TPECIAD 11

11. Elise with the Black Eyes

After finishing her meal, Elise went to wash up and get dressed. During that time, Damon briefly returned to his own room. Haim quickly followed behind him, seizing the opportunity. With Damon constantly staying by Elise’s side, Haim felt increasingly uncomfortable. At this rate, when would all the important matters of the Grand Ducal household ever be handled?

“And regarding this matter, Your Grace, what should we do…? In my opinion…”

So from earlier, Haim had been continuously piling up work beside Damon. He was pressing him with various issues, but none of it reached Damon’s ears. The refreshing, sweet scent of roses and Elise’s radiant smile as she held the flowers kept coming to his mind. Then, without realizing it, he noticed the corners of his lips lifting—and was startled.

“…Haah.”

A sigh escaped Damon’s lips without him noticing. Seeing this, Haim spoke up.

“Yes, that’s right, Your Grace. This matter is indeed no ordinary issue.”

He seemed to think Damon was troubled by the same hoarding and price manipulation problem.

Suddenly, Damon returned to his usual cold demeanor and gave an order.

“Count Frizzly is the culprit. Investigate those around him. The decisive clue will be at his farm.”

“Pardon? What do you mean all of a sudden?”

Despite Haim’s surprise, Damon’s expression remained serious. In truth, even Damon himself had been unable to accept this when he first heard it from the Empress at the imperial palace a few days ago. However, after immediately sending people to verify her words, Psyche’s claims turned out to be entirely true. Suspicious activity had indeed been detected at Count Frizzly’s farm.

How did the Empress… know this in advance?

On the very day Elise’s sorcery began, the one who summoned Damon of the Grand Ducal House of Cremian to the imperial palace late at night was none other than Empress Psyche.

A Few Days Earlier

Late that night, upon receiving the summons that the Empress wished to see him personally, Damon had rushed on horseback to the Empress’s palace. Since he had no personal ties with the Empress, he had assumed something serious had happened within the palace.

However, what he heard was entirely unexpected.

“You will soon find yourself troubled by hoarding and price manipulation issues within your domain.”

Psyche spoke in her characteristic elegant tone and demeanor.

How does the Empress know this in advance?

Even Damon himself was unaware of such matters within the Cremian domain. And why was she telling him?

“This issue will trouble the Grand Ducal House for years to come. However, I can resolve your concerns completely. So, how about making a deal with me?”

Without any preamble, she directly proposed a transaction.

Damon decided he would first verify whether her claims were true before making any decision.

“I will hear the terms before choosing.”

Psyche smiled as if she expected this.

“Of course. You won’t regret it.”

“What are the conditions of the deal?”

“If you spend time with me a few times, at a time and manner of my choosing.”

Was she asking him to pretend to have an affair with her? Empress Psyche?

Damon narrowed his eyes, trying to discern her intentions. Seeing this, the Empress smiled and set down her teacup.

“There’s no need to be so guarded, Grand Duke. As I said, you may take your time to decide. You can confirm whether my words are true first.”

At that moment, Damon’s red eyes seemed to burn even brighter.

What is she scheming?

The Empress seemed to read his thoughts with uncanny precision, almost as if she could read minds. She was known as the most brilliant and elegant woman of the empire—yet this side of her was unfamiliar.

“I will explain in due course how I came to know this. However, there is a reason I had to tell you today, so I brought you here late at night despite the inconvenience.”

“A reason that requires today’s timing?”

“Yes. Today is the day the hoarding perpetrators are holding a meeting.”

Perpetrators? Not just one person, but a group stealing within my domain?

He had already resolved to deal with them decisively once identified.

“You don’t need to catch all of them. That would be difficult anyway. There is a ringleader—Grand Duke, you only need to capture that person.”

So she intends to reveal the leader in exchange for my cooperation?

“May I ask what you gain from this, Your Majesty?”

“Of course.”

Psyche answered readily, still smiling gracefully.

“Through this, I will earn your trust. And… a small amount of His Majesty the Emperor’s jealousy. That alone is sufficient.”

She smiled with her eyes curved. Though beautiful, something about her felt strangely off.

“Now, please confirm whether today is indeed their meeting day. If you miss today, you will have to wait a considerable time to verify whether my words are true.”

So that’s why she summoned him—just to prove she was right?

“The name of the ringleader is written inside. Open it when needed.”

Psyche handed him a small locked box.

“….”

She had even provided the culprit in advance. It was as if she was certain Damon would accept the deal.

“I will give you my answer later. Please rest comfortably.”

“Very well. Take care on your way back…”

On his way out of the Empress’s palace, he encountered the palace chief attendant and servants urgently searching for him at the Emperor’s command. While hurrying to the Emperor’s quarters, he opened the small box Psyche had given him.

It read: “Count Frizzly’s wheat farm.”

He immediately sent men to investigate the place and then rushed to where Roan was waiting. The next day, upon arriving at the Grand Ducal estate, the second agenda item discussed was—astonishingly—the hoarding issue Psyche had mentioned.

Even hearing it firsthand, it was hard to believe. Yet the findings confirmed by his own investigation matched exactly what the Empress had said.

How did she know all of this? The timing and location were precise.

Could it be… the Empress…?

Did she even know Elise would collapse? That she would lose her memory, be afflicted by sorcery, and come to the Grand Ducal House?

“Haim, can you place a spy in the Empress’s palace?”

At Damon’s words, Haim hesitated before asking,

“There are people from the Grand Ducal House stationed throughout the palace, but why do you ask?”

“The one who revealed the hoarding culprit… was the Empress.”

“Pardon? How could the Empress know that?”

That’s exactly what I’m wondering.

Damon began to think that the person he might need to be most cautious of… was Empress Psyche.

Meanwhile, Elise

After washing up, Elise sat in front of her dressing table. Raina dried her moonlight-colored hair. Looking at the reflection in the mirror, she saw the open window and the vase filled with the roses she had received.

Elise smiled contentedly as she looked at the roses. Even with her eyes closed, the fragrance filled the room, making her feel deeply happy. The coral-colored petals glistened with freshness, droplets on them sparkling like jewels under the sunlight.

Breathing in the scent, she felt her chest swell with warmth—an overwhelming mix of happiness and excitement.

“Hm~.”

A soft hum escaped her lips.

“They’re really beautiful.”

But her good mood was accompanied by a slight dizziness.

I’ve slept enough… Was it because I was so shocked in the training grounds yesterday?

Damon’s image, as he had caught and embraced her, filled her mind again.

He’s not even in front of me, and I’m already thinking about him again!

She covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.

Huh? My cheeks feel hot?

She suddenly felt chilled, as if she might be coming down with something.

Come to think of it, ever since I was possessed, every day has been overwhelming…

She realized how much mental energy she had been spending since entering the novel. She had feared death as the original Elise, then feared death again due to the curse, and now Damon’s charm felt dangerously overwhelming.

His broad shoulders, strong arms and legs, tall stature, handsome face, unmatched magical power, and exceptional ability in handling affairs—he was simply too perfect, almost lethal.

Mom, what should I do? Your daughter doesn’t seem likely to live long…

She felt like crying. Her eyes stung, her body felt feverish, and her breathing grew uneven.

“Elise, are you okay?”

Sensing something was wrong, Raina placed a hand on her forehead.

“Elise! You’re burning up!”

“What? I can’t let that happen…”

Her vision began to spin, and soon everything went dark. She lost consciousness.

Raina immediately rushed out to call Jeremy and a physician. Damon also hurried over upon hearing the news.

Half a Day Later

Damon and the physician stood beside Elise, who lay in bed, still breathing heavily. Night had fallen, and darkness had settled in.

As night approached, black magic grew stronger—this was why Elise’s curse activated every night.

“El, Elise…”

As Raina began to cry in worry, Jeremy escorted her out of the room.

The physician spoke after examining Elise:

“Her body temperature is far too high to be mere illness. This is likely…”

“It’s the curse advancing to the next stage.”

Damon already knew. The vile caster of the curse was escalating it. Now that their identity as a dark mage had likely been exposed, there was no need to hide anymore.

The issue was how much of this Elise’s mind could endure.

The curse controlled her body, but not her consciousness. However, black magic could dominate the mind. If her consciousness were consumed, Elise would become something entirely different—only her shell remaining.

“Everyone, leave the room.”

Damon dismissed everyone.

If Elise’s mind fell under control, she might act unpredictably. Having others nearby would only interfere. If necessary, he would unleash his own magic to minimize damage.

“Elise…”

He placed his hand on her forehead.

Her skin was burning hot.

She breathed heavily, as if struggling against illness.

As time passed, night fully descended. Gradually, Damon felt the heat beneath his hand subside.

The fever was dropping.

It’s beginning!

Elise’s eyes slowly opened.

She had awakened.

But her eyes were no longer gold.

They were completely black—filled with the aura of dark magic.