Chapter – 45
Inside the sturdy box lay twenty-five strands of hair, perfectly preserved.
“Rosia Levian…”
Next to the box, she had left a small container. Inside was a cloak brooch made of blue diamond, which had recently become the subject of much gossip.
Lexian recalled the events from a few days ago.
Why on earth had Rosia been at the entrance to an illegal gambling den, and how had she even known about it?
She was hardly the type to engage in illegal gambling.
“That’s unknown.”
Lexian reminded himself not to make a biased judgment, keeping in mind the possibility that she had indeed gambled illegally. But if she had, then what exactly had she taken from the gambling den?
Upon seeing his injuries, she had immediately used something from the box to treat him.
A potion strong enough to make new flesh grow instantly—he had never heard of anything like it.
Not only that, but her old cloak and her composed movements suggested someone highly skilled in handling such situations.
He had also been informed that she had gone to the slums under the protection of the Crown Prince, helping an old man who had been beaten.
“What kind of person is she?”
It was already clear she wasn’t an ordinary noblewoman, but the more he saw, the more astonishing her actions became.
The funnier part was that he hadn’t included her name in the report because he wished no harm would come to her.
“Lex!”
A woman calling his nickname in concern.
Whether she had said it unconsciously or not, she seemed unaware of having done so.
The problem was that hearing it made him feel good.
Rosia Levian was strange, and so was he.
“This is meaningless.”
After staring at the hair for some time, Lexian picked it up.
Rosia Levian—the woman who kept intruding into his thoughts.
He found himself drawn to the hair, wanting to confirm its owner, and then naturally his gaze followed it.
He disliked being caught up in emotions he didn’t understand.
He tried to toss it aside, but his hand wouldn’t obey, as if someone was holding it. After a while of frustration, he carefully placed the hair back into the box.
“Damn it!”
Unable to control his strength, he slammed the desk, cracking its center. The box almost fell, but he quickly grabbed it.
When he had requested the mage’s identity from the Tower after the incident at the hunting grounds, he was told it was a mage who had escaped from the Tower years ago.
Lexian, angered by the Tower’s attempt to deny any connection between the fugitive mage and the killing of imperial nobles, pressed them: what if the escaped mage caused further trouble?
The Emperor also pressured the Tower to make the threat public. As a result, the Tower handed over a list to the Empire detailing the appearance, abilities, and age of escaped mages.
Despite these efforts, little progress was made, and now the illegal gambling den incidents kept occurring.
Recent investigations revealed that all illegal gambling dens in and around the capital were operated by a single organization.
The money from the gambling dens flowed to one place, and Lexian suspected this organization was connected to those who wanted to kill Rosia.
Perhaps Rosia also knew about this organization?
Considering that she knew he was a Sword Master, this wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.
“But she doesn’t seem willing to reveal what she knows…”
Instead, she appeared to be using the information as a tool.
“Even reaching out to someone like me, who usually stays unnoticed, seems to have a purpose.”
She had even attended the tea party, clearing him of the false accusation that he was bullying Merina. She also managed to highlight Merina’s odd behavior.
Since Merina was innocent but prone to targeting others strangely, Lexian didn’t think Rosia’s actions were excessive.
However…
Looking at all of Rosia’s inexplicable actions together led him to a single conclusion:
Her actions weren’t random—they were part of a specific goal.
Rosia clearly had a special objective, beyond simply establishing her place in high society.
Had he not been able to create a magical barrier around himself recently, he would have surely died in that explosion.
Rosia must have realized how dangerous it was, but she seemed determined not to stop, no matter the risk.
“Something that cannot be abandoned, even when life is at stake… what could it be?”
After staring at the hair for some time, Lexian summoned his butler.
Charles was shocked by the broken desk but quickly composed himself.
“Charles, have the family knights monitor Rosia Levian. Keep her hidden, but assist if she faces danger.”
Lexian had called her in for dangerous tasks, though he didn’t expect her to actually act.
It was more like he hoped she would call on him if danger arose.
Discovering his growing desire to be near Rosia, Lexian clenched his fist.
“And contact me wherever I am.”
During official duties, he did not take personal messages, but by saying “wherever I am,” he emphasized that this matter took priority.
Charles fervently hoped the Levian heiress would grow fond of his master.
As the illegal gambling dens in the capital were raided and the culprits identified, his parents’ tension eased.
Calvin’s incessant praise of his physical training had helped as well.
Taking advantage of their inattentiveness, he quietly left the mansion alone.
He needed something to ask the Mirror of Truth the questions he sought answers to.
Having others fetch it never worked, so he had to go himself.
His destination was the slums of the capital—the same place he had encountered the Crown Prince.
Within the slums, after passing fourteen distinct alleys and eight abandoned houses, one would find an apple tree.
At this time, a special apple grew there. By placing it before the Mirror of Truth and asking a question, the answer would appear on the mirror.
It was a kind of offering.
The apple bore fruit once every three months, and only three questions could be asked per apple.
To get three apples, he needed to start collecting them now.
Golden apples wrapped in gold or made entirely of gold did not work in the mirror—only golden apples from the slums’ tree would elicit a response.
“Such a hassle.”
This world never made things easy.
Even sending people to a nearby illegal gambling den run by the Blue Bird faction yielded nothing—either they returned empty-handed or as corpses.
To get what he wanted, he had to act himself and take full responsibility.
Whether caught by knights and accused of suspicion or stabbed by a blind blade, he had to endure it all.
Indeed, in novels, the villainous Rosia was notoriously unlucky.
Meanwhile, the heroine, Merina, had things go smoothly even by doing nothing.
He hated how faithfully this world followed novel settings, to the point of wanting to obliterate it.
“Potatoes for sale! One coin per bundle!”
“Get lost, you bastard! Bring more alcohol instead!”
Passing through the bustling and lawless market, he reached the inner slums.
The floor was filthy, and a few people struggled to move—this must have been the deepest part of the slums.
He hurried along to avoid trouble.
“Waaah, waaah!”
Suddenly, he heard a baby crying.
He stopped in his tracks.
A baby in such a filthy, food-scarce place would die quickly… he couldn’t save them all.
“Waaahhh!”
As if reading his thoughts, the crying grew louder. With a sigh, he moved toward the sound.
