Chapter 148: Birth and Resurrection
Halo returned to the capital earlier than planned. She had received a request from Grand Duke Lopetrefer for a “meeting.”
Grand Duke Lopetrefer, after reviewing Halo’s report card and confirming her significant improvement in magic skills, said with a satisfied expression,
‘I would like you to become Michaela’s personal attendant after you graduate.’
Michaela was the infant who had been chosen as the next head of the Lopetrefer family. Of course, his offer wasn’t just to be an “attendant.” He wanted her to be Michaela’s tutor and a close confidante, a mage under the Lopetrefer family.
It wasn’t a bad offer. The Lopetrefer grand duke family was one of the three most prestigious families in Atlantis, and with such a powerful backing, it would be easy for Airan and her uncle to move to the capital.
Halo thought of her uncle, his face pale and weak, his life fading away day by day.
‘I have to graduate quickly. I have to graduate, be recognized as a citizen of the capital, and bring Airan and Uncle here.’
She was walking towards the academy dormitory, her face buried in her scarf, when…
“You’re the special recruit, Soran Halo, right?”
She ran into Shina Fritz near the Graduation Building.
Fritz greeted her cheerfully, while Halo, frozen at the sight of his sculpted face, could only stare at him blankly.
“I remember you. You defeated Enzhe at the Imperial Family Observation Ceremony. You beat me and took first place in the winter evaluation. And you sang at the Imperial Ball, thanks to Julia’s recommendation.”
“…I’m honored that you remember me.”
It was the first time he had spoken to her in a year. But Halo couldn’t bring herself to be happy, she tried to hide her unease.
Enzhe Lopetrefer, Shina Fritz, Woo Acrea.
Whenever she saw those names, a certain face would always come to mind.
‘Please don’t get involved with them.’
The red-haired girl’s pleading eyes.
Why would a young lady from the capital plead with someone like her? She had been curious then, and she was still curious now, but it was a question she would probably never get an answer to.
Anyway, Halo had to repay her debt. And if ignoring the children of the three grand dukes was all it took, it was a small price to pay.
She had to get out of here.
Halo turned to leave.
“Then I’ll be…”
“Wait, Soran Halo.”
Fritz suddenly grabbed her arm.
“Let’s have a magic duel.”
“What?”
Halo’s jaw dropped at his sudden, absurd proposal.
“I want to see the magic that defeated Enzhe.”
“Ah…”
Halo took a step back. A magic duel with the eldest son of the Fritz family.
‘It would be interesting.’
But the image of the red-haired girl, her hair braided, her face pale and miserable, wouldn’t leave her mind.
And she had already broken her promise to Sue once, by humiliating Enzhe.
‘She couldn’t do that again.’
Halo buried her face in her scarf and mumbled,
“I’m sorry, I have a prior engagement.”
“…Really?”
Fritz raised his eyebrows, disappointed. Halo was momentarily afraid that he would do something to her.
“Then it’s fine. I’ll ask you again later.”
But Fritz didn’t push it and gave up easily.
“Actually, I didn’t really mean it.”
And then, he left, muttering something she hadn’t asked about.
“…Was he always like that?”
Halo just stared at his footprints in the snow.
***
Woo Acrea Ire was in his bedroom, carefully examining the report he had just received.
“….”
The tea that had been served alongside the report had long gone cold, untouched. It was unusual for him, as he always finished the snacks the maids brought him, even when he was busy.
A familiar object was placed next to the teapot, a tarnished silver raven pendant. Acrea, after staring at the report for a long time, picked up the pendant and let it dangle from his hand.
A worthless metal pendant sold at the Holy Demon Religion chapel.
But the pendant Woo Acrea was holding was different.
He stared at the sharp eyes of the crudely carved raven.
‘There’s still magic power left in it.’
An “indecipherable magic formula” was engraved on this pendant. He couldn’t be sure, but Acrea vaguely guessed that the magic contained in the pendant was related to anti-magic or curse breaking.
After all, this pendant had protected him from the high priest’s brainwashing magic.
No one else in the Holy Demon Religion chapel seemed to have noticed, but the high priest had activated his brainwashing magic on Acrea every chance he got. And each time, the anti-magic formula in this pendant had activated.
Acrea had realized that the high priest was using illegal magic by the way the magic power drained from the pendant.
The nobles in the capital had quickly tried to cover up the Holy Demon Religion incident after the high priest disappeared. Reeves couldn’t disobey the orders from the Imperial Family, and besides, his interests lay elsewhere, so Woo Acrea was the only one who was still concerned about the Holy Demon Religion.
No, even Acrea wasn’t really concerned about the Holy Demon Religion itself, he was just trying to find out the origin of the pendant.
Normally, he would have forgotten about it quickly. It wasn’t “worth” his time.
But for some reason, Woo Acrea was bothered by the source of the magic power contained in this pendant.
‘Here, take it. I have another one.’
He was bothered by the red-haired girl who had casually handed him the pendant, her face nonchalant.
Logically, he couldn’t believe that she had known the truth about the pendant. Then where and how had she gotten it?
‘My aunt gave it to me. It seems like there was a follower of the Holy Demon Religion in Patroclus, where my aunt lives. She said she received it from that follower.’
“Elizabeth Perlman…”
Acrea mumbled a name he had never spoken aloud before. It was the same name written in the report.
According to the report, Elizabeth was a woman with weak magic power and skill. Her husband, Professor Perlman, was even less remarkable.
Then was the “follower” who had given the pendant to Elizabeth the source of the magic contained in the pendant?
He was curious. Should he ask Sue Byron for more details?
‘Is this Grand Duke Reeves’s order?’
“…!”
But Acrea stopped thinking. That’s how it had become. He slowly lowered his head, his hand holding the pendant also falling limply. He wasn’t even aware of it.
‘Master Acrea, I’m sorry, but the Byron family has already pledged their eternal loyalty to the Lopetrefer family. I won’t betray Lady Enzhe. Ever.’
Her cold voice, her cold eyes, her shameless words.
He would occasionally think about that day. And whenever he did, he would want to forget it. He didn’t want to think about the reason.
‘Things have turned out like this, Woo, so don’t pay any more attention to Enzhe. And…’
Had Reeves ever mentioned Sue Byron’s name back then? Had he ordered him to tell her to “stop doing those things”?
‘…I…’
Woo Acrea had always lived his life carefully calculating every step. The past, the present, the future. He had only ever done what was beneficial to Reeves, under his strict orders.
His mind was filled with countless thoughts. But if he connected those thoughts into a single line, the same person always appeared at the point where the lines intersected.
He knew who that person was.
Something was wrong. There was an error in Woo Acrea.
***
Sue, bundled up in a coat, was with Noel at Libra Lake.
She was warming herself by the small fire Noel had created with his magic, the snowflakes falling softly around them.
“I wish I could use at least this much magic.”
Her wistful words, mixed with her breath, dissipated into the air.
“Didn’t the Byron family enter the capital because they were recognized for their dark magic?”
“Yes, but it was already on the verge of extinction because the bloodline had weakened. We managed to deceive our way in.”
“…So that’s why the Byrons are so weak.”
Noel was a little taken aback by her self-deprecating confession, despite her casual tone. So the infamous rumors about the Byron family were true.
Sue had started to open up to Noel about her family after the incident in the library. The stories she told him were all dark, petty, and sinister.
Sometimes, when the stories went too far, Noel would wonder, ‘Are we even living in the same world?’ But he was glad that she was confiding in him.
“Lady Enzhe… every day… every single day, she…”
“?”
“…Never mind, I’m sorry for talking about depressing things. I must be losing my mind.”
Sue quickly changed her expression. She had almost revealed something about the curse in her rambling. She pulled herself together, not wanting Noel to see her panic.
She blinked rapidly, tasting the cold air.
“I should stop complaining to you. Let’s just talk about happy things, Noel.”
“…Okay.”
Noel smiled and patted her head. But he couldn’t help but be concerned about what she had been about to say.
He always listened, but he never asked. He protected Sue Byron, he considered her feelings, he atoned. It was a rule he had made for himself.
Noel será apenas um amigo ou um possível interesse romântico?