Regressor of the Fallen Family Novel - Chapter 319
C319
“What is the reason for your unexpected arrival?”
Louisa maintained a composed expression while serving the tea.
Thanks to her remarkably light complexion, her lips seemed even more crimson.
The beautiful smile that adorned her lips and her figure emphasized by the outfit she wore only enhanced her attractiveness.
However,
‘It’s not the flawless concealment magic from before. Is it connected to yesterday’s incident?’
Logan could unmistakably sense the aftermath of the disrupted circle and the overflow of mana through his sensing ability.
Ever since he first encountered Louisa in the capital, he had stretched his extrasensory perception to its limits, and now, he felt his abilities had transcended to a different level.
At this juncture, he speculated that he might even reach an elite status among aura users, enabling him to perceive things without any concealment or illusions in front of him.
Subsequently, his nearly certain deduction turned into a confirmed reality.
With a gentle smile, he said,
“No, I recently received news about my imminent return, so I thought it appropriate to pay you a visit to offer my greetings.”
The king sending a messenger personally?
It was an unusually modest gesture for royalty, indicating an acknowledgment of the disparities with the empire.
‘Naturally, it should be this way.’
That small sense of triumph seemed to wash away the bitter memories of the previous night.
“I should have been the one to visit you, but your sudden appearance has caught me off guard.”
“No, it’s alright. I actually came to inquire about something.”
“…Pardon?”
Louisa, feeling slightly uneasy, furrowed her brows.
“I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with my brother. I didn’t expect to hear any talk of a marriage proposal. Is there a subtle hint coming from the Eastern Palace? Or is it that my inadequate brother doesn’t meet your standards…?”
With Logan’s next words, her expression quickly turned rigid.
“Ah… No, that’s not the case. Count Ronia is too suitable a match for me. If he agrees, I will officially announce our engagement when I return.”
With a hint of blush on her cheeks, Louisa’s demeanor elegantly displayed the typical demure noblewoman.
Upon hearing that, Logan felt relieved.
“Oh, that’s a relief. But then, another concern arises.”
“Pardon?”
Louisa, who initially had no intention of a marriage proposal, responded with a perplexed look.
“If the empire’s princess has chosen to marry my unworthy brother, then I am at a loss for what kind of gift we should send.”
At Logan’s words, she literally froze.
‘How should she respond now?’
Logan chuckled inwardly as he observed Louisa, who seemed frozen in time at that moment.
He recalled Victoria’s suggestion regarding this situation:
– Just ask directly,
– What?
It was an unexpected comment that pointed out a blind spot he had never considered.
– Why hasn’t the empire publicly acknowledged that the princess is a superhuman? Why keep it a secret? Surely, there would be nothing to fear from us.
– Ah…!!!
At these words, Logan realized a significant misconception he had fostered. His focus on concealing the newly awakened superhumans, including the Viktor siblings, had led him to overlook the fact that the enemies had no reason to hide their powers.
– It implies that there is something they need to hide. At least outside the empire.
– Yes. Moreover, they mentioned that the princess is a sorceress practicing the magic of the black serpents. Just like those involved in the Aserian incident.
Clayton chimed in with Aria’s remark.
– If what Your Majesty mentioned earlier is true, then the Eastern Palace may have hidden the princess’s powers even from the royal family. In that case…
Despite that reasoning, many questions lingered.
Why had the princess decided to come directly to the royal kingdom and expose herself to danger?
Why provoke an incident?
There were no clues to speculate on.
But even so, he thought,
– …This could be advantageous. No, even if I’m mistaken, it’s worth a try.
That was Logan’s evaluation.
At that moment, Louisa’s reaction leaned more toward the latter suspicion.
“What do you mean by that?”
Her expression was one of astonishment.
With a tilt of her head and a frown, she seemed to embody the typical reaction to incomprehensible dialogue. However, given the prolonged silence before this moment, it was too profound an act to confirm it was all just an act.
So Logan decided to drop his pretenses first.
“Why not be straightforward? Princess.”
“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what Your Majesty is suggesting…”
“If you continue to deny it, I will formally propose to the royal family for the marriage between ‘Sorceress’ Louisa von Aserian and my brother.”
“……”
With those two emphasized words, the princess’s forced smile had completely disappeared.
“If the empire’s princess using the magic of the black serpents is involved, wouldn’t the royal family show significant interest?”
As Logan said this with a playful grin, Louisa’s previously smiling face immediately froze into a blank expression.
It was as if an unseen mask had shattered completely.
In the aftermath of that dramatic shift, a voice different from before emerged, colder than ice.
“How… No, when did you find out?”
The look on her face was seething with cold fury. Those eyes could kill a man without lifting a finger, a murderous gaze that pierced through him.
Yet even so, Logan leisurely sipped his tea.
“Since the moment I first laid eyes on you. I detected the hidden circle.”
“That’s absurd!! The master said….”
In an instant, Louisa’s complexion turned as white as a sheet, as if she had just uttered something she should never have revealed.
‘Master…?’
Logan etched that word in his memory while pretending not to notice, continuing,
“If you don’t want to believe me, you don’t have to. But isn’t it more important to discuss what we should do from here on?”
Louisa, biting her lip, had lost all composure.
‘This about the royal family must not be disclosed. So, could those black serpent sorcerers be internal enemies of the empire? Or is the Eastern Palace considering rebellion?’
However, both in this life and his past life, he had come across no related information. All he could faintly recall was that magic circle he saw in his previous life.
That sinister scene of numerous offerings used during the war in the kingdom alliance replayed in his mind with the last moments of Aserian’s superhuman Saxon.
That kind of magic, that kind of horrific sight, was beyond the grasp of ordinary humans.
Despite an unsettling sense of revulsion conflicting with strong denial, he found himself thinking,
‘But what I need most right now is information.’
Thus, as he observed Louisa’s silence, he chose to reveal one of his own cards first.
“You may suspect this, but our kingdom sees the empire as a potential threat. A division within the empire is welcomed by us. I have no reason to create trouble for you.”
Upon hearing his candid words, Louisa’s subtly twitching eyes indicated acknowledgment.
By this conversation, it was clear that she already knew everything revolved around the truth of his statement.
Logan collected his thoughts once more, gazing intently at Louisa.
While her expression shifted from confusion to icy once again.
Having witnessed this expression many times, Logan realized how quickly her emotions fluctuated.
How could a princess, even if flustered, maintain the composure to send a messenger? He found it challenging to understand.
‘Wouldn’t it be more prudent to send a well-trained spy rather than a sorceress?’
So was she genuinely after the magic tower?
Because she required power?
Or was there another motive?
His thoughts spiraled further into confusion, but her cold voice broke the silence.
“…What do you want?”
“We seem to have many questions for each other. How about we exchange inquiries one at a time?”
Louisa received Logan’s smile with her calm demeanor intact.
“Then may I ask my question first?”
Her tone and intonation seemed somewhat steadied.
“Ask as you wish.”
Yet, perhaps she wasn’t satisfied with the immediate response? Louisa’s voice turned cold.
“How did you detect my mana?”
“I simply knew as I looked.”
“Absurd…!!”
Louisa sprang to her feet in anger but managed to compose herself, fixing her furious gaze back on him.
“Let’s call off the deal if a proper answer isn’t given.”
A deal.
Although it was a wordplay that brought the situation to a balanced state, Logan did not decline.
He only countered, “Why are you so convinced what I said isn’t true?”
“…The magic that seals my mana should not be detectable, not even to a sorcerer at close range.”
Logan found it puzzling to hear her insist on that. No matter how much he enhanced his senses through the ability called ‘Up,’ it wouldn’t surpass the sorcerer’s exploration magic.
“Why are you so certain about that? I confirmed it when I first saw you.”
“……If you’re going to twist my words, then indeed the deal will end.”
Accepting her candid words, Logan reluctantly took a step back.
“My sensitivity tends to differ from others. …I can’t explain it any better.”
“Fascinating. Can you see this then?”
Louisa scoffed, revealing the hidden mana subtly fluctuating inside her. Leaning closer, an unusual shape formed in the flow of that magic.
“Are you trying to create an offering? If so, that would be quite an impressive magic.”
At those words, Louisa’s expression momentarily stiffened.
“How do you…?!”
The astonishment that flickered on her face swiftly faded as if she had recalled something.
‘Is this truly such a remarkable skill?’
Logan pondered her dramatic response, yet her subsequent reply managed to astonish him.
“It appears I will ask another question.”
Huh?
She seemed to have grasped something before she was consciously aware of the truth.
“Concerning ‘us,’ what do you know?”
Despite his disdain for her exploiting only the advantages of the situation, Logan opted to remain composed and respond.
“’Us’ isn’t referring to the empire or the Eastern Kingdom, is it?”
“If you intend to keep playing games, I’m done…”
When her subtle probing yielded no results, Logan maintained a wry smile as he spoke.
“A group of sorcerers bearing the mark of the black serpent. Along with being adversaries of the empire.”
Louisa narrowed her eyes at Logan’s words.
“That’s all?”
“Does it concern you to know more? After all, my position still stands as an enemy to the empire.”
Although he possessed scant information, he skillfully evaded the tension shrouding their conversation, all while maintaining an air of ambiguity.
“Very well.”
“It is now my turn.”
Louisa, with a peculiar smile, dropped a bombshell.
“As they say, an enemy of my enemy is my ally. Are you willing to collaborate with us in opposing the empire, Your Majesty?”
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