Chapter 40, Reunion and Conclusion

Translator: Lizz

Sylvia was sleeping beside Gina.

Gina’s wounds were healing well, almost to the point of being unnoticeable. Still, she thought, ‘If I push myself and something happens during the next attack, I won’t be able to protect Lady Sylvia.’ So, she decided to take it easy until she was fully recovered.

That said, sleeping next to Sylvia wasn’t exactly strenuous.

Sylvia had become emotionally unstable after Edward’s departure. The idea of also losing Gina made her anxious, so she kept Gina close. She never left her side and slept clinging to her.

…Someone was gently stroking her hair.

This way of stroking…

Sylvia’s eyes snapped open with a start.

And then she saw a large figure standing quietly nearby.

“At last, I’ve finished cleaning up the aftermath, Lady Sylvia.”

As Sylvia bolted upright, Gina woke as well.

Sylvia literally threw herself into Edward’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Eedwaaarrd! I missed you so much while you were gone!”

Edward embraced her tightly, his voice catching with emotion.

“I told you to keep it together, even if I wasn’t by your side… didn’t I?”

He gently scolded her.

Just then, Calogero arrived, only to freeze in place as he took in the scene before him.

…Ah, I truly misjudged him.

It was infuriating, but Edward genuinely cared for Sylvia.

Everything he had done up to this point had been for her sake.

His sins were still stained a deep crimson. Yet even now, there was no mark of ‘Murder’ among them.

Despite all the lives he had taken, he didn’t consider any of it a crime.

He had slain for his Lord’s sake. Meaning that, so long as it was for his Lord, he could commit such acts without the weight of guilt.

Ordinarily, that kind of thinking would be terrifying. But to Calogero, on the contrary, it was reassuring, because it meant that Edward’s sins had nothing to do with Sylvia, and that he would continue to carry out those deeds without remorse if it were for her. That was how deeply devoted he was to his Lord.

With a calm demeanor, Edward straightened up and turned to Gina, who had been watching them with a gentle smile, and offered her a renewed apology.

“…It was because my plan was poorly executed that you ended up so badly hurt, Gina. I’m truly sorry.”

Gina shook her head firmly.

“The one who should be apologizing is me. I got injured because I didn’t follow your instructions. I couldn’t convince Calogero, I couldn’t abandon him either, and when it came to the fight, I wasn’t prepared to kill. …Because of all that, I ended up putting a huge burden on you, Sir Edward.”

Listening to their exchange, Calogero finally understood. Edward had invited the bandits inside, just as Calogero had accused, but it was all part of a larger plan to take them out in one fell swoop.

“Oh come on! It was because he kept sneaking around at night that those secret exits started springing up everywhere! If he’d just stayed put and slept like a normal person, he wouldn’t have stirred up more trouble!”

Edward shot Calogero a sharp glare.

It was because of the nature of Sylvia’s magic.

Edward had asked her to manipulate the fortress in a way that would guide the intruders to a location where it would be easier to annihilate them.

And Sylvia did just as he asked.

‘If anyone not belonging to this household enters at night, block the other paths and funnel them into that area.’

They had assumed that during the daytime there would be too many unpredictable variables, and surely no one would be reckless or bloodthirsty enough to launch a mass assault under the full light of day.

But Calogero, unaware of everything, had been patrolling the fortress at night.

As the butler, he felt it was his duty, and, suspecting Edward, he was on high alert for any hidden machinations. But his movements had an unintended consequence: they disrupted Sylvia’s magic. More precisely, the areas he passed through became punched through, forming new passageways.

When Edward attempted to carry out the annihilation, the bandits scattered in all directions. He was forced to chase them down and kill them one by one. When Gina found out, she rushed to wake Sylvia and explained the situation. Sylvia, rubbing her sleepy eyes, replied, ‘Someone from the castle walked around at night. That made the sealed paths open up again.’  Realizing who the culprit likely was, Gina told Edward and instructed Sylvia to stay confined to her room. Then, defying Edward’s attempt to stop her, she hurried off to protect Calogero.

Calogero hadn’t known any of this, but he began to sense that his nighttime patrols had inadvertently derailed Edward’s plan.

He figured that, unless someone had told him directly, there was no way he could’ve known. But even back then, it was likely that no matter who told him, Edward or even Gina, he wouldn’t have stopped his rounds. That was why they hadn’t said anything. And now, he finally realized something: unlike himself, Edward and Gina didn’t act solely on their own instincts. They discussed things together. They made decisions as a team.