IPAMB 15

Chapter: 15

The one most surprised by those words was Cain.

Cain’s eyes widened as he quickly turned to look at me.

I wanted to brag and say, “See? I told you he’d come!” — but I couldn’t.

‘He already arrived? It hasn’t even been a week since we sent someone. How!?’

Because I was just as shocked as Cain.

“Lord Tristan!”

At that moment, Tristan shot me a sharp glare and strode toward me despite the servants trying to stop him.

‘W-wait. That guy looks completely unhinged…!?’

I flinched and stepped backward.

Whoosh.

Someone suddenly stretched out an arm and blocked the way in front of me.

“What are you trying to do?”

It was Cain.

“Please do not interfere. I merely intend to punish this insolent one who is attempting to frame me.”

As he said that, Tristan reached toward his sword.

‘He’s going to kill me to silence me!?’

Is he insane!?

My legs trembled. I had to run, but my feet refused to move.

“Step aside.”

Tristan spoke to Cain in a warning tone.

But Cain did not move an inch.

As if dumbfounded, Tristan let out a hollow laugh.

“Are you protecting a criminal right now? If so, even if you are a young lord, I cannot overlook it.”

“He’s not a criminal — he’s someone trying to reveal the truth.”

Cain answered firmly.

“I wanted to believe it wasn’t you. I thought you were the one who cared for me most, Tristan. But…”

Cain’s red eyes sank coldly.

“That belief blinded me. This fountain pen will be sent to the Magic Tower. The truth cannot be hidden.”

His tone was flat and rigid, yet beneath it were confusion, betrayal, and firm resolve.

Though he hadn’t shown it, it seemed Cain had been troubled by the possibility that Tristan was the culprit.

“Are you lecturing me right now!?”

But Tristan did not accept Cain’s sincerity.

Instead, being criticized by someone he had always looked down on wounded his pride, and he shouted while grinding his teeth.

“Since when did you care about the affairs of the duke’s household enough to interfere! You, who bring nothing but misfortune!”

The enraged Tristan drew his sword.

‘He’s crazy! He’s completely lost it!’

This was no time to point out that he had just called me “misfortune.”

I hurriedly tried to push Cain away.

“……”

However, in this situation, the most insane one was Cain.

‘No, what’s wrong with this man now!?’

Even with the sharp blade right before his eyes, Cain did not step aside and continued shielding me.

The overwhelming tension made my vision turn white, as if I might faint at any moment.

At this rate, what I could do was—

I forced my frozen mind to work.

Ah.

And the moment I thought of a solution, I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Aaaahhh! Someone save me!”

My piercing scream rang throughout the garden. Everyone’s eyes turned toward me.

Startled, Cain quickly turned back and hid me even further behind him.

‘That’s not what I meant by help…’

Anyway, my scream worked.

“What is that sound— Lord Tristan!?”

“What are you doing right now…?”

People wearing knight uniforms came running in a panic after hearing my loud cry.

They appeared to be the duke’s guard knights. Seeing Tristan with his sword drawn and Cain standing before him, they froze on the spot.

Only then did Tristan seem to regain his senses and hurriedly sheathe his sword.

But it was already too late.

“How noisy.”

Step. Step.

The knights parted to the sides, and an expressionless woman walked forward.

A dignified woman with an icy, cold impression.

‘So that’s her.’

Duke Bellatia Argent.

Her black hair was tied up in a single knot, and her eyes were blood-red.

Her resemblance to Cain made her identity obvious at once.

“D-Duke…!”

“What were you trying to do just now?”

“Th-there’s a re-reason for this…!”

Tristan turned pale and trembled.

The duke walked over without any change in expression and spoke.

“A reason? Explain.”

“Y-yes! This silver-haired brat hurled all sorts of insults at me and tried to frame me and plot—”

“Did I tell you to speak nonsense?”

At her cold words, Tristan’s speech stopped abruptly.

At the same time, the duke’s sharp gaze fell upon him.

Unable to continue, Tristan lowered his head.

‘No matter what he says, he can’t explain why he drew his sword on Cain.’

It was over.

But I couldn’t breathe in relief.

“Who are you?”

Because the duke’s gaze turned to me.

“H-hello, Your Grace. It’s my first time meeting you. I am Saint candidate Wi-Winiel….”

My voice trembled on its own.

‘S-so scary!’

I greeted her reflexively, but my mind was in chaos.

She was different from Tristan holding a sword. The sheer pressure she exuded made it feel like she could treat a person’s life like that of a fly.

Then the duke, who had been quietly observing me, spoke.

“I heard someone used dark magic in the estate.”

Dark magic? She knows?

I was startled internally.

Tristan, equally shocked, asked urgently,

“Where did you hear that…!”

“Gustav mentioned it. Though he only kept insisting he wasn’t the culprit.”

It seemed she had encountered the accomplice knight who had been dragged away earlier. However, she didn’t appear to know the full details yet.

‘Well, he probably isn’t in any condition right now either.’

After all, he’d been betrayed by Tristan and taken away.

“So who is the culprit?”

“It’s this child! This brat used dark magic!”

“I asked the child.”

The duke silenced Tristan and demanded an answer from me again.

Was she asking me because I was a saint candidate and this involved dark magic?

But the reason for her question didn’t matter right now.

‘I have to say something here.’

At that moment, my eyes met Tristan’s. He glared at me with bloodshot eyes and mouthed the words:

If you tell the truth, I’ll kill you.

“…!”

I instantly shut my mouth.

No eleven-year-old child could speak honestly when the commander of the knights was sincerely threatening to kill them.

“I don’t know. I didn’t do anything…”

When I shook my head and answered a beat late, Tristan’s expression relaxed.

“Ah!”

Just then, the fountain pen in my hand dropped to the floor.

“Lord Tristan’s fountain pen — the one with traces of dark magic that can be confirmed if you request a mage!”

Oops, I said that by mistake.

Threats were scary, but accidents couldn’t be helped.

Tristan’s face turned red and blue with rage.

“Investigate it.”

The duke picked up the fountain pen and handed it to the secretary beside her.

“And find out why this fountain pen in particular bears traces of dark magic.”

Fortunately, it seemed Tristan wouldn’t have time to harm me.

***

After that, time passed quickly.

The Duke of Argent began investigating the dark magic incident.

With the thorough investigation, I was initially suspected as well, but fortunately my charges were cleared not long after.

‘Gustav, was it? That accomplice knight.’

The accomplice, shocked by Tristan’s betrayal, confessed everything.

Thanks to that, even though the results of the request sent to the Magic Tower had not yet arrived, I was able to move freely.

But that didn’t mean I could rest comfortably.

Between giving statements about the incident and answering questions from the Magic Tower — for whom this type of request was apparently unprecedented — I was extremely busy.

Still, I learned a few things because of it.

‘So they met the knight who went to deliver my letter to the North along the way.’

According to the duke’s secretary, they had encountered him while heading to the estate after receiving communication through a magical device.

No wonder they hadn’t asked why a saint candidate was here.

‘Anyway, that means she came because she was worried about Cain, right?’

She probably didn’t know at the time that the communication device was broken.

Yet she still came. That must mean—

“It looks like things will work out between the two of them.”

The estate was currently in chaos, so they hadn’t had time to talk, but if an opportunity arose, it seemed they could fully resolve their misunderstandings.

The truth was also gradually coming to light!

“Good, things are going well.”

I couldn’t hide my satisfaction at how the original storyline was progressing faster. At this rate, capturing my brother wouldn’t be far off.

Just then, someone knocked on my door.

“Lady Winiel, it is time.”

“Oh! I’ll be right there!”

I got off the bed and straightened my clothes.

It was time for the meeting I had promised with the duke.

‘I wanted to talk to her too, but she brought it up first.’

After several days, when the outline of the incident became clear, the duke requested an audience with me, saying she had something to discuss regarding my letter.

She had postponed it because of the dark magic case, but since I had written things about seeing the future in the letter, she must have been curious.

‘Actually, that’s the normal reaction — Cain just never asked, which made me unnecessarily anxious.’

But now everything was resolved, so it was fine.

With a light heart, I headed to the reception room.

“Do you have some hidden agenda?”

And without warning, I immediately became a suspicious person being interrogated.