Chapter 67. Black Magic Circle
2023.11.06.
As Blair stepped down from the carriage, a muscular man waiting in front of the villa bowed politely in greeting.
"I have been waiting for you, Madam."
Surprised by the unexpected companion's appearance, Blair awkwardly returned the greeting and looked at Mikhail. He smiled softly and explained.
"I figured it was about time to add another person to the scandal. Isn't a trio more stimulating than a duo?"
Blair realized the implications of Mikhail's words and was appalled, but he was right. The bigger the scandal, the better.
After exchanging brief greetings, the three of them entered the villa together.
The villa was quiet and clean, devoid of people. Though unoccupied, it was equipped with basic necessities, making it seem like a good place for a short stay.
Blair stared blankly at the dense forest landscape visible through the large window in the living room.
The scenery, where only the sound of wind brushing against branches and the occasional chirping of birds echoed, was peaceful. Listening to those sounds, her mind also relaxed.
It was a stark contrast to the ducal estate, where even stepping out of her room meant hearing the sounds of people, constantly swept up in a bustling atmosphere that compelled her to do something.
'After Asiel is born, it might be nice to live in a house in a forest like this.'
While Blair lingered near the large window, looking outside, the muscular man who had briefly disappeared returned carrying teacups.
"You two must be thirsty. Please, have some."
"Thank you."
Once they finished their tea, Mikhail suggested.
"Do you remember when I said I would show you a good place?"
Blair recalled their conversation at the art auction and nodded.
"If you don't mind, would you care for a short walk? I'll show you something nice."
"Something nice?"
"We'll be heading into the forest path. If you're reluctant, please feel free to tell me."
Blair obediently followed Mikhail. She worried the path might be rough, but fortunately, it was a pleasant forest trail for a stroll.
The only sounds heard in the quiet, secluded forest were the calls of mountain birds and the wind.
Listening to those sounds, smelling the grass, her heart found peace just by walking.
Matching Blair's small strides, Mikhail casually brought up a topic.
"It may not be my place to say this, considering I'm the one who brought you to such a place, but it's best not to easily trust a strange man. Especially when he asks you to go somewhere secluded, like right now."
"It's not because I trust you. It's because I trust the commission I promised you, and my own status."
At Blair's cold yet harmless answer, a side of her he had thought to be naive, Mikhail burst out laughing. He found that aspect of her amusing.
"It seems I worried for nothing."
Blair looked at Mikhail.
Just as Herdin had said, she didn't know much about him, and since he did rough guild work, he might not be as good a person as she thought.
However, she could at least tell that he was not someone who would break his word with her. The very fact that he was giving her such advice was proof of that.
Since meeting him again, Blair carefully brought up the words that had been lingering in her mouth the whole time.
"I would like to apologize on behalf of my husband for what he said at the gallery last time."
Mikhail looked puzzled by Blair's sudden apology, but a beat later, he realized what she meant.
"He shouldn't have spoken like that. He said it out of ignorance, so please don't take it to heart."
"It's alright. Well, His Excellency's words weren't entirely wrong either."
Mikhail had laughed it off casually back then, and he did so now as well. At the same time, his footsteps came to a halt.
"Ah, we've arrived."
Blair looked straight ahead, following Mikhail's gaze.
A faint glow could be seen in the middle of the forest, but they were still too far away to see exactly what it was.
As they slowly approached, the scenery gradually came into view.
There was a small pond in the heart of the forest, surrounded by clusters of transparent, shimmering flowers that looked as if they were made of gathered light.
The scenery of a forest pond was a common sight, but what made the view before her special was precisely those uniquely shaped flowers.
As the wind blew, the flowers she had never seen anywhere else swayed like rippling water. The scene looked like countless stars had fallen to earth and were dancing.
"My goodness, it's so wondrous and... beautiful."
Seeing Blair unable to take her eyes off the scenery before her, Mikhail chuckled and explained.
"It's a flower called Glacica. They are inherently sensitive, so they quickly wither and die if they are not in the place where they first took root. I heard nobles who tried to transplant them into their private greenhouses failed time and time again."
"Thank you. For letting me see such beautiful scenery."
"I'm glad you liked it."
Blair sat on a nearby rock and quietly observed the scenery.
The outside world was wider and more mystical than anything she had vaguely dreamed of within the imperial palace. Her heart pounded at that realization.
But why, at this moment, did Herdin's face pop into her mind like an ingrained habit?
"Shall we head back soon?"
Just as Blair was lost in thought, Mikhail, noticing that the wind blowing through the forest carried a chill evening air, spoke up.
Blair stood up following him. However, there was a problem.
"Ah..."
Her heel was blistered, and the wound stung with every step. Since the shoes weren't originally made for walking, her heel had chafed and gotten injured.
Not wanting to be a burden, Blair tried to hide it as much as possible, but Mikhail quickly noticed her limping steps and frowned.
"I'm sorry. I failed to consider that your shoes might be uncomfortable."
"No, it's my own oversight. I can just fold the backs down, so don't worry about it."
"If you leave a wound exposed in a forest like this, it might get infected. May I take a look at it for a moment?"
Blair sat on a nearby tree stump.
Mikhail removed Blair's shoe and examined her foot. The chafed wound wasn't deep, but it had bled enough to stain the shoe.
'If it's come to this, it must have hurt a lot.'
He was newly amazed by Blair's endurance.
Given her condition, it would be best not to walk any further, but knowing Blair's personality, she wouldn't let him carry or support her.
'Then it has to be that method after all.'
After examining Blair's foot and pondering for a moment, Mikhail looked up at her as if he had made a decision.
"Since you trusted me with this task, Madam, I shall also tell you one of my secrets."
"A secret?"
Instead of answering, Mikhail carefully touched Blair's wound. Then, a faint light radiated from his hand.
'This is...?'
Blair's eyes blinked in surprise.
The power he had just used was undoubtedly divine power.
However, strangely enough, the wound remained unhealed. At this, Mikhail furrowed his brow.
'The healing magic... isn't working?'
As Mikhail raised his head to check on Blair's condition, he met the eyes of Blair, whose eyes had widened in surprise at his divine power.
And beneath her face, around her collarbone, he could find the cause of this phenomenon.
Faintly shimmering around her collarbone, a black magic circle.
'...Black magic?'
He had heard that black magic possessed properties that resisted divine power, meaning divine power often didn't work well on black magicians or targets of black magic.
'But black magic is now forbidden, a type of magic that almost no one uses.'
Why did this woman have a black magic circle on her?
Mikhail scanned Blair's expression with disbelieving eyes, but he couldn't find the slightest hint of her trying to hide anything.
It seemed she was completely unaware of the black magic circle embedded within her.
The black magic circle vanished without a trace before he could even examine it properly.
Mikhail used a slightly stronger healing magic to treat Blair's wound. Fortunately, the magic took effect this time.
Blair, who had been watching the scene, carefully asked.
"Why didn't you become a priest?"
Divine power is a strength granted only to a select few chosen by the gods.
If one's parents possessed divine power, the chances of inheriting it were slightly higher, but since the probability was still low, it was considered an even more precious power.
Therefore, if one was born with divine power, they could become a priest and live an honorable and prosperous life, even if they couldn't amass immense wealth.
She was curious as to why he deliberately chose such a rough and arduous life instead.
To that question, Mikhail smiled and gave an ambiguous answer.
"A power that someone desperately yearns for can become a scar that someone else wishes to erase."
He didn't outright refuse to answer, but his vague response made Blair realize that he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
After finishing the treatment, Mikhail put Blair's shoe back on her foot. His touch was extremely careful and cautious, as if handling a glass craft.
"Then shall we head back now?"
Blair stood up and took the lead.
As Mikhail walked, matching her strides, his sharp gaze briefly swept over Blair's collarbone.
But the black magic circle was nowhere to be seen.
* * *
Past the faintly swaying carriage window, the languid afternoon scenery passed by.
Looking at the late afternoon sunlight that had begun to take on a platinum hue, Herdin naturally thought of Blair.
His wife was, in many ways, a woman who resembled the sunlight.
First, her visible hair was like that, as was her soft body temperature, and above all, her ethereal atmosphere that seemed as though it would vanish even while held tightly in his hands.
Perhaps that was why.
Even when she was in his sight, even when he held her in his arms, an inexplicable anxiety always lurked at his feet.
Especially after seeing the document he had placed by her bedside this morning, he couldn't shake off an even more strange sense of anxiety.