My Ex-Girlfriend Was Appointed as a Knight Commander

Chapter 105

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

During that short fall, Maxime repeated the words dozens of times. He had no idea whether this plunge would be his escape from danger or if he’d just thrown himself into a bottomless pit. All he could hope was that it wasn’t the latter.

At the end of the weightless descent, his feet touched solid ground. Quickly, he kicked the mage’s unconscious body into the shadows and pulled Adeline along, concealing themselves in the darkness. Just as they hid, the door above them creaked open.

“Go back for now. I’ll handle this myself,” said a voice.

“But, if you need help....”

“This area is practically my private workshop. You’ve been around the Tower long enough to know what it means to step into someone else’s space.”

“Professor, but....”

The mage clicked his tongue in annoyance. There was silence, followed by the drowsy, unfocused response of the assistant.

“Yes... I’ll return to my duties....”

Soon, the assistant’s footsteps faded away, as if the mage had used some spell to drive him off. As the footsteps disappeared, the door closed. Another voice called out.

“Professor Luke? Is everything alright?”

Maxime held his breath. He wrapped an arm around the still-shaking Adeline, covering her mouth to stifle any noise. After a tense pause, the voice spoke again.

“Professor? What’s going on? Why did he drag me here, saying he heard something?”

The presence lingered by the dungeon entrance. Maxime tensed, focusing on the intruder. The mage paced but seemed hesitant to enter the dungeon.

“I can’t just barge into the professor’s private dungeon... If I did that again, I’d probably face more than just a scolding.”

The mage grumbled, then stopped abruptly.

“That old man... He’s so forgetful he can’t even remember to secure the entrance. I told him when he was researching dark magic to keep the door shut.”

There was a clattering sound, like a lock being undone or a barrier removed, followed by the scrape of metal on stone.

“Dammit. If this noise escapes, it’s no wonder the assistant came looking for me. With the investigation team sent by the royal family and Benning’s people, we’re already up to our necks. Doesn’t he realize we’ll be in deep trouble if this gets discovered?”

With one last curse, the sound of a heavy metal lock creaking shut echoed. Maxime looked up, horrified, as the light above them gradually faded. The dungeon’s entrance was closing. Frozen, Maxime could only watch as the light disappeared, swallowed by darkness.

Thud.

The heavy door sealed shut, and darkness consumed everything. With his sight cut off, his other senses flared. His heartbeat thundered, and even his shallow breaths seemed unbearably loud. Maxime focused on his breathing, struggling to stay calm.

“...Damn it.”

He could feel the dungeon’s oppressive energy clinging to him like a thick fog. His heart raced, and an old wound began to ache. It was a familiar pain, one that told him he was surrounded by curses and dark magic.

Maxime steadied himself. Past traumas wouldn’t control him now. He calmed his breathing, taking one last deep breath before extending his senses to check if the mage was still nearby. Satisfied that the mage was gone, he cautiously relaxed.

“He’s gone.”

With a swift strike, he aimed to sever the monster’s head. His blade tore through, and the creature flew back, torn into pieces mid-air, black liquid splattering the ground.

“Pathetic, for something meant to guard a mage’s workshop.”

Turning, he saw Adeline still sitting near the stairs. He called her name as he approached. He had to know what had driven her into such a state of terror. Kneeling down, he gently turned her to face him, seeing her withered posture, her face hidden in her hands.

Has she encountered dark magic before?

Maxime frowned. Her reaction reminded him of his own first encounter with dark magic. He’d felt a similar burning sensation in his chest, a hollow ache that seemed to eat away at his soul. But why would a pawn of the Count be fighting against dark mages?

As he considered, he heard her voice, faint and shaky.

“Eyes... my eyes...”

Maxime leaned in, trying to catch her words.

“Adeline? Can you hear me?”

“My eyes... They...”

He reached for her hands, which were clamped over her face, and gently pried them away.

“Sorry, but I need to check your eyes for a moment.”

With a murmur of apology, Maxime carefully untied the black cloth covering her eyes, letting it fall to the floor. He lifted her hair and looked into her eyes, and his breath caught.

She was staring back at him with blind, milky eyes—yet that wasn’t what stunned him.

“A... curse...”

In the center of each pupil, etched deep into the black, were dark, writhing lines—an ancient curse he’d seen before, one that had once marked his own chest. The curse seemed to dance, feeding off the malevolent energy in the air.

Maxime gripped her hands tightly as they trembled, his mind racing with fury and disbelief. So this is what Benning had done.

“Damn it all.”

Adeline continued to tremble, lost in her own nightmare, as Maxime lifted the cloth and wrapped it back around her eyes. He knotted it securely behind her head and cupped her cheeks.

“Adeline.”

He breathed slowly, willing her to match his calm breaths. Gradually, her shaking lessened.

“Hang on. Just a little longer.”

He picked up his sword, letting his wrath boil to the surface.

He took a step forward. The creatures paused, sensing something amiss, and hesitated. Maxime exhaled a deep breath, his hatred like ice.

“You’re out of luck.”

His blade flashed, cutting through the darkness like the wind.