Chapter 134

“What does that mean?”

“If fate is fixed, I think it’s useless to try to change the future.”

“Oh, what am I supposed to say? You’ve already changed it.”

Laslo spoke lightly, seemingly insignificant.

“Change what?”

“Fate.”

“I haven’t even gotten there yet”

Agnes asked back, blinking. He grabbed her by the waist and pressed her straight onto the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Lie down first.”

Laslo put Agnes’ head above his left arm and swept down his back with his right arm.

“You said we weren’t meant to be close.”

“Yes.”

“But now you love me very much.”

“Hmm?”

Agnes looked up and made eye contact with Laslo. As soon as she looked at him without a word, Laslo’s voice dwindled.

“Isn’t it?”

“Yes, I love you very much.”

“So, our fate has changed. That’s enough for me.”

The warmth of his body was warm. Agnes was speechless for a moment. Laslo pulled the blanket next to him and covered it over Agnes.

“I don’t remember the past, but I’m sure I’m very satisfied with the present.”

“At dawn that day, I ran away leaving you behind.”

“Didn’t you say I sent Zoltan to help you.”

“I ran away from Sir Zoltan when he died for me.”

“Agnes.”

Only then did Laslo realize the identity of the emotions deep in her heart. Agnes tried to clear her throat, but couldn’t help but tremble at the end.

“I came back at the cost of so many people’s lives. What if I fail again?”

Anxiety, nervousness and the deepest guilt afflicted her. Laslo grabbed her chin and lifted it slightly.

“You’ve already succeeded in changing your destiny.”

“…….”

“Didn’t you live a completely different life from the past?”

“……but.”

“Look ahead and walk. Agnes.”

He left a small kiss on her forehead and around her eyes in a low voice.

“Leave the back to me and you walk forward.”

“I’m scared.”

She buried her face in Laslo’s chest.

“I’m afraid that everything I’ve prepared will collapse and countless people who risked their lives will die.”

“Every time that happens, I will be by your side like this.”

He held her tightly in his arms. It felt more comfortable and safer than anywhere else. Agnes was only able to fall asleep with deep relief.

* * *

“Who’s here?”

“The carriage with Songrad’s inscription just passed through the gate.”

At the words of the administrator, Laslo jumped out of his seat.

The Marquis of Songrad is Agnes’ maternal grandfather. He remembered his strict devotion, so he hurriedly changed into a neat coat. Fortunately, when Laslo went to the gate, the Marquis had just arrived.

“Duke of Arpad.”

“Marquis of Songrad. It’s been a while.”

Laslo greeted him with a rather big smile. However, the Marquis’ face was so stiff.

“Ahn, Agnes is in the magic tower right now. I’ve sent a servant to call her, she’ll come this way soon…….”

“Did you get hurt?”

“Oh, I’m fine. Marquis.”

“Not the duke, my princess! I heard that beasts broke into the palace and that the princess palace where Agnes was located was completely destroyed to save the duke!”

“She’s fine…….”

“Even though she’s fine on the outside, she must have been very scared!”

“…….”

“If the palace were destroyed, it must not be an ordinary beast. Oh, I shouldn’t have sent Theresa to the palace.”

Laslo wanted to say that it was Agnes who called the beasts and destroyed the palace, but he held it in.

“Let’s go inside for now. Marquis.”

“Isn’t this all because the duke went to the palace on his own? Why would you go there when the king didn’t call you? Why?”

“……I have nothing to say.”

Laslo had to listen to the Marquis of Songrad until he entered the castle. He managed to placate the marquis and put him in the drawing-room, but Agnes still wasn’t coming.

“Did you send a servant to the magic tower?”

“Yes, I sent it half an hour ago. Shall I send a servant again?”

“No. I’ll go myself.”

When he saw the Marquis sitting across from him with his eyes lit red, his butt fell off the chair.

“I’ll go, too.”

“If you wait here, I’ll bring her right away.”

“No, let’s go together to see the famous castle of Estar.”

As a result, it was not enough to break the stubbornness of the elderly. Laslo eventually walked with him to the tower.

As expected, Marquis Songrad looked through the interior of the castle with the eyes of a hawk, and found all sorts of faults, saying that the curtains were old and that the rug did not match Agnes’ hair color. Laslo said with an awkward smile.

“Because we are at war, there are things that I didn’t pay much attention to. Please forgive me.”

“But are you allowed to stay here, leaving the Southern Front alone, even though you’re at war?”

It was then. The earth shuddered with a bang. The Marquis of Songrad was startled and half bowed his back. Laslo, on the other hand, seemed familiar and casual.

“It must have failed again.”

Laslo clicked his tongue to assist the marquis.

“Are you okay?”

“What’s this sound?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special, but there’s an experiment they’ve been doing at the tower.”

“What? What do you mean at the magic tower? Isn’t my princess in danger?”

“Wait, Agnes……!”

There was no time for Laslo to say it was okay. The old man over seventy was so fast that Laslo could only chase after his tail.

“Princess!”

There was black smoke around the tower. The Marquis of Songrad ran into it in a frenzy. A familiar voice was heard in the distance.

“…so, put more mana stone in and do it again.”

“Oh, no, I can’t do it anymore.”

“Are you lying down in front of me?”

“I’d rather you step on my stomach!”

“You think I won’t step on your stomach?”

As the thick smoke and dust began to fade, visibility was gradually secured. The Marquis of Songrad opened his eyes wide and found the epicenter of the voice.

“Theo. Let’s do it one more time.”

“I can’t. I can’t do it even if you double my budget.”

“How about five times more?”

The scene before his eyes was quite different from what the Marquis of Songrad had expected. It was the wizards, not his precious granddaughter, who were covered in black dust and gasping like a sprinting dog.

“F, five times…….”

“I’ll give you signatures of the Archmage.”

“Oh, you mean Reika’s autograph?”

Another wizard, who had collapsed from exhaustion, jumped up from his seat.

“Princess?”

“Gasp, Agnes is fine.”

“What’s all this about?”

The Marquis of Songrad blinked. Late on, Laslo said, catching his breath. There were dozens of dents in the empty vacant lot, and Agnes stood firmly in the center.

“She’s experimenting with magic.”

“Experiment?”

“Agnes!”

When Laslo called her name out loud, Agnes looked back.

“Laslo? Oh, my grandfather?”

“Princess.”

The Marquis of Songrad approached his granddaughter. Agnes smiled broadly and held his grandfather’s hand.

“Grandfather, how have you been?”

“This old thing is always the same. Are you doing better?”

“Yes? Oh. I was just doing a small magic experiment, it’s not dangerous at all.”

Looking around, dented pits, shattered stones, and fallen trees caught his eye. The wizards prepared to sneak away when Agnes was distracted by the marquis.

Theo looked at Laslo with very earnest and tearful eyes. Knowing how hard they’ve been through the past few days, Laslo waved as if to go.

Then, Theo and other wizards ran away without looking back. Ignoring the fact, Agnes had a cordial conversation with the marquis.

“Thank you for coming all the way from the East. Did you eat?”

“I haven’t. I heard a story from the palace. I was very surprised.”

“I’m fine. Duke Arpad came to my rescue at that time, so I didn’t get hurt at all.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

The Marquis of Songrad glanced at Laslo with disapproving eyes.

“Well, let’s go into this castle. I told the cook to prepare dinner.”

“Wait, the wizards. When did they all run away?”

“Finish the experiment tomorrow”

Agnes, who belatedly realized that the wizards had run away, raised her eyebrows. Laslo gently soothed her and persuaded the marquis to return to the castle.

When they finally arrived at the dining room, he was completely drained. It was unbelievable that the marquis had come to the castle less than an hour ago.

“Did you hear about Chavolti?”

“Yes, on my way here I stopped by the capital.”

When the story of Chavolti came out, the faces of the three all subsided.

“The prince has a very deep relationship with his wife, and I’m worried that might go wrong.”

“Sophia will wake up. Chavolti, too. Don’t worry too much.”

Agnes took his grandfather’s wrinkled hands and let go.

“But what was the experiment you were doing earlier? I thought the castle was collapsing.”

“Oh, that’s…….”

“My lord!”

The servant rushed into the dining room. It was a rather rude act. Laslo said modestly, frowning.

“If it’s not urgent, come back later.”

“I got a letter from the palace.”

At the words, three eyes gathered on the letter held by the servant. Agnes had a strange feeling. Obviously, this has happened before.

The letter she received while she was eating with Lisa Barania…….

“Bring it here.”

Without even putting the letter on the silver tray, the servant immediately took it out of his arms and offered it to Laslo.

“Oh no.”

Agnes sighed deeply. The letter was wrapped in a black ribbon. It’s so obvious who died.

“Why is the color of the ribbon……. Who is it?” asked the Marquis of Songrad urgently. Laslo’s face, which was reading the letter, drastically darkened.

“Prince Dietrich is dead.”

The beginning of everything.

Agnes clenched her fist under the table. Now the wheels of irresistible fate have begun to spin.