Having successfully transitioned to the Gravekeeper Class, Erich still preferred staying in the graveyard. On one hand, he had to stay up late studying and didn't want to disturb his roommate; on the other hand, the academy's graveyard was indeed an ideal burial ground, and he felt very comfortable there. Most importantly, didn't anyone else think a Gravekeeper and a graveyard were a perfect match?
Furthermore, from Irene's vague descriptions, Erich could faintly sense that he was probably the child of some high-ranking member of the Silent Order. However, that guy was simply too incompetent—he didn't even know the advancement methods after Gravekeeper, and he wasn't even a Gravekeeper himself.
Upon learning that Erich had successfully become a Gravekeeper, Irene was excited at first, but then grew dejected again. Thus, Erich figured that spending more time in the graveyard might allow him to impart some experience to Irene. In any case, Erich now frequently stayed in the graveyard at night, and Old Barto would always take the opportunity when Erich arrived to go home for the night and spend time with his child.
He was getting a bit off-topic. In short, when Erich opened the door, he saw the maid carrying a mana lamp.
“Margaret?” Erich said. “It's so late. Is something the matter?”
Margaret kept her head down, staring at the lamp in her hand.
“Young Master Erich,” she said, “may I... come inside to talk?”
Erich stepped aside. “Please come in.”
Margaret walked into the cabin and looked around. Erich pulled over the stool he had been sitting on and pointed to the edge of the bed. “Have a seat there.”
Margaret hesitated for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed. Erich pulled up his stool and sat down. The two sat face-to-face, a mere pace apart.
The cabin fell silent for a moment. Erich was in no rush. He could tell that this woman hadn't run out to the graveyard in the middle of the night just to have a staring contest with him. Since she had come, she would speak eventually.
Sure enough, after about half a minute, Margaret spoke.
“Young Master Erich, how are your preparations for the ranking tournament going?”
“Not bad,” Erich said. “Why do you ask?”
Margaret twiddled her fingers, waiting a long while before saying, “The young mistress... she doesn't actually harbor immense malice toward you. She has simply been unable to let go of the broken engagement. She has been competitive since childhood, so being publicly jilted by you was naturally unbearable for her.”
Erich did not reply. The words “broken engagement” were like a pebble tossed into still water. As he closed his eyes, memories that did not belong to him came flooding back.
It was when his original body's owner was fourteen, at the autumn harvest ball hosted by the Wayne family in Frostfire City. The ballroom was brilliantly lit, and the orchestra played a gentle waltz. Nobles gathered together, raising their glasses, discussing poetry, wine, and family gossip. The original owner of his body had stood by the window, with no one approaching to talk to him.
Then, Alicia had walked toward him.
Back then, she wore a silvery-white dress adorned with a string of pale red crystal beads at her waist. She stood before him, a slightly awkward smile playing on her lips.
“Young Master Erich,” she had said, “may I have this dance?”
Her outstretched hand had been trembling slightly. She had probably gathered immense courage just to invite Erich. After all, they had only recently been engaged back then, and Erich Edmond's reputation had always been terrible.
The original owner of his body had looked down at her hand, then said in a loud voice:
“Isn't the Wayne family a disgrace to nobility, only knowing how to mess around with poetry and wine? Dancing with you would probably make my father feel ashamed.”
The chatter in the hall instantly died. Alicia's hand froze in midair.
“The so-called young mistress of the Wayne family,” the original owner of his body had continued, seemingly unsatisfied, rubbing salt into the wound, “is nothing but a carefully pampered ornament. The only purpose of your existence is to cling to the Edmond family. Both your father and you probably thought this was a profitable bargain.”
Alicia's hand slowly lowered.
“I...”
The moment she uttered half a syllable, the original owner of his body had cut her off.
“This engagement is off. Go back and tell your father to look for another buyer. After all, the Edmond family doesn't collect ornaments.”
Then he had turned and walked away, leaving Alicia standing alone to endure the varied, mocking stares of the entire ballroom.
Less than a month after that, the Wayne and Edmond families officially dissolved their engagement. From then on, all contact between the two families ceased, and they would act as if the other did not exist whenever they crossed paths at social gatherings.
Two years had passed, and the person who had broken the engagement was no longer there, replaced by the transmigrated Erich. But the debt remained.
“Young Master Erich?”
The maid's voice broke his reverie. Erich returned to reality to see Margaret looking at him with concern.
“Are you alright?”
“I'm fine,” Erich said. “Just remembering some things.”
Margaret lowered her eyes. “Is it about the ball?”
Erich did not deny it.
“I've heard about that incident,” Margaret said softly. “The young mistress has never been willing to bring it up herself, but I know she has never let it go.” She paused, changing the subject. “But even if you really lose, you shouldn't worry too much. Lady Alicia is actually very kind to her subordinates, and I will speak up for you as well.”
Erich scoffed. “You think I'll lose, do you?”
Margaret was silent for a moment.
“I have never seen the young mistress so serious,” she said. “The speed of her magical progress has left me tongue-tied. Over the past few days, she has spent every spare moment in the training room, practicing late into the night before willing herself to rest. Among the freshmen, I do not believe anyone's level is higher than hers.”
She looked up, gazing into Erich's eyes. “Except for you, Young Master Erich.”
“Perhaps your magic level is not as high as hers,” Margaret said, “but what decides a duel has never been pure magic level alone. For someone who walked out of the Abyss, you could probably tear through the entire ranking tournament while everyone else has barely crossed the threshold of magic, couldn't you?”
She wore a bitter smile.
“The young mistress needs a victory,” Margaret's voice grew very soft. “Because of your words, she has been suppressed for too long. She has always remembered that word—'ornament.' She practices desperately, never daring to relax for even a moment, just to prove to everyone that she is not the kind of person you said she was. She needs a decisive victory to break the shackles weighing her down.”
She paused, then, as if making up her mind, blurted out in a single breath, “So, so... could you please lose to the young mistress in the duel? If you can, I am willing to do anything.”
As she spoke, she reached her hand toward the buttons on her chest.
Before she could make another move, Erich reached out and pressed down on her hand.
She was probably truly throwing all caution to the wind today; her fingertips were ice-cold. Erich held her hand and slowly guided it back onto her lap.
He looked into the maid's eyes and said, “Miss Margaret, you are insulting me, and at the same time, you are insulting your young mistress and yourself.”
Margaret froze.
Erich released her hand and turned his gaze to the darkness outside the window. The night was as thick as unyielding ink, and the tombstones in the distance loomed like shadows.
“You should know Alicia's efforts better than anyone. She is working so hard because she wants to defeat me fair and square in the ranking tournament, not so you can run over here in the middle of the night to plead on her behalf.”
He turned back to meet Margaret's gaze. “With such a hardworking mistress, as her maid, your job is simply to support her with everything you have and believe in her, not to try and seduce her opponent in the middle of the night.”
He smiled, his tone turning light. “What do you think, lovely maid?”
Margaret's face flushed crimson instantly. The poise and composure she had maintained completely shattered. She stammered, “Y-you are right. It was thoughtless of me.”
She stood up, flustered as she smoothed her skirt. “Please do not tell anyone about tonight. I will take my leave now.”
She hurried toward the door, stopping just before stepping outside. With her back to Erich, she whispered, “If... if you really end up working with me in the future, I will take good care of you.”
With that, she fled.
Listening to the maid's footsteps fade into the distance, Erich shook his head, shut the door tight, and reopened An In-Depth Explanation of Basic Elemental Magic.
Rate on N.U.
