12 O'Clock Marionette-Chapter 48

“Haha. You’ve grown up and become quite arrogant, Cruello.”

“Of course, I’m not asking for it for free.”

With a look of intrigue, the Second Elder took a deep drag from her pipe.

“The Grand Elder’s influence is growing within the sect. More and more of his people are taking positions—not because of their faith or abilities, but through mere connections.”

“Yes, unbelievers are now reaching for seats far beyond their worth.”

“I know you don’t approve. I’ll take care of it.”

The old woman stared at Cruello for a moment.

Her eyes seemed both pleased and displeased at once, their depths layered like the rings of an ancient tree—wrinkled irises stacking upon themselves with time, making her true emotions difficult to read.

However, in the end, the words that left her lips were exactly what Cruello had wanted.

“You’re right. I want to cleanse the Black Serpents completely.”

With a slow exhale, the Second Elder released a puff of smoke into the air.

“I heard that Qudil has recently disappeared. Ares, too, has not returned after his failure. Was that your doing?”

“Yes.”

“Was that part of your so-called ‘cleansing’ as well?”

“I simply took the key from the keychain.”

“You audacious thing.”

“They were both tied to the Grand Elder. Replacing them should be to your advantage, Second Elder.”

“You do have a way with words. Yes, the children indebted to me are preparing to take the next positions. It was beneficial to me.”

She placed her pipe back down onto the table.

“But that alone isn’t enough for me to hand over the key. The lives of a few minnows are far too cheap a price.”

“Then tell me what you want.”

“You had an adorable fiancée once, didn’t you?”

Cruello remained utterly impassive, his expression unwavering.

Still, the old woman chuckled as if she had caught a glimpse of something beneath the surface.

“Don’t misunderstand me. I have no interest in bloodlines and such nonsense. After all, we’re all just flawed humans.”

Breeding noble bloodlines only ever resulted in horrific congenital diseases.

The Second Elder firmly believed that humanity needed to mix indiscriminately in order to produce true gems.

And so, in her eyes, all humans were equal.

All except for the boy standing before her.

“I simply know that she is no ordinary girl. At the very least, you seem to treat her as an equal, so she must have something… special about her.”

“So?”

“I will test her personally.”

Cruello’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He wasn’t entirely familiar with the details, but he had heard about the Second Elder’s infamous tests.

She had once been a highly esteemed scholar, sought after by those desperate to become her disciples—even those willing to grovel at her feet for just a fraction of her knowledge.

At first, she had politely refused, but as the requests became more persistent, her patience wore thin.

She had declared that anyone who passed the three trials she set would not only become her disciple but her heir.

As the decision was made out of sheer malice, the tests grew increasingly cruel with each stage, leading to numerous deaths.

After that, no one dared to become her disciple.

And now—

“If you think she’s going to die, you may intervene at an appropriate moment. Of course, if you do, I won’t be giving you the key.”

“Isn’t that the same method you used to mock the fawning hyenas?”

“If she’s foolish, she’ll be nothing but a laughingstock. But if she’s clever, she’ll turn every insult thrown at her into her own prestige.”

“……”

“If you’re unwilling, we can simply forget this conversation ever happened.”

“……No.”

Cruello swallowed once, then responded with a steady voice, free of hesitation.

“I understand.”

“You agreed without even seeking her consent.”

“She would think the same.”

His answer was immediate, without the slightest doubt.

The Second Elder smiled.

And with that, she found herself just a little curious about Siora Bonetti.

***

As soon as we returned to the capital, I locked myself in my bedroom again.

Of course, after such a long journey in a carriage, while still recovering, there was only one thing I could do.

Sleep.

Sleep and sleep and sleep.

I slept so much that even the impurities clouding my mind were erased—along with some of my actual brain cells, apparently—because when I finally woke up, I could barely think.

And the first words I heard were:

“Lady Siora, a guest is waiting for you in the drawing room.”

As I stepped into the room, I was greeted with:

“So you are Siora. I am Nigellia.”

“Hello… wait, what?”

“You may call me Madam, Marchioness Somon, or Professor—whichever you prefer. Ah, but it might be easiest to just refer to me as the Second Elder of White Desert.”

A red-brown-haired old woman, her hair pinned up neatly.

Her composed attire, silver-rimmed glasses, and elbow-length gloves made her look every bit the scholar.

My still-groggy brain struggled to function.

The Second Elder, Nigellia. Publicly known as a scholar of great renown, but in reality, the head of the Black Serpents. Despite her lack of personal ambition, she wielded influence within the sect far surpassing even the Grand Elder.

That was how the Book of Fate described her.

Several other details about her appearance surfaced in my memory, and they matched the woman standing before me perfectly.

I quickly opened my mouth in an attempt to mask my inner turmoil.

“Wow, really?”

My mouth had not done its job.

What an idiotic response.

I pulled myself together and sharpened my gaze.

“I’ve come to teach you, at Cruello’s request.”

And that was the second shock.

How should I describe this feeling?

It reminded me of when Cruello sold me off at the Harvest Festival.

I had been wondering why he had been quiet for a while.

What the hell did you do this time, Cruello?

“This is the first I’m hearing about it. What exactly are you here to teach me?”

“Strictly speaking, it’s more of a test. If you’re curious, feel free to ask around. Everyone knows.”

“I apologize, but before that, I need to speak with Cruel—His Grace first.”

“I don’t take disciples.”

So what?

Was this supposed to be an honor? Some rare opportunity I should be grateful for?

Well, in a way, it was.

A private meeting with the Second Elder? There was no better chance to steal the key.

“No one has ever become my disciple without passing my trials.”

“I understand you’re impressive.”

“Twelve people passed the first trial, ten passed the second, and not a single one made it through the third. I won’t deny that I designed them to be cruel, but I expected at least one prodigy to defy my expectations.”

“Are you ignoring what I’m saying?”

“That’s why I’d like to see it happen once. Cruello asked what I needed from him, so I decided to involve you.”

“That…”

“Just pass three trials. Then, I will give you my key.”

For a moment, the air tensed, as if an invisible thread had been pulled taut.

I stared into Nigellia’s eyes.

She did not look away.

Her gaze burned with intensity, reflecting my own face back at me—fierce and predatory, like a tiger's.

“No one will come after you while you’re taking the trials. I hate interference.”

“When did this become a game where all the cards are laid on the table?”

“Cruello didn’t tell you?”

“Judging by my reaction, I think you have your answer. May I ask what you know about me?”

“Only what Cruello told me.”

“So, nothing.”

I responded evenly on the outside, but inwardly, I swallowed a sigh.

I wanted to storm over to Cruello and demand why he had done this without warning me, but I knew the answer.

There hadn’t been time.

I had spent the entire day locked in my bedroom, asleep.

I pushed aside the thought of Cruello—who wasn’t even present—and focused on the situation at hand.

I had only one key so far. To destroy Morion, I needed four more.

And if one of them was in the hands of the woman standing before me…

“There’s no point in asking why you’re offering me this deal, is there?”

“It’s not a question I need to answer. So, will you accept?”

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“Yes.”

There was no hesitation.

If I refused, I’d be left with nothing but exposed information.

If anything, I should be thanking Cruello for securing this opportunity.

“So the rumors were true.”

“What rumors?”

“They say you’re like a newborn chick, just now cracking out of its shell.”

Was that intentional?

I felt a sudden pang of unease.

“You’ve attended exactly one banquet and one ball. That is the sum of your social experience, and you have no friends.”

Cruello, are you badmouthing me behind my back?

And do you really think you have the right to say that?

“If you want to be part of White Desert, you should at least learn how to read people.”

“And what exactly are you suggesting?”

“Attend a tea party. Anywhere, anytime. I don’t care which.”

“That’s the test?”

“Once you do that, I will give you your first trial.”

It was troublesome, but not impossible. I nodded easily.

“Oh, and one more thing. For this and all subsequent trials, you must complete them without anyone’s help.”

With that, the discussion—if it could even be called that—ended.

Nigellia rose from her seat without hesitation.

After the door closed behind her, I glanced at the table.

Two cups of tea sat untouched.

***

After leaving the Bonetti estate, Nigellia did not return home immediately.

She had been summoned by the Grand Elder, who had insisted on an urgent meeting.

As soon as she stepped into his residence, Heorim stormed forward, skipping formalities entirely—a rarity.

“What do you think you’re doing, Second Elder? Teaching that thing? Telling us not to interfere?”

Nigellia calmly removed her hat.

“Why is the Grand Elder getting so worked up over a little girl?”

“That ‘little girl’ has already cost us two Elders. They vanished trying to eliminate her.”

“Vanished? You mean fled.”

“Either way, the result is the same—the keys are gone. If we’re not careful, even the Grand Plan could—”

“Do you not have faith in Him?”

The Second Elder’s voice turned cold, cutting off the Grand Elder’s rant.

“The Plan will not fail. When the time comes, the keys will gather on their own.”

More importantly—

“I understand why you’re worried, but do you truly believe she’s the one who ruined everything?”

“...I know it was the Duke’s doing.”

“Then why blame the weak instead?”

“Ever since she appeared, everything has gone wrong. I know how foolish that sounds.”

“It’s good that you do.”

The Grand Elder clenched his teeth but could not refute her.

Because deep down, he agreed.

“The one who ruined everything is Cruello. And that,” Nigellia said with an amused smile, “is something to be grateful for, not fearful.”