NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3. Maurice Dmitri (1)
Chapter 3. Maurice Dmitri
* * *
It had been a long time since I’d woken up to such an uncomfortable morning.
The reason was simple.
Seria, who now occupied a corner of the mansion.
I had set numerous spells, not knowing what would happen.
Some were alarms, in case she tried to escape.
Fortunately, she hadn’t run away.
At least she seemed to have some understanding of her current situation.
She was Seria, a woman who had undergone a status execution.
Despite her stubborn insistence that the Siegfried family would never abandon her, she must have realised one thing by now.
The world outside was now a living hell for her.
“The outfit suits you. Do you like it?”
I asked as I looked at Seria, now dressed in a maid’s uniform.
She bit her lip instead of answering.
Although she seemed a little more subdued than on the first day, her pride remained unbroken.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
At first I had considered making her stay completely naked.
But I thought that wearing an old maid’s uniform would be far more humiliating for her than being naked.
It was a clear reminder that her aristocratic status had been completely erased.
The accessories that once adorned her body were gone, replaced by the choker with a blue mana stone embedded in it.
The skin around her neck, where the choker rested, was bright red.
Obviously she had spent the night trying to remove it.
But no matter how hard she tried, it would be useless.
Unless I removed it myself, the choker wouldn’t come off.
“How’s breakfast coming?”
I distinctly remembered ordering her to prepare breakfast before going to bed last night.
Yet there was no trace of breakfast on the table.
Seria remained silent.
Sigh.
I looked down at her.
“Are you still clinging to your former status? Or are you just too stupid to understand my commands?”
“I am Siegfried! Seria Siegfried, eldest daughter of the proud Ducal House of Siegfried in the Empire! And you want me to prepare food for you? That’s absurd!”
Seria glared at me, her eyes blazing.
‘Still holding out, huh?’
This was getting annoying.
In more ways than one.
“I told you yesterday. Seria Siegfried is dead.”
Her pride was ruthless.
Even in the original story, her pride had caused countless problems.
But now we were beyond the timeline of the original story.
I decided that correcting her attitude had to be my first priority.
Snap!
I snapped my fingers.
“Kyaaah!”
In response to my mana, the mana stone embedded in the choker lit up.
Seria’s body shuddered as the current coursed through her.
“S-stop it!”
The weak current stimulating her body wasn’t ordinary.
It was a current designed to target her entire nervous system, sending sharp jolts through every part of her.
It was the kind of torture that could bring even a seasoned warrior to tears.
This level of pain was far beyond what Seria could bear.
As the magic took hold, her body was no longer her own.
Seria writhed uncontrollably, screaming desperately.
“P-please, stop!”
But I didn’t stop the flow.
I didn’t even react.
Who knows how long she suffered from the electric shocks.
“I’m sorry! Please, just stop!”
She finally cried out desperately as she struggled and writhed.
“Not enough. Be more sincere”.
“I’m sorry! Really, I’m sorry!”
Only then did I snap my fingers again, stopping the current.
“Do you understand now? There’s no one to protect you, no matter what I do. It would be wise to realise that quickly. Otherwise…”
The pain would only get worse.
I swallowed the last part of my sentence.
“I’d like some breakfast now.”
“……”
“Do you need another round to get that through your head?”
When I raised my hand again, Seria jumped violently.
Hesitating for a moment, she finally turned and headed for the kitchen.
The clattering sounds from the kitchen reached my ears.
Ever since I had mastered magic, I had stopped bothering with breakfast altogether.
The reason I ordered her to prepare it wasn’t because I wanted to eat, but because I wanted her to understand her new status.
She needed to fully grasp that she was no longer a noble lady, but a mere possession.
The quicker she adjusted, the less time I would have to waste on her.
I sat still, listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen.
There was a lot of commotion, as if she was clumsily fumbling around.
I had no expectations of a proper meal.
After all, this was the same woman who couldn’t even bathe herself.
Of course, breakfast wouldn’t be any different.
But it was all a necessary step in the process.
Crash!
The sound of a bowl breaking echoed loudly.
“Kyaaah!”
I heard her scream as well, but I didn’t bother going in.
I only stepped into the kitchen when…
Whoosh!
Thick smoke began to billow ominously from the doorway.
Sigh
The kitchen was a mess.
I had no idea what she had done, but the place was a mess.
Ingredients were strewn everywhere and broken crockery littered the floor.
Flames leapt from the frying pan.
‘This is worse than I expected.’
I cast a spell, creating a curtain of water.
As the oxygen in the air was cut off, the blazing fire began to die down.
Sizzle!
Once the flames were completely out, I turned my attention to Seria, who had fallen back in shock.
Her face was flushed as she lowered her head.
“Use this to wipe your face.”
I handed her a handkerchief.
With a wave of my hand, I cleared away the broken dishes and the mess of ingredients scattered around the kitchen.
“Prepare it again.”
“What?”
“I said, prepare breakfast.”
“……”
“Time is running out. I’d appreciate it if you’d hurry. I’d hate to be late because of a maid.”
Seria bit her lip, trembling as she unsteadily returned to the frying pan.
Sizzle!
After a while, breakfast was finally served: a half-burned fried egg.
At least I managed not to be late.
* * *
The Mage Tower.
The Mage Tower was the repository of all magical knowledge in the Empire and a symbol of Imperial magic itself.
From the Ministry of Magic to other important organisations related to magic, all were housed within the Mage Tower.
It was even said that the Mage Tower was connected to every corner of the world.
This is not entirely untrue.
Just look at the countless portals scattered throughout the tower.
With a single portal, one could easily travel to the farthest reaches of the world.
“Minister, you’ve arrived?”
“Yes.”
I stepped inside and immediately became the centre of attention for the many mages and staff present.
It had been over a week since I’d been appointed as the youngest ever Minister of Magic.
Even now, I wasn’t used to wizards bowing to me at a 90-degree angle.
Some greeted me with genuine respect, while others showed envy and jealousy in their gestures.
The treatment I received now was worlds apart from when I was Deputy Minister.
‘That’s to be expected.’
In the Empire, Maurice’s reputation was formidable, but not for entirely positive reasons.
The greatest battle mage in the Empire.
And also –
The most feared torturer in the Empire.
These were the titles associated with Maurice Dmitri.
When I was Deputy Minister, there had been a Minister above me to keep me in check. But now that I was the Minister, things were different.
Still, the stares felt particularly intense today.
‘Has someone sent an assassin?’
Of those who bowed, about half seemed uncomfortable with my presence.
Even within the Ministry of Magic there were factions.
The Emperor’s Faction, made up of young mages loyal to the current Emperor.
And the Tower Faction, wizards dedicated to preserving the traditional order.
If I had to choose, I’d be closer to the Emperor’s Faction.
It was unlikely that I didn’t have enemies watching me.
Feeling the weight of the uncomfortable looks, I waited for the lift.
“Oh, Minister!”
“Cedric, is it?”
Cedric Volpart.
He was the mage who had been promoted to Deputy Minister of Magic after my own promotion to Minister.
His speciality was fire magic, if I remembered correctly.
Originally he had been an ordinary mage.
Like me, he had risen to his position by siding with the Emperor’s faction and gaining recognition for his achievements.
He was one of the most active and toughest members of the faction.
‘He is the one I have to watch out for the most.’
He was one of those zealots who saw the Emperor as both law and god.
“You’re as cool as ever. How’s work, Minister? Getting on well?”
“No different. It’s all the same work I was doing as deputy minister.”
“Impressive. I’m still struggling to fit in.”
“Magic isn’t just about fighting, you know.”
“Haha, well, I’m more of a practical guy. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken the position of Deputy Minister after all.”
Cedric joked, his tone light-hearted.
What a loud guy.
The kind of person who became increasingly annoying the longer you stayed around him.
The elevator arrived.
“By the way, how was last night?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The gift His Majesty gave you. You know, the Siegfried Woman…”
Ah.
So that’s what it was about.
The lingering stares I had felt since entering the Mage Tower today – it all made sense now.
“I envy you, Minister. To receive Seria Siegfried, the Emperor former fiancée, as a gift from His Majesty.”
“Cedric.”
“Yes?”
“Seria Siegfried is dead.”
“Oh, my apologies, that was a slip of the tongue.”
Cedric put a finger to his lips as if to silence himself.
“This mouth of mine always causes problems. My mother always told me to watch what I said.”
“Cedric.”
“Yes?”
“Quiet.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Ding!
Cedric remained silent until we reached the 72nd floor, where the Deputy Minister’s office was located.
“Well then, take care.”
I watched his back as he stepped out of the lift.
‘He was a dangerous man.’
In another sense, he was one of the most dangerous people to watch out for in the Mage Tower.
In my three years of surviving in the Mage Tower and the Ministry of Magic, I’d learned that people like him – those with a few screws loose – were the most dangerous.
Ding!
I arrived on the 89th floor, the office of the Minister of Magic.
The entire floor was dedicated to the Minister’s office.
“You’ve arrived, sir.”
The secretary, who had arrived early, rose from her seat.
“Anything unusual overnight?”
“Well, apart from a fire in the eastern elven forest, a dragon rampaging in the northern woods, a murder in the city, and the southern barbarians moving suspiciously close to the borders after the Emperor’s coronation… nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, then.”
It was business as usual, practically an annual occurrence by now.
Even when we sent people to deal with them, most of them turned out to be minor problems.
I looked at my secretary.
Her name was Mary Jane and she had been the secretary to the Minister since the time of the Minister two terms before me.
Her blood-red hair was striking, an unforgettable feature of the beautiful woman.
She wasn’t a character in the original novel.
Even after three years, her true identity remained a mystery.
The only thing I was sure of was that she wasn’t human.
“What’s today?”
“Pardon?”
“From the normal wizards to Cedric and now even you – you all keep giving me these weird smirks whenever you see me.”
“Oh, you noticed?”
Jane chuckled softly.
“Spit it out. I’m getting dizzy with the suspense.”
“Why else would anyone be so curious about you, Minister? It’s all about Seria.”
“Are you curious as well?”
“Well, who wouldn’t be curious what the man who was given the most beautiful woman in the Empire did with her last night?”
Jane perked up, her ears almost twitching with interest.
“You’re wasting energy on useless thoughts.”
“If I were you, I’d be curious too, Minister.”
“I haven’t done anything.”
“Really? There was no beast of a man ravaging the beauty? No orders to take her by force?”
“I didn’t.”
I had no intention of doing so, nor was it my style.
She looked slightly disappointed.
She was probably hoping for something more scandalous, but that wasn’t going to happen.
“So there wasn’t even a single moan from her last night?”
There had been, technically.
But that had been during her bath.
I decided not to answer.
“Oh, so you did do something?”
Jane’s green eyes twinkled with interest.
Her eyes had an uncanny ability to tell the truth from the lies in someone’s words.
“I said nothing.”
“That silence just now was practically a confirmation!”
Sigh.
“I get the impression there’s a lot of work to be done.”
“You could do it in no time, Minister.”
“Jane, I have no desire to keep an incompetent secretary. And I dislike lazy ones even more. If you don’t want to be thrown out of the Tower, I suggest you start working.”
She pouted at my firm refusal, but stepped back.
“What’s on the agenda today that needs my attention?”
“There is one thing.”
“What is it?”
“His Majesty has summoned you.”
“Summoned?”
“Yes.”
It was rare for the Emperor to summon the Minister of Magic in person.
Usually he would receive reports in writing or through a crystal ball conference.
Otherwise, it was customary for the Minister to visit the palace to deliver reports.
‘How predictable.’
The countless stares I’d received this morning.
It had to be about Seria.
* * *