Anmora spent the entire night reading in the study, only to somehow fall asleep there. When she woke up the following evening, she found herself in a pink bedroom and wished she had stayed asleep in the study forever.
"Miss Ernil, you don't look well. Should I fetch you some hot water?" Paige hesitated, then reached out to touch her forehead. Finding her temperature normal, she asked, "Would you like to rest a bit longer?"
"No, thank you." Anmora stretched, feeling that her injuries had significantly improved. Perhaps in another day or two, she could leave the wheelchair and move to an upstairs bedroom—leaving this pink nightmare for Slowe instead.
Paige still seemed a bit concerned. She adjusted the room's temperature slightly using a magic conduit. "Sir Lampez returned briefly during the day. He tidied up your bedroom and even added a wardrobe for you."
"I must have slept deeply," Anmora mused. It felt strange that Slowe could move her to this room and redecorate without waking her.
"Sleep incense." Paige gestured to the rose-hued incense on the bedside table. "Sir Lampez is quite meticulous, despite being so busy."
The incense barely had a scent. Anmora assumed it contained magical components. She smiled at Paige. "You can remove it now; I don't need it anymore."
Paige shook her head. "It's not necessary. It automatically detects the user's condition and selectively releases sleep-inducing gases."
Anmora was inherently cautious about anything that could monitor her body but kept her concern hidden, maintaining a sweet smile. "Did Professor Slowe mention when classes will begin?"
"Once the young duke returns from the capital—which should be in the next couple of days," Paige replied in a peculiar tone, clearly not thrilled about the duke's return. "Sir Lampez is handling his resignation papers and may not be around much. I'll only be able to keep you company during my off hours… Having a companion might be good for you."
It would've been better if that companion weren't Duke Xiu. Paige didn't say that part aloud.
From a young age, Xiu had been notorious for mischief, and as he grew older, his escapades earned him a reputation as one of the capital's most infamous playboys. His name fit the title of "Nightmare" perfectly.
The upper echelons of Fernland County—from Duke Nightmare to Slowe Lampez and even Xiu—had no good reputation among common folk. Their exploits were famous in the capital, where Paige often overheard gossip during her student days. Yet here in Fernland, not a whisper reached her ears, a testament to how tightly the Nightmare Corps controlled information.
Paige wisely avoided sharing such stories with Anmora and instead attempted to lighten the mood. "Before I came, I baked some muffins for you. Would you like to try them?"
"Muffins… Sure, thank you." Anmora hesitated briefly but agreed, realizing she hadn't had a proper meal in a while.
Paige returned from the sitting room with a small basket, steam rising from it. She cheerfully explained, "I didn't have dinner either. The army's nutrition supplements are nauseating at this point, so I snuck off to make some snacks."
Having endured over a decade of forced nutrition injections, Anmora deeply empathized. When Lian was around, she would prepare delicious meals, but after Lian left, Anmora had to endure starvation alongside Mengel—who preferred not to eat at all.
"Where did you graduate from?" Anmora inquired, hoping to find clues about Lian. One of her main reasons for escaping Grand County was to locate her.
"Royal Academy, Military Department," Paige replied while placing the muffins on a small plate. "I majored in modern magic theory and took several related applied courses."
Anmora frowned at the hot muffin in her hand. "Do you know anyone from the Knight Academy?"
Paige winced as she burned her own fingers but managed to take a bite. "I'm sorry, but the military campus is entirely closed off. Our social circles are quite limited."
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Anmora asked, "Do you know someone named Lian?"
"Oh, her! Lian of the Aurora!" Paige's eyes widened. Still chewing half a muffin, she couldn't contain her excitement. "The academy's idol! A rising star as brilliant as the sun! It's a shame I graduated before meeting her in person. She's been hailed as humanity's first great female knight!"
Paige was animated, gesturing wildly as she gushed. After swallowing, she continued at lightning speed, "They say her movement speed surpasses a mage's thought process. She's unmatched in close combat. Her mentor was the former leader of the Holy Knight Order of the Orlan Sacred Empire, the strongest man of the last era who revived cold weaponry. It's like a legend come to life! And her reputation is flawless; she's restored faith in the ancient chivalric code."
After a lengthy stream of praise, Paige concluded, "Honestly, I've never heard of anyone so perfect in skill and character."
"Do you know how to contact her?" Anmora asked, biting into the muffin to mask her excitement. This was the first concrete news she'd heard about Lian since their separation.
"Oh, are you chasing her?" Paige blurted out but immediately corrected herself. "I mean, are you looking for her?"
"I'd like to meet this legendary knight myself," Anmora replied, maintaining her composure.
Paige regretfully informed her, "I could've given you her dorm address at the Royal Academy, but she recently went to the Orlan Sacred Empire for advanced training with her mentor. She likely won't return anytime soon."
A devastating blow.
Anmora's spirits sank even further.
Finding Lian, securing identification, obtaining an exit permit, and traveling to Saint Lanskart to locate the Black Emerald—these were her goals. Yet aside from the tenuous identification papers, none of her objectives were progressing. Even her new identification tied her to Slowe, whose connections to Mengel cast doubt on his trustworthiness.
She decided not to tell Slowe about the Black Emerald, especially after discovering his religious markings. Often, serene exteriors concealed the most dangerous intents—just like this pink bedroom.
Noticing Anmora's low spirits, Paige quickly suggested, "But I believe she might have other contact methods. Maybe you could ask the young duke?"
Of course! Xiu was also a Royal Academy student. As a literature student, he likely had broader social connections than Paige from the Military Department. Perhaps he could help Anmora contact Lian in the Orlan Sacred Empire.
For now, Anmora resolved to stay obediently under Slowe's watch and wait for the young duke to join her for lessons.
Xiu returned to Fernland County within a day, but unlike his usual flamboyant fanfare, this time he was secretly escorted by the Nightmare Corps.
Too many eyes in the capital were fixed on Fernland. The Emperor was no soft hand either, and Duke Nightmare didn't want his only son to experience any "sudden illness," "terrorist attack," or "traffic accident" on the way back.
Under the cover of night, the Nightmare Corps' mages delivered Xiu to the castle, but before he could even find his footing, he was summoned to the duke's study.
Seated in the high-backed chair directly opposite his father's desk, Xiu exuded an air of youthful brightness despite his pale complexion. He wore a black cape adorned with a striking patch of pure white feathers on the shoulders. Two silver buttons, intricately crafted in the shape of feathers, fastened the cape. The hem reached just to his knees, revealing short leather boots and legs so smooth and pale they resembled milk.
Crossing his legs, Xiu examined his meticulously trimmed nails, his lips curved into a perpetual smirk of sharp sarcasm.
His father, Duke Nightmare, sat grim-faced behind the desk, his features clouded with thunderous anger as he stared at his son.
Without lifting his head, Xiu continued running his fingers along his nails, their pearl-like sheen glimmering under the lamplight. "Stop staring. No matter how much you look, I won't transform into the scum you are."
Conner's expression threatened to erupt, but he didn't. Fixing his piercing gaze on the young man before him, he spoke with measured venom: "Is this what you've learned in the capital?"
"I've learned a lot. Classical city-state politics, for instance, and poetry far more sublime than politics. Shall I recite my latest work for you?" Xiu arched a delicate eyebrow, the gesture radiating an almost flirtatious charm. "Oh, wolves of Fernland, why must you drain the last drop of blood from the people…"
"Shut up." Conner's voice dropped to a dangerously low growl, trembling with restraint. "Xiu, I don't want to cripple you on your first day back."
Xiu's thin lips spread into a cold smile, both beautiful and biting. "Thank you for your pitiful generosity, Father."
"Get out of the duchy, out of this castle!" Conner roared, slamming his hands on the desk as he rose like an enraged lion. His fury shook the room, the vibrations knocking a dictionary off the shelf, which promptly struck one of the scholars unconscious.
"No one will miss me more than I miss you," Xiu replied, his voice dripping disdain. Then, his tone sharpened. "And what do you expect me to learn from that serpent Lampez? Embezzlement, smuggling drugs, human trafficking, or assassinating political rivals with cheap tricks?"
Clang!
Conner hurled the silver candlestick at Xiu. The sharp edge struck his forehead, leaving a deep gash. Blood gushed out, blurring Xiu's vision and cascading down one side of his face.
Despite the injury, Xiu sat as elegantly as a black swan, his smile growing even brighter. His eyes gleamed like stars in the night, but the effect was eerie and unsettling.
In a soft, lyrical voice that sounded almost like a chant, Xiu addressed his father: "Die, scum."
Then he rose, turning sharply to storm out of the study. Blood dripped from the white feather on his shoulder, leaving a trail behind him.
The Nightmare Corps mages, already accustomed to the chaos erupting whenever the young duke returned, immediately activated soundproofing spells to contain the commotion. They had dealt with this scenario often enough to have a standard procedure for handling it.
As soon as Xiu burst out, the mages swarmed him, attempting to stop the bleeding with various healing spells and bandages. But Xiu's sharp, irate screams soon drove them back.
Stomping through the dim corridors, his boots echoed with palpable menace. "Don't touch me! Murderers! War criminals! Get out of my sight!"
The mages, disciplined as ever, silently trailed behind, cleaning up the blood. When his resistance became too fierce, they forcibly restrained him to apply first aid. Then, without further delay, they bundled him into a carriage and set off for the chief strategist's residence.
Inside the carriage, chaos reigned. It was less like transportation and more like a battlefield, with the mages dodging Xiu's clawing nails while trying to keep him from injuring himself further. Sedatives were out of the question, and binding him with magic was unthinkable.
The mage-driven carriage raced down the roads, every occupant desperate to deliver this ticking time bomb to Slowe Lampez. Xiu, restrained but not silenced, spent the entire journey screaming accusations of "kidnapping" and "robbery," though his cries fell on deaf ears thanks to soundproofing spells.
Finally, amidst the turmoil, the carriage reached Slowe's estate.
By then, Paige had left for her shift, leaving Anmora alone. She had just lathered herself in soap in the bathtub when the commotion forced her to rinse off hastily, wrap her hair in a towel, and throw on her cute lace-trimmed pajamas.
Still dripping slightly, she reluctantly opened the door of her pink nightmare bedroom to greet a team of grim-faced military mages and a battered, bloodied, and utterly disheveled young duke.