Chapter 49

The wound was so deep that no matter how tightly it was bound with bandages, blood seeped through in just a few hours. Even a faint sign of healing would have been a relief, but the mixture of pus and fresh blood left indelible stains on the once-pristine white cloth.

“What happened here?”

The voice rang out, sharp and commanding, its tone oppressive. Though it belonged to a boy barely out of adolescence, it carried an air of intimidation far beyond his years.

“A minor accident,” Odelliana replied evenly, her tone dismissive.

“A minor accident?” he repeated, his brows furrowing in disbelief. His expression darkened, a cold, skeptical edge sharpening his features. “How can you call this a minor accident?”

“It’s nothing serious for me,” she said, her voice steady but detached.

“How can it not be serious?” Matthias demanded, his voice rising slightly.

Odelliana fell silent, her gaze dropping to the floor.

“The smell of blood was so strong when I walked in that I knew something was wrong,” Matthias pressed, his tone insistent. “Who did this to your leg?”

Despite his fierce scowl, his hands moved carefully as he examined her bandaged leg. His touch was astonishingly gentle, as though he feared any sudden movement might aggravate the wound—or cause her pain. Even in his anger, his hesitation betrayed an undercurrent of panic, like a young beast torn between lashing out in fury and crying in despair.

Finally, Odelliana let out a resigned sigh.

“Adella came by,” she admitted softly.

Matthias’s eyes narrowed. “Adella?”

He repeated the name slowly, as if trying to recall its owner. When recognition dawned, his gaze turned sharp and unforgiving.

“She mixed poisonous herbs into the candles,” Odelliana continued. Her voice was steady, but the weight of her words was heavy. “Herbs that paralyze muscles and slow movement. She also drugged the other servants with sedatives to make them sleep.”

Matthias’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

“This wound on my neck,” she gestured lightly to the bandaged area, “is from her biting me. The injury on my leg… that happened when I resisted her.”

Matthias’s eyes burned with barely-contained fury as she added, “She wrested the dagger from me—and struck back.”

Matthias’s expression crumbled. His jaw tightened, and with a heavy exhale, he dragged one large hand over half his face. When he finally spoke, his voice was low but fierce.

“And where was Malena during all this?” he demanded, his tone edged with accusation.

Odelliana straightened, her hands instinctively clutching the edges of her skirt as she hastened to defend her.

“She was outside fetching the laundry when it suddenly started raining,” she explained quickly. “That’s when Adella broke in… Malena saved me. If not for her, you wouldn’t have found me with just a leg wound—I’d have been nothing more than a mutilated corpse.”

Matthias’s eyes narrowed, his fury simmering just below the surface. “Where is that woman now?”

“She was taken away by the knights,” Odelliana replied, her voice softening. “After that, I heard her whereabouts became unknown. I don’t know where she is, nor do I care to.”

His posture stiffened as though he was ready to leap to his feet and track Adella down that very moment. Alarmed, Odelliana grabbed his hand, her fingers trembling slightly.

“D-don’t leave me alone,” she pleaded, her voice breaking.

Matthias froze, his gaze flickering down to where her smaller hand clutched his.

“Please,” she whispered, her tone more vulnerable now. “Stay by my side. I’ll feel safer with you here.”

A long silence stretched between them before Matthias let out a bitter curse under his breath. His face, contorted with despair, rage, and sorrow, remained a mask of turmoil.

“I should have found her and killed her on the spot,” he muttered darkly, his voice heavy with regret. “This is my failure.”

“It’s not your fault,” Odelliana said firmly, her voice steady despite the lingering tremor. “Who could have predicted she’d do something like this? We didn’t even know if she was alive or dead.”

Matthias remained silent, his fists clenched at his sides.

“Judging by the fact she’s still alive and well,” Odelliana continued, her tone growing colder, “my parents must have held her in high regard. She’s probably hiding somewhere, under their safe protection.”

Her words were calm, almost detached, as if resignation was her only shield against the anger and pain.

Odelliana studied Matthias for a moment, her gaze softening slightly. “You’ve grown a lot in just a month,” she murmured. A faint smile ghosted across her lips. “Let me hug my dependable disciple.”

Matthias reached for her. His arms encircled her with a protective fierceness, pulling her into a tight embrace. Then, with surprising ease, he lifted her off the chair and carefully settled her onto his lap.

His touch was so tender it bordered on reverence, his hands moving with meticulous care to avoid brushing against her wounds. His larger frame enveloped her entirely, cocooning Odelliana in an embrace that felt both protective and fragile.

“How bad are the injuries?” Matthias asked, his voice low and filled with concern.

“Fortunately, they’re only external,” Odelliana replied softly. “I still have full sensation in my leg and can move it if I apply pressure. But it hurts, and the wound could reopen, so I’ve been told not to move until it’s fully healed. It’s thanks to Malena’s quick first aid that it didn’t get infected. If it had…” She hesitated, then deliberately added, “…they’d have had to amputate my leg.”

She watched his jaw tighten at her words and quickly continued, her tone firm but gentle. “Malena did everything she could. If it weren’t for her, things would have been much worse.”

Matthias exhaled sharply, his gaze softening slightly. “The pain… how bad is it?”

“It’s manageable,” Odelliana said with a small, forced smile. “If it were unbearable, do you think I’d be sitting here calmly chatting with you? I’d be writhing on the floor instead.”

The truth, of course, was far less optimistic. Once the painkillers wore off, the agony was enough to steal her sleep, but she feigned cheerfulness for his sake. The weight of his worry was palpable, and she couldn’t bear to add to it.

Before he could press further, she shifted the topic with deliberate haste. “Enough about these gloomy matters. Let’s talk about you. I have so many questions—what you’ve been up to and that Probe carcass you brought back.”

Matthias’s expression hardened, his voice turning colder as he began recounting the events. “During the final test, a Probe appeared near a neighboring village. It released toxic gas, suffocating the villagers, then feasted on the corpses. The survivors fled to the testing grounds, begging for help. They claimed a beast had appeared and demanded it be dealt with.”

“And?” Odelliana prompted, leaning in slightly despite herself.

“The knights conducting the exam sent a messenger for reinforcements and began preparing to subdue the Probe,” Matthias continued, irritation creeping into his tone. “I was annoyed. I wanted to finish the test and return as soon as possible, but everything was delayed over a single beast. Rather than wasting time watching them struggle, I decided to handle it myself.”

“You personally dealt with a Probe?” Odelliana repeated, her eyes widening in disbelief. “That’s a species so strong it usually takes a team of ten elite knights to subdue. And you… you did it in one blow?”

Feigning ignorance of his true nature, Odelliana tilted her head, her voice carrying a note of innocent curiosity as she probed further. “You seem remarkably knowledgeable about beasts.”

Matthias glanced down at her, his expression unreadable as he replied nonchalantly, “The difficulty in subduing beasts lies in the lack of strategy. The Probe’s heart is located at its temple. Piercing that spot instantly neutralizes it. Additionally, Probes dislike salt. Sprinkling salt slows their movements, making it easier to get behind them.”

Odelliana raised an eyebrow, her tone light but probing. “You’ve dealt with them before, then?”

“I have,” Matthias said simply, his tone calm, almost detached.

Of course, you would be well-informed—being one yourself, Odelliana thought, her mind racing. The possibility of uncovering more about his curse sent a thrill through her, but she kept her face carefully neutral.

“Do you know anything about curses tied to beasts?” she asked cautiously, watching his reaction.

Matthias’s gaze lingered on her, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as if questioning her sudden interest. Feeling the weight of his scrutiny, Odelliana quickly offered an excuse, her voice tinged with forced casualness.

“I’ve been reading books about beasts lately,” she said, her lips curving into a faint smile. “Being stuck at home all day without being able to move is boring…”

The explanation wasn’t entirely false. Malena had indeed provided her with the books, though her intent was far from innocent. Fortunately, Matthias didn’t appear suspicious.

“The curses tied to beasts are more accurately called beastcraft,” he explained evenly.

“Beastcraft?” Odelliana echoed, leaning forward slightly as if intrigued.

“Certain beasts possess a supernatural ability referred to as beastcraft,” Matthias continued. “People commonly mistake this for a ‘curse.’”

“And how can beastcraft be undone?” she pressed.

“That depends on the type of beastcraft and the beast responsible for it,” Matthias replied, his tone matter-of-fact. “Typically, the only way to break it is to locate the beast that cast it and ask them to undo it.”

“…Ask them?” Odelliana repeated, her disbelief slipping into her voice.

Matthias nodded, his expression unchanging. “Beasts capable of beastcraft are usually high-tier or above. Their intelligence is comparable to humans, and they can permanently assume human form. Unless they reveal their true nature, distinguishing them from humans is impossible.”

He recited this wealth of information with such ease and precision that it left Odelliana momentarily at a loss. His calm, casual delivery felt almost too rehearsed, too effortless, as if this knowledge was second nature to him.

“What if you don’t know who cast the beastcraft?” Odelliana asked.

“Then there’s no way to break it,” Matthias said bluntly.

“None at all?” 

Matthias’s expression faltered, his stoic mask slipping ever so slightly. The question seemed to strike a nerve, drawing a moment of hesitation from him. He exhaled softly, his gaze shifting to the side as if debating whether to answer.

“…With the remains of Ribna, it’s possible,” he finally admitted, his voice quieter now.

Odelliana’s eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, she simply stared at him, her lips parting as if to respond but no words coming out. When she finally found her voice, it was tinged with incredulity.

“The remains of Ribna?” she repeated, almost whispering. “Surely, you don’t mean the Ribna—the legendary beast?”

Matthias’s gaze locked onto hers, unwavering and solemn. His silence was confirmation enough.