Han Ji-hyuk glanced back while running.
“Damn, they’re still following us.”
So we really were their target.
Panting, I kept running as Han Ji-hyuk said,
“Are you sure we didn’t take a wrong turn? It’s so deserted they’re blatantly tailing us!”
“Then what? Stay in the busy streets? Let them see exactly who we’re looking for?”
“So what do we do now?!”
“Just run! Damn it, what kind of assassin is that, following so openly!”
An assassin’s virtue is to eliminate the target without being noticed.
Tailgating openly in broad daylight like that—
Even in Astra, where relatives openly assign informants, such behavior is unthinkable.
Han Ji-hyuk, running ahead, shouted to me,
“Stop dawdling and come quickly!”
“My legs are short, so I can’t run as fast as you!”
Han Ji-hyuk muttered, “Damn it,” then came back and grabbed me by the side as we started running again.
I said,
“There, over there!”
“It’s dark. Seems blocked—”
“There!”
Han Ji-hyuk looked at me, squeezed his eyes shut, then sprinted toward the direction I pointed.
The corner led to a blocked path.
Han Ji-hyuk whispered, pale-faced,
“Of course it’s blocked...!”
“Ombre.”
As I spoke, Ombre poked his head out from my shadow.
Han Ji-hyuk muttered, “Ah...!”
Yes, Ombre is a shadow monster.
The darker it is, the stronger he becomes.
“Swallow us.”
Ombre instantly grew larger, enveloping Han Ji-hyuk and me, hiding us in the darkness.
After a while, we heard hurried footsteps.
Han Ji-hyuk and I held our breath, sensing the presence outside.
“What? Where did they disappear to?!”
“Damn it...”
One assassin muttered sluggishly.
“What do we do now?”
“We have to find them.”
“Of course we do! It’s the clue to the ‘Wild Mage’ we barely found!”
Wild Mage?
Han Ji-hyuk and I exchanged wide-eyed glances.
The men searched for a while but, unable to find us, left.
Only then did we emerge from Ombre’s shadows back onto the street.
“They must have realized we’re looking for the Wild Mage and chased us.”
“......”
“Lucky for us. If they chased us knowing you’re the Astra count’s daughter, they must be really dangerous.”
“......”
“Are you listening?”
“...Kumal.”
“What?”
Those searching the alley clearly said ‘Lord Kumal.’
I had heard the name Kumal before.
“Yes, because of that woman, Lord Kumal is angry.”
“N-Nonsense. Lord Ku-Kumal gave me this name. Nonsense. My name is... my name is Girtab─!!”
“The assassin from mentioned the name Kumal before!”
“Veil—the group Grimier might be running?”
“Yes, that Veil.”
Han Ji-hyuk and I instantly tensed.
‘Why would Veil be searching for the Wild Mage?’
The connection between the Wild Mage and Grimier began after Dalia appeared.
Dalia accidentally made the Wild Mage her subordinate...
“...Could it not be a coincidence?”
“What?”
“Yes, it’s no coincidence! Grimier was involved in Dalia making the Wild Mage her subordinate!”
Han Ji-hyuk frowned and checked his pocket watch.
“We need to head back. The luncheon will start soon.”
“...Alright.”
I glanced toward where the assassins disappeared and replied.
The luncheon was prepared by the lord of the castle.
But that didn’t mean the Ishiron servants had no work.
“Has the young lord’s clothes been ironed?”
“Guest list! Hurry...!”
“What about the guards’ requests?”
The servants hurried around busily.
...Except me.
‘Not a single person meets my eyes.’
I asked a maid rushing with Alexis’s clothes,
“What should I do?”
“You’re in charge of the tie—”
“Hey.”
Another maid suddenly pulled away the maid trying to give me work.
“Do you want to get on Bloni’s bad side?”
“Ah, yeah. It’s so chaotic...”
“Let’s go.”
The maids glanced toward Bloni’s group and hurried off.
‘That familiar scent.’
The scent of exclusion I had bitterly known in my first and second lives.
After yesterday’s fight, it seemed Bloni had changed tactics.
Instead of openly bullying, she used others to isolate me.
Sure enough, Bloni’s group was giggling while picking up snacks.
“Scared to talk, huh? If you don’t like it, she’ll just beat you again.”
“Poor Bloni.”
“Yeah, after the mess yesterday, someone got totally dumped on and got scolded by the butler alone today.”
“The butler understood the situation. But someone’s definitely on the outs.”
Bullying methods seem the same across dimensions.
‘My fists will be just as fiery.’
As I stared at my fists, someone grabbed my waist and pulled me outside the room.
“Mari?”
“You’re marked as a troublemaker by the senior servants.”
“Huh?”
“So if you want to roam outside, behave well. If you fight again, you’ll be sent straight to Hwangdo.”
Bloni must have exaggerated.
If she put that much passion into work, she’d be a senior servant by now.
Mari sighed deeply.
“Go back to the servants’ quarters. I’ll let you know when the luncheon starts.”
“That’s very kind. Do you like me now?”
I smiled brightly, and Mari narrowed her eyes.
“I’m just paying a debt.”
“What part of me do you like? Hmm?”
“Annoying.”
Mari clicked her tongue and walked off.
I chuckled and waved to Mari.
‘She’s fun to tease.’
Anyway, I should go back to the quarters.
‘Good. I need time to sort today’s matters.’
Walking back, I pondered.
There are many concerns.
Why does Veil want the Wild Mage?
What do they intend to do after finding them?
And...
‘How did they know I had the clue to the Wild Mage?’
Coincidentally, they were searching for a mage named Hans.
Are they shamelessly chasing me relying on that coincidence?
‘Something’s off.’
I thought as I entered the quarters.
“...What are you doing here, Bloni?”
Bloni, left alone in the quarters, flinched and looked at me.
“I was ignored by everyone. You know who’s to blame, right?”
Bloni snorted.
“There’s order among servants. It’s only natural to be wary of those who break the order.”
“Fine, let’s say that. But what are you doing on Mari’s bed?”
“W-What do you mean?”
I strode toward Bloni.
And sharply grabbed her wrist.
“You were rummaging through Mari’s things.”
“L-Let me go! I’ll call Butler Pol!”
“You’ll let go without calling him. Let’s see what you’re holding.”
Bloni screamed.
“Let go! I said let go! Bu-Butler! To the butler...!”
“Fine, call him. Then we can be sent together to Hwangdo.”
I whispered to Bloni.
“It won’t be easy going to Hwangdo with me.”
“...!”
Bloni’s face turned pale.
She swallowed dryly, then her clenched fist slowly relaxed.
Something dropped and rolled on the floor.
I picked it up where it had stopped against the wall.
“Medicine?”
At my words, Bloni shrieked,
“It’s the medicine Mari takes!”
“...”
“I was just looking at the luggage!”
Bloni said and ran off like fleeing.
At that moment, Han Ji-hyuk came into the quarters and glanced at Bloni.
“Seems like she’s a kleptomaniac too?”
I tilted my head.
“Kleptomaniac?”
“She was rummaging through others’ belongings. There were rumors before that Bloni stole things.”
“There were before?”
“There are lots of expensive accessories lower-ranked servants can’t afford.”
“So?”
“Maybe she steals other servants’ things to buy those accessories.”
Han Ji-hyuk shook his head.
“She’s up to all kinds of bad things.”
Then he handed me a bundle of parchment.
“What’s this?”
“I narrowed down the list of Hans. Excluded recent migrants.”
“Good job.”
I checked the parchment.
Then I hesitated, glancing at the bed Bloni used.
Kleptomania.
Expensive accessories.
...Veil knew I was searching for the Wild Mage.
I gasped sharply.
And hurriedly ran out of the quarters.
Han Ji-hyuk, flustered, chased after me.
“What’s wrong? Why are you acting like this?”
“It’s not kleptomania. Those accessories weren’t bought with stolen money.”
“What?”
“She was selling Ishiron’s information to Veil.”
“What...?”
“So that’s why she secretly entered servants’ rooms. There might be diaries or records about their masters.”
It wasn’t Alexis who tried to get into the quarters.
The quarters’ info sells for a higher price!
“She was the one who leaked that we were searching for the Wild Mage.”
“She searched your luggage and confirmed the Hans list...”
“Exactly. That’s why the assassins openly chased us.”
“We have to catch her and get more info before going back to Alexis.”
Han Ji-hyuk nodded.
“Then ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) we need to verify everything properly first—”
“Information about Masa and Mari might have been leaked!”
Other info doesn’t matter.
But not about Masa and Mari.
‘If it’s revealed one of them is Grimier’s biological daughter...’
Han Ji-hyuk asked nervously, noticing my pale face,
“Why do you care so much about Masa and Mari?”
I stopped abruptly and stared at him.
“If those two fall into Grimier’s hands, Dalia might appear.”
“Lots has already changed. Even if Dalia comes, we might not return to <Ice.Black.Hand> times—”
I looked around then said to Han Ji-hyuk,
“This world makes the most special person the protagonist.”
“That’s...”
“You know how much I’ve gained from the protagonist buff. It’s incredible power that turns the steel raven into a dragon!”
“......”
“A girl possessed by the ‘Dark Mistress’s Granddaughter’. Is there anyone more special than that?”
If Dalia gets a buff, we might indeed go back to the <Ice.Black.Hand> era.
Mari can be reassured.
But Masa is different.
If she accidentally says her mother’s name...
‘I have to check.’
I hurried to find Masa and Mari.
When I reached the room in Euroseong that Ishiron’s servants had prepared as a workplace,
Just as I was about to grab the doorknob,
“I think the spot you got through the young lord’s favor was too much for you.”
A cold voice rang out.
The butler and Ishiron’s servants stared at me with icy expressions.
A middle-aged senior servant shouted angrily,
“Not only did you cause a disturbance in an invited castle, but you also sold family information!”
Bloni, among the servants, smirked secretly.
‘She got ahead of me.’
She blamed me to cover up her own information selling.
“I never did that.”
“Yes, that’s Bloni’s lie! The one who really sold information was...!”
Han Ji-hyuk tried to defend me, but the servants restrained us.
They roughly gagged us as we struggled.
The senior servant roughly snatched the parchment from my hand.
“What is this?”
When the butler asked, the senior servant scanning the parchment said,
“It’s the list the young lord ordered to be prepared.”
Bloni lowered her eyebrows and looked at the butler.
“Proof! And you tried to leak this to another family!”
Han Ji-hyuk glared at Bloni with a furious look.
The butler looked coldly at us kneeling and said,
“Immediately transfer them to Hwangdo. The punishment room will be opened.”
I looked at Masa among the servants.
‘Masa is here. Then where is Mari?’
If sharp Mari were here, she’d inform Alexis.
But no matter how much I looked, Mari was nowhere to be seen.
‘I should’ve told Ombre, Pin, and Pipi to jump out immediately if I was in danger...’
I had trained them thoroughly to act only on strict orders.
The butler said to Bloni,
“We have to go to the luncheon hall, so you’ll escort them to the guards.”
“Yes, butler.”
After the butler left, Bloni looked at us with a smirk.
She tapped my cheek and said,
“Before going to the punishment room, we still have debts to settle.”
“......”
“A vulgar girl of low birth who dared raise her hand against me will pay dearly.”
“......”
“Take her away!”
Bloni’s followers laughed darkly.
Han Ji-hyuk and I were dragged by Bloni’s group.
Our destination was the carriage stand where Ishiron’s carriage waited.
While walking outside the castle walls, a burly servant kicked Han Ji-hyuk’s waist.
“Ugh...”
Han Ji-hyuk turned his head and glared, and the burly servant laughed bitterly.
“You’re still alive, huh!”
Then a servant waved a hand and said,
“Quiet down. There’s a reception at the castle gate for invited guests.”
“Reception guests for the luncheon? Who else is coming that the lord comes out to greet?”
“Well, probably someone from a noble family rivaling Ishiron?”
While they chuckled, I was lost in thought.
‘Stay calm.’
News would reach Mari soon.
She’d notify Alexis immediately.
Then we could return to Ishiron before long.
‘After that, I’ll catch Bloni and ask how much she leaked...’
Still, my heart raced.
Han Ji-hyuk carefully narrowed down the list of names.
Bloni had seen it, so it was only a matter of time before they searched for the Wild Mage.
Lost in thought, we arrived at the carriage stand.
A maid shoved me hard.
I fell forward and looked back.
It was the maid I had subdued yesterday.
“To think she got humiliated by that runt.”
“Calm down. Untie that girl’s gag.”
“What? But Bloni...!”
“Can’t you hear me?”
The maid reluctantly untied the gags on me and Han Ji-hyuk.
I spoke sharply.
“Untie the shackles immediately. Don’t make any more mistakes.”
“From now on, we’re going to have a good time. Want to kneel and apologize whenever you want?”
“Untie them now. If you treat me like this again, you’ll really die.”
“Why?”
Bloni giggled and said,
“You’re the Astra count’s daughter, right?”
Bloni’s group burst into laughter.
A burly man kicked Han Ji-hyuk.
“Ugh...”
“You—!!”
I shouted, and Bloni tilted her head.
“You still don’t get it? Too bad. This won’t end easily.”
Yeah, it wouldn’t end easily.
I just wanted to flip over everything — Wild Mage and all.
Bloni raised her hand toward me.
Then at that moment—
“Hey, what’s going on there?”
Unexpected figures appeared before me.
A red-haired boy looked at Bloni, who was holding me captive, and said,
“What are you doing? ...To my sister.”