Chapter 6 – Part 6

Olivia and Marsden left the Count’s mansion, but rumors spread even faster.

Olivia, being a prominent figure recently mentioned daily in social circles and nationwide, made their visit a hot topic.

“He must be guilty of something if such high-ranking officials showed up!”

“I agree. Why else would they visit?”

People who enjoyed gossip had a field day, with such conversations even reaching Olivia’s ears nonstop.

‘I wonder if Ronae is okay.’

She didn’t care about Gael’s fate, but Ronae worried her. It wasn’t just because she was the original heroine but because she could easily become a victim.

Ronae had asked Olivia to help her if her evidence proved true. Initially, she had been cautious, but later, she dropped all pretense.

“Hah, if I handle everything like this, a month will pass in no time.”

Olivia sighed deeply, propping her legs up on her desk. Time had flown, and now only half a month remained.

If she didn’t resolve anything soon, Emperor Hellebore would likely come down hard on her. Marsden would undoubtedly try to protect her, but she wanted to succeed without troubling him.

She aimed to catch the culprit, live comfortably, and repay the original Olivia’s kindness.

“Oh, forget the money. I wish the culprit would just fall from the sky.”

Lowering her legs from the desk, Olivia walked to the window. After bringing in Illehan, an ally, it had been easier to replace problematic vassals.

The Marchioness’ residence had become more peaceful, but Olivia feared this might be the calm before the storm.

She couldn’t speed up the investigation, as Marsden would notice and follow her around. So, she planned a few days’ rest to give Marsden a break.

Yet, she was anxious. The closer she got to the truth, the more obstructed she felt, like navigating a maze.

“Marchioness!”

Hearing a call, Olivia looked out the window to see a servant’s child waving at her. Olivia waved back, momentarily putting aside her worries.

Half of Olivia’s feelings were of finding the child adorable, while the other half were of envy for the child’s carefree innocence. Watching the child run off, she turned to the papers on her desk.

[No notable findings.]

The telegram had a brief summary in large letters, detailing the situation in the forest.

Though Gael had stationed his subpar knights, they were no match for Olivia’s elite guards. Olivia had sent a selection of elite soldiers through Glenn to monitor the forest, instructing them to report immediately if they spotted any strangers. This was to prevent the attacker from escaping the forest.

“Sigh…”

But keeping such important matters constantly in her mind sometimes made her feel stifled. After some thought, Olivia called for Melanie.

“Yes, Marchioness?”

“Send a telegram for me, Melanie.”

“What should it say?”

Melanie looked at her with eyes pleading for her not to cause trouble. Olivia’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Picnic.”

“Pardon? A picnic?”

Melanie’s eyes widened in surprise. Olivia gestured toward the window.

“The weather is nice. It’s too good a day to spend just working.”

No matter how busy they were, moments to laugh were necessary.

“Tell him to come to the central plaza of Donau by 2 PM. And tell him he’ll be dead if he’s late.”

* * *

In her previous life, Olivia had rarely gone on school trips. Her sister had sent her a few times with hard-earned money, but that was only until elementary school.

By the time she was 14, she started to see the world differently. She told her sister she didn’t want to go on school trips anymore, making up reasons.

“I don’t have any friends. Why should I go to those things?”

That was partly true. She was an extremely quiet child, and this led to many kids looking down on her. In an effort to protect herself, she became prickly, which made people think she was not only quiet but also had a nasty personality.

“If you’re not going on the school trip, then let’s go somewhere together.”

Whether she knew it or not, her sister would insist on taking her somewhere instead. Like a squirrel, her sister would grab her hand and drag her off somewhere, even if it wasn’t a full-blown trip.

Because of this, she came to prefer eating delicious food with her sister over going on school trips. That’s why, whenever she felt down, she wanted to go on a picnic.

“Buddy, you’re here?”

Marsden, dressed casually and sitting by the fountain, stood up with a smile. Olivia, carrying a picnic basket, shrugged her shoulders.

“Yes, yes, I’m here.”

The plaza had a section paved with marble and another area with grass for picnics. Being near the border, the central plaza was the safest place in the Donau territory.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m always fine.”

“Even with all those curses sticking to you? What’s always fine about that?”

Olivia’s eyebrow arched. Marsden gently took her hand in a comforting gesture.

“They’re just petty tricks. Don’t worry, let’s just eat.”

Indeed, Marsden looked much better after resting for a few days. Relieved, Olivia set the basket down on the already laid-out cloth.

“Have you ever been on a picnic before?”

“I’ve been on a few with you before. At first, sitting on the ground felt awkward, but now I find it pleasant.”

It sounded like he was happy to be able to go on a picnic with her again, which made her heart flutter.

“Wow, you prepared a lot, Buddy.”

“It’s nothing special. Egg sandwiches and some desserts. This jar is water, and this one is tea. It’s supposed to taste good even when lukewarm.”

“Thanks. I’ll prepare for it next time.”

Marsden smiled warmly and handed Olivia a sandwich.

They tacitly agreed to avoid heavy topics, instead chatting about light subjects. Olivia mostly asked about their shared past experiences.

“When did you first allow me to call you by a nickname?”

“When I had been your mentor for exactly six months. At first, I thought you’d be shy about it, but you suddenly asked if you could call me ‘Mas.’ I agreed in a daze.”

“Then what does ‘Buddy’ mean?”

Marsden’s hand, reaching for his tea, paused. A hint of inexplicable sadness appeared in his eyes, making Olivia tilt her head in curiosity.

“Is it something I shouldn’t ask about? I was just curious because it doesn’t share any letters with my name.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… it’s a nickname with a lot of meaning for me.”

Marsden loosely hugged his knees. With his hair covering his forehead today, he looked more like a boy.

“It’s the title of a piece. A song.”

“A song?”

The word “song” sparked curiosity in Olivia’s eyes.

“What kind of song? Who’s the composer?”

Marsden quietly looked at Olivia for a while, as if engraving an elegant piece of art in his heart. His dark eyes were clearer than ever, filled with Olivia.

“My mother.”

“…”

“‘Buddy’ means ‘little bird.’ When I was young, my mother called me that. Buddy.”

The brief explanation crashed into Olivia’s heart like a wave, making her heart pound.

“‘Buddy’ is a song she gave me and my old nickname. She gave it to me as a birthday present and said, ‘Happy birthday, Buddy.’”

“You gave such a precious nickname to me? You could’ve called me anything else.”

Olivia mumbled, her chest feeling too hot. She thought it might be an inconsiderate thing to say, but Marsden just smiled serenely.

“It’s you, and if not you, who else would I give that nickname to?”

Having always heard people say they couldn’t be bothered to give her a nickname, these words left her feeling powerless.

Olivia reached out her hand to Marsden’s cheek. She wasn’t sure what she intended to do. Maybe she wanted to kiss him, or hug him. At that moment, all she knew was that she wanted to hold this man with her whole being.

“…Buddy.”

Marsden seemed to feel the same way. Just as Olivia was about to act on her instinct, she suddenly froze.

Marsden’s expression was strange. The air around them felt different—ominous and heavy.

“Mas?”

“Buddy, …get down.”

Marsden placed his hand on Olivia’s shoulder. It wasn’t a gesture to embrace her.

It was a gesture to push her away.

Olivia’s body was thrust backward. At the same time, Marsden collapsed forward.

The smell of blood filled the air. Blood was flowing from various cuts all over Marsden’s body, as if he had been slashed by blades.

“Mas!!”

Olivia realized too late. The curse had only just begun