Ch.56Breaking Off an Engagement Carefully (6)

“…Sigh.”

I recalled the sensation of her hand from earlier as I let out a solitary sigh.

Sleep wouldn’t come. After experiencing something like that, how could I possibly sleep?

Though we had our own lodgings, Count Kasim had provided separate accommodations, allowing us to stay somewhere nicer.

And in the garden of those lodgings…

I stood there blankly in the center, trying to calm my racing heart.

If there were a “line” to cross on the path to becoming lovers, I felt I had stepped over it today. Without the pretense of escorting her, I had simply held her hand because I wanted to.

‘After three years.’

Considering it had been three years, it was a bit amusing, but still significant progress. I could now clearly understand Aileen’s feelings, which had been uncertain before, and I gained confidence that we could move even further.

Of course, going further right now would be difficult.

I never imagined Aileen would be the one to send such signals first. Recalling that moment, I couldn’t help but smile, covering my twitching lips with my hand as I laughed quietly. The way she tapped my hand with her fingers, unable to speak while her face turned red. At 19 years old, I suppose it was behavior fitting for her age.

Both Aileen and I probably knew similar amounts about romance.

This was my first time liking someone too, so I honestly didn’t know what steps to take next.

Confessions… I’d received many.

But thinking that the day might come when I would be the one confessing made my face feel hot. What should I say to make it go well? After pondering this briefly, I drew my sword slowly to feel the breeze.

There was probably nothing better than this to calm my excited feelings. In the past, I would have sat at the piano, but now I found it amusing how naturally I reached for my sword. Come to think of it, I rarely thought about returning to my original world anymore.

‘If the future is definitely going to change…’

I wondered if I might be forcibly sent back to my original world. But in the end, that was just wishful thinking. The extinction I hadn’t yet dealt with, the appearance of the original female protagonist… Just thinking about these two things gave me a headache, let alone the distant future.

I wondered if I was missing something, but shook my head and gripped my sword.

For three years, I had thought a lot about my mana while wielding this sword. This white mana, completely different from others. Even Alar’s mana was blue, wasn’t it? Of course, the color varied slightly from person to person, but such a distinctly different white color couldn’t help but stand out.

Swoosh-

The color of the sword cutting through the air was blue. The white blade I had created when fighting Zhanzir wasn’t something I could see often. That white blade only appeared when fighting dark mages. What could be the reason? Why did my mana dispel darkness, and why did the white blade only appear when fighting dark mages?

I focused on the bloodline Zhanzir had mentioned. I investigated from Evan Fried, the founder of the Fried County family, but couldn’t find anything conclusive. Due to the limited information, it would be difficult to discover anything definitive without visiting the main family. Even the Crown Prince and Lord Theorad said they had never seen mana like mine before, so there was only one fact I could determine.

It drives away darkness.

Or more precisely, it drives away evil things. In other words, it had properties close to “purification.” And when I focused on this property of “purification,” what I arrived at was…

‘Dragon.’

At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. Dragons, now existing only in legends, were said to have white mana according to documents I had briefly noted. But as I read more materials, I realized that the similarities between my mana and theirs weren’t just one or two.

If one considered that the great dragon “Mabet” had properties similar to dark magic, then my mana could be said to be identical to dragon mana. White flames that bloom like fire and purify all evil things. Though there was no fundamental difference in power from ordinary mana, what was clear was that my mana was unusual.

“Dragon blood…”

Was that what Zhanzir meant by bloodline? Yet I had the vague feeling that I hadn’t fully grasped what Zhanzir was saying. There might still be something I was missing. And that part… I would probably only discover by visiting my family home, the Fried County.

Step-

My concentration broke at the sound of footsteps in the distance. Heavy steps, accompanied by the sound of grass being trampled. When a short silhouette appeared in the darkness, I slightly bowed my head toward it.

“I didn’t expect to find you swinging your sword at this hour. But I suppose that’s how you’ve been able to deal with those dark mages.”

“…I’m just doing what I always do.”

“I see. I’d heard rumors, but that’s quite unusual mana you have.”

Count Kasim, who let out a casual laugh, stroked his beard while staring at me intently. I flinched at his characteristic dwarven gaze, filled with curiosity. Then Count Kasim quietly spoke.

“Isn’t the guard knight being too negligent in his duties? The young mistress is inside, and what if something unexpected happens?”

“It’s fine. I’m always on alert.”

When one reaches a certain level, my sense of perception reaches a level that can hardly be called human anymore. I can feel everything even with my eyes closed. Like when I fought Zhanzir, my senses become extremely heightened, always showing me everything around me. Even separated from her like this, I could clearly sense her presence.

Whoosh. As if to prove my point, white flames rose around me, making Count Kasim laugh heartily.

“White mana, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen it. Probably about 300 years.”

“…300 years?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at how he spoke of 300 years as if it were yesterday, wondering if dwarves had a different concept of time. But the important point in his words was surely that he had seen mana like mine before. When I asked about this, Count Kasim looked up at the sky, recalling his memories, and slowly began to speak.

“Dwarves live for about a thousand years. Ten times that of humans. Because we spend such an unfathomable amount of time that ordinary humans can’t even imagine, we don’t try to remember too many things.”

“That’s interesting. I thought you would remember more things.”

“Having too much in your head means having that much more to suffer about.”

Count Kasim tapped his head and continued with a grin.

“Nevertheless, I can’t forget what happened 300 years ago. When dark mages first appeared in the Empire, it wasn’t the Emperor or the Knight Commander who defeated them. It was a single dragon.”

Dragon—that word made my eyes widen. Did Count Kasim also know about dragon mana? As I urgently tried to ask, he waved his hand and looked at me intently.

“Don’t think too hastily. It’s just speculation. You’re probably not certain about your mana yet either, so take your time to think about it.”

“…Are you sure my mana is similar to what dragons possessed?”

“Similar. No, perhaps it really is dragon mana.”

After saying that, Count Kasim tapped his chin while staring at me. His black eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Wavering eyes. He was probably comparing me to that dragon.

Whoosh, the mana that had erupted once continued to burn on my body. What exactly was Count Kasim seeing in the mana I was emitting?

However, the answer that eventually came from his lips was quite different from what I had imagined.

“Do you happen to know how your family began?”

“What…?”

“The origin of the Fried County family. Perhaps your mana is related to that.”

#

“Evan, are you… not sleeping?”

“I’m just a bit restless. No need to worry.”

As Aileen opened the door and came out, I slightly bowed my head, and her eyes narrowed when she spotted me standing beside the door. Her eyes clearly showed concern, but I forced a smile and assured her I was fine. How could I sleep? What Count Kasim had told me required quite a bit of thought.

…I should probably visit my family home soon.

But before that, the first thing I needed to check was that letter I had tossed in a corner of my room. That old, worn letter addressed to Evan Fried. If I had checked its contents earlier, things might have been easier. After briefly sighing at that thought, I slowly followed Aileen, watching her back.

“Did you sleep well?”

When I asked this as a greeting, Aileen glanced at me and nodded. I wondered if she had slept well despite what happened yesterday. A strange feeling began to rise in me. It was a bit childish, but the corners of my mouth twisted slightly at the thought that only I had been deeply affected by yesterday’s events.

So, just a little, I decided to tease her.

“I couldn’t sleep well.”

“You look it. I told you to rest properly, so why were you standing there instead of sleeping?”

As I touched the area under my eyes while saying this, Aileen looked at me with worried eyes. Feeling guilty about that look, I hesitated for a moment before quietly speaking as I passed by her.

Very casually, just dropping it lightly.

“It’s because of you, my lady.”

“Why because of me…”

“After what you did yesterday, how could I possibly sleep?”

At those words, she frowned briefly, then seemed to understand what I meant as she clenched her fist and pressed her lips together. Why did you sleep so peacefully? With that thought in mind, I looked at her teasingly, and Aileen slowly opened her mouth while meeting my gaze.

“…Someone might misunderstand if they heard that.”

“Isn’t it true? In a place where no one else was around, you kept tapping my fingers, touching me—”

“I just… held your hand…”

“That’s even more likely to be misunderstood.”

“Just held your hand,” that’s easier to misunderstand. Seeing Aileen’s sulky expression, I couldn’t help but laugh, and I waved my hand with a slight smile.

“I’m joking. So your expression, ugh.”

“…Be a bit more serious. You weren’t like this before, why are you acting this way lately?”

After firmly pressing my side, she glared at me briefly. As Aileen walked forward, she stopped and stared at me. As if wanting to say something, her lips moved slightly, and eventually she grabbed her collar slightly and let out a soft breath. No, not a breath, but a voice. A very small voice that perhaps only I could have heard.

“I… couldn’t sleep well either. Because of you.”

Whether out of embarrassment or not, she immediately turned her gaze away after saying that. I stared at her blankly for a moment, then smiled and began to follow her. She was a lady who was shy in many ways. But wasn’t that what was good about her? While occasionally showing an assertive side, she would become embarrassed by her own actions—that was Aileen.

Suddenly seeing her reddened cheeks, I reached out my hand but withdrew it. As much as I wanted to pat her head, she wasn’t Rofena.

As we went down the stairs to the lower floor of the lodgings, Count Kasim was waiting for us. Recalling our conversation from yesterday, I was startled, but he looked at me and smiled.

“Did you sleep well? I was worried that the lodgings I prepared might have been uncomfortable.”

“Thanks to your preparations, we were able to rest comfortably. Thank you.”

“To hear words of gratitude from the young mistress of Yuris, I feel I’ll never forget this. Hehe.”

After laughing once, Count Kasim extended his hand to indicate the sofa. Aileen, who sat in a corner, naturally sipped the tea placed in front of her. After a brief silence and some time passing, Count Kasim slowly opened his mouth.

“The artifact you requested yesterday, I believe it can be made. I investigated all through the dawn, and it seems that if we have the funds, we can definitely make it.”

“That’s good news. Don’t worry too much about the funds; Yuris will support everything. And I’d like to add one thing: I hope no one besides the Count and Yuris knows about this.”

“Of course. The artifact itself aligns with something I’ve been conceptualizing before, so progress will be smooth, but even considering that, it will take about a month.”

“…That’s fast enough. I hope nothing goes wrong.”

When Aileen said this, Count Kasim pounded his broad chest and showed his fist. As if saying not to worry, the atmosphere naturally relaxed with his confident attitude. Soon, the conversation shifted from artifacts to various other topics.

This was because Count Kasim was one of the few “master smiths” in this empire. Among the dwarf craftsmen, he was recognized for his skill and received the highest praise among them, making him truly one of the most skilled. Although we met this time to create an artifact that would detect dark magic, establishing a good relationship with him would be beneficial for both parties.

For Count Kasim, it meant gaining a connection with one of the five great families, and for Yuris, it meant connecting with an outstanding craftsman. Despite living in an age of magic and aura, the existence of a master smith in a family was not something to be taken lightly. After all, master smiths were beings who could create magical swords like this with ease.

After watching the conversation between Aileen and Count Kasim for a while, my eyes narrowed at the sound of urgent footsteps from afar. My heightened hearing caught the sound of breathing. Urgent and heavy breathing. Thinking it probably wasn’t ordinary news, I looked toward the door, and the person who entered looked at Aileen and moved their lips.

The maid who had come with us couldn’t hide her pale expression, as if she had heard some bad news. In the suddenly heavy atmosphere, when the maid whispered something in Aileen’s ear, I frowned and rubbed my face.

‘…I had forgotten.’

What the maid told Aileen was a very brief statement: “The Duke has collapsed.” But the memory that came with those words was clearly something from the future I remembered, namely:

The Duke would die this year.

I felt a bitterness in my mouth. What I had been missing yesterday was this—that the Duke would end up like this. I couldn’t let things flow as they did in the novel, as in the original tragic storyline I knew.

Wasn’t that what the three years of preparation were for?

As I moved to follow Aileen, who was urgently rising from her seat, I recalled the promise I had made before.

Save the Duke.

Even if it seemed impossible, making it possible was my duty.