Chapter 65: Mesmerize

Leaving the misunderstanding about dragons behind, I headed toward the front of the baron’s mansion with Shy.

The sound of his careful footsteps rustling beside me was endearing.

Passing through the garden, we finally arrived in front of the mansion where an elderly butler was waiting for us at the door.

His perfectly ironed suit and prim expression perfectly suited the role of a butler.

The butler bowed his head slightly to me in greeting, but his expression changed subtly when he noticed Shy following behind me.

From the slight raise of his eyebrows, he was clearly surprised.

“I have been waiting for you. The young master was in the garden as well, I see.”

The butler said politely.

“Yes. We met in the garden.”

“I see. I shall guide you.”

The butler bowed his head and led the way.

The butler’s walk was truly elegant.

The way he moved with just the right speed and gestures, like an actor, was impressive.

The Belez showed their curiosity about the mansion in their own ways.

Miel glittered her wings as she admired the high ceilings, and Cecilia seemed to be sensing the indoor temperature, her small flame flickering gently on my shoulder.

Only Lotte continued to mechanically circle around me.

We followed the butler into the mansion.

The moment the door opened, the sight before me was breathtaking.

A high, wide ceiling, a sparkling marble floor, elegant sculptures carved into each pillar, and classical paintings hanging on the walls.

It was a splendor I had only ever seen in pictures of European palaces in my past life.

It was a different kind of splendor from the master’s domain in the deepest part of the Sia Kalt Labyrinth.

‘Wow!’

Admiration burst forth in my mind, but what actually came out of my mouth was a concise, single word.

“Hmph.”

Why does it come out so nonchalantly?

I want to express a variety of emotions!

I tried to turn my head to get a better look, but my neck suddenly stiffened.

It wouldn’t move at all, as if a steel rod had been implanted in it.

No matter how hard I tried, my neck wouldn’t move freely.

‘Ugh.’

To think my body won’t even move as I wish because of this noble trait!

Do nobles really live this rigidly?

Usually, I could turn my head this way and that as I pleased, but now I could only move it about 15 degrees.

So I was only able to look around in the most minimal way possible.

Following the butler’s guidance, we ascended the magnificent marble staircase to the second floor.

Even as I climbed the stairs, my body automatically straightened into a prim posture.

It felt like I was practicing walking with a book on my head.

Is this the dignity of a noble?

Being a noble seemed truly arduous.

Living one’s whole life in this posture, it’s the perfect way to get a herniated disc…

As we entered the second-floor corridor, a portrait of a woman on the wall caught my eye.

It was the image of a beautiful woman with a gentle smile.

She wore an elegant green dress, and her eyes, filled with deep emotion, seemed almost alive.

Although she was a figure in a painting, I felt a similar elegance to my master.

From the woman, I felt a sense of longing and sadness.

I found myself staring at the painting, and Shy, sensing my gaze, quietly approached and said,

“She is my mother…”

So that was it.

The moment Shy called the subject of the painting ‘mother,’ the painting felt even more vivid.

Was that why I felt such sadness from it?

“What was she like?”

Shy’s eyes trembled.

His small fingers clenched the hem of his clothes.

In that small gesture, I felt his longing for his mother.

“She passed away… while giving birth to me. So I don’t know her well… but my father tells me stories about her often.”

‘The mother position in a romance fantasy protagonist!’

It was fascinating to see a setting I had so often read about in the novels of my world play out right before my eyes.

The mothers of romance fantasy protagonists who always died in childbirth, and the noble father raising the child…

So this kind of situation really exists.

In Shy’s expression, longing seemed stronger than sadness.

Even though he had never known his mother personally, it seemed she held a place in his heart.

Since his father often told him stories, the baron seemed to be a good father to his son.

For a moment, I felt sorry for Shy and naturally reached out to gently stroke his head.

His brown hair brushed softly between my fingers.

The warm, living feeling was nice.

“Ugh!”

Shy’s face instantly turned bright red, and he flinched, stepping back.

His startled reaction, like a timid rabbit, was truly cute.

He was a child who really lived up to his name.

His reaction was so cute that I wanted to laugh, but due to my noble trait, I only managed a graceful smile.

The butler continued to guide us, and we arrived at a large dining room.

As we entered the room, an absolutely overwhelming scene unfolded.

An elegant chandelier sparkled from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room, and a long dining table was already set with a variety of appetizers.

At one end of the table, the baron, Ryandel, and Leivi were waiting for us.

“You have arrived, Lord Lycoris.”

The baron rose from his seat and bowed politely.

“Lord Lycoris…”

Shy, finally learning my name, muttered to himself.

“Shy has come as well.”

The baron smiled at his son.

And I smiled at the dining table.

‘It looks delicious!’

“Thank you for preparing such a splendid meal. I’m looking forward to it.”

Yes.

I just spoke vaguely, assuming it would change appropriately, and it worked well.

We sat down, and the servants began to move swiftly, serving the food.

It was fascinating to see more and more diverse dishes being brought out.

Shy, sitting across the table from me, ate with his head slightly bowed, but his gaze kept darting toward me.

Every time our eyes met, he would hastily look away.

“Lord Lycoris, are you perhaps from another country?”
The baron initiated the conversation.

 

“No, Lord Lycoris is…”

Leivi started to answer but stopped, seeming to glance at me for permission.

‘I’m from Sia Kalt.’

“It would be best not to be curious about that.”

A subtly threatening tone slipped out of my mouth.

‘Ugh?’

Leivi’s eyes widened as she looked at me, perhaps because I had made a slightly displeased expression.

Ryandel was calmly observing the situation.

‘As expected of you, so calm.’

“My apologies, please excuse my rudeness.”

The baron apologized with a tense expression.

After a moment of awkward silence, the servants brought more food.

In front of me, there was nothing but meat dishes.

Ryandel must have asked the baron in advance.

‘Good job!’

‘Hooray!’

All the dishes looked absolutely delicious.

The aroma of the grilled meat and its juices made my mouth water.

I was truly delighted, but my body showed no sign of it.

Instead, it elegantly picked up the knife and fork and began to cut the meat into tiny, precise pieces, bringing them to my mouth with grace.

The moment the meat juices spread in my mouth, I felt true ecstasy, but my expression remained calm and unmoved.

I was as nonchalant as someone who ate such delicious food every day.

‘Uuaargh! Why do I have to eat this delicious meat in such small bites! I want to swallow it whole in one gulp!’

Normally, I would have grabbed the meat and stuffed it into my mouth, but this trait made it impossible, which was incredibly frustrating.

At this rate, the meal would be over before I even felt full.

Leivi and Ryandel looked surprised by my changed behavior.

‘It’s not like I want to be like this either…’

As the meal progressed, I suddenly felt like something was missing.

Cecilia was diligently munching on vegetables.

Miel was sipping soup.

Lotte was sad because she couldn’t eat.

‘Ah, that’s right! Glacia!’

I had left Glacia, a super carnivore like me, at the Adventurers’ Guild!

It would have been nice if she could have eaten this delicious meat with us.

The thought of Glacia being bored and alone at the guild while I was eating meat here made me feel bad.

I’ll have to give her lots of honey later…

“If it’s not too much of an imposition, there is one thing I would like to ask.”

As the meal was winding down, the baron spoke up cautiously.

Having been rebuffed once before, a hint of nervousness could be heard in his voice.

“What is it?”

“I was wondering if you happen to know about the recent events in our kingdom’s capital…”

The baron’s voice lowered.

“Specifically, the incidents occurring among the nobles.”

“What kind of incidents?”

Ryandel asked.

His gaze suddenly sharpened.

“Recently, there has been a series of disappearances of nobles in the capital.

In particular, several of the highest-ranking nobles have suddenly vanished. People just think they’ve gone on a trip, but…”

A shadow of worry crossed the baron’s face.

The baron clearly thought I was of high noble birth and was trying to see if I knew anything about this incident.

His expression held genuine concern.

‘I haven’t even been in this country for a full day…’

“Bring any letters or items you’ve recently received from the capital’s nobles.”

A commanding tone suddenly came out of my mouth.

‘No! Does this trait have its own ego?! How on earth do my words get changed like that?!’

“Yes. I will bring them immediately.”

It was slightly bewildering to see the baron get up and leave.

His ready compliance with my command suggested that this incident was causing him considerable worry as well.

The three of us and Shy, who remained at the table, were lost in our own thoughts in silence.

Ryandel seemed to be deep in thought, while Leivi looked at me with an anxious expression.

Shy sat quietly, tapping the table with his fingers.

“Lord Lycoris… do you know about this incident…?”

Leivi whispered in my ear.

“No. Of course not.”

I whispered back.

“What…?”

Just then, the baron returned.

In his hands were several sealed letters and a small box.

The baron’s expression seemed even more tense as he brought the letters and the box.

“This is a letter I received from the Linder Marquisate last week, and this is a letter and a ring I received from the Birdan County four days ago.”

The baron began to carefully lay the items out on the table.

As he took a ring out of the small box, the temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly.

‘Hmm?’

The ring had a blue gemstone, the color of which was a clear, transparent blue, like the sea.

But the moment I looked at the gemstone, its color began to change from blue to crimson.

Watching the change happen before my eyes, I gasped involuntarily.

At first, it turned a pale red, then it gradually deepened until it finally became the color of dark blood.

And within the gemstone, a black vortex could be seen slowly rotating.

It was as if a black fog was dancing within a bloody liquid.

At that moment, the status window chimed.

-Mesmeris 

Mesmeris: A rare gemstone with a vivid crimson color. It has the characteristic of slowly absorbing the life force of its surroundings as the black vortex within it rotates.

As the gemstone changed color, the baron’s face suddenly turned pale.

He stared at the ring as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes.

I could see his hand trembling slightly.

“What… how on earth…?”

He asked with a confused expression.

This must be it, right?!

The authority I received from Lord Mikal!

“Hup… the dragon’s eye that sees through all…”

No!

Shy’s misunderstanding-filled murmur cut in.

Just as I was about to answer the baron’s question by saying it was Lord Mikal’s power, the movement of Lotte, who was orbiting around me, suddenly changed.

Instead of its usual steady orbit, it began to sway erratically, as if drawn by a magnet, and then tilted toward the gemstone.

Then, Lotte’s bluish metal surface glinted, and it flew toward the gemstone at the fastest speed I had ever seen.

A speed I could hardly believe belonged to Lotte!

And as it approached the gemstone, Lotte opened its small mouth and promptly plucked the gemstone out and ate it.

‘Huh…?’

“Hoh…”