Chapter 10 – Part 2

“…Get to the point quickly.”

And so, Illehan’s taming was a success.

Olivia listened intently to Illehan’s explanation, never once interrupting. His low, steady voice allowed her to hear the story without getting overly emotional.

“So that’s how it was.”

Olivia’s response was simple. The three people in the room exchanged glances, observing her carefully. Olivia crossed her arms and fell into deep thought.

She had known that Marsden had a dual nature, but she hadn’t known what color his other side was beyond the black and white.

What troubled Olivia was the realization that they might have truly clashed in the past.

‘If he had wanted to hide his addiction to magic, then he must’ve been annoyed by my attempts to protect him.’

She had chased after the sorcerers to protect him, yet that very effort nearly got her killed? Just the thought of it made Olivia’s heart sink.

A part of her still wanted to believe in him, calming her turmoil. Even if things had gone wrong, he couldn’t have meant to kill her. Even if her good intentions had seemed threatening, she hadn’t coerced him, nor had he ever endangered her… right?

“Haha.”

Olivia let out a hollow laugh, burying her face in her hands. Honestly, she was tired. She had done her best, but now she’d forgotten what she was fighting for in this world. If being here caused her loyal knights and friends to make bad decisions, and if it worried the kind and gentle people around her, then what was the point of her position?

If the people who cared for and cherished her could be happy, she didn’t mind stepping down from her role as Marchioness and warden.

‘But there’s a difference between leaving things neatly and running away.’

Sometimes, running could be a pause, but she knew that irresponsible avoidance would only poison her in the end. It seemed like the time had come to settle things once and for all. Olivia lifted her face from her hands.

“I’m going to see Marsden.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Illehan stopped Glenn from trying to dissuade her, his expression filled with warmth. Olivia hugged Illehan tightly.

“You know? I’m the best fighter in the world. Troy Marsden is nothing.”

“I’ll be near Marsden’s estate. If anything feels off, I’ll be there immediately.”

Olivia wished that her struggles wouldn’t break the people around her.

She hoped that devotion to one another would no longer bring pain.

When Olivia arrived at the Duke’s residence, Marsden was alone in the garden, filled with various spring flowers. Despite likely sensing her presence, he didn’t turn around.

“How are you feeling?”

“I heard you collapse yourself. If you’re here to kill me, you should’ve taken another day to rest.”

He certainly had a way with words. Olivia stood beside Marsden, gazing at the flowers. Watching the gentle sway of the blossoms in the breeze, it almost felt as if nothing had happened, as if there was peace.

But that wasn’t reality. In a few minutes, their relationship would be defined.

“It’s mostly over. We haven’t caught the mastermind behind the bomb theft yet, but thanks to Cotton, we’ve confirmed that this recent attack from Katlan wasn’t my fault.”

“They probably realize they’ve been exposed and will surrender soon. Actually, it’s not even surrendering—just acknowledging the truth and closing the case.”

“You know, I think I know who stole the bomb.”

“Who?”

When Marsden turned his head, their gazes met in midair, with red pollen swirling between them.

“It’s all the same culprit.”

“…”

“It’s always been the same. Now I see it clearly. After coming this far, after objectively looking at the events that happened to me, I know who’s behind it.”

Whether it was the bomb theft, the ambush in the forest, or Katlan’s provocation, these events seemed like separate incidents at the time. But they weren’t. The series of events that happened to her were all connected.

Olivia placed her hand on her sword hilt. Even though Marsden knew this, he didn’t stop her.

“When His Majesty suggested I find the culprit, the bomb was smuggled out. As soon as I started searching for the sorcerer who cursed you, I was ambushed. When I discovered who the attacker was, the Katlan incident broke out again.”

“…”

“You’re not asking who the attacker is, so you must already know, right?”

If he didn’t know, he would’ve immediately asked who the culprit was when she said they were all the same. The fact that he didn’t meant he already knew.

When Olivia drew her sword, blood flowed from Marsden’s arm in an instant. Of course, being so close, there was no way for him to avoid it. And he hadn’t even tried to dodge. Olivia aimed her sword at Marsden’s neck.

“Marsden, do you remember the first thing you said to me when I came back?”

“‘Buddy, stop’?”

“Oh no, not that. The next thing.”

Olivia gave a bitter smile as she recited his words.

“‘The person who was both your teacher and your guardian.’ That was incredibly concise.”

“And so?”

Marsden seemed to finally start becoming curious about Olivia’s intentions. When she brought the sword closer, a wound appeared on his neck.

“You know, on the day I kicked Gael Abyss, do you know how pathetically he acted towards me? He acted as if there was something special between us. It was utterly ridiculous. But that’s how it should’ve been, Marsden.”

“What?”

“To avoid suspicion, of course. He had to act like I was someone very, very special to him. Meanwhile, you confessed to me and courted me like a clumsy kid, making it obvious that you’d never done anything like that before.”

At the time, she hadn’t dug deeper, but now it was clear. Looking back, anyone who had been even remotely close to her had always been cautious about discussing their relationship with her. The closer they were, the more careful they were about talking about the past.

Marsden’s brow furrowed slightly. When Olivia pressed the blade further against his neck, more blood trickled from the pale skin.

“I heard everything from Illehan. Glenn asked him to investigate you, and Glenn reaffirmed that you’re the culprit. But the timing of all of this… it’s quite coincidental, isn’t it? No matter how thorough you are, everything eventually becomes transparent.”

“Buddy, what on earth are you talking about…?”

Marsden couldn’t finish his sentence. Olivia lowered her sword and drove a dagger into his thigh.

Marsden stifled a groan as he fell to one knee. Olivia sheathed the sword she had been holding in her right hand. It had been a diversion.

“I didn’t cut any tendons. Still, it’ll take some time to heal, even with healing magic.”

“Why not my neck?”

Even though he was in immense pain, he still asked that question. There was no answer. Olivia shook her head.

“Because that’s what you’re hoping for. You’d prefer that I mistake you for the culprit and just let go, rather than succeed in revenge and die in the process.”

“So, you didn’t come here thinking I was the culprit? Is that right?”

Veins bulged on Marsden’s forehead. Olivia looked down at his bleeding leg.

Yes, she hadn’t. Perhaps she had never truly suspected him, not even once.

“Was it a coincidence that you lost my trust right after I was injured? Was it a pure chance that Glenn ordered an investigation into you, and your lies were exposed in front of me at that exact moment?”

Marsden’s eyes quivered violently. The composed demeanor he had maintained until now was completely gone.

Marsden had probably anticipated this. He knew that Glenn, who cared for her like family, would never stand by idly.

Illehan was old but still healthy, and although retired, he had more time on his hands than others. Marsden must have suspected that Glenn would ask Illehan to investigate him. Even if Glenn didn’t ask, Illehan could easily fan Glenn’s anxieties.

“You’re the one who brought Illehan here, weren’t you? It slipped by unnoticed while I was still adjusting to this world, but it was strange. Why were you, of all people, aware of Illehan’s location, and not Glenn, Bay, or anyone else from the Marchioness’s household?”

“Bu… ddy…”

“You and Illehan conspired together, didn’t you? You’ve been on the same side for half a year—no, probably much longer. You were just waiting for the right moment to bring him in.”

Marsden’s face twisted as if he were about to cry. He gritted his teeth and grabbed Olivia’s ankle.

“Buddy…”

“Maybe I was a little scared. No, it makes sense to be scared. They said if I cut that bastard’s throat, I would die too.”

“Buddy!”

“I told you, to be honest. I feel like I gave you at least a dozen chances.”

Marsden had lied countless times. He hid the truth from her and deceived her. But there was one time when he confessed the truth without any exaggeration or embellishment.

It was when he told her that Gael had used a bizarre magic, a curse that would make anyone who stabbed him feel the same pain.

Olivia brushed her hand through Marsden’s hair. His black hair slipped smoothly between her fingers.

“You came to me after I had already bled. Last night, while I was feverish, I remembered clearly. It didn’t make sense that you would break down the locked door just to cry after killing me.”

Marsden’s eyes reddened, and the blood vessels in his eyes burst. Olivia gently caressed his cheek, as if telling him to stop.

“The Buck Rodley incident confirmed it for me. It was him. The one who tried to kill me…”

“Buddy, please…”

“It was Gael Abyss.”

Olivia looked up at the sky. It was cloudy, as if it was about to rain.

She felt a twinge of shame, even if she didn’t say it out loud. Subconsciously, she had been certain that Gael was the culprit, but fear had kept her from voicing it. She must have instinctively known that once she said it, her daily life with Marsden would fall apart.

“If one more thing happened at the right moment, I felt I could be sure. And now I am certain. It was Gael Abyss from the beginning.”

Olivia shook off Marsden’s hand that was gripping her ankle. There was no time to drag this out any longer.

“Don’t you want to ask how I figured out Gael was the culprit? I’m too tired to question you anymore. But even so, I pity you. Why did we, no, why did you and I have to live so painfully?”

“Because… I made things hard for you.”

“Maybe so. But don’t dwell in the past anymore. You need to live your own life.”

Without making it obvious, Olivia gathered energy in her right hand. If she struck his neck now, he would be unconscious for a few minutes.

“I’m not going to thank you for trying to avenge me. That ‘kindness’ of yours was never something I needed.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Olivia struck. It was a perfect motion.

“You’re… go—”

“…!”

But Olivia’s hand was suddenly caught by a large one. Marsden, using all his strength, clung to consciousness and grabbed her hand.

“No matter how much stronger you are now, I’m still your teacher.”

“…”

“No one else may know, but I do.”

Marsden wrapped his other hand around Olivia’s arm. More blood flowed from his leg.

“When I entered the room, you were collapsed. The floor was covered in blood.”

“…!”

“I barely managed to summon your departing soul. I don’t even know how I did it. I never thought I could perform such high-level magic.”

With superhuman strength, Marsden stood up on one leg, not leaning on her at all. His willpower was incredible.

“And I asked. Who did this to you? Who made you like this? Maybe they pitied me because they told me. It was Gael Abyss.”

Marsden was crying out loud now. It was the same wail she had heard in that room.

“Don’t go, Buddy. Don’t die. Don’t make me lose you again. I’m begging you.”

He looked more like he would die from crying than from blood loss.

“I was wrong… Ugh…”

As his body faltered, Olivia tried to catch him, but someone quickly supported him.

“Your Grace! My god.”

Ricardo appeared, but Olivia felt too dizzy to even register his presence.

“Marchioness.”

Ricardo called out to her calmly.

“Your Grace may have committed a crime, so I won’t ask about this incident. But right now, there is something you must do.”

When Olivia turned her gaze to him, Ricardo spoke urgently.

“Katlan has declared war. Sir Miles and your people are already on their way to the Duke’s residence.”