Eseled was busy from the morning.
But it was just a busyness of Margaret and Suleiman dressing more formally than usual.
Suleiman had ordered clothes and shoes for Navia from a boutique, which arrived early in the morning.
Margaret received a box from the boutique employee.
Considering Suleiman's character, it seemed unlikely that he would have ordered just a couple of items, but there were only a few.
"A winter dress, socks, a pair of shoes? Is that all?"
The boutique employee said.
"All boutiques of a certain level are like this at this time. We need to handle backlogged orders first. It was hard to even get these."
The boutique where Suleiman ordered was not premium like Ansier but was known for its quality, busy with backlogged winter dress orders.
Margaret nodded, looking at the fine sky-blue dress.
"Understood."
There would be enough compensation money coming in today, so she planned to shop around for more clothes.
'Or perhaps I could buy fabric for Mine and commission her.'
"I hope Navia likes it."
Margaret took the cake Suleiman bought yesterday and went upstairs.
'Navia seems to like sweets.'
She remembered seeing only one cookie left in the chocolate cookie basket Navia had hidden a few days ago.
She found it cute how much Navia enjoyed sweet snacks and was sad that she felt the need to hide the basket.
'I must make sure to always provide snacks, but only enough to prevent cavities.'
"Navia?"
But the child was not in the room.
She had come early in the morning, but where could she have gone?
Margaret looked around curiously, then met Benny entering with an anxious expression.
"Good morning, Countess Romanov."
Benny greeted her, visibly flustered, but her eyes quickly scanned the room.
Navia was nowhere to be seen.
"Good morning. But where's Sairen? I don't see her."
Benny tensed for a moment, then thought quickly.
Navia was not there, probably because the assassins had succeeded last night.
She would likely be sent away soon, so there was no need to mention Sairen fleeing yesterday and give Margaret a reason to find fault.
"Ah, she wasn't feeling well. I told her not to come, fearing she might infect the lady."
"Is that so?"
Margaret put down what she was carrying and approached the bed.
When she felt under the covers, she only felt a cold chill.
It meant that no one had been there for quite some time.
Margaret's expression hardened. She went to the window to check the latches.
"Benny."
Margaret spoke in a low voice without turning around.
"Yes?"
"Why are all the window latches open?"
Benny made a troubled face and stuttered a response.
"Ah... I must have forgotten to check yesterday. Sorry."
"Haha."
Margaret suddenly laughed.
'Why is she acting like that?'
Benny, already upset about Sairen, grew irritated at Margaret's strange behavior.
Margaret was a noble, so she was a bit intimidating, but she was much easier to deal with than the male noble, Suleiman.
She had heard Margaret was a sorceress, but had never seen her abilities.
Rumors said Margaret's abilities and achievements were exaggerated, and some were even made up.
"I really hate getting angry, Benny."
Margaret slowly turned to meet Benny's gaze.
She was always gentle, smiling, and spoke softly.
But now, she was smiling coldly, and a strange black shimmer was forming around her.
Margaret opened her mouth.
"When I get angry, someone always ends up dead. Strangely."
That's why she hated getting angry.
Shiver!
Benny felt a deep murderous intent and clenched her teeth, freezing in place.
"Please... spare me!"
Then, through the murderous atmosphere, a clear voice sounded.
"Lady Margaret."
Navia walked in barefoot, one step at a time.
"Lady Navia!"
Margaret rushed to Navia as if the moment before had been a mere illusion, with an expression of utmost gentleness.
"What's this...! Why is your body so cold?"
"I had some business."
While checking Navia's body, Margaret noticed the paper knife tightly held in the child's hand.
'Impossible.'
"Did someone try to harm you, Miss Navia?"
Navia shook her head.
"That didn't happen."
It seemed unlikely.
The child's eyes were dark with fatigue, clearly having stayed up all night.
Margaret glared sharply at Benny.
"Sairen, the maid, said she was sick, right? I need to check on that."
Yesterday, there was a dead mouse on the bed. And today, Navia appeared outside, barefoot with a knife in her hand.
Something had driven the child outside.
And Margaret suspected Sairen as the culprit.
Benny's face immediately darkened.
"Lady Margaret, Duke Agnes will be arriving soon."
"But Miss Navia is more important than that."
Navia felt a warmth seep into her chilled body at those words.
It really eased her heart.
Somehow, the anxiety and vigilance she had endured all night seemed to dissipate.
Magic might not only be about causing eruptions or explosions.
Perhaps words like these were also a kind of magic?
Then, Benny, who had been trembling palely in fear, confessed.
"She ran away!"
Margaret, puzzled by his incomprehensible words, asked back.
"Ran away?"
"Ye-Yes, Sairen suddenly started talking about evil spirits last night and then ran away! I don't know what happened after that."
Navia knew Benny was telling the truth, as she was the reason Sairen had fled.
"But why lie? And why would the maid run away all of a sudden?"
"...She said there was a curse here, that she saw evil spirits."
It sounded utterly absurd, a curse and evil spirits. And she claimed to have seen them?
"I don't know how to interpret that."
Margaret caused Benny's shadow to rise, constricting his breath.
"Ahh!"
Benny collapsed to the floor, trembling and with a look of horror in his eyes.
"It would be best for you to stay calm during this situation."
As Margaret spoke with a kind smile, Benny nodded frantically, looking pitiful.
"Yes, yes. I understand!"
Navia quietly observed and inwardly admired.
The always gentle Margaret being a war hero seemed a bit incongruous, but now it was clear.
'Not just anyone can be a war hero.'
After Benny left, Margaret sighed briefly and checked on Navia.
"I would like to say soak in warm water, but it's difficult now because of the wound."
Margaret thought that if Navia decided not to speak, she would never open her mouth.
Even if that were not the case, she didn't want to interrogate the child who looked worn out and had returned to the room.
Instead, she commanded a shadow to bring a basin of warm water and a clean towel.
"I'll help you clean up."
Navia was about to say she was fine, but she was suddenly lifted and laid on the bed.
"If the shadow scares you, let me know."
Margaret knew that her ability might seem as frightening as an evil spirit to others.
That's why she had avoided using her powers until now.
Not only that, as she got older, using magic drained her energy significantly, so she seldom used it.
"I'm not scared at all. It's an amazing ability."
Upon hearing Navia's response, Margaret smiled and dismissed the shadow.
Children, in particular, were often frightened of shadows.
'It's not just flattery, it's genuinely amazing.'
Navia could say, if there was a magical ability she coveted the most among all she had seen, it would definitely be Margaret's shadow manipulation.
With such power, one could virtually create an army alone.
'As long as there is light in the world, shadows will always exist. Every object has its shadow.'
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