The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

The gruesome blood-stained banquet finally ended, leaving a somber atmosphere in the palace.

As the night passed, dawn broke, bringing in the morning sun.

Exhausted but unable to sleep, Alice stared out the window endlessly.

*Knock, knock.*

“Come in.”

Her attendant, Cecilia, entered.

“How did it go?”

“Luna and members of the Garam Magic Society were all taken by the palace knights. There will likely be intensive investigations in the coming days.”

Alice wasn’t surprised; this was already expected.

With Luna Rainriver confirmed to possess the Daze Stone, they were inevitably the prime suspects in the recent events.

Alice sighed heavily, feeling a mix of emotions.

“Is something troubling you?”

Cecilia inquired.

Alice hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Cecilia.”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember when I was nine years old and received my first gift from Brother Aschel?”

“Of course. You were so interested in magic, and he gave you a magic scroll. I remember how much you loved it.”

A magic scroll, a type of disposable magical artifact.

It could be used with just mana, without any specific incantations or complicated formulas.

Thus, it was often used as educational material for apprentice wizards or new students entering the academy.

“Although people praised me as a prodigy, that scroll was of a level even I couldn’t activate back then. But Brother Aschel said something when he gave it to me.”

Alice couldn’t forget his words.

“He said, ‘When you become capable of using this scroll, something extraordinary will happen. Perhaps everyone in the world will look at you. I hope to see that before you enter the academy…’”

At first, it sounded like heartwarming advice.

However, if Aschel truly meant it that way, Alice couldn’t maintain her stoic expression now.

“Guess what? Do you know I still have that scroll?”

Alice retrieved a worn scroll from a small dimensional box on the desk.

As if to show Cecilia directly, she unrolled the scroll.

“I can still use this. It’s in perfect condition, without any tears or damage. However…”

“…!”

Cecilia’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Alice, could it be…?”

From her perspective, it was definitely not a magic scroll.

“Yes. It’s not a magic scroll; it’s a summoning scroll. Moreover, it can summon demonic beasts…”

Carved in crimson on the blue parchment was a magic circle.

It was undoubtedly a summoning scroll capable of summoning lower-level demonic beasts in the frontlines.

“How long have you known?”

“Since you were about fourteen? I was focused on my studies at the time and had forgotten about it for a while, but I remembered and took it out again. Since my grade was around four stars at the time, I thought I could use it without any problem. I was truly shocked. Can you believe it? I was just a naive kid back then, and I didn’t know this scroll was a summoning scroll…”

Activating the scroll required only mana that met the conditions.

It responded only to the caster’s mana, without the need for any spell, allowing it to be activated even if the user didn’t know the scroll’s true nature.

“I got chills that day. If I had activated this scroll back then, I would have faced the demons without any defense…”

The memories of that day resurfaced, and Alice placed her hand on her chest.

“Then, did you have thoughts like these again? Did Brother really believe I could activate this scroll? What if I had actually activated it? What would have happened to me? Wasn’t Brother Aschel actually hoping for what would happen after I activated this scroll?”

Alice spoke resolutely with a numb face.

“Did Master Aschel say anything?”

Cecilia’s face grew increasingly serious.

“He asked me once. If I still had the scroll he gave me. So I said I lost it…”

“Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know, it just felt like the right thing to do. Maybe he didn’t even know what that scroll was. So I thought he might not know. Then Brother Aschel seemed very disappointed. But…”

Emotions surged, and Alice clenched her fist.

“That expression wasn’t that of someone who didn’t know. He knew from the beginning, and it was a look of real disappointment because I couldn’t activate the scroll. It was like he wished something really bad would happen to me…”

Why? Why? For what reason?

Her blood-related brother and family member, why did he commit such a terrible act against her?

Alice still didn’t understand his motives.

“But this time, it seems like Brother gave another gift. This time, it wasn’t for me; it was for Cyan…”

“For the youngest master?”

“Yeah. It seemed to be a bow tie, but the maid who was supposed to give it to Cyan seems to have lost it. So he didn’t receive it…”

As it had only been a few hours since the incident, Alice remembered it vividly.

With regret and a negative aura, the look in his eyes was so similar to the emotions she had encountered in the past that Alice thought the gift wouldn’t be good for Cyan.

‘Your younger brother might be far more remarkable than you think.’

The words the Duke had spoken in the past came to Alice’s mind.

It was just a passing moment, but Alice could clearly feel from Cyan’s gaze a sentiment that seemed to deny him, as if he knew everything about him.

“Does Cyan know something?”

Alice wondered.

She hoped that, as the Duke had said, Cyan had truly grown into a remarkable figure.

Someone who could surpass her and even surpass Aschel, becoming the new successor of the family.

* * *

The chaotic night of the banquet had passed, and it was already the third day.

The nobles who had attended the banquet were all released after undergoing a series of investigations, and most of them fled the palace as if escaping.

The Empire had not yet determined the culprit of this incident.

However, since the Garam Magic Society was identified as a likely suspect, the investigations continued within the palace premises.

By the way, my sister and I didn’t undergo any investigation at all.

It’s not because we had alibis.

Someone must have intervened to exclude us from the list of suspects, purely for their own sake.

Whatever words come out of my mouth, they won’t be good for them.

“I never imagined that my first dining experience at the palace would be at such an ordinary tavern. My life is truly bizarre…”

Brian comforted Emily, who was despondent with her nose on the table.

“Well, what can we do? Given the circumstances, all the upscale restaurants have closed their doors…”

With rumors spreading about the appearance of criminals in the palace, many high-end restaurants had ceased operations.

“This kind of tavern is widespread even in Velias! Do you even know how to drink?”

“Well, not really, but…”

“Nana can eat! I don’t mind anything when it comes to food!”

“What are you doing letting a maid drink with you? Where did you get your maid training?”

For some reason, I felt like returning that remark exactly as it was.

“…..”

A familiar feeling washed over me as I turned my gaze.

I got up from my seat.

“Are you going to drink, sir?”

Before she could ask, Emily asked if I was going to drink.

At any rate, she’s quite perceptive.

“Oh, help yourself.”

I immediately left the restaurant and headed for a corner alley where I felt a presence.

There, leaning against the wall with a hooded black coat, was Silica, the owner of the tavern.

Without small talk, I went straight to the point.

“What are you going to do about the maid?”

The maid was obviously Emily.

“For now, I don’t plan to send her away. There’s no point in sending her away. If she doesn’t talk, they probably won’t bother her over there either.”

“Good idea. Speaking of which, a maid who had handed over the pendant to the princess just bit her tongue and committed suicide. They probably intervened beforehand.”

It was tail cutting.

They were trying to prove that they had nothing to do with it.

If I hadn’t destroyed the bow tie Emily gave me and kept it, she might have ended up in the same situation.

“How is the Garam Magic Society handling this?”

“For now, it seems like they’re prioritizing searching for those who brought the Daze Stone to the forefront. They’re probably trying to cut off ties as well. Since chairman Regens even sent his granddaughter, it’s unlikely they planned such a thing as a group.”

Even if they’re not directly involved, it’s undeniable that the culprit is related to the Garam Magic Society in some way.

However this matter unfolded, it was bound to lead to sensitive friction between the Ushif Empire and the Garam Kingdom in the future.

Things were unlikely to calm down anytime soon.

“That aside, Cyan, how did you know?”

The leader approached with a bright smile, taking a step forward.

“W-What do you mean?”

“The fact that I am engaged to Drenian. It was a secret engagement within the family, and very few knew about it. How did our heir find out?”

As her hand seemed to move towards my neck, she gently pulled me in, preventing any escape.

I chuckled nervously, avoiding eye contact.

“As I mentioned before, a disciple knows the future of their master…”

“Speak properly…!”

As if to discourage any attempt to dodge, her grip tightened, and just as I was sweating in embarrassment and confusion…

Smoke emerged from within my embrace, causing the leader’s face to stiffen.

[What did you learn from my warning?]

Kaeram, who appeared from the mist, gently removed the leader’s hand from my neck, smiling with a chilling coldness that sent shivers down my spine.

[You should be grateful for not marrying that old toad. Is it necessary to torment such an innocent and righteous master?]

The leader, as if unwilling to back down, also smiled awkwardly and said.

“Kaeram is really mean. I heard you knew everything about the plans but didn’t properly inform Cyan about Luna’s potential involvement in the plan… Well, I’m not unaware of the nature of the demonic sword. I wonder if you’re not being too greedy.”

[Oh? Isn’t it inappropriate for someone who tried to kill her fiancé under the guise of a mission to say such things? Why didn’t you say from the beginning that he was your fiancé to the members? Was it that embarrassing to reveal?]

“Well, I think it’s better to be a servant for hundreds of years than to have no men at all…”

It seemed another disturbance would occur if this continued, so it was time to break it up.

I controlled Kaeram’s movements and nodded respectfully to the leader.

“See you at the academy, Leader.”

Kaeram naturally caused a commotion.

[Why don’t you let go of me? I didn’t like that damn bitch from the beginning! Who is doing what?]

I’ve been struggling to handle them, and I couldn’t understand why they were causing trouble together.

After barely containing her anger, Kaeram looked at me and said.

[Don’t you dare turn to me now. I didn’t really enjoy this! What’s the point of having fun with just a hundred or so people left?]

She was quite astute, our demonic sword.

I have no complaints.

In fact, it was because of her that their plans were thwarted like this.

“I have nothing to say. Rather, I should be thankful.”

[…..!]

It seemed my words were unexpected.

[Well! Be grateful that I was here! Where can you find a beautiful sword like me?]

I wouldn’t deny it.

As I said, she is my only beloved sword that cannot be found anywhere else in this world.

It seems I need to control her better in the future…

The meeting with the leader over, I headed back to the tavern where Emily and the others were.

It must have been some time already, and I returned to my seat, thinking that they had already cleared one table of our meal.

“…?”

For a moment, I frowned, thinking I had seen it wrong.

Emily and Brian, who were just as confused as me, and Nana, who seemed to be paying no attention and focusing on her meal.

And…

“Welcome, Senior Cyan.”

Another face greeted me with a natural expression.