The Obsession of a Fallen Paladin

14. To Tame a Dangerous Beast (3)

Kasha, who had been guided to the second-floor library, quietly looked around the bookshelves.

As befitting the family of a Grand Duke who ranks within the top five in line for the throne, the collection was impressive.

‘That book wasn’t even listed in the Imperial Library’s catalog…’

Kasha was itching to open and read the books.

‘Calm down. This isn’t the time for that.’

To distract herself from the books, she got up and walked around the library.

‘Ah, this is…’

It was a portrait of a beautiful family of five posing affectionately. Among them, a small baby smiling next to Leon caught her eye.

‘This baby is… Eve Aranias.’

The youngest of Leon’s two siblings and the only daughter of the Grand Duke’s family. She must be around ten years old now.

She suddenly remembered the words Leon had murmured on the night of the ruined sanctuary.

‘If only I had held her one more time, looked back at her one more time. I can’t express how much I regret it.’

She recalled his eyes, which had seemed empty.

His youngest sister, more precious to him than anything.

‘And…’

Kasha’s face darkened as she looked at the innocent face of baby Eve.

‘Another victim of the mana stones.’

Thinking about what Eve would go through made her feel uneasy, as if the cookies she had eaten earlier hadn’t digested properly.

‘I need to change things one step at a time. First, I have to make Leon my ally. There’s still time before Eve is in danger.’

Kasha calmed herself.

The baby in the picture looked about two years old, so it must have been painted around eight years ago.

Leon, too, looked like he was in his late teens, a completely different atmosphere from now.

A boy who seemed to exude a sacred aura, with a youthful vitality and purity. The dangerous aura he had now was nowhere to be found.

The frail-looking young boy standing on the opposite side of Leon, with their parents in the middle, was probably the eldest sibling, Anthony.

‘Anthony resembles their mother a lot.’

If Leon and Eve had inherited the Grand Duke Osilote’s blond hair and blue eyes, Anthony had inherited their mother’s silver hair and green eyes.

‘This must be the Saint Larissa.’

Leon’s mother Larissa was a beautiful woman with an innocent appearance like a lily of the valley.

She was revered as one of the most powerful saints in the history of the Empire. Unfortunately, she passed away when Eve was three years old.

Leon must have grown up with all the expectations to follow in his late mother’s footsteps.

Not only did he possess holy power, but he was also physically fit and skilled in swordsmanship, becoming a holy knight.

Seeing the five people in the portrait smiling warmly, Kasha felt a pang of envy.

‘Family.’

Kasha had never had a proper family.

Lost in such deep thoughts, she didn’t hear the footsteps approaching behind her.

“You seem to have a hobby of snooping around other people’s libraries.”

Startled by the sudden voice, Kasha quickly turned her head.

Leon was looking at her from about three steps away.

Maybe it was because he had just come out of a bath, with wet hair and damp eyelashes. His appearance was exceptionally captivating.

Simply calling him beautiful seemed inadequate; his allure was dangerously seductive.

Wearing a thin shirt, his muscular physique was clearly visible.

She suddenly thought, he truly is a man anyone would desire.

Noticing Kasha’s steady gaze without any sign of embarrassment, Leon frowned slightly.

“Didn’t I say we should talk? Sit down.”

“Yes.”

As Kasha moved to sit in the chair next to her, Leon flinched and gestured to the chair across the table.

The moment Kasha sat down, Leon began to speak, avoiding eye contact for some reason.

“You understand that if I wanted to, I could easily get rid of you.”

A direct threat. Kasha responded as kindly as possible.

“Of course.”

He curled his lips.

“Good. I’m glad you know. Actually, even now I’m contemplating what would be the most effective way to make you tell the truth.”

He leaned back in his chair, interlacing his long fingers, and spoke slowly, as if giving a warning. His cold eyes made it clear he wasn’t saying this just for effect.

Kasha calmly opened her mouth.

“What you decide to do with me should come after hearing what I have to say.”

Just then, a servant knocked and entered, placing a tea set on the table.

Feeling thirsty, Kasha reached for the teapot without hesitation.

As she slowly poured the tea, he watched her in silence.

The porcelain teapot was heavier than expected, making the blue veins on her pale hand stand out.

While the tea was being poured into the cup, the room seemed to grow heavier, but she was too focused on pouring to notice.

When she finally looked up with the cup filled, she saw him quickly lower his eyes in embarrassment.

Ahem.

Leon cleared his throat.

“Then, let’s start by hearing about the curse you mentioned.”

Kasha sipped her tea before speaking.

She pondered how much to reveal to him.

Three mana stones.

Each named Onor, Opus, and Caelum, these three transparent stones were created through a pact with a demon, each holding a different powerful force.

The first mana stone, Onor, grants charm and fame. Whoever possesses it will be loved by all.

The second mana stone, Opus, grants strength. The possessor will have an indestructible body.

The third mana stone, Caelum, grants immortality. Its owner will literally live forever.

However, these stones also carry powerful curses that match their formidable powers. This is why, despite their powers, they had remained dormant for so long.

The curse of the first mana stone, Honor, is lust.

In exchange for immense charm and fame, one is plagued by the curse of lust. It’s a trap only a demon could devise.

“That’s the curse you’re under.”

Kasha concluded her explanation.

Despite her faltering, she managed to continue her story calmly, and Leon listened without interruption.

“Mana stone Honor, huh.”

Leon murmured, leaning back in his chair.

His expression was unreadable.

Kasha hoped he would believe her story.

She needed him to join forces with her for all her plans to save him and herself to proceed smoothly.

“I have a question.”

Leon raised his head.

His burning purple eyes met hers, sending a tingling sensation throughout her body.

“How do you know all these things?”

“……”

“You might not be aware, but I am the vice-captain of the Holy Knights. Also, my mother was one of the most renowned saints in the continent’s history. I’ve learned about gods and demons since childhood. But I’ve never heard of such mana stones. So, who exactly are you to know about these stones?”

Kasha licked her lips. Everything she had told him so far was the truth.

But from now on, she would have to mix lies with the truth. To protect herself.

Focused as she was, Kasha didn’t notice that Leon was staring intently at her tongue as she licked her lips.

“I am… a maker of magical artifacts.”

Leon raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by this confession.

“A maker of magical artifacts?”

“Yes. I have been researching on my own for the past three years… and I achieved results about a year ago.”

“Are you affiliated with the Magic Tower?”

“No. I studied alone. I’m introverted, so being part of an organization is a bit…”

“……”

Leon stared at her face.

Introverted.

She certainly had a different aura from the ladies commonly seen in social circles. Her attire was not flashy, and she was delicately thin, yet her occasional expressions exuded a mature atmosphere.

However, given her demeanor at the ball and her intrusion into the Grand Duke’s manor, she didn’t seem that introverted.

“Anyway. Be that as it may. So, how did you learn about the mana stones?”

“There was a mage who advised me about the magical artifacts I was making… He told me about the three mana stones.”

Kasha explained that this mage had accidentally discovered a way to separate the power and curse of the mana stones.

But he unintentionally lost the stones afterward and, during his pursuit to retrieve them, discovered that Leon was the first victim of the mana stone.

Except for the part where Kasha herself was the mage, everything else was mostly true.

“What is the mage’s name?”

“…Wolfbane.”

“Can you contact him?”

“No. I don’t know his whereabouts now.”

“Wolfbane. It’s a name that sounds vaguely familiar.”

“……”

As she watched Leon’s furrowed brow, Kasha felt a bit anxious.

Wolfbane would become widely known across the continent in just one year.

As the leader of the demonic and beastly forces spreading like poisonous weeds across the continent.

And Wolfbane was indeed the owner of one of the mana stones, Opus.

Could Leon know someone by that name?

While thinking this, Kasha gathered her hair and tossed it over her shoulder, exposing her neckline and collarbones.

Leon, who had suddenly raised his head, was momentarily distracted by this movement. Losing focus, he irritably began to speak.

“Fine. Let’s say I believe your flimsy story for now. Then my next question is this.”

“……”

“What do you want from me?”

“…I…”

“Don’t give me nonsense about wanting me to be happy or anything.”

Despite his mocking tone, he lowered his gaze as if avoiding her eyes.

“Lady Katiana Ruschino. You’re holding an enormous weakness of mine. With just a word, you could ruin me and my family, and I would be hunted by the Holy Knights. A fallen holy knight cursed by a demon. Hah.”

He let out a self-mocking laugh, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair.

The veins in his temples were bulging.

Is he experiencing symptoms again?

Kasha felt a stabbing pain in her heart.

She had always felt a pang of pain when hearing the resentful cries of the victims of magical artifacts and mana stones in prison.

But seeing Leon’s suffering stirred a different kind of intimate anguish.

Whether it was simply guilt or something more complicated due to their intertwined fates, she couldn’t say.

Suppressing the urge to approach him, she suddenly saw him open his eyes.

Blood vessels were visible in his eyes.