"Is this... the Kreutz mansion?"
I stood before the massive gate, taking in the sight of the mansion in front of me. Towering silently with no one guarding the entrance, the mansion exuded a gloomy and eerie atmosphere at first glance.
The mansion itself was impressive, but it seemed as though it hadn’t been maintained at all. This was supposed to be the mansion of the Kreutz family, one of the most prestigious noble families in the Empire? It couldn't even compare to the Elpinard mansion, which radiated warmth and brightness from the very entrance.
I cautiously glanced at Eugene, who stood beside me. He rarely spoke of that time, but I knew that he had once lived here, suffering abuse at the hands of his biological father. If I hadn’t used the invitation from the Ivory Tower as an excuse to bring him away from here...
‘He would still be living in this mansion, eventually becoming the vessel for the Mad Dragon.’
I couldn't understand it. No matter how illegitimate a child, wasn't he still the Duke’s own flesh and blood? The Mad Dragon needed a sacrificial vessel to fulfill its goal, but what could the Duke of Kreutz possibly have aimed to achieve by offering his own son to the dragon?
It’s always hard to comprehend the twisted logic of those who commit evil deeds.
“With no one guarding the entrance, there’s no proper way to announce our visit,” Eugene said, studying the mansion for a long while before smiling nonchalantly and pushing open the gate.
“Let’s go in. The door's not even locked.”
As Eugene pointed out, the gate wasn’t even properly secured. No one was guarding the entrance, and the gate wasn’t locked either. A feeling that something unusual might be happening inside the mansion crept over me.
“I’ll go first.”
I stretched out my arm, blocking Eugene before he could step inside, narrowing my eyes. I trusted Axel to manage things well inside, but it was best to remain cautious. I was better equipped to handle unexpected situations than Eugene, so it made sense for me to take the lead.
“What are you saying, Reshia?”
Eugene, shaking his head slightly as if he couldn’t agree, looked at me with narrowed, suspicious eyes.
“Reshia, you’re supposed to watch my back. Are you really planning to leave me in the dangerous rear?”
“Huh?”
“Have you never read a horror novel? The scariest things always happen behind people’s backs, out of their sight. The person at the back gets picked off one by one by the villain—it’s a classic.”
“Uh... Is that so?”
“Of course. It’s common knowledge.”
I was unsure, but since the brilliant Eugene spoke so firmly, it was hard to argue against him. Geniuses have a knack for making nonsense sound like truth, just as they sometimes make the truth sound like nonsense.
“Reshia, watch the dangerous rear for me. I’ll keep an eye on the front where it’s safe,” Eugene said, casually moving me behind him as he stepped forward.
I blinked absentmindedly, watching his back, which now felt far more reliable than when we were younger.
‘Hmm. I guess he’s really out of my hands now.’
It felt like watching a wounded little bird I had nursed back to health suddenly grow up and take flight on its own. There was a sense of pride, mixed with a strange hint of melancholy. Perhaps this is what it feels like to be... a parent?
That must be it.
Smiling to myself, I followed behind Eugene’s sturdy figure. It was endearing to see the little bird I had cared for growing up and now trying to protect me by telling some ridiculous horror story about guarding the rear.
However, that feeling of warmth didn’t last long.
Thunk.
Eugene stopped abruptly as if he had tripped over something. My gaze naturally followed his feet, and the moment I saw what had stopped him, my brow furrowed.
A grown man lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes still open. There was no need to check his pulse. His pale face and the dried blood nearby were enough to confirm that he was already dead.
“Judging by his outfit, he seems to be the one who was guarding the entrance,” Eugene muttered, carefully stepping back from the body as he cautiously scanned the area.
“If a body’s just lying around like this, it’s not likely that this man’s death is an isolated tragedy.”
Eugene’s observation wasn’t wrong. As I expanded my view and scanned the surroundings, I noticed several more men sprawled along the path from the garden leading to the main mansion, all in a similar state.
While Eugene was scanning the area, I took the chance to inspect one of the nearby corpses more closely. The men were armed, yet there were no signs of a struggle. Two possibilities came to mind: they were either taken down instantly by someone far more skilled, or they were caught off guard by someone they trusted.
‘At least, there’s no immediate sense of danger around.’
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, it seemed the perpetrator had already left the scene.
“So the strange atmosphere we felt at the gate was all because of this,” I said, glancing toward the mansion. “Judging by the trail of bodies leading inside…”
“The one responsible for this massacre is likely still in there,” Eugene finished my thought, staring up at the imposing mansion.
I had grown accustomed to the sight of blood in my previous life, but for Eugene, this was probably the first time encountering a dead body. Still, he remained unnervingly calm.
‘That shouldn’t be possible.’
Even I, who had always pretended to be strong, had once trembled uncontrollably when I first encountered a dead body. In the slums, death was a constant presence, and I grew accustomed to it quickly. But Eugene hadn’t grown up in such an environment.
A belated worry began to well up inside me, and I cautiously took Eugene’s hand. Startled by my sudden grip, he turned to look at me, but he quickly recognized the concern in my eyes and smiled faintly.
“I’m fine,” he said.
“You don’t have to pretend to be strong.”
In my past life, I had no choice but to put on a strong front, but Eugene didn’t need to do that. Having someone to lean on when you feel weak is a great blessing, and Eugene deserved that blessing.
Meeting my gaze, Eugene stepped closer and lightly bumped his forehead against mine.
“I’m not pretending to be strong. I’m really okay, because I have you here, Reshia.”
There was no hesitation in his eyes. It didn’t feel like he was lying to hide his fear, and that reassured me.
“Besides, I’ve always expected that something like this would happen at Kreutz sooner or later. It’s a wretched household, after all.”
“Ah, well, that’s true. It certainly is,” I replied, giving him a small smile. Eugene’s grin grew wider in response.
The Duke of Kreutz had acted like a pawn of the Mad Dragon, putting all his efforts into creating a vessel for it. He wasn’t the kind of man who would devote himself to someone without expecting something in return. He must have had a strong desire, but now that the Mad Dragon had fallen, the Duke’s despair would be unimaginable.
‘So, is the one behind this chaos the Duke of Kreutz?’
It couldn’t have been Axel.
As I pieced the situation together in my mind, I blinked, realizing just how close Eugene’s face was to mine.
‘We’ve confirmed each other’s feelings. Isn’t it time to separate now…?’
But Eugene showed no signs of pulling away. With his face inches from mine, an awkward silence settled between us. Feeling increasingly self-conscious, my eyes darted around in every direction.
That’s when a small chuckle escaped from Eugene’s lips.
“Pff.”
“You!”
He knew I was flustered! The realization that I was being teased made me push Eugene away and smack his arm. He exaggeratedly slumped his shoulders, pretending to be hurt.
“Reshia… weren’t you supposed to comfort me after witnessing something so terrifying?”
“You weren’t scared at all!”
Feeling indignant, I stomped forward, leaving him behind. I could hear Eugene chuckling as he quickly caught up to me, but I hurried my pace. I couldn’t let him see my face, which had turned a bright shade of red in embarrassment. If he saw me like this, he’d surely tease me even more.
And then, it happened.
*Crash!*
A loud noise rang out.
We instinctively turned our heads toward the commotion. The window on the third floor of the mansion had shattered, and shards of glass were falling to the ground below.
Fortunately, we were standing far enough away, but…
‘Axel!’
And the Duke of Kreutz.
Through the broken window, I could faintly make out the figures of the two men.