“No, look. Though blood is visible, it’s not enough to flow…”

“Isn’t that still blood? Do you know how small injuries can lead to fatal results?”

“No, what I mean is…”

Lynen had become a runaway train…

They say usually quiet people are the scariest when angry, and it was really true.

When he got serious and angry without a trace of teasing or playfulness, even my usual feistiness shrank back.

The reason I shrank back wasn’t because I was afraid of him.

‘What… did he really worry about me that much?’

Thinking about why he was going overboard like this, I somehow didn’t feel bad. Really not bad at all.

“…Are you listening to me right now?”

“Yes. Completely focused.”

“…Huu.”

My docile attitude must have looked like I was being repentant. Lynen stopped his nagging and let out a deep sigh.

He sat me down on a flat rock and wrapped my heel with his handkerchief.

“Don’t take unnecessary risks. Every time you do that, I get more startled than when ambushed by enemies.”

“But I did create an opportunity—”

“…”

Lynen stared at me intensely. His unique eye color made him look like a wild wolf, which was a bit scary.

“…I’ll tell you in advance next time. Okay?”

“Is that a promise?”

“Yes. I really promise.”

I held up my pinky finger.

“Shall we pinky swear?”

“…”

I thought he would criticize it as childish, but Lynen simply hooked his pinky with mine.

His thick, firm finger locked tightly with my little finger.

“It’s a promise.”

“Okay.”

Even after I answered, Lynen didn’t immediately release my finger.

Without any necessity or purpose, for a subtle moment, his finger pulled mine a little closer.

The two fingers of different thickness gently rubbed against each other ever so slightly.

At the same time, it felt like something was rubbing against a part of my emotions.

“…Ahem.”

Suddenly becoming aware of reality, Lynen quickly untangled his finger from mine.

“Now that we’ve made a promise, you can tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

I was somewhat off guard due to the strange feeling I had just experienced.

So I was caught off guard by Lynen’s sudden probing question.

“What you’re hiding in that pouch. What you’re concealing that you used to lure the familiar.”

“…!”

How unfair to ambush me like this!

But it felt like what was bound to come had finally arrived. I never thought I could keep deceiving him forever anyway.

“…Alright.”

I took out a small box from the pouch. It was the sealing magical tool that had lost its effect.

Click, I opened the box.

Inside was the black stone I had been hiding.

“…This is.”

Lynen’s brow furrowed.

He seemed to recognize what this object was.

‘How does he know about what the Young Marquis had?’

While I was surprised by his reaction, he sharply questioned me.

“Explain, Calliphe Offensa. How did you come to possess this?”

* * *

A considerably deep underground space.

Unknown minerals that emitted soft light from various spots on the ceiling and walls illuminated the sunless space.

But right now, they were only casting shadows on Lynen’s stern face.

“This. Where did you get it?”

“…”

Lynen stared at the expressionless Calliphe.

He had known all along that Calliphe was hiding many things.

This pouch with the bug embroidery was no exception.

On the way back after chasing away the familiar that had kidnapped Noah, he had witnessed her secretly putting something into this pouch. It was a furtive action meant to avoid Lynen’s gaze.

At that time, Lynen had thought of one possibility.

That perhaps it was related to why the familiar had appeared.

But until now, there had been no evidence.

The possibility gained weight when Lynen himself collapsed from the familiar’s poison.

“Sorry.”

“Why…?”

“Just because.”

It was because of Calliphe’s apology.

She’s not someone who apologizes without reason. So the reason for my collapse must surely be related to Calliphe.

Following this line of thought naturally led to thinking about the unidentified object she had hidden in her pouch.

‘But I never imagined she would be hiding Lumen’s heart.’

Lumen’s heart was the core of a powerful black mage whose seal had been guarded by House Ortega.

It was stolen several years ago, and was what Lynen had been searching for since becoming duke.

An item he must find along with his lost nephew.

It was the reason Lynen had come to the province.

Though the only clue and suspect in the theft was an unidentified peddler, it wouldn’t be strange if there were other parties involved.

‘Could Calliphe also be involved in the theft?’

Suddenly his chest tightened a little. Rarely did he want to deny his own deductions.

“It’s better not to know.”

Calliphe tried to snatch the black stone from Lynen’s hand.

However, Lynen easily avoided her hand.

Calliphe’s eyes grew fierce.

“Don’t cross the line, Lynen. We never made a contract saying you could interfere in others’ private matters.”

“What if your private matter is a public matter to me?”

“…What do you mean?”

“First answer my question. How did you get this?”

“Would you believe me if I told you?”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Tell me.”

A firm command.

He wore the face of Duke Ortega, not Calliphe’s contract fiancé.

Calliphe chewed her lip before answering with a sigh.

“It’s Young Marquis Caiman’s possession.”

“…That person again.”

The person suspected of being behind the illegal magical tool organization.

Also the master of the special magic beast that caused the monster attacks in the north and visited this village.

At this point, it seemed the familiar must have been summoned by the Young Marquis as well.

That is, if Calliphe’s claim about this being Young Marquis Caiman’s possession was true.

“…”

Though somehow the words didn’t come easily, Lynen soon coldly pressed on.

“Do you not know what this is? Or are you pretending not to know? If Young Marquis Caiman really had this item, he would never have kept it carelessly.”

“…”

“Yet if you got your hands on it, that means it was planned to that extent. This leads to the conclusion that you were fully aware of the object’s identity and value.”

“No, I didn’t know.”

“You’re saying you obtained an item that was strictly guarded without knowing what it was? Are you going to claim it moved on its own?”

“…”

That’s actually what happened.

Calliphe answered, feeling wronged.

“I’m rather the one who desperately wants to get rid of that cursed thing. That black stone, it really follows me around.”

“What nonsense…”

“If I really knew what that stone was, why would I have just been hiding it all this time instead of using it? I would have tried to use it somehow, either by approaching others who know its value or by blackmailing the Young Marquis, right?”

“…”

“Of course, I now know it’s not something ordinary. I also know it’s related to black magic.”

Though she started spilling everything out of frustration, she gradually felt relieved.

Right. This was a problem she would have to face eventually. If they were going to become estranged and disappoint each other over such trivial matters anyway, better to draw the line early.

“I don’t care whether you believe me or not. Just don’t forget we made a magical notarization contract.”

She meant they had to cooperate until the contract period, whether they liked it or not.

Because when the starting point of the original ‘Marino’ arrived, her ending would be determined too.

Lynen rolled the black stone in his hand and asked.

“What if I take this?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Calliphe raised her eyebrows and jabbed Lynen’s chest with her index finger.

“I told you. I now know it’s related to black magic. Why would I hand over something that could be decisive evidence against the Young Marquis?”

There was no time to methodically bring down the Young Marquis. She would fall first in that time.

If she wasn’t going to run away, she needed to bring him down in one go.

By latching onto a decisive weakness.

The black stone was exactly that.

‘Even if my relationship with Lynen deteriorates, I can’t give this up.’

She spoke with determination.

“And that thing, I’m telling you it really follows me around?”

“…Are you still making that claim?”

“What can I do if it’s true? Even if you take it, it’s bound to return to me anyway. So don’t do anything unnecessary to make me go astray. Unless you want to suffer from magical power thirst again—”

“…Ha.”

Suddenly an odd sound escaped.

Lynen was trying to hold back his laughter.