started moving. I quickly looked around the banquet hall area but couldn’t sense any presence.

As I was climbing to the second floor, footsteps approached from the opposite direction. Click, click. The sound of pointed heels striking the floor echoed brightly. I looked for a room to hide in, fearing unnecessary suspicion if I encountered someone.

That’s when it happened.

[Hide this way…!]

A butterfly that appeared from somewhere fluttered in front of a door adorned with metal decorations. I immediately followed the butterfly inside, locked the door, and pressed my ear against it.

Click, click.

The footsteps gradually faded away, seemingly just passing by. When the sound completely disappeared, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“Thank you.”

[Oh, it’s nothing.]

Looking around the room belatedly, I noticed a series of landscape paintings hanging on the wall.

“A gallery.”

The gallery, occupying the largest space on the second floor, displayed paintings filled with Klaus’s tastes. Showing his attachment to flowers, every painting featured various blooming flowers. As I quietly scanned the paintings, a butterfly flew over to catch my attention.

[Look at this.]

“Huh?”

[This is the suspicious object I found on the second floor earlier.]

The butterfly gently landed on a canvas hanging between large windows. It was the only painting in the baron’s collection that depicted people.

[I can sense magical power from this painting.]

“Magical power?”

[Objects imbued with strong will sometimes harbor magical power. Like our elder who gained life from human wishes.]

The canvas was so large that I would barely be able to lift it with my arms fully extended, yet the people depicted were only about the size of a hand. Two people were drawn in a vast purple flower field. The woman was bending down to caress the flowers, while the man was gazing at her endlessly. Thanks to the detailed facial features, I could immediately recognize who they were.

“The Klaus couple…”

Had he infused his memories into the canvas? While carefully examining the painting, I suddenly noticed something strange. The baron’s gaze in the painting subtly missed his wife.

Following where his gaze actually pointed, I saw something among the flowers. Though small, the silhouette clearly took human form.

I approached the painting closer, but as soon as I realized who they were, I unconsciously stepped back.

“…Impossible.”

Two children running between the tall flowers resembled each other frighteningly well. Moreover, their hair color was identical to the baron’s, while their eye color matched the wife’s perfectly.

They were the twins said to have died in the womb.

“I heard the twins died with the wife…”

Even Iris, who had worked at the mansion for a long time, never mentioned the children. Neither the children’s nor the wife’s rooms existed on the mansion’s floor plan. Yet these children, who couldn’t possibly exist in this world, were clearly playing in the painting.

Just then, I noticed words written in the corner of the canvas.

‘Paradise Regained’

Unable to resist the desire for the forbidden fruit, the first humans were banished from paradise. But with the appearance of an absolute being who washed away original sin, humans ultimately reclaimed their lost paradise.

It was a word with quite a hopeful etymology. The reason for inscribing this word on the painting couldn’t be mere coincidence.

If paradise for Klaus meant his wife and children, then there must be an absolute being who could return paradise to him.

“I need to find that. That…”

The more I looked at the beautiful painting, the more my anxiety grew. Somehow, I felt that beneath the brilliantly blooming purple flower field lay buried a decaying truth. While I stared at the magic-infused painting, a cheerful voice caught my attention.

[Found him!]

“What?”

[Follow me. Quickly!]

Looking toward the door, I saw a butterfly with one wing dyed bright red spinning in the air. It had found Asrein. Despite my urgency, I carefully checked outside through the door crack before following the butterfly.

Even while descending the stairs with muffled footsteps, my mind was filled with a single thought.

Please, please let there be nothing wrong with him.

But God had never once taken my side.