Chapter 72: Don’t let him see

On the way back to the estate, Catrina barely said a word.

The carriage rolled steadily along the stone-paved road, occasionally trembling slightly whenever the wheels passed over a joint. Afternoon light filtered through the curtains and fell across the silver mask covering half her face, while Lathel sat opposite her, still reading the magic book he had bought that morning.

Yet every now and then, he looked up at her.

Catrina noticed.

She always noticed when he looked at her. This time, she deliberately pretended not to know.

However, after Lathel looked over several more times, she finally could not help asking,

"What are you looking at?"

Lathel paused, then put down the book and used sign language.

Are you feeling unwell?

The fingers resting on Catrina’s dress tightened slightly.

"Me?"

She gave a faint smile.

"I’m perfectly fine."

Lathel looked at her for a few more seconds before continuing to sign.

Doesn’t look like it.

Catrina understood, but the smile on her lips did not change.

"Just a little tired."

After saying that, she turned her head and looked out the window.

Lathel did not ask further, which made Catrina secretly sigh in relief.

But the moment he lowered his head and resumed reading, the burning sensation beneath her mask immediately intensified.

At first, it had been very faint, like a heated needle slowly pressing into her skin. But it did not take long before the pain worsened enough to make Catrina close her eyes slightly.

’Not now.’

It had been far too long since the curse had flared up this violently.

Ever since Lathel had seen her real face, that damned thing had actually been quieter than usual. Catrina had once thought it might simply be a coincidence, but today, when Aldric suddenly attacked Lathel, she had circulated her mana too violently in an instant, and her emotions had completely slipped out of control.

Fear, anger, and killing intent had nearly erupted at the same time.

The curse buried deep within her flesh had immediately been stimulated.

A stabbing sensation ran from her cheek all the way down her neck.

Catrina instinctively raised a hand, but the moment her fingers touched the mask, they stopped.

Lathel was sitting right in front of her.

She could not take it off.

At least not now.

Especially not when the curse was beginning to spread.

...

When the carriage stopped in front of the estate, Catrina stepped down first.

A female Black Rose knight immediately approached and bowed.

"Your Grace."

Catrina merely nodded before turning toward Lathel.

"I still have something to take care of."

Lathel had just stepped down from the carriage when he looked at her.

Catrina continued in the most normal voice she could manage,

"Go back to your room and rest first."

He frowned and used sign language.

What kind of work?

"Territorial affairs."

Lathel looked directly at her.

Catrina knew he did not believe her, but this time she could not tell him the truth.

So she only forced her voice to remain natural and said,

"It’s nothing serious. I’ll come find you once I’m done."

Lathel remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

Catrina smiled.

But the moment she turned around, the smile vanished.

"Everyone, clear the way."

The female knight beside her paused for the briefest moment before immediately understanding.

"Yes."

Catrina walked very quickly.

She did not run, but every step was more hurried than usual, while three Black Rose knights silently followed behind her without saying a word.

All of them had seen her in this state before.

It had simply been a very long time since it last appeared.

...

The room was located deep beneath the western basement of the estate.

There were no windows, and the walls had been reinforced with three layers of protective Magic Arrays.

Almost nothing inside was valuable.

There was only a bed, a table, two chairs, and a large mirror hanging on the wall.

At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a simple empty room.

But if one looked closely, there were many old cracks along the walls. The edge of the table had once been replaced. One leg of a chair was a different color from the other three.

Even the mirror looked much newer than everything around it.

Catrina entered.

"Close the door."

The female knight outside tightened her hand slightly.

"Your Grace..."

"Close it."

"...Yes."

The heavy door slowly shut.

Immediately afterward, the soundproofing Magic Array activated.

Catrina stood in the middle of the room for a long time without moving.

Finally, she raised a hand and removed her mask.

The instant the metal left her skin, Catrina drew in a sharp breath.

"Kh..."

Pain.

Heat.

The black curse markings that normally remained fixed around one side of her cheek were now slowly crawling down her neck, like thin roots writhing beneath the skin.

Catrina walked toward the mirror.

The left side of her face remained as beautiful as ever.

But the right side had been torn apart by twisting black lines, while the skin around the curse had visibly reddened.

She stared at her reflection without showing any emotion, then opened the box on the table.

Inside was a bottle of pale blue medicine.

Catrina drank a mouthful and waited.

Nothing happened.

Instead, the pain intensified.

She closed her eyes.

A very faint voice began to sound.

She did not know where it came from.

Perhaps it existed only inside her head.

"Ugly."

Catrina’s hand immediately tightened.

"No one wants to look at you."

She opened her eyes.

In the mirror, a man’s face seemed to appear behind her.

Her former husband.

Still wearing that gentle smile that made her feel sick.

"You should thank me."

Catrina spun around.

No one was there.

Her breathing began to grow heavier.

"Shut up."

The room returned to silence.

But only for a moment.

Then that voice sounded again.

"Who would want you now?"

Crack.

The medicine bottle in Catrina’s hand shattered instantly.

Glass fragments pierced her palm, and blood began running down.

She did not care.

"I said..."

Black mana began pouring from her body.

"...shut up."

BOOM!

The table in front of her exploded.

Wooden fragments flew across the room.

Outside, all three female knights immediately tensed.

One of them even instinctively placed a hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Your Grace..."

No one opened the door.

They knew very well that entering while she was in this state would only make things worse.

Inside, Catrina’s breathing grew heavier and heavier.

Another voice sounded.

This time, it was not her former husband.

It was herself.

’What if Lathel sees you?’

Catrina froze.

’He said he wasn’t disgusted.’

She looked into the mirror.

But the face reflected there still made her stomach clench.

’But that was when I was normal.’

’What if he sees me like this?’

Blood-covered fingers.

Chaotic mana.

Furniture smashed to pieces.

A monster that could not even control its own emotions.

Catrina took one step back.

"No..."

’What if he’s afraid?’

"No."

’What if he regrets saying those things?’

"Shut up."

’What if he looks at you the same way everyone else does?’

BOOM!

The mirror shattered.

Catrina stood before hundreds of reflected fragments, each one showing a different version of her face, every one twisted enough that she immediately threw another punch.

The wall cracked.

Blood slowly ran from her knuckles.

But the pain in her face did not lessen.

Instead, it grew hotter.

"Lathel..."

His name left her lips almost instinctively.

Catrina immediately bit her lip.

No.

He could not come here.

She could not let him see her like this.

...

Outside, one of the female knights finally could not endure it any longer.

"Your Grace, should we call a Healer?"

There was no answer.

"Your Grace?"

BOOM!

Another impact rang out from inside.

Then Catrina’s voice finally came through, very low.

"No."

The female knight gritted her teeth slightly.

"Then... should we inform Lord Lathel?"

The room immediately fell silent.

One second.

Two.

Then Catrina’s voice suddenly turned cold.

"No."

The three female knights outside looked at each other.

"No one is allowed to tell him."

"But if..."

"I said..."

Mana seeped through the door, causing the entire corridor to tremble slightly.

"...no."

The female knight immediately lowered her head.

"...Yes."

...

Lathel was sitting in his room.

The book was still open in front of him, but he had not read another page for more than ten minutes.

Something was wrong.

Ever since they returned, more Black Rose members than usual had appeared in the corridor.

Two maids who had just passed by his room had been speaking in very low voices, but the moment they saw him, they immediately fell silent.

Another female knight had hurried toward the western staircase.

Lathel put down his book.

Pandora suddenly spoke.

"You noticed too?"

’Noticed what?’

"Mana."

Lathel frowned.

’Whose mana?’

Pandora was silent for a moment before answering,

"Catrina’s."

Lathel immediately stood.

’What’s wrong with her?’

"I don’t know."

Pandora rarely answered in such a serious tone.

"But it’s very unstable."

Lathel immediately left the room.

A female knight approached the moment she saw him.

"Lord Lathel."

He asked in sign language,

Where is Catrina?

The woman paused.

"Her Grace is handling some work."

Lathel stared at her for several seconds, then took out the writing board he carried with him and wrote:

[Where?]

"This..."

Lathel wrote another line.

[I asked where she is.]

The female knight was visibly becoming more uncomfortable.

Lathel looked down the corridor.

Eventually, his gaze stopped in the direction of the west wing, and he immediately started walking.

The woman hurriedly stepped in front of him.

"You shouldn’t go there."

Lathel stopped and looked back at her.

"I’m sorry."

The female knight lowered her head.

"Her Grace gave an order."

Lathel immediately wrote:

[What order?]

She remained silent.

That reaction alone was enough for Lathel to understand.

He continued writing:

[She ordered you not to let me go?]

No one answered.

Lathel started walking again.

The female knight moved forward to stop him once more.

"Lord Lathel..."

He stopped for a second time and wrote very slowly:

[That was her order.]

The woman looked down at the board.

Lathel added another line.

[Not my decision.]

The female knight froze.

She remained standing there for a long time, unable to say anything.

In the end, she could only slowly step aside.

Lathel immediately headed down the stairs.

The deeper he went, the more obvious the chaotic mana became.

Even someone like him, who had only recently begun learning how to sense mana, could clearly feel it.

When he reached the end of the corridor,

BOOM!

An explosion rang out from behind the stone door.

Lathel immediately stopped.

Three Black Rose knights were standing outside.

The moment one of them saw him, she immediately stepped forward.

"Lord Lathel."

He looked at the door and raised his writing board.

[Catrina is inside?]

No one denied it.

Lathel immediately walked forward.

The female knight hurriedly said,

"You’re not allowed to enter."

He turned and looked at her.

"Her Grace specifically ordered us not to let you see her in her current state."

Lathel silently stared at her.

Then he looked back at the door.

Another crash sounded from inside.

Then everything went completely silent.

Lathel placed his hand on the handle.

All three female knights immediately tensed.

"Lord Lathel..."

He did not open it immediately.

He simply stood there for a long time, then took out his board and wrote one sentence.

[I only want to know if she’s in pain.]

No one answered.

But their expressions had already said enough.

Lathel’s hand slowly tightened around the handle.

Click.

The door slowly opened.