I Ended My Engagement With The Woman Who Despised Me

✦  Chapter 11 — Siren (2)  ✦

「Translator — Creator」

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

Contrary to its notorious reputation, black magic wasn't inherently evil.

Just as dawn and dusk weren't divided into good and evil, black magic was merely classified as dark-attribute magic, not a criterion for moral judgment.

Despite this understanding, people classified black magic as evil because of the extreme actions perpetrated by the dark mages who wielded it.

'Take necromancers, for example.'

While novels often romanticized it with elegant descriptions of commanding the dead, when examined closely, its essence was nothing more than the desecration of the deceased. Thus, the negative shift in public perception was inevitable.

'As a result, those who practiced black magic were often ostracized from society and forced into the shadows.'

The nature of the underground world, with its excessive isolation and autonomy, meant that practices that would normally be restrained by social norms and regulations were carried out without hesitation.

This accumulation of unrestricted practices eventually evolved into modern black magic.

'What's crucial here is that black magic, which should be confined to the shadows, has spread throughout the entire city.'

Even traces of black magic in isolated areas would be concerning, but having these remnants scattered across the entire city indicated a far more serious problem.

As I stood there with a hardened expression, Loraine spoke up.

"Young master, we should be careful."

Loraine seemed to have noticed the presence of black magic as well, surveying our surroundings with a grave expression.

Noting this, I took a deep breath and moved in the direction the sun spirit was glaring at.

𓇗

The sewers on the city's outskirts lay before us.

As a location housing large-scale purification magic devices, it was classified as a somewhat dangerous area. While ordinary people wouldn't dare approach, let alone enter such a place...

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh at the unusually high number of footprints around the area.

'This is clearly intentional.'

I smirked at the traces that seemed to scream 'we're here,' left brazenly by those who supposedly lived in the shadows.

While there was a possibility that these footprints belonged to vagrants or homeless people rather than dark mages, if that were the case, there should have been signs of continuous habitation or at least guards posted at the entrance...

'Not only are such signs absent, but it's surprisingly clean.'

It would be more reasonable to attribute these traces to dark mages rather than vagrants or homeless people.

'And if these are indeed traces of dark mages...'

It likely meant this was an intentionally set trap.

'A trap, huh. What should I do?'

The safe approach would be to return home and report the suspected presence of dark mages; this would trigger a full-scale investigation by the duchy, allowing the situation to resolve smoothly without any risk.

However, the problem was that during the reporting process, the dark mages could easily erase all traces and flee quickly.

'...........'

After a moment's contemplation, I gripped the mace at my waist and steadied my gaze.

I had realized there was an extremely simple solution.

'Whether it's a trap or not doesn't matter.'

If it was a trap, I'd break through it; if there were enemies, I'd strike them down — tired of meaningless patience for ideals, I raised my mace and spoke to Loraine.

"I'll need your support."

"Yes."

With Loraine, who was nearly at the Swordmaster level, there shouldn't be any problems. After making a quick assessment, I moved into the sewers.

𓇗 

As we entered the sewers, the sharp stench of blood assaulted my nostrils.

It was a scent I had grown accustomed to during countless sparring sessions, yet it still carried an unsettling weight in this context. Ignoring the discomfort, I pressed forward until a man in a long black robe approached me with a warm, almost welcoming demeanor.

"Oh, Damian? When did you return here?"

The man approached with a bright smile, as if greeting a long-time friend. I observed him cautiously.

Though his face was pleasant enough, there was something undeniably artificial about it. He wore a robe longer than his body, as if desperate to conceal himself.

'Who is he?'

Was he a dark mage? Or perhaps someone working for them? While there was a possibility he was neither, the strong smell of blood emanating from him suggested otherwise.

"If I'd known you were back, I would have visited the mansion... I was too busy to notice."

He apologized cheerfully before gesturing to me.

"Come in quickly, I have something to show you."

It was obviously a trap, but I nodded, playing along since it seemed like a chance to gather information.

Noticing my response, he spoke in a calm voice after glancing around.

"Ah, Lady Loraine, would you mind waiting here? I have something to discuss with my friend."

Loraine looked at me questioningly, seeking my decision. The fact that she asked for my choice rather than objecting suggested she believed I could handle any potential problems.

"Wait here for a moment," I said, nodding to gather information.

"Yes, young master."

The moment Loraine agreed to stay, the man in black slightly smiled and said to me, "I'll show you something interesting. You'll probably like it too."

After I nodded, he led me deep inside; the stench of blood grew overwhelmingly strong, suggesting a long history of brutal acts.

As I forced myself to maintain composure while following him, agonized moans echoed from all around.

"P-please... save me..."

"Nngh... ugh."

"It hurts... no, it hurts..."

Looking around, I saw evidence of torture in the numerous cells containing imprisoned people; the scene was so brutally cruel it was hard to look at, causing me to furrow my brows.

The man let out a low, unsettling laugh before speaking.

"Recently, I stumbled upon a fascinating research topic. It’s about converting human negative emotions into curses. Quite an intriguing subject, don’t you think?”

"............"

“The results aren’t quite refined yet, so it’s hard to say anything conclusive, but progress is being made steadily.”

As we walked deeper into the sewer, he suddenly stopped in front of a grotesque, writhing lump of flesh. His expression brightened as though struck by a memory.

Clapping his hands together, he turned to me and said, “Ah, this one! You’ve got to see this. This one used to share food with me sometimes. The funny thing is, right after I accepted the food, I stabbed him with a knife. He looked so betrayed—it was hilarious! So, I bound him with magic and brought him here. Can you feel it? The resentment, the despair?”

He laughed maniacally, loudly, as though reveling in his own cruelty.

He spoke of the victim as though he were talking about an experiment, not a person; there wasn’t a shred of guilt or remorse in his expression. To him, people weren’t humans — they were materials, mere tools for his twisted ambitions.

"So anyway, I'm researching how to convert these things into curses... but I have one question."

Still staring at the test subject, he spoke to me.

"I never told you about this place, so how did you know to come here?"

His voice suddenly dropped.

Apparently, he was about to change his attitude and attack me.

I pretended to answer him, then quickly pulled out the small hammer from my chest and brought it down directly on his head.

𓇗

In the North, the snow fell again.

Its arrival meant more than the return of winter — it signified that everything had once again frozen over; the progress made during the brief period of warmth, such as agriculture and trade, crumbled into nothing more than an illusion.

"... Ah."

Though she had anticipated the consequences, Elysia could only grimace as she looked at the mounting damages. 

The once-thinned stack of reports had grown back to a daunting size, spilling over her desk like a tide.

The latest report sat at the top of the pile —

[Damage Assessment Report]

The devastation caused by the recent snowfall had surpassed even the destruction of the second Invasion.

She massaged her temples as she stared at the papers, searching for any feasible solutions.

Yet no matter how hard she thought, it was clear that recreating the warmth Damian had once provided would require an astronomical amount of magic stones — an expense far beyond their reach.

The realization brought a wave of frustration and hopelessness, culminating in a sharp, pounding headache.

Unable to bear it, she reached for her teacup, hoping to alleviate the pain. But as she took a sip, she froze.

“..............”

The soothing relief she had grown so accustomed to wasn’t there. The headache remained, burrowing deeper into her skull; even as she pressed her palm against her forehead, the pain only sharpened, gnawing at her with relentless intensity.

This couldn’t go on.

Desperate, she called for a maid and ordered her to replicate the tea Damian had once prepared.

But the response came hesitantly, the maid bowing her head in apology.

"I... I'm terribly sorry, Your Grace, but no one knows anything about the tea Lord Damian made for you.”

They couldn't even try to obtain it, as no one knew of the tea Damian had made.

“Moreover, as far as I know, no tea exists that can instantly restore fatigue. There are some that offer mild relief, but nothing miraculous.”

"... Is that so?"

"Yes. Such convenient items simply don't exist in this world."

Convenient items...

She had taken the tea for granted, never truly recognizing its significance. Though she tried to endure without it...

[My wife and daughter are dead. This must be punishment for having such a worthless husband and an incompetent father.]

The hallucinations and phantom voices she had forgotten during Damian's presence slowly began to resurface.

Panicking, she ordered her maids to bring every tea related to fatigue recovery they could find.

But none of them — no matter how rare, expensive, or refined — could compare to the tea Damian had brewed. None could even come close.

END of CHAPTER

☩

If you liked the novel, do not forget to rate and review the novel on ⟿ NOVEL UPDATES.