Chapter 15

Julia said he could go anywhere, but his heart, shriveled by a life of slavery, made him stick to the first-floor hall, a clear common area, instead of wandering the corridors and rooms of the D’Vialis mansion.

He ended up counting the patterns on the ceiling and the leaves on the potted plants, when the sound of light shoes came from upstairs. It was Sabina, now dressed for the day.

A maid with chestnut hair quickly walked beside her and said,

“We sent word, but they insisted you needn’t come out, Miss Sabina, they would visit instead. You always do this, Miss.”

“I could have used magic to go.”

“They seemed to understand how teleportation magic is perceived. They said they’d come by carriage while you prepared…”

“Alright.”

Somewhere, things Helio didn’t know about were happening. The boy blinked like an invisible person from the side.

The mansion’s front door opened.

Helio tensed up when he saw the person standing in the doorway.

“You were worried about me, weren’t you?”

A cool voice, solid and upright build, sun-kissed skin.

Unlike yesterday, his faded hair was tousled over his forehead, and with three shirt buttons undone, the man looked rather casual.

He wore a playful smile, completely different from how Helio had seen him yesterday.

Sabina asked him,

“I heard from Mitchel, but what’s going on? The daughter of Marquis Meolin came looking for you?”

Helio’s expression changed at the mention of Marquis Meolin. Sharof de Meolin was Don Slafdi’s real name.

Don Slafdi’s daughter came looking for that man?

A chill ran down Helio’s spine.

…There was something to suspect.

What that man had done to Don Slafdi yesterday.

“Ah, it seems something happened to Marquis Meolin. She came by this morning and made a fuss, but I had no idea what was going on.”

And the man wore a puzzled expression as if he knew nothing.

‘After what you did yesterday…!’

Suddenly, the man’s gaze turned to Helio. The playful look he gave Sabina slowly faded.

‘Be careful. Understand?’

He was warning Helio with his eyes.

Helio shrank back at the chilling sensation.

Ashton soon lost interest in Helio and looked at Sabina with the gentlest eyes.

“Shall we go inside and talk?”

* * *

D’Vialis mansion’s drawing room table.

Ashton, dressed rather casually, still sat with proper posture. He held up one finger toward Sabina.

“First, Marquis Meolin has gone mad.”

Sabina nodded from across the table.

“Second…”

Ashton raised another finger and smiled slyly.

“It’s a secret.”

Vicky, serving tea and light snacks, briefly frowned. She glanced at Ashton with a hint of disrespect.

‘What kind of explanation is that?’

Her expression flashed for just an instant, so neither Ashton nor Sabina noticed.

Sabina, unlike Vicky, knew the context. She nodded as if she understood.

Ashton wasn’t unwilling to speak—he was unable to because of the mutual secrecy contract he’d signed last night.

If he was bound by that contract and claimed ‘it’s a secret,’ Marquis Meolin’s true identity was obvious.

‘Marquis Meolin is Don Slafdi.’

After meeting Ashton yesterday, Don Slafdi went mad. That’s why Marquis Meolin’s daughter suspected Ashton and came to see him.

“Alright. I understand.”

Sabina nodded, and Ashton relaxed a little more.

“But… as you know, only a magician could do ‘that.’”

“So you’re not a suspect. You’re from Retona.”

A person born in a land without magic. That assumption easily took Ashton off the suspect list. Ashton gave a slight smile.

‘Naive woman.’

He knew how tightly she tried to control herself. But suspicion and caution aren’t achieved by resolve alone.

Ashton planned to exploit that gap.

He smoothly explained,

“Right. So she left without gaining anything. I thought I should let you know right away.”

After all, Sabina was the one who brought him to Carnival.

“Yeah. I get it.”

Sabina answered easily.

When an outsider attends a secret festival like Carnival, the person who brings them is responsible if anything happens. If things went wrong, Marquis Meolin’s daughter might even come after Sabina for responsibility.

‘But… who did it?’

In truth, there were plenty of ‘possible suspects.’ Too many to pinpoint.

Don Slafdi had many enemies. Even if someone attacked him after Ashton took the boy away, it wouldn’t be strange. Yet he’d survived as Carnival’s host for so long for a reason.

Attribute magic leaves a trace, like a fingerprint, that identifies the magician. To drive someone mad with magic is basically to confess at the same time.

Sabina’s mind flickered through the names of magicians who could do such a thing.

“Tell me what state Marquis Meolin is in now.”

Ashton thought for a moment before explaining.

“Well… let’s see. No external or internal injuries, but he barks like a dog, crawls on all fours, eats with his face in a bowl, and chews up his daughter’s dresses. She said she threw a plate, and he ran to fetch it.”

Sabina’s expression hardened at those words. It was nothing like she’d imagined.

No magician on record could directly contact and brainwash someone to completely change their identity.

The only way magic could drive someone mad was to inflict unbearable pain and make them lose their reason.

Her heart felt like it dropped to the floor.

‘Ah, this can’t be…’

That common sense was about to be shattered this fall.

Because of the boy Sabina had brought.

Helio’s attribute was ‘identity.’

It could only have been Helio’s doing. Anyone would think so. He had both motive and ability.

Her lips pressed together. She felt conflicted. It took her a long moment to realize someone was in front of her and speak.

“I see.”

Her words came out anxious and inadequate. Ashton, pretending not to notice her anxiety, subtly asked,

“Hm. Any idea who did it?”

“…No.”

Sabina’s silver eyes were fiercely determined, but only for a moment. She hesitated, then whispered in a dry voice.

“When you went to get the boy, was Don Slafdi unharmed?”

With that, Ashton was sure the seed of misunderstanding he’d planted had sprouted in fertile ground. He frowned, pretending to ponder.

“I’m not sure.”

“When you fetched the boy, he’d already been given Gelopina, right?”

Ashton nodded.

“His body was paralyzed, but his mind was clear.”

The mind was clear.

That meant he could use magic.

Sabina closed her eyes. She gave up trying to find any possibility of Helio’s innocence.

“Alright.”

Her lashes trembled. When she closed her eyes, Ashton’s face also briefly stiffened.

He didn’t mind accusing an innocent boy. But Sabina’s troubled face made him a bit uncomfortable.

Sabina would surely do everything she could to cover up Helio’s crime. Don Slafdi deserved whatever happened, and Helio had every right to revenge. Even if he didn’t, Sabina would take Helio’s side no matter what.

But covering up a crime committed with magic would be a burden for Sabina.

She was a well-trained magician.

‘Enough.’

Ashton rubbed his face.

‘From here, I’ll step back as planned.’

His tanned hand quickly grabbed his jacket. Ashton fiddled with it for a moment, then spoke. He wanted to nudge Sabina into dealing with Marquis Meolin’s daughter.

“Anyway, the Meolin family must be worried. With no real breadwinner and the head of the house like that, it’s tough.”

Ashton put on his jacket. His usually smooth, sly tone was stiff.

“There seem to be a few mouths to feed at home.”

Sabina responded a beat late.

“You’re right.”

She barely looked at Ashton.

“You’re right.”