Chapter 124

Proofreader: somnium

It had been a little over a month since Rye, the necromancer, had left.

The butler said Rye was a scammer. When he left, he scraped all the money he could get his hand on.

Not only did he take a bribe and solicit Miraila, he demanded a large sum from the butler in return for leaving.

But Miraila didn’t feel betrayed by him somehow.

If Rye wanted to, he could raise more money, saying he would perform a ritual to prevent curses or make something like an evil-spirit-warding amulet. Had he been a real con artist, he would have even stolen the belongings of this mansion when he disappeared.

The butler said that Rye had run away, but in reality, Miraila bid farewell to him.

He confessed everything to Miraila.

“I am a swindler, Dowager.”

“But Master makes the light, and the seance…….”

“It was magic, not necromancy.”

Rye said so, and he even demonstrated his magic to Miraila.

“Sorry. I have been making ends meet, but I couldn’t stop mid way, so it ended up like this.”

“…….”

“But Dowager, there are no evil spirits. I’m just a scammer. So you don’t have to be afraid. Only people can curse people.”

He said so.

Miraila came up with more of what she wanted to ask him the next morning, but he had already packed up and disappeared.

The butler said that if Miraila wanted him, he would pursue and capture Rye. Miraila told him not to.

In retrospect, he seemed to have pitied her rather than wanted her money.

He was also one of the few men who, despite giving him a chance, didn’t rush to Miraila. Miraila thought he was a human being.

However, she was well aware that, regardless of how she felt, people would gossip about her being deceived.

When Artizea returned, the story of the war situation of Evron Grand Duchy, the western rebirth project, and the Empress’ birthday party swept the social circles one after another and buried the rumors.

Otherwise, it would still be quite a ridicule.

So Miraila looked at Hazel with displeased eyes.

“What do you want to ask, Lady? I know the rumors that I have been scammed have spread. Are you trying to mock me now? You dare?”

“I’m sorry, Dowager. How could I have such an intention?”

Hazel hastily apologized. It was because the politeness had disappeared from Miraila’s soaring tone.

Even if Miraila’s prestige wasn’t what it used to be, it didn’t change the fact that she was the Emperor’s favorite woman.

The fact that one was not the same as they used to be is a story that only applies to those in power, those who control the political world. It was irrelevant to a young girl who was at the end of a social circle like Hazel.

It is true that Hazel’s parents own a newspaper, but Miraila’s original reputation was not good and she was a gossip person, so that was no way to protect Hazel.

“I just want to meet the necromancer once.”

Hazel said cautiously.

“Have you ever heard of Mielle of the Keshore family?”

“You mean the girl who worries her parents because of her frailty?”

“Yes! You know.”

Miraila trembled. What she expected was news about the Empress’ birthday celebration or Artizea.

She had seen Sir Keshore often, but he was not friendly, and she had no interest in his daughter.

Come to think of it, Artizea seemed to have gone to see her from time to time.

“Mielle has been very ill for a while. I didn’t know because Sir Keshore didn’t tell me, but it seems he was thinking of the worst.”

“But?”

“Her consciousness returned on the day that Her Grace Grand Duchess Evron lent her Saintess Olga’s statue. She is now fully recovered.”

Miraila wrinkled her eyes. She did not want to hear the story of Saintess Olga, which the Empress had given Artizea as a gift. However, she was curious about Artizea’s current status.

In a complicated mood, Miraila listened to Hazel’s story until the end.

“It is said that Saintess Olga’s statue has already lost its holy miracle of healing. But, according to the priest, even if such a relic had lost its power, it would still harbor divine energy. so…… Me and Mielle thought about it.”

“So?”

“We once had a seance ritual. We invited the necromancer, whom Dowager had received as your guest. Her consciousness was lost during the ritual, so I wondered if Mielle was sick because of it……. So, I wonder if she could have recovered just by having the Saintess Olga statue by her side.”

The priest said that Mielle’s body actually had divine energy. Even though the healing powers have disappeared from Saintess Olga statue, the powerful protection must remain, the temple announced with great joy.

These days, Mielle’s room is filled with flowers sent to be dedicated to the statue of the Saintess in addition to the flowers from the visit.

Without saying anything, Hazel laughed at herself as if it was ridiculous.

She couldn’t tell her parents. Because it was obvious that she would be scolded for believing in such a foolish superstition.

So Hazel consulted Artizea. She believed Artizea could give her wise advice.

When talking to Artizea, Hazel used to feel like she was being educated by talking to her mother or some other wise lady, rather than a girl her age.

“If that was the case, I would be very sorry. Mielle tells me that it was something she did because she was curious too, but if I hadn’t been sulking, she wouldn’t have been interested.”

“Does Lady Hezel believe in necromancy?”

“No. No, it’s strange to say this while also feeling anxious, but I never believed in such a thing. It is impossible to summon the souls of the dead to prophesy or to influence the future.”

“I see.”

“But Mielle is so weak that she may have been affected by the bad energy, so she was ill and got better when the protection of the statue came near. Ah, yes, I guess I’m a little bit trusting.”

Hazel was startled by her new discovery.

“Then check it out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Maybe, there must be a reason why you thought about it, right?”

Artizea said softly.

“Once you meet the necromancer and check it out, it will become clear whether the reason is grounded or just an illusion.”

“However…….”

Hazel hesitated though.

“If you pay a reasonable amount, he will probably tell you the truth. He has already made it difficult to work in the capital.”

“He must be a scammer anyway.”

“Have you ever written an article about that necromancer before?”

“Ah yes. In the end, Belmond magazine didn’t publish it.”

Hazel was startled.

She wrote the article, but she didn’t quite complete it. She didn’t finish it because she couldn’t even get it published in Yellow Belmond, and she wrote in a very small gossip magazine.

She didn’t think that Artizea would know.

“Think of it as a follow-up article, so find out.”

“A follow up article?”

“It means that you need to know enough about it. It would be great if all the deceptions could be disclosed, and even if not, just by revealing the evidence whether it is a scam or not, it will solve many people’s questions.”

Artizea said so.

“I think that will help lady gain peace of mind. You want to make sure that Mielle’s illness has nothing to do with it.”

So Hazel came here.

It would be best if Miraila knew the necromancer’s whereabouts.

If she doesn’t, she may know a story that might help. Because she made him stay the longest.

Hazel didn’t notice it at all, but this was the reason Artizea had summoned her in the first place and kept Hazel close to her.

She had been planning since she learned that Hazel had written an article about the necromancer.

She thus intended to persuade Hazel to visit Miraila. With that in mind, she wanted Miraila to remember once more of what Rye had said to her.

It was a coincidence that Hazel first sought her opinion because of Mielle’s incident. Thanks to that, the situation became more natural.

Miraila’s face contorted slightly. It couldn’t have been more pleasant to say with her own mouth that she was deceived.

“He is…… He is not a necromancer.”

“Then what was that light magic trick? Did Dowager see it too?”

“He said it was magic.”

Miraila said with a cold attitude.

“I don’t even know where he went. I didn’t even ask to find out, is that Lady’s only business?”

“Yes. However…… .”

Hazel had more questions, but Miraila waved her hand.

“Okay then. Go somewhere else and find out.”

Miraila exhaled in a quick tone and stood up.

Hazel followed her and stood up.

Miraila came out of the parlor without even looking at her.

She was expecting a story that would make her feel better, but she got none of that.

The butler followed and asked.

“Shall I send the Lady back?”

“Tell her to go home. And…….”

“Yes.”

Miraila stared for a moment at the butler waiting for her order, then exhaled.

“That’s enough.”

What’s better: trampling on Emily’s dressing room or messing around with Hazel?

Her willpower, which had risen for a moment, dried up again, and it was so painful that it rippled to the depths of her head.

Miraila dragged her legs and tried to go up to the bedroom, but she remembered Rye’s words once more.

“The soul has no power to curse people, Dowager. It is people who curse people.”

Rye is not a necromancer. So there was no guarantee that he was right when speaking of the soul.

But for some reason, Miraila believed it. It seemed that a person seemed to be cursing her, not an evil spirit.

‘I too?’

Can I curse?

“Anyone can use magic if they know how. You can write what you want in blood and pour life into it. Magic cast with blood only shines for a short time like this.”

But if you sacrifice a person, nothing is impossible.

Miraila looked down at her hand blankly. A sudden thought popped into her mind.

Couldn’t she curse the Empress with magic?

She only needs the Empress to disappear. Then everything will be back to normal.

It’s just difficult, but not impossible.

She felt an instinctive sense of rejection and fear. But she had already crossed the line once.

Compared to that, the curse was nothing.

Who would believe it if she said she killed a person with a curse.

All you need is an ancient language and an offering that can accurately pay for the content.

And the Marquisate of Rosan is an old family. Many of the books collected in the library were still in ancient languages.

She remembered when Artizea used to bring books that smelled like dust and said she could read it.

If there is a sentence that can be copied, it would be good, and even if not, it would still be helpful.

Even so the words to curse the Empress can’t be obtained anywhere in a straight-forward sentence.