Chapter 133

Maybe Serwen saw it.

The thought sent a shiver through my entire body.

At the same time, my thoughts turned to the medallion.

Was it the medallion he was after?

For a moment, a rather base thought crossed my mind.

If the leader of the Red Crow, Adam, had been targeting the Rodante medallion…

I could have been the one in danger.

Thank goodness.

Still, I hoped nothing had happened to Serwen.

Although she and I had a history full of bad blood, I didn’t want her to become a victim of black magic.

* * *

There was nothing to stop me.

I headed straight to Serwen’s house.

I knocked on the door, but there was no response from the other side.

Was she refusing my visit?

If so, I would have to break the door down…

I was contemplating such a drastic action when the door creaked open with a sound.

Seeing Serwen after so long startled me.

She was quite different from when I last saw her at the Cordelia audition.

Her face was still as beautiful as a flower, but despair and gloom haunted her like ghosts.

“Countess Balthus…”

Her voice was dry.

Her previously melodious voice, which used to captivate men, was now devoid of its former charm.

I asked the haggard Serwen,

“May I come in?”

Serwen hesitated for a moment before nodding and stepping aside.

I signaled the guards to stay outside.

I wanted to speak with Serwen alone.

I looked around her house carefully.

There were luxurious items scattered around the small house.

Gifts from Oscar, undoubtedly.

But whether Oscar loved her was unclear.

One thing was certain: no sunlight entered this house.

I would never confine someone I loved to a place without sunlight.

I was lost in my thoughts.

I straightened up and looked Serwen in the eyes.

“Has anyone come to look for the medallin?”

I asked bluntly.

At that moment, Serwen’s entire body froze.

Fear began to spread across her face.

She had definitely ‘seen’ something on the day immense magic was detected in the Tuhini district.

I stood firm, following her trembling gaze.

Her terrified eyes honestly directed me towards the dressing table.

I took a step towards it to open it.

It was then that…

“No!”

Serwen screamed, her voice tearing through the air.

It was neither pretty nor seductive.

It was merely desperate, as if she wanted to stop me at all costs.

I watched her actions with wide eyes.

She stood in front of the dressing table, spreading her arms to block me.

Cold sweat began to drip from her forehead and neck.

Her beautiful face contorted in agony.

“No, if you touch this, something terrible might happen.”

I looked at Serwen quietly.

“There’s bad magic here. If you touch it, something terrible might happen to you, Countess.”

Serwen, trembling, burst into tears.

I took a step closer to her.

Serwen screamed again, spreading her arms wider.

Her determination to prevent me from approaching the dressing table was evident.

Despite her overwhelming fear…

“…Amazing.”

I mumbled in astonishment.

It was a genuine reaction.

Judging by her actions, this woman was trying to save me.

Serwen’s goodwill was a foreign concept.

Wasn’t your role always to cry, to act like a victim, to cling to Oscar as if you had no choice?

“My words might seem foolish, stupid, and unbelievable. Someone as smart as you, Countess, might find me pathetic.”

Serwen sobbed, her tears streaming down her face.

It was not a beautiful sight.

“But you mustn’t. You really mustn’t. Even if you think I’m lying, you can’t. I’m sorry. You really can’t…”

She rambled on, refusing to move away from the dressing table.

Then, stammering, she came closer and pushed my arm.

As if to stop me from getting any closer to the dressing table.

I quietly looked down at her small, brown head.

A sudden realization hit me.

‘You are not a villain.’

At least, you are not a villain who would push someone into the abyss out of jealousy or a sense of loss.

“I was a fool. I thought everyone liked me and believed in me. But it wasn’t true. No one believed what I said.”

Serwen continued to cry, clutching my arm.

“You might also think I’m joking to get attention, Countess…”

“No.”

I lowered my head slightly to meet her eyes.

“I believe you.”

Serwen wasn’t the type to lie.

If she had that kind of cunning, she wouldn’t have disgraced herself at the Cordelia audition.

It was a strange kind of trust, but… If believing in her was a good thing for Serwen, then so be it.

Meanwhile, Serwen’s tear-streaked face began to change.

At first, her expression was dominated by shock and disbelief, as if she had heard something completely unexpected.

Then, in the next moment, a glimmer appeared in her eyes.

It was a captivating look.

I firmly grasped Serwen by the shoulders.

“Who is it? Tell me. Did you see the face of the person who came that day? Can you testify?”

“I… I don’t know who it was,” Serwen murmured softly. “But… they looked like Oscar Crestwell. At first, I thought it was Oscar.”

The revelation hit me like a blow to the head.

* * *

Adam resembled Oscar.

This was an incredibly significant piece of information.

I immediately informed His Majesty, the King, of this fact.

His beard quivered with rage.

“What?”

“Is there anyone you suspect?”

“Of course!” He pounded the armrest of the throne with his fist. That must hurt…

“Decio Crestwell!”

A chill ran down my spine.

Decio Crestwell… the Decio from the ‘Decio Incident’?

“He’s the heinous individual who attempted to assassinate his family to seize the throne.”

“But wasn’t he executed?”

“Not officially.”

At that time, Decio had a young son, Kieran. Although the crime warranted exterminating the family, the royal family pitied young Kieran, who would die without understanding why.

So, the Crestwell family was exiled, and it was reported that Decio was immediately assassinated.

“But the assassination…”

“Either failed, or he somehow resurrected.”

The King’s fist trembled with anger.

“Perhaps he used black magic on himself,” Ludwig, who had been listening quietly, interjected.

The King nodded as if the possibility made sense.

The reason the Red Crow continued to offer ‘sacrifices’ was likely connected to Decio’s survival.

Decio’s sudden reappearance astonished us all.

A man believed dead for so long had reappeared.

However, once we gathered our thoughts, a new understanding emerged.

“We’ve discovered the Red Crow’s objective.”

Decio had tried to illegitimately seize the throne of our Arlo Kingdom and was executed unofficially.

“He must want the throne he missed out on.”

The King muttered, his voice filled with anger.

And he had every reason to be angry. For Decio to claim the throne, he would have to kill our current King.

“This is a matter for the Kingdom of Arlo as well,” Ludwig said quietly, drawing our attention.

He smiled slightly.

“May I ask for your cooperation, King of Arlo?”

“…”

The King, after a long silence, sighed as he watched Ludwig.

“I’ll give you some information.”

Although he hadn’t yet decided to ensnare Rudolf in a ‘trap,’ he was already treating Ludwig with the respect due a Duke.

“This way.”

The King rose quietly and led us inside.

Ludwig and I exchanged glances and followed him.

The King led us to a secluded part of the palace.

“Our Magic Tower casts a spell to prevent exiled individuals from returning to the capital.”

The small space was filled with vessels.

It looked more like a vault than a room.

“It’s blood magic.”

The King carefully picked up one vessel.

A dark red liquid shimmered within, and a nameplate reading ‘Decio Crestwell’ was attached to its edge.

“If he tries to enter the capital, this protective spell will repel him.”

So as long as this vessel remained intact, Decio couldn’t enter the capital.

That explained why he had gathered the Red Crow to build his power.

He was trying to overcome the ‘exile spell’ with black magic.

We silently stared at the vessel containing Decio’s exile spell for a while.

Then Ludwig spoke up.

“I also have something to say.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the Sword of Rohitham. I’ve figured out why Decio Crestwell seeks it.”