CHAPTER 107
When they joined forces to target Lewis, it was Madden who had discovered something in the head of the Magic Department’s lab.
Peter Kendrick.
Seeing that name made Madden recall a long-forgotten fact.
The story of the Duke of Croft’s second daughter eloping with a commoner magician.
It was a story that had been buried over time due to the Duke of Croft’s hush money, causing the nobles to keep silent about it.
Madden had entered the palace after that incident, so he had never seen them in person.
"To think that the Marquis’s commoner father was a court magician."
When Madden relayed the story he had forgotten to Philip, Philip was equally surprised.
There were three vials of blood, each preserved with magic. One belonged to the former head court magician, and another to Lewis’s biological father.
It was unclear why these were kept in the court magician's lab.
However, since they decided to target Lewis, Madden thought it wouldn’t hurt to use the blood for a curse.
After drawing the curse's magic circle on the floor, he sprinkled the blood and placed an empty gemstone on it, infusing it with magical power.
The magical stone was thus completed.
Using those ingredients, Madden could obscure Lewis’s tracking.
Although Selina discovered them by chance, rendering them useless.
Nonetheless, there was still a bit of the blood left.
"As long as we use that blood, we can evade the Tower Master's tracking. Therefore, we will always have an opportunity, Your Highness."
"I trust you, Count."
For the time being, Madden appeased Philip and moved on.
* * *
Lewis's story was astonishing.
"If you extract blood and store it separately, you can use it even after a long time. Of course, you have to apply the preservation magic properly."
"So, you’re saying they might have used the blood?"
How did they use the blood?
We briefly discussed the matter at the Magic Tower and decided to talk about it in detail later with Michael.
So, tonight.
Lewis, Michael, and I gathered at the Duke’s residence.
"How is that even possible?"
Michael was taken aback by our speculation.
Who wouldn’t be surprised to hear this?
"It's just a guess. It’s not certain."
Lewis said with his arms crossed.
However, once this suspicion took root, Lewis seemed to keep thinking along those lines.
"Even if I go and ask how they did it, they won't tell me anyway. If I could find out that way, I would have stormed in long ago."
"That would make my position awkward among my colleagues, but... there's no helping it."
Michael laughed as he spoke.
Despite being on Lewis's side, Michael was indeed in a tricky position since he worked at the palace.
But why would my father's blood be in such a place?
I asked, not understanding.
"Do magicians usually store blood separately for research materials?"
"No. If they need blood, they draw it then and there."
...Michael, please don’t say such scary things while smiling.
Lewis continued the conversation next to me as if it were nothing.
"If Madden used my father’s blood treated with preservation magic, the question of how he obtained it is important, but...”
Lewis frowned, seemingly troubled, and then concluded.
"I wonder why my father left something like that behind in the first place."
Speculating about the past, of which we knew nothing, only filled us with more questions.
In the end, Lewis stood up.
"I need to see Aunt."
"I’ll go with you!"
I got up to follow him.
"I'll wait here. Let me know later!"
Since Michael didn’t get up, it was just the two of us going to see the Duke.
When we arrived in front of the Duke’s office, Lewis announced his presence outside the door.
"Aunt, it’s Lewis."
"Lewis? Come in!"
Upon hearing the Duke's words, Lewis opened the door.
The Duke, who was working, looked surprised by our appearance.
"What’s going on? You two look so serious."
The Duke’s eyes soon changed, looking not quite ordinary.
What was she thinking?
"Oh my. Are you two...?"
That look was familiar.
Right, it was the same look Bella had when she used to eye Charlotte.
That curious gaze wondering when Philip and Charlotte would get together!
But why now? And why from the Duke?
"What are you thinking?"
Lewis seemed a bit annoyed.
"Wasn’t that it?"
The Duke, who had been smiling pleasantly, asked, seeming a bit deflated.
"Then why did you come together?"
"It seems my father’s blood is left in the palace’s magic department."
"What?"
The Duke was startled, and Lewis elaborated.
Philip had used magic on him, and Lewis found it difficult to track the magic user.
Therefore, they suspected that Madden might have used something directly related to him.
And they guessed it might be blood.
"Madden couldn’t have obtained your father’s blood. The timing doesn’t match."
The Duke tilted her head, puzzled.
Then she seemed to recall something.
"At that time, the magic department had full support from the late Emperor, so it might have been possible if it were him."
"The late Emperor?"
"He often talked to the nobles about finding a way to live forever. He was a bit of an eccentric."
The late Emperor was eccentric?
Lewis asked.
"When you say a way to live forever, do you mean immortality?"
"Yes. He had so much ambition that he didn’t get along well with the current Emperor."
Wow, this was news to me.
"Since they didn’t get along, he didn’t abdicate and wanted to stay on the throne for a long time."
If he was searching for a way to live forever for that reason, he indeed wasn’t an ordinary person.
"Anyway, the late Emperor worked closely with the magic department on various research."
"Sounds a lot like the current Crown Prince."
At my words, the Duke nodded.
"Quite similar."
"So, the late Emperor researched ways to avoid dying with the magicians?"
"No. When he talked about living forever, it was more of wishful thinking. The late Emperor died of illness."
The Duke smirked as if it were amusing.
"Still, the late Emperor was someone who tried everything he could with magic. He might have collected the court magicians' blood in the process."
The conclusion was that there was a possibility the blood was preserved during the late Emperor's time.
As we left the Duke’s office, I asked Lewis.
"Could he really have researched immortality?"
"Such magic doesn’t exist."
"He might have thought it possible since he wasn’t a magician!"
I speculated from a non-magician perspective.
"The Duke said the late Emperor had a bit of an eccentric side. He might have pushed for it."
It was a time when magic research was more active than under the current Emperor.
And if the late Emperor was looking for ways to live forever, such research wouldn’t be far-fetched.
"Maybe it was so absurd that he did it in secret. If he had done it openly, even an Emperor would have been criticized."
"That’s true."
"Someone who doesn’t know magic might think it can achieve anything. Try to think like someone who’s not in their right mind!"
It made Lewis seem like a sane person.
But I was much more reasonable than Lewis.
Anyway, with my explanation, Lewis’s thoughts seemed to align more with the possibility.
"I need to find out how Madden evaded my tracking."
Of course. He had been curious about that from the start.
"If it involved a part of my father, I must uncover it. And if it was blood..."
Lewis’s expression was serious.
"I need to find out why he went to such lengths."
"Where else can we find information other than the palace library?"
"Other than the palace library?"
"Yes. I scoured the library thoroughly before, but I couldn’t find such content."
"So, the palace library doesn’t have any useful information? Just like last time."
Is it just me? Did I miss it?
Lewis’s words made me unsure.
At that moment, I thought of Charlotte.
Someone else who frequented the library!
"Should we send a letter to Lady Yaniels?"
* * *
I sent the letter the very next day after talking to the Duke.
[Lady Yaniels, there’s something I really need to ask you.
I’d like to discuss it in person. When can we meet?]
[You have something to ask me? I’m always happy to see you.]
Charlotte replied, listing the possible dates. The soonest was today.
As soon as I received the letter, I contacted Lewis.
"I'm heading to Yaniels' estate now. I’ll tell you what I find out!"
-I’ll go with you.
"What? But the Marquis didn’t say he was coming?"
And he wasn’t the type to visit estates.
I thought he was joking, but he showed up at the Duke’s residence soon after, proving he was serious.
As Lewis put me in his carriage, he asked.
"Where is Yaniels' estate?"
Then he instructed the coachman to head to the location I mentioned.
We soon arrived in front of the Yaniels' estate, and Lewis himself announced our arrival.
"I’m here to see Lady Yaniels. Is she in?"
"Yes... Yes, she is!"
The servant of Yaniels’ estate, recognizing me, looked at Lewis in surprise.
Seeing his golden eyes, he realized he was the Tower Master and was visibly nervous.
Regardless, Lewis calmly said.
"Then tell Lady Yaniels her friends are here."
Friends? Since when did he become friends with Charlotte?
"P-please come in."
The servant hurriedly guided us to the drawing room.
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