Under the Mansion

Shakline’s mind-shattering scream as he died makes my body falter.

“Kugh!”

The subordinates he raised also collapse again.

Flare and Luna, who were helping, also collapse from the sound.

‘It was going to be difficult to escape, so this is better.’

Because there isn’t a single enemy that can hurt them.

I drag my heavy body and head up to the mansion.

I pass through the quiet mansion and return to my quarters as quickly as possible.

Safely entering the room through the window in Scarl’s form.

‘Huu.’

In the mirror, a tired Scarl is looking at me as if to say, “Good job.”

‘Let’s sleep.’

I don’t even have the energy to wash.

Flare and Luna knew that Davy Jones had died from the mind-shattering scream.

They didn’t know why Davy Jones, whom they had met at sea, was under Shakline’s mansion…

“Kugh!”

A wave that scatters the mind brushes against the body, like the staggering Hati.

Luna grabs Flare, who is approaching Hati to prevent him from falling, and they fall together.

Luna sends earnest glances to her younger sister.

‘Fall. Fall. Flare!’

Flare, not knowing what’s going on, just blinks.

‘What’s wrong, Unnie?’

Luna points at Flare with her finger, pretending to be dead.

‘Faint! Pretend to faint!’

‘Huh?’

Only then does Flare close her eyes, and Hati staggers past her.

The two of them kept their eyes closed, sensing his presence, and waited until they had climbed all the way up the ladder.

“Huu. Scarl-nim is gone.”

“You surprised me. Suddenly grabbing me and falling.”

“Then what else could I do? This is a one-way path. You said it on the way here, didn’t you? That we would escape as Scarl-nim, in Hati’s form?”

“Baron Brookrudi and his son were also killed upstairs, so isn’t it okay?”

“He must have wanted to deal with the Baron in that form. It’s true that there’s a risk in stepping forward in his own form, isn’t there?”

“That’s true, but…”

“I was surprised that Davy Jones was hiding here. Did he know that too? It would have been a difficult fight to face the Baron, his subordinates, and Davy Jones.”

“Then that’s true again. Unnie, when did we catch that guy?”

“Rather than that, Flare, let’s find Shakline quickly. He must be somewhere as a corpse.”

The two belatedly realized that Baron Shakline was Davy Jones.

‘Is it because I caught Davy Jones?’

Even though I only slept for a short time, my whole body is full of energy.

I take a shower, check my appearance in front of the mirror, and leave the room.

Sophia is sitting on the sofa, meditating with her eyes closed, and Kasha is next to her, constantly biting her nails.

“What are you two doing?”

The two of them stare at me blankly without a word.

“…”

“…”

They look at each other, and then Kasha speaks.

“Master, aren’t you hungry?”

Hearing those words, an overwhelming hunger rushes in.

‘I would even enjoy Luna’s sandwich right now.’

“I woke up… and I’m hungry.”

Apart from the energy that has arisen in my body, my stomach is clamoring for food after squeezing out all my energy.

Sophia gets up with a glint in her eyes.

“That’s great! I was starving because my brother didn’t eat! Let’s go eat right away!”

I deliberately pretend not to know and ask Sophia, who is pulling my arm.

“Where are Luna and Flare?”

Kasha answers.

“They went out to run errands and change their mood. I’ll wait, so the two of you should have a meal.”

‘So that’s why they left.’

Sophia, with her usual energy, urges me.

“Come on. Come on. Let’s go quickly!”

‘Is Sophia okay too?’

Of course, only the five of us will remember that incident now.

I am led by Sophia’s arm to have a meal alone.

There were an unusually large number of armed soldiers around.

A private room.

Scarl was annoyed by the courses that were coming out little by little.

“Bring it all at once.”

“Yes? Ah, I understand!”

The flustered employee leaves.

Sophia giggles at the familiar situation she has often seen somewhere.

‘How can he be so similar to Flare Unnie and Luna Unnie after returning from an expedition?’

“Is it okay for a Princess to laugh like that, Sophia?”

At Scarl’s annoyance, she opens her eyes primly, covers her mouth, and says.

“Oh my. I’m not a Princess right now, but Sophia, your brother’s sister, okay?”

Scarl reveals words that he couldn’t say in front of others.

“…About earlier—”

“Wait!”

Sophia, interrupting his words, winks with a bitter smile.

A faint scar is revealed on Sophia’s forehead as she speaks with a serious face.

“I’m Sophia, okay? And… it’s okay. How much do you think I’ve experienced such things, Brother?”

It’s a typical Sophia-like statement, but.

I only fidget with the tableware at the bitterness filled within it.

“I understand.”

“Eating alone like this reminds me of when we were young. Do you remember? The day we first met.”

Before the meal comes out.

Sophia’s words go back to memories with Scarl that I didn’t know.

Before I went to the secret separate palace.

That is, a long time ago, my mother was deposed, and I, her child, was also confined.

‘At the time, I didn’t even know what deposition or confinement was, and no one around me told me why.’

The fact that I found out later was the schemes of other empresses against my mother, whose political power was weak.

His Majesty thought that my mother, who only knew him, had an affair with a servant, and he was furious, executing the servant and exiling my mother after deposing her.

‘If my mother were alive, she would have been very happy to see her grown-up brother.’

At the time, I didn’t know that it was my last trip with my mother.

About five hours by train from the capital.

It was a simple coincidence that the train carrying us stopped at a small territory called Bernatore.

Wouldn’t it be right to say that it was fate that a train engine failure, which occurs only once every ten years, occurred when it stopped at Bernatore Station?

“Due to a train failure, it will be difficult to move for the time being. We have sent soldiers to contact the nobles here. Until all repairs are completed, it will be inconvenient, but Empress Mernia. Princess Sophia. This way.”

Deposed Empress Mernia gives a bitter smile to her escort knight, Jeanne.

“Thank you, Sir Jeanne. But I am now…”

“Shh. Isn’t the Princess enjoying this trip with the Empress?”

That was also true, but.

The owner of the Bernatore territory, which Sir Jeanne told me about in the moving train, was a strange person.

“Jeanne! There’s a Hero still alive here?!”

“To be exact, it’s a descendant of the Hero, Princess.”

The bloodline of the Hero who killed and sealed the Demon King in the legend is living in such a shabby place!

The court ladies never said such a thing while reading fairy tales!

So, it was true that I was excited to see the Hero’s descendant in person.

“Mother. Let’s go quickly! Let’s go quickly!”

“Be careful of the stones on the road, Sophia.”

“Yes!”

We finally arrived at the Bernatore Baron’s mansion.

There were only two people waiting for us.

An elderly butler and a man who seemed to be five years older than me bowed to us as soon as they saw us.

Unlike the old butler who prostrated on the floor, the man of my age only bowed his head.

“I greet Empress Mernia and Princess Sophia. I am Hector, the butler of the mansion.”

“I greet Empress Mernia and Princess Sophia. I am Baron Scarl Bernatore.”

I asked my brother, whom I met for the first time, this question.

Thinking about it now, those words would have been a sore spot for my brother, whose parents had died not long ago.

“Nice to meet you! But where is the Hero?”

My brother, with a sullen expression, did not answer my question immediately.

“…”

Jeanne scolds such Scarl.

“How dare you! Why don’t you answer the Princess’s question immediately!”

The butler next to him got up, stammered as if embarrassed, and approached Jeanne to whisper in her ear.

“…I’m sorry. About what happened a month ago. I made a mistake. I apologize. Lord Bernatore.”

The young Scarl couldn’t lift his head.

“No. Sir. Rather, I am sorry. Princess Sophia. I have prepared some simple food inside to tell you about the Hero.”

“Thank you!”

My mother also listened to the situation and showed respect to the young Scarl.

“Please guide us. Baron Bernatore.”

“Yes. I hope you will stay comfortably, even though it is humble. Empress. Princess.”

So, at that time, my brother was not the person who was called trash like now.

My brother only told boring stories from fairy tales.

‘Boring.’

Whether it was just me or not, my mother left the seat with gentle words.

“Baron. I’m sorry, but… can I go to my room first? I’m a little tired from traveling a long distance.”

“Of course. Empress. You can follow Hector.”

“It is an honor to serve such a noble person. Empress. Knight. This way.”

When only the two of us were left, I interrupted my brother’s words as he continued the boring story.

“Something else! That story is too boring!”

“Then… I will tell you another story that has been passed down only in Bernatore.”

“Good!”

“I also heard it from my parents, but somewhere in this mansion, there is a device that has sealed something unknown…”

That was quite an interesting statement.

“Let’s find it!”

That’s how we started exploring the mansion.