As the host opened the door, a small, cozy, but neatly decorated room appeared. Inside the room, there was a comfortable sofa and a table with simple snacks such as dried fruit and beef jerky.
"I'm sorry, but we had to direct you here because we were short on rooms and bathrooms."
The host of the dance ceremony who led David and Jeremiah to the room was sweating profusely as he watched them closely.
"It might be uncomfortable, but please dry your body with a towel first. If you wait a little longer, I will prepare some clothes for you to change into."
The host seemed visibly anxious that either of them might take issue with what happened today.
"Let's wait until you're ready."
David said lightly as if he didn't think much of it.
"Yes, yes! I'll get it ready as quickly as possible!"
The host kept bowing and then abruptly left the room. David and Jeremiah were left in the same room. A heavy silence and a bleak atmosphere hung between them.
"It seems like you have a lot to say to me. Don't hold back and just say it."
David broke the silence and told him to do whatever he wanted. In fact, he had been feeling that Jeremiah was not looking at him well. No, it had been like that since the first day he joined the castle. He had expected it.
"I have only relayed the news to Karina that His Majesty the Emperor has approved the divorce. He even said that the divorce proceedings will be ready once the prayer service at the temple is over and I return."
It was almost like a questioning and interrogative tone. However, David answered calmly without changing his expression.
"It just so happened. I was originally going to tell the Grand Duke the news, but unfortunately, you weren't there at the time. I was going to tell you separately, but I guess I missed it."
David shrugged his shoulders, saying it was a mistake. He acted as if it was already happening, so why bother bringing it up now?
"You didn't just tell my wife on purpose, did you?"
Jeremiah hit David on the nail on the head. He knew that the Crown Prince was thorough in everything he did.
'If not, he wouldn't have been able to become the leader of the Dark World.'
It made no sense that a guy like that would come to tell her news of a divorce and just leave out the main point unless it was intentional.
"That's impossible. Even if I hide the news of your divorce, she'll find out soon enough. Why would I hide it?"
Jeremiah's face crumpled at David's evasion. He was going crazy because David kept hanging around Karina. He didn't like the fact that Karina and the Crown Prince had come in the same carriage on their way here, and he didn't like the fact that she had used the Crown Prince's suggestion as an excuse to dump himself on Lucia.
'And those earrings.'
Karina was wearing earrings that he had never seen before today. While he was wondering, Jeremiah clearly saw David smiling with satisfaction at Karina's earrings.
"...!"
As soon as he saw that smile, he realized that it was the Crown Prince who gave it to her.
Usually, when a man gives a woman clothes or accessories as a gift, it is an act of showing favor or interest. The feeling of discomfort rose up so strong that it was indescribable.
"I warn you. Don't bother my wife anymore."
Jeremiah warned in a cold, hushed voice. But...
"Why should I listen to the Grand Duke?"
David laughed, asking what right he had to say such a thing.
"I am Karina's husband."
"You say something like that even though you have His Majesty the Emperor's permission?"
"I repeat this over and over again, but I will not divorce her. Never."
"Hmm, you're not getting a divorce."
David let out a long snort as if he had heard something funny.
"If the Grand Duke refuses the divorce that His Majesty has approved, can you not do so? That would be considered disobeying His Majesty the Emperor's orders."
Jeremiah answered without hesitation as if It did not matter.
"My wife is only Karina. I have never imagined anyone else being there. So don't think of anything ridiculous."
"Nonsense thoughts?"
"It means don't harbor evil intentions toward my wife."
Jeremiah spoke forcefully.
"If the Grand Duke is talking about blackmail... are you talking about something like me making Karina the Empress of the empire?"
David's words became shorter. He spoke more openly and disparagingly of Jeremiah than before.
"I can give her the title of Princess, if not the title of Empress."
"...!"
At the words "Empress" and "Princess," Jeremiah's eyes lit up for a moment. Faced with David's shameless attitude, he clenched his fists.
"You're talking nonsense. Do you think Karina would want that in the first place?"
"Why do you say she doesn't want it?"
"..."
"She has already shown me that she is good to me."
"What?"
Jeremiah's eyes opened wide in shock.
"What is that..."
Just as Jeremiah was about to snap at him, asking if he was talking nonsense.
'What if the Grand Duchess has feelings for someone else?'
The words the Saintess had spoken last night rang in his ears. Jeremiah's eyebrows furrowed. He had no intention of being swayed by the Saintess's words. However, just after rescuing Karina from the Cursed Forest.
'His Highness the Crown Prince protected me whenever I was in danger."
As Karina's own words flashed through his mind, his mind, which had been trying to remain calm, was greatly shaken.
'Because we're together in an urgent situation...'
'I was able to communicate well when I opened my heart and had an honest conversation.'
"..."
Jeremiah's mouth was shut as if glued shut. Feeling suffocated, as if someone was strangling him, Jeremiah roughly untied the tie he was wearing.
"I intend to be her strong supporter if she wants it. Whether before or after the divorce."
David said as if declaring war. Then.
Knock knock.
"Bathwater and a change of clothes are ready."
The host appeared and the conversation between the two was cut off.
"Good. I'll go wash up first."
David left with a leisurely smile. Jeremiah, who was left alone in the room, became extremely anxious. Jeremiah, who was chewing his lower lip in impatience, strode out of the room as if he had made up his mind.
'I should go and check with Karina myself!'
He asked around for the room where Karina was. But Karina had already left long ago.
***
At that moment, Mikhail was faced with someone who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Master?"
The owner of the tower, Pavel, came to see him.
"How is it here, Master?"
"Oh my, I'm getting old. As I get older, It's hard for me to move around."
Pavel left Mikhail bewildered and continued patting his waist.
"Why did you come here all of a sudden?"
"Huh? Max already told you to do it. Didn't you hear that?"
Pavel glanced at Max, who had come with him, with an expression asking what was going on.
"I told you clearly."
"Ah..."
Now that Mikhail thinks about it, he remembers what Max was saying just before he hung up the phone last time.
'I just hung up, but did that mean the Master was coming?"
Mikhail was a little nervous. There was no need for the Master to come unless it was something really important.
"What's going on?"
"What's going on? I've got such a big deal with the Grand Duke, shouldn't I see his face?"
It was talking about diamond processing mined in the Wellen area.
"In that case, you can just contact me."
Mikhail relaxed his body, saying that he was unnecessarily tense.
"That's one thing, and I also found out more about dragons while looking through old books. There's something I want to try."
"Really?!"
Mikhail's expression brightened, but it quickly returned.
"But that pendant you gave me before. I tried using it on Karina, but there was no reaction."
"No way. You must have done something wrong."
"No, I did what the Master told me to do."
Mikhail made a face at Pavel's beating. After all, that was something he had to talk about with Karina in person.
"Michael, you asked me to find the owner of the carriage that was previously subjected to a tracking spell."
Max changed the subject.
"Oh, that."
It was the carriage of a black magician who had visited the Grand Duke's house in disguise and erased the presence of the magician.
"Who was it?"
"I think he is a palace doctor working in the palace."
"That was the doctor's palace?"
Mikhail was surprised. He had used an artifact to erase his presence, so he had lied and said he was from the palace, but he was wrong.
"But there's something strange..."
Max continued his report.
"You're going into the Cursed Forest? The Emperor himself?"
"Yes. It didn't seem like I was brainwashed or under a spell."
"He was of sound mind."
Pavel said in a confident tone as if he had seen it too.
"Perhaps the Imperial Palace Doctor became a warlock, or perhaps someone who was a warlock to begin with became the Imperial Palace Doctor."
"Oh. So there's a black magician mixed in within the palace right now?"
"Yes."
Max answered bitterly. If the warlock had already achieved such a high position in the palace, there would be more warlocks in the palace besides the one in the palace. Naturally, there would be more than one or two nobles who were in league with the warlock.
"I expected it, but this is really getting tricky."
Mikhail sighed, resting his hand on his forehead.
"And..."
"What, is there more?"
"The number of monsters in the Cursed Forest has increased."
"..."
"Last time, when the Grand Duke of
Colesburg rescued the Crown Prince and the Grand Duchess, I almost used them."
"That means..."
"Someone is artificially increasing the number of monsters. The black crystals coming out of the monsters' cores don't seem to have occurred naturally either."
What that meant was that someone was controlling the monsters?
"Even in areas other than the Cursed Forest, the number of monsters appearing is increasing, and their areas are growing larger."
"It's most likely the work of warlocks."
Pavel clicked his tongue, saying it was obvious even without looking.
"I think so too. There have been more cases of mindless monsters gathering together. Something feels off."
"Just looking at the fact that you can freely move through the cursed forest teeming with monsters gives you the answer."
A heavy silence fell between them for a while.
"Then..."
Max, unable to bear it any longer, cautiously opened his mouth again.
"Should we look into whether the Emperor of the Empire is involved?"
Then Pavel looked at Max with a pitiful expression.
"There's no need to investigate. How could that sinister and greedy guy not be involved in something like this?"
"But there's no reason for the Emperor of the Empire to get involved with warlocks. Why would someone who already has everything lack something to associate with such people?"
Max asked with a look of complete ignorance on his face.
"That's because human greed is endless."
Max groaned after hearing the answer.
"The empire that our ancestors worked so hard to maintain is now being destroyed by one foolish man blinded by greed. If our ancestors found out, they would jump out of their grave in frustration."
Pavel, speaking with a sigh, did not hide his concern.
"The map of the empire may change soon."
"..."
Mikhail kept his mouth shut.
'If the teacher says something like that, I think something big is going to happen.'
Pavel's intuition, with his eyes of truth, was quite correct. But there was nothing he could do now.
"For now, let's continue the investigation. Since the Master came to see Karina, let's go meet her together."
"Hmm? She's not in the dorm?"
"She went out to watch a dance ceremony for a moment."
Since it was a small town, the ceremony was only about 10 minutes away from the accommodation. Still, he didn't want to send Karina alone.
'It's right in front of you. And don't worry, we'll all go out together. You just rest for a bit.'
Karina stubbornly refused, saying that she was already busy with the work she had asked her to do.
"Let's go quickly."
Mikhail hurried his steps towards Karina.
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