Chapter 6

But how to prevent it?

Even if we monitor the entire outer castle, it's hard to determine who will be bribed to use poison and in what way.

There are over a thousand servants in the Southern Duke's main castle alone, and more than half of them know how to use a sword or their bodies.

This place is a vast trap set to engulf the North.

The Southern Duke Rahel must have invited the North for a reason difficult to refuse. Likely, he stirred the Emperor's influence, making it impossible for the Northern Duke to decline.

Requesting a victory celebration was a different move from my previous life, but it was the North's minimal dignity they couldn't concede.

I cannot blame the Northern Duke for coming here. It was a dangerous decision for him but gave me the only hope of reaching him.

There's only one way to save Arcadia.

I loosened my clenched fist and relaxed my body.

Since I can't know everything, they must defend themselves.

'I need to meet the Northern Duke and tell him what I know.'

It might be a gamble, indeed, a gamble, but let's try.

But how to meet him?

Will he believe me?

I felt conflicted. But I hope he does.

It's a baseless wish.

Our only interaction in this life was five years ago when our swords briefly crossed. I was fourteen, and he was seventeen.

After the death of the previous Northern Duke, he lived in the capital as a hostage and returned to the North at fifteen. He was driven to various battlefields and briefly returned to the capital by the Emperor's order when he was seventeen.

Would he remember the half-masked monster he briefly crossed swords with for the Duke's amusement?

'Why do you hide your beautiful face with a mask?'

After my defeat, as I lay there, he looked into my eyes and asked that. His warm voice still vivid in my memory.

I hope he remembers me.

The place where the Northern Knights were staying was the southernmost part of the main castle, the Blue Villa, used for external guests.

Excluding the stronghold of the Southern Duke's direct family, it's the tallest and most beautiful castle in the main castle, overlooking the Asséo Lake, famous for its blue salt.

The area is open, making it difficult for outsiders to approach.

'I can't just visit openly.'

I'm not someone who can reach him now.

But this is also a place built by Rahel, so there are secret passages in this villa.

In my previous life, I used one of these to reach Arcadia Nugent's room.

The secret passage used by assassins of the Southern Duke's family for generations is an underground waterway starting from the well in Rahel Forest.

Crawling through the waterway under the well, after a while, one reaches the Blue Villa. The waterway in the basement of the castle connects to the smoke vents of all the rooms in the villa.

These smoke vents, like ant tunnels, are just wide enough for one person. Inside are tiny handholds to prevent assassins from slipping.

But these handholds are insufficient to prevent a fall.

I remember encountering the skeleton of someone who got lost and died in these vents.

But there's no time to hesitate. Once the poison reaches Medeia's hands, it's a matter of time before it's used.

I secretly entered the well in Rahel Forest. The long-unused waterway was sticky with rotten leaves and insects.

For a long while, hunched over in the narrow waterway, I moved forward, focusing only ahead, in the unseen darkness.

The air, stagnant for years, smelled pungent. It became harder to breathe as I moved away from the well.

Finally, I reached a place where I could feel the relatively fresh air from outside. The lower part of the Blue Villa, where the waterway connects to the smoke outlet.

I recalled the 'Secret Passage Map' given by the Black Beetle in my previous life and shifted to the smoke vent.

'Arcadia Nugent's room is the third on the left on the fifth floor. Then, the Northern Duke, Zion Bellfast's room would be…'

Likely next to the aide Nugent's room.

Would it be the left, right, or front room next to Nugent's? My head was spinning. There are three rooms inside the Blue Villa where an Imperial Duke might stay.

Among them, the simplest yet offering a direct view of Lake Asseo is next to Nugent's room on the right. It's the only room on the same floor as Nugent's among the three.

A bitter sorrow filled me.

In my last life, I memorized the location of Arcadia Nugent's room to kill him.

'Do I still remember his room's location?'

I gathered strength and climbed straight up.

Every guest room in the Blue Villa has a high ceiling, meaning the smoke vents are as high. Not overcoming this height with one's strength results in a fall.

Death.

Climbing inside a vent with minimal handholds is like scaling a slippery cliff.

To focus on climbing, I pushed away all distractions. Finally, I reached what I presumed to be Arcadia Nugent's room.

The room right next to it, on the right. Crawling flat inside the vent, I bypassed two openings, leading to a wider vent.

Wider meant easier to fall. But this vent should lead to the room where the Northern Duke is staying.

I stretched my arm to grab the slippery handhold high in the vent.

'Please be there, Duke.'

I cautiously pressed my ear against the vent wall, hoping to hear his voice.

The deep, resonant voice of Zion Bellfast, the Northern Duke.

Recalling his voice brought back our last conversation in my previous life.

His chained figure, the wet cotton I handed him, his question about my name, and his response to my inquiry about compassion.

Distractions crept in.

I instinctively tightened my grip on the handhold. Now, hanging only by my arms and core strength without any foothold, distractions were dangerous.

While hanging with one arm, I removed a note from my mouth with the other. Luckily, my abilities as a Sword Master from my previous life hadn't vanished.

Thanks to that, I could support my weight with my dry arms.

With the note-holding hand, I gently pushed the side of the stovepipe. A little air from inside the room became perceptible.

But no voices were heard.

Was it empty?

Only the flow of quiet air from inside the closed room reached me.

It might be an empty room.

But I couldn't give up hastily. This note, warning of the poisoning risk, must reach the Duke himself.

Gathering courage, I pushed the side of the stovepipe slightly more. The room's white ceiling became visible through the open slit. The setting sun cast long golden rays across it.

Then, something blocked the sunlight and looked at me. I was startled breathless.

"Uh, uh."

I retracted my head into the vent like a turtle and clung to the handhold for dear life.

In doing so, I dropped the note I was holding.

My heart raced wildly.

Madness. Complete madness.

If my memory serves me right, the one who locked eyes with me was…

"Who's there?"

A low, calm voice filled the stovepipe.

Zion Bellfast, the Northern Duke.

Could I answer who I am in such a situation?

I clung to the handhold tighter, crying inwardly like a cicada.

What should I do, what should I do?

It was an unforeseen situation.

Then, his voice came again.

"I asked who you are."

His voice was excessively calm, making my intense nervousness seem almost ridiculous.

What should I answer? What should I say about who I am?

A dog of the Southern Duke, but no longer wanting to be one? Just a nameless wanderer? I can't say I'm the White Butterfly yet, as I haven't become one. Then what…

Bella?

I swallowed the name that rose to my throat.

No. It's a fake name given by Medea.

My real name is…

Esdel.

Remembering this name caused a heart-wrenching pain. A name that seemed forbidden to utter.

I can't say it. I'm not yet worthy of this name.

"I'm called the Bug. I have no name."

I barely managed to utter these words but immediately regretted them. The Duke wasn't curious about my name, but about what I was doing.

As expected, his tone quickened slightly.

"What are you doing here?"

Almost immediately, a whooshing sound followed. The sound of a sword being drawn.

But I couldn't back down.

He spoke.

"Show yourself."

I gathered my courage and spoke.

"There's something you must know, risking danger to come here. Please, sheathe your sword."

I enunciated clearly, hoping my voice would reach him.

But there was no response.

What's going on? He couldn't have failed to hear me.

An unbearably long silence followed. I couldn't stand it anymore.

"The Southern Duke Lahert is plotting something, Your Highness. Medea,"

That's when the door to the room opened.

"Your Highness, it's Arcadia."

Simultaneously, the slightly opened stovepipe door slammed shut. The Northern Duke had closed it.

Soon after, a pungent smoke began to fill the vent, followed by increasing heat.

'He lit a fire?'

Why?

He didn't recognize me. He's trying to get rid of me.

It was only a brief encounter five years ago. It's natural not to remember.

But how could he start a fire so quickly?

Suddenly, I realized the circumstances of my encounter with the Duke. Just as he was about to light the fireplace, I opened the side of the stovepipe.

Did he hear me climbing up? Did he think I was an assassin?

Strength began to leave me. The thickening smoke made it impossible to keep my eyes open. Breathing became difficult. My lungs felt like they were tearing apart.

How much time had passed?

As my consciousness started to blur, the heat seemed to lessen, then there was a loud clang of something being forcefully opened.

At that moment, one of my hands slipped, and I fell downwards. Simultaneously, something caught my hand.

A long, firm, and large hand.

Looking up, the Northern Duke was there. His blue eyes gazed at me.

"Hold on tight, don't fall."

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This novel has been translated up to chapter 66.

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