DTBTHS Chapter 40

"Th-th-that..."

Leda's complexion turned deathly pale. Her eyes darted around as she gasped for breath.

"It hurt terribly. Horr-horrifically. So horrific that I wanted to just die from the pain..."

Leda, who had been muttering on, swayed. The Countess hurriedly supported her.

Ariadne waved her hands in alarm.

"You don't have to tell me if it's too difficult."

"I'm sorry. I need just, just... a little time. Right now, I absolutely can't..."

Leda broke down sobbing again.

She had cried so much her eyes seemed ready to swell shut from tears.

By any measure, she was in no state to speak properly.

It seemed she had developed trauma severe enough to make immediate recall unbearable.

Ariadne knew well how the Duke conducted his experiments.

That made her feel terribly sorry for Leda.

'I was being too impatient for no reason.'

"I know what you must be feeling. I'm sorry for rushing you, madam."

"Y-yes... I'm sorry..."

"Later, after you've recovered somewhat, you can tell me slowly. Rest well for now."

Leda managed a weak smile.

"Thank you."

Leda rested under the physician's care.

Meanwhile, the time came for the subjugation force to depart.

This subjugation would have everyone leaving—the Margrave couple and even the Archmage.

It had already been over fifteen years since the Great Labyrinth appeared.

Both the frequency of labyrinth appearances and the momentum of monsters had increased with each passing year.

Humanity was barely holding its ground thanks to Elixir's emergence.

Without that miraculous potion, the situation would have become far more dire.

However, the problem was the cursed lands that even Elixir couldn't resolve.

Since the Great Labyrinth endlessly spewed contamination, no amount of purification helped.

It was like trying to bail out a flowing river with a bucket.

This year, the cursed lands had swallowed even the Ru'oma Mountain Range that divided the eastern and western continent.

People living around the Ru'oma Mountains had already evacuated.

And that was the problem.

The highland area where Snowstorm Castle stood belonged to the Milro Mountain Range, which branched westward from the north-south Ru'oma Mountains.

Because everyone living west of the Ru'oma Mountains had evacuated, that entire land had become a monster den.

Moreover, monsters pouring out from Ru'oma had begun crossing the mountain range into Milro.

If left unchecked, Weaver would be endangered.

Under these circumstances, Weaver had no choice but to commit fully to subjugation.

The Margrave couple and the Archmage hesitated until just before departure.

With Leda having fled to Weaver, Duke Eldier might attempt something.

Normally they would reduce the subjugation force and leave one of the three behind, but the situation didn't allow such luxury.

"Erich, I'm counting on you."

"Veronica, I entrust Ariadne to you."

"If those Eldier bastards come, absolutely do not let them inside."

Eventually they departed after repeated entreaties.

Only Erich, serving as acting lord, and Veronica, who had to protect Ariadne, remained at Weaver.

Erich deployed people to monitor Duke Eldier's movements.

Ariadne had sent Simon to Axel's side and planned not to leave Snowstorm Castle until winter's end.

Ten days after the subjugation force departed.

Leda sent word that she had resolved to speak.

Ariadne entered the drawing room with Erich.

Leda Picaro was already waiting there.

Perhaps thanks to resting and recovering, the sickly pallor had left her face.

With flushed cheeks, she placed a small bundle on the table.

"Um, Ariadne, before we talk, could you accept this first?"

"What is this, madam?"

Erich interjected. Leda answered hesitantly.

"Well... it's, it's a spirit lamp. Things turned out this way, but I'm still going to be Ariadne's mother, aren't I? I had nothing to do while resting, so I tried making one..."

"You made a spirit lamp yourself?"

"It's, it's nothing impressive. I asked the castle's craftsman to make the lamp itself—I only made the knotted cord myself. Honestly, it might not be worthy of giving to the Young Duchess..."

Leda hung her head, flushed red.

Ariadne carefully unwrapped the bundle.

Removing the wrapping paper revealed a dainty silver spirit lamp.

White spirit stone powder filled it completely, with a knotted cord woven from blue and white thread attached like a necklace.

The knot where it connected to the lamp was an intricate flower shape.

It clearly showed the care put into making it.

Erich picked it up first and surreptitly inspected it with magic.

'Just an ordinary spirit lamp.'

No other magic was attached. He'd been wary for nothing, it seemed.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and set the spirit lamp down before Ariadne.

When she only looked at it silently, Leda spoke while reading the room.

"In, in Picaro, mothers make knots themselves to attach to their children's spirit lamps. They make them as talismans while wishing for the child to live long and healthy... This is my first time making one, so it's, it's clumsy, isn't it?"

"No, it's pretty."

Ariadne smiled faintly.

Though she'd said Leda was legally her stepmother, she had no intention whatsoever of treating Leda as a mother.

Having decided not to regard the Duke as her father, how could she regard a woman who married the Duke as her stepmother?

'But this person feels differently, it seems.'

Her feelings were complicated.

So she smiled more brightly and added:

"It's truly pretty. Thank you."

She lifted the spirit lamp and hung it around her neck. Leda's face brightened.

"Th-thank you for accepting it, Ariadne."

"Not at all. I should be grateful for receiving such a special gift. I'll treasure it."

"To have the Young Duchess treasure it is truly an honor."

Leda answered with flushed cheeks.

Ariadne set the spirit lamp on her bedroom nightstand and lay down on the bed.

"Sweet dreams, miss."

"You too, Lucy."

Lucy turned off the light and left.

Dim moonlight seeping through the window fell upon the spirit lamp on the nightstand.

Ariadne lay there gazing vacantly at the spirit stone powder glowing inside the glass.

After giving the spirit lamp, Leda had quietly explained what had been done to her.

A room at the top of a tower sealed with iron doors. A chair with shackles. Syringes.

The content matched exactly the memories of the study that sometimes appeared in her nightmares.

'The only difference is the liquid's color. She said it was transparent.'

Was the Duke planning to create a different potion to replace Elixir? Through human experimentation again?

Her teeth ground together. She gripped the blanket tightly.

'Trash. A creature worse than demons.'

She wanted to kill him. How wonderful it would be if she could just kill him.

'If Leda testifies, could we send the Duke to the gallows? No, attempting human experimentation alone would be insufficient.'

She fell asleep while pondering how to deal with the Duke.

Her large blinking eyes closed, and small breathing sounds spread through the room.

As night deepened, the moon gradually waned. An owl hooted softly in the darkness.

Hoot, hoot, hoot. The rhythm was oddly regular.

Suddenly Ariadne sat up.

She looked out the window with vacant eyes, then squirmed out of bed.

Hoot, hoot, hoot.

The regular rhythm continued.

Ariadne staggered toward the sound.

Past Veronica's bedroom right next to hers, down the stairs barefoot with soft footfalls.

The owl sounds came from the greenhouse.

The girl walked into the flower thicket as if entranced.

The tea table where they'd sat and talked during the day.

Leda, sitting in a white chair playing a small flute, greeted Ariadne with a radiant smile.

"Welcome, Young Duchess. Can't sleep?"

When she lowered the flute, the owl sounds stopped.

The moment the sound ceased, Ariadne swayed and collapsed.

"Oh my, she's fallen asleep again."

Leda caught the girl as if she'd been waiting.

She lightly lifted the sleeping child and covered the conspicuous platinum hair with a black cloak.

The greenhouse had a door leading outside.

Though firmly locked and warded with magic, opening it from inside was simple.

Outside the greenhouse was a snow-covered garden.

Leda Picaro carried Ariadne out into the garden.

Her lips moved. A humming-like whisper circled quietly.

It was a magic incantation.

A gentle wind flew up and lifted her body into the air.

Leda Picaro's footprints carved in the white snowfield stopped abruptly in the middle of the garden.

The next morning, Lucy, who had gone to wake Ariadne, screamed.

"Miss!"

Veronica, who had been dozing half-asleep outside the bedroom, rushed inside.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the empty bed.

Ariadne had vanished like smoke during the night.