Chapter 28

Three short, mysterious explosions left a greater shock than actual damage. People walked through the streets, faces stained with tears, sweat, and blood, shouting at each other, while dust hung in the air like a fog, blurring the scene.

Kaiden dismounted his horse, exhaling a rough sigh. His dark eyes shone beneath his swept-back hair.

“Your Grace, these are the people we rescued from the building wreckage, as you instructed.”

Heath raised his voice, but Kaiden ignored his effort, looking at the two anxious women and a child before turning away.

“Do you know them?”

Heath asked curiously, sticking close to Kaiden.

“No.”

“Then why did you send me from the harbor specifically to save those under the bell tower?”

Before Kaiden could answer, a group of men, faces red with anger, shouted amidst the chaos.

“D*mn Kark bastards, it’s definitely their magic.”

“The former emperor made a grave mistake.”

Familiar voices of blame emerged amidst the screams and cries.

Whenever incidents like this happened, Nopthal’s population grew. Moving to such a cold, rugged place meant life elsewhere was unbearable.

Just hearing “Kark” sent everyone into a panic.

Kaiden, not answering Heath, asked a question instead.

“Could R. D. have done this?”

“If you don’t know, how could I?”

Heath, knowing Kaiden wouldn’t answer, gave up and replied politely.

Seeing Kaiden’s serious face, Heath felt his mood sink as well.

The first strange thing was that it was an aerial attack, unlike the usual guerrilla tactics or rampages. The second was that the attack seemed half-hearted.

“Wow, impressive. Even in this chaos, they still have to put that up.”

Heath pointed to royal servants proudly posting announcements for next week’s royal wedding. It was almost comical. Just then, a small girl, covered in dust, shouted.

“Mom! This is the man who saved me!”

The woman’s face, full of gratitude, quickly turned to confusion and embarrassment as she looked from Heath to Kaiden.

Seeing the strikingly handsome, silver-haired noble, she bowed her head, pushing her daughter behind her legs.

“Mom, why?”

“Th-Thank you.”

The woman tried to back away, but Kaiden nodded, allowing her to escape her fear.

***

Kaiden and Bardi had no intention of staying at the duchy, but leaving was difficult. Even the coachmen refused to let Rohana take a carriage.

Sitting anxiously in the parlor, Rohana thought it might be better to leave. Uncertain, she headed toward Kaiden’s private quarters. 

It seemed the quickest way to understand what was happening.

As his betrothed, waiting in his room wouldn’t be too strange, she thought, having been guided to the parlor for a while.

‘This doesn’t feel right.’

She wasn’t worried about Kaiden; he wouldn’t be harmed by such a commotion. When she tried to leave several times but hesitated, heavy footsteps and excited servants’ voices were heard. The door opened without a response, and the servant explained belatedly.

“Lady Rohana Hanover is waiting.”

Kaiden, showing his usual calm smile, closed the door quietly. He looked the same despite the dust and sweat.

“What brings you here?”

Rohana swallowed dryly before speaking.

“The bell tower…”

“The people under the bell tower are safe. I sent Heath, and he rescued them. It was mostly their good fortune.”

Kaiden, pouring a substantial amount of liquor into a crystal glass, set the bottle down roughly.

“Is that all you’re curious about?”

Leaning against the window, he emptied the glass quickly and asked.

“No, it’s…”

“I’ve always admired your boldness, Lady Hanover.”

His voice, soaked in fatigue, made Rohana raise an eyebrow.

“Boldness?”

“Despite our engagement, you’re not worried about what others might think…”

She thought, ‘You wouldn’t cancel the wedding, and this wheel seems set to turn until then…’ when a sharp sound interrupted. Kaiden, placing the crystal glass on the marble table, made a loud noise.

Approaching her slowly, he stood close.

“Even after such an incident, you waited alone in my room.”

The distance felt more dangerous than when they walked together earlier. Looking up at his unusually sharp demeanor, Rohana frowned.

“I’m not someone who worries about others’ opinions.”

She didn’t back down.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be here after what happened?”

“Kark…”

His low voice cut her off.

“Are you not afraid to be with a Kark after an attack using magic?”

“What are you saying?”

Rohana asked, her face momentarily blank. Magic? That was something never mentioned in the original story.

Their eyes locked intensely. Kaiden spoke first.

“Do you really not know what magic is?”

Rohana quickly searched her memory. She vaguely recalled mentions of cursed individuals wielding dark powers.

But openly talking about magic? And as the daughter of a duke who received the highest education, she had never heard of it.

She knew about the unification wars and the Kark tribe, but magic?

“Maybe it’s because you grew up in the royal palace.”

A strange expression crossed Kaiden’s face, one unfamiliar to Rohana but recognizable to anyone who had read the original story as the look he’d have when revealing his identity as the villain.

“You really don’t know anything, do you?”

What could that mean? Kaiden let out a short laugh as Rohana stepped back, frowning.

“What do you mean?”

Kaiden, seemingly incredulous, let out a bitter laugh and sat on the opposite sofa.

Leaning back deeply and resting one arm on the armrest, he looked much freer and more dangerous than his usual composed self with a faint smile.

“You know about the Kark tribe, right?”

“Yes.”

‘Your father’s lineage, after all.’

Kaiden nodded slightly, understanding, and ran his hand through his hair, leaning back again.

“Have you never wondered why the Arin tribe is so hostile to the Kark tribe?”

Rohana’s frown deepened at his sarcastic tone.

Damn original story seemed almost useless to her. If it had even mentioned magic, she wouldn’t have been caught off guard like this.

Rohana bit her lip and spoke challengingly.

“As you said, I grew up in the royal palace. What’s this magic I’ve never heard of?”

Kaiden raised an eyebrow, then chuckled.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. Occasionally, someone with dark, strange powers appears. And that person is usually a Kark.”

Dark, strange powers, she thought.

“This is the first time magic has openly surfaced since the unification war, as far as I know. Especially in the capital.”

“So, in Nopthal…”

“Occasionally, yes.”

“How have I never heard of this?”

Rohana muttered, almost to herself. Her tone was more a lament than a question, and Kaiden seemed to soften slightly.

“It’s a heavily taboo subject…”

Kaiden leaned forward, speaking quietly.

“And nothing significant enough to talk about has happened since the unification war, at least in the capital.”

Rohana held her breath at his cold voice.

“There used to be records. All destroyed during the unification war.”

“What kind of records?”

“Documents on Kark magic.”

Rising effortlessly, he walked to the liquor cabinet and refilled his glass with whiskey. He then gestured, offering her a drink. Rohana nodded unconsciously, and he poured the same amount into another glass and placed it before her.

“So that’s why I’ve never heard or seen anything about it.”

“Surprisingly, it’s a well-known story outside the palace.”

Kaiden quietly set his glass down after taking a sip.

“The empire has made long efforts to erase any mention of Kark magic.”

Rohana drained her glass in one go at that.

“I had no idea.”

“It seems they succeeded quite well here if even Lady Hanover is completely unaware.”

His dark eyes, a blend of green and blue hues, stared intently at her as she spoke to herself.