MHHC Chapter 50

The Trap

Choices, he said. Adele rolled Valentin's words slowly around in her mouth.

Though he was a demon rather than human, no one could demonstrate greater insight into humanity than this.

For humans, power had always been authority.

'I can't forget.'

She'd been treated as less than a freeloader at Reichenau for lacking power, and yet she'd had to endure her father's long abuse because she might possess some latent power.

After all, the Count had long been obsessed with the hypothesis that Adele might awaken tremendous healing abilities if her life were threatened.

'Though it's rather unfair that misunderstanding originated from some strange oracle.'

According to Greta's rambling words, there had been some oracle when she was born.

She didn't know the content perfectly. She'd heard even now only a few people had access to the original text.

'Father Padre and the Pope, and my father, perhaps? Greta seemed to have heard it secondhand.'

Looking back, everything had been because of that oracle.

Past the toddler years when expectations had been enormous, through age seven or eight when she'd received looks insisting this couldn't be right, past fifteen marked by disgust and disappointment...

The Count had held onto her with truly vicious persistence.

Then when she was finally proven useless—a freeloader—the Count changed her treatment from maid-like to worse than any maid.

Yet even amid all that, his having her name carved into the slate to exploit her marriage prospects remained surprising.

'As though he'd had a premonition I'd sell for a high price.'

"Deep in... thought..."

Valentin gently touched the point of her chin. Adele emerged groggily from her reverie.

Yes, ultimately the conclusion was singular. As he'd said, more choices were always advantageous.

"For now, I'll practice magic as you suggested."

"A wise... choice. Then come to me every... evening from now on."

"To you, Valentin?"

"It's difficult... alone, isn't it? Once you've gathered some magic, I'll teach you... how to handle it too."

His tone carried an air of coaxing somehow.

Adele narrowed her eyes, then nodded, realizing there was no alternative.

Only Valentin could teach her how to control magic.

"I can't say I'm completely... without ulterior motives, though."

At his leisurely addition, Adele pressed her lips together.

At the same moment Valentin turned his head toward the door sensing a presence, the sound of knocking came.

It was Margaret.

"Your Grace. And Your Grace the Grand Duchess. Preparations for departure are complete."

"We'll come down... shortly, so wait... downstairs."

"Yes."

At Valentin's command, the sound of footsteps receded.

He looked at Adele with regret, then spread his palm and cupped her cheek.

"I'd planned to spend a bit more... time with you."

"It's all right. I've been resting plenty inside the carriage."

"Liar. I know you haven't slept a wink... while the carriage was moving."

How on earth did he know? When he'd been leading the party from the very front this entire journey.

"You're such a... light sleeper too."

If you'd handled the carriage well, you'd have succumbed to temptation long ago. Valentin's eyes seemed to reproach her thus.

Though even that reproach wasn't sincere, delivered with such a clear smile.

Adele's gaze was captured by that smile, and she only came to her senses after Valentin's face had drawn suddenly close.

He curved his lips playfully, then tilted his smooth chin at an angle. In an instant, their lips brushed.

"Ah..."

The moment their soft lips entangled briefly like mischief then separated, she felt warmth left behind in her mouth.

The warmth was solid as candy. The moment she rolled it gently around her mouth and swallowed, warm heat spread throughout her body.

The fatigue that had remained stubbornly even after bathing vanished cleanly.

When Adele looked at him with surprised eyes, he grinned.

"You didn't rest... properly. I thought you needed something to... restore your energy, even a little."

"You can do this with magic too?"

"I told you. The... source is the same. Anything possible with holy power is... all possible with the magic you use."

To think one could restore energy and aid recovery with magic as well.

Adele's eyes filled to the brim with sparkling enthusiasm. He exhaled a hollow laugh.

"So practice... diligently."

"I will."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow... evening. Don't be late."

"Yes."

When she answered obediently, Valentin looked at her with somewhat strange eyes.

Then suddenly, with a face that had become indifferent, he left the room.

What should she call it? The magic Valentin had cast? Or a cluster of magical power? Regardless, the efficacy of that energy was quite remarkable.

When she hadn't received that energy, riding the carriage for several hours straight had left her muscles aching and her back hurting, but now she felt refreshed down to the smallest muscle fiber.

It felt almost as though she'd been reborn.

The motion sickness that had plagued her persistently for the first few days no longer troubled her either.

Seeing her face had grown noticeably more comfortable, Valentin shared his energy with her every evening.

"That blue gem set in the dagger."

Adele jerked her head up in surprise.

After several days of effort trying to feel the magic, she'd finally managed to make a very faint light settle into the stone.

And the moment she did, Margaret brought up the gem with uncanny timing, so she couldn't help but flinch.

When she stared openly, Margaret continued matter-of-factly.

"Sometimes when it's dark, it seems to sparkle, which is curious."

"...Ah."

"Even now, it looks somehow bluish, almost like it's glowing on its own."

Adele laughed nervously, feeling caught. "Does it?"

Braced for the possibility Margaret might press further, she worried over excuses, but Margaret quickly lost interest in the gem.

It seemed she'd spoken without particular intent from the start.

Margaret promptly forgot the gem entirely, her face turning to glance at the carriage window.

"Your Grace, aren't you hungry?"

"A bit. But we still seem to have quite a way before reaching Ingrid's Wall..."

"Indeed. Oh my, I don't even know if we'll make it today. I think we're just now passing the Ziklo mountain range..."

"If it doesn't work out, we'll have to march through the night again."

Though it was forest road, the Talia Road was well-maintained, so traveling all night posed no great problem.

How much farther had they traveled? She felt the carriage gradually slowing. Adele emerged groggily from sleep.

She could hardly believe she'd actually dozed off.

She must have grown accustomed to the swaying carriage by now, and to the presence of soldiers and knights maintaining flawless escort.

"What's happening?"

"I wonder. We're suddenly slowing down. Perhaps we're approaching a village?"

Margaret set down her needlework in its basket and pressed her nose right against the window.

But to say they were approaching a village, the surroundings remained dark and the trees remained densely packed. Then came the sound of someone knocking at the window.

"Your Grace. Are you available now?"

Adele opened the window slightly. Though it was early spring, the sharp night air rushed into the carriage.

"What is it, Donovan?"

"Trees and stones have collapsed ahead, blocking the road. It seems to be the aftermath of a landslide or earthquake. It appears you'll need to wait briefly while it's cleared."

"Will we depart immediately after clearing it?"

"Yes. It seems so. Since the capital is drawing closer, opinions have tilted toward everyone making the effort and pushing on. A comfortable bed and properly seasoned food are starting to call to us, after all."

"I see..."

Seeing her somber expression, Donovan asked cautiously.

"Are you worried?"

"I'm just concerned everyone might be pushing too hard. We've been riding continuously for two full days since resting at that last inn. I wonder if it's all right not to rest..."

"Come now. The person Your Grace worries about is someone else entirely, isn't it?"

Klaus approached and teased her with a grin.

Judging by the armfuls of firewood he carried, it seemed they planned to light fires and prepare simple food during the wait.

Already fires were blooming here and there in spots set back from the road.

"The Grand Duke is perfectly fine. He even volunteered to scout the surroundings."

"Scout?"

"Two knights did accompany him as escort. Since this is still land where demons appear, I suppose he wanted to take a look."

She gazed at the dark forest path.

Though she knew Valentin wasn't an ordinary human, the forest where one couldn't see an inch ahead felt somehow eerie.

"Don't worry. His stamina was always tremendous, but since reawakening, how should I put it... In a good way, he seems to have far surpassed human limits? Anyway, he'll return soon."

She nodded as though agreeing, but soon unable to overcome her restlessness, she descended from the carriage.

Since there would apparently be no 'lesson' this evening anyway, she thought to help with something. Carrying firewood, or tending the horses...

Margaret made stern expressions whenever she did this, but memories of stepping forward to do menial work for years couldn't be erased so simply.

A pot full of water was hung over the campfire. Soon Donovan, having ladled out some of the vigorously boiling water, floated dried herbs in it and handed her a cup.

"Please drink. It will warm your body and aid recovery."

"Now that I think about it, this is curious."