Even the title of the record was vicious, insidious, and cruel.
[Karna Drug Trial Report – Subject: Cassian Cardeine, 51, Male]

As if turning his own blood into the marquis’s daughter wasn’t enough, the mad doctor had been conducting an experiment to gradually rob the marquis of his sight. All of it done so secretly, so craftily, that no one had noticed.

Gerard’s brows furrowed as he read through Alexis’s notes. The obsessively organized memos and diagrams were densely packed in a precise, clinical hand across the pages. The characters, written with an eerie consistency in spacing and angle, only made the content more horrifying. It was almost as if the letters gave off the biting stench of disinfectant.

Gerard gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep reading Alexis’s records. Though it wasn’t something that had happened to him, his hands trembled with fury as he held the pages.

No matter how much it had been for his own daughter, Alexis had committed far too many things a doctor should never do—and for far too long.

—Day 226 of Karna — Continued visual blurring. Emotional judgment decreased by over 30%. When Katrin’s Infroomos was added, the subject showed heightened sensitivity to Katrin’s voice.
—Day 402 — Karna effect stabilized. Reduced intake maintained for the past month.

Karna was once a drug used to treat magical addiction. But due to its side effects—causing blindness and isolating specific emotions—it had long been blacklisted not only by physicians but even by mages.

Moreover, Infroomos was an emotion-manipulating potion created using a person’s hair and blood. It manipulated the unconscious mind, artificially intensifying affection and attachment.

In short, Alexis had colluded with Katrin to blind the marquis and chemically manufacture his unconditional love and loyalty toward her.

Now, Gerard finally understood why the marquis had always been strangely soft only toward Katrin.

That night, Gerard didn’t even notice the sun rising the next day—he was too absorbed in reading and analyzing Alexis’s records.

Although Estella hadn’t given him an answer to his confession, Ciel’s mood now was night and day from before the banquet. Just a short while ago, he’d been so tormented by Estella not even looking him in the eye that his nerves were fried and his mouth dry with dread. But not only had Estella finally looked at him—she had saved his life.

And she had done it with her whole body. Bravely, even.

As Ciel left the banquet hall and made his way to Birch Hall, he excitedly recounted the story of how Estella had saved him to the Squirrels, spinning it like a heroic ballad. He’d almost died, but that didn’t seem to bother him—Estella’s name flowed from his lips like breath itself.

“Estella saved me. She saved my life. You all saw it, right?”

“We didn’t see it, but it’s the seventh time you’ve told the story, so it feels like we did.”

“I thought I was the one who shot the arrow. I almost confessed.”

“Trays are banned for now. Don’t even say the ‘tr’ in ‘tray.’”

The mercenaries grumbled about Ciel’s endless repetition, but there was an unmistakable, pleased smile playing on their lips.

Estella came to find Ciel two days after the banquet ended. For those two days, Ciel had been training quietly at Birch Hall with the devotion of a monk, waiting for Estella’s reaction.

She didn’t seem like she would throw him out immediately, but she hadn’t told him outright that he could stay either. So when Ria finally came with word that Estella was asking for him, Ciel tossed aside his sword and ran at full speed.

Estella was waiting for him in her sitting room. Though it was his second visit, Ciel sat down quietly on the sofa across from her as if it were his first, a little stiff with awkwardness.

“Ria, could you prepare some tea?”

“Yes, my lady. Shall I bring Miraclelium?”

“Yes. Miraclelium for me, lavender tea for Ciel. Lavender tea’s alright with you, isn’t it?”

Estella, mid-request to Ria, turned to Ciel for confirmation. Ciel nodded calmly, though he felt he could down a mug of swamp water if Estella offered it. Lavender happened to be his favorite tea, and even though he knew Estella hadn’t asked because of that, he couldn’t help feeling happy.

Once Ria stepped out to fetch the tea, Estella rose from her seat. Ciel looked up at her blankly, but the moment she acted, all the color drained from his face.

“I greet His Highness, Prince Ciel, the Empire’s second sun. Please forgive my previous disrespectful behavior.”

“...Estella, please don’t do this.”

Ciel shot to his feet, his face stricken. If she had just asked why he hadn’t told her he was a prince, he would have explained a hundred, a thousand times. But treating him like a stranger, addressing him as ‘Your Highness’—he couldn’t bear it. It felt like she was pushing him far away, where he couldn’t reach her.

“Should I not?”

Ciel, desperately wondering how to win her back, froze at the unexpected question. He nodded dumbly.

“Should I speak to you casually, like before?”

He nodded again. He looked like something was broken inside.

“Alright then. Sit down.”

“...Okay. Y-yeah.”

Estella returned to her seat and gestured for Ciel to do the same.

They sat in silence for a moment before both spoke at once.

“Sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

They stared at each other after the synchronized apology, then broke into a soft laugh. It was just a brief moment, but for Ciel, it felt like being resurrected. He was overwhelmed with happiness.

Estella watched him quietly and finally brought up the thought that had consumed her all night.

“I know you didn’t hide it from me on purpose. You had no reason to. You were just a mercenary under contract, and it was me who asked to sign that contract, after all...”

“No, I should’ve told you. I never meant to deceive you. I’m sorry.”

Something about his apology made her heart ache.

“Ciel.”

Estella fell silent, then called his name softly.

“I’m listening, Estella.”

She looked him in the eyes and let out a long sigh. Ciel felt his heart freeze again, but strangely, the weight of her words didn’t feel unpleasant. In fact, he felt desperate to match her pace, to follow her lead.

“Do you remember when I said I couldn’t side with the imperial family?”

“I remember.”

“Soon, I’ll go to war with Aslan. And in that war, I will win...”

She paused, met his gaze, and continued in a firm voice.

“I’ll kill Aslan.”

Ciel didn’t flinch. He listened, calm and composed.

Estella was sure the magic arrow aimed at Ciel during the banquet had been sent by the Mage Tower’s master at Aslan’s orders. Aslan couldn’t attack House Wintfall directly, so he’d planned to kill the prince inside the Cardeine estate and blame them for it. If he had succeeded, it would’ve been a flawless two-birds-one-stone strategy.

But since he’d failed completely, he was likely seething now. Or perhaps his intention from the start had been provocation—after all, the attack had been sloppy for someone like the Tower’s master.

In any case, now that Aslan knew Ciel was in Wintfall, he would surely try to kill him. If Ciel and the Squirrel Mercenaries left, they might meet a meaningless death at Aslan’s hands. No matter how strong they were, defeating the Mage Tower and the enormous imperial knights under Aslan’s control would be as easy for him as brushing away a fallen leaf.

Estella continued.

“Aslan wants to kill you too.”
“I know.”

When Ciel admitted it without hesitation, Estella nodded as if she’d expected that.

“Then I’ll protect you.”

Hearing those bold words from the mouth of a woman squirrel-like in demeanor made Ciel’s lips twitch upward. His heart thudded so wildly it felt like a dwarf inside his ribs was roasting beans.

“So stick close to me. I won’t let him lay a finger on you.”

More than any love confession, that offer was sweet. Ciel’s whole body went limp, his head lowering with a deep sigh.

“What, is it too much pressure?”

Estella asked carefully, misunderstanding his reaction. But instead of answering, Ciel suddenly plopped down next to her on the sofa. The cushion sank under his weight, and Estella’s body tilted slightly toward him.

He stared at her, then gently rested his head on her small shoulder. Despite the awkward angle—his large frame squished against her much smaller one—he didn’t seem to mind.

“What are you doing?”

Ciel closed his eyes and smiled.

“What do you think? I’m a fragile little thing clinging to the brave Lady Estella. I’m still shaking in fear that Aslan’s going to come kill me. I even had a nightmare last night.”

At his shameless dramatics, Estella finally burst out laughing. It was the beginning of a fierce and poignant alliance—between a woman heading into war and a man with his life on the line.

Chapter 133

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