CMWD 21

CMWD

Posted by Fahad, Released on December 11, 2025

Chapter 21

Moring clapped her hands and guided Ollentia to a seat inside.

“Of course! With the rabbit doll and the dress you’re wearing now… I need to sketch them too.”

Ollentia felt a little guilty since the doll wasn’t the main focus, but there was no helping it. Moring, her ex, would know best what kind of person Ankedo was.

Could it be that Ankedo had threatened Moring, which was why she remained silent even though she knew about the embezzlement? Or was it that she still instinctively defended her ex?

Ollentia was extremely curious about what Moring might be thinking.

After sitting down and adjusting her dress, Ollentia drank the tea Moring had brought over. It had a warm, comforting taste that helped calm her stomach.

“Do you have something to tell me?” Moring asked as she began to sketch, and Ollentia took a moment to steady her breath. Starting the conversation wouldn’t be easy.

But when she thought about the prophetic dream related to Moring, her anxiety surged.

Finally, Ollentia steeled herself and spoke.

“The place where Ankedo hid the embezzled money… you know where it is, right?”

At that moment, shock flickered across Moring’s face. She dropped the paper she had been sketching on and spent a long moment breathing heavily.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Moring said as she picked up the paper and tried to act casual, but Ollentia saw through her agitation.

Ollentia tried to meet Moring’s wandering gaze and pressed on.

“The room full of mirrors… you know where that is too, don’t you?”

“Wh-what on earth…!”

“You’re trading forbidden magical artifacts there, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything, Lady!”

Before she knew it, Moring had jumped to her feet. She put her hands on her hips as if she could no longer sit there.

“You’re not here to buy dolls, so please leave.”

Moring’s voice was cold, though it trembled slightly. Ollentia didn’t want to think of her as an ally of Ankedo.

No. I can’t let her leave like this.

She had recently had a prophetic dream where she cried in self-blame at Moring’s grave. This was a moment when Moring’s information was crucial to saving her.

Biting her lower lip, Ollentia stood up and quickly grabbed Moring’s hand. Startled, Moring blinked rapidly.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“What do you mean ‘what am I doing’? Don’t you realize it’s dangerous to stay here? Come with me to the Count’s mansion. It’s safe there.”

“What are you talking about? Dangerous?”

“The disappearance of that man, Thomas… that was Ankedo’s doing. I saw and heard everything—Ankedo’s subordinates disposed of the body in the Centmi River and reported it to him.”

Hearing this, Moring sank slowly to the floor, drained of energy. Still, Ollentia didn’t let go of her hand—she intended to bring her along.

For a long moment, Moring let out fragile breaths, looking like she might collapse. Ollentia held her shoulders firmly.

Then, in a trembling voice, Moring said,

“If that’s true… then I’m in danger too, aren’t I?”

Ollentia looked directly into her eyes, which seemed confused.

“That’s why you need to stay somewhere safe until this case is resolved. Don’t even think about dying. Understand?”

“Why would I die? And why are you helping me? Nothing in this world is free…”

“Exactly. Nothing’s free. Give me information—where Ankedo hid the embezzled money, what the room full of mirrors is. I have a lot of questions.”

Finally, Moring stood and spoke to Ollentia.

“I’ve wanted to report him several times…”

“….”

“But I didn’t have the courage. So cowardly as it may be, I’ll ease my burden by telling you.”

“Good. You made the right choice.”

“I should get rid of this pin now. Goodbye, really.”

Moring removed the seashell hairpin from her hair and tossed it into the trash. As Ollentia had suspected, it had been a gift from Ankedo.

Ollentia listened carefully to everything Moring said at the workshop. The trading place was the room full of mirrors, and the embezzled money was hidden in the room next to it, where magical artifacts were traded.

However, Moring had always been blindfolded when going to that building, so she didn’t know the exact location.

So that’s what it meant when Ankedo moved to a secret location after arriving at the estate.

In that case, it would be best to infiltrate while disguised as a guest. Finding the exact location was the most important thing.

Ollentia decided not to immediately tell Count Odor this information, since he wouldn’t suspect her as an undercover investigator. She already had an appointment scheduled, and she couldn’t afford to miss it.

Even in her prophetic dream, refusing this appointment led to regret, so she resolved to follow through. If anything seemed strange or dangerous, she could just complete the magical artifact trade and leave.

Ollentia led the drained Moring out of the workshop. They needed to get to the Count’s mansion quickly.

But there was an unexpected figure waiting outside the workshop—a man wearing a white Bauta mask.

It was Dimidius Belial.

Why was he here?

Ollentia stared at the two carriages of the Odor family in a daze before addressing him.

“Were you following me, or did you just happen to see the Odor carriages and stop here?”

The former seemed more likely. She felt there was no reason for Dimidius to tail her, yet it felt that way.

Dimidius rested his hand on the carriage and teased,

“Which would you prefer? I’ll go with your choice.”

“Stop joking. Why did you follow me?”

“Well, Lady, you seemed to be going somewhere without a knight or maid… I was concerned.”

If that were the reason, it was unnecessary. Hearing that he was worried weakened her resolve, but she had to stay focused.

Ollentia placed her hands on her hips and let out a deep sigh, feeling as if she had been caught doing something. He couldn’t have heard the conversation inside the workshop… could he?

“I just came to pick up my friend,” she said.

Not wanting to argue further, Ollentia grabbed Moring’s hand and climbed into the carriage. Feeling Dimidius’s presence, Moring trembled. Ollentia realized her calmness was due to her divine power.

“You alright?” Ollentia asked, and Moring nodded.

Soon, the two carriages bearing the crescent moon emblem of the Odor family began to move together.

The large Count’s mansion had plenty of guest rooms suitable for Moring. After bringing the weary girl to a room, Ollentia kept shooting Dimidius sharp looks as he followed her. He looked bored, as if he had nothing to do.

“Next, you’ll follow me into the bathroom, huh?”

“That’s only if the lady allows it.”

“Your Highness! Are you going to keep this up?”

In the sunlit corridor, Ollentia clenched her fists. Opening the corridor window wide, she said,

“You’ve finished negotiating, and if you have nothing to do, go upstairs! I don’t know what this changed plan is, but if it’s like this, it looks utterly useless.”

Dimidius tilted his head.

“You can’t decide what’s useful, Lady. It’s very important to me.”

“What could be so important?”

“It’s closely related to my desire to monopolize the Fantasia herb imbued with divine power, isn’t it?”

I have to ask now. Does he still not realize I possess divine power? If he saw white in the Fantasia herb, that was the pulse of divine power.

Ollentia recalled what Dimidius said in the forest. He had seemed serious, almost desperate.

The half-demon archduke needed divine power… Ollentia had no clue why, and perhaps it was better not to know.

She crossed her arms tightly and shook her head.

“I have no idea. And I don’t want to know!”

Dimidius finally shut his mouth. He had been annoying with his endless chatter, but now, with silence, it felt strange.

Ollentia walked away down the corridor.

Moring’s stay at the Count’s mansion would need to be approved once Count Odor returned.

Suddenly, Dimidius’s voice called from behind,

“Lady Armeniaca!”

What…?

Ollentia shivered and turned around. Dimidius said something unexpected:

“Please spare some time tomorrow.”

“Why… why?”

“I haven’t been able to properly explore the Odor territory. Since you’ve been here often, I’d like you to guide me.”

Ollentia opened her mouth to refuse but hesitated. She had said earlier that she didn’t want to know, yet she was genuinely curious why the archduke needed divine power.

If the real reason Dimidius stayed in Odor territory after negotiations was because of her, she needed to know. She hated feeling uneasy.

Ollentia, avoiding his eyes, said awkwardly,

“Al-alright! I’ll guide you.”

“Really?”

Seeing his surprise, Ollentia quickly added,

“You saved me on the train, so I’m just returning the favor. That’s all. No other reason.”

She then left the corridor, walking awkwardly with her arms and legs swinging oddly.

Dimidius couldn’t help but smirk.

Count Odor returned to the mansion late in the evening. Ollentia had intended to meet him, but he summoned her immediately.

Seeing his serious face, Ollentia cautiously asked,

“Did something happen?”

Count Odor sighed deeply.