Chapter 8 (Part 2)

Outside, Leonardo unconsciously glanced back once.  

He had forgotten until now, but a story suddenly came to mind—a tale told by someone who used to enjoy gossiping lightly about his Master, someone now deceased.  

[Hey, Leo. Do you know why that guy is so obsessed with knights?]  

[What’s the reason?]  

[Back in the day, he was harshly rejected by a female knight he had a crush on. That’s why he loathes knights so much! What a petty man!]  

[There’s no way my Master would do such a thing.]  

[Hey, this brat doesn’t believe me. Go to the Knight Order and grab anyone to ask! It’s true!]  

At that time, the person had been so indignant that Leonardo didn’t believe him.  

But the person who told him that story was now gone, and there were no longer any of his Master’s peers left in the Empire to verify the truth.  

‘Not that it matters now.’  

The animosity between knights and mages had a long history. It was so bad that the Imperial Family had to intervene and codify laws to mediate.  

Moreover, it wouldn’t be strange if his Master had one or two embarrassing incidents in his past.  

It wasn’t something that could be confirmed, and even if it were true, it was so long ago that it could be spun into a plausible story if packaged well enough.  

Still, it left a strange, lingering discomfort.  

Leonardo, leaving his Master’s room, thought he might investigate it when he had some free time.  

‘After all, knights and mages are inseparable.’  

Though the origins of their strained relationship were unclear, “stories” were always subject to interpretation.  

‘Yes, a story that everyone can accept.’  

It would take time and be a hassle, but in the long run, this might be the most certain solution.  

If no other means of resolution existed, that is.  

‘They can’t keep growling at each other when they always work together.’  

Ignoring the fact that his own relationship with Grace epitomized the typical knight-mage dynamic, Leonardo continued to think.  

‘Oh, and there’s also the issue of factions.’  

That, however, was a simpler matter. He just needed to align himself with Grace, who belonged to the noble faction. He had no intention of engaging in politics anyway.  

Of course, if Moment brought up the Mage Tower, things could get a bit complicated, but in that case, Leonardo thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to establish a tower under his own name.  

He had the ability and resources to do so. But above all,  

‘Caution is key.’  

Last night, as he embraced Grace in his dream, Leonardo realized that his feelings for her had never been pure hatred.  

If it had been only hatred, he wouldn’t have cared, wouldn’t have raised his voice in arguments.  

Somewhere between hatred and affection, obsession and indifference, his feelings had been wandering aimlessly—until now.  

‘But not anymore.’  

He had greedily consumed her in his dream, exploiting the fact that she couldn’t recognize the dream version of him. Like a satiated beast, he had watched her succumb to pleasure.  

And then, he realized an almost obsessive desire not to let anyone else see that side of her.  

Entering his laboratory, Leonardo stared at the antidote sample on his desk, which contained a mixture of Grace’s blood and his own.  

‘To create a perfect antidote… I need to know what kind of sorcery Pla used and how to break it.’  

If he gave this sample to Grace right away, it would naturally show his eagerness to resolve the matter quickly and gain her trust.  

Leonardo clenched his teeth, trying not to think of this wretched situation as entirely bad.  

After all, as Grace had said, this state of affairs couldn’t continue.  

‘I need to confirm a bit more.’  

Sitting in his lab chair, Leonardo adjusted his glasses and began experimenting again, sifting through papers and various samples.  

He lost track of time as he worked.  

***  

Grace, who had been ordered to stay home all day, spent the entire day lounging in bed.  

She had nothing to do, and her physician had demanded absolute rest. Whenever she moved even slightly, her watchers somehow knew and immediately rushed to her.  

As a result, Grace had no choice but to read books and indulge in idle thoughts while lying in bed.  

‘Come to think of it… wasn’t Sir Leonardo acting strange in my dream last night?’  

In her usual dreams, he acted as if satisfying his own desires was all that mattered, regardless of her reactions.  

But last night, he had persistently tried to figure out how she reacted and what she liked.  

Though, upon reflection, she realized that in the dream, she had simply cried out, lost in the pleasure he gave her.  

‘I think I understand why the old kings were so obsessed with their concubines.’  

Surely, they offered not only coquettish charm but also heavenly nights.  

Of course, they likely whispered sweet nothings in bed as well.  

‘So what should I do?’  

On the third day since returning from the shelter, Grace was acutely aware of how powerless she was in this situation.  

She could only hope that Leonardo would resolve the matter quickly.  

This was the first time in her life, aside from her childhood, that Grace had taken such a passive stance.  

While she was dissatisfied with the situation, there was no use in being frustrated with herself for being unable to help.  

‘Still, isn’t there some way I can contribute?’  

Lost in thought, Grace suddenly sat up straight.  

“That’s it—sorcery! The library!”  

The Lowell Marquisate had a library rivaling that of the Imperial Family. Thanks to the Marquis’s love for books, it was a space everyone used frequently, though Grace rarely did.  

Books always made her sleepy.  

‘Maybe there’s a book about sorcery there.’  

Leonardo had said that the sorcery used by Pla was an ancient type, almost extinct.  

Moreover, the sorcery cast on them had been altered, making it difficult to trace back to its original form.  

There was no way to break it except through counter-sorcery, but the elders of the Sorcerer’s Tower were notoriously secretive and uncooperative.  

‘Those old men, so closed off, wouldn’t help anyway.’  

Finding related books might be faster.  

Determined, Grace changed into a simple dress and headed to the library.

The people of the Lowell Marquisate had rarely seen Grace enter the library of her own accord, so everyone passing by stopped to stare at her.  

Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Grace’s ears turned red as she yelled.  

“Ah! Seriously! Is it the first time you’ve seen someone go to the library?”  

Becky, who was following behind her, replied with an innocent face.  

“Well, it’s been almost ten years since you last went there, Young Lady.”  

At Becky’s words, Grace spun around and narrowed her eyes.  

“Be quiet, you.”  

“Yes, Young Lady.”  

Becky mimed sewing her lips shut and trailed after her.  

Grace gave Becky a resentful look before opening the library door. The librarian, who was stationed at the reception desk, looked at her with startled eyes.  

“What brings you here, Young Lady?”  

To this, Grace replied with a haughty expression.  

“I came to read books, of course. Why else would I be here?”  

“…You, Young Lady?”  

“Who else, then?”  

Grace could fully understand the librarian’s bewildered expression as he looked at her.  

Even she thought her life had been far removed from books. But being openly pointed out like this made her feel awkward, causing her voice to grow louder.  

“Ah, seriously! What’s with everyone?”  

Noticing the irritation in Grace’s voice, the librarian lowered his head and spoke.  

“You’re not allowed to sleep in the library, Young Lady.”  

“I know that!”  

“Then, I hope you enjoy your reading.”  

Grace dismissed the librarian’s greeting and turned to Becky, who was following behind her.  

“Go and bring me a notebook, a pen, and a small handbag.”  

“Yes, Young Lady.”  

After sending Becky off, Grace slowly surveyed the library.  

Carefully examining the catalog, Grace headed straight for the section on sorcery.  

‘Of course, it wouldn’t be missing.’  

Her father was known for his obsession with collecting books, to the point where he was said to have a hoarding problem.  

The library of the Marquisate, rumored to have more ancient texts than even the Imperial Library, certainly wouldn’t lack books on sorcery.  

Walking slowly toward the shelves, she scanned the titles until one caught her eye.  

‘—Ancient Sorcery Theories?’  

Reaching out, Grace pulled the book off the shelf and opened the cover.  

Unlike the easily readable spine, the contents were written in ancient script. The excitement she had felt moments earlier quickly faded, and Grace frowned.  

“Ah, why does it have to be in ancient script?”  

Grace wasn’t good at many things aside from swordsmanship, but if she had to pick her worst subjects, they would definitely be basic magic theory and ancient languages.  

“Young Lady, I’ve brought what you requested.”  

Becky returned with the items and handed them over.  

Grace took them from her and waved her hand dismissively.  

“I’ll be here for a while, so don’t come looking for me or disturb me.”  

At Grace’s words, Becky replied with a worried expression.  

“What if you collapse again, Young Lady?”  

Hearing the concern in the voice of her long-time friend and trusted maid, Grace slowly turned to look at her.  

Seeing the coldness in Grace’s eyes, Becky lowered her head.  

“Yes, Young Lady. Please, call me if anything happens.”  

Suppressing her disappointment, Becky left the library.  

Once the door closed, Grace sighed and looked up at the ceiling. She felt guilty, as if she had wronged Becky.  

“I’ll make it up to you later, double.”  

Muttering this to herself, Grace sat down at a desk with the book.  

Suddenly, she clutched her chest in pain.  

“Ah, damn it. This is what I found.”  

A perfect opportunity to flaunt her discovery to Leonardo was slipping away because of this.  

Even as she endured the excruciating pain, Grace closed her eyes with a face full of regret. The timing of it all was just too perfect to be coincidental.