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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Stone's Island Worth
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I'd long known that the Grand Duke's household was swimming in wealth, but it was still astonishing that Grand Duke Hadellus had handed over such a priceless item to me so casually.
If he's going to spend money like water anyway, couldn't he have done it from the start?
Remembering all the side-eye I'd gotten for my lavish spending made tears well up in my eyes. As I stood there speechless, fumbling for words, Jeronis spoke up.
"Well, anyone who recognizes the value of that stone must already be wealthy themselves. It's not even on the market to begin with."
"That's true."
"I must have made you uncomfortable for no reason, Duchess Consort. Don't worry—just wear it comfortably."
Is that really something to say right now?
I felt like the stone was already weighing down my neck as I muttered,
"My neck suddenly feels so stiff."
Elena snorted in response.
"Even as the Duchess Consort, you're not going to get stiff over the price of a single island, are you? Keep your head held high like always, dear."
Pardon? The price of an island?
This time, it felt like I was lugging around an entire island on my neck.
To think I'd been wearing something this precious so carelessly. Shouldn't I keep it enshrined in my room instead?
But since I was wearing it to hide my spirit contractor status, leaving it locked away wouldn't do.
I kept fiddling with Hamar, wondering if it was okay, while biting my lower lip.
"Don't feel burdened, dear. The Grand Duke's warehouse has a couple more anyway."
"A couple more?"
"If you lose it, just say so and ask for another—he'll give it to you."
Oh, now that's tempting.
As my eyes lit up, Elena added with an exasperated tone,
"Your eyes sparkle the moment money comes up. Where on earth does all that cash go?"
"I-I'm spending it on necessities..."
I couldn't bring myself to admit I'd commissioned a ton of artifacts from Kobishtein for my fangirling.
She'd just scold me for wasting it on frivolities, so I kept my mouth shut preemptively.
Of course, I didn't plan to use those artifacts just for my hobbies.
I had plans for a new business venture too, so eventually everyone would understand my intentions. Elena continued,
"Besides, in the monster-infested north, mindless dragons popping up isn't exactly rare."
Jeronis nodded in agreement.
"True, the Grand Duke has hunted them himself, so he might not bat an eye even if Hamar were rolling around on the floor."
I stuck out my tongue at the two of them, comparing Hamar to a stone tumbling on the ground.
This is why rich people are on another level.
I gave up trying to understand them.
The moon and stars reigned over the sky. As thick darkness fell, an unauthorized ship quietly set sail from Stig Island.
No signs of life could be heard amid the crashing waves. The enveloping gloom made stealth effortless.
The only way to detect the passing ship was by reading the ripples shimmering in the moonlight.
The vessel slipped away smoothly and reached the mainland, where figures in deep black hoods disembarked.
Someone wearing an identical hood approached them as if waiting. He asked the newcomers,
"Did you find it?"
"No. We circled Stig Island multiple times, but there were no traces."
"If the corruption started here, there should have been signs of a ritual."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
His sleeve slipped down, revealing an ornate finger guard on his right index finger—a luxurious accessory fit for nobility.
He slyly removed it, exposing a Treble Clef tattoo etched into the joint.
The men tensed upon seeing the tattoo and continued their report.
"To go deeper, we'll need reinforcements. The monster population has surged, making many areas inaccessible."
"Out of the question. With Grand Duke Hadellus here, we have to move with minimal personnel."
The man swallowed a groan at the sharp reply.
"They don't even know the true cause of the corruption anyway, do they? Few outside the ancients would suspect our connection to it."
"That's exactly why we must be cautious. We can't let the secrets of our well-hidden order leak from gossips' mouths."
"We've kept it hidden this long, haven't we? With the current imperial knowledge of corruption's cause, they couldn't figure out Stig Island's anomalies even if they died and came back."
As the man muttered in frustration, the leader's eyes flashed.
He clearly disliked the backtalk. Frowning, he continued,
"The greenhouse royals in the capital might be that clueless, but the northern Grand Duke? Who knows. That house is as cunning as they come."
"Pardon?"
"The family secret tome only the Hadellus Family Head can see contains tales even the imperial family lacks. Just like the human Zapharsia cherished so dearly."
During the era when the Dark Dragon Zapharsia protected the continent, four humans had contracted with it.
The Golden Haint.
The Black Rock Hadellus.
The Passionate Esel.
And the Star Lewis family, whose traces had vanished without a lead.
These four could wield the powers of earth, darkness, fire, and light at will through their pact with the Dark Dragon.
With the Lewis family's disappearance, light-attribute magic had weakened.
As a result, light-attribute mages had become rare treasures welcomed across the continent today.
Of course, they were mere hybrids carrying diluted Lewis blood.
Even that wasn't pure light attribute, often blended into healing arts.
At a glance, it resembled divine power, hard to distinguish without close scrutiny—magic or holy might?
Anyway, among the four, the Black Rock Hadellus was a house with a robust information guild. One wrong step, and you could be swallowed by their shadows.
Tsking softly at the trembling, fearful man, he drew a dagger and pricked his own finger.
Red blood stained the musical note, and a sinister power swirled around.
The men groaned "Ooh" in awe. Just inhaling the blood's scent filled them with surging energy. Before long, their sclera turned pitch black.
He filled a glass vial with his blood and handed it over, saying,
"If you can't shake them off, secretly sprinkle this blood around Grand Duke Hadellus's camp. It should obscure our trail for a while."
"Thank you!"
"Remember this above all: we must find the sacrifice first. Then we'll reclaim the lost glory of antiquity."
"Understood."
The man bowed deeply, then boarded the ship again, his earlier anxiety gone.
Soon, their vessel was swallowed by the ink-black sea, vanishing from sight.
Akid felt a pain like his body was shattering as he slowly opened his eyes.
Though the night was deep, the room wasn't too dark thanks to the lit lantern. The candle flame flickered and danced.
Akid stared blankly at the ceiling, piecing together how he'd collapsed in his sleep.
Then, recalling Loena's startled expression, he bolted upright.
He tried to rush to her, but felt a heavy hand gripping his.
"Loena..."
No need to go—she was right there beside him. Akid gazed blankly at her, asleep in an awkward prone position.
She must have refused the maids' urging and stayed glued to his side.
Akid quenched his thirst with bedside water and let out a deep sigh. He'd thought the episodes had quieted down, but here it was again.
Before coming to Hadellus territory, Akid had suffered a similar seizure.
As he'd groaned in agony, his street friend Jade had gone in his place with the priest.
And he'd never seen Jade again. Feeling like he'd sent his friend to the slaughter, Akid had fallen ill once more.
Akid stared intently at Loena's face.
It was because the fear of her vanishing like Jade had made him jump up foolishly.
Even in that uncomfortable pose, she slept with the utmost peace.
Her red hair caught the lantern light, glowing even more vividly crimson. The curly locks shimmered with luster rather than frizz.
Unthinkingly, Akid touched her trembling cheek. It was warm. His fingers brushed soft peach fuzz, tickling alongside the warmth.
'She must have been really scared.'
Yet she slept oblivious, as if she hadn't dozed off until late.
Why had someone who loved sleep so much stayed up nursing him?
Akid carefully rose without waking her and carried her to the bed.
Loena quickly settled into a comfortable position, breathing softly in sleep. Akid lay down cautiously beside her.
The wide bed allowed a proper distance. Her gentle breaths echoed softly in the chamber.
Akid muttered to himself,
"Why are you so nice to me?"
"..."
"What am I to you?"
He knew there'd be no reply from a sleeping person.
Then, he sensed some power swirling around Loena— the same faint feeling from the Eviss Mine before.
He'd dismissed it as imagination then, but now he vaguely knew what it was.
Akid had always had good instincts, sensing invisible forces faintly.
"Spirits, huh."
As Akid murmured, the lantern flame flickered wildly, as if nodding in agreement.
