VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter Three: Darristea’s Mad Scheme
It was now one month before the crown prince revealed his fiancée to the world.
That girl’s behavior is intolerable! thought Darristea Abaccum, the daughter of Duke Abaccum, as she observed the scene unfolding in front of her eyes with disgust.
There stood the crown prince, Leoniel Lionel, dancing with the infamous villainess, Wellmy Liroud. Darristea had never actually talked to her at the noble academy, but she did not have a positive image of the Liroud girl. Not only had she stolen her sister’s fiancé, Arvine Schneiger, but she also completely lacked the decorum expected of a lady.
Darristea was the crown prince’s childhood friend. She prided herself on the fact that she was the one who had known him the longest out of all his prospective fiancées. As such, she could not turn a blind eye to Lady Wellmy flirting with several different men, including the crown prince. It was simply unbecoming of a lady. Her behavior now was even more deplorable than it had been at school.
What was more, Darristea had heard that Lady Wellmy had been invited to have tea with the queen several times during her break from high society. That did not sit right with her, as she hadn’t received an invitation in quite some time. As a result, every lady who knew of Darristea’s position threw her suggestive glances whenever Lady Wellmy attended a party with the prince. Of course, Darristea never confronted them publicly, but she couldn’t deny the fact that those gazes rubbed her the wrong way.
Е́nūṁ а̃ . i d̄
“You must be chosen as the crown prince’s fiancée no matter what,” her father, Duke Abaccum, had told her countless times since she was a child. “If you don’t, you’re worthless to me.”
She felt cornered, overwhelmed by both her father’s expectations and the pressure from the other nobles.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
If only it were Lady Iora... she thought for the umpteenth time.
Darristea knew Lady Iora well and was aware of the feelings she and the crown prince had kept a secret during their time at the noble academy. She knew that she couldn’t win against Lady Iora. There was simply nothing she could do about it.
But why Lady Wellmy?! Not me, not Lady Iora, but her?! Darristea shot the pair a glare, tightening her grip on her fan.
The first party Lady Wellmy had attended after her disappearance had been the one held by the royal family to mark the start of the new social season. It was said that they had organized that event to find a suitable fiancée for Prince Leoniel.
W̃ е b̄ ňоv ël Е̇ nůmа́
The crown prince had appeared with Lady Wellmy, who had vanished from society a few months prior, and the two of them had performed the first dance together. The prince hadn’t even glanced at the other highborn ladies.
This event had sent a shock wave through high society.
From that point, Lady Wellmy was escorted by the crown prince at every party she attended. Regardless, she would strike up a conversation with a different nobleman each time, before slipping away to the terrace or the gardens with them. Some even said that they had seen her come out of the drawing room with a young man. For some puzzling reason, every single one of these men would then stick to her side, along with the crown prince.
Conversely, Lady Wellmy was absolutely nasty toward other noble ladies. Darristea had even seen her slap the hand of Theresalo, a baron’s daughter. She’d also heard of an incident involving the fiancée of one of her followers, the chancellor’s son. When the woman, a young noble lady named Hildentrai, had confronted Lady Wellmy, it had done nothing but incite the villainess. Then, Lady Wellmy had used the influence of Marquis Ormirage to force Hildentrai to leave.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
That night, it was finally Darristea’s turn to have a run-in with Lady Wellmy, at a party organized by a high-ranked noble.
In true villainess fashion, the woman had splashed wine all over Darristea’s dress.
Е̌ n̄ um̌ а̄
“Oh dear, I am so very sorry, Lady Darristea. My hand slipped. Your Highness, show her to the back so she can get her dress cleaned. It would be awful if it was stained,” Lady Wellmy said, her eyes narrowing like crescent moons.
It was obvious she had done it on purpose.
Prince Leoniel nodded. “Will do.”
Darristea was outraged to see her make a show of ordering the prince around like a servant.
How dare she!
“That won’t be necessary!” Darristea replied, involuntarily raising her voice.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
She turned around and was about to leave the party hall when Prince Tygrim called out to her. He was three years younger than Prince Lionel, had purple hair just like his brother, and currently attended the noble academy.
“This way, Lady Darristea,” he said, ushering her to another room where he instructed a servant to deal with the stain on her dress.
Darristea thanked him and told him about her gripes with Lady Wellmy.
The prince pondered her words for a few moments. His face, which looked very similar to Prince Leoniel’s (save for his eyes, which were silver), turned serious.
“I agree that Lady Wellmy Liroud’s behavior is intolerable,” he said. “I will speak to my brother.”
“Thank you kindly, Your Highness.”
Е n ǔm̂ а̂
By that time, other nobles’ criticism of Lady Wellmy had been growing louder and louder. Yet, Prince Leoniel and the other young men in her entourage never left her side. Besides, seeing how she had dealt with Hildentrai, no one dared to confront her.
And so, time passed until one day, a disturbing rumor arose.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Word has it that magic drugs and cursed items that can manipulate people have been going around...”
Upon hearing those words, a sneaking suspicion rose in Darristea. The face of the girl who had managed to get so many young men under her spell in a mere two months appeared in the back of her mind.
Did Lady Wellmy...?
It only took a few days for her suspicions to turn into near certainty. Prince Tygrim, who had told her he would admonish his brother for the company he kept, joined Lady Wellmy’s entourage.
Ӗn̆ u m̀ a. їd
Dread twisting in her gut, Darristea waited until he was alone to approach him.
“Prince Tygrim?”
“Ah, it’s you, Lady Darristea. What is it?” he asked, his gaze uncharacteristically cold.
Darristea’s breath hitched in her throat. As she stood there, lost for words, the prince excused himself and left.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Still in a daze, she saw a young man with red hair extend a hand to her, a bracelet hanging from his wrist.
“Is something the matter, Lady Darristea?”
Ě n ům̊ ä
He was Turgis Deltraute, the son of Marquis Deltraute, and was not part of Wellmy’s posse. He was often seen with Lady Theresalo, and there were rumors that the two of them were in love. But with Lord Turgis being the heir of a marchional house, there was simply no way he could marry the daughter of a baron. Still, some young ladies maliciously continued spreading these rumors, while others bemoaned their tragic love story.
Lord Turgis’s perfume smelled soft and delicate, like a flower Darristea had never encountered before. For some reason, the gentle concern in his voice brought her to the verge of tears.
The two of them went to stand by the wall, where they exchanged idle pleasantries.
“Have you heard the rumors about that cursed item that can supposedly manipulate others?” Lord Turgis eventually asked, throwing a glare at Lady Wellmy.
Darristea gasped. “Lord Turgis, do you also...” She trailed off, implicitly asking if he shared her suspicions.
“If she has malicious intentions, we must expose them,” Lord Turgis replied, a grave expression on his face.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Darristea gave a small nod. “Indeed. I have heard that Lady Wellmy has a natural talent for influencing others’ feelings. It would not be so strange for her to have developed a magic item to manipulate those men at will.”
“I’ve always found it strange that Marquis Ormirage, known for his disdain of women, suddenly took a liking to her. It doesn’t make any sense,” Lord Turgis said.
His words supported Darristea’s suspicions. No matter how one looked at it, this entire situation felt off. Knowing that someone shared her concerns and was willing to take action filled Darristea with a newfound courage.
“What do I need to do?” she asked. Lord Turgis must have had a plan, or he wouldn’t have brought this up—especially not to a girl he’d never even spoken to before.
“Use this on Lady Wellmy,” he said, producing a necklace adorned with a precious gem. “The Ministry of Magic’s interrogators use it on suspects to get confessions out of them. It’s a magic item that puts the target in a stupor, which prevents them from lying.”
Darristea accepted the necklace and hid it in her sleeve.
E n ūmа̂ ._і d
“All you have to do is ask Lady Wellmy if she’s using a magic item to manipulate others, and we’ll have our answer. She doesn’t have any women under her control, so her item might only work on men. I would approach her myself, but I’m scared she may use it on me.”
“I understand. When should we put our plan into action?”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The two of them weighed their options, but ultimately decided that the party hosted by the royal family to announce the crown prince’s fiancée would be the perfect opportunity. Not only would the cream of the crop of high society be in attendance, but so would the king and the queen.
As the royal family hadn’t approached Darristea’s parents about a potential match between her and Prince Leoniel, it was clear that she was no longer in the running to be his fiancée. Needless to say, the atmosphere at home was so tense, Darristea felt like she was lying on a bed of thorns.
The likeliest candidate for the position of crown princess was, of course, Wellmy Liroud.
I won’t let things go her way.
W̃ е̌b̀n̆ оv ĕ l̂ Е n̄ úm а
Darristea and Lord Turgis had nearly finalized the details of their plan when the crown prince made their way toward them.
“I’ll excuse myself now,” Lord Turgis said, immediately leaving her side.
When Prince Leoniel asked Darristea what the two of them had been talking about, she lied that it was nothing important. The crown prince was under Lady Wellmy’s spell. She couldn’t tell him about their plan.
Perhaps he had sensed her disapproval, as he didn’t probe any further.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
After a pause, he eventually said, “Don’t mess with Wellmy, Lady Darristea.”
His warning only strengthened her resolve. That girl was manipulating the men who held the future of the kingdom in their hands. She was trying to shake the very foundation of their nation.
Е́ nu m̌.ǎ
Darristea swore that she would expose Lady Wellmy for who she truly was.
She bided her time until the night of the party held by the royal family. Then, right after the king announced the beginning of the festivities by performing the first dance with the queen, she approached Lady Wellmy, the necklace Lord Turgis had given her glimmering on her neck.
“Lady Wellmy Liroud,” she called out.
The men in Lady Wellmy’s entourage nonchalantly stepped forward to block Darristea’s approach, but it was too late. Her target was already in range of the necklace’s power.
She promptly activated the item and used it on Lady Wellmy.
“Answer me. Are you using an item to manipulate others?” she demanded.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Wellmy’s response was brief.
“Yes,” she said, her eyes unfocused because of the necklace.
The crowd that had been watching their exchange stirred at her reply.
“I knew it!” one whispered.
“I’ve always thought something about her was odd...” another added.
Furious, Darristea was about to lash out at Lady Wellmy when, all of a sudden, the girl across from her was wrapped in someone’s cloak.
Еn̈ũ m̀ а
It was the lord of magic—the marquis Aides Ormirage.
Darristea felt herself shrink under the coldness of his gaze.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Clartes!” the man called out sharply.
Count Clartes Liroud, a first-class disenchanter and Lady Wellmy’s adoptive father, promptly made his way to them. Darristea noticed how similar his eye color was to that of the young woman in Lord Ormirage’s embrace as he gently put a hand on her eyes and murmured a disenchanting incantation.
“Are you all right, Wellmy?” Lord Clartes asked as he removed his hand, peering at his daughter’s face with concern.
Lady Wellmy seemed to have returned to her senses, and she blinked repeatedly as she looked at the crowd surrounding them.
Еn̊ ǔ m̄ а̊
Then, a sweet smile curling on her lips, she murmured, “Aides, everything went to plan, didn’t it?”
Darristea was shocked to hear her call Marquis Ormirage by his first name, as if the two of them were close.
“It did.” The man nodded before returning his emotionless gaze to Darristea. “Now, pray tell us, Lady Darristea. Who gave you that magic item?”
He knows? How?! No, that’s not important. What matters is, Lady Wellmy replied “Yes” to my question. I need to let everyone know.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Darristea tightened her core, ready to reveal the truth. But before she could utter a single word, someone put a hand on her shoulder. Surprised, she looked up to see a very familiar face.
“What’s all the commotion about?”
Е n̊ u m̊ а .id
“Brother...”
Malefident Abaccum—also known as the lord of security.
He was Darristea’s older brother, with red eyes and sharing her blonde hair. He served as head of the Special Operations Department for National Security at the Ministry of Justice, the division in charge of handling international spies, political criminals planning treason, as well as any serious threat to the kingdom, and was the heir of House Abaccum. Despite being related to the previous royal family, the Abaccums had risen in revolt against them alongside House Lionel, valuing justice over blood ties. As such, they were the only relatives of the previous king to have escaped punishment.
Malefident was also the kingdom’s only other Archmage, alongside Marquis Ormirage, having made significant contributions to the field of magic.
“Aides, did my sister do something?” he asked with a smile, his pleasant expression contrasting sharply with Lord Ormirage’s blank mask.
But before the man could reply, a low, calm, yet strong voice echoed in the noisy party hall.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Quiet.”
Everyone in this corner of the room lowered their heads at the king’s command. Darristea hurriedly dropped into a curtsy.
“Raise your heads,” the king ordered. “Lord Ormirage, what is going on here?”
Marquis Ormirage slowly lifted his head.
Everyone knew that lying to the king was a grave offense.
“Allow me to explain, Your Majesty. As you are aware, Wellmy has been acting as a decoy to protect His Highness the Crown Prince’s fiancée from danger.”
Еn um̌ȧ..i d
Darristea’s mind went blank.
“What?”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
She wasn’t the only one taken aback by Lord Ormirage’s statement. A commotion ran through the crowd as they all exchanged befuddled gazes.
The only ones who seemed calm were Lady Wellmy and her entourage.
“I am aware of Lady Wellmy Liroud’s duties, yes. But what does it have to do with the situation at hand?” the king asked.
“I shall explain in chronological order,” Lord Ormirage said. “It all started when Wellmy first assumed her role as decoy. She had barely started her act when I received news that magic drugs and items that could be used for mind control were circulating in the kingdom.”
Ŵe.b̂_ǹ о v́ё l̇ Е̇ n um̊ á
He paused and glanced at Malefident.
“I discussed the matter with the lord of security, and the two of us looked into the matter.”
“Is that true, Lord Abaccum?” the king asked.
Malefident nodded, his gentle smile unwavering. “It is, Your Majesty. We have been secretly focusing our efforts on the security of the crown prince to prevent any potential issues. The young lords in Lady Wellmy Liroud’s entourage were aware of this and were acting as a wall of sorts.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
What? Impossible...!
A chill ran down Darristea’s spine. Had she misunderstood the situation all along?
Ӗn̆u̇ m̌.а.і̌d
The other nobles who had been bitter at Wellmy all gasped at the revelation.
“Lady Abaccum—Darristea,” the king addressed her.
“Yes, Your Majesty?” she replied, doing everything in her power to keep her voice steady.
“Unless there’s an emergency, it is forbidden to use magic on others without the state’s approval—especially in the presence of the royal family.”
Darristea finally realized what she had done. The idea that she was doing something illegal hadn’t even crossed her mind.
The emergencies the king referred to were dire situations, like grave injuries, disasters such as fires, or disturbances caused by monsters or malicious individuals. Even then, only healing, defensive, and counteroffensive spells were allowed. Using magic to cause harm to defenseless individuals was forbidden in most circumstances.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” the king added.
“I heard that Lady Wellmy Liroud might be using spells and magic items to manipulate others, so I...” Darristea said, her voice echoing in the party hall. “I assumed that she wanted to take over the kingdom by trapping our nation’s future leaders with forbidden techniques, and... And thought she was committing treason...”
Even to her own ear, her explanation sounded like a bunch of excuses.
It was a fact that Lady Wellmy’s reputation was poor. However, if Marquis Ormirage spoke the truth—that she was acting as a decoy for the prince’s future fiancée and that the men in her entourage were protecting her... It would mean that Darristea had broken the law by using a magic item on someone innocent.
“I didn’t have any means to approach her myself... Even if she were doing something illegal, I assumed that she wouldn’t confess if I confronted her. So... I used this, um, this item that the Ministry of Magic’s interrogators use to extract the truth from criminals...” Despite her turmoil, Darristea still managed to finish her explanation.
But the words that came out of the king’s mouth next filled her with despair.
En ũ_ṁ ă
“There is no such item,” he said.
Darristea couldn’t believe her ears.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Under the laws of the kingdom, no one is allowed to use spells or drugs to manipulate others. This is because some techniques that directly interfere with the mind can cause permanent harm to the target,” the king explained.
“No way...”
Had Turgis lied to her?
Casting a spell on someone was already an offense in and of itself, especially in front of the royal family, but using a forbidden technique was an even graver crime.
Е nǔ m̆ а̀._ĭ d̃
A certain saying crossed Darristea’s mind.
“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
She had tried to do the right thing, but ended up a criminal. The weight of that realization made it hard for her to breathe. Her shoulders rose and fell as she tried to steady her breathing, and her brother gently stroked her back.
Then, all of a sudden, Lady Wellmy dropped into a curtsy in front of the king.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Do you have something to say, Lady Wellmy Liroud?” he asked.
“There is something I wish to tell you, Your Majesty.”
Е̊n̆úḿ ӑ.ǐ d
“Speak.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I believe I know why Lady Darristea behaved the way she did.”
Lady Wellmy paused and shifted her gaze to Darristea. Was it just her imagination, or was there a hint of kindness in her eyes?
“I suspect that she is under the influence of a mind-control drug.”
Darristea’s brain struggled to process her words. Me...?
As she stood there, confused, her brother spoke up.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Assuming you’re telling the truth, who would have done that to my sister? And to what end?”
Darristea looked up at her brother. The corners of his mouth were raised, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“To frame Wellmy as the culprit of the case you and I are investigating, presumably,” Marquis Ormirage replied.
“I see. Then who is the mastermind who planned all this?”
Lord Ormirage’s perpetually composed gaze traveled from Malefident to Darristea. She once again found herself under the scrutiny of his emotionless periwinkle eyes.
“I believe Lady Darristea may be able to tell us,” he said.
Е̇ñ ŭm а
Lady Wellmy and her entourage—the young men Darristea had initially viewed as evidence of her wrongdoing—had actually been acting to protect the crown prince all along. When she thought of who could have tried to frame her, a name immediately appeared in the back of her mind... But she didn’t want to believe it.
Lord Turgis...?
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“You said that I was under mind control, but I have not ingested any drug. When could they have possibly fed it to me?” Darristea asked.
“There are many ways one could make you ingest a drug without you noticing—by mixing it in your wine, for instance,” Lord Ormirage said matter-of-factly. “But the illegal drug the perpetrator used this time doesn’t require you to consume it directly. It’s some sort of fragrance.”
“A fragrance...?” Darristea echoed.
“Does it ring a bell? Have you noticed a strange scent recently? Like a flower you have never smelled before?”
E n u m̄ â
She had. Lord Turgis had indeed worn a similar fragrance.
So, did he really...?
Her field of vision wavered, and her brother’s grip tightened on her shoulder, steadying her. She leaned against his hands, letting him support her entire body weight, and somehow managed to remain on her feet.
“The illegal drug that has been circulating is a fragrance?” the king, who had been watching the situation unfold, asked Lord Ormirage.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Yes. It’s not powerful enough to compel the target to comply with every command, but if the user is eloquent enough, they can guide the target’s thoughts—without leaving any trace.”
Apparently, the drug in question could make it look like the one being manipulated did everything of their own volition.
Ѐ n ūm̊â . і̇ d̂
Having finished his explanation, Lord Ormirage turned back to Darristea. “Under the best possible circumstances, the wire-puller can make the target their puppet without ever having to reveal their identity. Lady Darristea, answer my question. Have you smelled a strange floral scent recently?”
“I have,” Darristea confessed after a brief moment of hesitation.
Murmurs rose from the crowd.
“Is the person who wore that fragrance the one who gave you the magic item you used on Wellmy?”
“Yes.”
Lord Ormirage’s questions were concise and cold. He continued his interrogation without a single unnecessary word.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“What is their name?”
At this point, Darristea didn’t suspect Lord Ormirage of foul play anymore, but she still struggled to believe what was happening. Still, she couldn’t make excuses in front of the king.
Lowering her eyes, she replied, her voice hoarse, “It was Lord Turgis Deltraute.”
The eyes of the other nobles converged on a single point in the room.
Darristea followed their gazes.
There stood Lord Turgis, his brow furrowed and lips tightly pressed together.
W е b̃n̄ оvê l̂ Еn̆u mӑ
※※※
So far, everything is going according to plan, Wellmy thought, throwing a furtive glance at a certain young lady in the audience.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Theresalo, the daughter of Baron Traff and a prospective saint of the Holy Church, stood among the other nobles, her face as pale as Lady Darristea’s. She was a cute young woman with pink hair and silver eyes. Having noticed Wellmy’s gaze, she gave a small nod, looking as if she were on the brink of collapsing from sheer nervousness.
Meanwhile, Aides and the others’ conversation continued.
“We shall now inspect the magic item used by Lady Darristea Abaccum. Lord of security, take it from her and give it to Count Liroud.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ёn ů ḿ а̃
Lord Malefident approached Lady Darristea and removed the pendant from her neck before giving it to Wellmy’s father. Clartes inspected the incantation engraved in it, then handed it to Aides. They must’ve reached the same conclusion, as they exchanged nods.
“This item works by hypnotizing the target,” Clartes said, turning back to the king. “It doesn’t control their mind—or ‘charm’ them, as we call it. While it is an illegal item that has been amplified, all it does is make the target nod to whatever the speaker suggests.”
Something akin to relief filled the air.
Lady Darristea was the daughter of a duke. If she had committed the serious crime of using a forbidden mind-control technique, it would have had immense consequences on the people around her. Everyone present in this room knew that. After all, it would have directly impacted the fate of not only the Abaccums but their blood relatives as well.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Even before her father’s examination, Wellmy had already had an inkling that the item Lady Darristea had used was only a light hypnotism device. In her hazy consciousness, the only thing she had felt compelled to do was nod.
I’m so sorry, Lady Darristea. She was a girl with strong self-respect, and Wellmy had always had a good impression of her. She had deemed Darristea one of the good ones at the noble academy and had made a point of staying as far away from her as possible.
Ѐ n̊u̇ m å . і̆d̀
Initially, Wellmy had hoped to inform her of the current situation and get Darristea’s help resolving things behind closed doors. Wellmy had had to tread carefully so that the mastermind wouldn’t take notice of her actions, but thinking back, splashing wine on Lady Darristea’s dress had been a bad move.
With no other choice, she had resorted to asking the lord of security to explain things to his sister, but that hadn’t gone to plan either. Wellmy didn’t know what kind of conversation he’d had with Aides, but according to her fiancé, they’d had to change their strategy.
This farce should have only involved her and the young men who had agreed to help her, but Lady Darristea had gotten tangled up in it, her honor stained in the process.
Wellmy was quite dissatisfied by that turn of events.
※※※
Two weeks before the party where the crown prince would introduce his fiancée to high society, Aides went to pay a visit to Malefident to ask him to explain the situation to his sister, Lady Darristea.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
However, the lord of security dismissed his suggestion with a laugh. “Bad idea. She’s much too impulsive. What if we tell her and she does something reckless? That’d be a problem for us.”
“Your sister is under the influence of an illegal drug. Are you really going to leave her like this?” Aides asked.
“You told me that drug poses no risks to her health,” Malefident pointed out.
“It doesn’t.”
Malefident never donned his “agreeable gentleman” façade around Aides. Most of the time, he either wrinkled his nose like he was in a bad mood or wore a sneer on his lips. Aides didn’t mind; he knew that was Malefident’s true nature.
The two of them had been classmates at the noble academy, with Aides consistently ranking at the top of their class while Malefident had followed closely behind. Back then, Malefident had harbored a one-sided rivalry against Aides, but that was in the past. Now, the two of them were on reasonably good terms.
We b̃_n̄ ǒ v̌ e l̆ Е n̊um.á
Some time ago, they had pinned down the location of a production site of the mind-control drug currently circulating. Although the place had been empty when they’d raided it, they had at least managed to secure the drug in question, which they had promptly taken to the magic research institute for analysis. They hadn’t had to wait long for the results: The researchers had found that the drug’s composition perfectly matched one that had been described in a certain research paper they had lying around—though no one knew who had written it or when it had been filed at the institute.
“Magic drug” was an umbrella term that encompassed various chemical substances with different effects and production methods. It was used to refer to any drug that either had direct magical properties or could influence the circulation of magic within living beings. Some were deadly poisons, while others enhanced healing. For instance, the medicine Iora had developed to alleviate the burden of spell-casting on mages was considered a magic drug, as it had magical effects. In other words, not all magic drugs were malicious or harmful.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The one Aides and Malefident were investigating could manipulate the target’s mind, which was a taboo technique, but...
“For some reason, the institute deemed it safe,” Aides said.
The drug didn’t have much binding power: Once it wore off, it left no lasting effects on the target’s body or mind. Conversely, it was difficult to detect, as evidence of its use was almost impossible to find.
“We’ll use it to our advantage, then. It’ll be faster if we let things go according to the perpetrator’s plan,” Malefident said, a hint of disgust crossing his sullen face.
Е̃n ŭ_mȧ
“How heartless. You’re aware this will hurt Lady Darristea’s honor?” Aides remarked.
“I don’t want to hear that from someone who’s making his own fiancée act like a villainess and putting her in dangerous situations,” Malefident shot back.
Aides thought he had a point. Wellmy was happy to act as a decoy for her sister, but from the outside, it did indeed seem as if Aides were using her.
He didn’t refute the other man’s comment. Instead, he decided to move on to the other thing that had been bothering him since the start of his conversation with the lord of security.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“You’re hiding something. What is it?” he asked.
When Aides had learned that the Special Operations Department was investigating the mind-control drug, he had approached Malefident to suggest they pursue the matter together. Back then, he had already felt that something was up.
Еn.ũ m̊ а̀
“Do you have any information on who’s behind this?” he had asked.
“Hard to say,” Malefident had replied evasively. “More importantly, how did you learn that my department is investigating the matter, Aides?”
“I have brilliant shadows in my service. Don’t worry; I didn’t hear it from one of your subordinates,” Aides had said to dispel the other man’s concerns.
Malefident hadn’t even bothered to hide his exasperation. “That’s even scarier,” he’d replied with a sigh.
“Shadows” were agents who specialized in intelligence-gathering and surveillance, and House Ormirage had several in its service. People called it an open secret, but Aides had never intended to hide it in the first place.
“Your house’s information-gathering prowess is more impressive than that of the king’s secret service. What a joke. You could take over the kingdom in the blink of an eye if you felt like it, you menace.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“You’re overestimating my skills. Besides, I have no interest in becoming king. What about your house? Do you secretly covet the throne?”
“You’re as infuriating as ever.”
Aides hadn’t asked his question seriously; he’d simply meant to banter with an old friend. Yet, Malefident had shot a spiteful remark back at him, clearly displeased by the implications behind Aides’s words.
Now, Aides pressed him again. “Spill, Malefident. Is Duke Abaccum behind this?” That was the question that had been weighing on his mind all this time. Was that why Malefident had been so passive during the investigation?
However, the man across him sniffed at his question, visibly unamused. “And here I thought you were perceptive. I suppose I really did overestimate you. Do you truly doubt my loyalty to the Lionel Kingdom?”
“I don’t recall ever saying anything of the sort.”
Е ň ǔm̊ а
“Then why do you imply that I would protect my father if he were the mastermind behind the drug? I know you’re aware of my family’s circumstances.”
“I have a good idea of your father’s intentions, yes.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
As a relative of the former royal family, the current Duke Abaccum wasn’t satisfied with his present status. Aides knew the man wanted his daughter to marry Leo and for his son to become a key figure in the Lionel government.
Aides was also aware that neither of the duke’s children wanted the futures their father had decided for them.
If Malefident was willing to turn a blind eye to his father’s misconduct, it could only mean one thing.
“I see,” Aides said. “Duke Abaccum isn’t the mastermind behind this case. He’s merely a pawn.”
Еn̄ u mа́
“Exactly. That’s why I’m being cautious,” Malefident replied.
In other words, he had an idea of who the individual or organization manipulating his father was, and felt that this case must be resolved as soon as possible, even if Lady Darristea’s reputation had to be sacrificed in the process.
“Darristea is in a convenient position for us. On the outside, we can make it look like this matter concerns only our nation, and that it will be resolved once my father is caught.”
Aides paused. “Is there a need to make that sort of display to the other nations? Which one in particular?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“The Baslam Empire, in the north,” Malefident replied. “It’s highly likely they’re involved in this matter.”
“I see.”
W̊ е b n о̇v̄ ė l Еñ û mà
In other words, if they pursued the matter too far and things turned sour, it could, in the worst-case scenario, trigger a war between the two nations.
“But are you sure you wish to do that to Duke Abaccum?” Aides asked.
Malefident might have disliked his father, but Aides didn’t think he hated the man enough to frame him as the puppet master behind the magic drug case.
“Let me make doubly sure of something: Is the drug Darristea is being subjected to truly harmless?” A glimmer of something lay in Malefident’s red eyes.
Anger and...concern for his younger sister, it seems, Aides surmised.
“I’ve read the research paper and the document describing the experimental results myself. I don’t know how potent the drug is, but I can assure you it won’t affect her health,” he assured.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“My father is guilty of another crime, you see. His Majesty is aware of it, and he’s been letting him roam freely while keeping an eye on him.”
Malefident paused.
“Every night, my father has been burning incense made of the magic drug in Darristea’s room while she sleeps to make sure she’s continuously under its influence.” A dark smile curled on his lips as he revealed the truth to Aides. “And if his plans for Darristea fail, he wants me to kill the crown prince.”
