Chapter 101: Power and Love (6)
zRIouTb“Did a letter arrive from Baron Ravenclaw?”dqm
wUwaEarly in the morning, Lady Trisha, who was being dressed with the help of the maid of the mansion, wore a perplexed expression.F9X
JOuNot even ten days had passed since she was rejected when she tried to assign Dereck a task.u4ez
CLXfRbOf course, the task itself was also a pretext to maintain contact with Dereck, the most renowned magic master in Ebelstein. However, it was hard to deny the importance of finding the necromancer on Rodentz Island.OAeHxY
UFc8It was a double-benefit strategy to earn the favor of Lady Renewel and maintain contact with Dereck. But the request was rejected for being too dangerous, and everything fell apart.In02
Fp08utJHowever, the letter from Dereck that arrived early in the morning rendered all of that irrelevant.2zL8
RIj“It seems we have found a necromancer who would be a survivor of Rodentz Island.”9S1AI8
YrcUpon reading the letter that began with that single line, Lady Trisha could not help but harden her expression.yrJyG
WHwmq***RYPlmmn
Z3m1Almost ten days had passed since Ellen’s house arrest began, and finally, unable to endure it any longer, Count Belmierd summoned his high vassals, immediate family members, and most trusted servants to the study of the count’s mansion.EvKq5
N1rJFzNo matter how much they examined the clues in Ellen’s room, the only conclusion they reached was that Ellen had been researching necromancy.N3XMyRi
OQ0o0wr“Your Excellency…”reiK97C
ZFp5mBriana looked worriedly at Count Belmierd’s expression.arcrgO
1j9aThe count’s face was as haggard as Ellen’s, as if he too were cornered.6Vk0R
n5GAs time passed, public opinion toward Ellen worsened.MpfDg2Y
DiwOsDkThinking about it, testimonies accumulated that Ellen had been seen wandering the mansion late at night, when no one was around.MTz
m1ynIn reality, all she had done was go out to gaze at the moon because she could not sleep.7dU8N
3pa7dKThere were also plenty of testimonies that she often looked tired, as if she had stayed up all night. People wondered if she had been researching necromancy during the night, when everyone else slept.SR4
fft3In truth, she was simply staying up all night studying, or she just wasn’t feeling well.T5Q
D7RMany also claimed that she abruptly changed the subject whenever necromancy came up in conversation.jin
zOgk6For her, speaking of necromancy was taboo.3I1dW
INegSuspicions gave rise to more suspicions, and doubts to new doubts.AOdv
nRdLeonard, who was watching the situation from a corner along with the vassals, quietly lowered his head. He had to suppress the urge to smile.XMlIX7
ti7DtIn reality, there were only two direct pieces of evidence of that conspiracy—the laboratory found beneath Ellen’s room and the letter that seemed to have been written by her.bm6uW
bS8i9yThe laboratory had been prepared by Leonard.whtUWe
S6bThe secret room beneath the heir’s chambers was known to the head of family and some high-ranking vassals. It was a hidden space for emergency evacuations.hUmwFj
bwGRdHowever, for decades the authority of the Belmierds had never been threatened, so that room had fallen into oblivion.ZprAwiv
yTlLeonard slowly transformed it into a necromancy laboratory and left incriminating traces against Ellen when she was not there.oo2qbM
rOEnRThe letter too had been cunningly fabricated by Leonard, mixing numerous truths and lies. He knew Ellen had visited the Duplain family, so he altered the facts in a way that made it difficult to discern where reality ended and invention began.1m4JL
jj4CumOnce suspicion was planted in public opinion, all he had to do was wait. Circumstantial evidence had a tendency to multiply on its own.0aaITip
3JutW1oHe continued to spread filthy rumors about Ellen, who had once been the flower of the count’s family.FObnUqz
l1nDJIt did not matter if they were accepted as truth or denied as falsehood.hBJcI
55rnFAs long as doubts were sown, as long as people were made to question the facts and become confused about where the truth lay—surprisingly, that alone was enough to turn half of public opinion against her.hWNBkAa
HpV4ODThat is how the masses are controlled. Once that flow is created, everything becomes simple. Logic and reason no longer matter.NLyu
nfFGE“Father.”HRrkU
Ky6ALeonard stepped forward from among the gathered vassals.Ob2
HFAiGPfCount Belmierd still remembered him as the devout clergyman he had been.C3F
aIfsKnHe felt quite guilty for not having given him the proper welcome after his pilgrimage due to the rumors, but for now Ellen’s matter was the priority.SqQGsH
TLD0JYP“Leonard. You…”MTJ1H7r
Fuc“You must be strong, Father.”L62
rf3sLeonard spoke with a pained expression.OPcOw
flstOutwardly, he was nothing but a lamb pursuing faith, uninterested in the family’s succession rights.atu5Wgs
h7AKQkIt was something no vassal could say, but Leonard, as the only blood relative present, could.4r65z7i
d4eeP“Ellen too is a lamb. Sometimes… she loses her way…”oa3F
1bX“Leonard…!”2V0ZVt
M4VNO“It pains me to say this, but isn’t this the situation we are in…?”wPhDVwn
1cPLeonard spoke through clenched teeth, his chest trembling.nn3N
9Gx8Seeing the emotions mixed in his face, Count Belmierd held his breath.W4LL0T4
etqC“Perhaps it is a blessing we discovered it early… Remember the tragedy of the Duplain family, don’t you, Father?”5dST
dtP3nI“You want me to doubt Ellen?”kj0
07Q“Ellen was a noble person who spared no effort to obtain power. But, sometimes, while walking the straight path, one can be tempted by shortcuts and fall into traps.”gOy
owF9daLearning necromancy is a taboo for a mage, but for one who craves power, it means having a secret weapon no one else knows.C0a
6IGkMControlling corpses, overcoming death, and commanding the mind implies the ability to manipulate without anyone noticing.zmniE1
okAJKZuOn the path to power, the temptation to obtain such a secret power often arises.m2oSRi
F3H“It was only a momentary mistake. Recognizing that fact and striving to correct it is all that is needed. Ignoring reality will only make things worse… Father…!”i4d4M8Q
HZbk“Leonard…!”Ni7
0FH“Father. I beg you to hear my counsel…”LJAc0s
UHne12cLeonard pushed his way further forward and bowed respectfully before the desk.WbTq
biRuNh“The position of successor? I have no desire for it. Let anyone take it. You may even call my brother Linus back and make him the successor.”M9P
SPSNjLinus would never return to the Belmierd family.vNwVba
2wi4TEither way, once Ellen fell from power, no matter how much he pretended to worry and dither, Count Belmierd would have no choice but to designate Leonard as successor.89zcs
JLCkIt was a bluff he could afford because he knew that fact well. Leonard was acting perfectly as a lamb without ambitions of succession.Kio
ebwYPJZ“It must be corrected now. That is… the way to prevent further harm to the Belmierd family…”TIwJx
WHeLeonard twisted his expression as if giving sincere advice.uVQrU
sHQhwCount Belmierd, watching him, could not raise his voice. The majority of the mansion’s servants already harbored seeds of suspicion against Ellen.oNKc6
7FoZtqOAt this point, if even the head of family turned his back on her, it was impossible to foresee how the situation would unfold.JVIw
rtxyThe count, his face filled with anguish for a long while, finally ran a hand over his face and spoke.xfy
lfWeoA8“Even so, I must hear Ellen’s excuse.”4mKw9
wICSNKAs a father, he could not turn his back completely.WQfc0J1
kkZj9kp“Briana. When the sun rises tomorrow, I will personally confront Ellen with the evidence. There I will decide her fate. Though until now we have kept the results of the investigation secret, from tomorrow she too will know.”2UQsy
qN4JSeeing Count Belmierd, who remained cautious until the end, Leonard could not help but click his tongue silently.9WGiz
7vvBut Leonard knew.un1
GjSVSHe had already been going in and out of the mansion, checking Ellen’s situation on several occasions.ZglKI
HilBShe pretended otherwise, but she was already cornered.KZM
Wgi1Xp***md6y
h4V3“Huff, huff.”Ywia
mgeMMwShe felt something like a sticky liquid sliding down the tip of her hair.RoPqhnU
J3XyFor the first time, she realized that this was the feeling of her mind growing hazy. Sitting in her private room, Ellen felt her throat tighten each time she breathed.euzj29u
MiD8yIt would have been better to be locked away completely.38Ozo4O
Wxkgg8Being watched during meals, receiving suspicious looks from everyone, hearing whispers in the garden, and feeling the futility of the power that once pierced the sky.99evV
8TJVT5And in the midst of that anxiety, having to endure day after day. One feels a strange sensation as if one’s vision begins to blur.vPN
P03BHm2Late at night, when even the sound of insects had ceased.VAJfxtb
c6WA ringing in her ears, the flickering shadows of the candles, darkness and more darkness.UrOT7
rpJShe was a young woman who stretched her hand toward the stars in the sky, and having raced upward her whole life, she did not know the pain of falling.iva
kI4Even the close servants and attendants who had admired her all her life were, in the end, only a crowd swept along by power and public opinion.DYR
tqvXVShe had never had the chance to learn to distinguish between those who would truly remain by her side and those who were nothing but byproducts drawn by fleeting power.BeMDB
1j2Those who have never hit bottom do not know how to distinguish who is truly by their side.rwcR4
0cqBEzAs you wander between the cracks of confusion and doubt, suddenly you feel as if the world around you is wrapped in fog.PR7zw
1YYAnQAt some point, you stop combing your hair. You don’t even rub your tired eyes.HZ1Jb1
o6OtCWithering slowly, your self-assurance and confidence begin to fade.eDrdCC5
gOTfAn extraordinary mind, mental agility, exceptional magical skills, noble appearance—the only thing the young woman lacked was experience.SOlf
KVT5The experience of standing firm with both feet before the crowd staring at her.MfbNoZ
ECv“Ridiculous… Do they think I would be swayed by such deception…?”xbJD
HekShe repeated the words with empty eyes, biting her nails. There was no life left in her, only a miserable pride barely holding on.nSbaLZl
esA94e8The young woman realized. The support of the crowd, like reeds, is as fleeting as a passing dream.8pl
GtOzqiIf she fell, that support would vanish like the wind, only a façade.zSVGQ
cQ5Xiz“Yes, it seems they are trying to sow seeds of doubt while buying time… If only I could reach Duplain… If only… ugh…”kyWC
rP6m7xyA vomit devoid of dignity rose in her throat. Ellen collapsed.fxt
AP4u8Had she ever fallen like this before?xuXc7m
xhEIAp2Neither the authority that once seemed to pierce the heavens, nor the magical skills that left all speechless when witnessed, nor the rivals who could not compare to her had ever dragged Ellen into such a pit of despair.0HeSEQ
Et9KcEven when countless noble ladies succumbed to the burden and pressure, Ellen never lost her will.FyYF
OoocW5But now, it was only rumors, doubts, and time.4dBQZQ7
Ha9IdPNot a great evil, not a great cause that engulfed the world, not a fatal nemesis. Only that.eWSvSj
DptcOIt was only that which eroded the fragile trust of the crowd that followed power.fSQo
GFf5Even the servants who had built trust throughout a lifetime now cast her suspicious glances.YO6
C54AqShe could not even voice her discontent at that fact.0od66j
2qgA play she had seen in her childhood at the Kalimford Theater came to mind.aUt
hfAcpIt was the day Ellen left the theater with a scornful grimace.iaJrSl
zMEThe moving song of the protagonist on stage, who chose love over power, tickled her ears.m5tGW4
LUuzHad the playwright understood it subconsciously? No flower blooms forever, and in the end, the essence of that flower called power is to wither.BvwFMuA
Txq6xuShe had spent her entire life chasing that façade called power.9EB
bsJHThose beings who walked calmly toward the throne seemed admirable, and she had wished to sit at their side.1mIp
OmeTap, tap.ypstKcX
mi2Z81The rain that had begun to fall struck the window.HRoFc
w17agAt first intermittently, but soon the downpour began to mirror Ellen’s heart.Iqcqq
ov4For what have I lived? Why did I cling so desperately to the sand that would slip through my fingers the harder I clenched my fist?Ciic9U
UJooI don’t know. I know nothing. The young woman who had run unhesitatingly down a well-paved path for so long was, for the first time, experiencing the depths of being lost. It left such a void in her heart that she could not even think of the false accusation of necromancy weighing on her.4ctuMzZ
vauSwoosh.rY8
HjAFK5The rain outside the window grew completely fierce, and even lightning began to strike intermittently.hawC9
6PoWiuSuddenly, the ceremonial dagger in the corner of the room caught the young woman’s attention.pUzNgJI
uwPlW8If she yielded to her misery and pressed the blade to her neck here and now, would the servants understand her innocence?YdgK3
Nqp7If they found her cold and lifeless in the morning, with tears of anguish in her eyes, would the servants then understand Ellen’s injustice?7ZCOCB
ephyfHSuch an impulse is irrational.A3uJ
JtMHow could one end a noble life over a false accusation? It makes no sense.sql6zE3
j7zYet, that forbidden impulse always came regardless of reason or understanding.oTQfW
Qw3vIThose who end their lives do not do so after calculating everything.kvJzzg
PA35aThey simply fail to withstand the impact of the moment, the dark impulse that enters their heart right now, leading them to an irreversible end.cylGB
vhWpRF0If they could endure that instant, there might be a way out, but countless people choose to end their immediate suffering.MaDgK
SVn3gmCornering one’s own heart was something like that.jt4u
7050HXWhen Ellen took up the dagger with clouded pupils and gazed at it, her once blazing red eyes had turned ashen, as if they no longer had the strength to burn.5JU
BBWp9Her fingers trembled as she held it.fB2t
fCSbEventually, she shut her eyes tightly.AqYrwdG
gqO“Lady Ellen, as you clash with various enemies in noble society, surely a time will come when you stumble upon a stone or face everyone’s suspicion and ridicule. Even if it is not a crisis that shakes your life as mine did, it could still corner your heart and mind.”UpjJ79q
mmRThese were the words of a certain lady, who had faced such great pain that such trials seemed trivial, spoken while seated in the corridor of Elfontaine Hall.atp
BZJl4TShe smiled broadly and extended her fist toward Ellen.D7NsE
rwEw2tI“That is the moment to look around you.”raWTMWz
OB8Crash!Tu733
5CoSwoosh! Bang!8O3B
OV9T52At once, the window shattered and rain poured into the room.rI6SJ
8RLEllen’s room was protected by numerous guards, making it difficult for anyone to enter easily.5ufcK
QCmHowever, the unwanted guest created the illusion of thunder with a confusion spell to mask the sound of breaking glass and then burst through the window from the outer wall as if it were nothing.ZjqB
QlSj7The man, seemingly accustomed to moving in such severe weather, dropped his soaked cloak as he straightened inside the room.IHqS
IrgAnd without hesitation, he firmly grabbed the blade of the dagger in the young woman’s hand.aQN
qLizYneDrip, drip.tO5vm
1HB2zRed blood flowed down the blade.2Y3i
238xEllen was so shocked she could not even scream.eWYbP0Y
agz“…”xy40Z
eA9UA2nClang! Clang!OPE
eTYThe man wrenched the dagger away and flung it to the ground, then pushed Ellen back.ilHmx
zSZUAs her posture collapsed without strength, the man shook his hands and pulled a letter from his chest, setting it on Ellen’s table.4XMFnpU
3AuCnThere were two letters. One bore the seal of the Duplain family, the other the seal of the Renuel family.YIpPW4
G3G“Huh, ugh…”y1V3x
8tKyAs Ellen barely regained her breath, the white-haired man roughly wiped the blood from his hands and straightened his stance.lfYSYx
fv53A lightning bolt flashed, and his red eyes shone with intensity.e0pWGA
K8DHZiYIf you can claim you have lived a life of worth.4uDz
JEKSIUEven if all turn their backs on you, there will always be someone who remains by your side.YAu
3eFUAs if to prove that fact, the man stood firm with the rain pouring down behind him.hao
56FhThough no explanation had yet been given, the gaunt girl lying on the floor with wide eyes instinctively sensed it.ngOe
kZhOqFor some reason, she thought.1zH7Tk
UOCZThat man was Ellen’s ally.92e
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