Chapter 44: The Dagger Was Gone

Even though he had thought the original story had already gone off the rails, Kebel suddenly remembered the agonizing fever he had suffered from during his manifestation.

The Duke had said that manifestation granted no special abilities. But what if that wasn’t true? What if an ability really had been bestowed upon him? Or perhaps it was a power that had never appeared in anyone else, a gift granted only once in a thousand years.

Was that why the Count had tried to kill both him and the Duke?

No. Something was still missing. Kebel was certain it had something to do with the confidential documents the Count coveted.

Just in case, Kebel placed his hand over Osh’s abdomen again.

Nothing happened.

A hollow laugh escaped him.

Still, at least the immediate danger had passed. If it hadn’t, the outcome would have been unimaginable.

As the tension drained from his body, exhaustion washed over him. His eyelids grew heavy, as though he had expended some enormous amount of strength.

He shouldn’t fall asleep, he thought.

That was Kebel’s last conscious thought before darkness claimed him.

****

Not long after Kebel drifted off, Osh woke up.

Perhaps because he had lost so much blood, his face was deathly pale.

The first thing he did was look over Kebel, checking him from head to toe in alarm. For a moment, fear gripped him. What if, while he had been unconscious under the curse’s influence, he had hurt Kebel?

Fortunately, Kebel was merely sleeping peacefully.

Relief softened Osh’s expression.

He carefully adjusted Kebel’s awkward sleeping position, laying him down properly before gazing at him for a long moment.

Curse.

Brainwashing.

Dark magic.

If only he could escape this endless cycle.

Recently, the Count’s power had grown stronger, gnawing away at his mind. Until now, he had managed to endure it, but the fact that he had nearly killed Kebel with his own hands filled him with dread.

“Dread, huh…”

A bitter smile twisted his lips.

Even he found the feeling hard to believe.

Yet he accepted it and gently brushed a hand across Kebel’s sleeping face.

Then he climbed through the window and headed for the Duke’s chambers.

There was only one person he could trust to protect Kebel.

Only one person who might believe him.

The Duke of Ilya.

No one else.

The wards protecting the ducal estate did not affect Osh.

In truth, most magic did not affect him at all.

He had been born that way.

Yet for some reason, the Count’s dark sorcery was different.

Having spent years imprisoned underground while the Count researched ancient magic and expanded his power, Osh had made up his mind.

If he ever broke free of this curse…

He would kill him.

The sound of the window opening caused the Duke to rise immediately.

Even the slightest disturbance could not escape his notice.

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Osh’s face before disappearing.

“It’s been a while, Your Grace.”

“Entering my bedchamber at this hour. Does that mean you’ve come to die, or-”

The Duke stopped mid-sentence.

Moonlight revealed Osh’s blood-soaked appearance.

Concern flashed across the Duke’s face before it vanished.

His expression hardened.

“There should have been barriers around the estate. How did you get in?”

“They don’t work on me.”

“What?”

The Duke immediately drew his sword and pressed its tip against Osh’s throat.

Osh remained completely calm.

He slowly raised both hands to show he carried no weapon and had no intention of attacking.

The Duke’s vigilance did not lessen.

The fact that Osh had entered his room unnoticed was already proof enough of how dangerous he was.

From the beginning, the Count’s obsessive protectiveness toward him had seemed suspicious.

That was why the Duke had kept Osh close to Kebel while secretly monitoring him.

Knowing the Count’s personality, there had to be a reason behind such treatment.

His instincts, it seemed, had been correct.

Still, considering everything that had happened between them, the Duke decided to hear him out.

“So. What is it?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor? You realize you’re being remarkably rude for someone asking one.”

The Duke’s killing intent thickened as he pressed the blade harder against Osh’s neck.

A thin line of blood appeared.

Yet Osh merely lowered his eyes.

His expression looked almost resigned, as if he would accept death if it came.

The Duke clicked his tongue.

“Tch. No matter how close you are to my son, I have no intention of letting you leave here alive.”

“That’s exactly why I came.”

“What?”

The Duke’s eyes sharpened.

Osh met his gaze directly.

Then a wave of pain struck him. Grabbing his abdomen, he broke into a cold sweat.

He had clearly lost a great deal of blood.

Under the moonlight, his face looked ghostly pale.

Seeing that, the Duke finally lowered his sword and sheathed it.

“You came all the way here in that condition. There must be a reason. Speak first. I’ll decide afterward.”

“I need your help.”

“Help? Do you understand what kind of relationship we have?”

“Yes. You’re the only person who can help me.”

There was a quiet desperation in Osh’s eyes.

The Duke had known him for years, yet this side of him felt unfamiliar.

Something in that expression weakened his resolve.

“Just now, I came from Young Master Kebel’s room.”

The Duke instantly drew his sword again and pointed it at Osh’s throat.

Seeing the Duke’s pale face, Osh shook his head slightly.

Only then did the Duke release a breath of relief.

“Speak. Tell me exactly what’s happening.”

The truth was that there was very little Osh could explain.

The curse placed upon him ensured that if he spoke the caster’s name, or revealed too much, blood would pour from every opening in his body until he died.

Once, he would not have cared.

Life had meant nothing to him.

Now it did.

“He wasn’t hurt. And I have no intention of hurting him.”

“If he had been, I would not have allowed you a peaceful death.”

“I can’t guarantee how long I’ll remain myself. Before that happens, I’ll do everything I can to help. So please…”

Osh lowered his head.

“Separate me from the Count.”

The Duke’s eyes wavered.

Trust him?

Or not?

After a long moment, he made his decision.

Osh would not have invoked Kebel’s name if he were lying.

The Duke finally lowered his sword and gestured for him to sit.

Osh obeyed.

And as the night deepened, the two of them talked.

****

The next morning, sunlight stabbed through Kebel’s eyelids.

He woke feeling sore all over, as though he had spent the entire night training.

Stretching, he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

Then the memories of the previous night came rushing back.

He immediately looked around.

The blankets were spotless.

There was no sign of Osh.

Everything was so clean that it seemed as though it had all been a dream.

The window was firmly shut as well.

Not a trace remained.

“…Was it a dream?”

The memory had felt far too vivid.

Staring blankly ahead, Kebel replayed everything in his mind.

Just remembering Osh stabbing himself made his stomach churn.

He never wanted to witness something like that again.

Even now, he could almost feel it on his hands.

Trying to steady his trembling fingers, he took several deep breaths.

‘It’s a dream.’

‘Just a dream.’

He repeated the words to himself.

Then something occurred to him.

He reached beneath his pillow.

The dagger was gone.

“…So it wasn’t a dream after all.”

His head spun.

If it wasn’t a dream, then everything had really happened.

It was horrifying.

His own fate.

Osh’s fate.

And the Osh who had tried to attack him the night before had not been the Osh he knew.

He had felt like someone else entirely.

As though another person had been controlling him.

‘Who?’

The answer that immediately came to mind was Count Sulleban.

In the original story, Osh had supposedly been brainwashed.

But what Kebel had witnessed went far beyond brainwashing.

It was something else.

Something much worse.

A groan escaped him.

Running both hands through his hair, he rang the bell beside his bed.

A short while later, Bill entered.

Trying to sound casual, Kebel asked whether anything unusual had happened during the night.

Fortunately, Bill seemed completely unaware of anything.

So Osh had gotten away safely.

Relief washed over Kebel.

After dismissing Bill, he stood and surveyed the room.

No bloodstains.

No evidence.

Nothing.

There was no way Osh had cleaned everything himself.

Someone had helped him.

Who?

Kebel decided he would start by suspecting those closest to him.

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