Chapter 24: CH 24

“Louie?”

At the sound of someone rattling in, Juliana turned around.

She called out Louis’ name out of habit, but it was Anna, the scarlet-haired maid, who appeared.

“……”

Her heart ached as she gazed at Louis’ empty seat.

Once again, she realized her own situation to the bone.

‘What happened to Louie?’

She was worried about what was going on. It would be nice if she received any news, Juliana bit her lower lip.

“Anna.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Can you tell me where Louie is?”

Anna shook her head slightly, in a stiff manner.

‘You mean you can’t tell me?’

Juliana, still with a smile on her lips, tried to dig into her mind.

“Please, Anna. Haven’t you heard of anything from others?”

“……”

“It’s okay even if it’s small.”

In the social world, the appropriate persona personality was faked. She didn’t feel the need to act due to her present situation, but there was nothing she couldn’t do if necessary.

“I-I don’t know……”

Anna’s eyes shook at the sound of her gentle voice.

“I really don’t know where he went.”

Anna lowered her head looking troubled. Seeing her expression, she really didn’t seem to know.

“I see. Thank you.”

Juliana kept her usual tone and tried to hide her disappointment.

‘Louie.’

He said he would definitely come back soon.

However, the man who left for somewhere had yet to return after three days.

***

“It’s a spectacle.”

Louis read the papers expressionlessly.

The actions and identities of those involved in the illegal organization were exposed.

At the center of it were the powerful figures who committed all kinds of crimes in back alleys. They appeared to have made a move to establish a large empire. It also seemed that a small number of wizards and nobles crazy for power were also involved.

“What should we do?”

“Hand it over to the Emperor.”

Louis said indifferently, drawing a cold line as if his job was done. The knight shyly accepted the documents.

That was then.

Louis’ expression turned cold.

In an instant, cold air swept through his surroundings.

‘What? I.. Did I make a mistake?’

The temperature in the room suddenly became as cold as ice. The knight suddenly felt a stinging sensation at the back of his head.

Tap Tap.

Louis was thinking about something. Only the sound of his fingers hitting the table resonated.

“……”

The Knights held their breath at the overwhelming sensation that emanated spontaneously.

“This is so much fun.”

A man called the Reaper of War and the Frozen Heart raised the tip of his lips slowly.

A bizarre smile formed on Louis’ lips. At the horror that flashed by in an instant, the knights hardened like stone statues.

“Let’s go back now.”

Louis draped his cloak over his shoulders and wrapped the fox cub sitting at his table. The fox, who has regained her vitality, clung to him.

Louis rode his specially trained black horse and grabbed the reins.

“Grand, Grand Duke!”

The knights came to their senses late, they followed after him and called him loudly. Louis didn’t care about them and spurred his horse. Hhhnnng, making a sound, the black horse began to gallop vigorously.

The cloak fluttered in the scorching sun and terrifying wind.

Black eyes flashed through the sandstorm.

An intruder.

He felt like the barrier he had put up around the castle was disappearing.

***

“I-I finally did it!”

Juliana exclaimed with joy. She felt her magic return.

“Louie……”

But she couldn’t just be happy. It had already been three days since he followed the butler, but Louis hadn’t returned.

She no longer had any time to delay. Juliana calmly closed her eyes and felt her magic. When she was convinced that it had come back completely.

“н и і и т й.”

She muttered a little and activated her magic.

Cra-Crack!

The door broke down with a loud explosion.

“…..”

She came out after about 3 weeks. Juliana walked down the hallway with tears of emotion. As she passed through the wide hallway, she didn’t see anyone.

‘Hmm, but… What is this smell?’

Smoke from somewhere rose up to her nose.

‘Is there a fire nearby?’

Juliana looked to her left and right at the smell of something burning. Then, unfamiliar shadows approached from behind her.

‘When did you get so close?’

She didn’t feel her opponent approaching. There was no use running away. Juliana calmly thought in her head.

‘First, I’ll target the opponent’s neck and smash it, then put him to sleep with double magic.’

After finishing her thoughts, she quickly turned around. She ran sharply towards her target.

“W-Wait a minute. Juliana, it’s me!”

Just before hitting her opponent’s neck.

Juliana stopped at the urgent voice she heard.

“……..Al?!”

Juliana’s eyes widened at the adult man with blue hair that was slightly different from Louis’.

“Al, how……”

“I’ll have to greet you later. We must leave quickly.”

Without the need of saying hello to him, Juliana matched the man’s strides who hastily pulled her arm.

“Hang on, where are we going?”

“Just be quiet, trust me, and follow me. We need to get out of here quickly, it will collapse soon.”

“What? What is that all of a sudden!”

As if to prove Al’s words, an explosion rang from the other side. Al’s unique magic spread out into the air.

“Are you crazy?!”

Juliana’s voice rose. Was he going to destroy the Grand Duke’s mansion? There may still be people who haven’t been able to escape.

“What would the ordinary people do?”

What were they guilty of?

If they were going to hold someone accountable for all this, they should only do it to the lunatic.

“Do you really think they are ordinary people?”

Al asked quietly.

Maybe not? Juliana was confused.

“They are the servants of the Grand Duke. You don’t have to worry.”

“……”

“Let’s go, Juliana.”

Juliana responded silently to Al, who urged her by pulling her arm.

It was true that she was grateful to Al who came to help her. Also, according to his words, the servants of the Grand Duke were competent people. In a way, there was no reason for her to be particularly concerned since she also agreed with this.

However.

[T/N: No no no no no no!]

“I’m sorry, Al.”

Louis was different.

She could not escape alone in a situation where his safety was not guaranteed. Juliana clasped her hands behind her back and opened her mouth in her firm tone.

“There’s someone else.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, I’ll go save Louis and go.”

Juliana turned away from Al and activated her magic detector. Louis’ signal appeared at the opposite side of the explosion. Her relief was short-lived, and her heart was impatient at the conclusion that she must completely change the direction she was going.

“Hey, hey, Juliana!”

Al caught her with an urgent voice.

“Do not worry! I’m an ice magician, so it’s okay!”

“…You fool, that’s why it’s even more dangerous…”

Al muttered in vain to the woman who had already disappeared.

“Ah XX, I don’t know anymore…”

The blue-haired man, nervously scratching his head, left.

***

Beep beep beep.

As she followed her ringing magic detector, Juliana felt strange.

‘There’s no burning smell anymore, but…’

Tak, the detector stopped in the middle of the room.

Juliana walked closer into the open room.

‘What is this…’

There was blood everywhere.

Juliana quickly covered her nose at the fishy smell of blood.

She came in at that moment, and the curtains flapped in the wind. Juliana turned her head in the direction of the voice. A man was standing with his back to the purple curtain.

In one hand he held a sword.

“……”

The man’s face was hard to see because of the light behind him. Nevertheless, the rising tension and exotic atmosphere that crept up made her guess the identity of the opponent.

“Where is Louie?”

Juliana suppressed her tension and spoke in a cold voice to the man, rather, the lunatic. As soon as she uttered her words, she couldn’t breathe. She was distracted by the thick blood that had stained the floor. People were lying around, bleeding.

At that moment, the man turned around.

The scene in which the man’s face was revealed was slow, as if watching a single cut of a video. Why did she feel an unknown anxiety at the familiar silhouette that passed like a flash of light?

“Oh, I got caught.”

Black hair and black eyes.

The man she met had a mad look.

Juliana’s breathing became difficult as goosebumps rose all over her body.

She felt like she was facing a huge wave, unprepared.

The man’s cheeks were stained with blood, and his white shirt was dyed red.

“Hic.”

Juliana hastily covered her mouth.

She was going to appear cool and save Louis.

However.

How did this happen?

Her mind went blank as she faced a situation she had never considered.

***

Louis stared at the woman in shock. The woman’s dumbfounded expression was clearly visible.

The golden eyes filled with complex emotions such as fear, betrayal, and anger flickered. Louis looked down at her leisurely as he watched the change in the woman’s expression.

His dark pupils sank in an instant.

A wave of unknown anger came from another place.

He could smell an unfamiliar scent of a male from the woman, he felt an unfamiliar discomfort. Louis raised the corners of his lips crookedly at his twisted mood.

“What to do.”

The woman tried to escape while he was away. In his head she had planned to call a strange man.

‘What should I do?’

Louis welcomed the woman’s startled gaze, as he slowly recalled what had happened a few weeks ago.