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“Ahaha!” Allice burst out laughing while drinking champagne. “Oh my, so then what happened?”
“So, I shot an arrow at the wild boar’s backside. Then that boar went crazy, rammed into a tree, and died right there!”
“You must be quite skilled in hunting.”
“Haha, yes, of course. Martial arts are essential for protecting the Windsor estate.”
“With someone like you guarding the estate, the people must feel very secure!” Allice complimented him with a beaming smile. After all, she had read in <100 Etiquettes for Ladies> that one of the best ways to win a man’s favor is to shower him with praise!I was skeptical at first since it was written by a man, but it works wonderfully!
Allice kept the compliments coming without a break. “So that’s why the estate has thrived, even though Brother Viego didn’t pay much attention. It was all thanks to you, Lord Mark.”
“Ahem. Well, I suppose you could say that.”
“Please continue to protect the estate like this.”
“Hahaha! Of course!”
“On behalf of the Windsor family, thank you so much.”
“Oh, what an honor. Speaking of which.” Mark cleared his throat and presented Allice with something. It was a box wrapped in red velvet. “As a token of goodwill, I’ve prepared a gift, hoping we get along well in the future.”
“My goodness! What’s this?”
“Why don’t you open it, Lady?”
Goodness, how long have we even known each other, and he’s giving me a present already!Allice stifled her laughter and opened the box. “Oh my…”
Inside was a dazzling diamond necklace.
“Woow! It’s so beautiful!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“B-But! Can I really accept something like this?”
Mark smirked. “Of course. I simply hope you’ll continue to look after me, Lady.”
Continue to look after him? He must mean as a vassal of the Windsor family!Allice’s heart swelled with emotion.Mark had finally opened up! I solved it!She had solved the problem that had troubled Viego for so long. Not Dana, but her! Allice Windsor herself had solved it!
“I’m looking forward to working with you, Lord Mark Kurs…” Just then, a question popped into her mind. “By the way, where is Count Kurs now?”
“Indeed. Count Kurs has been bedridden for three months now.”
Dana called in an executive from the Malkan Merchant Guild to verify the facts. Sure enough, the executive said the following. “As I heard, it started after a prayer ritual three months ago.”
“A prayer ritual?”
“There’s an ancient sacred tree in the estate’s forest. Once a year, people pray to it, wishing for the estate’s prosperity.” The executive sighed. “But three months ago, after praying to the sacred tree, Count Kurs fell ill. There are even rumors that he angered the god and was struck with divine punishment.”
“Yes. Actually, this is a secret, but… black spots have appeared on his body.”
Dana was shocked. Black spots appeared on his body?That’s the symptom!
Rotten Land. It was the very early symptom that appeared when someone stepped on, or was contaminated by the rotten land!
“Ah, I know what you’re thinking. But don’t worry. There’s no rotten land in Windsor estate.” The executive chuckled. “Dozens attended the ritual, but only Count Kurs showed symptoms.”
“If the land was truly rotten, everyone there would have shown the same signs.”
But Dana didn’t laugh. It wasn’t funny at all. Even as a joke, the rotten land was a terrifying disaster.
After sending the executive away, Dana sought Rumie.It must be nice to be so relaxed…
By a large window, Rumie was reading a book, legs stretched out. Reading leisurely amid all this chaos, he was like a nobleman on vacation.
“Brother Rumie.”
“Hmm?” He responded, turning a page.
“Can you get me into the castle?”
“Even secretly?”
Was he even thinking before he spoke? Or just answering at random?
“Then, can you let me in right away? I want to go to Count Kurs’s bedroom.”
“Yes.”Snap.Rumie closed his book. He then stretched and got up from the window. “Let’s go.”
Dana felt uneasy. Can she really trust this guy…?
She shouldn’t have trusted him.
“Brother, please.” Dana clung to Rumie, closing her eyes. “Please, just let us make it safely…”
Never did she imagine they’d be climbing the castle walls! Right now, Dana was clinging to Rumie’s back, climbing up the castle wall!
“You want us to go in by climbing the wall?”
“Yeah. From what I know, the window over there leads right to Count Kurs’s bedroom.”
Dana was aghast and refused it. How could they climb the wall, of all things?!
“You said no bloodshed. This is the only way without hurting anyone.”
In the end, she agreed, but now, Dana was bitterly regretting it. She should’ve opted for violence, asked Viego to send the army, or just cut off Carl’s finger and stolen the holy relic!That would have been better than dying!
Looking up from below, the wall hadn’t seemed that high, so she thought maybe they could make it. But what a mistake.Looking down from here, it’s terrifying!It was dizzyingly high. The thought of falling and cracking her skull filled her with fear.Damn this fear of heights…It was her fatal weakness, ever since her days as Yeon Dana.
“I didn’t know you were scared of heights.”
“Please, can you just focus on climbing?”
“I thought you didn’t have any weaknesses. How cute.”
“Please, just shut up, Brother! If you talk, you might lose concentration!” Dana pleaded in a tone she hadn’t used since they fell out.
Rumie chuckled softly. “Ah, it feels nice. Your breath is tickling my ear.”
Stop joking! I feel like we’re going to fall!Dana gripped her legs tighter around his waist.Ugh, so hard…Rumie’s body felt like a solid mass of steel with not an ounce of softness. Every spot where their bodies touched was so firm it made her even more nervous. If he were at least a bit squishy or comforting, she might feel safer!
Yeah, let’s just keep my eyes closed.It was scarier to keep them open.Don’t look down. Just hold on to Rumie and wait for time to pass…
“Dana, gently,” Rumie whispered forcefully as he moved upward, his voice tinged with a sigh. “Got it? I’m a bit uncomfortable.”
“Your feet. Don’t press so hard.”
But Dana could no longer hear him. It was because she’d accidentally opened her eyes and saw how high they’d climbed. She even almost fainted.Damn this fear of heights. I really needed to fix it someday… How foolish, pathetic, and stupid!
How much time had passed like that?
“Dana, are you okay?”
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in Count Kur’s bedroom.
“…Thank you. You did well.”
“I didn’t know you were this afraid of heights, Dana.”
Well, when I was Yeon Dana, I almost died falling from a high place. But Dana swallowed those words. “Not really. It wasn’t that scary. I was just a little flustered, that’s all.”
Dana put on a bravado even a child wouldn’t believe, and staggered towards the bed.Is this Count Kurs?It was too dark to see well.
“Brother, do you have a lighter?”
“Yeah. Hold on.”
Rumie took out a lighter, lit a candle, and handed it to her. Dana took it and shone it on Count Kurs’s face.
She almost dropped the candle. It was because the man’s face was covered in black blotches!
He’s contaminated, for sure!It was certain. No doubt about it. These were exactly the symptoms of people contaminated by the rotten land!
“Oh dear. Looks like he’s been contaminated.” Rumie clicked his tongue.
Dana handed him the candle holder and pulled back the blanket. “Ah.”
Neck. Arms. Legs. Black spots covered his entire body. But…How is he still alive?