Chapter 9 – Part 10

“Answer me, Glenn Miles!”

Glenn’s gaze shifted momentarily before returning to Marsden.

“Didn’t Bay say that once you’re addicted to magic, your body becomes covered in wounds?”

“Oh…”

Olivia was taken aback by the memory she had momentarily forgotten.

“When I heard that the Duke’s body had been torn apart by an invisible assailant, I refused to believe it was magic. But then you got hurt, Marchioness. So I wanted to ask you… Did you get hurt because you were learning magic?”

Olivia felt a chill run down her spine as she realized just how rational and cold Glenn could be.

When she first found herself in this world, Glenn was the one to assess her situation with a clear mind. They had grown closer since then, and his demeanor had become more relaxed, but now she saw that his calculating nature was still very much intact.

“Whether you asked to be taught or offered to teach, I won’t ask about that now. What’s clear is that the Duke is having a harmful effect on the Marchioness.”

“Glenn, I understand what you’re saying, but this isn’t the time for us to fight each other. We have urgent matters to—”

“Do you know the Duke possesses a forbidden book passed down among sorcerers?”

Olivia’s mind went blank. A forbidden book?

“The Duke has been capturing sorcerers and sending them to the palace, dead or alive, along with their evidence. But separately, he’s been dealing with sorcerers on his own, without reporting to the palace.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“He’s been hunting sorcerers to obtain that forbidden book.”

Olivia’s eyes slowly shifted to Marsden.

She recalled the various magical materials she had seen in Marsden’s room. Up until now, she had assumed they were tools he had accumulated in his quest to track down sorcerers. 

But what if that wasn’t the case? What if the reason he could list every detail about magic was because he had that forbidden book right by his side?

“Is it true?” she asked quietly.

Marsden didn’t answer but instead removed his gloves and tossed them to the ground. He then unwrapped the bandages around his hands.

Fresh wounds marred the back of his hands, blood pooling as if they had just been clawed by a beast. Marsden held his hand out in front of Glenn, daring him to look.

“…Are you satisfied now?”

Marsden’s voice was devoid of emotion, completely abandoning his usual polite tone. Glenn tightened his grip on his sword.

“These wounds are fresh. Did you become addicted to magic while trying to destroy it? Where is the forbidden book? Did you really…”

“Glenn!”

“If it’s not magic, nothing else makes sense.”

The tip of Glenn’s sword trembled slightly.

“The brief disappearance in the annex, the lack of traces…”

“Glenn, this is your final order. Lower your sword.”

“The late Marquis secretly chased the sorcerer to help you. Without the Duke knowing.”

“What?”

Olivia was stunned by this new information.

“He didn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to worry and because… he feared this might happen.”

Glenn’s bloodshot eyes slowly began to regain their clarity. The trembling of his sword stopped.

“You know this as well, Marchioness. Did you truly love Gael Abyss? You pretended to love him because you believed Duke Marsden was distancing himself to protect you. You wanted to lessen the burden on him, even if just a little.”

Olivia recalled the words she had once said to Gael in the palace.

“I must have never truly loved you.”

It was true, then. But if that was the case, her entire theory was wrong.

“Wait, my head’s spinning. Didn’t this man use magic to make me love Gael?”

She felt as though all the blood was draining from her body, yet deep within her, an inexplicable emotion began to simmer.

“Was that a lie?”

Marsden’s eyes focused solely on her. Olivia had always thought his gaze resembled a starry night sky, but now there was no light in his eyes. Only she remained in them.

“You became addicted to magic and ended up harming the Marchioness, who was trying to help you. That’s the only explanation that makes sense.”

So he lied to cover his true intentions? Olivia searched Marsden’s eyes for answers, but they offered nothing. They were empty.

Glenn raised his sword. Marsden didn’t move, standing still as if resigned.

“Urgh…!”

But Glenn’s sword never reached Marsden’s neck. Olivia had quickly drawn her own sword and deflected Glenn’s blade.

“I said this was your final order, Glenn. Lower your sword.”

Glenn looked like he wanted to attack Marsden again, but this time he obeyed Olivia’s command. He lowered his gaze to the ground.

“My, my, haven’t we spilled too many secrets in front of an outsider? Sir Cotton, you’re officially in this with us now,” Olivia remarked.

“I won’t breathe a word,” Cotton replied with a slight attempt at humor, but no one laughed. Olivia sheathed her sword and turned to Marsden.

“Troy Marsden.”

“…”

“Go home. I’m going to take Sir Cotton and report to the Emperor.”

The rage that had threatened to consume her like molten lava had subsided, leaving only a cold emptiness in its place.

“This time, I’m sincerely asking you. Go home.”

Marsden remained silent. So Olivia repeated herself.

“Disappear from my sight immediately. If you don’t, I’ll really kill you.”

* * *

The carriage ride to the palace was steeped in a cold silence. They had hastily boarded a freight wagon instead of the marquisate’s usual carriage, and the frigid air seemed to seep even more tightly into the space between them.

Olivia kept her eyes closed the entire way to the palace. Normally, she was the type who could meet anyone’s gaze with ease, but now she finds herself unable to look at anyone. The image of those pitch-black, lightless eyes haunted her, filling her heart with an unbearable heaviness.

Most of all, she was embarrassed by the way her eyes kept welling up with tears. She had worked so hard to maintain her relationship with Marsden, and her feelings for him had grown so deep that she could tolerate his maddening behavior.

‘But that ungrateful bastard crossed the line.’

Even though Olivia didn’t fully trust Marsden, she believed in that one statement of his.

That he had used a spell to make “Olivia Charbert fall in love with Gael Abyss.” She trusted him because no one in their right mind would lie about something so insane.

But it turned out that was the biggest lie of all. Troy Marsden had never cast such a spell.

“…”

Olivia was still in a daze as she got out of the carriage and made her way to Hellebore. She was too exhausted to think straight, so she left the explanations to Cotton. He had come for that very purpose, and without a word of complaint, he informed Hellebore that the attack on the empire had been his own decision and that the royal family of Katlan had been corrupted by magic.

“So, Sir Cotton, you’re saying the attack by Katlan had nothing to do with the Marchioness’s mistakes?”

“That’s correct.”

“Hm, then that’s one less charge against the Marchioness.”

Hellebore, being a perceptive man, held a productive conversation with Cotton, but the real problem was Olivia. She was so out of it that even Hellebore was taken aback.

“Marchioness…?”

Hellebore exchanged glances with his chamberlain. The chamberlain, catching his intent, looked over at Glenn, but Glenn remained silent.

Cotton, caught in the middle of this awkward situation, wisely kept his mouth shut about Olivia’s state.

“Marchioness Charbert? Lady Olivia?”

“…”

“Border master? Excuse me?”

No response. Hellebore rubbed his empty chin in disbelief as Glenn took a step forward.

“Your Majesty, I, Glenn Miles, have something to report.”

“What is it?”

“The Duke of Marsden has become addicted to magic.”

Olivia snapped out of her stupor at that moment. She couldn’t believe her ears.

“He became a sorcerer while trying to hunt them down. The unknown attack he recently experienced wasn’t an attack at all but a side effect of the magic.”

“Glenn!”

Olivia tried to intervene, but it was too late.

“There is a forbidden book of magic in the Duke’s mansion. You must search Duke Marsden’s residence.”