“Although it’s still early… we should seriously consider the possibility that the target might truly have no power at all.”
Based on everything I’ve observed so far, Riss does not seem to possess the so-called “monster-like” power that people outside attribute to him.
It’s admittedly a flimsy conclusion given that my investigation period is barely a month, but my opinion was that if Riss truly had such terrifying abilities, he wouldn’t be getting injured so often like this.
Just this morning alone…
—
“I fell out of bed while sleeping. My back really hurts—how do I look to you, Aile?”
“…You look perfectly fine. Are you in a lot of pain?”
“Yeah, could you support me a bit? And bring my meals too. Eat with me as well.”
—
Even though he didn’t look remotely injured, Riss insisted his entire body was aching and kept me by his side all morning.
—
“Should I call a doctor?”
“No, having Aile take care of me is enough.”
—
Whenever I suggested calling a physician, he flatly refused. And this wasn’t an isolated case.
One moment he claimed he cut his finger on paper and showed me blood; another day he supposedly fell off a horse that had been moving fine just moments before and injured his ankle; three days ago, he strained his back during sword training and needed care all day long.
If he were simply clumsy, that would be one thing—but my target seemed more fragile than an average ordinary person.
Because he kept getting hurt, I even started carrying ointments and bandages inside my maid uniform.
Still, it was too early to report anything, so I decided to observe a little longer. This matter would be put on hold for now.
Lastly, there was a third point—nothing to do with the mission, just personal curiosity.
I was curious about why access to the Black Forest had suddenly been prohibited.
Since I hadn’t been checking the forest every day, I couldn’t say exactly when it changed, but at some point, entry had become completely restricted.
A thick door made of notoriously durable walnut wood had been installed at the entrance alley leading to the forest, which was usually always open.
On top of that, it had been tightly wrapped in heavy iron chains, making it impossible to enter without a key.
“Of course, it’s still possible to get in without using the gate…”
But it wasn’t exactly a normal route, and if I were caught forcing my way in, I wouldn’t have any good excuse.
Moreover, it wasn’t even part of my official mission, so I couldn’t afford to proceed without a backup plan.
‘Of all people, the head maid is in charge of the lock.’
The head maid was the longest-serving employee in the mansion and highly sensitive.
I decided to postpone any sneaky attempts for later.
After finishing my cleaning duties, I headed straight to the annex to run an errand assigned by Riss.
There, I unexpectedly ran into the maids who had once greeted me when I first arrived at the estate.
“Oh my, isn’t that Aile? What brings you to the annex? It’s been a while!”
“Hi, Aile! Come visit more often when you have time. I’ll cook something delicious for you!”
After exchanging brief greetings, I was about to pass them by when a thought suddenly made me stop.
‘Come to think of it… aren’t the maids handling all the odd jobs around the estate the ones who know the most about what happens outside?’
Unlike maids who mostly worked indoors or served their masters directly, the ones here were mainly responsible for annex maintenance, livestock care, or gardening.
That meant they worked mostly outdoors.
And since there were flower beds even near the Black Forest, it would fall under their jurisdiction. If anyone knew something, it would be them.
“Big sisters. Do you happen to know why access to the Black Forest has been banned?”
“…Hmm, I didn’t expect that question.”
As soon as I asked, several maids looked slightly flustered.
Still, their reaction was much calmer than when I asked about the duke.
“You’re not thinking of going to the forest, are you?”
“I’d like to say that’s not a good idea.”
Sitting among the maids folding towels, I received one reluctant response after another.
Still, I didn’t give up and spoke again.
“No, not at all. I’m just curious.”
Only after I asked again with an innocent expression did one maid finally speak in a low, uneasy voice.
“Newer staff like you might not know this, but once late summer ends and the air turns cool, no one is allowed into the Black Forest. We sometimes go in to pick wild berries or herbs, but only during summer.”
“Is it because it’s dangerous?”
That made sense. In winter, the Black Forest was far more dangerous than in other seasons.
Even I reduced my visits by half during winter.
It wasn’t very profitable anyway during that time…
In the frozen cold of winter, hardly anyone entered the forest, which allowed monsters to run rampant.
Like a flooding river, the rapidly increasing monsters would sometimes descend into human settlements, so imperial knights were often stationed near the forest for security.
‘I once nearly got caught by them when I was wandering near the forest.’
Their presence was one of the reasons I avoided the forest in winter.
They considered assassins a serious nuisance, and the feeling was mutual.
“That’s not wrong, but the Black Forest was dangerous to begin with, so that’s not the only reason.”
The maid paused for a moment, as if unsure whether she should continue.
But when she met my expectant gaze, she seemed to give in and spoke with a serious expression.
“Don’t be surprised, but in winter… there are ghosts in the Black Forest!”
“…Huh?”
Ghosts? Did she just say ghosts?
I couldn’t help blurting out a stupid question, doubting my own ears.
No, why are ghosts suddenly involved here?!
“I know it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. There are multiple sightings. Even Bedi here saw it, and so did Shama and Ram…”
“That’s right! I don’t even believe in ghosts, but I saw one too! As soon as the cold wind starts, sightings appear everywhere, so eventually access gets blocked in winter. Honestly, there are more monsters in winter anyway, and no fruits grow, so it’s not a big loss.”
At first, they seemed hesitant, but once they started talking, stories poured out one after another.
“It had red eyes and was covered in blood!”
“It looked terrifying. It was pale and kept shaking—I fainted the moment I saw it!”
“The ghost kept luring people deeper into the forest.”
“Right, and even though we knew it was dangerous, we couldn’t help but walk further in.”
“If you’re not careful, you’ll be swallowed by it!”
“I heard some maids who went missing in the forest were never found—maybe it was the fog.”
As I carefully gathered their scattered stories, I could form a common conclusion: the ghost had red eyes, wore white clothes, and wandered through the fog.
“The reason we don’t talk about it much is because the master hates rumors like this spreading in the mansion. It’s fine now since it’s just us…”
“Aile, don’t ever talk about ghosts outside, okay? If the master finds out, there’ll be serious trouble.”
“Besides, the lord rarely comes this way, but if you ever meet him, be careful with your words.”
So that was why they were being so cautious—because of Duke Cassio.
That was an unexpected piece of information, and I quickly nodded.
Strangely, whenever the duke was involved, all the staff seemed to collectively seal their lips.
The maids at least didn’t have many chances to meet him, so they were less cautious… but still.
This only made me more curious about the duke.
