Unlike most noble families who inherited wealth and influence over generations, the Witte family originated from ordinary knights who were later granted nobility with the title of Baron, then Count, and now a Duke for their great contributions to the empire.
However, there was something that set the Witte family apart from other knightly houses. According to the document, descendants of Witte possessed the ability to master a special aura that resonated with swords.
Because of this, it was no wonder that members of this family were naturally gifted in swordsmanship. It was also the reason why the empire bestowed the name Witte upon them.
"I never knew this. It's completely different from what was in the game," Lucian muttered. His fingers turned the page of the document. "If this family is so influential, why wasn't any of this mentioned before?"
He fell silent for a moment, his eyes scanning the faded text. "Then... does that mean I can do it too?" he whispered softly, his voice nearly lost in the library's silence.
"Haha... Probably not," he said with a soft, self-deprecating laugh. He leaned back against the bookshelf, staring at the ceiling. "Judging by anything, this body has never held a sword in his life."
Lucian lowered his gaze, looking at his own palms. They were incredibly smooth—even smoother than his hands had been in his previous life.
There were no scars, no calluses from gripping reins or weapons. He sighed, closed his eyes, and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Sometimes I wonder, is Lucian really part of this family?" he murmured softly, almost as if speaking only to himself.
The thought lingered as he remembered Cassian. He took a strand of his own hair and rubbed it gently. His brother had jet-black hair, so different from his own silver locks that now fell around his shoulders. And the woman he had seen in the portrait possessed red hair and emerald eyes. Fragments of memories flashed vaguely in his mind.
"Then, why does Lucian have this white hair? Does he have some kind of genetic abnormality or something? That could very well be the case, right?" he asked himself, stroking his long locks with his slender fingers.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his wandering mind. There was no point in making assumptions without evidence. Lucian carefully folded the old document, retied the fragile silk ribbon, and attempted to place it back exactly where he found it.
However, as he slid the document into place, something else fell from between the shelves—a thin, pale beige envelope with a cracked wax seal.
Lucian stared at it for a few seconds before bending down to pick it up. The envelope felt light, and the paper was worn, evident from its faded color.
"Why is this envelope here...?" he whispered quietly. He moved slowly, holding it up to the light to see it more clearly.
Carefully, Lucian opened it. The fragile wax seal broke completely. He took a slow breath, pulled out the letter, and began to read intently.
Lucian's eyes sharpened as they swept across the lines of text.
"... The storage location remains unchanged, exactly as before. The coordinates still point to the Verfall Ruins. That territory belongs directly to the first lineage."
His eyebrows furrowed. "Relics?" he muttered.
He lowered the first sheet slightly and picked up the next one to continue reading.
"... I was supposed to keep the map, but it was accidentally taken by a child from the wilderness near the ruins. I hope they do not realize the true value of what they have."
Lucian narrowed his eyes, letting the words sink in. His attention then turned to the final lines of the letter.
"Do not let the Imperial side find it. If it falls into the wrong hands, history may repeat itself."
His eyes widened slightly as he finished reading. He did not know exactly what the relic was for, but it sounded like something extremely valuable.
"So... the Witte family is hiding something like this...?" He looked at the paper again. "A secret even the Royal Family must not know about... This is far bigger than just a family archive."
"If I can find it first..." he murmured, his voice filled with calculation. A small smile formed on his lips. "Perhaps... this will become my trump card."
Lucian folded the paper carefully and slipped it into his pocket. He stood still for a moment, gazing at the towering bookshelves before turning around, intending to leave and plan his next move. However—
Clack—!
A loud crashing sound echoed from another corner of the library, shattering the silence. Lucian stopped walking, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"Who's there?" he asked.
He stepped slowly toward the source of the noise, passing several rows of shelves, until his gaze fell upon someone sitting on the floor. It was a maid with green hair, rubbing her head in pain.
"Ouch, my head..." she muttered, grimacing with her eyes closed.
Lucian frowned. He seemed to recognize her. "You...?" he asked in a low voice, his eyes observing her sharply.
The maid looked up in surprise.
"Young Master Lucian?!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.
She realized that Lucian was standing before her without his mask—something extremely rare. Everyone in the mansion knew his habit of always covering half of his face.
"No, I saw his eyes," she muttered, barely audible. "I'm definitely going to be killed..." She curled up even smaller, fear radiating from every inch of her body.
Lucian frowned. There was something strange about her reaction. "Calm down, you're fine, aren't you?" he asked softly, though his gaze remained sharp.
The maid shook her head frantically. "Forgive me! Forgive me! Forgive me!"
She repeated the words over and over, her voice rising in pitch, filled with terror.
"This lowly servant should never have dared to look you directly in the face!" She bowed her head deeply, her body shaking violently. "Please forgive me..."
"Calm down," Lucian said, his voice soft but firm, trying to soothe her.
"Hikkk!! Forgive me!!" She continued sobbing, trembling uncontrollably as she curled up on the floor, covering her face.
Lucian's patience began to wear thin. "I said, calm down!" his voice rose sharply.
The maid was startled and instantly fell silent, becoming much quieter than before. She slowly lowered her hands, though she still kept her head bowed, not daring to meet his eyes.
Lucian took a deep breath to steady himself, realizing that anger would only make things worse. He squatted down in front of her, keeping a safe distance.
"I won't hurt you," he said calmly. "But I need you to be honest with me."
He tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction.
"Did you hear what I was muttering about earlier?" he asked, staring straight at her even though his tone remained flat.
The maid looked hesitant, her shoulders trembling, but finally she nodded slightly. "... I didn't mean to... I was just... cleaning behind the shelf..." Her voice was so small it was barely a whisper.
Lucian stared at her for a few seconds, then a smirk appeared on his face, making her tremble even more in fear.
"Then you must realize that I could make you 'disappear' for this, right?"
Her body tensed up completely. Her fingers gripped her skirt tightly, and she looked as if she might faint at any moment.
"I guess I'm putting too much pressure on her..." Lucian thought, looking at her with a neutral expression. He scoffed softly, then stood up and turned his back to her.
The maid remained silent, still shaking, before finally speaking in a small voice, "Understood, Young Master. I will do as you wish."
"Alright," Lucian said calmly. "First condition: when you speak to me, you must look me directly in the eye."
The maid's eyes widened in shock, then she hurriedly lowered her head again. "No! How could I be so presumptuous as to do that?"
Lucian narrowed his eyes. "You refuse? Very well, it seems you are tired of living..."
"Hicks!! Forgive me! I will do it!" she exclaimed in panic, slowly lifting her face even though her body was still shaking violently.
Lucian fell silent for a moment, then turned to leave, letting the sound of his footsteps echo softly through the quiet library. But before he could get very far...
"Umm... Young Master!" the girl called out, her voice still hesitant but bolder than before.
Lucian stopped walking.
"What... what about the second condition?" she asked softly, still filled with fear.
Lucian turned around slightly, his gaze fixed on the green-haired maid still sitting on the floor. A smirk played on his lips.
"As for that," he said with a sharp glint in his eyes, "I'll tell you later."
He took a step back, then paused and turned his head slightly towards her.
"Oh yes," he said casually, as if just remembering. "By the way, what is your name?"
The maid looked surprised by the question. Hesitantly, she replied, "My name is Natty, Young Master." she said quietly, her voice trembling but clear.
Lucian stared at her for a few seconds without speaking, as if weighing the name. Then, he nodded slowly.
"Natty, huh... Alright, I will remember it."
Natty bit her lip nervously and quickly lowered her head again. "T-Thank you very much, Young Master..."
Lucian simply sighed softly and walked away, leaving the area where Natty was. The sound of his footsteps echoed once more among the silent shelves.