Chapter 25: BWCGD

Chapter 25

That afternoon.

After being summoned by Kallian, Evelyn hurriedly got ready and left the mansion's lobby.

As she walked through the sunlit outdoor corridor, she soon spotted him gently stroking a black horse whose coat shimmered with a bluish tint.

His smooth black hair and cloak fluttered in the wind.

Feeling her heart race, Evelyn approached him.

After handing the reins to one of the guards, Kallian lightly wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"We're leaving to commission barrier stones. Before that, there's somewhere I need to stop. Come with me."

Startled, Evelyn asked,

"Barrier stones...?"

"That's right. The proposal you made to me last night. After thinking it over, I decided the benefits outweigh the costs."

'What if you visited Count Martin? If barrier stones could be produced and distributed as the natural enemy of monsters, wouldn't it minimize the damage to civilian villages?'

She had certainly made the suggestion.

But she had never believed he would actually accept it.

The cost of producing magical artifacts was beyond imagination.

Evelyn blinked blankly.

"Isn't the schedule too tight?"

"That's a matter of the craftsmen's ability."

Even she didn't know how the plague victims—the Contaminated—could be stopped.

In her previous life, Kallian had ignored Richev and headed north first.

By the time he arrived there...

The Imperial Army had already quarantined the village and burned every living person inside.

It was truly horrifying. So horrific that I never wanted to remember it again.

Even so, among those who survived the massacre were people who had been contaminated.

Once everything had settled down, their condition gradually improved on its own.

Maybe... the Gate itself holds the answer to the plague.

The most important thing was isolating the contaminated people from the other villagers.

Even then, protecting the village from the monsters pouring out of the Gate would not be easy.

That was why she had thought of Count Martin, who refined mana stones into various magical artifacts.

If barrier stones could be produced and distributed...

At the very least, the chaos among the civilians could be prevented.

The fact that Kallian hadn't hesitated for long suggested he had been concerned about this matter all along.

Or perhaps...

He intended to strengthen the reward he would receive from the Emperor after resolving the crisis.

Clenching her damp hands together, Evelyn shifted her gaze toward the well-groomed horse and changed the subject.

"So where are we going first?"

"You'll know when we get there."

The moment his indifferent reply ended, her view suddenly rose.

Kallian wrapped an arm around her waist and effortlessly lifted her onto the saddle.

"A carriage will follow us. You can ride back in that. It may be uncomfortable, but for now, it's better if you come with me."

Before she could even calm her startled heart...

Kallian climbed up behind her and immediately urged the horse into a gallop.

After some time...

They arrived at a bustling commercial district filled with people.

Naturally, countless eyes turned toward the pair as they dismounted.

Our relationship hasn't even been officially announced yet. Is it really okay for us to be walking around together like this?

Trying to compose her flushed face, Evelyn allowed herself to be led into a shop with a mysterious atmosphere.

Jingle.

The clear sound of a bell echoed through the room.

The moment she saw the interior, Evelyn's expression stiffened with an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Display cases arranged in the shape of a T.

A dazzling atmosphere as though jewel dust had been scattered through the air.

It was a jewelry store.

They say a single ring here costs as much as ten years' worth of living expenses for an ordinary noble family...

The wooden sign hanging from the ceiling—

Eric's Enchanted Jewel Rings

—confirmed her suspicion.

It was a place she had heard noblewomen talk about countless times in her previous life.

"The Grand Duke is a regular customer at Eric's, yet his wife doesn't even have a ring. Doesn't that prove their marriage isn't exactly happy?"

The mocking laughter of the noblewomen, who had deliberately glanced at her empty fingers, rang vividly in her ears.

Then a question suddenly crossed her mind.

Had we ever held hands or openly shown affection in front of others?

...Not really.

They had kissed.

Shared countless nights together.

Whispered love to one another over and over.

Yet at official gatherings...

He had always been a cold and distant husband.

I didn't even have something as ordinary as a wedding ring.

While Evelyn quietly looked around the store...

A middle-aged man with curly brown hair and a monocle was handing a thick catalog to Kallian.

"Please take a look through the catalog before deciding. As it happens, tomorrow we're unveiling our newest collection."

As Eric presented the design book prepared exclusively for the Imperial Family, Kallian said,

"Make it as large and eye-catching as possible."

"My goodness. If you do that, the young lady's delicate fingers won't be able to bear it. Please consider her opinion as well. Bigger isn't always better."

"Isn't bigger always better?"

Still talking to Eric, Kallian turned toward Evelyn with an unusual expression.

It seemed he was asking for her opinion.

Without thinking, Evelyn shook her head.

The oversized ring looked more like an enormous piece of candy than something practical.

Watching her reaction, Kallian let out a quiet laugh before facing Eric again.

"She doesn't like it. Then craft the brightest and most expensive design you have. You have two days."

He placed a purple velvet pouch onto the display counter.

Thud.

The heavy sound echoed.

Eric opened the pouch to inspect the gemstone inside.

His eyes widened in astonishment.

"Ho... This is the finest quality gem I've ever seen. It must have come from at least the fourth floor of a dungeon..."

Eric stole a glance at Evelyn.

"Two days will be sufficient. I'll send word as soon as it's finished."

Although Eric's smile was warm and welcoming...

Evelyn, standing awkwardly beside the display case, couldn't bring herself to interrupt their conversation.

Could it be... is he buying it for me...?

Otherwise...

There would have been no reason to bring her here just to ask for her opinion.

In her previous life, she had gone through her marriage without so much as a wedding ring.

She had assumed it would be the same this time.

But as she became certain that she was the owner of the ring...

Her heart gradually filled with warmth.

A strange sense of anticipation blossomed inside her.

Although she already knew how everything would eventually end...

Perhaps this marriage wouldn't be nothing but sadness after all.

"Please come again."

After politely returning Eric's bow, Evelyn left the shop with a smile on her face.

After passing through the warp gate, Kallian arrived in Eldin, in the southeastern region of the Empire, and headed straight to the refinery where Count Felix Martin was waiting.

For generations, House Martin had refined and processed mana stones.

Refined mana stones, crafted so that even ordinary people without magical power could use them, had greatly improved the lives of the Empire's citizens.

"Welcome back. I heard you were standing at death's door, yet you look perfectly fine."

Count Martin wore an enormous magnifying lens over one eye.

He was an eccentric man whose appearance and career were unusual enough to make him famous.

A thick mustache.

A one-piece work uniform.

Messy blond hair.

Nothing about him resembled a dignified noble.

Yet he had once served as the head of the Alchemists' Guild and had been a close friend of the late Grand Duke Tristan.

"Unfortunately, that's how it turned out."

Taking a rolled stack of papers from inside his coat, Kallian handed them over.

"I'm sure you've already heard the general situation. We need to minimize civilian casualties, so I'd appreciate it if you could begin as soon as possible."

"Very well."

After receiving the documents, the Count scanned them with sharp eyes as he walked toward his laboratory.

"That reminds me. Matthias told me you brought a young lady with you. What's that about?"

Kallian smiled once before answering casually.

"It was love at first sight."

"I must be getting old. I'm hearing the strangest nonsense these days."

"Please don't doubt my sincerity."

Rolling up the order sheet after checking it, the Count let out an amused laugh.

"You should at least wipe the saliva from your mouth before saying that. It's no secret how much the elders have worried because you've never shown the slightest interest in women."

A certain face suddenly surfaced in Kallian's mind.

An excited voice.

Cheeks flushed with warmth.

Eyes blurred with tears.

Even if she hadn't looked like that...

She was beautiful.

Beyond her mysterious silver-white hair and eyes that blended perfectly into a snowy landscape...

She possessed a face that no one could forget after seeing it once.

It was no wonder that everyone who had reacted like the Count ended up understanding after seeing her.

She looked like a perfectly sculpted masterpiece.

One could describe her as enchanting.

Or...

Dangerous.

For many reasons...

To him, she leaned far more toward the latter.

At some point, Kallian realized he had begun cornering her not merely for healing or purification...

But because of personal emotions.

They resembled feelings he had once experienced long ago—

For the woman he had loved.

Desire.

And lust.

Once he became aware of it...

Whenever those emotions stirred while kissing her, he would immediately stop.

If it's nothing more than physical desire, then perhaps that's for the best. After holding her enough times, the feeling would eventually fade.

But...

The emotions twisting inside him were no longer just curiosity or instinct.

They were complicated.

Dangerously so.

Carefully burying those feelings beneath the surface, he curled the corner of his lips into a faint smile.

"You're worrying too much."

"Don't be offended. As someone who wishes for your happiness more than anyone, I merely spoke out of concern."

His brows tightened.

The Count watched him suspiciously before hesitating as though debating whether to ask something.

Finally, he spoke.

"Could the woman who's with you now... be that young lady you once told me about?"

At the cautious question...

Kallian's eyes darkened for an instant.

"...You've mistaken her."

"I spoke carelessly. I thought perhaps you'd finally found that woman."

Just as the Count had said...

For a very long time...

Kallian had been unable to forget one woman.

Brilliant silver hair.

Clear emerald-green eyes.

The memories of their love and her smile had gradually faded beneath the crushing weight of endless years.

But one thing remained certain.

Evelyn resembled the woman he had once loved remarkably well.

That was why alarm bells had gone off in his head the first moment he laid eyes on her.

Kallian smiled coldly.

"I've finally realized how foolish it is to remain bound by an illusion."

"That's unfortunate, though I understand. I only hope your fiancée isn't merely a substitute for that young lady."

Stretching as though shaking off his thoughts, the Count grasped the laboratory's doorknob.

Kallian briefly remembered Evelyn's face as she had softly told him to return safely.

Then, with calm, measured steps, he followed the Count inside.