# Chapter 86
Ion couldn’t respond to Levi’s words at first, then cautiously reached out his hand.
Even when dealing with an enemy, Levi never lied. He was someone who didn’t even know how to tell a lie, so the words he spoke could only be his “true feelings.”
The moment his fingertips touched Levi, despite his initial caution, Ion moved close to him and looked directly into his eyes.
“Why did you change your mind? Lost memories could be… painful, you know.”
“…”
Levi silently met Ion’s anxious gaze.
Just yesterday, it was Ion who had offered to help restore his memories, and Levi who had refused. Now that Levi had agreed to seek his memories as Ion had suggested, Ion was the one showing reluctance. All because of the word “pain” that Levi had mentioned.
After staring at Ion for a long while, Levi looked away.
“There’s something I want to remember.”
The affection in his voice was no different from what Ion usually showed toward him.
Levi didn’t think Emperor Raziel was wrong.
As the emperor had said, there were surely painful things in the memories he had lost. Perhaps even memories worse than his harsh days under Kalvern’s control. After all, in the past, he had been a “black monster” who fed on humans, an enemy to them.
Despite all that, there was something he wanted to remember.
Memories that, despite his desire to recall them, remained impossible to piece together beyond the few fragments he possessed.
“You never used to express your emotions with words. Like, happy, dislike, fun, boring—you didn’t know how to say any of that.”
One of the fragments from his hazy memories—words from a young boy—made him reflect on the various emotions he now felt.
From the distinctly clear emotions to those difficult to define.
And then.
“No matter how I look at you, you’re a person.”
“Think about it the other way. People say you’re not human because of this and that, but I think there’s more evidence proving you are human. Your appearance, being able to eat, speaking, thinking, and so on!”
“If you count them all, there’s more evidence that you’re human, so why think about it so seriously?”
“If I’m human, then Levi is human too. Who else would be human?”
He wanted to know who had been the only one to consider him a “person.”
That was what Levi, who never coveted anything, most desperately wished for.
Levi’s black eyes grew complicated. Ion recognized that look—the same one Levi had when he was strangling him.
“I won’t run away.”
Levi, who had been staring at the innocent bed sheet, looked up at Ion with anxious eyes. As soon as Ion saw that expression, he instantly understood what Levi was thinking.
“…Take me to the Black Forest.”
❖ ❖ ❖
“What? Where did they go?”
Hest, looking disappointed, placed his hands on his hips with an annoyed expression.
“I don’t have the energy to return to my territory and visit again, so go prepare a guest room for me.”
As strange as it was for Hest to give orders so casually as if this were his own mansion, it was equally strange how the Grand Duke’s servants moved without complaint, as if this were a common occurrence.
Hest flopped down on a sofa in the reception room and sighed, gazing out the window at the bright light streaming in.
‘Well, it’s obvious where they went.’
It wasn’t for nothing that he had chosen the territory containing the Black Forest as the first occupation target. He must have really wanted to show it to him.
In reality, Levi had brought it up without warning this morning, and Ion had spent a long time deliberating whether to go, but Hest couldn’t have known that.
‘With his personality, he wouldn’t let Levi stay in a shabby place… They’ll probably be back before midnight at the latest.’
He hadn’t planned to just show his face and leave anyway. Ion would grimace if he knew, but with Levi here for once, Hest couldn’t easily depart.
Despite Levi’s fifteen-year regeneration period, Hest had never met him directly. At most, he had caught a glimpse of him when rescuing Ion who had hidden in the Black Forest.
Thinking of Levi, who looked exactly the same as fifteen years ago, Hest placed a hand over his restlessly pounding heart. A smile unconsciously formed on his lips, and his upturned eyes curved into gentle lines.
Because of these feelings, he still couldn’t take a partner even now, when he was much older than back then. Currently, he was content with having one intelligent adopted son, though.
Wanting to see Levi, Hest took out his pocket watch and roughly estimated the distance from the Grand Duke’s mansion to the Black Forest.
This Verdit territory, named after Grand Duke Verdit, was located not far from the Black Forest. There had been several candidates for fertile territories suitable to be granted along with the Grand Duke title, but Ion had chosen the territory closest to the Black Forest without a second thought. Because of this, even allowing time for Ion and Levi to stay briefly in the Black Forest, they could make the round trip easily within a day.
A servant, having prepared Hest’s favorite tea and snacks in the meantime, arranged the tea set on the table piece by piece. Hest watched the servant move before speaking.
“Is Count Chepel Lance here?”
“Yes.”
“Go call him for me.”
The servant, after glancing around cautiously, replied, “Understood.”
A few minutes later, following a knock, a perfectly presentable Chepel Lance entered the reception room.
Count Chepel Lance of the Caron Empire was Grand Duke Ion Verdit’s second trophy.
Like the first trophy, Count Levi Aden, Count Chepel Lance was a general of such renown that leaders of various countries knew his name. Moreover, as one of the Caron Empire Emperor’s confidants, he was an even more important prisoner than Levi, who was known to be able to kill immortal soldiers.
Ordinarily, such an important prisoner as Count Chepel Lance should not be wandering freely in the Grand Duke Verdit’s mansion like this.
He should have been incarcerated in the imperial dungeon, forced to divulge all manner of information related to the Caron Empire, or pressured harshly to change the emperor he served. Ion Verdit, who had captured him as a prisoner, should have handed him over in exchange for enormous rewards and honor.
Despite all this, there was one important reason why Chepel Lance could be so free.
‘He became Ion’s dog, I see.’
Becoming a member of the Immortal Army meant becoming a loyal dog who could not disobey Ion Verdit’s orders. As proof, Chepel Lance now stood before Hest without any restraints, voluntarily guarding the Grand Duke’s mansion.
Chepel bowed respectfully to Hest, who was sitting on the sofa silently looking up at him.
“I heard you were looking for me.”
His politeness was no different from that of those working in the Grand Duke’s mansion. Chepel had already learned about Hest’s relationship with his lord through Ion’s adjutant Owen, so it was natural for him to show respect regardless of rank.
Hest, still staring at Chepel, gestured for him to come closer. Because it was an order from Marquis Hest Wesslon, who was supposedly on very close terms with Grand Duke Ion Verdit, Chepel approached him without hesitation.
As soon as he came close, Hest grabbed his collar and pulled him sharply. Though startled by Hest’s sudden action, Chepel allowed himself to be pulled along.
Hest glared coldly into Chepel’s clear eyes, then clicked his tongue briefly and released his collar.
“I’ve heard that the confidants of the Caron Empire Emperor are granted symbolic ornaments that serve as passes, allowing them various privileges.”
Although Chepel was a prisoner of war, he was still a nobleman with the title of count. He might have been offended by the casual disrespect, not much different from how one would treat a servant, but he seemed not to mind at all, simply because Hest was “his lord’s close friend.”
“Yes, that’s correct… You’re well-informed.”
“Well, despite appearances, I’m in charge of all diplomatic affairs for the Delos Empire.”
People who first learned that Marquis Hest Wesslon was a competent diplomatic ambassador invariably showed surprise. After all, Hest looked more like a robust general who used his body more than his mind.
Hest reached toward Chepel’s neck, where a white cravat was worn. With Hest’s demeanor being far from friendly, Chepel thought he might grab his collar again, but contrary to his expectation, he was surprised when Hest removed his cravat and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“Of the three confidants, Marquis Anton Reifley received a brooch, Count Lobel Hainel received a bracelet, and Count Chepel Lance…”
After unbuttoning two buttons, Hest pulled the shirt open slightly to reveal the neck and collarbone.
“Received a necklace.”
Between the opening of Chepel’s shirt, a necklace with an oval pendant was visible. In the center of the oval pendant was a blood-red jewel, which had a strangely captivating power.
A cold aura emanated from Hest’s eyes as he gazed at the pendant.
Just as Chepel, unable to discern Hest’s intentions, was about to speak—
Hest, grasping his pendant, pressed the red jewel firmly with his thumb. With a crackling sound like an egg breaking, thick red blood flowed from within the jewel.
Hest pressed the dripping pendant against Chepel’s collarbone. Before the wide-eyed Chepel could ask what he was doing, smoke rose from his collarbone.
“Ugh!”
It felt like a stone heated in fire, not a pendant, had touched his skin.
Instinctively slapping away Hest’s hand and clutching his collarbone, Chepel felt intense heat rapidly enveloping his entire body and curled up.
Hest watched him with interest, resting his chin on his hand.
When Chepel, who had been curled up, raised his head after taking a few rough breaths—
On his collarbone was a black marking that was no longer a necklace, and several red streaks, about a hand span in size, that had spread from it. The red streaks, which seemed to burrow into his skin and connect with his blood vessels, pulsated with Chepel’s breaths.
Chepel frowned, showing wariness completely different from his previously docile gaze.
“Marquis Wesslon…?”
Sensing the confusion and hostility in his voice, Hest chuckled and leaned back deeply into the sofa.
“How does it feel? To return to your senses.”
Looking at Hest’s smile, Chepel calmed down as if finally understanding the situation.
The face of his lord that appeared in his mind was no longer Ion Verdit.
