Chapter 128: Disguise
Kael blinked several times, feeling completely dumbfounded by what he had just heard. Was she being serious right now? Someone broke a window, and that didn't automatically mean it had to be the masked man, right? He always thought that breaking through a window was the kind of thing villains did to look cool and dramatic, like some kind of theatrical entrance. So in his mind, anyone could have wanted to do that just for the effect alone. Then why would anyone specifically suspect the masked man of doing it? The thought honestly didn't make much sense to him.
Seraphina stared at him for a few long seconds, her expression far too serious for his liking, though not long after, that seriousness vanished and was replaced with her usual indifferent look as she spoke, "You know what... I'm actually joking with you. Don't take it too seriously... at least for now."
Kael stood there in silence, unsure what expression he should make or even what he should think. Since when did Seraphina start joking with him like that? The problem was that her face always looked so serious, so even when she joked, it was hard to tell if she truly meant it or not. Still, something about it felt strange, almost deliberate, as if she had some reason for saying it that way. But whatever it was, he couldn't figure it out, and honestly, he didn't want to guess.
Out loud, of course, he didn't show any of those thoughts on his face and instead just asked, "Joking? Seraphina, do you really think this is the right time to joke like that? Sure, maybe you suspect me of being that masked bastard, but that doesn't mean you have to keep bringing him up in front of me every chance you get. Anyway, let's just forget that for now... just tell me what you meant by something being off about Arienne's kidnapping?"
Seraphina didn't answer immediately. Instead, she walked past him, her quiet footsteps carrying a strange kind of confidence, and with just a small motion of her hand, she hinted for him to follow. As she moved ahead, her calm, even tone finally returned, "Are you still struggling to find the actual truth, Kael? If you looked carefully, you'd notice there were no scratches or marks on the floor near the broken window, which means the window was shattered by an elemental spell, something similar to a strong gust of wind. Regardless, even though they didn't need to break the glass, they still did it anyway, much like the masked man would. That alone tells me they wanted to make it look as if he was the one behind the kidnapping."
Kael stopped for a moment, blinking a few times as the realization sank in. How did he miss something like that? He had thought the broken window was just a bold challenge from whoever did it, some kind of message that no one could catch them, but now that he thought about it, maybe it was all just an attempt to frame someone else instead. Frame him, to be exact. He already had a few ideas about who might be behind it, and none of them were pleasant.
Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "But why do you think the kidnapper is trying to frame that bastard? I mean, it could just as easily be him, like you said before. So what makes you so sure? What are your reasons for trusting him in this?"
Seraphina stopped for a moment and glanced back at him over her shoulder. There was something strange in her expression, something calm but distant, as if she was thinking about something far beyond the room they were in. "I have my own reasons, Kael. And I can't tell you those reasons... and you're not allowed to know them either. But you're mistaken if you think I trust him. I don't trust criminals, not even a single one."
Kael studied her for a while, his expression unreadable. Of course, he knew she wouldn't tell him what was going on in her mind, and it was expected at this point. She was not the type to share her reasons, not with him, especially since he was still her main suspect. She probably had her own way of dealing with things, her own plan to catch whoever was behind all this, and knowing her, it would definitely be something unpleasant enough to make him worry for days. Well, that sounded like a problem for his future self to deal with, not his current one.
As she resumed walking, he followed behind until they both reached the sofa. When he caught up beside her, he asked, "I can understand that, but how exactly are we supposed to find Arienne with just this little bit of information? Do you have any ideas?"
Seraphina paused for a moment as if thinking, then replied evenly, "That's a good question. Earlier today, the knights assigned to the case questioned the people living near the mansion to see if anyone had heard any strange noises or noticed anything suspicious last night."
Kael's curiosity grew instantly. "Did they find anything?"
Seraphina had already begun ascending the staircase, her movements graceful and unhurried as she continued speaking, "Yes, they did find something, although not much. Apparently, no one heard any sound, which isn't surprising considering how large the mansion is inside and out. But there was one person who claimed to have seen a silhouette running out of the mansion and heading north, after midnight. The witness couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman due to the darkness, and to make it worse that person happened to be drunk at the time, they assumed it was just their imagination. Still, that's the only clue the knights have managed to uncover."
Kael followed her up the steps, his mind turning rapidly. "North? You mean north from Arienne's mansion? But that would lead in the opposite direction from where I was last night, right?"
Seraphina's pace never slowed as she answered, "That's correct. You could even say the kidnapper went behind me as well, though from quite some distance away. But you seem to have missed one important detail, Kael. The witness said it was after midnight, which means the kidnapping most likely happened between the time you were keeping an eye on Arwyn and when you fell asleep."
After midnight? Of course, he didn't actually miss that part, he ignored it only to show that even some words could slip past his otherwise keen mind.
As they reached the second floor, Kael paused and spoke in a subtle tone, "So that's why you thought the masked man couldn't be the one behind the kidnapping, because he was there fighting when it happened. Of course, you might have your own other reasons, whatever they are, but I can only think of that... for now."
Soon, they found themselves walking through the long corridor of the mansion which was, in its own way, quite beautiful as they made their way toward their room. The soft light of the wall lamps reflected against the polished marble floor, casting their shadows along the walls.
Seraphina's eyes wandered quietly from one end of the corridor to the other, her gaze moving without any particular focus as if she was lost in thought. It felt somewhat strange, walking side by side toward the same room, toward the same bed, but she didn't seem to mind that much, and as for Kael... he didn't care even a little.
After a short silence, Seraphina finally spoke again, her voice calm but distant, "You can say that. But before we go further, first of all, tell me everything you know about the curse known as the Brand of Withering."
Kael replied immediately, "You mean the curse Arienne had been suffering from before I cured her."
Seraphina gave a single nod, "Yes, that curse."
Kael thought for a moment before answering, his tone turning serious as he said, "To start with, you should know that the Brand of Withering isn't the kind of curse you come across very often. It's a rather different one. It doesn't only weaken a person's body but also drains away their life force, making them look almost hollow. It rots the skin, turns the veins dark and visible, and leaves the entire body pale and lifeless as if all the warmth has been drawn out. Those who suffer from it can't move or even speak, their bodies stop responding as if they're already half-dead. It's that kind of curse... the kind that makes you wonder if the victim is still human at all."
Seraphina's eyes turned colder as she listened, her expression unreadable for a moment until the little crack appeared in her composure. Her fingertips brushed lightly against her chin as if something had just connected inside her mind. That description... wasn't it the same one that would be used for those creatures she had fought before, those monsters who had once been human? Could this curse be somehow connected to the same reason behind the creation of those mana liquids, the very same that the Queen must've used to turn humans into monsters? The thought unsettled her, but there was no way to be certain. She wasn't a researcher, and until Linaria, the MIMR researcher, confirmed anything, she could only speculate.
Seeing the confusion flicker across Seraphina's face, Kael continued after a moment of silence, "And you should know that Arienne's curse wasn't just any ordinary one. It had been placed by someone with a deliberate and cruel intention, that much I can tell."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly, her voice carrying a note of interest, "Are you certain about that, Kael?"
Kael turned his gaze away, his tone low and somber as he answered, "Yes, I'm more than sure. The Brand of Withering isn't a natural curse that's born within someone's body or comes through bloodlines. It's a curse that must be created and placed by a person, and whoever does it intends for the victim to suffer."
Seraphina remained silent, her eyes studying him as her thoughts began to spiral. What exactly was Kael trying to tell her? Could it be true? He was a healer, someone who could sense and remove curses through his unique healing element, so he would know more about them than she ever could. That alone made his words difficult to ignore. If what he said was true, then the curse that had afflicted Virion's childhood friend might have also been placed by someone, meaning her death hadn't been natural either. Could her death have been a murder? And if that was the case, could that murder have led to Virion's own death later?
And then there was Arienne's kidnapping.
She began to suspect that both incidents were somehow connected, bound together by this same curse. It could be a coincidence, yes, but to her, nothing seemed like coincidence anymore. Kael's explanation had only made things clearer in her mind... there had to be more than one person involved, possibly several, all working behind the scenes. But the biggest question of all remained the same: who was the one truly behind the kidnapping?
It would be easy to blame the Queen if the Brand of Withering was indeed tied to the mana liquid that turned humans into monsters, since that substance was created by human hands as well. But if the Queen was indeed behind that, then was she also involved in the murders too? And if that was the case, then what about the masked man? The two clearly seemed to be enemies, but their involvement only made everything more tangled and confusing than before.
"Calm down, Seraphina..." she told herself in her own thought, "... you might be thinking too much, building endless possibilities out of nothing. What you need now is to focus on finding Arienne and earning the reward your foolish husband had promised. That should be your goal for now. So, calm yourself... and think carefully."
Finally, she took a deep breath and stared at Kael with an intense gaze, trying to calm herself down, although it hardly seemed to work in the way she hoped.
But what confused her more was that Kael, instead of waiting quietly, had already stepped back from her, forcing an awkward smile as his hands instinctively rose in surrender. Was she truly that bad at calming herself down? Or was he just acting strange again? But what was the reason for that strange act... it's not like she was some kind of monster, right?
She frowned slightly and began walking toward him with quiet steps.
At the same time, feeling the weight of her gaze bearing down on him, Kael couldn't help but wonder if he had somehow said something wrong to her. He had only been speaking the truth as far as he knew, so what could have possibly upset her? Was she thinking that he was lying? That would be terrible if so. He liked seeing her reaction whenever she became angry or flustered, but this time there was no fun in it since he hadn't meant to tease her at all.
"Damn... I should really think before opening my mouth next time."
When she took another step toward him, he naturally took another step back. It seemed like the wisest thing to do in that moment, especially since her expression looked far too unreadable for comfort. She wasn't going to kill him, right?
Fortunately, she didn't.
Instead, her face grew still again, her expression unreadable as the air around her seemed to grow heavier.
Seeing that, Kael exhaled quietly, feeling the tension leaving his shoulders. Then he forced a light smile and asked in his usual tone, "Darling... uh, did you find something now?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly at him.
Find something? She almost did before he distracted her completely with his nonsense. Thinking back to what she was considering earlier, she finally pieced something together in her mind. If Arienne had been kidnapped by the Queen, and if she had also been afflicted by the same curse which turned humans into monsters, then there was a strong possibility that her kidnapping had been connected to the Queen's goals. That could only mean one thing... the Queen might have wanted to turn her into a monster. That's why she kidnapped Arienne.
A chill ran through her body as she clenched her fists tightly. What kind of monster would do something like that to a child? She had only known the little girl for a single day, but that was enough to understand what kind of person she was.
Arienne was sweet and curious, her tongue a little sharp but her heart so full of warmth. She might know strange things from reading all sorts of bizarre books, but in the end, she was still a child. Not long ago, that child had been on the verge of death because of the curse, and now that she had finally recovered, she wanted to chase her dream of becoming an adventurer. She had even asked to be trained by a weak adventurer like Kael. That was amusing in a way, but her dream was not something to laugh at, nor was her determination. She was someone who deserved far better. No one had the right to steal away another person's humanity. Not even that so-called Queen.
Kael noticed the sudden change in Seraphina's expression as she turned her gaze toward him, her eyes gleaming with blue flames that almost seemed alive. The look she gave him made his skin crawl, and before he could even say anything, she spoke in a voice as cold as frost, "I did. Let's go and hunt that kidnapper, Kael."
"W-what? Now? But how?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.
---
Some time later, Kael was leaning against the wall beside Seraphina's personal room, his arms crossed while his heel lightly kicked the wall behind him. His brows were furrowed in mild irritation as the silence stretched on endlessly, filling the narrow corridor with a kind of emptiness that made him even more uncomfortable the longer he stayed there. She had told him to wait outside while she changed her clothes before going out, and of course, that wasn't something hard to do. Still, the time kept slipping by slowly, and the stillness of the place only deepened his boredom.
"Ugh... this woman, just how many hours does she need just to change into a normal dress? It's not as if she's going to a royal banquet or some fancy evening ball. No matter what she does, whether it's bathing or changing or just preparing herself, she takes an eternity. I will never understand women."
Even as he complained to himself, he could feel his own heartbeat thumping in a strange rhythm, almost as if something inside him refused to calm down. It wasn't really boredom that troubled him, not entirely at least. The thought that she was changing inside, only a few steps away from him, made his heart skip every now and then. No matter how hard he tried, his mind kept wandering somewhere it shouldn't.
He sighed and muttered under his breath, "Clear mind, you fool. If she ever finds out what's running in your head right now, you're as good as dead."
He shook his head and took a few slow breaths to settle himself. Still, a question remained at the back of his mind... how was she planning to find Arienne exactly? Since she was the Knight Captain, she must have access to a great number of reports, maybe even confidential ones, that no one else could see. Surely, she had already handed over whatever information she could to the search groups. It was her duty, after all. Perhaps those knights were already investigating that mysterious ally who made everyone in the mansion fall asleep that night. Or maybe not. Either way, only she knew what direction she was following.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the sound of the door opening broke through his thoughts. Kael turned his head, and the moment Seraphina stepped out and closed the door behind her, he found himself frozen where he stood.
She had changed into a dark gown with long sleeves, one far slimmer than the thick gowns she usually wore. But even though the gown shaped around her frame with a quiet elegance, she had chosen it in such a way that no one could ever guess at her figure. If someone could, she would never dare to wear it. Despite that, she looked even more striking than before. Her silver hair was no longer silver... it had turned into golden silk, tied neatly into a bun at the back of her head. Her eyes, however, remained as cold and blue as they always had been.
For a second, Kael could hardly speak. It was strange, because the image before him felt so familiar and yet so far away. She looked almost exactly like she had on their wedding day, but somehow, she also resembled Serelina... her little sister. He had no idea how she managed to change her hair color, but she did, and that somehow made her appear even more beautiful, and at the same time, unrecognizable.
When she noticed his staring, she raised an eyebrow with that calm composure only she could maintain. "What is it, Kael? Am I still that recognizable to you?"
Kael shook his head quickly. "No, no. Not at all. It's just… how should I explain it? Let's just say that with that hair bun and that dark gown, no one would recognize you as the Knight Captain, darling. Though I must say… you look like a villainess straight out of a novel."
She stared at him quietly for a few seconds before a small chuckle escaped her lips. "That's because I don't have any other slim gown left. If I wear those thicker ones, and by some bad luck I have to fight an enemy, I won't be able to move properly. So I chose this one. But I didn't expect you to call me a villainess, Kael."
She moved her wrist slightly, and that was when he noticed the black knife resting in her hand. He couldn't help smiling at that sight, as if her unspoken answer was clear enough. Of course, she was telling him not to question her sense of clothing any further.
Regardless, he couldn't help but think, 'But... why does this dark outfit and villainess persona suit her so much better than the noble Knight Captain?'
"Ah, I see," he said aloud with a mock-serious tone. "So that's your style tonight, is it? Dark gown, hidden weapons, cold beauty. Fine then. Shall we go, Detective Seraphina?"
Hearing that, she let out a soft melodious laugh before walking past him. "Once in your entire lifetime, you managed to give me a decent nickname, Kael. I'll allow that one, I suppose."
His eyes widened slightly as he thought to himself, "She liked it? Did she actually like it?"
After walking forward, he grinned and leaned slightly toward her. "So you can like nicknames after all? That's a surprise. Here I thought you hated every single one of them I ever gave you."
She frowned slightly, her expression turning cool again. "Who said I like the others you've called me, huh? Don't get carried away. That nickname was just acceptable, not special."
"Yeah, yeah," he replied with a half-smile, walking beside her.
As they moved together down the corridor, Kael leaned slightly to the side, bumping his shoulder toward her just to tease her a little. But right at the last moment, she stepped aside, avoiding him effortlessly, and that made him grin even more.
"But you know what," he said, lowering his voice just enough to make her hear him clearly, "I like calling you 'honey' much better."
She froze for half a second before turning her head sharply, her cold blue eyes narrowing like a sharp blade. "Shut. Up. That's the one I hate the most."
Her voice was cold, but the slight twitch of her ear betrayed her reaction. And Kael caught it.
Kael tilted his head with a sly smile. "Really? Because your ears seem to disagree."
"Kael..." she dragged his name a little, adding more coldness to her voice.
He laughed quietly, hands in his pockets as they walked out together into the dim hallway. "Alright, alright, I'll stop. For now."
But his grin said otherwise.
Although she didn't admit it out loud, a soft pink hue appeared on Seraphina's face as the corners of her pink lips tightened, almost as if she was holding back a genuine smile.
Truth be told, she had once hated it when he called her honey, sweetheart, or darling... but not anymore.
Maybe she had grown used to it, or maybe she simply didn't care anymore. But that, too, was a lie, and she knew it. She didn't actually hate it when he called her by those silly, sweet nicknames.
In truth, it always felt ridiculously... comforting.
---
(Chapter Ended)