Chapter 1 (Part 8)

After crying for a long time, Lian fell asleep in Yuliana’s arms as if he had fainted.

“Lady Yuliana, you did well.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Seeing Yuliana’s slightly flushed cheeks, Anthus smiled.

“That was good advice, Lia.”

“Duke.”

“Yes, Lia?”

“I didn’t give you permission to call me by my nickname.”

“While I was alone, I kept saying ‘Lia’ because it fits so well in my mouth, and before I knew it… it just stuck. I apologize.”

“It’s a big deal when someone who never makes mistakes makes one.”

“If you correct my mistakes every time, Lady Yuliana, I think I won’t make any mistakes.”

Yuliana looked at Anthus with her mouth agape at his bold words.

She wondered where did the man who called her Lady Loengrin for nine years go.

“When we get to Luteons Village, you’ll need to stay sharp. Especially you, Lia… I mean, Lady Yuliana, stay close to me.”

She looked at Anthus, who had casually switched topics while still using her nickname.

“You make too many mistakes, Duke. I will try not to make the mistake of staying away from your side.”

Yuliana subtly hinted that she would try to stay away from him due to his frequent mistakes.

Anthus, understanding her intention, replied with a bright smile.

“Lady Yuliana, you don’t need to try.”

“What?”

“I mean, you don’t need to try to stay close because I won’t leave your side.”

Yuliana awkwardly smiled and laughed.

“I’ll come closer to you, so don’t worry, Lady Yuliana.”

Looking at Anthus’s smiling face, Yuliana couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being played.

“When we arrive at Luteons Village, please ask the spirits to investigate, beautiful Lady Yuliana.”

“Please stop saying that.”

“Saying what?”

“Calling me beautiful or cute all the time!”

Yuliana felt like she was going crazy from embarrassment due to his relentless words.

“I hope you don’t suppress my freedom of expression.”

“So, you’re going to keep doing it.”

“Unless you really hate it, I’ll keep saying it because your expressions, Lady Yuliana, are too…”

“What about my expressions?”

“Too cute to look away from, especially when your ears turn red…”

“Stop! Stop talking!”

“Your blushing face is so cute.”

“Duke!”

Yuliana glared at Anthus with her cheeks flushed red.

She didn’t dislike being called beautiful. The only reason she told Anthus to stop was because she was embarrassed.

He kept calling her beautiful or cute whenever he had the chance. She was tired of telling him to stop. She wondered why Anthus was doing this. She tried to stop thinking about it as it only made her head hurt.

“Okay, I’ll stop for now.”

“So, you’ll say it again later.”

“Say what?”

“That I’m… beautiful or… cute…”

“Of course, I plan to.”

“Duke, let’s talk.”

“As much as you want.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“You called me ‘Lady Loengrin’ for nine years… You weren’t interested in my nickname.”

Yuliana’s golden eyes met Anthus’s red ones.

“And…”

A smile curved on his lips.

“You keep saying we suit each other… and keep telling me to misunderstand…”

“I clearly said I want you to misunderstand my actions.”

Anthus took a step closer to Yuliana with a smile.

<That Sword Master definitely likes you, Yuli.>

Sylph’s words echoed in Yuliana’s mind.

“I like you, Lia.”

“What?”

“I look at you because I like you, Lia. You’re so beautiful that my feelings just come out.”

* * *

The day after resting in Haeil Village, they headed to Luteons Village. Yuliana couldn’t get Anthus’s words out of her mind.

<I look at you because I like you.>

<You’re so beautiful that my feelings just come out.>

Yuliana shook her head, trying desperately not to think about Anthus’s words.

“We’re almost at Luteons Village.”

One of the knights who had gone ahead shouted.

“Lady Yuliana, don’t worry.”

“What?”

“No matter what happens, I will protect you.”

“…Okay.”

She felt her face heat up. Her chest tingled strangely.

But Yuliana couldn’t dwell on that feeling. As they approached Luteons Village, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

“As the village chief of Haeil Village said, there’s not even a single bug in the village.”

As a Sword Master, Anthus could sense even the slightest presence of insects. But as they got closer to Luteons Village, he couldn’t sense any sign of life.

“The air around here is cold. It feels heavy… It’s like being in a graveyard.”

Yuliana, who had dismounted, spoke to Anthus.

“Lia… I mean, Lady Yuliana.”

“Yes.”

Yuliana glared at Anthus, who had shamelessly called her by her nickname.

“Aren’t you going to correct me for calling you by your nickname by mistake?”

“Right now, there’s something more important than correcting mistakes. Sylph.”

[Yuli, did you call?]

“Please check the surroundings and see if there are any living people or monsters.”

[Got it.]

A gust of wind swept through the knights.

“Nyx.”

Yuliana called the intermediate water spirit.

[Yuli.]

“Please check the well.”

[Got it.]

Water droplets formed in the air, burst like fireworks, and disappeared.

After a while, water droplets began to form in the air again, and Nyx reappeared.

[Yuli, the water in the well is contaminated.]

“Contaminated?”

[The water in the well has become unusable due to the blood from the corpses.]

“Contaminated water…”

Contaminated water, as the spirit referred to it, meant that the blood of corpses that had died unnaturally, either by curse or poison, had mixed with the water. Even an intermediate water spirit found it difficult to purify such water. Only a high-level water spirit could purify rotten blood.

[There are thirty-two corpses in the well. I have a bad feeling about this, Yuli… Be careful.]

Anthus and the knights couldn’t understand the spirit language, but they could infer the situation from Yuliana’s responses.

“Lady, I apologize for interrupting your conversation with the spirit. Did the spirit mention ‘contaminated water’?”

“Nyx says there are thirty-two corpses in the well. Thank you for investigating, Nyx. You can return for now.”

[Call me anytime. Helping you makes us spirits happy.]

“Noum!”

Yuliana called the lower earth spirit.

[Yuli, isn’t it too long since you last called me?]

“Sorry, Noum. I need your help right away. Can you investigate the ground in this village? Nyx found corpses in the water. There might be something in the ground too.”

[Easy peasy.]

The ground began to tremble. Yuliana and Anthus’s expressions grew serious.

“After Noum’s investigation, we should use the spirits’ help to retrieve the bodies from the well. Whether they were poisoned or cursed, we need to examine the bodies.”

“Understood.”

Anthus bit his lip, feeling sorry for having to rely on Yuliana’s spirits to lift the bodies. He regretted not bringing a wizard from the Mage Tower.

“Please, my Lady.”

“Yes.”

[Yuli.]

“Sylph.”

Yuliana looked at the returning Sylph.

[There’s nothing alive in this village. No insects, no animals.]

“Thank you, Sylph. You can return for now.”

[Be careful. I have a bad feeling.]

After sending Sylph back, Yuliana spoke to Anthus.

“Sylph says there’s no living being in this village.”

“It’s serious.”

Thud, thud!

The ground shook as Noum emerged.

[Yuli!]

“Yes, Noum.”

[Something’s strange!]

“What do you mean?”

[There are bodies of people who haven’t been dead for long buried underground.]

“What?”

[I sense a sinister and dark energy from the corpses. You need to be careful, Yuli. By the way, there’s a body buried right beneath where you’re standing.]

Unconsciously, Yuliana almost stumbled backward at Noum’s words, but Anthus, who had been watching her closely, caught her waist before she could fall.

“Lady Yuliana, what’s the matter?”

Seeing her face turn pale, Anthus realized the situation was grave.

“T-there’s a body beneath me… Under the ground in this village… I was standing on a corpse.”

Shocked and stammering, Yuliana was lifted into Anthus’s arms like a princess. He then shouted to the knights behind him.

“You all heard what Lady Yuliana said, right? Start digging the ground where she was standing immediately.”

Upon receiving the order, the knights began digging tirelessly, and soon, bodies started to emerge. Three bodies were found where Yuliana had been standing.

“They might be villagers.”

“Look here, Duke. This body is missing its right leg, and this one is missing its left leg.”

The faces of the bodies showed signs typical of poisoning.

“The faces are purple, and the severed parts are cleanly cut, like a butchered pig. And…”

There were no organs inside the split open abdomens. Some knights even retched at the sight.

“Whoever did this is skilled with a blade…”

Anthus frowned as he looked at the bodies.

“Surely not all the people buried here are villagers… Lia, you don’t need to see this.”

Anthus looked down worriedly at Yuliana, who had turned deathly pale in his arms.

“Are you alright?”

“It’s too horrible. Who could… do such a thing…”

Yuliana’s mind was blank from the horrific scene. She shook her head vigorously to regain her composure.

“Duke, Noum said there are more bodies underground.”

“I understand.”

Following Anthus’s orders, the knights continued digging. The scene that unfolded was worse than a battlefield.

“We need to send a messenger to request reinforcements.”

“Yes, we need more people.”

“I’ll send an urgent message to Seignior Faihan nearby.”