The reason dark magic was forbidden was that it was dangerous and unethical. Many dark magic spells required the use of a person’s flesh. Other dark magic users would also recommend consuming monster meat, which was normally not eaten by regular people. Monster flesh was often deeply contaminated by mana, and consuming it could induce a rejection reaction in the person eating it. The mana contained in the monster’s flesh was several times more plentiful than what was normally present in a person’s body, and people were unable to contain that much. However, dark magic users would eat monster flesh without flinching. The damage they’d normally suffer from eating it would instead be transferred to the person being offered as a sacrifice for their spell, so the user would be unharmed.
Dark magic users could do things like extend one’s lifespan in exchange for another’s life, fuse different monsters into completely new creatures, or burn down entire villages to complete a single spell. In any case, many dark magic users performed unspeakable and abominable acts.
Still, there were legitimate users of dark magic. Instead of working with the flesh of others, they would use their own to cast their spells. Because of the cruel acts done by other dark magic practitioners over the years, these legitimate users were often the targets of discrimination. I couldn’t help but sympathize with their plight.
“The one who tried to assassinate me is unmistakably a practitioner of dark magic,” Van deduced.
“Do you have any idea who might be behind it?” I asked.
“No...is what I wanted to say, but I think I do.”
“Who is it?”
Van’s finger glowed. He swiped it through the air and started writing. The words “Fenetra de Noisette” floated in the air for a moment and then vanished.
“Speaking of which, she showed up in my room last night,” Van said.
“Did she come to you directly to ask if she can be your concubine?”
“No, it was something else.”
What he said Fenetra had asked for was difficult to believe.
“She came to my room to ask if I could sleep with her,” Van revealed. She had told Van that she would be satisfied to have him even just once. “Of course, I refused her advances. I felt disturbed and disgusted, so I told her to never show herself before me ever again. That might have been why she tried to kill me.”
Her brazen actions left me speechless.
“So, her affection for my brother turned into murderous intent just because he had rejected her? What a horrible woman,” Lady Opera opined.
“Perhaps since her feelings for him were so strong, once they became negative, they became a powerful impetus for her actions,” I speculated.
Van crossed his arms as if mulling things over.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I just feel that there’s something off about Fenetra,” Van replied.
“Like what?”
“I can’t help but think that she’s a completely different person now from how she was as a child.”
Parfeil seemed to have something to say about this too. “Um, about that... I felt that there was something wrong about Lady Fenetra, right from the first time we met her.”
“What do you mean, Parfeil?” I asked.
“Her dress didn’t fit her body right,” she said.
A lady of the House Noisette would have had all her dresses custom-made and tailored. But according to Parfeil, she’d found it strange that her sleeves and seams had been too short. Her shoulder lines had been off as well. Parfeil had been my attendant for years, and it took her sharp eyes to notice such a small thing.
“Of course, I can’t discount the possibility of it being just my imagination...” she added.
There was also the possibility of House Noisette attempting to keep up appearances as a rich and wealthy family while actually being in dire straits. Perhaps they were trying to offer up their daughter as a concubine to curry favor with the Dragon Duke.
Van offered his opinion on the matter. “I did think that Marquis de Noisette was acting odd from time to time.”
According to Van, it was like the man was out of it, always staring into space. But he had always been a kind, gentle, and introverted man, so Van thought that he was just like that.
“Call in the marquis. I need to hear his side,” Van commanded.
A knight who had been standing by bowed to him and carried out his order. A few moments later, Marquis de Noisette entered the room. He appeared to be relieved upon seeing Van, and there didn’t seem to be anything unusual about him either.
“Lord Dragon Duke, I am heartened to see that you are well,” the marquis said, greeting him.
“Yes, thank you for your service. I have something to ask you,” Van said.
“Of course, milord. What could it be?”
“Has there been anything unusual happening around Diamant lately?”
“No, milord, I cannot think of anything,” the marquis said.
I didn’t sense anything odd about the marquis. It didn’t seem like he was being controlled or manipulated.
Van continued his interrogation. “What about the wealth of House Noisette?”
“Our wealth?” the marquis echoed.
“Yes. If there is anything you need help with financially, I am willing to lend you aid.”
“I am quite thankful for the offer, milord, but we are currently not in dire straits.”
House Noisette had been profiting from the sales of warm fur and silk made from indoor-raised silkworms. While the Diamant region was known as a barren land, it still had many unique specialties.
“Speaking of which, I saw a lot of interesting structures around the villages. Is that where you are producing silk?” I asked. I had been meaning to ask about those structures before, but because of the incident with one of the Burrowless, it had completely slipped my mind.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Marquis de Noisette didn’t seem to be lying. I couldn’t picture him trying to give his daughter away as a concubine because of poverty or to curry favor.
“Finally, Marquis, I would like to ask about your daughter, Fenetra.”
“My daughter?” The marquis’s brows drooped as if he was feeling guilty about something.