Are MZ Shamans In Trouble In Romance Novels? - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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37.

-According to rumors, the Fourth Wife’s death wasn’t actually due to illness, but because the Second Wife murdered her… Huh, urk!

What if that method of murder had been poison? The possibility was quite high. Especially if it was the type of poison herb that left no traces. Moreover, most of the meals prepared in the Duke’s Castle kitchen were for the direct family members. Except for a few special cases.

‘The fact that Sirion’s attendant personally stepped forward is also telling.’

Usually, when nobles moved their close associates, it was when the target or matter was extremely important. They wouldn’t go to such great lengths just to eliminate a mere servant.

-Hmm, Thomas. Ah! 7 years! No, 8 years? Probably around 8 years.

Isaac, who had been searching his memory for a moment, clapped his hands as if he finally remembered.

“…8 years.”

Calisia, lying in bed, swallowed hard. The timing didn’t seem to match. As far as she knew, the Fourth Wife had died about 6 years ago. Of course, the possibility of long-term poisoning couldn’t be ignored. There were drugs that had an incubation period and gradually manifested toxicity. But the probability wasn’t very high. The dead servant and the mysterious man had first conspired 8 years ago. And dozens of cooks and servants went in and out of the Duke’s Castle kitchen every day. It would be quite a burdensome environment to slip poison in daily while avoiding all those eyes.

“Tell me about the Fourth Wi… no, about Mother. Focus on around the time she passed away. No, tell me everything from before she even went to the Castle of Ash.”

Moreover, the Fourth Wife wasn’t influential enough to warrant taking such great risks. That’s why she had an even worse feeling about this. It felt like she was wandering in the wrong place with the clue right in front of her nose. There was definitely something she was missing.

-So that was about 6 years ago.

Isaac furrowed his brow and began picking through old memories one by one.

The prelude to misfortune began when Calisia was nearing the end of her seventh year. If he remembered correctly, it would have been on a cold winter day. An illness of unknown cause came to the healthy Fourth Wife. At first, they thought it was just a minor ailment from the cold winter wind. Though it couldn’t compare to the Northern Region, the Western Region’s winter was quite harsh as well.

-My lady. Even if you have no appetite, you mustn’t skip meals. If it’s really difficult, please at least have a spoonful of soup. I’m afraid something serious might happen at this rate.

-Nanny! This is bitter! Bitter!

-Oh my! Why is our young miss acting like this again?

-That’s enough. Clear the table. I feel nauseous and don’t think I can swallow anything. Calisia, my dear child- come here.

But contrary to everyone’s expectations, the Fourth Wife couldn’t overcome her illness and passed away. It was early spring when the warm sunlight had just begun to arrive. It was too great a loss for young Calisia to bear.

-…Nanny!

Someone once said that misfortune is like waves – once it comes, it becomes unstoppable. Not long after losing her mother, what struck at Calisia’s feet was her nanny’s corpse.

-…Ah, uugh!

The girl who lost her precious ones in succession closed her mouth from that day on.

-What was strange was that after she stopped speaking, she would cry whenever she saw the Second Wife. That young child’s eyes were all bloodshot as she cried loud enough to wake the world… Oh my- Ah! And one day she even rushed at the Second Wife. The Main Castle was in an uproar because of that.

Isaac waved his hands saying it was complete chaos. His attitude suggested his head still ached thinking about it.

“How did that nanny die?”

Calisia, who had been quietly listening to the story, finally spoke. She was starting to get a rough estimate.

-Aunt Ellen? It was robbers, they said. But I don’t know what grudge they had, they cut out her eyes and ears. Ugh…

Gouging out eyeballs and cutting off ears. It was far too excessive for simple robbery. It would make more sense if it were revenge or a warning.

-…Child. This Sela Belloir has never once spared anything that stands in my way. No matter who it might be.

Calisia pushed the ice pack aside and looked at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes. She suddenly recalled what the Second Wife had whispered in her ear. Who exactly did she mean by ‘things that stand in my way’?

“That nanny. What were her actions like before she died? Did she do anything different from usual or say anything strange?”

-Actually, that’s… Aunt Ellen said that the Fourth Wife didn’t die of illness but was murdered. She said there was no way someone so healthy could suddenly pass away.

“But there was no evidence of foul play, so the higher-ups would have dismissed it.”

Calisia spoke as if the outline of the situation was finally taking shape. The Fourth Wife, whose cause of death was unclear but suspected to be poisoning. The nanny who was killed in a gruesome manner after raising the possibility of her master’s murder. Up to this point, it was a common palace intrigue story. But the long period of 2 years still bothered her. The Fourth Wife was like a useless piece. She was removed from the succession competition, but her position as the Head of House’s wife was what mattered. The benefits gained from killing her were minimal compared to the considerable risk.

-Yes. Though Aunt Ellen’s fate was unfortunate… Who would dare breach the boundaries of Valus and touch the Head of House’s wife at that?

Then whose poisoning conspiracy had Thomas witnessed?

“Isaac. Even if it takes a while, find out if there were any direct family members who suddenly died or passed away from illness within the past ten years. Include influential branch families and important officials too.”

Calisia put the ice pack back over her eyes. A headache was coming on, suggesting this matter would become quite troublesome.

“And you said the Grand Lady, Cain’s mother, also passed away? Then find out about the Grand Lady in detail too. When and how she died. How Cain was after that.”

Calisia’s body sank heavily and gradually disappeared under the bed. Though it was still just speculation, she seemed to have grasped a faint clue.

***

“This way!”

“That spot gets sunlight!”

The Northern Castle servants rushed into the annex training ground from morning, making all sorts of commotion. They stacked luggage resembling moving boxes neatly under the trees.

“Leave that and start with this first!”

“One, two, three! Heave!”

The servants who found a moderately shaded spot set down a large table and chairs on the ground. After dusting off their hands, they quickly unpacked the luggage they had brought. Snow-white lace, soft cushions, and dainty desserts. Finally, sweet perfume to add to the atmosphere. It was unmistakably a tea party.

“Miss. This way.”

Calisia, with black cloth wrapped around her eyes, appeared with a servant’s escort.

“Perrrfect!”

Calisia leaned back against the soft cushion and stretched languidly. After being cooped up in her room thinking only about the Second Wife, coming outside finally made her feel alive. Of course, her eyeballs were ruined, but the sunlight was warm and the breeze was cool. Best of all was the fact that there was no training. You need to be able to see to do anything.

“Cookie.”

Calisia tapped on the table and said.

“Yes, Miss.”

“The one with strawberry jam.”

The servant wrapped a cookie generously sprinkled with sugar powder in cloth and handed it to Calisia.

“Hehe.”

Calisia took the cookie and burst into sinister, wicked laughter. The Northern Knights’ battle cries in her ears and sweet dessert in her hands. Indeed, nothing was better than playing alone while others worked.

“Mmm. Delicious.”

Calisia opened her mouth wide and took a big bite of the cookie. The rich flavor of butter and sweet-and-sour strawberry jam delighted her mouth. The fruit pieces that crunched in between were particularly fantastic. It seemed that becoming a Blue Flame owner even changed the quality of desserts. Such materialistic people.

“Calisia Valus. Do you think this is a resort?”

Ian, who had come out in the middle of his running exercise, snatched the cookie from Calisia’s hand.

“If you’re injured, lie down quietly. Don’t disturb others.”

Ian spoke with obvious displeasure. When she should be resting even if it wasn’t enough, what reason was there to come out and make a scene?

“You guys can go now. It seems someone from the main house has come.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Calisia, who smiled without knowing others’ feelings, dismissed all the servants with a single gesture. They bowed respectfully and quickly left the training ground.

“Oh, Soeddongi. Did you come out to greet your sister?”

Calisia turned her head this way and that while waving her hand. Her sense of direction was off since she couldn’t see ahead.

“Did you see that just now? This power. With one gesture – snap! Snap!”

Calisia snapped her fingers and made a fuss.

“Your eyes nearly went blind and you can still say such things. If I had known that what we found at the cemetery that day would cause this trouble, I would never have helped you.”

Ian fired off words rapidly at her appearance that showed not a trace of sense of crisis. He was so angry he was about to explode.

“Don’t you really know how sensitive eyes are? Even trained knights have their combat ability greatly reduced when their eyes are attacked.”

“I keep telling you it’s temporary blindness. The inflammation isn’t that severe either. And when did you ever help me that much! You just made me do hellish drills!”

Calisia, recalling that hellish night again, grumbled that her arms still ached.

“Ugh- Fine, fine. If you have time to nag, just pick up a cookie for me.”

Calisia collapsed onto the table saying she didn’t even have the energy to argue anymore.

“Cooookieee-.”

She hit the table with her palm and opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

“Looking like that, can a cookie even go in?”

“The doctor said I need to eat well to recover quickly.”

Calisia shrugged, pouting that it wasn’t her fault the prescription was like that.

“…Hah.”

Ian let out an irritated breath and tried hard to suppress the anger boiling up from within. If Calisia were a Northern Knight, or at least a man, he would have beaten her down to make her come to her senses. But unfortunately, she was neither a knight nor a man. So what could he do? He had no choice but to give in.

“…”

Ian moistened his dry lips with his tongue and stared intently at the carefree Calisia. No matter what, being angry was unavoidable.

“Hurry up and give it to me. Hurryyyy!”

“Open your mouth.”

Ian spoke with a blunt face like someone applying for a sparring match. Then he picked up a golden-brown looking cookie and fed it to her small mouth.

“Ew. It has walnuts. I don’t like beans and stuff like that. A different one.”

Calisia, who had readily eaten the cookie Ian offered, made a disgusted face and spat out what was in her mouth.

“Are you really a child? Don’t be picky. And walnuts are good for eye health.”

Ian picked up the cookie that had fallen on the table.

“A different one.”

Calisia, who had clamped her mouth shut like a clam, turned her head sharply to the side.

“How demanding.”

Ian, rolling his eyes upward as if fed up, eventually picked up a different cookie.

“Ptui! Ptui! This one has almonds in it. I told you to remove anything that looks similar to beans!”

Calisia, who had bitten into the cookie without much suspicion, scrunched up her face. Of all the many options, he had once again chosen a whole almond cookie.

“…Soettong. Will you just give me one with strawberry jam?”

Calisia spat out the remaining almond pieces that were rolling around unpleasantly in her mouth. How does this clumsy fool manage to pick bean-related things every single time? Well, Ian never had the face of someone destined to eat well anyway.

“Fine.”

“Ah-.”

Calisia opened her mouth wide again. The crispy texture and rich strawberry jam. It was a taste that naturally brought out a smile.

“…Hm?”

She, who had been chewing vigorously, suddenly wrinkled her nose bridge. It was because of the mysterious crunchiness she felt between the strawberry jam.

“Ptui! Ptui! Damn it! Hey! You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

It was walnuts and almonds that Ian had secretly slipped in. The enraged Calisia flailed her arms wildly in the air, trying to grab him.

Whoosh-

Whoosh-

“I was just looking out for your eye health.”

Ian lightly dodged her hands.

“You stay right there!”

Calisia, whose anger had reached its peak, shot up from her seat.

“I’ve been standing right here the whole time!”

Ian deliberately emphasized the word “right” as he spoke. It was certainly childish behavior. But considering how much he had worried about her, it wasn’t that petty.

“Standing right there my foot! Who do you think you’re mocking right now!”

“Well, maybe you should have taken better care of your eyes? And is this really the best your agility can do? Pathetic.”

Calisia, falling for the provocation, clenched her fists and stomped her feet. At her appearance like an angry rabbit, Ian couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

“Are you laughing?”

“I didn’t laugh. Your ears must be injured too.”

“You did laugh! My ears are perfectly fine!”

Unable to contain her anger, Calisia charged at Ian like a rhinoceros.

“Oh, oh no! They’re fighting again! Stop them! Stop them!”

The Northern Knights who had been training rushed out of the training ground with urgent steps as an added bonus.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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