“For humans to practice black magic, I heard they must sell their body and soul to the demon folk. It seems absurd that someone would commit such insanity just to turn me into a child.”

“What matters isn’t the reason but the fact that black magic was used. It makes things quite troublesome.”

“What do you mean by troublesome?”

“This kind of black magic can only be performed by someone who knows you well.”

“Someone who knows me well…”

“It means someone close to you. At minimum, someone you’ve met.”

At that moment, I froze.

After a while, I calmly questioned him.

“So you’re saying the traitor is someone around me, someone I know, or perhaps someone very close to me. Or possibly one of my enemies.”

“Yes.”

Lerrhagen said this and glanced at me. He seemed to be examining my expression.

Though that was unlikely.

I stared at the ring still rippling with black light. Then I clenched my fist and smirked with my usual expression.

“I see.”

Naturally, I had many enemies.

But why did my mouth turn bitter when I heard it was someone close to me?

‘Enough. Wallowing in emotions won’t change anything.’

I exhaled deeply. Curling the corner of my mouth slightly, I met Lerrhagen’s gaze.

“Fine. Then we don’t need to look far. We should focus on the palace employees and nobles to find the culprit. Nothing has really changed. I suspected it was the work of a political opponent from the beginning.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s just that now we’ve added ‘someone close to me’ to the equation.”

I never had many close friends to begin with. At most, Rigan or…

Come to think of it, Rigan might be my only close friend.

Lerrhagen simply stared at me, his thoughts unreadable.

His eyes showed no emotion. Or perhaps I just failed to detect it.

But whatever the case, he had certainly been a great help to me.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Let’s consider this payment for letting this guy into my room.”

“Payment…”

“Yes. It was payment, wasn’t it?”

Why else would he help me so willingly?

At my words, Hasis’s expression subtly changed beside me.

Having quietly observed us until now, he remained kneeling on one knee, looking at me with a complex expression before speaking.

“You.”

I looked at him. But Hasis, seemingly lost in thought, shook his head.

“Never mind. Forget it.”

“Finish what you were going to say.”

“No, I just realized I shouldn’t lecture someone I’ll only see briefly.”

“Briefly? Who are you calling brief, you brat?”

But Hasis casually ignored my words, thoroughly messed up my hair, and stood up.

What bad manners has he learned? Messing up my carefully combed hair.

I fixed my hair with an irritated expression.

Just then, I noticed Lerrhagen staring at me intently and raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Can you handle this alone?”

I gave him a puzzled look at his question.

What kind of question is this?

Of course I’ll handle it alone. I’m not going to announce, “Everyone, I’ve been turned into a child, come take a look!”

I nodded while arranging my hair to one side.

“Of course I have to do it alone.”

“Of course.”

“Yes. Of course.”

At my answer, Lerrhagen’s eyes gleamed subtly. His indifferent blue eyes stared at me.

After some time had passed.

“I see.”

With this meaningless response, Lerrhagen disappeared.

Soon after, Hasis also looked at me with a peculiar expression before leaving the room.

Left alone, I sighed deeply.

‘Black magic.’

I’d found a new clue, but I knew that finding a solution with just this information would be difficult.

After the extinction of demon folk, black magic became taboo, and even mentioning it was avoided. Even in the imperial archives, which had the most extensive collection of information, I couldn’t recall any information about black magic.

But.

‘Someone close to me did this.’

If we add the clue “someone close,” things change.

‘Should I focus my search on political opponents? But those old foxes in the Senate would immediately notice if I started investigating. Wait a minute.’

As I muttered this, I suddenly had a thought and paused.

‘If it’s awkward for me to take action directly, I can use someone else as a shield.’

Of course, this shield would need to have power comparable to mine, skills comparable to mine, and hatred for black magic comparable to mine.

And fortunately, I knew just such a person. That person…

‘He said he would come to the palace of his own accord, so he must be prepared.’

Having thought this far, I curled the corner of my mouth.

Indeed, if there’s no path, one simply needs to create one.

* * *

“Officially announce Sever Kelliard’s return to the knights’ order and grant him an audience. The date will be ten days from now. We’ll proceed unofficially.”

The next morning.

Rigan, who had come to give his routine report, seemed somewhat surprised by my sudden change in attitude.

“What’s the occasion? Duke Kelliard is someone whose mere name displeases you.”

“Well, while I find him disagreeable, I’ve thought of a very good way to make use of him.”

“Make use of him?”

“Rigan, do you know about black magic?”

As soon as I finished speaking, Rigan frowned.

He seemed to ponder why I suddenly brought up such a random topic, then suddenly realized something and gaped.

“Why are you suddenly mentioning black magic? Surely, Your Majesty!”

“Yes. It seems that what happened to me…”

“Are you now planning to dabble in black magic too?!”

“……”

I froze mid-smile.

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but Rigan, seemingly unaware of my incredulous expression, hastily continued.

“You mustn’t, Your Majesty. Black magic has severe backlash on those who practice it. It could have terrible consequences for you as well.”

How should I handle this?

I debated whether I should first correct his ridiculous assumption that I would ever resort to black magic, or praise his loyalty for worrying about the effects it might have on me, before closing my mouth.

Did my silence give him time to think?

Sensing something was off about the atmosphere, Rigan cautiously asked.

“That’s not it?”

“Why would you even think that? What’s wrong with you!”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

Rigan exhaled deeply, genuinely relieved that I wasn’t planning to dabble in black magic.

I let out an incredulous laugh at his reaction, which made Rigan look puzzled again.

“Then why did you suddenly bring up black magic?”

“Black magic, they say.”

“What?”

“That’s what turned me into this.”

Rigan’s face, which had been wide-eyed until just a moment ago, froze completely.

His eyes became serious, revealing that his usual scatterbrained demeanor in front of me had been a complete act.

I leaned back leisurely against the chair.

Honestly, I was shocked too, but being shocked alone doesn’t help anything.

“Relax your face. How many years have you been my aide, and you still make such expressions?”

At my words, Rigan seemed to realize what kind of face he was making.

He quickly cleared his throat and immediately returned to his usual relaxed expression.

Even so, the shock hadn’t completely faded, as he adjusted his glasses several times.

He didn’t react this strongly even when I turned into a child. Black magic must be truly terrifying.

“Are you certain?”

“I’m certain. The Dragon Lord isn’t the type to lie about such things.”

“Lord Lerrhagen said that? That it was black magic?”

“To be precise, he showed me how to find out. But that’s not what’s important. What matters is that I’ve been turned into a child, black magic was involved, and I need to return to my original form.”

Rigan wrinkled his nose slightly. Soon, he spoke in a slightly subdued voice.

“But what does this have to do with Duke Kelliard? Are you… suspecting him? Planning to keep him close to watch him?”

“No, quite the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“Do you know what Sever Kelliard hates most?”

Rigan frowned at my question.

Have I been asking too many questions today?

I curled the corner of my mouth generously and answered immediately.

“Things that are unjust, unfair, and the bullying of the weak.”

“Ah, that’s why you don’t get along.”

“Tsk.”

“I didn’t mean that. So?”

Rigan shook his head when I glared at him.

He must have recovered from the shock now.

I continued, giving him a warning look.

“That’s why Sever Kelliard absolutely despises black magic. Black magic uses human lives as sacrifices. It often involves mass killing.”

This was actually something even I abhorred.

No, any sane person would naturally despise it. And that’s why black magic became taboo.

But Sever Kelliard despised black magic even more than the average person.

Having wielded a sword since childhood and considering the protection of others his absolute mission, black magic was truly disgusting and hateful to him.

“If what turned me into this was some trick other than black magic, I would have suspected Sever. But black magic? I despise that guy terribly, but I have to acknowledge his stubbornly upright character.”