There wasn’t just one or two.

They resembled a pack of fierce wolves.

The floating creatures charged at the Duke’s bed in unison. Rahta, who had been on the bed, leaped up and collided with them head-on. Each collision created flashes of blue light.

But Rahta wasn’t in the form Marienne knew.

Its body had grown larger, horns ran along its spine, and bat-like wings had sprouted.

Rahta raised all its scales and threatened the monsters with eagle-like claws.

“Rahta……”

When Marienne muttered, the suspicious smoke creatures spotted her and flew at her fiercely.

It was a monster charging at her with its mouth full of sharp teeth — and only a head without a body.

As Marienne instinctively crossed her arms to block, her eyes flashed golden.

Wood stems and vines shot up from the bedside table, instantly forming a shield to protect her.

Pabat! Sparks flew as the monster collided.

Rahta quickly flew over and swung its long tail.

Like scattered smoke, the monster dispersed in all directions.

“Marienne!”

“Rahta!”

“You, can you see these things?”

“Yes! But what’s going on? And what’s with your appearance!”

“No time to explain! We need to stop them from eating away at Nigel’s mind!”

“What? How?”

“Just like you did before! I’ll handle the monsters, you protect Nigel from behind!”

“I…… I don’t even know what to do!”

Smoke rose from the magic circle drawn on the floor, creating more monsters.

Marienne shouted as she ran toward the bed.

“How can he sleep through this chaos! Is this really insomnia?”

“Because of the magic circle, neither Nigel nor anyone in the castle can sense any sound or light!”

“Then why can I?”

“How should I know!”

Rahta fought off the monsters with all its might. It blocked the endlessly appearing monsters with its whole body, striking with its tail and ramming with its head.

The demon-like creatures sank their teeth into Rahta’s back.

Unable to watch any longer, Marienne grabbed a cushion and struck at them, but when that proved useless, she grabbed and tore them off with her hands.

“Marienne! Don’t touch them!”

“Sorry. I already did.”

“Are you okay?”

Marienne nodded as she shook off the creepy smoke clinging to her palms.

“You’re a strange woman anyway.”

Light burst from the magic circle on the floor, and more smoke rose up.

Rahta guarded the bed while glaring sharply at the creatures.

To think that Rahta’s secret — who was always busy dozing or sleeping during the day — was protecting Nigel.

Marienne looked at Luna and the dogs sleeping beside the bed, then at Nigel.

She stood up, clenching her fists. Though her nightgown had slipped to expose one shoulder, her brave eyes were no less fierce than a knight in armor.

“I’ll help you, Rahta!”

“Just watch over Nigel!”

“But Rahta, your body is getting smaller and smaller! Do you know that?”

“We just need to hold out until dawn.”

Marienne stomped her feet behind Rahta, who was enduring and fighting the monsters until it was in tatters.

She wanted to help but didn’t know what to do. She hated feeling so powerless.

As the light from the magic circle grew more intense, the gathering smoke grew larger.

The monster charged with its terrifying mouth open. Rahta collided with it with all its might.

Bang!

A blue light exploded so bright it turned everything azure.

Rahta, shrunk back to its original size, tumbled and fell under the bed.

“Rahta!”

The monsters charged again in packs. Marienne turned and threw herself at Nigel.

The bed cracked, and thick tree trunks and vines sprouted from all directions, swirling to envelop the two.

A brilliant light as bright as the sun burst from Marienne as she embraced Nigel.

The smoke vanished with a scream, and the flames of the magic circle on the floor turned to ash.

Golden magical energy rippled brilliantly throughout the room.

From somewhere, a woman’s voice called desperately for the Duke.

“Nigel.”

Marienne opened her eyes at the unfamiliar sound.

A white lady’s figure was calling for the Duke while crying.

“My son.”

As the golden light faded, the woman’s form began to crumble.

Her affectionate gaze toward the Duke shifted to Marienne.

The woman pressed her lips to Marienne’s forehead, who trembled in fear. She shuddered at the cool touch of death.

When darkness fell in the room, the mysterious woman vanished.

Tears that had gathered in Marienne’s eyes without her noticing fell.

She wanted to find Rahta, but trees and vines surrounded everything, making it impossible to see.

Marienne fell deep in thought.

Rahta had said it had been with the Duke for a long time.

Since he was in his mother’s womb, wasn’t it?

Then who was that woman? Was it Rahta?

The person who could call the Duke her son should be in Rockshield.

An inexplicable anxiety overwhelmed her.

Marienne pressed her cheek against Nigel’s chest and held him tightly. The steady beating of his heart gradually calmed her.

Then yawns came, and drowsiness washed over her. Tears fell too.

Why was this happening?

Bewildered, Marienne wiped away the moisture wetting her cheeks. Then she yawned again and cried.

The Duke’s nightshirt had become damp before she knew it.

Her heart kept breaking as she remembered the woman who had looked at him so pitifully.

Like a woman who cried and begged to save her child, like Luna who bared her fangs refusing to lose her pups, like Madam Rose who could become ruthless for her son’s sake — that blind and absolute love that asked for nothing in return.

How should she, born without that enormous piece, fill that deficiency, and with what?

She honestly didn’t know the reason for these tears.

Whether she was moved by the sublime maternal love. Or if she just envied it.

Marienne lowered her wet eyelids. Flowers bloomed pitifully along the trees and vines.

Much later, when morning light brightened the room, Luna started barking.

Nigel’s eyebrows twitched, and then he suddenly sat up startled. Red hair slid down beside him.

“Marienne?”

About to wake her, Nigel looked around the room, disturbed by something unsettling.

The tree trunks and vines that had trapped them like a dense cage.

And the collapsed bed with its posts either broken or bent, sprouting new branches.

Nigel’s fierce eyes turned to the troublemaking woman as he exhaled sharply.

Nigel took out the dagger he kept at his bedhead and struck a branch.

When a deep groove was carved, he took off his top and wrapped it around his elbow. Then he struck hard at the weakened spot.

Morning light leaked through the cracking branches.

The bed had been so thoroughly enclosed that it felt like being inside a walnut shell.

Once he made a hole large enough for his head to fit through, he grabbed the vines and kicked hard.

What madness first thing upon waking! Curses rose in his throat.

Nigel came out, brushing away falling leaves and damned flower petals.

Luna, who had been circling anxiously, jumped up when she saw Nigel. He rubbed her neck.

“What if you got hurt coming so close.”

Nigel brushed off the wood pieces stuck in Luna’s fur.

The puppies, just woken up, waddled around marking their territory everywhere.

Warmth spread across Nigel’s lips as he watched.

On the floor where urine trickled, black traces of the burned magic circle remained.

Nigel stroked Luna while coldly staring at the familiar sight.

Since the seizures began, magic circles would appear suddenly wherever he slept.

Neither Rockshield nor Louer, temporary lodgings during travel, nor even military tents were exceptions.

The problem was the imperial palace.

With spies from various families and the imperial family crawling everywhere, getting discovered was only a matter of time.

So unless it was crucial business, he didn’t enter the imperial palace, and when he had to stay, he went to the ducal residence in the capital.

Though society circles whispered that it was disrespectful to the Emperor, it didn’t matter much to him as he had cut ties with that side long ago.

Those nauseating symbols and numbers, grotesque patterns.

Nigel glared at the culprit that had driven him to exhausting insomnia.

After years of tirelessly doing this, it had to be one of two.

Either the Heath people familiar with magic, or the Emperor who had gathered the priests.

Which one had a more fervent desire to kill him and swallow Bernac?

Nigel stood up and looked around the room that had become a mess overnight.

Though magic circles had appeared before, it had never become such a mess.

Unknown roots and branches growing from every broken piece of furniture. Tapestries covered in grass and flowers.

Not only that, but vines that had spread across the ceiling, wrapping around the chandelier and hanging down, made the bedroom look like a witch’s eerie forest. A red-haired witch……

“Duke.”