It was only after returning to the castle that Aphra's excitement seemed to calm down.
Before Aphra returned to his room, Rosenta quickly called him over.
"Aphra."
"Yes?"
"Why are you not surprised? And how did you know about the skeletons?”
Rosenta had never used the word skeleton, but Aphra accurately used the word.
**I assume that “skeleton” refers to the name of the spell, not the actual skeletons, that’s why Rosenta’s asking
That wasn't all. Aphra responded as though he were watching something he already knew about.
"Oh...…. It's obvious, isn't it?”
Rather, Aphra tilted his head as if Rosenta’s question was surprising.
"There are quite a few ancient relics buried in Silva. Perhaps that's why there are records of each family's ability, and I read them when I was young."
“……That's what it was.”
The question was finally solved.
The caves they saw then, the paintings and skeletons engraved there. Silva seemed to have quite a lot buried there.
Of course, the Cardia family, who had established themselves in those places, might have been aware of this ability.
"Then, can I go now? I can't wait to go back and think about the armor and other details!"
He looked like a puppy anxious to run away.
When Rosenta nodded, Aphra started running to the room where he was staying.
Rosenta also turned around.
He started going up the stairs after passing through the hall. But there was no sound of anyone following after him.
He stopped and looked back down the stairs.
"What are you doing there?"
He could see Enoch, motionless like a scarecrow, standing in the hall under the stairs staring at him.
It didn’t look like he was dissatisfied or demanding anything.
It was more like Enoch was holding a silent protest.
He called Enoch.
"Enoch, come here."
At his call, Enoch began coming toward him step by step.
Rosenta grabbed the stair railing and waited for Enoch to come before him.
When he got to a height where he could make eye contact with him, Enoch stopped walking.
Then he told him,
"Now that he's gone, I've been waiting to see if you would do something for me."
Rosenta immediately understood what Enoch meant by waiting.
This only made him more confused.
"Why the hell do you want that? Curses become toxic the more they accumulate in your body."
At that, Enoch's eyes briefly looked down.
It was only for a moment. Again, the light green gaze slowly came up and reached him. It was a very dark gaze.
"I think I could drink a bottle of poison if you gave it to me."
"Why would you...….”
Rosenta couldn't get the words out.
Enoch placed his hand over Rosenta’s on the railing.
His was a bigger hand than Rosenta’s, so Rosenta’s hand entered Enoch's grasp immediately.
It was a strange feeling.
He couldn’t even think of what to say. He just looked down at his hand, which was tightly held in Enoch’s.
“He said he caused me pain because he was interested in me. And this was the first thing I received from the duke."
Rosenta couldn't control his facial expression.
"What do you mean...… Who said that?”
"That's what the wizard, who was my teacher, always said before he tortured me. So, I could enjoy the pain with a smile.”
Enoch smiled so beautifully that it seemed like he was going to melt, but Rosenta couldn’t smile.
"Are you saying that to garner my sympathy again?"
"No."
Enoch answered immediately, plainly, as if it was the truth.
He looked at Rosenta blankly. Like he didn’t understand what he meant.
"It's not to provoke, it's to beg. Please pay attention to me."
‘Does that mean that attention is proportional to the pain he suffers?’
Since Enoch was a child, there must have been a lot of people around him trying to make him suffer, and Enoch had taken it for granted.
‘All he has received in his life is pain caused by others and the name I gave him.’
"I...….”
Rosenta wasn't crying.
However, thinking about the countless pains and distorted words this person in front of him must have experienced in real life, not in writing, made him feel depressed.
"I will not cause you pain. I'm not interested in that. That's…… It's nothing more or less than bullying."
Rosenta pulled out his hand, which had been under Enoch's.
Then, he loosened the black tie he was wearing around his neck and took it off.
The pitch-black cloth was now untied.
"Enoch. This is the leash you want, the leash I give you."
Rosenta lowered his upper body and wrapped the cloth around Enoch's neck.
***
One night later, it was the day they’d leave with Marquis Marigold.
But Rosenta still hadn’t told Anna anything.
He was going to tell her at first, but he missed the right time.
Anna didn't say much either. She only worked hard as usual.
"My lord, I've changed all the flowers in the pot. Don't you think it's a little more atmospheric?"
There seemed to be excessive enthusiasm. So, it felt like she was watching him.
He stared at the flowers that she had changed. No matter how much he looked at it, it didn't seem much different from before.
But he praised Anna for her hard work.
"It certainly seems a lot better."
"As expected, right?”
Anna clapped her hands and rejoiced. Then she wandered around his bedroom to see if there was anything else to do.
His mind became turbulent as she kept walking around the room.
But he couldn't chase around Anna, who was trying hard to clean.
He stood himself up from the table.
"Duke? Where are you going?"
For some reason, Anna turned in his direction, as if she were trying to follow him.
His eyes slowly narrowed due to the more than unusual behavior.
Then Anna scrambled to straighten her body and wiped the table for no reason.
"I'll be in the office, so call me when you're done cleaning."
"Yes, sir."
He couldn't believe it, but first he opened the door and went out to the hallway.
"She’s strange these days.”
He’d known her since she was a trainee maid, but she seemed anxious these days.
"What's going on?"
He was worried, but not too much. He thought Anna would tell him one day.
He didn't think much deeper.
And he headed toward the office.
In the meantime, he was greeted by the guards who ran into him and looked out the window for no reason.
It was the first time in a while that he was relaxed.
"Why is there...….”
Then he saw Enoch.
Enoch was looking up at the sky while at the railing of the vast veranda, connected to the corridor.
‘I thought he wasn’t going to show up today. What is he doing over there?’
Curiosity arose and the worry was short-lived.
He changed his destination right away. He walked to the veranda where Enoch was.
Then, a veranda with a clear sky, drenched in direct sunlight, welcomed him.
"Enoch."
Even though he called, Enoch looked only at the sky as if he hadn't noticed him.
He looked up to see what he was looking at.
But all he could see was a few crows tormenting a pigeon.
He didn't see anything special.
So, he quickly took his eyes off the sky and approached Enoch's from behind.
"Enoch."
Only then did Enoch turn.
"How can I...….”
Enoch blinked. An oddly colored left eye quickly turned light green.
Then, he kept blinking and pressed his brow as if he was tired.
It seemed like he was looking at that sky through the eyes of a crow.
"What were you looking at?"
He assumed that Enoch hadn’t used magic to control familiars, reducing his stamina, for no reason.
There must be a reason.
"I observed pigeons because I saw them so often if bothered me...….”
While talking, Enoch looked up at the sky again.
Then, a crow darted down at Enoch biting the pigeon's leg.
"It's a carrier pigeon.”
The pigeon cried loudly, but Enoch was relentless.
He immediately removed the white note hanging from the pigeon and pushed the pigeon off the railing.
The pigeon flapped its wings and gradually moved away from the castle.
"And this is...….”
He looked at Rosenta with affectionate eyes, to the point where Rosenta could not believe he was the same person who had just acted so ruthlessly.
There was a warm breeze.
It passed by, messing with Enoch’s jet-black hair. The end of the choker-like tie, which hung around his neck, fluttered in the wind.
"I'll give it to the duke."
One hand held out a note to him, and the other stretched out to him as if to touch his cheek.
But he didn't touch his cheek. He just brushed off the hair that was attached to his cheek.
Enoch's touch was very clumsy, like a person who didn't know what to do.
But he could see how careful he was.
“……Thank you.”
He didn't know if he was thanking him for removing the navy hair attached to his cheek or for discovering a carrier pigeon.
It was just an atmosphere where he felt like he had to say thanks.
"Anything for you, duke.”
Enoch fiddled with the end of the cloth hanging from his neck and put his lips slightly to the end.
But his eyes were still on Rosenta.
"I hope that you won't change your mind in the future."
Rosenta tried to speak as casually as possible, but he was very agitated inside.
He suddenly looked away.
Then took the note in Enoch's hand, almost as if he were robbing him.
He hurriedly opened the note.
Anna. I tried to enter the attic where your father’s belongings were kept, but the key didn’t fit.
Did you change the key on your own?
I'm trying to get something out of the attic right now, but it's frustrating because it won’t open.
I'm not waiting for your reply.
P.S. How is the duke doing these days? Please let me know about him as well.
It was a letter from Emma.
It was a conversation between an ordinary grandmother and granddaughter. But the opponent was Emma.
Unlike Emma, who was cold to her granddaughter, it seemed that she exchanged this kind of correspondence with her often.
Had time changed Emma, too?
“Has it been a letter to Anna every time?”
"Yes, every time."
But Rosenta was worried. What should he do with Anna in the future?
He didn’t know if Emma would keep sending these letters as she got older, but he felt uncomfortable associating with her.
Even though his father had passed away, he thought of him every time he heard the name Emma.
"I'm not happy."
‘First of all, I have no choice but to follow my gut.’
He decided to keep his affairs a secret from Anna for a while.
No matter how long he’d known Anna, she was ultimately still Emma’s granddaughter.
And now that a conclusion had been reached, it was time to settle things.
He handed the note to Enoch.
"Enoch, disguise the raven as a dove and send this letter to Anna."