Chapter 105

“Black magic, you said?”

 

Caldeon asked as he was pulled along by Enria.

 

His eyes were fixed on her small hand gripping his.

 

“Yes. That’s what it looked like to me.”

 

Enria continued, explaining she’d clearly seen a faint but undeniable black smoke spreading around Belona, who was sitting on the bed.

 

“Well, once you see it, we’ll know for sure…”

 

Then it happened.

 

As Caldeon stared at Enria’s hand holding his, his thumb brushed softly over the back of her thumb. Enria’s shoulders flinched at the unexpected touch.

 

When she turned to him in surprise, he let out an awkward little laugh.

 

“It feels like this is the first time you’ve held my hand like this.”

 

That made Enria recall how she had burst into his office, grabbed his hand, and dragged him out while rattling off the situation as fast as she could.

 

She immediately let go and stammered, “S-sorry. I was in a hurry—”

 

But he caught her hand again.

 

This time, he held it firmly.

 

Looking down at their joined hands, Enria realized just how small her hand was compared to his.

 

Everything about Caldeon felt big—his height, his build, his hands…

 

‘Compared to that, his face is abnormally small, which only makes his already handsome face look even more handsome.’

 

Her gaze drifted up to his face. The moment their eyes met, Caldeon’s lips curled into a soft smile.

 

“Sorry? I’m honored.”

 

He even joked about making this the Grand Ducal Castle’s new holiday—the day Enria finally held his hand.

 

But as soon as they stepped into the infirmary, that softened expression vanished.

 

He instantly switched back to his usual cold, unreadable face.

 

‘Ah. His original face.’

 

That hard, sharp expression—like not even a needle tip could slip through, like nothing could wound him.

 

Exactly the expression she remembered imagining when she’d first read the original novel.

 

The fact that such a man could still melt so easily in front of her filled her with a quiet happiness.

 

Not quiet, actually—she felt like no one in the world could be happier than she was in that moment.

 

“Groen!”

 

The second the door opened, Belona’s voice rang out toward Enria.

 

Her face had been sharp, locked in a silent standoff with Roseanne, but brightened the instant she saw Enria.

 

Caldeon frowned and looked at Enria.

 

“You should stay outside.”

 

“Why?”

 

Enria blinked in surprise.

 

He explained that if Belona lost control, he wouldn’t be able to protect Enria from light-attribute magic.

 

But from Enria’s point of view, leaving Caldeon alone in a sealed room with Belona and Roseanne was far more unsettling.

 

So she rose on her toes, leaned to his ear, and whispered,

 

“I’ll stay. As long as she keeps mistaking me for Groen, she won’t hurt me. Don’t worry.”

 

“But still—”

 

“Groen, since when did you become close with Duke Jupiter?”

 

Belona, watching them whisper, cut in stiffly.

 

Caldeon ignored her. He created black mana and shot it toward the dark smoke around Belona.

 

But Belona’s natural light magic blocked it completely.

 

“Tch.”

 

His black mana was trapped and immobilized.

 

“Why are you suddenly attacking me?”

 

Belona’s eyes sharpened.

 

“I’m not attacking you, Miss Belona.”

 

“Groen, why do you keep hanging around weird people lately? And acting unlike—”

 

“It is black magic,” Caldeon cut in, looking at Enria, “but I don’t think a black mage came here.”

 

“Then what?”

 

“It’s mixed with light magic. My power can’t neutralize it when it’s wrapped like that.”

 

It was as if Belona’s own light magic was shielding the black magic inside her.

 

Enria stared at the faint smoke drifting around Belona’s bed.

 

“Groen, come here.”

 

Belona still didn’t move from the bed, calling Enria over.

 

‘So Belona used black magic herself? But how…?’

 

As if reading her thought, Roseanne spoke.

 

She explained that Belona’s refusal to accept Groen’s death had led her subconscious to use the black magic trapped inside her body—to convince herself he was still alive.

 

Enria’s chest tightened.

 

She couldn’t fully understand that kind of grief, but she knew it had to be unbearable.

 

If Caldeon died—no. She couldn’t think about it.

 

But she understood enough to know Belona must have loved Groen just as desperately.

 

“Groen.”

 

Belona called again, anxious.

 

Caldeon quickly pulled Enria into his arms and told Roseanne,

 

“Lady Kaznaren, I need to bring Hayden. Guard this place for a bit.”

 

“Hayden?”

 

“Hayden?”

 

Both Roseanne and Enria looked at him.

 

“If anyone can approach through both light and black magic, it’s Hayden. He’ll be able to break through naturally.”

 

Roseanne frowned.

 

“But last time, when the black mage kidnapped them, Hayden couldn’t escape Belona’s prison.”

 

Enria echoed her concern.

 

Caldeon leaned down, whispering closely against Enria’s ear,

 

“That was because he had his reasons not to.”

 

He added quietly that Hayden saw and understood far more than anyone realized—including his nature as part of a god. Roseanne didn’t know that, so he kept his voice low.

 

“Do you really think Hayden can remove it?”

 

Roseanne asked.

 

Caldeon nodded once.

 

“He probably can.”

 

“Then why take Enria with you?”

 

Roseanne asked, frowning as Caldeon wrapped an arm around Enria’s shoulders.

 

“Because my woman naturally comes with me.”

 

“That’s not an answer. You don’t need Enria to fetch Hayden.”

 

Caldeon gave her a look that clearly said You really don’t get it? and opened the door.

 

“What if that light-attribute kidnapper knocks her out again while I’m gone?”

 

And with that, he walked out with Enria.

 

Roseanne stared after them, speechless, before turning to Belona.

 

While they were gone, she discovered that Belona absolutely refused to leave the bed—as if she believed stepping off it would ruin the illusion.

 

The thought that Belona was so deeply wounded that she’d rather live inside a delusion stirred a reluctant pity in Roseanne’s chest.

 

“Miss Belona,”

 

Roseanne called.

 

Belona glared warily.

 

“I can’t fully understand why you’re trapping yourself like this, but I think… I understand a little.”

 

“…”

 

“But this isn’t the answer. If Groen could see you mistaking someone else for him—he’d be heartbroken.”

 

“…!”

 

“So for Groen’s sake—”

 

Suddenly, Belona’s beam of light shot toward Roseanne.

 

Roseanne deflected it and moved into a defensive stance.

 

Belona screamed, face twisted, “What do you know?! Don’t pretend you understand anything!”

 

Black smoke seeped around her again.

 

Roseanne exhaled heavily.

 

“I said I don’t know. And I’m not lecturing you.”

 

“Groen is alive! He is!”

 

“Groen would be sad. He’d hate seeing you cling to someone else and acting like he’s him. If I were Groen, I would.”

 

“…!”

 

“Think clearly. Would he really want this?”

 

Belona’s face crumpled.

 

Tears exploded from her eyes.

 

She covered her face with both hands and began to sob.

 

“You don’t know anything, you don’t… you don’t know how much I…”

 

“I don’t. But I do know this—your actions would hurt Groen.”

 

“H-hic…”

 

“Let go now, Miss Belona. Your lover isn’t here anymore.”

 

“Huaaaah!”

 

Belona collapsed, breaking into a grief-stricken wail.

 

Roseanne’s eyes glistened as she watched her fall apart.