IWOE 08

The True Head of the Family Was Me — Chapter : 8

“Who brought these things into Elheim?”

The Duke was furious.

Until the incident happened, Riarte had not known that the Duke hated ancient powers.

The Duke of Elheim had a deep hatred for anything related to magic, sorcery, or black magic.

He believed such powers were a form of witchcraft that threatened the position of the Awakened.

Riarte had only wanted to receive a little affection.

If she had known that the Duke hated forbidden books, Riarte would never have read one.

“I-I didn’t do it, Father.”

“Then who did? Huamin.”

Huamin’s trembling finger, filled with fear, pointed toward Riarte.

That day, Huamin had sold Riarte out.

Although she had been born in Elheim, Riarte had neither the money to buy books nor the means to search for and obtain forbidden books.

Even knowing that, the Duke punished Riarte.

If she had merely been beaten, perhaps it would have been different.

But the violence the Duke inflicted using the water ability remained as a trauma from before her regression.

Afterward, Huamin would occasionally awkwardly speak to Riarte whenever her blood relatives were not around.

Asking whether she had been well or whether the weather was nice that day.

Yes. Just like now, as Riarte was coming down from the second floor of the library.

When their eyes met, Huamin forced a smile.

“Have you… been well?”

“How dare you show your face and greet me?”

The dry words came out naturally.

Before her regression, whenever Riarte saw Huamin, she had been too busy trembling and obeying her.

The trauma left by the forbidden-book incident had constantly resurfaced.

But after experiencing even death, those memories had not remained even as nightmares.

Now, seeing Huamin simply made her feel unpleasant.

‘I don’t have time to waste. I need to read the medical books for Mihael.’

Huamin called out to Riarte, who had stared at her coldly before turning away.

“R-Riarte.”

Stammering was Huamin’s habit whenever she had done something wrong.

“I-I heard that you collapsed because of poison.”

Huamin lowered her head without being able to meet Riarte’s eyes.

“So?”

Riarte had never had good feelings toward Huamin.

Unlike Huamin, the other members of Elheim’s bloodline were at least consistent in their behavior.

Riarte disliked Huamin’s indecisiveness, pretending to care about her while actually doing nothing, even more than people who openly regarded non-Awakened people as nuisances.

“I thought you would avoid me on your own after the forbidden-book incident. Huamin.”

“That…”

Huamin’s face turned deathly pale.

“I-I didn’t mean to do that.”

“You pointed me out yourself, didn’t you? Even though you know what happened to me because of you and the Duke.”

The water ability that could choke a non-Awakened person and cut off their breathing was unbearable.

“I, I…”

“You don’t need to make excuses, Huamin. Everything that happened was something you did to me.”

Consumed by her own emotions, Huamin failed to notice that Riarte had called the Duke “the Duke” instead of “Father.”

“Or are you going to sell me out again this time, just because I’m an ordinary person, and let me be crushed by the water ability?”

After her regression, Riarte could say whatever she wanted without hesitation.

All the words she had swallowed before because she still clung to her family.

Huamin’s face twisted slightly as though she were about to cry.

“I know what I did wrong when I was young. I-I always wanted to apologize. I…”

“You don’t need to apologize. Even if you do, I have no intention of accepting it.”

Riarte had no reason to care about Huamin’s reaction.

“I’m trying to apologize because I was worried about you, Riarte…”

“Ah, right.”

Riarte whispered coldly.

“You were always the type who absolutely hated becoming a bad person.”

Riarte knew that once she turned around, she would forget about Huamin.

She was someone she disliked, but if she simply did not have to see her, she was insignificant enough to disappear from her mind quickly.

“I just wanted to atone to you, Riarte. Because you were suffering so much.”

“Then your atonement is to make sure I don’t see you.”

Riarte’s expression barely changed.

Her gaze was cold, but she neither raged nor became angry.

She had just realized that Huamin was not worth even that.

“You’re only doing this because you want to feel better about yourself, aren’t you?”

Struck at the heart of the matter, Huamin could not continue speaking and fell silent.

Riarte turned around.

Since this was no longer a situation in which she could read, she intended to leave the library.

“Riarte.”

Huamin hurriedly followed her out.

Smack—

Huamin’s hand, reaching for Riarte’s shoulder, was knocked away.

Riarte’s eyes, cold as ice, slid past Huamin.

It was the first time.

The first time Riarte had rejected Huamin.

“Hypocrite.”

The dry whisper filled Huamin with the uneasy realization that it was already too late.

“They say the Spirit Stone is going to awaken.”

Walter, who had become noticeably haggard during the few days he had spent in Elheim, delivered his report.

“You mean that stone they have worshiped and revered for generations?”

Mihael’s sarcasm was biting.

“Yes. Really. The Duke of Elheim is extremely thorough about keeping everyone’s mouths shut.”

Virche also knew about the existence of the Spirit Stone.

The two families had been connected for so long as Awakened families that had retained their abilities that it was impossible for them not to know about each other.

However, Mihael still seemed reluctant to trust Walter.

“Young Master.”

Eventually, Walter dropped to his knees.

“I know it sounds like nonsense, but I really investigated as hard as I could. Even the young masters were going around saying that the Spirit Stone was going to awaken.”

“So, where’s the evidence?”

“It’s impossible to get it within a few days. I’m sorry for being useless, but if this continues, I might really get caught.”

Even though Elheim had been made a laughingstock by Virche, it was still the ducal family of an empire.

Walter had narrowly avoided being discovered several times while moving around.

“In that case, it can’t be helped.”

Mihael looked down at Walter.

He could tell that there was moonlight or some other illumination, but he still could not distinguish colors.

“There’s nothing I can do except send a letter to Father asking him to investigate the Spirit Stone.”

“What?”

Walter asked back in surprise.

The only piece of information he had managed to obtain after struggling for several days was that the Spirit Stone was going to awaken.

He had not even secured any evidence.

He had expected Mihael to order him to investigate again immediately, yet Mihael was calmly accepting his report.

‘Has he finally gone crazy because he can’t see?’

As Walter raised his head, he noticed the pleasant smile at the corner of Mihael’s lips.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Young Master.”

Mihael answered the casual remark.

“A day has passed, so she’ll be coming today.”

Walter was not oblivious enough to ask who he meant.

‘He means the Awakened person who comes to remove his curse, right?’

Since the day he had met that person, Mihael had seemed to be in a good mood.

“Then I’ll go send a carrier pigeon to the Master.”

Mihael had said that the person who was removing his curse would come after midnight.

Walter tactfully left the room.

Soon, Mihael was left alone and stood up.

“Come to think of it…”

When he removed his blindfold, he could feel the night breeze brushing against his eyes.

“I thought it had been too peaceful and quiet until now.”

Ever since entering Elheim, the person behind the curse on his eyes had remained quiet.

Mihael had been wondering why the people who had even sent an assassin to Elheim at precisely the right time to prevent him from receiving help were remaining still.

At Mihael’s muttering, figures hiding inside the room sprang out.

“This is why I say Elheim has such terrible security.”

Slash—!

The sensation of a dagger cutting through a blood vessel was vivid.

Even though he could not see, he could sense blood splashing onto his face.

‘Well, it can’t be helped.’

Since he had brought a visitor’s pass, he could not openly demonstrate overwhelming force.

Mihael had to avoid showing any intention of attacking Elheim.

If he used his power of death, it would amount to an attack against Elheim.

But if he used a gun, the loud noise would immediately bring someone running.

A normal family would be ashamed that assassins had entered a guest’s quarters, but Elheim was hardly an ordinary family.

‘It’ll be a relief if the Duke of Elheim doesn’t go berserk and frame me for something.’

Therefore, Mihael had to quietly dispose of them.

He intended to order Walter to clean up the blood and bodies afterward.

Even while thinking about other things, Mihael faithfully cut down his enemies.

‘They’re trying to keep Elheim and Virche separated.’

Walter might seem careless at first glance, but he was one of the most skilled infiltrators in Virche.

And yet assassins had managed to enter Elheim, a place even Walter had described as heavily guarded.

If Mihael had been a little more foolish or had possessed a more impulsive personality, he might have jumped to the conclusion that the assassins had been sent by the Duke of Elheim.

‘What exactly is the mastermind trying to accomplish?’

As he became lost in thought, the door slowly opened.

It was Riarte, who had come to remove the curse from his eyes.

“I’m sorry, but wait outside for a moment.”

Mihael spoke toward the doorway while dodging an attack.

Something had been strangely bothering him for a while.

He had killed several of them, but some of the others had been cut by his dagger and yet their movements had not weakened.

However, Riarte did not obey Mihael’s words.

Water slowly appeared around Riarte’s feet as she entered the room, binding the assassins by their ankles.

“Are you all right, Mihael?”

Mihael looked covered in blood beneath the moonlight.

Riarte approached and looked up at Mihael.