A desolate and gloomy night. (169)
Rosenta made his way through the pitch-black darkness. He pressed his hood down so low that no one could recognize him.
He acted covertly, like a spy on a secret mission.
When he reached his destination, he stopped walking. Enoch, who naturally followed behind, also stood side by his side.
The sight he saw was very insidious and quiet.
Old achromatic gravestones that showed traces of time. A fence built around a vast lot.
It was an old graveyard.
It was also a burial site on the outskirts that people couldn’t easily reach.
"Enoch, watch the perimeter.”
"Yes."
Enoch turned his back to Rosenta.
He then stood guard at the entrance of the tomb.
Rosenta walked into the middle of the mausoleum, with his back to Enoch.
There was only one reason to come to such a gloomy place that ordinary people would not normally visit.
Now that he had started removing the magical control devices, it was time to find out the limit of his powers.
"Skeleton."
At first, there was no sound.
But slowly a small sound gradually came from the ground.
Soon the ground began to rise up slowly. There was a very grotesque sound of coffins shaking in the ground.
Bang
"Ah. This time...….”
‘Last time, I only moved one skeleton, but I was bleeding. But not this time.’
There was no blood coming out of Rosenta’s mouth.
In addition, this confirmed that his ability was widely applied.
Of course, if he did more than this, his body might suffer.
Above all, disposing of the bones that came forth was an issue.
"Go back."
The sound of coffins being pounded violently in the ground stopped little by little.
He felt a familiar presence approaching from his right.
Unconcerned, he put his finger on the forehead of the approaching intruder and spat out the words, "Stop."
Enoch stiffened like a scarecrow and made no further movement.
Instead, as if he didn't like it, wrinkles could be seen between his eyebrows.
"Now it seems that you have no difficulty using your capabilities consecutively."
"As you can see."
Rosenta smiled crookedly and shrugged his shoulders.
Then he turned away without releasing Enoch's curse.
"Let's go back."
"Are you not going to release me?"”
He stared at Enoch's question and asked, "Can’t this kind of curse be easily broken with magic?”
It was obviously possible for Enoch.
But at Rosenta’s reply, the corners of Enoch's red lips rose.
"I can break it, but...…. The recoil would harm you, Duke.”
As Enoch said, curses were not omnipotent. Huge amounts of power come at a price.
If a curse is broken, it harms the caster as a reaction.
So Rosenta was puzzled.
Because Enoch’s words made it sound as if he really didn't want him to get hurt.
"I don't want to break it myself."
***
It was Rosenta’s plan to exit the duchy as quietly as possible, so as to evade notice.
However, Theodore and Vivian had to be informed in advance.
It was obvious that they would go all over, looking for him.
The day before leaving for Silva, he simply sent a letter. Then he spent his time leisurely.
He read comfortably on the sofa in the sunlight.
As there were no eyes to see, Enoch was standing by the window, not by his side, staring out blankly.
"Duke."
At Enoch's sudden call, Rosenta took his eyes off his book and looked at him.
Suspiciously, Enoch's eyes were bent to the fullest.
He pointed out the window.
"You have a visitor."
***
Rosenta’s bedroom had turned into a place where silence and liveliness intersected.
Of course, it was Vivian who was the source of liveliness. Vivian brought up the subject at hand, as usual.
"Rosen, how many days are you going?”
"Well, I may return soon, or I may return later."
"What? Then it could even take a month?"
Vivian groaned like a puppy watching its owner leave for work.
It was cute and pitiful, so Rosenta stroked her hair out of habit.
Vivian also naturally entrusted her hair to me.
"No way."
"Shall I come with you?”
He shook his head.
It could end up being a tough journey, incomparable to the trip to Terrian.
Vivian couldn't bear it.
"I just want to see the place where my mother lived."
Rosenta refused with plausible pretense.
"I want to arrive quietly so that no one knows. Quietly and alone."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Vivian kept checking.
He had a guilty conscience, but he nodded shamelessly.
There was no way he could use the word ‘curse’ without any grounds or evidence.
It would be difficult to make people quickly understand by simply telling them to believe him. He wasn't confident enough to give a lengthy explanation either.
Anyway, as long as the materials were obtained, everything would be solved.
"If that's the case…… All right."
Vivian answered as though she understood what he meant, but her lips pouted.
But Theodore was still silent. Since he’d arrive there, he hadn’t changed his expression.
He stared at Rosenta with deep wrinkles between his brows.
"Are you going all the way to Silva alone?"
"I won’t be alone."
In preparation for potential emergencies, he was going to bring a coachman with combat abilities, just in case.
"I see."
The shadow cast on Theodore's face grew darker.
Along with that, his voice was getting lower and lower, as if to further express his feelings.
"I'm asking just in case.”
The temperature dropped quickly.
Even Vivian, who had been lively, kept her mouth shut and waited for Theodore to continue.
Theodore slowly opened his mouth, hesitating.
"Is it because of me?"
Although he hesitated a little, Theodore continued to speak without interruption.
"While I say that, I’m not such a great man for you to throw away your time and leave for Silva."
Theodore knew Rosenta very well. They’d known each other for nine years, after all.
Therefore, there was nothing particular to refute. There was no use denying it.
"Rosenta."
Theodore drove in the final nail. As if he wouldn't give Rosenta any room to escape.
"You must have figured something out."
They were both stubborn.
Now that Rosenta had decided to solve it alone, he closed his mouth tightly and Theodore stared at him firmly.
Eventually, Vivian, who was stuck between the two, exploded.
"What the hell are you talking about?! I'd like to know, too.”
"I..."
Theodore answered her question but looked only at Rosenta with his eyes.
"I asked Rosenta to help me. I told him I couldn't control myself after the saint arrived."
"What? Rosen, what does His Majesty mean?"
Turning his eyes, he looked at Vivian and smiled brightly as usual.
He spoke lightly as if it were really nothing, as if he were talking about daily life.
"His Majesty seems to have become very emotional recently."
"What?"
He opened his mouth again playfully.
"I'm just going this time because I've been invited by the Duke of Cardia. I didn't expect you to think this deeply about it."
"Were you really invited?"
Rosenta turned his head again at the question.
Although Vivian asked, she looked at Theodore on purpose.
He answered.
"The Duke of Cardia knew my mother. Thanks to that, I was invited."
Like a chameleon, Theodore's expression continued to change.
He looked at Rosenta as if he were unsure, but maintained a lot of strength in his eyes as if he were suspicious.
There was obvious doubt.
Given Theodore's personality, his doubts wouldn’t easily be dismissed.
However, Rosenta was leaving for Silva tomorrow, and he was too tired to continue to argue.
"I would like us to part amicably before I leave tomorrow….”
Rosenta tried to smooth over the situation as best as he could.
‘It would be nice if Enoch intervened at a time like this. Why is it so usually quiet?”
Fortunately, Vivian was with them.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Relax your eyes. You’ll get wrinkles."
"Ha. Your timing...…!”
"If it’s Rosen, then it must be true. Your Majesty also has mild trust issues."
Theodore burst out laughing.
Whether or not Vivian intended it, the atmosphere became relaxed at once.
Finally, Enoch, who was waiting outside the door, called Rosenta.
Knock, knock.
"Duke."
"Come in."
Enoch, who entered the bedroom, first bowed to Theodore. Then he greeted everyone in the proper order.
After completing a series of greetings, he bowed to Rosenta and whispered.
It was like he was sharing a secret with one hand blocking his mouth.
"Was yesterday helpful?”
It was an exaggerated action, nothing special. Unsurprisingly, a faint smile came to Rosenta’s lips.
He responded eagerly to Enoch's words.
He rose in a hurry and told Theodore and Vivian that something had come up.
"I should leave first. Since I’m leaving for Silva, I will not forget to buy you presents."
He turned quickly without even hearing an answer and walked out of the bedroom.
Vivian's urgent cry came through the closing door.
"Rosen! Be careful!”
But unlike Vivian, Theodore didn't say a word in the end.
Only sharp golden eyes directed at Enoch.
"I’ll escort you now…….”
"Wait a minute."
Rosenta stopped Enoch, who was about to take the lead, and called Anna, who was waiting nearby to clean up.
"Anna."
"Yes? Did you call me?"
Since the owner of the castle left first, someone else had to see them off safely.
She was troubled.
There was nothing to say about Anna and Enoch, who was also doing his part more sincerely than he had expected.
However, the issue was that, if Theodore and Enoch were put together, no one could know just what kind of disturbance could occur.
But the worry was short-lived.
Without hesitation, he gave Anna a command that might be absurd.
"Anna, take a few steps back. And standing facing the brown brick."
"Eh, like this?”
"Yes. Stay where you are."
She seemed embarrassed, but Anna followed his instructions well.
He called Enoch, only after he saw Anna face the wall from afar.
"Enoch, you will not forget that you are a butler here, will you?”
"Of course."
While raising one corner of his mouth slightly as if wondering, Enoch answered faithfully.
"Then you must carry out what you are told to do well. Like a butler.”
Anna had other things to do to help prepare for the trip.
Therefore, there was only one person to send off at the moment.
He was not a reliable servant, but Rosenta thought he knew a little about how to hold his leash, now.
"If you're obedient, I'll take you with me."
Enoch only blinked at his repeated words. He didn't respond.
Rosenta said it again.
"I mean I'll take you to Silva. So that you can watch me by my side."
He was hiding the fact that he was originally going to take Enoch.
It was presented as if this was a special reward for him, who had done his work well.
Enoch snapped at the bait.
He even interpreted Rosenta’s words to suit his own preferences.
"To stay with the duke at all times. I love it."