About an hour before the engagement ceremony was set to begin.
“Marquis, I heard you were looking for me.”
When Cain, who had received the message from Bianca, entered the office of the Marquis of Castana, he found the Marquis deep in thought, his face somewhat tense. He greeted him with a serious expression.
“…Welcome, Heir to Estel.”
“What did you call me for? The engagement ceremony is about to begin,” Cain asked, doubt evident in his tone.
Marquis Castana let out a deep sigh before answering.
“I’ll be direct since we don’t have much time. Not too long ago, we were able to uncover the identity of the spy who had infiltrated the Castana marquis family.”
At his words, Cain’s eyes lit up.
“That’s excellent news. So, does this mean the engagement ceremony is automatically canceled, even if it’s a bit late?”
The Marquis, noting Cain’s eagerness to escape even at this stage, shook his head quietly.
“Unfortunately, no. The engagement ceremony must proceed as planned. That’s why I’ve called you here.”
“…What?” Cain frowned, confused by his statement, but the Marquis handed him a book without saying a word.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“See for yourself.”
With that, Cain accepted the book and began reading through it slowly.
“…I see,” he muttered.
When he finished, a laugh escaped him. The contents of the book were too absurd.
“What on earth is this?” he asked, though his tone had shifted. He no longer sought clarification but expressed disbelief. The Marquis of Castana, understanding his change, answered calmly this time.
“It’s a diary found in the spy’s room. As you can see, it’s filled with personal reflections on why they betrayed the marquis and what they planned to do next.”
Cain stared at the Marquis in disbelief.
“…That’s absurd. Who in their right mind would leave something like this in their room? It’s as if they wanted to get caught.”
Marquis Castana nodded in agreement.
“That’s what I thought, Young Heir. It’s highly suspicious, almost too suspicious. Their behavior isn’t normal. It’s ridiculous, but it seems they’re operating under the assumption that their actions will be discovered. At times, I wonder as if they wanted people to know they were the spy.”
Neither Cain nor the Marquis could have imagined just how accurate their speculations were.
“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t shake the suspicion. Could this be a trap? If so, what are they aiming for? What reason would they have for something like this?”
“So, what exactly are you asking me to do?”
The Marquis’s expression hardened, and he spoke slowly.
“It’s simple. If you look at the end of that ‘diary,’ it states that during your engagement ceremony with Bianca, they plan to attack you with another spy hiding within the Marquis family. So…”
“So, you’re saying you know what they’re planning, but we’re going to just sit back and let it happen?” Cain interjected.
Marquis Castana nodded calmly.
“I assure you, you’ll be safe. Besides, isn’t Bianca by your side? With her skills, she could easily deal with any threat in an instant. All you need to do is wait for them to reveal their magic.”
“…..”
Cain fell silent, deep in thought. Ordinarily, taking such a risk would be unwise. However, Cain knew all too well who Bianca was and how powerful her abilities were. In a world like theirs, there were fewer than ten people who could match her strength. With her by his side, Cain knew he was unlikely to get hurt.
Yet, the conversation he’d had with Sarah that night kept replaying in his mind. The engagement, the cursed rings, the political maneuvering—everything involving Count Cernard and the Duke Estel weighed on him.
His hesitation didn’t last long. Nodding slightly, he gave the Marquis of Castana a clear, positive signal.
****
‘D*mn it! You said nothing would happen to me!’
Cain cursed inwardly, but it was a futile complaint given how far things had escalated. No one could have predicted that Bianca would be incapacitated for unknown reasons.
Furthermore, there was no time to dwell on Marquis Castana’s assurances, as Joshua’s sword was swinging fiercely toward him even now.
Shraaaak!
Joshua’s blade cut through the air, relentless in its assault on Cain. His movements—stabbing, slashing, thrusting—flowed in quick succession, a high-speed barrage difficult to follow with the naked eye.
Yet, Cain stepped back, narrowly avoiding each strike. Joshua’s sword came dangerously close, grazing Cain’s body by mere inches. With a swift twist, Cain avoided the final thrust aimed directly at his heart.
“Heh!” Cain sneered at Joshua.
In the next moment, he spun toward him, aiming for the back of his head. There was no need to use the Flowing Star technique. With a whip-like motion, he swung his elbow.
Praang!
But it was blocked. Joshua twisted his body to evade Cain’s fist and, at the same time, swung his sword in the shape of a crescent moon.
I NEED YOUR HELP: During the recent unrest in the country I am from, our family hardware store was broken into and looted by thugs. I don’t know why they did it, since my family has always been minding our own business, without bothering anyone else. I’m guessing some people are taking advantage of the current lawless and chaotic state of the country.
Anyways, the incident now leaves me as the only earning member of my family. Long time readers know that I was already dealing with a mountain of trouble (that I inherited from my father), and was already struggling. I had created a plan of action, and was steadily moving forward. But this incident destroyed whatever plans I had, again. I don’t know why bad things keep happening to me again and again. I might as well be cursed or something.
So here I am, after much hesitation, once again asking for your support. If you are reading this, please help if you are able to, I repeat, help only if you are able to. I am not asking something for free, you can become a Patron at Patreon to gain access to more chapters, or sponsor as many chapters you can from any of the novels you enjoy on Goblinslate here at BuymeaCoffee. Or if you just want to help, you can donate any amount at the Wishlist at BuymeaCoffee. Thank you.