READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 139
– 1 –
[She has already regained some memories. Maria. So for that matter, you should ask her directly.]
Maria looked down at the ring in her hand.
It was an accessory infused with magic directly by her Master, so she could understand the will of the Summons.
– Clack.
In front of her stood Mire, summoned by Libertus, tilting its head and gazing at Maria.
Though its skeletal form displayed no expression, its gestures revealed a cautious and worried heart.
‘Is it really…?’
Currently, the visible white bones of her body were only a portion of her limbs and around her eyes.
Seeing her concealed in far superior gear than in her past life, I couldn’t help but wonder if that posture was expressing some form of ’emotion.’
For example, reluctance to show itself.
“Hah…”
Watching the now familiar ’emotional’ Skeleton, Maria hesitated and eventually…
“Remia.”
– …Yes, Sister Maria.
With the ring still on, she heard the response to her summons.
“…Ah.”
Without wiping her flowing tears, she covered her face with one hand.
– 2 –
“Sister.”
“Sonia.”
Maria greeted her friend and younger sister’s friend with a smile as she entered the room.
As Sonia approached her, she used a handkerchief to wipe Maria’s face.
The tears she shed earlier had yet to be properly cleaned, leaving her face a mess.
“I heard the story.”
“Yeah.”
Maria nodded twice as she summarized the conversation between herself and Mire.
“…Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
Nodding her head and swallowing her tears, she continued.
“In the end, she said that girl must stay. After all, there’s nowhere else to go, but the Master is someone she can’t leave behind. …What about you?”
“…”
Sonia looked at Maria’s increasingly clean face as she asked the question.
There were hardly any visible traces of negative emotions on her face.
At this point, Sonia likely understood that she had kept quiet about the situation despite knowing.
“Don’t you resent the Master?”
“I do. Of course.”
The words flowed out without hesitation.
Yet, Maria’s expression and the grip on Sonia’s hand lacked strength.
It meant that while emotions still existed, they hadn’t gained significant power.
“I’ve been with the Master for four months too, Sonia. I may not know as much as you’ve seen, but I’ve come to understand her well. It’s not just about resentment.”
Right after that punishment, she resolved to take care of her body.
Watching Libertus during that time, Maria naturally felt her biases slowly peel away.
“I saw her treating a summoned creature that was deemed irreparable in battle.”
Since this was a Dungeon, complete safety from Libertus’ subordinates couldn’t exist.
Though her strong aides would be fine, there were periodic losses to typical Summons like Skeletons.
“She didn’t seem to realize she was acting that way.”
On days when dozens of typical Summons fell, Libertus would often lock herself away in her room without even drinking the tea she usually enjoyed or reading a book.
She recalled the sorrowful face she had caught a glimpse of.
Recently, such faces had been seen far less frequently, but the memories remained.
“I also saw her caring for injured individuals working inside the Dungeon.”
Currently, there existed a ‘Skeleton Healer’ within the Dungeon.
Not a ‘Mage who heals Skeletons,’ but a Skeleton Mage who utilized healing magic.
This was Libertus’s response after witnessing a ‘slave’ who had fallen ill after merely getting injured while working in the Dungeon.
“She said it was just about ‘saving human resources.’ I wonder if that’s something we’re meant to believe.”
A wry smile appeared on Maria’s lips.
A pathological fear of loss.
An intense obsession with those called possessions.
A desperate attempt to be a rightfully good Master.
She could see all that childish behavior.
“In a society entrenched where humans dominate the continent, it’s something unavoidable, having been born that way. How could we solely resent such ‘people’?”
‘In fact, Remia also has no choice but to stay here to survive,’ Maria bitterly thought at the end.
As she caressed Maria’s hand, Sonia cast off her hesitations.
She intended to reveal the suspicions she had about Libertus.
“Actually, Sister…”
“Is it really…”
They forgot that their guess was merely a guess.
Because their conjectures came close to the truth, they exchanged speculations that had become complete truths in their hearts, half-aware of how much they had become infatuated with her.
– 3 –
“Where is this…?”
Mikaela, the eighth child and third daughter of Frederick Ironfield, head of the Ironfield Marquis House, opened her eyes, believing she was in some palace or mansion.
The luxurious furniture surrounding her left no doubt in her mind.
“This is a style I’ve never seen before.”
As she touched various pieces of furniture, she suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu from the material of the wood and pondered for a moment.
Then she realized the identity of the wood and widened her eyes.
‘This…’
“It’s Ironwood…?”
Humans call it Mistheim Ironwood from Kaisen.
Renowned for its strength and flexibility, this rare strategic material was used for crafting weapons and armor, certainly anything else but ordinary furniture in this location.
‘Who would indulge in such extravagance…?’
Realizing this fact left Mikaela feeling overwhelmed.
The status and wealth of nobility are ultimately proven through ‘luxury.’
Using Ironwood, which is in high demand from every country, for mere furniture instead of its intended purpose for weapons or siege equipment was extravagant.
Even if the finish of the furniture appeared not deliberately lavish at first glance, upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was a strange luxury where silver or gold had been intentionally darkened.
“Who could it be…?”
‘A Duke? Or perhaps royalty?’
It would be natural for her to think that she was in a mansion owned by high-ranking nobility.
Little did she know.
Should this place be called a royal castle, it would be more accurate to call it a ‘Demon Lord Castle.’
“It’s locked.”
‘In a place as extraordinary as this, it wouldn’t be so bad.’
She thought she had been kidnapped, but she felt no fear about it.
Her last memory was of a drinking gathering with relatives, so she mistakenly believed that being here was due to the cooperation of one of those relatives.
“It’s alright.”
‘After all, I’m at the brink of being exiled to a monastery. If I can find a better match, my family won’t ignore it.’
Furthermore, among the nobility, novels depicting such fantasies about this kind of situation were popular.
Stories where a noble lady or gentleman kidnaps a loved one they fancy, enters into a relationship, and later embarks on romance were all the rage.
Although cities weren’t entirely isolated, the exchange of news wasn’t smooth and given the scale of power and influence held by nobles, it wouldn’t be strange for such stories to unfold into reality.
Realistically speaking, the relationships between the families of those involved would likely deteriorate drastically instead of marriage occurring.
‘I wonder if he’s handsome? At the very least, I hope he has ordinary looks.’
So, Mikaela’s concern ended there.
After all, the conclusion awaiting her was being cast out by her family and sent to a monastery.
Once sent to a monastery, returning is quite difficult.
She would have to waste several years of her life within, so she thought this thrill might not be so bad.
It was a naïve thought.
And that’s why Elias and Elena disliked her.
Knock.
The knock sounded just after she surveyed all the items in the room and concluded there was nothing she could do.
“Who’s there?”
Clunk.
At her query, the door opened.
Not the entire door, but a small peephole at the top of the door.
– …
Clack!
What shone through was two lights.
Before Mikaela could confirm the source, the peephole closed, and silence fell back into the room.
“What the…”
She couldn’t hide her incredulity.
Where would a guestroom have such a feature?
Such a facility would typically belong in a prison or…
“Prison?”
Only then did Mikaela realize something.
Beyond that window, she could definitely see some sort of scenery, and sunlight was even seeping through.
But…
– …
Clunk!
There were no sounds of birds singing, and the window remained tightly shut.
“This is…”
What lay there was merely a very realistic landscape painting transplanted from the outside.
She realized.
“A real prison…?”
That she was in a room that resembled a guest room but was a prison.
– 4 –
After learning about my future and past, one of the requests made by the three was that they wanted to be a part of my daily life.
Feeling a bit shy about it, I accepted.
Today, Lan decided to use the opportunity to share in my daily life by washing my feet.
Drip…!
“It’s all done now.”
With the final sprinkling of water onto my feet, one of those ordinary moments spent with Lan came to an end.
“Thank you, Lan.”
“No need to mention it. This task brings me great joy.”
“Right.”
Next came the gentle touch of a soft towel gliding between my toes, over the tops and heels of my feet.
Usually sharp, yet expertly trimmed with a transformation spell, her fingertips pressed down on my feet with care.
“It tickles.”
“Is that so? Please bear with it for just a little while.”
Her body was clearly designed and completed based on the human form.
This body has muscles, flesh, and blood.
The only difference is that every single part is made of magical bio cells.
While its appearance and structure closely resemble humans, its essence is entirely different.
In other words, it has blood flow and can wear out due to the immense magic and blood it carries.
Usually, this level of fatigue is naturally relieved by sleep, but this intentional massage felt pleasant too.
“Mmm.”
Additionally, the initial form remained unchanged, so no toenail would grow longer, nor would muscles build up.
Still, my feet, capable of harnessing strength and magic right down to each toe, were surprisingly sensitive.
I could feel the precise movements of each one of Lan’s fingers, whether they were the index or ring finger.
It seemed pointless.
Pointless, yet…
‘How could something be so meticulous?’
As I felt Lan’s heartfelt gestures, the value of this seemingly trivial daily moment began to weigh heavily upon me.
Because I realized that this girl cherished every part of my body.
‘Happiness.’
This must be what daily happiness felt like.
Knock.
Such a peaceful and deeply fulfilling daily routine came to an end with the sound of a knock.