The lakebed was a mess of plants, fish, and dead waterfowl, making it a rather unsightly sight. However, the occasional patches of damp mud suggested that the water hadn't completely evaporated, but had simply flowed away.
As I was looking closely into the pit, Julian grabbed my hand and pulled me back slightly.
“Don’t get too close.”
"All right."
At his stern words, I meekly stepped back. Perhaps because of the mud and corpses, the portal was nowhere to be seen.
If that was the case, there was no reason to bother looking. After all, it wouldn't be a very pleasant sight for the baby in my stomach. I placed my hand on top of my belly and smiled at Julian.
“Why are you laughing?”
He must have found it strange that I was smiling at this disgusting sight. I shook my head and replied.
"It's not like I'm protecting the baby; it's like the baby is protecting me. In the past, I would have tried to get close to it somehow."
At my words, Julian's expression softened, and he smiled faintly.
“It’s worrying that he’s already grown up despite being so small.”
I couldn't help but laugh out loud at those words. They felt even more genuine because they came from someone who had matured earlier than most. I stepped back a few more steps so I couldn't see the inside of the hole before speaking.
“I should ask the wizard to check the bottom of the lake.”
“Yes. Have you thought about who would be good?”
We both knew that the royal wizards weren't allowed. Many of them were still hallucinating, but there was another reason.
For some reason, Princess Abigail had been scheming against the royal family and the Count of Winsley since before she was even ten years old. Even the royal knight Chris was said to be a subordinate of Princess Abigail, making it impossible to trust anyone in the royal family.
I touched the back of my neck and then answered Julian's words.
"It has to be a friendly wizard. There's only one answer for that. Either the wizards of Sylvia's Magic Tower, or the wizards you recruited from Ravi's Magic Tower."
"Sylvia, no. Lifting your curse is paramount. The last time I received her report, she said she'd find the answer soon, so we mustn't interfere."
Julian spoke with firmness. His grip on my hand tightened.
“I think it would be best to leave it to the wizard I recruited.”
I shook my head as I faced Julian.
“No. He has other things to do.”
As I woke up, Julian lowered his head toward me. I brought my lips close to his ear and whispered. Julian narrowed his eyes and nodded.
“Let’s send someone to the tower quickly.”
"Thank you. I'll ask Tien to introduce me to someone to look under the lake. It would be good if it were someone close to Sylvia. I doubt she'd keep a worthless person around."
“I agree.”
Julian and I looked at each other and smiled. The new imperial army was about to arrive, but strangely, we felt no fear. It seemed as if nothing could drag us into the abyss.
As expected, the new imperial army arrived much earlier than the magicians of the Magic Tower. Upon arrival, they were shocked to see the imperial troops and Sasha's forces tied up or imprisoned in Lord Melin's castle.
Even if that were the case, Sasha couldn't treat the Imperial Army so carelessly. If he had pressured the Imperial Army so unjustly, he wouldn't have been able to avoid the charge of treason.
“Count Winsley will have to tell us the full extent of what has happened.”
The newly arrived Imperial Knight Marker spoke with a furrowed brow. He didn't raise his voice, but his determination to not take this lightly was palpable.
If my father were still the same, no matter how innocent he was, he would have knelt and accepted any investigation. But he held his head high and was escorted by knights.
"Let's go into the barracks. We're also investigating the phenomenon that occurred here, so if you can help, it'll be easier."
My father said that he had done nothing wrong and that he should instead 'help' the imperial troops who arrived here.
The reason my father was acting this way was that I had already made a promise before meeting the imperial army.
"Father, the Emperor will definitely come out with an overbearing attitude. Never give in to their wishes."
'They are His Majesty the Emperor's soldiers. How could that be?'
"Because the Imperial Army can't tell if someone is Princess Abigail's man or not. Even if they're not, there are already many of Princess Abigail's men here. If I shout to my father, who entered the lord's castle, that everyone there is a traitor, how can I escape?"
There was no such thing. My father could have been taken to the capital, still in custody. If that had happened, all sorts of false testimonies would have been poured out, and just like his tragic past, the Earldom of Winsley and his family would have been accused of treason.
My father closed his eyes tightly as if he was in pain from this situation, but soon nodded.
And now, my father did not betray my expectations and moved according to my will.
"I've already completed the interrogation, but there are still many parts that remain unclear. Let's check together."
“How dare you interrogate the Emperor...”
Marker paused for a moment, embarrassed by my father's attitude, but then maintained his stern demeanor.
"How can we enter the barracks when we don't know what the Count is thinking? Let's go to Lord Melin's castle."
“Then how can I know what decision Sir Marker has made and enter the lord’s castle?”
"What! I've come here to assess this matter impartially! Do you intend to tarnish my honor, Margrave Winsley?"
My father neither said yes nor no. He simply stared at Marker. Marker tried to threaten and then to persuade.
But my Father stood there, unmoving. Marker gritted his teeth and finally came up with a compromise.
“Let’s talk here.”
This was the midpoint between Lord Melin's castle and the barracks built by the Winsley Army. My father nodded with a relaxed smile, as if he had been waiting for that. I couldn't help but admire his age-inspired demeanor.
'You can do whatever you want!'
All the time I spent trying to persuade my father wasn't wasted. It was truly a satisfying moment to see my old-fashioned father listen to me.
But the satisfaction was short-lived, as Ruin began reciting the interrogation results on behalf of my father, and Marker's face turned red and blue.
"The Imperial Army and Sasha's forces displayed an excessively aggressive behavior. This was directed not only at Winsley and Duchzan, but also at their own forces. They fought each other to the death, even if they only touched each other's shoulders. More than anything, they appeared to be hallucinating, spitting curses into the air and lunging at each other."
“That’s nonsense! Who would do such a thing!”
"We, the Winsleys, believe that a wizard has sneaked in and cast a spell on them. As time passed, they even attempted self-harm, forcing us to tie up and imprison the imperial army and the Sasha army. This was done to protect us, but also to protect the Emperor and Sasha."
“Do you have any evidence?”
At Marker's words, Ruin summoned several haggard soldiers. They were soldiers from the Imperial Army and Sasha's forces, who had been suffering from severe hallucinations and had finally calmed down after completing their interrogation.
“I found out by interrogating them, and they are witnesses.”
One by one, the soldiers recounted their experiences. Though their stories were rambling, their message was the same.
At one point, he felt a strong sense of threat to his life, his vision was blurred, and his memories were jumbled. These were symptoms seen in those suffering from hallucinations.
But not everything went smoothly. When it was his turn, one soldier spoke in a relatively even voice.
“I am not hallucinating.”
Marker, who had been wearing a troubled expression the whole time, was very pleased with the soldier's remark.
“Yes, you, tell me!”
Ruin frowned and joined their conversation.
“That soldier is the one who claimed that he also had hallucinations during interrogation.”
“But don’t you say no?”
“During the interrogation, it was clear...”
"I had no choice because of the coercive interrogation. They told me to say I had hallucinations, so I had no choice. But this would be an act of covering up for Margrave Winsley's treason. I speak out, trusting that you will protect me."
"Absolutely not. Our Winsley Army conducted interrogations while guaranteeing the soldiers' human rights."
“Be quiet. Didn’t you bring Margrave Winsley here to hear his story?”
Ruin glanced at me. I nodded, suggesting we wait and see. Ruin returned to his calm expression and stood up straight.
The soldier finally opened his mouth with the help of Marker.
"There were certainly soldiers who behaved strangely. But only a small number. Most were caught up in the strange behavior, lost in the situation, and lost track of it. I was one of them. However, Winsley began to kill the relatively sane soldiers. This was likely to minimize the number of witnesses."
It was a ridiculous lie. A chilling air hung around them. The soldier opened his mouth, seemingly ready to say something more.
“How was Duchzan?”
It wasn't Marker who brought that up. Marker couldn't bring himself to say that name. It was even more unthinkable for Winsley County to drag Duchzan, who had helped them, into this position.
So there could only be one person who asked the question.
Julian stood there, his red eyes blazing in an almost frightening way.
As I was looking closely into the pit, Julian grabbed my hand and pulled me back slightly.
“Don’t get too close.”
"All right."
At his stern words, I meekly stepped back. Perhaps because of the mud and corpses, the portal was nowhere to be seen.
If that was the case, there was no reason to bother looking. After all, it wouldn't be a very pleasant sight for the baby in my stomach. I placed my hand on top of my belly and smiled at Julian.
“Why are you laughing?”
He must have found it strange that I was smiling at this disgusting sight. I shook my head and replied.
"It's not like I'm protecting the baby; it's like the baby is protecting me. In the past, I would have tried to get close to it somehow."
At my words, Julian's expression softened, and he smiled faintly.
“It’s worrying that he’s already grown up despite being so small.”
I couldn't help but laugh out loud at those words. They felt even more genuine because they came from someone who had matured earlier than most. I stepped back a few more steps so I couldn't see the inside of the hole before speaking.
“I should ask the wizard to check the bottom of the lake.”
“Yes. Have you thought about who would be good?”
We both knew that the royal wizards weren't allowed. Many of them were still hallucinating, but there was another reason.
For some reason, Princess Abigail had been scheming against the royal family and the Count of Winsley since before she was even ten years old. Even the royal knight Chris was said to be a subordinate of Princess Abigail, making it impossible to trust anyone in the royal family.
I touched the back of my neck and then answered Julian's words.
"It has to be a friendly wizard. There's only one answer for that. Either the wizards of Sylvia's Magic Tower, or the wizards you recruited from Ravi's Magic Tower."
"Sylvia, no. Lifting your curse is paramount. The last time I received her report, she said she'd find the answer soon, so we mustn't interfere."
Julian spoke with firmness. His grip on my hand tightened.
“I think it would be best to leave it to the wizard I recruited.”
I shook my head as I faced Julian.
“No. He has other things to do.”
As I woke up, Julian lowered his head toward me. I brought my lips close to his ear and whispered. Julian narrowed his eyes and nodded.
“Let’s send someone to the tower quickly.”
"Thank you. I'll ask Tien to introduce me to someone to look under the lake. It would be good if it were someone close to Sylvia. I doubt she'd keep a worthless person around."
“I agree.”
Julian and I looked at each other and smiled. The new imperial army was about to arrive, but strangely, we felt no fear. It seemed as if nothing could drag us into the abyss.
***
As expected, the new imperial army arrived much earlier than the magicians of the Magic Tower. Upon arrival, they were shocked to see the imperial troops and Sasha's forces tied up or imprisoned in Lord Melin's castle.
Even if that were the case, Sasha couldn't treat the Imperial Army so carelessly. If he had pressured the Imperial Army so unjustly, he wouldn't have been able to avoid the charge of treason.
“Count Winsley will have to tell us the full extent of what has happened.”
The newly arrived Imperial Knight Marker spoke with a furrowed brow. He didn't raise his voice, but his determination to not take this lightly was palpable.
If my father were still the same, no matter how innocent he was, he would have knelt and accepted any investigation. But he held his head high and was escorted by knights.
"Let's go into the barracks. We're also investigating the phenomenon that occurred here, so if you can help, it'll be easier."
My father said that he had done nothing wrong and that he should instead 'help' the imperial troops who arrived here.
The reason my father was acting this way was that I had already made a promise before meeting the imperial army.
"Father, the Emperor will definitely come out with an overbearing attitude. Never give in to their wishes."
'They are His Majesty the Emperor's soldiers. How could that be?'
"Because the Imperial Army can't tell if someone is Princess Abigail's man or not. Even if they're not, there are already many of Princess Abigail's men here. If I shout to my father, who entered the lord's castle, that everyone there is a traitor, how can I escape?"
There was no such thing. My father could have been taken to the capital, still in custody. If that had happened, all sorts of false testimonies would have been poured out, and just like his tragic past, the Earldom of Winsley and his family would have been accused of treason.
My father closed his eyes tightly as if he was in pain from this situation, but soon nodded.
And now, my father did not betray my expectations and moved according to my will.
"I've already completed the interrogation, but there are still many parts that remain unclear. Let's check together."
“How dare you interrogate the Emperor...”
Marker paused for a moment, embarrassed by my father's attitude, but then maintained his stern demeanor.
"How can we enter the barracks when we don't know what the Count is thinking? Let's go to Lord Melin's castle."
“Then how can I know what decision Sir Marker has made and enter the lord’s castle?”
"What! I've come here to assess this matter impartially! Do you intend to tarnish my honor, Margrave Winsley?"
My father neither said yes nor no. He simply stared at Marker. Marker tried to threaten and then to persuade.
But my Father stood there, unmoving. Marker gritted his teeth and finally came up with a compromise.
“Let’s talk here.”
This was the midpoint between Lord Melin's castle and the barracks built by the Winsley Army. My father nodded with a relaxed smile, as if he had been waiting for that. I couldn't help but admire his age-inspired demeanor.
'You can do whatever you want!'
All the time I spent trying to persuade my father wasn't wasted. It was truly a satisfying moment to see my old-fashioned father listen to me.
But the satisfaction was short-lived, as Ruin began reciting the interrogation results on behalf of my father, and Marker's face turned red and blue.
"The Imperial Army and Sasha's forces displayed an excessively aggressive behavior. This was directed not only at Winsley and Duchzan, but also at their own forces. They fought each other to the death, even if they only touched each other's shoulders. More than anything, they appeared to be hallucinating, spitting curses into the air and lunging at each other."
“That’s nonsense! Who would do such a thing!”
"We, the Winsleys, believe that a wizard has sneaked in and cast a spell on them. As time passed, they even attempted self-harm, forcing us to tie up and imprison the imperial army and the Sasha army. This was done to protect us, but also to protect the Emperor and Sasha."
“Do you have any evidence?”
At Marker's words, Ruin summoned several haggard soldiers. They were soldiers from the Imperial Army and Sasha's forces, who had been suffering from severe hallucinations and had finally calmed down after completing their interrogation.
“I found out by interrogating them, and they are witnesses.”
One by one, the soldiers recounted their experiences. Though their stories were rambling, their message was the same.
At one point, he felt a strong sense of threat to his life, his vision was blurred, and his memories were jumbled. These were symptoms seen in those suffering from hallucinations.
But not everything went smoothly. When it was his turn, one soldier spoke in a relatively even voice.
“I am not hallucinating.”
Marker, who had been wearing a troubled expression the whole time, was very pleased with the soldier's remark.
“Yes, you, tell me!”
Ruin frowned and joined their conversation.
“That soldier is the one who claimed that he also had hallucinations during interrogation.”
“But don’t you say no?”
“During the interrogation, it was clear...”
"I had no choice because of the coercive interrogation. They told me to say I had hallucinations, so I had no choice. But this would be an act of covering up for Margrave Winsley's treason. I speak out, trusting that you will protect me."
"Absolutely not. Our Winsley Army conducted interrogations while guaranteeing the soldiers' human rights."
“Be quiet. Didn’t you bring Margrave Winsley here to hear his story?”
Ruin glanced at me. I nodded, suggesting we wait and see. Ruin returned to his calm expression and stood up straight.
The soldier finally opened his mouth with the help of Marker.
"There were certainly soldiers who behaved strangely. But only a small number. Most were caught up in the strange behavior, lost in the situation, and lost track of it. I was one of them. However, Winsley began to kill the relatively sane soldiers. This was likely to minimize the number of witnesses."
It was a ridiculous lie. A chilling air hung around them. The soldier opened his mouth, seemingly ready to say something more.
“How was Duchzan?”
It wasn't Marker who brought that up. Marker couldn't bring himself to say that name. It was even more unthinkable for Winsley County to drag Duchzan, who had helped them, into this position.
So there could only be one person who asked the question.
Julian stood there, his red eyes blazing in an almost frightening way.
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