“Defensive magic tools?”
“Hmm, it’s not something people usually carry around. It’s not wartime, after all. And it’s not as though House Ingrave is fighting over its succession, either.”
Nathan Valencia spoke casually.
“The Acting Marchioness of Ingrave has faced threats to her life quite often lately. So it’s not strange for her to carry a defensive magic tool or two.”
“It’s strange that she even brought one to a party held in broad daylight. Could it be that the Acting Marchioness already knew Aisha would lose control? Or perhaps she even provoked it—”
“Watch your words, Archmage.”
Nathan Valencia cut Sein Marcus off sharply, his eyes gleaming coldly.
“The person who nearly died just now was the Acting Marchioness. Lady Aisha lost control and attacked her. If I hadn’t been here, she would have died. Did you think carefully before saying that? How dare you say such a thing in front of me?”
“……”
Silence fell all at once. The nobles who had been whispering and the retainers of House Labelyn who had been watching the situation all held their breath.
Sein Marcus barely managed to keep his face from twisting as he replied.
“I was merely suggesting that it might be a possibility.”
“You should think carefully about whom you make such suggestions to. And I believe the Archmage’s attitude is wrong to begin with. If your disciple lost control and attacked the Acting Marchioness, shouldn’t you apologize first instead of demanding an explanation? Yet here you are, interrogating her like this.”
“……”
For an instant, humiliation and anger crossed Sein’s face. Rachel instinctively grabbed his cloak.
“Duke.”
“……!”
This was dangerous. As someone who knew Sein Marcus well, even if only through the <Record>, she had no idea what he might do to Nathan Valencia if things continued like this.
She had heard that the Intelligence Department was still desperately searching for even a single clue connecting the Archmage to the attempt on the Emperor’s life.
Without any evidence yet, Nathan Valencia might already suspect Sein Marcus. He was far too valuable an ally to risk losing.
Looking at the man who turned toward her in surprise, Rachel calmly met his eyes.
“I’ll handle this. As it happens, I have evidence to prove my innocence.”
“……Will you be all right?”
“Yes.”
“……”
He hesitated a little.
But when she gently tugged at him, he obediently stepped back. Rachel turned to face Sein.
“As the Duke said, your words just now could easily lead to a misunderstanding. I had nothing to do with Lady Aisha’s loss of control. I simply took precautions in case something happened. A few months ago, Lady Aisha showed signs of losing control at Madam Elaine’s dress shop and nearly put me in danger.”
“……!”
Sein’s expression stiffened for an instant. The nobles behind him glanced nervously at Duke Valencia and whispered among themselves.
“Oh my, now that you mention it, I remember something like that happening.”
“House Labelyn tried desperately to cover it up back then, didn’t they? Goodness, after going through something like that, it’s only natural that the Acting Marchioness would prepare herself when meeting Lady Aisha—”
Taking advantage of the situation, Rachel pulled out both the defensive magic tool, which had run out of mana, and the mana stabilizer from inside her clothes. She had originally brought them because of Sein Marcus, but—
“I brought these just in case. The mana stabilizer was meant for Lady Aisha, in case she showed signs of losing control again. Of course, I regret that things turned out this way before I could give it to her.”
“……”
Sein’s lips twitched. While he remained silent, the nobles chimed in.
“Impressive. You certainly are well prepared, Acting Marchioness.”
“Of course she is. She’s already been through something similar, hasn’t she? Though I suppose such careful preparation is why she managed to earn her title.”
“But the Acting Marchioness is a little cruel, too. Didn’t you deliberately step in just now? The Archmage’s reputation must have taken quite a hit……”
“……”
That hadn’t exactly been her intention.
But judging by how increasingly hostile Sein Marcus’s eyes had become, denying it probably wouldn’t do much good.
And now that things had gone this far, she could safely say she had openly made an enemy of Sein Marcus.
Rachel gazed at him quietly.
“Do you have anything else to say to me? If the misunderstanding has been cleared up, I’d like to go and have my cheek treated.”
“……Just one more thing. What were you discussing with Aisha before she lost control?”
“……”
Did Sein Marcus realize that even the nobles who had previously regarded him favorably were now looking at him as though they were criticizing him?
Feeling the man beside her frown again, Rachel answered calmly.
“She was curious because she knew I’d been in frequent contact with His Majesty lately. When I told her I couldn’t reveal our conversations, she became angry and lost control. Does that answer your question?”
“……”
Aisha Labelyn’s unrequited love for the Emperor was well known. And by now, it was also common knowledge that the Emperor was ignoring her.
In that situation, Lady Aisha had questioned Rachel Ingrave about her conversations with the Emperor, then lost control when she couldn’t stand the answer.
The nobles, whose numbers had grown considerably, were whispering behind their fans. This news would spread throughout the capital in less than a day.
……Rachel had now crossed a point of no return with Aisha Labelyn, too. But the other side had been the first to cross the line.
‘She definitely let her mana run wild on purpose.’
It was a shame she had no evidence.
Still, this incident would deal a serious blow not only to Lady Aisha but also to House Labelyn.
‘I really didn’t want to make an enemy of her if I could help it.’
Rachel glanced at Aisha Labelyn, who was still unconscious, then turned away.
“I’ll be going now. Archmage, I think you should go check on your disciple as well.”
“……”
Sein no longer even bothered to smile falsely. Rachel exchanged a brief look with his expressionless face and swallowed a sigh.
‘So it’s come to this after all.’
She also had the feeling that the relationship between Aisha Labelyn and Sein Marcus was a little different from what it had been in the <Record>.
If things had happened as described in the <Record>, the first place Sein Marcus should have rushed to would have been where the unconscious Aisha Labelyn lay.
In the end, Rachel looked up at Nathan Valencia.
‘Perhaps I really do need this man’s help.’
If he was investigating Sein Marcus’s past, as she suspected,
she might be able to give his suspicions a push in the right direction. If an investigation into the attempt on the Emperor’s life began, the Archmage would naturally be distracted by it. It was obvious that an ordinary Acting Marchioness with no special abilities would soon slip from the attention of the mad Archmage.
Just then, Nathan noticed her gaze and looked down at her. His eyes had been fierce, but the moment they met hers, they softened slightly.
“I’ve arranged for a physician to wait in my carriage. Why don’t you get treated before you leave?”
“……”
The contrast in his behavior struck her once again. Under normal circumstances, she would have refused without a second thought.
But after a brief moment of consideration, Rachel obediently nodded.
“I’ll do that. Thank you for saving my life today, Duke.”
“……!”
The man looked surprised, but quickly composed himself.
“That’s a relief. My adjutant will show you the way. I have some matters to take care of here, so go ahead and get treated first.”
“Understood. I’ll see you in a little while, then.”
Rachel bowed her head slightly in farewell and followed his adjutant out. The man looked familiar. She thought he might have been a former deputy commander of the Red Hawk Mercenary Corps.
But more importantly—
“……”
Rachel stopped and glanced back for a moment. Nathan was approaching the unconscious Lady Aisha and Sein Marcus.
‘He did save my life, though.’
Was what lay between them really enough to make him react so strongly?
Nathan Valencia was acting strangely.
‘And so am I.’
Just now, she had grabbed his cloak far too naturally, without a second thought.
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