《A Villainess For The Tyrant》


 CH 1

    ¡®I won¡¯t stand for this.¡¯


    Cecile gnashed her teeth as she glared out the window of the coach, at the beautiful and vast white castle that could be seen yonder. The maids sitting across from her were at a loss for what to do, but that mattered not a whit. Cecile was so furious that she did not even spare a look at them.


    She gazed down at her own outfit. A finely woven lace bridal veil, a white silk dress so smooth that one¡¯s hand might simply slide off it, and at the hem of the dress was an array of sparkling crystalline pearls.


    Yes. What Cecile was wearing was a wedding dress.


    Cecile was on her way to get married, but she was not the least bit happy. The closer she got to the castle, the more she felt like her throat was being choked. As Cecile¡¯s coach passed through the city gates, a band that had been awaiting her arrival began to play music. The music was beautiful, yet it only sounded like a funeral march to Cecile¡¯s ears.


    ¡®If I go in there¡­I¡¯ll die.¡¯ In the instant this thought crossed her mind, Cecile¡¯s face turned even paler.


    ¡°Save me¡­¡±


    She could not stop herself from murmuring for help unconsciously. But the maids sitting across her did not ask what she was on about. They merely nodded with understanding pity on their faces.


    One of them gave a reply and said, ¡°We¡¯ll die if you run away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Come on, will it hurt to comfort me a little?¡¯


    Cecile audibly ground her teeth again before shooting a glare at the bouquet she was holding. The reason why Cecile was grinding her pearly whites on what should have been the happiest day in her life was simple.


    ¡®Why do I have to marry the emperor!¡¯


    There was a big problem with the man who was to become her husband.


    Emperor Estian.


    He was the groom of Cecile¡¯s upcoming marriage. The problem, however, lay in the fact that he was the very worst, insane tyrant on the continent. So much so that none would show surprise even if he were to murder his bride on his very wedding day.


    ¡®How did things end up like this¡­¡¯


    Cecile recalled the events from a month ago.


    * * *


    Cecile was an illegitimate child of the king of Navitan. The king bedded a maid in a drunken stupor, and a child was born who happened to inherit the spitting image of the Navitan royal family: beautiful platinum hair and green eyes. When Cecile was born, the king had no choice but to acknowledge her as his child.


    That did not mean that Cecile grew up loved, however.


    Her mother, who was a maid, passed away shortly after Cecile was born, and afterward, Cecile was sent to a royal villa in a corner of the royal palace where she was to grow up. Although she did receive minimal education as a princess, her treatment was no better than that of a maid when compared to the princesses in the main palace. Still, Cecile did not feel wronged.


    ¡®At least I¡¯m acknowledged as a princess.¡¯


    Had she not been acknowledged, she would have long been cast out of the palace as an infant. In a way, it was a comfortable life. The king never called for her, and nothing happened as she spent time idly in her villa. A life of eating, sleeping, and playing without having to labor. She did feel it slightly tedious to repeat the same days on and on, but it was better than going through suffering.


    Cecile would occasionally offer flowers to her mother¡¯s grave in the corner of the royal villa while murmuring to herself.


    ¡°Mother. I¡¯ll keep on living like this, until someday I¡¯ll be sold as the second marriage partner of an old, rich, military aristocrat, won¡¯t I?¡±


    The only world Cecile knew existed inside of the books she read as she could not go outside freely. Even those books were mostly brought in by the maids of the villa.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it always is in the books.¡±


    Had her mother still been alive, she would have hollered ¡°That¡¯s because all you read are romance novels!¡± and smacked her on the back. But the dead have no words, and so Cecile continued to murmur alone.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not living in a fairy tale. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no chance of a forced marriage partner turning out to be a cold grand duke of the north who¡¯s devoted solely to his wife, and also happens to be a gorgeously handsome man¡­¡±


    Cecile read the novels enjoyed by the maids of the royal villa and came to know what end a princess in her position would come to. An illegitimate princess who was not loved but had all the characteristics of the royal family. An excellent product for the king to sell without guilt.


    If only she had been born ugly; she could have felt some security then.


    Cecile cried, clinging to a mirror.


    ¡°So unnecessarily pretty!¡±

 CH 2

    Even Cecile found her reflection in the mirror to be a bit pretty, if she were to say so herself. White skin and red lips. Green eyes like the forests in summer and willowy limbs.


    ¡®I¡¯ll sell high, no doubt. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s pretty, but how come the king benefits from it?¡¯ Cecile felt irritable every time she looked in the mirror. Though, that did not mean she wanted to be ugly. The days passed by in such a manner until one day, the attendants of the main palace suddenly barged into her royal villa.


    ¡°Come right this instant? Ha, hang on! Let go, will you!¡±


    The attendants told her the king had called and practically dragged her away with them.


    ¡°Why are you doing this!¡±


    ¡°You will know upon going. It is something good.¡±


    ¡®As if. If it is something good, why can¡¯t you look me straight in the eyes?¡¯ And just as she expected. Her father whom she was meeting for the first time ever, the king of Navitan, spouted nonsense immediately upon seeing her.


    ¡°Congratulations. Your marriage partner has been decided!¡±


    ¡°¡­First of all, pleasure to meet you, father,¡± Cecile politely greeted the king of Navitan, who was acting as friendly as if meeting a daughter he had talked with only just yesterday. She was seeing her father for the first time in 20 years since her birth, but she felt no joy, no affection, nor anything of the sort in the least.


    ¡®How is it that we don¡¯t resemble at all?¡¯


    Apart from their platinum hair and green eyes, her father bore not even the tiniest semblance to her. Perhaps her mother, whose face she had never seen before, happened to be an amazing beauty.


    ¡°You were speaking regarding my marriage partner?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. My heart¡¯s been aching with worry that you¡¯ve yet to marry despite being of age, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, like hell.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Please continue.¡±


    ¡°Hem-hem. As I was saying. I was searching far and wide for your groom when I happened to receive a fantastical letter of marriage proposal.¡±


    Really, just who on earth sent the letter for the king to be making such a big deal out of it? Cecile waited for him to speak, thinking that she would not be surprised by whatever name popped out of his mouth.


    ¡°To my utter surprise, the letter was from¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Was from?¡±


    ¡°Emperor Estian!¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡±


    A scream burst out of Cecile¡¯s mouth upon hearing the name despite having braced her heart. ¡®What? Emperor Estian?¡¯


    ¡°Hahaha, you must be so happy to the point of screaming!¡±


    ¡°N-n-no. J-just hold on a second!¡±


    ¡°For you to be so thrilled to even stutter. What a relief. Now then, prepare to leave for the Empire at once and¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you nuts? Why don¡¯t you just kill me here and now instead!¡± Cecile shrieked, giving not a damn for whether he was king or not.


    She had been prepared to be sold off as a wife to a suitable nobleman. But not this. Who was Emperor Estian? A man who was dubbed as the continent¡¯s greatest madman and a notorious tyrant.


    As soon as he ascended the throne of emperor at the young age of sixteen, he personally lopped off the heads of countless relatives, sparing no one, be it those from the maternal or paternal side of the family. The charge they were convicted of was treason. The emperor hung the heads he cut at the entrance of the imperial palace as if exhibiting them, striking fear into the masses. One official bravely denounced him as having committed a grave transgression of moral law. The emperor, however, did not blink an eye as he captured the official and his family and saw to their end.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have dared to speak as such had you tasted the poison I ate. So I had it prepared. First, I fed your first son the same poison.¡±


    The official¡¯s face turned pale at his words.


    ¡°Why the face? It almost looks like you know what a painful poison it is.¡±


    ¡°Y-your Majesty. I¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, his eldest son crazedly writhed on the ground, bleeding from every orifice in his body until he died. The emperor tossed a sword and a bottle of poison to the official¡¯s second son, and said:


    ¡°Make your choice. Kill your father and you will live. Fail to do so and you too will eat that poison.¡±


    The official¡¯s second son took in the sight of his dead brother and immediately picked up the sword. And then, stabbed his trembling father. Run through by the sword of his son, the official crawled along the floor. The emperor gazed upon him and spoke in a low voice, indifferently.


    ¡°It appears he still breathes, so feed him the poison as well.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, that¡­¡±


    ¡°A fine ending to die knowing the potency of the poison he ordered, wouldn¡¯t you say.¡±

 CH 3

    Only then did people come to realize that the crawling official was someone who had sought the emperor¡¯s life. From that moment on, the voices of dissent in the empire disappeared. After he succeeded the throne, the emperor began to wage war in a frenzied manner. As if all the nations of the world were the bane of his life.


    Ten years later, there no longer existed a country that would not kneel beneath him. Naturally, the same was true of the kingdom of Navitan. Be that as it may, why? How come?


    ¡°Wh-why in tarnation would Emperor Estian send a letter proposing marriage to a tiny country like this¡­¡±


    Cecile could not comprehend the matter. The continent was packed with countries where he could find a wife, countries that were not Navitan. So why did he pick this kingdom of all others?


    ¡°A tiny country!? Our country of Navitan is most definitely¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. So why did he send the letter!¡±


    ¡°T-that is to say¡­¡± The king was cowed and reduced to a stutter before Cecile¡¯s mighty scream.


    The king showed Cecile the letter of marriage proposal that was stamped with the emperor¡¯s crest. Cecile took it in hand and began reading. And moments later, she burst out with incredulity.


    ¡°I had no thoughts for something like marriage, but I have to get married because of people getting up to no good since I have no heir? And he chose the country to send the letter by lot? Moreover, what¡¯s this? Send me a healthy princess who¡¯ll bear children well since I need a successor? What does he even think I am? A beast of breeding?¡±


    ¡°In-insolence! It is a letter of the emperor. Watch your mouth!¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯ve got the mind for that right now?¡±


    Cecile hurled the letter to the floor. The king of Navitan hurriedly picked it up and carefully handed it over to the head chamberlain.


    ¡°Regardless, things being as they are, you must go. I feel relieved now to hear your voice so full of vim and vigor. Here. What are you all doing! Prepare for the princess¡¯ departure!¡±


    ¡°Since when have you treated me as a princess!¡±


    ¡°Starting today!¡±


    The attendants grabbed Cecile and pulled her away at the king¡¯s words. On the way out, her brothers and sisters, whom she was seeing for the first time, waved farewell by the side.


    ¡°I love you, Cecile. We shan¡¯t ever forget you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember you, Cecile!¡±


    ¡°It was nice knowing you and let¡¯s not meet ever again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of your corpse!¡±


    ¡®Remember me, what? Who¡¯s who to begin with anyway! Putting that aside, is that something you¡¯d say to your half-sister you¡¯re meeting for the first time? Why don¡¯t you all curse me instead!¡¯


    The princes and princesses, whose green eyes and platinum hair were almost eerily identical to Cecile¡¯s, bid farewell as she was dragged away. Of course, Cecile mightily raised the middle finger towards them.


    * * *


    ¡®That was a month ago.¡¯


    Cecile was soon brought to the Empire. And there, at a mansion near the imperial palace, she had to study the empire¡¯s etiquette and history for a month. Her studies included what the emperor liked and disliked, and even matters regarding the bedroom. All of her tutors felt sympathy.


    ¡°I pray that you will survive.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    And finally the day of the wedding arrived and her tutors saw her off, dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs as she climbed aboard a coach. No matter how she looked, the sight they made for was less ¡°seeing off the bride to her wedding¡± and more ¡°sending off a coffin to a funeral¡±.


    ¡®I¡¯m not dead yet! Though I will be soon.¡¯


    She had heard many stories about Emperor Estian while staying in the mansion. Mostly it was about how often he killed people. And she also heard that the people of the Empire were very curious as to how many days would pass before Cecile, the wife-to-be of the emperor, would die.


    While Cecile was locked in thought, the coach came to a stop. Imperial attendants opened the door of her coach, revealing the spectacle of countless soldiers lined up alongside a red carpet as petals danced in the air. Cecile sucked in her breath at the sight.


    To think she had to go die with such extravagance.


    She boiled with anger. She had lived quietly cooped up in her royal villa and had braced herself to a life of being sold off.


    ¡®But isn¡¯t it too much to send me to die like this?¡¯ She felt renewed fury building up towards the kingdom of Navitan. ¡®You¡¯re gonna live a comfy life after doing away with me like this, is that it.¡¯


    If she was to die anyway, she would not roll over quietly. It would be fun to take enough people to stave off boredom on the road to hell, at least.


    ¡®Since we couldn¡¯t be together in life, let us meet in death, oh father. And you too, my dear half-siblings.¡¯


    ¡°Princess Cecile?¡±


    Cecile was not getting off the carriage, which led to an imperial attendant confusedly calling out for her attention.


    ¡°His Majesty is waiting. You must hurry¡­¡±


    The corner of Cecile¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡®Well then, if I¡¯m to die anyway, I¡¯m gonna let all hell loose before I¡¯m gone.¡¯


    Like so, it was with firm determination that Cecile opened her lips to speak. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t wanna.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what do you¡­¡±


    Cecile smiled brightly at the bewildered attendant. ¡°I¡¯m not taking a single step away from here unless His Imperial Majesty comes to pick me up himself.¡±


    And so began her quest for madness.

 CH 4

    A very long time ago, there was something Cecile said in one of her conversations with the maids at the royal villa.


    ¡°Someday, I wanna do something that¡¯ll make others wonder ¡®Is she crazy?¡¯ at least once. Whatever happens, don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be fun?¡±


    Cecile had pondered upon several ideas at the time. Changing all the signs in the royal palace incorrectly, ordering all kinds of food only to eat them one bite at a time, or walking around in winter clothes in midsummer. None of what she imagined involved putting her life on the line¡­ like she was doing now, spewing absurdity towards the emperor in a bid for swift death on her wedding day.


    As her mind began to register what words had passed through her lips, her thumping heart began to slam against her ribcage.


    Cecile realized that her heart was yelling at her, like so¡­ ¡®Are you nuts? What have you done?!¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, heartie dear. Must be tough being you when brainie and mouthie are insane.¡¯


    Cecile expressed regretful condolence to her heart for the first time in her life, then looked around herself. The attendants and knights who had been near her just a while ago were now eyeing her with compassionate pity. The look in their eyes was identical to how the people in Navitan had looked at Cecile.


    Their gazes foretold Cecile of the life awaiting her if she were to quietly do as she was told in today¡¯s wedding. A future where she married a man whom she had no heart for, where she spent nights with him, spent days tip-toeing the thin ice around him for life¡¯s sake, only to be buried somewhere in the end to no one¡¯s care when she ceased to breathe one day.


    The very same fate her mother met, where her daughter was the only one to visit her grave after death.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to live that way.¡¯


    The tutors who had taught Cecile for a month also told her, in detail, of how many people the emperor had killed so far, as well as how he killed them. Listening to their recounts, Cecile realized her life was no better than that of a fly to the emperor. No, it was actually even worse. At least a fly could fly away!


    ¡®Better to go out with a bang than to live in constant fear of death.¡¯


    Cecile speculated as to what people would say about her after she was buried today. She came to the conclusion that, at the least, her death would leave more records than her mother¡¯s.


    * * *


    ¡°Excuse me? What did you just say?¡±


    The astounded voices of the ministers rang inside the cathedral where the emperor was present. They stared disbelievingly at the attendant who had brought news. To be more precise, they were disbelieving of the words the attendant had delivered.


    ¡°S-spoken word for word. Princess Cecile¡­ declared that, as per Navitan customs, she will not move a single step if the groom, His Majesty, does not come to escort her in person. And also¡­¡±


    ¡°And also?¡±


    The content of the message so far was dumbfounding enough, yet there was still more the princess wanted? The ludicrousness of the matter elicited a rising octave from the ministers. The pontiff standing behind them was already making the sign of the cross towards heaven. He whispered, ¡°O Lord I pray, embrace the soul of thy poor child coming.¡± The prayer was for Cecile, of course.


    ¡°Th-that is to say¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak, will you!¡±


    The attendant reluctantly continued at the ministers¡¯ urging. ¡°She furthermore asked, as per Navitan custom, for His Majesty to carry her into the cathedral in his arms!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is the princess out of her mind? Asking whom for what?¡±


    The ministers could not suppress their inner thoughts, in the end. Faces pale, they chewed over the message delivered by the attendant. As a princess from some backwater small country promised marriage by the emperor of the Empire, it was only right for her to consider it an honor and do as she was told. Have the emperor come escort her himself? And have him carry her in?

 CH 5

    The ministers felt their temples begin to throb. They had been feeling relieved that no blood would be spilt as today was a wedding day. They did not expect to see the bride¡¯s blood before it even began. And neither did they imagine the bride to bring it upon herself.


    ¡°A-and¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you saying she still has more to ask!¡±


    ¡°That was only the beginning.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Only the beginning? Those two requests were ridiculous enough on their own, but there¡¯s still more?


    The attendant looked agonized himself as he stood before the shocked ministers. He shut his eyes tightly and commenced the list. ¡°As per Navitan customs, she has requested for the flower petals being thrown to be changed from white to red and, as per Navitan customs, male attendants are to wear red hats, female attendants are to wear red floral crowns, and also as per Navitan customs¡­¡±


    The never-ending series of words leaving the attendant¡¯s mouth caused the ministers to finally explode. ¡°Enough! Navitan this, Navitan that! Is the princess unaware that this is the Empire? Here in the Empire we follow Empire laws! What gall to rave on about following the customs of Navitan or whatever it is!¡±


    ¡°Ah, regarding that¡­¡±


    ¡°That?¡±


    ¡°¡¯I¡¯m sure His Majesty won¡¯t be so petty over this much, seeing how I¡¯ve come such a long way¡­¡¯ is what she said.¡±


    At this point, the ministers could not even sound surprised anymore. They had asked for a bride for the emperor, yet instead they were given a psychotic sufferer. It was their first time experiencing such a novel declaration of war.


    In the minds of the ministers, the name of Navitan was added to the list of countries to be razed down. They burned with enmity, despite not having even visited Navitan once, but it was at that moment.


    ¡°Are there really such customs in Navitan?¡± A low voice silenced all noise at once.


    The ministers turned towards the master of the voice. There stood a young man before the altar, expressionless.He was Estian, the emperor of this nation. Donning a white wedding tuxedo, Estian was quiet, unlike the upset ministers, and appeared locked in thought. The ministers raised their voices at him.


    ¡°Your Majesty! What does that matter! You need only give the word, and your loyal subject will behead that lunatic outside and immediately set off to obliterate the kingdom of Navitan as well!¡±


    ¡°Pay no heed, Your Majesty! Their country will disappear as of today, and as such their customs will also become nothing!¡±


    The knights knelt, swords rattling by their hips. How many countries had their swords defeated so far at the order of the emperor? At this rate, one more would be added to the number today. Estian gazed down at the official kneeling before him and tsked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say to keep wars to three times a year?¡±


    ¡°Upon careful reflection, I believe four times will also be fine.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? Then I shall go to war against the dukedom of Etia next month. Adjust my schedule accordingly.¡± After declaring as such, casually so like deciding on a meal for dinner, the emperor began to walk away.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Where might you be heading?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean where?¡± The corner of the emperor¡¯s mouth curled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s only right for a magnanimous groom to accept the requests of a bride who¡¯s come a long way, is it not?¡±


    The ministers suppressed the screams in their throats as they beheld the emperor¡¯s expression. The emperor had smiled. It was something they had never witnessed since Estian¡¯s coronation.


    * * *


    Will it go to the right, or to the left? Cecile was lost in thought as she listened to the sound of music amidst the flower petals still being scattered in the air. She was wondering as to which direction her lopped off head would roll to when the enraged emperor gave the order.


    Bathing in the cold gazes of the other people around her, Cecile slightly covered her mouth and yawned in boredom. Her doing so caused the gazes upon her to grow sharper, and that greatly satisfied her. Inwardly, she wished to cry out to them. ¡®Hate me more, please! The princess from Navitan!¡¯

 CH 6

    Looking at the current situation, though, she felt that even without her doing so, Navitan would likely be crowned as the next kingdom on the priority list to be doomed. ¡®Such scary looks.¡¯


    It appeared that everyone was exceedingly displeased with her after she caused this uproar. Regardless of the looks on their faces, however, she did not feel the slightest bit sorry. Cecile was surprised at how she felt; surprised to feel no such thing as guilt at driving a country to its ruin at full speed. ¡®Me thinks that I¡¯m born with overflowing talent in being a bad girl.¡¯


    Cecile was consumed with regret at having discovered her talent so late. Alas, for her to awaken to her genius on her death day¡­ It was too late. She had not much time left to exhibit this newfound ability of hers. For she would soon die.


    Cecile fell in thought as she plucked the petals of the bouquet in her hand, one by one. ¡®I did stretch it a bit by making up those customs, but then again I spoke so well without fumbling even once.¡¯


    The customs of Navitan she had the attendant relay were all lies. But she had spoken with a tongue of pure silver. She told the attendant all sorts of nonsense, tacking on the name of Navitan for authenticity every time. How will the emperor feel about Navitan once the attendant delivers my words? She wondered. Surely, she mused, his face would ever so gradually contort every time he heard the name.


    Cecile took a stretch as she gazed at the still closed doors of the cathedral, then she cupped her chin. Her maids hemmed as if in protest to her bad posture, but she paid no mind. ¡®Maybe I should write a will now, since I have nothing to do?¡¯


    But on second thought, Cecile shook her head. She had no family nor relatives anyway; no one would receive it. Besides, she had no words nor property to leave behind. ¡®I suppose the will would go to the emperor if I die after getting married?¡¯


    The emperor would legally become her family upon marriage, after all. Cecile felt a twinge of regret at the time. Maybe, she thought, I should¡¯ve raised hell after the wedding. I could¡¯ve written a batty will, too.


    It was then that the cathedral doors opened. Through the doors came out a man in a white tuxedo, who began walking towards her coach. There was no need to even ask who he was. The flower people throwing petals knelt with their foreheads to the ground at once, while the knights knelt in salutation.


    ¡®It¡¯s the emperor.¡¯


    Cecile fixed her eyes on the approaching emperor and gulped. She scanned him, searching for something. And the moment she saw he carried no sword, an involuntary breath of relief escaped her lips. She laughed at herself for that. It turned out she still wanted to live even after making this mess.


    ¡®Maybe his sword is too precious for this, so he¡¯ll borrow a knight¡¯s sword to cut my neck.¡¯ Upon rethinking it, however, Cecile shook her head. Nay. Considering the stories she had heard about him, the emperor could kill her with his fists. Apparently, one time he had killed an enemy knight with his bare fists after his sword broke during a war. ¡®Born with herculean strength, or so they say.¡¯


    The emperor¡¯s unearthly strength was another reason why people feared him. Of course, she thought it was all exaggerated. How could it be possible to punch through another person¡¯s body with one¡¯s fist? As the emperor drew even closer, Cecile was able to examine him better.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Cecile¡¯s eyes grew wide. Smooth-looking black hair and identically colored black eyes. Sloe-eyed and expressionless, his face gave a tad sharp of an impression. But none of that mattered at that moment. Cecile gazed upon the emperor, entranced. And when he finally came to stand before her, her lips murmured words of their own accord. ¡°Hello, beautiful?¡±


    I did not hear about this?

 CH 7

    Cecile felt utterly bewildered. Never had she entertained the thought that the emperor would be handsome.


    ¡®Why did I assume the emperor would be ugly?¡¯ She wondered. No one had ever told her that he looked hideous, yet why had she thought so? Cecile soon came to realize why.


    ¡®There was no portrait of him, for starters.¡¯


    All nobles would leave piles upon piles of portraits depicting poses of every sort at every new commemoration, event, and the like, so much so that a separate mansion had to be built to store them all. If nobles were like this, how would royals, no, imperials be like? But she had never even heard of somebody having seen the emperor¡¯s portrait.


    ¡®Come to think of it, you¡¯re supposed to send a portrait along with a letter of marriage proposal.¡¯ Cecile mused.


    The king of Navitan had never shown her any such thing. In other words, it did not exist. Elsewise, he would have surely gone and twittered, ¡®Behold! Does he not look marvelous?!¡¯ Though of course, Cecile would surely have yelled back, ¡®A scam, without a doubt!¡¯


    And secondly, no one talked about the emperor¡¯s appearance. When she combed through her memory for anything related to his looks, all she recalled were words illustrating ¡®the bloody devil of the battlefield¡¯ and ¡®war god¡¯s incarnation¡¯.


    ¡®The god of war is ugly, though.¡¯


    The god of war in mythology was said to be disfigured with every kind of scar. Seeing how people sang about him resembling the god of war, how could one ever imagine him to be a beauty?


    ¡®It is partly my fault for not asking, though.¡¯


    In the first place, Cecile had not the tiniest interest in the emperor as an individual, which was why she did not ask about the color of his hair or how he looked right up to the very day of her wedding.


    ¡®But I mean, still. Shouldn¡¯t you give me a heads up at least once if he¡¯s this gorgeous?¡¯


    Cecile discreetly wiped away the saliva that almost leaked from her mouth as she took another look at the emperor. Still lookin¡¯ good. So good, that if not for the situation she was in, and if he did not happen to hold the title of emperor, she would have been very inclined to invite him to take a seat beside her and ask for his name, ask for his home address while she was at it, and hold his hand on (non-)accident.


    ¡®Really? A man with these looks is the worst tyrant of the empire?¡¯


    She felt such discrepancy that she began to suspect those rumors of being mistaken somehow. The man looked more suited to a theater stage than a battlefield.


    While Cecile was ogling the emperor, forgetting the very situation she was in, he began to speak. ¡°The tutors who taught you.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    What about them?


    ¡°I should kill the lot of them.¡± He continued.


    Cecile felt as if she had been abruptly doused in freezing water at his placid words. She was momentarily distracted by his face, but the man before her was none other than Emperor Estian! The very emperor who would be killing her.


    ¡°Wh-why would you¡­¡± The moment she was about to ask why he was going to kill the tutors, the emperor took a step into the coach and leaned inside. He reached out to take Cecile¡¯s arm and pull her. Cecile had no time to even scream as she fell forward, dragged by his powerful strength. She instinctively closed her eyes tight, expecting the impact of falling, but she instead felt as if her body was twirling in mid-air.


    ¡°Eh?¡± When she opened her eyes again, Cecile found herself in the emperor¡¯s arms. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Incredulity displaced her surprise. A princess hold, all of a sudden?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say this is a custom of Navitan? I¡¯m doing as you wish, so what¡¯s strange about it?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t kill me?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡±


    ¡°I was merely brought here to give birth to an heir from a minor country, chosen by lot, yet I spouted nonsense about making the emperor come pick me up, escort me inside, and change the flower colors.¡±

 CH 8

    The emperor stared at Cecile for a moment before replying, ¡°I chose by throwing dice, not drawing lots. Ah, not by number. I picked the country that the dice stopped on.¡±


    Cecile was rendered speechless by his explanation. Whatever the case, his choice was made with the complete absence of any tact, was it not?


    Before Cecile knew it, as she was still feeling dazed, the emperor had carried her into the cathedral. She turned her head to look around the inside.


    ¡®I knew it.¡¯


    The way she was looked at by the people outside was intense enough, but the daggers these gentlemen¡ªwho obviously looked like ministers of the empire¡ªwere shooting at her¡­ The keen edge of their gazes was such that her skin pricked.


    ¡®I mean, I thought the emperor would be the one showing this kind of reaction. What is going on here?¡¯


    Despite the menacing atmosphere, the emperor made a beeline for the altar. There he asked Cecile, ¡°In Navitan, is it required to hold your bride throughout the wedding?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    There was no such custom of escorting and carrying brides into the church at Navitan, to begin with. It was merely a tradition that was portrayed in one of the romance novels she read some time ago with the maidservants of her royal villa.


    ¡®Things are going a little differently than what I expected?¡¯


    And ten hours later¡­


    ¡®Things are going a little differently than what I expected?¡¯


    Cecile mused over the situation she watched Estian climb over her and take off his clothes.


    * * *


    The wedding was over in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Have all the ceremonies finished within 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Your Majesty!¡± The pontiff burst out with a face on the verge of tears at Estian¡¯s command. What wedding was done in 10 minutes?


    ¡°Even if proceedings are reduced to a minimum, prayers need to be given and hymns sung, so how¡­¡±


    ¡°All you need to do is pray fast and sing faster.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Are you not even capable of that? The emperor¡¯s gaze asked, and the pontiff could only gape in response.


    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t do it?¡± Estian asked, then shifted his gaze from the pontiff and pointed to the high priest behind him. ¡°You there, you look like a man who can pray and sing well.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°And you also look like you can pray fast and sing faster.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ye-yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the pontiff from now on. Well, what are you standing there for? The two of you, swap clothes.¡±


    Thus the pontiff was replaced, just like that, and the priest who succeeded him worked a miracle of chanting all necessary prayers and singing hymns in but nine minutes. Though of course, he did collapse right afterward due to his lack of breathing throughout it all.


    The wedding ended like so and 30 minutes later, Estian was sitting in his office. The imperial palace which could be seen out the windows was still beautifully decorated for the wedding, yet the groom-turned-husband felt nothing stir in his heart.


    ¡®So it begins.¡¯


    It was publicly known that he went through marriage to silence the officials bothering him about it. However, Estian had a feeling that this marriage would bring about an even greater disturbance. His work had always been the same. Taking care of state affairs most of the time and waging casual wars from time to time. Since his enthronement, his daily routine had consisted of only these two things. But today that changed for the first time.


    ¡®Cecile, was it?¡¯ He had heard one of his officials who was standing next to him mutter her name, on and on. Estian pulled out a document from the end of his wide desk and began reading it. It was then that someone knocked on the door. ¡°Enter.¡±

 CH 9

    The door opened and a strongly-built knight of red hair entered. He was the imperial knight commander Kane, the man who was called Estian¡¯s right-hand.


    ¡°Regarding your order from a while ago¡­¡± Kane began.


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°The one about the tutors who were in charge of educating the empress.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re already back after killing them? Were they in such a close place?¡±


    Estian had ordered Kane to kill all those who were in charge of Cecile¡¯s education. Cecile had called him handsome the moment they met. This indicated that those so-called tutors had not taught Cecile about how he utterly despised talk of his looks.


    It was not that they forgot. It was clear they had omitted it so that Cecile would die.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty. I was preparing to make a move when I received contact regarding the matter. I was told that all of them have suicided by poison.¡±


    Estian nodded without a trace of emotion at Kane¡¯s words, as if he had seen this coming. If they remained alive, then the person behind them would have been revealed. It was either that they were educated to commit suicide, or forced to suicide.


    ¡°Unsurprisingly, it appears a company of connivers have made their move.¡±


    ¡°Was it not all according to your design?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Because you would have otherwise been closely monitoring everything. But you were apparently all too indifferent to the wedding proceedings, were you not? Which was why the enemy snatched the opportunity, despite their suspicion. What a great bite from the start. Ah, how was the empress? Did she look versed in the sword? Or in poison?¡± Kane asked, curious.


    Estian recalled the image of Cecile at Kane¡¯s question.


    Versed in the sword? It would be remarkable in of itself if Cecile could even lift a sword with her willowy arms, let alone swing one with expertise. Poison? Possibly, yes. He did not sense from her the dark vibes characteristic of those who wielded poison, however. In fact, he felt that a mere touch of poison would cause her to keel over and die. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. She just looked pretty.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Estian¡¯s words left Kane astonished. Estian, however, gave not the slightest care for Kane¡¯s expression as he resumed reading the document from before. It was a report regarding Cecile. It contained detailed information as to her degree of status as a princess, how she lived, and even whom she met after coming to the empire.


    ¡°Unsurprising.¡± He murmured. Be it the tutors who educated her after coming to the empire, or the maids who frequented the mansion she stayed at, there was not one person who was not suspicious.


    ¡®It¡¯s all so suspicious that she may as well be the leader in all of this.¡¯


    How else could her being swarmed around by nothing but questionable individuals be explained? But Estian easily perceived that it was all part of a scheme. The situation had been set up so that if anything were to happen, Cecile and the kingdom of Navitan would take the blame for everything.


    Estian put down the papers and closed his eyes. For some strange reason, the flashback of a certain woman saying ¡®Hello, beautiful?¡¯, facing him without a trace of fear, was disrupting the order in his mind. Estian felt a wave of irritation at the unfamiliar sensation.


    ¡®The plan was to bring in a suitable woman and smoke them out¡­ It would¡¯ve been even better if they wrung their own necks.¡¯


    But what he got was not a suitable woman, but something strange.


    ¡°Hell if I know.¡± Estian leaned against his chair, muttering to himself. ¡°Whatever the case, I¡¯ll do what I need to do today.¡±


    ¡°Your schedule for the day is¡­?¡±


    ¡°I got married.¡±


    ¡°Tha-that means¡­!¡±


    Annoyance spread across Estian¡¯s face. ¡°Right. Uninvited guests will come calling.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, then? If you¡¯re done reporting, go out? And today, you¡¯re responsible for the security of the empress¡¯ palace. It¡¯ll get a little noisy after dark, but play deaf. Because it¡¯s going to be an absolutely incredible night.¡±


    ¡°Un-understood.¡± Kane stuttered with a stiff face as he left, and Estian opened the drawer of his desk. Inside it, there were dozens of daggers neatly arranged inside. He picked the sharpest one of them all and placed it on his desk. If things played out as he had predicted, tonight was going to be a wildly hot night.

 CH 10

    ¡®I wonder when the emperor will come.¡¯


    After the wedding was over, Cecile became surrounded by the imperial attendants and was led to the room she was in at present. When they arrived, the attendants bustled about getting her changed, washed, and ready for the night. By the time Cecile regained her senses, she was left all alone in the large room.


    The room was far bigger and more luxurious than anything she had seen in the royal palace of Navitan. And the room was not the only thing that oozed with extravagance. Be it the bed, so wide one might roll ten times without falling, or the table, chairs, and dressing table, there was not a single thing that did not scream premium.


    On the table on one side of the room was a veritable mountain of fruit, other food, and alcohol. The arrangement was pleasing to the eye, but the quantity was tremendous. So much so that one might mistake this place for a banquet hall.


    Cecile drew near the plate of fruits, peeking around her despite knowing there was no one around, and cautiously took a bite out of a neatly sliced orange fruit. The refreshing juice erupted with sweet goodness, rejuvenating the inside of her mouth which was dry from tension. ¡°Yum.¡±


    Back when she was living at her royal villa, fruits were a luxury item that could only be had during large events. The kingdom of Navitan was a country with a poor climate, so its fruit market was mostly dependent on importation. It was painful for Cecile as she was fond of eating fruits. She had once valiantly attempted to grow a fruit tree in the garden of her royal villa, together with her maidservants, but that had not borne much fruit. Though of course, that was not to say she did not eat any. Many times she snuck into the greenhouse of the main palace to loot its treasures.


    Cecile was engrossed in gobbling up fruit after fruit, even as she savored nostalgia when suddenly her hand paused. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t grouch about me eating first a bit, would he?¡¯


    The emperor¡¯s face suddenly came to mind. And along with his face popped up a question she had forgotten in the fever of her feast.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t he kill me, I wonder?¡¯


    She had heard his officials crying for blood in the distance as she was hauled off by the attendants after the wedding.


    ¡°Let us wipe out the kingdom of Navitan!¡±


    ¡°I am ready to wage war this very instant! I will burn them off the face of the earth!¡±


    ¡°How outrageous to send such a crazy woman!¡±


    And to their cries, Cecile inwardly responded, ¡®Yes, my sentiments exactly! Smash ¡¯em good!¡¯, silently cheering them on with fervor.


    For a long while, Cecile puzzled over as to why the emperor had not killed her on the spot back then, but afterward gave up and went over to flop herself onto the bed. The pleasantly springy mattress and soft bedding on her face were blissful.


    ¡®I just might enjoy being an empress.¡¯


    She could not help but bubble with joy, lying on a cleanly kept nice bed after a meal of tasty fruits. Before the wedding she was feeling ¡®I may as well die¡¯, but now that thought was fading at such speed that one might think her shallow. But a moment later, Cecile¡¯s face grew dark. ¡®But what¡¯s the point of having such thoughts now?¡¯


    The deed was already done. She did not know why the emperor spared her for the time being, but her fate was set in stone regardless. Cecile returned her gaze to the table from before. Her eyes zoomed in on the many bottles of drinks placed next to the mountainous pile of food. She went over to uncork one of them and a deep, heavy fragrance wafted out.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know much about wine, but this has gotta be expensive!¡¯


    The bottle was in a stylish wine bucket, which was apparently made of silver, so it was surely nothing ordinary. Cecile took out a silver cup from the bucket and after filling it to the brim with wine, she took a sip.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± She exclaimed.

 CH 11

    It turned out to be a very strong drink. She felt the insides of her throat burn the moment she swallowed.


    ¡°Wow, this stuff is no joke,¡± Cecile murmured and stood there, slowly blinking. She felt the world start to spin in an instant. The hotness of the alcohol began to spread throughout her body before she even put her lips to the cup again.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Cecile rubbed at eyes upon seeing the room start to blur. What is this drink? Was there an alcohol that got one drunk straight away like this?


    ¡®Don¡¯t they usually call that drugs, not alcohol? Hang on. Drugs?¡¯


    Cecile went over the changes occurring in her body again. Mind growing hazy. Body kindling with heat. Breathing turning into panting. She vaguely remembered having often heard about a drug that induced such symptoms. Where did she hear? Oh, right. It was in the books she had shared reading with her maidservants. The titles of those books flashed through Cecile¡¯s head.


    ¡®A Hot Night¡¯, ¡®Forbidden Love Is Always Sweet¡¯, ¡®The Lark Cries: Touch of Obscenity¡¯, etc. Every single one of them were Books That Must Not Be Named. The plot device taken from the bible of clich¨¦s, which set romantic lovers on the express track to the bedroom, free of any tedious narration¡­


    Cecile flung away the cup in her hand, aghast. ¡°Is this an aphrodisiac?¡±


    Aphrodisiac. What sort of drug was it? A drug that instantaneously burned away reason with the flames of desire¡ªof the s*xual kind, of course, towards the opposite s*x.


    ¡°Those sickos! Why the heck would they put something like this here!¡± Her tongue cursed them out of its own volition. She put a finger in her mouth and tried to vomit out what she drank, but it was already too late. Cecile felt the strength quickly drain from her body.


    ¡®No. Not like¡­ this¡­¡¯


    She swayed on the spot and dropped flat onto the bed. Cecile wondered as to why that thing was here as her consciousness began to fade.


    ¡®Damned emperor¡­ You were planning on using this tonight?¡¯


    She could find no other answer than this. For some reason, though, she felt pity amidst her anger. So what if he¡¯s handsome? He can¡¯t even get it up without using drugs. Thus Cecile¡¯s eyes gently closed amidst her musing thoughts. And when she came to her senses again, she felt as if the world was shaking.


    ¡®What the?¡¯


    The heck? Why¡¯s my body like this? Hang on where am I again? Why am I like this? Fortunately, she managed to recall what happened before she collapsed even in her dizzy state of mind. And so she burst out in curses again. ¡°Bloody damn emperor!¡±


    ¡°They do say that about me often, yes, but it¡¯s been a while since someone said it to my face. How novel.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Cecile opened her eyes at suddenly hearing a voice. The handsome face of a certain someone she saw earlier in the day was gazing at her. His black hair was like the embodiment of the night sky, and his black eyes held unfathomable darkness, seeming to possess mystery within. She had found him plenty attractive when it was bright out, but she did not think he would look even more stunning in the darkness of an enclosed room. This isn¡¯t fair, she thought.


    Cecile continued to ogle him blankly, but as her line of sight slightly shifted downwards, she blurted in bewilderment, ¡°What the. Why are you completely naked?¡±


    ¡°Not completely. I still have my bottoms on.¡± Estian calmly replied.


    With this, Cecile realized why the world was shaking moments ago when she had her eyes closed. Before she knew it, the emperor had climbed aboard the bed and was taking off his clothes. She saw the formerly worn clothes of the emperor lying scattered to the side, which proved her thoughts correct. Meanwhile, the emperor picked up a piece of clothing that had fallen and tossed it out of the bed.


    The clothing should have fluttered down nearby, but instead, she saw it fly far and slam into the wall. The emperor swept back his well-groomed hair after displaying a feat that was not possible without a fair amount of strength. Cecile watched it all with a hazy mind.


    ¡®He¡¯s got good looks, and a good body too.¡¯


    She decided to put off thinking about the situation she was in and enjoy the superb view in front of her. Lean muscles on a moderately tanned body. Cecile had gulped when she witnessed the undulating muscles and raging veins on his arm when he threw the piece of clothing.


    ¡®Ha. How¡¯d you know I like that kind of body?¡¯

 CH 12

    What she saw before her was the ideal physique of the male lead portrayed in the novels she read with her maidservants. They had all sighed together in the face of reality back then, lamenting the fact of handsome men having lousy bodies, and brawny men having lousy looks. Where in the world could one ever find a man with both qualities? Or so they had thought.


    ¡®So this is where you were!¡¯


    If only she could, she would have taken him to show to the maidservants at the royal villa. Cecile stared blankly at the emperor for a moment more before she was soon struck by an important question. ¡°Wait a second. Why are you on top of me?¡±


    She was happy with him getting naked and all, but why was he doing so on top of her? He took a brief moment to think over her question before replying, ¡°You want me on the bottom? Is that how you like it?¡±


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t the problem?¡±


    ¡°Then what is?¡±


    Cecile¡¯s mouth took the liberty to spit out her thoughts. ¡°First of all, I think feeding aphrodisiac to somebody counts as one.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s face turned rigid at her words. ¡°Aphrodisiac?¡±


    ¡°Yes, aphrodisiac. Just how unconfident do you have to be, putting something like that here? Only scum uses such things. They should all be put down.¡±


    Perhaps her heart was urging her to die tonight, seeing as how she had survived the day. Cecile continued to speak, even as she felt wonder at how daring she was being at that moment. ¡°I did hear about such drugs existing, but goodness gracious I did not expect an emperor would resort to it.¡±


    ¡°Hold it. I believe there seems to be some misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to make excuses like that. I¡¯m the only one who knows anyway. Oh right, the attendants who prepared it must know, too. Dear me¡­ But still, I must say, you are aware that intercourse without consent is a crime, yes? The same goes for aphrodisiacs.¡± Cecile gushed out her torrent of thoughts.


    The emperor raised himself off her body at her barrage of words and walked over to the table. He glanced at the bottle Cecile had opened and asked her, ¡°So you¡¯re saying you drank this and you think it¡¯s an aphrodisiac?¡±


    ¡°I do know that it¡¯s not alcohol. What sort of drink makes you weak in the body and knocks you out?¡±


    ¡°As you say, it¡¯s not alcohol.¡±


    Oh, I knew it. But just as Cecile was about to let loose another wave of curses inside¡­


    ¡°This is a ¡®truth serum¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a truth serum, I¡¯m telling you. A very clean one at that, too. Why were you drinking this? I was going to use it if things got troublesome.¡±


    Cecile felt dumbfounded at the reveal. Why oh why would you put something like that here of all places?


    ¡°Truth serum¡­ Were you going to use that on¡­¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention.¡± At that moment, the emperor¡¯s eyes narrowed. He shot a glance at the wall of the room before striding over to the bed and pounced on top of Cecile as if pinning her down.


    ¡°Wha-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What I must do tonight.¡± The emperor answered her question in an apathetic tone. He then turned her on her belly and roughly grasped her shoulders.


    ¡°Agh!¡± Cecile yelped at the sudden pain she felt in her shoulder muscles. She had spent a hectic time for several days, preparing for the wedding, and moreover, her body had been stiff with tension the entire time she was on her way to the imperial palace. And due to sleeping with a bad posture when she was knocked out by the serum a while ago, her neck was duly aching. The emperor pressed his fingers against those knotted muscles, which led to a scream bursting out of Cecile. The emperor¡¯s hand moved again.


    ¡°Ahhh! Augh! S-stop!¡± Cecile continuously moaned at the merciless hands of the emperor. Before she knew it, she was under the bed covers. Amid the darkness, Cecile twisted and turned in a struggle to avoid his hands, whimpering all the while. ¡°N-no! Not there! Stop, stop it! Aghh!¡±


    ¡°Stay still, will you.¡±


    ¡°No! Knock it off!¡± She pleaded.


    Intense sounds were made every time the emperor¡¯s hands moved. Cecile soon realized something was odd as the pain wrung a tear from her eye.


    ¡®It feels incredibly good?¡¯


    While it did hurt due to the emperor only targeting knotted areas of muscle, what came after the pain was an entirely new sense of liberation. And in no time, her previously sore neck was rolling around perfectly fine as well. After realizing this, Cecile ceased her struggles and entrusted herself to the emperor¡¯s touch.


    ¡°Augh! The-there¡­! Ahh¡­! A little, little more¡­!¡± Cecile moaned as she tossed and turned from the mixture of pain and euphoria, but then suddenly a certain thought flashed through her head. In a dark room. On the first night of marriage. Body curving beneath the bedsheets. Moaning.


    ¡®Hang on a second. Isn¡¯t this the perfect situation to give someone the wrong idea?¡¯


    It was at that moment¡­

 CH 13

    She saw a razor-sharp blade glint through the darkness. The emperor had suddenly pulled out a dagger from somewhere.


    ¡®What¡­ Is he going to kill me now?¡¯


    For all her antics wishing for death, she still felt fear in the face of death. The emperor moved like lightning at the moment Cecile tried to scream. She could not even register what happened; what followed had occurred all too quickly. All Cecile could tell was that she was sent flying along with the bedsheet and that the dagger in the emperor¡¯s hand was shot out as well.


    ¡°Aagh!!¡±


    ¡°Ghah!¡± Cecile screamed in an unintended chorus together with a voice that didn¡¯t belong to the emperor. Tumbling to the carpet with a thump, Cecile lay there blinking. And the moment she turned her head around, she let out a shriek. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡±


    She was struck by the sight of a man with a dagger in the exact center of his throat, glaring ferociously at her. Blood spurted from the man¡¯s wound.


    ¡°M-must, complete the mission¡­¡± The man had yet to die despite being stabbed in a vital spot. ¡°Must kill Princess Cecile¡­¡±


    The gurgling man¡¯s hand rose into the air. In his hand was a dagger as sharp as the one in his throat. And that dagger was pointing precisely towards Cecile. Cecile could not even compel herself to dodge; she merely gazed on at the incoming blade. I¡¯m going to die.


    ¡®But why me and not the emperor?¡¯


    Wouldn¡¯t anyone think to aim for the emperor instead? Why are you going for me when I¡¯ve done nothing wrong! Her mind was a cluster of thoughts, but none of them managed to leave her mouth.


    Thwack!


    Just before the dagger landed on her forehead, the man¡¯s body went flying away along with a blunt sound. At the same time, the dagger fell from his hand and rolled to the floor.


    ¡°You dare¡­¡±


    She heard a low snarl suffused with fury. Upon hearing that voice, Cecile realized that the emperor had kicked away the assassin. ¡®The emperor saved me just now, didn¡¯t he?¡¯


    He had done so by tossing her from the bed and booting the assassin just now, too. The emperor was most definitely trying to save her. Now the emperor was taking out more daggers from his belt and began to sling them towards the wall. Cecile lay there prone on the floor, quivering, and beheld what unfolded before her eyes. She had enjoyed reading about this sort of thrilling situation in novels, but experiencing it herself in person, she never wanted to go through something like this again.


    Thwok! Thwok! Thwok!


    It was surprising enough to see daggers embedded in the wall, but she even heard loud explosive sounds upon their impact. The handles of the daggers oscillated, their blades completely piercing the wall. Even before the daggers turned still, stains began to appear from around the blades. Cecile could soon see that the stains were dark red in color. It was blood. There was no way pigs or cows were in there, so it could only be human blood.


    ¡®There were people in there?¡¯ Just what the deuce was up with this imperial palace? How could people be hiding in such places? Meanwhile, the emperor approached the wall and kicked it violently. It fell apart with a crash, and out came what had been hiding inside, slowly falling forward. Naturally, what came out was a corpse. A corpse with a dagger smack dab in the center of the forehead.


    ¡°So this is all of them. They sent fewer than expected.¡± The emperor murmured.


    Fewer? There¡¯s a body on the floor and three daggers in the wall. A total of four assassins, but you say fewer than expected?


    Cecile held her breath as the emperor returned to sit on the bed. Cecile set the cogs in her head to motion at the sight of him sitting. What should I do now? Give him a job well done and take my leave? Or do I have to clear the bodies lying around? She was gawking at the corpses, unable to move, when the emperor stood up and strode over to one of them, hoisting it up by the scruff. He picked up the body of an assassin larger than himself, like holding up a doll, and easily tossed it out through the window.


    ¡®So it¡¯s true that he possesses Herculean strength.¡¯ She had not wanted to confirm one of the emperor¡¯s rumors in this manner. A long while after the emperor disposed of the corpse like throwing a pebble, a splash could be heard from afar, like something heavy dropping deeply into the water. From there, the emperor resumed moving again and three more splashes followed up. All of the assassins¡¯ corpses were tossed outside.


    ¡°Clean, and just the way I like it.¡± The emperor murmured to himself in a remark, dusting off his hands, while Cecile looked at the smashed wall and the pools of blood, itching to ask, ¡®Clean how?¡¯. The emperor seated himself in a chair by the table and called for Cecile. ¡°Come here and sit.¡±


    ¡°Yessir!¡±


    Cecile shot forward like a puppy to its master and knelt before him. Her actions caused the emperor to frown, however. Seeing the look on his face, Cecile planted her forehead onto the floor with an audible thump, saying, ¡°I apologize. I was impudent, holding my head up. Please forgive my insolence.¡±


    Gone were her thoughts of wanting to die. She was jolted to her senses after having witnessed a living person die before her eyes. She did not want to leave this room the same way those corpses did. And she absolutely did not want to float alongside them either.


    ¡®I should¡¯ve just behaved obediently!¡¯


    Revenge? What revenge! She was aware it was far too late for regrets now, but she was not dead yet; she felt the need to at least try and get out alive. Cecile was remaining still with her head on the floor, thoughts flitting through her mind when she heard a displeased voice from above.


    ¡°What an unpleasant sight.¡±

 CH 14

    ¡°I beg your forgiveness. Shall I go a little lower?¡± With that said, Cecile stuck her limbs flat to the floor. The thin hem of the dress the attendants had put on her had fallen apart before she knew it; her bare chest grazed against the floor and her thighs became bare, but she had no mind for such things at the moment.


    ¡°What I mean is¡­¡±


    She vaguely heard a sigh. The sound spurred Cecile to ponder as to how she could lie down even flatter. Should I just stick my face to the carpet? The emperor got to his feet after sighing deeply. He held her by the waist with his sturdy arms, lifting her with ease.


    ¡°Uah!¡± Cecile exclaimed and went tense, her mind replaying the fate of those corpses tossed out the window. Could it be he was going to fling her out alive? But contrary to Cecile¡¯s imagination, the emperor carefully rested Cecile onto the chair opposite him. Isn¡¯t this like the time when he carried me before the wedding?


    Before she could even wonder as to the emperor¡¯s actions, he picked up the bedsheet on the floor and wrapped it around Cecile.


    ¡°Much better.¡± The emperor muttered in satisfaction at the sight of Cecile swathed up like a caterpillar. Do I look that much worse for wear? She wondered. Then how come he left my face in the open? Even though he wrapped up the rest like he doesn¡¯t want to see.


    ¡°Finally ready for some conversation. Your condition a moment ago¡­ seemed a little unfit for discussion, you see.¡±


    ¡°When you say conversation¡­¡±


    ¡°Right. A conversation where I ask, and you answer.¡±


    Isn¡¯t that normally what you call an interrogation instead? Cecile pushed the thought to one side as she fervently nodded. She had to be obedient for the time being.


    * * *


    Estian gazed at Cecile who was wrapped up like a white cocoon. He could not help but wonder if this terror-stricken person before him was the same woman who had made such bold requests before the wedding. Estian observed her eyes flitting back and forth in apparent nervousness but then noticed the swelling on Cecile¡¯s forehead.


    ¡®How utterly weak.¡¯


    Judging by the tinge of red on the swelling, it was apparent that she was going to have a nasty bruise with a lump around the next morning. He felt a sudden surge of discomfort at the thought and muttered, ¡°I should have cut their heads before throwing them after all.¡±


    Cecile made a muffled gasp at his mutter. Estian saw her curl in on herself apprehensively inside the bedsheets.


    ¡®That looks painful.¡¯


    A while ago, he had deliberately massaged Cecile¡¯s shoulders and neck to deceive the assassins. He felt the stiffness in her muscles, likely due to tension, and so Estian purposely targeted those areas. And what ensued were the moans he had anticipated.


    ¡°Haugh!¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Cecile had failed to notice at the time, but the moment she moaned, Estian¡¯s body had flinched slightly. He was taken by an indescribable, ambiguous feeling. Was it because of the softness of the skin beneath his rough hands? Moreover, Cecile was dolled up by the attendants for the first night of the wedding; his senses caught a subtle fragrance from her hair each time Cecile tossed and turned in pain.


    ¡®I¡¯ve never liked perfume before, and yet¡­¡¯


    Estian had always held an aversion towards perfume. Such things numbed the nose, after all. As someone who needed to constantly be on guard against his surroundings, they were things he absolutely needed to avoid. Estian moved his hands a little more. After going through so much cutting and killing in his life, he had acquired knowledge in the locations of muscles and how they moved. Thus Estian utilized his know-how and resumed his massage, pressing the spots where Cecile would hurt the most. Moans burst out once again.


    He could sense hidden movement beyond the wall of the room. It was certain that the sounds of heavy breathing and moaning had led them to believe the two in the room were indulging in the night. He had been waiting for them to make a move, yet he did not find it welcome at all.


    ¡®If it weren¡¯t for those fools, then right about now I¡­¡¯


    Thinking up to that point, Estian was surprised by himself. If there had been no assassins? What then? He gazed down at Cecile, panting beneath him. Moans slipped through her lips as her body twisted and coiled from the pain of her most receptive spots being pressed by him. Her clothes were disheveled, and her breathing was intense. Tears hung on the corners of her slightly reddened eyes.


    Her blonde hair splayed across the bed, glimmering through the darkness of the room, and her watery green eyes were like crystals under the lamplight. Estian was unable to wrest his eyes away from her as he thought about who this woman was.


    She was the woman who had come from a distant country to marry him. His wife. And, according to the vow officiated by the pontiff, the woman who would forever be his companion through life. The moment his thoughts reached this point, for the first time in a truly long time, he felt the blood rush to his face. Something, he thought, is going wrong.

 CH 15

    ¡°Name, Cecile Franvier Navitan. Correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Born between the king of Navitan and a maidservant of the royal palace. Thanks to your platinum hair and green eyes, you were acknowledged as a princess of Navitan, but spent your entire life in a royal villa?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°While you did receive basic education at the royal villa, the only company you had were maidservants, and it was your hobby to read romance novels with them. Correct? And your favorite stories mainly involved a poor beauty who was about to be sold off being rescued by a knight, leading to them beginning a relationship.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°And most of them were adult novels. The titles were, let¡¯s see¡­ The Imprisoned Princess Weeps at the Knight¡¯s Love? Canary of the Eternal Cage? Secret Love Beneath the Attic?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was wrong. Please stop and kill me now.¡±


    In the face of the ensuing questions, Cecile wanted to jump through the window from which the corpses were thrown out.


    * * *


    She had been nervous as to what questions would pop out when the emperor said he would start the interrogation. Never in her wildest imaginations did she think he would mention the titles of the novels she liked, asking her ¡°This is the kind of stuff you like?¡±. Not to mention, they were all titles of books so embarrassing to read in the open that she had to hide their covers when doing so!


    Every time one of her favorite titles was uttered by the emperor¡¯s mouth, Cecile wanted to bang her head against the wall. Alas, swathed up in bedsheets, the best she could do was flinch on the spot.


    ¡®So this is what they call death by shame.¡¯


    She had not expected her mind to become so exhausted when she was not even being tortured.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯ll do for personal details. Now, on to what I¡¯ve been curious about. Why did you want me to come out and carry you under the pretext of non-existent Navitan customs?¡± The emperor asked.


    Cecile contemplated on what excuse to give at his question. But her lips began to move non-stop against her wishes. ¡°I wanted to drag down the kingdom of Navitan with me for selling me off¡­ Hup?¡±


    Wha-what? Why¡¯s my mouth talking on its own? Cecile hurriedly shut her mouth in shock, but it was already too late. Strange. Why am I like this?


    Bewildered, Cecile¡¯s eyes roved about before halting on a certain bottle on the table. No way¡­ Estian¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile upon seeing Cecile¡¯s gaze stop on the truth serum. ¡°Yes, nothing to be surprised about. The truth serum you took is quite potent. Try as you might to not answer or divert your words, your mouth will speak only the truth.¡±


    Cecile¡¯s face paled at his words. Estian closely observed the look on Cecile¡¯s face before speaking again. ¡°Sold off, you say¡­ You must have been very unhappy about coming to the empire instead of the other princesses. Do you hate this marriage so much?¡±


    ¡°But of course! Who would want to marry Your Majesty?¡±


    Estian¡¯s face turned rigid at her answer. The sight of his expression drove Cecile to tears inside, even as she felt admiration. ¡®I don¡¯t know where or how they made this truth serum, but it sure works wonders. Plucking out the truth from me¡­¡¯


    Estian remained silent for a while. She took a peek at him and thought his stiff face seemed somewhat shocked. Of course, she knew it was impossible the emperor would be shocked by something like that.


    Still, though, Cecile got the feeling that she had to comfort him for some reason. And the moment her thoughts reached that point, her mouth began churning into motion again and she said, ¡°I mean¡­ Now that I think about it, not everyone might hate marrying Your Majesty, and there might be some who will like it. I¡¯m sure those people were miserable at not being chosen by Your Majesty, cursing me for entering the wedding hall in their envy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who is the sort of person to desire marriage with me, then?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ The sort of person who would want to enjoy all kinds of luxuries and pleasures without caring for tomorrow and go out with a bang? Besides, what with Your Majesty¡¯s reputation being so rock-bottom, they probably won¡¯t be criticized for most villainies¡­¡± At this point, Cecile thought that what she had drunk may as well be called a magical spell of some kind instead of truth serum. She wholeheartedly wanted to smack her mouth that was pumping out words delivered from her brain without filtering a single thing.


    ¡®But I¡¯m not wrong, though.¡¯

 CH 16

    There were sure to be such people in the world. No, there were sure to be heaps of them. It was just hard to find them because the candidates for empress were usually chosen among princesses who were already living a life of comfort. If they were to search for empress hopefuls from among those who were just a little more desperate, they might strike the mother lode. Who knew if there were actually many princesses like her, born out of wedlock?


    There might be some who think it¡ªinstead of living in perpetual worry of being sold off to who knows where and god knows who¡ªbetter to daringly go to the greatest power holder on the continent. While Cecile was locked in her thoughts, the look in Estian¡¯s eyes had changed. He resumed his questioning. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to hold such desires?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wanted to live a quiet and long life.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡± Her instantaneous response rendered Estian silent for a moment, then he asked, ¡°What do you think of me?¡±


    ¡°You are the greatest tyrant of this time. You formed rivers of blood and built mountains of corpses, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­No, not that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Then what, if I may ask¡­?¡±


    ¡°I just want your first impression of me. What I mean to ask is¡­ Say you don¡¯t know me as the emperor. How would you consider me as a potential husband?¡±


    Cecile got the feeling Estian had stuttered a little, but her mouth went on to answer without even giving her time to ponder on it. ¡°Wonderful. Your face is striking on its own, but your body is the real killer. Your skin isn¡¯t too white, nor is it burnt by labor¡ªit¡¯s the ideal tanned tone. On top of that, when I saw you throwing daggers a while ago, I noticed you have better strength than any male lead I¡¯ve always read about in books. You¡¯re supposed to lack muscles if your face is pretty or look mediocre if you have muscles to show¡­ But who would have dreamed you had both! A marvelous face and marvelous body. I give you 10,000 points out of 10. And add another 1,000 points for having a good voice. If only you weren¡¯t the emperor, I swear I would¡¯ve snagged you to my side and given you a life of comfort, even if I had to work twenty-two hours a day. Even at this very moment, if it weren¡¯t for this situation, I would¡¯ve liked to lay you down beside me and gaze upon you for hours. Oh, and with your top off, of course.¡±


    ¡­Goddamned truth serum.


    ¡­God-flipping-damned mouth.


    Is there no way to roll out the window somehow? She wondered. She felt like she would find more peace of mind floating alongside the corpses out there.


    Estian¡¯s mouth curved into a smile while Cecile was suffering from her own words. ¡°You don¡¯t say¡­?¡±


    ¡°B-but why did you ask something like that¡­?¡±


    Estian¡¯s smile grew deeper. ¡°I think¡­ we need to talk a little longer.¡±


    He opened the bottle next to the one Cecile had drunk from, and poured its contents into a cup, saying, ¡°Drink up. This is the antidote.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve given that, to begin with, if you had any!¡± Cecile complained and hastily drank from the cup Estian brought to her mouth. She could not allow her mouth to do anything crazier than it already had. Before long, she was feeling similar to when she had first drunk the truth serum. The strength left her body and she swayed on her chair.


    ¡®I should start keeping my mouth in check.¡¯


    Cecile tried desperately to raise her drooping body. She was before the emperor, in any case. She had to at least stay seated¡­? ¡°Eh?¡±


    She grew wide-eyed upon being suddenly lifted into the air. All of a sudden she was in the same situation as she was from before. From before, as in, when she was being carried in the emperor¡¯s embrace before the wedding.


    ¡°You wanted to talk¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, but we will.¡± Estian¡¯s voice tickled Cecile¡¯s ears. ¡°After I tend to some unfinished business.¡±


    Unfinished business? What business?

 CH 17

    The attendants of the imperial palace restlessly paced back and forth in front of the bridal room. Everyone was aware of the commotion last night. And how could they not be? At first, moans were coming out of the room, then screams, and finally the noise of something being smashed.


    ¡®He spared her during the wedding only to get her in the night!¡¯ Such was the common thought of all. As soon as the wedding had ended, rumors of what demands Princess Cecile¡ªnow the empress¡ªhad made before the wedding quickly spread throughout the imperial palace. Everyone thought that His Majesty would set out to destroy Navitan when he had time to spare. And, of course, kill the empress before that.


    The next morning, the emperor left the bridal room in an extremely rare good mood. Upon witnessing that, the attendants made the sign of the cross and fell into a discussion after the emperor was gone. One of them asked, ¡°Who wants to go in and clean up Her Majesty¡¯s body?¡±


    Naturally, no one raised their hand. In the end, they reached a consensus to decide by rock, paper, scissors.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the loser supposed to go in?¡±


    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a punishment game. It¡¯s an honor to have the opportunity of serving Her Majesty, so of course, the winner should go.¡±


    Thus, hearts united, the attendants pushed the winner into the room. The winner sucked in a deep breath, pressing her hands against her thumping chest. ¡®I can¡¯t get used to it no matter how many times I see.¡¯


    People died too often in the imperial palace. There was a time when the attendant had unknowingly turned around the corner of a corridor, only to be greeted by the sight of a beheaded corpse. Once, she had even found one of her colleagues, whom she had enjoyed working with until just the day before, floating face down in a pond.


    There was no need to even look for the culprit behind these killings. At the time when she came across the beheaded body, the emperor was there at the end of the corridor, wiping the blood from his sword. And in the case of the corpse in the pond, part of the emperor¡¯s office window¡ªwhich anybody could recognize¡ªwas floating alongside the body. She was so scared at first that she begged the head chamberlain to let her leave the imperial palace right away, but the head chamberlain responded as he always did when attendants came crying to him: by shoving out their contracts to their face and saying, ¡°Work your 3 years before going. Or you will hang.¡±


    To summarize, those were the contract conditions originally written in a very long-winded fashion. As the attendant set to tearily unpacking her things, the head chamberlain told her that she would be okay so long as she did not get any funny ideas. The attendant knocked on the door, announcing, ¡°Your Majesty, I have come to assist.¡±


    ¡°In clearing away your body¡±, the attendant mumbled aside and looked at the door that returned no answer. Well, of course. How would a corpse reply? The attendant inhaled deeply and opened the door. ¡°Eh?¡±


    But contrary to her expectations, she did not smell anything bloody. All she picked up was the scent of wine and fruit, the aroma of the rose perfume liberally applied on the empress, and an oddly fishy smell¡­


    ¡°Um¡­¡± The attendant was sniffing about, looking around the room for the empress¡¯ body, when she heard a thin voice from the bed.


    ¡°Huwuwup!¡±


    The attendant turned toward the bed and yelped in shock. A slender, white arm had slipped out of the bed covers, beckoning for the attendant.


    ¡°Your Majesty! You, you are alive!¡± The attendant exclaimed while on the verge of tears, relieved at not having to clear away a corpse. At the same time, though, she felt puzzled. The emperor spared the empress? Just why? She dashed to the bed and soon figured out the reason. The empress was popping her head out of the bed covers, and the attendant¡¯s face reddened upon seeing her face and nape.


    Swollen lips, and red marks all over the neck, shoulders, and arms. It was apparent that the emperor and empress had spent a very hot night.

 CH 18

    Cecile lay in a large bathtub, staring blankly at the ceiling. A beautiful mosaic made of small tiles was visible through the white water vapor. But none of its beauty caught her eye at that moment. She remained like that, dazed, for a long while before her gaze slowly moved to her arm. And the moment she saw the red mark on it¡­


    ¡°Uaaagh!¡± She squealed and sunk her head into the bathwater. In reaction to her voice, the attendants outside called out to her.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°We should serve you, after all!¡±


    Cecile hurriedly raised her head at their clamoring and yelled back. ¡°Don¡¯t come in!¡±


    With that, the voices of the attendants stilled and they could be heard backing away again. Cecile sighed in relief at their retreat. She then poked at the red mark on her arm with a finger.


    ¡°Ack¡­¡± She felt a sharp sting. The pain re-confirmed that what happened last night was not a dream.


    ¡®I did it.¡¯


    The words circled in Cecile¡¯s head.


    ¡®I flipping did it.¡¯


    Cecile resumed her blank state again, watching water drip from her hair. She slept with him. With the emperor. It was nothing to be surprised about, yet she was. It was only natural to spend the first wedding night together after marriage, yet she could not tell why she was so surprised. Perhaps it was because she was still alive? Or rather because¡­


    ¡°It was so goo-¡­¡± Cecile clutched her mouth shut at that point. What the, I¡¯m sure the truth serum stopped working after taking the antidote; what the heck did this mouth of mine just utter? Cecile smacked her mouth, for last night¡¯s sins as well, after which she leaned back on the bathtub and recalled the emperor¡¯s last words as he left the bridal room.


    ¡°I wish to stay with you longer, but I have to deal with the goons I tossed out. I¡¯ll finish as soon as possible, so keep resting. After I¡¯m back, we¡¯ll pick up on where we left off last night. I should have done that first, actually, but I was too busy quenching my thirst. See you again soon.¡±


    With that said, his lips covered Cecile¡¯s again. Having suffered throughout the entire night, Cecile could only lie still and accept his kiss. It was only when Cecile began to squirm from lack of air that the emperor drew away from her. Despite having kissed her for so long, the emperor repeatedly looked back in reluctance to part with Cecile before finally leaving the room.


    ¡®You girls told me novels were only novels.¡¯ Cecile recalled what the maidservants at the royal villa had told her every time they lent her books to read. What was it exactly?


    ¡°Princess, this is all fantasy. Fantasy. These sorts of men only exist in novels. Don¡¯t ever think that real men out there will be this handsome, well-built, caring, and vigorous. No such man exists in the world! They all went extinct long ago! If you find even one out there, I¡¯ll give you a gold coin!¡±


    That was what they had told her.


    ¡°But I did. I did find one¡­¡± She murmured. And that man happens to be my husband. Cecile¡¯s face reddened at that point.


    ¡®My husband¡­?¡¯


    Thinking of the emperor with a possessive term? Clearly, she had utterly forgotten her senses ever since yesterday. How could she dare to claim the high and mighty emperor as hers? The emperor possessed only, he was bound to no other.


    ¡®I¡¯m gonna have to be really careful with my mouth.¡¯


    She thought back to the officials at the wedding hall, who had seemed ready to rip her apart alive on the spot. If she were to ever voice her thoughts of possessing the emperor, it would not be strange if the officials flew into a rage, bellowing, ¡®You must punish that woman¡¯s mouth, Your Majesty! If punishing her mouth alone is too bothersome, then, by all means, include the rest of her!¡¯ and then boiling her alive. Cecile rubbed her arms at the chilling thought before looking beside her at the wall of the steamy bathroom. She then began writing letters with a finger.


    My Husband.

 CH 19

    Cecile drew the words and lay there giggling, but then suddenly heard a low voice behind her. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Uaaagh!¡±


    She splashed water in surprise, which erased the words on the wall. Cecile looked back and cried out, ¡°Your, Your Majesty! Ho-how did you come¡­!¡±


    ¡°Where in the imperial palace can I not come and go?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Realizing she had asked a foolish question, Cecile discreetly reached out to the side for a towel. She had taken a look at herself before entering the bathroom. Putting aside the marks on her body, her forehead, which she had slammed to the floor last night, had become bruised black and blue with a slight lump, to boot.


    ¡®How embarrassing¡­¡¯


    For some reason, she felt twice the embarrassment at the sight of the emperor standing proudly before her. She needed something to cover herself up with. But the moment her hand was about to grab hold of the towel outside the bathtub, Estian¡¯s hand moved faster. He snatched the towel Cecile was going for and tossed it far away. She heard the towel strike a flower pot in the corner of the bathroom, tipping it over.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She did not know what wrong she had committed, but seeing the broken flower pot, she got the feeling of needing to beg for forgiveness, even if she had to make up a sin. Estian shook his head at her apology and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Next time, don¡¯t cover up when you¡¯re in front of me.


    ¡°I understand. But I really don¡¯t have anything dangerous on me. The attendants checked me over before I got in.¡±


    She remembered the conversation she had with the attendants before entering the bridal room the day before. She had asked, ¡°Why are you putting me in nothing but these revealing clothes? Isn¡¯t there anything that covers up a little?¡± And to that the attendants replied, in an elegant fashion, ¡®Who knows what you¡¯re hiding on you¡¯, telling her firmly there were no such clothes available. This was what she thought the emperor was likely concerned about just now.


    Cecile jumped up from the bathtub and held her arms high in an appeal to prove her innocence. Her bre*sts were revealed along with the sound of spraying water, but she had no mind for such things. She had shown every nook and cranny anyhow last night; what was the point in hiding now? Estian bit his lips upon seeing Cecile stand up, then he searched around for something; he spotted a large towel, which he picked up and tossed over Cecile. ¡°Changed my mind. You can just cover up.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He says one thing one moment, and another the next. Apparently, he had judged she was hiding nothing. Not knowing when the emperor¡¯s heart would change again, Cecile quickly took the large towel he had given and wrapped it around her body before turning toward him. Suddenly, he reached out a hand. But when Cecile stepped back, startled by the abrupt movement, his hand stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯m only trying to see where you were hurt. I saw the court physician waiting outside, but I thought it best to have a good look myself first.¡± Having said so, the emperor reached out his hand again. Cecile closed her eyes at the cool touch of his fingers on her forehead, a contrasting sensation to the heat she had felt inside the bathtub. If he ever squeezed her forehead with his monstrous strength, she would be saying goodbye to this world at that very instant. She was full of tension, but his touch was unexpectedly cautious and gentle.


    ¡°It¡¯s become more swollen than it was in the morning. The bruise has worsened, too.¡± He mused.


    Cecile could not figure out why the emperor was interested in her forehead, even as she listened to his muttering.


    ¡®Oh, maybe¡­¡¯


    She had heard the attendants gasp at the sight of her body before she entered the bathroom. It seemed they thought the injury on her forehead was caused by the emperor as well. Well, she supposed, that explains it. He¡¯d want to take a look, affronted by the false allegation. He was labeled a woman-beater out of the blues, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going, then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cecile grew wide-eyed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°No, I was wondering if you had come because you had something to do¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done what I came to do.¡± His finger pressed ever so softly against Cecile¡¯s forehead and finished, ¡°All that¡¯s left is to do some dicing.¡±

 CH 20

    Kane, the commander of the imperial knights, felt that something was going wrong. He had arrived at the emperor¡¯s office in the morning, only to see that Estian was nowhere to be found. Never, not once, had the emperor arrived at his office later than Kane before, yet he was not there. Kane was standing there, bewildered at this unprecedented happening, when Estian entered the office. Somehow, though, the emperor seemed different than his usual self. He was supposed to be in a ruffled mood from having faced intruders in the night, yet no such signs of displeasure could be found on Estian¡¯s face.


    Kane questioned him cautiously. ¡°How was last night, Your Majesty?¡±


    There were four assassins. There had been no intrusions in the imperial palace for a while, yet they attacked during the wedding night as if they had been waiting.


    ¡°A bit¡­ strange.¡±


    Kane nodded with a knowing face at Estian¡¯s reply. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the four assassins were completely unrelated to each other. Four assassins each sent by four different entities? Something like this had never happened before.


    ¡°I understand. It must have been your first time experiencing such a thing.¡±


    ¡°It felt far smaller than I thought, for starters.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Was the assassin small? The body floating in the pond didn¡¯t seem that small, though? Kane wondered.


    ¡°And softer than I imagined, too.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Kane¡¯s face turned odd at hearing the word ¡®soft¡¯. What in tarnation? What softness on the assassin was he talking about? Did he stab through the killer¡¯s belly that easily?


    Estian abhorred having contact with others. It was an inevitable result, considering how he grew up. It was to the degree that he was averse to have even Kane¡ªa long-time faithful subject¡ªstand beside him except when absolutely necessary. Yet he touched an assassin? And it felt soft? The assassin was, without a single doubt, a middle-aged man, so where was the softness?


    A dangerous picture began to gradually form in Kane¡¯s mind as Estian continued to speak.


    ¡°And even prettier in the night as well.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m sorry but who might you be talking about¡­?¡± Kane cautiously asked.


    ¡°The empress, of course. What? Who did you think I was talking about just now?¡±


    ¡°The assassin.¡±


    ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    No wonder I felt something was off, Kane thought. But just as Kane was about to sigh in relief, he paused upon an important realization. Hang on? What did the emperor say now? The empress is small and pretty?


    The shock came late. While Kane was gaping speechlessly like a fish, the emperor started sitting down at his desk and signing several documents, but then he suddenly stopped moving his hands and stood up. Then he walked towards the door.


    ¡°Your Majesty? Where might you be going?¡±


    ¡°Going to see someone.¡±


    Kane did not ask who. Estian went out, and a long time passed before he came back. The moment he entered the office, Kane caught the subtle scent of roses along with the smell of blood. He asked, ¡°Where have you been, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I met the empress, then remembered the assassin from yesterday, so I diced him up a bit.¡±


    ¡°How in heavens did you end up thinking of dicing up the assassin after meeting her Majesty?¡±


    At his question, Estian threw something that was in his hand at Kane. Kane instinctively caught the item, and his eyes grew wide upon seeing it. It was a small metal engraving with bits of blood and flesh. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°I opened up the body and found it inside. You also know the mark on it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°This is the mark of the holy kingdom¡¯s zealots, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Estian¡¯s eyes radiated cold murder. The assassin who had led the attack last night had targeted the empress, not him. Just why?


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to find out why the hell the holy kingdom sent an assassin, and why they sent one after the empress instead of me.¡±

 CH 21

    After Estian appeared like the wind and disappeared in an identical fashion, Cecile left the bathroom. The waiting attendants immediately took her away to start dressing her up. After that was over, she was led to another room.


    ¡°This is?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Your residence, Your Majesty. It will be your place to stay from now on. Worry not for any intruders. Seeing that His Majesty has already done some cleaning once, things will be comfortable for the time being.¡±


    What on earth did the emperor clean? She wondered. And for the time being? Did that mean it would become dangerous after a while again? Cecile chewed over such thoughts as she walked with the attendants. Something was strange, though. One door was opened, then another door after, and then another door on top of that. She walked, walked, and walked some more. Cecile, tired of walking, ended up asking first, ¡°Uh, when are we getting to my room exactly?¡±


    An attendant answered with a look of confusion at Cecile¡¯s question. ¡°All the rooms since the first door was opened belong to you, Your Majesty¡­ Is there a problem¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s nothing. Carry on.¡±


    Even after that, the attendants walked for a long while, informing Cecile about the rooms. This here is the Room of Glory, over here is the Room of Blessing, right here is the Room of Prayer, this here is, that there is, and here this is. There was no end to the explanations, and Cecile¡¯s nodding grew more half-hearted by the minute. They walked for two hours like that until, at last, the attendants came to a stop.


    ¡°Is it over?¡±


    ¡°This is only the beginning.¡±


    Cecile grew faint at the attendant¡¯s reply. What sort of room tour doesn¡¯t end after two hours of walking! Her legs were beginning to feel sore. Besides, she was feeling languid after bathing, but the biggest problem was that her body was demanding rest after suffering through last night. ¡°I¡¯ll see them on my own. You may all return.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Your Majesty.¡±


    After the attendants left, Cecile looked at the place that was her room.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a palace?¡± She mused out loud.


    It was a room in name only; she barely reached the first living room after having to go through five doors. Beyond the living room was a beautifully decorated garden that stretched out endlessly. In the garden was a pond where swans were swimming leisurely. By the pond were rabbits, coming to drink the water, and to the side of that, there were even grazing deer. It was a truly picturesque sight.


    ¡°Being the empress really is great after all.¡± She mumbled. After gazing upon that peaceful scenery for a while, Cecile headed over to lie on the bed.


    ¡®Sleepy.¡¯


    She had jostled with the emperor until morning. It was so intense to the degree that, somewhere around the crack of dawn, she could not even cry out anymore. It had gotten a little better at the moment, but the scratchy pain in her throat was still there. Cecile massaged her throat for a bit before looking at the plate of fruits by her bedside. She reached out to take a well-ripened bunch of grapes and popped one in her mouth. The cool berry burst on her tongue. Cecile closed her eyes as her mouth was filled with a refreshing sweetness. Fruits are always good to have indeed, she thought. She was happy that she could eat them every day now.


    ¡®So good.¡¯ Eyes still closed, Cecile ate another grape. ¡®Though this will only last while I¡¯m alive.¡¯


    She thought back to the assassins last night. Even if the emperor had no intention of killing her, she was still in a dangerous position.


    ¡®I was angry and resentful every day on the way here from Navitan, grinding my teeth, and yet¡­¡¯ Now she could care not a whit for Navitan or whatnot. All sorts of things had happened in the space of a day, yet she had found calm after going through it all. Why, though? What changed? She mused upon her change for some time but drifted off into sleep before she knew it.


    * * *


    What later roused Cecile from her slumber was somebody¡¯s gentle touch. Their fingers hovered near her forehead before sliding down her face. Cecile frowned at the tickling sensation and shook her head. In response, the fingers went down her neck and to her shoulders. Her nape was slowly massaged, evoking noises of satisfaction from Cecile. She did not know who it was, but she was being massaged exactly where she felt stiff.


    ¡°¡­Wish I could live like this every day.¡± Still in a half-asleep state, she ended up letting her heartfelt words slip from her lips.


    Somebody responded to her wishful words, muttering, ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Eating lots of fruit¡­ Having someone massage where it hurts¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Somehow Cecile got the feeling that the questioning voice had grown a little sharper. The hands massaging her went down a little lower and hovered near her shoulder blades. The hands hung there as if considering whether to continue the massage, which left Cecile somewhat pining for more; she hesitated slightly before saying, ¡°And if I had someone to sleep by my side at night¡­ life would be perfect¡­¡±


    She was never one to fear being alone, but she had always felt a sense of emptiness. When she woke up this morning to find someone next to her, she had felt relief rather than surprise.


    Perhaps she had given the correct answer; the hovering hands proceeded to press on just where she wanted as if praising her.


    ¡°Nnng!¡± The mixture of pain and liberation awakened Cecile¡¯s mind. Isn¡¯t this my room? And this voice, these hands definitely belong to¡­


    ¡°Your Majest-heek?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve woken?¡±


    Cecile attempted to get up with a jerk upon hearing his voice again, but Estian was quicker to move. As if he had seen it all coming, he pressed a finger to her forehead and laid her down again before lowering his torso over her. He then whispered into Cecile¡¯s ear. ¡°From the sound of things, it seems you have everything you wish for.¡±


    ¡°Y-y-ye-yes. I think so as well.¡± Cecile nodded frenetically.


    ¡°So what are you worrying for?¡±

 CH 22

    Estian nodded at that. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. It¡¯s not well known, but before you became empress, there were women pushed into the imperial palace by the ministers of my empire, as well as the royalty of other nations. They wanted me to take those women, even if I did not make them empress.¡±


    Cecile pricked her ears up. It was her first time hearing about this.


    ¡°The first woman who came in died the next day, and the second woman who came in died a week later. The third woman who came in lasted a month but died in the end. I killed the first woman. The second and third I left alone¡ªI didn¡¯t care whether they died or not¡ªand they were eventually killed by somebody.¡±


    Estian paused his words for a moment, and Cecile took the chance to immediately ask what had been bothering her. ¡°Did you sleep with all three of them?¡±


    ¡°That concerns you more than their deaths?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She also found her point of interest to be strange. Perhaps being in the imperial palace was gradually turning her weird. Estian chuckled at Cecile¡¯s immediate answer. ¡°You¡¯re a slightly odd one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s due to my lack of upbringing.¡±


    ¡°That matters not. What matters is that you¡¯re to my liking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored. But¡­¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question¡­¡± Cecile mumbled in a barely audible voice, and this time Estian laughed a little louder.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. How perfect.¡± Cecile clenched her fists. Before her eyes was a male lead right out of a novel. A stallion of man who was sweet at night, possessing both power and money, and while he did have a few screws loose in the head, he was even her first man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know what you mean by perfect, but I¡¯ll take it as an honor. In any case, I¡¯ve taken a liking to you. Somehow, I don¡¯t welcome the thought of doing away with your corpse. Which is why I¡¯m going to teach you how to survive in this place.¡± Estian said as he caressed Cecile¡¯s face with his hand before spotting the dropped bunch of grapes by her side; he picked a berry and drew it to her mouth, slowly pushing it between her lips. The grape that entered her mouth collided against her teeth and burst, releasing its flavorful juices.


    Cecile¡¯s face grew languid again at the sweet taste. Estian took in the look on Cecile¡¯s face with satisfaction as he licked the nectar off his fingers. He hated grapes. The first poison he ever took was contained in green grapes like the very one he had just fed Cecile. Yet he could not tell why it tasted so delicious at that moment. He slowly bent over Cecile to whisper in her ear. ¡°The method for you to survive in this imperial palace is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Is?¡± Cecile echoed him pitifully. What in the world could she do to live? She soon received an utterly unexpected answer.


    ¡°To gain enough notoriety to shadow my reputation.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Cecile grew wide-eyed in surprise. What are you on about?


    * * *


    At the same time, in the holy kingdom located at a corner of the continent.


    The holy kingdom, unlike the other nations of the continent, was a city-state whose people served God, aloof and set apart from the laws of the secular world. Located in the deepest part of the holy kingdom that was surrounded by white walls was the sanctuary, where the saintess resided. And deeper still in the very heart of the sanctuary was the saintess, the messenger of God, who was giving prayer today as well. Or she should have been.


    Today, however, the saintess was standing on the white castle wall of the kingdom. A cold voice left her lips. ¡°So you failed.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, Saintess.¡±


    A man knelt before the saintess, bowing his head. The saintess shook her head at his apology, saying, ¡°It was not the last chance. We still have infinite opportunities.¡±


    The eyes of the saintess glinted with an unreadable emotion.


    ¡°Opportunities for this world to follow its ¡®intended path¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be as the future you foretold, Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Go back. I will call you again once you recover.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The man withdrew himself, and now alone, the saintess began to hiss under her breath. ¡°F*ck. Why can none of these fools do a single job properly?¡±


    If someone were here to listen, they might very well have fainted. Who would have imagined the most virtuous person in the world to spit crude words of the secular world in such a natural manner? The saintess continued grumbling to herself. ¡°Why did I end up possessing the saintess instead of the villainess! This girl¡¯s a supporter, created with so many penalties! She can¡¯t even make any careless moves!¡±


    The saintess huffed in anger as she flung her fists at the air. All of a sudden then, blue cracks appeared in the air where there should have been nothing. These cracks were part of the holy kingdom¡¯s barrier whose purpose was to protect the saintess. However, the barrier was a power that also served to prevent the saintess from leaving the kingdom. The saintess muttered to herself as she gazed at the barrier. ¡°He¡¯s my male lead. Mine, I say.¡±


    She gnashed her teeth. She was a writer. An author who used to write the novel ¡®A Villainess For The Tyrant¡¯ in some other part of the universe. She had crammed all of her preferences into the male lead of her book, Tyrant Estian. Handsome, well-built, ill-humored, with a painful past, was the emperor, had black hair, black eyes, etc. And, as an added random bonus, she vaguely recalled making it so that he hated grapes.


    The plotline of the novel was simple. The female lead would possess the body of Cecile, the empress, and Estian, who had no interest in his wife until that point would suddenly grow interested in her change. They would eventually fall in love and, ultimately, live happily ever after.


    Thus, when the author woke up to find herself in this place and discovered that this was her world, she cried with joy. Then, when she realized she had possessed the saintess¡¯ body, she cried in anguish. My novel, my male lead. Why has it all become someone else¡¯s?

 CH 23

    Unbelievable. Possession was something that had to happen to a villainess. How else would the surrounding people feel the charm of her change?! There was not a single thing good about taking the body of a saintess. Hers was a life of giving prayer each day, sustaining herself on one meal daily that was no better than a fasting diet, and all in a remote land isolated from the world.


    ¡®Goddamn, I just had to make the setting like this, didn¡¯t I? I can¡¯t meet anyone unless I escape this barrier!¡¯


    She could not meet Emperor Estian, nor Imperial Knight Commander Kane, nor Mage Lord Richard who was supposed to appear much later in the story, nor Imperial Prince Ruin who was in the far south of the continent. She felt pained at the thought of being imprisoned in the holy kingdom, unable to meet the men of her dreams that she had created.


    ¡°No¡­¡± the saintess lamented. She was supposed to possess the villainess¡¯s body, change the tyrant¡¯s ways and also enjoy some deep platonic love with the supporting male characters. Yet all of that was flying away from her. Far, far away.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stand for this.¡± the saintess hissed the same words uttered by a certain somebody some time and somewhere else as she glared in the direction of the empire. ¡°He was mine¡­¡±


    Her favorite setting included in Estian was that he was a virgin. But Estian already got married? Moreover, according to her informants, the emperor had already slept with Cecile? The saintess¡¯ breathing grew violent.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Fine. I can give up one of my favorite tags. I¡¯m generous, after all,¡± she muttered, demoting the keyword ¡®virgin¡¯ in the ranking of her heart and promoted ¡®vigorous¡¯ in its place.


    ¡®I can just like a different keyword more instead,¡¯ she thought. The saintess recalled the character setting of Villainess Cecile. A woman from a petty kingdom who was nothing but a pretty face. A woman becomes intoxicated with the power given to her and indulges in luxury and wicked acts.


    ¡®Cecile has to die first before I can take her body.¡¯


    Fortunately for the saintess, she was the original author of this ¡®story¡¯ and thus knew of a method to jump into another body.


    ¡®She just has to die first.¡¯


    Only then could she take charge of Cecile¡¯s empty husk. The saintess clenched her fists again as she recalled that fact.


    ¡°Wait for me, Estian! My male lead! I¡¯ll possess the villainess¡¯ body and make you mine no matter what! I swear to return this world to how it should be!¡± She vowed and launched a tightly gripped fist at the air with all her heart, and a blue crack that was bigger than before appeared.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The crack began to spread out¡ªthe barrier was breaking. Now that she thought about it, all the previous saintesses had only safeguarded the barrier; there was no precedent of trying to break it. The saintess feasted her eyes on the sight of the collapsing barrier, destroyed by the one it was supposed to protect.


    ¡°This is the power of love!¡± she shouted, excited.


    The barrier would surely have called her out for her bull droppings if it had a mouth, but sadly that was not the case. Immediately, the saintess leaped down the castle wall. Her body was protected by holy power; she landed with ease on the ground. The view of a white forest unfolded before her eyes. She would have to pass through the forest as well as several countries to reach the Empire.


    The saintess began to run with determination on her face toward the Empire, toward the male lead awaiting her.


    ¡°Love will save the world!¡±


    A bird was disturbed by the saintess¡¯ cry; it flapped its wings irritably at the noise and took off into the air.


    * * *


    ¡°To gain enough notoriety to shadow my reputation.¡±


    For a moment, Cecile could not comprehend what the emperor had said. It was only a little later that she retorted with a solemn face. ¡°Not just anyone is capable of such a tremendous feat, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Estian could not figure out whether Cecile¡¯s reply was a compliment or an insult. Thus the two held a moment of silence, both not comprehending what the other said. Estian asked again, ¡°Is it something so difficult?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m that infamous?¡±

 CH 24

    ¡°I believe your fame extends beyond the heavens, Your Majesty.¡± Cecile eloquently replaced ¡®infamy¡¯ with fame in her reply. Estian somehow felt indignant at Cecile¡¯s matter-of-fact attitude.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as bad as you say.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty need not be so modest. Children born on this continent learn your name before their mother¡¯s. What¡¯s more, if you were to ask any passersby whether they knew more about the sea or about His Majesty, ten out of ten would answer the latter.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Estian felt somewhat odd even though her words sounded like praise. ¡°But if you try hard, you too can somehow¡­¡±


    But alas, Estian could not find anything to say against her silvery outpouring. He could not muster an argument, for some strange reason. Oh, how he felt the prick of her words as if they had actual form.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    On the other hand, Cecile began to grow nervous upon seeing Estian turn silent.


    ¡®Is His Majesty not conscious of how outrageous his past deeds are?¡¯


    Cecile recalled some of the most exceptionally infamous accounts from Estian¡¯s chronicle of madness which she had heard about. ¡°What power could I possibly have at my disposal to overshadow Your Majesty¡¯s fame of reducing the entire Forest of Igillith to ashes and scattering salt over its land for ten months, laying barren waste? Of leading a vast army to raze the wheat fields in Jaden¡¯s Plains, annihilating every last seed of wheat for that year? And what of destroying each and every ship sailing in Port Catanza, reshaping the western maritime trade route of eleven duchies into a route of bankruptcy¡ªwithout losing a drop of blood? You mustn¡¯t tell me that I can¡¯t do it simply because ¡®you¡¯re just not trying haaard enough¡¯, Your Majesty.¡±


    After having said all that, Cecile realized anew that the emperor sure had committed many a deed. Aside from what she had mentioned, there were also accounts of Estian demolishing several countries, wrecking the imperial palace, and killing all his relatives too. She felt it would be a bit peculiar to include these cases in Estian¡¯s record of fame, however, so she closed her mouth and spoke no further. After finishing her reply to the emperor¡¯s suggestion of ¡®trying hard¡¯, Cecile turned to glare at the bunch of grapes placed next to her.


    ¡®Strange,¡¯ she mused. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s truth serum in the grapes, so why¡¯s my mouth shooting off by itself again?¡¯


    Cecile took a moment to mull it over. ¡®Is it because I¡¯ve just woken up?¡¯ That was likely one of the reasons. ¡®Is it because I feel good having fruit fed to me?¡¯ That was also likely one reason, of course. But that did not erase the past event of being attacked by assassins in the night, and nor did that change the perilous future awaiting her. Yet why was her tongue wagging in such a free manner?


    Cecile¡¯s train of thought was broken by the sight of the still silent Estian¡¯s face.


    ¡®How handsome.¡¯


    Cecile remembered what she secretly wrote on the bathroom wall.


    ¡®My husband.¡¯


    And the moment that memory floated to the surface, Cecile realized why she was being so open in front of the emperor. This man is my husband. Although she could not go around telling people about it in public, he was her spouse on paper: signed, sealed, and delivered.


    ¡®It¡¯s because I finally have a family.¡¯


    Her mother had passed away early. The king of Navitan, her so-called father, left her neglected in a royal villa. None among Navitan¡¯s royals had ever visited Cecile once. It was like they did not know the person called Cecile even existed. The only ones by her side were the maidservants in the royal villa, but even they kept their distance, giving her a firm word of advice.


    ¡°This may sound cruel to you right now, Princess, but we are not your friends. You mustn¡¯t think of us that way. Someday, you will have family, but that is not us.¡±


    Cecile had nodded with eyes full of tears at those words, knowing that they said so because they meant well for her.


    Cecile picked up the bunch of grapes and chose one of the ripest among them to bring to the emperor¡¯s mouth. She wanted to share what she liked best with this man, too. It was the first thing she wanted to do upon gaining a family. Estian turned rigid at the suddenness of her action. Who in the world could dare to put food in his mouth? And what¡¯s more, put a grape in it of all things? He loathed grapes, as the first poison he was afflicted by was contained in one of these berries.

 CH 25

    The juice he had tasted from what trickled from her mouth was so very sweet, though.


    ¡®Perhaps this too, then¡­¡¯ Estian tentatively accepted the grape in Cecile¡¯s fingers between his lips. He hesitated fleetingly before crushing the berry with his tongue and teeth, and a refreshing flavor of fruit permeated his mouth. Curiously enough, he found that it tasted good.


    Never had he imagined becoming able to eat a fruit he had not, no¡­ could not eat for the past 20 years, and in an instant at that! As he swallowed the grape, a smile spread across Cecile¡¯s face below him. The sight of her smile prompted Estian to call his schedule to mind. Inspecting the knights, holding a meeting with the ministers, so on and so forth.


    ¡®All of no consequence.¡¯


    These matters ¡®of no consequence¡¯ were affairs which he had never skipped since the day he was enthroned as emperor, yet why was he feeling them be so worthless today?


    ¡®Not like it¡¯s a big deal to skip out just once.¡¯


    Kane would have begged to disagree upon hearing his thoughts, jumping up and down while crying, ¡®But it is a big deal!¡¯. Regardless, Estian gently bit down on Cecile¡¯s fingers still lingering by his lips. She flinched briefly and seemed about to draw back, but she did not take out her fingers. Rather, she began to fondle his face with her free fingers as if challenging him to do more.


    Estian closed his eyes at the sensation. He found that it did not feel bad. In fact, he actually wanted to continue enjoying the feeling. Thus Estian gained certainty in one thing.


    ¡®This woman just might be able to do it.¡¯


    Estian began to speak. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to achieve the same feats, or anything harder than what I did. You¡¯ll be able to climb above me in an utterly simple way.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Estian laughed. ¡°Like so.¡±


    With that said, he lifted Cecile by the waist with both hands. The world spun in a circle for Cecile all of a sudden, and she saw that she and Estian had switched places.


    ¡°Yo-your Majesty!¡± She exclaimed. Finding herself on top of Estian in the blink of an eye, Cecile grew red in the face. ¡®He meant climbing above him in the literal sense?¡¯


    ¡°How about it? Simple, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Are you kidding me¡­?¡¯ She had almost exclaimed outwardly, but fortunately, she was not relaxed enough to do so. Cecile contemplated as to how she should reply when Estian drew her into his embrace and whispered, ¡°Do you think anyone in the world has ever climbed on top of me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You are the first.¡± Estian raised a hand to sweep back Cecile¡¯s hair. ¡°You only need to do one thing: become the master of the infamous emperor and have him at your beck and call. That¡¯s all you need to do to raise your name above my infamy. To become known as the villainess who holds power over the worst tyrant of all time. All that is mine will become yours.¡±


    Cecile stared intently at him after he finished. Moments later, she asked what had been on her mind for a while now. ¡°That¡¯s a very attractive thought, but I¡¯m having trouble understanding how it¡¯s going to save me.¡±


    ¡®Do bad things to live? Shouldn¡¯t it usually be the opposite?¡¯


    ¡°Won¡¯t I end up being hated by more people for doing bad things?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°That¡¯s a given. But some hope for that to happen. Some of those also happen to be my enemies.¡±


    As the conversation grew complicated, Cecile attempted to get off the emperor. She could not shake off the feeling of needing to assume proper posture with a paper and pen in hand, jotting down notes as she listened. But Estian¡¯s hands caught Cecile by the waist as she was about to climb down.

 CH 26

    Thanks to that, Cecile had to remain in a terribly irreverent pose while listening on top of him.


    ¡°You can wreak vicious havoc, and my people won¡¯t be able to do a single thing to you. And those who hate me will no doubt cheer for your actions. They don¡¯t wish for a wise, virtuous empress by my side. A kind and caring empress doesn¡¯t help their plans in any way, you see, what with them constantly sniffing around for an excuse to hound me.¡±


    Cecile could now see why he was urging her into misdeeds. The emperor would not make a single complaint about whatever mess she caused. In fact, he would surely praise her for doing well. Outsiders would assume the emperor to be hopelessly smitten with a villainess and spread the word. Even rumors of wrongdoings she had no part in would likely be exaggerated and spread.


    The adversaries of the emperor desired to forge a weakness of his. An empress who committed all kinds of evil acts would no doubt appear to be a fine weakness for his enemies indeed. Thus, they would continue to leave her be, until the moment they struck at the emperor. In any case, she would be safe until then, so she said, ¡°I understand. I will do my best to wreak havoc.¡±


    What else could she do if that was the only way to survive?


    The emperor nodded at her. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡±


    ¡°But do you think I¡¯ll do well?¡±


    ¡°You can. You have the talent,¡± Estian answered firmly upon hearing Cecile¡¯s worried tone.


    ¡°¡­Talent to become a villainess?¡±


    ¡°Yes. One might say you¡¯re overflowing with talent merely by judging how you can talk so well before me. The other three women couldn¡¯t even make eye contact a single time, nor could they even speak properly.¡±


    ¡°But saying I have the talent to become an evildoer with that alone is a bit¡­¡±


    Hearing Cecile¡¯s somewhat indignant voice, Estian pulled at her arms. Her body that was swaying above him fell to his chest. He liked the soft sensation against him. ¡°You¡¯re not perfect, of course. So it seems you¡¯ll need some practice.¡±


    ¡°Practice¡­?¡±


    Estian¡¯s lips curved into a dangerous smile. ¡°We¡¯ll start with that practice in the time I have left.¡±


    A commotion stirred in the imperial palace. Be it court officials, knights, or attendants coming and going, they all shared a common topic of interest.


    ¡°I hear His Majesty is absolutely besotted with Her Majesty the Empress?¡±


    A week had already passed since the shocking wedding of the emperor. On the wedding day, those who witnessed the bride¡ªclaiming she would not budge until the emperor came to escort her¡ªhad all shared the same thought: ¡®Will you please off yourself quietly if you¡¯ve got a death wish¡­¡¯


    But, contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, the woman survived to become empress, and, surprisingly, she remained alive until the next day. And that was not all.


    The emperor, who had always been indifferent to women, spent the whole night in the bridal room, and according to hearsay, the very next day he went to visit the empress while she was bathing as if he couldn¡¯t stand being away from her for even a moment. After that, the emperor ordered one of the most beautiful palaces in the imperial palace to be given to her instead of the room that was originally prepared. From then on, the emperor confined himself to staying in that palace and did not come out.


    The attendants who entered the palace every day to deliver meals and clean up would come out with reddened faces. There were rules forbidding attendants from speaking of anything they witnessed in the empress¡¯ palace, so those who entered could not tell of what they saw. But the bedsheets and ruined clothes they carried out spoke volumes as to the ongoing days of pleasure inside the palace. The attendants took a letter they had received from the emperor and went to Kane.


    Upon finishing reading the letter, Kane tried re-reading it sideways, then upside down, and finally exposed it to light¡ªand realizing there was no secret code to it, his face was struck with disbelief. The content of the letter was simple.


    ¡°Let everyone rest until the end of the honeymoon.¡±

 CH 27

    The knights who were preparing for an inspection parade, as well as the ministers who were preparing to hold a meeting, were rendered speechless at this unprecedented situation.


    The emperor taking days off work?


    This had never happened before. Long ago, on the day after the emperor¡¯s enthronement, he had propped the head of his half-brother¡ªwhom he had beheaded for treason¡ªon his desk and continued to work. That was the sort of man he was. On that day, the court officials beheld the emperor signing papers by dipping his pen in the blood flowing from the head, and they could not dare to suggest he rest for a day.


    In any case, that was the emperor they all knew, so naturally, they had all presumed he would attend to national affairs from morning, honeymoon or not. Thus all the court officials arrived at the imperial palace as per usual, only to find out he was going to rest. Not for a day, but for a whole week!


    ¡°Just what sort of person could Her Majesty the Empress be to make His Majesty act like this?¡±


    All they knew of her was that she had seemed to have gone bonkers on the wedding day.


    ¡°She did seem pretty, but¡­¡±


    Her face was not clearly visible at the time due to her wedding veil, but the faint outline of her face that showed through seemed to be that of a rather fine beauty. The more people talked about her, the more they realized they knew nothing of her.


    * * *


    And today the empress, who had been staying at her palace for an entire week, was finally going to make her first official appearance. The court officials gathered in the central hall of the imperial palace fixed their eyes forward, tension on their faces. These men who normally inched back in fear at the mere thought of meeting the emperor¡¯s eyes were fueled by time-limited courage to approach the front. It was then that the trumpets sounding the emperor¡¯s entrance were heard. All the officials straightened their posture and lowered their heads at the sound.


    Regardless of however many odd things had happened recently, the long-time fear that had been dominating them made their bodies move of their own accord. Two pairs of footsteps could be heard nearing the bowing officials. They had always been accustomed to the sound of one pair of footsteps; they realized anew that the emperor had married and accepted an empress.


    ¡°Raise your heads,¡± the emperor commanded.


    The officials obeyed his command as if they had been waiting for it, and following that their gazes immediately focused on the person standing to the side of the emperor.


    ¡°Goodness!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­!¡±


    ¡°My word¡­!¡±


    The officials burst out with all kinds of exclamations. Unlike during the wedding ceremony, the empress standing beside the emperor was wearing a golden crown instead of a wedding veil, and she was gazing at them.


    ¡®Was she that pretty?¡¯


    Upon seeing the empress standing there with the faintest trace of a smile on her lips, they were first surprised by her beauty. Her bright platinum hair that evoked the image of sunlight shining through falling leaves was finely braided thread by thread into an elegant bun. Beneath her soft-looking hair were her dark green eyes, reminiscent of forests in early summer, blinking beneath the veil of long lashes. There was even a subtle blush on her clear, flawless skin as if letting the world know that she was not a doll, but a human being.


    It was unknown as to what care she received and what meals she had taken, but the empress appeared full of life with her clear complexion and youthful skin.


    ¡°As you all are aware, I have accepted an empress. I trust that your loyalty to me that has lasted to this day will also extend to my other half, the empress, without change.¡±


    Every member of the court lowered themselves to one knee and cried out towards the empress.


    ¡°We pledge all our loyalty to Her Majesty the Empress!¡±


    After giving their pledge in powerful voices, they awaited the empress¡¯s reply. Almost all of the empire¡¯s court officials had sworn loyalty in disciplined unison. It was a spectacle that caused the hearts of the attendants in the back to race.


    ¡°You may rise,¡± the newly crowned empress spoke in a clear and beautiful voice. The officials stood up at her bidding, feeling relieved inside. She had seemed to be a bit touched in the head during the wedding, but thankfully their empress seemed to be normal. Then it happened, at the very moment they relaxed their guards¡ªas the officials were awaiting more words from her, the empress whirled around to face the emperor, asking, ¡°So when will you be showing me what you promised, Your Majesty?¡±

 CH 28

    All of a sudden, the empress linked arms with the emperor and began to speak in fawning fashion. The officials grew wide-eyed. Estian was a person who was completely repulsed by physical contact with others. That was why, unlike the previous emperor and other noblemen, he did not allow any attendants into his room nor did he receive any assisting services. Even Kane had to maintain a step¡¯s distance away from Estian, yet the empress went and clung to his arm? There was absolutely no doubt that the emperor was going to cut her head off on the spot.


    But contrary to expectation, Estian embraced Cecile by the waist instead of drawing his sword, calmly answering, ¡°Didn¡¯t think you would be asking for it already.¡±


    ¡°You told me the same thing repeatedly before coming here, Your Majesty, didn¡¯t you? That I¡¯d be surprised arriving here. And I sure am. I don¡¯t see a single thing you mentioned. Did you lie to me? You told me I¡¯d find the treasure of the empire here.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see it over there? All those officials are that very treasure of our empire.¡±


    The officials were suddenly struck by nausea at the emperor¡¯s words. ¡®Excuse me? I beg your pardon? Treasure of the empire? Aren¡¯t you the one who asked if we were prepared to hang on the imperial palace walls in twelve pieces upon failing to prove our worth?¡¯


    ¡°You see, they devote their flesh, bones, and soul to their work. Toiling like dogs in the truest sense for the empire.¡±


    ¡®Oh, but of course.¡¯ The sickening feeling in their bellies finally settled down upon hearing his usual cold words, and everyone held a moment of choking sorrow. Who would¡¯ve imagined that they were living the kind of life where they felt relief at hearing such abuse. ¡®Me and my life¡­ Oh, I want to go home.¡¯


    Just as the officials began to ponder upon the subject of life and wondered where their lives were heading, they heard sullen words from the empress. ¡°You know this isn¡¯t the kind of treasure I wanted. I want to go back now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear. How impatient you are, my empress.¡±


    The officials began to feel discomfort in their innards once again. They had been thinking this for a while now, but it seemed like the emperor and empress were in a world of their own somehow. The kind of world that one might come across in a romance novel, full of pink warmth where lovers had eyes for none but the other. But above all¡­ was the emperor a man capable of speaking in such a caring tone toward someone?


    Showing not one whit of interest in the astonishment of his loyal subjects, the emperor held the empress by the waist and uttered a command. ¡°But that¡¯s also part of your charm. It can¡¯t be helped then. Men. Bring the items I spoke of earlier.¡±


    Soon after Estian¡¯s command, an attendant entered respectfully carrying a red cushion with something placed on top. But he was not the last one to enter. Dozens of attendants lined up into the hall and knelt before the emperor, reverently raising their arms to display what they had brought.


    ¡°What are all these attendants?¡±


    ¡°Heavens, aren¡¯t those all treasures of the empire? Isn¡¯t that the diamond necklace presented to the emperor of two generators ago by the owner of the Regias Mines?¡±


    ¡°Look over there! Piot¡¯s Ruby! My God, I¡¯ve only ever seen it in books!¡±


    The people gathered in the hall all began to grow excited upon realizing that the items being carried in by the attendants were imperial treasures. Each and every one of them was a legendary item that did not fall short of deserving volumes of books written about them.


    ¡°Wait a second. Why were these things prepared again?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure?¡±


    As their excitement settled somewhat, they all began to wonder. Why on earth were these jewels taken out of the imperial treasury and brought here?

 CH 29

    Emerald of Aled to the floor with all her strength.


    Cling!


    The imperial treasure struck against the floor, making a clear and beautiful sound. She had put so much force into her throw that the ring ricocheted up with furious speed, and it rose so high it nearly reached the ceiling. The eyes of everyone present moved up and down, up, up, and down, following the trajectory of the ring. Then, bouncing on the floor for the last time, it landed inside a nearby ornamental vase. The vase shook on the spot with loud clunking sounds. It was a very neat finish.


    ¡°Bravo!¡±


    ¡°It went in!¡±


    The people watching clapped and cheered despite themselves. But soon, they could not hide their dawning astonishment upon seeing an attendant running towards the vase in tears¡ª they realized just what was making noise inside the pottery. All those present to witness this spectacle learned that genuine shock rendered a person literally speechless.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Silent screams filled the hall. They were so silent that even the crawling of an insect might be heard, and amidst this terrible silence, only the sounds of the ring rolling inside the vase rang like thunder in everyone¡¯s ears. And then their minds finally registered what had occurred.


    The empress¡­


    Had flung¡­


    The greatest of imperial treasures to the floor¡­


    The officials slowly turned their heads toward Cecile, who withstood their gazes with her all and uttered the line she had practiced for thousands of times over the last few days in the empress¡¯ palace. ¡°Oh my. The ring was so small it was blown away by the wind.¡±


    ¡°Wha-what in¡­¡±


    Everyone gathered in the hall doubted their own eyes at what they had witnessed. They rubbed at their eyes, pinched the back of their hands, and slapped the cheek of the person beside them, but seeing the other react in anger, they knew it was most definitely not a dream. What they saw¡ªof the imperial treasure being treated less than a cobblestone on the street¡ªwas reality.


    ¡°What, what in tarnation?!¡± One of the officials in the front let out a groan. He hastily went over to the vase containing the ring and gave it a shake; a fairly heavy sound rang from inside.


    Several people collapsed to their knees. The Emerald of Aled was like a testament to the history of the empire. The ring was around two inches in length, yet what? It was so small that it was blown away by the wind?


    ¡°Really¡­¡± Estian¡¯s voice snapped them all to their senses. They held their breath at the look on his face and his low tone. Estian stepped down towards the vase being held by an official and took out the ring.


    ¡°Yo-your Majesty! The Emerald of Aled cannot possibly be so light! Her¡­ Her Majesty is¡­¡±


    The official could not bring himself to say ¡°Her Majesty has surely gone mad¡±, so he left his words trailing¡­ but it was at that moment that Estian¡¯s hand moved. The ring in his hand flew at the speed of light; it zipped through between the officials and reached the wall at the end of the hall.


    Crunch!


    The collision gave birth to a sound like that of slamming wood with a hammer, and everyone was able to see the cracked wall and the ring embedded in it. Estian took in the sight and nodded in understanding fashion.


    ¡°As the empress said, very light indeed.¡±

 CH 30

    ¡°¡­¡±


    There was no official with the nerve to ask, ¡°Light how?¡±.


    While they were all lost for words, Estian walked over to the jewels the attendants had brought in. He picked up a necklace adorned with a ruby the size of a child¡¯s fist.


    ¡°That¡¯s Piot¡¯s Ruby!¡±


    Next, he picked up a bracelet that boasted an azure sapphire.


    ¡°Ahh! That¡¯s the Celceta of Eternity!¡±


    The officials cried out in surprise each time he picked up an item.


    ¡°The Star of Regias!¡±


    ¡°The Dark Emperor¡¯s Eclipse!¡±


    All these names popping from their mouths each held meaningful places in the pages of imperial history. And so, as if solving historical questions together, they called out the names of the jewels being picked up by the emperor. By the time most of the names they knew had been called, a veritable mound of imperial jewels was piled in Estian¡¯s arms. After taking them all, Estian walked over to Cecile. He then had an attendant at the side hold onto what he brought.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The attendant staggered on the spot with a groan. Before long his face grew red and sweat began to trickle from his forehead.


    ¡®How heavy!¡¯ the attendant cried inwardly. He had not noticed only because the emperor had carried them with such ease; how could an armful of gemstones and precious metals be light? But regardless of the attendant sweating or not, Estian had eyes only for Cecile, who wore a look of indifference and serenity as if oblivious to what was going on.


    ¡®Even though she must be shaking inside,¡¯ Estian thought.


    It was only last night that she had clung to him, crying, ¡°Your Majesty, I can¡¯t do it!¡±. Cecile had jumped in fright, saying she could never throw such treasures. But when Estian gave her the following two options, ¡°Do you want to die? Or do you want to throw?¡±, she did not hesitate to answer, ¡°I have strong arms! I can throw a good pitch!¡±


    ¡®Though I didn¡¯t think she really would have strong arms.¡¯


    He had thought she was just saying things for the sake of it, but when he saw the ring ricochet up and down and into the vase a moment ago, he realized Cecile had spoken only the truth.


    * * *


    The two of them had confined themselves to the empress¡¯ palace to practice for this today. Though, while it was called practice, it consisted mostly of Estian telling Cecile what she had to do, and her clinging to him with teary eyes and crying, ¡°I can¡¯t do it, I won¡¯t do it, save me please!¡±


    ¡®But, despite all her crying, she does well when she sets her mind to it. Is this what they call being strong in actual practice?¡¯ he wondered.


    Estian asked her, ¡°Will you give me your hand, Empress?¡±


    In response, Cecile held out her right hand to him with an elegant flair. Upon holding her hand, Estian found that the tips of Cecile¡¯s fingers were trembling ever so slightly. As expected, she was feeling quite worried despite her feigned indifference. Estian picked out a sapphire ring from the topmost of the mound of jewels being held by the attendant, and he slipped it on her finger. It was a loose fit though, what with the ring being so large.


    What on earth was the emperor up to?


    Everyone wondered as such as they focused their gazes on Estian. He did not mind them in the least, however; he leisurely continued to do as he wished. Next, he picked out a long necklace of thick pearls and wrapped it round and round Cecile¡¯s neck. That was not the end of it.


    This time, he took off the small earrings Cecile was wearing, replacing them with a new pair from the mound that was adorned with a large spinel each. After that, he put a bracelet on her, and then another necklace. Estian hung and put each and every piece of the jewelry he had brought on Cecile¡¯s body. Dozens of necklaces were wrapped around her neck, and numerous bracelets were put on her arms as well, and so many brooches were fastened to her dress that the dress itself was not visible anymore.


    Estian carefully adorned her as if he had become her attendant. All the onlookers quietly watched the sight of the emperor. Meanwhile, a large majority of the jewelry Estian brought now hung on Cecile.


    Her face began to stiffen at the weight. The weight of the jewels was spread out across her body and so she did not feel as burdened as the attendant did a while ago, but that did not mean she was comfortable. After finally adorning the last piece of jewelry on Cecile, Estian took a step back. He gazed at her as if admiring his own work.


    ¡°I believe this is enough to prevent them from being blown by the wind, Empress. Will this suffice as our wedding gift?¡± Estian asked.


    Sighs were heaved at the emperor¡¯s words. The emperor was giving all the treasures of the imperial family to the empress. This was an unprecedented incident. Even the emperors who were said to be even madder than Estian had not done such a thing before. The imperial minister of finance, who was in a corner of the central hall, collapsed with a cry of shock.


    ¡®How much do you think all that¡¯s worth?! Enough to buy over most countries and more! No, putting that aside, they¡¯re already cultural assets!¡¯


    Everyone looked at the empress. Who in the world would feel discontent after receiving that much? All of them thought that the empress would be delighted and thank His Majesty for his favor. Contrary to their expectations, however, not a trace of joy could be found on Cecile¡¯s face. Rather, her expression seemed even stiffer than before.


    What else was the empress going to say this time? They waited for Cecile to speak, their hands clenched and sweaty.


    ¡°Thank you truly for your favor, Your Majesty. But¡­¡±


    ¡®But?¡¯


    What followed from the empress¡¯ mouth far exceeded their imaginations.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think a wedding gift would be better if it was new?¡± she asked coyly.


    And thus, the legacies of the imperial family were¡ªin but a single moment¡ªreduced to secondhand articles.

 CH 31

    Feeling the atmosphere of the hall to be more freezing than the plains in midwinter, Cecile forced her swaying legs and neck to stand straight.


    ¡®My neck feels like it¡¯s going to break!¡¯


    The emperor had put so many necklaces around her neck that she could not even lower her head. As for her arms? Trying to move them was like trying to lift a sack of wheat. If anything, it was fortunate there were no crowns or anything of the sort among the treasures. She would have really dropped to her bottoms if something like that was added to her head.


    Cecile looked to Estian at the increasingly unbearable weight. So far, things were going as practiced.


    ¡®I¡¯ve gotta do well till the end!¡¯ She feared the punishment that would befall her if she did not. ¡®Otherwise, he¡¯ll do that again¡­¡¯


    He would press his hands all over her, and she would undoubtedly moan and pant at every touch. Whenever Estian began massaging Cecile, he would not stop kneading her shoulders, hips, thighs, and so on¡ªno matter how she pleaded¡ªuntil she turned teary. It did feel good afterward, but why did it hurt so much to the degree of wanting to confess non-existent sins? Was this actually a new form of torture all along?


    ¡®And it doesn¡¯t end there either.¡¯ Cecile¡¯s face reddened. By the point she was in tears, begging forgiveness and promising effort, what followed would be Estian bullying her with a certain something that was not his hands all night long. He would not stop no matter how she pleaded. Every time it happened, Cecile would again realize that he was indeed a tyrant. Though, well, she did like it.


    As Cecile braced herself, Estian took hold of her left hand and drew it to his lips, laying a kiss and saying, ¡°I see. Then next week, after conquering the Kingdom of Tetin, I should bring the gemstone they call the pride of their nation. Apparently, it¡¯s still uncut and unpolished, so we only need it processed after taking it. It¡¯s a huge peridot named The Forest of Tetin, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    The ambassador of the Kingdom of Tetin also collapsed upon hearing the abrupt declaration of war.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it to make a ring worthy of these beautiful fingers. Will that satisfy you?¡±


    With a joyful heart, Cecile recited the last line she had practiced so hard. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. And I¡¯m telling you just in case, but¡­¡±


    Cecile desperately attempted to re-enact the smile she practiced. ¡°I have ten fingers, and the latest trend is wearing three rings on one finger.¡±


    In short, what she meant was, ¡®Loot ¡¯em good¡¯.


    As chaos began to descend on the hall, the Emerald of Aled fell out of the wall it was stuck in and onto the floor. Everyone was too distracted by what was unfolding before them, though. So much so that nobody turned around at the noise it made falling. After the event was over, an attendant sprinted over in tears to recover the Emerald of Aled.


    Why in the d*ckens would you throw something so precious? It¡¯s not scratched anywhere, is it? Harboring worried thoughts, the attendant carefully picked up the jewel¡­ only to drop his jaws.


    ¡°It¡­ broke?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Uwaah!¡±


    A lamenting wail rang through the empress¡¯ palace. Estian was perplexed by Cecile¡¯s cries as he patted her on the shoulders and ordered her, ¡°Stop crying.¡±


    For his part, his gesture was meant to console her, but Cecile merely cried all the more sorrowfully at his touch.


    ¡°Uwahaah!¡±


    Now Estian was even more at a loss at the sight of Cecile with her face buried in a table, shoulders shaking in tears. Up until now, there were only two cases when somebody cried before him: in fear, or in fury towards him. The method to stop their crying was simple. Cut them down and the noise ceases. Being fond of the quiet, Estian favored this method to keep his surroundings quiet. Cecile, however, was neither fearful nor furious, and he could not employ the usual method against her anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stop crying,¡± Estian spoke again in a commanding tone, and Cecile jerked her head up. She wiped at her tears and runny nose with the sleeve of her dress and responded in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°Hicc¡­ wouldn¡¯t Your Majesty¡­ cry as well¡­ in my shoes?¡±


    ¡°Is there a need to cry so much over a piece of jewelry?¡± Estian asked, perplexed.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not just a piece of jewelry! You¡¯re being like this since it¡¯s not your business, aren¡¯t you?¡± Cecile yelled back, flipping open the book that was in her hands. The title of the book was ¡®Finest 100 Imperial Jewels¡¯. She had opened to the first page of the first chapter. On it was a beautiful illustration of a jewel along with its name.


    ¡°The Emerald of Aled-The greatest treasure of the empire.¡± Cecile¡¯s finger was pointing to a sentence a little below the illustration. ¡°To those who think to treat the Emerald of Aled without care¡ªremember what lies within it.¡±


    Estian ground his teeth upon reading the phrase. ¡®Whichever b*stard wrote this¡­ I¡¯ll have him thrashed to hell and back tomo-, no, tonight.¡¯


    His gaze turned to the Emerald of Aled lying on the table. The once greatest treasure of the empire was cracked like broken glass.


    * * *


    After introducing Cecile to his loyal subjects and returning to the empress¡¯ palace, Kane came looking for him with a troubled face, saying, ¡°I was told the Emerald of Aled was cracked?¡±. Estian went to bring the jewel over without giving it much thought, but when Cecile saw the Emerald of Aled in his hand, she swooned on the spot with a scream. ¡°It, it can¡¯t be¡­ because I threw it¡­¡±


    ¡°I think my throw impacted it more, though?¡±


    Cecile¡¯s face slightly eased up at Estian¡¯s words. But the moment he put the Emerald of Aled into her shaking hand, her knees gave out again. ¡°This, this can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Can Your Majesty not feel it? It became lighter! So light it¡¯ll really be blown away by the wind!¡±


    Estian picked up the ring again at her outburst. What¡¯s different about it? He tried tossing the ring into the air once, but he could not feel the difference in weight. ¡°I can¡¯t tell what changed.¡±


    ¡°Can you really not tell?¡±

 CH 32

    When she realized Estian was not joking, Cecile began to turn deadly pale. She bolted into her room and searched the bookshelf. ¡°It was definitely written in a book.¡±


    During her practice for her debut, she had received a book regarding jewels so she would get a rough idea about them. Soon, Cecile found the book titled ¡®Finest 100 Imperial Gems¡¯ and began reading it. It was not long before she found the part she was looking for.


    ¡°¡­The Emerald of Aled is known to be a gift from the king of Elves. But think about it. At the time the empire was found, it was built upon where the lushest of the Elves¡¯ forests was located. Elves were inclined to snap the neck of a human for breaking a single tree branch, so how could they ever feel goodwill towards the empire¡¯s ruler? So why then did the Elven king give a gift? Upon perusing records at the time, it is said that the king of Elves flung the Emerald of Aled to the emperor from a very far distance. In my opinion, the founding emperor¡¯s simple nature no doubt led him to assume that what the king of Elves threw him was a present. And not so long ago, while deciphering the remaining records of the Elves, who have now left this continent, I have discovered what appears to be the Elven king¡¯s diary. The contents are as follows:


    Year 0000, 00 the 00th. The weather is clear.


    Today, some human male came to the forest. He looked too ugly to even kill, so I left him be.


    Year 0000, 00 the 00th. The weather is raining.


    Today as well, the ugly human male came into the forest. He¡¯s screaming that he¡¯s looking for me, but what am I, your dog? Think I¡¯d come when called? Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?


    Year 0000, 00 the 00th. The weather is snowing.


    Year 0000, 00 the 00th. The weather is.


    Damn. He¡¯s bloody strong for an ugly stinker.


    Year 0000, 00 the 00th. What does the weather matter right now?


    ¡­I intend on throwing it at the human b*stard. Yes, it. The thing we all fear. What our ancestors before us sealed inside. I cannot for the love of me think of any other solution. The thing that will escape upon the seal being broken will follow the seal breaker for life. It¡¯s your turn to suffer, human.


    The last record was written two days before the emperor was said to be given a gift from the king of the Elves. Judging by this, the Emerald of Aled is a jewel that contains something that even the king of Elves feared, and as such is more of a curse than a gift¡­¡±


    As she was reading through the book, Cecile felt a premonition¡ªthat ¡®something¡¯ contained in the Emerald of Aled was released for sure, and the one who had broken its seal was most definitely herself.


    * * *


    With a slam, the door to the emperor¡¯s office was opened. Kane greeted Estian as he entered. ¡°Ah, Your Majesty. Has Her Majesty calmed down a little?¡±


    ¡°No. She was crying to the point of losing her breath, so I just came after knocking her out.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough about that. What¡¯s the status of their movements?¡±


    Kane¡¯s expression hardened at the changed topic. ¡°It is according to how we anticipated. It appears today¡¯s events were beyond their expectations; they gathered in quite a hurry. Thanks to that, it was simple work tracking them as well. Here is a list of those who gathered today. There must have been a great many willing to take part for them to hastily rent the banquet hall of the largest hotel in the capital.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look, then.¡±


    Estian received the paper Kane passed. On it was a densely packed list of names.


    All of them belonged to those who were against Estian.


    ¡°Right, so what¡¯s the story?¡±


    ¡°The one we all know. The gathered nobles questioned the current state of the empire and talked of how the mad emperor was smitten with the mad empress. ¡®Birds of a feather flock together, but the empress looked pretty indeed. Why, if I was only 10 years younger¡¯¡­ Your Majesty, are you all right? The handle of your chair appears to have broken?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. And who¡¯s the b*stard that driveled about being 10 years younger?¡±


    ¡°He is known as Viscount Devua.¡±


    Kane made the sign of the cross in his heart upon seeing a murderous storm raging in Estian¡¯s eyes. Looks like the world will be bidding farewell to a viscountcy tomorrow.


    ¡°In any case, near the end of their meeting, their main topic of discussion was related to Her Majesty¡¯s lady-in-waiting.¡±


    Electing the empress¡¯s lady-in-waiting. This was the second thing Cecile had to do as an empress. Naturally, she had no close young ladies of nobility to choose as a lady-in-waiting. That being the case, she had to choose one from among the nobles of the empire through examination. It was self-evident that members of the faction opposing the emperor would mix in during the lady-in-waiting election that would begin next week.


    ¡°All sorts of rabble will come meddling, no doubt,¡± the emperor murmured.


    ¡°Indeed. Still, as Your Majesty predicted, rather than coming in with the intention of killing the empress straight away, it appears their plan is to play to her mood while siphoning information related to Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Estian breathed a slight sigh of relief at the dissenters moving as he had expected. ¡°Looks like their cries will be ringing the palace next week.¡±


    Estian¡¯s lips curved into a smile.

 CH 33

    At the same time, in the empress¡¯ palace.


    Cecile appeared to have quietly fallen asleep on a spacious bed¡­ but she had, in fact, fainted.


    Worrying for Cecile¡¯s body, Estian had targeted the spot that would hurt the least and cleanly knocked her out. Moreover, he had meticulously stripped her down to her innerwear and swathed her up in blankets, intending for her to be knocked out in comfort.


    It was then that suddenly, a small cluster of green light began to form above Cecile.


    The light gradually grew in size until it began to take on human form. What appeared could not be called human, however; long green hair and green eyes, green lips, and even green nails and green clothes. The entity, which looked like a small doll doused in green paint, looked about the room before spotting the cracked Emerald of Aled and approaching it.


    ¡°My house¡­ I still had 248 years of installments to pay¡­¡± It mumbled to itself in a grievous voice.


    It wiped at its runny nose with the back of its hand before turning its head. It saw Cecile, quietly unconscious on the bed. The green entity flew in front of Cecile and reached out a hand, calling out to her.


    ¡°Wake up, lowly mortal.¡±


    * * *


    Cecile opened her eyes and looked around at the voice of somebody calling, but there was nothing but the absolute absence of light. She realized she could not even see her own hand.


    ¡®Am I dreaming?¡¯


    But she thought the voice speaking to her was too vivid for it to be a dream.


    ¡°Hearken, lowly and vicious mortal.¡± The voice rang through the darkness again. Cecile could sense something in the voice.


    ¡®Whoever it is, they sound angry?¡¯


    The voice sounded like it was trembling a little more than the first time she heard it. She even got the feeling the speaker was tearing up a bit. Am I really being called? Rather, who is it to be so angry? Cecile was in the middle of her thoughts when the voice rang once again.


    ¡°You lowly, vicious, and violent human! Will you wake yourself up already! How long will you sleep!¡± The voice yelled at her and suddenly she was sent flying away with a thump.


    ¡°Aagh!¡±


    She opened her eyes and found herself flying through the air and falling to the floor, rolling over and over without stopping until she hit the wall.


    ¡®Why doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡¯ Feeling puzzled, Cecile looked at the spread-out bed sheets in front of her. Oh, I rolled myself in¡­ No, but I fainted? She definitely remembered her last conscious memory was of the emperor asking, ¡°Do you intend on still crying?¡±, to which she had replied, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to cry for another day or so.¡± The emperor had then nodded in an understanding fashion and approached her. Her memory was cut off after that, at the moment she registered something hitting the back of her neck.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you meanie,¡± she pouted. How could he knock her out because he didn¡¯t want to hear her crying? Tears began to well in Cecile¡¯s eyes as she rubbed at her somewhat aching nape. It was then that something strange entered her vision.


    A cluster of light was floating in the air a few feet away from her. Anyone could tell it was not human. The entity began to speak again. ¡°Fork it over.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She was bracing herself for a deeply memorable moment, feeling a mysterious and holy air about the light, but what she got instead were abrupt menacing words like that of a street gangster.


    ¡°I said to cough up the cash.¡±


    ¡°¡­What the¡­?¡± What was this all about out of the blue? Why was an unknown entity suddenly asking her for money?


    ¡°First of all, who are you and why should I¡­ Owie!¡± Out of nowhere, something flew toward Cecile¡¯s forehead and collided with a smack. The object that hit her forehead and bounced to the ground was the Emerald of Aled.


    ¡°If you have a conscience, no¡ªif you have even a shred of morality left in you, you wouldn¡¯t pretend to not know what this is, would you now?¡± The voice said.


    How could she not know? It was the very reason she poured out a torrent of tears and was knocked out. The jewel was cracked and now some green entity had appeared in the air. Cecile instinctively realized that the green figure was the thing contained in the Emerald of Aled, the being that the Elven king feared. Cecile was about to step back but then called to mind what the entity said to her.


    Hang on. ¡®Cough up the cash¡¯? Not ¡®I¡¯m gonna kill you¡¯?

 CH 34

    Located on the empire¡¯s borders was the city of Manoka, the greatest embodiment of luxury, pleasure, and desire on the continent. In Manoka¡¯s biggest casino and hotel named Bessia, a commotion was taking place.


    ¡°All in.¡±


    At a gaming table in the center of the hall inside the casino, a woman leisurely called all-in, pushing all the chips in front of herself onto one number.


    ¡°Ooh!¡±


    ¡°All in!¡±


    The spectators around the gaming table clapped and cheered at her words. At the same time, the faces of the dealer as well as the manager of the hotel standing behind him turned ashen. They could not be blamed for looking as such; the chips piled on the table amounted to an unprecedented sum in Manoka.


    ¡®Who¡¯d have imagined a platinum chip being used when they were made to be symbolic!¡¯


    Cold sweat trickled from the manager¡¯s forehead as his gaze darted between the gaming table and the platinum shining on top of the piled chips. The woman had bet everything on a single number. ¡®If she gets it right again¡­¡¯


    The odds were 35 to 1 in the case of betting on a single number and winning. The manager did not need to count the sum of the chips to know¡ª the casino would go bankrupt if the woman won again. The casino of Bessia that boasted history and tradition would fall into the hands of an unknown woman who suddenly appeared overnight. The spectators who did not care a rat¡¯s rear end about the manager¡¯s circumstances happily chatted behind the woman.


    ¡°Amazing! How many games is it already?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They say she¡¯s been winning ever since she sat down!¡±


    ¡°Looking at the manager¡¯s face, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a rigged show either¡­ Who the hell is that woman?¡±


    A languid smile spread across the saintess¡¯s face as she lifted the glass of champagne in front of her, listening to the background chatter.


    ¡®Who, you ask? The noblest person alive who is closest to and the most beloved by God, that¡¯s who.¡¯


    The saintess looked at her hand as she answered in her mind. A blue light, invisible to others, fleetingly circled her hand before disappearing; it was the light of the blessing. She, who was the embodiment of holy power, was able to use this light however she wished to. In other words, it was all too possible to carry out the simple feat of manipulating a roulette ball.


    Meanwhile, the dealer rang a bell to perfunctorily announce that there was little time left for the final bet of the game. The woman had long since dominated the gaming table. As the saintess awaited the final call for bets, which would happen soon, she noticed a hot gaze while taking a sip of champagne. Unawares to her, a neatly dressed man had been standing to her right with a deep look in his eyes. The saintess swiftly scanned the man and processed the results.


    ¡®Face: 8 points; Body: 8 points; Style: 9 points; and bonus 5 points for the sensuous looks. A pass with a total of 30 points.¡¯


    After pressing the pass stamp on the scorecard in her heart, she smoothly winked in return to the man¡¯s gaze. She raised her glass as if telling him to try and seduce her, to which the man responded by drawing in close and beginning to make his play¡­


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around here before.¡± The man casually stated.


    That was only natural, seeing that she was living in the holy kingdom until recently. She called the waiter, asked for another glass of champagne, and handed it to the man before replying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t much like being probed that way,¡± she echoed the line of the main character in a spy movie she frequently watched before entering this ¡®book¡¯. I must¡¯ve watched it so much knowing a day like this would come, she thought.


    ¡°Ah, if my curiosity toward your beauty has offended you, I would like to give a sincere apology. Would you give me the honor of doing so?¡± The man smiled, undaunted by her refusal.


    Well, well. He was smoother at talking than she expected. The saintess slowly held out a hand, and the man gently kissed the back of it before cleanly taking his leave. But as the man was about to go, she called him back with a beckoning finger and whispered by his ears, ¡°I like a warm bed. Understand? Room 1801. 10 o¡¯clock.¡±


    The believers of the kingdom would have fainted if they heard such words from her, but that was not of her concern. They were not here, after all. The man went on his way with a satisfied face at the whispered message. The saintess watched his receding back as she ordered a stronger drink from a waiter passing by. She felt the need to warm up in advance to burn the night away.

 CH 35

    ¡®This sort of life isn¡¯t bad either.¡¯


    It was utterly simple to become the queen of the casino she arrived at in the morning. She was overflowing with cash and full of attraction. ¡®No need to be in a hurry.¡¯


    She felt it would be fine to be a little late in taking back Estian since he had married already, and the best way to deal with the sorrowful heart of losing a man was being comforted by another, was it not? Besides, the saying goes that sharing sadness makes it easier to bear. It was a given then, that the more people there were to share it, the easier it would become.


    The saintess made a list of the men who had approached her today. Seven in total. She felt the number to be just right. She wiped away the saliva by her mouth and looked at the gaming table. The number she had bet on was 7. She thought that if one was going to bet, 7 was the best number.


    The dealer announced the start of the game and the roulette ball began to spin rapidly, making noise over the board as it went. The eyes of those watching flicked from side to side, tracking the ball as it started to bounce around.


    ¡®Shall I use a bit of my power?¡¯


    The saintess put her hand in her pocket. Just as she had always done up until this point, she merely needed to use holy power again. But the moment her fingertips glowed with a blue light¡­


    ¡°Kaugh!¡± She coughed blood all of a sudden and fell down.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s collapsed!¡±


    Everyone was surprised by the sudden happening, and a commotion followed in the hasty search for a doctor. The saintess mumbled to herself, looking at her trembling body. ¡°Wha-what¡¯s happening to¡­¡±


    Was the alcohol I took earlier poisoned? But shouldn¡¯t that be useless to me? According to her character setting, the saintess was immune to poisons. Then what on earth¡­?


    ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, her mind recalled the memory of a particular setting she wrote long ago regarding the saintess.


    ¡°Holy power will lash out upon being used for personal benefits or desires.¡±


    Meanwhile, the roulette came to a stop. The dealer confirmed the roulette board and brought the manager into a squeezing hug, yelling from joy.


    ¡°18! 18! 18!¡± He cried out the number representing her feelings.


    * * *


    ¡°Please be on your way already!¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll never come again!¡±


    The saintess was practically dragged out of the hotel, enthusiastically seen out by the dealer, manager, and guards. The hotel staff embraced one another in the delight of returning alive from the edge of death as they disappeared back into the hotel. After raising the middle finger toward the hotel, the saintess began to move with plodding steps.


    ¡°Why did I put a setting like that in¡­¡± She complained and bit her lips, aggrieved at being undone by her own designs. If she had known things would turn out like this, she would have instead put in a setting of vomiting money every time she coughed, or maybe a setting of holy power enabling the creation of chunks of gold.


    In any case, it was no use feeling grief now. It was then¡ªas she was plodding along, she saw a woman coming out of another hotel. Anyone would recognize her as a young lady of nobility.


    ¡°Goodness gracious, Lady Irene! How can you think of going at this time!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, Nanny! The woman His Majesty married turning out to be such a villainess? It¡¯s unacceptable! As a childhood friend of His Majesty, I will not tolerate it!¡±


    His Majesty¡¯s childhood friend? Irene? The name made the saintess turn wide-eyed. Irene. One of the few people who knew of Estian¡¯s past. A woman who claimed herself to be Estian¡¯s childhood friend. In this ¡®novel¡¯ the saintess wrote, Irene was the name of the ¡®real villain¡¯ that bullies Cecile, who was possessed by the female lead.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading for the capital this instant! And I have to open His Majesty¡¯s eyes! So get a coach alrea-¡­ What¡¯s with you?¡±


    The saintess grabbed Irene by her skirt and, seeing the latter react with a glare, respectfully knelt down on one knee and began to speak. ¡°Milady, do you happen to require a maidservant who¡¯ll obey without question and can carry out secret tasks when needed?¡±


    The saintess knew that this was the sort of person Irene needed right now.

 CH 36

    Cecile was starting to fully realize why the elven king had feared the entity within the ring.


    ¡°So I¡¯m saying that the one who named me Aled was the first elf to be born in this world. I¡¯m like a shadow of his. An alter ego, should I say? So I lived my whole life with the first elf. He was the only one I knew in the world, after all. And honestly, the only other creatures around were humans, beastfolk, and such, but they looked so ugly I didn¡¯t want to talk to them. Humans like you wouldn¡¯t know, but elves are very delicate beings. The sight of ugly things inflicts mental wounds upon them, mind you. It¡¯s why we only lived among our kind in the forest. All those that aren¡¯t beautiful are living in sin. Sometimes, those humans came out with some ridiculous nonsense, comparing our similarity in that we have two eyes, one nose, and one mouth, but if we were to go by that, wouldn¡¯t it be right to say you humans all look exactly the same? Anyway¡­ Hey, are you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, I didn¡¯t sleep!¡± Cecile hastily wiped the saliva by her mouth and strained her eyes to focus, but she began to slowly doze off again as the entity resumed talking. ¡®Save me¡­¡¯


    Cecile pinched her thigh as she listened to Aled¡¯s continued chatter. It had already been four hours. During this time, Aled had gone on and on about itself without taking a break. About how it was born, what its name was, what kind of being it was known as. Yes, she could handle that much. But around the time the spirit began to digress and recount a story 851 years ago of somebody planting three trees in an elven village and how it counted their leaves and it added up to a total of 18,376,261 leaves, she could not for the life of her figure out why she had to listen to this.


    Many times she had tried to stop the sidetracking and return to the main topic of reimbursement, but her every attempt was met with Aled shooting back a ¡®Did you just cut my words?¡¯ gaze with raised brows. Fixed with such a fierce look, Cecile could only shrink back again and answer ¡®please continue¡¯.


    Now she knew: never-ending rambling. That was the power of Aled which the elven king feared.


    ¡®Your Majesty, when are you coming back?¡¯


    She needed Estian at that moment more than ever, yet he was off somewhere doing who knows what. Normally, he would always make his appearance whenever night fell, but there was no sign of him coming tonight even though the night was deep. She wanted to ask him to take her place for a moment and go cover her ears in some quiet corner.


    Minutes passed of Cecile repeatedly pinching herself all over to try and stay awake, until Aled, fortunately for her, eventually turned the subject back to the one she had been waiting for.


    ¡°¡­So I signed a contract with the spirits and bought that gem. Someone like me couldn¡¯t possibly just go in anything, don¡¯t you agree? And thankfully, the spirits offered me a fixed interest rate. As you might know, interest rates usually don¡¯t ever go down. Not to mention that at that time, the situation in the spirit realm was extremely unstable. All the investment advisors I met back then were expecting a continuous rate hike, too.¡±


    Cecile nodded as she gained the new knowledge that even spirits carried out financial transactions.


    ¡°And so I worked hard every month for the past 1,252 years, and now I only have 247 years left on my loan. Through it all, I did my best to decorate the inside. But then you flung my jewel!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Cecile bowed flat down the moment Aled was about to point at her. She had to plead first and ask questions later, after all.

 CH 37

    Aled eyed Cecile, lying flat before itself, with satisfaction. ¡®Good. It looks like she thinks it¡¯s completely her fault.¡¯


    In truth, the jewel had not broken when Cecile threw it. Of course, it was true that there was some impact on it. It was, however, when the emperor hurled it into the wall that Aled¡¯s leased home was completely cracked. ¡®How is it that each and every one of these emperors is so stupidly strong?¡¯


    Aled had intended on quibbling with the emperor at first, but then changed thoughts at the sight of the sword by his belt. Why was a human in possession of a black steel blade, all of which the elves were supposed to have taken with them when they left this land? And how was a human using it so well? That was not something mortals could handle.


    Black steel blades were the only thing Aled feared, for they were the only things that could harm him, a spiritual entity. The swords, said to have been forged by collecting darkness in the first era of the continent, killed their surroundings just by being held in possession. Their power was so great as to affect physical beings, let alone spiritual entities who would suffer death at the lightest scratch by those weapons.


    ¡®Putting aside whether he really is a human or not, that emperor fellow doesn¡¯t look like one for talking at all,¡¯ it thought with a shudder.


    Despite only taking a glimpse of the emperor, Aled knew that the man would definitely draw his sword instead of listening nicely upon being asked for compensation. Aled went inside the smashed jewel and looked through the insurance policy he received along with taking the loan. To the spirit¡¯s woe, it was written on the insurance policy that ¡®damage by humans is not covered by insurance¡¯. That being the case, what was it to do? Who was to compensate for the losses suffered by itself, who was naught but a commoner that had been paying off a loan over 1,252 years?


    It was then that Aled saw Cecile, who was crying from the belief that she had awoken the spirit. ¡®It¡¯s her! She¡¯s the one!¡¯


    From the looks of it, the emperor seemed to treat her quite dearly, and this was why it tried speaking to her after the emperor went out of the room. Aled began speaking to Cecile, who was still bowing flat. ¡°Well, as they say, fair is fair. Seeing you so willing to compensate me, I¡¯ll let you off just this once if you just pay me what¡¯s due.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°The loan I¡¯ve paid so far as well as the remaining sum. Plus compensation for causing emotional distress and the cost of what went into my house interiors. To explain in more detail, going by the calculation of 250 gold per month and 12 months each year, since I bought the house on a 1,500-year loan, that totals at 4,500,000 gold. And after including compensation for my mental wellbeing as well as the worth of all the interior designing I did over 1,252 frugal years, that comes to 10,000,000 gold. So fork it over in full.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Cecile stood still for a while at the spirit¡¯s words before crawling over to pick up the Emerald of Aled that had fallen on the floor. Then, she shot to her feet, walked to the terrace, and threw it out with all her might. The ring whizzed through the air in the direction of the nearby pond, striking the head of a sleeping swan and bouncing off to strike the head of the duck next to it, before finally landing precisely in the plate meant for tossing coins into.


    Aled blankly watched it all happen and was about to give a round of applause, but then it realized the identity of the object thrown. ¡°You, you! What have you done! My house!¡±


    ¡°Sue me, then,¡± Cecile replied with a radiant smile at the yelling Aled.


    * * *


    ¡®It¡¯s become too late.¡¯


    Estian had discussed much with Kane regarding how they would prepare for the empress¡¯ lady-in-waiting election, and before he realized it was deep in the night. He headed for the empress¡¯s palace with hurried footsteps. At his arrival, the attendants on standby greeted him joyfully. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve come!¡±


    From the speaking attendant¡¯s somewhat flustered looks, Estian could tell that something had happened. His tone grew low. ¡°I told you to immediately send word if anything happened.¡±


    ¡°I beg your forgiveness! But it was something difficult to tell Your¡­¡±


    It was then that the door of the empress¡¯ room jerked open and out came Cecile, yelling, ¡°This won¡¯t do! Get me something¡­ Eh, Your Majesty is here?¡±

 CH 38

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    Cecile, who had jumped out of the door, was wearing accessories all over her body. At the sight of her state, Estian turned to the attendant, and the attendant nodded with a face that said ¡®Yes, this is why I didn¡¯t tell you!¡¯. Dressing up at a time like this? Estian gazed at Cecile in bewilderment for a moment, but then his eyes narrowed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing clothes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who took them off, Your Majesty!¡± she exclaimed.


    He had not taken off all of them, of course. She was wearing basic underwear and a slip as well. But even though all the attendants here were women, he did not like them taking peeks at Cecile. Estian took off his cloak and wrapped it around her with a flourish and carried her up into his arms. He covered her up because, for one, he did not like the attendants looking. More than that though, he could not take it any longer. He had simply thought it amusing when he was hanging gems on her in the day, but seeing Cecile now decked out in jewelry while nearly naked, he almost felt like groaning. ¡®I was going to just sleep tonight since I didn¡¯t want to wake her, but¡­¡¯


    Seeing Cecile awake and decorating herself with gusto, he felt it would be fine to burn the night away now. But, as he was about to go inside the room, Cecile cried out to stop him, ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±


    Then, she struggled out of his arms and rushed to the attendants, ordering them to do something again.


    ¡°What is it you need?¡± The emperor asked.


    Cecile answered his question with, ¡°Jewels! And lots of it! Big ones!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°How about thiiis¡­?¡±


    Cecile rubbed at her heavy eyelids with one hand as she held out a large ruby with the other. Piled in front of her were the jewels she had received from Estian during the day, as well as the other jewels that she had not brought back. There was a reason for this.


    Aled had suggested an alternative solution to Cecile, who simply laid down in defiance. The spirit¡¯s suggestion was to hand over another home-worthy jewel if she could not pay up and, after hours of Cecile going through one jewel after another, looking for Aled¡¯s new home, it was now getting bright outside.


    ¡°No can do. That¡¯s a fail. The craftsmanship isn¡¯t delicate enough.¡± Aled shook its head after looking over the ruby held out by Cecile. She buried her head on her desk in frustration at his evaluation. Estian, who was sitting across Cecile and watching her, stood up and brandished his sword before Aled.


    ¡°How about you stop being choosy and pick whatever to go in?¡± The emperor spoke coldly.


    ¡°Hey, hey! Get that sword away from me! Goodness gracious, I¡¯m about to be killed by a human! You¡¯ll be cursed for generations to come! It¡¯s true, I tell you! We spiritual kind are experts in that aspect!¡±


    ¡°All the better to kill you then, since I had no such thoughts of having children.¡±


    Cecile¡¯s ears pricked up at his words as she lay on the desk, but Estian failed to notice. He held Aled even closer at sword point.


    ¡°Oh, come on! Let¡¯s talk it out, alright? Talk! My condition for my home-to-be is¡­¡± It pleaded, trying to free itself.


    ¡°Shut it. I¡¯ve heard it five times already. Say it again and I¡¯m cutting you down.¡±


    ¡°You mean, five times only!¡±


    I should kill this b*stard, after all, Estian thought. He gripped the sword in his hand harder at Aled¡¯s retorting words. It was then that Cecile unburied her face from her desk. A beaming smile was hanging on her lips.

 CH 39

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Estian turned around at Cecile¡¯s voice.


    Strange, he mused. Cecile had called him in the most tender and adorable voice he had ever heard until now yet, for some reason, she seemed angry. But how could that be? She was just fine a moment ago, so why all of a sudden?


    Cecile rose to her feet, drew closer to Estian¡¯s side, and clung to him by his arm. She had taken off his cloak upon returning to the room, so she was still in her set of inner wear and jewelry. In truth, Estian could not help but swallow dryly at her current attire. He drew his hands around her waist and pulled her toward him.


    Just as he was about to kiss Cecile, feeling giddy at the sensation of their intertwined bodies, she took the initiative to draw in closer and breathe hot air by his ear. Estian was thrilled, even as he felt bewildered; Cecile had never acted this way first on her own.


    It seemed to him that the correct answer was to kill that Aled this instant and then enjoy a hot morning. But just as this thought crossed his mind and he was about to take her up into his arms¡­ Cecile put on a shy smile and stepped back, pushing his hands away. Her actions made Estian realize for the first time what it meant to pine for someone.


    Why, oh why was Cecile doing this all of a sudden when she had always done as he had wished?


    He was going to voice this question, but Cecile spoke up first. ¡°Your Majesty, I have something I want to have now.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ is it?¡± He could not understand why his throat felt so terribly dry speaking three syllables. He did not know what Cecile wanted, but he wanted to hand it to her right here and now.


    ¡°That jewel you said you would bring to me, Your Majesty. The Forest of Tetin, was it?¡±


    It was indeed called as such. Estian had not really intended on bringing it if he were to be honest. It was after discussing it through with Kane that he decided to cause some pre-emptive pressure on the Kingdom of Tetin, as they had shown signs of rebelling.


    ¡°I want it. Right now.¡± Cecile whispered into his ear. Her dulcet tone was so sweet that Estian could not do anything but nod his head.


    * * *


    The empress¡¯s palace was busy since morning. Today was the day the empress¡¯ lady-in-waiting would be elected. The attendants were hectic, adorning the empress all morning. All kinds of dresses, ornaments, and cosmetics were lined up in the dressing room. Even those who might be indifferent to this sort of thing would feel a little excited, yet Cecile was sitting in the middle of it all with a blank expression.


    ¡°Your Majesty, shall I raise your hair a little more?¡±


    ¡°Do as you will.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, how high would you like your heels?¡±


    ¡°Do as you will.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, as for decorating the dress¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Forgive us. We will do it on our own.¡±


    Another quick-witted attendant by the side swiftly intervened. The faces of the attendants turned even stiffer and their hands even faster at the empress¡¯ attitude of finding everything bothersome. Tension tautened their faces.


    ¡®I just can¡¯t figure her out,¡¯ they collectively thought.


    She was a strange and curious empress. She had seduced the irritable tyrant into being head over heels for her and unable to leave the empress¡¯ palace. In her first meeting with the empire¡¯s officials, she had dismissed the treasures of the imperial family as secondhand articles. In that situation, the attendants of the empress¡¯ palace thought: ¡®Looks like we¡¯re serving a nutcase now!¡¯


    The attendants all wrote a will in advance. Some even looked into what would happen to their pension after death. They exchanged information and comforting words, cheering one another to try and live on to the best they could. No matter how much they searched through the records of past empresses, none had acted as the current one.

 CH 40

    Contrary to her perfectly normal-looking appearance, the empress was a person who would most definitely do something crazy at any large place of gathering.


    ¡°Seeing how she was so rampant in front of the officials, it¡¯s no wonder how she¡¯d treat us.¡± One of them muttered.


    All the attendants worried for their future. Contrary to expectations, however, the empress did not act viciously towards them in any way, but that only served to make the attendants all the more fearful.


    ¡°Why on earth do you think she treats us normally?¡± One of the attendants wondered aloud as such in the resting room, and the attendant next to her answered. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even see us as people, that¡¯s why. Would you punish your hairbrush for getting your hair tangled?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it was!¡±


    Cecile was locked in thought, unaware that such misunderstandings were piling up.


    She was angry. No, to put it somewhat vulgarly, she was bloody furious. Cecile¡¯s disquieting expression made the attendants work their hands even faster with tense faces. She had no mind for them, however; she was too preoccupied with Estian¡¯s words replaying in her ears on an infinite loop.


    ¡°All the better to kill you then, since I had no such thoughts of having children.¡±


    This was Estian¡¯s reply to Aled¡¯s threat of cursing his descendants.


    Cecile had snapped to her senses the moment she heard him say those words. ¡®He said the reason for accepting an empress was to have an heir¡­¡¯


    It was written as such in the letter of his marriage proposal for her and no one did not know it. To give birth to the imperial heir. Cecile had thought the same. It was why, regardless of how the emperor acted and her emotions aside, she felt relieved that he shared their bed every night. She was reassured knowing that she would be needed, at least until the emperor¡¯s purpose was achieved. Here she thought he was working toward that goal, too. ¡®But it turns out he has no such thoughts?¡¯


    Then why did he take in an empress? Cecile brooded over the question, but she could not reach a satisfying answer. All that was certain, however, was that her life would become like that of a candle in the wind unless she gave birth to the emperor¡¯s child in the next few years.


    On second thought, she did not even have a few years. The entire imperial palace knew that the emperor was sleeping with her every night. If there were no news of pregnancy within the next few months, she was likely to be showered by a hail of petitions asking for her deposal. ¡®I went and drew dislike from millions when it¡¯s hard enough to earn favor as it is, after all.¡¯


    Cecile had followed the method Estian had claimed would allow her to survive in the imperial palace. After all, she had believed that she would keep death at bay through infamy if need be and endured. So long as she gained the position of being the mother of the emperor¡ªor mother of the heir if her child could not become emperor¡ªshe could manage to survive somehow.


    But he had no thoughts of having a successor?


    Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of being fooled. All she had left now was nothing but infamy, and she would be chased out before she could even try to survive here. ¡®That¡¯s one thing, but¡­¡¯


    An inexpressible wave of embarrassment and shame washed over her. She remembered the day after the wedding, how she had giggled to herself as she drew words on a tile of the steamy bathroom wall.


    My Husband.


    The way she felt right now, she wanted to go over to the bathroom and smash that very tile. Why? Because her presumption brought utter embarrassment upon herself. Family? What family! Of course, a family was not necessarily made complete by having children. Still, the shame of having fantasized about such a future, laughing foolishly by herself, made her want to die.


    ¡®I¡¯m so glad I never mentioned it out loud,¡¯ she thought.


    Not that the emperor would have liked to listen, anyway. Cecile sighed heavily, her heart troubled, before looking at the mirror before her. While she had been lost in her thoughts, the finishing touches were being made to her adornment. ¡®I look pretty if I dare say so myself.¡¯

 CH 41

    She was not afflicted with princess syndrome, as she was formerly an actual princess, but her self-acknowledged good looks were improving even further after coming to the empire. Who knew why her skin only grew smoother and her complexion better despite the arduous nights, as if she were under a spell.


    ¡®I think he definitely likes me, though,¡¯ she thought. Several days ago, on the night she suffered through Aled¡¯s chattering, the moment she heard the emperor had no thoughts of having an heir, she asked him to bring her The Forest of Tetin.


    ¡®I was just saying it, though.¡¯ She had spoken in the heat of anger. She had done so deliberately as she vaguely knew the emperor had no real intention of doing so. She had even foolishly tried playing the coquette, something she had never done in her life before. If he had rejected her request as too difficult, she would have expressed her true feelings in a joking manner, saying, ¡®So all you said to me were empty words after all? Even though I¡¯m this upset. Didn¡¯t you say you held me, dear?¡¯ But the next day, the emperor truly went to Tetin.


    ¡®I really don¡¯t get him.¡¯ Cecile pouted. He seemed to care for her in his own way, so why did he not want a successor when that would solidify her standing?


    But just as Cecile was sinking into confusion again, Aled appeared in front of her all of a sudden and, with an expression that said ¡®Finally, all the mysteries have been solved!¡¯, began speaking to her. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking it over for a few days now, but I think the emperor is impotent after all.¡±


    ¡°Will you please shuddap!¡± Cecile shot to her feet yelling at Aled¡¯s words, surprising the attendants into looking at her. Feeling awkward, she muttered, ¡°It-it¡¯s nothing. Continue as you were.¡±


    The attendants began moving their hands again at her bidding, but she could feel them taking nervous peeks at her. Cecile closed her eyes. She had been wondering why the spirit was staying quiet for hours at a time until it crawled out of nowhere again. Curiously, it seemed that Aled was invisible to the attendants.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I can read your thoughts? Why scream like that?¡± It asked.


    ¡®Because I was surprised by your nonsense!¡¯


    ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s nonsense? This is the only valid conclusion that can be reached after putting together everything he said and all that happened up so far. I may not look it, but I¡¯ve read lots of human novels and that¡¯s why I know. An emperor can mate anytime he wishes, right? Then, according to the racial preservation instinct of exceptionally strong humans, shouldn¡¯t he already have at least a hundred children?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll have you know His Majesty told me I was his first!¡¯


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he say you were the first to go on top of him? Doesn¡¯t that mean there were many cases of the opposite?¡±


    Is, is that how it is¡­?


    As Cecile¡¯s mind fell into disarray again at the point made by Aled, an attendant approached and spoke to her. ¡°Your Majesty, it is time to go now.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Cecile nodded and mustered everything in her to ignore the ever twittering Aled and got up to head for the hall.


    ¡®Don¡¯t talk to me from now on.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna. Why should I obey you? I was born to make noise. Hey, you should really think about it again. I¡¯m telling you, the emperor is¡­¡± Cecile listened to Aled¡¯s resumed rambling with one ear and let it out through the other, her mind bent on quickly finding a jewel to be Aled¡¯s new home just so she could shove that darned spirit inside.


    And then, one hour later¡­


    ¡°I found it!¡±


    Cecile let loose a victory cry while holding up an emerald brooch the size of a fist.

 CH 42

    Countless daughters of nobility were waiting in the hall of the imperial palace. Surprisingly enough, many had gathered to apply for the position of lady-in-waiting, even though every girl and her neighbor shied away from the seat of the empress.


    The position of empress¡¯ lady-in-waiting was not directly connected to the emperor, but it did come with the privilege of being in the know of most matters within the imperial palace, as well as the benefit of a certain degree of nobility aside from the title of court lady. This was why daughters of nobility who could not inherit their family showed all the more interest in the position, and the same went for every noble house involved; there was no position better than that of a lady-in-waiting to observe everything from the center of the imperial palace, by the side of the empress, whom the emperor was said to be smitten with.


    There were also many with scheming thoughts that ran along the lines of, ¡®Plus, there¡¯s the fact of His Majesty falling for the empress and even treating her well. If I find out what it is that charmed him and throw out the powerless empress before a child is born, I¡¯ll become the second empress. And there won¡¯t be a third! Because I¡¯ll kill them all!¡¯


    ¡­The fact that the emperor had not killed the empress, contrary to the expectations of all, fueled them with courage. All those gathered were daughters of noble families, so no one fell short in appearance; however, even among them, there were those dressed with extravagance in a display of their respective family¡¯s status and authority.


    Elysia was one of them. She let out a small smile as she looked over the other young ladies. ¡®I¡¯m the best, after all.¡¯


    Her thought was not wrong. Be it her looks, attire, or house, she was the most suitable person here to become a lady-in-waiting.


    ¡®They won¡¯t be picking only one person, so¡­ let me see. I wonder who else will be chosen.¡¯


    Elysia wondered as she scanned her surroundings, but then her eyes stopped on one spot. She saw someone in the corner of the hall who looked obviously nervous. It was a young lady who appeared somewhat rustic when compared to the others; she was wearing a very large and heavy emerald brooch on her chest. Laughter escaped Elysia¡¯s lips at the young lady¡¯s noticeably awkward attire.


    Another young lady acquainted with Elysia whispered to her from the side. ¡°I hear she¡¯s the daughter of Margrave Kaniche. Her name is Tania, I think? I was aware that their land is in an extremely remote corner, but it¡¯s a wonder as to why they sent his daughter as a lady-in-waiting candidate in that outfit. I suppose they thought putting on a large jewel would make it look fine. The poor girl.¡±


    The young lady¡¯s tone that oozed mockery, a contrast to her sympathetic words, evoked laughter from Elysia. Anyone with eyes would not choose a woman who looked like that as a lady-in-waiting. After all, anyone could see the brilliance of the daughters hailing from the best noble houses, which included herself. Tania seemed to have noticed the way people were looking at her; she dropped her head even lower than before.


    ¡°Still, this will make for a good experience, wouldn¡¯t you agree? Going back to the distant backwoods where she came from after taking a glimpse of Her Majesty the Empress will be enough to be the proudest memory of her lifetime, after all.¡±


    As the two were ridiculing Tania, the voice of an attendant rang in the hall. ¡°Her Majesty is coming!¡±


    The noise in the hall ceased at the announcement. The women who had been waiting inside stood in lines and bowed in salutation as the empress entered through the hall doors.


    ¡°All hail Her Majesty the Empress.¡±


    Shortly following the greeting of hundreds, the empress bid them be at ease. ¡°You may rise.¡±


    Elysia looked at the empress after lifting her head following imperial etiquette. The empress¡¯s beauty was one thing, but it was the unexpected aura about her that made Elysia closely observe the former. The empress seemed very accustomed to this sort of situation. The sort of situation where she took the lead amidst the attention of all. ¡®I heard she was a neglected illegitimate princess in the Kingdom of Navitan, but¡­¡¯


    While the empress might have undergone education a month before her wedding, some things could not be filled without actual experience¡­ and one of those was none other than aura. It was like how uncomfortable shoes had to be put on to learn to walk properly with them, and like how suffocating formal dresses had to be worn to grow used to their stifling feel.


    Such was the case with clothes, and all the more so in the case of attitude. The empress exhibited an air of indifference, something that could only be accomplished by those accustomed to these sorts of events from a young age. That impassive face of the empress that seemed to say she would not stand for any nonsense¡­


    ¡®She¡¯s a formidable one.¡¯


    As she reflected on herself for belittling the empress under the assumption that the latter had merely fascinated the emperor with her pretty face and crazy antics, Elysia corrected her posture. The empress was walking in her direction. She would soon spot her and come to a stop. When that happened, she would greet¡­ But the moment Elysia¡¯s thoughts reached that point, the empress¡¯s eyes suddenly came to life.


    She followed the direction of the empress¡¯s gaze. What is it? What on earth is it that caught her eye when she seemed indifferent to everything just a moment ago? The empress¡¯s footsteps quickened, and she began to walk to the very back of the lines of women.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± The empress¡¯s voice sounded a little excited.


    ¡°It is Ta-Tania, Your Majesty.¡±


    Tania? That bumpkin from before? Elysia looked back in surprise and saw¡ª the empress¡¯s eyes were locked onto the green brooch on Tania¡¯s chest. Elysia was not the only one who saw. The lady-in-waiting candidates recalled what happened after the empress came to the imperial palace. The emperor had offered her all the jewels of the imperial family, but not finding it to be enough, she told the emperor she desired the treasure of the Kingdom of Tetin.


    Everyone in the hall came to the realization that to draw the empress¡¯s attention, they needed jewels. And big ones of good quality at that.

 CH 43

    The people of Tetin¡¯s palace all looked at the man who had entered uninvited.


    The garden behind the palace was praised as the most beautiful place in this kingdom, but no one cared for that right now; they were all too busy admiring the handsome looks of the man. The man of black hair and black eyes had come with only a sword in hand, not even wearing armor. He stood at the entrance of the hall connected to the back garden, sporting a somewhat bored look.


    Truth be told, even if the man¡¯s appearance was a little lacking, he would still have drawn the attention of all at that moment. After all, the sword in the man¡¯s hand was still dripping with hot blood.


    ¡°Kha¡­ agh!¡±


    And beneath the man¡¯s feet was the knight commander of the Kingdom of Tetin, who was clutching his shoulder and groaning in pain. The man was, of course, Estian. Estian watched the blood drip from his sword before speaking to someone at the side. ¡°You over there.¡±


    The attendant of the Kingdom of Tetin who was called out replied, with an ashen face, ¡°Y-yessir!¡±


    ¡°Take your clothes off.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned rigid at his words. Here? Right now?


    Noticing the questioning looks and the odd atmosphere, Estian added to his words with a frown. ¡°I meant to take off your clothes so I can wipe away the blood.¡±


    At that, the attendant quickly took off his upper garment and presented it to Estian in an extremely respectful manner, and the latter used it to wipe his black steel blade. The garment presented by the attendant became drenched as if it got dunked in blood. Normally, this would not happen when wiping a sword, but Estian¡¯s blade was no ordinary object, after all.


    As he tossed away the drenched piece of clothing after using it, Estian wondered as to how much more of his blood¡ªas well as the blood of an untold number of others¡ªwas still contained in this sword of his.


    ¡°Emperor¡­ you¡­ What is¡­¡± It was then that the knight commander of Tetin wheezed out, voice tinged with pain, to which Estian responded by stepping harder on the knight commander.


    ¡°Kuurgh!¡±


    ¡°You endure well for being such a worthless knight commander. I shall praise you for that.¡± Ridicule hung from Estian¡¯s lips. As he stepped even harder on the knight commander, an irrepressible scream rang through the hall.


    ¡°Gaargh!¡±


    Those watching turned their heads around at the sight of Estian deliberately grinding his heel against the knight commander¡¯s wound, but they could not turn away from the screams that pierced their ears. The terrible screams ended along with the sound of a shoulder breaking. In the end, the knight commander of Tetin was unable to bear the excruciating pain and passed out.


    Shortly after his screaming ended, the king of Tetin came rushing into the hall, breathless from the exertion of running. He was holding a very large, beautiful green jewel in his hand. It was the jewel named The Forest of Tetin.


    Countless shapes of trees were contained inside the green jewel. These shapes should have been nothing more than patterns in a jewel, but the trees were shaking as if a wind was blowing.


    ¡°He-here it is!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d really bring it,¡± Estian said, holding out his hand to the king with a chuckle, and the king of Tetin handed over the most important jewel of the kingdom without hesitation.


    ¡°You have it now, so take your feet off Ridel at once! Now! You promised to spare him in exchange for the jewel!¡±


    ¡°Ridel? That¡¯s his name?¡± Estian looked at the unconscious knight commander beneath his feet, and then kicked him hard. With an ¡®Urk!¡¯, the knight commander was sent rolling away through the hall.


    ¡°Ridel!¡±


    The king of Tetin dashed over to hold the knight commander and bellowed for a doctor to be called. While the attendants were moving hectically, Estian turned his gaze to the jewel in his hand. An infinitely stretching forest was waving tranquility in his hand. It was, beyond a doubt, The Forest of Tetin indeed. Just as he was feeling satisfied upon confirming that the jewel was real, the king of Tetin cried out in condemnation. ¡°You savage wretch! Breaking into the palace of another country for no reason and stealing their treasure¡ªis this how the ruler of the empire should act? How are you any better than a thief!¡±


    ¡°For no reason, you say.¡± Estian sneered at the king¡¯s castigating words.


    ¡°Skadia, in the inner mountain range of Javel.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡± The king¡¯s face paled at the name of the city uttered from Estian¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°I hear you¡¯ve amassed quite the army in there. An army of elites, at that. Thought I wouldn¡¯t know? Thought a surprise attack with numbers would succeed? I know that your every soldier¡¯s weapon is coated with Celcita¡¯s Silver, meaning that I¡¯m the sole objective. After all, I¡¯m the only one left in the world who can be harmed by that metal.¡±


    The king turned his head away from Estian¡¯s glaring black eyes, which flashed crimson for a fleeting instant. It was not a color belonging to a human.


    ¡°Raising an army to attack the emperor in secret. Is that not enough reason for me to raze this land to the ground and set it alight?¡±


    His words caused those standing in the hall to falteringly step back. It was no comfort to them that they faced the emperor by himself. The ruler of the empire had managed to come this far alone without suffering a single scratch. Then he cut down their knight commander with a single strike. They could all feel it by instinct¡ª the emperor was not a being they could dare to defy.


    ¡°But rest easy, as I have no intention of doing so today.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡± The king cautiously asked.


    ¡°My empress awaits. I must hurry to her.¡±

 CH 44

    The king of Tetin was rendered speechless by this completely unexpected response. He was so stunned to the point of wondering if the emperor was joking with him. The emperor appeared serious, however. ¡°I only hope she¡¯ll be satisfied with this.¡±


    At his added words, the king of Tetin recalled what he knew of the rumored empress. From what he heard, she was extremely fond of gems, which was why that emperor over there had offered up all the jewels of the Empire to her. Though, she seemed to be a woman who could not be satisfied with the jewelry of the empire alone. The king¡¯s face darkened. It was difficult enough dealing with that mad tyrant, but now there was a maniac who had him around her finger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a face. Now that I have this, I have no further business with Tetin. I¡¯ve already sent my troops to Javel, so do kindly bury your men later. I¡¯ll forget the matter of Skadia with this. And also¡­¡± Estian drew close to the king of Tetin to whisper into his ear. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep it secret that this knight commander with disguised hair and eyes is your son by blood. Given this much, I think you should have no complaints.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be asking how I knew, would you now?¡± Estian¡¯s eyes flickered crimson again. The king of Tetin bowed his head, not in submission but gratitude, and Estian turned away at the sight, murmuring, ¡°A father who cares for his son, is it.¡±


    It was not a sentiment he could understand, nor would he be able to understand in the days to come.


    Estian immediately moved to return to the empire, certain that Cecile was waiting for him. The very first to welcome him back, however, was an unexpected somebody.


    ¡°It has been long, Your Majesty. May the Empire ever prosper in peace.¡±


    ¡°Irene?¡±


    It was a woman whom he was not particularly glad to see but could not ignore.


    * * *


    ¡°It¡¯s really worse than what I heard!¡±


    The newspaper gripped in Irene¡¯s hands was crushed with a scrunch. Watching her show of anger, the saintess inwardly tsked. ¡®She may be a character I made, but what a dirty temper¡­¡¯


    She recalled what kind of person Irene was.


    As the only daughter of Earl Levnen, a prominent scholar of the Empire, Irene was¡ªto all appearances¡ªa calm and neat person. A lady of good repute with excellent academic achievements and good rapport with her peers. ¡®But she has a serious delusion about Estian.¡¯


    And she also happened to be besotted with Estian ever since her brief meeting with him when she was young. When the two were young, Estian once received help from Irene, which was why he had shown her greater generosity than to others; however, Irene mistook his leniency for love, believing herself to be the one true fated partner for Estian. She was convinced that she, as a childhood friend of his, was the person who fully understood Estian and would be his life companion.


    ¡®And what was her mindset, again? Something about how Estian would realize how much she truly loved him only after meeting all sorts of women?¡¯ She was a convenient character to write but seeing her in person like this, the saintess felt her character personality to be nasty. Such a typical, uninspired antagonist. And, what? Forgive him for hooking up with whomever? Oh, how I pity you, not knowing the charm of a virgin man.


    ¡®Suppose I should be relieved that she¡¯s simple-minded.¡¯ Thanks to that, it was easy to play to her mood and prepare for future events.


    Pulling out the crumpled newspaper from Irene¡¯s hands, the saintess gave her a new one before pointing at a certain column, saying, ¡°Why, milady, look here. It says here that the capital¡¯s jewelers are enjoying a great boom due to young ladies buying jewels to gain favor in the lady-in-waiting election. You¡¯ll be joining them as well, won¡¯t you, milady? After all, you¡¯ll need a worthy gem to catch the empress¡¯s eyes. Even if you are His Majesty¡¯s childhood friend, milady, the ladies-in-waiting will be chosen by Her Majesty in the end, so¡­¡±

 CH 45

    The saintess stopped after speaking to that point and looked at Irene, only to see her with a face full of resolution. ¡°No. I won¡¯t resort to such a method,¡± Irene stated.


    ¡°But then Her Majesty won¡¯t be interested in you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be chosen by the empress because I¡¯m¡­¡± Irene clenched her fists before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask His Majesty directly. I must go to the imperial palace and meet him!¡±


    The saintess fell in thought as she observed Irene.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ The original storyline might have changed a bit, but then the big events are happening as they should. According to my plot¡­¡¯ A fleeting smile touched the saintess¡¯s lips. ¡®Soon, the phantom beast awakened by Estian¡¯s presence will appear in the imperial palace.¡¯


    And, as she had written, it would attack ¡®Cecile¡¯.


    ¡®That¡¯s the moment of opportunity.¡¯


    * * *


    Estian looked at Irene. He could also see Kane standing behind her with a troubled look. In truth, it would have been difficult for Kane to stop Irene; he had no reason to do so either. After all, as far as others were concerned, Irene could be practically considered as the one and only ¡®childhood friend of the emperor¡¯.


    ¡®Friend, is it,¡¯ he mused. They were nothing of the sort, but seeing as he could not explain their relationship to others, Estian simply allowed Irene to talk as she wished, and his silence naturally led to the public presumption that her words were authentic. Thanks to that, she was always well-received within the empire. Although Kane had occasionally asked whether to take action against her or not, he merely told him to leave her be.


    ¡°What is the matter? I received no word of you coming.¡± The emperor said.


    ¡°My! There¡¯s no need for a particular reason to meet between Your Majesty and me.¡±


    Normally he would have given some non-committal response and moved on, but for some reason today he was irked. Estian wondered as to why he felt like this, but then came to a realization upon looking at The Forest of Tetin in his hand¡ª he was eager to see Cecile and did not want to be delayed in doing so. ¡°In any case, we will talk later. I must go to the empress first.¡±


    Irene gaped in surprise at his words. ¡°Goodness gracious, Your Majesty. Were the rumors going around actually true? Wait. Rather, is that The Forest of Tetin in your hand? Heavens, Your Majesty! You actually brought it?!¡±


    ¡°How about you just move aside?¡±


    Cecile must be dying to see me. Wonder what she¡¯ll say when I bring The Forest of Tetin to her? In any case, there was no doubt that she would properly carry out the act of ¡®villainess bewitches emperor¡¯. What did I tell her to do again?


    ¡®I told her she had to come running, for starters.¡¯


    After that, he vaguely recalled, she was to give him a deep kiss in public sight¡ªimperial etiquette could go hang¡ªand croon words of naked, passionate seduction. Even though he could predict Cecile entering his embrace only to grumble for him to ¡®put a sock in that insufferable Aled¡¯s mouth¡¯, he could hardly suppress a good-humored whistle at the thought of her doing as he had asked. For all that, she would welcome him with open arms, after all.


    ¡®What shall I ask of her?¡¯ he wondered. Fetching The Forest of Tetin was Cecile¡¯s first ¡®request¡¯ to him, even if it was because of Aled. Granted, Aled had awoken and caused this mess of a situation due to his instructions, but he was ultimately the one who worked the hardest, was he not? A favor for a favor. ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch.¡¯


    It was with happy thoughts on his mind of what to ask of Cecile that Estian made his way toward the empress¡¯ palace¡­ or at least, that was how it should have been. The moment he tried to take a step, Irene¡¯s feet likewise moved; when he stuck out his right foot, Irene answered with her left, and when he stuck out his left foot, Irene countered with her right.

 CH 46

    In other words, Irene was completely blocking Estian¡¯s way. Three times his attempts to move were thwarted, and Estian ended up questioning her in a low voice. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±


    Unable to hide his exasperation, the murder in his voice was of terrifying intensity, yet Irene appeared completely oblivious to it all as she smiled brightly. ¡°Oh, now there¡¯s the emperor I know. You always had that look on you when you were young.¡±


    The other people standing around were already sweating at the dangerous air around Estian. Seeing Irene stand so nonchalantly in front of Estian like that, they whispered among themselves, ¡®Is it because they¡¯re friends after all?¡¯ and so forth. It was not because they were friends, however; his patience was merely derived from the fact that he shared Irene¡¯s blood and Irene likewise his¡­ though she was unaware of this. Estian barely managed to curb his boiling frustration as he continued to speak. ¡°Irene. Say everything you want to say, as well as why you came to the imperial palace, here and now.¡±


    He did not want to express his irritation a second time, so he intended on listening to her full story here and tell Kane to deal with the matter on his own. His degree of tolerance for Irene was not out of fondness for her, but solely on account of Earl Levnen, who had endeavored to return his humanity to him in the past.


    When Estian finished speaking, Irene beamed with a smile¡ªas if she had known he would listen to her¡ªas she responded. ¡°I want to see Her Majesty the Empress.¡±


    And to that, Estian answered in kind with a smile of his own. ¡°Drag her out.¡±


    * * *


    Tania took in her surroundings. It was easy to lose one¡¯s way in the vastly spacious palace of the empress, but she was fixing the memory of the path she was currently taking into her mind. After all, it was the way to the empress¡¯ room of residence.


    Upon her arrival, the attendant standing outside recognized her and announced as such in the direction of the room. Tania clutched tightly onto the object in her arms and waited to be called from the inside. Soon after, she heard the sound of a door opening from the inside.


    ¡°Tania!¡±


    ¡°Y-your Majesty!¡± She had expected an attendant to open the door, but out came the empress instead.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve waited for you since morning. Come on in. Oh, the rest of you may go back now. I want some time for us alone.¡±


    ¡°However, Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I not make it clear the other day? Do not disturb my time with Tania.¡±


    The attendants were forced to withdraw upon hearing the tone in the empress¡¯s voice, harder than ever before. As the attendants were about to leave, one of them spotted the large bag in Tania¡¯s arms. ¡°Lady Tania, everything taken into Her Majesty¡¯s room must be inspected.¡±


    But at that moment, as the attendant spoke as such and reached out for the bag, a high-pitched voice broke through the air.


    ¡°N-no!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°It is something I specially asked her to bring. All of you, quickly take your leave.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°Quickly, I said!¡±


    Seeing the empress now yelling with a reddened face, the attendants all hurriedly went outside. Even as the attendants left, though, their eyes briefly lingered on Tania¡¯s bag. It appeared to contain something quite large and heavy, and Tania was hugging tightly onto it as if it were the most precious thing in the world.


    ¡®Just what does it contain?¡¯ they wondered.


    This lady-in-waiting from the countryside was said to have caught the empress¡¯s eye thanks to wearing a large jewel during the election. That being the case, could it be that the bag contained¡­?


    ¡®The poor thing. Was she commanded by Her Majesty to bring the rest of her jewels?¡¯


    Once reaching that point of thought, it all made sense to the attendants. How could a plain girl from the sticks manage to become a lady-in-waiting? Bribery was the answer. That bag surely contained all the jewels that that young lady had.


    ¡®What a villainess, a villainess I say!¡¯


    And thus the misunderstandings continued to pile.

 CH 47

    After all the attendants withdrew, leaving only the two in the room, Cecile slumped to the floor. ¡°Th-that was a close one.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you all right?¡± Tania asked, worried.


    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m fine. I just felt faint the moment I thought it was going to be found out.¡± In the absence of the attendants, Cecile immediately abandoned her formal attitude toward Tania and began to chat in a friendly tone. ¡°By the way, Tania. How did it go with the things I asked?¡±


    ¡°Worry not! I brought all of them!¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re the best, Tania!¡± Cecile pulled Tania into a big hug and the latter giggled foolishly in her arms. The attendants were likely unable to even guess at what the bag brought by Tania contained.


    * * *


    A week had passed since Tania became Cecile¡¯s lady-in-waiting. Initially, she felt disbelief at her good luck. The earldom of Kaniche, where she spent the entirety of her life living in, was indeed¡ªas said by the gossiping young ladies during the lady-in-waiting election day¡ªthe remotest of rural areas.


    One day, Tania expressed her unhappiness at this fact, to which her mother, Margrave Kaniche, had replied: ¡°So was there anything I couldn¡¯t do for you? I fed you what you wanted to eat, let you do whatever you wanted to do. Where do you even get off complaining when you don¡¯t know how blessed you are! They say there are children in faraway countries who live hard days without a single meal to go by! You should know to be grateful for the clothes on your back and meals to fill your belly. That aside, did you do the homework I gave you? Did you finish a thousand swings with the sword? And didn¡¯t I tell you to shoot a hundred bolts a day?! I hear Carla from the neighboring province can already shoot a bee from over a hundred feet away!¡±


    Tania plugged her ears at her mother¡¯s torrent of nagging. Oh, there she goes again. I don¡¯t get why all the daughters of Mom¡¯s friends are good at using the sword, shooting the bow, thinking up new tactics, and hell, even talented in assassination.


    As Tania shut her ears, refusing to listen, Margrave Kaniche sighed heavily before resuming her nagging. ¡°That reminds me, I heard everything from the butler. I¡¯m told you¡¯re practically sponsoring the neighborhood bookstore? Reading isn¡¯t a bad thing, no. But I can¡¯t bear to show my face around for shame after hearing the titles of the books you¡¯re always looking at! What? ¡®The Lark Cries: Touch of Obscenity¡¯? ¡®A Hard Night of the Duke¡¯s Love¡¯? ¡®Leash Me Forever¡¯? This is why your swordsmanship is such a mess these days¡ªbecause you¡¯re always holding on to these sorts of books! Why I¡¯ll throw out every single one of them!¡±


    ¡°Mom, I hate you!¡±


    Such days of nagging continued until her father returned from his trip to the capital.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard His Majesty took in an empress and soon there¡¯ll be a lady-in-waiting election, honey.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Tania¡¯s eyes twinkled at the family meal conversation and she said, ¡°Mom, I wanna go there! I wanna be Her Majesty the Empress¡¯ lady-in-waiting too!


    Her father smiled gently at her exclaim as he reached out to hold his wife¡¯s hand. ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite right to throw knives at the breakfast table. And, Tania. What did Dad tell you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything that¡¯ll set Mom off when she¡¯s eating.¡±


    At her daughter¡¯s answer, Margrave Kaniche massaged her chest to calm herself as she glared at Tania. ¡°You spouted such things despite knowing? And you plan on becoming Her Majesty¡¯s lady-in-waiting?! Do you even know what that position entails?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a position where you can court a dashing knight while witnessing relentless veiled strife!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mom tell you to read romance novels in moderation?!¡±


    That day, Tania was chewed out precisely to the point of near-death. While Tania was writing an essay of apology in the night, sniffling all the while, her father came to visit. ¡°Tania, I did some talking with your mother and¡­¡±


    ¡°Hicc¡­ Did she say she¡¯d feed me to the grizzlies?¡±


    ¡°No, not that. Your mom says she¡¯ll send you to the capital to join the lady-in-waiting election.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 CH 48

    According to her father¡¯s explanation, her mother thought Tania was misunderstanding reality; her daughter would realize what utter hogwash those romance novels were after experiencing real life in the imperial palace with its nobles. She thought it was a good opportunity to shatter all her delusions by having her go.


    ¡°But there¡¯s no way Mom gave in so easily,¡± Tania questioned in disbelief.


    ¡°Daddy tried his best. We¡¯ll count this as our baby daughter¡¯s birthday present. Agreed?¡±


    Oh, but of course. In exchange, Tania was to promise her father to not talk back to Mom and swing her sword 2,000 times and shoot 150 bolts every day. Thus, Tania came to the capital to join the lady-in-waiting election.


    But thanks to her mother telling her ¡®I¡¯ll only give you enough money to cover travel fees and meals, so make do with the clothes and jewelry in the castle!¡¯, she ended up coming in a markedly shabby outfit.


    ¡®I don¡¯t really intend on becoming a lady-in-waiting, though.¡¯


    Tania knew her own place. She found fun in leaving the earldom to see the places that served as the background setting in countless romance novels. What fun could there be had in doing actual work as a court lady? Not that the empress would spare a glance at a bumpkin like herself. Besides, according to hearsay, it seemed that her personality was no joke.


    She could never become close with an empress like that, nor would the empress show the slightest interest in her, so it was impossible that she would become a lady-in-waiting and warm up to the empress. ¡®¡­Or so I once thought.¡¯


    Tania watched the empress absorbed in reading the book she had brought. The bag which the attendants had presumed to contain jewelry was, in fact, full of romance novels, chosen only from among the best by herself.


    After Cecile declared Tania to be her lady-in-waiting and returned to the empress¡¯ palace, the latter had cried out upon seeing her bookshelf.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s ¡®He Becomes a Beast Under the Night¡¯!¡±


    Tania was able to instantly recognize the book even though it was placed upside down to disguise the title. A moment later after her involuntary cry, she shut her mouth and turned to the empress, who was looking at her with a paled face.


    ¡°Everyone, out.¡±


    And thus all the attendants were made to leave and only Tania was left in the room. She stood there trembling, not knowing what on earth was up with the empress, when the latter grabbed her hands and exclaimed in elation.


    ¡°You like them too! So do I!¡±


    What ensued was a conversation that roughly went, ¡®You too? Me too!¡¯ and it was not long before the two people came to know¡ªthey had found a fellow lover of reading romance novels.


    When Cecile mentioned it was hard for her to procure such books, Tania told her not to worry, and today she proved her words; everything she brought today was all at Cecile¡¯s request.


    ¡°Tania, truly¡­ it¡¯s like you were sent for me from the heavens,¡± Cecile mumbled to her in a voice choked with emotions in the midst of looking at the books¡¯ titles, which made Tania scratch her cheeks shyly¡­ but it was then that her gaze landed in one corner of the empress¡¯ room. There she saw the emerald brooch she had worn during her first meeting with the empress, lying neatly on top of a soft-looking cushion.


    ¡®It seems different somehow,¡¯ Tania thought. It was a stupidly large jewel, to begin with, true, but it seemed to have gained an even greater shine after it was given to the empress. She felt as if it had become full of light, despite not looking like it was newly crafted.


    ¡®Well, there¡¯s no problem anyway since Mom gave it to me to do as I liked.¡¯ Tania turned to look at the empress again. Already, she was carefully putting the books on the bookshelf. Seeing how the empress was organizing them by size and color, and more than anything, how she hid their titles using thick papers, Tania could tell her love for these sorts of books was not just a day or two old.


    ¡°Thank you, Tania. I¡¯ll return them after reading them as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t need to give them back.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a given to return borrowed books. And it¡¯s only right to buy my own if it¡¯s enjoyable.¡±


    Tania almost nodded inadvertently. Every single word she spoke was right.


    ¡°From what Sir Kane says, there¡¯s nothing much going on today. So if it¡¯s okay, why don¡¯t you stay with me until the evening before going?¡± The empress cupped her chin as she warmly suggested for Tania to stay, and the latter nodded in response. She could not bear to refuse with the empress inviting her with such a smile.


    ¡®No wonder His Majesty is smitten.¡¯


    Tania could empathize with the emperor whom she had never met once. Unaware of her lady-in-waiting¡¯s thoughts, Cecile picked up the strawberries left by the attendants and took them to Tania. ¡°Try some of these. They¡¯re strawberries grown in the imperial greenhouse and they are so delicious I tell you. Here, say ah.¡±


    Tania opened her mouth to eat the strawberry being offered by Cecile, but it was at that moment¡ª


    ¡°¡­!¡±

 CH 49

    She felt murder in the air all of a sudden and tried to get to her feet. The source of the hostility acted faster, however; the blade of a black sword was touching her throat. ¡°Wh-who¡­?¡±


    Who was it that dared to enter the empress¡¯ palace, trying to kill the empress¡¯ lady-in-waiting¡­?!


    Cecile let out an exclamation then, wide-eyed. ¡°Your Majesty, what are you doing?¡±


    Your Majesty? At those words, Tania rolled her eyes around and saw the man holding his sword at her. He had black hair, black eyes, and graceful looks¡­ and he radiated an aura of immense intimidation that was by no means on account of his sword¡ªit was the emperor.


    He shot a glare at Tania before snapping up the strawberry in the empress¡¯s hand for himself, and only then did satisfaction color his eyes. ¡°I have returned, Empress. But why didn¡¯t you come out to welcome me? And what¡¯s this? Why are you feeding her by hand?¡±


    Tania thought to herself as looked at the scorching fire in the emperor¡¯s eyes. I heard the emperor fell in love with the empress, but nope. This is less ¡®fallen in love¡¯ and more ¡®totally gone gaga¡¯.


    * * *


    ¡°Whew, seriously¡­¡±


    The saintess looked at the imperial palace with admiration on her face. She had summed up the description of the place in a single sentence that went, ¡®The Imperial Palace was the most magnificent and beautiful building on the continent.¡¯ After that, she thought no more of it, yet that single sentence had ended up creating something so impressive. ¡°4D is sublime.¡±


    The word magnificent alone could not do it justice. The imperial palace was located in the north of the capital. Countless buildings big and small were connected back and forth, resulting in something that resembled a gigantic living organism.


    Especially in moments like now when the sun was setting, it felt as if the palace had become another huge sun as its white walls became dyed red under the sunlight.


    The saintess popped the fried snack she was holding in her mouth as she took in the sight. The crispy, well-fried flour and the powdered sugar sprinkled on it composed the perfect blend.


    ¡°Good thing I put in the setting of the best eateries of the empire being clustered up in front of the imperial palace,¡± she said and munched away at the snacks she bought for a long while. Only after finishing them, and pouring the leftover sugar and crumbles in the paper snack bag into her mouth, did she finally turn away to look at the name of the building before her.


    ¡®Imperial Detention Center¡¯


    The saintess shrugged upon reading the name before muttering to herself. ¡°I suppose I should go pick her up since I¡¯ve enjoyed myself enough?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Milady!¡±


    Irene turned to look at her maidservant, who ran over with a face that was happy to see her. ¡°Hey! Why did you come only now!¡±


    Unlike herself, who was feeling terribly upset all day long, excitement was plain on her maidservant¡¯s face. Moreover, there was even something that looked like snack crumbs stuck by her mouth. The sight of it all annoyed Irene to the point of screaming. ¡°Why are you here only now!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget? Milady said, ¡®You won¡¯t be able to enter the main palace with your low status anyway, so wait for me in the outer lobby. Actually, just go out of the palace and play while you wait. It¡¯s been a while since I met His Majesty so it might take longer. We¡¯ll have to talk to make up for the missed time, after all.¡¯ and only gave me the outer palace entry pass before going off. Thanks to that, it was hard even getting into the detention center here. Nothing like this would¡¯ve happened if you gave me the inner palace entry pass from the start.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Every word she spoke was correct, but for some reason, it sounded like she was saying, ¡®It¡¯s your fault you ended up like this.¡¯ and that irritated Irene. She had hired this girl of unknown origins for her mysterious knack of figuring out her mood and for her subservience, but now it seemed the time had come to fire her.


    However, just as Irene was about to cry out ¡®You¡¯re fired!¡¯, a paper bag was suddenly and smoothly stuck out in front of her.

 CH 50

    ¡°Hoo¡­ dearest milady¡­ It might¡¯ve been just half a day, but you must have had nothing to eat properly in the detention center¡­ You don¡¯t know how much I thought of you, even as I roamed the eateries outside the imperial palace. I went to the places with the longest of lines and bought your share as well while I was at it, and what a good thing I did. Dear, oh dear, look at your ruined complexion. You must have been so upset, no? Do eat this first.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this? You know I don¡¯t eat commoner¡­ Ah? This is?¡± Irene asked as she turned her gaze to the paper bag placed on her hand and smelled a savory fragrance wafting out of it, though its contents did seem to have cooled. Upon reading the letters written on the outside of the paper bag, Irene¡¯s face was colored with surprise. It turned out her maidservant had not lied to her about waiting in the longest of lines; the bag was labeled with the brand of the currently hottest snack shop in the capital.


    ¡°I bought it just for you, milady. Didn¡¯t I do good? Come now, dig in quick.¡±


    Urged by her maid, Irene made her mind to first open the bag and took one of the snacks to her mouth. The taste of well-fried dough sprinkled with sugar spread on Irene¡¯s tongue, which had been withered from starving most of the day inside the detention center.


    After several moments of chewing, the rims of Irene¡¯s eyes turned red and all of a sudden, she was on the verge of tears as she began to bemoan what she went through. ¡°Oh heavens¡­ His Majesty didn¡¯t even seem glad to see me. He just looked at me like I was a bother and told Sir Kane ¡®Drag her out.¡¯¡­ What in the world has happened to His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Well he¡¯s completely fallen in love with Her Majesty the Empress, that¡¯s what.¡±


    ¡°No! There¡¯s no way¡­ umph!¡± Seeing Irene tearing up again, the saintess shoved another snack in the former¡¯s mouth as if tired of her noise. She really must¡¯ve been hungry alright, the saintess mused. Normally she would have started yelling in outrage, yet she silently ate what she was given.


    ¡°Now, I have the coach ready to go, so for today let¡¯s go back to the mansion and think about the matter slowly after taking a good rest. After we return, I¡¯ll join you in flaming that empress till you feel all better inside, milady.¡±


    ¡°You have to do it until I feel better, until I say stop. But I really don¡¯t get it. Why in God¡¯s name is His Majesty acting like that?¡± Speaking up to that point, Irene pulled the saintess in close and whispered to her in a small voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the empress cast some sort of black spell over him, after all? I heard some people talk about her in the detention center, and they say the empress is bewitchingly pretty. And apparently, she¡¯s getting prettier by the day?¡±


    ¡°Oh, bloody¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, milady. You must be tired, so please do get on the coach and sleep a little. I¡¯ll wake you when we arrive.¡±


    After pushing Irene into the coach and shutting its door, the saintess went behind the coach to punt an innocent pebble. ¡°Aargh! Why¡¯d I go and write her like that!¡±


    She had gone with the flow and ended up pouring every kind of good quality into the main character, Cecile. It was a way of making it easier to advance the plot and, more than anything, satisfying her desires.


    One of those good qualities was appearance. Appearance would not be the only thing in Cecile¡¯s arsenal now, though; she would eventually obtain the hearts of the young ladies of nobility as well as the imperial attendants, who had kept their distance thinking her a villainess, and this was all due to the saintess writing her novel in a way commonly known as ¡®placing the main character on a pedestal¡¯. In other words, anything Cecile did would continue to result in praise along the lines of ¡®Aah, our beloved empress thought so far ahead!¡¯, or ¡®Aah, our beloved empress had such knowledge and talent!¡¯.


    ¡®All the more why I have to get into Cecile¡¯s body quickly. Such praise should be mine to enjoy! It¡¯s my sweet nectar to savor!¡¯


    The saintess turned her gaze toward the imperial palace. As she was wandering around the capital today, she had caught wind that an envoy from the Kingdom of Stoan had arrived in the country.


    ¡®The object brought by that envoy¡­¡¯

 CH 51

    The envoy had brought a relic¡ªit was discovered in an unknown underground ruin and was extraordinary at a glance¡ªas an offering to Estian, which happened to be the egg of a phantom beast. The egg would awaken in response to Estian¡¯s presence and bring about disturbance to the imperial palace.


    ¡®That¡¯s the day I have to enter the palace.¡¯ The saintess clenched her fist at the thought. Soon, very soon, as she had first written, this world would return to its intended path.


    But as she stood there with grim determination in her heart, the saintess heard the sound of the coach setting off behind her. She whirled around to yell after it.


    ¡°Hold up! I haven¡¯t gotten on yet!¡±


    Act 3: The Strongest of All


    ¡°So what¡¯s Aled doing now, again?¡± Estian asked.


    ¡°Busy with renovations, apparently?¡±


    ¡°Renovations?¡±


    ¡°Says there are traces of another spirit having lived inside the gem so there¡¯s no need to build a new house, but the style isn¡¯t to its liking. That¡¯s why Aled¡¯s getting an additional loan, which I was told to handle; says it¡¯s the least I can do. Since then it¡¯s cooped itself up in there for several days now.¡±


    At Cecile¡¯s answer, Estian looked at the jewel in his hand. It was of a rather large size and while it did appear somewhat crude in terms of craftsmanship¡ªit seemed to have been made long ago¡ªone could tell the effort put into its creation.


    Currently, the jewel was shining brilliantly as if there was light inside. Of course, the source of that light was Aled, bustling about in there.


    Estian felt dispirited for some reason as he gazed at the jewel. He had anticipated Cecile to welcome him eagerly, rejoicing in being saved at last when he brought The Forest of Tetin, but no. Upon his return, what he got was Cecile telling him, ¡°Oh, I found a jewel for Aled to go in! So I think you can just go return that!¡±


    Putting aside the lack of a passionate welcome, something else was grating on Estian¡¯s nerves, and that was the woman who had so naturally opened her mouth to accept the strawberry from Cecile, which was something even he had yet to be fed by hand.


    He was told that Tania was the owner of the jewel Aled went in and that she was Cecile¡¯s newly elected lady-in-waiting, but for some reason, he felt ill-disposed towards her¡­ And how could he not feel that way when Cecile put him on the back burner after days of his absence and continued to chat with her lady-in-waiting?


    ¡°Then Tania, you¡¯ll be coming again tomorrow, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°But of course, Your Majesty. Tomorrow I¡¯ll bring an even better selection, naturally, and¡­¡±


    After speaking up to that point, Tania had whispered something into Cecile¡¯s ears and the latter¡¯s face reddened, turning ecstatic as she took hold of the former¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Really? You really have it?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, Your Majesty. I will definitely bring it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best, Tania!¡±


    Estian could still remember, clear as day, how that lady-in-waiting called Tania had shot him a glance as she smiled like the happiest person alive in Cecile¡¯s embrace¡­ and how her lips were curled in a victor¡¯s smile for some reason. Even after that, the two left Estian by the side for a long while as they held a mysterious conversation by themselves.


    Strangely enough, Estian caught many names of men from their chattering¡ª Jade, Max, Hugo, Cillian, and so on¡ªand he was most displeased to see Cecile¡¯s face brighten each time those names were mentioned.


    Aside from that, he also overheard them going on about regret novels, obsession novels, angst novels, possession novels, and parenting novels, but he could not tell as to what it all meant. It was only after Tania left that Estian asked Cecile about it. ¡°What did that court woman bring for you to make that kind of expression?¡±


    ¡°W-what about my expression? It¡¯s just the same as usual!¡±


    What about it? Her face had looked like the very definition of ¡®being in love¡¯. Sparkling eyes blushed cheeks, and lips gently turned up for no reason¡­ How could she claim to be the same as usual with such a look on her face that evoked an inexplicable urge in him to hug her tight?


    Just what did that lady-in-waiting promise for her to make such an expression he had never seen before?

 CH 52

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve become very close with her, so soon despite her recent employment.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Tania¡¯s a good friend, but she¡¯s also my savior who delivered me from Aled!¡±


    ¡°What savior, when all she did was bring a jewel from her family? It was merely good luck.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, without Tania I would¡¯ve still had to listen to Aled¡¯s rambling. You don¡¯t know what a maniac of a talker Aled was until we got Tania¡¯s jewel, Your Majesty. Even during the lady-in-waiting election, it was going on about you being impotent all day lo-¡­ Hup!¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Cecile hastily blocked her mouth, but alas, the words had already left her mouth.


    * * *


    ¡°I was wrong. Please take anything but my life.¡±


    Aled kneeled on a table and slammed down its forehead in a bow to Estian, who was sitting opposite with the jewel offered by Tania in his hand. Estian raised his hand high and¡ªAled grew wide-eyed¡ªlet go of the jewel, but fortunately for the spirit, he used his other hand to catch it before it dropped to the floor.


    ¡°I, I beg of you. Anything but that¡­ I barely finished renovating yesterday¡­¡± The spirit pleaded. It went through a terrible time looking for another home-worthy jewel after the Emerald of Aled was broken, so much so that when it found what it was looking for, it bellowed ¡®THAT¡¯S MIIIIINNNEE!¡¯ and demanded Cecile get it from Tania.


    After going inside the jewel to take a look, it saw traces of someone having taken up residence before, which was why it excitedly set to fixing up the place to the latest trend, but¡­


    ¡®I can¡¯t afford to lose my home, not after everything!¡¯


    The spirit¡¯s reluctance to lose its house made Aled act servile to the utmost. Its various proud embellishments to its name, of being the first elf¡¯s shadow, or of being the one and only spiritual entity capable of physical manifestation, so on and so forth¡­ did not help its situation in the slightest. As Aled lowered itself flat and begged for Estian¡¯s voice, it heard the latter throw a question coldly. ¡°You cherish your house so much, yet you wag your tongue with abandon. I wonder why?¡±


    ¡°Exactly as you say. I wonder why I did that?¡± Speaking as if it had nothing to do with the matter, Aled turned to sneak a peek toward the bed in the room where Cecile was lying down, exhausted and with only a thin blanket covering her. By the looks of the colorful marks left on her exposed neck, shoulders, and even her back, it was evident how eager Estian was in his activity.


    After taking a look at Cecile¡ªshe had suffered to the point of snoring in her sleep¡ªAled returned its eyes to Estian and wiped at the corner of its mouth at the sight of Estian half-naked with his torso bare for all to see.


    Although Aled was a genderless spiritual entity, it did have working eyes and could tell that Estian¡¯s naked torso was, to put it crudely, ¡®hot¡¯.


    His shoulders were broad, his collarbones were flawless, and his chiseled muscles lined with veins beneath it all would ripple with his every movement. And while his lower half was covered up, he was using a large bath towel to do so. The towel had slightly slipped down to expose his hips, the sight of which made Aled gulp dryly.


    The man sat there in all his splendor, his face languid as he swept back his hair. Aled was once shown a photobook by a spirit it was acquainted with who lauded its contents, saying, ¡®Hey, this is what they call a photobook, but it¡¯s out of this world, amazeballs I tell you. Take one look and your mind will be blown to another realm.¡¯ and Estian was like a picture out of that very book.


    ¡®What a gosh darn tactless towel¡­ If it went just a little lower¡­¡¯


    As Aled was swallowing dryly in discontent, Estian tossed the jewel in the air before catching it again.


    ¡°Stop! Please stop! I¡¯ll really end up a vengeful ghost if my house breaks again! Haven¡¯t you heard how horrible spirits become when they¡¯re consumed by malice?¡± Aled cried anxiously.


    ¡°I can simply eradicate you before that happens.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Aled could only fight back tears as his words were not wrong. Just what the hell had this bugger eaten to become so strong for a human? The only one among humans capable of wielding a black steel blade was¡­


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Aled was lost in thought but then felt surprised upon recalling a certain piece of its memory. ¡°Wait a second. Emperor, you didn¡¯t ingest Eugendiph¡¯s Blood, did you?¡±

 CH 53

    Estian¡¯s eyes turned crimson in that instant, prompting Aled to snap its fingers in realization. ¡°Good Lord, I was right! No wonder you could wield a black steel blade despite being human¡ªthat¡¯s what you ate! No, but how come you¡¯re still human after taking it? Most of them end up dying or turning into a monster¡­ Ah, I see why you have no thoughts of having children. You may be capable of breeding, but a child of your blood will be born a monstrosity, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Aled babbled on excitedly about the truth it had realized, but then it noticed Estian staring at it pointedly. At the same time, it dawned on the spirit how dangerous it was to touch upon this topic. Aled took retreating steps, cowed by those glaring red eyes, as it spoke up in self-defense. ¡°No, so I mean, I knew you definitely weren¡¯t impotent!¡±


    Aled gulped when there was nothing to swallow. Impotent, my foot. This fellow must be capable of making dozens, hundreds, even thousands of babies if he wanted.


    ¡°You,¡± Estian growled in a chillingly low voice, and the spirit felt even greater fear than it had when the emperor had hurled its jewel.


    It felt death was imminent.


    Before Aled knew or could do anything about it, Estian had drawn his black steel blade and thrust it down onto the table¡ª


    ¡°¡­!¡± The spirit saw the blade had landed a mere paper-thin distance away from its face.


    ¡°Oh, my mistake. Let¡¯s retry that.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh! Spare me! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll never say it again! I was just amazed to come across something I thought was long gone!¡±


    ¡°Tell me. How much do you know of Eugendiph¡¯s Blood?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details. I just know that some spirits I know took an interest because much of it disappeared when it was made. It¡¯s the truth!¡± Aled trembled as it inched away from the black steel blade.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the details, but that means you do know about it to some extent.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is there something you want to know? Come on, what are spirits for? You can ask any questions and I¡¯ll find all the answers in the spirit realm! Really! Promise! You know as well, don¡¯t you? Spiritual entities like us suffer big time if we break a promise. I¡¯ll keep my word, really! Just say what you need!¡±


    Aled rubbed its hands in a gesture of pleading¡ªso furiously fast a fly would be put to shame¡ªthroughout its appeal, and Estian watched the spirit at it before opening his mouth to speak. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll need several promises from you first.¡±


    ¡°Several?¡±


    Damn jerk. Just how much does he intend on slaving me around? Aled grumbled inside before putting on its best smile and replying, ¡°Your wish is my command, master.¡±


    It was nasty and unfair, but what could the spirit do? It was all for the sake of living. For one, its house was in that jerk¡¯s hands, and he had also promised to pay its remaining, as well as additional, installments to the spirits it owed, and that was not all; Estian seemed intent on truly killing Aled without scruple if the latter refused to make promises.


    ¡°First things first¡­¡± Estian began.


    The spirit speculated as to what he would demand first. ¡®Information about Eugendiph¡¯s Blood, I suppose? Now which spirits knew about that again? Ah, that fellow who lives in the jewel of Mount Griden is knowledgeable in these sorts of records. We fought about something the other day and haven¡¯t been in touch for over 400 years¡­ Should I look for him? Ugh, it hurts my pride to make the first move though.¡¯


    As Aled was contemplating on a good way to reconnect with an estranged friend¡ªin a natural fashion¡ªEstian broke its thoughts. ¡°Keep in mind that the moment you say a single word about Eugendiph¡¯s Blood to Cecile, you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the look? Got a problem?¡±


    ¡°No. How could I have any?¡± His words had merely struck Aled as unexpected. The spirit had thought he would immediately ask for information regarding the blood, yet instead, he said he didn¡¯t want Cecile to know about it?


    While Aled was feeling a little bewildered, Estian left the jewel on the table and approached the bed before continuing to speak. ¡°Second, clarify the nonsense you told Cecile about me being impotent on your own. And get your hide inside the jewel.¡±


    With that said, Estian lay down next to Cecile. A moment later, Aled vaguely overheard Cecile complain of how she could not take it anymore, while Estian cooed to her to do it just one more time.


    Do I really need to clarify anything when he¡¯s making it so clear with his body? Aled grumbled to itself on its way into the jewel while listening to their voices.


    * * *

 CH 54

    ¡°Huaam¡­¡± Cecile could not suppress a chain of yawns. How many times did we do it last night, again? Once, twice, three times, four times¡­ No¡­ forget it. She believed that numbers did not matter; all she needed to remember was that it was good.


    Cecile rubbed her sleepy eyes as she turned the page of a book. There was a reason she kept reading when she could sleep a little more instead. ¡®I think it¡¯ll be a big help to me.¡¯


    The book in Cecile¡¯s hands was a story that she stayed up nights reading back when she was in the Kingdom of Navitan. It was included among the books brought by Tania¡ª¡®You can¡¯t miss out on this when you think classic!¡¯¡ª and so Cecile was happy to read it again.


    Its title was ¡®No One Looks for the Most Gorgeous Flower of the Imperial Palace¡¯.


    The plot of the book went as follows:


    The female lead is in a loveless marriage with the emperor. The emperor comes to her every night, but they only sleep together. They do not share anything personal whatsoever.


    The female lead grows increasingly tired of the emperor¡¯s attitude, but then meets the imperial knight commander, the emperor¡¯s right-hand man, in a garden. The number of times they meet gradually increases and they end up falling in love with one another.


    The female lead dreams of a future together with the knight commander, not the emperor, and realizes she must abandon her status as empress for her wish to come true¡­ so the empress deliberately commits wicked acts before the emperor. Voices calling for her deposal grow louder by the day and the empress awaits judgment by the emperor, but when he comes to their bedroom one night, he only questions her¡ª¡¯You think I¡¯ll let you go?¡¯¡ªand begins to show an obsession¡­


    As she read the book, Cecile repeatedly went over the parts where the empress deliberately committed wicked acts so that she would be deposed. ¡®I should take note for later.¡¯


    Estian told her to do bad things and she was clueless as to how she should go about doing just that, but reading and learning was the way. Never had she expected it to be of use to her one day.


    As Cecile was flipping through the book¡¯s pages, her fingers stopped all of a sudden. ¡®I liked this part so much, reading it back then¡­¡¯


    It was the scene where the female lead and the knight commander shared their first kiss amid rose bushes. Looking at it now though, she did not feel as deeply moved as before. ¡®I don¡¯t get it. Why does the emperor seem better? I used to think of him as a piece of trash, a leopard that can¡¯t change its ways, but now that I look again, he seems kind of earnest?¡¯


    Perhaps she felt that way because the emperor in the story had black hair and black eyes like Estian. Come to think of it, the knight commander in the novel¡­


    It was then that she heard a knock on the door. ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°Sir Kane is here.¡±


    ¡°Let him in,¡± Cecile ordered and swiftly placed a bookmark on the part she was reading, covered the book, and pushed it to one end of the table. The moment Kane entered the room, she shot a discreet glance at the covered book. ¡®Don¡¯t they have the same features as the emperor and knight commander in the book?¡¯


    The color of the emperors¡¯, as well as the knight commanders¡¯, hair and eyes were the same.


    ¡°Your Majesty, is there anything wrong with my face?¡± Kane inquired wonderingly at Cecile staring at him with a surprised face.


    ¡°N-no. On what business have you come here today?¡±


    It was nothing new for Kane to visit the empress¡¯ palace. Even during Estian¡¯s absence, he had come numerous times to convey and inform her of many things. He appeared to have come with that purpose in mind today as well; a rather thick stack of papers was in his hands. ¡°I have brought the schedule for next week,¡± he announced.


    ¡°The matter of holding an audience with the envoys of the Stoan Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A dungeon was recently discovered within their kingdom. It seems they went to some pains while excavating it, what with it being so old, and apparently they have found several rather curious items. I am told they intend on offering up the rarest among those items,¡± he explained.


    After elaborating on her schedule for next week, Kane quickly left the room. Cecile took a second read through everything he had handed over before she looked at the end of her table.


    The book that was there until just a while ago was gone.


    ¡°Where did it go?¡±


    She had put a cover of white paper on the book as she was embarrassed to have its title seen by others. ¡°It¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­¡± Cecile muttered and recalled the bunch of papers Kane took back with him and her face turned pale.


    It didn¡¯t end up going in that bunch, did it?


    * * *


    ¡°Kane.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Kane looked up in surprise; Estian¡¯s tone had turned cold all of a sudden. Why is he being like this? Is there a problem?


    Estian had quietly pulled out something from among the bunch of papers Kane brought back from the empress¡¯ palace and begun to read it. But there should not have been anything of issue in there? Kane was feeling muddled when Estian gave him an order with a laugh. ¡°Get your head on the floor, for starters. And¡­¡±


    He tossed a book in front of Kane. ¡°Ban the selling of this book across the continent. Right this very instant.¡±


    And thus, ¡®No One Looks for the Most Gorgeous Flower of the Imperial Palace¡¯ became a forbidden book in the empire.


    * * *


    ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is, I think I had a big misunderstanding. I took a tiny look yesterday and, oh baby, the emperor¡¯s got a body of work, mhm. And I saw the way you two were at it and boy was the bed about to¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up, will you!¡±


    The hands of the attendants stopped at Cecile¡¯s yell. In particular, the face of the attendant who was reading aloud Cecile¡¯s schedule for the day by her side had turned whiter than the paper she held. She looked on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment as she asked, ¡°Sh-shall I shut up?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I was just thinking about something else¡­ Keep going.¡± Seeing the way the attendants looked at her, Cecile worried as to what kind of rumors about her were going around. Perhaps she was being gossiped about like a lunatic who talked to herself? ¡®Honestly. Why is that spirit acting up again?¡¯


    Aled was happy with the jewel obtained from Tania and stayed quiet inside it, and Cecile was relieved to be troubled no more¡­ but the quiet had not lasted long before the spirit crawled out of its den again the day after Estian¡¯s return and began to spout more nonsense at her.

 CH 55

    Cecile turned away from Aled, frowning. In any case, it was fortunate that Estian took up responsibility for the installments the spirit whined about. In addition to that¡­ ¡®Now I can pay Tania for the jewel!¡¯


    She had been in such a hurry that on the first day of the lady-in-waiting election, she had grabbed Tania¡¯s hands and yelled, ¡°I need you.¡±


    Cecile was a woman of conscience. While the emperor might have told her ¡®I need you to be an evil girl¡¯, she could not find it in her to simply steal jewelry from an outright stranger and be done with it; however, all of Cecile¡¯s possessions were treasures of the imperial family, which was why she had asked Kane whether she could use a bit from her share of imperial funds, to which he had answered¡­


    * * *


    ¡°You may use as much as you like. His Majesty has not specified a sum on his part, so please send word if there is anything you need or want. Only¡­¡±


    ¡°Only?¡±


    ¡°You may only do so after His Majesty returns.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Many thoughts had passed through Cecile¡¯s mind. Could it be the emperor intended on supervising everything she spent on?


    ¡®But that won¡¯t do!¡¯ she had thought. ¡®I was looking forward to buying books with the funds! And isn¡¯t he too stingy?! Checking all of where and what I spend on?¡¯


    Seeing Cecile¡¯s face take on all kinds of expressions, Kane had hurriedly shaken his hands and added an explanation. ¡°Please do not misunderstand! There was no empress until now and so according to changes to regulations must be made, on which His Majesty¡¯s final approval is needed, but the proceedings are going late, what with His Majesty suddenly going out to bring that blasted The Forest of Tetin! The arrangements are only going slightly off course, though truthfully, the matter has been long delayed by His Majesty staying at your palace far more frequently than expected. As you know, he hardly comes out once he goes in, and he goes back during the day as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Cecile kept Kane¡¯s words in mind until Estian came to her that night and buried his face in her nape. ¡°Your Majesty, I want to spend some money. Quite a bit of it,¡± she had said.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Estian¡¯s face had turned odd at her words, and he asked back, ¡°Must you ask that right now?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s urgent!¡±


    And urgent it had been. Tania had been keeping silent about the matter, being the kind girl she was, but there was no way she had been feeling good about being robbed of her jewel. Though the girl had ended up becoming her lady-in-waiting by happenstance, Cecile was fond of Tania; in particular, she liked how it felt like having a friend in their conversations, what with their preferences for books being similar. She did not wish to be hated by Tania, so she wanted to pay her for the jewel as soon as possible.


    When Estian hesitated, Cecile had pressed him more strongly for an answer. ¡°Please give your approval right now!¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ Must it really be done tonight? When we¡¯ve already taken off our clothes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay! We can just wear them again!¡±


    ¡°Wear them again?¡± Estian had echoed her in a mumbling daze before pulling Cecile in close by her arm. Caught off guard, she had been taken into his arms and their practically naked bodies touched. Cecile had looked at him, musing that his body seemed harder than usual tonight somehow. ¡®Why does he look so stiff?¡¯


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­ you won¡¯t do it until I approve the matter?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡®Is that how it is?¡¯ Cecile had then realized what she was holding hostage; they had been very nearly naked and Estian had been sticking to her like glue.


    Wielding the bed to bend the emperor to her will¡­ Cecile had almost jumped in surprise when she caught the meaning of her own words. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! What I meant to say is¡­!¡±


    ¡°I did tell you to try and do well, but never did I expect you to put it into such good practice.¡±


    ¡°What I mean is that money borrowed should be returned!¡± She had answered him hastily but it had been too late; Estian had dressed again at lightning speed, zoomed outside, and returned after a while.

 CH 56

    ¡°I¡¯ve handled everything. You¡¯re to receive ten times more than the appraised value of that jewel, so now, let¡¯s focus on our business a little,¡± he had said, and then Estian had pulled down Cecile¡¯s clothes with haste; liberated from the wait, there was no hesitation to be found in his movements.


    He hadn¡¯t let her go until dawn, and she had to chirp under him the entire time. It was only after noon the next day that Cecile was able to crawl out of bed.


    * * *


    ¡®Still, I¡¯m so glad I did nothing but sleep yesterday,¡¯ she sighed. There was an event today, which was why Cecile had tearily begged Estian¡­ for them to sleep holding hands only. Estian looked dissatisfied at her request, but only for a brief moment; he soon acquiesced and did just that. He then covered her snugly in a blanket and lay down to pull her into a hug.


    Cecile had quickly fallen asleep in his arms. She was now used to somebody sleeping next to her, as well as seeing Estian¡¯s face upon waking up. ¡®It¡¯s a problem to get used to it though.¡¯ Cecile sighed. Numerous thoughts passed through her mind. ¡®I should finish today¡¯s work before thinking about it.¡¯


    Cecile turned her gaze to the paper in her hand. Today was the day of the Stoan delegation¡¯s visit and, as the empress, she had to attend to their audience with Estian. ¡®Let¡¯s see. The order of greetings from the envoys, the greeting I should give during the audience, the order of the event¡­¡¯


    While Kane did organize the paper neatly, Cecile still had much to memorize. In particular, imperial etiquette was a difficult thing. Although she was educated on the subject for a month before her wedding, what she learned was almost superficial. ¡®I think I¡¯ll have to study a bit more.¡¯


    She had felt the need to study back then as well, but she realized there was too much she did not know upon entering the imperial palace. ¡®I¡¯ll need someone to teach me, after all.¡¯


    As Kane had once advised, it seemed necessary to choose more ladies-in-waiting to help her. Cecile looked at Tania, who was also reading through a paper with burning focus. Due to being the only lady-in-waiting of the empress, there were quite a few things that Tania was entrusted with for the occasion. She appeared to be memorizing the things related to it, but her face looked pale. As expected, it seemed Tania would have a hard time handling these matters on her own.


    ¡®Yes. For Tania¡¯s sake too, I should pick a lady-in-waiting who¡¯s well-versed in imperial etiquette.¡¯


    * * *


    Tania looked at the paper in her hand. Many times, imperial attendants had asked if she was alright at the sight of her pale face. ¡®I¡¯m not alright, I¡¯m in trouble!¡¯


    Trouble was the word in Tania¡¯s heart. She shifted her gaze to a spot above the papers Kane had brought, where a letter from her mother lay.


    Come back home right this instant, or I will find you and kill you.


    -Mom-


    How is this a letter from a mother to her daughter?! Clearly, it¡¯s blackmail! No, blackmail would¡¯ve been better actually¡­ She was twice as scared to see -Mom- written at the end. Tania felt cold sweat trickling down her back. In truth, she had sent a letter home out of excitement on the day she became a lady-in-waiting.


    Mom, I shall now enjoy a fabulous life in the capital. Who cares about that bumpkin province! I don¡¯t need to do any more sword practice, nor do I need any more crossbow practice! I don¡¯t need to go hunting for winter wolves, nor do I need to clean the grizzly kennel! I am free!


    And what she got in return was that letter. It was unknown as to how furious her mother was to have written back, but five¡ªfive!¡ªmarks of a broken pen were visible on that single short sentence. ¡®Why did I write a letter like that¡­¡¯


    Tania was plagued by deep regret, but there was no use crying over spilled milk. Besides, there was a bigger problem¡­ ¡®I miswrote the return address so this letter is from a week ago!¡¯ She panicked. With that being the case, it was highly likely that her mother, who had yet to receive a reply, had already set out for her. Tania¡¯s face turned even paler.


    I¡¯m so dead.

 CH 57

    Estian was listening to a report from Kane. ¡°Suspicious, you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Word from the Stoan Kingdom is that they dispatched a mage to look after the items just in case, seeing as they were discovered in an ancient underground dungeon.¡±


    ¡°So that mage could be someone sent from The Mage¡¯s Tower¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. It seems this is why the barrier of The Mage¡¯s Tower was opened for a while despite it not being the time for that.¡±


    The Mage¡¯s Tower.


    As the name suggested, it was an enormous tower where mages gathered. In reality, though, the name referred to the huge city built around a mage tower rather than the structure itself. Unusually enough, the tower was protected by a barrier and so no one could enter outside of designated periods, and of course, no one could exit either.


    ¡°That bloody mage lord. Who knows what he¡¯s up to after being quiet for a while. And didn¡¯t they say the barrier of the holy kingdom was broken some time ago? So many suspicious things going on.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And if the rumors of the saintess going missing is true¡­¡± Kane trailed off.


    ¡°Who but The Mage¡¯s Tower would do such a thing? There¡¯s no way the saintess broke the barrier and left the holy kingdom on her own, after all.¡± In fact, the saintess had done just that, but as he had no way of knowing, Estian banged on his table with a faceful of irritation.


    Mage Lord Richard. Although he took on the appearance of a young man, he was, in reality, a fox of a man who had lived for centuries. Some even entertained the thought of him being the incarnation of a dragon due to his mighty magical power and unknown age.


    ¡°Must I kill the b*stard a few more times to knock some sense into him¡­¡±


    And a year ago, he suffered a terrible defeat and a beating at Estian¡¯s hands. Estian regretted his actions on that day.


    Long ago, he had received a letter from Richard. Dozens upon dozens of various spells had been cast upon the letter¡ªfrom protection magic to illusion magic¡ªas if crying out to the world, ¡®This is the letter of a mage lord!¡¯ Annoyed at having to undo one spell after another, Estian had decided to erase every trace of magic using his black steel blade and opened the letter, wherein lay the following message¡­


    You wish to know about Eugendiph¡¯s Blood? Then why don¡¯t you stop by our mage¡¯s tower? Please contact us immediately!


    If the sender¡¯s name hadn¡¯t been Richard and Eugendiph¡¯s Blood hadn¡¯t been mentioned, he would not have spared a second to toss the letter away, wondering how such advertisement letters made their way to the emperor¡¯s office.


    In any case, it had been a letter sent by the mage lord himself and so Estian had made time in his busy schedule to visit. What Richard had told him upon his visit, however, was enough to blow his top:


    ¡°I never wrote that I knew well about it though? I only asked if you wished to know. But anyway. Welcome, Emperor. Could I just get a barrel of your blood here? And don¡¯t mind the man-size of the thing. You¡¯ll get to know well about Eugendiph¡¯s Blood once we start researching with your blood, so while the order may be a bit messed up, the end result is that my letter told no¡­ Kaagh!¡±


    Richard could speak no more after that.


    ¡°So you just conned me¡ªme¡ªis that right, Mage Lord?¡± Enraged for the first time in a long while, Estian had unleashed an unrelenting wave of beatings on Richard for three days and nights.


    The only reason Richard had managed to stay alive had been thanks to the hundreds of healing spells he had cast on himself, and also because Kane had pleaded to Estian from behind, crying, ¡°There¡¯ll be more work to be had if you kill the mage lord, Your Majesty!¡±


    Estian¡¯s furious kick had literally sent Richard¡¯s head rolling like a ball across the floor, but his disembodied head seemed to have a life of its own¡ªhe had merely muttered to himself, ¡°Come on, would it hurt to give a little?¡± as if entirely oblivious to the situation.


    That had happened a year ago. There hadn¡¯t been much movement from The Mage¡¯s Tower since then, which was why Estian thought that was the end of it, but who knew they would get up to something shady at this point.


    ¡°The b*stard. He must¡¯ve been sticking his head back on for the past year to crawl out of the woodworks only now.¡± Estian muttered to himself, looking down at his arm. He too had suffered countless wounds in the fight with Richard, but now there was not even a trace of them left. This was one of the powers of Eugendiph¡¯s Blood.

 CH 58

    Looking at this, he could understand why the Mage¡¯s Tower was dying to research him. ¡®Not that I have any thoughts of joining in that.¡¯


    Their motives were the same in wanting to know about Eugendiph¡¯s blood, but their final goal was completely different. the Mage¡¯s Tower doubtless wished to create more successors of Eugendiph by researching his blood, whereas Estian desired to completely get rid of it so that no more beings such as he would exist in the world.


    ¡°Shall we cancel the audience today?¡± Kane asked cautiously at the sight of Estian¡¯s stiffening face; anyone could tell that he was in an extremely foul mood at the moment. A moment later, Kane asked, ¡°Or shall I bring Her Majesty the Empress over?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Cecile¡­¡± Estian responded unconsciously, but trailed off and looked up. ¡°Why the talk of Cecile, all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I judged your mood would improve a little with the empress by your side.¡±


    ¡°What sort of¡­¡±


    ¡­Nonsense is that? But Estian could not finish his words and shut his mouth. As Kane said, he felt his mood would indeed improve with her by his side. In fact, he wanted her to be here. He had a feeling he could stop thinking about Eugendiph¡¯s Blood in her presence. Estian¡¯s thoughts struck him as odd. ¡®Why, though?¡¯


    He was fond of Cecile to the degree of Kane making such suggestions as he did outright, and he did not deny this truth. He liked Cecile, but the problem was that he did not know why.


    Because she was beautiful? Countless women had approached him to this day. Were none of them as beautiful as Cecile? No. He did not, however, feel the tiniest interest towards them at the time.


    Was it because of her curious antics? It was indeed amusing to hear her practically asking for death from their first meeting, but what would have happened if someone other than Cecile had done such a thing? ¡®The wedding would¡¯ve become a funeral, no doubt.¡¯


    Estian grew ever more pensive upon reaching this point in thought. How strange. Why did he become so soft when it came to Cecile? He was not one to become so lenient towards something he took a liking to. Others might exclaim ¡®That¡¯s love!¡¯ upon hearing his thoughts. Estian shook his head. Something was strangely bothering him.


    ¡°Shall I bring her over now?¡± Kane asked.


    ¡°No, leave her be.¡±


    At that moment, there was a loud noise outside and Estian looked out the window; he saw a delegation of envoys entering through the imperial palace gates in the distance.


    He had to push his thoughts aside, for the time being, be it about Eugendiph¡¯s Blood or Cecile. Right now, his priority was dealing with that delegation, where Richard was bound to have snuck himself into.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what great preparations you¡¯ve made, then,¡± Estian muttered and clenched his fists as he thought of venting his foul mood on them.


    * * *


    ¡°Eh, what the? Isn¡¯t that Richard?¡± The saintess muttered to herself while watching the envoys come in. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t write that Richard was to be among the delegation?¡±


    The saintess took another look at the envoys in her confusion. Large letters were floating above the head of a certain man among the delegation.


    [Name: Richard / Age: 486 / Occupation: Mage Lord / Status: Casting a transforming spell and a masking spell.]


    The letters disappeared soon after the saintess blinked her eyes. ¡°Wow. I never imagined that this is what True Sight looks like. It¡¯s really like a game status window though.¡±


    True Sight was one of the abilities she had originally given to the saintess in the novel, a power to discern the status or information of another in exchange for a great amount of holy power¡­ Though in truth, she had not intended on giving the saintess such an ability at first; she had done so in a reckless attempt to bulldoze through a difficult part in her writing. Thanks to that, the power of the saintess ended up like something out of a game novel that did not belong here.


    The saintess stared at Richard for a long time, but then hastily turned her head toward the wagon brought by the envoys. Once again, letters rose like before above the cover of the wagon.


    [Name: Phantom Beast Egg / Hatching Condition: Contact with an individual of great power.]


    ¡®That¡¯s the same as in the novel I wrote¡­ so why on earth is Richard meddling in this all of a sudden? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be a sub male lead that appears midstory?¡¯


    The saintess slowly closed and opened her eyes, and she saw the letters no more. She had to stop her use of holy power; any further and Estian¡¯s keen senses would catch on to the abnormality in the air. Besides, she had to use it sparingly as holy power was not infinite.


    ¡®Well, this is enough.¡¯ It would have been enough to confirm the phantom beast egg coming in as expected, but she ended up finding out the unthinkable. The saintess was uneasy seeing something not go as she had written, but in any case, the world had not yet strayed off the main path. ¡®Only the way I¡¯ve written leads to a happy ending, after all.¡¯


    With that thought in mind, she glared at the wagon entering the imperial palace again. According to her plot, ¡®Chapter 2. I Stopped a Phantom Beast Attack¡¯ would begin after roughly two hours. It was the sweetest part in the early stages of her story, as well as the part where Estian¡¯s love deepened. There were many touching and touchy-feely moments to be had too, which was why¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve absolutely got to get into Cecile before that happens! I can¡¯t miss out on this chapter!¡± She screamed.


    The saintess¡¯ war cry echoed against the imperial castle walls.


    * * *


    Looking at this, he could understand why the Mage¡¯s Tower was dying to research him. ¡®Not that I have any thoughts of joining in that.¡¯


    Their motives were the same in wanting to know about Eugendiph¡¯s blood, but their final goal was completely different. the Mage¡¯s Tower doubtless wished to create more successors of Eugendiph by researching his blood, whereas Estian desired to completely get rid of it so that no more beings such as he would exist in the world.


    ¡°Shall we cancel the audience today?¡± Kane asked cautiously at the sight of Estian¡¯s stiffening face; anyone could tell that he was in an extremely foul mood at the moment. A moment later, Kane asked, ¡°Or shall I bring Her Majesty the Empress over?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Cecile¡­¡± Estian responded unconsciously, but trailed off and looked up. ¡°Why the talk of Cecile, all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I judged your mood would improve a little with the empress by your side.¡±


    ¡°What sort of¡­¡±


    ¡­Nonsense is that? But Estian could not finish his words and shut his mouth. As Kane said, he felt his mood would indeed improve with her by his side. In fact, he wanted her to be here. He had a feeling he could stop thinking about Eugendiph¡¯s Blood in her presence. Estian¡¯s thoughts struck him as odd. ¡®Why, though?¡¯


    He was fond of Cecile to the degree of Kane making such suggestions as he did outright, and he did not deny this truth. He liked Cecile, but the problem was that he did not know why.


    Because she was beautiful? Countless women had approached him to this day. Were none of them as beautiful as Cecile? No. He did not, however, feel the tiniest interest towards them at the time.


    Was it because of her curious antics? It was indeed amusing to hear her practically asking for death from their first meeting, but what would have happened if someone other than Cecile had done such a thing? ¡®The wedding would¡¯ve become a funeral, no doubt.¡¯


    Estian grew ever more pensive upon reaching this point in thought. How strange. Why did he become so soft when it came to Cecile? He was not one to become so lenient towards something he took a liking to. Others might exclaim ¡®That¡¯s love!¡¯ upon hearing his thoughts. Estian shook his head. Something was strangely bothering him.


    ¡°Shall I bring her over now?¡± Kane asked.


    ¡°No, leave her be.¡±


    At that moment, there was a loud noise outside and Estian looked out the window; he saw a delegation of envoys entering through the imperial palace gates in the distance.


    He had to push his thoughts aside, for the time being, be it about Eugendiph¡¯s Blood or Cecile. Right now, his priority was dealing with that delegation, where Richard was bound to have snuck himself into.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what great preparations you¡¯ve made, then,¡± Estian muttered and clenched his fists as he thought of venting his foul mood on them.


    * * *


    ¡°Eh, what the? Isn¡¯t that Richard?¡± The saintess muttered to herself while watching the envoys come in. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t write that Richard was to be among the delegation?¡±


    The saintess took another look at the envoys in her confusion. Large letters were floating above the head of a certain man among the delegation.


    [Name: Richard / Age: 486 / Occupation: Mage Lord / Status: Casting a transforming spell and a masking spell.]


    The letters disappeared soon after the saintess blinked her eyes. ¡°Wow. I never imagined that this is what True Sight looks like. It¡¯s really like a game status window though.¡±


    True Sight was one of the abilities she had originally given to the saintess in the novel, a power to discern the status or information of another in exchange for a great amount of holy power¡­ Though in truth, she had not intended on giving the saintess such an ability at first; she had done so in a reckless attempt to bulldoze through a difficult part in her writing. Thanks to that, the power of the saintess ended up like something out of a game novel that did not belong here.


    The saintess stared at Richard for a long time, but then hastily turned her head toward the wagon brought by the envoys. Once again, letters rose like before above the cover of the wagon.


    [Name: Phantom Beast Egg / Hatching Condition: Contact with an individual of great power.]


    ¡®That¡¯s the same as in the novel I wrote¡­ so why on earth is Richard meddling in this all of a sudden? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be a sub male lead that appears midstory?¡¯


    The saintess slowly closed and opened her eyes, and she saw the letters no more. She had to stop her use of holy power; any further and Estian¡¯s keen senses would catch on to the abnormality in the air. Besides, she had to use it sparingly as holy power was not infinite.


    ¡®Well, this is enough.¡¯ It would have been enough to confirm the phantom beast egg coming in as expected, but she ended up finding out the unthinkable. The saintess was uneasy seeing something not go as she had written, but in any case, the world had not yet strayed off the main path. ¡®Only the way I¡¯ve written leads to a happy ending, after all.¡¯


    With that thought in mind, she glared at the wagon entering the imperial palace again. According to her plot, ¡®Chapter 2. I Stopped a Phantom Beast Attack¡¯ would begin after roughly two hours. It was the sweetest part in the early stages of her story, as well as the part where Estian¡¯s love deepened. There were many touching and touchy-feely moments to be had too, which was why¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve absolutely got to get into Cecile before that happens! I can¡¯t miss out on this chapter!¡± She screamed.


    The saintess¡¯ war cry echoed against the imperial castle walls.

 CH 59

    Estian made his way to the audience room. Cecile, who had arrived first and was waiting, got up to greet him. After getting the attendants to leave, he approached Cecile. ¡°Why do you look like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling nervous.¡±


    When he thought about it, Estian did recall that Cecile was trembling in this manner right before meeting with his officials for the first time¡­ though she was just fine after going inside the hall, as if she was never tense.


    ¡°Still. You seem more nervous than before?¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re foreign envoys. Last time I was facing officials of the nation at least, so I thought they¡¯d control themselves somehow, but if something goes wrong this time, it¡¯ll lead to an international issue¡­¡± Cecile trailed off.


    ¡°What, you were concerned about such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I do have that much common sense!¡±


    Laughter fell from Estian¡¯s lips at the sight of Cecile talking to him even as she shook. Why was it that she felt nervous about such a thing, yet she felt nothing of the sort toward him?


    Kane had stood by Estian¡¯s side so long he had grown accustomed to his presence, while Irene felt no fear due to their shared blood and so she could talk all she liked. Cecile, however, did not fall under either case, which was why he found it curious every time she acted so normally toward him.


    Estian lifted Cecile by her waist before seating himself in a chair and placing her on his lap. They were so close that the warmth of their bodies could be felt through the thick clothes they wore. But as Estian pulled her in even harder towards him, feeling satisfied, Cecile burst out in alarm. ¡°The dress will crumple!¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be feeling surprised and confused first, in moments like this?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve already grown used to Your Majesty doing this¡­ so not really?¡±


    It was understandable, seeing as Cecile knew best how much Estian had clung to her in the Empress Palace during the week following their wedding.


    ¡°Is that right? Then, shall I try something less familiar?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± She asked cautiously.


    His hands unhesitatingly climbed up her body and, startled, she slapped them away with audible force. ¡°You can¡¯t! If you want to do it, be patient until night!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    For the life of him, Estian could not figure out why she looked even prettier in moments like this. Had somebody else slapped his hands in such a manner, they would have already lost those limbs. He would not even lay his hands on them in the first place. The more he thought about it, the stranger he felt, yet for all that he was pleased. ¡°What did you think I¡¯d do?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course¡­!¡± Her words trailed off then and Cecile¡¯s face burned red in an instant. She could not bring herself to continue, not in broad daylight. Estian took advantage of her hesitation to pester her hips with his hands again. He was rather pleased that she did not slap them away this time.


    ¡°And why do I have to be patient?¡±


    Cecile found his question ridiculous, but still answered him. ¡°Because the audience with the delegation will be starting soon.¡±


    ¡°And? What of it? It¡¯s not even a problem to postpone the audience for an hour or two. I could put it off until tomorrow or next month if I so wished.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Shall I just do that? Truthfully, I don¡¯t want to meet them. May as well say the emperor wants to spend more time with the empress and send them back on their way.¡±


    ¡°But then I¡¯ll be the one taking the hate again,¡± she whined.


    ¡°So what? Isn¡¯t that what we planned? It¡¯s even better if you can gain some notoriety without having to do anything bothersome.¡±


    It was indeed as he said. When Cecile flung the Aled of Leafy Woods in front of the officials, she felt like she was throwing her heart along with it.


    It was a chance to easily gain some infamy without doing anything like that, but¡­ why did she feel it so unfair? Cecile looked at the paper still in her hand. She figured she was upset because of all the hard work she put into memorizing its contents, yet her efforts seemed in vain now.


    ¡®It¡¯s not just me. Tania too!¡¯ She also remembered how Tania was reading through a paper over and over to the extent of turning pale. Tania had tried so hard as well, so she could not turn all their efforts to vain in an instant.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    It was then that the door to the audience room was abruptly jerked open without even a knock. Startled by the arrival of someone else, Cecile pushed Estian¡¯s chest as hard as she could, resulting in her immediately falling onto¡­ his arms.


    ¡°You surprised me. What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, Your Majesty. The matter is that urgent.¡± Kane hurriedly bowed in apology at Estian¡¯s reproaching words, but it was only then that Estian turned to him.


    ¡°Ah, Kane. I wasn¡¯t talking to you so don¡¯t mind it. Are you all right, Cecile? That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t have pushed at me.¡± Estian said, having just barely caught Cecile, who had almost fallen to the floor. After lightly taking hold of her waist with one hand, he pulled her completely into his embrace as if telling her not to move anymore, then turned his attention to Kane. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you if the matter is of no consequence.¡±


    ¡°I am truly sorry for interrupting your good time, however¡­¡±


    Normally, Kane would have said something along the lines of ¡®I shall tell you later¡¯ and taken his leave, but he did not go away even as he hesitated. Moreover, he was glancing at Cecile, not Estian.


    Realizing that what Kane had to say was more important than he thought and that Cecile was concerned, Estian let her go with a discontent face.


    ¡°So, what brings you, then?¡±

 CH 60

    As soon as Estian released her from his arms, Cecile promptly skedaddled out of the room. As she went out, the attendants standing outside approached her wonderingly. ¡°Oh dear, your clothes¡­¡±


    Upon spotting the wrinkles on the hem of Cecile¡¯s dress, they swiftly set about smoothing it out before quietly bowing with knowing looks on their faces. The sight of them acting that way made Cecile feel twice as indignant.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t do it! I didn¡¯t, I tell you!¡¯


    A moment later, Kane came out of the room to tell her that Estian was looking for her.


    ¡®I¡¯m leaving straight away if he tries something funny again.¡¯


    Cecile went into the room with that thought in mind and stopped in front of the door, looking at Estian while holding onto the handle so she could get out at any time. Estian clicked his tongue at her display of wariness. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so prepared to run. I only called because there¡¯s something I need you to do.¡±


    ¡°Something I need to do?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. Though I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very different from what I originally asked of you. Could you come here for a second?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything, so will you stop eyeing me like that.¡±


    As Cecile drew near, still wary, Estian reached out and pulled her by the arm. The moment Cecile fell into Estian¡¯s arms and put on a cross look, he began to whisper in her ear.


    Hearing what he had to say, Cecile¡¯s mouth fell apart and a trembling voice came out of her. ¡°You want me to do something like that?¡±


    * * *


    The audience proceeded peacefully. While Tania did stammer a bit, confusing the order of actions and greeting words, no big problem arose thanks to the timely assistance of Kane, who had been expecting such a situation. The atmosphere in the audience room was different than before, however.


    Normally, the sharp gazes of the imperial officials would have been directed towards the entering foreign envoys. Today though, all their eyes were focused elsewhere, or to be precise, towards the emperor sitting at the highest seat and the empress sticking right next to him.


    Everyone was already well aware of the empress¡¯s eccentricity, so they all knew what was coming today as well.


    ¡®Surely the empress will do something crazy today too!¡¯


    And to no one¡¯s surprise, the empress had met their expectations starting from her very appearance. According to imperial etiquette, the emperor and the empress were supposed to enter the audience room holding hands while standing approximately a feet apart, yet the two right now¡­


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think it¡¯s too cold here. Goodness, look at my cold breath. What if I die of freezing like this?¡± The empress cooed petulant words as she clung to the emperor¡¯s arm and rubbed herself against him, the sight of which elicited troubled sighs from among the officials. It would be summer soon and wearing long sleeves made it hot enough to feel steamy, so what cold was she talking about?


    The officials shot cold daggers at Cecile.


    ¡®Go inside if it¡¯s so cold! Go back to your palace! What madness are you up to again in front of a foreign delegation!¡¯ They shouted desperately with their eyes, to which Cecile responded with a smile. The dazzling light from the chandelier in the audience room made the jewelry on Cecile¡¯s head, hands, neck, and ears shine with even greater brilliance, all of which served to add a glimmer to her finely combed platinum hair.


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    The officials who chanced eye contact with Cecile turned their heads hastily, their faces all a little reddened.


    They hurriedly fanned their faces with their hands, feeling like it had gotten a little hotter somehow. Estian glared at the ministers for a moment before murmuring to Cecile with all the tenderness in the world.


    ¡°Is it very cold?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Cecile held Estian¡¯s hand to her cheek and rubbed against it. ¡°It¡¯s okay because Your Majesty is lending me a hand like this.¡±


    Objectively speaking, they were simply a couple having a good time, albeit somewhat discomfiting to watch. Regardless of them being the emperor and empress, they certainly made for a good picture¡­ but time and place were the problems.


    The officials looked to Estian as their last hope. Your Majesty, please stop the empress! And, shouldering the expectations of his officials, Estian opened his mouth to say, ¡°How can one hand be enough when you¡¯re this cold? Come a little closer.¡±


    Estian removed his cloak from his ceremonial suit and wrapped it around Cecile¡¯s shoulders.


    It was written across the officials¡¯ faces, ¡®We were fools to believe!¡¯


    Covered in Estian¡¯s red cloak, Cecile stuck even closer to Estian¡¯s side in a pleased manner, then grabbed the end of the cloak to put half of it over Estian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How can I use it only for myself when your noble self who governs this empire is more precious than anything else? So let¡¯s cover-up together, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Your thoughts for me are warming enough even without it.¡±


    Oh, brother¡­ Just as they all gave up thinking any further, an attendant announced the arrival of the delegation from the Stoan Kingdom and the envoys entered the audience room.


    ¡°I deliver greetings on behalf of the Stoan Kingdom to Your Majesty¡­ the Emperor.¡±


    The head envoy, who had approached to make his greetings, paused in his words for a moment, while the imperial officials all nodded with looks of understanding on their faces. Bewildering, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re the same. You see, His Majesty wasn¡¯t like this before.

 CH 61

    Fortunately, the representative of the Stoan delegation was a seasoned fellow. Aside from his brief pause, he exhibited flawless professionalism as he uttered the last of his greeting words. But suddenly¡­ the empress¡¯ voice rang through the audience room in a tone of sincere incomprehension. ¡°Stoan? Where do you find that country? It¡¯s my first time hearing the name.¡±


    The mouths of the imperial officials began to drop, one after another. There was no way the empress did not know; after all, Stoan was the neighboring country of Navitan Kingdom, the empress¡¯ homeland, with twice the history of the latter to boot.


    ¡®It¡¯s begun.¡¯ The faces of the officials were colored with resignation.


    ¡°Is it too small for me to have heard of?¡±


    The mocking tinge in her voice was a tell-tale sign¡ªthe empress was being deliberate in her words.


    * * *


    Cecile wanted to cry.


    Estian had whispered to her, ¡°Try your best to scratch the pride of the Stoan delegation.¡±


    In truth, Cecile had already picked out a suitable act of madness from the novels she was reading. ¡®I¡¯ll hold back a bit from anything jewelry-related for today¡­ Hmm. It¡¯s easiest to stick close to His Majesty after all, but this is still a bit embarrassing. Acting like this in front of others is a bit¡­ What¡¯s left is saying stupid things, but then I¡¯ll end up being called a fool¡­ it¡¯ll be hard to be dubbed a villainess.¡¯


    Cecile had driven away her attendants, and even Tania, before starting to thoroughly go through the romance novels she had kept¡ªwith their titles hidden¡ª in her bookshelves. She had placed a bookmark on every page she came across where the villainesses were harassing the female leads and repeatedly read through their actions. She had decided to reenact one evil per day, but¡­


    ¡®I ended up doing everything at once!¡¯


    Cecile had stuck to Estian starting from when they entered the audience room, showing off her jewelry in front of the officials, and now she was saying things anyone would deem stupid.


    ¡°Or maybe¡­ it¡¯s a country not even worth memorizing.¡±


    Truly, she wondered as to why her mouth did not so much as stammer once when uttering such mean things.


    How could she not know of Stoan? Stoan was the very first name of another country she heard when she learned the concept of foreign countries growing up. It was the country right next to Navitan after all! And despite Stoan being right next to Navitan, unlike the latter, it was a country with a good climate and many plains.


    ¡®How could I not know of the country when I like Stoan fruits so much!¡¯


    In the past, the maidservants of her royal villa had occasionally brought Cecile fruits, saying they were left over from what was delivered to the main palace. All of them were hardly found in Navitan; juicy grapes, tangy-sweet apples, crispy pears¡­ and every single one of them was stuck with a label that read: ¡®Made in Stoan ¨C Sugar content guaranteed! Real-name production system! If it tastes bad then take it for a refund!¡¯


    Upon learning that these fruits all came from Stoan, the country had become the land of dreams for her ever since childhood, so much so that it was her wish to someday, when she grew up and left the royal villa, go to Stoan before anything else and buy a ton of fruits. Yet for all that, she had to see the face of the Stoan head envoy freeze up at her words.


    Her heart was crying out, ¡®No! I know a lot about Stoan! I know where the fruit market opens! And I completely memorized which fruit grows well in what region! I absolutely want to go visiting some time later, so could you please give a local¡¯s recommendation for restaurants!¡¯


    She could not give voice to her heart, however.


    Cecile discreetly glanced at Estian and their eyes met the moment she turned her head; apparently, he had been looking at her the entire time, with a face full of amusement at that. Meanwhile, the frozen Stoan envoy just barely maintained a smile as he pried open his lips to reply. ¡°Oh, our country of Stoan is a neighbor to your homeland, Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Navitan and¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh, no wonder it sounded a bit familiar¡ªit was that place, the one that makes a living out of peddling fruits. Well, I suppose the things you brought won¡¯t be worth much either then. Why bother bringing fruits so far when we have more than enough of it in the Empire?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence fell over the room and Cecile nervously clasped onto Estian¡¯s arm, which prompted the latter to draw close and whisper into her ear. ¡°I can¡¯t help but admire every time I see you acting.¡±


    Really? Who asked you to feel admiration right now?


    Leaving Cecile struck with incredulity, Estian raised his head to look at the head envoy. ¡°Well, it appears the Stoan Kingdom has nothing much of interest to my empress.¡±


    ¡°I am deeply ashamed.¡±


    Cecile felt on the verge of tears at the sight of the head envoy apologizing with his head bowed. Don¡¯t be like that! I totally love Stoan fruits! You can consider it the pride of the entire continent!


    After bowing his head deeply, the head envoy forced his lips open again. ¡°However, what we brought on this occasion are not fruits, but items that were discovered in an ancient dungeon underground. We have brought everything we excavated as an offering, from objects with curious functions to things that are a complete mystery, so if you would please take one¡­¡±


    ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be any dirt on them, would there? Did you even wash them properly before bringing them?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence fell once again.


    Cecile decided to acknowledge her own talent¡ªthe talent for only picking out mean words to say.

 CH 62

    Cecile had crossed the point of no return. Stricken by the cold gazes being shot at her, she pulled Estian¡¯s cloak harder around herself, trying to hide. This is what I have to do to survive as the empress? What is this really...


    Estian caressed Cecile¡¯s face as she cried inwardly with open, adoring tenderness, and he spoke without even looking in the head envoy¡¯s direction. ¡°Goodness. It appears my empress isn¡¯t satisfied. What you brought wasn¡¯t to her expectation.¡±


    Cecile shot a look at him that said, ¡®Shouldn¡¯t you deal with the rest yourself if I¡¯ve done this much? Why are you putting me on the spot again?¡¯ But Estian shrugged off the glowering look she was giving with a leisurely face. Riled up by his tranquil air, she defiantly picked up from where he left off.


    ¡°Why would my feelings matter, Your Majesty? I had only hoped for something that would befit your prestige.¡± Cecile barely managed to mince her words instead of desperately crying out¡ª¡®Don¡¯t cop out on me!¡¯¡ªbut he lightly ignored her attempt at grasping at straws.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do. My biggest fear in the world is to fail in satisfying you. It seems I must go back and soothe your anger¡­ all night long, that is.¡±


    Estian¡¯s unquestionably odd words made Cecile drop her gaze slightly. To others, she appeared embarrassed and coy, but in reality, she was simply thinking ¡®I¡¯ve lost¡¯. While she did need to stake her life for these charades, she did not, for the death of her, feel up to returning his words with a line of her own that went something like ¡®Tee-hee, then how about we go and start burning the night away?¡¯.


    ¡°The delegation of the Stoan Kingdom may return. It seems it will do without having to look at your offering, so I will gladly accept your regards. Well then, Empress. Shall we return?¡±


    ¡°All will be as you wish, Your Majesty.¡±


    But just as the two were immersing themselves in a world of their own like the time they tossed the Emerald of Aled¡­


    ¡°If you would please wait a moment, Your Majesty.¡±


    A man suddenly walked out from among the delegation standing behind the head envoy, drawing Cecile¡¯s attention. The man was wearing an ordinary outfit that was no different from the one worn by the other envoys. His dark brown hair and brown eyes were a common set of features that would not linger even a second in a passerby¡¯s mind.


    As she gazed at the man, Cecile felt that something was off. The man was truly all too ordinary, so much so that if she briefly turned around and back, she had to search for him again.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Cecile murmured and gave a strong tug at Estian¡¯s hand that was holding hers.


    ¡®This is the man.¡¯


    She had found him¡ª the person Estian had spoken of.


    * * *


    ¡®Is this him?¡¯


    Estian noticed how Cecile¡¯s body stiffened as she clung to his arm and turned his gaze to the envoy that had walked out of the group, immediately catching on to something strange.


    ¡®So it¡¯s a masking spell.¡¯ Estian mused silently.


    A spell that clouded one¡¯s very existence in plain sight, effectively leaving no impression on others. It happened to be the most favored spell used by those of the Mage¡¯s Tower when they were up to do no good. Estian looked at his cloak that was covering Cecile. To all appearances, it was only a red ceremonial cloak, but it was enchanted with a spell that could block most magic of the combat and curse branch. Cecile would come to no harm with this cloak, even if something happened, but still, he could not rest easy.


    He could not begin to even count the number of attempts made on his life so far, so he had expected nothing interesting this time around as well¡ªuntil Kane came to him and asked, ¡®But wouldn¡¯t Her Majesty be in danger?¡¯ He snapped to his senses in that very instant.


    ¡®Which is why I thought to send Cecile back at first.¡¯


    Surprisingly though, she firmly declared she would not go back. She questioned whether he even knew how she and her lady-in-waiting had studied so hard for this occasion, and even took out a crumpled study note from a pocket of her dress¡ªgod knows where it was hidden¡ªto show him.


    ¡°I do say some nonsensical things, but I still want to do the things expected of an empress. I really studied hard memorizing these things,¡± she said.


    It was apparent that Cecile thought Estian was trying to send her away out of distrust. He was engaged in a brooding thought when she resumed speaking.


    ¡°Besides, I have to keep staying by Your Majesty¡¯s side, so I can¡¯t pull out like this, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right on that.¡±


    At that, Estian decided to go with Cecil.


    His jumbled thoughts were instantly brought to order when hearing that she had to keep staying by his side. For some reason, he wanted to hear her say that over and over. He felt like he would be pleased just listening to those words without needing to do anything else.


    Estian looked to his side. Cecile seemed to have noticed the strangeness about the envoy as well; he could feel the trembling of her hands that were holding onto him. In the days to come, she would have to face danger of this level for dozens, hundreds of times.


    ¡®I was going to send her back to her palace if she was too fearful.¡¯


    Estian saw Kane standing to the side. If he gave the order, Kane would take Cecile to her palace at once. He alone was enough to handle the situation here, after all, but even as Cecile shook in fear, she did not back down. She merely gripped his hand tighter, as if to convey her trust for him, and Estian responded in kind. She had done her best in playing her role, so he felt it was only right that he raise the roof. Estian glared at the man who had come forward and said, ¡°Insolence. Who permitted you to speak?¡±


    ¡°I beg your forgiveness for my impatient transgression, but I do so only because there is something I keenly wish for Your Majesty to see for yourself.¡±

 CH 63

    ¡°See for myself?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It is what we found in the dungeon.¡± The man opened the large wooden box next to him and carefully took out what was inside.


    ¡°What might that be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either¡­ but it has a peculiar shape.¡±


    ¡°Peculiar, you say? I¡¯d say it just looks like a large bird¡¯s egg, no?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Anyone can see that it¡¯s a square piece of rock.¡±


    ¡°Hold on now, you two. Are you talking about that bumpy fruit?¡±


    The onlooking officials each observed the object lifted by the envoy and ended up astonished; the man was most definitely holding onto a single object, yet it appeared differently to everyone else.


    ¡°Wh-what is going on?¡±


    As the others began to be struck by surprise, the man took a step forward with a smile. ¡°Your Majesty. If I may ask, what does this look like to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­What is that?¡± The emperor asked.


    ¡°That we do not know either. All we do know is the sentence written on the stone slab we discovered along with this object: It shall awaken at the touch of the strongest of all.¡± The man took another step closer and held out the object before Estian. ¡°Which is why we wish to offer this to Your Majesty.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes flashed with anticipation as he said, ¡°No matter how much I think about it, you are the only one to awaken this object, Your Majesty, so please, accept this.¡±


    Cecile and the officials who were watching things play out thought this: ¡®Who the heck would be mad enough to take something so suspicious?¡¯


    But while everyone was looking at the envoy who was holding out an obviously suspicious item, a commotion was occurring at a door of the inner palace.


    * * *


    ¡°Move, move aside, all of you!¡±


    The soldiers guarding the door wonderingly turned their heads at the sound of an explosion and the voice of a woman came soon after.


    ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡±


    ¡°Looks like a maidservant?¡±


    They saw a woman running towards them from the end of the long corridor they were standing in. Wearing the uniform of a maidservant, the woman charged over wildly like a starved boar that had found prey.


    Her clothes made it easy for the soldiers to identify her as an outsider; the attendants in the palace did not wear maid uniforms with so many frills to the point of being excessive, after all. Regardless, the guards clicked their tongues and issued a warning to the unauthorized visitor. ¡°Stop, young lady. You cannot go inside.¡±


    The guard gestured for the woman to stop, presuming her to be a maidservant that had lost her way, but she did slow down despite his warning.


    ¡®Something¡¯s off?¡¯


    The moment the guards were starting to feel alarmed, the charging maidservant cried out, ¡°Holy¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    For a moment, the guards doubted their own eyes.


    The maidservant¡¯s fist was suffused with a clear, blue light, emanating such power that they could literally feel it from afar. Very rarely, the commanders of each imperial knight order would spar unrestrainedly, during which spectators might sense their power, compressed to the extreme, for fleeting moments¡­ And right now, the maidservant¡¯s hand was charged with that kind of power.


    ¡°It¡¯s an atta-¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­-Shit!¡±


    Even before the guards could raise the alarm, the maidservant¡¯s fist was launched before them. With a tremendous slam, the shimmering marble floor of the corridor was smashed in an instant and they were sent flying along with the debris. After blasting away the guards in a single blow, the saintess cried out, ¡°I¡¯ll be a dog if I ever write a gimmick like this again, a dog! The hell with the saintess¡¯ technique being named Holly Shit! Even fossils wouldn¡¯t play a gag like this!¡±


    The saintess looked at her fist. It was no wonder the barrier of the holy kingdom was broken by her punch. She had forgotten she had put in such a setting. The saintess looked back on the path she had run across. Although it was not clearly visible from this side of the corridor, the door around the end of it was actually destroyed¡­ and the guards had fallen in front of the door over there as well.


    It went without saying that she had taken down every guard on the way here. All of them had fallen before even properly seeing the saintess. If one were to only look at her combat ability, she was less of a saintess and more of a knight commander.


    ¡®Right. I did heap settings on the saintess because of the plot being blocked at the time, but¡­¡¯


    In the first place, the saintess was an improvised character meant to help the protagonists overcome their crisis in the latter part of the story, which was why she ended up writing this character without any consideration for plausibility. Furthermore, the author gave her a stupidly powerful ability, thinking that no one would quibble over the setting of a supporting character like this, an ability that went by the name: Holy Shit!


    ¡°Oh, how humiliating¡­¡± She lamented.


    The saintess swore to never insert such worthless internet humor into her writing again and began dashing through the inner palace. She had to be there for what was going to happen from this point on.

 CH 64

    A tinge of regret appeared on the saintess¡¯s face as she ran. ¡®Guess I won¡¯t be seeing Irene around anymore.¡¯


    They would not be having anything to do with each other from today onward anyway, but still, she did her best adorning Irene in the morning before setting off, thinking it the least she could do. Being an antagonist of some importance, Irene was a bearer of exceptional looks, thanks to which the saintess had started the day feeling like she was playing with a doll as she fussed about dressing the former in one outfit then another, raising her hair this way and that.


    ¡°Why are you making such a fuss? I¡¯m only going to enter the imperial palace.¡±


    ¡°Since you were chased out the last time, this time you¡¯ve got to go looking at your most beautiful, and cute as well. Oh, hold still a little, will you? I can¡¯t braid your hair nicely if you move now.¡±


    Irene had likely noticed her disappearance by now and would be looking all over for her, but that mattered not for the saintess. Their relationship would be over from today on, after all, and it was not like Irene would be particularly troubled; she would only have lost a convenient maidservant who spoke oddly right words.


    ¡®If I can just kill Cecile today¡­!¡¯ Then, she would enter Cecile¡¯s body and Estian would become her man as he should have. This world would finally be set onto the right path!


    ¡°Over there! I hear sounds over there!¡±


    ¡°Get her quick!¡±


    As the saintess ran to the next door, she heard the din of knights already hot on her tail¡­ But at that moment, a queer noise of something twisting and breaking suddenly rang throughout the palace.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°What is this noise!¡±


    The abrupt disturbance caused the saintess and knights to block their ears, yet still, they could not help groaning at the piercing noise. The saintess knew what was making this racket.


    ¡®The phantom beast is being born!¡¯


    The condition for the phantom beast¡¯s birth was physical contact with a powerful individual. It was certain that Estian had touched the phantom beast egg.


    * * *


    The knights in the audience room walked over to the envoy who had presented an oddity to Estian and seized him by the arms.


    ¡°Your Majesty, shall we drag him elsewhere to kill? Or shall we kill him here and now?¡± One of the knights asked for their emperor¡¯s judgment in a fierce tone, raring to rip the envoy apart on the spot, but the man was unconcerned; he cried out to Estian, ¡°Your Majesty, what shape does this take in your eyes? Would you please quickly explain! And try giving it a touch already! Aren¡¯t you curious as to what will happen?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Estian stared intently at the suddenly shouting man, then he slowly walked down to stand before the envoy and bashed him in the face with a vengeance, sending the latter¡¯s face swiveling around with a sound that resembled something bursting. Blood shot out of the man¡¯s mouth along with a white piece of something that was clearly his broken tooth, but no remorse could be found on Estian¡¯s face as he said, ¡°Richard, you b*stard. Here I was suspecting the Mage¡¯s Tower and you come prancing in? Seems like your neck stuck back on well enough for you to spout nonsense.¡±


    At that, the man looked devastated as he asked, ¡°H-how did you know! You¡¯re a sharp one indeed¡­!¡±


    ¡°Would it not be stranger to not know? The way you speak makes it so obvious, Mage Lord.¡± Muttered Kane, who had approached unnoticed.


    ¡°What is it?! What gave it away!¡±


    ¡°I meant how you obsess over His Majesty and observe his reaction.¡±


    Kane eyed Richard like one would a stalker. The disgust in his expression prompted the latter to burst out. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be curious as well?! He took Eugen-¡­!¡±


    Another smack ensued, sending Richard¡¯s face swiveling in the other direction this time. Something shot from his mouth again, but no one paid any mind. Estian hoisted him up by the collar and Richard began to kick and struggle in the air. ¡°Kagh! Emperor. H-how about you let go of me and we talk?¡±


    ¡°Mouth that word once more and I swear I will kill you the next time, so go on I dare you. As for these spells¡­¡± Estian frowned, then drew the black steel blade by his belt with one hand and immediately cut off one of Richard¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ Huh?¡±


    The onlookers were about to scream at the sight, but then they looked at the severed limb in surprise; the man was dismembered yet there was no blood at all. The arm was cut off cleanly as if it belonged to a doll and rolled across the floor.


    ¡°Huuh?¡±


    And the moment all the others turned to look at the owner of the arm again, they grew wide-eyed in shock. Just a while ago, the man being held up by Estian had definitely looked so unremarkable that even his face was hard to remember, yet all of a sudden now, he was replaced by a man with stunning looks and long silver hair. His face was injured by Estian¡¯s fist and blood was flowing from his torn lips, while his hair and clothes were in disarray. Clearly, he was the man who was beaten a moment ago, and yet¡­


    ¡°Now you show that mug of yours.¡±


    Estian gnashed his teeth as he glared at the man¡¯s face.


    * * *

 CH 65

    ¡®Richard? The master of the Mage¡¯s Tower?¡¯


    The man was so famous on the continent that even Cecile was familiar with his name. Richard would always be mentioned alongside the mysterious stories about the Mage¡¯s Tower, after all. He was a mysterious individual who was said to have lived for a very long time, and aside from the title of Mage Lord, he was also known as the Great Sage. But for all that, Cecile felt inexplicably hollow inside.


    ¡®I should stop reading novels with mages for male leads starting today.¡¯


    Cecile pulled Estian¡¯s cloak over herself. Richard was a handsome one alright. Most male leads that were mages in the novels of the continent were based on Richard, which was why even their names were mostly slightly different versions of his: Hardt, Lehart, Rihard, and so on. Also, Richard was definitely depicted as a cold, haughty, and proud man of few words. He was normally written as the kind of character that ignores the female lead at first but then ends up being her stooge¡­


    ¡®Who knew he¡¯d turn out to be a perverted stalker like that.¡¯


    Richard had not even spoken many words, yet Cecile could already feel the image of the Great Sage in her mind falling apart. Meanwhile, Richard was being roughly shaken around in Estian¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Oh, just touch it I say! I¡¯m telling you the words written on the slab are real! Give me the benefit of the doubt and touch it! Just once!¡±


    To the side of the shouting Richard was the representative of Stoan Kingdom, collapsed to his knees and looking lost, muttering, ¡°But there was no one like this among our delegation?¡±


    ¡°Well of course! You think a face like this is common?! I¡¯ve spent over 400 years maintaining this body and face of mine!¡± Richard cried out in response to the representative, even as he was being shaken in midair by Estian¡­ though of course, that only served to provoke the latter to shake him even harder.


    ¡®I wonder if my job¡¯s done now?¡¯ Cecile mused to herself as she turned to look elsewhere, and immediately she grew wide-eyed. She shot to her feet, causing Estian¡¯s cloak to slide off to the floor, but she did not even have the mind to notice that as she sprinted toward Estian. ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Estian looked back at Cecile¡¯s voice and saw the arm he had cut off moments ago hopping toward him with the phantom beast in its grip, and Cecile standing between him and the egg. Before he could reach out, Cecile¡¯s hand made contact with the object brought by Richard. At the same time, the world shook, and a twisting, cracking sound tuned out everything else¡ªit was the sound of the phantom beast awakening.


    * * *


    ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on?¡± Richard gazed above him, his collar still in Estian¡¯s grasp. He had made his severed arm up pick up the egg and hop over while everyone else was distracted by him.


    ¡®I just need him to make physical contact.¡¯


    Richard thought he had succeeded at the sight of the arm carrying over the egg, but who knew the empress would interfere with his plan?


    ¡®Well, the egg won¡¯t react to an ordinary woman like that anyway.¡¯


    Richard recalled the words written on the stone slab discovered along with the egg.


    It shall awaken at the touch of the strongest of all.


    Upon examining the stone slab, Richard was able to identify who had created the slab as well as the dungeon: the ancient clan of Eugendiph. They were the masters of the dungeon. Long ago, they held a monopoly over magic and power across the lands and reigned over other humans. But even among these powerful clansmen, some stood at the very top that knew their blood was different from the others.


    ¡®Which is why they evolved that blood even further.¡¯


    And there was only one person they would deem the strongest of all¡ªthe bearer of Eugendiph¡¯s Blood, which was created by collecting their blood. Eugendiph¡¯s Blood was a concoction that was made from the blood of the strongest clansmen. There was a problem with their creation, however; their bodies could not bear the power of the blood.


    ¡®Which is why they all died in the end¡­ yet here it is again, resurrected in this day and age.¡¯


    Richard scanned Estian from head to toe again. Eugendiph¡¯s Blood was discovered long ago in an ancient dungeon, and from the very moment Estian¡¯s father, the previous emperor, found out what it was, he poured his efforts into controlling its power. An uncountable number of humans, beastmen, and animals were dragged to his experimental labs in his search for a body that would withstand the blood.


    Back then, Richard thought it strange that the lab animals contracted to be sold to the Mage¡¯s Tower were instead sold to some other place, leading him to investigate the truth of the matter and discover what the emperor was up to. Richard did not have the slightest thought of stopping those experiments, however; in fact, he was so glad to the point of wanting to thank the emperor for taking the trouble of doing what he wanted to do.


    The emperor¡¯s experiments were a series of failures. Eventually, there was not much left of Eugendiph¡¯s Blood, only enough for one more chance at success, at which point the emperor brought in a child. He dragged his youngest son to the labs, his son who was born between him and his empress, whom he had never once given the time of day¡ªEstian. Richard had clicked his tongue at the sight of the boy screaming as he was hauled off.


    ¡®He really must want to control Eugendiph¡¯s Blood, going so far as to use his son as a guinea pig.¡¯


    Richard hid and waited beside the laboratory. As the next experiment was bound to be the last, he intended on taking something back to the Mage¡¯s Tower, even if that something was the corpse of a specimen that was fed with Eugendiph¡¯s Blood. But contrary to Richard¡¯s expectation, Estian came out of that place alive¡­ Although, by that point, 8 years had passed and it was hard to say he was still a human, considering how he had destroyed his way out of the laboratory.

 CH 66

    While Richard was busy recalling the past, another punch came flying towards his face. Smack-smack-smack! A clear, lilting cadence of fist against face ensued.


    ¡°Oh, will you stop hitting me! Talk it out, damn it!¡± He screamed.


    In any case, a bearer of Eugendiph¡¯s Blood was thrashing his face without holding back any punches; it would be difficult to endure the force behind it all, even with his strengthened body. Afraid that his head might be knocked off again at this rate, Richard said to Estian, ¡°It¡¯s nothing much! That¡¯s the egg of a phantom beast. There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll wake up unless you, Emperor, touch it!¡±


    It was in that moment where Richard cried out in his defense, dodging Estian¡¯s fists. Screek. It was the sound of something huge being pressed, and at the same time, everyone in the audience room groaned as a terrifying, mountainous pressure fell over them. Richard looked to the side in surprise and saw that while his attention had been elsewhere, the egg which was previously in the empress¡¯ hands was floating in the air, and now space itself was beginning to warp around the egg. Cecile, who had been listening to Richard¡¯s explanation, bewilderedly said, ¡°But it¡¯s woken up?¡±


    Estian too was bewildered.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t it woken up?¡±


    Upon hearing their words, Richard himself remarked in a dazed voice, ¡°¡­Oh, it woke?¡±


    And that prompted another punch to come flying from Estian.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible! Why is it reacting to that woman!¡±


    It made no sense. When Richard heard that Estian was getting married, he had investigated as to what kind of woman the empress-to-be was: an illegitimate child born between the king of a small, minor country and a maidservant. A somewhat pretty woman who was abandoned in a royal villa to be raised by servants. A notable aside was that she was fond of fruits, and this summed up everything about the empress, yet at this moment, that egg was reacting to her touch.


    ¡°At the touch of the strongest of all¡­ isn¡¯t that what it said?¡± Richard murmured and, for the first time, his expression turned rigid. Was the deciphering of the stone slab mistaken? Or was it all deception? Or, if not even that, had that egg gone insane? The only certain thing was that that empress did not look special in the slightest aside from that face of hers. Meanwhile, the egg which had risen into the air made a crunching sound as its shell began to split, and soon after a large wing shot out from a crack.


    An appendage longer than a human had protruded from a human head-sized egg, but no one had the mind to point that out. The wing that had shot out of the egg was bizarre in appearance; it was covered not in feathers, but in jagged, scaled, and thick leather which glistened in the light.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡±


    Among the people in the audience room, a general who had faced many kinds of monsters in numerous battles cried out in astonishment. Most monsters could not so much as make him twitch a brow, yet the general was trembling as he turned to Estian and implored, ¡°Your Majesty, you must leave. That is a¡­!¡±


    At that moment, another wing shot out of the egg¡­ but no, this time it was not one wing¡ªit was three wings. Including the first one, there were now four. The mention of wings covered in reptilian skin would make anyone think of wyverns, but those had two wings. According to legend, the only four-winged creature was a¡­


    ¡°Dragon!¡±


    Perhaps it was responding to the cry of its name; the small egg broke apart completely and what appeared in midair was a gigantic body that threatened to fill half of the spacious audience room. The people in the room all ran to one side, screaming. Some could be heard jumping out the windows, overcome by fear. Estian tossed Richard away from his hand and took Cecile, who was standing still in a daze, into his arms.


    ¡®Damn it. And I thought the worst would be a bout of several spells.¡¯


    If he had known this would happen, he would have simply sent Cecile back to the empress¡¯ palace, but it was too late for regrets. For now, he had to have Cecile safely evacuate before dealing with the creature.


    Estian steeled his resolve. He was going to kill the dragon, and he was going to cut down Richard too¡ªinto tiny little bits. Estian retreated while gnashing his teeth, while on one side, Richard, unaware of the resolve the former had just made, muttered to himself in ecstasy, ¡°Woah, awesome.¡±


    Although it was called the egg of a phantom beast, it was actually a kind of aggregate magic from the branch of summoning. What the egg would give birth to was dependent in proportion to the power of the person who made physical contact. Simply put, it was a completely unknown factor. Richard had brought the egg with the hopes of a man scratching a lottery ticket, wondering as to what Estian¡¯s touch would give birth to, yet somebody else went and scratched that ticket for him and landed first place. He had no idea why things had ended up like this, but in any case, the result was beyond what he anticipated.


    ¡®A dragon. My God, a dragon!¡¯


    Dragons were beings that had disappeared from these lands even before the clan of Eugendiph. Meanwhile, the dragon that was born into the world shook its wings. Richard approached the dragon in excitement. Seeing how big it was despite just being born, it would surely grow to the size of at least towering over a mountain when fully mature. As he was measuring its size, Richard realized the most fundamental problem at hand. ¡°But how does one catch a dragon? Aren¡¯t they immune to magic?¡±


    It was then that Richard and the dragon met eyes, and in the instant that the former felt as if the creature was laughing at him¡­


    ¡°Did you just say you¡¯re gonna catch me?¡±


    He heard a voice in his head that reverberated like sound in a cave, and¡­


    Crunch!

 CH 67

    The dragon proceeded to smoosh Richard with its foreclaw and forcefully ground its claw against the floor several times before turning around. Many creatures were huddled up in one corner of the room. Although just born, the dragon possessed enough knowledge to identify things. Those creatures were humans, feeble little things. Even if there was a strong individual among them, they would be incapable of so much as touching the tip of its scale. However, there was something among them that appeared human but was not. The people had called him the emperor. ¡®That one looks a tad troublesome to deal with.¡¯


    Moreover, he had a sword forged out of black steel. Still, it seemed there was nothing aside from the emperor that seemed capable of harming itself. After grasping its surroundings, the dragon chortled in satisfaction. ¡®I¡¯ll definitely become the toughest of them all. I¡¯ll climb to the top and slaughter things every day, and I¡¯ll kill every living thing on the continent.¡¯


    The newly born dragon formed such a solid plan for the future that if an adult dragon was around to hear, it would have given praise along the lines of, ¡®Now there¡¯s a good whelp. You have a bright future ahead of you!¡¯ But just as the dragon spread its wings and was about to commit its first murder, the door behind it suddenly opened.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Sensing a strange presence, the dragon held its breath and looked back where it saw a woman coming through the door. The woman looked at the dragon and, with a fierce frown, cried out, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the final boss of the story doing coming out here!¡±


    * * *


    Everyone, from Estian to the dragon, was lost in bewilderment, but the most confounded of them all was the saintess. She had come in joyously at hearing the phantom beast being born as she had written, but what she found was not a run-of-the-mill beast but a dragon. The saintess yelled at the dragon again in her incredulity. ¡°I never wrote for a dragon to come out!¡±


    This was wrong. She was sure that, according to her writing, a phantom beast called Garum was to be born after Estian touched the phantom beast egg. Garum was a huge wolf that served as gatekeeper to the entrance of the underworld, preventing the living from sneaking past its watch. For that reason, it happened to hold hostility towards all living things. This was why the saintess expected a wolf to be running wild on the other side of the door to the audience room, yet what entered her sight instead was a gigantic tail, four wings, and leathery skin covered in black scales.


    She could tell what it was just by looking at its back¡ªthe last dragon of this world, Girgantia. How could she not know? That thing was a disaster designed to strike at mankind, to appear in the final phase of her story to devastate the world halfway and be defeated by the power of love between Estian and herself, ¡®Cecile¡¯. Moreover, dragons were divine beings in this world, so they were not even included in the list of phantom beasts.


    ¡®It shouldn¡¯t have even appeared here either! Why did it show up in the imperial palace when it¡¯s supposed to be encountered in the Dark Mountain Range?¡¯ The saintess screamed internally.


    In terms of games, it was like a field boss suddenly appearing in a beginner zone. Although, the saintess was inspired to make Girgantia the final boss while she was actually playing a game, thinking, ¡®The last boss has gotta be a dragon, after all!¡¯


    ¡®How am I to defeat that?¡¯


    In her story, Girgantia died in the innermost area of its nest in the Dark Mountain Range.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be killed without the anti-dragon weaponry prepared there by the ancient ones! So what am I supposed to do in the imperial palace!¡¯ She mentally shrieked.


    The dragon was created to be so powerful that quite a few items were required in defeating it. The saintess vaguely recalled this was why the middle part of her story was about Estian and Cecile roaming the lands to prepare those items. Of course, they would not simply go roaming about. There would be many developments, causing Estian to burn with jealousy as Cecile chanced upon meetings with the sub male leads; Kane the knight commander, Richard of the Mage¡¯s Tower, Ruin the imperial prince of the Hyun continent, so on and so forth.


    So why is the dragon here? How can it end right after beginning? When I haven¡¯t even tasted the sweet parts of the story? The saintess suppressed the anger boiling in her as she glared at the dragon.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see. How was the dragon killed in the novel again?¡¯


    But upon recalling the final moments of the dragon in the novel, the color drained from her face. ¡°Freaking bloody¡­¡±


    She remembered. The dragon was killed by the saintess¡ªat the cost of her life. Richard was useless as the creature was immune to magic, so it was Estian, Kane, and Ruin who went at it. They still did not have enough strength to finish it off, however, which was why the saintess mustered all of her holy power to die together with the dragon. Also, she vaguely recalled writing that even the saintess¡¯ remains could not be found afterward¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! I haven¡¯t even slept with the male lead or the sub leads! I can¡¯t die here, not like this!¡± She suddenly shouted.


    As the saintess clutched her head in despair, the dragon, who had been watching the entire time, asked, ¡°Human. What¡¯s up with the nonsense you¡¯ve been uttering this whole time?¡±


    ¡°You shut up, Girgantia! I¡¯m being serious here!¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The saintess¡¯ shriek startled Girgantia, causing the latter to shrink back. The dragon was a newborn. It had yet to leave its name in history, so how did this woman know its name which was supposed to be known to none other but itself and its parents? She was wearing what they called a ¡®maid uniform¡¯, so she should not be such a powerful individual among humans. It was also suspicious how her aura was brimming with power from the moment she entered.


    ¡°Ahem, hem-hem. Well¡­ I¡¯ll kill you slowly later. I think I¡¯ll deal with the other humans first.¡± Now feeling somewhat uneasy about killing the saintess immediately, Girgantia turned its head toward the corner where the humans were gathered from before. It was then that the dragon turned wide-eyed.

 CH 68

    ¡°They all ran in that time?¡±


    Unlike a little while ago, the terrified people were gone without a trace. What there was instead was a wide-open door next to where they used to be, shaking in the wind as if saying, ¡®Wouldn¡¯t you have run then?¡¯ It was at that moment.


    Shwwk!


    An intense, crimson light shot toward the dragon¡¯s body accompanied by the sound of something breaking through the wind, and at the moment it collided against the beast¡­


    ¡°Gaargh!¡±


    A booming explosion occurred, blowing Girgantia backward greatly. The dragon spread its wings and set its claws against the walls of the audience room in response to the sudden attack. Meanwhile, Richard¡ªwho was half-bloodied all over and buried beneath Girgantia¡¯s feet¡ªwent rolling to a corner of the room, but no one cared.


    ¡°How dare you, the likes of a human!¡± The dragon roared.


    ¡°Too late for that after taking a beating.¡± Estian swung his sword again at the dragon glaring at him. Sword aura was a power even knight commanders had difficulty using, yet it materialized oh so easily each time Estian moved his blade. Another explosion occurred and the sound of something collapsing followed; pushed back and knocked over by Estian¡¯s sword aura, Girgantia¡¯s feet and wings had slammed against the walls and columns of the building.


    The floor and ceiling began to split apart with audible cracking. In the first place, the very building had been shaking from the moment that massive dragon stood on the floor. Estian scowled at Girgantia as the latter raised its head again amidst the falling fragments of the ceiling.


    ¡®How am I to take that down?¡¯ The emperor pondered.


    He had never encountered such an enemy before. He had once heard that, as said by Richard who was currently squirming in the corner, dragons were immune to magic. It was unknown as to whether physical force was effective against the creature of ancient times. Estian looked at his hand that was gripping his sword and saw what appeared to be hazy, red smoke revolving around it. ¡°Damn it.¡±


    He knew what it was. The blood of Eugendiph, which he was forced to ingest so long ago, had sensed a crisis and was trying to come out into the open. Its appearance was not out of fear, but merely out of joy at encountering a foe worthy of ripping and tearing apart. Estian turned his head toward the door through which all the others had left. He had entrusted Cecile to Kane and ordered him to have her escape quickly, along with the other people as well.


    ¡®That being the case¡­¡¯


    Since there was no one to see¡­ would it not be fine to use the power within the blood of Eugendiph? But as Estian was briefly locked in thought, something moving that was not Richard caught his eyes.


    ¡°Go, go away!¡±


    He had thought everyone had fled, yet one person remained in the corner, trembling. It was a familiar face; Tania, the lady-in-waiting chosen by Cecile, quivering in the corner as she gazed at the dragon.


    ¡®Blast it. Why did she of all people stay behind when all the others had no trouble running for their lives?¡¯


    Judging by her trembling, it appeared she could not even move out of panic. In truth, Estian did not care in the slightest whether someone else lived or died, but that woman was a different story. ¡®I¡¯m sure Cecile will be sad if that woman dies.¡¯


    Estian had told her many times that she could do nothing but eat and play, yet she insisted on doing what she had to do and picked a lady-in-waiting, and it seemed they had studied hard in various things as well. Moreover, Cecile eagerly looked after Tania, saying she had found a friend with a hobby to share.


    ¡®Do I just leave her?¡¯


    When he thought back to how Tania had gobbled up fruit from Cecile¡¯s hand, he did not feel much inclined toward saving her, but he shook his head a moment later. Though Estian did not like the woman, he could not allow someone in Cecile¡¯s favor to die. It was easy for him to imagine how much she would cry upon Tania¡¯s death. She had cried all day because of him throwing a jewel, so surely she would cry an ocean for a good month if someone were to die. Estian found the thought of seeing her sorrowful face hard to bear.


    It was then that Girgantia raised itself up. ¡°An opening!¡± It said.


    Girgantia stretched its maw wide open at seeing Estian with his back turned. The surrounding air was furiously sucked into the dragon¡¯s mouth, making an intense noise, and sparks of flame began to rise from within¡ªit was trying to unleash dragon breath, the specialty of its kind. That was as far as it went, however.


    Pow!


    Someone suddenly climbed one of up Girgantia¡¯s wings and kicked its mouth shut as it was attempting to breathe fire.


    ¡°Egh-peh-peh!¡±


    Thanks to that, the dragon had to shut its mouth making disgraceful sounds.


    ¡°Kane!¡± Estian cried out. It was Kane who had kicked the dragon. ¡°Why did you return!¡±


    The knight commander had returned out of worry for Estian when he should have stayed still and protected Cecile since he had taken her away.


    ¡°Did you just kick me? I bit my tongue!¡± Girgantia spat bloody saliva, then wrapped its tail around Kane¡¯s leg and tossed him aside, sending him colliding against the floor with a thud and sliding into a corner of the room. Now with the hindrance gone, the dragon turned its attention to Estian again.


    It had expected him to have run away, but forget escaping, it saw he had gone to the human woman in the corner. The beast¡¯s large body moved with haste and the floor sunk with every heavy step its limbs took. But just as Estian was about to stand before Tania, upon seeing the furiously approaching Girgantia, Tania shrieked from behind him, ¡°Ahhhhhh! Stay away!¡±


    As if that¡¯ll make the dragon stop. In the instant Estian contemplated whether to toss her into the moat outside the window, Tania screamed again. ¡°I hate lizards more than cockroaches!¡±


    And then¡­ she dashed past Estian to swing her fists at the dragon.

 CH 69

    Pow! Pow! Pow!


    Pow-pow-kapow!


    The sounds of impacts, louder and faster than anything else heard up to this moment, rang throughout the audience room. There Estian saw Tania, thrashing the dragon¡¯s feet at a speed which even he could not quite discern with his eyes. The spectacle evoked a piece of memory, of what Kane had reported to him about Tania upon his return to the imperial palace with the Forest of Tetin.


    ¡°Though she may look like an ordinary young lady, she is the only daughter of Margrave Kaniche. I have heard that as a result of being put through rigorous specialized education, she is accomplished in the sword and in hand-to-hand combat, aside from which she is skilled in poisons as well, and that is not all. Apparently, the girl possesses Herculean strength just like Margrave Kaniche. It is a good thing. Margrave Kaniche may be a little furious, but I am sure there is no young lady better suited to protecting Her Majesty. It is a relief to have her around for dangerous matters too.¡±


    Yes, that was why Estian left her by Cecile¡¯s side to double as a bodyguard.


    He watched the dragon being beaten by Tania as it clutched its feet and rolled around the floor in pain. Never had he imagined her to have such monstrous strength, enough to whup a dragon.


    ¡°Have I been keeping the most dangerous thing next to Cecile?¡± Even as Estian muttered to himself, Tania¡¯s fists knew no rest as they continued to punish Girgantia¡¯s body.


    * * *


    ¡°H-how¡­¡±


    The saintess looked at the man who had fallen by her side. The man who was bleeding from his head, unconscious from the impact of colliding against the floor and rolling far away, was someone she knew well.


    ¡°Kane?¡±


    He was an existence she had created, as she did that dragon. Moreover, she had put even more effort into his creation than the others.


    ¡°Wh-why is my sub male lead¡­¡± The saintess mumbled to herself as she took the collapsed Kane into her arms. Since the days of old, romance featured a male lead, as well a character that boasted charm no less than that of the former, yet was fated to never be together with the female lead, only to gaze upon her from afar his entire life: a sub male lead. And that was none other than Kane.


    Unlike Estian, who had dark hair and eyes, Kane was given the attributes of red hair and blue eyes, and in the saintess¡¯ story, he would fall for Cecile the empress¡¯ charms¡­ This would be after she possessed Cecile, of course. But being the man of noble and pure heart he was, Kane would hold to his principles and simply watch over her at a distance to the end of his days because of Cecile¡¯s status as an empress. Naturally, he was handsome. Ugly men were unneeded in romance, after all.


    Such was the first sub male lead the saintess had created.


    The man who, if things were all as they should have been, was supposed to be burning with precariously suppressed love for her was covered in blood and rolling on the floor. The saintess¡¯ hands holding Kane became suffused with blue light, following which the wounds of Kane¡¯s body began to quickly disappear. The formerly unconscious Kane slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Wh-who¡­¡±


    He blinked repeatedly¡ªhis sight had not completely returned to him¡ªbut the saintess covered his eyes with a hand as if to put him at ease, then she whispered into his ear, ¡°Be still. I¡¯ll come back after taking care of everything.¡±


    ¡°Who¡­?¡±


    The saintess¡¯s hand glimmered with a blue light again and Kane¡¯s body went slack again just as he was about to get up. She carefully placed Kane, now sleeping with a peaceful face, on the floor and stood up. It was then that Girgantia, who had been suffering Tania¡¯s furious assault, took retreating steps until it was before the saintess, who walked up to grab the end of the dragon¡¯s tail. ¡°You dare to hurt my man?¡±


    A fire blazed in the saintess¡¯ eyes.


    The saintess liked this world. She had written it with smooth inspiration, after all. She did not suffer writer¡¯s block a single time as she drew out the story, as if she were painting actual individuals that existed somewhere in another world. The reason she continued to write was partly due to how smoothly she made progress, but also because all the leading male characters in the story were to her liking.


    ¡®It was so fun writing it.¡¯


    The saintess had brought her characters to life with the drive of twisted love¡ªof having men that were to her taste feeling anguish because of her¡ªalong with the mindset of benefiting womenkind and ¡®the more handsome men, the merrier¡¯.


    Holy power began to rapidly accumulate in her hand that was gripping Girgantia¡¯s tail.


    ¡°For the sin of hurting the main characters¡¯ faces.¡± The saintess glowered at the dragon with eyes filled with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯ll end with a simple death.¡±


    She felt greater fury than the time she got a comment that read ¡®Your writing sucks balls¡¯.


    * * *


    Cecile was running madly.


    ¡°Your Majesty! You mustn¡¯t!¡±


    Attendants were on her tail trying to catch her, but they were not fast enough. Cecile was holding a book in her hands as she ran, one of those which Tania had brought over a while ago.


    ¡®It¡¯s definitely the same as it was in the story!¡¯


    Unbelievable though it may be, Cecile knew of this situation. She stared piercingly at the book in her hands. Stoan delegation. Object excavated from an unknown dungeon. And a dragon.


    ¡®I know this!¡¯

 CH 70

    Cecile looked at the title of the book that read ¡®I Ended Up Suddenly Taming A Dragon¡¯ and her grip on it tightened.


    When the dragon appeared, Estian had swiftly ordered Kane to send Cecile to the empress¡¯ palace. Drawn away by Kane to her room of residence, she was dazed and still for a while before suddenly running toward her bookshelf, shouting, ¡°I know this situation!¡±


    Cecile hurriedly pulled out a book as if she were possessed by something. She quickly flipped through its pages and soon found the part she remembered.


    A spell of dragon-binding that was lost to the ages, forgotten by all¡ªit was now in Cecile¡¯s hands. She had thought it merely an ordinary book, yet it contained the very spell itself, perfectly recorded. It was no magic, but the power of words that ruled the land at the beginning of the world. That power had crossed time to fall into her possession.


    Cecile felt goosebumps rise on her skin as she was reading that page; everything that was narrated before and after this part was identical to her current situation. A dragon was suddenly born the moment the protagonist laid hands on an unknown egg, and the beast ran rampant with indiscriminate murder.


    ¡®What is going on? Why is it all the same as it was in the story? Moreover, this book¡­¡¯


    ¡®I Ended Up Suddenly Taming A Dragon¡¯ was not Cecile¡¯s type of book because it was a child-raising story¡­ although it was actually about raising a young whelp that grew up into a mature dragon in the space of a brief separation, then the dragon returned to the heroine, saying, ¡®I finally found you. I won¡¯t ever be apart from you again,¡¯ and obsessed over her. The reason Cecile kept that book despite it not being her preference was that the protagonist¡¯s name was the same as hers.


    ¡®When did I read this again?¡¯ she wondered. If she recalled correctly, during her days at the royal villa of Navitan, it was given to her by one of the maidservants, who told her, ¡°Princess, you¡¯ve absolutely got to read this one.¡±


    ¡®Who was it?¡¯


    For some reason, she could not remember anything about those maids whom she had met with every single day. Cecile was feeling lost at the abrupt absence of her memories when the attendant by her side came close and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this place may also be dangerous. You must hurry and take shelter elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Cecile replied, but just as she was about to move, she came to a pause and shot a sharp glare at the attendant. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What might you be saying, Your Majesty? Did you not see me in the morning as well?¡± The attendant responded with a puzzled face to her question, but regardless, Cecile took a step back in retreat.


    ¡°No, I have never seen you before. Speaking of which¡ªTania? Where is Tania? Why do I not see her anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, let us first head for a safe place and seek the others later¡­¡±


    The attendant was anxious and did not know what to do as Cecile stepped away from her. The other attendant by the side also looked troubled, her gaze darting between Cecile and her colleague. Nevertheless, Cecile turned around with the book in hand. The empress¡¯s palace that had been so familiar and cozy until now all of a sudden felt strange to her. Nothing had changed and the dragon was far in the distance, yet her instincts were screaming that she was in the most dangerous place.


    Cecile looked at the attendants who were drawing closer to her. She had never seen their faces around before. Perhaps there was a problem with her seeing as how she could not remember her maidservants in Navitan, however¡­


    ¡®These people are dangerous!¡¯


    The moment she felt this, Cecile immediately took off her heels and kicked off into a full sprint.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The two attendants appeared to be caught off guard as they were pushed aside by her. She ran wildly without a glance backward, heading for the audience room. The attendants who found her midway called out to her in surprise, but she did not listen.


    ¡®I have to go back to His Majesty. And find Tania too!¡¯ Cecile could tell where she would be safest even with a dragon running amok nearby. The moment Estian was absent from this imperial palace, there was no safe shelter anywhere, so she had no choice but to go to his side. ¡®Though I do think I¡¯ll get a huge earful if I go back¡­¡¯


    Estian had specially asked Kane to send her away, yet she was ignoring their efforts by coming back again¡­ Cecile might have been the only one who thought herself in danger. Maybe she had overreacted and the attendants from before were trying to take her farther away out of sincere worry. ¡®But¡­¡¯


    As she pushed past the bewildered attendants, Cecile looked at the book in her hands. She was able to find the page she was reading a while ago even while running.


    Cecil ran with the book. The key to saving everyone was in her hands at this very moment.


    Cecile hesitated no more the moment she read that sentence. Her instinct was crying out for her to do as it was written in the story.


    ¡®How curious.¡¯


    While she was surprised by the book, unlike the attendants from before, she did not feel it was dangerous to go back. In fact, it made her feel as if someone was holding out a hand to her and pulling her along. Cecile wondered as to who the very first person was to give her the book. It occurred to her that she wanted to send someone to Navitan to find the maidservant who did after all this chaos was settled.


    As she was running, she felt pain on the soles of her feet; she had stepped on what appeared to be a broken fragment of stone that had fallen as the ceiling collapsed. This bit of pain was no cause for her to stop, however. According to the book, the dragon could not be defeated unless she were to go, so go she must.


    Meanwhile, the audience room was getting closer. By Estian¡¯s orders, the knights on the site warned Cecile not to enter but they hesitated to take action, whereas Cecile kept running past them all unfalteringly. Even now the palace was shaking, the sounds of destruction and havoc audible from the outside; Estian and the others who remained were still facing the dragon.

 CH 71

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    A surprised voice called behind Cecile, but she ignored it and wrenched open the door of the audience room she had fled from minutes ago. Buffeted by a blast of dusty wind, Cecile hacked and coughed as she took in the situation¡ªit was a battlefield inside. A gigantic dragon was moving all over the place, its every movement causing flying debris and clouds of dust. Plates were being smashed, naturally, and the furniture and walls were being shattered too. The noise of it all struck Cecile¡¯s ears with pain.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Tania!¡± Her yell was met with response despite all the chaos.


    ¡°Cecile? Why have you returned!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here!¡±


    She had called their names in the same way, yet the temperature of their answering tones was so different, but still, she felt reassured; both Estian and Tania appeared unharmed, in any case. Soon after, Estian¡¯s figure appeared in front of Cecile through the clouds of dust. The moment Cecile saw his furious face, she took the initiative and cried out, ¡°You can be angry later, but if you would please first bring me closer to that dragon! While protecting me, of course!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Estian was struck with incredulity. He had wondered as to what madman had come in when he heard someone opening the doors to the audience room, but who would have imagined it to be Cecile?


    ¡®And here I barely got Kane to send her to her palace.¡¯


    Cecile was in terrible shape after running back. Her hair, which the maidservants had poured their soul into tying up into a pretty shape, was disheveled and flailing in the wind, her dress was ripped¡ªgod knows how¡ªin one place and exposing a white leg, and besides that, she had stepped on something on the way and was bleeding from her feet. Estian felt a mixture of anger and distress at seeing her looking worse than he did when he was battling a dragon. He had not sent her away to see her in such a mess. The moment Estian¡¯s eyes turned sharp, Cecil cried out, ¡°You can be angry later, but if you would please first bring me closer to that dragon! While protecting me, of course!¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Cecile uttered the utterly unexpected in the most confident attitude. ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain! You¡¯ve defeated the dragon many times now, but it still gets up again, right? That¡¯ll keep repeating itself if I don¡¯t take care of it!¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Estian¡¯s eyes grew wide at her words. It was as she said. He and Tania had faced the dragon together. No, to be exact, there was one more with them; someone else on the opposite side of him and Tania was fighting the dragon. The other combatant¡¯s figure was hidden due to the dragon¡¯s enormous body and the dust in the air, but clearly, they were of formidable skill.


    That did not improve the situation, however. They had defeated the dragon for sure and saw it fall to the ground, but at the next moment, it would be up on its feet, looking as lively as it did in the beginning. Seeing Tania shocked at the sight, the dragon had shouted, ¡°Surprised? This is the special ability of our race known as Infinitum Repeat Sectioni! It¡¯s the ability to maintain our best condition at any time!¡±


    As the dragon blabbered incomprehensible words, amidst the sound of the collapsing building, the voice of a woman broke through the air from the other side. ¡°Look at it posing, yammering on about a looping feature! Argh, why did I write in something like that!¡±


    Estian did not have the slightest clue as to what she was going on about, but in any case, the situation did not look favorable. It was at this time that Cecile suddenly appeared. Seeing Estian hesitate, Cecile shouted, ¡°The dragon won¡¯t ever fall unless we use the spell of the Dragon Lord!¡±


    ¡°And where are we to find that spell!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go looking¡ªbecause it¡¯s in my hands!¡±


    At that, Estian looked at the book in Cecile¡¯s hands, and there he saw a title written in a distracting, illegible font, plastered across a cover composed of eye-searing pink, gold, silver, red, and blue foil: ¡®I Ended Up Suddenly Taming A Dragon¡¯.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I get why you¡¯re making that face, but right now you¡¯ve got to trust in me!¡± Cecile pleaded, hastily clutching onto Estian and seeing his expression turning cold. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the details later! Anyway, here¡¯s the Dragon Lord¡¯s spell!¡±


    ¡°Cecile, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, seriously!¡±


    Seeing Estian continue to hesitate, Cecil dashed into the fray alone, approaching the dragon, and opened the book to read aloud what was written within. ¡°I, the ruler of all creation, command you, oh foolish and wicked one¡ªLet one wing be bound by the Chains of Iside!¡±


    The moment Cecile incanted the first part of the spell, a mass of intricately shaped light rose above the dragon that had collapsed once again, following which the light began to rapidly wrap around the creature¡¯s wings as if it were a living thing. Girgantia cried out in shock at the sudden appearance of the vines of light. ¡°Th-this is¡­!¡±


    Upon witnessing what was happening, Richard¡ªwho was rolling around the place looking medium dead¡ªyelled in astonishment, ¡°Wh-what the! That¡¯s a power that was all but lost in ancient times!¡±


    Regardless of Richard being surprised or not, Cecile was about to continue and read the next part of the spell when a lump of stone, dislodged from the ceiling due to Girgantia¡¯s struggling, came flying toward her, but there was no pain; Estian had launched a punch and destroyed it before it could reach her. Seeing that Estian was protecting her, Cecile continued incanting the spell unhindered. ¡°Let another wing be bound by the Spear of Orpheus! And another, by the Sword of Durs!¡±


    Two more masses of light appeared then, and like the first one, shackled two of the dragon¡¯s wings. It was merely being enveloped in light, yet the beast dropped to the ground and began to flap its wings in vain. ¡°Ridiculous! How could! A human! I¡¯m sure this spell is¡­¡±


    Cecile did not care whether the dragon was surprised or not as she finished incanting the spell. ¡°The last wing shall be bound by my power, the ruler of all creation¡­!¡±


    In that instant, a word that could not be described with human ears was uttered from her mouth. Even she was surprised herself. I¡¯m just reading from the text of a book, so why is such a weird word coming out of my mouth? Rather, this writing¡­ it¡¯s in letters I don¡¯t know? How am I reading this? Amidst the amazement of everyone else, Cecile completed the last part of the spell. ¡°?????¡±


    And, at the same time, the dragon struggled as it cried, ¡°N-no! Mommy, I was wrong!¡±

 CH 72

    Mommy?


    Everybody on the scene froze at the unexpected outburst. Mommy? Was that dragon¡¯s mother here?


    All eyes roved everywhere across the audience room, but, naturally, there was no other dragon to be found. Meanwhile, the light that had appeared in midair ensnared Girgantia¡¯s wings and the beast immediately dropped to the floor.


    ¡°Gaaargh!¡±


    Girgantia lay on the floor with his wings fixed in place like a specimen on display. It flailed about, causing another thick cloud of dust to rise. The dragon gouged out the floor with its frantic struggling, sending fragments of marble shooting toward Cecile.


    ¡°¡­!¡± Shutting her eyes tightly, she braced for the impact of the oncoming debris, but in that instant, a pair of sturdy arms latched onto her waist and pulled her back.


    As the marble fragments barely grazed Cecile¡¯s hair and smashed into the wall with a loud bang, the force of the pull on her waist made the book in her hand clutter to the floor. The sight of the now crumbling wall, destroyed by the collision, sent shivers down her spine. Had Estian been even slightly late in pulling her back, her head would have been destroyed instead.


    Just as Cecile realized what danger she had escaped, a relieved sigh left Estian¡¯s mouth.


    Cecile turned at the sound to look at him and could tell the moment their gazes met: ¡®I¡¯m dead!¡¯


    Seeing the look in his eyes, she knew that he would not have stayed quiet if they were in a slightly less perilous situation. Estian raised his hand. No way is he going to hit me, is he? He had never once done such a thing before. Startled, Cecile closed her eyes hard; however, he only raised his hand to gently dust off the dirt in Cecile¡¯s hair. He said, ¡°I think I need to have a long talk with you after taking down that dragon.¡±


    ¡°Will you get mad?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Estian replied, and his obviously angry tone made Cecile shrink in on herself until she saw an injury on one of his cheeks. Seeing blood well up only now, it seemed to be inflicted when he was protecting her from the marble flying at her moments ago.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± Cecile exclaimed and reached out toward his face, but Estian flinched away. The moment he heard the word ¡®blood¡¯ he hastily avoided her hand as if he did not want to feel her touch. Cecile¡¯s had was left hanging in midair, lost and hesitant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me with your hand,¡± Estian uttered, causing Cecile¡¯s expression to freeze, which in turn made the former feel bewildered. Just as he was about to speak again, she suddenly lunged forward to embrace his neck and pull him in. Caught off guard by her completely unexpected action, Estian¡¯s face was drawn close to Cecile¡¯s. In the instant he was going to ask what she was doing, her lips darted past his cheek. When she drew away from him again, her lips were smudged with the blood and dirt that was on his cheek.


    ¡°What have you done!¡± Estian shouted, aghast.


    ¡°As you asked, I didn¡¯t touch you with my hand! Only with my lips!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to wipe it off, of course! You can scold me twice as hard later!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ three times as hard?¡±


    Estian¡¯s continued silence made Cecile sweat. Should I have called out ten times? As lines of cold sweat ran down her forehead, Estian took her into his arms and whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t get angry.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pretend nothing happened with that.¡±


    Then he adjusted his hug around her. Tania, who had been watching them from the side with sparkling eyes, thought, ¡®I¡¯d expect no less from these two. So passionate, even in this situation!¡¯


    Noticing Tania¡¯s gaze, Cecile realized what she was doing in front of a dragon and snapped to her senses. ¡°Let me down please!¡±


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re walking with a hurt foot? Be still for a moment. I¡¯ll finish it once and for all.¡± Holding her up, Estian took up his black steel blade again.


    Forced to the ground by Cecile¡¯s spell, Girgantia could only squirm like a beast caught in a net, but nevertheless, slaying a dragon was no easy feat. As Estian approached the beast, Tania too went forward with fists clenched hard. But when the two drew near, Girgantia¡¯s body was suddenly covered by a blue light¡ªthe dragon let loose a scream. ¡°Gaaargh! It hurts! What is this?!¡±


    The unknown woman once again roared from the other side of the clouds of dust. ¡°The Last Bang is what it is, you muuutt!¡±


    * * *


    Girgantia wanted to cry. The light constricting the dragon¡¯s four wings scattered back into the air and then powerfully lashed its back.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    This tear-inducing ferociousness¡­ it was definitely Mom! Due to the nature of the dragon race, Girgantia was fully self-aware from the time he was an egg. Naturally, the one he talked with most often was his mother, the dragon lord.


    ¡°Girgantia. What¡¯s 1 plus 1?¡±


    ¡°11!¡±


    The baby egg¡¯s answer led to the dragon lord lashing the innocent cave wall with her tail. The wall fell apart with a rumble, its broken pieces crushing the other monsters beneath the destroyed area, but being the merciless creature she was, the dragon did not spare even a glance toward them as she glared at her egg.


    ¡°Why, I¡¯ll squash you underfoot,¡± she threatened.


    ¡°I was wrong, Lord. The correct answer is 2.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna ask one more. Answer within 3 seconds. When a is an algebraic number not 0 or 1 and b is an algebraic number not rational, is a^b a transcendental number?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a transcendental number.¡±


    The dragon lord nodded at his quick answer. Darned little rascal, fooling around when he can do it.

 CH 73

    The longer a dragon stayed in its egg, the greater its body and strength when it hatched. That being the case, Girgantia remained under the protection of his mother, even though the condition for his awakening was already met.


    The dragon lord pressed a claw to her horn. The child she had birthed in her declining years did nothing but mess about. He seemed to have entered puberty despite not even being hatched; lately, he was prone to responding to her words with nonsense, giggling in amusement.


    ¡®And I can¡¯t even give him a good paddling since he¡¯s in the egg.¡¯


    The dragon lord sighed heavily, but it was then that she was struck by an idea. She went up to the egg and began writing in midair with a claw. The letters she drew came alight and drilled right into the egg.


    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°The fist of love.¡±


    Startled by the sudden invasion of something bright that pulled at his wings, Girgantia began to flail about in his egg. The light pulled at each of his four wings and constricted his movements, then lashed at his back. A ferocious wave of pain washed over Girgantia, and he felt tears well up at his first experience of ¡®pain¡¯.


    ¡°Thought you¡¯d be safe inside the egg, eh? What did I tell you would happen when you mess with me?¡±


    ¡°You told me I¡¯d be dead meat, Mom. I mean, Lord.¡±


    The dragon lord stared at her answering egg for a moment before shaking a claw as she continued, ¡°Bear in mind, that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to get whenever you spout rubbish from now on.¡±


    After that, Girgantia suffered roughly another 3,000 rounds of beatings.


    Later on, after the incident when the Dark Ages arrived, the dragon lord placed her egg in the deepest of dungeons. And thus Girgantia fell into a deep slumber. When he woke up, he could tell that not one clansman that would respond to his call remained alive.


    ¡®May as well just sleep again,¡¯ Girgantia thought and rolled to his other side inside the egg. Dragons could not feel sorrow at the extinction of their kin, to begin with. ¡®Who could break my egg open anyway?¡¯


    Only someone as powerful as the dragon lord would be able to hatch a dragon egg, but there was no way such a being remained in these lands. So what was left to do? Nothing but to sleep. But Girgantia¡¯s resumed lazy sleeping was interrupted; he sensed humans entering the dungeon who then took his egg out with them.


    ¡®Touring the world while lying inside my egg wouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡¯ He thought.


    And so he was brought faraway only for him to be hatched by the touch of a human female, and then he was born into the world. But then the woman who hatched him all of a sudden used the very spell that was once used by his mother.


    ¡®But my mom¡¯s dead? Didn¡¯t I hear the humans say that her bones still remain the deepest region of the Dark Mountain Range?¡¯


    Yet the sensation of the lashing he was getting definitely belonged to his mother, which was why he had ended up involuntarily crying out, ¡®Mommy, I was wrong!¡¯


    ¡®I can take that much, alright. But¡­¡¯ Girgantia turned his head to look at the woman grabbing the end of his spell-bound body, his tail while filling her hands with a blue light. The moment that cluster of blue light exploded and swallowed up his body, he was onset by a surge of pain like he was being cooked in oil. ¡°Gaaargh! Agh! Agh! The pain! Stop! I was wrong!¡±


    ¡°As expected, the same as it was written. Listen up. I¡¯m gonna kill you today, here and now, even if I die.¡±


    Again, the woman in a maid uniform, burning with hostility toward him, placed her hands on his body that was writhing from pain. Her every touch caused sounds like popping oil to come out from all over the dragon.


    ¡®What is up with this one!¡¯


    As seconds passed by, however, the woman began to bleed from her mouth. I knew it. It can¡¯t be easy for a mere human to muster the strength to reduce a dragon to this state. But the moment Girgantia resolved to hang in there just a little more¡­


    ¡°The Last Bang is what it is, you muuutt!¡±


    A blindingly powerful blue light engulfed Girgantia.


    * * *


    The dragon was entirely enveloped in holy power.


    ¡®Who cares if I¡¯m found out by Estian at this point.¡¯


    The saintess gnashed her teeth. God be damned, anyone laying a hand on the male leads is fricking dead. Fricking. Dead! I¡¯m the only one allowed to touch my boys! They¡¯re all mine! She panted furiously. Blood was flowing from her nose before she knew it, likely due to her unsparing use of holy power.


    Girgantia wriggled like a harpooned fish until eventually, everything stopped, and the holy power dissipated as well.


    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡±


    The saintess collapsed as her vision went faint. She felt all the strength rapidly leaving her body. ¡®Am I going to die like this?¡¯


    Perhaps she was. After all, she had used the power she was supposed to use in the very end¡ªaccording to the novel¡¯s plot¡ªhere instead. Moreover, the saintess had most certainly died after exerting herself in the story.


    Even as darkness encroached upon her vision, the saintess turned her head to look at Kane, who was lying down with a relaxed expression. She felt regret at the sight of his disheveled figure and seemingly sleeping face. Although the saintess had not yet seen Estian, she had met Kane and even hugged him, but to think that was all¡­ As the saying went, something is better than nothing. If she could at least get Kane¡­


    ¡®I should¡¯ve given him a deep smooch when he fainted a while back¡­¡¯


    That was the saintess¡¯s last thought as she passed out, reaching out a hand toward Kane.

 CH 74

    In the middle of a room deep in the imperial palace, there was a stake connected to a thick chain, and bound to the end of the chain was a small dragon the size of a wolf cub¡ªit was Girgantia. The dragon had all of a sudden disappeared right after it passed out, leaving everyone on the scene to wonder in confusion if he had fled, but soon they were able to discover him slumped and shrunk in the center of the audience room.


    ¡°He¡¯s become small?¡±


    Having turned into roughly the size of a small dog, Girgantia was promptly bound in chains by knights and moved to the room he was presently in. Kane brought over a chair and sat down in front of the dragon. He asked, ¡°Name?¡±


    His eyes still swollen from waking up only recently, Girgantia replied, ¡°How arrogant. I am the last heir of the proud race of dragons, a great being the likes of you humans cannot dare to speak of.¡±


    At that, Kane sent a signaling look at Tania, who had been standing behind Girgantia all along. She eyed the dragon as if he were an insect and then audibly stomped on his tail with the pointed heel of her shoe.


    ¡°Aargh! Hey! How could you step on there again!¡±


    Girgantia clutched at his tail and whined at Tania¡¯s stomp attack, but no one spared him any warm looks. Staring coldly at the dragon, Kane said, ¡°I will ask again. Name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Girgantia.¡±


    ¡°Who are your parents and what do they do for a living?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who my father is, but he¡¯s one of the three dragons my mother met during her travels. My mother was the dragon lord but I heard she passed away in the Dark Ages.¡±


    Once the baby dragon, who was now obediently answering the questions, mentioned the dragon lord, Kane turned his head to where the emperor and empress sat cupping their chins. Wanting Cecile¡¯s opinion on Girgantia¡¯s answer, he asked, ¡°Do his words match with the story in the book?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was also written in the book I read that the mother of the hatchling was a dragon lord.¡±


    Estian¡¯s expression turned serious. After catching Girgantia, he had tried looking for the book Cecile had been holding while other people cleaned up the ruined audience room. Who would have known the book contained a spell capable of subduing a dragon? It was necessary to examine it properly. After searching through the audience room for a long time, Estian swept back his hair in irritation. ¡°Where did it go?¡±


    Estian was sure he had seen it fall from Cecile¡¯s hand when they were dodging the flying fragments of marble, courtesy of Girgantia. He had thought it would be found in no time, considering its eye-searing pink cover along with its glittering foil, but he could not find it anywhere. The book was visually unforgettable, with its title and color easily standing out, yet no one cleaning up the audience room could recall seeing it anywhere. In the end, Estian had no choice but to return to Cecile with an empty hand. ¡®We know the title, so we can bring in a new one anyway.¡¯


    He ordered Tania¡ªwho was said to have brought it into the palace¡ªto procure another one, only to receive an unexpected reply. ¡°¡®I Ended Up Suddenly Taming A Dragon¡¯? But I¡¯ve never bought such a book before? I¡¯ve never even brought it in,¡± Tania said, surprised. ¡°Four-legged things being male leads!? I don¡¯t read beast stories!¡±


    At that, Girgantia snapped, ¡°Hah, who¡¯d romance the likes of humans? It¡¯s creepier that you lot write such things. Though it seems you mortals do know how awesome dragons are,¡± only to have his tail stepped on by Tania again.


    The strangeness of the matter did not end there. The Imperial Guard received Estian¡¯s command to immediately go out and purchase that book, so they went to the largest bookstore in the capital and scoured the romance corner, but the book was nowhere to be found. They tried asking the staff as well, but they firmly answered, ¡°The dragon trend has ended long ago, and we have not even heard of that title before.¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    The situation seemed all the more stranger when Estian heard Cecile¡¯s explanation later on. ¡°I¡¯m sure one of my previous maidservants gave it to me, but I can¡¯t remember who.¡±


    She had spent every day with those maids yet she could not remember? Nevertheless, Estian ordered someone to go to Navitan and bring the maids of the royal villa who had raised Cecile. He had planned on bringing them over anyway, seeing how they had taken good care of Cecile in her childhood, so it was only happening sooner than later.


    Meanwhile, Kane¡¯s interrogation was coming to a close. Estian looked at the dragon, who had now become dispirited and meek, with mixed feelings. It was such a big matter and there were many witnesses, so the appearance of the dragon was impossible to hide.


    ¡®Looks like people from all countries throughout the continent will be coming to us soon,¡¯ he mused.


    Ordinarily, he would not have cared whether they came or not¡ªhe just needed to sit at his designated chair and glare a little, after all¡ªbut this time he was not alone. Estian turned to look at Cecile, who sat with a pair of fluffy slippers on her feet since they were still injured. Noticing his gaze, she avoided his eyes awkwardly.


    ¡®Just what is up with all this?¡¯


    How on earth was Cecile able to hatch the dragon egg and use the dragon lord¡¯s spell? The more Estian thought about it, the more he noticed odd things about Cecile. When she put her lips on his bloodied cheek, he had felt faint for a moment. His blood was like poison, it had to be avoided by other people.


    ¡®Yet she showed no reaction whatsoever to Eugendiph¡¯s Blood.¡¯

 CH 75

    Naturally, he knew that Eugendiph¡¯s Blood would not pass to another by simple physical contact, as his father had performed repeated experiments on the subject, but it was impossible for nothing to happen. Usually, the ordinary person would lie down sick for several days at the least. Yet, in Cecile¡¯s case, aside from looking teary when her feet stung occasionally, she did not show the slightest sign of being unwell.


    Regardless, the foreign visitors this time would come to try to meet Cecile. The simple solution might be to prevent them from meeting her, but it was implausible that they would simply turn away at being refused. Without a doubt, they would try to break their way in somehow.


    ¡®And they¡¯ll definitely bring in useless women while they¡¯re at it.¡¯ They were not the sort to stop sending women to his side just because he had accepted an empress. A sigh slipped from Estian¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°By the way, Emperor. Do you mind sending me back now?¡±


    His forehead creased at the voice that came from the corner. Richard was smiling with his head, arms and legs contained separately. It was a rather chilling sight, but no one in the room was shocked by it. They had seen a dragon already, so what was the big deal about a living head rolling about by itself?


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. You think you can just prance on out of here? You¡¯re the cause of all this mess, to begin with. Don¡¯t even dream of having your body stuck together until the Mage¡¯s Tower pays compensation for your deeds.¡±


    ¡°Compensation, you say? It¡¯s thanks to me you got a dragon, so I should be the one being compen-¡­ don¡¯t kick my arm! It hurts, I tell you!¡± Richard whined.


    ¡°Be grateful that I¡¯m sparing you for what little use you have,¡± Estian said after kicking Richard¡¯s arm, then sat down again. Something was suspicious. Be it the book, the forgotten maid, or the things happening to Cecile. While Richard might be soft in the head, his knowledge of magic would be required to dig deeper into the matter.


    As Estian was contemplating how to use Richard, somebody knocked on the door. He allowed them in and the person who entered was the head chamberlain. His steps faltered when seeing Girgantia tied in the middle of the room, likely recalling the destruction the dragon had wrought upon the imperial palace. He stood as far away from the dragon as he could before reporting to Estian, ¡°They say the maidservant has awoken.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? What does she say?¡±


    The maidservant in question was the one who was discovered collapsed alongside Kane on the other side of Girgantia. Upon looking into who on earth this woman was, she was revealed to be a maid of Irene who had entered the palace that day. According to a doctor¡¯s diagnosis, she had merely fainted from exhaustion and there was no threat to her life, so it was decided she would be given treatment in the palace.


    ¡°That is¡­ She says she does not remember.¡± The head chamberlain reported hesitantly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Estian frowned. Although she had been out of sight at the time, that maid had to be the one who attacked Girgantia from the other side. Putting aside the mystery of how a maid had such power in the first place, saying that she did not remember? ¡®Do I have to thrash the truth out of that maid?¡¯


    Estian was contemplating on what to do when Kane spoke up. ¡°Your Majesty, entrust that matter to me. I think I will have time to spare, what with Girgantia being cooperative.¡±


    His words prompted Estian to look at Girgantia. After answering Kane¡¯s several questions, the dragon was filling in the 150 questionnaires created under the imperial provisions for interrogation of prisoners of war. Whenever Girgantia tried to grumble about something as he filled in the paper using a pen held with his tail, Tania would threateningly raise her heel and the dragon would swiftly resume writing even as he muttered under his breath. The interrogation would proceed smoothly from this point on even without Kane.


    ¡°Right then, I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡±


    * * *


    Upon waking up and examining the state of her body, the sainted was shocked. ¡®Where did all my holy power go?¡¯


    Ever since she had possessed the saintess¡¯ body, she could feel herself overflowing with divine power as if all the waters of the oceans were at her disposal. Now though, forget oceans, she felt as if she were in the middle of a desert that had been utterly bereft of water for a hundred years. ¡®Could it be that my power¡¯s gone because I used it all on the dragon?¡¯


    In any case, what was certain was that she had no holy power. She could not feel a thing no matter how hard she tried, let alone holy power. Just as she was feeling lost, somebody opened the door to the room she was in and entered.


    ¡°Heavens! So this is where you were!¡± someone exclaimed.


    It was Irene. Only after she entered the room did the saintess look around. From the looks of it, she seemed to still be inside the imperial palace.


    After entering the room, Irene came to the saintess and pulled her into a hug, rattling away. ¡°Goodness, the knights were suddenly going around asking if they knew about this woman. It sounded just like they were talking about you so I came dashing over, and what a good thing I did! They say you were caught up in something huge? And I hear you fainted. Are you feeling fine? You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve looked for you since you disappeared! Oh, how I worried! Did they change your clothes because they were too dirty?¡±


    The saintess felt perplexed in Irene¡¯s embrace. What the, why¡¯s this girl suddenly acting like someone who found their lost sister? But then abruptly, Irene¡¯s tone grew low as she said, ¡°By the way though. I hear you said some strange things to the other maids at home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What do you mean st-strange things?¡±


    ¡°For example, ¡®so long, I¡¯m through with this place¡¯, or ¡®work hard looking after the miss in my stead¡¯.¡± Irene¡¯s tone grew even lower. ¡°And then there¡¯s that time when you told me to wait back there but you didn¡¯t return for so long, then you were found somewhere else¡­ You wouldn¡¯t be trying to run away from me like my previous maids now, would you?¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Her voice caused lines of sweat to appear on the saintess¡¯s forehead.


    Wh-what the? Why do I feel like I¡¯m heading down obsession road?


    ¡´Continued in Volume 2¡µ

 CH 76

    Act 4: Covet Not What Is Mine


    Whatever the case, the saintess couldn¡¯t just answer Irene¡¯s ¡°Did you just try to run?¡± with a ¡®Correct¡¯. As she laughed sinisterly with her arms laced around the saintess¡¯s neck, Irene radiated an almost palpable black aura.


    The saintess quickly put her mental cogs in motion. She had run out of holy power; in other words, she was incapable of using any ability whatsoever. What could she do even if she managed to escape Irene? Rather, seeing how impossible it was to barge in at the moment, was there any other way to get inside the imperial palace?


    Her head worked furiously, busily calculating her future plans. Although she did not know what was going on, there was only one answer to give.


    ¡°Why, never, milady! How I have missed you!¡± she cried out, aggrieved, and pulled Irene into a hug. Trying to imagine the saddest, most tragic thing she could, the scene from before she passed out immediately was conjured in her mind. That moment when she could only hear Estian¡¯s voice as Kane lay in her arms¡­ Her memory of Kane¡¯s face, his lips as they shimmered while he was unconscious¡­


    ¡®Blast it. I wouldn¡¯t be feeling so bitter if I could¡¯ve given one deep smooch.¡¯ she thought, feeling surly. She couldn¡¯t help but cry at the thought of the male lead she had yet to lay even a finger on.


    Wiping hot tears of unsatisfied desires, the saintess shouted, ¡°I was so scared! I was lost and wandering everywhere when I suddenly heard a big noise! Knights were laying everywhere, then I opened the door and there was a dragon¡­ but I don¡¯t remember anything after that! What happened to me? Where is this? What IS all this? Ahh, my head¡­ No, more than anything, milady, I¡¯m so relieved you¡¯re safe!¡±


    The saintess swiveled her eyes this way and that as she recited the most clich¨¦ lines of someone suffering memory loss. In any case, she had to stick by Irene¡¯s side!


    ¡°Really?¡± Irene gave her the side-eye and the saintess clung to the former even more pitifully.


    ¡°But of course! How could I ever abandon you, milady! Whom would I work for if not you? You¡¯re the only one for me! Don¡¯t you remember how I gave my best adorning you this morning? You¡¯re the best employer I have ever served, milady!¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t your last show of goodwill or anything?¡±


    ¡°Nn-¡­ No!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you stutter a bit just now?¡±


    The saintess turned her head and discreetly tsked at Irene¡¯s persistent questioning. So distrustful. Why is she so sharp at times like this, unlike her usual dull self? The way she pressed for answers was the very example of an obsessive male lead. Nevertheless, even as the saintess lamented the difficulty of life, she resumed her earnest sucking-up to Irene.


    ¡°Very well then. Let¡¯s go back. What good is there in staying here any longer?¡± Irene suddenly stated.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Irene snapped her fingers before the saintess could say anything, prompting the servants waiting outside to rush into the room. ¡°Take her away.¡±


    ¡°Ha-hang on a second! Lady Irene!¡± Before she could say anything else, the servants swaddled the saintess in a blanket and ferried her out.


    Irene watched the proceedings from behind, smiling. ¡®I managed to find a personal maid after so long. Can¡¯t just sit dumb and let Kane steal her away from me, can I now?¡¯ Kane was certain to come looking for the saintess, claiming for the need to carry out a proper investigation.


    ¡®And it doesn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s the only thing he¡¯s got in mind.¡¯


    After the chaos had somewhat settled, Kane had asked Irene about her maid, claiming it was for the sake of cleaning up the case. However, the persistent way he asked her about the maid was odd.


    ¡®He¡¯s got to be after something else.¡¯


    To all appearances, Kane was just a good-natured knight commander, but how could it be so simple? He was the right-hand man chosen by that hard-to-please Estian. In truth, Kane was only slightly less cruel than his master, but he was second to none when it came to having a record of dicing people up.


    ¡®It¡¯s certain she won¡¯t be coming back if she gets caught by Kane.¡¯ Irene mused. Most of the people who disappeared from the imperial palace without a trace were most likely dealt with by Kane. ¡®I¡¯ve got to take her with me before that happens.¡¯


    Irene had liked that maid at first sight. The girl was as obedient as a puppet and had the knack for speaking the most pleasing words. But if that was all there was to her, Irene wouldn¡¯t have troubled herself into looking after that maid like this. However¡­ ¡­


    ¡®I also like how she hits the head on the nail sometimes.¡¯ That made her all the more likable. The other servants would always grovel for her sake, but that maid would sometimes act so daring as if saying, ¡®So fire me then!¡¯


    ¡®But I don¡¯t really hate it. Difference in status aside, maybe this is what it¡¯s like to have a friend.¡¯


    The saintess would have yelled ¡®Don¡¯t go thinking of me as a friend on your own!¡¯ if she had heard Irene¡¯s thoughts, but alas, she was wrapped up in a blanket and being loaded into a coach at this moment. In any case, Irene swore to herself. ¡®It¡¯s my first time meeting a maid like her. I¡¯ll never let her be taken away!¡¯

 CH 77

    ¡°Miss Irene took her back without permission?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I tried to stop her, but Miss Irene was adamant¡­¡±


    Kane appeared troubled by the imperial attendant¡¯s reply. After the dragon situation was settled, the mysterious maid had been discovered by the other entrance in the audience room.


    ¡®I was going to confirm something¡­¡¯


    He had been in a groggy state of mind at the time when somebody whispered in his ears, ¡®Be still. I¡¯ll come back after taking care of everything.¡¯


    The voice had been overflowing with anger. He could strongly feel the sincere determination to make the dragon pay for putting him into such bad shape. ¡®Just who was it?¡¯


    Kane had not simply come by the position of knight commander. Few people could be said to stand above him in terms of martial prowess in the empire.


    ¡®The one thing clear is that it was a woman.¡¯


    The first woman he thought of who was capable of besting him in a fight was Tania¡¯s mother, Margrave Kaniche. She, however, was the kind of person who would give him a kick if he was found collapsed, then ask, ¡®Is lying down how you got the title of knight commander?!¡¯


    ¡®Besides, she definitely sounded young.¡¯


    There was no doubt that the voice belonged to a woman around his age. But a woman around his age who¡ªforget retreating in the face of a dragon¡ªwas strong enough to spare worry for him in that situation?


    ¡®Girgantia said he didn¡¯t know either.¡¯


    When that blasted baby dragon saw the maid for the first time, he said, ¡®I think this is her?¡¯ But when he took a second look, he changed his words. ¡®Nope, she doesn¡¯t have a bit of power in her. It¡¯s not this one. I must¡¯ve been mistaken since I can¡¯t distinguish human faces.¡¯ Because of that, Tania stepped on his tail again, telling the dragon not to be confusing.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to look into it a little more.¡¯


    Something about her bothered him for some reason. Kane turned around and his feet carried him back to where he came from, every step as heavy as his heart. But as he walked along a corridor, he paused, thinking, ¡®Should I just go to Miss Irene¡¯s mansion and check?¡¯


    Kane soon shook his head. He had no time for that; there was a mountain of things regarding damages to the imperial palace that required attention as well. He could not neglect the matter of the dragon and look into something else simply because it concerned him.


    ¡®But why does she keep hanging in my mind?¡¯


    Kane recalled the figure of the maid who had lost consciousness. She had black, sleek hair, and her bangs that reached near her brows had seemed rather cute to him. He felt it a pity that he could not see the color of her eyes as she had them closed.


    ¡®Perhaps the shock to her mind was big.¡¯ The image of her pale face continued to flicker before his eyes. I wonder if she¡¯s feeling fine.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Kane blinked repeatedly, startled out of his thoughts.


    ¡®It feels like I¡¯m remembering things a bit too clearly?¡¯


    He shook his head again, but he could not completely get rid of the blush on his cheeks. Something about that maid is strange after all. Why doesn¡¯t she disappear from my thoughts? For a long while, Kane could not get the image of the unconscious maid out of his head.


    * * *


    A week had passed since the dragon appeared in the imperial palace. During that time, there was no one aside from the imperial attendants who saw Cecile. In fact, even the attendants had little chance to see her, the reason being that¡­


    ¡°Please let me go outside!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Cecile turned teary at Estian¡¯s firm reply, making Estian falter briefly, but then he shook his head. Seeing Estian so determined, Cecile swiftly wiped away her tears and turned her head to one side, muttering, ¡°Tsk. And here I thought it would work this time.¡±


    Her doleful face from a moment ago vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of utter vexation. Watching Cecile¡¯s instantaneous switch of expression, Estian gave a chiding click of his tongue. ¡°I can hear everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m letting you listen,¡± Cecile pouted as she kicked at the innocent post of her bed with her slippers.


    More than a week had passed after the commotion caused by Girgantia had been settled, yet Cecile was not able to take a single step out of the empress¡¯ palace since that day. No matter how she pleaded and got angry with the attendants, they would stop her saying, ¡®It is His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡¯ If that were all, she might have endured somehow. She still had the heaps of books she got from Tania, after all, so she intended on having a fun time eating fruits and reading books, however¡­


    ¡®Where¡¯d all my books go?¡¯


    Cecile had approached her bookshelf in excitement, only to find it neatly emptied. The attendant who was standing behind the shocked Cecile forced herself to give an explanation. ¡®Th-that is because His Majesty ordered for all the books to be put away¡­¡¯


    The reason, she was told, was that it was necessary to examine the books here since there might be something else wrong with them. That night, Cecile clung to Estian, crying when he returned to their bedroom, ¡°Please return my books! I borrowed them from Tania!¡±


    ¡°Those books were all returned to Tania, so worry not. She¡¯s reading and checking through them to see if there are any more abnormalities.¡±


    It was no wonder the girl had stopped coming over, saying that she had a mission to see through. Cecile had nothing to say since the books had returned to their rightful owner.


    ¡®And there are some other things that need to be looked into, so all your official duties are canceled until it¡¯s clear that things are safe.¡¯


    All she could do then was nod at Estian¡¯s resolute words, but her pseudo-imprisonment that she assumed to last several days had continued for over a week until the present. Cecile appealed to Estian to let her out, saying that she could not take the suffocation anymore, but he remained steadfast.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored! I can¡¯t read books, can¡¯t talk with the attendants, and it¡¯s not like I can meet other people either.¡± Cecil whined.


    ¡°But it¡¯s only been a week?¡±


    Cecile was rendered speechless by the look of incomprehension in Estian¡¯s eyes. He truly looked like he wondered what was so hard about being confined for a week. ¡°But I¡¯m really bored.¡±


    She had tried all kinds of things to appease her boredom, thanks to which she now knew there were 6,172 lilies drawn on one side of the palace walls, and that 815 crystals were hanging on the chandelier in the central hall. She had tried everything in looking for something to do aside from that, but she had reached her limit.


    ¡°Even you come back late in the night and go out early in the morning, Your Majesty,¡± she complained.


    And the only highlight of the day was Estian coming back at nighttime, and even then their time together was not long.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­ you¡¯re not bored when I¡¯m here?¡±


    Cecile nodded. Why ask the obvious?


    On that day, Estian fell asleep with great joy. Of course, he did not just go to sleep, which was why Cecile had to experience an arduous all-nighter. Perhaps her grumbling had worked; the next night, Estian brought several books. As Cecile greeted him happily and tried to take the books from his hands, Estian held them high out of reach.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    She gazed at him questioningly, to which he responded with a laugh. ¡°Not yet. Their contents still haven¡¯t been fully checked.¡±


    ¡°Then will you check them already, please!¡± Her teary entreaty brought a smile to Estian¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I intend on doing, but I think I¡¯ll need a bit of your help.¡±


    Cecile was seized by an ominous feeling.

 CH 78

    ¡®Oh, I knew it!¡¯ Cecile realized and sat up in bed, glaring at the book in her hands. No wonder getting Estian to bring her some books had been easier than expected, despite his firm stance against it during the past week.


    ¡°I think we can go through checking them in no time with your help.¡±


    She should have been wary of him saying this with a smile, but in her joy of finally having a book return to her, she carelessly answered, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to help with whatever!¡±


    And this was the consequence she got. As Cecile wavered, fidgeting with the book, Estian asked, ¡°What are you doing? Go on and read the next part.¡±


    Her eyes turned to the book at his urging. She hesitated to open her mouth for a long time before barely bringing herself to read a sentence aloud. ¡°His lips roughly¡­ covered hers. Harsh panting¡­ filled the room¡­ Aah¡­ Haah¡­ The sounds of hot gasping filled the room¡­ His hands went to her chest and¡­ Aarrgh! I was wrong!¡±


    Unable to finish the page she was reading, Cecile tossed the book on top of the bed. She rolled up the sleeves of her pajamas and¡ªseeing goosebumps on her arms¡ªrubbed at them like mad as she looked at Estian, who had been lying comfortably beside her. He picked up the fallen book and peacefully asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why don¡¯t you finish reading? Who knows when we¡¯ll check all its contents at this rate.¡±


    Cecile turned teary-eyed at that. Never had she imagined that when Estian suggested they confirm whether the book was safe or not, this was the method he had in mind¡ªreading aloud the book from start to finish. First, she felt incredulous when he suggested she try, and then she grew wilful. ¡®Yes, I shall read it! Read and prove the innocence and purity of this book!¡¯


    Cecile had spoken so gallantly only to soon realize there was a problem. ¡®I forgot that all the books I had were of those kinds.¡¯


    Those kinds, as in the kinds with titles that were embarrassing to mention in front of strangers. The title of the book she was to read was ¡®He Becomes a Beast Every Night¡¯. It was easy at first, but the moment she got to the part of the first night, Cecile did not know where to look. Wait a second, do I have to voice this part starting now?


    As if he had noticed her hesitation, Estian had asked, ¡°What is it? Is there a problem after all?¡±


    ¡°Nay!¡±


    Cecile would surely lose her books again if she were to retreat here, and she could absolutely not afford to do so. She braced herself again and continued, but the moment she reached another steamy scene, she could not hold on any longer. ¡®I know what happens after this!¡¯


    It was a book she had read many times. The scene waiting to unfold beyond this point depicted the process of the female lead learning about how the male lead became a beast overnight. ¡®I can do it. I can do it.¡¯


    Even as Cecile attempted to brainwash herself to keep on reading, she was attaining enlightenment in how there was a world¡¯s difference in reading the book alone and voicing it for another person to hear. The scene had made her smile happily when she was enjoying it by herself, yet¡ªfor some reason¡ªit felt very awkward and embarrassing to read it out loud. ¡°Your Majesty, is this really the only way?¡±


    In the end, Cecile begged Estian for an alternative method. Then, as if he had been waiting for her to ask, he stood up and approached her, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not that there is no other way.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t read it¡­¡± Estian trailed off and came even closer. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to try it yourself?¡±


    Estian embraced Cecile by the waist and they fell onto the bed.


    ¡°What? What do you¡­ Umph!¡± Cecile tried to say something, but her mouth was blocked by her husband¡¯s kiss. He then opened the book she had tossed aside with one hand.


    Cecile¡¯s books had been checked numerous times by not only Tania, but other people as well. Estian also had Richard¡ªwhose head was starting to stick on¡ªexamine them just in case for any hexes, but fortunately, no particular problems were found. Still, he felt uneasy. Putting aside that the book with the dragon lord¡¯s spell had saved everyone, the unknown boded ill-fortune.


    ¡®It just doesn¡¯t seem like all these things happened by chance.¡¯


    Estian could instinctively tell that something or someone was behind all these happenings. If so, did that mean that Cecile was sent to him intentionally by another? Estian gazed at Cecile, who was gasping for breath beneath him at the end of a long kiss, her lips slightly swollen from his gentle bite. He felt his breathing grow rough at the sight of his wife looking at him with a confused face.


    He truly could not understand himself. At first, he thought his liking for Cecile was only because she was amusing, but when he saw her return to the audience room during the fight against Girgantia, he had felt a pain he had never experienced before. To be exact, it was less pain and more of an aching near his heart, yet his mind reeled worse than the time when his arm was cut off. Estian could only think of one thing at the time¡ªhe could not let Cecile get hurt. When she had licked the injury on his face after the situation was over, he had almost lost his mind. He had no intention of denying his feelings anymore.


    He liked Cecile.


    ¡®Even though there¡¯s no way that can be,¡¯ Estian silently muttered to himself. He turned to look at Cecile again.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± she called out.


    Her voice was beautiful. The clear view of Cecile¡¯s face rendered Estian unable to figure out whether his senses were fading or sharpening.

 CH 79

    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t possibly mean that trying it yourself is to reenact the book¡­¡± Cecile said and her eyes began to shake wildly as she stared at him in bewilderment. Soon, an aggrieved look appeared on her face, one that screamed, ¡®I was tricked!¡¯ She swiftly rolled over, trying to escape the bed, but Estian¡¯s grip on her waist was ironclad. ¡°You must¡¯ve been thinking of doing this from the start!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say no.¡±


    Estian buried his face in Cecile¡¯s neck again. The book in his hand fell to the floor not long after, but there was no problem as he had read it all before coming anyway. Estian diligently began to follow the next part in the book¡ªwith his body, of course.


    * * *


    Estian gazed at Cecile dead asleep in his arms. Numerous red marks were visible on her nape through her disheveled pajamas, but that was not the only place that had red; there were many more hidden underneath her clothes, all made by him. The mere knowledge filled him with satisfaction. He did not want to let go of her. He felt sorry to spend time apart from her.


    ¡®She won¡¯t even need to act.¡¯ Estian had told Cecile to act as the villainess who held power over himself. At first, he had thought it would be difficult to behave according to her act. ¡®But that wasn¡¯t it.¡¯


    Estian¡¯s actions¡ªwhich Cecile regarded with a troubled face and his officials watched with eyes that questioned his sanity¡ªall came from a sincere heart. Contrary to his expectations, it was not the slightest bit difficult to treat Cecile with care.


    ¡°Hnng.¡±


    Estian put the bedsheet over Cecile¡¯s shoulders as she dug into his arms, and that put a faintly happy smile on her face as she leaned against his body. He felt a tickle from her golden hair rustling against his chest. Estian found himself wrapping Cecile¡¯s hair around his hand and letting it slide off. He felt as if he would never grow tired of its soft sensation, even if he were to touch it for the entire day.


    He fiddled about with his hands quietly for a long time before putting his face in Cecile¡¯s neck. The mixed fragrance of perfume and skin made him relaxed.


    ¡®Two weeks later, is it?¡¯ he mused, trying to count the days. This evening, before returning to the empress¡¯ palace, he had informed his knights to prepare for a campaign. Upon being asked where they were headed, he answered they were to march for the dukedom of Etia. There were no other questions asked. As always, his knights began their preparations without a word. Two weeks later he would be standing in the castle of Etia. As for whether he would kill or spare the grand duke¡¯s life, that had yet to be decided.


    Estian intended on giving a choice, at the least, to those who stood in his path to the grand duke: to make way or die. He would kill those who did not make way even if they begged for life, just like how he and the other children were pushed into hell despite their pleading.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Had she sensed his hardening expression? Cecile leaned further against his body in his arms, frowning. Estian quickly withdrew his power that had leaked due to his heightened emotions, and soon she was breathing evenly again with a comfortable face. The sight brought an involuntary smile to Estian¡¯s lips.


    He felt it was curious and strange that whenever he thought of the past, it took a long time to shake off those thoughts, yet now they vanished in an instant the moment he looked at Cecile.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He carefully laid her down on the bed, but she did not seem happy about the absence of warmth; she reached out a hand to grab his gown. Estian did not resist and let himself be pulled by her slender arms to quietly lay down beside her.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened to me?¡± he murmured as he watched Cecile¡¯s sleeping face. He lowered a hand beneath the bed and picked up the book that had fallen to the floor. After turning over several pages, he had a bitter smile on his face; the man in the story was feeling the same emotions he was going through.


    ¡®Love, is it.¡¯ Estian sighed. He did not feel shy or anything of the sort, for he was incapable of possessing such emotions.


    ¡®What I¡¯m feeling isn¡¯t love, but the desire to reproduce.¡¯


    That was what they had told him, and Estian knew that was true. He gazed at his hand. For a brief instant, what looked like a black mist appeared on top of his palm, but then he clenched his fist and it disappeared without a trace. The mist had appeared for a mere instant, yet the air in the room had become turbid. Seeing Cecile make groaning noises, he walked over to the window and opened it. He could sense a presence watching him from a very far distance. ¡®Should I kill them?¡¯


    But Estian turned down the thought. It seemed whoever it was merely wanted to observe him¡ªhe sensed no murderous intent¡ªand more than anything, he did not want to leave this room at this moment. Besides, he already knew who had sent the watcher. When the turbid air had disappeared somewhat, he closed the window and returned to the bed.


    ¡®Since she promised not to leave for the time being¡­¡¯ Of course, a bit of bullying was involved to get that promise out of Cecile, but what of it? It mattered not since she liked it in the end. Estian went under the bedsheets and hugged his wife¡¯s warm body, thinking of the person he would be meeting tomorrow. The Rose of Aswan, Princess Yuliana.


    ¡°Such a ready mindset. Scouting before even arriving,¡± he muttered, glaring beyond the window where the presence had disappeared from.

 CH 80

    ¡°Huaam,¡± Cecile yawned widely as she stretched. Although she felt a tad stiff from last night¡¯s activities, it was not bad enough to hurt, it only made her feel somewhat drowsy and tired. She felt around the other side of the bed but all she found were sheets that had long lost their warmth.


    ¡®He left early,¡¯ she realized. Estian usually stayed by her side until she woke in the morning. ¡®Wonder if he¡¯s got something busy to do?¡¯


    Due to all her official duties being canceled, Kane did not visit her palace, which was why she had no one to ask questions and why she did not know Estian¡¯s schedule today. ¡®I don¡¯t suppose the palace attendants will know either,¡¯ she mused.


    Cecile rolled about on her bed for a long while, until her eyes turned to the table in the room. A book was neatly placed on top of it. She glared at the thing, muttering, ¡°Because of this I had to¡­¡±


    But the moment Cecile recalled last night¡¯s happenings, she had to bury her face in her pillow again. She had drooled with joy over that steamy part of the story when she was simply reading it, but acting out in person¡­?


    ¡°Ahem! Hem!¡± Cecile coughed, slightly lifted her pajamas, and, unsurprisingly, found her body covered with red marks, though they seemed to have faded away quite a bit overnight. ¡°This must be why there¡¯s beast in the title.¡±


    Cecile had truly feared being eaten alive by her husband, who had faithfully reenacted the scenes written in the book. Staggering out of bed, she put on a pair of slippers and walked out with tottering steps.


    ¡®Come to think of it, Aled¡¯s being quiet these days.¡¯ Cecile looked around in search of that familiar figure, but she could not find hair nor hide of the spirit. ¡®It didn¡¯t seem like it was stuck to His Majesty either.¡¯


    The spirit was always one to noisily chatter by one¡¯s side throughout the day. While it was nice to see it gone, a part of her missed having Aled around. ¡®I¡¯d be willing to listen to its twittering a bit, for now at least.¡¯


    Despite its habit of talking on and on without stopping, there were many fascinating things among the stories it told. In particular, Cecile enjoyed listening to stories about the spirit world, accounts of records, and other stories. If only the spirit was around during moments like these when she had nothing but time, she would have hearkened with some interest¡ªbut alas.


    Cecile opened the door that led to the neighboring room. She gazed inside the room full of all sorts of things that were neatly arranged, then focused on the Forest of Tetin in the center of a display. Looking at the jewel again, she still found it a curious item. The shadow of a forest was swaying within the green jewel the size of a child¡¯s head. A forest within a jewel. Would this not be why it was the national treasure of a country?


    Cecile examined the Forest of Tetin, tapping its surface with a finger. Aled had now moved inside this very jewel, which was practically stolen from Tania. When she asked why, the spirit had replied, ¡®Wouldn¡¯t you move in as well? It¡¯s in a whole different league! And the more real estate, the better, alright?¡¯


    And, after giving a good long lecture on good housing and wide property, the spirit disappeared. Since then, Aled had not shown itself until the present¡­ although Cecile did vaguely recall the spirit grumbling something along the lines of, ¡®Argh, that darned emperor.¡¯


    ¡°It is still shining¡­¡±


    This meant that Aled was still residing inside the jewel. Cecile looked at the Forest of Tetin for a while longer before shifting her gaze to where a cracked piece of jewelry, formerly called the Emerald of Aled, was placed alongside the emerald brooch she had gotten from Tania. ¡°Cracked though it might be, it¡¯s still a national treasure. Got to keep it safe.¡±


    Even though it had lost its former brilliance because of the crack and Aled¡¯s absence, it was still a large and beautiful jewel.


    ¡®It¡¯s connected to the spirit realm because of Aled living in it before if I recall correctly?¡¯


    That must have been why Aled had advised to treat it carefully with a shrug, despite that it was broken. Anything that can serve as an entrance to the spirit realm was precious and whatnot, or so the spirit said. In any case, that was why Tania¡¯s jewel ended up being stored in this room as well. For a long time, Cecile gazed between the two pieces of jewelry, thinking of Aled, until¡­


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you inside?¡±


    She heard the sounds of attendants looking for her from the outside, prompting her to hurry to her feet and return to her bedroom. ¡°What is the matter?¡± she asked.


    Ordinarily, the attendants would not disturb Cecile, allowing her to rest well until she woke up and got out. There had to be a reason they were looking for her.


    ¡°I beg your forgiveness, but the items sent by His Majesty have just arrived, and we have been ordered to report Your Majesty¡¯s reaction.¡±


    ¡°By His Majesty?¡± Was there something Estian had promised to send? ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯


    Last night, Cecile had complained of boredom to Estian. He then asked if all he had to do was make the boredom go away. The attendants hurriedly helped her dress, then led her to a large room of the empress¡¯ palace¡ªone that she somehow had yet to visit.


    ¡°Where is this? How very extravagant-looking,¡± she asked, looking around.


    ¡°It is a storeroom, Your Majesty,¡± the attendant replied.


    ¡°¡­¡± Why the heck is the doorknob of a storeroom made of gold? Cecile coughed dryly in an attempt to hide her embarrassment as she opened the door and entered. Many people were standing inside who immediately knelt upon her appearance. ¡°All hail Her Majesty the Empress!¡±


    They moved with discipline and cried out with sonorous voices. It could be clearly told who they were, if not by the sharp air about them, then by the white armor they donned.


    ¡°What has brought the Imperial Guard here?¡± Cecile asked.


    The Imperial Guard was composed of the emperor¡¯s closest retainers, whose duty was to protect his royal self. At a glance, they seemed to number over twenty. Cecile had heard that members of the Imperial Guard were selected from only among the best, which was why they did not even number thirty in total. If so many of them were here, then¡­


    ¡°Why have you all come to my palace? What of His Majesty¡¯s guard?¡±


    The imperial guard standing at the very front bowed his head and replied, ¡°To His Majesty, our protection is nothing but a hindrance!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something you should say so loudly. Cecile could not bring herself to make a comment, seeing the man talk with his head held high, even showing pride on his face. ¡°You may all rise for now.¡±

 CH 81

    The Imperial Guard saluted Cecile before rising to their feet. It was not long before she could sense their gazes upon her; half of them contained curiosity, while the other half harbored wariness. She realized that she was being put under scrutiny, but there was nothing she could say about it. ¡®Considering all the things I¡¯ve done so far¡­¡¯


    The men were no doubt feeling nervous, not knowing what other strange thing she would get up to even at this very moment.


    ¡°First, please accept this, Your Majesty.¡± One of the guards carefully handed over a long piece of paper to Cecile. As she received it, she asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It is the list of gifts sent by His Majesty today.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I se¡­ Wait. I don¡¯t see the end of it?¡±


    Cecile was just thinking what a long piece of paper it was, but after taking it in hand, it turned out that the paper had been folded up. She held it up by the top and it unfurled to a length that reached the floor, and she then saw something densely written on the paper. The writing was so small that Cecile had to bring it close and focus to make out the letters.


    ¡°120 rolls of the finest silk woven by Delphian craftsmen, an instrument of the Fourth Era excavated from Kashia Dungeon, a table set made by the first Mage Lord that immediately serves black tea and cake upon taking a seat¡­¡±


    She read through the small letters without much thought at first, but then ended up slightly gaping¡ªthere were nothing but incredibly valuable items listed on the paper. ¡®Delphian craftsmen!¡¯


    It was said that Delphi Island, located at the far end of the sea, was inhabited by people who looked different from the residents of the continent. Their lives were based on a different technology from that of the continent, the most notable of which was the extraordinary technique their craftsmen used to weave intricate patterns in silk. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure I read in a book that even a single roll of their silk is enough to cause strife among nobles¡­¡¯


    A single roll was worth the average house, or so she had heard, yet 120 rolls? Cecile slightly turned her head and one of the guards standing in the back stepped forward with a finely rolled sheet of silk in his hands. Cecil approached the guard as if entranced and gave the silk a touch.


    ¡°Good heavens¡­¡± She could not help but exclaim in admiration. The texture of it, smoother than any other silk, was one thing, but even more amazing than that was the pattern of the fabric. There was a large picture in the middle of the silk with small patterns for decoration around it. The depiction was so vivid and full of life it was like an actual scenery was pasted onto the fabric.


    ¡°As per His Majesty¡¯s words, all Delphian silk imported into the continent for the next 10 years belong to none other than Her Majesty the Empress.¡±


    ¡°What? 10 years?¡± Cecile was startled by the guard¡¯s message as she was enjoying the soft sensation of the silk.


    ¡°Yes. In addition, I am to convey that this is all of the Delphian silk imported to the continent this year and that His Majesty is remorseful to be late in presenting these when they should have been given on the wedding day.¡±


    At that, the imperial attendants who were standing behind Cecile shrugged their shoulders, as if saying, ¡®See that? That¡¯s how precious our empress is.¡¯


    Cecile, on the other hand, stood there blinking blankly as she chewed over what she had just heard. 10 years? All Delphian silk imported for the next 10 years would be hers? ¡®Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be so rare that even a piece the size of half a palm is worth having?¡¯


    She clearly recalled reading quite a few scenes in books where marriage proposals were made with a gift of something made from a piece of Delphian silk, yet 120 rolls of those precious rolls belonged to her and her only, and she would hold a monopoly on its supply for the next 10 years? It was not simply a tremendous gift money-wise, but a gift that came with overwhelming power.


    ¡°May we move these gifts now?¡±


    Cecile nodded, prompting more guards and attendants to enter through another door by the side. In no time, one side of the storeroom was piled with enough silk to reach the ceiling. Cecile eyed the pile with incredulity, whereas the attendants of the empress¡¯ palace unabashedly gazed upon it, enraptured.


    ¡®So that¡¯s 120 mansions stacked right there?¡¯


    They¡¯ve got real good compressibility alright. Amazing. But then Cecile broke out of her thoughts, realizing that the long piece of paper was still in her hand¡ªthe Delphian silk made up no more than a single line. ¡°Ha-hang on now. It can¡¯t be that everything written here is¡­¡±


    A guard replied in a matter-of-fact tone, ¡°Indeed. All of them are gifts that will be moved to this storeroom. His Majesty has instructed for us to find out in detail what item pleases you the most, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Cecile turned her head aside, lost for words, only to find that her attendants had brought a table and chair before she knew it.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think it best to watch while sitting comfortably.¡±


    ¡°Shall we set up breakfast here?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. Ready me a feast.¡±


    Cecile considered refusing, but then laughed weakly at the sight of the paper in her hand. It did not seem like this would end for several days at the least.


    * * *


    ¡°Hnn.¡± Cecile stretched with a groan and pressed her palms to her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, my poor eyes¡­¡± Her eyes throbbed from looking at items being carried into her storeroom all day long and from reading the densely packed list of gifts.


    ¡°How is it that I¡¯ve still not seen half of it?¡± Cecile muttered. She thought of the list of gifts that still had much left to go through.


    ¡®He said he would make the boredom go away.¡¯ But who knew he would live up to his words in this manner? She truly did not feel bored thanks to that, however, so he did make good on his promise.


    Cecile walked into the garden. Tired from being surrounded by people all day long, she had her attendants withdraw, saying she would walk alone. Strolling through the quiet garden, she felt herself calm down a little. ¡®He told me to sleep first because he¡¯s coming back late.¡¯


    While Cecile was watching the parade of gifts, an attendant had come to deliver Estian¡¯s message.


    ¡®But I still think it¡¯s better to wait.¡¯


    He had sent her so many gifts, so she felt it only right to at least say thank you. Cecile was about to move elsewhere as she thought of Estian and when he would come back, but just then she overheard voices.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    She heard the voice of an attendant over the wooden fence of the garden.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you it is. My God, then the reason why His Majesty isn¡¯t allowing the empress to leave the palace is¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, because of Princess Yuliana, the greatest beauty in the continent.¡±


    In that instant, Cecile instinctively realized¡ªshe absolutely had to listen in on their conversation.

 CH 82

    Taking off her shoes, she carried them in one hand to move more silently, holding her breath as she approached the fence. Carefully stepping only where there was grass, Cecile grabbed the hem of her indoor dress and crept closer until she could hear their words more clearly.


    ¡°It did seem a bit strange, don¡¯t you think? They seemed so close, but then suddenly, he has Her Majesty cooped up in her palace.¡±


    ¡°Well, he must¡¯ve done so because it¡¯s dangerous, no? What with the dragon matter too.¡±


    Cecile nodded in agreement as she brought her ears closer to the fence. Estian had told her, ¡°Stay in your palace until everything is clear and safe.¡± Seeing the grave look on his face, Cecile could no longer say she wanted to go out¡ªshe knew he meant well.


    Then the maid¡¯s voice reached her ears again. ¡°Ugh, are you stupid? With the way things are going, that¡¯s just an excuse.¡±


    An excuse? Cecile held her breath even more.


    ¡°Up till now, Her Majesty always showed up in every official matter. But as soon as Princess Yuliana comes¡ªjust like that¡ªshe¡¯s not allowed out of the empress¡¯ palace anymore! Need I say more?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not, ¡®Is that so?¡¯. Think about it. The representative of the Aswan delegation is Princess Yuliana. The Rose of Aswan! The greatest beauty on the continent!¡±


    Cecile had also heard about Princess Yuliana. If Estian was said to be the most famous person on the continent, Princess Yuliana could be considered to be second place, maybe third.


    Humans were very fond of ranking things, which was why there were many such lists in the world: the richest person in the world, the largest landowner, the best chess player, and so on.


    Of those many lists, the ones that accrued the most interest were about who was the strongest and who was the most beautiful. For the former, opinions were still divided. Some said Estian, the ruler of the empire, was the strongest person in the world. Some disagreed; in terms of martial prowess, Prince Ruin of the Hyun continent was the strongest.


    People argued over which was stronger for a long time. But when it came to who was the most beautiful person in the world, every man, woman, and child would say, ¡®Well, of course it¡¯s Princess Yuliana of Aswan!¡¯


    There was not one person who objected to this opinion. In any case, the certain thing was that the woman in question, Princess Yuliana, was here in the imperial palace.


    ¡°The princess who never left Aswan a single time until now came here as the representative of a delegation! This has gotta be!¡±


    ¡°Gotta be¡­?¡±


    ¡°A honeytrap! That¡¯s right, Princess Yuliana dangled a bait and our emperor snapped it up!


    Crunch! At that moment, there was a noise of a tree branch snapping.


    ¡°Wh-who is it!¡± The surprised attendants turned their heads toward the sound, and soon they had to doubt their eyes¡ªthe woman who came out from behind the wooden fence was the very person who had to be kept in the dark from the ¡®truth¡¯.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The attendants froze on the spot, their faces reading, ¡®The heck, why¡¯s the empress here?¡®


    As she walked out of the cover of trees, holding a broken branch in her hand, Cecile smiled serenely. However, the moment that branch creaked and was snapped again, they realized something. We¡¯re doomed.


    Cecile spoke in a profoundly kind voice to the paling attendants. ¡°I want you both. To immediately.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes!¡±


    ¡°Make preparations to head to the banquet hall.¡±


    ¡°H-however, the emperor has forbidden Your Majesty from going¡­¡±


    Crunch!


    What remained of the branch in Cecile¡¯s hand got shot to the ground right in front of the attendants. Seeing the branch stuck in the ground¡ªthrown with such force, it shook a little¡ªthey recalled the incident with the Emerald of Aled and how the jewel was sent flying with flair. It then dawned on them that their heads might be next. Even so, they could not go against the emperor¡¯s orders. ¡°Y-your Majesty! How could we dare to disobey the emperor¡¯s orders?¡± The attendants dropped their heads to the ground, crying. Cecile gazed down at them for a moment before bending down to place a hand on the shoulder of an attendant.


    ¡°Have you married?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I have a fox of a husband and three cubs for kids! Spare me, please!¡±


    ¡°Let me ask, what would you do if your husband went and had a good ol¡¯ time with another woman without you knowing?¡±


    The attendant fell in thought briefly before answering with a clenched fist and grim face. ¡°I would separate his torso quite a bit from his lower half.¡±


    Cecile nodded at her fiery answer and said, ¡°That¡¯s exactly how I¡¯m feeling right now.¡± Then she gently raised the attendant¡¯s chin with a finger and smiled brighter than ever before. ¡°So please, I ask that you follow my words. I promise that even after I whoop his imperial¡­ I mean, meet with His Majesty, no harm will come to you both.¡±


    ¡°I, I understand.¡± The attendant stared blankly at Cecile for a while before coming to her senses and nodding. ¡°Then, allow me to guide you to where the formal dresses are.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that,¡± Cecile refused.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± The attendant grew wide-eyed. ¡°It, it can¡¯t be that you will be going as is? You mustn¡¯t, Your Majesty! I will prepare a formal dress right away, so if you would wait just a minute¡­¡±


    The attendant hurriedly grabbed the hem of Cecile¡¯s dress. She could understand the empress¡¯ anger, but it was necessary to carry a good weapon when heading onto the battlefield.


    ¡°Who said I was just going like this?¡±


    ¡°What? But then¡­¡±


    Cecile turned her head to look into the distance far off, where everyone was still busy organizing things in a certain storeroom. ¡°There it is, the good stuff.¡± Her eyes grew narrow. ¡°The best stuff.¡±

 CH 83

    Quiet conversations and light laughter filled the banquet hall alongside the delectable fragrances of fine cuisine and wine.


    Estian sat at the seat of honor of the long table. To his right sat the delegation of Aswan, and to his left the officials of the empire. But even as the people chatted, their eyes would constantly stray to a certain spot. To be more exact, to where Princess Yuliana sat.


    Waist-length black hair, dark as the night sky, sparkled like stars under the light of the chandelier. Bright red lips and white skin decorated delicate facial features, while the neck and limbs were long and straight. All of these words described the princess who drew everyone¡¯s focus, the one wearing the traditional garments of Aswan and holding a glass of wine in hand. Estian was no different in that regard, but what set him apart from the others was the utter coldness in his gaze.


    ¡°A honeytrap, is it,¡± Estian murmured inaudibly to himself as he took a sip of wine. He slowly lowered his full glass, observing Princess Yuliana through it. For an instant, he could see something flash by the princess¡¯ chest, but it was so fleeting that no one else noticed.


    ¡®What witchcraft is this?¡¯ Estian scanned the faces of the people who appeared mesmerized as they gazed at Princess Yuliana. ¡®The power to captivate others, perhaps. It does seem rather powerful.¡¯


    In truth, Yuliana was a princess who was not even known by the public until she turned of age, yet at some point, she suddenly began to be lauded as the belle of the world. ¡®I did think it was strange¡­¡¯ he mused. No wonder she never took a step out of Aswan; it seemed she did not want her secret exposed.


    Estian let out a small sigh. The aim of the Aswan delegation was all too obvious¡ªhim and Girgantia. Even as they pretended otherwise, the delegation had their undivided attention on trying to get information on the dragon. The imperial officials who had been so guarded at first ended up loosening their tongues with but a single smile from Princess Yuliana, who stared at Estian even as she conversed with the others.


    Smiles had bloomed on the faces of those who noticed the focus of her attention. One of them in particular¡ªwho was lacking in tact¡ªsaid, ¡°I say, what a surprise that Princess Yuliana is so familiar with international affairs. I am truly learning much today. I pray that your stay here will be long.¡±


    ¡°My, thank you. I always did want to tour the empire at least once. I¡¯ve always admired this imperial palace from childhood, too. Besides, I am delighted that everyone is so welcoming.¡± And with that said, Princess Yuliana gave Estian a gentle smile, which roused sighs of pity from the spectators. There was no need to even ask what they were all thinking; it was written across their faces, ¡®If only she was our empress!¡¯.


    As a little more time passed, they began to express that thought under the influence of alcohol.


    ¡°Hahah, I say. If only Princess Yuliana came just a bit sooner¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes indeed. She lacks not a single thing, be it education or etiquette. Truly worthy of being¡­ Ahem, hem.¡±


    Princess Yuliana quietly smiled at their blatant yet not outspoken implication of ¡®You should have been empress¡¯. Estian, on the other hand, wore a wry smile. How dare they question the choice he had made?


    ¡®I admit I¡¯ve been living somewhat peacefully these days,¡¯ he mused. Apparently, due to him being a little docile after Cecile came, the people were forgetting who he really was and what deeds he had committed. ¡®Maybe I should thrash a few of them, seeing how so many are up to no good.¡¯


    Estian sighed again and thought,  ¡®What a bother.¡¯ He quickly lost the motivation to do so, as it would only serve to extend the length of this banquet.


    ¡®I want to go back already,¡¯ Estian inwardly muttered. Cecile¡¯s voice, saying how she was bored and how she was only waiting for him, kept on ringing in his ears.


    ¡®She must be bored alright.¡¯ It was why he had sent all sorts of precious things to the empress¡¯ palace.


    ¡®What reaction will she show when I return today?¡¯ Estian wondered, certain that Cecile would run out toward him eagerly. She would then begin chattering excitedly while having a blush on her face. Oh, how he wanted to see that.


    ¡®I want to get up right this instant, but¡­¡¯ Estian shot another look at Princess Yuliana. Or rather, at her chest. The officials¡¯ faces brightened at his openness, seemingly happy that he was showing interest in another beauty. The more imperial offspring, the better, even more so if they inherited the blood of a princess who not only possessed both beauty and knowledge, but also had a right to succession. ¡°Princess Yuliana.¡±


    ¡°Please speak, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Will you come by my side for a moment?¡±


    ¡°If it is your command, gladly.¡±


    The princess who had continued to express interest and the emperor who accepted it. It seemed to everyone that a chapter of a novel was going to begin here and now today. They looked for something to snack on while spectating but the moment Estian reached out a hand and touched Princess Yuliana¡¯s waist, the doors to the banquet hall were slammed open with a furious bang.

 CH 84

    ¡°Cecile?¡± Estian exclaimed, standing up in surprise. ¡®Why is she here?¡¯ She was supposed to be sitting in her palace, receiving the gifts he sent and waiting for him. However, no matter which way one looked, the woman who just burst through the doors of the banquet hall was definitely Cecile. And her sudden entrance was not the only reason for his surprise.


    ¡°Her clothes¡­!¡± Another reason for garnering the entire hall¡¯s undivided attention and dropped jaws was the state of her outfit. Or what should be her outfit, as what she currently wore could not quite be defined as clothing.


    ¡°What on earth is with that getup?¡±


    The empress was clad in reams of uncut cloth¡ªmore accurately, she had wrapped the cloth around her body.


    The long trail behind her caught their eyes. At first glance, it appeared to be the trailing hem of a very long dress, but it was too long and narrow. Upon closer inspection, they realized the fabric was just tied from end to end.


    The person standing closest to Cecile observed her for a moment, eyes narrowed, and then they cried out in astonishment, ¡°My Lord, is that not all Delphian silk!?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Delphian silk?¡± The other nobles, surprised, shot to their feet. ¡°What, so you just wildly dragged that precious cloth all this way?¡± One of them asked.


    ¡°Besides, what reason is there for you to come here wrapped up in uncut silk!¡±


    They all knew long ago that something was wrong with their empress¡¯s head, but apparently, it was more serious than they previously assumed. An empress showing up to an official occasion¡­ wrapped in cloth? Dragging the finest silk in the continent along the ground?


    Every attendee in the banquet hall stared at Cecile, speechless. A moment later, however, their expressions changed little by little.


    ¡°But, I must say¡­ Doesn¡¯t it seem rather becoming?¡± someone commented.


    ¡°¡­Yes, you think so too?¡±


    They all doubted their eyes.


    * * *


    Cecile had crudely wrapped herself in silk. It was not even cut properly¡ªshe tied it together like rope, dragging the ends all the way to the banquet hall. It was supposed to be bizarre, ridiculous. And yet, for some strange reason, those inside the hall couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of her. The Delphian silk they thought had been randomly tied together gently fluttered in the air¡ªit was a bewildering sight at first, but the more they looked, the more it seemed quite pleasing.


    ¡°Good heavens! Good God!¡± An envoy from the kingdom of Aswan suddenly exclaimed in a voice filled with admiration.


    ¡°Baroness Diana?¡± Princess Yuliana called out to the woman who just cried out, confused.


    Baroness Diana, the envoy in charge of the arts and culture division, showed disbelief on her face. Gesticulating wildly with her hands, the baroness turned to Yuliana and said, surprised, ¡°Princess, isn¡¯t that quite shocking? Arranging patterns and colors in such a bold, daring way! It may seem like chaos itself, but that very disorder is perfection!¡±


    For a brief instant, Yuliana¡¯s face read, ¡®The heck is this woman going on about?¡¯, but she soon straightened out her expression and replied, ¡°Is, is that so?¡±


    ¡°Indeed! It is a concept I have been experimenting with since long ago, but I could only leave it as a sketch. I lacked a model who could perfectly express it, and yet¡­¡± said the baroness, her voice all of a sudden a mix of thrilled joy and tears.


    Ignoring the hysterical baroness, Yuliana turned her gaze to Cecile. ¡®That¡¯s the empress?¡¯


    Despite never having met in person before, it was impossible to be unaware of the identity of that person. With dazzling waist-length platinum hair, dark green eyes, and an appearance that robbed even Yuliana of her breath, this had to be the rumored empress. ¡®More than anything else, this woman¡¯s crazy antic proves she¡¯s the empress!¡¯


    Yuliana had braced herself¡ªshe had heard the tales¡ªbut she did not expect the empress to be this mad. The princess coughed delicately, not having expected such an intense first meeting.

 CH 85

    Etiquette dictated she was below the empress. Therefore, even if she wanted to give a greeting, she had to either wait for someone to introduce her or wait for the empress to speak to her first. As such, Yuliana wished for someone to take the initiative to introduce her; even better if the emperor¡ªwho was holding her by the waist¡ªwas the one who did so.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    No one, however, fulfilled Yuliana¡¯s wish. Rather, no one was even looking at her, which left her bewildered. She clenched her fists, sweat gathering in her palms as she wondered ¡®Wh-what¡¯s going on?¡¯


    ¡®This can¡¯t be happening.¡¯ She looked down at her slightly exposed chest, where a tiny light flickered before disappearing. ¡®There¡¯s no problem with my ¡®power¡¯, so what is it?¡¯


    While Yuliana was feeling lost, not knowing what to do, the clicking of a pair of heels echoed throughout the now quiet banquet. The sounds drew closer to Estian until it stopped in front of him. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Cecile called out.


    ¡°¡­¡± She merely addressed the emperor, and yet the surrounding air became chilly in an instant. No one could tell why. ¡°I see you were having a wonderful time,¡± she continued.


    Then, she stared fixedly at Estian¡¯s hand. Only then did he realize what he had been doing. Blast it all. Estian¡¯s face crumpled as he hastily retrieved his hand from Princess Yuliana¡¯s waist. He immediately shot to his feet, pushing Yuliana away as he walked toward his wife. ¡°Empress, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°A foreign delegation, I see. Oh my, I would never have entered so thoughtlessly had I known in advance.¡± Smoothly cutting off Estian¡¯s attempt at an explanation, Cecile swept her gaze around the banquet table, meeting the eyes of those staring at her. At that moment, even an ant crawling by would be able to tell that if someone sprayed water near the empress, it would freeze; if someone sprayed oil¡­ it would combust.


    Radiating an explosive yet cold aura, Cecile walked even closer toward Estian. ¡°Forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty, but how could I stay still after receiving something so extraordinary? I was so overjoyed that I ended up forgetting Your Majesty¡¯s order for me to stay in my palace¡ªbecause-you-were-worried-for-me¡ªand here I am.¡±


    Estian swallowed dryly. He had never felt such fear like this before, not even when he was single-handedly facing a phantom beast. ¡°But still, there was no need for you to¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I wanted to show everyone what I got. But¡­¡± Cecile cast a cold eye around the banquet hall. ¡°¡­Why the long faces on everyone? It¡¯s almost as if their eyes are saying I¡¯ve come somewhere I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    She turned her back to the rest and stood face to face against Estian. ¡°Do you think so too, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The insides of Estian¡¯s mouth shriveled up. He had to tell her that whatever she was thinking was a misunderstanding, but his tongue would not budge. He came to empathize with how a frog felt before a snake. Barely getting a hold of himself, Estian let out a low cough before saying, ¡°How could I ever? I merely feel sorry that you took the trouble of coming all this way, seeing as I intended on going straight to your side when the banquet ended.¡±


    ¡°Aha, you don¡¯t say.¡± Cecile¡¯s gaze remained on him, sharp and cold. ¡°Whatever the case, thank you so much. Now then, why don¡¯t we continue the banquet? It appears the meals have yet to be finished. Let us all be seated.¡±


    Cecile¡¯s words prompted the spectators to return to their senses and they immediately returned to their seats.


    Yuliana sat among them, dumbfounded. The empress suddenly appeared clad in a shocking outfit, stunning everyone witless, and before they knew it, she was leading the banquet.


    ¡®I had them all in the palm of my hand¡­ but they snapped to their senses in just a second.¡¯ Yuliana gazed at Estian, who held the empress¡¯s hand and walked away with nary a backward glance. How much had she prepared before making the journey to the empire? She knew what a dangerous and powerful individual Emperor Estian was, even without having to investigate. Nevertheless, she daringly chose to approach him. ¡®The emperor¡¯s cruelty is focused on certain nations and people, after all.¡¯

 CH 86

    Although the problem was that nine tenths of the continent happened to be the target of his ire, Aswan was luckily not included in that category. To the other one tenth of the continent, the emperor showed indifference that was close to generosity.


    ¡®My power should be more effective against someone with no hostility, so why doesn¡¯t it work?¡¯ Yuliana wondered in confusion. She thought she had almost won the emperor over; the empress, rumored to be beautiful, posed no threat to her. Being an ordinary human, the empress had no way of contending against Yuliana¡¯s power.


    ¡®Things were almost going as planned¡­¡¯ she lamented.


    The emperor had stared at her so openly, going so far as to call her over into his embrace. There she was, happy that her plan would be completed easier than expected, but then the empress appeared all of a sudden and ruined everything. Yuliana shifted her gaze to the empress.


    ¡°¡­!¡± In that very instant, the princess sucked in her breath involuntarily. Since when was she watching? Yuliana met the eyes of the empress, who gave her a light smile and turned away.


    ¡®Unbelievable!¡¯ Yuliana thought. She assumed, since the other party came in like a storm, that the empress remained unaffected because they hadn¡¯t made eye contact. Lo and behold, that was not the case. My power doesn¡¯t work on her?¡¯


    All the people of the world would feel unconditional goodwill upon seeing Yuliana and laud her beauty, for that was her power. While Yuliana was lost in bewilderment, Cecile took Estian by the hand and went to his original seat. The Delphian silk being dragged behind Cecile was visible for all to see, but no one paid that any mind no more.


    ¡°Indeed, it is surprising, as said by Envoy Diana,¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°Yes, quite. I have never even imagined tying and wrapping cloth in such a manner, yet it is so natural and elegant when done by Her Majesty. Could the goddesses of myth have donned such fashion?¡±


    ¡°My, I see the both of you have discerning eyes. To speak of that style Her Majesty has ventured, in the past¡­¡± Diana began to explain, agreeing to the remarks made by two imperial officials. This prompted more voices of agreement from further down the banquet table. Such a response was no surprise¡ªafter all, Diana of Aswan was known as the pioneer of fashion within the empire.


    She wasn¡¯t just someone who came to bolster the delegation numbers or to go on a tour. Her name was renowned even among imperials, so much so that to those who made a living out of tailoring, meeting her once was to fulfill the wish of a lifetime. Having such an authority in fashion praise their empress¡¯s outfit so excitedly made those present unable to stop themselves from thinking, ¡®our empress must be amazing¡¯.


    ¡®It seems strange, but then again, it does feel fashionable.¡¯


    As all the others proceeded to sit down, feeling convinced, Estian too seated himself. He began, ¡°Bring a chair for the empress to¡­¡± But his words were interrupted by Cecile, who pressed a finger on his lips to silence him. The members of the Aswan delegation grew wide-eyed at her actions, while the officials of the empire assumed a look that said, ¡®Here we go again.¡¯


    Cecile lifted the Delphian silk trailing around her and sat on Estian¡¯s knees. ¡°Why look for another chair when I can just sit like this?¡±


    She made herself home and leaned against his body, the sight of which made the Aswan envoys collectively drop their knives and forks with a clatter. Estian bit his lips at the sensation of Cecile squirming on top of his lap. Her body felt light and warm.


    His hands shook as he clenched them hard, trying to control himself. Estian then whispered to Cecile, ¡°Empress. I believe there¡¯s a bit of discussion we need to do, but putting that aside, since you¡¯ve come¡­¡± He looked toward the Aswan delegation. ¡°I think this banquet will become more enjoyable.¡±


    With a smile, Cecile replied, ¡°But of course. They¡¯ve traveled such a long way¡­¡± Her eyes gleamed with determination. ¡°So to honor the trouble they took in coming here, I intend on giving them a very good show.¡±

 CH 87

    As those seated at the banquet table resumed their meals, the music band read the atmosphere and swiftly began playing their instruments. A calm piece befitting of a banquet ensued and everyone moved their hands and mouths again. However, they were only going through the motions; unlike several minutes ago, all eyes focused on the imperial couple.


    Feeling their gazes, Cecile raised her head, only to see a smile on her husband¡¯s lips, chin resting on his hand as he gazed at her sitting in his arms. ¡®Oh you think this is funny now, do you?¡¯ Cecile hissed inwardly. At first, he had seemed panicked, something expected if he had a conscience. After all, the first thing she had seen upon entering the hall was Estian about to hold Princess Yuliana by the waist. Looking at Estian smiling now though, it was apparent that he had no conscience, let alone even a trace of its existence.


    For some reason, her insides twisted at the sight of his smile. Cecile then reached out and grasped Estian¡¯s waist in the same spot he had intended to hold the princess. The moment her hand made contact, she felt him freeze, but she didn¡¯t stop there; she rummaged about his formal suit and put a hand inside his top. After several blind gropes, her fingertips soon reached his bare, smooth skin.


    ¡°¡­Cecile?¡± Estian growled under his breath, but Cecile¡¯s hands only became more unrestrained. Her well-maintained fingernails grazed over his six-pack, and Estian had to clench his fists harder to not let a groan slip out. When he could endure no more, he caught Cecile¡¯s hand by the wrist and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± she sneered. ¡°What you were going to do to Princess Yuliana, that¡¯s what.¡±


    Unsurprised by her sour reply, Estian rubbed his face with his free hand. How would he even begin to explain this?


    Meanwhile, the band seemed to have noticed the unusual air around the imperial couple¡ªthe previously calm tempo of the music turned up a notch.


    ¡°Who told you Princess Yuliana was here?¡± Estian asked.


    ¡°A passing sparrow left a message on the ground.¡± Cecile¡¯s tone was very clear: she had zero intention of telling.


    ¡®Maybe I should¡¯ve told her,¡¯ he briefly thought. It was necessary to ascertain Princess Yuliana¡¯s power and the easiest, fastest way to achieve that was to pretend to have succumbed to her power, then scrutinizing it. Estian had no choice but to do it, and since nothing good would have come out of his wife knowing about this, he had tried to get it over with quickly before she learned about it, but¡­ He inwardly sighed. ¡®Everything went wrong.¡¯


    Clearly, there would be no examination anymore¡ªhe knew Cecile would not sit still through it. He glanced at her again. His initial plans had devolved into an utter mess so it would be understandable if he became annoyed. Yet, strangely enough, he only felt laughter bubbling up his chest.


    ¡°What is it that you find so amusing?¡± she snapped, raising her brow.


    She seemed displeased by his mirth, and Cecile¡¯s grumpy visage made Estian realize why he was laughing. ¡®This is my first time seeing her like this,¡¯ he realized. He thought he had seen every aspect of her, but now he knew that was a big misunderstanding. ¡°Cecile,¡± he called out.


    ¡°Do not call me by name,¡± she snarled. ¡°This is a formal setting.¡±


    She was visibly struggling not to pout, but she failed, a sign of how angry she was now. He pulled her closer by the waist and firmly held her in his arms, saying, ¡°So this is why you came in such formal attire?¡±


    ¡°Think of it as a mistake born out of an irrepressible joy from receiving your gifts.¡±


    ¡°Right. Happy enough to scrap 120 rolls of Delphian silk into the ground. I hear you loud and clear.¡±


    Estian watched, enraptured, as she bit her lips stiffly and her entire body trembled for a second. Ironically, her obvious anger made him happy. His wife had let a quiet life until she had been dragged off to the empire to marry him. Since her arrival, a lingering doubt had taken place in a corner of Estian¡¯s heart. Did she not hate their marriage to the extent of staking her life on crazy shenanigans?


    ¡®She must¡¯ve forced herself to accept the situation to survive,¡¯ he convinced himself. Of course, judging from her sincere remarks about how great his face and body were after drinking the truth serum, he was quite certain Cecile did not completely hate him. But what if she had had a choice from the start? Would she still have chosen their marriage? He doubted it.

 CH 88

    In the morning, Kane had brought Estian a list so he could choose what gifts to send to the empress¡¯s palace. Initially, he only needed to choose something adequate among the list that seemed to go on forever. However, when he recalled the look on his wife¡¯s face as she asked him to return to her quickly while complaining of boredom, he had said, without hesitation, ¡°Send them all.¡± He might have brought her here by force, but he had no thoughts of sending her back. Estian wished for her to stay for as long as possible.


    Stay happily, without hating him¡ªthat was all Estian wanted. All he hoped for.


    And so, seeing the heartfelt reluctance in her eyes when she saw him holding Yuliana, his heart warmed. She was jealous! Had Cecile felt nothing toward him, she wouldn¡¯t have dashed to his side nor expressed her displeasure like this. At the very least, she thought him dear enough to show this side of her.


    Meanwhile, the music band finished playing. As they stepped to the side, new people emerged from the door at the back of the stage. Wearing traditional imperial attire, they were members of an art troupe who performed traditional dance and ceremonial arts. They began their stage following their order, but no one gave them any attention; after all, Estian and Cecile had eyes for no one else but each other, while the rest were looking at the two of them.


    Thus, the performance nobody cared about went on, until Estian raised his head and said, ¡°For the empress to feel this bored¡­¡± he said, loud enough for others to hear¡ªunlike before¡ªeliciting off-tone screeches from the musicians¡¯ instruments and slips of the feet from the dancing performers. ¡°And the Aswan delegation seems to have no interest in the entertainment either,¡± he added. His words caused everyone in the hall to hastily turn their head toward Cecile and Estian, who clicked his tongue and continued, ¡°So this is the level of the art troupe that the imperial family¡¯s name hangs on.¡±


    Estian¡¯s voice rang louder in the ears of the listeners than the music from the stage. ¡°It appears I must lopcut off the neck of these incompetent fools here.¡± As the emperor spoke with the empress in his arms, no mirth could be found on his face.


    * * *


    ¡®Oh son of a deuce, he knows!¡¯ The imperial art troupe leader felt the world grow dark. Truth be told, he had felt relieved when he climbed onto the stage. The emperor and empress were off in a world of their own, and the rest all had their attention on those two so he had thought, ¡®Good. No one will notice our lack of practice.¡¯


    When the dragon appeared and the imperial palace was devastated, he had joyfully cheered inside, ¡®I don¡¯t gotta work!¡¯ Who would open a banquet with the current atmosphere? Besides, Emperor Estian was not the type who enjoyed such festivities, to begin with. Given the circumstances, the troupe leader thought there would be nothing big happening for the time being. With a bit of luck, he might be able to rest for a few months¡­


    ¡­Or so he had thought.


    When even mages were mobilized to restore the imperial palace, he began to feel a little anxious. Still, the troupe leader did not practice. His body that had been indulging in sloth had quickly succumbed to the pleasures of waking and sleeping late, and so the troupe leader¡¯s indolence continued until this morning when attendants came to notify the troupe members slacking in their practice room. ¡°They want you to prepare a stage performance for the banquet today,¡± one of the attendants had said.


    ¡°What are you saying? How are we supposed to perform on such short notice?¡± The troupe leader protested.


    The attendants then stared at him, incredulous. ¡°Did you forget you must perform on stage whenever and wherever His Majesty desires?¡±


    ¡®Oh, right. That was the contract.¡¯ The troupe leader suddenly came to his senses. Thus, all the troupe members hurriedly put on their costumes and set about practicing, but they found it hard to get the sloth out of their system. The leader had then assumed, ¡®Still, with the atmosphere like this, we should be able to get through without much trouble.¡¯ And so, they continued their performance, thinking they would get away with their lack of diligence safely¡­


    Until the emperor spoke up, making every troupe member choke. The music and dance stopped and all the performers were already prostrating flat on the floor; they knew their sins. The troupe leader also got on his stomach along with the others. In times like these, it was necessary to get down flat and beg. ¡°I offer my deepest apologies! May you punish me with death!¡±


    However, it was not the emperor who replied. ¡°Oh, yes¡­ Why don¡¯t we do just that, Your Majesty?¡±


    The cold voice of the speaker belonged to the empress.

 CH 89

    ¡®Are you messing with me?¡¯ Cecile wanted to scream at her husband, about to blow her top. She had expected Estian to be sorry, at the very least, but what was this? He looked at her in amusement, evaded the subject, then began chewing out the art troupe.


    Cecile bit her lips fiercely. She knew why Estian was abruptly picking fault with the troupe. ¡®He wants me to act in front of these people again.¡¯ Whenever he was being like this, the right thing to do was to play moderately coy and suggest something like ¡®let¡¯s not bother with something like that and focus on our business¡¯. But she wasn¡¯t in the mood for that right now so Cecile made up her mind to act as she pleased, thinking, ¡®The world can go burn. You told me to surpass a tyrant, didn¡¯t you? You think I can¡¯t?¡¯ ¡°But I don¡¯t think that alone will be fun,¡± she mused. ¡°How about we have his limbs slowly amputated and enjoy some tea time as we listen to his screams, then make a pond with his flowing blood? I think it¡¯ll be nice to add a new feel to my palace garden as well.¡±


    Cecile¡¯s relentless words shocked the banquet guests into dropping their knives and forks.


    Back when Estian proposed that she play the villainess, some part of her had felt relieved; all he had to do was give the command, but instead, he had asked for her thoughts. That was why she felt she was being treated as a human being and not a tool. But now she couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®How many times have I deluded myself now?¡¯ Cecile was struck by the same sense of shame and hollowness she had felt when she overheard Estian saying he would not have any children. Again, again, she had jumped to conclusions on her own, thinking that Estian cared for her a little, at the least, but he merely amused himself without even considering her feelings.


    Cecile looked at the slack-jawed people sitting in front of her, all dumbfounded by her words just seconds ago. ¡®Did I go a bit overboard?¡¯ she wondered.


    It was then that Estian carefully turned her face around with a hand. He looked just as dumbfounded as the others. ¡°Why do you say such cruel things?¡± he asked.


    Cecile smiled at the way he looked at her as if she had spoken the unspeakable. ¡°My, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d hear that from you, Your Majesty. You make me blush.¡± She had forgotten about it for a while now, but who out there could match up to Estian when it came to cruelty?


    The eyes of the two met for a moment. There was a volatile air about them, ready to explode at any time. The onlooking attendants shrunk their necks, swallowing the words they could not afford to voice. ¡®Lunatics¡­¡¯ Everyone in the banquet hall was certain of this. ¡®Looks like Her Majesty isn¡¯t normal either.¡¯


    The air in the hall had turned suffocating in the instant Cecile said she would not let the art troupe off. Everyone in the banquet hall felt difficulty breathing, their skin prickling from the tension. They had forgotten about this palpable murder in the air they were now sensing, misled by the harmonious atmosphere the emperor and empress had shown until now. Why had they forgotten this feeling when they had experienced it every day before the empress came?


    Others found it hard to even stand in such an atmosphere, yet the empress who was closest to the emperor seemed completely unfazed. She was, in fact, talking in a tone and expression that were even livelier than usual. Not only that, she was outright retorting to the emperor as if asking, ¡®Are you really one to talk?¡¯


    Their conversation did not end there.


    ¡°But there does seem to be a better way.¡±


    ¡°A better way?¡± The emperor echoed.


    ¡°I hear that our caretakers are troubled because of the dragon that was captured recently. Apparently, it¡¯s not eating well¡­¡± When Cecile spoke up to that point, a collective gasp could be heard from the art troupe members. ¡°How about we prepare a special treat for that dragon?¡±


    No one was oblivious as to what she meant by a special treat.

 CH 90

    Meanwhile, in an underground interrogation cell.


    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you give me something else to eat?¡± Girgantia grumbled to Tania, as he begrudgingly picked up the paper bag placed beside him with his tail. It was true that the dragon hadn¡¯t been eating well.


    ¡°Of all the possible things to eat, dog food? What the heck?¡± Girgantia shook the bag of pet feed¡ªlabeled ¡®A special meal for pet dogs without appetite!¡¯¡ªabove his head, but Tania didn¡¯t even bother to spare a look towards the dragon, as she irritably flipped the page of the book she was reading. She wondered just how many days it had been since she¡¯d been forced to stay at the interrogation cell and babysit due to her being the only one capable of keeping Girgantia under control.


    ¡°I want to go to Her Majesty¡¯s palace!¡± Tania had pleaded.


    ¡°No can do. It is His Majesty¡¯s order.¡± Kane had firmly refused.


    Tania flipped another page, as she asked, ¡°If you dislike it, would you prefer cat food instead?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t eat things like that! I want a proper meal! Stop reading erotica, and bring me the good stuff!¡±


    ¡°Ero-erotica?! This is nothing like that! I¡¯m j-ju-just carrying out an in-ins-inspection under His Majesty¡¯s orders!¡±


    ¡°Then why are you rereading the same page ten times over? Let¡¯s see. His rough breath blew against her chest as irrepressible desire burned in his lower¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth! Stop reading!¡±


    ¡°Then give me food! Food!¡±


    ¡°What do you want to eat! Do you want a human to chow on or something? Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯d want to eat yucky things like your kind? Bring me some fried chicken! Boneless! With spice! Plus salt! And don¡¯t forget the soda!¡±


    Their bickering voices rang throughout the underground interrogation cell.


    * * *


    The banquet hall was¡ªcontradictory to its name¡ªfull of crying and howling instead of laughter and music.


    ¡°I beg your forgiveness! Spare my life, please!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! The leader had us play hooky! We were told there wouldn¡¯t be any events for a while!¡±


    One man had triggered the start of this ruthless blame game.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one at fault, Your Majesty!¡± The imperial art troupe members hurriedly pointed fingers at one another, until they felt a cold gaze descend upon them. They immediately fell silent.


    ¡°A special treat for a dragon, you say,¡± Estian murmured, causing several troupe members to faint on the spot. They had expected severe punishment, but their fear grew exponentially, when their previously undetermined fates seemed to now be set in stone as ¡®dragon treats¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what the captured dragon prefers,¡± he continued. ¡°I wonder if it prefers its meat soft, or a bit stringy?¡± Had Girgantia been beside Estian, he would¡¯ve loudly protested, ¡°I don¡¯t eat humans, I tell you!¡±


    Cecile giggled in a light, ringing voice. ¡°Oh, you silly thing. We¡¯re going to feed them to the dragon whole, so how could we possibly discern the quality of their meat? The beast would have to get a taste of them first.¡± Her words sounded both logical and terrifyingly chilling to everyone present. ¡®Her Majesty¡¯s uttering terrifying things like it¡¯s nothing now?¡¯ The troupe members that had managed to retain their senses immediately grabbed and pinched at their arms, legs, and bellies. Even they couldn¡¯t tell whether they¡¯d be classified as tender or tough meat.


    ¡°Giving the dragon a taste would be the surest method, of course,¡± Estian agreed. This statement was enough to make everyone recall the rumors that had surrounded the emperor but had recently fallen by the wayside: of how he was a blood-soaked demon of the battlefield, and that he would wander among corpses in the dead of night drinking blood. ¡°But you can also tell by just dicing them up.¡±


    ¡®Dice us up? How?¡¯ Everyone¡¯s eyes locked on to the black steel blade that hung from Estian¡¯s belt. Before their eyes was the sword that was speculated to have diced up the largest number of people on the continent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I taste unappetizing, Your Majesty! I am such a drunkard that wine flows through my veins!¡± The troupe leader crawled forward to howl of his disagreeable taste, but Estian gazed at him apathetically and replied, ¡°Meat should be braised in wine for flavor.¡± His statement drew unanimous nods. Indeed, meat had to be braised in wine to bring out its finest flavors. The troupe leader paused, then cried out, ¡°I also smoke! Twenty smokes a day without fail!¡± Contrary to his expectations, Estian simply responded, ¡°Is that right? That saves us the effort of adding a smoky flavor.¡±


    ¡®¡­ Is that how it works?¡¯ Out of excuses, the troupe leader fell on his knees, trembling. It was then that Estian leaned over and whispered in Cecile¡¯s ear. Naturally, no one else could hear the exchange. Cecile remained silent for a moment before reaching out to embrace his neck, exclaiming, ¡°Your Majesty, I think I know a bit about what dragons prefer.¡± Everyone stared nervously at the empress, who suddenly rejoined the conversation.


    ¡°I see. So, what sort of meat does my empress judge fit for a dragon?¡±


    ¡°The way I see it¡­¡± Cecile¡¯s gaze locked on to Yuliana, as a smile bloomed on her face. ¡°The dragon seemed to like pretty things.¡±


    A deafening silence, more chilling than before, blanketed the banquet hall.


    * * *

 CH 91

    The attendants of the empress¡¯ palace hurriedly opened the door, and bowed as the emperor, with the empress in his arms, entered with quick footsteps. ¡°The bathroom has been prepared.¡±


    The attendants, who had been informed of their imminent arrival, waited nervously as they recalled the exchange that occurred moments before. A servant of the main palace had rushed over to spread the news, and the attendants of the empress¡¯ palace had turned deathly pale at the panicked expression.


    Main palace¡¯s servant: ¡®Her Majesty did it again!¡¯


    Empress¡¯ attendants: ¡®How? What happened? Did she grab Princess Yuliana by the hair or something?¡¯


    The empress had looked grim when she had departed, like a hero in a fairy tale setting off to slay a dragon, which was why the attendants had already guessed she would cause another scene. Once again, their expectations were not betrayed.


    Main palace¡¯s servant: ¡®It would¡¯ve been better if that was all. She said the dragon had to be fed, and that the prettiest meat would be most fitting!¡¯


    Empress¡¯ attendants: ¡®Holy moly. That¡¯s almost blatantly declaring I¡¯ll have you fed to the dragon¡­¡¯ The attendants hastily shut their mouths. ¡®And then? What else? How did it go?¡¯


    Main palace¡¯s servant: ¡®Don¡¯t even ask. They say the mood in the banquet hall was total pandemonium. The empress suddenly laughed, and asked why everyone looked so surprised. She then explained that she¡¯d heard there was a rare peacock among the gifts brought by the Aswan delegation. Things finally settled down once she suggested feeding the bird to the dragon, but I¡¯m telling you, it was totally insane in there!¡¯


    In any case, the attendants swiftly set about preparing the bathroom upon hearing that the emperor and empress were on route back to the palace. For all intents and purposes, the empress¡¯ palace was practically the main palace due to the emperor¡¯s daily visits. All preparations were completed perfectly in record time, thanks to the attendants quickly becoming the most experienced hands throughout the palace.


    ¡®I suppose they¡¯ll wash right after they come?¡¯ Regardless of how fine the weather was, the empress had dashed out in practically nothing but her undergarments. She would certainly be cold having been outside until such a late hour. Unsurprisingly, the empress looked a little wan in the face when she returned in the emperor¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Let us serve her, Your Majesty.¡± The attendants approached Estian with the intent of receiving Cecile, but instead of putting her down, he turned away from them in refusal.


    ¡°All of you may withdraw,¡± Estian ordered.


    ¡°However¡­¡± Estian raised a brow upon seeing their hesitation; the look in his eyes strongly implied that he did not want to repeat himself. ¡°Then we wish you a relaxing night.¡± The quick-witted attendants excused themselves, leaving and shutting the door behind them. Cecile squirmed as soon as the doors had closed, as if she wanted to get down from Estian¡¯s arms. Realizing her intentions, he quickly lowered her to her feet.


    ¡°Well done, Cecile. The faces of the Aswan delegation today were a sight to behold. It was all so intense, starting from your outfit, but your words made them all¡­ Cecile?¡± Estian paused in the middle of his amused recounting, when he noticed the heaviness in the air.


    Ordinarily, Cecile would have whined about what a hard time she¡¯d had the moment the attendants left, but instead she stood quietly with her head bowed. After a moment, Cecile raised her head and asked, ¡°Am I simply funny and amusing to you? Your Majesty.¡± Her voice was choked with sorrow. Her eyes had welled up with tears, which threatened to spill over at any moment.


    ¡°¡­¡± Estian froze at the sight of Cecile crying.


    As he stood there at a loss for words, Cecile continued in a voice full of suppressed emotion, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to understand how pathetic and miserable I feel right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She glanced down at the silk wrapped around her body and laughed weakly. ¡°I must¡¯ve looked absolutely ridiculous. I know it too. I saw myself over and over in the mirror, as I had the silk draped and wrapped around me. I really looked like I had gone mad.¡± Cecile took a steadying breath, after spilling out her thoughts. The sight of her talking with difficulty amidst sobs made Estian feel numb in the tip of his fingers. ¡°Were you surprised that I came uncalled? Then again, didn¡¯t you use me well today in spite of that?¡±


    ¡°Cecile, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I pity Princess Yuliana. I never meant to say such nasty things. But you told me, Your Majesty, to pick Princess Yuliana as Girgantia¡¯s meal.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Indeed. It was Estian who had suggested the dragon be given ¡®pretty meat¡¯ to eat.


    ¡°Your Majesty. I¡¯m not upset about looking like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Clearly, he had a functioning mouth, but for some reason he couldn¡¯t find the words.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it since this is what I promised to do. I can act even worse than this. Who cares what other people think! After all, they need to get the wrong impression about me in order for me to stay safe. But¡­¡± In the end, the tears spilled over from Cecile¡¯s eyes, running down her cheeks to her chin, and dripping down on the carpet. ¡°You of all people shouldn¡¯t think that way of me, Your Majesty! Not telling me about anything like today¡­ You¡¯re the only one I trust in¡­ If you hide things from me¡­ Then who am I to believe in this place¡­¡±


    In her agitation, Cecile blurted out incoherent fragments, until she was so overcome she found it too difficult to continue. She desperately tried to steady her uneven breathing and hold back her tears, while Estian gazed blankly at the spot where Cecile¡¯s tears had pooled; the wet stain on the carpet was gradually spreading. Estian reached out to hold Cecile¡¯s hand, but failed when she forcefully slapped his hand away, and he grabbed nothing but air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t even come near me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m being arrogant, then just chase me out. Maybe Princess Yuliana will be better at my job, so why don¡¯t you make her the new¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Surprised by his sudden apology, Cecile looked up at Estian in shock. It was in regards to something she had learned prior to becoming the empress. ¡®The emperor never utters words of an apology. Or to be exact, he mustn¡¯t.¡¯ It was a rule of the imperial court, or so she was taught. An apology could only be compelled when there was a degree of equality, and therefore, the emperor who reigned above all others, had no need to apologize to anyone. Yet Estian was saying to her now¡­


    ¡°I was wrong.¡±

 CH 92

    Cecile stared at Estian, then asked, ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you sorry about?¡±


    According to custom, Cecile should¡¯ve prostrated and humbly urged the emperor against uttering such words; to begin with, it was a sin to have the emperor apologize. Of course, she didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of following custom. Cecile remembered the advice she¡¯d received long ago from a maid at her royal villa in Navitan.


    ¡°Princess, there is something you must bear in mind for later when you are old enough to have a relationship.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Cecile already had a pen and paper out, ready to diligently take notes.


    The maid continued with a solemn face. ¡°If you have a quarrel with your lover, he might say ¡®I was wrong.¡¯ When he does so, you mustn¡¯t let it end there with an apology, but instead ask this¡­¡±


    ¡°Ask what? What is it?¡± The young Cecile had questioned.


    ¡°Ask whether he knows what he did wrong. If your partner is the sort of man who talks back, declaring, ¡®I apologized, what more do you want?¡¯ then¡­¡± The maid wore the gravest and most austere expression. ¡°You should ditch that swine, on the double, and break it off cleanly.¡±


    In response, Cecile had nodded at the maid¡¯s resolute and somber counsel, as she jotted down and bolded every tidbit of advice. Now in the present, she gazed at Estian with an anxious heart. He had apologized, and going by his standards that alone was a huge offering of kindness. ¡®Will he ask what more do I want and get angry at me?¡¯ Cecile contemplated what to do next. ¡®If so, how am I supposed to break it off cleanly? Is that even possible?¡¯


    While Cecile was brooding over a way to break it off cleanly with an emperor, she felt a hand gently caress her face; Estian had reached out to wipe away the tear marks near her eyes and on her cheeks. He draped a cloak around her shoulders, which enveloped her with a light flutter. Cecile had been so incensed that she hadn¡¯t noticed the cold; it was only after she was covered that she began shivering. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I kept you in the dark. I should¡¯ve explained everything,¡± Estian began.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve explained everything to you the minute you dashed over like that¡­ I made you act first without consideration of your feelings because I wanted to end things quickly.¡± Estian regretted the choices he had made; his attitude had been too lax, even though he could guess what had driven Cecile to rush to the banquet hall. He assumed that she would trust and understand him, which was why he had simply instructed her to attack Princess Yuliana. Seeing how Cecile had done an excellent job of following along with the script, he¡¯d assumed she had fully grasped the situation.


    ¡°I am very sorry. It was my fault. I¡¯ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again.¡± At these words of apology, Cecile began to shed tears once more. Estian was visibly at a loss upon seeing her resume crying. ¡°Cecile?¡±


    Cecile had feared that Estian would react with an irritated attitude. She was clueless about what she should do if he had. Breaking it off cleaning was easier said than done; how could she get away when she was the empress? More importantly, she didn¡¯t want to. Regardless of what Estian thought of Cecile, to her, he was her husband; the very family that the maids of the royal villa had said she would make.


    * * *


    ¡°Do you feel a bit better now?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Cecile¡¯s eyes were swollen, and her voice was hoarse. She looked terrible from all the crying. Cecile hung her head low. The heat from warming her body in hot water rose towards her face. Though, it wasn¡¯t just from the hot water. Cecile took a slight peek behind her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did I pull your hair?¡± Estian was sitting behind her, toweling her hair dry.


    ¡°Let me do it,¡± Cecile said. ¡®It¡¯d be fine to just call in the attendants¡­¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it, so just stay still.¡± Estian had taken the sobbing Cecile into the bathroom, soothing and comforting her, and it was only after a long while that she emerged, securely bundled in a large towel. She felt languid and tired, but her mind was refreshed. Or rather, it was more apt to say her senses jolted her awake each time she felt Estian¡¯s touch on her hair. He had not only apologized, but had also patiently taken in all her complaints, and washed her to boot.


    ¡®Uuugh¡­ How humiliating.¡¯ Cecile wanted to search for a mouse hole to hide, but how would something like that ever be found in a gorgeous palace for the empress? When Estian put the towel down, Cecile touched her hair; it was almost completely dry thanks to his meticulous toweling. ¡°Do you feel very tired?¡± Estian asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± Cecile did feel weary, but not so much that Estian needed to worry. She merely felt a little embarrassed to look him in the eyes.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯m really sorry, but do you mind if we go out for a bit together?¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think the best way to explain why I was going to meet Princess Yuliana is to show you in person.¡±

 CH 93

    ¡°Aargh!¡± Yuliana screeched, launching a kick at an innocent cushion with all her might, sending it flying against the wall before it dropped to the ground. Not having vented enough, she picked up the same cushion and hurled it elsewhere. ¡°What the heck is with that woman!¡±


    Yuliana could not get the events that unfurled at the banquet hall out of her mind, especially how the empress had laughed, as she implied Yuliana should become a ¡®dragon treat¡¯. ¡°Why! Why! Does my power not work!¡± Yuliana shrieked herself, huffing furiously, as she flung herself on her bed. Things had gone far too different from her expectations. ¡°What in the world is going on?¡±


    When the banquet had started, Yuliana was full of confidence. ¡®This is child¡¯s play.¡¯ Everyone had practically worshiped her from the moment of her arrival in the empire. It was enough to make her giddy; it had only been a few years before that she was still the utterly unknown princess of Aswan. ¡®But the moment I gained this power, I became exalted as the greatest beauty on the continent. An amazing power, if I dare say so myself.¡¯


    It was amazing, yes, but despite that¡­ Yuliana recalled how the empress had left the banquet hall, waving farewell with a laugh, and how the emperor had so lovingly carried her away in his arms. ¡°It¡¯s the power of the archwitch. There¡¯s no way it wouldn¡¯t work,¡± Yuliana muttered, looking into a mirror. A glittering light at her chest was visible through her revealing dress¡ªthe mark of an heir. The light was proof that she had inherited the power of an archwitch.


    At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Yuliana¡¯s lady-in-waiting entered. ¡°I have brought it.¡± The lady-in-waiting held out a piece of Delphian silk to Yuliana.


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Before the emperor left the banquet hall, he had slashed off the cloth trailing from the empress¡¯ makeshift dress, and declaring it cumbersome, had tossed it away. When they had disappeared, the atmosphere in the hall was that of a cold war. Regardless of the fact that the cloth was dirty and worn from being dragged along the ground, it was Delphian silk.


    Moreover, as if he intended for all of them to hear, the emperor had callously dropped a remark before departing: ¡°It seems a 10-year monopoly over the silk won¡¯t be enough for you, seeing how you¡¯ve already used up this year¡¯s allotment. For as long as you live, all the Delphian silk shall belong to you.¡± In short, Delphian silk had become an unobtainable good and would remain so until the empress passed away. Thus, this was the final opportunity to get their hands on the silk. A terrible silence fell over the hall, but it was broken a few moments later by the sound of someone getting up from their seat. Chaos quickly ensued.


    ¡°Let go of it, I say!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let go! I promised my wife that I¡¯d gift her a roll this year!¡±


    Seeing the banquet guests battling it out for the prize, Yuliana had ordered her lady-in-waiting to obtain a piece of the silk that the empress had worn, using whatever means necessary.


    ¡°It must¡¯ve been quite difficult,¡± Yuliana remarked.


    ¡°Yes. I procured it with the promise of 150 gold coins.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±


    ¡°You told me to get it whatever the means.¡±


    Still, there¡¯s a line to be kept. How could this little scrap be worth 150 gold coins? The price had instantly jumped more than a hundred-fold. Yuliana felt her inner rage boil again upon learning that she had to spend far more than expected.


    ¡°Fine. You are dismissed.¡± After the lady-in-waiting left, Yuliana placed the Delphian silk on her palm. Seconds later, the silk was set ablaze in flames, leaving only ashes behind. She scrutinized the ashes on her palm for a good while, then frowned. ¡°What the¡­ There¡¯s nothing?¡± Yuliana had attempted to search for traces of magical power in the silk that the empress had come into contact with, but she sensed nothing. All that remained was the power of an archwitch, which surely belonged to herself.


    ¡°But why doesn¡¯t my power affect the empress?¡± The moment the empress had appeared, everyone who had been entranced under Yuliana¡¯s spell took one look at the former and regained their senses. Her power was not only nullified, it had been dispelled. ¡®Who is she?¡¯ Yuliana stared at the ashes on her hand for minutes on end, before finally dusting it off with an annoyed look, and flopping down on her bed.


    ¡°No matter. Whatever the case may be, I have no intentions of changing my goal.¡± Until now, the emperor had killed people indiscriminately like a madman, such that it was generally agreed that the seat of the empress was a seat of death; however, when news spread of how he had not only spared the empress but had been completely smitten by her, many a kingdom was struck with deep regret. Emperor Estian was the man who had everything, and so, obtaining him meant attaining everything.


    ¡°If I intended to give up so easily, I would never have bothered to come. Not to mention, now I¡¯ve got to find out about the dragon too.¡± Yuliana pressed a hand against her chest where the small light still glittered. She was certain she would be able to obtain everything she wished for, so long as she held this power.


    ¡°Besides, the cake is always sweeter on the other table. True delight is about stealing what belongs to another, no?¡± Yuliana murmured to herself, as she closed her eyes. If her lady-in-waiting had been listening at her side, the woman would¡¯ve surely clicked her tongue, and grumbled about how the princess¡¯ bad habit of targeting men already spoken for was acting up again.


    * * *


    ¡°I¡¯m giving him over? Says who!¡± Cecile hissed under her breath. At that same moment, Estian and Cecile were eavesdropping, perched atop a tree outside Yuliana¡¯s room. Estian had handed Cecile a small object that she couldn¡¯t identify, but when she hooked it to her ear, she could hear everything Yuliana said in her room. From initial bewilderment, her mood had quickly plunged into a furious rage. ¡®The cake is always sweeter on the other table? Say what?¡¯


    Estian, who was suddenly treated like a cake, clicked his tongue, as he maintained a firm hold around Cecile¡¯s waist. He was not surprised at the turn of events, as he had known all along that Princess Yuliana¡¯s objective for coming to the empire was himself and Girgantia. He merely found it all pathetic. ¡®I may as well find out what that power is,¡¯ Estian decided inwardly.


    In any case, Estian had achieved his goal of clearing Cecile¡¯s misunderstanding and exposing Yuliana¡¯s true colors. It was time to return to the empress¡¯ palace so that Cecile could hurry into bed. ¡°Cecile, let¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Cecile called out to him in a voice filled with anger, a tone he had never encountered until now. ¡°Lend me Girgantia for a bit tomorrow, please.¡± A storm was raging in Cecile¡¯s eyes, as they glinted in the darkness.

 CH 94

    Kane was already exhausted from the start of the morning. ¡®I¡¯m seriously going to die at this rate.¡¯ He could feel his temple throb from recalling the chaos that erupted in the banquet hall the previous night. From the minute he saw Estian drumming his fingers against the armrest of his chair, he had been struck with a wave of anxiety. As Estian¡¯s loyal retainer who had spent a long time at the emperor¡¯s side, Kane quickly noticed. ¡®That¡¯s his habit when he¡¯s irritated.¡¯


    As soon as the banquet began, and the Aswan delegation had entered, the tempo of a certain somebody¡¯s drumming fingers had kicked up a notch. When Estian called out to Princess Yuliana with an imperceptible smile, Kane realized that she was the emperor¡¯s source of irritation. Observing the princess, it didn¡¯t take long for him to notice a sense of dissonance¡ªfrom the guard standing beside him to the attendants serving the food, they were all looking at Princess Yuliana as if utterly bewitched. Kane swiftly surveyed his surroundings, as he wondered inwardly, ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Aside from Estian and himself, everyone gazed at Yuliana with eyes dripping with affectionate admiration, hanging off every slight gesture of the princess. When she laughed, they laughed, and when she looked crestfallen, everyone hung their heads. Soon enough, Kane could feel his own eyes being drawn to her too. ¡®What¡¯s happening to me?¡¯ His superior senses of a well-trained knight were ringing alarm bells.


    ¡®What has Princess Yuliana done?¡¯ If it had been a spell of the Mage Tower, Kane would¡¯ve easily noticed it; after all, he¡¯d had his fair share of encounters with their wizardry on the battlefield. Princess Yuliana¡¯s power, however, was clearly something of a different nature. As he struggled to come up with a way to break himself out of the encroaching fascination, the doors to the banquet hall swung open.


    ¡°Haah,¡± Kane sighed upon recalling that moment. Who would¡¯ve dreamed the empress would appear in such a fashion? ¡°Still, I managed to come to my senses thanks to her interruption.¡± The impact of the empress appearing in such an absurd outfit had snapped everyone out of their reveries, and all their attention was poured onto the empress; no one spared a glance at Princess Yuliana.


    Kane could still picture it clear as day in his mind: the empress, as if evil incarnate itself, had mocked the pale-faced Princess Yuliana, ¡°Goodness, why do you look so shocked? I was only talking about a peacock. Or perhaps you know of something else fitting that criteria?¡± Soon after dropping such an explosive remark, the empress had ostentatiously waved goodbye, as she was carried away by the emperor, leaving behind a deathly pale Princess Yuliana, trembling from having narrowly escaped the fate of ending up as dragon food. ¡®There won¡¯t be any peace and quiet today either, no doubt.¡¯


    Rumors of the incident had undoubtedly spread throughout the entire imperial palace by now. Kane perfunctorily knocked on the door of the emperor¡¯s office before entering. He had assumed that Estian had yet to arrive, so he was surprised to find the man seated at his desk. Kane quickly greeted the emperor, ¡°I see you have come early?¡±


    ¡°Is it strange for me to arrive at my office early?¡±


    ¡°Well, the days of you arriving after me have increased since your marriage.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that right.¡±


    ¡°But what is that?¡± Kane turned wide-eyed upon seeing what was perched on top of Estian¡¯s desk.


    ¡°A peacock.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the bird mentioned in last night¡¯s banquet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the bird that Aswan presented in tribute. It is indeed beautiful. Deliver this bird to Girgantia.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Kane stammered. He¡¯d assumed the suggestion of feeding the dragon the peacock was said in jest. Who would¡¯ve expected they were being serious? Estian, ignoring his knight commander¡¯s confusion, continued, ¡°And convey a proposal of mine to the dragon.¡±


    * * *


    As the iron door to the interrogation cell opened with a clunk, Kane felt the chill of the underground air wash over him. The small peacock in the cage he carried, sensing the drop in temperature, let out an uneasy squawk. He walked onwards until he came to another thick iron door, which he pushed open without hesitation.


    ¡°Who said you could enter without even knocking¡­Oh! Si-sir Kane!¡± Tania exclaimed. Tania shot to her feet at Kane¡¯s unexpected appearance. Meanwhile, Girgantia let out a ¡°Huwuwup!¡± sound and scrambled to hide something under his wing.


    ¡°What were the two of you up to?¡± Kane asked, narrowing his eyes. He had caught a whiff of a familiar smell, and immediately glanced at the table placed between the two. There were brown crumbs scattered across the surface, and Girgantia appeared to be using his wing to hide ¡°¡­ A chicken bone?¡±


    Immediately, two voices cried out simultaneously.


    ¡°He said let¡¯s eat chicken!¡±


    ¡°She said let¡¯s eat chicken!¡±


    The two glared daggers at one another, as they each tried to paint the other out as the instigator.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who demanded I bring you some!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said fried chicken is best enjoyed while reading erotica!¡± Girgantia retorted.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to call it erotica! It¡¯s sensual romance!¡± Tania shrieked, as she grabbed Girgantia and strangled him. Amidst their bickering, Kane sighed and lowered the cage; Tania, noticing the unusual item asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Miss Tania, if you would please. Put Girgantia down first. I must deliver a message from His Majesty,¡± Kane said wearily.


    ¡°From the emperor? To me?¡± Girgantia asked in between coughs and sputters, as he massaged his neck. He¡¯d almost blacked out from Tania¡¯s chokehold! Wouldn¡¯t it have been the ultimate shame of dragonkind for a dragon to be choked to death?


    ¡°Indeed. His Majesty has proposed a conditional release for you.¡±


    ¡°Conditional release?¡± Girgantia jumped excitedly to his feet, and pointed a finger at Tania. ¡°You mean I can get out of here? I can get away from her, right?¡± When Kane nodded, the dragon¡¯s face brightened. ¡°I want to go out! You said conditional? What do I need to do?¡±


    Having already expected an enthusiastic response from Girgantia, Kane nodded and pushed the bird cage towards the dragon. ¡°Eat,¡± he said, as Girgantia stared back dumbly. ¡°Eat it. It¡¯s your meal.¡±

 CH 95

    ¡°What?¡± Girgantia stammered belatedly. He looked incredulously between Kane and the bird cage, before roaring loudly, ¡°Look here, you barbarians! Do you know any idea what kind of bird this is? It¡¯s a winter peacock that only lives in the western forests of Aswan! How could I eat this rare creature?! To eat such a pretty thing?!¡± As Girgantia gingerly embraced the cage with his claws, the peacock let out a cry, as if also protesting, ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m a rare bird!¡±


    Kane shrugged and replied, ¡°I hear it¡¯s delicious when fried.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The look in Girgantia¡¯s eyes wavered, and the peacock sensing the change started screeching¡ªCocoo! Coo!¡ªand flapped its wings for dear life. Clearly, it must¡¯ve been shouting, ¡°You were just saying how you could never eat me! You don¡¯t mean to, do you?¡±


    ¡°Delicious when fri¡­¡± Girgantia wiped away his drool, before continuing, ¡°Ahem-hem. Hang on. So, you¡¯ll let me go if I eat this little one?¡± It was a rather strange condition¡ªthe man had suddenly barged in, and said he¡¯d be freed if he ate this peacock. Wasn¡¯t this rather abrupt?


    ¡°That¡¯s not all, of course. And Miss Tania, I also have an order for you. Take this.¡±


    ¡°M-me too?¡± Tania¡ªwho had been using the tip of her feet to discreetly clear away the chicken bones Girgantia had failed to hide¡ªhurriedly corrected her posture, and accepted the leather pouch Kane held out to her. Her face turned quizzical upon peering inside. ¡°Why am I being given this?¡±


    ¡°To use it, naturally,¡± Kane responded matter-of-factly.


    ¡°What? Me?¡± Tania¡¯s voice grew louder. ¡°Use a whip? On whom?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that would be¡­¡± Kane¡¯s gaze landed on Girgantia, who was busy leering hungrily at the peacock. Sensing the knight commander¡¯s stare, the dragon mumbled in a flabbergasted voice, ¡°On me?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything more colorful?¡± Yuliana complained. The maid adorning her giggled with a face full of worship, and said ¡°Oh, Princess. You¡¯re beautiful enough as you are. Putting on too many things will only obscure that beauty of yours.¡± However, Yuliana only bit her lips in frustration. ¡®Well of course it¡¯d look that way to you lot!¡¯


    To those whom her power influenced, she appeared more beautiful and dazzling than anyone else. ¡®¡­But not the empress.¡¯ It would¡¯ve been fortunate if her power was only ineffective against the empress, but considering what happened at the banquet, it appeared the empress¡¯ presence shielded those in her vicinity as well. ¡®With everyone reeling from the chaos, little attention was paid to me at the banquet hall yesterday, but¡­¡¯


    Yuliana glanced down at the elegantly written invitation placed atop her table, which read: ¡®I wish to apologize for yesterday¡¯s commotion, and invite you to an afternoon of pleasurable discourse between ladies.¡¯ Naturally, the name of the empress was signed in large font at the end. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect to be sought out this quickly,¡¯ Yuliana frowned. The empress had openly glared at Yuliana, and made allusions to turning her into dragon feed. It was expected that the former wouldn¡¯t stay still, but who would¡¯ve predicted she¡¯d act so soon? ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s for the better.¡¯ Yuliana felt that meeting with and examining the empress up close might shed light on how her power was nullified. She scanned over her luggage cases, before her gaze eventually rested on a red case. ¡°No. Bring me the gown in the red case.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, but Princess! Isn¡¯t that the dress that was brought for the last banquet? It¡¯s much too extravagant to wear to a simple tea party.¡± However, the maid¡¯s protestations fell on deaf ears. Yuliana had already made up her mind. The extravagant gown in the red case had been prepared for the final banquet, and had been tailored to capture everyone¡¯s attention. Despite it still being early in the trip, Yuliana had decided to take a gamble. ¡®Who¡¯d have thought I¡¯d need to wear that dress already. Still, it should work out somehow if I pester Baroness Diana.¡¯


    Yuliana pondered on the numerous ensembles she had brought with her, as she hastened her maids to dress her. Despite her outrageous appearance at the banquet hall, Empress Cecile¡¯s beauty had lived up to the rumors. No, in fact, it exceeded the rumors. ¡®I mean, come on. How could you conceal such a stunner of a princess, even if her mother was of humble birth?¡¯ Yuliana was dumbfounded about why the kingdom of Navitan had chosen to hide the existence of such a beauty for so long. When whispers that the lack of major war waged since the emperor had welcomed the empress had come about due to him being smitten and unwilling to part with the empress, Yuliana had snorted; however, from what she¡¯d seen yesterday, she had to concede those rumors seemed true.


    ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll be backing down.¡¯ Yesterday, she had lost the battle, but today, she will win the war. Yuliana burned with the will to fight, as her maid prepared the banquet dress. She would not let herself be done in as easily as she had been yesterday, and without fail, she would make the empress submit.


    * * *


    ¡°Come this way, please.¡± The palace attendants welcomed Yuliana and her maids upon her arrival at the palace, and escorted the party to the tea party. Yuliana¡¯s maids glanced around in appreciation at the palace¡¯s splendor; one maid was unable to suppress her admiration and remarked ¡°How truly amazing.¡± The others nodded in agreement, while another maid echoed in wonder, ¡°It wasn¡¯t nonsense when they said the empress¡¯ palace was the most beautiful of its kind in the empire. Heavens, who¡¯d have imagined such a place to exist in the world?¡±


    Yuliana remained silent amidst her maids¡¯ conversation, but she too was secretly impressed. Her palace in Aswan itself was considered a marvel of architecture, but in comparison to the empress¡¯ palace, it was nothing more than a stable. ¡®Yes, well. A woman should aim high, after all.¡¯ Yuliana subtly clenched her fists, vowing to succeed in ousting the empress no matter what.


    Soon, a spacious flower garden came into sight¡ªpetals gently fluttered in the breeze and a deep fragrance from innumerous flowers permeated the space. The picturesque scenery was like heaven itself, and at the end of this piece of heaven sat the empress awaiting their arrival.


    ¡°Huh?¡± As Yuliana neared the empress, her eyes captured ¡®something¡¯ that was unforeseen. Yuliana and her maids all paled upon realizing what that ¡®something¡¯ was. ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ No way¡­¡± Had they been heard? Girgantia, who had been resting by the empress¡¯ feet, raised his head and let rip a low-pitched, terrifying snarl that resonated from deep in his throat. What was even more horrifying, they noticed, was that the dragon¡¯s mouth was smeared with blood, and stuck amongst his teeth were the familiar feathers of an Aswan winter peacock.

 CH 96

    While Yuliana and her maids cowered at the low growl rumbling from Girgantia, he snuck a sideways glance towards Cecile. Obscured and hidden beneath her sleeve, he saw her flash a thumbs up of encouragement, and in response he widened his mouth and roared, ¡°Gaaaaargh!¡± Simultaneously, he began flapping his wings in a frenzy, causing the petrified women to swoon and sink to the floor.


    It was then!¡ªa fierce whoosh and an ear-splitting crack resounded in the room! ¡°Silence, you brute! Can¡¯t you keep quiet? Have you forgotten in whose presence you are that you dare make noise!¡± The speaker barking orders was none other than Tania, standing nearby clutching a black whip in hand. This was no ordinary whip¡ªit had been received as a tribute from a southern kingdom, and possessing extraordinary elasticity, it could stretch up to three times its original length, and mete out three times as much agony. In the hands of Tania, a single lash was enough to dig out a hole as wide as half the width of an adult palm in the ground.


    ¡°Grrgh,¡± Girgantia growled, but he shrunk back in front of her baleful aura; meanwhile, the two of them began secretly mouthing words at each other. ¡°Isn¡¯t ¡®brute¡¯ a bit too harsh?¡± Girgantia whined, to which Tania hissed, ¡°Oh, just get down already.¡±


    As Girgantia retreated, Cecile gently patted his head, cooing, ¡°My, my, don¡¯t growl like that now. You¡¯re surprising the guests.¡± Propping her elbows on the table, she laced her fingers and languidly rested her chin on her hands, as she gazed over at the slumped Princess Yuliana and her companions. Her lips curved up into a satisfied smile; her plan to start by clipping their spirits was a success.


    * * *


    C-cla-clat-tat-ta-ta-tter. The continuous sounds of a rattling teacup and saucer caused the corners of Cecile¡¯s mouth to curve upwards ever so slightly. ¡°Dear me, I must apologize. It appears you¡¯re still greatly frightened; I would¡¯ve warned the beast a little more, had I known things would turn out this way,¡± she simpered.


    Despite Cecile¡¯s warm and jovial tone, it was obvious there was not one whit of sincerity in her words. ¡®Why¡¯s she suddenly acting like this?¡¯ Yuliana wondered, as she shot a furtive glance at the dragon resting by the empress¡¯s feet. She had briefly doubted whether, in the confusion at the time, her eyes had previously played a trick on her, but now confronted with the sight of four wings, scales, and eyes gleaming with madness, she was certain¡ªit was undoubtedly a dragon.


    ¡°The princess appears unwell. Perhaps it¡¯s best to send the dragon back. Tania?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Tania answered.


    ¡°Hurry and return this dragon to the basement.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Tania answered politely, before roughly jerking Girgantia¡¯s leash, causing the dragon to emit another low growl and flap his wings. Another silent war was being waged between the two, as Girgantia mouthed in complaint, ¡°Hey, be careful with how you pull that leash! My neck hurts!¡± Whilst Tania discreetly countered, ¡°It¡¯s my job to be rough, what do you expect of me!¡± Despite their argument and the fierce glaring battle, to others, their appearance was merely that of a trainer dragging away her ferocious beast.


    Breaking out of her stupor, Yuliana stammered a late response, ¡°N-not at all, Your Majesty. I was simply a little amazed, as it is my first time seeing a dragon. I humbly ask that you grant me the honor of seeing it again.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then is it fine to keep it here?¡±


    ¡°But of course,¡± Yuliana laughed.


    ¡°Then let us do that. Tania, stop.¡± At Cecile¡¯s command, Tania released Girgantia¡¯s leash, and he quickly returned to the empress, like a gentle puppy, to lay at her side. Cecile stroked his head affectionately, before turning back to Yuliana with a dazzling smile and said, ¡°But it appears your maids have fainted.¡±


    Princess Yuliana looked back in surprise, to find her companions unconscious with their eyes rolled back in their heads. ¡°I fear they were greatly shocked, being unprepared to behold such an amazing sight,¡± she quickly explained in their defense.


    ¡°Understandable, I¡¯m sure. I, myself, was quite surprised when I first laid eyes on him,¡± Cecile nodded, slightly lifting her teacup, and enjoying the fragrance. Her attitude was that of utter relaxation, suggesting the polar opposite of her words, which made Yuliana bite her lips in displeasure. She¡¯d assumed the empress was an attractive, but touched woman, yet it was fast becoming apparent she was a far greater foe than expected.


    Cecile watched as her imperial attendants carted the maids out, leaving her alone with Yuliana. ¡°In any case, I give my thanks, Princess Yuliana. The peacock you gifted yesterday¡±¡ªas if on cue, Girgantia audibly spat out a pure white peacock feather, and flashed a toothy grin, revealing a faint trace of what appeared to be blood on his fangs¡ª¡±greatly satisfied this fellow.¡± Cecile stroked Girgantia¡¯s head, and the dragon purred contently like a cat. The empress hadn¡¯t lied¡ªGirgantia had declared he¡¯d raise the peacock himself, and it was now safely tucked away in a larger cage. He had, however, plucked a few feathers from it to perpetuate this farce.


    Yuliana¡¯s face stiffened as she watched Cecile handle the dragon like a dog. ¡®How on earth is she doing it?¡¯ She wondered. It was curious enough that the dragon, rumored to have destroyed the imperial palace, had shrunk to its current size, but even more shocking than that was how the empress had subjugated the beast. ¡°Your Majesty. I do not know much about dragons, but I have never heard of them being so subservient to a human.¡±


    ¡°I too was stunned at first, but it wasn¡¯t long before I realized that dragons favor beautiful things,¡± Cecile laughed merrily. Yuliana seethed silently in response. ¡®Oh, so you¡¯re suggesting that your beauty is great enough to bewitch a dragon? Is that it?¡¯ Naturally, these thoughts were kept to herself.


    ¡°Oh, now here¡¯s a suggestion¡­¡± Cecile began, as she tugged at Girgantia¡¯s leash. ¡°How about you try touching it yourself? It will make for a good experience. Come now.¡± It was subtle, but her tone clearly implied she wouldn¡¯t accept any refusals. Cecile lowered her gaze to Yuliana¡¯s fingers and murmured, ¡°Now that I see it, even your fingers are beautiful¡­ so beautiful that losing a few shouldn¡¯t matter.¡± Girgantia, following Cecile¡¯s gaze, took the cue and licked his chops. Yuliana paled with fear, and the teacup slipped from Yuliana¡¯s hand and shattered on the floor.


    * * *


    ¡°Naaargh¡­¡± Cecile groaned, plopping down on her bed. ¡°That¡­ was exhausting¡­¡± It had truly been a tiring day for her. She had been busy from the moment she had awoken¡ªfirstly, hurriedly calling the attendants to bring ice to help soothe the swelling around her eyes from all the crying from the night before, secondly, instructing an attendant to send an invitation to Princess Yuliana for an afternoon tea party, and finally, preparing for her day¡¯s outing. ¡®Who¡¯d have imagined this would be my first-time hosting!¡¯ She felt oddly indignant for some reason. ¡®¡­I wanted to hold a bigger and prettier one.¡¯

 CH 97

    When Cecile had first laid eyes on the beautiful gardens of the imperial palace, she had imagined hosting a grand tea party like those illustrated in novels she once read. She had been excited at the prospect of inviting over like-minded friends, with shared interests, and spend a leisurely afternoon enjoying delicious foods. ¡®That¡¯s why I had focused more on reading about the variety of sweets that were introduced.¡¯ Looking back, perhaps it would¡¯ve served her better to have focused on the etiquette in the stories. Alas, her interests lay in eating, and she¡¯d poured all her efforts into memorizing the name and shape of all the snacks described.


    ¡°But even that turned out for naught,¡± Cecile muttered, as she recalled the earlier conversation¡­ Forget any light-hearted discussions about the scrumptious snacks or tangy-sweet fruits, the atmosphere was practically bloodcurdling. ¡®Even the tea was incredibly red¡­ though that was unintentional. Tsk.¡¯ The color of the brewed tea was truly a coincidence¡ªhaving no time to make the last-minute tea party arrangements, Cecile had left the attendants to their own devices, and what was served ended up being a sanguine-colored liquid that she¡¯d never seen before. Still, the true number one contributing factor to the terrifying atmosphere of today¡¯s tea party was something, or more precisely, someone else. ¡°I never expected Girgantia to be so cooperative.¡±


    Girgantia had been offered his own room plus served meals, in return for a good acting performance. The look in his eyes had sparkled, and he was soon shamelessly bargaining, ¡°10 fried chickens a day. Salted and seasoned, half with bones and half without. And five large bottles of carbonated water with syrup. I also have to take care of my health, so give me three salads a day too. I like my salad with boiled eggs and heaps of avocado. Don¡¯t forget the nuts. And it¡¯s boring lying around all the time, so I want at least 50 comic books daily. So, do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°¡­Deal.¡± What in the world had the dragon seen and eaten while he was locked up underground? When Cecile eyed Tania suspiciously, Tania had faked some coughs and hid her hands behind her back. It seemed that those two had hit it off, and had a blast of a time together. Nevertheless, it was thanks to the dragon that Princess Yuliana had left the party with a deathly white complexion.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think she¡¯s given up yet though,¡¯ Cecile sighed. Despite her fear, Princess Yuliana had carefully surveyed Girgantia and Cecile. The look in her eyes was clearly of someone who hadn¡¯t admitted defeat. ¡®From what I hear, she plans to stay in the empire for quite some time. No doubt she¡¯ll be hard at work advertising how she¡¯s much more suited to reign as empress.¡¯


    The problem of the matter lay in the fact that there was some truth in that claim. Cecile had enough self-awareness to understand she was lacking in many aspects. Her education was limited to a few hasty lessons on the basics, and though it was not well-publicized due to her lack of participation in social events, she was not well versed in etiquette either. Meanwhile, Princes Yuliana would be out attending every future gathering of nobles. Cecile¡¯s head hurt, as she sulked, ¡°But I still won¡¯t let His Majesty be taken away. He¡¯s mine.¡±


    After all, the emperor was the first person that belonged to her, why would she ever let him go? As she was muttering to herself, a voice spoke from nearby. ¡°What an honor. I hope that you will hold on tight and never let go.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± The bed dipped from the added weight of another body, and a familiar warmth swept down Cecile¡¯s arm. She wondered aloud, ¡°But I didn¡¯t hear you come in?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would be asleep so I gave word to be quiet.¡± Despite his explanation, Cecile was still awed at how he managed to enter so noiselessly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even sleep properly last night, thinking about what I should do,¡± Estian grumbled, as he swept the corner of Cecile¡¯s eyes.


    The night before, upon returning to the empress¡¯ palace, Cecile had shouted, ¡°I won¡¯t let her off!¡± and promptly picked out a bunch of villainess titles from the books Estian had returned to glean ideas. Estian, watching her, had suggested lightly, ¡°Is it not bothersome? Should I just kill her after all? I was a little curious, but it is not necessary to figure out the likes of her power.¡± However, despite the casual tone, he was dead serious; Cecile felt chills when realizing his statement wasn¡¯t in jest.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll be starting my official duties again from tomorrow, and I¡¯ll parade Girgantia around, looking both amazing and terrifying.¡± Cecile scuttled closer to Estian, who sat on the edge of her bed, and rested her head on his legs, as if it were the most natural thing to do in the world. She continued, ¡°Princess Yuliana will give up eventually while I¡¯m at it, and¡­¡± A sudden wave of drowsiness washed over her, causing her to trail off, but she mustered the last of her strength to voice what she wanted to say. ¡°If I work harder¡­ Your Majesty won¡¯t have to kill her, so¡­¡±


    Seconds later, Cecile was fast asleep. Estian sat in silence, listening to Cecile¡¯s breathing even out. Not wishing to disturb Cecile¡¯s rest, he remained rooted to the spot for the rest of night, watching over her sleeping face until a new day had dawned. And when morning came the next day¡­


    ¡°Your Majesty. Should we just kill Princess Yuliana after all?¡± Cecile muttered gravely to Estian, as if she had completely forgotten her words from the night before.

 CH 98

    Act 5: Who Are You?


    ¡®What is life?¡¯ These were the quiet musings of the saintess, as she stood under the clear blue sky. A cool and pleasing breeze blew past, causing a gentle rustling of the leaves in the surrounding trees. An involuntary shudder of rage ran through the saintess, as she raised the thick broom held in one hand and the middle finger of the other, and shouted at the sky, ¡°Oh my God, this is why the sweeping never ends!¡±


    Several weeks had passed since the saintess had been smuggled out of the imperial palace and returned to Irene¡¯s mansion. Since then, she had remained trapped on the estate. It wasn¡¯t that she was imprisoned, rather¡­ she was too poor to leave! If her plans hadn¡¯t fallen through, she would¡¯ve severed all her ties with Irene by now, and would¡¯ve been enjoying the luxuries of the imperial palace. That¡¯s why she hadn¡¯t hesitated to splurge and spend all her savings to host a drinking party for the mansion¡¯s maids in a grand gesture before her departure.


    Instead, she now found herself in her current penniless predicament. The maids that had expressed endless gratitude during the drinking party now resolutely refused to lend a single dime. Their shouts of ¡°Thanks so much! You¡¯re the best!¡± now became solemn admonishments of ¡°Granny taught me never to breathe under the same sky with a person who asks for money.¡±


    ¡®What heartless girls. How could they not lend a single coin?! And what¡¯s with Irene too! Any attempt I make to leave, she gives me the evil eye and clings to me even more.¡¯


    The saintess¡¯ troubles weren¡¯t just limited to her finances; these days, Irene also watched her like a hawk. The only logical explanation for Irene¡¯s apparent fixation with the saintess was that she¡¯d replaced Estian as her object of obsession. Irene had even gone as far as to suggest the saintess should sleep by her side. The drastic change in her behavior was truly incomprehensible; it was as if the whole genre of the story had changed! It was becoming too much to bear. Why on earth was the obsession that should¡¯ve been directed at Estian directed towards her? Something wasn¡¯t right.


    A few days before, Irene had devised a plan. Recalling Irene¡¯s character trait of being weak to alcohol, armed with a plentiful supply of liquor, the saintess set out to get her lady drunk. As anticipated, even before the first bottle was emptied, Irene¡¯s expression turned hazy and unfocused, and her tongue loosened. The saintess pounced on the opportunity to grill Irene, asking, ¡°Milady, why in tarnation are you bothering me these days? I, I mean. Why are you being like this?¡±


    ¡°Thas ¡®cauuse¡­ you¡¯re my friend¡­¡± Irene had slurred. The reason was so unexpected, the saintess almost shot out the mouthful of liquor through her nose from astonishment.


    ¡®Friend? Friend my foot!¡¯ While Irene was sprawled out on the table, the saintess brooded over what had led Irene to mistaken their relationship as a friendship. ¡®Let¡¯s see. There was that time we spent time backbiting together, talked about our childhood, shared our likes and dislikes, and¡­¡¯


    In hindsight, their past conversations did resemble those typically shared between bosom buddies¡­ and that wasn¡¯t the extent of it. They had spent so much time together, the topics they¡¯d discussed had drifted to discussing their ideal type of man, and even to the more lascivious topic of the male¡¯s lower half.


    ¡®¡­Alright! I admit it. We¡¯re friends!¡¯ The saintess silently screamed. Even if she wanted to deny the facts, she had to begrudgingly admit that at this point they were indeed friends. ¡®I guess I let my guard down after meeting a character of my very own creation for the first time.¡¯


    While the saintess was busy wallowing in regret, Irene had shifted to rest her head on the saintess¡¯ knees. Looking up at her, Irene mumbled, ¡°You¡¯re kind of like a mom too. I think if my mom was alive, she would¡¯ve been like you. Scolding me, chatting with me¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯re you calling mom! It¡¯s giving me the creeps!¡± The saintess retorted. Despite her reproach, the saintess secretly wondered if her status as author influenced how Irene felt. As the creator of this world, it wasn¡¯t inaccurate to call her the mother of all creations of this world. That could explain Irene¡¯s sudden obsession¡­ and if this speculation was accurate, then the saintess had no time to lose. She had to return to the imperial palace!


    The saintess gripped the broomstick tightly and began to giggle with excitement as she recalled that day¡¯s events. She was certain that if she could make her way to Estian, she was bound to attract his favor as the author. He might even fall for her at first sight! She grinned as she pictured Estian clutching at the hem of her dress, and begging her to remain at his side as empress. At that moment, a bird flying overhead chose to offload an unwanted surprise.


    ¡°Oh frigging! Are you serious! Effing, eff¡­¡± The saintess shrieked towards the bird¡¯s receding figure, outraged by the bird dropping that had landed on her shoulder. Naturally, the bird paid no heed to the screeches and curses continuously hurled in its direction. Her raging at the bird continued long after it had departed, and eventually she plopped herself down after tiring herself out.


    The courtyard where she¡¯d been sweeping was a peaceful place. However, the saintess knew this peace wouldn¡¯t last. The summoning of the phantom beast meant that the latter half of the novel would soon commence. ¡®There¡¯s not much time until the day Estian goes out of control. Was it the dukedom of Etia that he attacked next?¡¯


    Estian hadn¡¯t earned the title of ¡®worst tyrant¡¯ for nothing. He had repeatedly shattered the peace and quiet of the empire with his sudden declarations of war. There were whispers among the people that he was a crazed lunatic who reveled in the barbaric slaughter on the battlefield, and that he purposely stirred up conflict to satiate his bloodthirst.


    ¡®They¡¯re not completely off the mark,¡¯ the saintess thought. The Eugendiph blood that coursed through Estian did crave slaughter. Estian had barely managed to escape its control before and constantly struggled to keep it in check, but even his grip on rationality had a limit. Once the madness in the blood took hold, all that remained was a desire for carnage.


    Since his enthronement, Estian had managed to satiate the frenzied bloodthirst by directing it towards the targets of his revenge. Those slashed down during his conquests were all sinners that deserved retribution, and the conquered countries served to strengthen the empire. ¡®But even that¡¯s about to reach the limit too.¡¯ While his revenge would eventually come to an end, the bloodlust would never subside. If he turned his sword towards innocents, his mind would eventually collapse. The moment his mind is overtaken by the madness, he would instantly be consumed and transformed by Eugendiph¡¯s blood, and what remained could never again return to human form. The only solution was for the saintess to become Cecile before it was too late! The saintess¡¯ face shone with determination. ¡®As if I¡¯d let that happen! It¡¯s the only way to save him.¡¯

 CH 99

    Hiding the leaf pile beneath a flowerpot, the saintess hurried back to the mansion. To her surprise, it was abuzz with activity. Flagging down one of the maids, she asked, ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? The miss is attending an event today.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know!¡± The saintess hurried to Irene¡¯s room. Hadn¡¯t Irene declared them as friends? She even called her mom! How could she leave her out? Swinging open the door, she found Irene surrounded by maids and being dressed for her outing. ¡°Milady! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you had plans today!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t tag along to anything unfun?¡± Irene responded calmly, as she picked up a book from the table. She was baffled by the saintess¡¯ accusatory tone.


    ¡°What¡¯s the occasion today?¡±


    ¡°Women¡¯s Researcher Day Seminar.¡±


    ¡°I see. Have a wonderful time,¡± the saintess replied in a flat, uninterested tone, and promptly bowed.


    ¡°You really are free-spirited.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯d voluntarily attend an event like that? The name alone is enough to put me to sleep. I¡¯d much rather enjoy a good nap at home. Why are you even bothering to¡­¡± The saintess trailed off before finishing her question; she recalled another of Irene¡¯s character settings was that her father was a medical professor, and she was an accomplished woman of the academy herself. It was hard to believe given her usual behaviors, but Irene was quite famous for her intelligence in the academy, or so the story goes.


    The saintess¡¯ gaze fell to the invitation lying on the table. Judging by the names and occupations of the organizers, lecturers and attendees listed, it wasn¡¯t a light affair. ¡®Could this be a bigger event than I thought?¡¯ Not wanting to miss an opportunity, the saintess asked, ¡°Milady. Do you know if Her Majesty will be in attendance as well?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°There¡¯s no way the empress would attend an event like this,¡± Yuliana murmured happily to herself, as she looked around the venue. Since her arrival, she was bombarded with greetings and salutations from men and women alike, and was soon the center of a small crowd.


    ¡°Princess Yuliana, yes? I immediately recognized you from afar. You truly live up to your fame!¡± An attendee warmly greeted her with a slight bow; she wore an ecstatic look, and her eyes glowed with admiration and praise.


    ¡°P-princess Yuliana! It is an honor to meet!¡± Another man giddily called out. Men were gathering around Yuliana for the opportunity to have a word with her, or greet her with a kiss on the back of her hand. The crowd was so sizable, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if someone should start handing out tickets and organizing a line.


    ¡®Yes, this is more like it.¡¯ Yuliana smirked to herself. She had kept a low profile since that humiliating tea party at the empress¡¯ palace. Time was needed to confirm if her powers were malfunctioning, but the attitudes of today¡¯s swarm of admirers had put her at ease. ¡®This will be today¡¯s big stage,¡¯ she thought, gazing up at the large banner that hung above her head: Women¡¯s Researcher Day Seminar. It was time to continue enacting her plan.


    ¡°Are you not tired, Princess Yuliana? You have attended so many events upon your arrival in the empire, and I worry for your health,¡± a male attendee asked with a concerned expression.


    ¡°My tiredness is of no large concern. As an envoy, I intend on meeting many people of the empire and working hard to aid the development of Aswan,¡± Yuliana politely responded, with a nod of appreciation at his expressed concern.


    ¡°Oh my! It really shows how Princess Yuliana truly thinks deeply for her country.¡±


    ¡°Yes indeed. The last royalty that visited only signed their name in the guestbook by the entrance before disappearing. What a contrast!¡±


    Her response elicited admiring exclamations from the crowd. Those in the vicinity all looked deeply moved at her words. Royalty who traveled to the empire as envoys rarely bothered with academic events, choosing to occupy their attention with more pleasurable activities. Yet here was Princess Yuliana personally attending and expressing a deep interest in the event for the sake of her country. Was she not the epitome of an exemplary princess?


    ¡®Good, it¡¯s going well,¡¯ Yuliana inwardly cried for joy. She had carefully selected this event from the many options available to emphasize her deep interest in academics. She¡¯d also learned that the empress had never attended such events since her coronation, and was sure that she would receive a warm welcome for gracing them with her presence. The favorable impression from today, amplified by the power of the Archwitch, would fuel the spread of her fame. ¡®¡­And the voices advocating for me as empress will grow louder.¡¯


    ¡°Please come this way, Princess Yuliana.¡±


    Yuliana thanked everyone and excused herself, before turning to follow the organizer as she was escorted to her seat.


    Having confirmed that her powers were fine, it was time to take the next step towards her goal. Hidden beneath the cover of her sleeves, she had balled her hand into a fist. After foolishly being dealt a blow at the tea party, the princess had vowed to herself that she would take down the empress. This was the perfect stage to enact her revenge.


    After a few minutes of mindless chatter with the attendees, during a natural lull in conversation, Yuliana made to conspicuously scan the room. Her apparent searching gaze led the attendee seated next to her to ask, ¡°Princess Yuliana, is there someone you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was simply wondering when Her Majesty would be arriving. I am sure she will attend such a good and meaningful event,¡± Yuliana promptly answered, gleeful that the bait had been taken. Needless to say, she spoke purposely, knowing full well that the empress would never appear.

 CH 100

    Yuliana was fully aware that the empress hadn¡¯t been attending outside events. The rumors said that the emperor forbade her from leaving the palace, and judging from his attitude at the banquet, the rumors probably had merit. Yuliana¡¯s mention of the empress led to stiffened expressions of the attendees, as the ladies nervously eyed each other. Eventually one attendee cautiously responded, ¡°Her Majesty will not be attending.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but why?¡± Yuliana inquired in a light tone.


    ¡°She was sent an invitation long ago, but we have yet to receive a reply. Also¡­¡± The speaker¡¯s expression darkened, as she trailed off.


    ¡°You may not be as familiar, Princess Yuliana, but Her Majesty has never attended an outside event before,¡± another person chimed in.


    ¡°Yes. Until now, she has only appeared at events inside the imperial palace.¡±


    The topic of the empress¡¯ limited appearances quickly invited everyone listening to add their two cents, and the momentum of the conversation quickly devolved into speculation for her absence from outside events, with an attendee guessing, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because she considers it a nuisance to meet people?¡±


    ¡°How could that be? Her Majesty invited me to a tea party not long after the reception of our delegation ended,¡± Yuliana quickly replied. Her declaration left everyone surprised.


    ¡°What? Her Majesty invited the princess to a tea party?¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable! The empress has never called for any noble daughter of the empire¡­¡±


    It was well known that tea parties in the empire could be categorized into two types: the purpose of the former is a regular tea party where like-minded guests were invited to enjoy a relaxing afternoon of pleasant conversation, while the latter was to¡­ keep someone in check.


    What was more ideal than a tea party to serve up a dose of humiliation? It was the perfect arrangement for surrounding oneself with allies with the purpose of harassing a singled-out target. It gave the perpetrator the perfect advantage, as widely evidenced by its use as a literary device in an abundance of literary works. The empress had invoked the same strategy¡­ the only difference being that her ally took the form of a dragon. It wasn¡¯t long before Yuliana received the reaction she¡¯d wanted.


    ¡°Princess Yuliana. Did anything happen at¡­ I, I mean, did you enjoy the tea party?¡±


    It was obvious that the empress¡¯ tea party invitation had fallen into the latter category. This was the outcome Yuliana had been targeting. ¡®Now, shall I begin?¡¯ Her next move would be the climax to her self-directed play. She had to delicately balance feigned naivete while revealing the empress¡¯ veiled threats.


    ¡°But of course! The empress¡¯ palace bestowed by the emperor lived up to the rumors of its extraordinary beauty. Her Majesty was most welcoming too. Only¡­ I am a little worried, for I believe I may have erred.¡± Yuliana purposely added a slight quiver to her voice.


    ¡°Mistake?¡± Everyone hung off Yuliana¡¯s words with shining eyes.


    ¡°Her Majesty brought with her the rumored dragon, you see,¡± Yuliana said pitifully.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The dragon?¡±


    Gasps rippled through the crowd. The dragon that had suddenly appeared and destroyed the imperial palace? Little was known about the dragon, other than the fact that it had mysteriously shrunk in size after it was subdued by the emperor. It was said that the dragon was isolated and imprisoned deep in the dungeons of the imperial palace. Yet, the empress was parading around the rare creature at a tea party?


    ¡°Yes, so obviously I gazed at the dragon out of curiosity. Sadly, it didn¡¯t seem to like me. The dragon tried to bite me all of a sudden, so¡­¡± She shuddered then, as if reliving her fear from recalling that moment.


    ¡°Good heavens¡­¡±


    ¡°My word¡­¡±


    In the eyes of a third party, Yuliana appeared as a distressed woman recalling a terrifying memory. However, in truth, her shudder was out of irritation rather than fear. Of course, there was no way for her empathetic listeners to have known that.


    ¡°Oh dear, princess. Your complexion is unwell. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I apologize. I think I was too surprised at the time. Nothing much happened, fortunately, since Her Majesty ordered for the dragon to be removed. But even so, I was¡­ afraid¡­¡± Her woeful recounting led to a growing number of hushed whispers among the listeners, as the ladies gazed tenderly at the pale countenance of the princess.


    ¡°To host a tea party for the first time, and only summon Princess Yuliana? This must mean her purpose was to keep Princess Yuliana under control, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. And to keep a dragon at her side while calling for the princess¡­ that¡¯s obviously a threat!¡±


    Although Yuliana couldn¡¯t make out everything being said, she could tell the attendees were speaking ill of the empress. She quickly ducked her head to hide the mirth that was on the verge of bursting on her face.


    ¡°Oh dear. Here. Use my handkerchief, Princess Yuliana,¡± the lady seated next to her offered. She¡¯d mistaken Yuliana¡¯s action as an attempt to conceal her tears. Yuliana gladly accepted the handkerchief, but did not raise her head. The sight of her little performance served to encourage more dissatisfied voices.


    ¡°Really, what is the emperor thinking?¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly! Did they not say that Her Majesty treated the nation¡¯s treasure as trash during her first meeting with the ministers? How long will the emperor turn a blind eye?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how low our empire¡¯s imperial dignity will plummet at this rate.¡±


    ¡°According to Princess Yuliana¡¯s words, Her Majesty seems to hold complete control over that dragon,¡± a cold, sharp voice cut through the chattering. The interruption came just as the disapproval of Cecile shifted towards dissatisfaction towards the emperor for tolerating her misbehavior, and the voice belonged to none other than Irene. She elegantly took a sip of her tea before placing her cup down.

 CH 101

    ¡°Lady Irene?¡± Everyone swiveled to look at the unexpected speaker.


    ¡®Irene?¡¯ It was a name Yuliana had heard of before; the woman who was known as the sole friend of the emperor, and to whom, it was rumored, he showed generosity. She was also the woman mentioned as the first empress candidate. Yuliana gave Irene a once-over, taking in her impeccable posture and graceful movements, to her well-groomed looks and luxurious clothing. What was surprising, though, was the clear hostility in Irene¡¯s eyes. ¡®But why?¡¯


    ¡°Thinking about it, Lady Irene is right. Although the dragon was violent toward the princess, it obeys Her Majesty well.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±


    ¡°Come now, how could a dragon understand the language of man? Aren¡¯t their kind veritable demi-gods?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my understanding. Could this mean that Her Majesty has tamed the dragon, enough to bring it to a tea party?¡±


    The group began considering Irene¡¯s point, and a shift could be felt spreading in the seminar¡¯s atmosphere. The frigid attitudes and the critical eye that had been turned at the empress was melting into that of warm admiration. A new round of whispers began spreading, only this time the message was ¡®Isn¡¯t Her Majesty amazing?¡¯


    ¡®Wait! Th-this isn¡¯t right!¡¯ Yuliana felt cold sweat at the abrupt change, as she saw her plan veering off course. She had to put a stop to this new development! Yuliana hastily explained, ¡°To be specific, it was not Her Majesty but the lady-in-waiting next to her that had the dragon under¡ª¡± However, before she could finish her sentence, Irene ruthlessly interjected once more.


    ¡°You must be referring to Lady Tania, daughter of Margrave Kaniche. She¡¯s known to take after her mother in possessing incredible strength and prowess. As everyone knows, Margrave Kaniche, like her ancestors before her, avoided all entanglements with the imperial palace. For generations, emperors desiring their power sought out their allegiance, but the esteemed family always refused, wishing only to faithfully carry out their entrusted duties. As a result of their distance from central politics, those that are ignorant mistake them for countryside nobles¡­ but putting that aside, the fact that the margrave¡¯s daughter has become the empress¡¯ lady-in-waiting¡­ is something to be thoughtful about.¡±


    The crowd was now nodding along with Irene¡¯s words. After all, this was the woman that the infamous emperor had chosen to keep at his side. She must be truly extraordinary.


    ¡°From taming a dragon to attaining the daughter of Margrave Kaniche as her lady-in-waiting¡­ It appears that Her Majesty is truly remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Is-is that so?¡±


    ¡°Put that way, it really does seem to be the case!¡±


    ¡°If you think about it, it¡¯s unlikely His Majesty chose the empress for no good reason¡­¡±


    ¡°Right? It¡¯s about choosing the empress of the empire, after all. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a deeper meaning to it all that we don¡¯t know.¡±


    The room was soon abuzz with praises for the empress. All the foundation Yuliana had laid to set the stage had crumbled in an instant.


    * * *


    ¡®Who do you think you are!¡¯ Irene hadn¡¯t intended to intervene, as she listened to Princess Yuliana malign the empress. However, as the conversation continued and the blame was shifted towards the emperor, her fury wouldn¡¯t allow her to remain silent any longer.


    Irene was entitled to feel resentment towards Estian; she had known him from a young age after all. If she was being magnanimous, she could concede that, to a certain extent, the people of the empire were allowed to grumble about their dissatisfaction of him too. It was only understandable, given the taxes they paid as subjects of the empire. Yuliana, on the other hand, was a different matter. ¡®Who are you, a foreigner who contributes nothing to the empire, daring to insult?¡¯


    Irene had felt the same indignant rage once before. There was a time when a favored actor of hers had been embroiled in scandal. She had enthusiastically cursed the man, but when a friend chimed in, Irene¡¯s eyes grew sharp and she fiercely defended him, ¡°Who are you to talk smack? He¡¯s my baby. If anyone¡¯s going to cuss him out, it¡¯ll be me.¡±


    ¡®Although that¡¯s not all, of course.¡¯ Irene had instinctively discerned that Princess Yuliana¡¯s actions were all calculated. It wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce the princess¡¯s true intentions for coming to the empire was Estian, with the goal of usurping the seat of the empress. This made Irene¡¯s fighting spirit burn hotter, as she imagined this brazen woman strolling in with the intention of snatching her prey.


    Irene didn¡¯t bother to disguise her blatant glare directed at Yuliana, when suddenly, a short flash emitted from Yuliana¡¯s bosom and caught her eye. ¡°Mm? Hang on Princess Yuliana, there was something by your chest just now¡­?¡± Irene puzzled aloud. It happened so quickly, she wondered whether she had imagined it, but she felt certain something had briefly shined. As Irene moved to lean closer for inspection, Yuliana¡¯s face froze. However, they were disrupted by an unexpected announcement¡­


    ¡°All hail the empress!¡±


    There was a loud disturbance near the entrance of the venue, as the imperial knights and attendants swiftly entered, and formed two lines to create a path. Seconds later, a neat and elegant woman appeared, walking down between the two rows in a straight and steady gait. Her bright, golden hair was woven in tight braids, and her large, mesmerizing emerald eyes were framed beautifully by her even, arched brows.


    Everyone was rendered speechless by her sudden appearance. Their countenances reflected their internal screams of ¡®It¡¯s the empress! But how? Why? Here?¡¯ Confusion was clearly plastered over all their faces.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be so surprised about. It was on my way, and thought I¡¯d drop by,¡± Cecile chirped, taking the initiative to speak while the crowd remained dumbfounded.


    ¡®Lies!¡¯ Yuliana screamed in her mind. The empress was immaculately dressed; it was clear she had come prepared. To claim she was just stopping by on her way? What nonsense was this?


    Cecile bemusedly scanned the room, before fixing her gaze on Yuliana, as she continued, ¡°Am I perhaps interrupting?¡±

 CH 102

    Silence descended throughout the venue¡ªit wasn¡¯t just a result of the empress¡¯ unexpected appearance, but also due to her overwhelming beauty. ¡®No wonder they say the emperor¡¯s smitten with her,¡¯ was the thought running through their heads. Everyone was left speechless; whether it was their first meeting or they had seen the empress before, everyone was captivated in her presence.


    ¡°I have long wished to attend, but His Majesty has been reluctant to permit it, especially after that large incident, as I¡¯m sure everyone understands,¡± Cecile said. The tone of her message was apparent: look how beloved I am to the emperor! ¡°Still, I pleaded over and over that I must attend this seminar; it is my understanding that a topic I hold great interest in will be covered today.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ it is a great honor, Your Majesty,¡± the seminar¡¯s chairman answered with a deep curtsy. ¡°We are lacking in our reception. We weren¡¯t aware of your attendance, and were unable to greet you in a befitting manner. I humbly ask for your grace.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Pay no heed to this matter,¡± Cecile responded with a gracious smile.


    Yuliana bit her lips as she watched the scene unfolding before her. Everyone was bowing to the empress. She had been pushed aside; it was like the banquet all over again. All the focus and attention that had been directed at her minutes before had vanished the instant the empress appeared. While the empress dominated the spotlight, Yuliana became a forgotten existence.


    ¡®It¡¯s the same as last time. There¡¯s definitely something about her. And¡­ there¡¯s something weird about that woman too!¡¯ Yuliana glanced sideways to where Irene stood. The woman who had been glaring at Yuliana moments before now had her gaze fixed on the empress, with an expression that screamed ¡®So you¡¯re the empress!¡¯ Yuliana felt deeply troubled; it wasn¡¯t just the empress, Irene had somehow noticed her power too. The nervousness of the situation made Yuliana¡¯s mouth run dry.


    ¡°If I may ask, Your Majesty, which of the seminar topics is it that interests you?¡± The chairman¡¯s tone was unable to mask her surprise. An invitation had been sent to the empress¡¯ palace, but the chairman had harbored no expectations of the empress¡¯ attendance. An academic seminar didn¡¯t appeal to most, and could hardly be considered a fun event. To think that the empress had bothered to read the enclosed brochure, and had found interest in one of the topics? As the first official event Her Majesty attended, it meant that she placed great importance on whatever had sparked her interest!


    The chairman was acutely aware of her heart racing with anticipation. The future funding of their seminars would hinge on the empress¡¯ satisfaction with today¡¯s event. She was already making plans to request the presenter of the topic of the empress¡¯ interest to provide a detailed explanation by the empress¡¯ side.


    ¡°We are also curious. What topic is it that Your Majesty holds interest in?¡± Yuliana interrupted, taking a step forward out of the crowd. While the question appeared innocuous, a few attendees froze, recognizing that the seemingly polite question also carried an implied suggestion of ¡®What do you even understand to attend such an event?¡¯


    Even the chairman did a double take, wondering whether Princess Yuliana was aware that her question could be misconstrued. She doubted the princess had asked the question maliciously. This same woman had been trembling and crying with fear just moments before, had she not?


    Many attendees were now glancing at the princess with uncertainty, and a sense of incongruity soon set in. ¡®Did the princess always look like that?¡¯ Mere seconds ago, the princess had appeared in their eyes as the most beautiful and delicate woman in the world. Her story had touched their hearts and filled them with empathy and compassion for her plight, but now¡­ she looked nothing more than a ¡®bystander¡¯.


    ¡°Princess Yuliana seems very curious about the topic that holds my interest,¡± Cecile remarked in a relaxed manner. Contrary to what others had expected, she was full of composure and showed no signs of hesitation. ¡°I hold great interest in Professor Dewin¡¯s presentation. It is a subject very much to my liking.¡±


    Everyone quickly turned to the printed brochures listing the seminar presentations. Their eyes scanned far down the list, until they finally spotted Professor Dewin¡¯s name, where it was written: Professor Lumia Dewin ¡ª Can coal really be transformed into diamond?


    * * *


    ¡®I did well to read it in advance!¡¯ Cecile inwardly felt quite smug, pleased that she¡¯d done her homework before entering the seminar. Thanks to her preparation, she was able to provide her answer without hesitation.


    Professor Lumia Dewin ¡ª Regarding the changes in plant growth due to climate change, and the dissemination of new fruit species to imperial farms. That was the topic she had her eye on. Cecile cared little nor had understanding of the other topics on the agenda, but she had the confidence to listen with rapt attention when it came to the subject of fruits. She was so excited to learn more about the fruits in the empire, she was practically humming in anticipation.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, at the empress¡¯ palace, an attendant grew pale as her eyes scanned the contents of an envelope found under the drawer. Having noticed it when retrieving a dropped pen, and recognizing the sender¡¯s name as the event the empress was attending today, the attendant had quickly opened it.


    ¡°There has been a mismatch in the name and presentation topic in the previously sent brochure, and therefore we have sent a new one?¡± The confused expression on the attendant¡¯s face quickly morphed into one of panic.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± A nearby colleague asked.


    ¡°What should we do? Her Majesty is attending an event today, but the brochure she has was a misprint!¡±


    ¡°Hey now, why fret? There will be plenty of people in attendance. Besides, let¡¯s be honest. Would Her Majesty need to bother reading that? Even if she has the wrong brochure, what would be the problem? She won¡¯t need it. Don¡¯t be such a worrywart.¡± Her colleague giggled.


    ¡°Is¡­ is that so?¡± Relief flooded the attendant¡¯s face after hearing her colleague¡¯s reassurance. She was probably right. After all, why would the empress bother to read this anyway?

 CH 103

    ¡°It¡¯s almost fully stuck back together. Should I cut it off again?¡± Estian stared and prodded at the man¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hey! Hey now! Hold your horses! It took so much effort to reattach! How could you think of cutting it again!¡± Richard cried out in alarm. The mage lord, who had been bound and thrown into the underground interrogation cells, was flopping about, as he struggled like a fish out of water.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be weirder to wait for your recovery? To ensure you never attempt something pointless again¡­ ¡°


    ¡°Pointless? I say, emperor. There¡¯s a reason why you haven¡¯t killed me, despite the constant threats to lop off my head, no?¡± Richard¡¯s previous frivolous attitude abruptly disappeared, and the tone of his voice dropped an octave lower. The sudden change heightened the chill that descended throughout the interrogation cell. While he usually acted with insanity, it was moments like these that his overwhelming aura as the lord of the Mage Tower expressed itself. ¡°Your¡­ wife. Yes, Cecile is her name? You¡¯re curious as well, aren¡¯t you? Curious as to how she summoned that dragon. Aren¡¯t you still keeping me alive to find out the reason?¡±


    Richard¡¯s provocation was met with silence, but Estian¡¯s face hardened at his utterance of Cecile¡¯s name. Still, he was unable to refute Richard, who had hit a nerve. Emboldened by the emperor¡¯s hesitation, Richard continued, ¡°What I brought was definitely the egg of a phantom beast. If an ordinary person touched it, something as common as a salamander would¡¯ve popped out¡­ yet a dragon was summoned. You saw it too. We didn¡¯t even lay a hand on the egg. The only one who touched it was the empress.¡±


    ¡°It could¡¯ve been a dragon¡¯s egg from the start¡± Estian countered in a subdued voice.


    ¡°Then that would make it an even bigger issue!¡± Richard said, bursting into laughter. ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t know much about dragons, but their eggs have impenetrable protection. They can nullify all magical attacks from the moment they are laid, and are immune towards almost all physical attacks as well. It¡¯s not an egg that can be easily broken.¡±


    ¡°Then how are dragons born if the eggs are so difficult to crack.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that a dragon lord would stomp on the egg until it cracks,¡± Richard confidently answered.


    ¡®What nonsense is that? I should just kill this knave after all.¡¯ Estian thought, as he silently drew the sword from his belt.


    ¡°Hey! Hey! Put the black steel away now! It¡¯s real! I¡¯m not kidding! There are many records! The data¡¯s all in the tower!¡± Richard hastily cried, sensing the emperor¡¯s murderous demeanor. ¡°Anyhow, that impressive egg is what the empress managed to break with a touch of her hand. It¡¯s an impossible feat, for you and the dragon lord.¡±


    Estian paused upon hearing Richard¡¯s desperate cries, as he debated whether the mage lord was simply spouting nonsense. ¡°So, what is it you are suggesting?¡±


    ¡°Your dear empress. Aren¡¯t you curious about her identity? Do you really think that woman is just a normal human being with a pretty face? That she became your empress by pure coincidence?¡±


    Estian had to admit that he had been plagued with a sense of uncertainty for a while now, stemming from even before the dragon summoning incident. He had felt an instant attraction to Cecile from their first meeting. Has there ever been another case where Estian had felt one-sided goodwill towards another? Even Kane, who was his closest confidant, did not have his unshakable trust. Yet, he held absolute belief in Cecile. There was also the curious matter in regards to Princess Yuliana. While everyone had succumbed to her power at the banquet, Cecile had not only managed to resist the spell, she had even dispelled it.


    ¡°You¡¯re curious, aren¡¯t you? I can help. There must be something special about your empress. I¡¯ll find out what it is! Without killing her! So, if you¡¯ll allow at least some partial dissection¡ª¡± Richard was instantly overwhelmed by the killing intent emanating from Estian. ¡®Oh no, I¡¯m dead.¡¯


    However, before Estian could lop off Richard¡¯s head, he was interrupted by a knock on the interrogation cell door. The only person allowed access to the cell aside from himself was Kane, and his knight commander was not one to seek him out unless there was an urgent matter. He straightened himself with a sigh, and called out, ¡°Enter.¡±


    Greeting the emperor, Kane quickly began reporting on the issue. ¡°The men dispatched to the royal villa in Navitan have returned.¡±


    Estian nodded, recalling the command to bring the maids who raised Cecile. Whenever Cecile talked of her childhood, she would recount how she had been raised by the maids of the palace. ¡°No one ever came to my royal villa. It was the maids there who raised me. If not for those maids, I would¡¯ve died in that place,¡± Cecile had said fondly. Her face had been full of longing, so Estian decided to bring those maids to the empire. He was certain it would be a great gift to his empress. He was pleased just imagining how happy she¡¯d be.


    ¡°Right. What¡¯s the matter? Have they all been brought over?¡±


    ¡°Regarding that¡­¡± Kane¡¯s hesitation indicated something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s the problem? Did they refuse to come?¡±


    ¡°No, that is not it. According to the men¡­ there were no maids in that royal villa.¡± Bewilderment was apparent on the knight commander¡¯s face.


    ¡°What? Did they quit and leave? Or are they dead?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it either¡­¡± Kane wavered before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s said that there haven¡¯t been any maids in the villa in the past few decades.¡±

 CH 104

    ¡®Somebody, save me!¡¯ Cecile swallowed to stifle the scream that was threatening to burst from her throat. Her head started to ache from staring at the large sheet of paper filled with graphs hanging above the stage.


    ¡°This is the third graph. As you can tell by looking, according to this result¡­¡± The presenter¡¯s voice droned on in the quiet seminar venue.


    ¡®But I can¡¯t tell by looking!¡¯ The scales and lines were indecipherable in Cecile¡¯s eyes. She struggled to follow the presentation from the get-go, but even more terrifying was the constant whisperings of the attendees. After she had expressed her interest in Professor Dewin¡¯s research, there had been constant murmurings among the attendees, as they gazed at her with expressions that seemed to say, ¡®Ah, no wonder.¡¯ Cecile glanced down at the brochure perplexed; was it odd to be interested in fruit research?


    Turning her attention back to the podium, Cecile steeled herself. The real battle was just beginning. It was her first attendance at an official event, and it was all for the sake of hindering Yuliana. While she had wanted to arrive earlier, it had taken time to persuade Estian into allowing her to attend. He had expressed reluctance, worried by the thought of her leaving the safety of the imperial palace.


    ¡®But I can¡¯t stay cooped up inside the palace forever,¡¯ Cecile thought, gritting her teeth. She¡¯d barely succeeded in persuading Estian; luckily, the seminar was being held right in front of the imperial palace, and she¡¯d acquiesced to being escorted by the majority of the imperial guard. It was the compromise they¡¯d reached, after Estian initially insisted she take Kane, and then even offered himself up as her escort. It had taken a lot of effort to dissuade him. However, now Cecile couldn¡¯t shake the thought that perhaps she¡¯d chosen poorly for her first official event. Truthfully, there was somewhere else she¡¯d rather be. ¡®I bet the venue next door would be fun,¡¯ Cecile thought, glancing behind her.


    The seminar was hosted in a building noted for hosting many salons, with venues of varying sizes. When entering the building under the escort of the imperial guards, Cecile had noticed the banner of a smaller neighboring hall. It had read: The beginning of the sweet sensation that swept through the empire! Romance writer Heidi Winston¡¯s autograph session. In her brief glimpse, Cecile hadn¡¯t failed to catch the smaller script below the header that read ¡®venue exclusive complete volume pre-sale.¡¯ Recalling it was enough to make her eyes glisten, and she had to rapidly blink back the tears threatening to spill over. Heidi Winston was an author she was particularly fond of; her latest work¡ªEverything Is Fulfilled At Night¡ªwas one of the few flawless masterpieces both Cecile and Tania acknowledged.


    ¡®I heard the last volume would be released soon. Looks like it¡¯s finally here,¡¯ Cecile thought wistfully. To think that the last volume was being sold in the neighboring venue, and its author was holding an autograph session! What was the use of being an empress when she didn¡¯t even have the freedom to buy a book as she wished? All the power and wealth she possessed were useless. If only Tania had accompanied her, she¡¯d have been able to purchase a copy on Cecile¡¯s behalf. Instead, her handmaiden was still unable to leave the imperial palace due to her role as Girgantia¡¯s caretaker.


    ¡®It does feel like she¡¯s hitting it off well with Girgantia at least.¡¯ Cecile¡¯s mind wandered to a recent incident, in which the two had been practicing how to lessen the pain when pulling on the dragon¡¯s leash, and one of them had suddenly panted heavily, ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯ve opened my eyes to a somewhat dangerous new world?¡±


    Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden applause that erupted among the audience, indicating the first presentation had come to an end. Snapping back to attention, Cecile clapped vigorously alongside the others. ¡®There were fifteen presenters scheduled, I think?¡¯ That meant she had to suffer through fourteen more presentations. Cecile solemnly contemplated whether she had the patience needed to endure for the rest of the day.


    ¡°Then we will take a moment to clear the stage. The second presentation is expected to begin in 10 minutes, so I ask that you all be seated beforehand.¡± Following the host¡¯s announcement, attendees began to mingle and light chatter could be heard all around.


    ¡°The empire truly is amazing to give such a high-level presentation,¡± Yuliana said, turning to address Cecile.


    Cecile smoothed over her expression and replied, ¡°Your satisfaction also pleases me, princess. I hope that you will enjoy it until the end.¡±


    A conversation between these two figures was quick to enrapture the attention of those in their vicinity. Many adjusted their posture to better eavesdrop, as their eyes sparkled with interest.


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. You can¡¯t imagine how long I¡¯ve waited for this day. It is one of the events I have been looking most forward to during my visit,¡± Yuliana replied with a smile. Her flattery warmed the hearts of the attendees. Whatever Yuliana¡¯s intentions may be, she had been waiting with interest in their research, hadn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Considering Aswan¡¯s technological skills, I¡¯m sure you found everything to be of surprise. I pray you make use of this good opportunity to learn much, Princess Yuliana,¡± an unexpected voice cut in. It was Irene, who was seated on the other side of Cecile! It was apparent that her remarks were meant as a thinly veiled taunt: ¡®You would be surprised, wouldn¡¯t you? Coming from an unsophisticated country like Aswan.¡¯


    ¡°Lady Irene, what rudeness is¡ª¡± Yuliana coughed.


    ¡°Rudeness? Oh, speaking of rudeness, allow me to educate you. As per imperial courtesy, you mustn¡¯t dare address the empress first without her permission. I ask that you remember that, Princess Yuliana,¡± Irene continued in an unflappable tone.


    ¡®The heck? Why does that woman keep on interfering Seriously, why is this woman doing this to me?¡¯ Yuliana was speechless; flabbergasted by the hostility thrown at her. Turning her head in confusion, Yuliana¡¯s eyes widened when she caught sight of Cecile gazing tenderly at Irene. That was all she needed to be convinced. ¡®These two are in it together!¡¯

 CH 105

    ¡®Amazing! Irene, was it? Thanks to her, there¡¯s nothing for me to do.¡¯ Cecile was impressed. Before she had a chance to respond to Yuliana, Irene had stepped in on her behalf, and proceeded to administer a tongue-lashing to the princess with grace and composure. Her exacting dressing down of the princess had immediately placed her in Cecile¡¯s good graces, and she had hurriedly asked an attendee nearby who was this lady that had come to her rescue. She had barely noticed the surprised expression of the attendee, as if questioning Cecile, ¡®Do you really not know?¡¯


    Irene was the embodiment of nobility¡ªher exquisite wielding of aristocratic speech to thrash her opponent with elegance was very much to Cecile¡¯s taste. ¡®I was just thinking that I¡¯m in need of a handmaiden that could serve as an aristocratic role model.¡¯ To think the perfect candidate would suddenly appear like this! Ecstatic at her luck, Cecile found herself gazing at Irene warmly, certain they would become good friends.


    * * *


    Estian entered the room attached to the office, and the men waiting inside quickly knelt and offered their greetings. ¡°Enough. Arise and report. Explain what this is about the maids not being at the royal villa.¡±


    ¡°It is exactly as reported. The result of our investigation in the royal palace of Navitan was that no maids were ever assigned to the royal villa where Her Majesty once resided.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Estian muttered in disbelief. Whenever Cecile recounted her childhood, she never failed to mention the maids. Cecile had recounted to Estian many memories of the days she had spent together with her maids.


    ¡°On my tenth birthday, they made me a tower of fruits on a table, saying that they were left over from the main palace,¡± Cecile had grinned. The genuine emotions expressed on her face convinced him that these could not possibly be fabricated stories. Oddly enough, ever since Girgantia¡¯s summoning, Cecile found herself unable to recall the names of those maids. However, it wasn¡¯t like her memories of her past had disappeared.


    ¡®She said there were three of them¡­¡¯ After a brief moment of silence, the emperor asked something else. ¡°What sort of place is that royal villa? Tell me everything of what you saw and heard without missing a single detail, from start to finish.¡±


    ¡°It was practically an abandoned house despite being called a villa¡­¡± The men who had been dispatched to investigate began to report what they saw at Estian¡¯s command.


    * * *


    The supposed ¡®royal villa¡¯ they had investigated was no more than an old building that had fallen into disrepair. It was dubious to imagine this was where Her Majesty had once lived, but it was the only building named as a royal villa in the palace of Navitan. A remnant from the glory days when the Navitan Kingdom held great influence, the crumbling villa was now a deserted house located on the far edge of the royal forest.


    ¡®Is this really the place where Her Majesty once lived? It¡¯s obvious it¡¯s been quite a long time since people have come by.¡¯ Initially the men had approached with caution, but soon realized there was no one on guard. Skirting past the broken fence around the villa, they found no traces of human presence. Passing through the rickety doors, they moved from room to room, a cloud of dust kicked up with their every step. It wasn¡¯t long before they discovered a room that had traces of a previous owner: a bed with shabby, but neatly folded blankets, carpets that were worn from use, and many, many books. All items that, presumably, had been used by the empress, and now lay accumulating a film of dust. However, the strangeness of the situation soon set in. There were no traces of the maids anywhere in the royal villa. ¡®We were definitely told Her Majesty lived with her maids. Have they returned to the main palace?¡¯


    Having no luck at the villa, they decided to turn their search to the main palace. The empress had only departed for the empire a few months ago, it was unlikely the maids would have left the palace employment in the meantime. ¡®I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find them in no time.¡¯ However, contrary to their expectations, they immediately hit a stumbling block in their search.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Where would you find servants working in that royal villa? It was abandoned long ago. I only recently heard that an illegitimate princess was living there too. Why in the world was she living somewhere like that?¡± The royal attendant remarked with skepticism. It was an attendant they had acquainted themselves with, and judging by his firm denial, there didn¡¯t appear to be any falsities in his statement. It was all the more puzzling¡ªthen just who were these maids that were said to have looked after the empress?

 CH 106

    Estian¡¯s expression progressively hardened as the knight relayed the results of the investigation. Concluding his report, the knight stood in front of Estian with his head bowed waiting for the emperor¡¯s directive.


    This knight was a subordinate that had worked under Estian for quite some time and was known to be meticulous in his work. Discrete by nature, he also understood the importance of keeping the results of his investigation confidential. That was why Estian had entrusted him with this task.


    ¡°Good work. You may go.¡±


    Kane, judging that the dismissal of the knight also applied to himself, quickly excused himself. Left alone in the quiet room, Estian fell into deep thought. It was only after it was deep into the night that he arose from his seat. Stepping out from his room, the attendants deftly began clearing a path before him with accustomed motions. The sight drew a wry laugh from Estian.


    ¡°Why are you guiding me in this direction?¡± Estian asked.


    The unexpected question caused the attendants to pause in their tracks. The attendants were habitually guiding the emperor towards the Summer Palace, now the Empress Palace, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Before Cecile¡¯s arrival, it was a palace he¡¯d never frequented after ascending the throne, yet now everyone assumed it natural for him to retire there for the night.


    ¡°We thought you would go to the empress¡¯s palace, Your Majesty,¡± one of the attendants stammered.


    ¡°Since when did I say I would?¡±


    The attendants hastily bowed in response to Estian¡¯s cold voice. ¡®What¡¯s with the sudden change in attitude? Did something happen?¡¯ Ever since the empress was crowned, there was never a day when the emperor hadn¡¯t visited the Summer Palace. Why would he suddenly change his tune out of the blue? The attendants who frequented the empress¡¯s palace racked their brains over the day¡¯s events, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint anything to note. The emperor had departed from the empress palace late in the morning that day, no different from before.


    The only change in routine was Her Majesty¡¯s first excursion to attend an outside event. However, that in itself didn¡¯t present any particular problem, otherwise her outing wouldn¡¯t have been approved in the first place.


    Estian watched the attendants floundering before him with a grim face. ¡°I am returning to my chambers,¡± he announced coldly, and walked away leaving behind his baffled attendants.


    * * *


    ¡°Yo-your Majesty?¡± The attendants of the main palace reacted to Estian¡¯s appearance as if they¡¯d seen a ghost. It¡¯d been so long since he had returned to his own quarters, and his sudden appearance had caught them off guard. The attendants had grown accustomed to spending their days in relaxation, but they feigned calmness and swiftly set about cleaning and straightening out the room for the emperor¡¯s use.


    Estian didn¡¯t spare a glance and headed straight to his chambers. Only after the solid doors had shut behind him, blocking off the noise of the attendants bustling about outside, was he greeted with silence. The room was bathed in moonlight filtering in through the window. Instead of turning on the magic lamp, he glanced around the dimly lit room that he¡¯d used ever since he ascended the throne. He was surprised at how unfamiliar the room felt.


    It looked like any other room in the imperial palace; nothing about it would suggest it belonged to the emperor. He had spent so many nights here, yet it didn¡¯t feel like home. It wasn¡¯t just the room; even the corridors of the main palace felt foreign. Estian moved towards the center of the lavish but sparsely decorated room.


    Tossing his coat over a chair, Estian collapsed onto his bed. There was a sense of discomfort. His chamber had been cleaned and maintained despite his absence, but for some reason a chill and sense of desolation hung heavily in the room. Reflexively he reached out beside him, but his touch reached only a cold bedsheet.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± Estian couldn¡¯t repress the laugh that tumbled from his mouth, realizing that like an ingrained habit, his hand was seeking the warmth of Cecile. Silence once again descended as Estian lay there soaking in the stillness; it was an awkward feeling. He hadn¡¯t realized just how accustomed he¡¯d grown to the constantly tittering voice beside him over the past few months. Trying to escape his thoughts, Estian decided to shut his eyes in the hopes of drifting off to sleep instead.


    ¡®I must kill.¡¯


    It was at that moment a voice reverberated in his head like an echo. It had a terrible screechy tone. Estian made no attempt to plug his ears; it was a voice familiar to him. More precisely, it belonged to the blood of Eugendiph coursing through his veins. A blood that periodically craved slaughter.


    ¡°Yes, kill I shall,¡± Estian muttered aloud to himself. He began counting the number of days until he would launch an attack on the dukedom of Etia.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been patient far too long,¡¯ the voice whispered again.


    Indeed, it had been a while since his last campaign. Why was that? It didn¡¯t take long for Estian to figure out that it wasn¡¯t that he had purposely abstained, but rather that he simply hadn¡¯t felt the urge. Again, why was that? Ever since he had been consumed by the blood of Eugendiph, there hadn¡¯t been a single day when the voice hadn¡¯t spoken to him. It had become a part of his everyday life, which is why he was accustomed to hearing it. Yet, lately it had cleanly slipped his mind. Estian combed through his memory. Since when did he stop noticing the voice?


    ¡®It was since the day of our wedding,¡¯ he thought incredulously. The voice that had tormented and plagued him for almost the entirety of his life had slipped his mind without a concern. It was easily forgotten without a worry, just as he¡¯d forgotten the Eugendiph blood pumping through his body. And yet, it had returned on the first day after separating from Cecile. What were the chances? How could this be?

 CH 107

    Richard¡¯s words from earlier in the day haunted him. Estian recalled how he failed to refute the mage lord when he was asked whether he truly believed Cecile had become his empress through mere coincidence. If it wasn¡¯t serendipitous, then for what purpose had Cecile been sent to his side?


    The common desire of his enemies would be his demise, but if the objective was Estian¡¯s death then Cecile would¡¯ve already succeeded. While a weapon clad in Celsita¡¯s silver wasn¡¯t capable of killing him, it could still inflict a significant wound. Yet despite the countless opportunities, Cecile made no attempts to attack him. The thought of her attacking was rather laughable, considering how she begged him every night to stop and spare her.


    Estian had taken her to bed almost nightly, and despite her grumblings of exhaustion, not once had she expressed a dislike of their nightly escapades. Memories of their shared pleasures flitted through his mind; there were the times where she wriggled beneath his embrace, and others where she mounted him from above. Despite panting from fatigue, she would inevitably fall asleep clinging tightly to him, as if telling him to never release her. Cecile would never understand the depths of satisfaction he felt from her actions.


    On nights where Estian judged his wife¡¯s stamina was lacking and in need of recuperation, he would quietly drift into slumber with her secured in his embrace, lulled to sleep by her soothing chatter. Had it been anyone else, Estian would¡¯ve ordered them to cease nattering after three words. Yet Cecile¡¯s chattering that continued until he succumbed to drowsiness was always pleasing to his ear, to the point that Estian felt discontented on nights where she fell asleep before he joined her in bed.


    No, if his death wasn¡¯t the objective, then there must be something they sought from him. If he had to hazard a guess, that something must be the blood of Eugendiph. There were two possible ways to obtain it: make him act according to their ways through any means necessary, or¡­


    ¡°Blast it,¡± Estian spit out, as he gnashed his teeth audibly. He cleared his mind and went back to calculating the days until he¡¯d set out towards Etia. Closing his eyes, Estian made a silent vow to not return to the empress¡¯s palace before the day of his departure.


    * * *


    The attendants of the main palace adjusted their postures at the first sounds of heavy footsteps, and lowering their heads in greeting. Seconds later Estian appeared in view, but his pace didn¡¯t slow down as he made a beeline for his chambers. It was only after the doors of the inner chamber closed shut that they collectively let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I¡¯ll seriously die from fright. It feels like we¡¯ve returned to the past,¡± one attendant choked out a whisper, as the others were wiping off the cold sweat that drenched their napes. There were many nods of agreement. The atmosphere had returned to the days before the empress¡¯s arrival. A few turned their heads to glance out the window in the direction of the empress¡¯s palace.


    ¡°Why do you reckon they fought?¡± An attendant asked in hushed undertones.


    ¡°Who knows? I asked the girls at the empress¡¯s palace, and they are just as clueless. But it¡¯s not like he¡¯d act like this for no reason,¡± another replied.


    Four days had passed since Estian stopped frequenting the Summer Palace. Rumors had quickly swirled and spread throughout the palace walls and beyond. The emperor who had visited his empress every day since their marriage had abruptly stopped! Whispers of the empress being chased out of the palace had already begun circulating. As it was unclear why the empress had suddenly lost the emperor¡¯s favor, no one dared act carelessly. Without knowing the reason, no one knew what were the landmines to avoid, which is why all eyes and ears were turned towards the imperial palace.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just do our jobs,¡± one attendant said wearily. Wrapping up their conversation, the attendants turned to disperse to their tasks, when they all froze in shock at the sight of the person standing before them. The faces of the attendants paled, as they stared at the interloper who was not supposed to be there.


    * * *


    Estian collapsed onto his bed without undressing. He hadn¡¯t had a decent night of sleep in the last four days. Each night he was plagued by that accursed voice echoing in his ears, thwarting all attempts for rest. He thought the accumulated exhaustion might finally allow him to sleep tonight.


    Apart from his fatigue, Estian also had Kane on his case about properly eating his meals. His knight commander had desperately cried out after him when he left his office to ¡°Please eat your meals!¡± When was the last time he ate? Did it even matter? It wasn¡¯t a problem for Estian if he didn¡¯t eat.


    Estian tossed and turned irritably as he counted the days until he would depart for Etia. Grand Duke Farus of the Etia dukedom was his next target. He clenched his teeth, convincing himself that the upcoming slaughter would be justified. Violent impulses were surfacing in his mind, urging him to dismember the duke¡¯s corpse and bleed the body dry. While his mind was clouded by thoughts of butchering the duke, something resembling black fog emanated from his hands.


    ¡®Yes, we have the right to kill him.¡¯


    Estian raised himself up. The voice had returned, encouraging his bloodthirst. Was there a need for him to wait until the departure date? Nothing was preventing him from setting off alone to kill the duke. He could leave immediately. Just as he reached over to pick up his black steel sword, he was interrupted by a loud bang! It was the sound of someone slamming against the door of his chamber.

 CH 108

    Bang! Bang! Cecile used every ounce of strength to slam against the chamber doors. ¡°Your Majesty! Please open the door!¡± She hollered.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t do this, Your Majesty!¡± The astonished attendants desperately tried to persuade her. ¡°Please calm yourself!¡±


    As astonished as they were by her maniacal actions, none dared to restrain her as it was forbidden by imperial palace law to lay a hand on the empress without permission. There was nothing they could do but stand about restlessly. As they watched the empress rampage, the same thoughts ran through their minds. ¡®What madness was this? The empress pounding on the emperor¡¯s door? This was unprecedented! Did she come barging into the main palace simply because the emperor refused to visit her palace?¡¯ Their faces were turning blue with fright.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Please return to your palace! This is not proper. His Majesty has retired to bed. You must not interfere with his rest!¡± An attendant pleaded.


    ¡°Rest my foot! Come on! Open the door! Don¡¯t you hear that sound?¡± Cecile angrily retorted.


    ¡°What sound might you be talking about?¡±


    Cecile was frustrated by the attendant¡¯s expression that clearly questioned her sanity. ¡®Really! Why can¡¯t they hear this sound?¡¯ The disturbing sound had accosted her the minute she¡¯d stepped into the main palace. At first it had sounded like wailing, but on a closer listen, it was more jarring and grating than normal wails and screeches. The source wasn¡¯t clear, but it was obviously nothing good. More importantly, her ears had picked up a faint groan.


    ¡®Your Majesty?¡¯ The minute Cecile realized the uttered groan came from Estian, she dashed into the palace, ignoring the attendant¡¯s cries that it was against decorum. She was well aware that even the empress didn¡¯t have the authority to enter the main palace on a whim. She¡¯d likely be subjected to a huge scolding later, or could even be kicked out of the palace. It wasn¡¯t that she was making light of the matter, but this wasn¡¯t the time to dawdle.


    * * *


    Four days had passed since Estian stopped visiting her palace. On the first night, Cecile had gone to bed alone without noticing anything unusual. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time Estian was tied up with work. On those occasions, she would wake to find him nestled against her the next day. Yet, when she opened her eyes the following morning, he was nowhere to be found. When she reached out to feel the space next to her, all she found was a cold bedsheet, with no trace of anyone having occupied it.


    ¡®I had so many things to tell him,¡¯ Cecile thought despondently. Every night Estian would listen to Cecile prattle on about her day¡¯s activities. In truth, life in the empress¡¯s palace was quite mundane, and there was nothing amusing worth sharing. Still, Estian always listened till the end. Cecile would recount her day enthusiastically because she took delight in seeing Estian listening with enjoyment.


    There must be a reason for his unexplained absence. Cecile decided to wait patiently for Estian to explain, but he failed to appear the next night, and the one after that. Even after sending an attendant to find out the reason, Cecile failed to receive an answer. It was then that she received a visit from Tania, with Girgantia in tow.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Your Majesty. Are the rumors true?¡± Tania cautiously asked.


    ¡°Rumors? What rumors?¡± Cecile asked.


    ¡°They say the emperor¡¯s going to chase you out. Is it true?¡± Girgantia exclaimed, jumping into the conversation. ¡°Kegh! Kegh-kagh! Hey! Let go of the leash!¡±


    Tania yanked hard on the dragon¡¯s leash before he had the chance to finish. Her handmaiden had clearly grown more proficient with her leash-handling. ¡± Ah, no. Actually¡­¡± Tania trailed off. Her flustered bewilderment was clear evidence that the rumors were running wild.


    The whole situation infuriated Cecile. She couldn¡¯t figure out why Estian was suddenly acting in this manner towards her. ¡®If you don¡¯t like me then say it!¡¯ Now entering the fourth day, she made up her mind to act. If she was to leave, she¡¯ll walk out on her own terms. Although she was concerned that she might be overwhelmed by Estian¡¯s murderous aura and end up begging for his forgiveness, she decided it was preferable than foolishly sitting around and waiting for his verdict. Firming her resolve, she set out towards the main palace.


    * * *


    All of which led her to where she stood now, pounding on Estian¡¯s chamber doors. She instinctively understood the minute she heard that earsplitting sound¡ªit wasn¡¯t that Estian had stopped coming to her, but that he was prevented from doing so by that abnormal sound.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Please open the door quickly! Are you alright!¡± Despite her desperate pounding, the only response from within were more groans. Cecile resorted to hurling herself at the door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Her shoulders ached and her skin was grazed, but she paid no heed to the stinging sensation.


    ¡°What are you all doing! Hurry and open the door!¡± Cecile yelled in frustration, turning towards the palace attendants, some of whom had begun crying.


    ¡°How could we dare to do such a thing!¡± One attendant stammered. ¡± Your Majesty, please control yourself!¡±


    Cecile gritted her teeth. The strange sound was clearly coming from Estian¡¯s chamber. The lack of response from him only fueled her anxiety. Did he collapse inside? Cecile was panting, as she glared at the unbudging door. ¡®I have to stop that sound!¡¯ She thought, clenching her fist.

 CH 109

    Turning around and ignoring the attendants, Cecile picked up a chair lined up against the corridor wall. The sudden movement caused her to flinch from the pain. Had she been hurt when she threw herself against the door? Cecile shook her head; she would deal with it later. Ignoring the throbbing in her shoulder, she carried the chair towards the door and lifted it above her head. ¡°Move aside, all of you!¡± Cecile growled.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡ª!¡± Forget what the palace law states, the attendants had to stop the empress! They were on the precipice of witnessing the first instance in history where an empress smashed apart the emperor¡¯s bedroom door because he stopped visiting her¡­ and as an added bonus, they would surely be recorded alongside her for the sin of failing to prevent it from happening!


    Cecile ignored the attendants and flung the chair towards the door with all the strength she could muster. Her eyes shut as she braced for the reverberations from the impact¡­ but there was no sound nor impact.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Not feeling the sensation that she had steeled herself for, Cecile slowly opened her eyes, and sucked in a large breath of air in surprise. The door was open. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Cecile murmured.


    In front of her stood Estian, holding on to the chair Cecile had swung with all her might. His dark eyes were burning with an intense emotion as they gazed at her. He tugged the chair out of her hand and tossed it away. It was a light motion, but the chair was sent flying across to the far end of the corridor, where it collided against the wall and smashed into smithereens.


    ¡°Y-your Majesty!¡± The attendants fell to their knees in unison. It was the empress¡¯s death sentence. Who would¡¯ve guessed today would be the day they¡¯d be clearing the empress¡¯s corpse from the main palace? There was no doubt in their minds that her end would be no different from the chair that had been sent flying a second ago. Although they were accustomed to the sight of blood, it was not a pleasant scene, so they all shut their eyes tight in anticipation.


    To their surprise, there was no groans of a person in their death throes. Instead, they heard Cecile yelp in surprise. Raising their heads, they saw Estian embrace the empress by the waist and cart her back into his chamber. The door shut firmly behind them, leaving behind a corridor full of confused attendants.


    * * *


    Cecile fell onto the bed with a whump. She tried to lift herself to alleviate the pressure on her injured shoulder, but found herself pushed down again as Estian climbed on top of her. He wordlessly buried his face into the nape of her neck. ¡°Your Majesty? Are you alright¡­ Hmph!¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? How¡¯d things end up like this?¡¯ Cecile¡¯s mind hadn¡¯t caught up to what was happening. For a split second, it had seemed like Estian was about to pick her up and toss her like he had done with the chair. Instead, he lifted her by the waist, dragged her straight into the room, and threw her onto his bed. Despite the disorienting situation, one thing was clear¡ªthe sound was gone.


    The strange sound that hadn¡¯t let up even as she was swinging the chair had completely vanished the moment she was carried inside. Cecile felt her tension ease as she glanced at Estian, who appeared safe and sound¡­ although he was acting weirdly. This man who hadn¡¯t visited her in four days or spared her a single word was now clutching onto her with a death grip. What on earth was this contradictory behavior? He was acting like a parched wanderer in the desert that had stumbled upon an oasis.


    Estian¡¯s breathing was labored and erratic, like someone who was spent after an intense chase. He locked Cecile in an embrace for a long moment, before muttering, ¡°It¡¯s gone. The sound¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°What? What sound¡­? Oh! Are you referring to that strange sound?¡± Cecile replied, feeling a flood of relief that she hadn¡¯t imagined those horrible sounds. She¡¯d honestly wondered if she had gone insane when the attendants all denied hearing any sounds and looked at her like she was a madwoman.


    Estian immediately raised himself up, and scrutinized her. ¡°Cecile. How are you able to hear Eugendiph¡¯s voice?¡± He asked menacingly. The gaze directed towards her chilled Cecile to the bone.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Cecile stuttered. ¡°Eugendiph? What¡¯s Eugendiph?¡± She was puzzled by Estian¡¯s line of questioning. Was Eugendiph the owner of that voice? She lapsed into thought as she tried to sort through the conversation.


    Estian raised himself off the bed and stood towering over Cecile. The next words he uttered were said in an unusually deep voice. ¡°Who in the world are you?¡±

 CH 110

    As if possessed, Estian had approached his chamber¡¯s door the minute he¡¯d heard Cecile¡¯s voice. The sound of her hollering and the teary sobs of the attendants was quickly followed by the large thumps against the solid door. Being sturdily built and locked tight, the door did not budge. It took Estian a moment to realize, to his incredulity, that the thumping sound was Cecile ramming herself against the door. It was a futile endeavor that would only result in pain. The hardness of the wood used in the decoration of the imperial palace, especially the emperor¡¯s quarters, was comparable to stone. Still, Cecile¡¯s assault was unrelenting, and the door vibrated upon each impact.


    ¡°Oh no! Quickly! Stop Her Majesty!¡±


    Hearing the hysterical cries of his attendants, Estian opened the door, only to discover a chair flying at him. Instinctively, he caught the chair by its leg, before pausing to take in the scene before him. The first thing that caught his eye was the disheveled appearance of his empress. Cecile¡¯s clothes were a mess. She¡¯d managed to scrape the alabaster skin on her bare shoulders until it was bleeding and red. Scrapes and bruises were also forming in various places.


    ¡®Just what was she doing! Did she collide against a decoration on the door? How much force was she using to launch herself against the door¡­¡¯


    Cecile still had her eyes shut tightly, and was clutching the other end of the chair. If Estian hadn¡¯t intercepted the swing, her wrist would be fractured or even broken by now. Based on her expression, it seemed Cecile was aware of this, and had been bracing herself for the impact. The thought of Cecile injuring herself irritated Estian, and he flung the chair away.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Cecile breathed, raising her eyes to meet his.


    He immediately reached out and securely wrapped her waist in his arms. Without a word, he turned and retreated into his room, and made a beeline for his bed. Before he knew it, Estian found himself peering down at Cecile, who was trapped below him and gazing back with surprise.


    Estian remained silent as their eyes interlocked. Cecile must¡¯ve been surprised, but she neither screamed nor tried to run. She merely looked at him quizzically. Her eyes, devoid of any fear, snatched Estian¡¯s breath away. Cecile was far too defenseless in his presence; her relaxed demeanor borne from her absolute trust that Estian would never inflict harm towards her. Conflicting emotions were swirling in his heart. The dichotomy of his urge to rip away that trust and to protect it overwhelmed him.


    ¡°Your Majesty? Are you alright¡­¡±


    When Cecile spoke, a pleasant fragrance tickled his nose. It was a familiar smell¡ªthe sweet aroma of flowers mixed with Cecile¡¯s own unique scent, which he had indulged in to his heart¡¯s content over the last few months. Following his instincts, Estian buried his face into her nape and inhaled deeply. He filled his lungs with her, but it wasn¡¯t enough. He needed more. Much more. Desire was boiling within him, and a simple embrace was not enough. It would be easy to take her right then and there. He could appease his urges over and over, and when the climax of his passion overflowed and released within her¡­


    Estian tensed as he realized the direction of his train of thought. If he succumbed to his urges, it would lead to a future he least desired. He steadied his breath as he grasped on to what rationality remained. As long as he remained vigilant against the voice¡­ Only then did Estian realize that it was quiet. The incessant echoes in his head had completely disappeared. He was so taken aback that he couldn¡¯t help but marvel out loud.


    ¡°What? What sound¡­? Oh! Are you referring to that strange sound?¡± Cecile replied.


    ¡°Cecile¡­ How are you able to hear Eugendiph¡¯s voice?¡± Estian struggled to temper the menace in his tone, as he raised himself up and scrutinized her with curiosity. ¡°Who in the world are you?¡±


    He considered what words Cecile might utter next, as he watched her struggle to form a response. Who was this woman? What in the world was she? What kind of being was she to be able to hear and dispel the voice of his accursed blood? The green eyes of this mysterious woman gazing up at him blinked slowly. It appeared she¡¯d found her answer, and Cecile began to open her mouth.


    ¡°I am Your Majesty¡¯s wife,¡± she responded calmly, ¡°although that may soon change.¡±


    Her answer was exceedingly matter-of-fact and utterly unexpected. Estian was at a loss for words, but the second-half of her remark was what truly upset him. Divorce? An imperial divorce would not be easy to obtain. Cecile was not capable of ending their marriage, and Estian had no intention of releasing her.


    ¡°What? On whose authority?¡± Estian barked, failing to suppress the sneer that crept onto his face.


    ¡°Why¡­ why not?¡± Cecile shot back defiantly. Estian¡¯s sneer held a different meaning to her, and her eyes sharpened in response. ¡°If you plan to divorce, it¡¯s best handled quickly. We¡¯re not with child, which makes it even less of a problem and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Child, you say,¡± Estian interrupted, cupping her face.


    Obtaining the blood of Eugendiph was one of his enemies¡¯s objectives. If it was impossible to extract from him, they would target his offspring. Like him, his heirs would inherit the accursed fate of being born as a monster. This was the outcome he desperately wished to avoid.

 CH 111

    The ancient Eugendiph clan dreamed of great prosperity, and coded into its blood a strong desire to procreate. The silver lining was that if an heir was unwanted, a child succeeding the blood would never be born. It was the clan¡¯s means to ensure only a partner of suitable standards could conceive.Still, Estian was not confident he would be able to control himself if he were to take Cecile right then and there. He wanted to applaud whoever it was that had planned to send Cecile to him for the purpose of conceiving an heir. Clenching his jaw, Estian had to admit that their plan had succeeded.


    ¡°Cecile, my wife, is my affection what you currently desire?¡± Estian murmured, as he slowly traced his finger over her lips.


    ¡°No,¡± Cecile said quietly. She reached out a hand with a groan, and gently tugged on Estian¡¯s collar to pull him down to her side.


    Estian yielded without resistance to Cecile, and the two lay on the bed gazing at each other in silence. When Cecile released his collar, thinking that she was about to get up, Estian reached out to grab her. Instead, he felt the touch of a slender finger gently tracing his face. He watched in silence as Cecile examined him unhurriedly.


    ¡®He¡¯s not hurt anywhere,¡¯ Cecile thought with relief. She had been gnashing her teeth in anger when she stormed to the main palace. However, when she heard Estian¡¯s faint groans drowned by that strange sound, only one wish remained.


    ¡°I wish for Your Majesty to be safe and unharmed,¡± Cecile whispered. With their gazes intertwined in the darkness, it was as if the world had disappeared and only the two of them remained. It was a comfortable silence. Suddenly, the moment was broken. Cecile squirmed in surprise at Estian¡¯s sudden embrace and stuttered, ¡°Eh? H-hang on! Why¡­!¡±


    ¡°If you wish for my safety, Cecile¡­ then please, stay like this.¡± The intimidating aura Estian expressed moments before was all but gone, and his voice sounded like that of a man resigned to his defeat.


    * * *


    ¡°Somebody please, help this poor spirit¡­¡± Aled muttered tiredly to itself. How long had it been traveling? The spirit wasn¡¯t sure how much time had elapsed since its arrival in the spirit realm. It was making its way towards the remote outskirts of the spirit realm, after being told that a spirit living out there possessed knowledge of Eugendiph¡¯s blood.


    When the spirit first arrived in the spirit realm, its fellow spirits had welcomed its return; at least that¡¯s what Aled chose to believe. They greeted Aled and asked after what the spirit had been up to, with one spirit exclaiming, ¡°Wow! You haven¡¯t perished? Incredible.¡±


    After the pleasantries were exchanged, Aled finally broached the purpose of its travels. Attempting to sound casual, Aled asked, ¡°By the way, does anyone know about Eugendiph¡¯s blood?¡±


    ¡°Why would you bring up that accursed topic!¡± One spirit immediately scolded.


    ¡°Right? It¡¯s long disappeared from this world!¡± Another spirit exclaimed.


    The spirits flapped their wings with agitation and alarm. Aled couldn¡¯t bring itself to break the news¡­ Not only did the blood still exist, it was alive and well. The spirit knew that if this fact was revealed, it would overturn the spirit realm. During the reign of the Eugendiph clan¡¯s tyranny, the spirit realm had suffered great losses. If it were revealed that a carrier of their blood survived, the spirit realm would mobilize to wipe the remnants out of existence.


    ¡®If they knew the truth, they¡¯d immediately force me to lead the charge to eradicate the emperor¡­ but he seemed to have good control over it. There¡¯s no need to bring trouble on myself. I¡¯d rather live a long and frugal life in this harsh world!¡¯


    If Estian showed signs of being swayed by that accursed blood, perhaps Aled would¡¯ve sided with the other spirits in eliminating the emperor. However, nothing had happened so far, and it didn¡¯t seem there would be any changes in the future.


    Aled had just moved into its new home¡ªthe Forest of Tetin, was it? It was a magnificent jewel of the highest quality crafted from human workmanship. Truly the perfect candidate to become Aled¡¯s new cozy residence. That jewel was currently in the empress¡¯s palace. Undoubtedly, it would be the first thing Estian destroyed if the spirits attacked. Aled didn¡¯t want to end up homeless. Besides, if the spirits were to wage war on the emperor, Aled would surely be among the first to die.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m almost there. This fellow sure does live far away,¡± Aled grumbled to itself.


    It had taken a lot of cajoling to get the spirits, who were reluctant to discuss Eugendiph¡¯s blood, to reveal there was a fellow spirit that was knowledgeable about the topic. While Aled had been lost in thought, it had passed over dozens of mountains, and before long the house it was searching for came into view.


    ¡°What in the devil¡¯s name¡­?¡±


    Aled¡¯s face twisted into a frown at the sight¡ªit had journeyed a long distance to reach its destination, only to be greeted with a sign with large print that read: No Entry For Aled. Without a second of hesitation, Aled kicked the sign over and thus the sign was no more.

 CH 112

    Moving past the sign, Aled approached the little house. Has its arrival been noticed? It wasn¡¯t long before another spirit appeared from within the house, and Aled broke out into a grin. ¡°Hey! I was wondering who was living out here. Who knew it¡¯d turn out to be you, Ayura!¡±


    Unlike Aled¡¯s beaming face, Ayura was quietly glaring at the uninvited guest, with an expression that clearly reflected that Aled¡¯s arrival spelled a miserable day in its books. Ayura scanned its garden in search of the missing sign, which was nowhere to be found. It was obvious the unwanted visitor had tossed it. Ayura fought back the murderous impulse to dice Aled into tiny pieces.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe that even though I¡¯m dealing with this loon, I still have to keep my manners just because it¡¯s an elder¡­¡¯


    Aside from being an elder spirit, Aled¡¯s strength was noteworthy. Ayura would be at a disadvantage in a challenge of might, as the power of spiritual entities was almost always proportional to the years lived. Ayura could only lament that it lived in a filthy world where age equated to power. It was unfair, but what could be done?


    ¡®Not to mention, Aled possesses a nice house too.¡¯ The Spirits¡¯s obsession over their dwellings were not without reason. Their strength was also correlated to their standard of living. Aled was fortunate in this regard¡ªthe eleven king and large company of the spirit realm had banded together to offer up a jewel of splendor as bait, with the purpose of luring the unruly spirit into a trapped semi-sealed state. The elven king suffered a financial loss, but all in all it was a happy ending. The elven king gained peace, the spirit realm company obtained riches, and Aled received a marvelous jewel that came to be known as the Emerald of Aled as his home. Still, Ayura couldn¡¯t help but feel bitterness about Aled¡¯s incredible luck.


    ¡°Hey, your house really sucks,¡± Aled remarked, as it flitted around the place.


    ¡®This must be the power of The Forest of Tetin,¡¯ Ayura thought, as it watched this nuisance of an elder fluttering about. A strong energy was emanating from Aled; it appeared the rumors that the elder spirit had attained the impressive jewel as its new dwelling was true. Why did this spirit have so much luck in acquiring excellent homes? Forget having a jewel as a permanent residence, all Ayura had managed to scrape together was this shabby hut located on the outskirts of the spirit realm.


    While Ayura was busy lamenting his misfortune, Aled drew close and asked, ¡°I do have lots to discuss, but I¡¯m on a tight schedule. Ayura, I hear you¡¯re knowledgeable about Eugendiph¡¯s blood?¡±


    ¡°Is that your reason for coming?¡± Ayura asked.


    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you know that¡¯s why I came looking for you? I thought that¡¯s why you put the sign out front,¡± Aled said. The elder spirit¡¯s admission that it had seen the sign swiftly earned it a glare from Ayura. Aled deftly avoided it by pretending to gaze off somewhere far off while whistling.


    ¡°The sign was for a past personal grudge, but¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I can¡¯t bear to sit through your long ramblings if we start arguing now,¡± Ayura sighed with exasperation, as it massaged its aching temples. ¡°So, what did you want to know about Eugendiph¡¯s blood? It¡¯s all gone anyway.¡±


    ¡°Uh, about that¡­¡± Aled began.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t thinking of causing mischief, are you? That blood is not something for a mindless spirit like you to get involved with,¡± Ayura scolded. It couldn¡¯t shake the memory of the elven king single-handedly downing multiple bottles of liquor, all the while weeping. The elder spirit clearly had no awareness on how its antics had tormented the elven king.


    ¡°Mindless? What! Why! How!¡± Aled yelled defensively.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on. You¡¯re allowed only one question, which I shall answer. After that, I ask you to leave and never return.¡±


    ¡°You have to save me, Ayura. I¡¯m being threatened!¡± Aled exclaimed while reaching out to grab Ayura¡¯s shoulders; the elder spirit¡¯s expression suddenly turning serious.


    ¡°Instead of struggling like this, wouldn¡¯t this be a great opportunity for you to enter an eternal sleep,¡± Ayura responded curtly, trying to wriggle out of Aled¡¯s grip to no avail. The implied message was clear¡ªrather than trying to prolong life, Aled was much better off setting off into its afterlife. Ayura didn¡¯t want to deal with Aled¡¯s nonsense. After all, how could there be someone capable of threatening Aled, an elder spirit who possessed enough power to easily cross dimensions.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m being serious!¡± Aled grumbled in response to Ayura¡¯s acerbic undertone.


    ¡°Oh, please. How could an elder spirit be threatened!¡± Ayura doubted Aled, but the elder spirit¡¯s desperation was apparent. Not wanting to prolong Aled¡¯s visit, Ayura decided to stop bickering with Aled. The quicker Aled was given an answer, the sooner Ayura would be rid of this unwanted guest.


    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to know. Anyway, I need an answer. Is there a way to rid and purify one of Eugendiph¡¯s blood? Specifically, is there a way to restore a body consumed by that accursed blood back to normal?¡±


    ¡°Huh. Someone asked me the exact same question,¡± Ayura remarked curiously. This was a surprise.


    ¡°What? Who did?¡± Aled demanded.


    ¡°The Archwitch.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The Archwitch asked.¡±

 CH 113

    ¡°What? The Archwitch is alive?¡± Aled puzzled. ¡°I thought she perished. There¡¯s been no news of her in the last few centuries.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wonder about that¡­¡±


    ¡°You wonder? Didn¡¯t you talk with her?¡± Aled pressed on with a confused face.


    ¡°That¡­ Not so much in person,¡± Ayura sighed. ¡°You know how witches are. We communicated through water scrying.¡±


    ¡°Still, if you talked to her, how can you be unsure whether she¡¯s alive?¡±


    ¡°Well, I could hardly feel any power from her. You know how powerful the Archwitch was. It wouldn¡¯t be incomprehensible to converse with her lingering soul after death. Perhaps she is no longer in this world, or she was communicating from the far future or the distant past. She is one who is unbound by such restrictions.¡±


    Aled fell silent contemplating what it had learned; in truth Ayura¡¯s explanation had only confused the spirit further, and questions were piling up. Why was the Archwitch interested in this subject? She had asked about how to rid one of Eugendiph¡¯s blood, instead of how to obtain it? Was it merely a coincidence their question was one and the same? After a long pause, Aled asked, ¡°When was it?¡±


    ¡°When was what?¡±


    ¡°When did the Archwitch ask you that question?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Ayura began counting with its fingers, before continuing, ¡°24 years ago.¡±


    * * *


    Yuliana was lying listlessly on her bed. Her handmaiden hovered near her with a worried expression. ¡°Princess, you must have your meal,¡± her handmaiden advised.


    ¡°Leave me. I want to be alone, so go on.¡±


    ¡°Princess¡­¡± The handmaiden gazed at Yuliana sadly, but she dutily turned to the other maids and instructed them to leave. ¡°The princess wishes to be alone, so let¡¯s all hurry outside.¡±


    All the maids nodded understandingly, and hurried out of the princess¡¯s room. In their hearts, they all lamented for their poor princess. When the disastrous seminar concluded, they thought that was the end of the matter. Who would¡¯ve expected it was just the beginning? When Princess Yuliana attended her next event the day after the seminar, the previously secluded and elusive empress also made an appearance.


    ¡°Oh, what a coincidence! Such a pleasure that we meet again, Princess Yuliana!¡± The empress greeted Yuliana cheerfully, but her eyes were cold as ice. Everyone witnessing the scene immediately realized the empress was keeping Princess Yuliana in check! The facts were undeniable.


    After only the second day, Princess Yuliana began looking noticeably haggard. While returning to her room the day before, Yuliana overheard her maids chattering with concern.


    ¡°Our poor princess. She¡¯s become a husk of herself in just two days. Where did that beautiful figure of hers disappear to,¡± one of her maids uttered sadly.


    ¡°What are you going on about? Hurry up and prepare to receive Her Highness.¡±


    ¡°No, what are you going on about? Her Highness is right there.¡±


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s our princess?¡± The maid rubbed her eyes in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ right? Weird. Why does Her Highness suddenly appear so unrecognizably normal?¡±


    It was now the third day, and Yuliana felt increasing anxiety. Nothing was going according to plan. The empress repeatedly appeared and thwarted her every move, and Yuliana felt like she was being driven out of her mind. Now alone in the quiet room, she placed a hand over her chest and a light began to sparkle.


    ¡°It weakened. What¡¯s going on?¡± Yuliana mumbled to herself with a frown. The brightness of the light was proportional to the strength of her power. The princess was baffled by the turn of events. It was understandable if the Archwitch¡¯s power grew in strength, but the opposite situation was inconceivable. Yuliana couldn¡¯t fathom why the power was rapidly weakening, as if it was being drained dry. Her weakening enchantment was not a delusion¡ªthe maids¡¯s conversation was proof that the fascination spell was weakening as her power was depleted.


    ¡°For this to happen when I need the power most¡­¡± Yuliana bit her lip in frustration. She¡¯d caught wind that the emperor had stopped frequenting the empress palace. The palace was in a state of uproar, with rumors spreading that the empress had lost the emperor¡¯s favor. It was the perfect opportunity to strike, but with her powers in a weakened state, Yuliana wasn¡¯t confident she¡¯d succeed in charming the emperor. She wouldn¡¯t be able to obtain Estian at this rate.


    ¡°The guardian witches!¡± Yuliana suddenly cried out, eyes shining with excitement. Racking her brain for who could help, Yuliana wondered how she¡¯d forgotten about the guardian witches of the Archwitch. As a witch heir, Yuliana had only received a fragment of the Archwitch¡¯s power. It was impossible to speak directly with the Archwitch, but there was a good chance the guardian witches would respond.


    Quickly moving about the room, the princess searched the room until she came across a wide plate with a colorful painting in a cabinet. Placing the plate on the table, she picked up a nearby flower vase, and after discarding the flowers aside began pouring the water into the plate. The preparations for the water scrying ritual were now complete.


    Yuliana peered nervously at the mirrored surface of the water in front of her. She knew this was the method by which witches communicate, but it would be her first time speaking with the guardian witches. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the piece of paper where she¡¯d jotted down the empress¡¯s information. It contained the important details needed for the favor she was about to ask. Steadying herself, Yuliana began to recite the words on the page.


    ¡°Name: Cecile Franvier Navitan¡­¡± As Yuliana¡¯s voice rang out, the water in the bowl began to vibrate. ¡°Age: 24.¡±

 CH 114

    As Yuliana recited Cecile¡¯s information, the water began vibrating within the plate. It was a draftless room, but the water in the vessel splashed about like a stormy sea. Yuliana straightened her posture and rested her hand above the plate, releasing a brilliant flash of light.


    Nervously, she glanced towards the window. The curtains were drawn tight, but she was still wary that the flash would be noticed. She¡¯d be in a real pinch if her powers were discovered, whether others were to realize it was the power of the Archwitch or not. Likewise, it was important that the guardian witches remained oblivious about her travels to the empire. Luckily, they were uninterested in the affairs of humans and would never bother contacting her first. After hearing their advice, with a flip of the plate, the guardians would remain none the wiser about her situation.


    Yuliana was warned to be careful since her succession of the Archwitch¡¯s power was still incomplete, but she¡¯d disregarded the warning in her impatience to come to the empire. She used to be displeased with her incomplete powers, but now she considered it fortunate. The guardian witches would never act for Yuliana since she was still only an heir, but at least she could seek their counsel.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± A voice could suddenly be heard coming from the plate.


    Yuliana¡¯s ears perked at the sound. ¡®This is definitely¡­ the voice of someone who just woke up!¡¯ The voice was hoarse and lethargic; the speaker who¡¯d obviously just woken up made no attempt at hiding the drowsiness in their tone.


    ¡°Greetings, honorable guardian witch! My name is Yuliana, a recent heir to the Archwitch!¡±


    Yuliana¡¯s reverent greeting was more vigorous and disciplined than that of the imperial guard. If there was one thing Yuliana had learned when gaining the right as heir, it was that the world of witches was strictly hierarchical. Until she obtained the title of Archwitch, she was simply one of many interchangeable heirs.


    ¡°Huh? Ahh¡­ I vaguely recall seeing you around before. So, what is the purpose of your call?¡±


    Yuliana sensed a heavy pressure from the guardian witch¡¯s tone; it suggested that she¡¯d be killed if the matter was trivial. She swallowed out of nervousness, before opening her mouth to speak. ¡°A problem has occurred with my power.¡±


    ¡°Problem? What sort of problem? Didn¡¯t we explain that most problems are explained in the book ¡®FAQs About Succeeding The Archwitch¡¯s Power (Finish Reading Before Asking Any Questions)¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I consulted the book first. The situation I¡¯ve encountered isn¡¯t written in the book, so I urgently contacted you,¡± Yuliana replied. She glanced down at her bed, where the book laid atop the covers. Yuliana had read it cover to cover; it indeed covered many solutions to a variety of situations, but it did not address her current predicament.


    ¡°If I look through the book and find that it is listed, then¡­ You catch my drift, right?¡±


    ¡°N-naturally!¡± The tremble in Yuliana¡¯s voice belied her confident reply.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the guardian witch sighed, ¡°so, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°To be brief¡­ I came across someone unaffected by the Archwitch¡¯s power. In fact, it seems like she negates the power completely.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible!¡± The guardian witch shouted in denial. The surprise jolted the guardian witch fully awake, and Yuliana could hear the witch shouting at others behind her, ¡°Hey! Hey! Wake up all of you! Don¡¯t step on the bottle there! And you, please put away the snacks if you¡¯re done with it?!¡±


    Crashes, bangs and muffled shouts could be heard. Yuliana could make out the sounds of three voices¡ªit seemed like the three guardian witches had gathered to hold a drinking party the night before.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Another guardian witch chimed in.


    ¡°She says there¡¯s somebody the Archwitch¡¯s power doesn¡¯t affect,¡± the first guardian witch replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Was the new heir drinking yesterday too? The nonsense she¡¯s spouting is worse than yours.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, honorable guardian witches,¡± Yuliana interrupted in a tone as polite as she could muster. She swallowed the urge to retort indignantly that she wasn¡¯t the lush. ¡°The person in question is the former princess known as Cecile Franvier Navitan, currently the empress of the emp¡ª¡±


    ¡°Cecile?¡± One of the guardian witches interrupted with an exclamation.


    ¡°Y-yes. Do you know of Empress Cecile?¡± Yuliana asked puzzledly.


    ¡°I do. Yes, I do indeed. You said your name is Yuliana?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am!¡±


    Yuliana held her breath with anticipation. Now that the guardian witches were aware, they¡¯d surely have the solution to her problem. However, contrary to her expectations, the firm voice of the guardian witch that spoke next crushed her hopes.


    ¡°You will never beat Cecile.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°4,118.¡± Cecile muttered the number and heaved a big sigh. Likely in all of history, she was the only empress that had counted the number of wall patterns in not only the empress¡¯s palace, but now also the emperor¡¯s palace too! It was an impossible feat for other empresses¡ªor rather, no other empress would have bothered making such an attempt.


    ¡®It¡¯s about time I return to my palace, but¡­¡¯ Cecile¡¯s gaze rolled to look at the other side of the room. ¡®This place sure is dreary.¡¯


    Despite it being the emperor¡¯s place of residence, the decorations in the main palace were scant compared to the empress¡¯s palace. It was even more sparse than the empress palace¡¯s storage room, where all her gifts from Estian were stored and organized. Every corner of her storage room was inlaid with pure gold, down to the doorknob, yet the emperor¡¯s bedchambers lacked even that.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me not to look, so it should be fine to peek around, right?¡± Cecile wondered aloud. Wrapping herself in the bedsheets, Cecile stood and headed towards the nearby chest of drawers. Of course, Estian was privy to his privacy and she didn¡¯t intend to open the drawers, but Cecile thought he¡¯d have nothing to complain about if she was only looking at what sat atop of the chest.

 CH 115

    Estian had clung to Cecile through the night and into the morning. Unlike when he stayed over at her palace, her body was pristine and unmarked. This was the third night in a row that had passed with them sleeping while holding hands. It was unexpected¡­ no frankly, it was unbelievable! That night when she had launched herself at the door with the raised chair, Cecile had braced herself for a rough night upon seeing the ravenous hunger in Estian¡¯s eyes. She had walked into the main palace on two feet, and had been prepared to crawl out on all fours¡­ although that had all turned out to be a huge misunderstanding.


    ¡°He did strip me¡­¡± Cecile¡¯s gaze dropped down to her naked body wrapped in the bed sheets. Her expression was grave. He had stripped her, yet did nothing. Had His Majesty opened his eyes to some new kink? ¡°I mean, why remove my clothes if you¡¯re not going to do anything? Although there was some touching¡­¡±


    ¡°Were you hoping I do something then?¡±


    ¡°Aaaah!¡± Cecile screamed, surprised by suddenly hearing Estian¡¯s voice beside her. ¡°Could you please make a sound when you enter!¡±


    ¡®Seriously. How can he open a door like that so silently?¡¯ She¡¯d been surprised by the emperor many times when he¡¯d suddenly appeared in her room at the empress¡¯s palace, and here he was doing the same thing. Cecile caught sight of the bedroom door slightly ajar, and Cecile was once again surprised at how he¡¯d managed to open the door and cross the carpet so soundlessly. She was struck with the notion that Estian was perhaps more suited to being an assassin than an emperor.


    ¡°It¡¯s my room that I¡¯m entering. Is there a need for that?¡± Estian replied. ¡°Also, so you don¡¯t get the wrong idea, I¡¯m stripping you because it seems like the only way to prevent you from running away. Of course, if you¡¯re dissatisfied with things ending in stripping, I¡¯m all too inclined to advance beyond that.¡±


    ¡°N-no! I humbly decline for now!¡± Cecile quickly stammered. It seemed her earlier remarks that she¡¯d leave on her own two feet had troubled Estian more than she¡¯d expected. Certainly, there was no way she¡¯d be able to leave the way she looked now.


    ¡°Is that right? Then when would be appropriate?¡± Estian teased.


    It was still broad daylight, with the sun high up in the sky. Since their wedding, Estian had only let up on their nightly activities when Cecile had been exhausted¡­ Now, not only was he well rested, it had also been almost a week that he hadn¡¯t embraced her. His pent-up libido meant it would never end with just one round!


    ¡°In the evening¡­ Ack!¡± Cecile¡¯s hands clamped over her mouth and she cursed herself for the thoughtless answer that had slipped out, but it was too late.


    ¡°Is that so? Then I will wait patiently until then,¡± Estian smirked, before dropping his voice low, but still loud enough for Cecile to overhear, ¡°I think it should be fine to have dinner four hours earlier.¡±


    Cowed by his will to move up dinner, Cecile tripped on her bedsheet and stumbled backwards. ¡°Agh!¡± She yelped. Fortunately, Estian caught her by the waist before she fell over.


    ¡°Why are you wandering around wrapped in sheets? You may as well just stay on the bed,¡± Estian noted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of lying around! I just wanted to do a little exploring before I go stir-crazy,¡± Cecile grumbled.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much to see,¡± Estian responded. He wasn¡¯t lying. There was nothing interesting about the items atop drawers.


    Cecile stared at Estian as he held her in his arms. He¡¯d lived quietly without any presence as the youngest son of the emperor, until one day he suddenly raised a rebellion and seized the throne. It was a mystery where or how Estian had lived before then.


    She¡¯d recounted her childhood plenty of times. He¡¯d heard about how it had taken years to fix up the completely ruined fountain of the royal villa, about the time she¡¯d discovered the storage room in the basement and all the treasures she¡¯d found, and even the most insignificant of memories, such as time spent gardening with her maids. ¡®I¡¯m curious about his childhood¡­ although I don¡¯t think His Majesty has many good memories¡­¡¯ Surely, Estian wouldn¡¯t have raised a rebellion if he¡¯d had a good relationship with his parents.


    While Cecile was deep in thought, Estian had moved back to the bed and gently placed her down. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re not thinking of¡­?¡± Cecile shot him a reproachful look. It was an accusatory expression that seemed to say ¡°You¡¯re such an animal!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Estian grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m aware it¡¯s not evening yet. I just wanted to tell you I¡¯m setting off tomorrow to conquer the dukedom of Etia. It¡¯s ahead of schedule, but I¡¯ll end things and return quickly.¡±


    ¡°Is it alright for you to be here when the campaign is tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s used to it now anyway. Besides, Kane¡¯s the one doing the preparations.¡±


    Cecile silently offered condolences for Kane, who was likely looking a little worse for wear now. She prayed that all his suffering would one day be rewarded with hefty retirement pay.


    ¡°The reason I went out today was to discuss the issue regarding your security, since both Kane and I will be absent for a time.¡±


    Cecile knew better than to claim the imperial guards would be enough. She understood that anyone targeting her in the imperial palace would send agents stronger than the imperial guard. Was there anyone besides Estian and Kane strong enough to thwart such attempts? She was deeply curious about who the candidate Estian had in mind.


    ¡°Who¡¯ll be in charge of guarding me?¡±


    Instead of receiving an answer, the emperor only responded with an ambiguous laugh.


    * * *


    The next day, Cecile got her answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that person!¡±

 CH 116

    Cecile stared at the person kneeling before her. With waist-long straight silver hair and deep blue eyes like an azure sky, there kneeled an eye-catching beauty in the form of a handsome little boy. He exuded an alluring but pitiful air that stirred the urge to tease in the beholder; like an adorable puppy, somehow, he made women want to say ¡°Follow me and come lie down on my bed¡±. That¡¯s how most women would react, that is, except for Cecile.


    ¡°That¡¯s Richard!¡± Cecile yelled with fright.


    Richard¡¯s appearance had transformed from that of a man in his late twenties to that of a young prepubescent teen, but there was no mistaking that he was the mage lord who¡¯d been diced to bits at Estian¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Wow. How did she recognize me with one look?¡± Richard wondered aloud, as he stood and wiped the pitiful look off his face.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be strange not to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that no one else has ever seen through it,¡± The mage lord shrugged. With a look that said ¡®I told you so!¡¯ Richard turned towards Estian and crossed his arms.


    Cecile was baffled¡ªno matter how she saw it, he appeared like a slightly younger Richard. How was no one else able to tell? However, she moved on to her more pressing concern. ¡°Rather than that, it can¡¯t be that the person who¡¯s to guard me is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Richard,¡± Estian replied. Seeing Cecile¡¯s look of betrayal, Estian quickly continued. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that, I¡¯ll explain.¡±


    It took a while before Estian was finally able to convince Cecile of the arrangement. ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re saying, he can never harm and must protect me unconditionally due to a magical vow,¡± Cecile summarized hesitantly.


    ¡°Right, so it¡¯s okay to rest easy,¡± Estian assured her.


    ¡°You say that but¡­¡± Cecile trailed off, remembering how Richard was the culprit that had brought the phantom beast egg, made a mess at the imperial palace, and how he¡¯d continued to jabber on despite having his arms and neck dismembered. Even being trampled by Girgantia had failed to stop him.


    Worry and wariness were clearly reflected in Cecile¡¯s eyes. Truthfully, Estian was as uneasy as Cecile, but he couldn¡¯t think of anyone better suited to guard her in his and Kane¡¯s absence. Richard¡¯s capability was undeniable. His title as lord of the Mage Tower meant there was no one on the continent more proficient or stronger than him in magic. The only problem was the man was somewhat of a lunatic.


    Fortunately, when Estian proposed placing various magical constraints on Richard, the mage lord had obediently accepted if that meant he could remain at the empress¡¯s side. His overflowing curiosity towards Cecile had led him to accept Estian¡¯s offer of release in return for guarding the empress¡¯s safety. In fact, he¡¯d begged for it.


    ¡°Will this be enough? Now I can never do harm to your wife. Not only that, I made it so that if she dies, I¡¯ll die too. Should I add some more?¡± Richard enthusiastically began casting magical restraints upon himself with glee. Even in Estian¡¯s eyes, the amount of restraints cast was excessive. What more could he ask for?


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to change your appearance a bit,¡± Estian commented. Richard¡¯s appearance was recognizable; it would be wiser and less troublesome to have his identity obscured, and it was a simple task for the mage lord.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind changing appearances, but¡­ I have the feeling it¡¯ll be pointless in front of your wife.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Exactly as I said.¡±


    The emperor had wondered what nonsense Richard was uttering, but it turned out that Cecile had indeed recognized Richard at a single glance. She appeared dubious that no one else had managed to recognize who he was, as if it was strange that it wasn¡¯t apparent to everyone else.


    It appeared that Cecile was the outlier though¡ªEstian had called upon Kane to test out Richard¡¯s disguise, and while the knight commander had eventually discovered Richard¡¯s identity after sensing his mana, even he initially was unable to determine who was the man-turned-boy.


    All that aside, there was still the matter of Princess Yuliana. Her power was not of the offensive kind, but it was necessary to figure out how it functioned. Cecile had to be protected and Yuliana had to be stopped simultaneously, and there was no better person than Richard for the job.


    ¡°Cecile, it¡¯s alright,¡± Estian comforted, as she hid herself behind him and gazed fearfully at Richard.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still scared,¡± Cecile whispered.


    ¡°What am I? A rabid dog?¡± Richard complained.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll prove that it¡¯ll be fine. Cecile, go ahead and give any command to Richard,¡± Estian said.


    ¡°Any command?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It can be anything. Something that¡¯s as humiliating as possible. Something that you¡¯d doubt he¡¯d ever comply with.¡±


    Cecile lapsed into thought¡ªwhat had Richard said a moment ago? Rabid dog? Remembering the man¡¯s complaint, Cecile commanded Richard, ¡°Sit!¡± Instantly upon command, Richard kneeled before her. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Cecile said in amazement.


    ¡°As you can see, Richard will unconditionally obey your words.¡±


    All that aside, there was still the matter of Princess Yuliana. Her power was not of the offensive kind, but it was necessary to figure out how it functioned. Cecile had to be protected and Yuliana had to be stopped simultaneously, and there was no better person than Richard for the job.


    ¡°Cecile, it¡¯s alright,¡± Estian comforted, as she hid herself behind him and gazed fearfully at Richard.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still scared,¡± Cecile whispered.


    ¡°What am I? A rabid dog?¡± Richard complained.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll prove that it¡¯ll be fine. Cecile, go ahead and give any command to Richard,¡± Estian said.


    ¡°Any command?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It can be anything. Something that¡¯s as humiliating as possible. Something that you¡¯d doubt he¡¯d ever comply with.¡±


    Cecile lapsed into thought¡ªwhat had Richard said a moment ago? Rabid dog? Remembering the man¡¯s complaint, Cecile commanded Richard, ¡°Sit!¡± Instantly upon command, Richard kneeled before her. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Cecile said in amazement.


    ¡°As you can see, Richard will unconditionally obey your commands.¡±


    Cecile tentatively stepped out from behind Estian. ¡°I still feel anxious, so I think I¡¯ll try another command.¡±


    Richard fearfully watched the empress gaining more confidence, and stammered, ¡°W-what are you going to¡­?¡±

 CH 117

    ¡°Down!¡± Cecile commanded. Richard involuntarily bent down with an audible thump. ¡°Wow, any command works?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Estian laughed.


    ¡°Then this time¡­¡± Cecile¡¯s eyes glistened with enjoyment, as she cried out again, ¡°crawl on all fours!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Richard exclaimed in protest, but his body contorted to faithfully carry out the empress¡¯s order. Cecile¡¯s fun continued in this manner for a while, until eventually Richard lay on the floor begging, ¡°Estian! Will you please stop your wife!¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± In Estian¡¯s opinion, the mage lord barely scraped the surface of paying off for the sin of causing chaos in the imperial palace. This degree of suffering was nothing.


    ¡°At this rate, I have a feeling that she¡¯ll make me bark like a dog and crawl over to lick her heels!¡± Richard wailed.


    Cecile frowned at the rather specific depiction, but it gradually gave way to a look of interest. Was this the moment when she¡¯d open her eyes to a new world? ¡°Shall we try that too?¡±


    Estian watched with satisfaction as his empress had her fun. She commanded Richard to crawl ten laps around the room with one leg held up in the air; it was apparent her grudge regarding the Girgantia incident was quite deep. Comforted that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems while he was away destroying the dukedom, he asked, ¡°Do you feel a bit reassured now?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat yes, but¡­¡± Cecile trailed off.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you not go to war, Your Majesty?¡± Her tone was a mixture of grumbling, pleading, longing, and worry.


    The emotion in Cecile¡¯s voice almost made Estian reply that he wouldn¡¯t go, but he resisted the impulse. From her point of view, it seemed nothing more than a war of conquest, but for him, it was both his right and duty. As the emperor, he had promised to serve his enemies their just deserts, and he would not go back on his word. ¡°That I can¡¯t do,¡± Estian said.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Instead of insisting, Cecile clasped his hand and raised and pressed it against her lips. ¡°Still, I hope you¡¯ll come back quickly, safe and sound.¡±


    Estian wordlessly bent over to quietly kiss her on the forehead. Meanwhile, from somewhere behind them, Richard shouted, ¡°Hey guys! I finished ten laps!¡±


    Act 6: Stake Everything


    ¡°This totally sucks,¡± the saintess griped as she observed herself in the mirror. A good chunk of her shoulder-length hair had been lopped off, and its former dark color had been altered to a light brown. On top of it all, she was sporting a thick pair of glasses with a dizzying prescription. ¡°Love is a sin. A sin, I say! The lengths I go to snag myself a man,¡± she muttered and sighed.


    ¡°Are you ready yet? I¡¯ll really leave you behind!¡± Irene shouted from behind.


    The saintess immediately turned around with a bright smile as she replied, ¡°Oh what are you talking about, milady? I¡¯ve been waiting since last night. Let us head for the imperial palace already!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t lying¡ªthe saintess had been waiting with bated breath for this day ever since she found out there was an opportunity to return to the imperial. About a week had passed since Irene had suddenly returned to the mansion and declared, ¡°I have decided to become Her Majesty¡¯s handmaiden!¡± The maids immediately flew into action and began packing Irene¡¯s belongings.


    ¡°Handmaiden? But how?¡± The saintess asked. There had been no announcement of a handmaiden election. How did this come about so suddenly?


    ¡°Hmph. Her Majesty extended a special invitation to me, to come to the palace as her handmaiden. She must¡¯ve been impressed by my academic excellence,¡± Irene replied smugly. It was true that Irene impressed Cecile, though to be precise, she was impressed by how the young noble lady had gracefully dished out criticism and rendered Yuliana speechless.


    ¡°Whatever the case, that¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯ll get prepared right away!¡± The saintess exclaimed. Although she still didn¡¯t fully understand the situation, she jumped at the chance to enter the imperial palace. She was about to hurry off to prepare for the trip when suddenly Irene grabbed her by the scruff.


    ¡°You can¡¯t. You can¡¯t go,¡± Irene said firmly.


    ¡°What bull are you¡­¡± The saintess stopped, quickly correcting herself. ¡°U-uh, what do you mean can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡± I promise to come back to play often, so be a good girl and house-sit the mansion for me while I¡¯m gone. Sir Kane won¡¯t let you off if you appear at the imperial palace again! I had to lie that you weren¡¯t here to send him away! So be mature!¡±


    ¡°Lie? Send him away?¡±


    ¡°I explained that you¡¯d been blinded by love for a man you¡¯d met in a bar, and ran off with my jewels overnight. He went back looking dismayed. Didn¡¯t ask anything further.¡±


    ¡°Of all the lies to tell, why did it have to be that?!¡±


    The saintess admitted she was a little man-crazy, but she never stooped to thievery! What an unforeseen turn of events! Still, the saintess refused to give up and clung to the hem of Irene¡¯s dress. She rolled around on the floor like a child, demanding to be taken along. Despite her efforts, the latter stood firm, and the two remained in a stalemate for the rest of the day, until eventually Irene caved¡ªon one condition.


    ¡°Disguise yourself! Change the length of your hair, and the color too!¡± Irene demanded.


    All of which led to the saintess¡¯s current appearance. She wasn¡¯t pleased, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. She¡¯d heard that Estian was departing to attack Etia soon. That meant there wasn¡¯t much time left until the calamitous event where he¡¯ll go berserk. To calm him, the saintess needed to enter Cecile¡¯s body. She¡¯d abandon her current body when that happens, so she went ahead and cut and dyed her hair. Still, for some reason, she couldn¡¯t help but feel some sadness.


    ¡®No. It¡¯s a disposable body. There¡¯s nothing to regret.¡¯ The saintess firmed her resolve, as she boarded the coach heading to the palace. The first thing she had to do upon entering the imperial palace today was to approach Cecile as soon as possible. ¡®That¡¯s the only way to save Estian.¡¯


    Except, a mere three hours later, the saintess found herself in dire straits.


    ¡°How curious,¡± Kane mused, smiling at the saintess. ¡°How could somebody, who gave their body and heart away to some random man at first sight and thieved her lady¡¯s jewels, be here in the imperial palace?¡±

 CH 118

    Kane observed the maid in front of him¡ªthe hairstyle and color was different, and thick glasses covered the face, but he recognized her in one glance. ¡®Without a doubt, it¡¯s the maid from that time. I¡¯m glad I departed late.¡¯ He took a step and closed the distance between them.


    Estian had already set off with the knights for the dukedom of Etia. Normally Kane would¡¯ve been at Estian¡¯s side, but matters requiring his attention had forced him to delay his departure. Earlier that day, he had entered the empress¡¯s palace to relay the empress¡¯s future schedule, but had been surprised by Cecile¡¯s unexpected request.


    ¡°Oh, it seems Lady Irene¡¯s entry permit has not been issued yet. I¡¯ll trouble you to handle that matter as well,¡± Cecile interjected.


    ¡°Lady Irene? Is there a matter with her?¡± Kane asked, wondering at the sudden mention of Irene.


    ¡°It¡¯s been decided that she is to become my handmaiden.¡±


    ¡°Is His Majesty aware of this?¡±


    ¡°No, I suppose not since I forgot to inform him. Is that an issue?¡±


    ¡°Understood. Before issuing the permit, I will first meet Lady Irene.¡±


    Recalling how since long before, Irene would confidently declare that she was the only one suited as empress, Kane couldn¡¯t help but fret over Cecile¡¯s decision. It was a mystery how Irene had crossed paths with the empress, or how she had ended up selected as a handmaiden, but he felt that nothing good would come from this pairing. He intended to personally confirm whether Irene still harbored such foolhardy thoughts, and to prevent her access to the palace if necessary. He could at least delay the approval until Estian returned.


    Setting off to meet with Lady Irene, Kane recalled their previous conversation regarding that maid. The one that had run away. After the palace had settled down following the dragon summoning incident, Kane had visited Irene¡¯s mansion in the hopes of meeting the mystery maid found on scene of the incident.


    ¡°That maid? She ran away. Far away. Very, far away,¡± Irene insisted.


    ¡°What do you mean she ran away!¡± Kane had involuntarily jumped to his feet when he heard the maid was no longer at the mansion.


    ¡°That girl was always crazy for handsome men. She found herself a new beau and he used his charms and wiles to pilfer my maid out of her hard-earned savings.¡± Irene had let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°New man? Savings?¡± Kane sputtered incoherently.


    ¡°Yes, you know the type. Those scoundrels that beguile and scam innocent women with their dazzling looks and serpentine tongues. They¡¯re known as grifters, I believe? Anyhow, that child¡­ she was always weak to those with a pretty face. Apparently, her new beau needed cash urgently, so she made off with my jewels and skipped town with him.¡±


    The knight commander was so taken aback that he found himself at a loss of words, and could only nod with a grimace. Instead of carrying out a thorough investigation and questioning all the servants in the vicinity, he found himself bidding a half-hearted farewell, and quickly taking his leave and returning to the palace.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather she scammed me¡­¡± Kane froze upon realizing what he¡¯d inadvertently muttered to himself. This was a surprise. What was he thinking? Even as he questioned his sanity, errant thoughts continued to run rampant in his mind. ¡®Why hadn¡¯t she latched on to him? Was his appearance lacking compared to that unknown scoundrel? Or was he deficient elsewhere?¡¯ As the knight commander, he had never considered himself inferior in any regard! The fact that an important witness and potential suspect had disappeared had long slipped his mind. Suffering an inexplicable sense of defeat, Kane had trudged back to the imperial palace and closed the case log of the Girgantia incident, believing that this was the end of the matter.


    That is, until Cecile brought up Irene. Suddenly, hope sprouted anew in his heart. He found himself quickly making his way towards Irene¡¯s quarters. As it came into view, Kane spotted a maid emerging from Irene¡¯s room. She sported short, light brown hair, and wore a silly-looking pair of glasses. She appeared completely different from the maid in his memory, but he instinctively knew it was her. ¡®Lady Irene was hiding her after all.¡¯


    Kane quietly trailed the maid until they passed a secluded corridor, where he quickly made his move. Intercepting her path, Kane slapped both hands against the wall above the maid¡¯s shoulders, successfully cornering and trapping her between his arms.


    ¡°How could somebody, who gave their body and heart away to some random man at first sight and thieved her lady¡¯s jewels, be here in the imperial palace?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Huh, eh?¡± The maid stuttered nervously.


    Duty dictated that Kane investigate the incident related to Girgantia. However, his heart had a more pressing question and his mouth spoke with a mind of its own. ¡°I have much to ask. But firstly¡­ did you break up with him?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The maid said confusedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking if you broke up with the scoundrel who fooled and scammed you of jewelry,¡± Kane growled.


    ¡°Uh¡­ There¡¯s no such person¡­?¡± The maid muttered defensively with a sour look.


    ¡®I knew it was a lie.¡¯ A grin blossomed on Kane¡¯s face. However, before he could continue their conversation, a soldier appeared in the corridor.


    ¡°Captain! We must set off!¡±


    Kane clicked his tongue in frustration. He wanted nothing more than to whisk the maid away and thoroughly question her, but his priorities were to quickly follow after Estian. His directive as knight commander was not to protect the emperor, but to protect the knight order from him. If he was delayed, the knight order would suffer greater losses.

 CH 119

    ¡°I understand that Lady Irene conspired to conceal your whereabouts. Both of you should be charged with the crime of false testimony,¡± Kane purred, pausing to watch the maid gulp nervously. ¡°However, if you stay put and don¡¯t run off before I return, then I will forget this matter.¡±


    The maid wordlessly nodded her agreement. Having secured her cooperation, Kane straightened himself and released her from his arms. This would be it¡­ for now. He¡¯d used the emperor¡¯s authority to essentially coerce a pledge from her not to escape. Since she accompanied Irene to the imperial palace, she would remain on the palace grounds for the near future.


    ¡°Then let us meet again later,¡± Kane said with a satisfied smile, before turning and strolling away.


    Long after Kane had retreated from view, the saintess sank to her knees. ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± She felt that something was twisted; she sensed a familiar hunger in the way Kane had regarded her. ¡®He¡¯s acting in the same manner as Irene! Something is terribly off, I say.¡¯


    Irene¡¯s obsessive-love was triggered when she thought her beloved maid was leaving her, and now Kane was acting similarly. Putting aside Irene, Kane¡¯s obsessive feelings should be directed at ¡®Cecile¡¯. Why was she now the target of his obsession? It wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing per se; it was far better than being met with hostility.


    ¡®Come to think of it, what happened to the original saintess¡¯s soul? Will she return to this body if I disappear?¡¯ Her goal was to replace Cecile and enter her body, but what would come of the saintess¡¯s body afterwards? It was a question that deeply troubled her. Surely if the original soul had lingered, it would¡¯ve made its presence known. However, not once had the saintess heard the original owner speak.


    Still, the saintess was convinced that if her soul left the saintess¡¯s body, then the real saintess¡¯s soul would be able to return. Only as Cecile would she be able to calm Estian¡¯s heart. ¡®I¡¯m doing this for everyone. I must enter Cecile¡¯s body after all.¡¯ The only sacrifice in this plan would be the villainess, Cecile.


    This plan lessened her guilt too. The saintess had heard the rumors on the street surrounding the empress. The recent rumors were particularly scandalous¡ªit was said that since the emperor had stopped visiting her, the empress had forced her way into his presence and threw herself at him. Irene had been irate, ranting about all the details of the scandalous affair.


    ¡°Goodness gracious! They say she then barreled straight into the main palace and attempted to smash His Majesty¡¯s door apart! And then she stayed inside his quarters with him for days on end!¡± Irene shrieked. She had loudly lamented that the empress¡¯ dignity was trampled on the ground, and worried how other nations would view this incident.


    On the other hand, the saintess had to discreetly wipe away the drool from the corner of her mouth. ¡®Days on end? Holy moly.¡¯ She had truly done well putting in the keyword ¡®vigorous¡®.


    ¡°What are you doing here? I told you not to go around for no reason.¡± Irene¡¯s voice broke the saintess out of her reverie. She hadn¡¯t heard Irene exit the room while she was caught up in reminiscing about her days as the author.


    ¡°I just went to the bathroom for a bit.¡± The saintess decided it best to keep the meeting with Kane a secret.


    ¡°Get ready quickly. We¡¯re heading to the empress¡¯s palace now.¡±


    The saintess clenched her fists in excitement. Finally! It was time to meet ¡®Cecile¡¯. Trailing behind Irene, the saintess took one final glance in the direction Kane had disappeared. ¡®Thinking about it, I missed out on an opportunity again!¡¯


    After Kane had left, the saintess had felt overwhelming regret, but had only just realized the reason. ¡®I didn¡¯t kiss him!¡¯ Once the saintess entered Cecile¡¯s body, there would be no more opportunities to have some fun with Kane. This was her final chance. ¡®Gosh. He¡¯s tall and has such wide shoulders too. The perfect image of a knight commander¡­¡¯


    Recalling how it felt to be trapped between his arms and the wall, the saintess felt the impulse to smack the ground in excitement. Why hadn¡¯t she thought to rub her lips against his in that moment? She was unlikely to get another chance, and that thought plagued the saintess with lingering regret.


    * * *


    Irene and her party were swiftly escorted by the attendants of the empress¡¯s palace upon arrival. The saintess couldn¡¯t help but gape at the splendor as they were guided in. ¡®I supposed I did describe the palace as the most beautiful place in the world.¡¯ She hadn¡¯t given much afterthought to the simple one-liner she had written to describe the palace, so it still came as a surprise to behold how gorgeous the palace was. All her regret over missing her chance with Kane was quickly swept away by thoughts of becoming the owner of the palace. ¡®All of this will be mine from now on¡­ including Estian, of course.¡¯


    Soon they were led before a huge door. It was obvious without explanation that the room of the empress lay beyond it. ¡°Your Majesty, Lady Irene has arrived,¡± the attendant standing outside loudly announced.


    However, they were met with silence.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Lady Irene has arrived!¡± The attendant cried out once more in a slightly louder voice. Still, there was no response. The attendants exchanged glances in bewilderment.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Irene asked.


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be¡­ She was waiting for Lady Irene until just a while ago¡­¡± an attendant mumbled.


    ¡°Could something have happened inside?¡± Another attendant hazarded a guess.


    It would be terrible if an incident had befallen the empress. The emperor and the knight commander had only departed from the imperial palace today. If the empress had already been struck by a mishap, the attendants would be doomed to meet their ends.


    When their subsequent cries still went unanswered, the attendants decided they couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°Forgive us, Your Majesty! We will be entering!¡± The attendants moved to force the doors open, but soon they all froze in shock. ¡°Your Majesty, are you¡­ Goodness!¡±


    ¡®Huh? What is it? What¡¯s happened now?¡¯ The saintess peered around the attendants and peeked through the open doors. Even she couldn¡¯t help but let out a low whistle at the sight in front of her¡ªinside the room, the empress was straddling a handsome silver-haired young boy.

 CH 120

    Winding back to 15 minutes before Irene and her party¡¯s arrival.


    ¡®Lady Irene¡¯s supposed to be coming today.¡¯ Cecile took a deep breath and struggled to quell the excitement in her heart. Was this how it felt like before going on one¡¯s first date? Restless with thoughts of her partner, Cecile felt her heart racing.


    ¡®Although, I couldn¡¯t tell His Majesty¡­¡¯ Even though she had spent the last few days together with Estian, she had forgotten to inform him about her decision to call Irene. When she had tasked Kane with providing Irene access to the palace, he had accepted the request, albeit with a slightly troubled expression.


    ¡®Everything proceeded smoothly up to that point, but¡­¡¯ Cecile¡¯s gaze wandered over to a handsome silver-haired young boy that was admiring himself in a hand mirror that he had scrounged from who knows where. She drummed her fingers irritably.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± The boy asked when he noticed the empress¡¯s faze. ¡°You¡¯ll wear my face out. Pay up if you¡¯re going to stare.¡±


    Cecile¡¯s expression soured¡ªshe would¡¯ve socked him if he wasn¡¯t an archmage assigned to her by the emperor. ¡°Really, why do you even have to follow me here?¡± She grumbled.


    ¡°Why are you asking the obvious? I made a promise to Estian. My head will go flying if even a single hair on you is harmed. Yet you want me to leave your side? What nonsense is that? Do you just want Estian to kill me? Is that it?¡±


    Richard had a point and Cecile was unable to refute him. Deciding it was pointless to argue with the archmage, Cecile turned her thoughts towards Irene. She was excited about her new handmaiden¡¯s arrival. There was a lot she wanted to learn from Irene. Recently she had put aside her hobby of reading romance novels, and instead spent her time reading and studying up on imperial palace etiquette. Still, knowledge gleaned from written sources had its limits; perfection was impossible to attain through reading alone. Cecile lacked practical experience.


    ¡®The problem is that I became empress with insufficient preparation.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t until after her ascendance as empress that Cecile came to learn that past generations of empresses had studied for periods ranging from several months to even several years before they took up the mantle. ¡®Yet my preparations lasted only one month.¡¯


    Although this shortened time frame was partially the result of Estian¡¯s whimsical decisions, it was also because no one expected Cecile to last long in her position in the first place. That was why she had only received the bare-bones crash course in the rules regarding marriage and the wedding night. ¡®I forgot about wishing doom on the Kingdom of Navitan.¡¯ In all the recent happenings at the palace, Cecile had forgotten this important matter.


    ¡®I should ask His Majesty to spare the maids at the royal villa though. I would¡¯ve been totally ignorant if it hadn¡¯t been for those maids. Would have I even properly survived, actually?¡¯


    Cecile wasn¡¯t sure if it was an after-effect from having read that mysterious book during the Girgantia incident, but she still found herself unable to remember the names of her beloved maids. Fortunately, the rest of her memories were intact, so she assured herself that eventually the gaps in her memories would be filled if she were to meet with them again. She couldn¡¯t help but reminisce nostalgically over her childhood memories spent with those maids. It intensified her yearning for their companionship.


    ¡®When I think about it, I was oddly obsessed with clean water. There really wasn¡¯t a spot in the palace without water.¡¯


    When she ran through her memories, many were centered around water¡ªcleaning the stream flowing inside the royal villa, repairing the broken fountain, purifying the well, and on and on. On rainy days, they would lay out plates of various sizes to catch the water droplets that dripped through the roof of the royal villa. The pitter-patter sounds of the rain droplets were oddly melodic, and at times she had the urge to hum along. Strangely enough, the rain seemed to pour harder when she did. On any given day, there would always be cups and vases filled with water scattered about her room. It was such a common sight growing up that she had never thought to question it, but she began to realize how unusual it was after coming to the imperial palace.


    Meanwhile, while Cecile was busy puzzling over her past, a certain somebody appeared at her side and slipped a piece of paper in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Cecile asked, turning to look at Richard.


    ¡°My setting,¡± he answered with a grin.


    ¡°Setting?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Shouldn¡¯t we clear up the setting about the handsome young boy that the empress is suddenly keeping by her side?¡±


    Cecile thought the archmage was a peculiar man, but she was willing to play along. Turning her attention to the piece of paper, she discovered the page was filled from top to bottom. ¡®When did he write all of this? No, more importantly, why is it so detailed?¡¯ Cecile had intended to pass him off as a new attendant, but it was apparent that Richard had a much more intricate backstory in mind.


    ¡°Brought as a slave who belonged to a defeated nation¡­¡± Cecile read aloud. ¡°Hold on, But there¡¯s no slavery in the empire?¡± Certainly, there were those that were captured from defeated nations, but they were not kept as slaves. Rather, those people usually consisted of dangerous elements that had rebelled against the empire and were being held captive in the imperial prison.


    Richard pouted when Cecile pointed out an inaccuracy within the very first sentence. ¡°No can do. I must be a slave. It¡¯s the only storyline that brings out the melancholic beauty within me,¡± Richard answered gravely.

 CH 121

    Cecile couldn¡¯t tell for the life of her why ¡®melancholic beauty¡¯ was a necessity, but she gave up trying to comprehend his logic and continued reading. ¡°And when addressing you, I should address you as ¡®my night canary¡® because your anguished cries can be heard throughout the night, as you¡¯re subjected to the empress¡¯s unsatisfied secret desires¡ª Hey! Are you insane!¡± Cecile sprang to her feet, crumpled the paper, and hurled it at Richard.


    ¡°Why are you so upset? Isn¡¯t this the most suitable setting for a handsome slave boy?¡± Richard asked, catching the paper wad with a look of puzzlement. ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t you supposed to play up the image of a wild and uncontrollable villainess? That¡¯s what I heard from the emperor. If so, you should at least do this much.¡±


    ¡®Is¡­ is that how it is?¡¯ Cecile was almost led astray by Richard¡¯s fallacious logic before she snapped to her senses. ¡°There should be other roles to pick!¡± She shook her head, reminding herself not to be fooled.


    ¡°Why? I thought this to be a rather fitting setting for you too.¡±


    ¡°This stupid mage! What do you take me as!¡± Cecile grabbed Richard and shook him by the collar. ¡°Since it¡¯s not your business, you think you can just get away with whatever? Is that it? Why in the world would I need all this! I don¡¯t harbor any secret desires! There¡¯s absolutely none I tell you! And, what the heck is ¡®my night canary¡®! Don¡¯t cry at night and just go to sleep!¡±


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you concoct a better story for why the empress is keeping a handsome boy by her side all day long then!¡± Richard quipped.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just say I¡¯m keeping you out of pity?¡± Cecile implored.


    ¡°A lazy setting like that is no good. We need something that tickles the primitive imagination of people. Humans are inherently captivated by trashiness.¡±


    ¡°I said that¡¯s not necessary!¡± Just how far was this batty mage bent on warping her image? Admittedly, she would have to act like a crazy villainess in Estian¡¯s absence, but that didn¡¯t mean she had to stoop to this level! She would much rather play fast and loose with the crown jewels! Amid shaking Richard, Cecile spotted an item out of the corner of her eye that startled her into halting. ¡°Hang on. Why is a whip here?¡±


    ¡°I thought it might be needed. You know, role-wise. I took the liberty of bringing the one used for Girgantia.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Is somebody talking about me? Why are my ears itching so much?¡± Girgantia muttered to himself, scratching at his ears. He was enjoying a meal of fried chicken in his newly assigned room in the imperial palace. Next to him sat Tania, who was cupping her chin and frowning. ¡°Why do you have such a foul expression? You¡¯re not even bothering to eat your chicken. If you don¡¯t want any more then I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Freeze. Put your hands down,¡± Tania growled.


    The dragon clicked his tongue. Girgantia had attempted to sneak a chicken leg from her plate, thinking that Tania was too preoccupied to notice. He grumbled under his breath, but returned the piece back to where he¡¯d swiped it from.


    Tania ignored the dragon¡¯s mutterings, as she stared down at the letter in her hand. In all the chaos resulting from Girgantia¡¯s appearance, Tania had forgotten about the letter from her mother. The message was short¡ªit warned Tania to return home or face death. She had ignored her mother¡¯s call, but had yet to receive any word from her parents. The silence made her anxious. It was the same type of nervousness as when her homework was incomplete but she hadn¡¯t yet been found out.


    ¡®Why hasn¡¯t she come? There¡¯s no way mom would¡¯ve let me off. What in tarnation could¡¯ve happened?¡¯ Tania hadn¡¯t received any word of incidents from back home. Was the lack of contact related to her mother¡¯s personal circumstances? Surely her mother wouldn¡¯t burn Tania¡¯s name off the family tree, would she? Impossible. Tania was their only daughter, after all. Still, on second thought¡­ if it was her mother, then it wasn¡¯t an impossibility.


    Amid her brooding, Tania suddenly felt something was amiss. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s my whip?¡± She wondered aloud, as she glanced around the room.


    ¡°How should I know. Didn¡¯t you put it away?¡± Girgantia shrugged.


    * * *


    ¡°Will you put that whip away, gosh darn it!¡± Cecile yelled exasperatedly.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Go on, give it a swing already. You need to break it in,¡± Richard said, teleporting the whip into Cecile¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh! Would it be more fitting if I loosen some of my buttons? Or should I just take off my top? I think it¡¯d be a great idea to wear a collar around my neck too!¡±


    ¡°What the heck are you trying to pose as?¡± Cecile rubbed her temples. A headache was forming from seeing Richard enthusiastically losing himself in his delusions.


    ¡°Come now, take a swing! Don¡¯t be afraid of new challenges!¡± Richard cried out. He was acting like a passionate physical education teacher.


    ¡°I said I¡¯m not doing it!¡± Cecile retorted. ¡°Enough! Would you please put on your clothes properly? Do it this instant! Irene will be arriving soon. What will she think if she sees this?¡±


    ¡°Shall I take off my pants too?¡± Richard continued, ignoring Cecile¡¯s pleas.


    ¡°Will you please listen!¡± In her frustration, Cecile lashed the air with the whip, but her lack of skill and strength resulted in her being dragged by the momentum of the whip and tumbling forward. ¡°Aaagh!¡±


    It was at that specific moment that the door flung open, and her attendants ran in. ¡°Your Majesty, are you alri¡ª Goodness!¡±


    The scene unfolding before the attendants was that of the empress straddling a young boy, whip in one hand while gripping the collar of his shirt in the other. The innocent expression on the young boy¡¯s face as he lay under the empress in a state of half undress, coupled with his tears, was enough to elicit sympathy from everyone. While everyone looked on in horror, in that moment Cecile made a silent vow¡ªshe would absolutely ask His Majesty to murder Richard when he returned.

 CH 122

    ¡°Irene Revenan greets Your Majesty, the empress,¡± Irene said while curtsying in Cecile¡¯s presence. ¡°I have come forth to serve as your handmaiden¡­ with honor.¡±


    Cecile felt like crying from the injustice. Irene was finally able to formally present herself after the earlier chaos had died down, but Cecile swore she detected a slight waver in Irene¡¯s voice when she said ¡®with honor.¡¯


    Moments before, while everyone had stood frozen gaping at the scene, Cecile hid her embarrassment and commanded, ¡°Everyone out.¡± It wasn¡¯t until after they had scrambled out of the room that Cecile realized they must have imagined an unspoken order to ¡®not interrupt her fun.¡¯ When the room was cleared, Cecile had warned Richard, ¡°I¡¯ll send immediate word to His Majesty if you ever pull a stunt like this again. So, please, let¡¯s act with some care, capiche?¡±


    Using Estian as a threat had been the correct choice¡ªRichard immediately turned compliant, promising he would only do as told¡­ although he hadn¡¯t fully given up on his play-acting. She shot him a furious look. Now, the mage lord was standing in the corner clutching at the loosened buttons on his top, with a drooping head and lashes wet with tears. His appearance elicited pitiful gazes from the attendants standing nearby.


    ¡®No! Don¡¯t be fooled by him! Seriously, why can¡¯t anyone see that it¡¯s Richard?¡¯ Cecile gritted her teeth. She¡¯d previously thought it strange when Estian expressed surprise that she recognized the mage lord in one glance, but apparently no one else had seen through his disguise, including several attendants that had served him before. Irene was still pale from shock and wore a stiff expression, which distressed Cecile. ¡®What a horrible first impression I¡¯ve made. It¡¯s times like these that I¡¯m glad to be rumored as a villainess.¡®


    Thinking back, hadn¡¯t someone whistled when the doors were flung open? If Cecile hadn¡¯t been a part of the mess, she might¡¯ve reacted in the same manner too. Who wouldn¡¯t admire the sight of a woman wielding a whip and disrobing a handsome boy? Still, it wasn¡¯t a laughing matter, since this time it involved her. Still, there¡¯s no use in crying over spilled milk. It was more important to take charge and contain the damage. She didn¡¯t have time to waste on the likes of Richard; she had to pay attention to Irene.


    ¡°You need not pay much heed to the earlier happenings. And just so that you are aware, that lunatic ma¡ª ah, I mean, attendant was assigned to me by His Majesty, so there¡¯s no cause for concern,¡± Cecile began cautiously.


    Irene replied that she understood, but despite the polite tone, her rigid expression remained unchanged. Was there no hope in recovering from a disastrous first impression after all? Just as Cecile felt all hope was lost, Irene spoke up again in a softer tone.


    ¡°I do not know everything, but¡­ I am sure Your Majesty has your own circumstances. I understand. Do not mind it too much. People wish to act freely sometimes. Pay me no heed, empress, and do as you wish.¡±


    Cecile felt deeply touched¡ªher earlier display must¡¯ve been shocking, yet her handmaiden spoke of understanding instead of running away with disgust. Her affection for Irene shot up like a rocket. ¡®She really does seem like a wonderful person. I hope to become even closer with her!¡¯


    * * *


    Irene struggled to hide her clenched fists beneath her sleeves. How could the truth be worse than the rumors? She had heard all about the bizarre acts of the empress, so Irene thought nothing would surprise her, and yet¡­ this woman had gone and snagged herself some paramour the minute His Majesty was away!


    Irene¡¯s eyes shifted towards the handsome boy standing off in the corner, who was supposedly placed by Estian at the empress¡¯s side. He oozed of salaciousness; even when standing still, he managed to stir up indecent urges within those who laid eyes upon him. Estian left a boy like that next to the empress? Preposterous! ¡®He¡¯s a slave kept as a bedfellow for sure. The kind used for venting particular desires!¡¯


    The thoughts Irene entertained as she bit her lips would have impressed even Richard. She contemplated whether to run and testify everything she¡¯d seen to Estian now, and beg him to depose the empress, but soon gave up on the notion. She didn¡¯t have evidence, and it would be difficult to catch up to His Majesty who had already departed on his campaign. If the empress disposed of the handsome boy and silenced the attendants while she was away, no witnesses of her depravity would remain.


    ¡®No, that won¡¯t do. Rather, this is an opportunity.¡¯ As the empress¡¯s handmaiden, Irene would have plenty of chances to accumulate evidence while the empress¡¯s guard was lowered during Estian¡¯s absence. Irene was certain His Majesty would regain his senses by the time he returned. So, what should she do until then? The answer was simple. ¡®I should let the empress run wild.¡¯


    Irene had a good handle on the type of person Empress Cecile was based on the scene she¡¯d witnessed today. Only a day had passed since Estian¡¯s departure, and already the empress had created a mess. If she danced to the empress¡¯s tune and humored her whims, then the empress would be emboldened and cause even greater incidents. Irene was banking on it.


    ¡®Meanwhile, I¡¯ll be handling the empress¡¯s work perfectly in her place. Then everyone will know who suits the seat of empress!¡¯ Irene was sure standing next to a hellion of an empress would only enhance her image. ¡®¡­Although admittedly I may lose out a bit in terms of looks.¡¯ It had to be the woman¡¯s beauty that had bewitched Estian. Irene didn¡¯t overreact the way many others did, but even she couldn¡¯t deny her heart raced a little when she gazed at Cecile.


    ¡°Lady Irene? Is there something wrong with my face?¡± Cecile asked.


    ¡°N-not at all, Your Majesty. If you will allow me, may I begin speaking to future matters?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Cecile readily agreed.


    As soon as Cecile gave permission, Irene ordered the maids to hang up a large booklet on the wall. Scrawled in large font up top was the title: 101 Necessities To Becoming An Outstanding Empress. Following it was a list of items that Irene had written out long ago as part of her own empress education. Irene gazed with pride at her handiwork, and inwardly, couldn¡¯t help but praise herself for her preparedness. This is how Irene intended to show the empress the depth of her character.

 CH 123

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this?¡± Cecile hurriedly called the attendants to bring a notebook and pen, and was soon settled and ready to take notes.


    ¡°First, please look at number 1¡­¡± Irene began. ¡°Number 1: Treat the imperial palace like my home. The empress¡¯s first responsibility is to understand the structure and organization of the imperial palace like the back of her hand.¡±


    Listening to Irene¡¯s smooth explanation, Cecile wanted to pat herself on the back for finding herself such a good teacher. Irene was both prepared and burned with enthusiasm! Even the attendants seemed impressed. Cecile was certain she had made the right choice.


    ¡°This is something that is learned naturally over time rather than through quick memorization, just as you¡¯d naturally familiarize yourself with the structure of your own home.¡± Irene paused to shrug nonchalantly, with the implication that ¡®I¡¯ve frequented the imperial palace since young so I know all about it!¡¯ However, the reaction she received wasn¡¯t what she intended.


    ¡°You live up to your role as my personally selected handmaiden, Lady Irene. Having you here is very reassuring,¡± Cecile beamed brightly. There wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of vexation, and she even seemed to be on the verge of clapping.


    ¡®That was meant to dampen your spirits! Why are you happy?¡¯ Irene narrowed her eyes. Only amateurs readily showed their emotions upon provocation. She had presumed Cecile to be a thoughtless woman judging by her exceedingly imprudent actions, but perhaps that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®She may be a stronger foe than I thought.¡¯ Irene swiftly scanned the list for something that might crush the empress¡¯s confidence. ¡°Then, please turn your attention to number 27.¡±


    ¡°What about numbers 2 to 26?¡± Cecile asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine to skip a few items during the crash course. It¡¯ll be sufficient to go over the rest after dealing with the important things.¡±


    ¡°I see!¡± Cecile nodded happily. The two women burned with eagerness. Their studious attitudes were akin to a tutor and student preparing for the entry test to the Imperial Academy. ¡°Let¡¯s see now¡­ Number 27: Uphold Awareness Of Social Status?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. On this continent, there are countless royal and imperial families¡­ Ahem, well, there aren¡¯t that many imperial families remaining. His Majesty cleaned them up so well, you see,¡± Irene explained.


    Cecile coughed dryly at Irene¡¯s use of ¡®cleaning¡¯ and briefly glanced away. She supposed that eliminating imperial families also counted as cleaning. Cleaning house was the phrase, no?


    ¡°Back to the subject, there are many noble houses in the empire. When it is difficult to differentiate rank, you may refer to these books. Attendants, bring what I¡¯ve prepared.¡± Irene clicked her fingers and the attendants on standby placed two books before Cecile.


    ¡°This one is titled ¡®Who¡¯s Higher Than Who?¡¯ and the other one is ¡®Who Are You?¡¯?¡± Cecile stroked the titles gently; the books were so thick that their covers could substitute as a shield and their corners used as a weapon.


    ¡°Yes. These books are part of the noble almanac published by the empire. For reference, this is the latest version published two weeks ago,¡± Irene explained.


    Cecil promptly flipped open ¡®Who¡¯s Higher Than Who¡¯ and found Estian¡¯s name listed on the very first page. Unlike other nobles, his entry was sans portrait. As Cecile scanned her husband¡¯s page, she noticed a twinkling star next to his name. ¡°50 stars? Number one in the empire?¡± Cecile muttered. She almost added ¡®He was cool?¡¯ in reference to the title of a novel she¡¯d read during her childhood, but managed to catch herself. It was a novel depicting the romancing of an emperor; the protagonist¡¯s lips accidentally met those of a man while crossing a fence, and that man turned out to be the emperor who ranked first in the empire. Cecile had to suppress her urge to draw excited faces in the margin, as she resumed her reading.


    ¡°Yes. As you can see, His Majesty ranks number one among the imperial blue bloods. 50 stars is a score only the emperor can possess. And I¡­¡±¡ªIrene flipped through the book and pointed to a certain page¡ª¡±¡­am here.¡± She presented the page with a flourish. Written on the page was ¡®Irene Revenan, 41 stars, 651st rank in the empire.¡¯


    ¡®Wow, Irene¡¯s on here too! To think that my handmaiden is this famous!¡¯ While Cecile naturally expected Estian to be included, she was amazed that her tutor had a page too.


    ¡°And here you are, Your Majesty. Here. At the very end,¡± Irene continued.


    On the last page, was the empress¡¯s entry: Cecile Franvier Navitan, zero stars, no imperial rank. Irene looked at Cecile with a shrug. ¡®It¡¯s a big misunderstanding if you thought being the empress granted you a high rank!¡¯ The book was scored strictly based on status by birth. In Estian¡¯s case, he achieved number one because he disposed of all the imperials ranked above him. As the sole daughter and heir to a long-established imperial earldom, Irene was ranked within the top 1,000, which meant most would have to bow in her presence. None of this applied to Cecile. Not only was she a foreigner, but she also lacked a title in her own country and possessed a mixed bloodline from her mother¡¯s humble origins.


    In other words, Cecile¡¯s name was recorded in the book, but she was essentially without rank. Irene¡¯s intent was to illuminate Cecile on the insurmountable difference between them. However, the message Cecile took away from it was completely different.

 CH 124

    ¡®Wow. It has my name!¡¯ Cecile repeatedly ran her finger over the name printed on the page. She¡¯d been amazed that Irene¡¯s name was included, but she hadn¡¯t dreamed that hers would be too! Contrary to Irene¡¯s expectations, Cecile wasn¡¯t vexed by her lack of stars or rank. She wasn¡¯t concerned about her origins in the first place. While others might¡¯ve taken it as a slight against their home country, Cecile never held the slightest bit of affection towards the kingdom of Navitan anyway.


    ¡°Interesting. Is my name in the other book as well?¡± Cecile asked excitedly.


    ¡°Yes, it is, but¡­¡±


    As Cecile moved to the other book, Irene¡¯s face stiffened. At first glance, the two seemed like similar almanacs, but there was a significant difference behind their purposes. While the former listed rank by birth within the empire, the latter was ranked by achievements. It included not only nobles but also those of famous commoners as well.


    ¡®Although, of course, I¡¯m highly regarded in that book too¡­¡¯ Irene remembered the page dedicated to her was titled: A promising noble daughter of an earl and an accomplished lady of the academy. Then what was written about the empress? The answer was absolutely nothing. It was natural since the empress had no achievements to date. Irene tried to manage her face lest a sneer appear, as she watched Cecile thumb open the book.


    ¡°Eh?¡± The empress exclaimed in surprise, ¡°I¡¯m on the very first page?¡±


    Irene looked at the first page with wonder and disbelief. Usually for such books, well-known celebrities were featured up front, followed by sorting alphabetically. Cecile placed last in the previous almanac, yet¡­ ¡®How could she be on the very first page? Shouldn¡¯t she be at the very back?¡¯


    Irene¡¯s assumptions were reasonable, as despite her title of empress, Cecile had no substantial achievements to note. While Irene was bewildered, Cecile began scanning her page. Unlike the previous book that listed stars and rank, each entry contained a short biography, including the name and birthplace of the entrant. Compared to other pages, her entry was sparse, but what caught Cecile¡¯s attention was the line following the basic introduction.


    ¡®It starts from here on out.¡¯ That sentence jumped out at Cecile. What had the writer been thinking when they wrote this sentence? She was merely a puppet that moved according to the emperor¡¯s will, with no special background or ambitions of note. It was too much to expect anything to happen from here on out¡­ but for some reason it made Cecile¡¯s heart flutter with excitement. She sensed the writer¡¯s anticipation for her future feats.


    ¡°It seems that this is a flawed copy,¡± Irene said stiffly, as she watched Cecile absorbed in the book. The empress placed before the emperor? What nonsense was this?


    Cecile pouted in response, feeling disheartened that she might¡¯ve been excited over nothing. However, before she had a chance to respond, an attendant brought forth a stack of letters piled high on a silver platter. ¡°I have brought what you have asked, Your Majesty,¡± the attendant said while placing the platter on the table.


    Knowing that Irene would arrive today, Cecile had given instructions beforehand to bring all the invitations she¡¯d received. Picking up the letter placed atop the pile, Cecile¡¯s eyes narrowed. The sender was Yuliana Aswan. Ever since the seminar, Yuliana had been keeping a low profile. Yet, somehow the minute Estian was away, she decided to send a sudden invitation? It was too convenient to be a mere coincidence; as if the princess had been holding back in the emperor¡¯s presence, and was now picking a fight in his absence! Cecile felt her mood instantly sour. ¡®You think I¡¯m a pushover without His Majesty?¡¯


    ¡°Whose invitation is it to make you look so serious?¡± Irene asked curiously, as she watched Cecile¡¯s face darken.


    ¡°The sender is Princess Yuliana,¡± Cecile replied. ¡°It looks like she is adjusting well in the empire. Enough to already be sending a personal invitation.¡±


    Irene¡¯s expression hardened at Cecile¡¯s words, and they both fell quiet. Eventually, Irene moved to break the silence first.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Would it be alright to speed up our progress a little faster?¡±


    ¡°How fast were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Please look at number 88.¡±


    Cecile flipped through the pages of the booklet until she came to the page¡ªNumber 88: One instance of mercy is enough. The two women gazed at each other and exchanged meaningful glances.


    ¡°It appears I did an excellent job in selecting my handmaiden,¡± Cecile remarked merrily.


    ¡°It is an honor, Your Majesty. I will not fail you,¡± Irene replied in a mirthful tone.


    The attendants around them were surprised by the sudden laughter. Some rubbed their eyes at the sight; one attendant even grunted in confusion. ¡®Odd. Did I just see Her Majesty and Lady Irene clap their hands?¡¯


    * * *


    On the top floor of a luxury imperial hotel, a secret meeting was afoot during the late hours of the night. Yuliana took in the sights of the gorgeous guest suite, which spanned across several luxurious rooms meant to receive distinguished foreign guests. In the farthest room from the entrance stood an antique bookshelf. Yuliana approached the case and began removing a certain number of books, and then lightly pushed the bookshelf. Despite appearing unmovable, the heavy-looking bookcase smoothly slid backwards.

 CH 125

    Yuliana regarded the sight with disinterest and swiftly moved into the concealed passageway. The space at the end of the windowless passage revealed a colorfully carpeted staircase, and after ascending, Yuliana found herself in front of a large door. Pushing it open, she was greeted by the sight of two people who had been patiently awaiting her arrival. ¡°Welcome,¡± one of the individuals greeted her.


    Introductions were not exchanged; they were unnecessary as her identity was known from the start. Guided into the room beyond the door, Yuliana found people seated around a large round table. They stood at her entrance and greeted her, as she walked over to take a seat.


    ¡°Welcome, Princess Yuliana.¡±


    ¡°It must have been tiring coming this far. You do not know how happy I am to meet you again like this.¡±


    Yuliana flashed a shy smile at them, as they cast her looks of uncontainable admiration. ¡®There are two more.¡¯ Two new faces were added to the group she¡¯d met here the day before. All the attendees were splendidly dressed women; it was obvious that they were all noble ladies of the empire.


    ¡°Then since the princess has arrived, let us commence the meeting.¡±


    Yuliana thought back to a time not so long before when Kalia, the daughter of an earl, had sent her a secret correspondence. The letter contained only one line: I sorely desire to meet and discuss a certain matter. It was a short letter, but Yuliana did not ignore it. Her intuition told her the sender would be helpful to her plans, and she¡¯d be proven correct.


    When she appeared at the hotel and conversed at length with Kalia, the lady had said to her, ¡°I wish for Princess Yuliana to become the new empress.¡± The princess was expecting this outcome, but she still hesitated when the moment arrived. Most importantly, she needed to know why they were supporting her.


    ¡°It is needless to say how unfitting the current empress is to her position,¡± Kalia explained.


    Yuliana wanted to burst into applause right then and there, but she had an image to maintain, so instead she feigned confusion and looked away. ¡°What are you saying¡­? I will pretend I heard nothing,¡± Yuliana cautiously replied. It was unwise to join hands on the spot simply because she¡¯d heard a few agreeable statements. It was prudent to remain cautious with every step taken.


    Yuliana was in conflict against the empress while in the empire. Therefore, she chose to act surprised and trailed off in a noncommittal tone, with the implication to end the subject. ¡®I can¡¯t trust these people easily.¡¯


    Still, the women insisted Yuliana stay, and the conversation quickly moved on to other topics that ranged from simple¡­


    ¡°They say the newly opened dessert shop in front of the imperial palace is amazing!¡±


    ¡°I heard that a line forms in front of the shop filled with servants on their master¡¯s errand from early in the morning. Apparently, their offerings sell out the instant their doors open.¡±


    ¡­To those a little more serious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve caught wind that lately monsters have been appearing in the province of Margrave Kaniche.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but that¡¯s nothing new. That place has always been swarming with monsters. Rather than that, have you heard about the strange black fiend that appeared in Etia¡¯s castle¡­¡±


    In the end, though, the conversation drifted back to the subject of the empress. Kalia had grabbed Yuliana¡¯s hands and spoke with a solemn face. ¡°I humbly ask that you accept me as a handmaiden once the Princess ascends as empress. I promise to be of great strength for when you carry out your duties within the empire.¡± She paused, then added, ¡°The current empress has taken in two handmaidens, Lady Tania and Lady Irene.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Yuliana asked.


    ¡°Margrave Kaniche, the mother of Lady Tania, is someone who will never move beyond her standing. She is a truehearted subject; that has remained unchanged since the past. Lady Irene is a similar case. She is always alone; she never acquaints herself with other noble ladies.¡±


    Yuliana had heard stories of Margrave Kaniche, known as the possessor of herculean strength who was said to be able to thrash wyverns with her bare hands. The house of Kaniche had pledged loyalty to the empire itself, regardless of who was its leader. They would stand in their place and uphold their loyalty. As for Lady Irene, Yuliana could surmise her personality based on their previous encounter. Yuliana could see why Kalia and the other noble ladies were so impatient. Both women the empress had chosen to keep by her side were completely factionless.


    ¡°So, you are saying that His Majesty has expressed through the empress that he will not be cooperating with the nobles in the future as well,¡± Yuliana remarked.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Kalia and the other noble ladies nodded.


    Had Estian, Cecile, and the other two parties involved been present, they would¡¯ve been utterly confounded by the contents of the conversation.

 CH 126

    ¡°Well then, I look forward to working with you,¡± Yuliana smiled. After two hours of deliberations, she accepted Kalia¡¯s extended hand. They had reached a compromise. Kalia insisted she dared not covet the emperor¡¯s favor, and only sought to assist Yuliana in strengthening her standing within the empire and reap the benefits that followed. Her sights were set on the money, not on love. Yuliana was satisfied with Kalia¡¯s clear objectives, as it was something she could easily dispense. It would be no issue once she was crowned empress. The princess thought it a cheap investment, considering the support she¡¯d receive in solidifying her position within the empire.


    Kalia brought over the two new noble ladies, who bowed as they offered greetings to Yuliana.


    ¡°My name is Aryl, daughter of Viscount Illinati.¡±


    ¡°I am Karin, daughter of Earl Heint.¡±


    ¡°I am Yuliana of Aswan. It is a pleasure to meet you both like this,¡± Yuliana replied, standing, and politely accepting their greetings.


    The two ladies appeared deeply moved to see Yuliana stand up and greet them. Kalia laughed and explained, ¡°These two young ladies will be doing their best to assist you from now on, Princess Yuliana.¡±


    A triumphant smile bloomed on Yuliana¡¯s face, but a shadow hovered over her as she recalled the words of the guardian witches from the other night. ¡°You¡¯ll never be able to beat Cecile.¡± The memory caused her to gnaw at her lips. The same question kept circling in her head. Why not?


    Yuliana felt that the guardian witches spoke as if they were acquainted with Empress Cecile, but when she questioned them, they flipped their vessel, disrupting the connection formed by the water scrying ritual. It was a clear message that they had nothing more to say on the matter.


    ¡®What¡¯s so special about Empress Cecile!¡¯ Originally, Yuliana had thought the empress would be easily dealt with. In comparison to herself, she judged the empress as weak and foolish. Albeit, with a slightly pretty face. Yet, nothing seemed to play out as intended. Even the power of the Archwitch was spotty. Yuliana¡¯s taste of defeat quickly morphed into fury. She swore that she would drag Cecile down no matter what. Even the guardian witches who had declared she could never come out the winner weren¡¯t exempted from her wrath. ¡®All of you, just wait and see.¡¯


    A fire sparked in Yuliana¡¯s eyes. She would have those witches groveling at her feet once she ascended as the Archwitch. How dare they mock her? Dare to suggest she was no match?


    ¡°Then, we should begin by sending an invitation to the empress. As for the location¡­¡±


    Yuliana recalled the sight of the busy hotel lobby she¡¯d passed through on her way to the meeting place. They were preparing to open a casino, or so she was told. A dangerous smile crept onto the princess¡¯s face, as she suggested, ¡°I think this hotel will do.¡±


    * * *


    The Ailsa Hotel in the imperial capital was crowded with delegates from all over the continent eager for the chance to hold court with Estian and glimpse the rumored dragon. When the emperor paid them no heed and set off on his campaign against the dukedom of Etia, many complained that the palace could at least offer up the dragon for viewing. Instead, said dragon remained securely hidden within the confines of the imperial palace, with nary a glimpse of a scale nor wing.


    Despite failing to achieve any of their initial objectives, none of the delegations were in a rush to return to their home countries. The reason was that each had received a numbered ticket. A quarrel had broken out due to the sheer number of delegates jostling to enter the imperial palace and be granted an audience with the empress. Even envoys of smaller countries, who normally would have deferred according to national power, would not budge on this matter.


    Dragons¡ªa race that had all but vanished into history, had reappeared in the empire. Not only that, but it had emerged in the emperor¡¯s presence and had been overpowered by him, too. It was a fact that struck dread into the hearts of all that learned of this news. The emperor was monstrously powerful in his own right, but now he¡¯s even obtained a dragon. Was there anything left that could stand in his way? There was only one thing left for the delegations to do. ¡®We must prostrate before them, and beg mercy from the emperor and the dragon!¡¯


    While they waited with a strong determination to beg, a certain rumor soon reached their ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the empress has the dragon tamed like a dog.¡±


    The delegations quickly revised their thoughts on the spot. ¡®We must prostrate before them, and beg mercy from the emperor, empress and the dragon!¡¯ After all, what difference did it make to prostrate in front of one more?


    Still, as the situation stood, before they were given a chance to prostrate, they had to patiently wait their turn. Envoys that received numbered tickets were considered lucky, as those without remained in a limbo of undetermined wait times. While the situation remained grave for many, good tidings finally reached their ears.


    ¡°Her Majesty has accepted Princess Yuliana¡¯s invitation!¡±


    ¡°What? Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is! She will be visiting the opening of the casino at Ailsa Hotel.¡±


    The eyes of every envoy shone. Entrance to the imperial palace was difficult, but the casino was a different matter! The only hiccup being that the opening day of the casino was limited to guests of Ailsa Hotel only. Delegations without a numbered ticket swarmed the hotel the moment the news broke, and those lodged at other hotels immediately attempted to transfer their bookings, sparking a bidding war for vacant rooms. Each delegation was desperate to not let this opportunity slip through their grasp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cut in line!¡±


    For that reason, the entrance of the casino was rowdy from the swelling crowd gathering in anticipation of the empress¡¯s arrival. Royals and nobles flung aside all formalities as they fought to occupy the best spot possible. Amid the commotion, a loud trumpet was blown near the entrance. Shortly after, the clip-clop of horse hooves could be heard, as an extremely large coach drawn by a single white horse pulled up to the hotel lobby. Everyone was awestruck that such a magnificent coach could be pulled by a single steed.


    Etiquette dictates that the number of horses drawing the coach was proportional to the status of its passenger. Based on the size and the magnificence, the coach was undeniably befitting of the empress. If it indeed belonged to her, expectations dictated that the coach be drawn by at least ten horses¡­ yet why was there only a single steed? That wasn¡¯t the only perplexing matter about the scene before them. No matter how they looked at it, the coach was so large that it would require the strength of at least six great steeds to pull it. How had a single steed managed to attempt this feat?

 CH 127

    ¡°It¡¯s a pegasus!¡± The surprised cry of one of the onlookers scrutinizing the steed rang out in the lobby.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°W-what are you on about! You¡¯re talking about a phantom beast!¡±


    Those standing in the back attempted to stand on their tip-toes to catch a glimpse of this so-called pegasus. And what exactly was a pegasus? It was a fabled winged horse of legends. Nowadays, phantom beats in the form of winged horses took on the moniker. It was known that a pegasus resided within the imperial palace, but it submitted only to Estian. Yet, here was the empress parading it about and it was obediently drawing the coach as any normal white horse would do.


    Had the pegasus understood the people¡¯s surprise? It let out a loud whinny and spread out its enormous white wings, unleashing a blast of wind at the crowd.


    ¡°Yikes!¡±


    ¡°The wind!¡±


    With its wings unfurled, the presence of one phantom beast was enough to overshadow them all. Many shrunk back from the pressure, and the hotel staff, barely regaining their wits, hurriedly rushed to open the door of the coach.


    The first to alight were the attendants. A familiar face soon appeared and murmurs of ¡°Lady Irene¡± could be heard throughout the crowd. Surprisingly, next to her was another face. It was an unfamiliar but handsome young lad, who after a quick bow began surveying the surroundings.


    The owner of the Ailsa Hotel rushed to the front and lowered his head in greetings. ¡°I sincerely welcome your visit, Your Majesty. I humbly ask for the honor of escorting you.¡±


    ¡°Permission granted,¡± a clear voice rang out from within the coach.


    Many nervously gulped and held their breaths. This was the empress that had captivated the stony emperor. They had expected a coquettish voice that oozed like honey, but unlike what they¡¯d imagined, her voice was clear and filled with power. A long, slender hand extended from the coach, and accepting the hotel owner¡¯s hand, the figure of the empress slowly emerged.


    ¡°By God!¡±


    ¡°Th-tha-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    The crowd had thought the sight of the pegasus would be the main surprise of the day, but it couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Many rubbed their eyes in disbelief at the item held in the empress¡¯s other hand. It was a long golden staff, about the height of a child. There was no doubt as to what it represented¡ªregalia.


    ¡°The emperor¡¯s scepter!¡± Gasps rippled through the crowd.


    Regalia represented the power and authority of the emperor. There were four emblems in the empire: the crown, the sword, the scepter, and the orb. Each represented a different facet, but the commonality was that only the emperor could wield the regalia. For the empress to appear with the scepter in hand could only mean one of two things. Either she was brazenly wielding it in his absence, or¡­ the emperor bestowed the scepter on the empress!


    This was a truly unprecedented incident.


    * * *


    ¡®It¡­ it¡¯s so heavy,¡¯ Cecile thought, glancing at the scepter in her left hand. The fist-sized diamond embedded at the top added to the hefty weight of the solid gold rod, so it was unsurprising that her arm was beginning to shake. Still, she struggled to keep her arm steady and not let her fatigue show. ¡®It¡¯s good that he left this to me, but¡­¡¯


    On the morning of his departure, Estian had presented Cecile with a box after escorting her back to her palace.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Cecile asked curiously.


    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s something I¡¯m supposed to bring along when I travel, but it¡¯s too much of a bother. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll see much use, so I thought it¡¯d be good for you to hold on to. I¡¯ll leave it here.¡±


    Estian¡¯s attitude was so nonchalant as he slid the box under her bed that Cecile had all but forgotten about it. That is, until that night following her enthusiastic meeting with Irene. That day, Cecile had returned to her room in a huff, yelling ¡°Down with Yuliana!¡± Still, inwardly she was worried. Irene had advised that, more than anything, it was imperative for Cecile to portray the dignity of the empress. However, she understood that dignity was not constructed overnight.


    As she brooded and rolled around on her bed, she absentmindedly rolled too far and tumbled off the bed, landing on her shoulder. ¡°Owwie¡­¡± Cecile remarked, rubbing the sore spot. It was then that she spotted the box under her bed. ¡°Oh right, I forgot to check and see what was inside.¡±


    When Cecile moved to pull out the box, she was surprised by its unexpected heaviness. What could it possibly contain? ¡°It must be some metal of sorts¡ª¡± Cecile muttered as she flipped open the lid. ¡°Ack! My eyes!¡± She hastily covered her eyes as a blinding and dazzling light emitted from within. When her eyes had adjusted and she was able to peer inside, her jaw dropped open. ¡°Wha-what in the¡­?¡±


    Inside the box was a long rod wrapped in a soft cloth¡ªat the top sat a huge diamond, and its body was made of solid gold. It was obviously no ordinary item. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t an item to be handled casually! To think that he¡¯d carelessly kicked the box and told her to ¡®hold on to it for a bit¡¯ before leaving!


    Cecile rushed to her bookshelf. An item of this grandeur must be recorded in a book somewhere. She hastily flipped through the pages of one of the books that elaborated on the jewelry of the empire. As expected, it didn¡¯t take long for her to find the entry on the very object nestled away in the box. As her eyes scanned the book, Cecile¡¯s expression twisted and she covered her mouth in shock.


    ¡°An imperial treasure again¡­¡± Cecile groaned. ¡°Your Majesty, you m-m-m¡­¡± Fortunately, she was able to hold back from crying out ¡®madman.¡¯ The golden rod that had been sitting under her bed was none other than one of the emperor¡¯s regalia. More specifically, it was his scepter. By entrusting it to Cecile, Estian had handed over all the powers of the emperor to Cecile before his departure. In other words, while Estian was away, she was the emperor.

 CH 128

    When Cecile appeared the next day with the scepter in tow, Richard had begged, ¡°Let me touch it! Just once! This thing has amazing magical properties too!¡±


    ¡°Put those filthy paws away!¡± Cecile retorted, slapping Richard¡¯s greedy hands away as they waited for Irene.


    At that moment, the doors opened and Irene entered. ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty. Regarding yesterday¡¯s¡­ Mother of God!¡± Irene yelped.


    Thanks to Irene¡¯s reaction, the meaning of the regalia truly set in for Cecile. Inwardly, she berated Estian for unceremoniously dumping such an important treasure on her. However, despite her grumblings, she held sincere gratitude towards her husband. She¡¯d always considered herself a mere figurehead empress; nothing more than a puppet. Yet, Estian had gifted her an object of such importance, handing over all his powers to her before leaving. It was possible that man hadn¡¯t given it much thought, but nevertheless, Cecile was happy. Who cares if there was meaning to it or not? What mattered was that the scepter had been given to her and no one else.


    * * *


    Cecile allowed the hotel owner to escort her inside the venue. Her figure was that of absolute beauty and grace, a product of her spartan training at the hands of Irene over the past few days. Irene had taught her with vehement rigor, barking orders left and right.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Raise your head a little more, please!¡±


    ¡°You must gesture a little more slowly!¡±


    Irene was a veritable slave driver, sans whip. Her training was so intensive, even the attendants watching felt anxious. When an attendant gently suggested taking a break, with the implication of ending the lesson, both Cecile and Irene cried out simultaneously, ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± and ¡°I can¡¯t allow that!¡±


    The lessons wrapped only after the two were on the verge of collapsing from fatigue, and it was deep into the night. Now, all the sweat and tears were paying off. Cecile could feel the impact of her lessons, and she marveled at the improvement she¡¯d undergone with a bit of proper training. In the past, she¡¯d only been able to mimic the appropriate aristocratic mannerisms, and bemoaned the difficulty of conducting her walks in proper form. Those days were no more. Now, her steps were unfaltering despite the heavy adornments.


    As Cecile looked straight ahead, everyone around her kneeled as she walked past. She spotted Yuliana bowing near the end of the line. She wondered whether the princess had seen the scepter. Her complexion certainly appeared deathly pale.


    * * *


    Yuliana was biting her lips again. ¡®Curses! Does the emperor cherish her enough to hand over the scepter?¡¯ Her mind had blanked the moment she¡¯d spotted the scepter in Cecile¡¯s hand. As far she knew, the emperor had never handed his scepter over to anyone in his absence. Yet, his first campaign after welcoming the empress, and he¡¯d readily handed it over to her! Although this alone was upsetting, there was something even more irksome. The figure of Cecile walking down the aisle was a model of etiquette. ¡®What did she do to transform in such a short time? This doesn¡¯t bode well.¡¯


    While mulling over how to knock Cecile down a peg, Yuliana had decided on a plan to attack the empress¡¯s etiquette and manners. In their previous encounter, the princess had observed that Cecile¡¯s mannerisms were lacking when it came to formalities. Few had noticed that day at the seminar, partially because they were dazzled and knocked senseless by her unexpected appearance, but mostly because many attendees were not accustomed to court manners. The only other person who might¡¯ve noticed was Lady Irene, who was firmly on the empress¡¯s side. However, today¡¯s occasion would be a different matter.


    After learning that all the delegations from outside the empire would flock to the casino¡¯s opening, Yuliana thought it would be the perfect stage to humiliate the empress. The crowd would be filled with royals and nobles from far and wide. It was the perfect opportunity to begin her assault by deliberating exposing Cecile¡¯s shortcomings. That was supposed to be the case, but¡­ ¡®I see no weaknesses.¡¯


    The empress¡¯s footsteps were perfect, as she approached with the scepter in hand. That wasn¡¯t all¡ªher gaze reflected that of an arrogant ruler, resembling Estian¡¯s appearance in the last banquet. What she had lacked then, she had since found. Before Yuliana realized it, Cecile was standing before her.


    ¡®Whatever¡¯s the case, I should give greetings first.¡¯ As the thought crossed her mind and she moved to greet the empress, she was beaten to the punch.


    ¡°What rudeness, Princess Yuliana. Have you yet to learn proper manners?¡± Cecile¡¯s low but clear voice rang out.


    ¡®Say what?¡¯ Yuliana¡¯s head jerked in bewilderment. What was the empress going on about? She was supposed to call out Cecile on her manners, so why were their roles reversed? Only after glancing around her did Yuliana realize the difference between herself and the others. She was the only one standing in front of Cecile. Of course, they were surrounded by royalty and nobles, but all of them had knelt and bowed their heads in greetings to the empress. She was the only one left in a standing position.


    ¡®Drat!¡¯ Yuliana inwardly cursed. If only her mind hadn¡¯t blanked. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve known to bend her knees in respect towards the authority of the scepter. Her mind had been too busy preparing herself to meet the Empress Cecile, she hadn¡¯t bowed as dictated by decorum. Hurriedly, Yuliana moved to lower herself into a bow, but her efforts were in vain yet again.


    ¡°I shall let it slide once considering that you have invited me today,¡± the empress¡¯s voice rang out before Yuliana could act. Her tone was full of benevolence and she wore a gracious smile on her face.


    Yuliana was forced to express her gratitude for the empress¡¯s grace, and bowed her head. All the while, she swallowed her rage and muffled the gnashing of her teeth.

 CH 129

    Irene swallowed dryly as she watched the scene unfolding before her. Was this really the same empress she¡¯d seen this morning? When she¡¯d arrived at the palace, she was concerned to find Cecile utterly exhausted. She feared that Cecile might end up committing a faux pas and disgracing herself in front of Princess Yuliana. Irene began brooding over how to cover the empress¡¯s blunders if such a situation should arise, but once they had boarded the coach, the empress began to slowly transform. By the time they had arrived at their destination, she was an entirely different person. ¡®What in the heavens is happening?¡¯


    Irene¡¯s confusion stemmed from her unawareness that Cecile was the type that thrived on practice. Her lessons were deliberately harsh, with her alternating between derisions of ¡°Can¡¯t you even master this?!¡± and bellows of ¡°I won¡¯t let you off if you lose to Yuliana! Imperial dignity is at stake! Losing to the likes of a foreign princess? Unacceptable!¡±


    Her belief that the title of empress would soon be hers made Irene unable to endure the thought of the title suffering any ridicule. ¡®It¡¯s the empress of the empire we¡¯re talking about! What sort of position do you think that is!¡¯ Dignity lost was difficult to regain, so the best plan was to prevent it from being lost in the first place. With such thoughts in mind, Irene had taught Cecile with the hope that she would not be overshadowed when faced against Yuliana. ¡®Yet, she¡¯s perfect?¡¯


    The empress¡¯s execution of decorum was so perfected, no flaws could be discerned. Irene wondered if her lessons had been too effective. She felt a slight tinge of regret watching everyone kneel before Cecile. This wasn¡¯t the outcome she¡¯d intended.


    There was also the matter of the pegasus too. In truth, the idea to have the pegasus draw the coach began with Irene. Cecile and Irene had been brainstorming ways to display the empress¡¯s majesty. Fancy clothing was a given, and anything else that would support their cause was quickly incorporated into their plans. As they continued to rack over what other additions to make, she offhandedly voiced one more suggestion.


    ¡°It would be nice if we could borrow the pegasus,¡± Irene mused.


    ¡°Is it forbidden to use it?¡± Cecile asked.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the pegasus is a phantom beast. While the emperor did capture the beast, that does not mean he tamed it.¡±


    Apart from Estian, the pegasus had refused to accept the orders of anyone else. Although, the emperor in question neglected the beast, remarking that ¡°White isn¡¯t my color.¡± It was a shame, since Irene had often daydreamed of requesting Estian take her on a ride once she became empress. She imagined it would feel wonderful to soar through the skies.


    As Irene was shedding invisible tears over her unfulfilled dream, Cecile jumped to her feet and excused herself. A few minutes later, she returned with a very well-mannered pegasus harnessed to a coach. Irene was dumbstruck. This was the same pegasus who paid no heed to anyone but Estian. How had Cecile made it submit?


    * * *


    Girgantia was incessantly flapping his wings, which elicited an annoyed yell from Tania. ¡°Why are you suddenly acting all vain?¡±


    ¡°Because I feel like I¡¯ve regained some pride as a dragon,¡± Girgantia replied happily.


    The dragon was feeling immensely satisfied. Cecile had dropped by that morning and asked, ¡°Could you talk to the pegasus for a bit? Dragons can communicate with phantom beasts, right? And you can make them submit, since dragons are far superior?¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Girgantia had replied with surprise. Cecile had hit the truth on the nail.


    ¡°I read it in a book,¡± she shrugged.


    Cecile¡¯s answer left the dragon feeling dubious and puzzled, since the knowledge she spoke of should¡¯ve been unknown to the human world. Regardless, Girgantia accepted Cecile¡¯s request after she promised another special seasonal feast. Perhaps it was his mistake to appear in front of the pegasus with his wings folded. The pegasus was resting, and after taking one look at the dragon, had scoffed, ¡°Oh wow. The emperor caught a baby wyvern this time.¡±


    Girgantia was enraged. How dare a mere pegasus talk smack to a dragon? What nonsense was this foal uttering? For the first time in a while, the dragon unfurled his four wings and let out a roar. Tania blocked her ears and grumbled about the noise, but the pegasus immediately sprang to its feet and bowed its head low to the ground. Dragons were the apex¡ªor perhaps something even beyond that¡ªof all phantom beasts. There was no phantom beast that would not cow in fear of a mighty dragon. Girgantia regarded the pegasus trembling on its feet, and commanded, ¡°Chant. On one, ¡®Being presumptuous!¡¯, and on two, ¡®Is bad!¡¯ Commence!¡±


    Thanks to the impromptu meeting with Girgantia, the pegasus willingly accepted the order to pull the empress¡¯s coach. ¡°I will serve her safely and comfortably. Worry not, great dragon,¡± the pegasus vowed in a polite and deferential manner.


    ¡°Yeah, alright. Take care on the way back.¡±


    The pegasus bowed so low its head was almost touching the ground, as Girgantia bid it a haughty farewell. In such a manner, Cecile managed to secure herself a pegasus.


    * * *


    Irene trailed behind the empress as they headed into the casino. There hadn¡¯t been any major issues yet. ¡®We already landed a solid punch too!¡¯ She felt exhilarated recalling how Yuliana had hung her head in defeat moments before. She was relishing the memory, but quickly shook her head. ¡®N-no! This isn¡¯t it!¡¯


    Cecile was still an intruder that had usurped her place, so why was she cheering for the woman? Irene chided herself for momentarily mistaking them for being on the same side. ¡®No, Irene, no! They¡¯re all hindrances in your path to reclaiming the position of empress. This is just a temporary alliance.¡¯


    Clearing her mind, Irene continued to walk forth. While she¡¯d been lost in her thoughts, Cecile had already descended the stairs and was entering the casino by herself. She hurriedly chased after the empress, but at that moment¡­ Smack! Irene felt her body lurch forward. Somebody had shoved her from behind!

 CH 130

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The low din in the hotel lobby was disrupted by the sound of a woman¡¯s earsplitting shriek. Everyone¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to the figure of a lady that had tumbled down the stairs and crashed into the handrail. It was mere seconds before her identity had been recognized.


    ¡°Lady Irene!¡±


    Gasps and cries were heard from the crowd. Once the initial shock wore off, several bystanders hurried to approach her; meanwhile, a nondescript person near the top of the stairwell slunk away unnoticed. Before anyone could help Irene up, a woman dashed forward and scooped Irene into her arms.


    ¡°Goodness! It appears she is in urgent need of medical care. She must be hurried to the hospital!¡±


    Irene¡¯s eyes fluttered at the sound of the woman¡¯s voice. Although she was a little sore from her tumble, the fall hadn¡¯t been as bad as it appeared. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡ª!¡± However, before she could continue, she suddenly felt a prick on her neck, and her eyes began to droop.


    ¡®W-who¡­!¡¯ Irene scrambled to look at the woman¡¯s face, but her rapidly blurring vision made her eyesight hazy. Still, she was able to make out the obvious mirth on the woman¡¯s face. It was the last thing she thought before she slipped into unconsciousness.


    * * *


    Yuliana was surprised by the news of Irene¡¯s accident, which had left her incapacitated. The helpers were turning out to be more useful than expected. When Kalia had first introduced the young noble ladies as her reinforcements, the princess held little expectations of them. What assistance could mere noble ladies provide in the face of her vastly superior powers as heir of the Archwitch? However, this incident was causing her to reevaluate her assessment. It was an unexpected fortune that they¡¯d managed to deal with Irene with such ease.


    The princess had learned that Irene had been glued to the empress¡¯s side as of late, acting as her tutor for many subjects. It confirmed her suspicions that Irene was the empress¡¯s right hand, and she immediately branded her as a troublesome foe. After all, wasn¡¯t she the same woman who¡¯d viciously attacked her that day at the seminar as well? It would be much easier to face off against the empress with Irene out of the equation, which is why Yuliana had discreetly tasked Aryl and Karin with figuring out how to do away with her presence.


    ¡°Lady Irene does seem a tad tired today, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, she does. I think some rest would do her well. After all, serving Her Majesty is no easy feat.¡±


    The two noble ladies had snickered at their own exchange, and waltzed off promising to promptly return. Yuliana watched them disappear into the crowd. She hadn¡¯t a clue as to their plans, but her curiosity was soon sated when a scream was heard a moment later, followed by the news of Irene¡¯s mishap. She wondered if this was truly their handiwork. It wasn¡¯t long before Aryl reappeared, followed by Karin¡¯s return.


    ¡°Oh, did you hear? It appears that Lady Irene tripped!¡± Arin remarked worriedly.


    ¡°I was down near the base of the stairwell and got a good look at Lady Irene. It doesn¡¯t seem that she¡¯ll be able to wake up anytime soon. I think she¡¯ll remain in a deep slumber, that is, for the rest of today at least,¡± Karin elaborated in a grave tone.


    Their appearances and tone of voice sounded appropriately concerned and filled with worry. Yuliana had the urge to clap for their acting performances, but instead allowed herself a satisfied smile. Kalia had introduced a very useful pair to her.


    Yuliana recalled how the empress had humiliated her at the hotel entrance. The arrogant look on the empress¡¯s face while she held the scepter in her hand. That woman acted as if she¡¯s truly become the emperor. ¡®As if you can do anything!¡¯ Yuliana intended to pay back the humiliation she¡¯d received twice-fold. With Irene out of the picture, no one would be there to properly advise the empress. Yuliana grinned at the thought, and gazed around the casino confidently. ¡®What could that woman possibly achieve on her own? This is my stage.¡¯


    * * *


    The newly renovated Ailsa Casino was designed with a unique theme¡ªthe Kingdom of Water. A large circular canal had been constructed to snake around the perimeter of the casino hall. It was wide enough for small rowboats, allowing guests to leisurely float along the stream when not partaking in the casino¡¯s games. Fountains, both large and small, were dotted throughout the venue, and a verillon, crystal goblets tuned with varying degrees of water, was arranged close to where the live band performed. The sounds of the gurgling fountains and the musical hum from the verillon created a wonderful soothing backdrop.


    Admiring the scenery, Yuliana picked up a nearby glass of water and sipped. It was then that she noticed the hotel owner, having spotted her, was heading in her direction with haste.


    ¡°Pri-princess Yuliana. I believe I must¡¯ve gone temporarily mad. I don¡¯t quite understand why I handed over a stake in the casino to you!¡±


    The fretful man was clearly baffled by his actions. In fact, Yuliana had paid him a visit a few days before and audaciously demanded he hand over the rights. Instead of rightfully ignoring the princess¡¯s words as ridiculous drivel, he¡¯d signed the papers without questioning her demand.


    ¡®Why though?¡¯ The hotel owner racked his brain. Why hadn¡¯t he considered it strange until now? It was a ridiculous request to honor! Somehow the ordeal had only struck him as odd after he escorted the empress. It felt as if someone had doused him with cold water, and the fog muddling his head had been cleared.

 CH 131

    ¡°D-did you do something to me? Why else would I have¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Yuliana snarled.


    Surprise painted the hotel owner¡¯s face. Until this morning, he thought he could willingly offer up whatever the princess desired without a single regret. If his efforts meant the princess would spare one more glance his way, he would be satisfied. Yet, the Yuliana who stood here now, snapping at him to shut his trap, caused a chill to run down his spine. Who is this woman? Is she really the same woman as the lovely Princess Yuliana?


    ¡°It seems that the empress really is canceling out my powers, but that all ends tonight,¡± Yuliana muttered in an icy tone. ¡°There¡¯s still work left for you, so stay enchanted a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what are you¡­¡± The hotel owner took a step backwards, sensing a sinister and unnatural aura from the princess. He noticed Yuliana shake the glass in her hand. To his astonishment, the water began to wriggle and float as if it was alive. A yelp of fear caught in his throat as his mind screamed to turn and run, but it was too late. The levitating glob shot from the glass straight into his mouth. He choked and coughed painfully, and his body spasmed violently. When he was finally still, Yuliana addressed him again.


    ¡°So, owner. How much was my stake in the casino?¡± Yuliana asked.


    ¡°It was half,¡± the hotel owner replied.


    ¡°What to do¡­ I believe that I will be needing more than that.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall hand over all of it to you, Princess Yuliana.¡±


    Yuliana beamed at his response, and she glanced down at the bright and shining light emitting from her bosom. The warning she¡¯d received as heir to not recklessly use her powers until the succession of the Archwitch was complete rang out in her head, but she quickly dismissed it. The powers would be hers in the end anyway. What was the harm of using a little in advance?


    She had tapped into the power sparingly up until now. She had mastered how to enchant and earn the favors of others, but it still wasn¡¯t an easy power to wield as she wished. However, today she would unleash the unbridled power within her. Nothing would be able to derail her plan.


    ¡°Good. Prepare a new contract as soon as possible. Putting that aside, how is the empress faring?¡±


    ¡°She seemed greatly shocked, and at a loss.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I certainly can¡¯t miss the sight of that.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take much effort to locate Cecile. Yuliana found her being briefed by a casino attendant on the situation. The empress¡¯s shocked expression, shaking eyes and trembling hands brought immense pleasure to Yuliana. As if noticing Yuliana¡¯s gaze, Cecile¡¯s head turned and the empress glowered in her direction.


    ¡®What can you achieve by glaring?¡¯ Yuliana taunted Cecile in her mind, as she hid her mirth behind her fan. In her opinion, Cecile had only secured the position of empress through the dumb luck of there first. There was no trace of light from the empress, which meant that she must be a guardian witch or an heir of lesser powers. If her assumptions were correct, the moment Yuliana drew out her powers and confronted Cecile, she wouldn¡¯t dare fight back.


    ¡®Today, my reign as empress of the empire will begin.¡¯ The princess laughed as she began unleashing her powers at maximum capacity, intent on wiping away that impertinent glare in the empress¡¯s eyes. Yet when her eyes returned to Cecile, she gasped. Contrary to her expectations, Cecile was not panicking. Her cold unyielding glare remained transfixed on Yuliana.


    * * *


    When the crash was heard, Cecile had tilted her head towards the noise wondering what had caused it. Soon a pale-faced attendant dropped to their knees before her and nervously reported the situation.


    ¡°I am sorry to inform you that Lady Irene suffered a tumble down the stairs and has injured herself.¡±


    ¡°What? Irene did?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°How badly is she hurt?¡±


    ¡°I am uncertain, but¡­ she is apparently unconscious.¡±


    Cecile tightened her grip around the scepter in disbelief. It had been only the night before that Irene had been coaching her on the number of steps in the casino¡¯s stairwell, and the proper mannerisms and posture to gracefully port herself down the flight of stairs. That prudent woman had tumbled down the stairs? Utter nonsense.


    Cecile gritted her teeth as she struggled to maintain her composure, while her eyes sought out Yuliana. When their eyes met, Yuliana appeared to have been waiting to be found. Her mouth was hidden behind a fan, but Cecile sensed the mirthful expression behind it. The intensity of the boiling rage surging within surprised her.


    ¡®How dare she! Why would she hurt Irene?¡¯ When Yuliana expressed her intention to snatch Estian away, Cecile was irritated but she wasn¡¯t troubled by it. When she tried to find fault with the empress with petty schemes, Cecile tried to be understanding. She had everything Yuliana desired, so it couldn¡¯t be helped that Yuliana¡¯s envy was directed at her. This time, though, was different. She would never let this pass.


    ¡®You should¡¯ve targeted me. Irene has nothing to do with our little spat.¡¯ Cecile shot daggers with her eyes at Yuliana. The only thing that remained on her mind was exacting retribution. She would make the princess pay. In that instant, too fleeting to be noticed, a thrum ran through all the water in the imperial capital.

 CH 132

    The soldier guarding the border post was trembling. ¡°Halt!¡± He cried. What little rationality he had left screamed that he must be out of his mind. He knew it to be true. Why else would he think to order the Emperor Estian to halt? He really had gone insane. The others had fled long before as soon as the imperial army had been sighted in the far distance. He couldn¡¯t blame them.


    When news spread of the empire¡¯s impending conquest over the dukedom of Etia, villagers in the surrounding areas had immediately gathered their things and left. There was a peculiarity to the emperor¡¯s conquests. Cities and villages which the imperial army marched through in enemy territories generally faced varying fates. While some places were left untouched, the next town over might be razed to the ground and all its citizens slaughtered. There was no apparent rhyme or reason as to how the emperor chose his targets, nor was it necessary to understand. The imperial army was formed to carry out the emperor¡¯s will. Limbs weren¡¯t required to think, they simply needed to execute the head¡¯s commands.


    As the marching imperial invaders came to a stop, the man leading at the forefront continued onwards until his steed came to a stop in front of the guard. It would be unnecessarily and foolish to ask the man to state his identity. The foreboding appearance of his dark eyes glinting with savagery, and the aggressive snorting from his steed appeared like an emissary of hell.


    ¡°Speak your name,¡± the man ordered.


    The guard flinched. Name? Why was the man asking for his name? He remained mute, and his hesitation caused Estian to chuckle darkly.


    ¡°In respect of your courage, I shall have your corpse delivered to your family.¡±


    Estian watched as the blood drained from the silent guard¡¯s face. The empire had formally declared war against Etia a week before, and he¡¯d sent notice to clear the way or face their end. For those that remained, it meant that they chose death. He admitted the guard¡¯s bravery and patriotism for standing guard when the others had abandoned post, but that would not change his fate.


    His head raised towards the horizon. Unlike other dukedoms, Etia was rich and possessed larger and more fertile lands than most kingdoms, but that wasn¡¯t the only reason for its prosperity. Etia also benefited from a geographical advantage, with a central port that allowed it to monopolize an invaluable sea route, but most importantly, it possessed advanced technologies that were the driving force of its power.


    Advanced technology. The thought alone made Estian audibly gnash his teeth and inwardly snarl. ¡®Of course it was advanced technology, considering the methods those wretches used to develop it.¡¯


    Of the many children sent to the ¡®laboratory,¡¯ the number sent from the dukedom of Etia was especially large. Its central port was an active hub for numerous ships, which offered many opportunities for work. The impoverished would gather in the city, and Etia was said to particularly welcome the children among them.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯ll receive food if you go to Etia! And a place to sleep!¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duke said he¡¯d look after all children!¡±


    Many homeless and orphaned children made their way to Etia with hope in their hearts, and were ecstatic to learn the rumors were true! Etia welcomed them with open arms, offering delicious meals and warm beds. The wariness of the starved children was eased, and they placed their trust in the dukedom. With time, their bodies grew nourished and the gloomy expressions were replaced by bright laughter.


    ¡°I think I did well in coming here!¡±


    Everyone was kind. Everyone was helpful. The children began to dream of their futures for the first time in their lives¡­ but little did they know that the debt for the kindness they received would be repaid in the loss of the very futures they hoped for.


    ¡°Speak your name,¡± Estian demanded, raising his sword.


    ¡°¡­Carl,¡± the guard answered as he wept, knowing this would likely be the last word he uttered.


    ¡®Carl, he says. It¡¯s the same name as mine,¡¯ a voice giggled innocently from within Estian.


    ¡®Do you want to spare this guard?¡¯ Estian answered back in his mind.


    The giggling ceased immediately. ¡®No. Kill him.¡¯ There was no trace of the voice¡¯s previous mirth. There was only immeasurable hatred.


    Estian spurred his steed, whose lineage hailed from the finest pedigree in the empire, and it responded immediately to its master¡¯s desires. The emperor swung his sword as he¡¯d done tens of thousands of times before. An arc of blood swished through the air. The guard¡¯s decapitated head rolled on the ground, before coming to a stop within the borders of Etia. At that moment, the entire imperial army resumed their advance. And so, the war had begun.


    * * *


    At the same moment, another war had begun inside the Ailsa Casino. The host had announced the start of the ¡°glorious first game,¡± signaling the official opening of the casino to raucous applause.


    Cecile and Yuliana were seated at opposite ends of the table. Onlookers glanced about in confusion. There was something strange in the air. When their eyes fell on Princess Yuliana, they were overcome with the desire to offer up everything they owned, but when turning to the empress, they¡¯d be jolted back to their senses, wondering why such an impulse had struck them. Richard inwardly clicked his tongue as he observed the crowd. ¡®They sure are suffering.¡¯ His gaze locked onto the light shining wildly from Yuliana¡¯s bosom.

 CH 133

    ¡°Can you see it too?¡± Cecile asked, noticing Richard¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m about to be blinded by it,¡± he replied apathetically.


    He hadn¡¯t been sure what the light was at first, but now he knew. ¡®It¡¯s definitely the power of an archwitch¡­ but weren¡¯t all the witches supposed to be gone?¡¯ When Estian had first briefed him on Yuliana¡¯s mysterious power, the first thought that crossed Richard¡¯s mind was Archwitch. Still, witches, like dragons, were beings thought to have long ceased from existence. Unlike dragons, witches did not leave behind physical remains, but they hadn¡¯t appeared for centuries, which is why Richard assumed their powers had completely vanished. Confronted by the sight before him, he now knew the truth. ¡®Turns out the power was merely slumbering.¡¯


    Richard turned back to look at Cecile. If Yuliana¡¯s power was that of an archwitch, then what about her? There was no emitted light or power emanating from the empress, but she remained unaffected by the princess¡¯s power. Whatever the case may be, the mage lord had managed to complete at least one of the tasks left by Estian. He made a note to carry out a thorough study on witches upon his return to the Mage Tower. Yuliana no longer interested him. Cecile was the sole mystery that captured his attention.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. These lot won¡¯t be able to hurt a hair of yours,¡± Richard whispered.


    ¡°If you had such an ability, you should have protected Lady Irene as well,¡± Cecile replied coldly.


    ¡°Why would I protect that woman? My promise with the emperor was to look after you,¡± Richard retorted incredulously. His pledge to Estian was to secure the empress¡¯s safety. Anything else was not of his concern.


    Cecile seemed to be contemplating Richard¡¯s response. After a brief silence, she responded, ¡°I see. Then it simply won¡¯t do unless I protect her.¡±


    ¡°You? With what? Do you want to avenge your handmaiden? Then I¡¯ll just take care of it. It may be a little difficult, but I am an archmage. Killing one princess is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Richard,¡± Cecile interrupted, grabbing Richard by the collar. She pulled him close to whisper in his ear. ¡°Do you know what was the first lesson I learned in my childhood? To settle my business myself. Interfere, and I will deal with you first. Do only that with which you are required.¡±


    It was true. Those words were the first lesson the maids had taught to Cecile. She fully intended to adhere to their teachings. Having conveyed her warning, she roughly released Richard¡¯s collar, and he stumbled back.


    ¡®I ¡°am¡± a mage lord, you know! An archmage! Did I just lose in spirit?¡¯ Richard thought, dumbfounded. He was surprised to find himself intimated by Cecile¡¯s aura.


    Meanwhile, a dealer had taken their position at the center of the game table, and was checking the participants. There were a total of six players. Aside from Cecile and Yuliana, there were four other royals and esteemed nobles of high rank with names familiar to the empress.


    The first game was a symbolic christening for the casino, and it was a matter of course to place big bets in the hopes of future prosperity. A common myth was that the riches of the casino were exponentially tied to the status of the game¡¯s participants, which is why the most high-ranking guests were invited to join the first game.


    The hotel owner carried in a fancy wooden box filled with chips, and approached the princess. Spectators waited with bated breath to see how much money she would bet. Flashing a smile at the crowd, Yuliana picked up all the chips of pure gold seated at the top row.


    ¡°Goodness!¡±


    ¡°All gold chips!¡±


    Murmurs broke out as they looked on in awe. Her actions seemed excessive, even for a first game.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet only this much,¡± Yuliana announced casually.


    Only this much? The onlookers were dazed. The chips amounted to an unimaginable sum, yet she acted as if it was a mere drop in the bucket, implying that she had plenty more money to spare. Everyone watched the hotel owner move on to the empress, expecting Cecile to follow suit.


    ¡°Not enough,¡± the empress remarked.


    ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the celebratory first game, is it not? I cannot be satisfied with this amount.¡±


    Cecile removed an earring, a gift she¡¯d received from Estian when she once complained of boredom. When she¡¯d heard of its backstory, she thought it was a treasure too good to be true. She hadn¡¯t originally planned to use it here, but it felt like the right opportunity. It was the perfect tool to seize everyone¡¯s attention, with its appearance more dazzling that pure gold.


    ¡°This was made from a blood drop from the phantom beast known as the blue phoenix. It was gifted to me by His Majesty.¡±


    Her words elicited surprised looks. No one could believe that the resplendently blue piece of jewelry was blood and not a gem. Cecile flung the earring onto the table, and it collided with a shattering noise. A blazing blue light flashed from the earring, which took the form of a giant bird that began to hover and circle above Cecile¡¯s head, as if protecting her. The stunning sight was on the scale of a legendary phenomenon.


    ¡°It is said to be priceless, according to what His Majesty told me. Will this suffice as the first game¡¯s wager?¡±

 CH 134

    Everyone in the casino stood, struck dumb, with their mouths agape. The blue phoenix, known as the phoenix, was a legendary phantom beast that ended its life in a blaze of blue flames, only to rise from the ashes once again. Its ephemeral nature meant that while its magnificence could be witnessed in its life, not even a single feather could be salvaged upon its death. It was a creature no one could possess, that is, with one exception.


    There was but one instance in which the phantom bird would willing leave its mark¡ªwhen the phoenix swore complete submission, it would offer up in tribute a single drop of blood. Those who received it were granted eternal protection from the beast. This was all explained to Cecile when Estian presented her with the mystical item.


    ¡°I mindlessly caught the thing, but it left this and disappeared. I brought it back because the color was nice, but suddenly it became a national treasure. They even went and turned it into an earring on their own,¡± Estian explained. ¡°So, always wear it when you go about. A blue phoenix will appear if you throw it. It¡¯s quite a pretty sight, so feel free to throw the earring if you just want to admire the bird.¡±


    That was the reason Cecile had worn the earring to the casino. After all, even with Richard¡¯s escort, it was always better to be prepared. Cecile watched Yuliana with a hint of a smile. ¡°Why? Do you feel it is lacking?¡± She asked.


    ¡°How¡­ could that be? I was merely at a loss for words, as this place is too undeserving of its presence,¡± Yuliana replied sincerely.


    The princess recalled the stories she¡¯d heard about the empress. The woman who¡¯d enchanted the emperor, and claimed all the treasures of the empire as hers. It wasn¡¯t a surprise she was in the possession of such an item. It was an unexpected disruption to her plans. She¡¯d intended to grab ahold of everyone¡¯s attention by laying out all the gold chips, but was immediately overshadowed.


    Meanwhile, the other participants added their wagers, although no one paid them any attention. Nothing they made could possibly compare to the first two wagers. The dealer began preparing to set the table, when suddenly Cecile made her next move.


    ¡°It is¡­ unexpected, Princess Yuliana,¡± Cecile began.


    ¡°What might you be referring to?¡± Yuliana asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of you having any ties to this casino. Yet, by the looks of it, it¡¯s hard to tell whom the owner is.¡± Indeed, the hotel owner was acting like Yuliana¡¯s servant earlier. Cecile¡¯s implication of ¡®How did you buy him over?¡¯ hung heavy in the air.


    Yuliana let out a peal of laughter. ¡°Your Majesty may not have been aware, but I hold a significant share of this place,¡± she replied. Currently, she held a 50% stake in the casino, but it would all be hers by the end of the night. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say she was the owner.


    ¡°The princess of Aswan? In a casino of the empire? I see that you hold an interest in something unexpected, princess.¡±


    ¡°Unexpected? But there could be no better place of learning than a casino of the empire,¡± Yuliana countered. She picked up and lightly swirled a glass of water. A subtle rumbling rippled out across all the water in the casino.


    Richard, who¡¯d been watching the blue phoenix, was the first to notice the change. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ The power of witches was known to originate from water, the source of all life. ¡±She must be channeling a more powerful hypnosis¡­ although the execution seems a little clumsy.¡¯


    He watched with interest as the eyes of the onlookers glazed over and turned hazy, and the crowd pivoted towards Yuliana. It was his first time observing the power of witches, but he could tell that the princess was unfamiliar with wielding it. According to the records, one would hear a beautiful harmony when witches used their power of water. All he heard from Yuliana was noise.


    Estian¡¯s warning rang in Richard¡¯s ear. ¡°If even a single hair of Cecile is hurt, I¡¯ll segment you into the number of your bones.¡± That man would most certainly follow through on his threats. Richard massaged his recently reattached neck. While the blue phoenix was likely enough protection for the empress, Richard decided additional defensive spells wouldn¡¯t hurt, and began to draw on his mana.


    ¡°Your Majesty may be ignorant, having spent a quiet life in Navitan, but a casino is a place where a lot of money comes and goes. That is not all to it¡ªmoney begets more money. Where there is a casino, prosperity is bound to follow,¡± Yuliana continued.


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°The income and administrative experience gained from this casino will contribute greatly when a new casino is built in Aswan. How about you try a hand at practical learning, Your Majesty? It will be by far more rewarding than the frivolous spending you¡¯re accustomed to.¡±


    Stooping to blatant ridicule? Cecile was speechless. It wasn¡¯t as if she was particularly fond of Navitan, but a foreign princess had no right to denigrate the homeland of the empress. Furthermore, Yuliana¡¯s words implied she lived a life far more rewarding than Cecile, which was downright impertinent. Cecile was certain that others would surely point out the princess¡¯s transgressions, but instead she heard clapping. In her confusion, her head turned to see the crowd giving a standing ovation.


    ¡°Brava, Princess Yuliana!¡±


    ¡°My word, to think the princess possesses such foresight! So different from the norm!¡±


    ¡°My goodness, a princess who reflects on and prepares for the future of her country this much¡ªisn¡¯t it a waste that she remains merely a princess of a nation?¡±


    ¡°Such wisdom to complement such beauty. Truly extraordinary I say!¡±


    Cecile burst out in incredulous laughter at the sight of their fawning over the princess. The blind praise and compliments were mortifying. A standing ovation for something as obvious as stating a casino makes cash? Cecile wondered with incredulity as to why they were acting like fools, as the crescendo of voices and clapping continued to grow.

 CH 135

    ¡°Empress,¡± Richard called quietly.


    ¡°I know. Princess Yuliana has obviously pulled some tricks,¡± Cecile replied with a nod.


    ¡°Yes, but I believe this to be a little different from before. She seems to be attempting to cast a slightly more powerful hypnosis.¡±


    ¡°Then, why bother with this childish play instead of bewitching them all at once?¡± Cecile asked curiously. It seemed to be a roundabout manner to achieve her goal.


    ¡°This is probably a kindling. Like lightning a small fire before making it bigger, so to speak,¡± Richard explained. He glanced at the people clapping with fervor, and clicked his tongue, while Cecile waited for him to continue. ¡°The princess¡¯s power is a form of hypnosis. Enchantments cast on a blank state result in a weak and easily broken spell. It¡¯s difficult to be zealous about something without substance, isn¡¯t it? However, if the enchantment is founded upon actions or behaviors that can be construed as impressive¡­ a much stronger hypnosis can be cast.¡±


    ¡®So, that¡¯s how it is.¡¯ Thanks to the mage lord¡¯s generous explanation, Cecile was able to grasp the situation. Casinos stroke the primitive desires in humans and easily stirred up emotions. The added extravagance of their opening bids also weakened the rationality of the crowd. This meant that the onlookers were primed for Yuliana¡¯s enchantments.


    Seeing the empress fall silent, Richard said, ¡°Now you understand, right? Just leave it to me, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Princess Yuliana.¡± Cecile cleaning ignored the mage lord¡¯s whispers and began to address the princess. ¡°I was unaware you harbored such amazing ideas. Listening to you, it seems I have much to learn from you.¡±


    Yuliana narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Cecile¡¯s words. She knew the empress was unaffected by her powers, so why was she uttering drivel like the rest of them?


    ¡°Pearls of wisdom must be worth their weight in gold,¡± Cecile continued indifferently. She placed the scepter in her hand onto the game table. Even those who were entranced reacted with surprise. ¡°I am going to raise the stakes for this game a little more, for your sake.¡±


    Yuliana¡¯s eyes began to shake.


    * * *


    Far away in the center of Ern, the capital city of the dukedom of Etia, stood the grand duke¡¯s castle. Deep in the bowels of the basement of this historically rich fortress, the Grand Duke Farus stood observing a test tube. Within it was a bright red blood-like substance that squirmed and crawled as if it was alive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need this anymore. Not since the real thing is coming,¡± Farus muttered. He tossed the tube haphazardly to the ground. It smashed on impact and when the blood was exposed to air it began to thrash and squirm, until it darkened in color and exploded with a ¡®pop!¡¯


    The Grand Duke clicked his tongue as he irritably wiped the blood splatter off his face, before turning to the horrifying scene behind him. There was a pile of dozens of recently deceased bodies scattered about. Devoid of any sympathy, the grand duke gazed at the scene with deep contempt.


    ¡°Utter trash. How is it that they failed to create anything that surpasses Estian after 20 years?¡± He chewed on his lip. Estian would arrive soon, and this fact simultaneously struck fear in his heart and made him tremble with ecstasy. ¡°Estian¡­ I wonder if you knew just how much effort we invested in creating you.¡±


    The grand duke¡¯s tone was oddly intimate for someone calling the name of the empire¡¯s ruler. He laughed while reminiscing fondly on that historic day, when representatives from dozens of kingdoms and dukedoms, including the empire, had gathered. There were no records of the discussion and promises exchanged on that day, nor was it necessary¡ªEstian¡¯s existence served as proof of their results. He was both the sole specimen to survive and the only successful experiment.


    He turned to look at the portrait hung in the corner of the basement, depicting a quiet, introverted-looking boy with dark hair. It was a portrait of Estian in his youth. The memory of the young boy¡¯s appearance as he was pushed into the laboratory remained fresh in his mind. Estian¡¯s face was filled with fear, and he¡¯d clung and begged for mercy in tears. Now, that powerless boy had risen to emperor and was marching to raze down the grand duke¡¯s lands.


    Farus stepped over the corpses strewn on the floor, and walked deeper into the basement until he reached what looked to be a mass of black miasma. It was writhing, and floating amidst it were body parts resembling eyes, nose, and ears, which appeared to flicker in and out of existence. The closer he got, the more violently the miasma writhed. A strange noise radiated from it.


    ¡°Yes, you must have noticed too. Estian is coming,¡± the grand duke remarked. ¡°You are far lacking in ability, but at least you look identical to him.¡±


    Had it understood his words? The black miasma blasted a bizarre noise. Estian had managed to regain his human form with the help of Earl Revenan, but how long would that last? Farus missed the emperor¡¯s old appearance¡ªthe way he distorted and warped until he was power itself.


    ¡°It must be extremely exhausting maintaining a human body. Come hither quickly, Estian,¡± the grand duke grinned, ¡°I shall restore your original form to you.¡±

 CH 136

    Yuliana was transfixed by the sight of the scepter on the table. It was the source of her restlessness ever since Cecile appeared with it in hand, and she coveted that symbol of reverence. What had pleased her the most about being chosen as a witch heir wasn¡¯t the power but the attention. If the scepter was hers, she would be one step closer to perfection.


    ¡°Heavens, the scepter!¡±


    ¡°What is Her Majesty thinking?¡±


    The immensity of the wager was far too enormous that people who had been clapping moments before had frozen in place and were staring blankly at the scepter.


    ¡°Somebody must try to stop the empress.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It would be terrible to stake that and lose.¡±


    ¡°She must have plenty of other treasures, so it should be fine to wager those, and yet¡­¡±


    Yuliana snapped to attention upon hearing the murmurs. The empress had willingly offered up what she wanted most. This was a chance. Even the empress could not take back her words with an excuse. ¡®¡­And aren¡¯t I absolutely capable of winning?¡¯


    The princess hadn¡¯t picked up the huge amount of gold chips to wager without a plan. The games could be manipulated with a little effort. Her intention was to induce the crowd¡¯s praises, and then crush the empress in a one-sided defeat in the next game. The cheering onlookers would naturally admire the victor, and the emotional high would paralyze their rationality, sinking them deeper into her enchantment. She could already picture herself holding the scepter victoriously to a standing ovation.


    ¡®Then, all that would be left is to deal with that woman before Emperor Estian returns.¡¯ After all, hadn¡¯t the emperor invited her to the seat next to him? Based on his actions, she was confident that her powers affected Estian. It would be a simple matter to bewitch him upon his return, that is, if the empress was out of the picture. Yuliana desperately held back a titter.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you are aware that you cannot challenge the results of a game, yes? Even if you are the empress, how could you take back what you already¡ª¡±


    ¡°Really, now,¡± Cecile interrupted with a chuckle, ¡°it is great to see you brimming with such confidence, as if you never considered the possibility of your loss.¡±


    The empress couldn¡¯t have spoken knowing Yuliana¡¯s intention to cheat, yet the princess felt as if she¡¯d been exposed. A chill ran down her back, and she felt her momentum falter.


    ¡°But it pains me that your pockets are lacking in comparison to that confidence,¡± Cecile added with an air of finality.


    Yuliana was momentarily unable to comprehend Cecile¡¯s meaning, but her face twisted as the meaning dawned on her. The spectators were also quick to pick up the gist of the empress¡¯s words, and muttering of agreement could be heard throughout the crowd.


    ¡°True, the difference is a bit too much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Her Majesty wagered the blue phoenix¡¯s blood drop earring and the scepter. Gold chips can hardly compare, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like Princess Yuliana doesn¡¯t have the money. Didn¡¯t she say that she holds a significant stake in this casino?¡±


    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be fine to bet a little more?¡±


    The audience began decrying Yuliana¡¯s wager as paltry in comparison to the empress. In a nutshell, they were labeling the princess a miser.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯ll be! Look at her instantly flip the script and claim the spotlight for herself,¡¯ Richard thought, observing with admiration. The empress had mentioned earlier that she had a plan, and this was the outcome. He felt inclined to revise his evaluation of Cecile. ¡®She isn¡¯t as foolish as she seems.¡¯


    He assumed her obstinate behavior was driven by her refusal to lose to the princess, but after hearing his explanation and gaining insight into the mechanics of Yuliana¡¯s powers, Cecile managed to immediately turn the tables in her favor. It was a simple ploy, but one not easy to instantly put into action under such circumstances. The empress must¡¯ve been stressed about how Yuliana had ensnared the crowd with her spells, yet she still comported herself in a steadfast manner. It was praiseworthy.


    ¡°How could I concern Your Majesty with such a thing?¡± Yuliana said, deliberately pushing her bosom forward as she spoke. Noticing the audience were being shaken, she knew she needed to recapture the crowd, and quickly!


    ¡°Very well. What will you wager then, princess?¡±


    ¡°I shall bet my stake in this casino.¡± Wagering her stake in the most magnificent and newly-reopened hotel casino in the capital? That was a breathtaking bet! However, her assuredness was instantly shattered.


    ¡°Is that all you have? How trifling,¡± Cecile calmly commented.


    Yuliana felt her face redden with indignation. Egged on by the empress¡¯s taunt of ¡®trifling,¡¯ Yuliana cried out, ¡°What is more, I will wager my palace in Aswan, as well as all the treasures I possess.¡± She was placing everything to her name on the line. ¡®Can you still call it trifling now?¡¯


    ¡°Oh yes, I recall you¡¯ve received many gifts with that beauty of yours,¡± Cecile smirked, pausing as she nodded thoughtfully, before continuing, ¡°but do you truly believe those things are comparable to this scepter?¡±

 CH 137

    Yuliana was speechless. She did not answer, or rather, she could not answer. If she answered with a yes, she would be disparaging the emperor¡¯s regalia. How could any object, no matter its magnificence, be of higher worth than the authority of the emperor? But if she responded with a no, she¡¯d be admitting that her wager paled in comparison to that of the empress.


    Seeing Yuliana struggling for an answer, Cecile kindly continued, ¡°Princess, I know you have more to offer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your foolish subject cannot comprehend your majesty¡¯s intimation,¡± Yuliana replied nervously. What was this empress trying to get out of her? She waited with bated breath for Cecile to speak.


    ¡°I have staked everything by wagering this scepter,¡± Cecile stated. ¡°Do you believe that I would leave unscathed should I lose? That I would remain as the empress?¡±


    Cecile¡¯s words were true. In fact, she was terrified out of her wits. Undoubtedly, she would be cursed for years to come as the mad empress that willfully gambled the emperor¡¯s authority¡­ but that wasn¡¯t where her true fear lay. ¡®He entrusted it to me.¡¯ What was truly on the line was Estian¡¯s trust in her.


    ¡°That is why, princess, I want you to bet something of equivalence. And that something is¡­¡± Cecile pointed a finger at Yuliana, ¡°your status.¡±


    Cecile¡¯s rationale instantly convinced the audience. The empress was risking her crown, after all, it was only right that the princess stake hers. Yuliana could only force a smile. She¡¯d been momentarily stunned by Cecile¡¯s suggestion, but she couldn¡¯t afford to back down now.


    ¡°I understand, Your Majesty. Then, I too shall put my status on the line.¡±


    Complete silence enveloped the venue. Not a single breath could be heard. The casino revelers attended with the expectation of witnessing a contest of spirit, but it had somehow morphed into a game for treasures, the protection of a phantom beast, the emperor¡¯s authority, and the crowns of an empress and princess. Never had a casino¡¯s first game held such massive stakes.


    ¡°Then, by which game shall we decide the victor? I ask that Your Majesty choose,¡± Yuliana said. She deliberately ceded the decision to Cecile. There was a chance the empress would pick fault if she were to decide, and she thought it best to nip that chance in the bud. ¡®She wouldn¡¯t be able to cry foul if she lost at the game that she chose herself.¡¯


    ¡°Which game¡­ Well, as you mentioned, princess, I know little of the rules of such games since I spent a quiet life in Navitan,¡± the empress glanced at the dice sitting in a corner of the table, ¡°so, I wish to go with something simple.¡±


    ¡°Pray tell,¡± Yuliana replied.


    ¡°By using the six dice over there, we each take three and toss. The person with the higher sum wins.¡± The rules Cecile laid out were the most simplistic of all dice games. ¡°It¡¯s not an official game, but how about it?¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± There was no reason to decline. A card game would¡¯ve been slightly more cumbersome to manipulate, but dice? This would be a piece of cake. All she had to do was nudge a few stones and everything would fall into her hands. Yuliana felt like the scepter was beckoning her. Just a little longer, and that regalia would be hers to wield. ¡°Dealer, prepare the game,¡± she said, turning to look at him.


    The dealer at their table cautiously picked up the dice at Yuliana¡¯s bidding, and began the ritual of showing the crowd that these were ordinary dice, devoid of any tampering. He pulled out two dice cups decorated with intricate silver engravings and placed them along with the three dice on trays, before presenting them to the two women. ¡°The dice are to be placed within the cup, shaken, and then placed face down on the table. Once both are in place, the cups will be lifted simultaneously to reveal the results,¡± he explained.


    Yuliana watched the dealer¡¯s explanation leisurely. It was a waste of time to prolong this any further. She wanted to hurry and end the game so that she could relish holding the scepter in her hands. Seeing the distorted look on the empress¡¯s face would also be immensely satisfying.


    ¡°You first,¡± Cecile said.


    ¡°I give my thanks, Your Majesty. Then, without further ado.¡± The princess inserted her dice into the cup and after giving it a firm shake, she placed it down on the table. ¡®Now, with a little manipulation¡­¡¯ Yuliana smiled inwardly at the utter simplicity of it all. Who knew she¡¯d attain everything so easily? What a stupid empress.


    The princess began to draw on her power, and the soft sounds of water rippling, which to the untrained ear sounded like water droplets falling, began to ring out. The instant these sounds blended into a subtle harmony, it would manifest into power. Yuliana didn¡¯t bother to hide the mirth on her lips.


    ¡°By the way, princess, did you say that you became involved in the casino industry for your country¡¯s sake?¡± Cecile suddenly addressed Yuliana.


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°If so, then I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡±


    Yuliana¡¯s brow furrowed at Cecile¡¯s response. Disappointed? What was the empress on about now?


    ¡°As you said, a lot of money circulates through casinos. So much so that it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to support a city with it, which is nothing special considering how there are nations that bank on this industry,¡± Cecile continued.


    ¡°Then, pray tell, what is the cause of your disappointment?¡± Yuliana replied with annoyance.


    ¡°In the end, it is still merely a business. A business on a very large scale.¡± Cecile¡¯s eyes took on a solemn look and her voice was full of pity. Her appearance was so calm, it was hard to believe she¡¯d staked her everything on a single game. ¡°In other words, it is something that should be left to the merchants to handle. What you should¡¯ve done as a princess¡­ is not to have dabbled in casino stakes, but to acquire the method by which to manage a casino.¡±

 CH 138

    ¡°There is no law that prohibits royalty from engaging in business. However, princess, if those of royal blood chase after wealth, who then will look after the people?¡± Cecile said in a chastising manner.


    ¡°Well, that¡­!¡± Yuliana rushed to refute the empress, but found herself faltering without a comeback.


    Murmurs broke out amongst the spectators who had praised Yuliana¡¯s business acumen moments before. The empress¡¯s concerns had sparked a realization with Yuliana¡¯s premise.


    ¡°Indeed, Her Majesty has a point.¡±


    ¡°The impact of casinos isn¡¯t limited to advantageous outcomes only.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all aware of the problems that follow? Often casinos bring along a spike in gambling addictions and a destabilization of public safety.¡±


    ¡°Quite! While I¡¯d welcome a casino for the economic benefits, I would certainly be opposed to it being constructed near my residence or my children¡¯s school.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the increase of addicts would be problematic¡­¡±


    While accumulating wealth for the nation was a worthwhile endeavor, it strayed from the duties of royalty, whose position called for them to place the citizens ahead of profits¡­ but if Yuliana, a princess beloved by all, was to spearhead the development of a casino industry, who would be able to stand in opposition? Surely, the bureaucracy would be hesitant to speak up about the potential ill effects that may ensue.


    The onlookers viewed the empress in a new light. While they¡¯d stumbled over themselves to heap praise on the princess, only the empress had seen the shortcomings of the princess¡¯s plan and stepped forward to educate them on the true duty of a royal.


    ¡®What is happening?¡¯ Yuliana was beyond frustrated. Why was the attention that should be hers redirected towards the empress? This wouldn¡¯t do. She had to quickly straighten out the situation before the atmosphere was distorted any further. Her powers had rendered the spectators easily swayed, like reeds in the wind, and they would tilt at the slightest push. It was human nature to align themselves with the winning side. ¡®It¡¯ll all end so long as I win this game.¡¯


    ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± Yuliana said curtly, looking at Cecile.


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Then, if you will, please toss the dice.¡±


    It would be all over once the princess won and claimed the scepter as proof of her victory. She could already envision herself, in place of Cecile, being drawn in a carriage led by the pegasus back to the empress¡¯s palace, where she would await the emperor. With her powers, it would be a cinch to secure her stronghold over the entire imperial palace before his return, and then Estian too would easily fall at her feet.


    Yuliana watched the empress pick up her dice, and secretly whisper to the handsome boy standing next to her. He reached out and suddenly kissed the dice in her hands, and in turn the empress pinched his cheeks in an adoring manner. ¡®What on earth are they up to now?!¡¯


    * * *


    Picking up the dice, Cecile rolled them about in her hands. The dice looked ordinary¡ªmade from high-quality marble, their surface was smooth and shiny. She rolled them about and lightly tossed them for good measure, but felt nothing noteworthy. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. Yuliana¡¯s powers to enchant had been explained to her, but Cecile couldn¡¯t be certain the princess didn¡¯t have other tricks up her sleeve.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Richard asked, drawing close in response to the empress¡¯s beckoning.


    ¡°Could you look at these? I was wondering if there might be some sort of trickery to it.¡±


    The dealer had inspected the dice, but how could she be certain he wasn¡¯t already bewitched and carrying out Yuliana¡¯s biddings? There was no harm in checking them once more. Moreover, nothing was more reassuring than having it examined by the mage lord.


    Nodding in understanding, the mage lord drew closer, when suddenly, he kissed the dice in Cecile¡¯s hands. The empress was shocked speechless by the unexpected behavior. Has the man lost his mind? What compelled him to put on this weird display when all she asked him to do was check the dice?


    ¡°What in tarnation are you up to?¡± Cecile hissed, pinching hard on his cheeks. She wanted to shout ¡®Do you want to die? Do you? What possessed you to pull a prank in a situation like this?¡¯ Her irritation made her add strength to her fingers, pulling on his cheeks painfully, but not too harshly.


    ¡°It kind of hurts?¡± Richard grumbled indignantly, escaping from the empress¡¯s grip, but not forgetting to maintain a smile in front of their audience. He wondered if he¡¯d felt this much pain when Estian had lopped off his neck. How was this woman able to put so much strength into her hands? ¡°I was just checking for any magical contraptions.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have checked it with a little more normalcy?¡±


    ¡°For your benefit, I already avoided licking them directly. Anyhow, there are no problems with the dice. They are perfectly ordinary.¡±

 CH 139

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s fine then,¡± Cecile said, dropping the dice into the cup. ¡°Stop Yuliana if she attempts to cheat.¡±


    Richard regarded her with surprise. ¡°What about you? Don¡¯t you want a little help in shifting the odds in your favor?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Cecile said firmly, shaking her head.


    The sight of the scepter on the game table made Cecile¡¯s heart pound, and her mind spun thinking about the consequences if she lost the bet. If she was being honest, she wished she could beg Richard to pull a fast one, but¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t.¡¯


    ¡°A bet must be fair. There can be no use of trickery. You must always abide by this rule. It¡¯s the only way to remain proud.¡± It was the memory of a lesson she¡¯d been taught by her maids. Although she wasn¡¯t sure why she suddenly recalled this piece of advice, she agreed with the message at its core. Cecile shook her dice cup and placed it flat on the table.


    ¡°Both parties have tossed their dice,¡± the dealer announced. ¡°Before viewing the results, I must have both parties pledge once more. Will Your Highness and Your Majesty promise to accept the outcome, whatever it may be?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°I give my word.¡±


    Both women answered simultaneously.


    ¡°I confirm that both parties have accepted the terms,¡± the dealer nodded. ¡°Then, we shall now proceed with the results.¡±


    The dealer grabbed a dice cup in each hand. The moment he lifted the cups, it would all be over. Cecile anxiously glanced at the princess, but was surprised to see her opponent sat in a relaxed manner, utterly devoid of any tension. In fact, she seemed to radiate an unconcealed joy. Her face wore the smile of a victor despite the outcome had yet to be revealed. Noticing the empress¡¯s gaze, Yuliana picked up the glass next to her and gave it another swirl.


    Richard gritted his teeth the instant the unpleasant cacophony pierced his ears. ¡®This sound¡­ this is¡­!¡¯ It was as if all the water inside the casino was screaming. The flow of water had stopped, and it began to ripple as if there was an earthquake. Time also seemed to slow down, and Richard observed a loss of focus in people¡¯s eyes. Meanwhile, Yuliana¡¯s gaze had shifted to the silver dice cups. ¡®Why you! Not on my watch!¡¯ Richard channeled his mana to protect Cecile and prepared to counter Yuliana¡¯s attack.


    It was at that moment¡ªthe cacophony that had pervaded the venue was dispelled just as abruptly as it had begun. In its place, a pleasant tune blew through like a gust of fresh air and echoed throughout the building. The crystalline notes of nature were so refreshing, Richard forgot to cast his magic. It was the first time he¡¯d heard such wondrous harmony, and his body and mind felt rejuvenated, as if he was witnessing the bright chirping of birdsong at sunrise.


    He raised his head to find Cecile gazing at Yuliana with confidence. As soon as his gaze shifted, the sounds vanished and the surroundings returned to normal. The flowing water resumed their natural movements, calm and undisturbed. The focus in people¡¯s eyes had also returned. There were no traces of bewitchment, and their attention was all locked on the game table.


    ¡®Astonishing. It¡¯s almost like¡­¡¯ It was as if the period during which Yuliana had exerted her powers had been erased from existence, and it all happened in a blink of an eye. Looking at Yuliana now, her appearance was vastly altered. Her arrogant display of assuredness had vanished. Instead, as if plagued by a heavy sense of exhaustion and anguish, she sat slumped in her seat like she¡¯d been rooted to the spot in solitude for decades. The blinding light that had previously shined from her bosom had been extinguished; not even a shimmer remained.


    The mage lord realized that the princess¡¯s power had evaporated, along with every enchantment cast. That was it¡ªnothing else had been affected. The dice, obscured from view inside the cups, were not manipulated by any trickery, and only the genuine results remained.


    ¡°Dealer,¡± Cecile¡¯s voice broke through the silence. ¡°Confirm the results.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­!¡± The dealer carefully lifted the dice cups and his eyes widened. ¡°By God!¡±


    Hearing the surprised voice of the dealer, the spectators clamored around the table to see the dice. Thud! A loud noise was heard from one end of the table. It was Princess Yuliana. Her complexion was ashen and her shaking arms failed to support her body any more.


    ¡°Im-impo¡­ impossible¡­¡± Yuliana stared at the dice in disbelief.


    The dealer briefly regarded her with pity before turning to the crowd. ¡°I shall now announce the results of the first game,¡± the dealer said. He attempted to appear calm, but his incredulous tone belied his surprise. ¡°Princess Yuliana¡¯s toss resulted in triple 1s, and Her Majesty¡¯s toss resulted in¡­ triple 6s!¡±

 CH 140

    There was momentary silence before the casino erupted into cheers and applause. The actual outcome was of little concern to the spectators. They had witnessed an overwhelming victory and a despairing defeat; it was the climatic ending they hoped to see.


    Cecile stood and retrieved the scepter from the game table, while Yuliana gazed ahead blankly from the opposite end. Lifting the scepter, Cecile slammed it loudly on the ground. The venue instantly fell silent.


    The empress stood before them illuminated underneath the chandelier. Her platinum hair shined brilliantly, and the light appeared to sparkle around her. The blue phoenix circling above perched itself on her shoulder and let out a shrill cry. She embodied the definition of dignity. The empress, with the scepter in her hand, emanated an aura of true authority. It seemed like all the power to be had was hers, and the world was her oyster.


    One by one, the spectators began to bend their knees and bow their heads in reverence, starting with those in front and rippling out to the back of the crowd. There was no hesitation in their movements, as if it was the most natural thing to do.


    Yuliana watched all this unfold in a daze. This had to be a dream. This couldn¡¯t be happening. The scepter in the empress¡¯s hand should be hers. All the respect the empress was receiving should be hers too. So, then why? How? Her eyes shifted to the dice on the table. The results of their tosses yielded unbelievable results. Anger blazed in her eyes as her gaze returned to Cecile. She mustered every ounce of strength left and raised herself with trembling arms.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening¡­¡± Yuliana muttered quietly. She called on her powers¡­ or at least tried to, but she sensed no reaction. Hastily looking down, Yuliana discovered the light that had always been there had completely vanished.


    ¡°Y-you¡­ You! My power!¡± She cried out, staggering forward to pounce on the empress. Before she could take more than a few steps, the casino guards caught the princess and held her with an iron grip. ¡°Agh! Let go of me!¡± Yuliana screamed, struggling to escape their hold. The guards mercilessly forced her to the ground, while everyone looked on in shock.


    Click, click, click. The sound of Cecile¡¯s heels echoed against the marble floor, until she came to a stop before Yuliana. ¡°Princess Yuliana,¡± Cecile said, casting down a cold gaze. She paused, before continuing in a more commanding tone than she¡¯d ever used when addressing the princess. ¡°Or perhaps I should just address you as Yuliana.¡±


    Yuliana flinched as gasps broke out on all sides. The princess had wagered her everything in the bet, including her status, which meant she was no longer a princess.


    ¡°You promised to accept the outcome of the wager, whatever it may be,¡± Cecile stated.


    It was true. Yuliana had staked everything, believing in the certainty of her success.


    ¡°We played the game without using any ¡®tricks¡¯ whatsoever,¡± the empress added.


    At the mention of ¡®tricks,¡¯ Yuliana bit down on her lips so hard that she drew blood. She had no comeback to this vexing humiliation and it drove her mad. She had lost everything and was destitute. Not even her powers remained. This realization caused her remaining strength to leave her body and she slumped in defeat.


    ¡°I hope you will enjoy the rest of your stay in the empire, Yuliana, because unlike your time as a princess, you will experience a much different kind of enjoyment,¡± a cold voice rang from above.


    Those were the final parting words the empress left for the former princess. As if she¡¯d seen enough, Cecile turned away, and taking the cue, the guards immediately lifted Yuliana up and escorted her out. No one paid any heed to the incomprehensible mumbles of the former princess as she was dragged out without resistance.


    * * *


    ¡®Th-that was a close one.¡¯ Inwardly, Cecile breathed a sigh of relief. When the dealer lifted the cups to reveal the results of the dice toss, she wanted to jump onto the table and dance about while screaming ¡°I won! Hot darn it, I won!¡± The results were so astonishing, she had trouble believing it herself: triple 1s and triple 6s? Did she perhaps have the talent and luck for gambling? Who knew she would discover this new side to herself after becoming empress, and in such a manner too!


    Cecile hugged the scepter close with shaky hands. ¡®And I got this back safely too!¡¯ Now she had the time to reflect, she wondered if she¡¯d momentarily gone mad to have even considered staking the regalia in a game. While she was lost in thought, the mage lord approached her.


    ¡°Wow, you were totally awesome,¡± Richard said with genuine surprise. He flashed a thumbs up. ¡°I was impressed. Estian did tell me about it, but I must say. Why didn¡¯t you become an actress instead of an empress? You looked really cool.¡±


    Cecile decided to overlook the archmage¡¯s choice of words. After all, her behavior was not that different from his when outside of public view. Putting his phrasing aside, he was complimenting her, and that lifted her mood. She shot a look encouraging the mage lord to heap on more praise, but his expression became ambiguous.


    ¡°But is this really alright?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°I mean it was great and all. You talked eloquently and won the game with style.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter then?¡±


    ¡°I heard about your situation from Estian. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be acting with villainy? The better your conduct is, the more danger it poses for your safety is what I was told. Is it fine to comport yourself in such a regal manner outside of the imperial palace, in a public place with so many witnesses?¡±

 CH 141

    ¡®Goodness gracious!¡¯ Cecile gasped in shock. She¡¯d forgotten to keep up her act! Slowly turning to look behind her, the empress was greeted by a sea of sparkling eyes from the crowd. ¡®I¡¯ve really gone and done it now.¡¯ Cold sweat ran down her back.


    Estian had previously recounted the stories of how the other women before her met their untimely deaths. ¡°Poisoning the food was the most basic approach. Sometimes, it was smeared on bookshelves. Then, there were ambushes outside and even inside the palace¡­¡± Recalling those stories made her involuntarily shudder.


    Not to mention, Cecile had diligently worked to earn infamy with her crazy deeds. For what purpose had she tossed priceless jewelry and climbed atop Estian in front of the imperial court? Why had she put in so much effort until now? It was all to live a long, safe life! ¡®No, no. I refuse to have the plan ruined here!¡¯ As the acts of her dark past flitted through her mind, it steeled her resolve.


    Staring out at the crowd, who looked ready to cheer if she so much as lifted a hand, she wondered how best to trample the admiration sparkling in their eyes. How could she snuff it out so they¡¯d never again express any goodwill towards her? While she racked her brain, Richard stood next to her with a look that said ¡®What¡¯s your plan?¡¯ It was then that inspiration struck.


    ¡°Ahh, Lee! You¡¯re the only one for me! You saved me!¡± Cecile exclaimed in a thrilled voice.


    Lee? Who¡¯s that? As everyone looked around for the person the empress was addressing, the eyes of the handsome boy standing at her side widened in surprise. Richard glanced at Cecile in bewilderment with a look in his eyes that said ¡®Me?¡¯


    ¡°What are you doing not coming closer?¡± She continued with a languid smile. Her eyes narrowed, pressuring the mage lord to obey now and ask questions later. When he obediently approached her, she reached out and gently slid a finger along his jawline.


    ¡°Goodness!¡± Voices of astonishment broke out among the onlookers. The empress was acting inappropriately intimate with the boy, and they felt their faces redden.


    As her finger reached his chin, she tilted it up towards her and cooed, ¡°My night canary, your kiss has saved me.¡± The moment she uttered those words, Richard and the others recalled a scene they had already forgotten.


    ¡®Come to think of it, that boy kissed Her Majesty¡¯s dice before she tossed it! But what does she mean by ¡°My night canary¡±?¡¯ The same thoughts were running through the heads of the confused onlookers.


    ¡°What am I to do with you? Is there anything you wish for? Shall I hand over this casino to you, considering it was won with your help?¡± Cecile continued. Letting go of his chin, she wrapped him in her arms. ¡°Ahh, go ahead and name your desire¡­ but in exchange, I wish to hear that beautiful voice of yours tonight as well. You are prettiest when you are chirping.¡±


    ¡®What? Chirping? Pretty? At night?¡¯ The onlookers struggled to comprehend what they¡¯d heard, and when the meaning finally dawned on them, their jaws dropped open in astonishment. ¡®So, the empress, with that boy¡­ At night¡­ Making him cry¡­¡® The empress¡¯s shocking statement made the salacious nature of their relationship unmistakable. Disastrous thoughts filled their heads.


    While the people were still frozen in shock, the boy wrapped in the empress¡¯s arms tearfully pleaded, ¡°Y-your Majesty¡­ Please, not the whip¡­ I beg of you to spare me that alone.¡±


    ¡®Whip?¡¯ The conversation had made a sudden turn into dangerous territory! While some saw the boy flinch, others noticed him seemingly gnash his teeth. Before anyone could react, the empress suddenly lowered him to the ground and turned.


    ¡°I shall return to the imperial palace now! Ready the coach. Quickly!¡± Cecile commanded. Her attendants and the hotel employees sprang into action at the sudden command. In short order, an attendant informed the empress that the coach was ready and she immediately began striding off.


    ¡°Ah! Your Majesty. Slow down!¡± The young boy cried pitifully.


    ¡°Do I look like I have the patience right now, my canary?!¡±


    The empress appeared to be in a great hurry, as she urgently dragged the boy with one hand. Oddly, it almost appeared as if she had him by the collar. The minute they boarded the coach and the door closed behind them, the pegasus unfurled its huge wings. It was then¡­ Clang! Suddenly, the sound of something heavy connecting against another object was heard from within.


    ¡°What was that sound?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but don¡¯t you think it sounded familiar?¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Wasn¡¯t that the sound made when Her Majesty slammed the scepter on the ground a little while ago¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­?¡±


    While the onlookers discussed amongst themselves, more sounds could be heard from the coach. Clang! Clang! Clang! It certainly sounded like something was being bashed¡­ but the only ones inside were the empress and the young boy, and the only item that could create such a sound was the scepter. They imagined the empress swinging the scepter around, but quickly shook their heads to dispel the notion. How could that be? In any case, the coach was soon pulling away. As they watched the departing carriage, murmurs broke out in the crowd.


    ¡°My night canary, she said.¡±


    ¡°Whip, he said.¡±


    That night, the episode of the night canary and the whip was the talk of the town in the capital. It was a topic of discussion ten times juicier than that of the empress¡¯s victory over Princess Yuliana, who had already vanished from the people¡¯s minds.

 CH 142

    Irene¡¯s eyes fluttered open and she blinked slowly. She realized she was lying on a fluffy mattress. There was a soft rustling of the bedsheet and it smelled of sunlight. Extending her arms out into a stretch, she let out a satisfying yawn. The good night¡¯s sleep had refreshed her, but there was an odd throbbing in her knees. Puzzled, she wondered if she had somehow bumped them while tossing in bed. She lowered an arm to massage the soreness, when suddenly everything came flooding back to her.


    ¡°That woman!¡± Irene exclaimed. Her eyes widened as she snapped awake. Her hand moved to the spot on her neck where she¡¯d felt a prick before slipping into unconsciousness. Who was that woman? It was her first time hearing that voice. Irene hurriedly sat up and tried to get down from the bed.


    ¡°I see you have woken,¡± a low voice spoke.


    ¡°Your¡­ Majesty?¡± Only then did Irene notice that Cecile sat in a chair next to the bed. ¡®Since when had she been there?¡¯ The empress was still dressed in the outfit she¡¯d worn to the casino. Irene thought she couldn¡¯t have been out for that long, that is, until she caught sight of the window. ¡®It¡¯s already night time?¡¯ Her face darkened. They¡¯d arrived at the casino just past noon, but judging by the night sky, she must¡¯ve been out cold for at least six hours.


    ¡®How long has the empress been here? Where is this place?¡¯ Irene was still disoriented. There were no maids or imperial attendants about, and the only people in the room were herself and the empress. She struggled to grasp the situation, and her eyes shifted around the room until it landed on the scepter on the side table.


    ¡®Huh? It¡¯s crooked?¡¯ The shiny and flawless scepter that the empress had taken with her to the casino now sported a large scratch down the middle, and even seemed slightly bent out of shape¡­ as if it¡¯d been used like a bat. ¡®No, that couldn¡¯t be possible. Who would use a regalia of all things to do something like that?¡¯


    Cecile coughed lightly. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked, discreetly shifting to obscure Irene¡¯s view.


    Irene wanted to keep examining the scepter, but thought it would be better to get a handle on the events of the day. ¡°I feel fine, Your Majesty. I had a very good rest,¡± she said reassuringly. Irene rolled her neck, as if to prove she was in fine form. Cr-cr-crick! There was a satisfying crack in her joints.


    ¡°That certainly appears to be the case,¡± Cecile nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± It¡¯d been a while since Irene enjoyed such a pleasant rest. She had been a little tired lately. The last few days were especially hectic. Irene expended all her energy into coaching the empress ahead of her casino excursion. It had been admittedly tough on the empress, but the same held true for her too.


    On top of that, curious about the management of the empress¡¯s palace, Irene had wandered about inspecting the grounds and questioning the attendants when she wasn¡¯t tutoring the empress. As future master of the palace, it would be good to get a handle on the situation now. Her investigation¡¯s results were astonishing to say the least. ¡®Neither His Majesty nor the empress have managed the place! How could they be so lackadaisical!¡¯


    The empress¡¯s palace was renowned for its grandeur, and required regular upkeep and care to maintain its pristine beauty. To Irene¡¯s horror, within minutes she began spotting various things falling into disrepair.


    ¡°Right there. The wallpaper appears to be peeling? And are those water marks I see as well?¡± Irene said, pointing to a corner.


    ¡°But Lady Irene, you must understand, this is the ceiling of the cellar¡­¡± The attendants reacted grumpily and made excuses when Irene began pointing out the faults. When she dared the attendants to repeat themselves, they fell silent and hung their heads dejectedly. They had a feeling that it would only be more difficult from here on out.


    Little did Irene know that she would experience an even greater shock when she reached the palace¡¯s storage room. There was a mountain-sized pile of items stacked haphazardly at the entrance, the majority of which were left unwrapped.


    ¡°What? She just had them thrown in?¡± Irene asked.


    ¡°Yes, milady, since His Majesty sent far too many gifts¡­¡± the attendant explained.


    ¡°Even so, you¡¯re telling me these presents were just thoughtlessly piled up like this?¡±


    Irene was beyond frustrated. How could they neglect these precious items? What would happen if one were to disappear? With these thoughts looming over her, Irene desperately squeezed time into her schedule to set the palace in order in between her tutoring sessions with Cecile. She told herself the effort was a worthwhile investment for her comfortable life in the future. After all, wasn¡¯t this a surefire way to familiarize herself with everything she¡¯d need to know once she was crowned empress? This was also the perfect opportunity to show Estian what a meticulous and qualified empress she could be.


    ¡°Lady Irene.¡± Cecile¡¯s voice snapped Irene out of her thoughts. Her tone was heavy and somber, quite different from the empress¡¯s normal manner when addressing Irene.


    ¡°Your¡­ Majesty,¡± Irene said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m still a bit dazed from my tumble down the stairs. Could you tell me what happened with Princess Yuliana?¡±


    ¡°You need not be concerned about Yuliana. It ended well.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank goodness,¡± Irene nodded slowly. There was a dark expression on the empress¡¯s face, so Irene was curious about what had transpired while she was indisposed. Then, if everything ended well, what was the cause of the empress¡¯s dark countenance? Was there another problem?


    ¡°Lady Irene,¡± Cecile repeated.


    ¡°Please speak, Your Majesty,¡± Irene replied. She felt uneasy about the empress¡¯s hesitant attitude. What could the empress possibly wish to discuss? She watched Cecile gathering her thoughts, and clench her fists with resolve.


    ¡°This may sound sudden, but I ask that you give up being my handmaiden,¡± Cecile said.

 CH 143

    ¡°Pardon?¡± The empress¡¯s words came out of left field. It took Irene a few seconds to process what she¡¯d heard, and then her expression stiffened.


    ¡°I heard from the attendants that you have been fervently inspecting around the Empress Palace,¡± Cecile continued.


    Irene felt her heart drop. Has she been found out? She pursed her lips, wondering whether there¡¯d been a spy among the attendants following her around the empress¡¯s palace. Is it possible that the empress had discovered her true intentions? If that were true, why wait until now to dismiss her?


    Suddenly, it dawned on her. Cecile needed a competent tutor to face-off against Yuliana, and there was no better talent than Irene! Now that the princess had been dealt with, Irene had worn out her stay at the palace. ¡®Ah! This must be what it means to be thrown on the scrap heap!¡¯ There was a common adage that after the hunt, the first to go were the hunting dogs.


    The empress was declaring her talents were no longer necessary, or rather, that she was someone that needed to be disposed of swiftly. A guttural rage inside her began to boil. ¡®You think I¡¯ll just leave without a fight?!¡¯ If she left now, chances were high that she¡¯d never step foot in the empress¡¯s palace again. She had to hold on no matter what, even if she needed to beg on her knees.


    Sucking in a deep breath, Irene made her decision. ¡°What do you mean, Your Majesty!¡± Irene yelled loud enough for the outside attendants to hear. She bolted from the bed and dropped to her knees before Cecile. The pain from her injured knees caused tears to well up in her eyes, but they were the least of Irene¡¯s concerns. In fact, the tears might even help her case. ¡°Give up serving as a handmaiden? How could you grant me this privilege and then take it away so heartlessly!¡±


    ¡®Are you attendants outside listening? You¡¯re listening right?¡¯ The position of the empress¡¯s handmaiden was considered a great honor and usually required selection by formal election. It wasn¡¯t a simple matter that allowed the empress to strip the position with a single order, unlike other palace laborers.


    ¡°L-lady Irene!¡± Cecile cried out in a trembling voice.


    Encouraged by the empress¡¯s moment of weakness, Irene cried out louder in a mournful tone, ¡°Was I so lacking? I tried hard to serve Your Majesty to the best of my ability, whether it be day or night. Yet I am being told to leave in such a manner! You cannot do this to me!¡±


    Her wails were filled with genuine emotions. Any attendant would¡¯ve picked up on the unspoken message hidden in her words. She was obviously screaming, ¡®You¡¯re kicking me out after driving me hard day and night? Give me back my handmaiden position!¡¯


    Irene deliberately added pressure and rubbed her injured knees against the ground, causing fresh tears to form from the stinging pain. By this point, her appearance was pitiful and heartbreaking. ¡®Since things have come to this anyway¡­¡¯ Irene swallowed her pride and leaned into her desperation.


    ¡°Was I so lacking? I will work even harder, Your Majesty! I will do anything that you ask of me!¡± Irene peered at the empress earnestly. Since she was going all out, she decided to add in some servility to her act. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to remove the wasp nest in the corner of the roof of the Empress Palace! I¡¯ll clean the bottom of the pond too! If¡­if that¡¯s not enough, next time not only will I make sure not to faint like today, I¡¯ll even block a sword properly if need be!¡±


    At this point, Irene¡¯s offer made her less of a handmaiden and more like a slave, but she was too engrossed with racking her brain for more ways to beg to realize.


    ¡°This is why I¡¯m telling you to give up being my handmaiden!¡± Cecile¡¯s teary voice rang out from above her.


    Irene was taken aback and her head jerked to look at Cecile¡¯s face. The heck? Why was she now crying?


    * * *


    How could Cecile not be moved? Even after Irene must¡¯ve been scarred by Yuliana¡¯s scheme to inflict bodily harm, she still refused to give up her position as handmaiden and was pleading to remain at the empress¡¯s side.


    The imperial court doctor had informed the empress that a potent sleeping poison had been used on Irene. It was a relief that its effect only rendered her unconscious, but what would¡¯ve happened if the poison had been of a more lethal kind? This incident once again reminded her how dangerous it was for those around her.


    ¡®His Majesty and Richard can¡¯t always be protecting me.¡¯ If even her safety could not be guaranteed, what could be said for those around her? The empress felt a little comfort knowing that at least Tania was tough and strong in her own right, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for the delicate woman lying on the bed before her. Cecile reached out and held one of Irene¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I understand how you feel, but how could I ask you to continue in such a  dangerous line of work? I cannot stand to see you hurt!¡± Cecile said gently.


    Cecile¡¯s concern was sincere. When she received the news of Irene¡¯s injury, her blood had run cold. If someone like Yuliana were to appear again in the future, Irene could be hurt and might suffer from another frightful experience.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you will not be able to send me away for a reason like that,¡± Irene said with a determined face.


    ¡®Oh, so this is how resolved she is¡­ ¡® Tearing up, Cecile felt moved by Irene¡¯s words and expression. To sincerely answer Irene¡¯s feelings, Cecile felt she could not back away now, so she squeezed her handmaiden¡¯s hands tighter. ¡°Lady Irene. No, Irene,¡± Cecile began softly, ¡°would it be fine to address you a little more affectionately from now on?¡±


    Irene¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. The loving tone was completely different from how the empress had addressed her earlier that day.


    ¡°From the very moment I first saw you, I wanted to get to know you a little better. So, I ask you¡­ I ask this request of you¡­¡± the empress continued.


    Seeing the empress hesitate, Irene gulped nervously. What was the empress about to say? Did she want her to lend money?


    ¡°Could we be friends starting from today?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Come again?¡±


    The empress¡¯s unexpected request caught Irene off guard. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, as she thought, ¡®What the heck is happening now?¡¯

 CH 144

    Act 7: The Forgotten


    Black smoke engulfed Etia¡¯s capital. Throughout the capital, scattered sounds of people screaming and things breaking could be heard. None of this captured Estian¡¯s attention, as he stared emotionlessly at the castle in front of him. The conquest of Etia was taking longer compared to his past campaigns.


    From this day forward, the wealthy nation bordering the ocean known as Etia would disappear from the maps of the continent. Estian had decimated nearly all the villages in the region, so it would be a simple matter for cartographers to mark the former region as one blank space.


    ¡°It seems that things have been mostly cleared up,¡± Kane said, appearing behind Estian.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Estian replied curtly.


    The knight commander could see that the emperor was in a terrible mood. It was natural considering they were in a time of war, but the emperor¡¯s mood seemed particularly terrible this time around.


    ¡°Is there anything troubling you?¡± Kane asked cautiously, wondering if there was any command that he or the knights had failed to carry out properly.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Despite Estian¡¯s denial, his short reply was indicative of his worsening mood. It would be pointless to push any further. Their clean up of the inner capital city was almost complete, and Kane¡¯s priority was to attend to the many important tasks entrusted to him.


    ¡°Then, will you permit the knights to retreat now?¡± Kane asked.


    Anyone else would¡¯ve wondered at Kane¡¯s question. The dukedom was being driven to destruction, but the task of capturing the Grand Duke Farus and the castle remained. Why would the knight order retreat now of all times? However, this was in fact the typical proceedings for Kane and the knights. Apart from a few instances, the final battle in the wars of conquest were almost always Estian¡¯s to fight alone.


    In the beginning, many knights wondered how the emperor could face hundreds and thousands of foes alone. Now, none of them held such concerns. A daring few who defied their orders out of curiosity ended up losing their lives. Their deaths were recorded as casualties of war, but everyone knew that they¡¯d perished at Estian¡¯s hand. It was better to live in ignorance¡ªcuriosity killed the cat, after all.


    ¡°Go. Far away. Far enough that your sight no longer reaches this place,¡± Estian commanded.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Kane answered, bowing deeply. He gestured to the knight behind him, and a sound resembling the cry of hawk soon rang out through the capital. It was the signal to retreat. Knights frantically rode their steeds out of the city, as if they were chased by powerful phantom beasts.


    Estian watched the backs of the retreating imperial knights. A gust of wind blew through his hair, carrying a mixed scent of thick smoke and blood. He clicked his tongue irritably and smoothed his hair back.


    ¡°Something is bothering me, huh¡­¡± he muttered. His knight commander was sharp, truly living up to his position as the emperor¡¯s adjutant. Estian had been in a state of aggravation from the moment he stepped foot into Etia¡¯s borders¡­ no, from the moment he left the imperial palace.


    His head unconsciously turned towards the direction of the empire, where his empress remained. Cecile had pouted and asked why she couldn¡¯t accompany him. Had the question come from anyone else, he wouldn¡¯t have been lenient towards the asker. However, the empress was different. All he could offer in consolation was a promise of a swift return.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯s doing well, but I should hurry back.¡¯ Estian was startled by his own thoughts. Had there ever been a time when he thought about returning early from war? No. War had always been his reason for living. He derived joy from the destruction and slaughtering of the targets of his wrath. He lived to fight. Those were the moments that made him feel alive. But why did everything feel annoying and dull this time around?


    Estian wondered if Cecile had discovered the gift that he¡¯d left her. The scepter was one of the emperor¡¯s regalia, but he¡¯d never spared it a thought¡­ until now.


    ¡°Bring me the regalia,¡± Estian commanded.


    ¡°Pardon, sire?¡± the head chamberlain asked.


    ¡°I said, bring out all the regalia.¡±


    The head chamberlain rushed out at Estian¡¯s order, and returned shortly with the four regalia of the empire: the crown, the sword, the scepter, and the orb.


    ¡®Which one should I give before I leave?¡¯ Estian wondered. He spent a long time touching each object, picking each one up to examine before placing them back down.


    The first of the regalia that he picked up was the crown. There was an unsightly stain on the inner fabric lining, which was, without a doubt, a dried blood stain. Estian pondered when he¡¯d last seen the crown. ¡®Ah, I remember. This rolled alongside that rotter¡¯s head.¡® The ¡®rotter¡¯ in question was his deceased father, whose head had rolled on the ground with the crown still attached to it after Estian lopped it off.


    When his officials had presented the crown to him, Estian had instructed them, ¡°No need to clean it when this filth suits it perfectly. Isn¡¯t it great that it clearly shows what happened too?¡± And so, the crown was stowed away with the blood uncleaned.


    Estian frowned and quickly placed it back in its case. ¡®I can¡¯t give her something like this.¡¯ Cecile would run away screaming if she caught sight of the crown, and would never come near the case again. More importantly, there was no way he would give her such a dirty thing.

 CH 145

    The next case contained the sword. Estian immediately dismissed the idea. ¡®It¡¯s too heavy, not to mention the blade¡¯s still sharp so this won¡¯t do either.¡¯ It was a ceremonial sword forged without the slightest consideration for practicality. The item was a thing of beauty, but the elaborate decorations added significant heft, which would make it difficult for Cecile to carry around. It also wouldn¡¯t do if Cecile ended up injured from the sharp blade.


    This meant that the remaining choices were between the scepter and the orb. Estian decided on the scepter without hesitation. The orb was awkward to carry, and he never understood the purpose of it in the first place. In such a manner, the scepter was picked from the four regalia and packed into a box to be sent to the empress¡¯s palace.


    There was one specific reason Estian decided to hand over one of the regalia to Cecile before his departure. Her reputation in the imperial court was at the bottom of the barrel, which was really his fault for having her act the part of a villainess. Her safety was secure since she had the emperor¡¯s favor, but he couldn¡¯t be sure it would be the same when he was away.


    ¡®The empress will need some form of protection lest the officials get any funny ideas. There¡¯s no knowing what they might get up to while I¡¯m away. They¡¯ve gone through rigorous selection, but¡­¡¯


    He didn¡¯t trust the ministers of the empire. Estian would¡¯ve liked to purge all of them, but he recognized that the empire couldn¡¯t be managed alone. His officials were chosen from those who were, at the very least, not involved with ¡®that incident.¡¯ This had inadvertently caused an unnecessary sense of loyalty to develop. That blind loyalty could easily turn into a blade pointed at Cecile, for the pointless reason of placing a more suitable woman at the emperor¡¯s side.


    ¡®They¡¯re not the sort that would hesitate to attack the empress.¡¯


    Estian was well versed with the twisted side of human nature. Those wretches in the laboratory never hesitated when pushing the guileless children into the experiment cells. Not all of them had participated out of greed. There were those that claimed loftier intentions. Whether it be for country, for family, or for the greater good, those claiming nobler convictions held their heads higher than those who were seeking to fill their coffers. It was those misplaced convictions that enabled them to force him, a prince at the time, into their experiments.


    Estian shook his head to clear his thoughts. A slight slip of focus and he¡¯d be buried in memories of the past. He started to make his way towards the castle. It would be best to wrap things up quickly and return to the empire. Destroying Etia would grant him a long respite, and there wouldn¡¯t be a need to wage war for at least another year. The voices within would be satisfied and quieten down. It would give him time to make other plans.


    ¡®Perhaps I¡¯ll travel outside the palace for a while.¡¯


    Now that he thought about it, Cecile had traded in a life imprisoned in the royal villa in Navitan for a life bound within the walls of the empress¡¯s palace. Despite the empress palace¡¯s splendor, it was still a building with a confined space.


    He could remedy this situation. There were many places rumored for their beauty within the empire, such as a valley filled with flower petals year-round and mountains with clear ponds boasting a full palette of colors to name a few. These were all sights that the emperor had paid little interest in the past, but they would soon be welcoming their master.


    ¡®It¡¯ll be nice to have a stay in such places. ¡®She¡¯ll definitely like it.¡¯


    Estian let out a dry chuckle at the absurdity of his thoughts. It was strange to be considering such matters on his way to slaughter a human. Soon he had reached the tightly closed gates of the castle. Even while the city burned and its people were dying, the gates remained tightly shut.


    He raised a fist and slammed the castle gates. Crash! The thick wood of the gates splintered and cracked at the thunderous impact. Estian continued to swing his fist, landing punches in the same spot again and again. Crash! Crash! The gates creaked under the pressure, until eventually, they were smashed apart with an explosive bang. Estian glanced down at his fist with disinterest. His knuckles were scratched and bloodied, but the wounds soon healed without a trace, leaving only a small smudge of dried blood.


    Stepping over remnants of the smashed gates, Estian entered the castle. It was empty. Not a single soul could be found. There were no knights nor attendants. He wondered if they had all gone into hiding, but he realized he couldn¡¯t sense any human presence. As he hurriedly made his way through the castle, his face twisted into a grimace.


    While Etia¡¯s castle did not match up in terms of scale to the imperial palace, it did not lose out in splendor. Finding himself in an empty hall, Estian shouted, ¡°Grand Duke Farus!¡± It was the name of the castle¡¯s master, and the man to whom Estian owed a debt.


    A moment later, footsteps could be heard approaching. ¡°Long time no see, Estian. Or should I be addressing you as Your Majesty now?¡±

 CH 146

    The grand duke appeared at the top of the staircase. He had the appearance of a sprightly young man in his early twenties, sporting short brown hair and brown eyes. Estian knew better¡ªthis man was over 80 years old, and his face had remained unchanged since Estian¡¯s youth.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re still living with that monstrous face of yours,¡± Estian sneered.


    ¡°And you¡¯re still living with the face of a human. Such a pity. I was very fond of your ¡®true appearance,¡¯ you know,¡± the grand duke retorted with a laugh. Mirth hung on his lips. ¡°Ah, yes. They say you¡¯ve taken in an empress lately. You really are an odd one, aren¡¯t you? Do you really intend on living like a human because you wear the skin of one? That empress wouldn¡¯t have known why you never sent a single portrait before the wedding, so I took the liberty of rectifying that. Her Majesty should be receiving and admiring it right about now.¡±


    Estian hardened at his words, and clenched his hands so hard the sounds of bones cracking were audible.


    ¡®Oho? And I was thinking what if¡­¡¯ Grand Duke Farus beamed at the sight of Estian¡¯s twisted expression. He¡¯d been keeping close tabs on Estian, and had been troubled when he heard the emperor accepted an empress.


    Farus had pushed women to Estian¡¯s side in the past. Naturally, they were empress candidates of the finest pedigree, with exceptional backgrounds, sophistication, and beauty. It was difficult finding women that met such criteria, but it was even harder persuading them to enter the palace. Even after barely managing to convince them, none managed to survive. It wasn¡¯t long before other women were sent in by Farus¡¯s rivals. Obviously, the grand duke gave the order to have them killed.


    ¡®It turns out I wasn¡¯t the only one scheming, but I¡¯ll never let anyone else have him.¡® Grand Duke Farus gnashed his teeth. Like Farus, there were many others who coveted Estian and his blood. All of them held the same desperate desire. Estian¡¯s child¡ªa child borne from the sole complete specimen of Eugendiph¡¯s blood. It was the only way to obtain a similar specimen, or even one that surpassed him. Still, he couldn¡¯t be hasty. Those that tried to control Estian all inevitably perished at his hand.


    Estian never spared a glance for any of the women sent to the palace, and then one day, he suddenly brought in an unknown lass from a tiny kingdom in the corner of the continent and crowned her empress. Farus assumed it was Estian¡¯s ploy to discourage people from sending women his way. That is, until he heard about Estian¡¯s behavior after the wedding.


    Rumors circulated that Estian would spend his nights at the empress¡¯s palace instead of returning to the main palace. There was no need to confirm the legitimacy of the rumors since he openly showed his affection for his empress. What was even more convincing than the moans heard through the night or the love marks left on the empress¡¯s body was the fact that Estian had carried the empress into the church on their wedding day.


    ¡®He hated touching others more than death.¡¯ Eugendiph¡¯s blood had made Estian terribly averse to touching others, for fear of affecting them with his accursed constitution. Yet, that man carried someone in his arms?


    His gaze fell back on Estian. A black fog was beginning to spread around the emperor, and his eyes were turning red. ¡°My, my. Do you hate the thought of Her Majesty seeing your true self that much?¡± the grand duke teased.


    The emperor had regained his human form, but that didn¡¯t mean his original form had disappeared. The first country Estian had razed to the ground upon ascending the throne was the location of the laboratory. While laying destruction to the lands, he briefly returned to his true form. Imperial knights that disobeyed orders and entered the fray to aid him were killed alongside the enemies. It spoke to how much Estian loathed his true form. ¡®¡­And how he fears it too.¡¯


    Farus¡¯s eyes shifted briefly to his right hand. He just needed the emperor to move a little closer. ¡°Come now, Your Majesty. Don¡¯t you have to kill me?¡± Farus taunted.


    Estian began to move, with his heavy footsteps echoing through the empty hall. With each step he took, stone cracked beneath his feet. Just as he reached the center of the hall, the grand duke pressed down on what was held in his right hand. A loud rattle roared and the floor under Estian crumbled, dropping him into the darkness.


    ¡°Blast it,¡± Estian cursed with annoyance. Normally, he would¡¯ve noticed such a crude trap, but he¡¯d missed it in his agitated state. Looking upwards, he realized the hole  was quite deep. Still, this was nothing for him.


    Suddenly, the opening above closed engulfing him in darkness. A singeing smell filled the room and he realized something was burning. Looking down, a red line appeared under his feet and began to light up in the form of a complex magic circle. Estian¡¯s face twisted in recognition and he placed a hand against the pattern. His hand sizzled and burned on contact. It was the same pattern used to imprison him back in the laboratory, although it no longer had the power to contain him. At best, it would stall him for several minutes.


    ¡®What¡¯s he plotting?¡¯ Estian wondered. The grand duke was aware of the magic circle¡¯s capability and its limitations.

 CH 147

    Suddenly, he heard a growl and something moved in the dark. Estian couldn¡¯t repress his laughter. It seemed the circle wasn¡¯t intended to contain him, but something else. Looking in the direction of the sound, he heard heavy panting as something rushed towards him. It must be one of the grand duke¡¯s experiments.


    ¡®I should send it off comfortably,¡¯ Estian thought with pity. He knew Farus continued with his experiments after the laboratory was destroyed. The least he could do was put the creature out of its misery. When he stepped towards the sound, he found his path blocked by something. He raised his head in puzzlement. ¡®Glass? Why is there glass in a place like this?¡¯


    He stopped breathing and stared in horror at the black mass on the other side of the glass. It wore the same clothes as him, and held the same sword too. This was no glass¡­ ¡°A mirror?¡± Estian choked out. An instant later, the only sounds that remained were Estian¡¯s screams.


    * * *


    ¡°Kraaaaaaagh!¡±


    Grand Duke Farus gazed at the floor, which began to crack the same moment the screams began. A black fog was reaching through the cracks and swirled towards the grand duke. When the fog made contact with his skin, it blackened and Farus was engulfed by a wave of agony. He laughed through the pain. His death was sealed the minute Estian stepped into Etia, and he had no intention of making out alive. Instead, there was something else that he wanted.


    As the cracks in the floor widened, a black mass emerged and expanded to fill the castle. It looked like an enormous mass of sludge, continuously clumping and falling apart, with two shining red eyes at its center. Farus stared at it in awe. How he had wished to lay eyes upon this form again¡ªthe most perfect specimen of Eugendiph¡¯s blood ever created. It was a mass of tremendous raw power. An unstoppable force. It was a cumulation of insanity.


    ¡°Estian,¡± the grand duke breathed in a voice of ecstasy, ¡°that¡¯s who you really are.¡±


    Those were the grand duke¡¯s final words before he was swallowed by the black mass.


    * * *


    Kane looked up at the sky, startled by the sounds of an inhuman roar. He had been organizing the knights, as they garrisoned in the mountains far beyond Etia¡¯s capital city, waiting for the emperor¡¯s return.


    ¡°The hell? What was that sound?¡± Shouts could be heard among the knights. The knights of the imperial army were not easily rattled, but they all paled at the sound. Kane was no exception.


    ¡°All knights retreat at full speed! Leave the dukedom of Etia at once!¡± Kane yelled. ¡°Quickly!¡±


    ¡°What? What are you saying?¡± one of the knights nearest to him questioned.


    It was unheard of for the imperial army to retreat before the emperor returned. However, the terrified expression on the knight commander¡¯s face was all the convincing it took for the men to spring into action. Immediately, they ran to their steeds and began retreating with haste.


    Kane watched until the knights had disappeared into the distance, before turning and running back towards the capital. There was no point in trying to ride a horse; no living animal would be willing to head in that direction. Running along the mountain path like a madman, he reached the peak in an instant.


    ¡°Good God¡­¡± he muttered despairingly. ¡°Your Majesty, why¡­¡±


    The capital city of the dukedom of Etia, which was located between the plains at the end of the mountain range and near the edge of the ocean, was now covered in a thick black miasma. At first glance, it looked like black fog that moved in the wind, but Kane knew better. His face was marred with hopelessness, as he recalled a conversation he once had with the emperor.


    ¡°You might wind up seeing something horrifying if you stay by my side,¡± Estian remarked.


    ¡°Horrifying? What might you be speaking of?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to explain, but you¡¯ll know it when you see it. Anyway, if it happens and you end up encountering it, then run. It will kill everything in its path.¡±


    ¡°Is it possible to live if you run?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can at least survive for the distance you run.¡±


    Estian had a bitter smile on his face. His last remark carried the heavy implication that death was inevitable. Kane had wondered whether it would truly be as bleak as the emperor made it out to be, or if there might still be a way out, but realizing that Estian had said all he would on the matter, the subject was dropped.


    Now, as he watched the expanding black mass slowly engulf Etia¡¯s capital city, he finally understood. He realized the truth immediately¡ªeverything was going to die.


    ¡®Kraaaah!¡¯ A terrible roar reverberated through the skies.


    * * *


    ¡°Huh?¡± Cecile raised her head. ¡°Did you hear something just now?¡±


    ¡°No, what sound?¡± Tania asked, shaking her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I must¡¯ve heard wrong.¡± Even as Cecile dismissed her concern, she gazed at the sky with a light frown. ¡®Odd. I thought I heard something roaring?¡¯ It was an eerie, heart-chilling sound. A shiver ran down her spine.


    ¡°Where should I put this?¡± Tania asked, holding out The Forest of Tetin.


    ¡°Oh, that? I haven¡¯t seen Aled around in a while, so you can put it in¡ª¡± Cecile faltered mid-sentence as her eyes widened in surprise.

 CH 148

    Cecile blinked her eyes a few times in surprise and asked, ¡°Did you see that just now? It¡¯s shining.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? See what?¡± Tania asked, shaking her head gently.


    ¡°Was I seeing things?¡± Cecile frowned. She could¡¯ve sworn that the emerald lying next to the Forest of Tetin, the jewel that had formerly housed Aled, had shined for a brief moment. Aled had once explained to the empress that jewels sparkled exceptionally brightly when spirits inhabited them. ¡®Well, as if that would happen. There¡¯s no way some other spirit is inhabiting it.¡¯


    ¡°How about you put down the scepter?¡± Richard spoke up from behind. He was eyeing the regalia in Cecile¡¯s hands with great interest.


    ¡°Are you mad? You were caught red-handed trying to touch it just this morning. And won¡¯t you hold up your hands properly?¡± Cecile glared, hugging the regalia closer to her.


    ¡°This guy had his arms down for a while now! I saw it!¡± Girgantia cried out, piling on to the archmage.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you be silent, whelp?¡± Richard grumbled, clicking his tongue at having been caught slacking.


    Girgantia looked at Richard incredulously and swung his tail. The sound of a good thwack rang out in the storage room. The impact was enough to knock down the archmage kneeling next to him.


    ¡°Now look here, you seem to be forgetting that I¡¯m a dragon, but¡ª¡± Girgantia began, stepping on the archmage knocked over on the floor.


    ¡°What dragon gets dragged around leashed by a human girl! That¡¯s called a puppy!¡±


    Girgantia bared his teeth, growling, ¡°Then how about you get gnawed on by that puppy.¡±


    Unable to stand their bickering, Cecile whipped around and threatened, ¡°Girgantia! Stop this instant, or there¡¯ll be no fried chicken for you! And Richard, if you keep this up, then I¡¯ll really send you to His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°N-no! You promised to give me lots of fried chicken legs!¡±


    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t tell Estian!¡±


    The two immediately cowered in front of the empress¡¯s threats. Girgantia curled his tail and backed off, while Richard shot his arms back into the air again, but both didn¡¯t forget to throw in a final jab at each other. Glaring at Richard, Girgantia mouthed ¡°You¡¯re really going to get it if you cross me,¡± while the archmage mouthed back, ¡°Oh yeah? You really want a piece of me?¡±


    Meanwhile, Tania shook her head watching the two of them, and quietly bemoaned, ¡°So, this is the level the last dragon and archmage fights at.¡±


    Seeing the two still quietly at their throats, Cecile sighed. ¡°Anyway, we should tidy things up quickly and head back. I came here to help Irene, but at this rate, we¡¯ll just end up creating more work.¡±


    Cecile had come to the palace¡¯s storage room intending to help the busy Irene, and somehow this unusual grouping had gathered together. Feeling pleased to be doing something for her new friend, she felt a sense of satisfaction. ¡°This is what friends are for,¡± she murmured. She rolled the word in her mouth over and over. Friend. Friend. ¡°What a beautiful word¡­¡±


    ¡°I was friends with Your Majesty first,¡± Tania pouted when she saw Cecile¡¯s happy face.


    ¡°Of course, Tania¡¯s first!¡± Cecile cajoled, hugging Tania by the shoulders with a laugh.


    ¡°Please make sure Lady Irene knows that I¡¯m number one, and she¡¯ll be number two forever,¡± Tania continued sternly.


    ¡°Al-alright.¡± Cecile felt a cold sweat break out at Tania¡¯s stubborn insistence. Her handmaiden had been sticking to her side ever since Cecile broke the news that Lady Irene and her had decided to become friends.


    Tania continued to pout when the empress showed a troubled look on her face. She hadn¡¯t expected the two to grow close while she was off playing with Girgantia. She wanted to accompany Cecile when the empress went to give Yuliana or what¡¯s-her-name what she deserved, but Tania held back because of the emperor¡¯s strict orders to watch over Girgantia. How was she supposed to know that in her absence, Irene, an interloper that appeared out of nowhere, would take over managing the empress¡¯s palace! And now she was keeping Her Majesty too! Suddenly, Irene was at the empress¡¯s side from dawn till dusk. Tania was struck with a great sense of crisis!


    ¡®I was first! I¡¯m number one!¡¯ she seethed inside. Tania was the empress¡¯s first handmaiden, even if the position had been gained through offering a piece of jewelry and novels. That commemorative first place position was hers! Still, she felt that her standing was shaky at the moment.


    Tania¡¯s greatest asset was her strength. She was comforted that at least she could be in charge of protecting the empress, but then the archmage Richard, in the form of a young boy, was suddenly placed at her side. On top of that, Cecile was wearing the blue earring that was said to have the protection of the blue phoenix. There were too many powerful things at the empress¡¯s side.

 CH 149

    Feeling like her position was being threatened with the way things were going, Tania made the decision to stick by the empress¡¯s side from today onwards. When she told Girgantia she would be busy from now on, the dragon blinked at her dumbly.


    ¡°Then what about me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Hmm¡­ If we bound you in chains three times thicker than they are now, wouldn¡¯t you, the attendants, and I rest assured?¡±


    ¡°No! You want to leave me alone in chains again? If you¡¯re going somewhere, take me too!¡± Girgantia shouted and wailed, ¡°What am I going to do by myself without you? I¡¯ll be bored!¡±


    In the end, Tania gave in and went to get permission to bring Girgantia out too. Even amidst all the ruckus, the organization of the storage room was slowly wrapping up, but Tania couldn¡¯t afford to ease up.


    ¡°What a relief. I was worried about what I¡¯d do with so many heavy things, but it¡¯s all done thanks to Tania,¡± Cecile complimented.


    Despite the empress¡¯s compliments, Tania knew that Irene was doubtlessly still enthusiastically tending to all sorts of work throughout the palace. Apparently, she¡¯d taken charge of everything from handling the attendants down to the types of meals served to the empress. ¡®I don¡¯t like that either!¡¯ Who was she to manage all of that? Tania had even caught whisperings among the attendants that Irene was the one best suited to remain at the empress¡¯s side.


    ¡°At any rate, I don¡¯t like Lady Irene,¡± Tania muttered to herself.


    ¡°I hate her too. Isn¡¯t she the one that cut down our chicken from ten to five?¡± Girgantia whispered, as he crept over to Tania¡¯s side.


    ¡°Do you mind butting out?¡±


    Cecile left the whispering Tania and Girgantia to their devices and walked over to the display again. Just then, something flashed. A green light poured forth from the Forest of Tetin, illuminating the entire storage room.


    ¡°Hmm? The Forest of Tetin¡­!¡± Cecile stammered.


    Richard immediately drew his mana, while Tania ran to shield Cecile. Something emerged from the jewel¡ªa small humanoid figure. Flying out of the jewel and into the air, it dusted off its wings.


    ¡°Aled?¡± Cecile called out in surprise.


    ¡°Wachoo!¡± Instead of a greeting, Aled sneezed and blew its nose for a long time, before looking around the space. ¡°Eh, I came back properly.¡±


    Sniffling and rubbing its reddened eyes, Aled spotted Cecile and shouted urgently, ¡°Hey! Great, you¡¯re here! The emperor. Where¡¯d the emperor go?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean why? The Archwitch is¡­¡±


    ¡°Archwitch?¡±


    ¡°I see there¡¯s been newcomers since I was gone? Woah, look at that. A wyvern? No, a dragon? The heck? Why is something like this here? And who¡¯s this? A handsome boy? No¡­ the inside is a little old. A mage? An incredibly strong one at that. And this one is¡­ just a girl?¡±


    True to its name, Aled began chattering incessantly and Cecile had to block her ears. ¡°Aled. Will you make yourself visible firs¡ª¡±


    Before Cecile could finish, Tania swung her fist and her fist connected with Aled, who was sent straight into a wall. The impact sent the items in the display cabinet and the spirit tumbling to the floor.


    ¡°Huh? I just swung because I heard some fly¡­¡± Tania said bewilderedly.


    It was a wonder that she¡¯d managed to hit Aled so accurately when she couldn¡¯t even see its form. Richard, who flinched when the archwitch was mentioned earlier, was gaping at the scene, while Girgantia proudly mouthed to him, ¡°See that? This is what she¡¯s capable of.¡±


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s small.¡±


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that a spirit?¡±


    ¡°What the¡­ a spirit?¡±


    The trio approached Aled and were eyeing it with curiosity. Picking itself off the floor, Aled dusted itself off and was about to say something about all the eyes gawking at it, but instead shook its head and flew back to Cecile.


    ¡°First things first, I need to meet the emperor urgently. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Well, his Majesty went to conquer the dukedom of Etia.¡±


    ¡°Dukedom of Etia? And where¡¯s that? When¡¯s he coming back?¡±


    ¡°Why are you in such a rush to find him?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because the emperor¡ª¡±


    The talkative spirit suddenly clammed up. The emperor had left his express wishes that not a peep about Eugendiph¡¯s blood should be mentioned to the empress. He seemed intent on murdering the spirit if it broke its promise.


    ¡®Right. He told me to never mention Eugendiph¡¯s blood in front of her. Figures, since if he took it, his true form would be that of a monster.¡¯ Instead of trying to explain itself, Aled flew over to the center of the storage room, where a large map was sprawled open.


    ¡°Why the map?¡± Cecile asked.


    ¡°Mark where that Etia place is, will you? And you there, mage. You look strong, so help a spirit out.¡±


    ¡°Ha. Well, well. This spirit sure has perceptive eyes,¡± Richard said, smoothing back his hair as he walked towards them. ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to open a gate to that place. You can support me.¡±


    Richard quickly calculated the distance between Etia and the empress¡¯s palace and shook his head. ¡°A gate? It¡¯s too far. Besides, it can¡¯t be maintained for long, even if it¡¯s opened,¡± he said. There were too many risk factors in opening a gate meant for traversing through space at that distance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the only one crossing so it¡¯s fine,¡± the spirit shrugged.


    ¡°But if something goes wrong, you¡¯ll end up lost in the gap between space.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Since I¡¯m a spirit, I can just take a detour back if something goes wrong. That¡¯s only a problem for humans.¡±

 CH 150

    Cecile watched as Aled and Richard began their preparations. She was somewhat concerned about why Aled seemed to be in a rush to look for Estian. The spirit hadn¡¯t mentioned its reasons, but it sure seemed urgent.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m opening it.¡± As soon as Aled gave the warning, a line appeared in midair that expanded into a circle, which then began to rapidly spin.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Cecile exclaimed. She inched closer, surveying it with curiosity, since it was her first-time seeing magic in person. Even though they were standing in the palace¡¯s storage room, the landscape inside the circle morphed into a different scenery. ¡®So, this is gate magic!¡¯ She¡¯d read about the spell, which was mentioned in many books¡ªmagic that connected two spaces. ¡°Is this magic difficult?¡± she asked, turning to Richard.


    Uncharacteristically for him, Richard replied in a serious manner, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to cast, but it¡¯s hard to set up a proper link, which makes it dangerous. The greater the distance, the harder it is to establish the connection. More importantly, if it¡¯s unstable and something were to happen, you might not be able to reach the other side.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Exactly as I said. It looks like it¡¯s an instant connection, but it takes more time than you¡¯d think to get to the other side. If the gate closes while you¡¯re crossing, you¡¯ll end up trapped between space.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, but it does sound dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an issue for someone like me or Aled, but¡­¡± Richard chuckled, as he cast a look at Cecile, ¡°a powerless human like you wouldn¡¯t be able to escape for their entire life. The spell compresses space. If you drop between that, you¡¯ll end up somewhere unfamiliar and you¡¯ll die wandering in some strange place.¡±


    ¡°Why are we opening something so dangerous here?! Tania, you heard him, right? Don¡¯t get close! Girgantia, you too!¡±


    Richard¡¯s words had caused a chill to run down Cecile¡¯s spine, and she quickly grabbed Tania and Girgantia, who had moved closer to gape at the expanding circle, as if they were about to leap into it at any moment. The two started to whine that they wanted to see more, but she forced them to move back.


    Once satisfied they were a safe distance away, Cecile approached the gate cautiously. ¡®I¡¯ll get to see His Majesty when it opens, right?¡¯ She didn¡¯t have any thoughts of crossing the gate since it was dangerous, but she hoped to get a glimpse of Estian¡¯s face when the connection stabilized. She thought it would be nice to have a little chat while Aled was crossing.


    Suddenly, the instant the scenery beyond the gate came into focus, an ear-splitting roar was heard¡ª¡°Kraaaaar!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what the?¡± Cecile gasped, stumbling back.


    Richard looked across the gate, and muttered bewilderedly, ¡°I¡¯m sure it connected to the dukedom of Etia¡­ What is that?¡±


    ¡°Is this really Etia? What is that?¡± Cecile stammered, staring blankly at the scene. Beyond the gate was a wriggling, unidentifiable black mud-like mass, which was in the middle of engulfing a city she was seeing for the first time. She¡¯d expected to see Estian when the gate connected. Instead, she was greeted with the sight of something strange and scary.


    ¡®What about His Majesty?¡¯ No matter how Cecile searched with her eyes, she couldn¡¯t find him anywhere, or anyone else for that matter. Suddenly, a bright flash of light exploded from behind her, and she tripped¡ªsomething had pushed her. Unable to even flail her arms, Cecile tumbled straight into the open gate while screaming. Glancing back, she saw four surprised faces in the distance, and something floating above their heads.


    ¡®A hand?¡¯ There was a white glowing disembodied human hand. Despite the oddity, none of the four paid it any attention, as if they hadn¡¯t noticed it. Meanwhile, the circle connected to the empress¡¯s palace disappeared and the surrounding landscape shifted.


    When she fell through the circle, Cecile had been certain that the sky was above, while the dukedom of Etia was below. However, different sceneries soon flickered past her in succession¡ªa forest filled with trees, an endless ocean, a desert, and then another unfamiliar city. Watching the rapidly changing landscape, Cecile recalled Richard¡¯s earlier explanation, including his warning, ¡°¡­a powerless human like you wouldn¡¯t be able to escape for their entire life.¡±


    As she steadily fell in an unknown direction, Cecile flipped the out-of-view archmage the bird. ¡®Had he known that I¡¯d fall? Was he a prophet and not a mage?¡¯ The space continued to change wildly, and the empress could no longer tell up from down, left from right. As the situation grew progressively worse, Cecile felt her heart drop. In the end, all she could do was close her eyes, while she clutched the scepter tightly. Before long, Cecile was out cold.

 CH 151

    The palace¡¯s storage room was deathly quiet. Richard, Aled, Tania and Girgantia stared at where the gate had once been. For unknown reasons, the gate had closed the instant Cecile fell through it. In other words, they¡¯d lost the empress in the gap between space, and there was no way to rescue her. None of them dared to make a peep.


    ¡®We¡¯re screwed!¡¯


    The first ones to turn ashen were Richard and Aled. The archmage was recalling Estian¡¯s warning before he departed¡­ What was it? That he would dice Richard into dog feed if a single hair of the empress was harmed? Aled also looked sickly. The spirit had tried to immediately follow after the empress when she fell, but as if to thwart him, the gate vanished in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°Y-your Majesty¡­?¡± Tania stammered. Barely coming to her senses, she walked towards where the gate had been and groped at the air. Naturally, there was nothing there. ¡°Goodness gracious, Your Majesty! What do we do! Open it again, right now! We have to go find Her Majesty!¡±


    Richard and Aled exchanged looks at Tania¡¯s outburst. What she asked of them was impossible. Even if a gate was reopened, it would be a new connection that passed through an entirely different space. It was impossible to meet with Cecile.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Dead¡­¡±


    Just as the two of them were bemoaning their fates, an attendant called out from outside the storage room, ¡°Your Majesty, are you there? It is time for your next schedule.¡± Everyone¡¯s heads swung towards the door in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency! Her Majesty has¡ª Mmph! Hmph! Let me go!¡±


    Richard and Aled hastily tried to restrain Tania, who was trying to rush out, but she sent them rolling with her punches. Even so, the two didn¡¯t give up and clung to her hem.


    ¡°Hey, calm down!¡±


    ¡°R-right! Calm down and hear us out!¡±


    Kicking them away, Tania cried, ¡°Do I look like I can be calm? If we don¡¯t hurry and rescue Her Majesty¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for the empress¡¯ sake!¡± Richard shouted, nursing the sore spot on his knee where he¡¯d been kicked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What do you think would happen the instant it¡¯s known that the empress has disappeared? Chaos will ensue. And it wouldn¡¯t just end with chaos. The emperor¡¯s enemies might take the chance to act, which would only make the situation more complicated. It¡¯ll be even harder to find the empress.¡±


    Tania immediately shut her mouth. Richard was right. There would be a huge uproar if news of the empress¡¯s disappearance got out. Looking at the door with a troubled look, she asked, ¡°Then what do we do? They¡¯re right outside looking for Her Majesty!¡± If the empress didn¡¯t show herself, word would get out soon enough.


    ¡°Let¡¯s use this to deal with it for now,¡± Richard said.


    The archmage quickly began drawing a magic circle on the floor. As the magic circle began to emit light¡­ Cecile suddenly appeared in the center.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Tania blinked in surprise. What was going on?


    ¡°It¡¯s a fake, but this should be good enough to fool others for now.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Tania couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. The doppelganger was the spitting image of the empress.


    However, while Tania was gaping with amazement, Girgantia interjected, ¡°Hang on. Why didn¡¯t you recreate that thing? The scepter, was it? What the empress was holding.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t make an illusion of that. It¡¯s quite the complex item, you see. It¡¯s not the emperor¡¯s regalia for nothing.¡±


    The scepter was a magically complex object, completely unique and impossible to replicate, which was why Richard had been hounding the empress incessantly to let him have a touch. If he¡¯d been allowed to touch it, perhaps he would¡¯ve been able to analyze it to the extent that he could conjure a fake. Alas, Cecile had refused stubbornly till the end. The only physical contact he¡¯d had with it was when she used it to beat him while yelling, ¡°Why¡¯d you go on about the whip!¡± during the ride back from the casino.


    ¡°Let¡¯s use this to buy some time for now, while we work to bring the empress back.¡±


    The others nodded solemnly at Richard¡¯s words. They were all in this together now.


    * * *


    Cecile raised herself with a groan when she finally came to, blinking with difficulty as she adjusted to her surroundings. ¡®It¡¯s dark.¡¯ Where was she? Somewhere along the way of falling endlessly, she¡¯d passed out cold. If she¡¯d been dropped somewhere, shouldn¡¯t the sky be visible? Yet, all she could see was darkness. However, it wasn¡¯t like this place was completely devoid of light. All around her was a seemingly magical weak glow that illuminated her surroundings.


    ¡®It looks like some place people would live, but¡­¡¯ The ground was made of hard, cold stone, but there were traces of artisan crafted work hanging on the walls. Cecile dusted herself off as she got to her feet. Removing her earring, she threw it to the ground. A blue phoenix emerged from the blue flames, just as it had back at the casino.


    ¡°Thank goodness you appeared again,¡± Cecile said, sighing with relief. The phoenix had returned to its earring form after Cecile returned from the casino, so she was concerned that its protection might¡¯ve been a one-time deal only. Luckily, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Having confirmed the blue phoenix¡¯s appearance, she turned around. ¡°First, let¡¯s use your light to find out where this¡ª¡±


    The empress was astonished.

 CH 152

    ¡°Wh-where am I?¡±


    The blue phoenix soared about Cecile¡¯s head, but no matter how high it flapped, it couldn¡¯t reach the ceiling. The bird¡¯s light had shone brilliantly radiant in the casino, but here its brightness appeared as an insignificant blue dot, indicating the vastness of the space.


    ¡®Possibly a dungeon?¡¯ Cecile considered the space, with its unreachable ceiling that even the phoenix¡¯s flames couldn¡¯t illuminate, might be a so-called dungeon that she¡¯d often heard of in stories. They were often described as having treasure hoards that would bring great riches to the heroine.


    Sometimes the protagonists would wander lost and chance upon some ancient undiscovered elixir, while falling deeply in love. While at other times¡­ they found themselves trapped in a tomb for villains, never able to find their way out! Now that she thought about it, the appearance of a dungeon often signaled a bad ending, since that was how dangerous such places were.


    ¡°Come back,¡± Cecile called to the blue phoenix that was hovering above. Like a well-trained dog, the phantom bird returned to perch on her shoulder. Scratching its beak, she murmured, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re an illuminating bird.¡± The blue phoenix let out a pleased cry. It would¡¯ve been terrible if what was summoned was a harbinger of darkness or similar instead. Seeing how the phoenix was calm, Cecile felt comforted that there must not be any danger yet. She decided to begin exploring with the blue phoenix resting on her shoulder.


    ¡®Looks like I didn¡¯t let go of this, even while I was out.¡¯ Cecile gripped the scepter in her hand and walked forward. If anything, the scepter would be a handy weapon if the need arose, considering it was intact even after she used it to beat Richard with a vengeance.


    Cecile couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she¡¯d ended here. The last thing she remembered was falling from the sky, so she thought she would¡¯ve landed on land or in an ocean? But dropping into a dungeon? She couldn¡¯t for the life of her figure out how the spaces had connected. And then, she remembered that one memory that caused her face to darken.


    ¡®I was definitely pushed.¡¯ She hadn¡¯t tripped. There was definitely a bright flash before something had pushed her hack. She saw the white hand hovering above the others, who were too shocked by her fall to notice. That had to be what had pushed her. Oddly, even though the disembodied hand floating in the air was bizarre, Cecile didn¡¯t find it scary. She glanced down at the hand clutching the scepter. ¡®For some reason¡­ it looked like my hand?¡¯


    It made no sense since her hands were both securely attached to her, but somehow the hand really reminded her of her own. ¡®But why did it push me?¡¯ Why had it pushed her into the gate? If the intent was to dispose of her, it should¡¯ve aimed for her throat. The mystery made her tense up, as she continued walking forward.


    After covering a fair distance, Cecile found herself in front of a giant door, the likes of which she¡¯d never seen. It was humongous. One wouldn¡¯t even be able to find such a door in the imperial palace, or any other kingdom for that matter. No matter how far back she tilted her head, she couldn¡¯t see its top. It seemed to be as high as ten of the mountains behind the imperial palace stacked on top of each other.


    Could this be an enormous dungeon even among dungeons? She¡¯d never read about dungeons of this scale. It was so ginormous, even a giant from legends wouldn¡¯t be able to open it. The blue phoenix, who¡¯d soared up high, also returned to her shoulder and made a dejected sound, as if apologetic that it couldn¡¯t open the door either.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to open it,¡± Cecile sighed. She felt like a difficult employer making an unreasonable request. She pondered whether she should retrace her steps, since there was no way forward with the door blocking their path, but for some reason she had a feeling that she shouldn¡¯t go back.


    ¡°That roar,¡± she muttered. Suddenly, she recalled the roar she¡¯d heard when the gate had opened, and was struck by a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It was the same sound she thought she heard when they were organizing the storage room. When she¡¯d asked Tania if her handmaiden had also heard the noise, Tania had puzzledly answered no, but Cecile was convinced that it was the same roar as the one she later heard through the gate connected to Etia.


    Her hands tightened around the scepter, and the memory caused a corner of her heart to ache. The roar was terrible, but she felt the urge to move closer to it. ¡°¡­It kind of resembles His Majesty¡¯s voice.¡±


    Thoughts of Estian flooded her mind. Cecile intended to boast about how she¡¯d brilliantly ousted Yuliana when he returned. Of course, she¡¯d inevitably have to make desperate excuses for the actions she took, but she was certain Estian would listen intently and laugh until she drifted off to sleep. ¡®I hope he¡¯s safe,¡¯ she thought.


    Sniffling, she cheered for herself, exclaiming, ¡°I won¡¯t cry!¡± She was a little teary, but she refused to cry! It wouldn¡¯t change anything. If she had the energy to snivel, it would be better to spend it on finding a way out of place. Placing a hand against the door, she muttered, ¡°Whatever the case may be, I won¡¯t be able to go beyond this door¡­¡± Abruptly, the ground began to shake and the giant door that had been blocking her path began to creak open with a thunderous sound.

 CH 153

    Beyond the now wide-open door, Cecile saw nothing but darkness. However, a gust of wind that blew out from within carried a familiar scent¡ªthe smell of books. It was unmistakably redolent of paper and aromatic ink, like what you¡¯d smell when you stood close to a bookshelf.


    Surprised, the empress took a step forward, and immediately spheres of light flickered on all over the space. The darkness that even the blue phoenix¡¯s flames could not illuminate was quickly chased away. Cecile had to close her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness.


    When she opened her eyes again, her mouth dropped open. For as far as she could see, there were piles and piles of books. Books, books, and nothing but more books. They were stacked so high they seemed to reach the top of this immeasurably vast space. There was no gold or jewels¡ªonly books.


    ¡°Wh-what is all this? What¡­ is this place?¡± she whispered. Is this what a mountain of books would look like? Cecile was frozen in place by the sight of piles of books that exceeded her wildest imagination. She¡¯d once glimpsed the imperial palace¡¯s library from outside, and though she hadn¡¯t gone in yet, was surprised that the building had been filled to the brim with books. But this place was likely on a scale of hundreds of times larger than that.


    ¡®This can¡¯t be possible.¡¯ Though she obviously didn¡¯t know the number of books that existed in the world, it was abundantly clear that there was no place in the continent that could¡¯ve amassed a collection as incredible as this. She got goosebumps as she regarded the view with awe.


    Picking up a book in front of her with trembling hands, she wondered what kind of knowledge these tomes might contain. Fortunately, the book in her hand appeared to be written in the common language of the continent, which seemed unfitting for a book in a dungeon. Opening the page, she began to read aloud.


    ¡°Cecile was standing in front of the fountain when she was suddenly splashed with water. She¡¯d been careless, thinking that the fountain would not work properly after being abandoned for decades¡­¡±


    She stopped and bit her trembling lips, stammering, ¡°This, this is¡­¡± It was the story of her past. A story from many years back, when her maids in Navitan had just entered the royal villa. She¡¯d been tinkering for days trying to fix that fountain, insisting that a fountain must spout water. On the day the repairs were finished, Cecile had stood before the spout of the fountain to test it, although she only halfheartedly believed it would work. The young princess had ended up drenched by the ensuing blast of water, and she was bedridden after catching a cold.


    Cecile quickly flipped back to the book cover, which was marked in haphazard scribbles, ¡®11731.¡¯ Returning the book to its pile, she picked up another one. It had a completely different colored cover, decorations, and paper. Flipping it open, she began reading that book aloud too.


    ¡°Thus, Cecile died, without any warning at all. Her death¡­¡± The empress hurled the book away from her, and the blue phoenix perched on her shoulder let out a cry of surprise.


    ¡°How ominous. Don¡¯t go killing me off without permission!¡± she yelled. In her heart, she knew books should be cherished, but sometimes there were exceptions. She was disturbed at reading about the death of someone with her shared name. It was like she¡¯d read about her own death. Trying her luck for a third time, she picked up another book and began to read, but quickly tossed that one away too. ¡°Ack! This time His Majesty died!¡± The third book ended with Estian taking his own life.


    Continuing in the manner, Cecile began reading through all the books she could grab. The endings to each and every one of them were the same¡ªeither she or Estian would be mentioned, and in each book, at least one of them would meet their death.


    * * *


    ¡°What is up with this place? Is this a museum of ominous records? Is this actually a garbage dump in the imperial palace?¡± she shouted. Cecile knew in her heart that neither was the case, but what were the chances of all these books having her or Estian¡¯s name recorded in them? Her teeth were chattering, and despite her shouting in an attempt to gain courage, the fear did not leave her.


    What were these books, and why did she or Estian seem to die in every one of them? And¡­ why were none of them titled? There were so many books, but not one had a title. Occasionally, some were numbered with what seemed like arbitrary digits, such as ¡®383279¡¯, ¡®1423¡¯, and ¡¯29.¡¯


    After staring blankly at the books for a while, Cecile turned her head to the blue phoenix, and asked, ¡°Could you make a fire? Let¡¯s burn all of it.¡± The phoenix, which had nodded its head as if understanding her, turned hesitant at the suggestion of arson. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll keep it a secret between us,¡± she coaxed.


    Despite knowing what she was doing was wrong, she couldn¡¯t get rid of the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach unless she knew these ominous books were burned. She prodded the bird until the reluctant blue phoenix flew up, circling above her head, before opening its beak and unleashed blue flames at the books.


    The heat made Cecile retreat in surprise. She gazed at the stacks, thinking to herself good riddance, but then gasped in surprise. The books didn¡¯t catch fire; there weren¡¯t even any burn marks. The absurdity of the situation even made the blue phoenix let out a cry in disbelief. ¡°It won¡¯t burn?¡± Cecile brooded. Were books not flammable? It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Do they appear like simple books to you?¡±

 CH 154

    Cecile realized the voice rang out in her head, not her ears. Had the blue phoenix heard it too? Perched on her shoulder, it curled up on itself, trembling, before transforming back into an earring and dropping to the ground.


    ¡°Eh, what¡¯s up with you?¡± Cecile said. Perplexed, she stooped down to pick it up and reattached her earring. She wasn¡¯t sure why the bird was acting up all of a sudden, but it was clear that it¡¯d been terrified of the voice.


    Inhaling deeply, she summoned her courage to ask the voice a question. ¡°Are these books fireproof?¡± Perhaps these were extremely precious books enchanted with flame repelling magic. She¡¯d heard of something similar done before. Was it possible that all these books were like that? Even so, she was hellbent on burning them all, even if she needed to find a way to break the enchantment.


    ¡°They¡¯re not books, to begin with,¡± the voice replied.


    The answer was preposterous¡ªif those weren¡¯t books, then what were they? Perhaps the incredulity on her face had leaked her thoughts, because the mysterious voice continued its explanation.


    ¡°Each volume equates to a single world.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean the books are worlds?¡± Cecile asked skeptically. The answer she received was so far beyond her understanding. What did the voice mean by each volume equated to a world? There were mountains of books piled before her. They were innumerable. Was she to really believe that each of those contained a world of its own? Suddenly, she remembered the reason she wished to burn all those books. ¡°No, rather than that¡ªwhy do I keep dying in them!¡± Cecile shouted.


    ¡°Not you, Cecile.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m Cecile!¡±


    ¡°No, you are the Cecile of ¡®this world¡¯, not the Cecile that died in there.¡±


    The explanations were becoming increasingly incomprehensible. The Cecile of this world? The Cecile that died in there? It was too hard for her to comprehend. ¡°Then, by any chance, are you the one who brought me here¡­?¡± she asked.


    ¡°As if! I didn¡¯t even know you were coming here,¡± the voice roared with laughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡±


    The voice was speaking as if it knew Cecile well, but no matter how she tried to rack her brains, she had no memories of hearing this voice before. Even though she posed the question, she didn¡¯t hold high expectations that it would be answered.


    Usually, mysterious voices in places like these wouldn¡¯t readily reveal their identities, or would do so in a roundabout manner, as if directly revealing themselves would somehow disrupt a delicate balance that would trigger the world¡¯s collapse. Secretly, she was looking forward to what fancy riddle the voice would present as a hint to its identity. Instead, she heard a surprising answer.


    ¡°The dragon lord.¡±


    ¡°Holy!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Because a legendary person¡¯s name popped up all of a sudden!¡±


    Cecile had heard of the dragon lord¡ªchief of all dragons. She was famed for her power alone, but was even more renowned for her temper. Traces of her ¡®anger¡¯ still riddled the continent. According to rumors, the continent¡¯s largest mountain, Mount Panar, disappeared overnight because the dragon lord had kicked it in anger. Of course, the simple reveal of the dragon lord¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t the only shock for Cecile, because¡­ wasn¡¯t Girgantia, the dragon that made the imperial chef fry chickens every day, the dragon lord¡¯s son?


    ¡®The problem is, I have Girgantia walking around leashed,¡¯ Cecile thought. It seemed highly unlikely the dragon lord would sit still were she to discover her son was going around leashed like a dog.


    Shaking her head to clear her mind, she decided to resolve the question that came to her first. ¡°I mean, is it alright to reveal your identity right away?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What of it? This is the ¡®last time¡¯ after all. How can I go around calling myself a dragon lord if I¡¯m not even allowed this?¡± the dragon lord replied indifferently.


    ¡®The last time? What did she mean by that?¡¯ Not knowing how to respond, Cecile decided to first introduce herself properly. She bowed her head in a random direction, and said, ¡°Ah, I should introduce myself first. A pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Cecile Franvier Navitan. I¡¯ve been living with your son recently.¡±


    Would it have been better if Girgantia had been with her? On second thought, that rascal probably would¡¯ve tattled to the dragon immediately that he was being treated like a dog. Also, hadn¡¯t Girgantia said that the dragon lord was dead? Even putting his claims aside, the empire¡¯s history books also documented that the dragon lord had met her end in the Dark Mountain Range eons ago, and all dragons were extinct too. But now¡­ it turns out she¡¯s alive?


    ¡°Girgantia¡¯s at your place?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I touched a phantom beast egg not too long ago and Girgantia emerged from it. I¡¯m technically the empress, so he lives in the imperial palace with me.¡±


    ¡°He awakened from the egg?¡±


    ¡°Yes, somehow¡­¡±


    ¡°It must be so tough on you with him being the one to come out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so tou¡ªwait, h-how did you know?¡±


    ¡°The rascal bedeviled me ever since he was in his egg. And that¡¯s the child I got in my declining years. Ugh! What else would have driven me to kick Mount Panar?¡±


    Cecile almost did a double take. To think that Girgantia was the cause that led to that legendary mountain disappearing! ¡°Um, then¡­ may I ask, why are you only sending your voice and not showing yourself¡­?¡± she asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m dead.¡±

 CH 155

    Cecile was speechless. She wondered if she should applaud the dragon lord who proudly stated she was a ghost. The sudden overload of information was overwhelming, and it took her a minute to organize her thoughts.


    ¡°I see¡­ There are so many things I wish to know. May I ask a few more questions?¡± Cecile asked cautiously.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What did you mean by the books being worlds? And that I¡¯m the Cecile of ¡®this world¡¯, while there is a Cecile in the other worlds too? What did ¡®this is the last time¡¯ mean? And most importantly¡­ would you be able to send me back home?¡±


    Cecile let out all her questions in a rush, feeling that the dragon lord would readily answer. Truthfully, the last one was the most pressing, since she needed someone to help send her back.


    ¡°To start with, I can¡¯t answer the first question you asked.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I can speak of it, but it¡¯s impossible to give you an explanation. It¡¯s something the Archwitch did, you see.¡±


    ¡®The Archwitch? Wasn¡¯t that name mentioned by Aled?¡¯ Cecile wondered. She remembered the spirit letting slip that name when he reappeared after a long absence. She hadn¡¯t given it much thought since she assumed witches lived in the spiritual realm. However, intuition was telling her that the one Aled and the dragon lord were referring to were one and the same.


    But what had the Archwitch done? Cecile felt woozy as the questions only seemed to pile up. She wished she was in the imperial palace with a large sheet of paper on which she could jot down all her notes and spend some time calmly contemplating what she¡¯d learned, rather than be here.


    ¡°Then, what about sending me home?¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Cecile clicked her tongue in annoyance. She knew she should be careful with her attitude, but she couldn¡¯t help it. She wanted to go home!


    ¡°¡­But somewhere other than home seems possible,¡± the dragon lord added.


    Cecile immediately fell to the floor and prostrated, while saying, ¡°Oh venerable and esteemed dragon lord, I have long held deep respect for you. Please, send me anywhere but here.¡±


    ¡°You sure are a spineless one, aren¡¯t you?¡± the dragon lord remarked with amazement.


    Cecile merely curved her lips into a smile. She could bear with anything if that meant getting out of here. ¡°You¡¯d be able to meet Girgantia if you came with me¡­ He¡¯ll be so pleased to see you,¡± Cecile said persuasively. Obviously, the dragon lord could go without her, but Cecile needed to feign usefulness while making an appeal that it¡¯d be better to return to the imperial palace rather than some other place!


    ¡°You think I¡¯m crazy? It¡¯s enough that I gave birth to him. Why should I meet my son again at this age?¡±


    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t have such a good relationship with Girgantia?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started. You don¡¯t know how much he stressed me out. Come to think of it, how is it that you lot are coexisting with Girgantia? I¡¯m sure the rascal would¡¯ve tried killing everything in sight as soon as he hatched.¡±


    Cecile contemplated on lying that he turned out to be a good boy, but ultimately decided honesty was best. ¡°I recited a spell from some book, which made him cry out ¡®this is mommy¡¯s power¡¯ in agony. We managed to catch him thanks to that,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Oh, you saw it in a book. I thought that might be the case.¡±


    ¡°You believed that?¡± Cecile had expected the dragon lord to react with disbelief, but instead she¡¯d readily accepted it, as if it were natural that a ¡®book¡¯ had taught her such a method.


    ¡°Were you lying?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t! I just find it strange that you¡¯d believe that I found a spell in some book so readily.¡± Even Cecile had doubted whether it had truly happened, since the book later disappeared without a trace. It was odd that the dragon lord was so unfazed.


    ¡°What¡¯s to be surprised about? Some of the books here must¡¯ve slipped out and reached you. There must¡¯ve been a spell for slapping Girgantia¡¯s back among them.¡±


    Now it was Cecile¡¯s turn to be surprised. That mysterious book came from here? But how had it reached her? It¡¯s not like books have legs. Was it a puppy she¡¯d lost once upon a time? How had it found her? Her curiosity was only growing by the minute. Suddenly, Cecile realized she still had no clue as to where she was.


    ¡°Where is this, by the way? Is it possible to return to the empire by going up?¡±


    ¡°This is the gap in space. To walk from here to the human realm¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­ Going by the average walking speed of a human woman in their twenties, I¡¯d say it would take about 737,749,299,233 years?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ Thank you for the calculation,¡± Cecile replied dryly. Putting aside the ridiculous amount of time it would take, she decided to focus on her relief that it was technically possible to return. Obviously, she had no intention to accomplish this by walking.


    ¡°Then, you mentioned you could send me somewhere other than home¡­ Would that be to the human realm?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I can send you there with the page that¡¯s being used.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯m really sorry¡­ but could I please trouble you to do that for me?¡± Cecile had already given up on trying to comprehend what the dragon lord meant anymore.


    ¡°Well, I may as well. Time¡¯s about up for me too anyway. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± the dragon lord¡¯s voice trailed off, as if she was searching for something, ¡°¡­found it. Let¡¯s send you now.¡±


    ¡°Huh, so quickly?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯ll you accomplish by staying here? Hurry back. You¡¯ll probably end up where the one you seek is.¡±


    Cecile wondered if she¡¯d misheard the urgency in the dragon lord¡¯s voice, but before she could think too deeply, something resembling a gate opened up before her.


    ¡°Go, quickly! Just run! And¡­¡± the dragon lord said.


    ¡°And?¡± Cecile asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Go already!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes ma¡¯am!¡±


    Without hesitating, Cecile rushed forward into the gate at the dragon lord¡¯s command. She didn¡¯t know what would happen next, but believed it would all work so long as she didn¡¯t die. Suddenly, she heard the distant whisperings of the dragon lord¡¯s voice.


    ¡°And just like how it is in stories, you¡¯ll forget everything you heard here! Don¡¯t try to remember! It¡¯s futile!¡±


    ¡°What? You should¡¯ve said that sooner!¡± Cecile cried, as she tumbled into distant space. No reply came to her. All she could do was clutch the scepter tightly and flip her body. She was intent on seeing where she¡¯d land without passing out this time.


    Gazing straight ahead as she dropped downwards, a scenery came into view. ¡°The dukedom of Etia?¡± she whispered. Beneath her was a city of death dyed black.

 CH 156

    Once Cecile was gone, a translucent figure slowly emerged amidst the stillness. It was the dragon lord, the most powerful chief of her kind¡ªher gigantic, golden dragon form threatening to fill the entire space. A swish of her tail caused a pile of books nearby to collapse in a heap. If Cecile had still been present, she would¡¯ve been crushed to death in an instant.


    ¡°What meaning is there when I¡¯m only a ghost?¡± she snorted to herself. ¡°A ¡®Cecile¡¯ that can¡¯t even find her way home when she has the scepter¡­ Just how much power did the Archwitch seal?¡±


    The ¡®Cecile¡¯ this time around seemed to possess no special abilities. The dragon lord thought back to the countless ones she¡¯d encountered so far: the archmage, the great sage, the wisest and most virtuous monarch in history, the humble farmer, the one that died young in an accident¡­ She remembered each one with clarity, as forgetfulness was not granted to her kind. They all now reside in the books she laid atop; the books were all records of worlds, and at the same time, the records of ¡®Cecile.¡¯


    While she reminisced on the past Ceciles with closed eyes, a drop of water fell on her face with a plop. Soon more drops followed the first, until they fell like rain from the ceiling. Soon, the water began to pool on the floor.


    ¡°What now? Why? What is it?¡± the dragon lord remarked with annoyance, as she splashed her tail about.


    The water seemed to ripple in response to the dragon lord¡¯s snappy tone, which only caused the dragon lord to thrash her tail, sending water and books flying into the walls with an earth-shattering boom.


    ¡°This much should be allowed since it¡¯s the last time. ¡®Cecile¡¯ will fail again anyway. Whatever. What¡¯s the point of fighting you at this point? I¡¯m sick of everything. What was the point of trying until my kin went extinct? Nothing will change in the end.¡±The water calmed at her grumblings, and the dragon lord glared at the still water for good measure before lying flat on her back again. She was truly fed up with everything. Cecile and Estian were fated to die, the world would once again fall apart, and the dragons would erase the crumbling world. Now even those dragons were dead too, save for one: her child, Girgantia. But he would not need to erase a world, since there were no more worlds to write.


    As she lounged on the wet books, the dragon lord thought back to the last Cecile to cross her path. There was nothing special about her, and yet¡­ there was something likeable about how Cecile never shrunk away. If she were to pick a strong point aside from that¡­


    ¡°She was pretty,¡± the dragon lord mused. If Cecile had still been present, she would¡¯ve enthusiastically thanked the dragon lord for the compliment, since her beauty was her only merit.


    Still lost in thought, the dragon lord¡¯s body faded and grew even more translucent. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she sensed that her soul would soon completely dissipate. If she hadn¡¯t interfered, perhaps she could¡¯ve watched until Girgantia died, no, until this world ended.


    ¡°No wonder they say that with age, the meddler within you tends to stick their nose into other people¡¯s business,¡± she scowled.


    Despite her apathy, the dragon lord had failed to give up that blasted thing called hope. She sent Cecile to Estian¡¯s side at the expense of her lingering powers, despite knowing that it would not work out well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going first,¡± she said to the rising water, which rippled violently as if in protest. The dragon lord raised her middle claw to it and continued, ¡°Since this is the last time, we may as well part ways cleanly. There¡¯s only one thing that still concerns me¡ªmy corpse still remains in the Dark Mountain Range¡­ Forget it. It¡¯s meaningless when the Cecile of this world will die soon.¡±


    The dragon lord thought of Estian¡ªthis world would end too, now that he¡¯d regained his monstrous form. She hoped the annihilation of this world would go out in grand style.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be heading off first, so you keep at it until the end, Archwitch¡­ you are  Cecile¡¯s mother after all.¡±


    The dragon lord waved one of her forefeet, and with those last words she disappeared. As if someone had shed a tear, the water rippled quietly.


    * * *


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh! Somebody, save me!¡± Cecile screamed. She was in a never-ending free fall, and the heart-dropping sensation was making her lose her mind, as the wind mercilessly whipped against her face. Of course, her shouts went unanswered.


    With great difficulty, she reached up to grab and tug at her earring, ignoring the stinging sensation. She slammed the earring against the scepter she was clutching, and with a swoosh, the blue phoenix appeared. ¡°Save me, please! Save! Me! For crying out loud!¡± Cecile shrieked.


    The blue phoenix flapped its wings in confusion as it struggled to find its bearings, before rushing to catch Cecile by the scruff of her neck. Even so, the ground was fast approaching. Cecile shut her eyes tightly thinking that she was going to crash, but the blue phoenix¡¯s valiant efforts managed to halt her descent in mid-air. The blue phoenix was panting heavily, as it gently lowered Cecile to the ground.


    Letting out a shaky breath, Cecile muttered, ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­ I thought I was going to die. This place is¡­¡±

 CH 157

    Looking around, Cecile found herself on the roof of a gigantic building. Everything below her seemed to be covered in black mud. Leaning close to the railing, she peered down closely. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth as she stifled a scream. Amid the rising and falling of black mud was bones, flesh, and blood. Cecile gagged as a foul stench of rotting meat invaded her nose. The things she saw floating in the black mud were definitely human remains. The instant she realized what was in front of her, she couldn¡¯t stop herself.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡ª!¡± Cecile cried out desperately. Her voice echoed through the silence that enveloped the dukedom of Etia, but no matter how long she waited, a response never came. Before she had time to wallow in her disappointment, she suddenly realized the foolishness of her action when she noticed a black figure stretch upwards from one side of the city, as if searching for the source of the cry.


    Inhaling sharply, Cecile realized her urgency and surprise had gotten the better of her, and led her to call out for Estian. What she should¡¯ve done was quietly get hold of the situation. She grabbed the blue phoenix and hightailed it off the roof to take shelter in the building.


    ¡°Could you get rid of that light? It¡¯d be even better if you could shrink.¡± The blue phoenix immediately shrunk to the size of a sparrow and snuffed out the blue flames around it as well. ¡°Good, stay like this for now.¡±


    After confirming the blue phoenix understood her, Cecile cautiously made her way down the stairs. She peeked out a window that she passed by, noticing that the black figure was still searching for her. It seemed to be having difficulty in pinpointing her location because of the echoes. The closer she got to the ground, the more overwhelming the foul stench grew. Peering over the stair railing, she saw the black figure, like a tidal wave, had moved to the lower floor of the building and was swaying there.


    ¡®I think it¡¯ll notice if I get close,¡¯ she thought. Cecile retreated backwards, needing some time to organize her thoughts. Her mind was in disarray as it tried to process everything that was happening. ¡®I¡¯m sure that just a while ago I was¡­ huh?¡¯ Cecile tilted her head. Strangely, she was sure she¡¯d been talking with someone not long before, but now she was drawing a blank. Who had it been? Try as she might, Cecile couldn¡¯t remember. Earlier, she was cleaning up the storage room in the empress¡¯s palace, then Aled appeared. Aled was searching for Estian, a white hand pushed her through the gate, and then¡­


    ¡®¡­And here I am?¡¯ Somehow, Cecile felt that a lot more time had passed than what she could recall, but she couldn¡¯t fill the gap. Struggling with the sense of emptiness from her lost memories, she turned her attention to her body. After a quick examination, she was relieved that at least she didn¡¯t seem to be hurt anywhere.


    After taking stock of everything around her, she realized the only things she had was the scepter in hand and the blue phoenix perched on her shoulder. In most stories, the protagonists would always have food and water to last for several days, but she had no such luck when she searched her surroundings. Escape would be difficult, considering the blue phoenix had struggled to carry her when they were falling. It would be too much to have it try to fly them out of here.


    ¡®Well, I suppose this fella is more helpful than water¡­ Besides, we¡¯ll both die if that black thing notices us while we¡¯re mid-flight.¡¯


    It had been an incredible stroke of luck that the black thing hadn¡¯t noticed them when they dropped down from the sky. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve been devoured before even knowing what was happening, meeting the same end as the bones she¡¯d seen floating about earlier.


    ¡®I¡¯ll just have to hold out until Aled and Richard arrive. They should be able to open the gate again.¡¯


    Having grasped the situation, Cecile decided on her next course of action. She knew her strengths well. Neither a knight nor mage, what could she possibly achieve? Needless action would only hasten her death. By the looks of things, the people of Etia had been done in by that black thing, and nothing indicated things would turn out differently for her.


    Since they had confirmed Estian was in Etia, surely Aled and Richard would come to rescue her. She wouldn¡¯t let them off otherwise. Thinking there was nothing else she could do here, Cecile decided to explore the building in the meantime. Perhaps she¡¯d discover something of use. It should be safe as long as she avoided the floor with the black figure. It still seemed to be searching around outside, but fortunately the portion that had rushed into the building like the tide was calm.


    It was then that she heard sobs further down the hallway. Taking cautious, silent steps towards the voice, she discovered a man in a white robe, hunched over and crying on his knees. She felt momentary relief at finding someone else alive in this city filled with quiet death, but she knew better than to let her guard up easily.


    In stories like these, a survivor meant only one of two things¡ªthey either became a good comrade who the protagonist would join hands with to overcome the plight at hand, or they were actually crazy and drove people to their deaths. If he fell into the latter, then Cecile needed to make a quick escape.


    ¡°S-sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry. We were wrong¡­ Please¡­¡± he sobbed.


    Cecile could immediately tell this man fell under the latter category, and that she needed to put distance between them. She was about to turn around and quietly walk away, but hesitated from her curiosity as to whom he was begging for mercy. The man crawled towards the window, and looked at the black figure still swiveling around outside.


    ¡°Spare me, Estian.¡±


    At his words, Cecile¡¯s eyes widened in horror.

 CH 158

    Estian? Could she have misheard him? Cecile drew closer, doubting her ears. But as if to mock her doubts, the man opened his mouth again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, Estian. But you should know¡­ I would¡¯ve died if I failed to complete you¡­¡± he muttered.


    She hadn¡¯t heard wrong after all. The man was certainly saying the name ¡®Estian.¡¯ There was no reason to doubt that he was referring to anyone else but her Estian¡ªnot in this world. Children originally christened with the name Estian had their names changed, with parents fearing that sharing a name with the emperor would only incur disaster.


    First things first, Cecile needed to get an explanation from this man. Surveying their surroundings, she didn¡¯t sense any other presence aside from him. Feeling emboldened with the blue phoenix in her arsenal, Cecile felt confident she¡¯d be able to restrain the man if need be. Shifting her grip on the scepter, which could substitute as a readily-available weapon, she inched towards him.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she began.


    ¡°Ah-ahhh! Wh-who are you!¡± The man screamed and retreated in fright, as if a ghost had spoken to him.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask. You mentioned Estian a moment ago. Who were you referring to?¡±


    ¡°Who¡­ who might you be?¡± The frightened man¡¯s expression eased up after glimpsing Cecile¡¯s face. ¡°Is that all you want? Do you want to know anything else? C-could you come a little closer?¡±


    Cecile noticed a shift in the man¡¯s demeanor, and thought, ¡®Oh boy.¡¯ She could see the indecent look coloring his eyes as he stared at her.


    ¡°Yeah, if this is to be my end, then before I die I may as well¡­¡± the man muttered.


    ¡°Sic him,¡± Cecile ordered the blue phoenix. With a cluck, the blue phoenix reverted to its original form, sans the flames, and swooped at the man. Fwip! Smack! Flap! Slap! The air was filled with the sounds of the blue phoenix thrashing the man. When the man began yelping from the attack, Cecile added, ¡°I think it would be better if you made him shut up too.¡±


    The blue phoenix faithfully carried out Cecile¡¯s orders by stuffing its long tail feathers into the man¡¯s mouth, before zealously resuming its pecking. It wasn¡¯t long before the man was on his knees, bowing in front of Cecile.


    ¡°I apologize! I¡¯m sorry! I must¡¯ve lost my head for a second there, with death facing right at me!¡±


    Cecile didn¡¯t bother to question him on what he¡¯d intended to do before he died¡ªhis answer would obviously rot her ears and be a waste of time. ¡°Answer me. The ¡®Estian¡¯ you were referring to¡­¡±


    ¡°Emperor Estian of the empire, of course. Who else could it be?¡± the man answered puzzledly.


    ¡°But why were you apologizing? What wrong did you commit against His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Well, who are you? You¡¯re obviously not from the lab. It¡¯s definitely my first time seeing you¡­¡± the man muttered, narrowing his eyes, before turning towards the window. ¡°His Majesty, you say? Are you from the empire? I suppose you must be. Who would address Estian that way here?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s eminent name isn¡¯t for the likes of you to call without permission,¡± Cecile frowned and snapped. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of disgust whenever the man uttered Estian¡¯s name.


    The man watched the displeasure flash across Cecile¡¯s face, before standing to point out the window. ¡°Can you still address him as His Majesty, even after looking at that?¡± He was pointing at the wriggling black thing outside.


    ¡°What are you talking about? What does that have to do with¡­¡±


    ¡°That thing outside is the emperor you¡¯re talking about¡ªEmperor Estian of the empire!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s His Majesty?¡± How could that be? However, the man didn¡¯t seem to be lying, even as the madness in his tone began to rise.


    ¡°Yes! That is Estian¡¯s true form¡­ Woah! Hey!¡±


    The man barely dodged the scepter that was swung in his direction, and it struck the ground with a resounding smack. Cecile thought she saw the jewel attached to the scepter fly off, but that wasn¡¯t important now.


    ¡°You scum! What did you all do to His Majesty!¡± Cecile screamed, gnashing her teeth ferociously. If the thing outside really was Estian, then¡­! The man had stepped back in shock, but Cecile¡¯s onslaught wasn¡¯t over.


    ¡°Speak!¡±¡ªBang!¡ª¡°Properly!¡±¡ªCrunch!¡ª¡°What have you done to my husband!¡±


    Cecile continued to swing the scepter relentlessly. Each swing that missed smashed against the floor and walls. Her hand was growing numb from the pain of each impact, but she didn¡¯t pay it any heed. How could that terrible thing out there be Estian?


    ¡°Husband?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s my husband!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Empress Cecile!¡± The man suddenly began nodding in understanding and burst into maniacal laughter. ¡°Hahahaha! Unbelievable! To think that you were here! Yes! I can live if I have you¡­ Grand Duke Farus had said so¡­ that Estian accepted a woman for the first time!¡±


    There was a strange glint in his eyes, and Cecile retreated at the sudden change in the man¡¯s atmosphere. His behavior was increasingly strange, and she could tell he was growing more deranged by the minute. His mood had swung from terror, to joy, to ecstasy in a matter of seconds.

 CH 159

    ¡°Are you with child, Empress? You must be, considering how you did it every single¡ªUgh!¡± He didn¡¯t manage to finish his sentence because a furious Cecile swung the scepter and whacked him across the face. Broken teeth flew out of his mouth, and he rolled to the ground in pain.


    Cecile hadn¡¯t an ounce of pity for him. What lunatic goes on about the happenings in other people¡¯s bedrooms?! Yes, she had spent every night in bed Estian. So what? The nerve of this man!


    The man got to his feet, and ignoring the blood gushing from his mouth, he asked again, ¡°Empress, are you with child? Answer me! Are you carrying Estian¡¯s spawn!¡±


    Cecile was speechless at his tenacity. Even though she wasn¡¯t expecting, she didn¡¯t feel the need to deign him with an answer. She was angered by how he continued to insolently call out Estian¡¯s name, and the way he referred to the emperor, as if Estian was a beast. She was also confused by his obsession of whether she was pregnant with Estian¡¯s child. Why did it matter? As she glared at him, the man suddenly turned to the bookshelf behind him.


    ¡°What are you trying to¡­ Ack!¡± Cecile screamed.


    The man acted before she could finish her sentence, extracting something from the bookshelf and throwing it towards the blue phoenix beside her. With a boom, the room exploded with smoke. Cecile tried to fan the smoke away in her surprise to no avail.


    ¡°Come here!¡± Before she¡¯d realized it, the man was behind her and had her trapped in his arms, with one arm locked around her neck.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Cecile coughed, as she struggled to get free. It was no use, as he had a tight hold around her neck. She could feel her strength rapidly leaving her from the moment she inhaled the smoke, which was evidently not ordinary. The sounds of struggling flaps could be heard, but her view of the blue phoenix was obscured by the dense smoke.


    ¡°Estian!¡± the man cried out, dragging the slackened Cecile to the window. ¡°Over here! Estian! Your wife is here!¡±


    Cecile was finally able to breathe once near the window, but her vision was still blurry. When she gazed outside, she saw the black thing that had reacted to her voice earlier raise its head at the man¡¯s shouts. A deep bubbling sound from all over the city seemed to respond to the man¡¯s cries.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, you monster! Here!¡± the man bellowed in excitement. ¡°Your wife is here, I say! We tried so hard to make you a partner, yet you were so repulsed by the idea! Yet, here she is! The woman you¡¯ve chosen yourself!¡±


    Cecile glanced at the man in surprise. What on earth was he going on about? He talked as if he¡¯d known Estian for a long time. What was this talk about making him a partner? And Estian being repulsed by it? Estian was the emperor, yet this man dared to address him as if he were cattle.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure that His Majesty¡­¡¯ Cecile recalled what she knew of Estian¡¯s past. He was a prince that lived in the imperial palace when he was young, but one day he disappeared, only to reappear after some time. When he returned, he ascended the throne after slaughtering the previous emperor.


    Where Estian had disappeared to or what he¡¯d done during his absence was a mystery, but Cecile¡¯s instincts were telling her that the man that held her captive knew the truth. Still, it was strange. Whatever the case may be, as the prince, Estian was not in a position to be treated like cattle by the likes of this man.


    The man¡¯s yells had attracted the black figure¡¯s attention, and it extended a part of itself, like a giant tentacle, which drew closer to them. There were no eyes, nose, mouth, or any features to be found on the black mass, yet Cecile could hear a deep-seated growl emanating from it. She could feel it watching her and the man, though surprisingly, the black figure remained in place and observed them from a distance.


    ¡°Get lost! Get away from here! I-I¡¯ll go far away and release this woman, so¡­¡± the man hastily shouted, as he trembled at the sight of the figure beyond the window.


    ¡®Who says I¡¯m going with you?¡¯ Cecile thought indignantly. She gripped the scepter tightly and contemplated how she could land a strike on the man.


    Turning to Cecile, the man used his free hand to grab her hair and yanked it hard. He snarled, ¡°What are you doing? Go on! Scream or something already! Tell Estian to back off!¡±


    Cecile glared at him silently. ¡®Are you mad? You think I¡¯ll do as you wish? I¡¯ll never do as you want!¡¯ She clamped her lips shut tightly in defiance.


    ¡°Why, you¡­ you!¡± Enraged by her silence, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face.


    Cecile felt as if a light had flashed in her eyes, and her cheek stung as if it¡¯d been torn. When she involuntarily coughed, blood sprayed out. Had the inside of her mouth really torn?


    ¡°I told you to scream!¡± the man shrieked, as he grabbed her by the hair and shook her. In the end, a groan of pain escaped from her mouth.


    In that instant, a sound akin to a sharp wind erupted, which was followed by an ear-splitting ¡°Aargh!¡± The scream had come from the man holding Cecile captive.

 CH 160

    Cecile could only stare blankly at the sight before her. The man¡¯s chest was impaled by a black spear¡­ no, not a spear¡ªthe black figure outside the window had transformed itself into a spear to pierce the man¡¯s chest. The man gurgled and groaned before collapsing forward, pulling Cecile along with him.


    ¡®It hurts.¡¯ Cecile let a yelp of pain as tears welled in her eyes. He hadn¡¯t let go of her hair, and it hurt from being yanked. Her cheek still stung from the slap, and her shoulder also ached from smacking against the ground.


    When she turned her head, she saw the man collapsed next to her had stopped breathing with his eyes still open. He had died. As the realization struck Cecile, more tears welled up and spilled over. She felt the onset of fear that had been long forgotten. She¡¯d seen people die in the manner the night of her wedding.


    ¡°Am I going to die here? After all my efforts to not end up like this?¡± Cecile mumbled subconsciously, ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    Her captor was dead, and she would be next. She couldn¡¯t prevent the tears spilling from her eyes as the black thing that¡¯d impaled him shifted into a long snake-like form and approached her. Cecile gripped the scepter tightly and debated whether to strike it, but her body was paralyzed with fear. When the black thing raised itself, Cecile closed her eyes thinking this would be her end.


    And yet, no matter how long she waited, there was no pain. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Am I already dead, but I just can¡¯t feel it? Or is that black thing waiting for the moment I open my eyes to kill me?¡¯ A jumble of thoughts was running through her mind, when she felt something gently wipe her cheek. Her eyes shot open in surprise at the sensation.


    The black thing that had ruthlessly murdered the man mere moments before was tenderly caressing the corner of Cecile¡¯s eyes, as if it were worried. Cecile blinked, startled by the touch against her cheek. She remembered this feeling¡ªCecile had returned to the empress¡¯s palace in tears on the night of Yuliana¡¯s arrival at the imperial palace, and he had comforted her with this same touch.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Cecile called out in a cautious voice. She was convinced that the black thing¡¯s caress was the same as Estian¡¯s touch. The way it wiped away her tears and stroked her cheek, and even how it hesitated as if unsure what to do next. It meant that the black shape was really¡­


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Cecile jumped to her feet. ¡°How¡­ did you end up like this?¡± Was this truly, truly Estian? Had that man been truthful? How had Estian ended up looking like this? What in the world had happened? She could barely bear to continue, as she reached out and tried to grab the black shape in her shock. Before she could reach it, the black thing quickly pulled back in an instant, leaving her staring stupefied.


    The moment Cecile murmured her question, it seemed to tremble like a person whose secret had been exposed. It swiftly retreated back outside the window. Cecile ran after it and saw the entirety of the black mass covering Etia¡¯s capital was shaking.


    Groooar!¡ªa tremendous howl echoed everywhere, forcing Cecile to cover her ears. It was the same cry she¡¯d heard when the gate first opened back at the imperial palace. But this time, it sounded even louder and more desperate than before.


    * * *


    ¡®She knows.¡¯ This fact colored Estian¡¯s every thought. She¡¯d found out¡ªhis true form. It was a reality he¡¯d never considered before.


    ¡®Then we should kill her,¡¯ the children¡¯s voices inside him whispered in his ears. ¡®You¡¯ve killed everyone who saw your true form. So, let¡¯s kill this time too. That¡¯s right. You can¡¯t let anyone who¡¯s seen this monstrous appearance live.¡¯


    These were the voices belonging to those children that were thrown into the same laboratory as Estian. They were all absorbed into and lived in Estian¡¯s mind when he became the sole survivor.


    ¡®Estian, kill her already. Come on!¡¯ the voices urged.


    ¡®No, I can¡¯t,¡¯ Estian insisted, shaking his head. He looked at Cecile, who was gazing blankly at him from the window of the tall building. He couldn¡¯t for the life of him figure out how she¡¯d ended up here. His wife should¡¯ve been enjoying a pleasant day at the empress¡¯s palace. He¡¯d even placed Richard at her side for her safety. How could she be here in the city of Etia?


    At first, Estian thought he was hallucinating, but then he caught sight of the scepter in her hand. The scepter was an item that couldn¡¯t be replicated with illusions. If she was holding the regalia, then she was the real Cecile. Estian felt despair as he looked at the wife he¡¯d wished to see ever since he departed from the imperial palace.


    Her appearance was a mess¡ªher cheek was bruised from the ruptured blood vessels after being slapped by that mutt, and her face was streaked with the tears she shed moments ago.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Cecile cried out to him. Estian felt his heart shattering at the sound of her voice.

 CH 161

    Estian would often wonder what he¡¯d do if his true form was revealed when he met new people, and the answer was always the same: kill them. By killing them, he¡¯d be able to hide the fact that he was a monster that survived by consuming everyone in its path. However, when he considered this question one night as he watched Cecile sleeping, he realized he could never take her life. Thus, he swore to never let her find out.


    He convinced himself that even if she laid eyes on him in this form, she wouldn¡¯t recognize him. How could she? How could anyone imagine a human being could look like this? And yet, Cecile had recognized him immediately. ¡®What do I do now?¡¯ Estian didn¡¯t have an answer. While he was at a loss, the voices within him began crawling to the surface.


    ¡®Estian says he can¡¯t kill her.¡¯


    ¡®Then, there¡¯s no helping it. We should kill her for him.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah! Estian has been killing all of them until now, after all. Let¡¯s kill that one for him.¡¯


    ¡°No!¡± Estian cried desperately at the voices, but he couldn¡¯t move. The voices restrained him, assuring they¡¯d take care of it for him. He tried to struggle, but the voices overpowered him. Delighted at being able to act for Estian for the first time, they were using all their power.


    ¡°Run away!¡± Estian shouted at Cecile. Even though he knew running was futile, that was all he could do. It would be simple for this monstrous body of his to kill Cecile. The voices were growing stronger and stronger, and had completely taken control of his body.


    ¡®Huh? What¡¯s that?¡¯ one of the voices exclaimed in surprise.


    A bright gate was opening in the sky above the city of Etia. In contrast from the darkness and death that filled the city, something began to drop rapidly from beyond the bright gate.


    ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯


    ¡®Beats me, it¡¯s my first time seeing this. There was nothing like that in the lab.¡¯


    As the voices commented in confusion, Estian turned to look at the gates and instantly recognized the familiar figures dropping through the gate.


    ¡°Girgantia?¡± he murmured. The four-winged flying creature was a little bigger than he remembered, but it was definitely the Girgantia he knew. And he wasn¡¯t alone¡ªTania, Richard, and even Aled were riding on the dragon, as the dived straight towards Cecile.


    ¡®Who cares. Let¡¯s kill them too.¡¯ The bewildered children¡¯s voices quickly pushed past their confusion, and began to act.


    ¡°No!¡± Estian resisted. He couldn¡¯t stay helpless like this. Regardless of how impossible it might be, he needed to do what he could to stop the voices in order to provide a fighting chance for Girgantia and the others to save Cecile. He desperately held his grotesque mass of a body covering the dukedom of Etia back.


    ¡®Estian? What¡¯s the matter? Why are you stopping us!¡¯ the voices called out in surprise. It was natural for them to be shocked, as ever since they escaped the laboratory, Estian¡¯s will was the voices¡¯s will, and theirs was his. But for the first time, this was not the case.


    Estian glanced in the direction of Cecile, and to his relief, he saw four wings flapping out of the window. It was clear that Girgantia and the others had found Cecile. He grew increasingly more frantic in holding back his body.


    ¡®They saved her! Run away. Hurry. Go farther. Quickly take Cecile and¡­¡¯ he thought. But to his surprise, Girgantia began flying straight towards him. Why? How come? Why were they heading towards him instead of fleeing? Caught off guard by the inexplicable situation, Estian ended up losing his control.


    ¡®Kill!¡¯ As soon as one of the voices shouted, the black mass spread across the entire city instantly transformed into thousands of sharp spears of darkness pointed at Girgantia, which ripped through the air and shot into the sky.


    The dragon narrowly dodged the spears as it continued straight towards Estian. He could see Cecile¡ªher platinum blonde hair fluttered madly in the wind, her face was covered in wounds, and her green eyes, shining brightly through it all, were fixed on him.


    ¡®Impossible!¡¯ It was impossible. How could Cecile recognize him? How was she able to find and lock eyes with his, despite being immersed in the deepest depths of his gigantic body? Yet, he felt without a doubt that she was looking right at him.


    It was then that Cecile raised the scepter in her hand. ¡°Estian!¡± she cried. In that instant, a golden light enveloped the world.

 CH 162

    Cecile was certain beyond a doubt¡ªthat was definitely Estian. She was swaying as she stood on the window sill, but she paid it no mind. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ She wanted to restore Estian to his original form, but how? She shed tears as she listened to his howls echoing throughout the city.


    Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she thought, ¡®I should¡¯ve grabbed Aled or Richard by the collar when I fell into the gate.¡¯ If either of them was here, they might be able to do something in this situation. But what could she do? No matter how she wracked her brain, she could think of nothing else but swinging the scepter in her hands.


    Meanwhile, the black mass that had retreated while howling had ceased its cries and was now shuddering. Its body suddenly began to rise upwards, before falling back downwards and merging into itself, over and over. The sight chilled Cecile to the bone. It was Estian, yet at the same time, there was something that wasn¡¯t him inside there. Something that intended to kill her.


    Cecile¡¯s survival instinct was screaming at her to make a run for it, but her feet wouldn¡¯t budge. Run? To where? There was nowhere to escape in this city covered in the black. And more importantly, she didn¡¯t want, no¡­ she couldn¡¯t run away. She couldn¡¯t leave Estian behind. A hunch was telling her that if she turned her back on Estian now, she would lose him forever.


    ¡®That¡¯s not even funny.¡¯ Cecile didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of letting that happen. If she was to leave, it would be with Estian. Besides, there¡¯d be plenty of trouble if she returned alone! An empress without an emperor? She¡¯d just be a sitting duck waiting to be knifed in the back, which is why no matter what, she¡¯d be going back with Estian.


    Suddenly, Cecile heard something above her. Looking up to the skies, in a surprised voice she inadvertently called out, ¡°Girgantia?¡± Since when had that round gate in the sky opened above the dark city? She was certain the figure rapidly approaching was none other than Girgantia.


    ¡°Hey, move aside! Move!¡± the dragon hastily yelled upon drawing close. Cecile was barely able to dodge before Girgantia smashed into the room with a loud bang. Soon, other voices could be heard from atop the splayed dragon.


    ¡°Owwww.¡±


    ¡°Phooey! Phoo!¡±


    ¡°Oh spirits, I¡¯m dying!¡±


    ¡°Tania! Richard! Even Aled?¡± Cecile asked. Goodness, the four had all come here through the gate! Not only that, but Girgantia had also grown in size. In the imperial palace his size was comparable to a large dog, but now it seemed he was five times larger.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you all right?¡± Tania shouted, recovering the quickest and dashing over to Cecile. ¡°Oh heavens, what happened to your face! And your hair!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was slapped¡­¡±


    ¡°Which scumbag was it! I¡¯ll kill him!¡±


    ¡®But that man¡¯s already dead,¡¯ Cecile thought, as she did her best to calm her outraged handmaiden. Using her feet to poke at Richard and Aled, who were still on the ground, she urged, ¡°Both of you, get up already! Hurry!¡±


    When Girgantia raised himself up, a careless flap of his wings caused a bookshelf to topple over, spilling its contents noisily at Cecile¡¯s feet. There wasn¡¯t a moment to lose, but Cecile felt gripped with a sudden need to pick up one of the books that had fallen in front of her. ¡®But why books again¡­?¡¯


    She remembered the time she subjugated Girgantia and the book that Tania claimed she¡¯d never brought. Yet, Cecile was certain she¡¯d definitely read it, though it seemed to have vanished into thin air after the chaos. As if possessed, she bent over to pick up the book.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Is this the time for reading? We need to get the heck out of here!¡± Aled fumed.


    Of course, Cecile cleanly ignored the spirit and flipped open the book. She let out a strangled noise in surprise when she read the chapter title¡ªThe way to restore Estian. ¡°Wh-what is this?¡± she muttered in bafflement.


    Only a fool would remain ignorant at this point. It was obvious that the book containing the spell to restrain Girgantia back then had been no coincidence, nor was this book now appearing here by chance. Everything had its purpose. Could something so fantastical truly be possible? How could a book containing what she needed conveniently appear when she needed it? Cecile¡¯s eyes quickly began scanning the page.


    Requirements: One dragon, one spirit, one mage, one human female, a scepter. And most importantly, a Cecile to use the scepter.

 CH 163

    Could it be? All the components needed were right here. Wasn¡¯t this as if the book¡¯s author was practically saying, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you guys to help Estian starting right now?¡± Her eyes continued down the page as she read through what appeared to be step-by-step real-time instructions. Her eyes lingered when she came to the last sentence.


    We failed, but Cecile, I wish you success. ¨C 999,999,999th Cecile.


    It was addressed as Cecile, just like the protagonist¡¯s name in the book appearing during the incident with Girgantia was also Cecile. ¡°¡­They¡¯re all Cecile,¡± she muttered blankly.


    ¡°Come on, we have to get out of here!¡±


    ¡°As quickly as possible!¡±


    The other four had recovered and were yelling at Cecile to hurry so they could make their escape. However, she knew what they had to do. Turning to the four of them, Cecile addressed them in a serious tone, ¡°Everyone, listen carefully to me from now on.¡± The gravity in her voice made all of them pause from their panicked states and stare at her.


    * * *


    ¡°This is madness!¡± Girgantia cried, as he flew into the sky moments later.


    ¡®I know it¡¯s crazy too,¡¯ Cecile thought. She was gripping the scepter with a determined look on her face, as she rode atop the howling dragon. She had no intention of denying that what they were attempting was crazy, but they were following the instructions that the book had dictated, so she had to follow through. ¡®The way to restore Estian¡¯ could¡¯ve as easily been titled ¡®the quickest way to die.¡¯


    Girgantia flew, or more accurately, dived towards the city, as requested by Cecile. Aled was hanging onto the dragon¡¯s left wing, while Richard hung on the right. Both were surrounded by a mysterious light and complex glowing letters; they seemed to be casting some sort of spell. Meanwhile, Tania was seated in the middle, thrashing at the black tendrils attacking them from all sides with her fists. The impact of her fists connecting against the black mass caused explosions all around Girgantia as they continued to pick up speed.


    Cecile stared straight into the black mass, that seemed to be an endless darkening abyss covering the ground. Her hair whipped madly around her from the speed of their descent, but she was thankful as it kept her vision clear. Her eyes stung from the painful cold, but she could endure this much.


    Lifting the scepter above her head with all her strength, she fixed her gaze downwards. The book had written that her role was to find the ¡®two red eyes struggling in the deepest depths¡¯ and strike it. Yet, even as they drew closer, she couldn¡¯t find what the book told her to seek.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s there! We have to turn back!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Richard!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back I say!¡±


    ¡°Aled, you too!¡±


    Tania smartly kept her mouth zipped, even as the others cried out in doubt. Still, Girgantia was fast approaching the ground, and at this rate they would soon crash. ¡®No, it has to be there,¡¯ Cecile thought. She had to have faith in the book, since it was the only way to save Estian.


    It was then¡ªCecile saw something gleam from below. It was red, and there were two of them! She fixed her gaze on the red shining lights that seemed to be looking right back at her. Even though there was no resemblance whatsoever to what she remembered, Cecile called out his name as she swung down the scepter.


    ¡°Estiaaan!¡±


    In that instant, a golden light enveloped the world, and Cecile¡¯s memories faded to black.


    * * *


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Cecile hummed. A delicious smell tickled her nose, and it felt like she was wrapped in something soft. She buried her face into the softness and murmured happily. There was a bouncy sensation that was pleasant and familiar. This place must be¡­ ¡°The Empress¡¯s palace?¡± Cecile mumbled, as she peeked open her eyes. The dazzling sunlight made her squint and close her eyes again. Was it morning?


    ¡°Awake?¡± A familiar scent wafted accompanied the familiar voice.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Cecile¡¯s eyes snapped open at the sound of Estian¡¯s voice. She found him gazing at her with upturned eyes, while lying beside her. Seeing his usual appearance, she smiled bashfully and murmured, ¡°I had a strange dream.¡±


    ¡°A strange dream?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Your Majesty went to war, but you turned into something weird¡­ and I fell into a gate. And then, I swung the scepter to save you¡­¡± she trailed off. Honestly, what kind of nonsensical dream had that been? Cecile felt like a long roster of people had made appearances in it¡ªGirgantia, Tania, Richard, and even Aled! What a truly hectic dream. Aside from that, she also vaguely remembered something strange¡­ like a huge pile of books perhaps? ¡°Anyway, it was such a senseless and odd dream. It was exhausting.¡±


    Estian smiled and neatly combed back Cecile¡¯s hair, thread by thread. ¡°I know,¡± he replied.


    Cecile returned his smile. It was enough that he knew. With that thought in mind, she tried to raise her body, but Estian swiftly grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up. She winced and let out a groan. But why? She hadn¡¯t noticed when she was lying down, but why did her body ache all over?


    ¡°Cecile, did you think it was all a dream?¡±


    Estian¡¯s question prompted Cecile to revisit what she¡¯d thought was a dream. ¡®Hang on¡­ aren¡¯t these memories too clear?¡¯ She seemed to recall the events with too much clarity, and the pain she¡¯d experienced felt too vivid.


    With a chuckle, Estian reached out to pull open the curtains surrounding the bed. Cecile found herself staring at Aled and Richard, with their foreheads stuck to the ground, hands behind their back and bottoms in the air, while Girgantia and Tania knelt next to them with their arms held straight up in the air.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Cecile wondered with wide eyes.


    Estian leaned close and whispered tenderly to his bewildered wife, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream.¡±

 CH 164

    ¡°What?¡± Cecile stammered. It wasn¡¯t a dream? She slowly reviewed her memories, and certainly they seemed far too clear to be dismissed as a figment of her imagination. Still, wasn¡¯t the ordeal too ridiculous to be reality?


    Cecile remained deep in thought for a long time before eventually casting her gaze towards the two figures with their foreheads stuck to the ground and the other two with their arms straight in the air. It was strange¡ªhadn¡¯t they come to her aid in her moment of crisis? Then, why were they being punished? Not to mention, Aled and Richard¡¯s punishments seemed harsher. For the life of her, Cecile couldn¡¯t figure out what they¡¯d done to deserve such treatment when they should¡¯ve been rewarded.


    ¡°By the way, why are they in those positions?¡± Cecile asked curiously.


    ¡°Because of that,¡± Estian responded dryly, pointing to the other side of the room.


    ¡®That?¡¯ Cecile¡¯s gaze followed to where he was pointing, and she gasped, ¡°A mirror?¡± At the other end of the room was ¡®herself,¡¯ though something seemed off. While she was on the bed in her pajamas, the other Cecile was standing in front of a bookshelf dressed in different attire. But more importantly¡­ ¡°Why am I holding a whip?¡± she shouted incredulously.


    Amidst Cecile¡¯s confusion, her other self only grinned as she pulled the black whip in her hands taut.


    * * *


    ¡°So¡­ You made a fake me because there¡¯d be chaos in the imperial palace if my disappearance was discovered?¡±


    Aled and Richard vigorously nodded in response; their foreheads red from being plastered to the floor.


    ¡°But since it would act like a doll if you just left it as is, you added a small setting so it¡¯d act according to the villainess reputation that I¡¯m known for by the public?¡± The two nodded again in response. ¡°And the fake me¡­ has caused a lot of trouble while I was gone?¡±


    Cecile looked down at the stack of paper gathered on a table, listing out all the incidents caused by the fake Cecile. ¡®What the heck did it do to result in a stack that¡¯s a foot-high?¡¯ She began reading aloud what was recorded on the papers in frustration.


    ¡°Gave an order for the entire empress palace gardens to be remodeled¡­ Preserving the beauty of the classics is a must, but a fresh avant-garde spin should also be attempted. The steady basics must be adhered to while being bold in shaping¡­¡±


    What a pain in the butt! Cecile truly felt apologetic towards the imperial gardeners who¡¯d received such a ridiculous order. She was certain her name must¡¯ve vehemently been circled in red in their diaries that day. Worse still, that wasn¡¯t the end of the list.


    ¡°In addition, she remarked that the meals at the empress¡¯s palace were lacking lately, and so every meal must consist of at least 20 courses, but the same menu mustn¡¯t be served twice. Same goes for the ingredients¡­ Then, she had the chefs imprisoned for voicing that the order was too sudden and they needed more time to prepare¡­ These people need to be released immediately!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ve been released,¡± Estian said reassuringly.


    Cecile felt herself slacken with relief, before she glanced over at Tania, who was kneading her sore arms with her fist, and Girgantia slumped next to her. Their punishment of holding their arms in the air was because they hadn¡¯t stopped Richard and Aled from creating the doppelganger.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s fair to ascribe blame to these two,¡± Cecile remarked, sympathetic to Tania¡¯s pain.


    ¡°She¡¯s your handmaiden, yet she allowed a fake to run amok,¡± Estian refuted firmly. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that you hold her dear, I would¡¯ve lopped off her head, daughter of Margrave Kaniche or not.¡±


    Tania¡¯s face paled when she realized Estian¡¯s threats weren¡¯t empty. Cecile sighed, as she thought back to how incredulous she¡¯d felt when she first laid eyes on the illusion Richard had created.

 CH 165

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s still well made though!¡± the archmage cried out indignantly, though his forehead was still pasted to the floor. ¡°It¡¯s true I tell you! Hey, fake! Pretend to be the empress for a bit. Go on. Have a look! It¡¯ll be exactly the same as you!¡±


    As he continued voicing his protests, the rest of the group could only wonder in their heads about why Richard was inviting more trouble instead of staying still. Meanwhile, Cecile focused her attention on the lookalike, wondering how it¡¯d pretend to be her. What would it do? She didn¡¯t have to wait long to find out.


    As soon Richard finished speaking, the fake Cecile immediately moved to Estian¡¯s side, linked arms with him and cooed, ¡°Your Majesty, Cecile will feel too frightened if you make such a scary face!¡±


    The room instantly froze over. Cecile frantically rubbed at the goosebumps that erupted on her arms. How was this exactly the same? She did ham it up in front of others, but she had never used such an excessively coy voice! Just as she was about to indignantly protest to Richard, Estian spoke up first.


    ¡°Cecile, close your eyes.¡±


    Cecile immediately complied after hearing the low and murderous tone in Estian¡¯s voice. She knew he was extremely angry, though she wasn¡¯t sure why.


    ¡°Richard. Change its face right now. Into your face, preferably, so that I can cut it up without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Richard answered instantly, forgoing his usual babbling in the face of Estian¡¯s fury.


    Cecile wasn¡¯t able to witness it herself, but as soon as the lookalike¡¯s face morphed into Richard¡¯s, there was the sound of a sword slicing through the air along with a chorus of gasps from the others. When Cecile was able to take a peek, she found a pile of what appeared to be ashes where her double had once stood. The chilling expression on Estian¡¯s face as he glared at the spot made it impossible for any of them to speak.


    * * *


    Having skimmed through the report detailing her copy¡¯s deeds to a certain extent, Cecile shut the cover and let out a long sigh, before quickly resuming her reading once more. Seeing this, Estian gestured to the four sitting on the floor and said, ¡°The lot of you can leave now.¡±


    Life returned to their expressions as they hurried out of the room, though Girgantia¡¯s wings were briefly caught on the doorframe due to his increased size. With only Cecile and Estian left, the room was finally quiet, but Cecile¡¯s attention was still fixed on the report.


    ¡°You can read it later. There¡¯s no need to overdo it since you¡¯ve yet to fully recover,¡± Estian said, moving to her side.


    ¡°But I have to know what happen¡ª L-let me down, please!¡±


    ¡°I saw you stagger while walking a little while ago. Rest well until your body fully recovers.¡±


    Cecile wanted to continue studying the report, thinking that even if it was only a little more, it¡¯d be better to familiarize herself more with the details. However, Estian was having none of it; he flipped the report shut, cradled her in his arms, and carried her towards the bed. Even though she¡¯d tried to hide her dizziness earlier, Estian had noticed it in a flash.


    Estian laid Cecile back on the mattress so gently it didn¡¯t even shake. As he began to pull back, Cecile reached out to him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you ok?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I should be asking you.¡± He let out a low chuckle despite himself, and quietly surrendered himself to her, allowing her to embrace him around his neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh. I still feel terrified.¡±


    Feeling her arms around him shake, Estian¡¯s laughter ceased. He recalled the scene of her riding atop Girgantia and swinging the scepter towards him. How was it that she trembled just thinking about it now, but she could be so fearless back then while she flew straight towards him? He couldn¡¯t comprehend it at all.

 CH 166

    ¡°Cecile,¡± he called, gazing into her face. As he¡¯d expected, she was tearing up again. He gently raised a hand to wipe at her tears. Why was it that his chest ached when she was the one crying? As he¡¯d always done, he reached out to gently wipe away her tears.


    ¡°This is how I knew,¡± Cecile said, catching his hand.


    ¡°Knew what?¡±


    ¡°That the black thing was you, Your Majesty,¡± Cecile said with a smile. Even though the black mass had murdered her captor, it¡¯d approached her to wipe away her tears. That was how she was able to recognize Estian¡ªit was how he always comforted her when she cried.


    ¡°Why did you save me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ Why didn¡¯t you run away back then?¡±


    There was reproach mixed into Estian¡¯s tone. If the voices had grown stronger and overpowered him, Cecile would¡¯ve ended up dying by his own hand. That was why he felt such relief when Girgantia appeared. He hoped the dragon and the others would spirit Cecile far, far away. Forget running away, instead his wife had charged straight at him.


    Cecile gazed back at Estian with her glistening green eyes. It was a puzzled expression, as if questioning why he¡¯d ask such a thing. Her hands, which were once white and beautiful and now sported large and small scars, reached up to cup his face. Even though her skin was marred, in Estian¡¯s eyes, she was more dazzling than ever. Just looking at her made his heart overflow with emotions and left him all flustered.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Cecile began, ¡°even if I were to return to that time, I¡¯d still choose to save you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve taken a fancy to you,¡± Cecile answered with a smile.


    He remembered those words. They were the same words he once said to her a long time ago. ¡°I¡¯ve taken a liking to you¡­¡± She was returning those words back to him. Overwhelmed, he gathered her into his arms, and she buried her face in his shoulder, as he pressed his face against hers in return, as if they loathed to be apart.


    ¡°Cecile.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t address me like that anymore,¡± Estian murmured.


    ¡°Then, how¡­?¡±


    ¡°Call me by name, like you did in Etia.¡±


    Cecile let out a tiny gasp. Calling the emperor by his name was a privilege granted only to the emperor¡¯s family, and he¡¯d killed all those who had that right, so there was no one left in the imperial palace that addressed him directly. It was one of the first rules Cecile had been taught after arriving at the palace, so she¡¯d always addressed him by his title, even if she felt a tinge of sadness in the corner of her heart each time she did so. It felt like a line was drawn in the sand¡ªCecile thought of Estian as family, but he didn¡¯t reciprocate. But now, Estian was asking for her to call his name.


    ¡°¡­Estian,¡± Cecile cautiously squeezed out. Even though it was her own voice, it sounded unfamiliar to her ears. However, when she saw his eyes light up and a gentle smile she¡¯d never seen before bloom on his face, she gathered up her courage and called out in a clearer voice, ¡°Estian.¡± It was only the second time she¡¯d said his name, but the feeling of unfamiliarity had vanished, so she called out his name for the third time.


    Estian¡¯s smile grew wider as he replied, ¡°Yes, Cecile. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Cecile tightened her arms around Estian and hugged him again. All he¡¯d done was call her name, yet tears poured from her eyes. Today, at last, she¡¯d become his family.

 CH 167

    Act 8: Memories To Be Made Together


    Estian gazed at Cecile, whose quiet and regular breathing indicated she¡¯d drifted off into a deep slumber.


    ¡°Estian.¡± She¡¯d continued to call his name until she¡¯d succumbed to drowsiness, and even now he could still hear her voice ringing in his ears. Just thinking about his name being called made him feel good. He took her hand into his and looked at the big and small scars that marked it, like those on her face. Even though he¡¯d ordered Richard to cast healing magic, her wounds didn¡¯t heal.


    ¡°I did it properly! My healing magic can even make grilled fish swim again!¡± Richard haughtily protested when Estian had eyed the archmage like he was the biggest fraud in the world.


    ¡°So, why won¡¯t Cecile¡¯s wounds heal?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? If there¡¯s a problem, it¡¯s with the empress, not my magic. And speaking of problems, I¡¯ll say it clearly now¡ªshe¡¯s a strange one, she is.¡± Richard launched into recounting the showdown between Cecile and Yuliana. ¡°Do you think any of it makes sense? She completely erased Princess Yuliana¡¯s power. Even I would¡¯ve found that difficult to do¡­ not that I couldn¡¯t manage it, of course.¡±


    The archmage¡¯s words were hard to believe. Both Estian and Richard had sensed Yuliana¡¯s power immediately, but neither had ever detected any unnatural powers from Cecile, which only deepened the mystery. It would¡¯ve been easier if Estian had sensed something from her; it would¡¯ve made it easier to identify what it was. Instead, he found his wife to be the definition of ordinary¡­ if you excluded her face.


    And yet, she¡¯d used the scepter in that manner¡­ Cecile had explained what happened with the scepter in a drowsy mumble, and though it wasn¡¯t detailed, Estian understood that she¡¯d followed the instructions from a book.


    ¡®It was just like this with Girgantia¡¯s appearance as well.¡¯


    In the end, the book from the dragon incident hadn¡¯t been recovered. Even without a search, Estian knew the book Cecile spoke of now would not be found in Etia, or anywhere for that matter. But what did this mean? He couldn¡¯t figure out who in the world was helping him and Cecile, or why. The only thing he felt certain about was despite the suspicious circumstances, he felt no malice. Still, he wanted to know the identity of the one who¡¯d helped or were helping them.


    Having laid there deep in thought for a while, Estian eventually raised himself up and walked towards the table where the reports of fake Cecile¡¯s deeds were piled up. Beside the stack was an old notebook that Estian had brought over after Cecile had fallen asleep.


    ¡°Things I want to do,¡± he muttered as he read the title. The notebook was one of the many items with traces of the empress collected by the subordinates from the royal villa in Navitan. Among the items, this had caught Estian¡¯s interest the most. He quickly flipped it open.


    Things I want to do when I get out of here.


    It was the very first thing Cecile had written. Having lived in Navitan her whole life before coming to the empire, she must¡¯ve longed for the outside world. He continued to skim down the page.


    1. Go to Stoa and eat tons of fruit. I ¡®must¡¯ eat the golden melon no matter what!


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Estian desperately suppressed his laugh when he read the number one thing his wife wished to do. Once upon a time, he¡¯d asked her about what were the good things that had happened to her since becoming empress, and she¡¯d happily replied, ¡°I¡¯m overjoyed that I can eat a ton of fruits!¡± No wonder she looked to be on the verge of tears when he told her to provoke the Stoa delegation. It must¡¯ve felt like the end of the world for Cecile. He felt apologetic for having forced her to disparage the envoys from the first-ranked country she¡¯d listed on her bucket list.


    As he continued to flip through the notebook, he found each page was outlined with a different activity she wished to do, followed by a detailed plan of how she¡¯d go about it and the amount of time and money it¡¯d cost.

 CH 168

    Her plans were meticulous, clearly indicating that thought had been put into it and that these weren¡¯t just random scribbles. It was clear these were all things Cecile sincerely wanted to do. Suddenly, Estian¡¯s eyes landed on a small paragraph in a corner of one of the pages.


    What¡¯s the point of imagining all this? I¡¯ll only be able to leave when I¡¯m being sold through marriage. I don¡¯t know who I¡¯ll end up marrying, but I doubt my future husband will allow me to do these things. I read in a book that a princess that¡¯s sold off is no different than a commodity. Who¡¯d let their possession run around freely?


    Estian was at a loss for words, as he read Cecile¡¯s grim sentences. It was true that among royalty, those that were unfavored tended to be used as a means of trade. He wondered what might¡¯ve happened if the dice he tossed hadn¡¯t landed on Navitan. What would¡¯ve happened if he¡¯d chosen a different woman as empress, while Cecile ended up sold as the wife to some unknown person? The thought alone made his stomach churn and he gripped the ends of the notebook in his hands tightly.


    Estian understood the fate of such royalty to some extent; he experienced it once in a kingdom he¡¯d conquered long ago. On their way towards the capital, they attacked a province they¡¯d marched through. The governor of that region had run over and dropped himself before Estian¡¯s feet begging for mercy without attempting to put up a fight. It would¡¯ve been an unremarkable incident if the governor hadn¡¯t dragged over a blonde woman and made her kneel before Estian¡¯s feet too.


    ¡°I also offer this woman, Your Majesty! She¡¯s a princess I received in return for my gold mine! Look, is she not beautiful? She¡¯s surely worthy of serving Your Majesty tonight!¡± the governor cried, pointing at the trembling woman who was obviously paralyzed with fear.


    Certainly, the woman¡¯s beauty had been enough to trade for a gold mine as the governor claimed, but what stuck with him was the look of resignation in the woman¡¯s eyes, as if it was only natural she¡¯d been traded like an object. Looking over at his sleeping wife¡¯s form now, he couldn¡¯t help but gnash his teeth at the thought that Cecile could¡¯ve gone through a similar experience. For the first time, he offered a prayer of thanks to gods that he didn¡¯t believe in that the dice thrown that day had landed on the kingdom of Navitan.


    Taking a deep breath, Estian turned his attention back to the notebook.


    17. Visit Rivendale Library, known as the largest library on the continent. It¡¯s said that every book ever published on the continent is there! Even romance novels!


    This didn¡¯t seem too difficult¡ªRivendale Library wasn¡¯t that far from the empire. Or rather, maybe it¡¯d be good to take the opportunity to just move the library into the empire¡­ specifically the capital even? It¡¯d be even better if it was situated right next to the imperial palace! A smile crept onto Estian¡¯s face, as he resumed flipping through the pages, until he found one with all sorts of drawings on it.


    55. Visit Aluna Lake City. Absolutely have to sleep there at least one night! They say you should stay a few days because it¡¯s the most beautiful city on the continent, but the accommodation is far too expensive. It¡¯d be fortunate to spend even one night there. I read in a book that the emperor¡¯s villa in the northern forest of the lake city boasted the most beautiful scenery, but how would I get in there? It¡¯s not like I can just ask Emperor Estian to let me in. Not that he would anyway. Wouldn¡¯t I die before I even spoke?


    ¡°Aluna¡­¡± Estian rubbed his chin, surprised to see his name mentioned out of nowhere. Certainly, as Cecile had written, there was an enormous villa built between crystal clear lakes owned by the imperial family in Aluna. It was supposedly a beautiful dwelling located in the laidback, peaceful resort town, though Estian had never been there himself. He knew of Aluna because it was famous, but he¡¯d never held the slightest interest in the place.

 CH 169

    When he looked back at the page, it was filled with all sorts of information about Aluna, reflecting how eager Cecile was to visit.


    And below all of it, there was one more line added.


    I don¡¯t know whom I¡¯ll be sold to, but I should beg to be allowed to visit the lake city. Even once would be fine! Please let me marry someone generous enough to allow me that much.


    Estian¡¯s thoughts turned back to his wedding day. At the time, Cecile had boldly declared to an attendant, ¡°I¡¯m sure His Majesty won¡¯t be so petty over this much, seeing how I¡¯ve come such a long way¡­¡± When he considered his future schedule, there wasn¡¯t much to do since he usually rested after returning from a conquest. ¡°Perfect,¡± he murmured. He would take this opportunity to show Cecile just how generous he could be.


    * * *


    A week after Estian¡¯s return, a modest end-of-month dinner party was held for the attendants in the imperial kitchen. Everyone was gossiping about the emperor¡¯s latest conquest.


    ¡°It¡¯s said the dukedom of Etia completely disappeared.¡±


    ¡°I heard! Only a few villages survived from what I know.¡±


    Far from a festive atmosphere, the mood was somber. The emperor had quieted down since welcoming the empress, so they thought he¡¯d softened. Instead, it felt like the emperor¡¯s cruelty had only grown exponentially.


    ¡°He went straight to the empress¡¯s palace after returning, right? And he hasn¡¯t come out yet?¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯m glad Her Majesty¡¯s antics have died down ever since His Majesty returned. It was terrible while he was away, wasn¡¯t it? Giving orders while swinging a whip.¡±


    ¡°That it was¡­¡±


    While the attendants discussed the emperor and empress, there was one person sitting in the corner downing glass after glass of liquor¡ªthe saintess. She filled the biggest cup available to the brim, not even bothering to add ice, and chugged it in one go.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± the saintess muttered with a hollow look. ¡°How did Estian return unscathed?¡±


    Not only had she failed to go to Etia, she also hadn¡¯t managed to steal Cecile¡¯s body. With all this being said, Estian should¡¯ve remained uncontrollable after he went berserk, and yet he¡¯d returned from the conquest even faster than he¡¯d done so in the story¡ªin human form, at that.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t things developing differently from what I wrote?¡¯ the saintess came to a sudden realization. Quite a few novel scenes she¡¯d read before came to mind. Usually, in stories where the author somehow found themselves entering the world they¡¯d invented, the protagonists would be at a loss the moment the plot deviated from the original storyline. In the past, she thought the solution was to guide the story back on track, but it felt different now she was in the protagonist¡¯s shoes.


    ¡°It feels like the story ended before it even began. Now what do I do?¡±


    The most climatic event was gone, and the saintess felt like she¡¯d lost out on a compulsory quest, not unlike missing a critical course needed to complete a degree. As the night continued, she repeatedly raised her glass again and again. Two, four, then eight¡­ Her theory was that the alcohol consumed should be doubled each time.


    What should she do in the future? Her holy powers hadn¡¯t been recovered yet, and the ship that was the ¡®male lead¡¯ had sailed. Then, what was left? Suddenly, the saintess remembered the sub male leads, and more specifically, the man she¡¯d met before the conquest. If there was nothing else, she had to at least snag him.


    ¡°Should I meet Kane?¡±


    It was then that a voice suddenly replied, ¡°Are you talking about me?¡±

 CH 170

    The owner of the voice which spoke up from behind the saintess was Kane.


    * * *


    Since his return from the dukedom of Etia, the knight commander¡¯s days had been incredibly hectic, though in truth, his hands were full even before then.


    Kane thought everything was over when he heard that indescribable roar that day. Instead, Girgantia suddenly dropped down from the sky, before soaring up high moments later. The last thing he remembered before briefly blacking out was a golden light engulfing the world, and when he came to and regained his senses, he found Estian in front of him.


    It had been a soul-crushing week dealing with the aftermath of the incident since returning to the imperial palace. The knight commander had finally wrapped up most of his work, barely having time for a breather, when a certain person came to mind¡ªthat maid.


    Irene was still in the palace, so it was likely her maid had remained too. That¡¯s why he¡¯d come to the kitchen, knowing that a gathering was being held by the attendants that night. The attendants were astonished by the knight commander¡¯s arrival, who had stumbled into their somber discussions of the war, unbefitting of a dinner party.


    ¡°Sir-Sir Kane!¡±


    The ones who spotted him stiffly offered their greetings, but he waved them off, bidding them to continue with their drinking. Glancing around, he quickly spotted a maid drinking by herself in the corner of the kitchen, with a weary look that seemed to decry the world ending. He couldn¡¯t tell why she was surrounded by so many glasses when she was all alone.


    ¡®Fortunately, it seems she¡¯s alone.¡¯ Kane was startled when he noticed his own thoughts. Why did he feel it was fortunate to find her by herself? Why did he feel relief that no one, especially not another man, was sitting across from her? As he was questioning himself, the maid raised her glass and downed its content in one gulp¡ªshe drank like a fish. It felt unwise to leave her be, so Kane quickly approached her. Just as he neared her side, he heard her mutterings.


    ¡°Should I meet Kane?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± he said. The sudden mention of his name compelled him to ask right away; his heart pounded strangely as he waited for her answer.


    ¡°Twins? You two look the same?¡± the maid slurred, as she turned to look at him. ¡°Hmm, yeah. Since I¡¯ve lost the male lead, shouldn¡¯t I at least have the sub male lead?¡±


    There was no doubt she was plastered to the point she¡¯d mistaken him for two people. Nonetheless, Kane took a seat across from her and continued to listen to her drunken incomprehensible ramblings. At least it was better than being asked why he was suddenly intruding at her table. Only after he had taken a seat did he realize he didn¡¯t know what to say. He tried to remember why he¡¯d come looking for her in the first place.


    His initial purpose to seek her out had been to inquire about the Girgantia incident, but now he was face-to-face with her, he felt more concerned about something else: why had the maid wondered if she should meet him?


    ¡°Kane. Twenty-six-years-old. Knight commander of the empire. Red-haired and brown-eyed. A dedicated aide to the emperor,¡± the maid said, interrupting Kane¡¯s thoughts. ¡°He appears to have a cool personality, but you can find a tenacious side to him upon getting to know the man. Never forgets any wrong done to him.¡±


    All of sudden she¡¯d begun reciting his profile? And how did this maid know all these details about him?


    ¡°And contrary to what other people think, he¡¯s extremely dull when it comes to love. Basically has a weak spot for older women,¡± the maid continued.


    ¡®Is¡­ is that so?¡¯ Just as Kane was pondering whether what the maid said was true, she suddenly leaned close to his face.

 CH 171

    ¡°And at night, he¡¯s just as beastly as the main lead on the bed. He can do it ¡®hot¡¯ and ¡®rough,¡¯ according to his setting,¡± she whispered.


    Kane, dumbstruck, immediately choked on the liquor he was drinking. He felt his face immediately burn, as he stammered, ¡°I-I say¡­ Wh-what are you¡­¡± Bed, beastly, hot, and rough¡ªit felt like those four words were ringing in his ears. What was this audacious woman saying?


    The maid seemed bemused as she took in the shell-shocked look on Kane¡¯s face, before she downed another glass, before raising her finger and wagging it. Lowering her voice like she was about to reveal a great secret, she lamented, ¡°But what does it matter? It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll be put to use. I didn¡¯t write that far, you see. It¡¯s just how the character setting is¡ªsub male leads are supposed to live and die as pure virgins after all.¡±


    This was the second time her words made him choke. Virgin? By now, Kane¡¯s face was red like a tomato. He grabbed the maid¡¯s arm and stammered, ¡°Le-let¡¯s talk outside for a second!¡±


    * * *


    Contrary to his worries, she followed him obediently until they reached the imperial gardens, where they could have some privacy. Kane finally realized he was grasping the maid¡¯s arm without permission; after letting go, he saw red marks remaining where he grabbed her. The maid stared at the marks, seemingly in pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡±


    ¡°You really are strong. It makes me very much look forward to it.¡±


    It felt like their conversations were on different tracks since it started back in the kitchen, and hers was careening off into an incredibly dangerous direction. All thoughts of questioning the maid had left him, and Kane was only focused on escorting her back to her room.


    ¡°Are you staying in the Empress Palace? I¡¯ll take you right now so¡ª¡±


    The maid suddenly drew close to Kane and pressed a finger against his lips to silence him. Her eyes narrowed as she smiled dangerously, and whispered, ¡°Shh, don¡¯t say anything. You trust this big sister, yes?¡±


    Was she his elder? Whatever the case, Kane had no choice but to nod. If Estian were here to see this, he would¡¯ve muttered about needing to change the commander of the imperial knights.


    The maid was only holding a finger to his lips, but she made Kane retreat backwards until his knees bumped up against the ledge of a garden bench and he sat down. His head felt like it was spinning in circles. Never had he felt so disoriented, not even during the first war he took part in.


    The maid reached out to cup his face, and gazed deeply at him for a long while. ¡°I knew it. You are handsome, even if you¡¯re the sub male lead. Okay, I¡¯m satisfied. I¡¯ve decided,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Decided what¡ªMmph!¡± Kane couldn¡¯t finish his sentence because the maid had taken his lips right. He was frozen in shock. For a long time, the two remained entangled together in a corner of the imperial garden, until the maid finally broke off their kiss.


    Panting sounds filled the night air, as the two caught their breaths. Inhaling deeply, the maid wore an impressed impression on her face as she looked at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re really good at kissing, aren¡¯t you? Is this really your first time?¡±


    Should he

 CH 172

    Bang! Bang! Bang! The saintess blinked open her eyes and groaned in pain. As soon as she came to, she felt a splitting pain battering her head. It was only worsened by the loud pounding at the door.


    ¡°What are you doing! Get up! Are you still sleeping!¡±


    The source of the banging and shouting was Irene, which made the saintess reflexively crawl toward the door. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t hear the end of it if the door wasn¡¯t opened immediately, so even though she appeared like a ghoul returning from hell, she crawled over to the door with great difficulty to open it.


    ¡°Milady, what is¡­ the matter¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh! You reek of alcohol! No wonder I didn¡¯t see you around. Just how much did you drink yesterday!¡±


    How much did she drink? It wasn¡¯t something she could confidently answer, though it was most definitely more than what could be counted with her fingers and toes¡ªshe was certain of that.


    ¡°Well, that aside, hurry and pack your things.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re departing for Aluna after having lunch. Oh, I¡¯ll be going after tending to some matters, so you¡¯ll be going first.¡±


    ¡°Aluna?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lake City Aluna! So get ready quickly! If you forget even one single piece of my clothing, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± With those words, Irene hurried away, leaving the saintess alone to her thoughts.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that the city where all sorts of events popped up in the story?¡¯ Aluna was none other than the beautiful backdrop that the saintess had poured her all into, setting the stage for many fun and exciting events. Brushing her thoughts aside, the saintess decided to crawl back into her bed now that her stormy lady was gone.


    ¡°Aluna Baluna, none of that matters right now. I wish I had some hangover soup,¡± she muttered, snuggling into the blankets once more. But that¡¯s when she noticed a rustling sound. Fumbling about, her hand touched a piece of paper. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Under her bed covers was a note that read: You will pay for stealing my first time.


    It was enough to make her sober up instantly in a blink of an eye.


    * * *


    Far away in Aluna, the caretakers of a certain villa were astonished by the sudden arrival of a letter.


    ¡°His Majesty is coming!¡±


    ¡°Together with the rumored empress to boot!¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow!¡± a third cried.


    The third exclamation was the most terrifying. Tomorrow? Up until now, Estian hadn¡¯t visited the villa once since his coronation, and only a minimal number of caretakers had been kept on staff. In other words¡­ ¡®A cushy job!¡¯ That was the honest thought of the attendants at Aluna Villa. Not only were they paid the same salary as the workers in the imperial palace, they also received a stipend for working in a remote location. Moreover, the emperor never visited and it seemed like he never would!


    As a result, the attendants had grown accustomed to a slack work ethic. It was the natural result of having no one watching over them and no one to serve. However, it was all coming to an end.


    ¡°Wash all the curtains!¡±


    ¡°Replace the carpets!¡±


    ¡°Dust off all the statues!¡±


    ¡°The bedding! Where did you put the new bedding that arrived this year!¡±


    It was a mad scramble¡ªif the emperor arrived and saw things were not prepared properly¡­ They all shuddered as the same thought crossed their minds, ¡®Our heads will roll!¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been that long since the emperor wiped off Etia from the map of the continent. The man could annihilate a country, so destroying one measly villa would be easy as pie. The attendants were staking their lives on cleaning.


    As the saying goes¡ªwhere there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. They barely managed to somehow restore the villa, which in actuality was the size of an average palace, to its original glory within just one day. Now they waited, gripped with tension, as they watched a coach roll into the villa grounds.

 CH 173

    ¡®In there is the emperor and empress¡­¡¯ No attendant was unaware of the reputation preceding the imperial couple. Nervous gulps could be heard everywhere as the coach approached the villa entrance. It would be the first time any of the caretakers laid eyes on the couple, so their eyes were brimming with curiosity as they stared at the coach door.


    When the door swung open, the attendants all doubted their eyes. Normally, people of high rank waited for an escort off the carriage. In a villa like this, the steward would play this role. However, before he could approach the carriage, a man shot out as if he couldn¡¯t wait a second longer.


    Tall, with broad shoulders, the man¡¯s hair and eyes were both black as night. He was dressed in the most sophisticated and splendid formal suit in the empire, which sported many decorations, but the top button of the white shirt beneath it was undone as if to show how constricted the wearer felt. Despite being covered, the sturdiness of the man¡¯s body was still prominent, and even without the unapproachable, sharp look in his eyes, his overbearing presence made it clear to the attendants who he was.


    ¡®It¡¯s Emperor Estian!¡¯ The employer they never wished to meet had finally appeared. The attendants hurriedly bowed in greeting.


    ¡®Did I make the bed well?¡¯


    ¡®Did I remove the stain in the hallway properly?¡¯


    ¡®Did I prepare the ingredients for tonight¡¯s dinner perfectly?¡¯


    They each swallowed dryly as they thought about their respective work assignments. They¡¯d heard stories of the emperor beheading his attendants for no apparent reason, so he surely wouldn¡¯t hesitate to lop off their heads should he be given a reason.


    ¡°We sincerely welcome your visit to A-Aluna Villa, Your Majesty. I-I am Claire, the steward tasked with managing the villa.¡±


    Claire was dressed in impeccable formal wear for the first time since she could remember, and was visibly trembling as she bowed in greeting. She didn¡¯t know why her tongue felt so stiff when she was normally quite eloquent. If it¡¯d been up to her, she would¡¯ve resigned on the spot and bid farewell.


    ¡°The vice-steward, Emily, shall escort H-Her Majesty. If you would please come this way, Your Majesty. F-first, I shall guide you around the¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, stand down,¡± Estian interrupted, holding up a hand toward Emily, who was approaching the coach. Both Claire and Emily turned ashen.


    ¡°H-h-have we m-m-made a mistake¡­?¡± Claire stammered. The faces of her parents, whom she¡¯d last seen a few months before, flashed through her mind. They¡¯d told her that they recently signed a new contract for a family grave, and there was a spot for her too! At the time she¡¯d thought they were preparing too early for such a distant future, but at that moment, that future didn¡¯t seem so far off.


    While Claire and Emily were shaking in fear, another voice came from inside the coach.


    ¡°Your Majesty, help me, please!¡±


    ¡®The empress!¡¯ The voice was like music to her ears. Claire¡¯s head looked up towards the coach in surprise. The emperor¡¯s overwhelming presence had caused the existence of the empress to slip from her mind.


    The woman was said to have captivated the tyrant emperor, after which she committed all sorts of wicked deeds in the imperial palace. Word was going around that the severity of her antics had even worsened as of late, though they seemed to have quietened after the emperor¡¯s return from Etia. Still, who knew whether that rumored temper of hers would flare up again during their visit to Aluna?


    ¡®But is it possible she spoke up to help me?¡¯ Claire was stunned that the empress had asked the Emperor Estian to help her¡­ and in such an intimate tone at that! She wasn¡¯t familiar with imperial etiquette since she¡¯d never resided at the main palace, but she¡¯d never heard of an empress treating the emperor in such a manner. And in front of a crowd too! Casting a timid glance at the emperor, she saw the emperor¡¯s face stiffen.

 CH 174

    Ah, I knew it.¡¯ The empress¡¯s attitude might not have been a problem in the empress¡¯s palace, away from prying eyes, but to ask the emperor to help her in such a public place? Surely it would earn his displeasure. The emperor hadn¡¯t killed anyone yet, but the rigidness in his expression¡­ ¡®Will I be seeing blood spilled?¡¯


    The emperor immediately ran up to the coach. Just as Claire prepared herself to witness trouble, she heard something unbelievable.


    ¡°Is it too tiring? That¡¯s why I said I¡¯d carry it for you.¡± In contrast to the hardened expression on his face, the voice coming from his lips was soft and sweet like melted cream.


    ¡°But still, asking Your Majesty to carry this is a bit¡­¡± a troubled voice said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Give it here. And your hand too. Watch your feet.¡±


    The attendants stood around bug-eyed at the unexpected conversation unfolding before them. They stared blankly at the emperor, whose voice dripped with a cloying sweetness, and their eyes widened when the emperor emerged carrying¡­


    ¡®That¡¯s¡­!¡¯


    ¡®The one you can get at the entrance to Aluna!¡¯


    ¡®The ice cream shop, 32 Flavors of Choice¡¯s the ¡®Omni-Scoop Fantastic Unbelievable Magical Superstar 32¡¯ signature special?¡¯


    The emperor was wielding a huge ice cream cone with a look so potent that a mere glance would instantly dice a phantom beast to death. 32 Flavors of Choice was a must-see famous shop for any visitor to Aluna. Couples were often spotted wandering about holding one of the store¡¯s signature cones, but in the emperor¡¯s hands, it looked like a malicious work of art. It truly was unsuited to him.


    Seconds later, a pale hand reached out of the coach, which the emperor held carefully, like one would handle treasure. When the empress stepped out, the attendants admired her beauty¡ªporcelain skin, straight eyebrows, and slightly parted red lips beneath a Grecian nose. Her platinum blonde hair was slightly disheveled, a mark of the long journey she¡¯d undertaken that didn¡¯t detract from her loveliness in the slightest. Her gaze directed towards the villa and the people gathered twinkled like veritable stars, as if she was taking in the view with admiration. And in her hand was a spoonful of ice cream.


    Clusters of red cherry pulp were mixed into an intensely red ice cream scoop; its very appearance was enough to induce salivation. ¡°Have a bite too, Your Majesty,¡± she said, as she thrust it towards his mouth. However, the emperor quickly dodged and retreated. Yes, there was imperial dignity at stake! How could the emperor let himself be fed in this situation?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you all along the way here, but you seem to have forgotten¡­¡± the emperor growled fiercely.


    The attendants gulped nervously and trembled at the chill in his voice. What could he be referring to with such a serious expression?


    The emperor continued, ¡°You promised not to call me ¡®Your Majesty.¡¯ Call me by my name.¡±


    The attendants exchanged glances, as the same thought ran through their heads, ¡®¡­What?¡¯


    * * *


    ¡°Woohoo! This is amazing! Oh my gosh, I never thought I¡¯d see such a view from a balcony!¡± Cecile exclaimed, running onto the balcony in excitement. The thought of imperial dignity and manners flashed through her mind, but she decided to forgo it for the time being. She was in Aluna after all!


    ¡®I was so surprised when he said we¡¯d be coming here.¡¯ It had always been a lifelong wish to visit Aluna ever since she was young. Even in books titled ¡®101 Famous Places You Must See Before Dying,¡¯ Aluna was always at the top of the rankings.

 CH 175

    A pleasant, cool breeze brushed through her hair, carrying the fragrance of all kinds of flowers. Gazing ahead, the scenery unfolding before her eyes was not of this world. There was a mountain dyed in myriad colors, and beneath it were limestone ponds of different depths. Against the backdrop of the white limestone, the colors of the ponds stood out vividly, ranging from a light sky-blue all the way to a light pink. The ponds were remarkably different, except for one commonality: they were all crystal clear. It was almost frightening how the movements of the swimming fish were all visible at a glance. The shallow ponds, like a palette filled with all the colors of the world, gently rippled in the wind.


    ¡°How pretty¡­¡± she sighed.


    The ponds weren¡¯t the only beautiful things. In the distance, Cecile could spot several animals emerging from the edge of the forest¡ªa deer with huge antlers and its family. The fawns following their parents raised their heads to look at Cecile, as if to say, ¡°There were people living in there?¡± She watched the deer family cross the ponds and make their way to the small waterfall in the center to drink. Resting her chin on the balcony railing, she admired the peaceful scenery for a long time.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Estian asked, hugging her from behind.


    Cecile mused on how familiar his skinship felt, and thought of the expressions on the villa attendants she saw a little while ago. ¡®They looked like they were seeing a ghost.¡¯ Their faces had been etched with astonishment, as if they¡¯d witnessed something impossible. Their reactions had only worsened when she called Estian by his name; their eyes so wide that she worried they might pop out and roll to the ground.


    ¡°How could I not like this place? It¡¯s perfect!¡± Cecile said, cupping Estian¡¯s face with a hand and planting a kiss on his cheek.


    The view before Cecile was not something other people would be privy to. One of the past emperors had chosen to build the villa in this spot because of the remarkable view. Naturally, it was the best location and was inaccessible by the general public.


    Not even the nobles would dare set foot in here. Only a select few might be given the opportunity to enjoy this scenery should they be invited to a banquet held by the emperor on the rare occasion that the emperor vacationed here. However, since Estian had never visited Aluna since he ascended the throne, the villa gradually became a landmark of legend. Cecile was overjoyed at being able to visit Aluna, but to think she even had access to the legend from the start!


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad to be the empress,¡± she said sincerely. The empress palace was a wonderful place, with all the fruits and delicacies she could wish for and all the pretty things she could have. However, to be able to enjoy such scenery on top of that? This was heaven! Cecile planted a series of joyful kisses on Estian¡¯s cheek. ¡®I can play here for two whole weeks!¡¯ Even though she wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the villa, it was enough.


    Her only regret was that she hadn¡¯t gotten to eat the famous local apple pie. All along their way, Cecile kept looking out the window. If it hadn¡¯t been for Estian, she would¡¯ve stuck her head out the coach. ¡®I can finally taste it!¡¯ she thought excitedly. She waited in anticipation for Maggie¡¯s Pie Shop to come into view, but when they arrived, a note was stuck to the shop door that read: Closed indefinitely for personal reasons. It had been a huge letdown, but Cecile soothed her disappointed heart by reminding herself that she was lucky enough to try the ¡®Omni-Scoop Fantastic Unbelievable Magical Superstar 32.¡¯


    ¡°You stay here,¡± Estian said, reluctantly releasing her from his embrace when they heard a knock at the door. Standing outside the door was a knight, who¡¯d come to report on an order regarding a certain matter.


    In a discreet voice, the knight reported, ¡°I have found out the reason the pie shop is closed.¡±

 CH 176

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason?¡± Estian asked, with a tone holding as much gravity as his subordinate¡¯s.


    The pie shop had also been at the forefront of Estian¡¯s mind since their arrival in Aluna. After all, it was the first shop Cecile wanted to visit here. That¡¯s why Estian had intended their first stop to be the pie shop, but as their coach approached its location, not even a whiff of the savory smell described in Cecile¡¯s book could be detected.


    As feared, when they arrived in front of the shop, they found the front of the establishment to be sparse, with some rubbish gathering at its entrance. Anyone could tell immediately that the store had shuttered, and for quite some time at that. When a knight approached to investigate, he¡¯d found a note attached to the door stating the store was closed indefinitely.


    ¡°I wanted to try their pies¡­¡± Cecile muttered sadly, as her eyes started to glisten.


    How sorely had she desired to try their pie that she would tear up? Seeing Cecile¡¯s disappointment, Estian immediately called over one of the imperial guards and quietly ordered, ¡°Find out where the owner of this shop is, and why it closed down. No, just bring them to the villa.¡±


    So long as the owner was alive and kicking with their limbs intact, Estian thought he or she could just as easily bake pies in the villa.


    ¡°They said they couldn¡¯t make any more due to a lack of ingredients, sir.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that all about? What ingredients do they lack exactly?¡±


    Although Estian was not at all versed in confectionery, even he knew the basic ingredients that went into making an apple pie¡ª flour, sugar, butter, and apples. If someone were to ask whether these items were difficult to procure in the empire, then the answer would be a resounding ¡®no.¡¯ No matter how he tried to wrap his head around it, he couldn¡¯t figure out what ingredient the shop owner lacked.


    ¡°There are no apples apparently.¡±


    Estian¡¯s face contorted at the ridiculousness of the statement. He would¡¯ve rather accepted the excuse that there was some secret elusive ingredient that couldn¡¯t be found. But apples? The owner dared to give such an insincere excuse to a knight of the imperial guard and think they could get off scot-free?


    ¡°Bring that wretch over,¡± Estian snarled.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like a lie, Your Majesty!¡± the knight hastily exclaimed upon seeing Estian¡¯s face turn ferocious, before quickly explaining the full story.


    * * *


    After finishing up his conversation with the knight, Estian returned to the room again. Cecile was still standing where he¡¯d left her, admiring the view from the balcony.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best to go in now,¡± Estian quietly suggested, as he removed his dress cloak to drape over his wife¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡®I did sleep a bit too much, but he¡¯s being such a worrywart,¡¯ Cecile thought, as she let out a small sigh at his actions. Estian had been acting like this ever since their return from the dukedom of Etia.


    She slept for three days straight after their return, and even after then, she would often spend at least half the day napping. As a result, the doctors of the imperial palace practically lived in the empress¡¯s palace to provide around-the-clock care. It wasn¡¯t just the doctors too¡ªEstian nagged Richard daily to check on his wife¡¯s condition. Apart from a sense of drowsiness, Cecile herself felt like there was nothing wrong with her body. While some had suggested that the empress might be pregnant, that hadn¡¯t been the case either.


    As the days went on, Cecile became increasingly bothered by everyone¡¯s constant hovering, and what was even more frustrating was¡­ ¡°Achoo!¡± A single sneeze was all it took to send everyone into a frenzy.


    ¡°Her Majesty sneezed!¡±


    ¡°Contact everyone quickly!¡±


    ¡°Gather all the pharmacists!¡±


    ¡°I beg you all, please stop. Ah-ah-achoo!¡± Cecile pleaded. The culprit was the pollen in the air making her nose itch, and of course, pollen irritation never ended with just one sneeze. However, the alarm the imperial doctors portrayed from her ensuing sneezes were as if they were witnessing the apocalypse.


    ¡°Declare an emergency order in the empire! She sneezed twice! It¡¯s an emergency!¡±


    In her frustration, Cecile inadvertently blurted, ¡°Will you maniacs cut it out!¡± An emergency alert because of two sneezes? Could they be any fussier? It was at this moment that Estian returned to the empress¡¯s palace.

 CH 177

    ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down these¡ª¡±


    ¡°I heard. You sneezed twice? We¡¯ll talk again after I cut down all those incompetent cretins.¡± The one who ended up making the biggest fuss of all was her husband. Even a glass doll wouldn¡¯t be handled so carefully.


    Cecile had traveled so far, she didn¡¯t want to spend her time cooped up for her protection like she was in the palace. Not knowing when she¡¯d ever get the chance to visit Aluna again, she had to capture these beautiful sights while she could.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty outside, I want to enjoy it a little more,¡± she said, as she moved to sit on an iron chair on the balcony. But Estian was quicker, and he quickly bundled her in his cloak and carried her in his arms.


    ¡°Then, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll send word to have the chairs replaced with comfier ones right away, so don¡¯t sit on them until then,¡± he said, as he sat in the chair and placed her on his lap.


    Cecile remembered that one of the imperial doctors had advised her to avoid the cold. Apparently her husband was concerned about her sitting directly on the iron chairs. When she thought about her current state, she thought, ¡®I¡¯m a caterpillar.¡¯ Her daily routine consisted of eating, sleeping, and squirming about. Didn¡¯t that make her a caterpillar? Still, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing, so Cecile rested herself comfortably against Estian¡¯s chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice being the empress,¡± she murmured contentedly. Truly, it was the best. Being able to enjoy such beautiful scenery, and in such comfort at that? She also remembered how the steward had promised tonight¡¯s dinner consisted of the local specialties. From the rainbow trout caught in nearby lakes to the vegetables grown only in the Aluna region, and even desserts made with local fruits¡ªthe mere thought of the sumptuous feast brought a smile to Cecile¡¯s face and made her salivate.


    Watching Cecile grinning to herself, Estian chuckled and said, ¡°You like it that much?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The imperial palace is nice in its own right, but this place has its own charm. And it¡¯s my first time visiting somewhere like this after all. It¡¯s the first trip of my life!¡± Cecile exclaimed, unable to contain the excitement in her voice.


    When she was brought to the mansion near the imperial capital from Navitan, she hadn¡¯t even been allowed to look outside. However, this time not only was she permitted to look to her heart¡¯s desire, Estian would even stop the coach whenever the slightest thing caught her interest to buy whatever it was that had caught her eye.


    ¡®Though trying to buy the local governor¡¯s castle was a bit¡­¡¯ Cecile had only stared because she found its pink roof curious; she didn¡¯t want to be misunderstood as having wanted it.


    ¡°First trip¡­¡± Estian echoed, before laughing.


    The pleasant sound was contagious and Cecile soon joined in. Suddenly, her eyes fluttered shut as she dozed off.


    ¡°I knew this would happen,¡± Estian muttered, as he wrapped his wife more tightly into his cloak. Though the doctors diagnosed that nothing was wrong with her body, Cecile would often slip into a deep slumber at a moment¡¯s notice. Though the length of rest she needed was gradually shortening, he knew that on the day he¡¯d returned to his human form, Cecile had overburdened herself. It was a fact that continued to weigh heavily on him.


    Gently touching the soft and shiny strands of his wife¡¯s hair that had slipped out of his cloak, it gave him the impression he was touching sunlight. Estian recalled the excitement on her face the whole way over, and he thought back to that monstrosity of a castle with its pink roof. ¡®Should I buy that castle after all? ¡®I should give her everything she wants.¡¯ Cecile had gaped at it for a long time, and putting aside whether he liked it or not, it was enough if she took interest in it.


    Cecile had saved him, and she was¡­ ¡°My wife.¡± The greatest sense of satisfaction filled Estian as he watched Cecile sleeping in his arms. All that was his was hers to enjoy. The Aluna trip was only the beginning¡ªhe would grant all his wife¡¯s wishes that filled that notebook.

 CH 178

    Her first trip had been with him, and the many first experiences ahead of her would always be with him. That thought evoked a deep satisfaction that spread across his face. Never in his life had thoughts other than revenge and war consumed him like this.


    Cradling Cecile in his arms, Estian raised himself out of the chair and headed back into the room. After tucking her carefully into bed, he moved to the table where he¡¯d left the papers he brought along. They were the reports documenting what¡¯d happened while he¡¯d been away conquering the dukedom of Etia. Estian¡¯s expression darkened when he picked up the topmost report and began reading it.


    Princess Yuliana has been missing since the casino incident, and the envoys of Aswan are also searching for her, but not much progress has been made. Aswan has also officially deprived Yuliana of her title of princess¡­


    Estian had heard of all the particulars of the casino incident from Richard, who¡¯d concluded that Cecile¡¯s powers were that of a witch, and were deeply related to the Archwitch at that. The archmage wasn¡¯t alone in his speculations. Aled also spoke of his experience in the spirit realm and supported Richard¡¯s words. Recalling the things he¡¯d heard, Estian rubbed his face, while muttering, ¡°Archwitch¡­¡±


    She was a legendary being that had disappeared long ago, and most people didn¡¯t even know of her. Estian wouldn¡¯t have known such people had even existed, had it not been for his research into Eugendiph¡¯s blood. But now one such legendary existence was resurfacing in the world, and it was somehow related to Cecile.


    ¡®But it¡¯s not just about her.¡¯ According to Aled, the archwitch had also gone around enquiring about Eugendiph¡¯s blood herself¡­ 24 years ago. And Cecile was 24 years old. This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence.


    Aled had returned to the spirit realm to investigate something on Estian¡¯s behalf, but not before being warned not to return within two weeks and not dawdle like last time.


    Richard too had also been assigned a task by the emperor. Estian had told the archmage he was free to return to the Mage Tower, but the man had clung to Estian¡¯s pants and pleaded to stay.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to get lost, aren¡¯t you? No! Let me help too!¡± It would¡¯ve been a moving line if it was spoken by anyone else.


    Estian mercilessly stepped on Richard¡¯s back and asked, ¡°What¡¯re you up to, you wretch?¡±


    The archmage didn¡¯t give up as he asked in tears, ¡°Could I have a piece of the empress? Like her blood or hair? Honestly, a finger or an eye would be even better¡ªshe¡¯s a subject worth researching, I tell you! Once she dies, let me dissec¡ªaaaaagh!¡±


    Mustering his utmost patience, Estian refrained from lopping off the archmage¡¯s head, cutting something else instead. Nevertheless, as Richard¡¯s knowledge was necessary, he eventually compromised by giving some of Cecile¡¯s hair after asking her for permission. Still, the archmage earned himself another thrashing when he dared ask, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you give me ten strands first as a down payment?¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s the mystery regarding the gate too.¡¯ The gate that closed after Cecile fell through had somehow opened up exactly at the dukedom of Etia¡ªan impossibility. Estian¡¯s mind grew complicated, and he pressed his fingers to his temple. There were so many things happening, yet nothing was certain.


    ¡°Hnn¡­¡± Cecile made a troubled sound as she tossed in bed.


    Was she not feeling well somewhere? Surprised, Estian rushed over to her, and called out, ¡°Cecile?¡±


    Though Cecile had appeared to be deep asleep, she opened her eyes at his voice and giggled while reaching out for her. Though her grip wasn¡¯t strong, he felt inexorably drawn down by her and ended up lying beside her. As if she¡¯d found what she was looking for, she snuggled closed and hugged him, before closing her eyes with a satisfied smile hanging on her lips.


    Estian gazed at her silently for a long time. Nothing was solved, but for some reason, he had the feeling that things were fine as they were right now.

 CH 179

    Aluna¡¯s Tourism Association was in a state of emergency.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t getting any visitors!¡±


    ¡°Reservations are being canceled left and right!¡±


    ¡°Even the visitors already here are rushing out of the city!¡±


    The association¡¯s staff were reporting in half-sobbing voices to their president in the president¡¯s office.


    ¡°What disaster is this¡­¡± the president groaned, casting resentful eyes out of the window at the place where the person responsible for this mess was staying¡ªthe emperor¡¯s villa.


    The villa was a place impossible to enter, but because of its beauty, it remained a popular tourist destination in Aluna. Above the villa hung a large flag that was not normally seen¡ªa huge sun drawn on a white background with a sword in the center¡ªsignifying the emperor was in residence. It was an old custom to hang the family¡¯s flag in front of the mansion when its owner returned.


    When a flag was hung, residences were bound to become busy. From friends making calls to scammers hoping their fanciful business ideas would be heard, the front of an occupied residence would often be crowded with coaches, while merchants would sell their wares amid everything. That¡¯s what was commonly expected, except¡­ not even a single ant could be seen crawling at the gates of the emperor¡¯s villa.


    ¡°Mrs. President! Aluna will go bankrupt if this continues,¡± one employee cried, wiping away their tears with the back of their hand.


    ¡°Something must be done. I¡¯m saying that you, Mrs. President, need to go to His Majesty and¡ª¡±


    The president perceptively interrupted, ¡°I have an adorable granddaughter that¡¯s cute as a bunny! It¡¯s her birthday next week! How sad it would be if her grandma couldn¡¯t attend the birthday party!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, she¡¯s quick,¡± the employee muttered under their breath, considering it a pity their attempt to cajole the president had failed. ¡°Still, you¡¯re the president. Shouldn¡¯t you do something for the city?¡±


    ¡°So, are you telling me to march over to the emperor¡¯s villa and tell him ¡®the city¡¯s about to be ruined because of you, so please go back to the capital already?¡¯ Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The employees all nodded firmly¡ªit truly was the only way. Three days had passed since the emperor¡¯s arrival in Aluna, and the sales and hotels and shops had dropped to a tenth of their original figures. Hotels were grabbing their guests and begging them to stay with offers of great discounts, but the guests were adamant about leaving.


    ¡°No discount is worth my life. Haven¡¯t you heard how the dukedom of Etia disappeared not long ago?¡± Estian¡¯s notoriety had skyrocketed and people were fleeing the city with the mindset that a mere encounter with the emperor could spell death.


    But still, it¡¯s not like His Majesty is going around or anything. He¡¯s just been staying in the villa all this time, so I think it¡¯s safe¡­¡±


    ¡°You say that but why haven¡¯t you gone home in the past three days?¡±


    Silence descended in the office. The president and everyone in attendance knew the reason¡ªthey were all terrified of running into the emperor on the way home.


    ¡°What to do¡­¡±


    ¡°What to do indeed¡­¡±


    As they were all lamenting, suddenly someone burst in shouting, ¡°It¡¯s terrible! Terrible, I say! Someone arrived from the villa, and is requesting a word with you, Mrs. President!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Things were horrible enough as it was, so what else were they going to tell her? ¡®I can¡¯t run. I can¡¯t run,¡¯ the president chanted inside. Even though she braced herself, cold sweat was pouring down her forehead and her feet seemed to take her in the opposite direction. In the end, the association staff had to drag her to where an attendant bearing the imperial coat of arms was waiting.


    ¡°H-hello. My name is Elmina, president of the Aluna Tourism Association.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. President. I apologize for coming at such a busy time.¡±

 CH 180

    The president didn¡¯t have the courage to retort, ¡°If you know we¡¯re busy, then please go back.¡± Instead she politely smiled and said, ¡°Not at all. Instead of standing here, how about we go up and have a cup of tea¡­¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. I must return immediately after relaying the message. We too are busy due to His Majesty¡¯s sudden arrival¡­¡± the attendant trailed off.


    In that instant, an inexplicable sense of camaraderie developed between the two parties. ¡®You too? Hey, me too!¡¯ They exchanged sympathetic looks, before the attendant coughed dryly.


    ¡°What I¡¯m here to relay is that tomorrow¡­¡± the attendant trailed off, as if the next words were difficult to speak. Everyone swallowed dryly at the attendant¡¯s pause¡ªwhat could it be? The attendant fought back a grimace and shut their eyes tightly, before saying, ¡°His Majesty¡¯s dragon arrives in Aluna!¡±


    * * *


    The sounds of cheers erupted from all around them, while flowers rained down from above. Tania frowned at the petals being tossed madly her way. ¡°Ah-ah-ah-achoo!¡± Tania had been struggling in this state for the whole tripe.


    As she sniffled, Girgantia asked from below her, ¡°You catch a cold?¡±


    Hearing Girgantia¡¯s voice, the cheers grew louder.


    ¡°Did you hear that? The dragon spoke!¡±


    ¡°Heavens. If I¡¯d known, I would¡¯ve ordered a recording spell from the mages, even if it cost me an arm and a leg!¡±


    Tania and Girgantia were rendered speechless by the crowd¡¯s fanaticism. It¡¯d been like this ever since they departed from the imperial palace. Most of the distance had been covered by flight, but they couldn¡¯t fly forever since they both needed to rest. Whenever the two tired, they would land to eat, before resuming their travels until it was time to retire for the day¡ªlather, rinse and repeat.


    ¡°Could that girl be the dragon knight?!¡±


    ¡°I see! The battle knight of legend!¡±


    Tania did a spit take at the words she overheard. ¡®Excuse me? Dragon knight?¡¯ Weren¡¯t those warriors of legend? Humans who possessed the mighty power to subdue dragons and tame them as steeds, and of course, one of the stereotypical occupations of a male lead in a romance novel? ¡°Just how am I¡­ I guess I am like a dragon knight?¡± The strong denial in Tania¡¯s voice died down mid-way and turned into a questioning tone.


    After a long procession down a lane with petals raining on them, the entrance of Aluna finally came into view. Standing in front of the entrance was the president of the tourism association, who greeted warmly, ¡°Welcome, Dame Dragon Knight! Everyone has been waiting for your arrival since dawn.¡±


    ¡°My name is Tania. I¡¯m Her Majesty¡¯s handmaiden¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, for the good dame, we¡¯ve prepared a voucher for 10 years free use of any hotel in Aluna, as well as a certificate that allows you to eat as much as you want at any restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you. I¡¯m indeed Dragon Knight Tania. Do you happen to have anything else?¡±


    ¡°Wow, look at that switch in attitude. Ouch! Don¡¯t step on my tail!¡± Girgantia grumbled.


    The president shed tears of joy at the sight of Tania subduing the dragon with a single stomp. ¡®I thought we were ruined, but who knew things would turn out like this!¡¯


    From the moment the villa attendant announced the dragon¡¯s arrival, the tourism association had kicked into high gear.


    ¡°Are the pamphlets finished!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re done ordering the flowers!¡±


    Overnight, banners and decorations bearing the image of dragons were attached all over the city, which read: ¡î¡ïCelebration¡ï¡î We welcome Dragon Girgantia and Dragon Knight Tania ¨C Aluna Tourism Association. Similarly, pamphlets were scattered all around, with the tagline that read ¡®A dragon is coming¡ªthat dragon of legend! This may be a one and only opportunity of a lifetime!¡¯


    The association¡¯s prediction was spot on. As soon as word spread that Girgantia was coming to town, visitors flocked to Aluna. The chance to see a dragon, a being said to be long-extinct, proved to be irresistible, and curiosity overcame fear. Naturally, this was also partly thanks to an added statement on the pamphlet that claimed ¡®the creature is under the perfect control of the dragon knight. Rest 120% assured!¡¯


    A father in the crowd carrying his child on his shoulder said, ¡°That¡¯s a dragon, son. Now try offering this for it to eat,¡± before placing a piece of candy in the child¡¯s hands.


    Earning a disdainful glare from Girgantia, he muttered, ¡°Who¡¯d eat something like that?¡±


    Realizing the dragon wasn¡¯t giving him the time of day, the child burst into tears. Wondering whether candy wasn¡¯t the answer, the father handed a chicken skewer to his son to offer instead.


    Girgantia promptly gobbled it up and shamelessly asked, ¡°Got more?¡± After all, meat was the best.

 CH 181

    ¡°Tania!¡± Cecile ran over to hug Tania with a happy face.


    ¡°Y-your Majesty! Please wait! You¡¯ll get seasoning on you!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± When Cecile pulled back, she saw three chicken skewers in Tania¡¯s hands and about twenty in Girgantia¡¯s mouth. ¡°What did you eat on the way here?¡±


    ¡°I merely responded to the sincere hospitality of humans,¡± the dragon answered proudly.


    Cecile clicked her tongue in response and retorted, ¡°So, you just ate what people gave you.¡±


    Both Girgantia and Tania avoided Cecile¡¯s gaze and stared off into the distance.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve arrived,¡± Estian said, appearing shortly after.


    As Cecile curtsied in greeting, Girgantia asked from behind, ¡°By the way, why¡¯d you call us here?¡±


    ¡°I thought the view from the sky would be pretty.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± What nonsense was this? The dragon looked confused for a moment, before Estian¡¯s words dawned on him. ¡°Ha-hang on. So, because you think it¡¯ll be nice to look at the city from the sky¡­ You want to ride on my back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m a dragon! How could you think of such a¡ª¡±


    ¡°The chef said he has fifty chickens fried and ready.¡±


    ¡°What a wonderful idea, my good emperor. So, where¡¯s the dining room?¡±


    Tania gave Girgantia the side-eye from his instant flip in a servile attitude, even though she lived the same way. Though the dragon had answered affirmatively, his expression wasn¡¯t bright.


    ¡°My mom would¡¯ve shed tears if she knew I lived under such treatment. She cherished me so dearl¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lies,¡± Cecile cut in. ¡°Mount Panar disappeared because you stressed out the dragon lord so much she kicked the mountain. Cherished dearly, my foot. I¡¯m sure she was thoroughly fed up with you.¡±


    Girgantia stared at Cecile in shock and asked, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°How did you know that mom got rid of that mountain because of me?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­¡± Cecile trailed off. How did she know?


    ¡°No one but my mom and I knew about that, so how did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Estian interjected. ¡°You go downstairs and eat your feed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call it feed!¡± Girgantia huffed.


    ¡°The chicken¡¯s going cold.¡±


    ¡°I shall be back after my feed then.¡±


    Girgantia immediately left at the mention of his chicken growing cold. After seeing him swiftly disappear with Tania in tow, Estian turned to his confused wife and found her murmuring to herself, ¡°How odd¡­ Really, how did I know that?¡±


    * * *


    The lobby of a small hotel in the outskirts of Aluna was swamped with guests. It was an old rundown place that normally had few guests, but it was suddenly crowded with people desperate to catch a glimpse of the rumored dragon.


    ¡°Welcome. May I have the name on your reservation?¡±


    The woman who came to the reception desk with a hat pressed tightly on her head answered hoarsely, ¡°I didn¡¯t make a reservation.¡±


    The receptionist remarked in a troubled tone, ¡°Oh dear. There are no rooms available with the current happenings in Aluna. I apologize, but¡ª¡± Before the receptionist could even finish speaking, the woman threw something heavy on the desk that landed with a thud. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by looking? It¡¯s a gem¡ªworth enough for a year¡¯s stay in a puny hotel like this.¡±


    The receptionist¡¯s face scrunched in distaste upon hearing the hotel described as ¡®puny.¡¯ Nevertheless, he took out the gem to examine it, and was surprised to find it was truly magnificent as the woman had claimed. He quickly scanned the figure before him. She was skinny and her face was obscured under the wide-brimmed hat. It was obvious she was a suspicious character. Why else would a person come to a place like this and offer this much money to stay? However, he was willing to overlook it with the unexpected windfall.


    ¡°All we can offer is a room used by staff. Would that be okay? It has no windows, but it should be nice for a quiet stay.¡± The receptionist was hinting the room was a good place to lay low, and the woman nodded understandingly. ¡°Then, please fill in your name, address, and identity here. It¡¯s a formality, but a necessary one.¡±


    The receptionist hastily stuffed the gem in his pocket, and waited for the woman to fill out the form. Taking the completed form, he handed over a key and said, ¡°It¡¯s the room with a black door below the stairs in the back.¡±


    The woman immediately turned around and walked off without another word. After she¡¯d disappeared from view, the receptionist glanced down at the form. Had she made a mistake when filling it out? There was an indecipherably crossed out part next to where the woman¡¯s name was written.

 CH 182

    Yuliana struggled to insert the key into the lock, noisily rattling it until she finally heard a click and the door creaked open. When she stepped inside, she was greeted by a musty smell that was characteristic of an old, worn-out room. Equipment was piled all around the room with a noticeable layer of dust collecting on their surfaces. It was a room used by staff, true to the receptionist¡¯s description. The smell and sight of the room were something she¡¯d never had to experience until now, and that made her gnash her teeth vehemently.


    Since she had no luggage, Yuliana immediately plopped down on the dirty bed. The old mattress squeaked with the slightest movement, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel that each sound seemingly mocked her. The former princess raised a fist in anger, but soon listlessly dropped it down as sorrow overwhelmed her.


    ¡®Why must I suffer like this?¡¯


    Not that long ago, unimaginable treasures and riches were placed at Yuliana¡¯s feet. She had the attention of her parents and siblings, and the adulation of the people. Everyone loved and supported her. She believed she deserved all of it, as an inheritor of the Archwitch¡¯s power. And yet, now she was left with nothing¡ªall her rightful dues had been taken from her.


    ¡®It was all mine.¡¯


    Lifting her clothes, Yuliana glanced at a spot on her chest. The always radiant power that had once shined brightly had disappeared without a trace. In her disbelief, Yuliana had continued to claw and scratch at where the light should¡¯ve been, over and over, until now the center of her chest was covered in unsightly wounds.


    Triggered by the sight, fury surged through her once more, and she dug her sharp nails into her head and chest, gritting her teeth at the pain. She recalled the letter she¡¯d received shortly after the casino incident. The sender was her brother, king of Aswan.


    Do not ever show yourself in Aswan again.


    What the devil did you do to us? What compelled us to mistreat and drive out Lydia? What did you do that made us listen to you and brand such a stigma on her! That¡¯s not the only questionable thing you¡¯ve done. You also issued willful orders and forced many things to be done your way. What sorcery did you cast on us?


    Yuliana had been fretfully chewing on her nails as she read the letter, but couldn¡¯t help but scoff at its contents. ¡®What¡¯s the big deal about exiling someone like Lydia? It¡¯s only natural since I disliked her. And sorcery? That was the great power of the Archwitch that you all succumbed to¡ªthat¡¯s an honor!¡¯


    Lydia was an Aswan princess who was banished due to Yuliana¡¯s machinations. From a young age, she¡¯d always harbored jealousy towards her sister, so she goaded her family into exiling her. When Lydia was chased out, naturally everything in her room became Yuliana¡¯s possessions. Of course, Yuliana¡¯s use of the Archwitch¡¯s powers hadn¡¯t stopped there, and she continued to use it many times to influence those around her to get her way.


    However, the biggest blow came at the end of the letter.


    You are hereby stripped of all titles. Your name will be erased from the royal lineage of Aswan. The things you¡¯ve amassed shall be returned to their rightful owners. Relinquish your possessions and begone. Only our shared blood stops me from punishing you. Just disappear.


    How laughable. Leave behind her possessions and disappear? Wasn¡¯t this the same as sentencing her to death? She wouldn¡¯t stand for it. Far from relinquishing her possessions, she grabbed every piece of jewelry she could get her hands on before fleeing her residence.


    Yuliana had been on the run ever since. She couldn¡¯t show her face anywhere, for fear of being chased. No, even if no one gave chase, she still couldn¡¯t reveal herself. If someone were to see her in her current state and expressed pity, or worse, disdain, she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the shame.


    The messenger who¡¯d delivered the Aswan king¡¯s letter had regarded her with contempt like she was a disgusting insect, as did the envoys, while the maids and attendants gazed at her and muttered, ¡°Why in the world did we think the princess was beautiful all this time?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t stand it. Everything was twisted. Everyone had to love her. Love, praise, and admire her! A sob wheezed out from her gnawed lips. This was all her fault¡ªCecile.

 CH 183

    ¡°They say she¡¯s got a heck of a personality, but her beauty is out of this world.¡±


    ¡°Personality aside, she supposedly subdued a dragon. That¡¯s reason enough for me to praise Her Majesty!¡±


    ¡°I hear she summoned the beast as a personal ride?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? Aluna is full of people again thanks to that dragon.¡±


    That woman¡¯s name was on everyone¡¯s lips all over town. The people spoke in awe of how the empress used a dragon as her steed; even those who feared the emperor expressed curiosity towards the empress. When she recalled the people¡¯s mindless chatter, Yuliana clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms.


    ¡®I¡¯ll make her pay,¡¯ Yuliana fumed. That woman was enjoying everything that she¡¯d lost. Yuliana would kill her if it was the last thing she did, come what may and at any cost.


    Thud. Just as Yuliana firmed her resolve, she heard something fall from the side of the bed. Had there been something on the bed? She glanced towards the floor and caught sight of an old, worn book lying on the ground. She was about to shrug it off, having no intention to read it, but suddenly found herself picking it up and flipping it open. The former princess¡¯s eyes began to scan the page, and soon a trembling voice clipped from her mouth.


    ¡°What the¡­ ¡®The way to kill Cecile¡¯?¡±


    What in the world was this book, and where had it come from?


    * * *


    ¡°Wow! One, two, three¡­ thirty shelves?¡± Cecile exclaimed, as her head tilted back to take in the bookshelf. It scaled the entire wall and was filled to the brim with books. Was this a bookshelf or a warehouse?


    Kneading her sore neck from leaning her head back so far, Cecile eyed the iron ladder at one end of the bookshelf. It was mounted on rails with wheels, and when she pushed it as a test, she was delighted to find it rolled easily even with her strength. Quickly deciding it was best to make use of what was available, she moved the ladder in front of the bookshelf and began climbing up excitedly. A library with a huge ladder like this was something she¡¯d always dreamed of ever since she saw a picture of one in her childhood.


    ¡°Heave-ho. Let¡¯s see¡­ Dospier¡¯s ¡®Why Man Should Live,¡¯ Hermann¡¯s ¡®Complex, Absolute, Great and Beautiful Scientific Knowledge,¡¯ Juliet Moore¡¯s ¡®Theory of Domination¡¯¡­ No, these aren¡¯t the kind of books I wanted¡­¡±


    Sweat began to replace the excitement on her face¡ªweren¡¯t these books too difficult? Cecile searched to see if there were any of her favorite romance novels, but there wasn¡¯t a trace of them among the thirty shelves, no matter how many times she went back and forth to look.


    ¡°The previous owners didn¡¯t understand the charm of love,¡± she pouted. Would she have to fill the shelves with her own purchases? Cupping her chin with her hands, she perched on the ladder and looked at the bookshelf again.


    ¡®Books¡­¡¯ It¡¯d been twice that a book had saved her life now. No, not just hers, but Estian¡¯s too. What in the world could it be? Who could¡¯ve written those books, and how did they appear where they did? Cecile had a serious talk regarding the mysterious books with Estian as well, and thankfully, he did not make light of her words.


    ¡°Could you tell me a little more about what you remember? If it¡¯s difficult, you can tell me later,¡± Estian said. He listened carefully, which Cecile thought was more than enough. She¡¯d been worried he¡¯d dismiss her story as nonsense, but Estian hadn¡¯t displayed the slightest hint of doubt.


    Snapping out of her thoughts, Cecile reached out to grab any random book. Naturally, it was only filled with ordinary content. ¡°The protagonist¡¯s name isn¡¯t even Cecile.¡± In those mysterious but helpful books, Cecile had always appeared as a character. Would it be better to find all the books that mentioned her name? Perhaps she could gain some new clues?

 CH 184

    ¡°I want to go to a bookstore,¡± Cecile muttered after a brief moment of contemplation. Back at the imperial palace, Tania had always been the one who purchased and brought the books to her. Forget visiting a bookstore, when Cecile was out on official duties, she couldn¡¯t even attend an author¡¯s signing event. But this was Aluna¡­ Maybe she had a chance to visit one here? It was more relaxed and peaceful than the imperial palace. Cecile wondered whether to ask Estian, but soon shook her head. ¡°He¡¯ll definitely order for the whole bookstore to be moved here if I mention it,¡± she sighed.


    Returning the ladder to its place, Cecile went out to the balcony. She was greeted by a breathtaking view that didn¡¯t lose its appeal even after seeing it day in and day out. It was a beautiful sight to behold at every moment. Aluna truly lived up to its reputation of being the best tourist and resort city in the empire.


    Settling onto a chair, she murmured, ¡°Oh, it came today too! What a big family.¡± In the distance, a deer family had emerged from the forest and walked to the limestone ponds for a drink. Next to the doe was a stag with large antlers, and behind them were five fawns.


    While watching this heartwarming scene, a memory suddenly flashed in Cecile¡¯s mind. ¡®That man!¡¯ She was remembering the man that spouted drivel about finding Estian a mate, and who¡¯d hounded her about whether she was carrying his spawn. Not only that, she was also recalling something Estian had once asked her¡­ On the day Cecile had charged into her husband¡¯s chambers, he¡¯d also questioned whether she wanted children like everyone else. Now that she thought about it, hadn¡¯t he already expressed long ago that he had zero intentions of siring an heir?


    ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ As her mind raced, a scene began unfolding in Cecile¡¯s mind¡ªa child resembling Estian showing up and calling him father, while behind the child stood a crying woman who sobs, ¡°It¡¯s our child.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Cecile shouted. That¡¯s impossible¡ªEstian was extremely thorough with contraception. She didn¡¯t know his methods, but since she still wasn¡¯t with child despite their vigorous nightly activities, that she could be certain of. Cecile¡¯s hand unconsciously moved to her belly.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t he impotent?¡¯ Suddenly, her thoughts turned to an offhand remark Aled had once made.


    ¡°He¡¯s not!¡± Cecile involuntarily yelled, jumping up to her feet. Besides, even if Estian wasn¡¯t impotent, children wouldn¡¯t be in the cards for a while. Not with his recent behavior. Though her husband had become more affectionate since their return from the dukedom of Etia, their intimacy at night was limited to holding hands.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the moon be in the sky before you ask for it?¡± Estian soothed. Even though Cecile¡¯s health had steadily improved after coming to Aluna, and she required less and less sleep, Estian continued to treat her like she was porcelain.


    ¡®Seriously, where did that beast of a man who prowled into the empress¡¯s palace every night disappear to, leaving behind this ascetic saint? He says it¡¯s because he worries for my body, but¡­ It seems like a serious talk about this is necessary too.¡¯


    Wandering back to their room, Cecile found Estian inside. Was he preparing to go somewhere? He was changing out of his usual formal wear into simpler clothes laid out beside him.


    Under the bright light, his firm chest, wide shoulders and those well-toned muscles that bulged with every moment could be appreciated even better. It was mesmerizing. This man was her man, so why was she being restricted like this to only looking? This was torture!


    ¡°Cecile? What¡¯re you doing over there and not coming in?¡±


    ¡°I was just watching a bit,¡± Cecile said, discreetly wiping away her drool.


    Estian seemed nonplussed but finished changing his clothes, before walking over and kissing his wife on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but head to bed first. There¡¯s somewhere I need to go for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll finish my business quick and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±


    ¡°It might be dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why let¡¯s go together! I¡¯ll protect you! Girgantia, Tania! What¡¯re you guys doing! Get ready to go¡ª Mmph!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. You can come, so be quiet,¡± Estian murmured, hastily covering Cecile¡¯s mouth. Looking deeply troubled and somewhat embarrassed too, he continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to let you know if possible¡­¡±


    * * *


    An hour later, Cecile found herself standing in front of an empty shop with Estian. She quickly read the sign of the shop.


    Maggie¡¯s Pie Shop¡ªAluna¡¯s Original Famous Apple Pie

 CH 185

    ¡°Why¡­ are we here?¡± Though Cecile recognized where they were, she didn¡¯t understand for what purpose she found them standing here. After all, was this not the shop that was closed on their day of arrival in Aluna?


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Seeing Estian falter and unable to give a proper answer, Cecile couldn¡¯t help but be bewildered by his unusual behavior. Almost instantly, another pressing question came to mind¡ªwhy had they come alone? Her husband had always exerted extraordinary effort when it came to her safety. After all, hadn¡¯t he deployed the entire Imperial Guard for their visit to this city? Even when concerns were brought up about emptying the imperial palace of its security forces, Estian had bluntly replied, ¡°Let Kane deal with it.¡± Yet, now they were venturing out without a single escort?


    ¡®Although in truth it¡¯s more than sufficient with Estian around for safety¡­¡¯ It was acknowledged that the Imperial Guard were more of a hindrance than a help to the emperor. The reason he¡¯d brought them to Aluna was to serve more as a warning than as actual security. It was like he was declaring, ¡°Better not get any funny ideas with defenses like these!¡±


    Instead of trying to explain himself, Estian took Cecile by the hand and led her towards the shop. It was quiet and showed no signs of occupation, but when Estian gave a couple raps on the door, the figure of a woman emerged from inside after a short while. Looking at the two of them, she opened the door and asked, ¡°Are you two the attendants sent by His Majesty the Emperor?¡±


    Seeing Estian respond with a short nod, the woman stepped aside and said, ¡°Come in. I¡¯m Maggie, the owner of this shop.¡± Clicking her tongue as she eyed the two of them, she continued, ¡°I was told that my problem would be solved, so I expected some strong knights. Instead, they send a feeble-looking man that seems he¡¯d be blown away by a single punch from me, and an unsightly maid. Good Lord.¡±


    ¡®She really can¡¯t recognize us?¡¯ Cecile cast a look of surprise at Estian, who gave her a conspiratorial wink. She looked down at the ring slipped on her finger; a similar ring was worn by Estian too. She was told that these rings were made by the archmage and were able to alter the appearances of the ring bearers.


    Cecile had been somewhat skeptical when she put on the ring, but it¡¯d been true that no one spared a glance in their direction when they left the villa and headed into the streets. As a result, they managed to reach the pie shop without drawing any attention thanks to the rings. Still, even after they arrived, she was worried that the spell would dispel should they talk. However, seeing Maggie¡¯s attitude, her fears seemed unfounded.


    ¡°So Richard can be useful on occasion,¡± Cecile whispered. Putting herself aside, it was a surprise to see others paying her husband no heed. Even ignoring his looks, Estian possessed an aura that caused others to instinctively shy away, but the ring even seemed capable of hiding that.


    ¡°He said that the masking enchantment is a bonus,¡± Estian murmured, as if reading her thoughts.


    They followed Maggie through the shop and into a spacious kitchen, which had clearly been unused for quite some time. There was no warmth and items were piled about, but a lingering sweet smell permeated the air. It was undeniable proof that this kitchen had baked countless apple pies every day until the day they shut their doors. As Cecile salivated over the smell of butter, apples and sugar, Maggie pulled over a chair and sat down.


    ¡°So, I read the letter and it said to leave the matter to you two. I won¡¯t be held responsible even if things should fail.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Estian replied without hesitation.


    ¡°You said it yourself, so sign here.¡± As if she¡¯d been waiting for that confirmation, Maggie held out a piece of paper.


    Cecile received the paper and wondered aloud, ¡°A written vow?¡±

 CH 186

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve got to be clear with this sort of thing. Read all the provisions, from first to last. There¡¯s a back page too, so go through it twice before signing.¡±


    Maggie was surprisingly thorough about these kinds of matters, and waited patiently for Estian and Cecile to read through and sign as directed. After receiving the signed written vow, she nodded with a satisfied expression.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯d like for you to begin working quickly,¡± Estian urged.


    ¡°Sounds to me like His Majesty is on pins and needles,¡± Maggie snorted. ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s why he even sent his servants after hounding me with letters on a daily basis since his arrival.¡±


    ¡®What did she mean?¡¯ Cecile cast a confused look at Maggie.


    ¡°I asked the knights that came knocking, and they told me Her Majesty was so desperate to have our pies that she cried a river of tears? So I figure, His Majesty must be really anxious to secure my pies at any cost. What devotion! Who¡¯d have expected the great emperor to put so much effort into obtaining pies.¡±


    Cecile was flabbergasted¡ªadmittedly she did cry a teensy bit out of sadness, but not a river! Glancing at Estian, he seemed expressionless as always, but she soon noticed the back of his neck was ever so slightly redder than usual. Realization dawned on her as to why he had tried to sneak out alone, refused her company, and hadn¡¯t let others know where he was heading¡ªEstian was feeling embarrassed!


    She gently took hold of her husband¡¯s hand, and he strongly clasped hers in turn. Feeling how it was warmer than usual, she wondered if the flush had spread as far as his hands.


    Maggie left the kitchen while muttering about keeping the written vow safe, before returning moments later. ¡°Now then, bring me apples,¡± she ordered.


    Cecile let go of Estian¡¯s hand to rummage through her bag and took out a ripe apple. ¡°This one?¡± she asked. It was one of the snacks she¡¯d packed in her excitement at having a date-like excursion.


    Maggie¡¯s face twisted, as she cried, ¡°Is this a joke to you! Didn¡¯t you even properly hear what the problem is! An apple like that can¡¯t be used for our shop¡¯s pies!¡± In a flare of anger, she started in on a lengthy explanation.


    * * *


    ¡°So¡­ Maggie¡¯s pies only use the apples from a specific local apple farm, but their products are all withered up. The cause of the withering are phantom beasts that stick to the fruits and suck out the juices, and although those phantom beasts aren¡¯t strong, they¡¯re difficult to catch because of their numbers and they can fly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you hired a private company to deal with the beasts, but they haven¡¯t acted despite getting paid?¡±


    ¡°Apparently so.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, it seems that there¡¯s some kind of reason behind their inaction, which may somehow be related to the local governor that happens to be away right now, and not that they¡¯re trying to scam you? And even if the phantom beasts are killed, other problems still remain such as getting a water supply¡­¡±


    Cecile read aloud the reasons listed on a paper as she paced back and forth. After going through a lengthy list of additional reasons why the apple pies couldn¡¯t be made, she put on a determined look and said, ¡°Your Majesty, let¡¯s just kill them all.¡±


    ¡°Shall we? Starting with the private company to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I mean the phantom beasts.¡±


    Sure, the world could be a mess at times, but why overcomplicate matters? At times like these, facing the problems headfirst was the simplest way forward. Ignore everything and deal with the phantom beasts first. The water issue could somehow be resolved with the emperor¡¯s power. Worst case scenario, they could always task Girgantia from pulling water from the river. With his enlarged size, he¡¯d be able to carry more.

 CH 187

    Word was going around that the imperial chef was buckling under the pressure of filling the dragon¡¯s appetite for chicken, which had grown along with his size. The beast was freeloading off the national treasure, so wasn¡¯t it natural that he put in some effort to earn his keep?


    ¡°Cecile, if I told you to return to the villa now, late as it is, would¡ª¡± Estian started.


    Without waiting for Estian to finish, Cecile took off the blue phoenix¡¯s blood drop earring and threw it to the ground. The phoenix manifested itself amidst blue flames and screeched happily at seeing Cecile. It perched on her shoulder and rubbed its face against her cheek. After she fainted in the aftermath of the events at Etia, Estian had fortunately retrieved the phoenix from the city.


    ¡°Can¡¯t this child beat those phantom beasts?¡±


    ¡°It can, but¡­¡± Estian wore a conflicted look. He¡¯d intended on dealing with it by himself in moderation, but why had it turned out like this? ¡°You won¡¯t go back even if I tell you to, will you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m coming along no matter what. If you leave me behind, I¡¯ll mobilize the knights and order them to ¡®Follow me to aid His Majesty who has gone in search of apples¡¯!¡±


    Estian was at a loss of words, and he rubbed his face with a hand as the back of his neck burned. This was precisely why he hadn¡¯t wanted this matter to be known. Estian wanted to do everything for Cecile, and after reading Maggie¡¯s letter, he knew the quickest way to get the apples was to act in person.


    He hadn¡¯t felt embarrassed until the moment Cecile found out. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to show her this side of me,¡¯ he thought, as his face began to heat up. He was the emperor¡ªthe ruler and master of everyone and everything. Cecile was very happy about his status. How many times had she mentioned being glad about becoming empress after coming to Aluna? So, Estian wished his wife to only see him composed and leisurely, with an attitude worthy of the title of emperor. He wanted her to feel as much enjoyment as possible, without glimpsing his struggles, but alas it was all for naught.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s exciting,¡± Cecile said.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°I like going around like this with Your Majesty, walking the mountain trails at night!¡± Cecile took a large bite out of the apple she was holding with genuine glee on her face. There wasn¡¯t a hint of mockery or disappointment in her expression, only uncontainable enjoyment, and it made Estian chuckle despite himself.


    It turned out he was wasting time worrying when it could¡¯ve been better spent thinking of Cecile. He stole the apple from Cecile¡¯s hand and took a large bite himself before asking the one thing that now bothered him. ¡°It¡¯s good and all, but why did you switch back to ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ again?¡±


    * * *


    They were able to locate the apple farm Maggie mentioned without difficulty. Of course, it was thanks to Estian running over the steep and long mountain path with Cecile in his arms. A wide apple orchard was soon visible beyond the ridges filled with the sounds of bugs in the grass.


    ¡°The phantom beasts apparently appear when you go close, so¡­ Cecile, stay here.¡± This time Cecile listened obediently and nodded; even in her stubbornness, she knew her limits. Seeing Cecile nod, Estian glanced at the blue phoenix and ordered, ¡°You¡ªI¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re capable of setting up a protective barrier?¡±


    The phoenix cooed, and a dome of pale blue light appeared around Cecile. She gazed at the phenomenon blankly for a moment, then in an accusatory tone, she grumbled, ¡°Hey, you didn¡¯t make something like this last time!¡±


    The phoenix crowed with an indignant look, as if to complain, ¡°I mean, you didn¡¯t ask me that time!¡±

 CH 188

    ¡°In exchange, this dome can¡¯t move. You must stay inside it. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Cecile answered energetically.


    Even after hearing her confirmation, Estian hesitated for a moment, before he started to move. Cecile took a seat on the ground, as she watched Estian head off into the distance. The grass was slightly damp from the chilly night air, but it was better than standing.


    ¡°So, those are all apple trees¡­¡± Cecile gazed warmly at the apple trees visible below. As long as Estian exterminated the phantom beasts, then these trees would once more bear fruit¡ªapples of unparalleled sweetness and tartness, which were highly lauded by the people. ¡®They must be delicious.¡¯ She sucked back the drool pooling in her mouth as she thought about the apples that would soon be in her grasp.


    Apples¡ªking of fruits. They were delicious eaten as is or when baked too. They could be stored for a long time, smelled heavenly, and even had a wonderous texture. Her thoughts turned to the lecture Maggie had drilled into her earlier.


    ¡°You think we use ordinary apples? The apples you normally eat have a strong sweetness, but the ones that go into our pies need to be tart too! The apples from that farm are the fruit of our research, and are exclusively used by our brand! They¡¯re the perfect blend of sweet and tart with a crisp crunch when eaten raw. That texture still remains even after being baked into a pie!¡±


    Cecile had initially wondered what possible excuse Maggie had for being unable to make pies for a lack of apples, but it turned out it was due to the stubbornness of a master pie maker being unwilling to compromise on the ingredients needed to make the best pies. She swallowed at the thought of the apples that she would soon be eating, when¡­


    ¡°Huh? N-no! Why is this here now!¡±


    The color in Cecile¡¯s face instantly drained when she discovered her fingertips had bumped against a familiar object¡ªan untitled book.


    * * *


    Bang! Irene frowned at the sound of the desk being slammed, but Kane paid no regard as he demanded, ¡°Where did you hide her?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know that I¡¯m referring to that maid.¡±


    ¡°Whoever is this ¡®maid¡¯ that you speak of?¡±


    ¡°Lady Irene, if this is how you¡¯re going to be¡­¡± Kane¡¯s expression turned harsher than she¡¯d ever seen, before he continued, ¡°I will write a letter to your father. I will have him quickly come and fetch his daughter, and I will have you charged for harboring a witness to a criminal case. Surely, the professor¡­ or should I say, the earl, is unaware that you are currently in the imperial palace, serving as the chief handmaiden of the empress, no less.¡±


    Irene paled at the mention of the only person she feared. If her father knew of her activities, he would¡¯ve immediately come to drag her home, while exclaiming, ¡°Oh, our daughter¡¯s done it again!¡± However, she was unwilling to give Kane the pleasure of knowing she was shaken by his threat.


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing you in a new light, Sir Kane. To make such a petty threat¡­¡± Irene said in a resolute voice. ¡°Do you not feel shame as a knight? And do you think such a threat would shake me even a little?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re holding that paper upside down, Lady Irene.¡±


    ¡°Oops.¡± She swiftly turned the document in her hand the right way up and cleared her voice before continuing. ¡°Fine, I hid her. I couldn¡¯t bear to see a foolish and poor maid suffer while she got swept up in the affairs of the imperial palace. Am I not even allowed to show that much generosity as her master?¡±


    Pausing, she cast a look full of suspicion at Kane, before adding, ¡°Besides, I haven¡¯t a clue why, sir knight, you care so much about my maid. I shall only reveal her whereabouts once you give me a clear reason.¡±


    ¡°It was taken from me,¡± Kane replied without hesitation.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±

 CH 189

    For a moment there, Irene contemplated whether her maid¡¯s martial prowess was proficient enough to best the knight commander of the empire. ¡®Or did she steal something?¡¯ She really wasn¡¯t a bad girl, although there was a time where she¡¯d been scolded for chugging bottles of cooking wine in the kitchen. But, just what in the world could she have taken from Kane? Someone capable of stealing from Kane was qualified enough to become imperial knight commander themselves.


    ¡°What do you mean it was taken from you? Oh, please, what could possibly be stolen from a knight commander by a mere maid?¡± Irene¡¯s attitude blatantly indicated she thought Kane was spouting absurd lies, which made him gnash his teeth audibly. ¡°Seeing that you seem to be at a loss of words, you must be lying after¡ª¡±


    ¡°My first time. That maid stole my first time!¡± Kane cried grievously.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Irene turned wide-eyed, doubting her ears. What? I beg your pardon? First time? What did he mean by first time? Her jaw dropped involuntarily, when it appeared that her maid had made off with something inconceivable.


    * * *


    Although the Imperial Guard had followed Estian to Aluna, the imperial knight order still remained in the capital. They cheerfully welcomed their superior Kane when he returned.


    ¡°Welcome back, Commander!¡±


    ¡°Since there¡¯s time to spare, what say we have a spar!¡±


    However, Kane didn¡¯t acknowledge or spare the knights a glance, as he walked into the knight order¡¯s building. The knights were about to ask if something had happened, but they quickly backed away after catching a glimpse of the abnormally terrifying expression on Kane¡¯s face.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with the commander?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?¡±


    They talked among themselves, as they snuck glances in the direction Kane had disappeared. Not long after, the loud whinny of a horse came from inside, and Kane emerged riding a military steed that was only used during wartime.


    ¡°Commander! Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Keep a good watch on the capital while I¡¯m away,¡± Kane barked.


    ¡°What? But where are you going?¡±


    Kane looked in the direction of Aluna and answered, ¡°To catch a thief.¡±


    Before the knights could question their commander further, Kane set off in a gallop. As they watched his retreating figure in dismay, they realized the seriousness of the situation. Not only was the emperor absent, now his right-hand man was also gone. It could be said that there was a glaring hole in the imperial palace forces.


    ¡°Not that there¡¯d be any idiots who would come attacking¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like Aluna was located at the edge of the continent. It was close enough that the emperor and knight commander could easily return whenever they wished. If anyone was foolish enough to view their absence as an opportunity to march against the empire, then the consequences would be obvious.


    ¡°I guess His Majesty and the commander would come back to thrash them.¡±


    * * *


    The saintess was at a loss with what to do¡ªeverything had been good up to the point of arriving at the villa. Now, the emperor and empress had disappeared and were nowhere to be seen. The only ones around were the dragon and the empress¡¯s handmaiden, who were both busy gorging themselves on chicken. In any case, the saintess had done as Irene had instructed, arranging all her clothes and items in the room that she was assigned.


    Leaving the villa, she thought, ¡®I should just go sightseeing first and think about the rest later.¡¯ Undoubtedly, Irene would be a slavedriver once she arrived, so she should at least make the most of her chance now to tour the city that was described as the ¡®most beautiful on the continent!¡¯


    Nonetheless, her footsteps were soon leading her to a nearby pub. ¡°My body¡¯s so honest to its desires¡­¡± she muttered to herself. There was no better cure than alcohol for treating a troubled mind. Sightseeing could be darned for all she cared; that was an activity only suited when one could afford to slow down. Ordering a cup of liquor, the saintess took her drink and found a seat at an empty table.


    ¡°Scoundrel! How could you do this to me!¡±

 CH 190

    Suddenly, there was a loud cry from the neighboring table. Everyone in the pub looked towards the table where a young man and a woman were seated. The woman was sobbing, as she repeatedly dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief, while the man sitting opposite her looked on with an irritated face.


    ¡®This must be a love issue!¡¯ The saintess waved at a passing waiter and ordered additional snacks. She had the feeling that she would be drinking here for a long time.


    ¡°I-It¡­ It was my first time!¡± the woman tearily stammered.


    The saintess immediately choked and sprayed out the gulp she¡¯d just taken.


    ¡®You will pay for stealing my first time.¡¯ She immediately recalled the memo she¡¯d found on her bed after having woken from a bad hangover.


    ¡°So, what about it?¡± Unmoved by the woman¡¯s sobs, the man¡¯s irritation didn¡¯t disappear, and drew the ire of the crowd around him.


    ¡°Hah, never have I seen such a shameless knave!¡±


    ¡°Goodness, what will that girl do now? She seems to have trusted that man a lot.¡±


    Despite the murmuring around them, the couple at the table continued their argument without regard for the spectators.


    ¡°How can you say that? I only trusted you¡­¡± the woman wailed. Tears were now dripping from her eyes, moving several women at other tables to shed tears of empathy.


    The onlookers muttered among themselves, as they watched the scene unfolding before them.


    ¡°That son of a¡­¡±


    ¡°A scoundrel like that¡­ I¡¯d just¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut off his head¡­¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s something more fitting to cut off, if you catch my drift¡­¡±


    The saintess swallowed dryly. She knew their comments were directed at the man, but why did it feel like their words were stabbing at her conscience?


    ¡°Hey, everyone¡¯s like that at first. Shouldn¡¯t you be grateful that I was your first partner? Do you know how hard it is for someone as good as me to endure a beginner like you?¡±


    At the man¡¯s obstinance, the atmosphere in the pub turned ugly fast. Some of the more agile patrons had already armed themselves with the cutlery knives, while others muttered a prayer.


    ¡°Dear God in heaven, today I will kill a man and come to stand proudly by your side.¡±


    While another exclaimed with forethought, ¡°I¡¯ll do the burying! Leave it to me!¡±


    The saintess wearily got out of her seat and slowly inched backwards. ¡®But I really don¡¯t remember anything!¡¯ She felt aggrieved¡ªshe had been wiped out from her happy drinking spree that day, and couldn¡¯t remember a single thing about what, where or with whom she did anything. ¡®J-just who the heck was it?¡¯


    If there was anything certain, it was that she had messed up. The saintess watched as the pub¡¯s patrons rose to their feet to punish that shameless man. ¡®If they discover I¡¯ve done something similar¡­¡¯ She shook her head. The saintess didn¡¯t wish to meet her end here, so she broke into a dash for the pub¡¯s door. However, someone grabbed her by the shoulder at that moment.


    * * *


    The pub customers were now closing in on the man, who was still arguing heatedly as his temper flared up again.


    ¡°I told you clearly! I take my opponents seriously when playing chess, whether they¡¯re a beginner or not! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to cry even if you lose?¡±


    ¡°But it was still my first time. Couldn¡¯t you have gone easy on me?! How could you steam roll over me right off the bat like that! Would it kill you to give me the first game?!¡± the woman yelled back.


    ¡°Do you think a chess grandmaster can show his face anywhere after losing to someone playing for the first time?!¡±


    Hearing the two continue to bicker, the pub customers exchanged looks with one another awkwardly. Nervous coughs and grunts broke out among the onlookers, as they returned to their seats. It wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d rushed to any conclusions¡­ After all, anyone could¡¯ve made a mistake, right?


    * * *


    The saintess turned around¡ªand her face froze. ¡°You, you guys are¡­!¡±

 CH 191

    ¡°Saintess!¡± Three people dressed in pure white were crying out in unison with tears in their eyes. They were men dressed in the priest robes of the holy kingdom.


    Seeing them clinging to the hem of her skirt, the saintess suddenly remembered an important fact that she¡¯d long forgotten. ¡®Oh right, this is the saintess¡¯s body.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm? Saintess?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t those people from the holy kingdom? What are they doing here?¡±


    Having quickly lost interest in the couple¡¯s argument over a chess match, the pub¡¯s customers were quickly turning their attention to the saintess and the three men clinging to her. It would only be a matter of time before rumors would begin to spread, so the saintess quickly tugged at the priests and hissed, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first before we talk.¡±


    * * *


    ¡®Although we did make it out of there¡­ What should I do about this?¡¯ The saintess had managed to take the three priests and escape into an alleyway. As she pressed a finger between her brows, the three priests were weeping bitterly and lamenting.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know how long we¡¯ve been looking for you, Saintess!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time in history that the barrier of the holy kingdom broke like that. It¡¯s said to be capable of even blocking the attack of a dragon from the outside. It¡¯s a wonder how it shattered¡­¡±


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s because I put all my might into a punch from the inside,¡¯ she thought. Looking down at her fist, the saintess pondered how she should deal with the matter. For now, she decided to play dumb.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you people? You seem to have mistaken me for this Saintess,¡± the saintess said brazenly. She was second to none when it came to being shameless, but she underestimated the priests¡¯s tenacity.


    ¡°What are you saying, Saintess!¡±


    ¡°We have served you since childhood. You might be able to fool everyone else in the world, but not us!¡±


    Seeing that her plan wouldn¡¯t work, she knew she¡¯d have to switch tactics. In this case, there was only one way forward. Putting on a grave expression, she admonished, ¡°Shush, will you all be quiet?¡±


    ¡°S-Saintess!¡± The priests wept even more, joyous at being addressed in the familiar tone used by the saintess. ¡°How in the world did you end up like this? Your hair color? Its length? And what¡¯s with those glasses? Why, we almost ended up just passing by. More than anything, how could the saintess be in such a corrupt and worldly place¡­?¡±


    The saintess felt a tinge of regret when she listened to the priests¡¯s wailing. Since she was changing her appearance, she¡¯d thought she might as well do it with a bit more flair. Clearing her throat, she lied, ¡°I¡¯m not here without reason. Everything is according to the will of God.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean, Saintess.¡± The priests all sobered up at the mention of God¡¯s will.


    ¡°Do you all remember when I fainted for a brief time?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°You changed so much after your recovery. We were so worried! I still can¡¯t forget the shock from when you declared, ¡®Is this a dining table or a lawn? A home for a snake, I say,¡¯ after being served the meal you usually enjoyed.¡±


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s because you guys served me nothing but greens, despite only giving me one meal a day! I wouldn¡¯t have hightailed it out of there if I¡¯d been fed well!¡¯ Instead of screaming out her inner thoughts, the saintess fixed her expression and continued, ¡°Ahem. In any case, to tell you the truth, I received an oracle while I was unconscious.¡±


    ¡°What? An oracle?¡±


    What was an oracle? It was none other than a divine message sought from God in times of disaster, obtained only after the saintess spent a hundred days in a state of ritual purification and offering earnest prayer. Yet, the saintess was claiming she¡¯d received an oracle while she had fainted?


    ¡°The reason for my change after waking¡­ was because the divine message I received at the time was far too shocking.¡±

 CH 192

    The priests exchanged looks between themselves. Indeed, the Saintess had begun acting abnormally after recovering from her collapse. After awakening, she suddenly gave the order to procure a magazine called ¡®The Monthly Continental Handsome Men,¡¯ and went into the ritual wine cellar and uncorked and tasted every bottle by the year. She¡¯d even begun demanding three meals of beef, chicken, and pork every day. Not to mention, she even went so far as to mobilize the secret order of the holy kingdom that only operated undercover. No one dared to speak openly about it, but everyone had been extremely concerned about the sudden change in the saintess¡¯s behavior. But had all of this been because of an oracle?


    ¡°What message did the oracle contain to have made you act so¡­?¡± a priest trailed off.


    The saintess solemnly answered, ¡°The oracle foretold of great peril, and deep despair. The message was so terrifying that I didn¡¯t dare to even speak of it.¡±


    ¡°O God in heaven¡­¡±


    ¡°God wished for me to act according to the oracle¡­ but even as the saintess, I am but a weak human being. I erred in my ways in an attempt to turn away from the dreaded future¡­ at least for a while.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, so that¡¯s why!¡± The priests nodded, as if finally coming to terms for the saintess¡¯s out-of-character conduct.


    ¡°However, I came to realize the folly of my ways to turn a blind eye as I did. As the saintess, it¡¯s impossible to disobey our Lord above. In my distress, I had no choice but to seek another way.¡±


    The saintess wasn¡¯t able to hide her pity at the sight of the priests listening in rapt attention. ¡®If you three were born on the other side, I bet you guys would¡¯ve let in every salesman that came knocking at the door.¡¯ Sure, priests had to obey the saintess¡¯s every word unquestioningly, but how could they fall for this story hook, line and sinker so easily? Nonetheless, she decided the oracle would be the perfect excuse to redirect the priests¡¯s attentions.


    Suddenly, an element of the original ¡®plot¡¯ she¡¯d written flashed through the saintess¡¯s mind. The saintess could absorb holy power from others! Hadn¡¯t she been brooding over how to recharge her powers? The priests who were earnestly waiting for her to continue were all of high-standing in the holy kingdom, so naturally they also possessed greater holy power than the average priests. ¡®Their holy power isn¡¯t much compared to the saintess, but it¡¯s still quite an excellent amount.¡¯ As the saying goes, many a little makes a muckle. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to recharge some of her power by leeching out theirs?


    ¡°Brothers, are your holy powers sound and well?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but why the sudden question?¡±


    The saintess wondered whether she should take their holy power right this instant, but after weighing the idea put it aside. Three was hardly enough. She¡¯d need to gather the power of all the priests in the holy kingdom for the amount to be sufficient.


    ¡°You must all listen carefully to me from now on,¡± the saintess began. ¡°Starting from now, we must prepare for a great trial.¡±


    The priests tensed at the grim look on the saintess¡¯s face, as they thought of the oracle the saintess had spoken of moments ago¡ªthe divine message even the saintess feared to voice.


    ¡°Return at once to the kingdom and warn everyone. Soon, the time will come when the people of the Holy Land must rise up for this continent. Tell them¡ªreserve your powers and train for that day!¡±


    The priests fell to their knees at the saintess¡¯s resolution of grim determination.


    ¡°Ahh, Saintess!¡±


    ¡°The way you care for everyone is so¡­!¡±


    ¡°Worry not, Saintess! We will return immediately to the holy kingdom to relay your words!¡±


    ¡°Very good. Go quickly. I will contact you again soon, so wait until then. It is time for us to go our separate ways again now. Godspeed, Brothers.¡±


    The saintess made the sign of the cross before turning to leave the alleyway and disappearing into the crowded main road full of people. The priests watched her go, before rising up while wiping the tears flowing down their faces. The saintess was safe, and had bestowed them with a new mission!


    While caught up in a reverent mood, one of the priests muttered, ¡°By the by, why didn¡¯t she explain her appearance? Also, more importantly¡­ where is she currently staying?¡±


    Belatedly being reminded that their questions went unanswered, the priests rushed out onto the main road, but by then the saintess was already long gone.

 CH 193

    Estian quickly traversed down the mountain path, but not before looking back to the spot where he¡¯d left Cecile. He could make out the bluish protective barrier of the blue phoenix in the distance. ¡®That should be enough,¡¯ he thought.


    The phantom beasts ruining the apple farm were considered the weakest among even the lesser kind, and apart from the apples, they hadn¡¯t inflicted any casualties or damage to other areas yet either. That meant the creatures were strictly inhabiting the farm. Though it was somewhat bothersome, by no means was it dangerous.


    This matter was like having to catch flies that couldn¡¯t be shooed away, except that the pests in question were slightly larger and stronger, and were considered difficult opponents for ordinary folk. However, for Estian, they were truly no more than flying pests.


    Entering the orchard, Estian was confronted with a scene just as Maggie had described. Countless withered apples hung all over the apple trees, and those were the ones in better condition. Most of the fruit were scattered on the ground.


    Estian felt annoyed at the sight of apple husks that weren¡¯t even rotting due to the phantom beasts having sucked out all the juices. Why¡¯d these beasts have to appear and wreak havoc now of all times, when Cecile was visiting the city? If it weren¡¯t for them, she¡¯d have been happily enjoying an apple pie by now. Resolving to lay waste upon those phantom beasts, he began to move.


    ¡®Is it there?¡¯ When he moved further inside the orchard, he found several untouched apple trees. He knew that the moment someone attempted to pick the fruit, the beasts would appear, but he moved without hesitation. Immediately, he heard the large buzzing of a bee. Ignoring the angry sound, he reached out and plucked a ripe apple from the tree.


    Giving the apple a sniff, a sweet and sour fragrance filled his nose. It was a scrumptious smell that made the tongue salivate. Estian smiled as he slipped it into his pocket. He was already thinking of how happy Cecile, as a lover of fruits, would be when he handed it over to her as soon as he dealt with the phantom beasts.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, the buzzing sound had grown more furious and drew closer. Estian immediately drew his black steel blade. A phantom beast with some degree of intelligence would¡¯ve immediately halted the instant Estian drew his sword, recognizing that it possessed the power to inflict huge damage. However, the buzzing didn¡¯t stop.


    Clang! One of the phantom beasts immediately connected with his sword, causing Estian to instantly take swift action. ¡®I¡¯m glad it¡¯s nighttime,¡¯ he thought. It was a relief that Cecile wouldn¡¯t be able to witness him massacring these beasts under the cover of night. If she did, it would certainly be hard for her to welcome him back with a smile.


    * * *


    Within the span of minutes, Estian had dealt with the phantom beasts that had plagued others for several weeks. If Kane had been here to witness it, he would¡¯ve shaken his head in disapproval¡ªit was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.


    The emperor immediately began plucking the fruits from the apple tree to his heart¡¯s content. He decided half should be transported straight to the villa, with the other half returned to Maggie. Since the woman had claimed she¡¯d be able to bake pies as soon as the apples were procured, he intended to hold her to it. Once he was satisfied with the pile he¡¯d gathered, Estian hastily made his way down the mountain path to where he¡¯d left Cecile.


    To his relief, he found the blue protective barrier was still shining in place, and Cecile seemed fine inside it too. However, as he got closer, he noticed what was in her hands. She was sitting and reading a book. Estian instantly broke into a frantic sprint towards her.


    ¡°I feel like the books always help in times of danger.¡± Although Cecile had professed a sense of reassurance from the mysterious books, Estian hadn¡¯t yet been able to completely trust the help they gave. ¡°Cecile!¡± Estian cried. He immediately snatched the book from her as soon as he was within reach.


    Seeing that Estian was about to toss it, Cecile shouted, ¡°The title! Look at its title!¡±

 CH 194

    ¡°Title?¡± Estian asked. He paused mid-throw and looked at the cover as Cecile instructed.


    The book was in poor condition. Did someone scrape it on the ground before? The spine was tattered and the book seemed to be on the verge of tearing. It was so stained and dirty, one might¡¯ve suspected that it¡¯d been buried in mud. It was mystifying why it was in such a poor state. Judged by its appearance alone, the book seemed to have gone through a difficult journey.


    ¡°You can see it if you turn the cover! Here!¡±


    Estian did as his wife said and found the inner contents of the book were in relatively good condition, unlike the messy cover. Printed in gold letters was the title: Regarding All Fruits In The World. The book¡¯s mysterious appearance was bewildering, yet apt for their current situation.


    As Estian was staring quietly at the book, Cecile explained, ¡°I was surprised at first too, so I had a look and it seems to be the book about this orchard¡¯s owner.¡±


    ¡°You read it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s nothing special to it. It¡¯s just a book that lives up to its title.¡±


    Nevertheless, Estian didn¡¯t lower his guard and continued to glare at the book that had returned to Cecile¡¯s hands. Seeing the suspicious look in his eyes, Cecile began to explain what had transpired in his absence.


    * * *


    Cecile had nearly fainted the moment she laid eyes on the book. Until now, these books had always appeared in times of danger. By that logic, did that mean that Estian, who¡¯d gone to deal with the phantom beasts, was now in danger? Weren¡¯t these beasts supposed to be weak?


    In any case, Cecile hurriedly flipped the cover open, feeling an urgent need to read the book. She was certain that whatever the case may be, just like it¡¯d been until now, the book would surely offer some form of assistance. However, the content of the book betrayed her expectations.


    ¡°The king of fruits¡ªapples,¡± she said aloud. It felt like someone had written her thoughts into the book. Naturally, she was in total agreement. ¡®Of course! Apples were the king of fruits indeed. No arguments here.¡¯


    At the end of the page she¡¯d flipped open to, she noticed the page was folded in a tiny triangle. Perhaps, this was a bookmark left by someone who¡¯d been reading it? But what kind of book is this? Cecile closed the book and began examining the book¡¯s cover. No title was visible as both the cover and spine were severely scratched and soiled, but fortunately the pages inside the cover were unharmed.


    ¡°Regarding All Fruits In The World?¡± Cecile muttered aloud, as her eyes lit up. The title had caught her interest, and she turned to the blue phoenix and asked, ¡°Could you give me some light?¡±


    The phoenix squawked somewhat gloomy, as if to say, ¡°Now you¡¯re treating me like a lamp?¡±


    Ignoring the phoenix¡¯s sulking, Cecile was relieved when the blue light surrounding her brightened. Thanks to the light, she could continue reading without having to squint. Flipping through the pages, Cecile murmured, ¡°Kiwano? What¡¯s this? There¡¯s a fruit like this too?¡±


    The book was more professional than it first appeared. There was even a page about a fruit that looked like a monster rather than a fruit at first glance. Cecile was reading through each entry, enraptured, and before she¡¯d realized, she¡¯d made her way back to the page about apples that she¡¯d seen when she first flipped the book open.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ The consumption of apples is effective for fatigue recovery, good for skin and eye health. They promote strong gums and a clear mind, good blood circulation, and are also good for insomnia¡­ They have the effect of preventing memory loss, and can even help recover even lost memories?¡±


    The list of efficacy and effectiveness of apples was well over two pages, and Cecile could understand that some books were prone to some exaggerations, but wasn¡¯t it excessive to claim that apples could return lost memories? After having read about 399 benefits from consuming apples, Cecile couldn¡¯t help but narrow her eyes in doubt. If this fruit really was this effective, who¡¯d ever need a doctor?

 CH 195

    While Cecile was caught up in these thoughts, she began to hear loud screeches from down the mountain. It seemed that Estian had begun to clear out the phantom beasts. She leaned over and stared down the mountain ridge, mindful not to go outside the protective barrier.


    ¡®It looks like he¡¯s doing fine, but I can¡¯t help but worry. It would¡¯ve been fine for him not to do it himself.¡¯ Cecile knew her husband was strong, but she worried nonetheless. Even when she¡¯d expressed her concern, Estian had brushed it aside, explaining that the phantom beasts here weren¡¯t very strong. Cecile thought it would¡¯ve been enough to have the Imperial Guard deal with the beasts, yet Estian had stubbornly decided to take action himself.


    ¡®He did it knowing that it¡¯s fastest to deal with the matter himself.¡¯ Cecile burst into giggles. It was all too obvious that Estian was acting this way so that she could eat Maggie¡¯s apple pies as soon as possible. Although their marriage had been unexpected, she thought she¡¯d met one fine husband.


    All of a sudden, silence descended in the area. Was it over already? After a little while, Cecile could see Estian¡¯s figure making his way back along the path. Then, when he¡¯d caught sight of the book in her hands, he ran to her in surprise, which brought them back to now.


    ¡°What should we do with this book? Would it be better to leave it here?¡± Cecile wondered. There was nothing suspicious in the book, nor did it mention the name Cecile anywhere either. If the orchard owner had dropped the book in the middle of running away from the phantom beasts, she figured they would return to find it. Still, she was bothered by the thought of throwing the book away.


    Flipping through the book again, Cecile paused at the very last page. ¡°Hm? A tree?¡± She hadn¡¯t expected anything to be on the back cover page, but there was a picture of a big tree.


    As she puzzled over the picture, Estian leaned over and informed, ¡°It¡¯s the World Tree.¡±


    ¡°World Tree?¡±


    ¡°A tree of legend. It¡¯s also said to be the beginning of all life, and¡­¡± Estian paused to chuckle at Cecile¡¯s expression, before continuing, ¡°they say it bears all the fruits in the world. Apparently, eating its fruits will cure all diseases and increase one¡¯s lifespan.¡±


    Cecile¡¯s expression turned serious and asked, ¡°Where can you find this World Tree?¡± She looked ready to go in search of the tree as soon as she received an answer. Of course, her goal seemed to be the fruit itself, rather than for its curative or life-extending effects.


    As a response, Estian took an apple from his pocket and handed it to her. ¡°It won¡¯t be as good as the ones from the World Tree, but would you like to try this?¡± he asked.


    Even in the dim light, Cecile could tell the apple she received was a pretty picturesque red, without a single blemish or bruise on its skin. Though she was simply holding it, the fruit¡¯s fresh, heavenly fragrance wafted over and tickled the tip of her nose. Estian had deliberately chosen the fairest apple among the bunch¡ªthe prettiest and ripest out of all the apples in the orchard.


    Glancing over at the weighty sack Estian was holding in his other hand that he¡¯d received from Maggie¡¯s shop, Cecile guessed he could¡¯ve easily put every apple in there. Yet, he¡¯d taken this apple out of his pocket. ¡®He must¡¯ve specifically picked one for me,¡¯ she thought. Opening her mouth wide, Cecile took a mouthful of the apple her husband had gifted, and savored with a crunch the tingling sweet and sourness that spread in her mouth.


    * * *


    ¡°Now, there¡¯s a nice picture.¡± At the top of a very distant mountain, someone was watching Cecile and Estian having a happy time. The distance was too far for one to humanly possibly make out, but the man murmured to himself, as if the two figures were right before his eyes.


    The man was dressed in an unusual attire that didn¡¯t belong to the continent under the empire, but was rather from the Hyun continent, which was over a month¡¯s worth of sailing time away. His gaze was fixed on Estian and Cecile, who were two people in which he held great interest. The former piqued his curiosity because the man was the only one in the world that could match up to him in might, while the latter¡­

 CH 196

    ¡°So, that¡¯s Empress Cecile. She certainly lives up to the rumors. Is she masking herself using a ring? Ugh, her image keeps blurring. Anyway, all I need to do is whisk that empress away,¡± Ruin, the crown prince of the Hyun continent, smirked with a look of satisfaction.


    When the people known as sages had first approached him with their request, Ruin had bluntly responded, ¡°Are you people really telling the crown prince to cross the seas right now and kidnap the empress of another country?¡±


    Ruin had honestly doubted his ears at first. In the first place, he disliked the sages. This occupational group, referred to as priests in the continent across the sea, were prone to bothersome nagging. He would¡¯ve sent the sages away, had it not been for the appearance of the Taoists, who were the equivalent of the mages of this continent. The sages and Taoists of the Hyun continent were not on good terms, yet they came together, bowing their heads to beseech the crown prince to accept the request.


    ¡°Let¡¯s first put aside whether it¡¯s right to openly discuss a kidnapping. Explain the purpose of your request.¡± Ruin couldn¡¯t fathom what spurred this abrupt request. It would¡¯ve been understandable if they¡¯d asked him to capture some phantom beast from another continent, but to bring over a woman?


    ¡°If our thoughts are correct, the Empress Cecile is the ¡®Ender¡¯ of legend.¡±


    ¡°What did you say? The Ender?¡± Ruin immediately straightened up from his leaning posture, and growled like a beast. ¡°I trust that you¡¯re not speaking lightly?¡±


    Ruin grabbed the sword next to him, and it began to emit a humming sound as if it was alive. The sword didn¡¯t speak in human words, but the sages and Taoists realized that the sword was asking, ¡°Master, are they today¡¯s meal?¡±


    ¡°O-of course, we of all people deeply know the weight that name holds!¡± the sages and Taoists had stammered, quaking in fear.


    Ruin released the sword at seeing them blanch from the fear, though the sword continued to hum, as if asking to be fed. ¡°If what you speak of is true, then I¡¯ll go. I doubt any of you lot will be able to face off against Emperor Estian.¡±


    The expressions of the sages and Taoists twisted, but they swiftly bowed to hide the distaste in their expressions. After all, the crown prince wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d end up fighting the emperor in this manner,¡± Ruin muttered, cupping his chin.


    Who deserved the title of ¡®strongest¡¯ was a favorite topic discussed among the people, and there were always two names mentioned when this subject came up: Emperor Estian and Crown Prince Ruin. Since the two resided in continents separated by the sea, they were not in a position to cross over freely and there was no reason for the two to cross swords. That¡¯s why the people of each continent could only insist the representative figure of their respective continents was the stronger of the two men. However, it seemed that the time had come to satiate the curiosity of the masses.


    Ruin gazed at a smiling Estian and sighed. That monstrous emperor was smiling. What made him so happy? It was the sight of the empress eating the apple. And now he had to steal the empress from that emperor.


    ¡°Looks like this won¡¯t be easy, but¡­ I think it might be worth it.¡± Looking at Cecile again, Ruin muttered with a breezy grin, ¡°The Ender¡­ I was a little worried about what I¡¯d do if I took her to Hyun continent only to discover she isn¡¯t the Ender, but¡­ she can just marry me then.¡±

 CH 197

    ¡°The more I look at her, the more appealing she seems.¡±


    Ruin wasn¡¯t fond of the people of this continent. Unlike the people of the Hyun continent, who primarily had black hair and eyes, the inhabitants here were too colorful in his eyes. Looking at them only strengthened his sense of foreignness, which is why he never imagined he¡¯d come to like someone from this place.


    Nonetheless, he had to admit after watching Cecile that there was beauty that could transcend preferences. He never could¡¯ve envisioned that platinum blonde hair and dark green eyes would match so well. At first, the prince had trailed them from their mansion out of curiosity, intent on observing Estian, but soon his eyes were unable to move away from Cecile.


    ¡®She¡¯ll be the first foreign crown princess in Hyun history.¡¯ Thinking about it, he didn¡¯t recall any laws that would prohibit the crown princess from being a foreigner. If he were to be honest, it no longer mattered to him whether the empress was the Ender or not. He watched Cecile, who was talking as she walked beside Estian.


    ¡°It¡¯d be great for the children to resemble their mother as much as possible,¡± he muttered. Suddenly going as far as to making detailed family plans all by himself, Ruin got up from his spot, wishing to steal that woman away as soon as possible.


    * * *


    Maggie shot a suspicious look at the two who were returned, as she interrogated, ¡°You didn¡¯t just buy any random apples now, did you? Don¡¯t think you can fool my nose and mouth!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you we didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make sense! I thought it¡¯d take at least a few days, yet you come back in less than a few hours!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how competent he is! My hus¡ª colleague!¡± Cecile hurriedly corrected herself, almost slipping up. Opening the sack of apples, she declared, ¡°Have a look. These are really the apples from that orchard.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look then. These are¡­ really apples from that place?¡± Maggie¡¯s eyes widened in amazement when she saw the apples in the sack were indeed the ones she always used. Moreover, it was apparent that only the well-ripened ones were picked, as the sack was filled with the delicious scent of fresh apples.


    ¡°This amount should suffice to have pies delivered every day to the villa, right?¡± Estian asked.


    Maggie nodded vigorously and answered, ¡°It¡¯s enough! Oh, but wasn¡¯t this urgent? Considering how much pressure the emperor was exerting, I feel like it¡¯d be best for the pies to be delivered as soon as possible. If it¡¯s alright with the two of you, I could make some right now.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Cecile was excited at the prospect, but she snuck a glance at Estian to gauge his reaction. It was already quite late, and Estian had been especially sensitive to her sleeping habits as of late. Unsurprisingly, his face had stiffened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy after putting these away,¡± Maggie replied, taking the sack of apples and exiting the room.


    Cecile swiftly grabbed her husband by the shoulder and planted a kiss on his cheek. She pleaded, ¡°I really want to eat apple pies. Right now.¡±


    Estian opened his mouth as if to say something, but soon a defeated expression crept onto his face and he sighed. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, but we¡¯ll be returning as soon as they¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Cecile chirped happily.


    Maggie returned a moment later and quickly set about cleaning the workbench that had sat unused until now. Was she excited to be able to return to baking after so long? Her movements were cheerful as she worked with the flour and butter.


    ¡®So, this is what they call¡­ a master of their art!¡¯ Cecile was impressed by the piemaker¡¯s fluid actions at the workbench. It was said that when a person reached a certain level of mastery, there wouldn¡¯t be the slightest waste in their movements, and Maggie seemed to embody that in this moment.


    Seeing Cecile starting intently with admiration, Maggie asked, ¡°Want to have a go?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°I said, do you want to try making one? Your neck¡¯s going to stretch at that rate.¡±


    It was only then that Cecile realized that she had leaned forward to the point that she was almost touching the workbench. Sheepishly, she said, ¡°I was just amazed to see an apple pie being made for the first time. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve bothered you.¡±

 CH 198

    ¡°What? First time seeing pie being made?¡± Maggie asked in disbelief. ¡°Did your mother never make some for you before?¡±


    ¡°My mom passed away early.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about your father?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s someone you¡¯re better off without, you see,¡± Cecile said. It was the first time she¡¯d thought about the king of Navitan in a long while. A man whom she resembled, except for the color of their hair and eyes.


    Maggie¡¯s face darkened as she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know¡­ Hang on for a bit!¡± Disappearing into the shop, she emerged seconds later holding something in her hands which she thrusted towards Cecile. ¡°Now, put this on, will you?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean what¡¯s this? They¡¯re work clothes obviously. After all, a clean outfit is the first step to making pies. Come, come. Put on the hat first. Quick! It won¡¯t do to let any hair fall into the pies now, will it? And change into the work clothes. Make sure to put on this apron good and proper too!¡±


    Moments later, Cecile found herself perfectly decked out in work clothes. She looked to the side with a troubled expression, where Estian stood, also dressed in the same outfit as her. He was even wearing a mask to boot. ¡®Th-this isn¡¯t what I wanted!¡¯ She¡¯d only wanted to enjoy some freshly baked pie, so how did she suddenly end up having to work?


    ¡°What¡¯re you zoning out for? Let¡¯s get right to it. Now, watch and follow exactly as I do.¡±


    Maggie picked up a sack of flour, poured it slowly into a large sieve placed on the workbench, and then began setting about to strain the flour. In an instant, the flour was piled into the shape of a mountain. Using her hand, she stirred to form a hollow center in the mound.


    ¡°The next step is to add butter! It¡¯s our shop¡¯s motto to put in enough to shock other people.¡± After her explanation, Maggie took a butter the size of a head from the box next to her and plopped it in the middle of the flour.


    Having observed up to this point, Cecile walked over and attempted to lift up the flour sack. ¡°Oof¡­ Ack! I-I can¡¯t lift it?¡± Cecile stammered. Though she tried her hardest, the sack wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? How could you not lift that up?¡±


    Hearing Maggie¡¯s confused tone, Cecile tried again. However, the flour still didn¡¯t move an inch. Before she could struggle again, Estian stepped in from behind Cecile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± With one hand, he easily lifted the flour sack she¡¯d been struggling with all her might and began pouring it over the workbench.


    Maggie, who¡¯d been watching with a look of surprise, handed Estian an iron scraper. ¡°Now, scoop some butter in too! From here on, you¡¯ll need skill, not strength. Watch closely.¡±


    After Estian added some butter to the mound, Maggie used both hands to hold her iron scraper and began to finely dice up the butter. A series of light and pleasant sounds could be heard from her steady movements as the scraper hit the wooden workbench¡ªtatatatatatat!


    ¡°Did you see that? You have to chop a piece of butter until it¡¯s a cube about this size on top of the flour. It¡¯ll be a little hard for a beginner, but¡ª¡±


    Before Maggie could finish, Estian jumped into action. The sound of his chopping was even faster and more rhythmic than her movements. When he finished, he asked, ¡°Is this good enough?¡±


    Maggie and Cecile were speechless at the sight of the perfectly chopped butter.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d cut it so well!¡¯ Cecile exclaimed inwardly, before her eyes lowered to look at the sword that hung from her husband¡¯s belt. ¡®Then again¡­ he¡¯s good at dicing up other things, so I guess it¡¯s not that different from butter.¡¯


    Meanwhile, Maggie was wearing a vexed look. Collecting herself, she shot back, ¡°Hah, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to easily copy this!¡± But contrary to her expectations, Estian completed the pie dough faster than she did.


    ¡°T-then what about this!¡± Maggie exclaimed, brandishing a peeler. However, a little while later, there were more peeled apples piled in front of Estian than Maggie.

 CH 199

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly be good at this too!¡± Maggie cried, as she demonstrated how to cut the widely spread pie dough. Estian silently began cutting his dough in the same manner. When she quietly measured it with a ruler, she found they were perfectly identical in every dimension. After a long pause, Maggie leaned close and secretly whispered, ¡°I say, do you have any interest in working here? You¡¯ve got talent I tell you. And strength!¡±


    Of course, Estian ignored her suggestion, and instead asked, ¡°Where should I leave the work clothes?¡±


    While Estian left to dust off the flour from his clothes, Maggie moved about to put the apple pies into the oven. Cecile watched all of this with amusement. When the piemaker was done, she came over to Cecile¡¯s side.


    ¡°Is he your man, that fellow?¡± Maggie asked.


    ¡°Gosh, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°Anyone who has eyes could tell.¡±


    ¡®So, it was that obvious after all?¡¯ Cecile scratched her cheek shyly as she confessed, ¡°He¡¯s actually my husband.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear! Looks like both husband and wife are held captive by the emperor. I heard that the emperor cuts people up on a whim, while the empress torments her subjects with a whip. Are you having any difficulties?¡±


    Cecile could only awkwardly laugh, as she thought, ¡®You¡¯re talking about us though.¡¯


    With the passage of a little time, a savory smell began to waft out of the oven. When Maggie opened the oven door, the warmth and aroma filled the kitchen. As she began to turn around, she said, ¡°Good. It looks well baked, so let¡¯s try a¡ª¡±


    Before she¡¯d realized it, Cecile had already readied a plate with a knife and fork and was looking at her with anticipation.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I last baked that I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s done well,¡± Maggie warned. Despite her words, Maggie was wearing a face overflowing with confidence as she cut a slice of pie. A satisfying crunch could be heard as the knife sliced through the crust, and apple filling dripped down the middle of the sliced pie, revealing its ripe appearance.


    ¡®So. this is the rumored pie!¡¯ Cecile was moved by the sight of the pie that was emitting a cinnamon fragrance. In front of her was something she¡¯d sorely desired to eat at least once in her lifetime. Cutting the pie into bite-sized pieces, she speared one with a fork and immediately held it out to Estian, who¡¯d returned and was sitting beside her.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. You eat first,¡± Estian refused.


    ¡°No can do! The one who brought these apples should be the first to try them.¡±


    ¡°You sounded so keen on eating the pie, but it turns out that was a lie? Letting someone else try it first,¡± Maggie tutted, watching the two with a wistful look in her eyes.


    However, while the couple was arguing over who should have the first bite, the piece slipped from the fork and fell onto Cecile¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ow! Hot!¡± she yelped, shaking her hand after being startled by the sudden heat. The piece was flung back into the air and this time landed squarely on Estian, who was busy checking to see that his wife was alright.


    ¡°Oh dearie me,¡± Maggie fussed, immediately fetching some cold water. ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Quickly soak your hand. It¡¯s quite hot. so there¡¯s a risk you¡¯ll be burned.¡±


    Cecile made a tearful face as she dunked her hand in the water, looking regretful at the wasted piece that had fallen to the floor. She silently mourned its untimely death.


    ¡°You too, lad. Come on,¡± Maggie urged, grabbing Estian¡¯s hand and dunking it into the water too. Clicking her tongue, she said, ¡°Darn, I forgot you were wearing rings. There might be some pie residue trapped inside, so quickly take them¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Cecile shouted, but it was too late.


    The moment Maggie slid off the rings on their fingers, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Who are you people?¡± She was shocked to find two strangers sitting in front of her. With the rings that Richard had provided removed, the two had returned to their original appearances.


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ That is to say¡­¡±


    Unlike Cecile, who was at a loss for words, Estian answered with a relaxed face, ¡°A certain husband who was dying to give his wife some apple pies.¡±


    A little while later, Maggie¡¯s wails echoed throughout the city of Aluna. ¡°I deserve death, Your Majesty!¡±

 CH 200

    A few days later, the president of Aluna¡¯s tourism association suddenly paid a visit to Estian at the villa. The president was bowing so low she was practically flat up against the floor. Estian had done nothing but echo her words up to this point, but the president had placed her head against the ground as if in penitence.


    ¡°A festival? It¡¯s the first I¡¯ve heard of one being held during this period,¡± Estian remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a festival, w-w-we at the Tourism Association have given our best to prepare, i-i-in honor of Your Majesty¡¯s visit! P-please have a look at this!¡± the president explained, extending out the flyer in her hand. The grim determination on her face would make an onlooker easily mistake that she was holding out a suicide note.


    The attendant received the flyer and handed it over to Estian, who scanned over it. Even at a glance, it was easy to tell the flyer was unconventional. With its pink background and numerous heart decorations, it was like the flyer was crying out that this was a festival with the theme of love.


    ¡°So, this festival will be held for three days starting tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ that is so! W-while it may be a little noisy, it is all an expression of our fervent welcome for Your Majesty!¡±


    Estian read through the many events, large and small, listed on the flyer. There seemed to be a lot of activities prepared for something that¡¯d been done in a hurry. Not only was there a stage set up for famous singers in the empire, there was even a large-scale fireworks display scheduled.


    The president swallowed dryly at the sight of Estian reading seriously. ¡®If the emperor and empress decide to attend any of the events, everything will be ruined before it even begins.¡¯


    The appearance of the dragon had enticed spectators to flock to the city because it was under the control of the dragon knight, but there was no such person capable of leashing the emperor. In other words, if the dragon was akin to a controlled hazard, the emperor was an unstoppable disaster, or in another sense, a force of nature.


    While the president was silently brooding, Estian noticed signs of Cecile waking up from behind the door. ¡°Right, I understand, so you may return no. And¡­¡± he paused, before continuing in a knowing tone, ¡°unfortunately, my empress and I will be unable to attend any events for three days.¡±


    ¡°That is such a¡­¡± The president barely came to her senses, and instead of crying out ¡°Relief!¡± finished with, ¡°A sad pity!¡± As if terrified Estian might whimsically change his mind, the president swiftly added, ¡°We will always be thinking deeply of Your Majesty and Her Majesty as well. Then, may I¡­ take my leave now?¡±


    Estian waved a hand in dismissal at the president, who was fully intent on fleeing, and seconds later she was gone like the wind. Calling out to the door behind him, Estian asked, ¡°Cecile, did you hear everything?¡±


    ¡°You knew?¡± Cecile asked, poking her head through after cracking open the door.


    How could he not? He¡¯d already heard her squeal excitedly, ¡°Oh my gosh! A festival!¡± He remembered that going to a festival and visiting the night market were also among the things written in Cecile¡¯s notebook of things she wanted to do.


    ¡°The president of the association doesn¡¯t seem like she wants us to attend. What would you like to do?¡±


    Cecile boldly replied, ¡°We can go in secret!¡±


    Estian was of the same mind. They¡¯d need to disguise their identities anyway if they wanted to move about freely and do what Cecile had written in her notebook. They¡¯d already confirmed that the enchanted rings they¡¯d used to visit Maggie¡¯s pie shop were still working without any issues, so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to go around in public.


    Suddenly, Estian shot to his feet and went straight to the balcony. Confused by his abrupt actions, Cecile immediately followed after him.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± she asked. She wondered what had compelled him to act like this. When she stared over the balcony, she heard a loud noise coming from where she found Tania and Girgantia.

 CH 201

    ¡°Hey! Hand that over, I say! It¡¯s mine! Her Majesty gave it to me!¡± Tania cried.


    ¡°Now where¡¯s the fairness in that! If you¡¯ve got a conscience. then let¡¯s share some! I saw you eating a whole pie by yourself!¡± Girgantia retorted. An apple pie was wrapped in the dragon¡¯s tail.


    Neither being willing to yield, a brawl soon broke out between the two. The serious ruckus between the two soon resulted in various craters forming in the ground, as they sent stones flying. The bloody combat over an apple pie was so ferocious that the attendants nearby all scattered in fear, trembling as they watched from a safe distance.


    ¡®Did I imagine it?¡¯ Estian wondered, as he watched the dragon and handmaid battle it out. The presence he¡¯d sensed a moment ago, which he was certain was different from usual, had disappeared without a trace. He was uneasy with dismissing the feeling as being the murderous air between Girgantia and Tania.


    ¡°Cecile, about the festival. I think it¡¯s better that¡­¡± Estian began.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    He was about to suggest that it¡¯d be better for them to not attend the festival, but the sparkling anticipation filling his wife¡¯s eyes made him swallow the rest of his words. Only three days were left open in his schedule, before they¡¯d have to return to the capital.


    The trip to Aluna had done wonders for Cecile, who no longer suddenly fell into spells of sleep and was back to being as fit as a fiddle. The purpose of the visit had been achieved, so it¡¯d be best to hurry back. ¡®After all, there¡¯s still unfinished business to be dealt with.¡¯


    Many things were awaiting his attention. There were still countries that Estian had to exact vengeance upon, and he also needed to hear about the matters which he¡¯d ordered Aled and Richard to look into during the absence. Moreover, he also had to personally investigate the matters regarding the Archwitch and the mysterious books that suddenly appeared before his wife.


    ¡®There won¡¯t be any free time for a while.¡¯ Knowing this, he wanted to fulfil every one of Cecile¡¯s wishes that was possible, at least while they were staying at Aluna.


    ¡°Never mind. Have a look at the flyer and pick out the things you want to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s all, then¡­¡± Cecile pointed from the beginning to the end of the flyer without hesitation and said, ¡°everything from here to here.¡±


    It appeared that Estian would be needing all three days to satisfy Cecile.


    * * *


    ¡°Tsk, he almost found out. He really would¡¯ve found out if it had been something larger than a bee,¡± Ruin exhaled slowly, as he hid behind a rock. He was catching his breath, as a small bee circled him. ¡°Good work.¡±


    The bee danced a few times in front of him, as if it understood, before disappearing. No one had ever noticed until now, but the ruler of the empire had immediately caught onto the abnormality. Recalling the conversation he¡¯d overheard, he muttered, ¡°So, she¡¯s attending the festival, eh?¡±


    This was great news for him¡ªdealing with the emperor inside the villa was difficult since he would be noticed the moment he broke in. Moreover, there was no place to hide there. However, the festival was a different story. Hundreds of people would be chaotically wandering the streets. For the empress to come to step out into a place on her own two feet¡­


    ¡°The heavens are aiding my marriage,¡± Ruin smiled, as he glanced at the festival flyer in his hand. This was an opportunity.


    * * *


    The festival began with much fanfare. Even the villa attendants were discussing the event excitedly everywhere they went. Meanwhile, there was one person who was pouting and kicking at pebbles while sitting on a bed.


    ¡°I want to go play too,¡± Tania whined.


    Girgantia, who was stretching his wings behind the bench, shot an incredulous look at her and pointed out, ¡°Haven¡¯t you been playing all this time?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯ve been playing! I¡¯m on a mission! And that¡¯s keeping you under control!¡±


    The dragon clicked its tongue at Tania¡¯s yells. ¡°Learn to have a conscience, will you? Is there anyone in the villa that has it as easy as you do? What¡¯s so hard about riding on my back around Aluna¡¯s skies at set times?¡±

 CH 202

    ¡°You think it¡¯s easy having to stick around you all day long?!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the difficulty in that?¡±


    In spite of herself, Tania found herself unable to answer. There was nothing difficult about babysitting Girgantia, it was merely annoying. After all, the dragon was so obedient that he was practically acting like an imperial now.


    Once, she asked him, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you have any ambition or desire to kill people and drive the world into chaos anymore?¡±


    ¡°Heck, why should I? Staying here, I get fed and a bed too. I¡¯m just going to enjoy living like this. Not like I¡¯ve got any power right now anyway. I¡¯ll just suffer if I try to break out,¡± Girgantia replied languidly.


    ¡®Honestly, I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s still a dragon, or the dog of the imperial family.¡¯ Tania clicked her tongue and ignored Girgantia as she climbed the stairs at the end of the villa.


    Upon reaching the balcony on the roof, she could see out across the scenery of Aluna over the villa fence. Her expression darkened when she spotted the comers and goers on the street outside. The streets were filled with couples.


    ¡°Must be nice for all of them,¡± she grumbled to herself. Taking out the flyer from her pocket, she looked at the abundant heart decorations that made it obvious the festival was targeted towards lovers. Flipping it over to look at the back, Tania looked at what was printed in large letters: For those who have yet to find their fated one!


    There were a myriad of events listed for people who were still single. It made Tania remember the resolution she¡¯d made when she left home. Her biggest desire had been to see the imperial palace, but in truth, it hadn¡¯t been the only aspiration she¡¯d held. There was something else she¡¯d been hoping for before coming to the capital.


    ¡®My romance! I¡¯m sure that somewhere in the capital¡­ there¡¯ll be a duke that¡¯s cold and rational, but warm when it comes to his woman.¡¯


    Dukes¡ªthe number one occupation of male protagonists in the romance novels she¡¯d read. That was why she¡¯d set her sights on searching for dukes after entering the imperial palace. To her dismay, there were hardly any to be found there. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that His Majesty killed most of them!¡¯


    When Estian dethroned the previous emperor, he¡¯d also wiped out quite a number of nobles. At the time, a good portion of the already scarce dukes had lost their lives under his sword, and their houses had been brought to ruin. As for the few that had survived¡­ Tania thought back to the dukes she¡¯d encountered.


    ¡°My granddaughter is your age, but she¡¯s still immature. You said you¡¯re the daughter of Margrave Kaniche, yes? You can call me Grandpa from now on,¡± one had said upon meeting her. There was no cold duke of the north to be found. In his place were only plump, good-natured grandfathers that placed candies in Tania¡¯s hand.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t going to work.¡¯ The imperial palace was hopeless¡ªthe duke she sought didn¡¯t exist there. The best she could hope for was a romance between colleagues, but Tania had learned from books that such romances usually ended in more harm than good.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ this is a chance.¡¯ Tania made up her mind. She vaguely remembered that there were often fateful encounters in festivals like this in romance novels. Glancing at the festival flyer again, she felt her heart speed up. Fated one¡ªit was a thrilling phrase. ¡®By God, I¡¯m meeting my fated one today.¡¯


    Girgantia was watching the people passing on the streets beside Tania when she said to him, ¡°Hey, you can have all of my chicken today. Don¡¯t follow me. Just keep pretending to keep your chains on while I¡¯m gone, alright?¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m off to find my destiny. Don¡¯t stop me.¡±


    With those words, Tania climbed down the balcony stairs, leaving Girgantia behind. The dragon watched her go with narrowed eyes.

 CH 203

    ¡®What¡¯s up with her?¡¯ Girgantia wondered. Tania had spent the whole day grumbling after receiving a flyer about the festival being held in the city, and now she was even conceding her chicken to Girgantia? She loved the stuff just as much as he did. For her to willingly give it up to go somewhere else? Impossible!


    At that moment, a group of villa attendants passed by below and Girgantia watched them absentmindedly, when he noticed a pink flyer tumble out of one of their pockets.


    ¡®That¡­!¡¯ It was the same flyer that Tania refused to show him. Waiting until the attendants had disappeared around the corner, Girgantia quickly checked the coast was clear and climbed down to snag the fallen piece of paper before returning to his perch.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ For those who have yet to find their fated one?¡± he muttered. Girgantia scanned the entire flyer and clicked his tongue. ¡°And I wondered what all that talk about finding destiny was about. She went looking for a mate!¡±


    The dragon nodded in understanding. There were many scenes of humans mating in the books Tania liked to read. She did have a lot of interest in that. If Tania had been around to overhear his thoughts, she would¡¯ve kicked up a storm and shrieked, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting!¡±


    Raising himself from where he lounged, Girgantia wondered, ¡®Should I follow her?¡¯ He glanced down at his limbs and tail, understanding he could exactly chase after her in his current form. Forget looking for her, people would immediately flock to him and cry out, ¡°It¡¯s a dragon!¡± the moment he stepped out of the villa. That wouldn¡¯t do if he was going to tail her.


    While he wondered how he could spy on her, he glanced down at his feet where golden light briefly flickered in and out of existence. ¡®I did gather a bit,¡¯ he thought. His power had been slowly returning ever since his body grew in size. Of course, it was a drop in the bucket compared to when he was first born, but it was enough for him to use.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll go well since it¡¯s my first time,¡± he mused, as he walked up to a mirror. His tail began moving rapidly, etching complex inscriptions in golden light on the floor. When the diagram was complete, the dragon muttered, ¡°Change.¡±


    In an instant, the golden inscriptions floated into the air and enveloped him. With a flash of light, the golden inscriptions whirled around Girgantia¡¯s body, starting from his feet and working its way up. As it moved upwards, Girgantia¡¯s body began to transform. He¡¯d been standing on all fours, but was now standing on two feet. In place of his clawed forelimbs were long arms, and his scaly skin smoothed and changed color. After a little while, Girgantia looked in the mirror and found the reflection of a young man with long blond hair and golden eyes.


    ¡°Nice! It worked!¡± he cheered. What Girgantia had performed was polymorph¡ªa basic shapeshifting ability for dragons. Unlike transformation magic used by mages, which cloaked their appearance in a fake shell, dragons polymorphed into an unique form that they would¡¯ve possessed had they been born into another race. It was a spell that dragons, who lived immensely long lives, had conjured as a means to relieve boredom. ¡®Apparently it¡¯s fun being able to live as you please compared to the other races.¡¯


    Among the races to polymorph into, the most common one chosen by dragons was human. Though this was Girgantia¡¯s first time polymorphing, he understood why so many dragons preferred it. He recalled how he¡¯d listened to his mother complain about her life after polymorphing into an elf, a race that had long disappeared from the land. She described it as a boring existence of 300 years doing nothing but eating fruits and sleeping. Tired of such a life, she decided to be human and lived as one for the next 30 years.

 CH 204

    ¡®Mom bragged about driving five nations onto the path of destruction and having twenty-five men in her clutches during that time.¡¯ In what amounted to a tenth of the time she¡¯d spent as an elf, the dragon lord had achieved countless things as a human. That¡¯s why dragons believed their time was most efficiently spent as humans.


    ¡°Two eyes, one nose, and one mouth. Looks like I did change proper¡ªEh? I¡¯m making sounds?¡± Since a polymorphed Girgantia took on the appearance he¡¯d have if he¡¯d been born as a human, he was able to maintain his form easily. He¡¯d even begun speaking with his voice instead of using telepathy. As he stared at his reflection, he remarked, ¡°So, this is what I look like when I become a human.¡±


    Girgantia felt awkward as he inspected his new look, patting himself all over his body. In truth, he still wasn¡¯t able to comprehend the aesthetics of humans, so he was curious as to what impression he made by human standards. Snapping out of his amazement, he realized he¡¯d been staring in the mirror for too long. ¡°Oh, now¡¯s not the time for this. First, I¡¯ve got to wear clothes like humans do¡­¡±


    ¡°Commoner clothes¡­¡± But what clothes could he choose from? At the very least, he recognized that ordinary folk didn¡¯t wear the same attire as the emperor or the knights. Just as he found himself in a pickle, he spotted a magazine Tania had haphazardly chucked after reading. Flipping through it until he reached a page the handmaiden had marked, he grinned, ¡°Okay, I should go with this then.¡±


    * * *


    A small iron door in the corner of the villa was pushed open with an unpleasant creak. Some of the villa attendants came walking out with their hand full of a bunch of cloth.


    ¡°Will it be fine not to burn these?¡± one attendant worriedly asked the other.


    ¡°What can we do? The incinerator is broken and we¡¯ve got a ton of work to do. It can¡¯t be helped even if we just throw them away,¡± the other replied with a sigh.


    ¡°But still, the instruction was to burn everything that was used once by His or Her Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Who has time to follow such rules now? Besides, who¡¯d follow us to the dump to check? Let¡¯s just dump them here and hurry back. We still have plenty of work ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    The attendants threw the bedding into the garbage dump outside and swiftly returned to the villa. A long while after they had left, the grass behind the dump swayed as a woman cautiously emerged. The woman wore a wide-brimmed hat that obscured her entire face¡ªit was Yuliana.


    Hurrying over to the garbage dump, she began searching through the bedding the attendants had thrown away. A few minutes later, she found what she¡¯d been searching for. Triumphantly, she held a long thread of platinum blonde hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as the book described¡­¡± she murmured. The former princess thought she was hallucinating when a mysterious book appeared containing a method to kill Cecile. She thought she¡¯d been driven mad from her hatred. However, as she read the book, she began to doubt her eyes as the instructions were far too detailed to be a mere delusion.


    That night, Yuliana scoured through the pages over and over, thinking how nice it would be if reality truly played out as the text dictated. After falling asleep while hugging the book, there was no trace of the book to be found when she awoke the next day. ¡®Was it all a dream?¡¯ There was a simple way to ascertain whether the book had ever really existed. She merely needed to act as what had been written in the book.

 CH 205

    Now, in the present, Yuliana was convinced it hadn¡¯t been a dream. ¡°They really threw the sheets out without burning them, as the book said.¡± If they¡¯d been in the imperial palace, the bedding would¡¯ve been incinerated without ever making it outside the palace walls. Not only sheets, but clothes and anything else deemed no longer needed was immediately burned. The masses assumed that the palace rule had been put in place because the extravagant overconsumption was a sign of the emperor¡¯s greatness, but Yuliana knew the truth. Items that were used by a person could be used as a medium for curses.


    Having found what she had wanted, Yuliana hastily made her escape from the garbage. After waking a long way back to a discreet location, she pulled a note out of her pocket.


    ¡°A part of the target¡¯s body. Check¡ªsince the book said hair would do as well¡­ And now¡­¡± Yuliana stared down at the paper in her hand, which was the next item the book had instructed her to find.


    Look under the jewelry box you brought.


    She had rummaged through her bag for the jewelry box and examined its bottom, discovering a secret inner compartment. Yuliana hurled the box to smash it open and was surprised to find a single piece of paper hidden. She recognized its contents immediately. ¡®I never thought there would still be remnants of forbidden magic.¡¯


    In a time before the Mage Tower was established, mages were outlaws that used their powers at will and conducted research without restriction. As a result, many spells used in those days were both terrible and vile. Most of the dangerous magic had been lost regulations were placed after the formation of the mage Tower, but rarely some would be discovered in unexpected places. Just like the piece of paper that was now in Yuliana¡¯s hand.


    This was a spell for murder¡ªone that inflicted death in the most excruciatingly painful manner imaginable. Yuliana hadn¡¯t been able to fully bring herself to trust the book even after obtaining the spell, which was why she¡¯d followed its second instruction and came to the garbage dump. The result was her securing a strand of the empress¡¯s hair.


    All the doubts in her mind were clear now¡ªthat book was real. ¡®Who is it that¡¯s helping me?¡¯ It was unlikely that her helper held good intentions. Someone who delivered instructions for murder in such a suspicious way could hardly be a good person. But what did it matter? As long as she could kill the empress, Yuliana would accept anyone¡¯s help with gratitude.


    As she passed by a noisy street, Yuliana caught sight of the banner announcing the festival then. ¡°Fireworks on the last day¡­¡± she muttered. The banner advertised in large letters that an impressive firework display would close out the festival, promising to be the largest display in the empire.


    ¡°Fireworks¡­¡± The corner of Yuliana¡¯s lips twisted into a sneer, as distorted mirth colored her features. There would be very pretty and big fireworks indeed, and¡­ ¡°The finale will surely explode the most brilliantly.¡±

 CH 206

    A small, red ball whizzed through the air and crashed smack dab into the middle of the wooden blocks piled high on the opposite end. Cheers from the gathered crowd rang out as the tower of blocks toppled over with a loud clatter.


    ¡°She did it again!¡±


    ¡°Awesome, Big Sister!¡±


    Cecile beamed as she waved at the cheering crowd. She had just succeeded in knocking down all the wooden blocks in her tenth game of toss. ¡®I¡¯m pretty good at this, if I dare say so myself!¡¯ she thought smugly.


    ¡°Big sis, please marry me!¡±


    Cecile laughed good-naturedly in response, but shrugged and turned to look behind her. Naturally, Estian was standing there, but he was too preoccupied with fixing a death glare on the boy who had just shouted a proposal to his wife to notice Cecile looking his way.


    In his arms were several dolls of varying sizes, which a child was eyeing with envy. Cecile recognized this child as the one who¡¯d attempted and failed at the tossing game several times before. Addressing the child, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I just¡­¡± The child stuttered and their face flushed bright red.


    Glancing at the dolls in Estian¡¯s arms, Cecile generously offered, ¡°Want one?¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course, take your pick.¡±


    ¡°Th-then¡­ That¡­¡±


    When the child¡¯s voice faltered, Cecile turned to follow the child¡¯s gaze and froze. She paused and her eyes trembled when she realized the child had picked the big, pink rabbit doll¡ªthe largest doll she¡¯d won so far. ¡®Why did you¡­ B-but I like that one too!¡¯ she shouted on the inside. The rabbit doll was almost as large as she was, and when she won it, Cecile had hugged it tightly and rubbed her face against it in joy many times.


    Estian chuckled when he saw the look in Cecile¡¯s eyes, but he dutifully handed over the pink rabbit doll to the child.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± the child shouted brightly. Perhaps worried that they¡¯d change their mind, the child bowed to express her thanks before quickly scampering away.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I liked that one too. Why did she have to ask for that one?¡± Cecile mumbled sullenly, staring in the direction that the child had disappeared. She had excitedly anticipated hugging it in bed, but now¡­ ¡°Wait¡­ It can¡¯t be!¡± Cecile whipped her head around to glare at Estian after vaguely recalling the dissatisfied look on Estian¡¯s face when she¡¯d won the doll. ¡°You gave that one away on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± Estian answered, avoiding her gaze. His reaction made Cecile certain she was on the mark, and that he¡¯d given it away on purpose. There was no doubt about it!


    Just then, the sound of a bell rang from afar. A staff from the tourism association ran amid the festivalgoers, loudly announcing, ¡°The final event¡ªthe fireworks display¡ªwill be starting soon! Please don¡¯t crowd all at once and keep order¡­ Wait, hey! Somebody, save me!¡±


    A low rumble shook the earth like a herd of water buffalo had suddenly commenced charging. The staff hadn¡¯t even finished their announcement when they were swept away by the crowd, as the people began to run in search of the better spot to view the fireworks.


    In the confusion, Cecile lost sight of Estian due to the sudden rush of people. ¡®Huh? I¡¯ll just have to wait once they¡¯re all gone.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t have gone far, so she decided to just escape from being swept away by the human wave in front of her and wait for him to return to her side. Just as her attention was focused in the direction of where Estian should be, Cecile felt a chill run down her spine¡ªshe was being watched.

 CH 207

    Startled, she turned around and caught sight of a woman standing in the dark alleyway behind her. ¡®Who?¡¯ The woman¡¯s face wasn¡¯t visible, but she felt strangely familiar. However, what was more eerie was the fact that the woman silhouetted in the darkness was clutching a large doll in her hands. Cecile grew wide-eyed as she muttered, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± It looked exactly the same as the one taken by the child moments before.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a shortcut here!¡± Out of nowhere, some people who were running by the street spotted the alleyway and made a beeline for it, forcing Cecile to take a step back. By the time the rush of people passed and Cecile glanced back into the alleyway, the shadowy woman was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Cecile? What¡¯s the matter¡± Estian had crossed the street and came over while Cecile had been searching for the woman.


    ¡°Just now¡­ There was a woman standing there a little while ago, and I think she was holding the same doll I gave to that child.¡± The doll was a difficult prize to win from the tossing game, but not to the point of being impossible. ¡®Did that woman win it from the game too?¡¯ Still, for some reason, Cecile had a hunch that the doll in the woman¡¯s hands was the very one she¡¯d given away.


    Seeing the dark expression on Cecile¡¯s face, Estian asked worriedly, ¡°Shall we go back now?¡±


    Cecile was silent as she considered the suggestion. Something about that woman made her uncomfortable, so perhaps it¡¯d be best to quickly return to the villa. However, just as she was making up her mind, a distant boom rang out from afar.


    ¡°It¡¯s started!¡±


    ¡°Come fast! We have to hurry to get to a better view!¡±


    Festivalgoers around them shouted and ran off toward the source of the sound. The closing event of the festival had begun. The fireworks display not only served to cap off the festival, but also signaled their imminent return to the imperial palace. She knew their long stay in Aluna had been out of Estian¡¯s consideration for her, but that didn¡¯t mean they could remain here forever and the thought dampened her mood.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back after the fireworks are over.¡± It wouldn¡¯t take long for the fireworks to end, so she wanted to enjoy this moment a little longer with her husband. Taking Estian¡¯s hand, Cecile began guiding them in the direction of the distant explosions in the sky, while she thought to herself, ¡®I was going to hug the rabbit to sleep when Estian¡¯s not with me.¡¯ What Estian wouldn¡¯t have known was that Cecile had named the pink rabbit doll Estian too, which is why she¡¯d hugged it with so much love.


    * * *


    ¡°What a stroke of fortune.¡± Yuliana stood in a dark alleyway as she eyed the doll in her hand and couldn¡¯t hold back the laughter that erupted from her. It was truly a coincidence that she¡¯d found Cecile.


    She had only managed to recognize Cecile thanks to that earring, which had also hung on the empress¡¯s ear on the day she¡¯d lost everything at the casino. When she first spotted a woman on the street with the same earring, she doubted her eyes. Pretending to be a passerby, she moved closer to eavesdrop and at that moment she overheard the man next to her call her Cecile. The former princess realized then that the two had changed their appearances.


    Impulse urged her to kill them on the spot, but she suppressed her murderous intent and quickly moved away. ¡®The emperor¡¯s sure to notice me if I¡¯m close by,¡¯ she thought warily. Yuliana could barely manage to spy on them from a distance, but an opportunity finally came when she saw a child receive a doll from them and scamper away. She immediately followed after the child and stole it.

 CH 208

    ¡®Perfect. It wasn¡¯t written in the book, but¡­¡¯ It just so happened that Yuliana was feeling anxious about only having a strand of Cecile¡¯s hair for the spell, but now she¡¯d gotten her hands on one more of the empress¡¯s items. Since she¡¯d clearly witnessed Cecile happily hugging the doll, it would surely act as a good medium for the spell she was preparing. Surely it can¡¯t hurt to add one more medium.


    Continuous booms resounded in the sky far from the rat-occupied alleyway in which Yuliana stood. Taking out the paper with the spell inscribed on it, Yuliana smirked to herself. The time to use it would soon come. Everything would end when the last firework exploded.


    * * *


    ¡°Ack!¡± Helplessly being swept along by the crowd, Tania rammed face-first into the back of the person in front of her.


    ¡°Who¡­ Oh, dear me. My lady, are you alright?¡± the man asked, looking back inquiringly.


    Tania couldn¡¯t contain her smile, as she inwardly squealed, ¡®My lady, he says!¡¯ How long had it been since she¡¯d heard such a beautiful address? Feeling pleased at being called ¡®my lady,¡¯ she was all smiles.


    ¡°It¡¯s very crowded. Is your companion not here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I came to play alone.¡±


    ¡°But how could that be? I never thought such a beautiful person would¡¯ve come alone,¡± the man asked in surprise.


    Tania blushed even though she knew it was just polite flattery. There was no reason to feel displeased by compliments after all. It was refreshing. ¡®What did Girgantia say every day again? He always rattled on about me being a pumpkin or whatnot, but¡­¡¯


    Since Girgantia was the one she spent her time with lately, she couldn¡¯t help but recall all the childish insults they¡¯d thrown at each other during their usual fights. She really wished she could boast this moment in front of him and say, ¡°Look! This is the sort of treatment I get when I go outside!¡± Just remembering it was enough to make her gnash her teeth.


    ¡°I apologize for being so sudden, but¡­ if it is okay with you, would you like to enjoy the festival together? I happen to be alone myself, you see. I came to Aluna with a friend but ended up losing him.¡±


    ¡°Me? Still, shouldn¡¯t you find your friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, before we separated, he was excited about having found someone he could relate with. If you¡¯re alright with it, it¡¯d be my pleasure to accompany you to a restaurant I know well.¡± The man winked playfully and added, ¡°Please give me the honor of escorting you, my lady.¡±


    ¡®Wow. So something like this really does happen,¡¯ Tania gulped. A chance meeting with a man in a crowd at a festival? And getting courteously invited to be escorted to a restaurant by that man? Since this man¡¯s friend seems to have already met someone nice at the festival, there was nothing holding her back from accepting his invitation. Tightly clenching her fists, she thought, ¡®This can work.¡¯


    Seeing her balled fists, the man coughed dryly and said, ¡°If you feel uncomfortable¡­¡±


    ¡°O-oh no!¡± Tania shook her head.


    As the saying goes: seize the opportunity when it comes. Tania quickly sized up the man in front of her¡ªwhile not classically handsome, his looks weren¡¯t bad¡­ though, perhaps he was a little cheesy-looking. Then again, she was by no means searching for the perfect man, so she didn¡¯t want to nitpick.


    ¡°Then, I shall gladly guide you to a place I know well. Let us go.¡±


    Tania took the arm the man offered, failing to notice how he was intently peering at her bag and the purse protruding slightly from it.


    * * *


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she stupid?¡± Girgantia muttered, watching Tania follow the man. ¡°Anyone can see that he¡¯s¡­¡±


    That man was undoubtedly a solicitor, or what they called a tout! Girgantia disliked him the instant Tania began talking to him. In particular, the dragon was dumbfounded to see her smile so gently. She¡¯d never shown him such a smile. Not even once!


    ¡°How is it that she¡¯s even more ignorant than I am, when she acts mighty clever around me? If she was only half as kind to me¡­¡± Girgantia trailed off as he caught himself. Why would it matter if Tania treated him kindly? But for some strange reason, he felt he¡¯d like to be treated that way by her.

 CH 209

    ¡®Then, wouldn¡¯t I have at least given up a chicken leg¡­¡¯ Thinking about what he could concede, Girgantia grumbled inwardly when someone suddenly interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Had someone found out he had polymorphed and snuck out? He looked back in surprise, but instead of villa attendants, there was a woman he¡¯d never seen before.


    ¡°Me?¡± Girgantia stiffened with tension. What did she want? Had this woman found out that he was a dragon? Rather, how was he supposed to converse with a person? He quickly thought about all the people he interacted with so far: the emperor, empress, Kane, and Tania. If was to be honest, the only one he¡¯d ever held a proper conversation with was Tania. To begin with, he was forbidden from talking with anyone else, and the attendants never came close out of fear. Confronted with the situation of having to talk to an unfamiliar human for the first time, the dragon broke out in a cold sweat.


    Meanwhile, the woman opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡±


    * * *


    If she was to be honest, Tania didn¡¯t care for the restaurant the man brought her to. Putting aside its location in the corner of an alley far from the main road, or that the balcony where they were seated was located in the far corner, the place was a dump. The carpet was dirty, the table was sticky, the chairs were stained, and there was even a musty smell in the air.


    ¡®B-but the food might be tasty!¡¯ If not, how else would a place like this still be in business? Though she tried to assuage her fears with that thought, Tania soon found her expectations dashed. The meal that was served was truly not fit for consumption.


    She couldn¡¯t even leave because the man who¡¯d brought her here continued to sing the restaurant¡¯s praises, saying the cuisine was exquisite while continuing to add dishes to their order. ¡®You say that but you¡¯re leaving everything on the plates!¡¯ Tania inwardly huffed.


    And that wasn¡¯t all. Claiming the beverages were delicious too, he ordered a bunch of drinks, but barely took a sip before pushing them to a corner of the table. Then, just as suddenly, he announced that he needed to use the bathroom and excused himself. Shortly after he left the table, the server appeared with the bill.


    ¡®Ridiculous! It¡¯s ten times more expensive than normal! And what¡¯s up with this seat tax?¡¯ Tania stared at the bill in disbelief. Though she was the daughter of a margrave, her upbringing wasn¡¯t any different from the general populace and she was knowledgeable about the market prices of regular restaurants. The amount written on the bill was an impossible sum. Not to mention, being charged extra for seating her in a corner balcony? Could it be that she¡¯d mistakenly received the bill for another table?


    Flagging down the server, Tania asked, ¡°Excuse me, I think there¡¯s a bit of a problem with the bill?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon? What¡¯s this lady talking about? Didn¡¯t you eat everything?!¡± the employee angrily shouted, before turning towards the entrance, ¡°Hey! I need you guys over here!¡±


    A pack of intimidating-looking men who were obviously not employees of the restaurant came rushing over and promptly surrounded Tania. They began to bare their forearms and yell at her, causing a ruckus loud enough that even people walking down the alley outside turned around in surprise.


    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you a perfectly fine-looking lass? Surely, you can¡¯t be acting like this and bringing trouble for us. Isn¡¯t it common sense to pay for the food you¡¯ve eaten? Are you trying to skip out on the bill now?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not paying, just that it¡¯s too expen¡ª¡± Tania began.


    ¡°What? Are you saying we cheated on the price? It was clearly written on the menu from the beginning. Didn¡¯t you order while knowing that?!¡± one of the men interrupted, thrusting a menu in her face. The exorbitant prices were printed next to the dishes in font tinier than an ant.

 CH 210

    ¡°This won¡¯t do. Miss, where¡¯s your house? If you can¡¯t pay, then we¡¯ll have to settle it with your parents!¡± another man snarled.


    When Tania¡¯s face paled, the men exchanged triumphant glances. ¡®Success! Threats that bring up family work the best after all!¡¯ This was a common racket they pulled on ignorant tourists, ripping them off to earn a quick buck.


    These criminals purposely targeted young women like Tania. They hired men with decent looks to lure small, weak-looking women to the restaurant¡ªna?ve and wealthy ones were the best. Even the occasional victims that refused to pay always ended up capitulating and opened their wallets once threats against their family were made.


    ¡°O-oh no, please don¡¯t tell Mom¡­¡±


    The men laughed when they heard Tania¡¯s trembling voice, having already anticipated her reaction. This woman was no different from the others. Undoubtedly, she didn¡¯t wish to endanger her family.


    ¡®Are they crazy? Settling the bill with my mom?¡¯ Tania hastily rummaged through her bag to pull out her wallet. Their threat to contact her mother had unsettled her. She was already scared enough about the lack of news from her mother as it was. If the margrave was contacted because of this, Tania was sure her mother would kill her if she was alive, or revive herself and then kill her. It was much better to just pay the money now than to end up like that. ¡®Plus, I¡¯m worried about that man too.¡¯ Seeing how he hadn¡¯t returned, could these men have caught him outside? She quickly handed over her money to the men.


    One of the men cackled, ¡°Oh, what to do? We don¡¯t have the cash to give your change right now.¡±


    ¡°Whatever! I¡¯ll be going then!¡±


    Change was the least of Tania¡¯s concerns; getting out of this place was far more important. As she rushed out, she spotted the man who¡¯d brought her here standing at the end of the restaurant¡¯s hallway. She could see he was mid-conversation and laughing with someone. Quickly drawing near with the intent to take him out of this place, she froze at the words he spoke next.


    ¡°How much did that stupid woman pay?¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯ Tania couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.


    ¡°I could tell she was a na?ve one at first glance, so I thought she¡¯ll be the one for today. And she was wearing quite the expensive stuff, despite her plain looks,¡± the man snickered. ¡°It¡¯s easy enticing that kind of broad into forking over the cash. Did you know she actually tried to eat that garbage? A riot, I tell you! Does the chef here even have a mouth to taste with? He should at least serve something edible with those prices. What an awful bunch, the lot of them!¡±


    ¡®You dare¡­¡¯ Tania¡¯s mind snapped at that moment. Yes, she had tried her best to force that garbage down her throat, afraid of offending the man who had ordered it. How dare he waste a precious meal of hers? Tania gripped her bag and broke into a run. What infuriated her more than anything else was that her dinner of the festival night was ruined. The kind of people who force-fed tasteless food to the hungry deserved to die¡ªit was surely written so ¡®somewhere¡¯ in the imperial law!


    ¡°Hey you scumbaaag!¡± Tania roared. Channeling her fury into a controlled punch that was just barely less-than-lethal, her fist connected with the man¡¯s stomach and sent him flying and rolling down the alley. Smack! The man landed face-first right into a tin trash can.


    ¡°What the? What¡¯s going on?¡± The men who were inside the restaurant came running out into the alley at the loud commotion. Finding a huffing Tania and the man in the can, they quickly grasped the situation.


    ¡°Darn it, that guy¡¯s face is the basis of our business!¡±


    ¡°I was going easy thinking you were just a little lady, but it looks like that ain¡¯t gonna fly!¡±


    ¡°Going easy? Those should be my words,¡± Tania snorted. Casting a sweeping look around, she counted six men surrounding her. Under her breath, she muttered, ¡°One minute¡ªten seconds for each one.¡± Leaping into action, she began to swing her fists.

 CH 211

    ¡°How did it end in thirty seconds?¡± Tania mumbled, looking at the men splayed about the ground. She thought they¡¯d put up a bit of a fight considering their size, but they tumbled like rotten reeds with a single blow of her fists.


    Dusting herself off, she rummaged through the pockets of the man who¡¯d taken her money. Finding the bills she¡¯d handed over moments before, she stood up and said, ¡°Next time I see¡­ I mean, I¡¯m reporting all of you to the Tourism Association. So, consider yourselves dead if you try to run.¡±


    The list of victims that had suffered at their hands probably wasn¡¯t short. There was probably a lot to interrogate out of them. Patting her hands, she turned to leave, when one of the men staggered to his feet.


    ¡°You little girl! You ain¡¯t getting away with this!¡± Screaming, the man rushed at Tania with a small knife in his hand.


    Of course, Tania merely watched him come at her with a face that read ¡°that¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard all year.¡± She clenched and pulled back her fist, intent on sending him flying with one hit.


    Smack! Huh? How odd. Her fist was still pulled back, so why was that man already flying in the sky? She soon realized it was because of the person who¡¯d suddenly appeared between her and the knife-wielding thug. Though she was grateful for the help, she thought it was still best to warn the person to leave since it was dangerous. However, she froze in her steps when she neared the man who¡¯d come to her aide.


    ¡®Good heavens¡­¡¯ It was like bells were tolling in her head. She couldn¡¯t tell up from down as her world spun around her. The man who had helped her was truly the spitting image of her ideal type. He had a tall, sculpted body that was firm yet by no means thick, and a perfect face that could very well pass off as a sculpture. He had a princely set of blonde hair and golden eyes, and¡­ ¡®Those are the clothes that came out in last month¡¯s magazine¡­ The outfit that¡¯s supposedly impossible for a man of this world to pull off!¡¯


    The clothes depicted on the magazine¡¯s pages were practically an old straw mat that no one in their sane minds would ever wear. At least, that¡¯s how the magazine had described it: if a man looks good in this outfit, then you know he¡¯s ¡®really¡¯ handsome.


    Even the men modeling the outfit in the magazine hadn¡¯t managed to look handsome, yet the ugliness of the clothes didn¡¯t even register in Tania¡¯s eyes when she faced the man in front of her. No, that wasn¡¯t it. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t notice them, it¡¯s just that it didn¡¯t even matter. What was the use of clothes when his face was the pinnacle of fashion itself? Her honest thoughts were that he¡¯d look even better without them.


    Tania approached the man in a trance. ¡®His looks don¡¯t lose out to His Majesty or Richard!¡¯ She was pulling up the images of all the handsome men that she knew in her mind and comparing this man against them. He was probably the first man she¡¯d ever encountered who didn¡¯t pale in comparison. Tania could tell¡ªhe was the one. She would make this man her boyfriend no matter what.


    ¡°There you are! Will you please wait!¡± A woman cried out, suddenly appearing at the end of the alley.


    The princely man glanced over at the woman marching towards him with a tired expression. When she stood before him, she demanded, ¡°I told you let¡¯s date if you don¡¯t have a girlfriend! I¡¯ll be good to you!¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ While Tania was still trying to grasp the situation, the handsome man suddenly grabbed Tania by the shoulder and retorted, ¡°I do have a girlfriend! Her!¡±


    ¡°E-excuse me?¡± Tania stuttered in surprise. What the heck was this about?

 CH 212

    They¡¯d only just met, so who in tarnation was he calling his girlfriend? Nevertheless, a dumbfounded Tania clung to the man and cried, ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m his girlfriend! So, what¡¯s the issue here?¡± After all, opportunities should be seized when they come, no?


    * * *


    Boom! Boo-boo-boom! Fireworks of beautiful colors flickered in and out of existence, and Cecile applauded in delight whenever a new explosion painted the night sky. Nothing was obstructing her view, since she and Estian were standing on top of the roof of a stranger¡¯s house.


    Along with other festivalgoers, Estian and Cecile went in search of a place with a clear view of the sky, but all the good spots were already crowded. People were packed into the alleyways, making it difficult to move about. Meanwhile, the sounds of fireworks continued to explode around them, making Cecile increasingly anxious.


    ¡°What if the fireworks end before we get to see anything properly?¡± Cecile fretted.


    ¡°We can just set off some fireworks at the palace; ten times longer and more splendid than this,¡± Estian replied, as if he was unclear what the problem was.


    Cecile was left speechless. Certainly, Estian had a point. If he ordered for fireworks to be prepared, it would be a far more spectacular and grandiose display than the festival¡¯s fireworks. However, Cecile wanted to enjoy the fireworks happening right now, which would become the last of many enjoyable memories she¡¯d made in Aluna.


    Unable to abandon her desire, she continued to stare forlornly towards the sky that was obscured by the buildings ahead. Seeing this, Estian took her hand and led her towards an alleyway with fewer people.


    ¡°Cecile, are you afraid of heights?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Figures. You wouldn¡¯t have done what you did back in Etia if you were,¡± Estian nodded, realizing he¡¯d asked a foolish question.


    ¡°Why did we come this way?¡±


    Instead of answering Cecile¡¯s question, Estian hugged her around the waist and said, ¡°Hold tight.¡±


    Cecile hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what Estian intended to do, but she hugged him tightly as she was told. The moment her arms wrapped around him, Estian launched himself into the air, using the momentum to leap towards the wall of the building beside them and run upwards on it. Seconds later, they had neatly landed on the roof of the building.


    ¡°Can you see well now?¡± Estian asked.


    It would be an understatement to say she could see well. The roof they landed on was the tallest house for miles, so there was nothing obstructing her view. No one below seemed to notice them either. When Cecile peeked down, she saw alleyways filled with people packed in like sardines. There was a din of sounds and flashing lights below, but on the roof, there was nothing distracting Cecile from enjoying the luminous flowers of light in a gamut of colors blooming in the skies.


    Cecile gazed in awe at the fireworks blazing above. Their flames sparkled beautifully before fading from the horizons, but she knew this memory would remain with her forever. She would remember this day no matter how many fireworks she saw in the future. Being able to share her first fireworks experience in her lifetime with someone else only made it all the more enjoyable.


    Another blast of fire rose from below to explode high up, and the small sparks, shining like golden sand, scattered and disappeared above her head. Gazing in a daze at the scene, Cecile took a step forward and her foot slipped on the roof tile. Startled, she felt herself lose balance and tip forward, and she inwardly yelped and braced for impact.


    ¡°Be careful. Make sure not to let go of me.¡±


    Fortunately, Estian caught her before she could fall. She shuddered when she realized she easily could¡¯ve crossed over to the underworld, and she cast a thoughtful glance at Estian¡¯s hand, which was still wrapped around her waist.

 CH 213

    ¡®I feel like he came up to a place like this on purpose.¡¯ Deliberately hugging him even tighter, Cecile felt his sturdy body through the thin fabric of her dress. It was warm, soft, yet firm. Pleased by the sensation, she pressed herself even closer and felt him twitch and stiffen. Cecile thought of how recently they¡¯d spent their nights sleeping innocently while holding hands.


    Initially, it had made her anxious, since Estian had embraced her every night since their wedding, except on the days that required him to be absent. Not being touched by him and laying idly each night had sent Cecile¡¯s imagination into overdrive. ¡®What if Estian has changed the way he sees me?¡¯ After all, how many things were eternal in the world? Since Estian was human, he couldn¡¯t be expected to always remain unchanged. Who could say whether the devoted gaze he lavished on her might one day turn cold or change, as if he was gazing upon a complete and utter stranger? What should she do then?


    Estian stared at his pensive wife, tightened the arms encircling her, and said, ¡°I¡¯m curious as to what you¡¯re thinking of to be making a face like that.¡±


    He knew that Cecile had been purposefully clinging to him for a while now, and was desperately holding onto his composure, although Cecile was blissfully unaware. Nonetheless, she would soon find out that his endurance was running thin. What his wife didn¡¯t know was that Estian was relearning what the limits of his patience meant each night.


    Since arriving in Aluna, Cecile had spent every day in high spirits as she explored the city. The sight of her sleeping peacefully in their spacious bed at night would ignite a burning desire within him that he¡¯d thought he managed to control well during the day.


    On the day they returned from baking apple pies, Cecile immediately retired to bed since it was late. A deliciously sweet scent emanated from her body. It was a mix of her own intoxicating scent mixed with the smell of sweet apples, and it truly distressed Estian. The apple pies had been delicious enough to make him devour it senselessly, but it was incomparable in being able to shake his mind in the way Cecile could.


    When he saw her moist tongue peeking through his wife¡¯s slightly parted lips, he instantly moved to her side without realization. The heady scent grew even stronger when straddled her, and he imagined how great it would be to take her right then. Lost in those thoughts, he unknowingly lowered himself towards her. At that moment, Cecile¡¯s eyes suddenly opened, as if sensing his movement. It surely must¡¯ve been surprising to wake up and find someone on top of you, and yet¡­


    ¡°Estian?¡± Cecile called out his name¡ªsomething she still did infrequently¡ªin a heavily drowsy tone. There was no surprise in her voice; only tender intimacy towards someone precious.


    While Estian hesitated and contemplated on what to do, Cecile raised a hand and gently stroked his cheek. Like a puppy waiting to be praised, he quietly remained still. The desire that had been boiling within him seconds ago, the urge to make her writhe and moan beneath him, the longing to make her beg and cry out his name senselessly¡ªit all cooled in an instant. Not long after, the hand that was stroking his chin fell back onto the bed. Cecile had fallen asleep before he knew it. Estian gently climbed off his wife and tenderly held the hand that had been stroking him moments before, remaining like that until the sun rose.


    Awakening from the memory, Estian thought, ¡®And that¡¯s how I felt. It¡¯s troubling if you continue to provoke me like this.¡¯ Though he was content with the way things were, he could tell that Cecile desired him.

 CH 214

    While the two were conversing, the fireworks display came to an end. A barrage of fireworks all rose together high into the sky, seemingly announcing the end, and seemed to cover the heavens as far as the eye could see. As the final sparks faded, applause rose from the crowd, along with sighs and laments for the event¡¯s end and calls for an encore.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Estian muttered. However, just as those words left his mouth, suddenly a red flare shot up towards the sky.


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not over yet?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it. There must be more.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ What is that?¡±


    The people who¡¯d been watching looked up expectantly at the rising light, anticipating the continuation of fireworks, but they soon realized there was something different. This was a pillar of fire. And it wasn¡¯t a normal fire. Anyone could instinctively tell at a glance that it was something evil, evoking dark emotions of fear and apprehension.


    Yet, before anyone could react, the pillar of fire vanished. The crowd looked around confused. Was it gone? Just as suddenly, the sky brightened and a huge light appeared in its place, causing the festivalgoers to shout in surprise.


    ¡°Why¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? Huh?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Screams erupted from the people below. The light in the sky didn¡¯t drop, but split into many circles that spun around high above. They seemed to be searching for something, which made everyone shrink back in terror. Soon, the spinning light stopped moving and immediately began tumbling to the ground.


    Estian instantaneously drew his black steel blade and swung it. A deafening swish could be heard as one of the beams of light explosively grew in size as soon as it made contact with his sword. Noticing this, Estian quickly embraced Cecile and rolled to the side, narrowly escaping the beams that struck the place they¡¯d been standing and loudly exploded.


    ¡°Kugh!¡± A wave of scorching heat blasted them, so hot that it made their skin sting. ¡®Is it magic?¡¯ Estian wondered. Judging by how it was obviously aiming for the death of its target, the spell must be ancient. Ancient magic was persistent in nature, and would continue attacking until the spell¡¯s power was depleted. Gritting his teeth, Estian slashed and deflected another beam that shot towards them.


    Meanwhile, Cecile, who was trembling in her husband¡¯s arms, quickly reached for her ear. ¡®I should at least summon the blue phoenix!¡¯ The phoenix would surely be of help in this situation. However, just as she reached to unhook the earring, another flash of light and wave of heat rushed over her with a huge boom. ¡°Ugh!¡± Cecile winced, covering her face involuntarily. Cursing inwardly, she thought, ¡®Just come out on your own when it feels dangerous, you stupid blue bird!¡¯


    Securing Cecile in his arms, Estian jumped for the roof of the next building, which had a proper floor, unlike the roof they¡¯d been perched on. Even as they retreated, the revolving lights in the sky began descending. Unlike before, they all fell at once this time.


    Estian realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect Cecile at this rate. The beams meant little to him, but his wife would suffer serious burns if she was caught up in the explosions. Making a quick calculation, he decided he needed to get rid of the beams before they landed. ¡°Cecile, stay right here.¡± Leaving behind those words, Estian released Cecile and leapt into the air towards the beams of light.


    Cecile stared after him blankly, before quickly reaching for her ear again. However, at that moment, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Who¡­!¡± Whipping around, Cecile came face to face with a man she¡¯d never seen before. Just as she was deciding whether to scream, the man opened his mouth.


    ¡°Hello, my wife,¡± the man greeted seriously.


    Cecile opened her mouth to rebut, intending to say, ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± However, before she could get the words out, the man cut her off.


    ¡°Today¡¯s the start of our honeymoon.¡±


    Cecile was speechless and she gaped at the brazen man. ¡®Did I just hear a dog barking?¡¯

 CH 215

    ¡®What lunacy is this?¡¯ Cecile thought, as she eyed the man spouting nonsense. As another fireball flashed above the skies, it illuminated his face and revealed the features that had been shadowed in the darkness. Cecile¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡®A man of the Hyun continent? What is someone from over there doing here?¡¯ Thinking back, his accent while spouting that ridiculous drivel second before had been slightly off.


    The continent Estian ruled wasn¡¯t in a particularly hostile relationship with the Hyun continent across the sea, but nor were they friendly either. ¡®They didn¡¯t even send any envoys for my wedding celebration.¡¯


    For starters, the two continents were too far apart. Separated by a month-long voyage, it was difficult to encounter people from the Hyun continent, except in port cities that faced the ocean. With different climates, customs, manners and people, there was little need to interact with them. That about summed up the relationship between the two continents¡ªnot hostile, but not friendly enough to send a delegation either. They were simply faraway neighbors. And yet, someone hailing from that continent was here, in the midst of this chaos no less!


    While Cecile was busy pondering about the identity of this man, the sky lit up again. Cecile¡¯s eyes turned to where Estian was fending off fireballs incoming from the building on the other side. ¡®This isn¡¯t the time for this!¡¯ Feeling desperate to help in whatever way possible, Cecile tried to break free by smacking his hand, but his grip only tightened.


    ¡°It¡¯s troubling to have you eyeing other men already, my wife,¡± he reproached mournfully.


    In that instant, Cecile learned a person could be rendered speechless when confronted with the preposterous¡­ and at the same time, she realized the solution to dealing with a madman¡ªby kicking his knee with all the strength one could muster.


    ¡°Agh!¡± the man cried, doubling over with a groan.


    ¡®A beating¡¯s the right medicine for dealing with a lunatic!¡¯ She had just kicked a random person with her sharp-heeled shoe with enough strength that her own foot hurt, but though it seemed to have inflicted pain, the man didn¡¯t release his grip despite staggering. Cecile decided to go all in, and was about to bite him, but he reacted faster.


    Grabbing the back of her neck with his other hand, he snickered and purred, ¡°Every rose has its thorn, as they say¡­ but it does hurt quite a bit.¡±


    Wondering how he managed to utter such a cheesy line despite looking like he was in a world of pain, Cecile turned to glance at where Estian was still battling the beams of light. He hadn¡¯t seemed to notice her predicament because he was preoccupied with the explosions and the screams of the people nearby. She tried to cry out, ¡°Es¡ª¡±


    Before she could call out his name, Cecile felt the Hyun man tap her neck with a finger. Next thing she knew, her tongue froze and her body went slack. She collapsed on the spot, but the man reached out to grab her by the waist before she could crumple to the ground. Cecile felt like she¡¯d become a marionette with broken strings. Her senses were still working, but she couldn¡¯t control her limbs. The man hoisted her into his arms, and all she could manage was to fix him with a withering glare.


    Ruin broke into a cold sweat from the murderous look in Cecile¡¯s eyes. ¡®She¡¯s no joke, is she?¡¯ He was experiencing physical pain for the first time in a very, very long while. If his opponent had been Emperor Estian, the prince would¡¯ve had his guard up, but he¡¯d been careless and assumed Cecile was an ordinary woman. Now he was paying the price for it. Tears had sprung up when she kicked him earlier, and his knee was still throbbing, with a tingling ache lingering even now. Cecile had managed to attack a vital point.

 CH 216

    ¡®I did think Emperor Estian wouldn¡¯t just take any regular woman as his empress¡­ She turned out to be skilled after all.¡¯ Although he hadn¡¯t felt impressive strength from her, it was amazing how she was capable of such precise combat technique. It made Ruin like her all the more.


    An individual¡¯s physical strength and physique varied greatly from birth, and while training could make one stronger, the conditions you were born with mattered most. Most people without a good base would forgo the path to becoming stronger and choose another way of life. ¡®But there are some who overcome those obstacles, like her.¡¯


    Those that lacked strength often made up for the difference with technique. Clearly the empress fell into this category. To be able to inflict this much pain with such slender wrists and legs. Although her gorgeous looks suggested otherwise, the prince was sure she must¡¯ve spent days of incredible perseverance in training. Gazing at her with an expression full of respect deserving for a warrior of martial arts, he was surprised to find that she just so happened to be returning his gaze in that moment, except the look in her eyes made him speechless.


    ¡®Has she even learned the art of cursing with her eyes?¡¯ He had encountered numerous experts in his lifetime, but Cecile was the first person who could curse, and viciously curse at that, with such variety. Letting out an awkward cough, he stuttered, ¡°W-we should first get out of here, my wife.¡± His words only served to dial up the harshness in Cecile¡¯s gaze.


    Ruin turned to glance at Emperor Estian, who was still busy battling the balls of fire circling in the sky and shooting down at him, one after another. Each one of those balls contained power that rivaled most high-tier magical spells, and they were splitting apart and increasing in number the longer the battle continued. His guess was that these flaming projectiles wouldn¡¯t cease their pursuit until their target was reduced to ashes.


    The prince watched as one ball of fire was deflected by Estian and crashed into the roof of one of the surrounding buildings. Although it had lost the power to chase its target, its flames were still blazing strongly. ¡®Fiendish sorcery is what it is,¡¯ he thought. It was obvious what would happen if one was hit by one of those balls of fire. Their entire body would instantly be engulfed, and they would be melted to death with excruciating pain. Still, this sorcery had provided a window of opportunity for Ruin.


    ¡®It was hard searching for a chance to act even after following her all day long¡­¡¯ The kidnapping of the empress had to be successful in one try. After tailing them all day while masking his presence, he had reaffirmed that should he fail on his first try, the next attempt wouldn¡¯t simply be difficult but outright impossible.


    Though it was almost impossible that war would break out between this continent and his homeland, one could never know what might happen in the future. That¡¯s why Ruin planted informants in the empire, and received reports every month. Not to mention, he already had a healthy interest in the emperor that was rumored to rival him in strength.


    Information of the endless parade of women who entered the imperial palace had reached Ruin¡¯s ears. He learned about how they had all died without exception, and how Estian hadn¡¯t displayed the slightest bit of interest in those women. That¡¯s why it was only natural that the empress he selected himself must be different from the rest. ¡®Still, who would¡¯ve expected the emperor would be so smitten with her?¡¯ As expected, Estian never once relaxed his guard around Cecile after they left the villa, even though they had disguised their appearances.


    Regretfully casting a glance at Estian, Ruin thought it was disappointing he wouldn¡¯t have the contest of strength with Emperor Estian that he wanted, but even he recognized this wasn¡¯t the time. Just as he pushed that desire away and readied to make his escape, the surroundings abruptly grew brighter.

 CH 217

    All of sudden, the fireballs that had only been targeting Estian came flying towards the empress in his arms. Realizing this, Ruin immediately dodged as a stinging blast of heat missed him by inches. ¡®That was close!¡¯ However, before he could breathe a sigh of release, his senses detected something far more menacing.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Ruin muttered, when he looked up and his eyes met Estian¡¯s. His plan to make a run for it while the emperor was still occupied by the fireballs was ruined. Getting caught like this was not part of the plan!


    The moment he thought to run, something sharp sliced through the air and headed towards him. He instinctively tilted his head to dodge it, but frowned at the pain he felt burning from his cheek. If he had reacted a split second slower, the sword embedded in the building behind him would¡¯ve pierced right through his head. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen my own blood.¡¯


    The sky above them was brightening once more, as the fireballs began to divide themselves many times over, and the new ones quickly grew in size. The air was now sizzling as an even greater wave of heat emanated from above.


    Seeing how the outlook was grim, Ruin shouted, ¡°Emperor, keep those things well away, will you! Or else the empress might get hurt!¡± With those words, he secured Cecile in his arms and leapt off the roof.


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    ¡°What the¡ª Someone fell down!¡±


    People screamed in surprise at the sight of Ruin suddenly landing in their midst. However, he ignored them and immediately broke into a sprint. The sky above was brightening and soon more loud explosions could be heard. ¡®I¡¯ve got to get as far away as possible right now,¡¯ Ruin thought. It was clear the balls of fire were aiming at both the emperor and the empress. Emperor Estian would just have to deal with them all.


    * * *


    Not having the time to retrieve his black steel blade, Estian deflected the onslaught of fireballs with his fists. Now he wasn¡¯t just dealing with those attacking him, but also the ones that were flying over his head towards Cecile. Even as he moved on instinct, there was only one thought in his head¡ªCecile was kidnapped.


    Perhaps his extreme fury resulted in an eerie composure, and he dealt with the fireballs without making a single sound. Cecile had been limp in that man¡¯s arms, but luckily she didn¡¯t seem injured.


    ¡®He¡¯s not trying to kill her.¡¯ But then, what could be the purpose? Why? Why had this man come this far to kidnap Cecile? Was he behind this spell? Was the kidnapping a prelude to extracting some sort of demand from him? But then, why had the man run without stating anything? And moreover, he was definitely a person of the Hyun continent. Why were the Hyun suddenly making a move?


    Estian¡¯s mind was rapidly formulating numerous possibilities based on the situation, but nothing seemed to stand out as the plausible conclusion. As he watched the fireballs splitting yet again, he thought about how he needed to chase after the man who¡¯d kidnapped his wife. He needed to hurry and rescue her. But before that, he would need to quickly get rid of these fireballs.


    Sprinting to where his blade was lodged in the wall, he pulled it out. The sword began to hum with vibration as soon as it was in his hand, and he watched as the blood on the blade seeped and disappeared into the metal. ¡®As long as I have his blood¡­¡¯ Having his blood meant he¡¯d be able to track the kidnapper.


    Estian turned his attention back towards the fireballs as they resumed their assault. Instead of dodging them, he held out a hand and a black fog arose. Adrenaline surged as his body trembled. The emperor was well aware that what he was about to do would awaken the Eugendiph¡¯s blood within him. It was a measure he wouldn¡¯t normally resort to, since he¡¯d need to clad himself in that horrendous shell once again if the blood fully awakened. However, he simply clenched his jaw in determination. If it was for the sake of retrieving Cecile, becoming a monster was nothing.

 CH 218

    It didn¡¯t take long for his body to begin to morph. As a portion of Eugendiph¡¯s blood was unsealed, the first to be affected were the people directly below the building on which Estian stood.


    Most of the curious onlookers who¡¯d initially though the lights were an encore to fireworks had quickly flee in terror once they began to drop in the form of real fire. However, a few with strong curiosity had remained, though they had taken refuge in nearby stores to avoid the flames. Now, those people were witnessing a black fog explosively rising from a certain building. This time, what little survival instinct they possessed instantly spurred all of them to run without looking back. It was telling them that the black fog was far more dangerous than the rain of fire from above. Screams erupted from those stampeding down the streets.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    ¡°Save me!¡±


    Estian swiftly began to act, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to use this power for long lest he lose control like he had in the dukedom of Etia. He needed to find the spell¡¯s caster and completely destroy the spell before his consciousness was overtaken.


    Soon, something that hadn¡¯t been visible before appeared in view¡ªan extremely thin thread of light seemed to be connected to the base of the fireballs in the sky. Upon closer inspection, Estian realized it was the language used to cast the spell which traced back to the source. He immediately set off in search of the caster, from whom the string originated.


    Estian leapt from roof to roof, as if unrestricted by the laws of physics. In no time, he found the thread of light coming from a building attached to an alleyway. Deeming it a waste of time to enter through the door, he launched himself at the building and loudly smashed through a window. When he dusted himself off, he detected a characteristic chill in the air common for long abandoned spaces. In the center of the room, he found a woman lying on top of a piece of paper laid out on the floor.


    He didn¡¯t need to ask to know that the paper and the woman were the source of the magic spawning the fireballs. Meanwhile, a fireball that had been chasing Estian shot through the window like he had. Instead of deflecting the burning flames, he merely dodged it with a slight movement and watched it whizz by him and land inside the building, bursting into a violent blaze.


    ¡°Aagh!¡± the caster cried out in pain, as the heat from the very ball of fire she¡¯d cast reached her.


    ¡®She¡¯s not a mage.¡¯ If this woman was a mage and capable of casting magic of this level, she would¡¯ve dispelled the fireballs before they could harm her. Estian immediately dashed over and grabbed the woman.


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty! Why is the magic aiming at you¡­!¡± the woman cried.


    From that short sentence, Estian inferred that not only did the woman know him, he was also not the original target of this spell. ¡®But if not me, then who?¡¯ If the spell was not aimed at him, then the target had to be Cecile. ¡®But why?¡¯


    While Estian was puzzled, the woman in his grasp asked in a shrill voice, ¡°Is the empress dead? Finally?¡±


    Estian tightened his grip around the woman¡¯s throat in response and was about to demand she reveal her identity, when he paused. There was something oddly familiar about her face. ¡°You are¡­¡± She was a woman he¡¯d definitely seen before, but where? Disjointed memories floated to his mind: the imperial palace, the foreign delegation, and Cecile, who came barging in out of nowhere. A hellish, low growl rumbled in Estian¡¯s throat. ¡°Yuliana.¡±

 CH 219

    Who would¡¯ve known that the woman whose whereabouts couldn¡¯t be located after she disappeared from the capital would turn up here and target Cecile¡¯s life? Estian cast a look at the paper that had fallen to the floor beside her. Without releasing Yuliana, he speared the paper with his black steel blade. If Richard had been present, he would¡¯ve questioned if the emperor was insane for doing such a thing.


    The spell was extremely powerful magic, and to dispel such a thing would normally require several high-ranking mages working in tandem over several days to break it. Not only was instant dispelling of such complex magic extremely difficult, the spell would also defensively attack those who tried. The possibility of aggressive blowback against the attacker was all the more likely in the case of a vicious, ancient spell such as this one. Unsurprisingly, the power contained in the paper pierced by the black steel blade immediately shot towards Estian.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± However, the scream came not from Estian, but Yuliana, who was caught in his grip. As one would expect of a spell of fire, the power emitted from the paper contained tremendous heat. Estian felt its effects, but it wasn¡¯t so painful to the extent of being unbearable. While the power of Eugendiph¡¯s blood was activated, Estian could neither be injured nor killed. The same could not be said for Yuliana.


    ¡°Aaaaaah! It¡¯s hot! My¡­ my eyes!¡± Yuliana screamed, as her body was scorched into a miserable state¡ªthe very fate she¡¯d wanted Cecile to suffer. Estian looked around to see whether there were others, and his eyes landed on something crumpled in a corner of the building¡ªa pink rabbit doll the size of a person. It was clearly the same doll Cecile had given away to the child on the street. ¡®Was that used as a magical medium? Is that why the magic was targeting me?¡¯


    The spell cast tracked a specific target, and the doll was clearly used to determine that very target. Although Cecile was the one who¡¯d won it, he had been the one to carry it almost the entire time. What he couldn¡¯t have known was the real reason he¡¯d also been a target was that Cecile had named the doll, Estian.


    He tossed Yuliana aside, and she fell and rolled hard on the floor, yelping with a sharp cry of pain. ¡°You will be dealt with upon my return,¡± he announced coldly. He had much to ask the former princess, but finding Cecile was a more pressing matter. Knowing that Yuliana was in no shape to run in her current state, he left her behind and headed in the direction the kidnapper had taken Cecile.


    ¡®I have to hurry,¡¯ he thought. The purpose of this vacation was for Cecile to rest, but was also a rare chance for him to take a break too. Ever since the incident in Etia, Estian had noticed something unusual with the blood of Eugendiph inside him.


    ¡®It keeps trying to go out of control.¡¯ This was only natural, since he had been keeping the power suppressed ever since he first acquired a human form. However, ever since it had been released without restriction after such a long period, the blood had been fighting to return to its original form once more.


    As evidence of this change, Estian could now summon forth Eugendiph¡¯s blood with ease, and he constantly felt it raging to run rampant at any moment. Even at this very moment. The blood he¡¯d awakened out of necessity was now trying to wrestle for dominance over his actions, little by little. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t use it any further.¡¯


    Now that the magic had been dealt with, all that was left was to track down the kidnapper using the blood remaining in his black steel blade. With that thought, Estian decided to reseal the Eugendiph¡¯s blood, but suddenly, one of the fireballs still lingering in the sky shot straight at him and he instinctively reacted. At the moment Estian blocked the incoming fireball, he realized that he had also lost control of the Eugendiph¡¯s blood.

 CH 220

    The saintess spent the final day of the festival drinking wine by the bottle alone in the villa¡¯s kitchen. The chef would likely wonder who had cleared out the wine reserves tomorrow, but that wasn¡¯t any of her concern. The reason being¡­


    ¡°How is it that every single one of them went out to play! And not a single one invited me to tag along! Why, they¡¯ve got even less comradeship than the attendants back in the imperial palace!¡± she shrieked in the empty kitchen, as she slammed the bottle on the table. ¡°I hope you all suffer from a sudden deluge of rain.¡±


    In truth, the saint had been shunned due to her refusal to engage in conversation with the villa attendants, often declaring, ¡°I only listen to Lady Irene¡¯s orders!¡± She hadn¡¯t bothered to strike up any friendships, was difficult to talk to, and was spiteful to boot. Who¡¯d bother to take care of her? That¡¯s how she found herself waking up after a sound sleep to an utterly empty villa.


    ¡°Even Estian and Cecile are gone! Well, I guess that¡¯s why all the attendants all went out to play.¡± The saintess has even gone to pace about near their rooms, but alas, there were no signs of them either. It would¡¯ve been unimaginable for the attendants to sneak out because the masters weren¡¯t around had this been the imperial palace. Irene wouldn¡¯t have stood for it.


    ¡°Really though. I wonder how things will go from now on¡­ Will things be okay like this?¡± The saintess had been mulling over this question for some time. The latter part of the plot she¡¯d written had yet to play out, but far too many things had changed. In truth, the saintess was starting to feel a little scared.


    She had assumed she would safely become Cecile, after which she could live a life of eating and playing well, while Estian would go on to survive without any problems and the two would share a happily ever after. However, everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly even without her intervention. Still, what if Estian went berserk out of nowhere? Then, everyone would be doomed together. The saintess was at a loss as to what to fix so that events would play out like the original story.


    ¡°Whatever the case is, I should be able to do something as long as I recover my holy power.¡± There were many trials this world still had to face in the future. To overcome all of them and secure a happy ending for everyone, she needed to become Cecile. Muttering to herself that this was the only way, the saintess reached out for the wine bottle she had placed beside her.


    ¡°Huh? There¡¯s no more?¡± After swigging from the bottle and emptying the wine down her throat without even bothering to use a glass, she realized there was none left. Stumbling through the kitchen, she searched for something else to drink but soon reached a solution. ¡°I can just go out and drink, can¡¯t I?¡±


    Everyone else had gone out, so why couldn¡¯t she? Immediately, she returned to her room to retrieve the money Irene had entrusted her, ignoring Irene¡¯s warning of  ¡°Waste this money and you¡¯re dead.¡± Exiting through the back door of the villa, she soon stepped out onto a street filled with people.


    Gazing at the crowd in front of her, she muttered, ¡°I hate even numbers. Seriously¡­¡± Everyone passing by were in pairs of varying couplings: men and women, women and men, two women, and two men. Even the ants crawling at her feet seemed to be in pairs. Surely, she hadn¡¯t come all this way into this world just to taste this bitter feeling, had she?


    The saintess paused to wonder just how she¡¯d ended up here. Drawing a long sigh, she muttered, ¡°Is it supposed to be so difficult to keep a handsome and demure man by my side?¡± By no means was she expecting an answer, but a voice spoke up from behind her.


    ¡°If you were looking for someone like that, then why did you run away without a word?¡±


    The heck? Who was this? Startled, the saintess turned around to find a familiar-looking man behind her, gasping to catch his breath. Startled, she yelped, ¡°Kane?¡±

 CH 221

    Kane was the spitting image of someone who¡¯d run like crazy. His breath was raspy, and his sweat-drenched hair was a wind-blown mess. Not only was his armor missing, even his knight uniform was soaked from being pelted by rain. Capping the picture, his horse was slumped on the ground behind him, neighing pitifully as if to say it could run no more.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± The saintess remembered the Aluna arc¡ªit was a place meant solely for the female and male lead. ¡®I¡¯m sure that at this time, Kane was¡­¡¯ At this point in the plot, she vaguely remembered the knight commander had begun to develop feelings for Cecile. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be suffering from the fact that he was pining after his lord¡¯s wife, and because Cecile only viewed him as a good comrade and subordinate?


    ¡®This one¡¯s a huge headache too.¡¯ Be it Irene or Kane, why did their emotions keep deviating from the plot like this? It really flummoxed the saintess. She had created this world, so everything was supposed to play out according to her thoughts, and yet¡­ why? Putting aside how the events and incidents were playing out differently, why were even the personalities of these characters changing?


    ¡®This¡­ It¡¯s as if this isn¡¯t a book, but another world that really exists somewhere.¡¯ This was the thought that was truly gnawing at her. Dying, killing, and stealing¡ªthese were all things the saintess was comfortable with because she thought it was just things happening in a book, and she could allow as much since she was the creator of this world. But, what if that wasn¡¯t the case? What should she do then?


    While she was lost in her thoughts, fireworks began shooting up into the sky. Kane was staring intently at her, with fireworks bursting in the background. ¡®What a view.¡¯ The saintess felt like this entire moment was being automatically captured in her memory and saved under a file named something like ¡®MaleLead2_Confession_MajorEvent.jpg.¡¯


    Kane took a step closer to her, and she caught a whiff of his odor, mixed with that of his horse and sweat. The realness of the situation finally setting in, the saintess retreated a step, not from discomfort but from how excessively vivid everything felt. It was as if she¡¯d just learned that what she had thought was a dream was in fact reality. Suddenly, the words Kane had uttered moments ago came back to her.


    ¡°I ran away without a word?¡± There was only one thing that came to mind. Pointing a finger at Kane, she cried out in surprise, ¡°You¡­ You can¡¯t be talking about that note?¡±


    The smile on the knight commander¡¯s face was replaced with a stiff look. ¡°So, you won¡¯t feign ignorance,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Th-that was you?¡±


    ¡°Then, who else but me?¡± Kane¡¯s face hardened at her question, but after pausing for a moment, he added, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll win after all.¡±


    ¡°Win? Win what? Rather than that¡­ What you said about ¡®your first¡¯ and ¡®taking responsibility!¡¯ What was all that about?¡± The saintess asked about the thing that had been bothering her all this time. This was an important issue for her.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think I put in some old-fashioned setting like losing your holy power upon having intercourse, but¡­¡¯ If this world was different from the setting in her plot, she couldn¡¯t know for sure whether this was the reason she wasn¡¯t able to gather holy power. Gnashing her teeth, she thought, ¡®If that is the case, then I¡¯ll effing erase it all and rewrite.¡¯


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ remember?¡± Kane asked in a hollow voice.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m the type to lose my senses when I drink more than a certain amount, so I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°You really¡­ can¡¯t remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so¡ª¡±


    While the saintess tried to cook up an excuse, Kane interjected, ¡°Then, let¡¯s do it again.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Since you say you can¡¯t remember, we can just do it all over from the start, so that you can perfectly recall the memory.¡±

 CH 222

    The saintess pressed a hand to her heart. ¡®Wha-what the? Why¡¯s he suddenly talking like a protagonist?¡¯ She should be questioning what was up with him, but her heart was beating too madly for that. It was drumming hard against her hand. She inwardly chided, ¡®No, stop it. Don¡¯t go fooling around on me, Mrs. Heart. What are you thinking, beating so hard because of him right now?¡¯


    Only moments before, she¡¯d been complaining about not understanding the emotions of her characters, but it turns out her emotions were the ones that were the most wildly out of control. ¡®Even if I¡¯m alone in my efforts, I should be the one to try and make the story flow as it should¡­¡¯ To that end, she needed to calm Kane down and bring him to his senses.


    At that moment, he took a step closer to the saintess and began, ¡°We had a long talk that day about the virtues a man should have.¡±


    Cold sweat ran down her cheeks. What the heck had she gone on about in her drunken state?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was particularly lacking in those virtues you mentioned¡­¡± Kane continued, taking another step closer until he was standing right before her nose. He asked dolefully, ¡°Or do you hate me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, but¡­¡±


    Hate? If she hated him, she wouldn¡¯t have saved or gone after him instead of Estian. In fact, she was barely holding herself back from drooling over him even at this moment. Before her stood a man with a good body, drenched in sweat, and clinging to her for love. The saintess wished she could drag him back to the villa this very instant to spend a very long and intense time with just the two of them alone¡­ but something kept bothering her. She had a feeling that if she voluntarily disrupted the flow of the story, there would be no turning back.


    While the saintess was hesitating, a scream suddenly ripped through the air from afar. ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± the saintess remarked. The two shifted their gazes toward the source of the sound and saw a strange flame floating in the sky. The moment it dropped toward the ground, the screaming intensified. Both instantly knew these weren¡¯t fireworks. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    Turning her head, the saintess saw how Kane¡¯s eyes shook. As a knight, he had to run over there right now, and the Kane that she knew would certainly do so. Yet, he was hesitating. Again, another of her characters was acting differently from how they had been written, and though until just recently it had caused her increased irritation, now¡­


    As screams rose from the distance again, the saintess urged, ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Go! Quickly!¡± When Kane remained silent, she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s have a long talk when you¡¯re back. You¡¯re a knight, aren¡¯t you? You have to help the people.¡±


    Kane still didn¡¯t move, so the saintess promised, ¡°I won¡¯t run. Whether you do it over from the start, or want to try to relive the memories of that day, I¡¯ll be here. So, go do what you must and come back.¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, the saintess was gripped with an odd sensation, as if something was pulling at her tightly. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling¡ªit was almost as if she¡¯d been floating untethered in the water, but was now secured somewhere safely.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Kane nodded. ¡°Please wait for me.¡± He immediately dashed off in the direction of the screams.


    Gazing after him, the saintess let out a short sigh. ¡°He gets a pass in the demure score, that¡¯s for sure.¡± She, as a mere maid, had used a casual tone with and practically ordered him, a knight commander of the empire, yet he treated her with complete respect. ¡°Then, well, now¡­ I just need to teach him well. Actually¡­ He¡¯ll do well, right? I made it so he¡¯s good at it, even if it¡¯s his first time, so¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do good.¡±


    The saintess kept mulling over that tight sensation she¡¯d felt moments ago. ¡®Maybe that was the feeling of setting up a flag¡­ or something similar?¡¯ She wondered if this was the kind of feeling you got after making an irreversible, important decision in a dating relationship.


    ¡°Saintess!¡± While the saintess puzzled over that unfamiliar feeling, someone called out to her suddenly.


    Surprised, she turned around and saw the priests she¡¯d met on the street the other day. ¡°Why¡­?¡± She was about to ask why they were here, but a chill made her freeze and look back.

 CH 223

    Groooar! A strange sound reached her ears. There was ¡®something¡¯ over where the people were screaming. ¡®What could that be?¡¯ It was too far away to dash over and take a peek. Not to mention, it was far too dangerous for her to go in her current state, when she had no way of knowing what kind of danger lay in wait. The priests seemed to also have sensed the disturbance, and they pulled the saintess away.


    ¡°I sense a vile force!¡±


    ¡°You must run away!¡±


    One of them proudly added, ¡°We hurried and gathered around fifty priests from the nearby areas. You only need to give the order and we will follow your command!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, how about sharing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Share what?¡± one priest asked, surprised at the sudden glint in the saintess¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The holy power you guys have,¡± she answered with a smile and raised a hand.


    Moments later, a white light flashed near the back door of the villa, and the saintess came dashing out, leaving behind fifty collapsed priests. As she ran, she used her skill, the Eye of Truth, and cried out in surprise. ¡°Why has Estian gone out of control?!¡±


    * * *


    Cecile took in her surroundings. It was difficult making out anything, since the man carrying her was running so fast he was practically flying, but she couldn¡¯t give up. ¡®I need to at least know which direction to run if I ever get the chance!¡¯


    She still couldn¡¯t move a muscle, but it was a relief that she could at least see. Still, she worried what she could do at this rate. The man had already covered a great distance, leaving the borders of Aluna and entering a mountain without any paths. None of this seemed to pose a problem for him, as he leaped across the treetops with ease. Only after they were deep in the mountain did the man pause on a tree branch and press a spot on Cecile¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ah!¡± To her amazement, her voice immediately returned. As soon as she confirmed this, she immediately bellowed, ¡°Let me go you madmaaaaaan! Estiaaaaaa-mmf!¡± Her piercing and resonating cry through the forest was stifled by the man¡¯s hand. However, Cecile wasn¡¯t about to give up so easily. ¡®You think I¡¯ll just let you stop me?¡¯ She bit down as hard as she could on his hand and tried to wiggle her fingers. ¡®They move!¡¯ Realizing she had regained some movement, Cecile immediately reached for her ear without hesitation.


    With no time to remove her earring neatly, she tore it off, ignoring the pain of her flesh being torn as she pulled it out and tossed it away. The blue phoenix appeared as always and Cecile commanded, ¡°This man! Sic him!¡± The blue phoenix immediately pounced toward the man at her command, but¡­


    ¡°Huh? A glowing blue chicken? Blue Phoenix? Is that its name?¡± The kidnapper all too easily caught the attacking phoenix by its beak using two fingers.


    ¡®This man is strong!¡¯ Cecile had sensed he was strong when he managed to avoid Estian¡¯s attack, but it seemed he was even more capable than she¡¯d thought. Taking a moment to collect herself, she cautiously asked, ¡°What are you after?¡±


    ¡°Well, you, of course, Mrs. ¡®Ender¡¯.¡±


    Ender? What was that? Cecile desperately restrained her middle finger from flipping itself up, as she began shooting words like bullets. ¡°I wanted to say this from the start, but you seem to have totally gotten the wrong person. And I¡¯m not that Ender or whatever. More than anything¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you are the Ender. Of that, I assure you, on my name¡ªCrown Prince Ruin of the Hyun continent.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cecile was left momentarily speechless, amazed by his sudden self-introduction. Who? The crown prince of the Hyun continent? Him?


    As Cecile stared at him gaping, Ruin explained, ¡°It seems I¡¯ll have to spell it out for you, but well¡­ The Ender is the one who appears in every story and stands at the end.¡±


    The one who stood at the end of every story. Cecile got goosebumps at this description. It was her first time hearing this title, and yet it sounded as familiar as if someone was calling her name.

 CH 224

    Unable to shake the unnerving feeling, Cecile fell silent. Seeing Cecile lapse into thought, Ruin continued his explanation.


    ¡°The sages and Taoists of the Hyun continent¡­ I think they¡¯re called priests and mages here? Well, according to them, something strange has been occurring for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°Something strange?¡±


    ¡°They said that something, or more precisely, a certain ¡®character¡¯ not originally written in the records would appear.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cecile asked, shooting him a look of confusion.


    Ruin scratched his head and hummed, ¡°How should I explain it? This same person appears in every story. Take for example, there might be a scene where someone is taking a stroll but absolutely nothing happens, but then one day it¡¯s suddenly altered to having that person bump into someone else. Or¡­ there¡¯s a birthday celebration, but suddenly an uninvited guest makes an appearance. In this manner, unknown characters suddenly materialize in the books.¡±


    Cecile felt a chill as the doubt that had been lingering in the depths of her mind suddenly rose to the surface. Could this be related to those books that kept appearing in her time of need, which all featured a recurring character¡ªCecile? ¡°Does the Ender share the same name as me?¡± she asked.


    Ruin shook his head and said, ¡°We didn¡¯t know the name, at least not until recently. That¡¯s why that person came to be known as the Ender.¡±


    It was finally becoming clear to Cecile what all this talk about the Ender was about. After a pause, she asked, ¡°But why do you think it¡¯s me?¡±


    ¡°The sages and Taoists collected every bit of information from books over the centuries. They were scattered in such tiny fragments that it was said to be impossible to pinpoint no matter how much they gathered. However, after some hundreds of years, every piece of evidence pointed to none other than¡­¡± Ruin paused and released the beak of the blue phoenix, before he continued, ¡°None other than you, Empress Cecile.¡±


    ¡°But to call it the Ender? Doesn¡¯t that sound like a story character in itself?¡± Ruin had just described this character as a person that appeared with such infrequency that hardly any information was left behind, so why was the role given such a grand title? Cecile comforted the blue phoenix that had returned to perch on her shoulder and was glaring at the prince, as she waited for his response.


    ¡°No, you see¡­ Once you appear in the story¡­¡± Ruin looked at her with a steady gaze and his serious tone grew grimmer as he continued, ¡°You always reappear at the end. You are always standing at the end. Not just in the story of the books, but even beyond that.¡±


    Cecile became convinced by the grim tone that the crown prince believed he had just revealed something secret and of extreme importance. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like anything I say will get across to this loon.¡¯ Originally, she intended to hear the man out a little and hopefully persuade him to return her to Estian¡¯s side as quickly as possible. However, it turned out he was utterly mad! Bonkers mad! And to make matters worse, he was delusional too! In other words, he was the type you should never get close to.


    Pretending to console the blue phoenix, Cecile became determined to buy some time. She trusted that Estian would somehow catch up to them, as long as she could drag out the time. All she needed to do was humor the man and hold a long conversation. Having resolved herself, Cecile asked, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s assume I am that Ender. So, why are you kidnapping me?¡±


    She was generally curious to hear the answer. If she was as amazing as they made her out to be, why were they trying to take her away instead of sending a letter of praise congratulating on a job well done?


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I have to take you to the Hyun continent, and there¡¯s no way that emperor would ever send you off nicely. That being the case, what choice do I have but to take you by force?¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to go to the Hyun continent again?¡± Cecile heard it took a month by boat to cross the sea. Just the thought seemed to inflict her with a queasiness from sea sickness that she had never experienced before. Besides, visiting the Hyun continent wasn¡¯t on her bucket list!

 CH 225

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because the Ender is the savior. I have to bring you there to save our continent.¡±


    Cecile was flabbergasted by his ridiculous answer yet again, though perhaps it was a good thing since it only left her with more questions. She could kill time while she sought answers for all her questions. After a pause, she remarked, ¡°You make it sound like the Hyun continent is in crisis.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Hyun continent,¡± Ruin said, smiling bitterly. ¡°The whole world is going to be in crisis soon¡­ probably.¡±


    That was what the sages and Taoist who came to seek Ruin had informed him.


    ¡°The world has been destroyed countless times. We are living on the grave of those worlds, and ours is the last. Perhaps it will be easier to understand if we were to compare it to the final chapter of a book.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t been able to bring himself to ask what nonsense they were spouting because their expressions were far too sorrowful.


    ¡°Empress Cecile¡­ is the one who will be at the end. The things she bears witness to at the end shall be the final view of this world. So please, Your Imperial Highness, you must bring her back to us. It may be selfish, but the land on which she stands shall be the last to face destruction.¡±


    Ruin was holding back the complicated emotions in his heart, as he remembered the despair on the faces of his advisors.


    Folding her arms, Cecile stood before Ruin and asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m a great being, and that I¡¯ll be the one stopping the end of the world?¡±


    The prince nodded and watched the empress lapse into a long silence. As he stood there watching her, he suddenly came to a realization. ¡®She¡¯s been trying to buy time until the emperor comes.¡¯ No wonder she seemed to be calm, and kept trying to prolong the conversation by asking questions and keeping him talking. He couldn¡¯t play along with her ploy; he needed to take Cecile and run further away for now. They needed to head towards a city with a ship that would sail to the Hyun continent.


    However, the moment he stepped closer to her, Cecile said, ¡°Then, hand it over.¡± She abruptly stuck out her arm and splayed her hand. For an instant, it made Ruin wonder if he¡¯d borrowed money from her. The empress¡¯s demeanor was so confident, it felt like she was asking him to return something she had entrusted with him.


    ¡°Hand over what?¡± Ruin took a step back, instead of enacting his original plan of knocking her out again.


    ¡°The price of whisking me away to the Hyun continent. Weren¡¯t you talking about how great I am? That I¡¯ll be the one to stop the end of the world?¡± Cecile answered matter-of-factly. Seeing Ruin silenced by her unexpected demands, Cecile threw her chest out and held her head high and proud.


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be suggesting¡±¡ªCecile flashed a look of disbelief¡ª¡°that you were intending on taking me there to do unpaid labor, Crown Prince Ruin? I trust that the heir of an empire ruling over such a large continent wouldn¡¯t be so petty, so wretched, and so shameless.¡±


    Even though she projected an air of confidence, her mind had flipped into overdrive. She already realized that the crown prince couldn¡¯t be reasoned with, so it left her with only one option. ¡®Fight fire with fire. If he could make nonsensical demands, then so could she.¡¯


    Cecile flashed a brilliant smile, which made Ruin confusedly return her smile. In the most beautiful sounding voice she¡¯d ever used in their conversation thus far, she purred, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of the rumors about me, Crown Prince Ruin, but I¡­¡±¡ªCecile joined her index and thumb into an ¡®O¡¯-shape, which was the universal sign for money¡ª¡°am very fond of this.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°What in the world is even happening?¡± the saintess cried, as she ran through the fleeing crowd. Raising her head, a status box appeared in front of her.


    Name: Estian


    Race: Due to the activation of Eugendiph¡¯s blood, current class if clansman of Eugendiph


    Age: 28


    Occupation: Emperor


    Status: Second rampage of Eugendiph¡¯s blood ongoing.


    That last line made her mouth run dry from the horror. ¡°Why is the second rampage happening here?¡± she yelled. It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen in Aluna! After Estian¡¯s first rampage, the second rampage wasn¡¯t supposed to occur until much later, and it would be a much milder incident compared to the first. Thanks to Cecile quelling the first rampage, the second was easily subdued.

 CH 226

    Using the Eye of Truth, the saintess swiftly scanned her surroundings in search of the empress, but after a long while her expression darkened. ¡®Cecile¡­ Where did this girl disappear to?¡¯ No matter how hard she searched, Cecile couldn¡¯t be found anywhere. In the first place, the second rampage was only supposed to be a plot device to further strengthen the bond between the protagonist couple. Estian would take Cecile¡¯s hand while she tried to calm him once again, and he would carefully pour out his heart to her, conveying how his love grew more fervent and deeper with each passing day. That was supposed to be the scene the saintess had envisioned!


    ¡®What do we do if Cecile¡¯s not here noooow!¡¯ It was a matter easily dealt with by Cecile, but without her? All hell would break loose. She had only included the small scene in the hopes of witnessing the male lead go wild without the female lead at his side. How was she to know it would evolve into a do-or-die situation with Cecile not around?


    Drawing upon her holy power, the saintess was pleasantly surprised to find there was more power than she¡¯d expected. The fifty or so priests, who collapsed back in the alleyway and probably in la-la-land right about now, were probably useful talents of the Holy Kingdom.


    She was relieved to find her powers were rapidly recharging from her reserves, even after having expended quite a bit of energy after using the Eye of Truth. With this amount of power, she might be able to somehow manage to stop Estian. Although she couldn¡¯t be sure whether the second rampage had been triggered under the same conditions as the original plot, it wouldn¡¯t be as difficult to calm as the first.


    ¡®Since Estian has already experienced it once himself, he should be able to suppress the blood of Eugendiph with a little help.¡¯


    Despite knowing all of this, the saintess was still hesitant. She¡¯d sworn to use all the holy power she regained for the sake of entering Cecile¡¯s body. To expend it here would make all her efforts meaningless. No matter how she sliced it, she gained nothing from calming Estian in Cecile¡¯s place. She would only be throwing the holy power away. Moreover, the empress wasn¡¯t even here, so there was no way to take over her body in the first place!


    The saintess thought of all the humiliation she suffered through over the past few months due to her lack of holy power. ¡®I even put up with Irene and her temper!¡¯ After becoming the empress¡¯s handmaiden, the woman had spent day after day tooting her own horn¡ª¡°Look at me dealing with all this kind of work. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m more suited to being the empress after all?¡±¡ªbefore disappearing. Gazing after her retreating figure, the saintess often mused how Irene had all the makings of a head chamberlain, not an empress.


    ¡®And aside from that, she was always making a fuss telling me to be careful of Kane, but¡­¡¯ I¡¯m sorry¡ªit was far too late to be careful. The saintess brooded over the promise she¡¯d made to Kane, when she heard the loud argumentative voices of a man and woman standing across the street. It was Kane and Irene.


    They stood there in the open, as if meant to be seen by her. At this critical moment when people were fleeing in terror while Estian¡¯s power went berserk, the two were yelling at each other, locked in a heated argument.


    ¡°So, who¡¯s going to give permission? She¡¯s my maid! Mine, I say! You¡¯re not going to date, but get married? Tell me, who do you think is going to allow that?¡±


    Kane retorted, ¡°I already received permission from the lady herself! It¡¯s not any of your concern, dear lady!¡±


    The saintess was flabbergasted by the ridiculous farce playing out before her eyes. Were they really looking to fight over her in the middle of such a precarious situation? She was almost tempted to jump in between them and act out the line she¡¯d always dreamt of crying out, ¡°Don¡¯t fight because of me!¡±


    However, even she had more sent than that. Inwardly, she screamed, ¡®Now isn¡¯t the time for that, guys!¡¯

 CH 227

    The saintess shot a look of indignation at Irene and Kane, before turning her attention back to the transforming Estian. He hadn¡¯t lost total control yet, but the problem was the two fools who continued to obliviously argue near him instead of escaping.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to lay off my maid!¡±


    ¡°Those are my words! Desist with your meddling!¡±


    The saintess had always wished to be the object of affection in a fight between two suitors one day, but she had never expected that one side would end up being a woman. ¡®I¡¯m such a sinful woman,¡¯ she thought, shaking her head. Still, how could she be blamed for possessing charm so potent that it could ensnare people regardless of gender?


    Though her heart yearned to grab a bucket of popcorn and snack on it while enjoying the show, this wasn¡¯t the time for it! Estian needed to be quickly restored to his original form! And yet, the saintess found herself hesitating. She was still struggling with what good it did for her to step in and help stop his rampaging right now. After all, wasn¡¯t her original goal to become Cecile and live happily ever after with Estian? ¡®If I help out now, it will only end with Estian returning to the current Cecile¡¯s side anyway.¡¯


    She had finally regained her holy powers, albeit in a limited capacity. There was no telling whether she¡¯d be able to get her hands on more should she exhaust her reserves here. Wouldn¡¯t it be more prudent to save it until she had the chance to take over Cecile¡¯s body? The saintess was conflicted. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ By helping the emperor now, she would lose her power and have to continue her life as a maid, but if she didn¡¯t help now¡­


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Irene screamed.


    ¡°Dodge!¡± Kane yelled.


    The saintess snapped to her senses when she heard Irene scream. While she¡¯d been lost in her thoughts, it seemed like Estian¡¯s control had slipped and he¡¯d grown larger in size. The sight of his monstrous appearance caused the saintess to involuntarily step backwards. As the author, she could tell¡ªthe Eugendiph¡¯s blood within Estian was about to make him go berserk.


    In order to emphasize his pain and tragic backstory, she had described the scene in which he lost control in the most terrifying and revolting way possible, so that all who witnessed it would experience fear and disgust. It would emphasize the uniqueness of how only Cecile remained unafraid of his grotesque form, making her all the more dear to Estian. That¡¯s why¡­


    ¡®I¡¯m¡­ scared.¡¯ The saintess instantly realized she could never become Cecile. She was experiencing the very fear and disgust she¡¯d intended to express through the bystanders, and couldn¡¯t help but shrink away from Estian.


    ¡°Lady Irene!¡± Kane cried.


    A part of Estian¡¯s body had rapidly expanded and was moving towards Irene at an alarming speed. Clang! Kang hurriedly blocked its path with his sword, but that was the extent of what he could do. Recognizing it had encountered an obstacle, Estian¡¯s body proceeded to attack both of them. In a blink of an eye, the figures of Irene and Kane disappeared before the saintess¡¯s eyes.


    In silent horror, she stumbled backwards at the sight. They were¡­ gone. Both of them had been arguing mere moments ago, but no more. When realization dawned on her, the saintess shot into action. As she ran forward, her hand shone white.


    ¡®This¡ªthe spell to quell Estian¡¯s rampage¡ªI remember well.¡¯ It was originally a spell passed down for generations through the Eugendiph clan, but it had been lost to the world. ¡®Although I don¡¯t know how Estian managed to return to his human form during his first rampage, but¡­¡¯


    The saintess stretched out her hand towards Estian as he approached. The moment Kane and Irene were engulfed in the emperor¡¯s body, she had realized something important. ¡®They may be supporting characters, but they¡¯re still my babies!¡¯ She couldn¡¯t stand by and watch them disappear. As light gathered around her hand, she wondered if she¡¯d ever regain her holy power if she used it all here. Would she ever get the chance to become Cecile again? ¡®Probably not.¡¯ Nonetheless, the saintess¡¯s resolve didn¡¯t falter. She knew what she needed to do at this moment.


    ¡°Give back Irene and Kane!¡± she yelled. To her, those two were far more than getting the chance to become Cecile.

 CH 228

    ¡°S-save¡­¡± Yuliana was crawling desperately on the floor in the empty building. Her body was a tattered mess from the burns she¡¯d suffered from the blowback of the fireball spell. A terrible pain engulfed her every time she moved her arms.


    ¡®Why did things end up like this? The book said she could be killed, didn¡¯t it?¡¯


    The magic had clearly worked, and the book had stated that the spell cast would kill Empress Cecile. Instead, the magical flames had targeted the emperor before her eyes.


    Wondering where her plans had taken a wrong turn, Yuliana continued to crawl until the tips of someone¡¯s feet came into view. ¡°Who¡­?¡± Struggling to lift her head, her expression soon brightened.


    ¡°Lady Kalia!¡± Yuliana exclaimed excitedly. Kalia was someone Yuliana was well acquainted with¡ªthe imperial noblewoman who had introduced her to the women who helped her at the casino. Though it was unclear why Kalia had suddenly appeared, Yuliana didn¡¯t have the capacity to question her since she desperately needed her help. ¡°Lady Kalia, quickly hel¡ª¡±


    ¡°I suppose you could call it a talent to fail at even this.¡±


    Startled into silence by the coldness of Kalia¡¯s voice, Yuliana stared at her blankly. The imperial noblewoman met Yuliana¡¯s gaze with a look of contempt.


    ¡°Then again, you never were smart to begin with,¡± Kalia sighed. ¡°Still, I chose you since you were quite obedient in ¡®my world.¡¯ Unfortunately, it appears you are quite different on this side.¡±


    Kalia had the same appearance and voice as before, but Yuliana felt an unnerving chill spread throughout her body. Who was this woman? This wasn¡¯t the same Kalia that had promised her unending support back at the hotel. Back then, Kalia had been nothing more than an aristocratic lady trying to build connections in a bid for power. Now, the woman standing before her exuded an inexplicable aura of intimidation.


    Stepping past the silent former princess, Kalia walked over to the rabbit doll that was lying in the corner. ¡°So this was the problem,¡± she hummed.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ The empress was holding it¡­ It was supposed to make it more effective¡­¡±


    Kalia smirked as she picked up the rabbit doll and gazed at it for a long time. For some reason, Yuliana felt like she was analyzing the doll.


    ¡°The doll was given a name. An object named ¡®Estian¡¯ was used as the medium, so it¡¯s no wonder that the spell¡¯s target changed to him,¡± Kalia muttered, before returning to stand before Yuliana.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t come near¡­!¡± Yuliana¡¯s instinct was warning her that Kalia was extremely dangerous, and she scrambled to put distance between them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run like that. I¡¯m only trying to make you comfortable,¡± Kalia cooed, crouching down before Yuliana. Cupping her chin, she scrutinized the former princess and said, ¡°Your body has suffered from burns all over because of the magic. How much longer do you think you can last in that state?¡±


    As if noticing a change, Kalia turned to look towards the window. Screams could be heard from outside, but seconds later, there was an explosive flash of white light. Seeing this, a bitter smile crept onto Kalia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Looks like Estian has regained his body,¡± she muttered sourly. ¡°Even though ¡®my Estian¡¯ never managed to return from his second rampage.¡±


    Yuliana couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what Kalia was going on about, but that was no matter to her. Her thoughts were stuck on the question she¡¯d been asked moments ago: how long could she last in her current state? That question seemed to be constricting her throat like a rope.


    ¡°Estian regained his body again¡­ The first thing he¡¯ll do after finishing his business will be to come find you. When that happens, you¡¯ll suffer so much more. Incomparable to what you feel now. Estian is merciless when he acts for my sake after all.¡±


    Yuliana muttered blankly, ¡°Your sake¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. For Cecile¡¯s sake,¡± Kalia replied, smiling softly. Reaching a hand out to Yuliana¡¯s neck, she added, ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Now, you can go to sleep.

 CH 229

    ¡°W-what are you saying¡­!¡± Yuliana struggled desperately to shake off Kalia¡¯s hand, but the more she flailed about, the stronger the grip around her neck became. The struggle was brief, and Yuliana¡¯s body soon fell limp. There were no screams to be heard or groans to be uttered. She died instantly.


    Leaving behind the former princess¡¯s collapsed body, Kalia walked to the window and stared outside with a faraway look. ¡°The last Cecile sure is lucky. She¡¯s benefitting from all the solutions we worked so hard to find for free,¡± she murmured. Anger began to spark in her eyes.


    ¡°Me, though¡­ I could do nothing¡­ No one helped either¡­ And I had to let Estian go, just like that¡­¡± she hissed. Her voice was one of petrifying intensity and barely contained fury that threatened to explode at any moment. Staring icily at the distant sky, she glimpsed her reflection in the window. This was a similar, but different world. Here, she was not ¡®Cecile.¡¯


    ¡°You too will fail,¡± she whispered to herself. ¡°You have to fail. Only then¡­ will it be fair.¡± A tear rolled down Kalia¡¯s cheek.


    * * *


    ¡°So, let¡¯s think about it, alright? Let¡¯s go over every single point,¡± Cecile began, crossing her arms. Her demeanor was like a teacher trying to address the stupidest student in the world. ¡°What do I get out of going to the Hyun continent?¡±


    Ruin thought back to the gesture she¡¯d made with her fingers moments before and said, ¡°If¡­ If it¡¯s money you want then you won¡¯t be disa¡ª¡±


    Hearing his somewhat cowed reply, Cecile retorted imposingly, ¡°I don¡¯t need money. I have more than enough as it is.¡±


    ¡®But didn¡¯t you just say you like money?¡¯ the prince thought, as he shot an incredulous look at Cecile. He shrunk back when he saw her clutch at her forehead with an exasperated face. After some hesitation, he tried again.


    ¡°Th-then, how about gold, silver, jewels¡­? Or treasures¡­?¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking how much can you give? Just for your information, the things my emperor gave me started from here¡±¡ªCecile pointed at the bottom of the tallest tree nearby and raised it until it reached the very top¡ª¡°and went up to there.¡±


    ¡°You mean he piled treasures that high? Well, that much the Hyun continent can also¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, not the treasures, but the list of those treasures was about that long.¡± It was a bit of an exaggeration, but the list of treasures Estian had given her was quite lengthy. That¡¯s why the empress palace¡¯s storage room was veritably bursting. It made Cecile dizzy just thinking about it. Her husband had casually given it all to her, as if he was picking up souvenirs on the way back home.


    Ruin, who¡¯d been blankly listening to Cecile speak, nodded in understanding. ¡°Fine. I promise that you will receive just as much from us as well.¡±


    Cecile was momentarily speechless. She¡¯d expected he would ask if she was crazy after making such a demand, but he seemed to be a man who wouldn¡¯t give up easily. If that didn¡¯t work, then she would bring out her second request.


    ¡°Okay. Then, putting money aside, the next item is honor.¡±


    ¡°Honor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the empress of this continent. If I went to the Hyun continent and married you¡ªalthough that would never, ever, ever happen¡ªwouldn¡¯t that only make me the crown princess? Anyone can tell that would be a downgrade.¡±


    Ruin fell into deep thought. He couldn¡¯t fault her logic that going from empress to crown princess would lower her status for the time being, even if she eventually regained the title of empress later down the line. After a brief moment, he answered, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll convince His Majesty to let me succeed the throne immediately along with our marriage. Then, there would be no problem since you would still be the empress, right?¡±


    His smooth answer surprised Cecile, who had thought he would at least express some hesitation. In the end, she was forced to play her last card.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Although money and honor are important in life, there¡¯s actually something that trumps it all.¡±


    It was a demand that Cecile was certain Ruin could never fulfil.

 CH 230

    ¡°Something that matters more than money and honor¡­?¡± Ruin muttered and lapsed into a thought. A second later, he thrust a hand in the air and excitedly cried, ¡°I know the answer! It¡¯s love!¡±


    With a satisfied expression, Cecile gave an exaggerated nod and firmly declared, ¡°And in that respect, you¡¯re out. Eliminated from the get go! Resume rejected! Disqualified because you failed to meet the conditions! How can I love you when I have the emperor as my husband? In any case, you¡¯re out!¡± Cecile ruthlessly slid her index finger horizontally across in a throat-slashing gesture with the words ¡®out,¡¯ ¡®eliminated,¡¯ and so on.


    Ruin sounded utterly puzzled when he asked, ¡°Why? What do I lack? Aren¡¯t I good enough to win your love?¡±


    Honestly speaking, Ruin was confident in his looks and his appeal. Rather, he was overflowing with it. Be it title or looks, he stood at the summit. He was the crown prince of the Hyun continent and possessed an outstanding appearance to boot. Back home, talented painters from all over the land flocked to paint his portrait every day. They would pull a numbered ticket and wait outside the walls of the imperial palace, begging to be granted a single audience with the prince.


    And nothing needed to be said when it came to his martial prowess. Ruin was the man who subdued all the phantom beasts in the Hyun Continent at a young age, and he dominated and mastered all the demon blades known to be difficult to handle. Whether it be power, looks, or ability, what in the world did he lack when compared to Estian?


    Since Ruin looked as if he truly couldn¡¯t understand, Cecile began her explanation. ¡°For starters, my emperor is taller than you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true¡ªhe¡¯s this much taller.¡± Cecile spread her thumb and forefinger slightly apart.


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly know that unless we stand side by side, can you? We were almost the same height from what I saw! I might even turn out to be taller if proper measurements are taken!¡± Ruin protested loudly. He was indignant! He¡¯d never been called short in his life!


    Suddenly, the blue phoenix, which had been staring at Ruin from its perch on Cecile¡¯s shoulder, flew up into the air with a squawk. A blue light suddenly shot out from its eyes with a flash.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Cecile¡¯s eyes widened when she realized what the phoenix was doing. The light shooting out of its eyes projected a human figure next to Ruin¡ªit was none other than Estian. In amazement, she asked, ¡°You can even do something like this?¡±


    The blue phoenix nodded and flapped its wings hard, as if urging her to hurry up and continue her tongue-lashing of that prince. Feeling impressed by how unexpectedly versatile the bird was, the empress surveyed the figure of Estian that had appeared. The emperor was indeed taller than the crown prince by the amount she had spread her fingers.


    With a smirk, she said, ¡°You can tell, right? You¡¯re smaller. Smaller, you hear? Small-er.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You didn¡¯t need to emphasize it three times! Th-that bird could¡¯ve remembered it wrong!¡±


    Ruin¡¯s voice had grown feeble, but Cecile couldn¡¯t care less as she resumed belittling the prince. ¡°Besides being tall, the physique matters too. You can tell by standing next to him that my emperor has broader shoulders!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost the same!¡±


    ¡°No, his is broader! By this much!¡±


    ¡°It must be because of his clothes! How can you be sure the emperor didn¡¯t pad his shoulders?¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t! I¡¯ve seen it!¡± Cecile had seen Estian¡¯s body in the nude every day. How dare this prince question her!

 CH 231

    Ruin was rendered speechless by the empress¡¯s glowering retort and adamant attitude. Staring intently at the projection next to him for a moment, his expression brightened as if he¡¯d made a discovery. ¡°My forearms are thicker!¡± he joyfully cried.


    However, his happiness was cut short when Cecile viciously responded, ¡°Yours are too thick for my liking. His Majesty¡¯s arms are toned at just the right amount to be attractive. That¡¯s why he looks so dashing in his formal suit, while you¡­¡± She wagged a finger and continued, ¡°Your arms are so thick that the sleeves of your clothes look like they¡¯re bursting at the seams. Having too much of something can be worse than having nothing at all.


    She was being sincere in this regard, and wasn¡¯t simply finding fault with Ruin. No matter how she sliced it, Estian was the better of the two¡ªin height, body, and face.


    Day after day, Cecile had watched her husband change into his clothes each morning before heading off to his duties from under the covers of their bed. Perhaps it was the result of being a swordsman, but his muscles were incredibly well-toned, though not excessively. It was such an artistically sculpted body, even more so than any of the statues scattered about the imperial palace. God knew how many times she¡¯d wiped away drool while she snuck peeks in his direction. Even though she had touched that body to her heart¡¯s content each night, it had never felt enough.


    And once Estian had finished putting on his formal attire, he was practically a model that had stepped out of the photo spread. The garments that were perfectly tailored to him by the imperial craftsmen fitted him like a glove, drawing beautiful lines along his body. The various splendid decorations only further added to his majestic aura. Truly, he looked like the god of war incarnated.


    Cecile would ogle him in a daze until her eyes were inevitably drawn to another part of him¡ªthe span from his slightly indented waist down to his buttocks. Oh, how she was transfixed by that beautiful curve! ¡®I even ended up getting caught staring once.¡¯ She¡¯d been confident that Estian hadn¡¯t noticed her peeking since he moved about naturally, but¡­


    ¡°How long do you intend to steal looks like that?¡±


    After finishing changing, Estian strode over to the bed. Bewildered from being called out, Cecile blurted, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping! I really am! Zzz, zzz¡­¡±


    Estian smirked and said, ¡°Really now? Then, surely my sleeping empress won¡¯t know what I¡¯m about to do.¡± The smile floating on his lips gave off a mischievous, yet dangerously erotic air.


    ¡°Wha-what are you¡ª¡±


    Cecile hadn¡¯t been able to finish her question that day. From that point on, she hadn¡¯t even managed to form a short sentence. Only moans and the occasional cries of Estian¡¯s name could be heard. It wasn¡¯t until a little while later that the emperor left the empress¡¯s palace with a satisfied face. A few creases had formed in his perfectly ironed suit, but no attendant would¡¯ve been gutsy enough to have commented on it. After he left, Cecile realized not taking it all off was about ten times more dangerous. It felt far lewder and more intense.


    Recalling that memory, Cecile took another look at the illusion of Estian conjured by the blue phoenix and felt her tears well up. She remembered the strange fireballs that had been shooting at her husband. ¡®Will he be okay?¡¯


    She¡¯d been confident that Estian would deal with the fireballs in no time and immediately come for her, but so much time had elapsed and his voice was still nowhere to be heard. ¡®Something must have happened.¡¯ She felt her heart constrict at that thought. If something were to happen to Estian, then¡­

 CH 232

    ¡°Huh? Why¡¯re you crying all of a sudden?¡± Ruin asked, surprised by Cecile¡¯s abrupt sniffling.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of you! Be-cause. Of. You. I wanted to stay by his side even if I couldn¡¯t be of any help!¡± she snapped, glaring at him. Growing increasingly louder, she yelled, ¡°Who cares if the world is in danger or not! Who gives a hoot about the Ender! The fact that my husband is in danger matters more! Why, I would¡¯ve taught you a lesson if I at least had the scepter on me!¡±


    Cecile ended up lapsing into informal language in her anger. What did the dignity of the empress matter in this situation? If she had the scepter with her, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered with roundabout attacks of varying intensity. She would¡¯ve gone full throttle, launching combo hits of strong-strong-strong-strong all the way. She was separated from Estian, and if things played out badly, she might never be able to return to his side. This realization instantly instilled her with a sense of fear, sorrow and hopelessness.


    ¡®I can¡¯t be like this. I¡¯ve got to be calmer and think coolly if I¡¯m to find a way to go back. I have to be by Estian¡¯s side.¡¯ Cecile understood what was necessary, but her mind was a mess. Crown Prince Ruin was making her out as the savior-to-be of the world, so why was she so foolish and terrible at achieving anything? Strangely enough, the only clear thought in her head was that she absolutely needed to stay by Estian¡¯s side.


    ¡°Uh, okay, if you would first stop crying¡­¡± Ruin stuttered.


    His attempt to console Cecile only set her off again, and she screeched, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Go away! No! I¡¯m not going!¡±


    Abruptly, Ruin¡¯s body was sent flying into the distance and crashed into a mountain on the other side. The sound of the huge impact rang out loudly and a great storm seemed to descend. Trees started to snap, while dirt and rocks were sent flying into the air by intense wind gusts. Cecile instinctively shut her eyes and guarded her face with her arms, but she didn¡¯t feel the impact of any of the debris that should¡¯ve been flying into her. Not only that, but she was soon enveloped by a familiar scent and warmth.


    Opening her eyes in surprise, Cecile gasped, ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Had she summoned this illusion in her longing to see him? The figure illuminated in the moonlight was definitely Estian. She blinked dumbly in disbelief.


    ¡°Why ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ again? Didn¡¯t you promise to call me by name?¡± Estian said tenderly.


    ¡°Estian?¡±


    He reached out to gently wipe away the tears that pooled at the corner of her eyes and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m late.¡±


    ¡°Estian!¡± When she felt his touch, Cecile jumped up to embrace him. This was no illusion. It was the real Estian! She buried her face in his chest, and wiped away her tears. For a moment, black fog seemed to shroud his body, but it disappeared when she hugged him.


    ¡°Aagh¡­¡± Ruin groaned, reappearing before the two.


    Estian shot him a glance, but ignored the crown prince as he turned back to wiping away the rest of Cecile¡¯s tears. However, the tears that had subsidized quickly started anew, perhaps out of Cecile¡¯s relief from feeling his familiar touch. ¡°What did that scum do to make you cry like this?¡± Estian asked.


    Ruin froze at Estian¡¯s chilling tone, while Cecile felt goosebumps rise all over her body. ¡®He¡¯s mad,¡¯ she thought. The emperor was angry. Extremely angry. No, that was insufficient to express the entirety of his fury.

 CH 233

    Cecile felt her face sting and an immense pressure seemed to compress down on her body from the tension in the air. Estian¡¯s ire felt so oppressive that it was difficult to breathe.


    With her arms wrapped around her husband, Cecile said, ¡°That man said he¡¯s Crown Prince Ruin of the Hyun continent.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Cecile had thought that Estian would at least pretend to be a little surprised, but he sounded genuinely unconcerned by the revelation. Recounting what she¡¯d learned, she explained, ¡°He said that I¡¯m the one known as the Ender and that I¡¯m destined to save the world. That¡¯s why he has to take me back to his homeland¡­¡±


    Estian¡¯s body stiffened as he held her, and Cecile felt certain about what was about to happen next. ¡®Crown prince Ruin is dead alright.¡¯ Estian wasn¡¯t simply angry now. He was on the verge of becoming a destructive disaster in his own right. The prince had said the world would face an insurmountable catastrophe, hadn¡¯t he? Well, if that was true, then Estian was the mostly likely culprit right now.


    ¡°He said you¡¯re shorter, have narrower shoulders, and are uglier than him too. And that I should leave you and marry him instead. He told me to sell my body for money, treasures, and status,¡± she continued.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t put it that way!¡± Ruin cried, aggrieved by the accusation.


    Cecile didn¡¯t back down, turning to glare at him while she yelled, ¡°But that¡¯s about the gist of what you said!¡±


    Estian gently wrapped his hand around Cecile¡¯s chin and turned it so that she was facing his way again. He didn¡¯t want her to look at the prince. In a tender voice, he began, ¡°I usually don¡¯t do this often because it¡¯s such a bother, but¡­¡±


    ¡®Do what?¡¯ Cecile waited nervously for him to continue.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ll have to pull out the tongue of that knave.¡±


    Cecile was speechless. Estian sounded terrifyingly serious.


    The sincerity in Estian¡¯s threat made cold sweat run down Cecile¡¯s back.

 CH 234

    One thing she had learned about her husband during their marriage was that he kept almost all the promises he made. If Estian said he would pull out a man¡¯s tongue, then he would do just that. No, actually, that likely wouldn¡¯t be the only thing to be pulled out. He would surely pluck out everything that could be plucked.


    ¡®The crown prince certainly went about this poorly, but still¡­¡¯ Despite Ruin¡¯s actions, Cecile didn¡¯t want to see a person¡¯s tongue pulled out before her eyes. While she pondered over what to do, the blue phoenix, who had been circling above the couple all this time, once again shot out a beam of light from its eyes.


    ¡°Huh?¡± A projection of what transpired moments earlier¡ªthe scene of Cecile crying and Ruin reaching out to grab her¡ªbegan to replay above their heads. Except¡­ ¡®Doesn¡¯t that angle make it look super dodgy?¡¯ Cecile wondered.


    In truth, it had been an insignificant interaction, but due to the blue phoenix replaying the scene at a suggestive angle, it depicted the crown prince as a foul misbegotten son of a rotten biscuit that appeared to be attempting to molest Cecile.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± The bloodthirst in Estian¡¯s voice thickened at the sight of this visual playback.


    ¡°No! This is false incrimination! That blue chicken! Why is it framing me! I was only asking why she was crying!¡± Ruin jumped up and down in outrage.


    The blue phoenix, ignoring the crown prince¡¯s protests, squawked piteously to Estian, as if to say, ¡°Your Majesty, it was him. He did it!¡±


    Even though Estian seemed like he was raring to tear Ruin to pieces, he didn¡¯t move. ¡®It¡¯s because of me,¡¯ Cecile quickly deduced, noticing that Estian¡¯s arms were still securely wrapped around her. It hadn¡¯t been that long ago that she¡¯d been kidnapped while Estian was fending off the magical attack. That experience must¡¯ve impacted him deeply, since even now he was clearly hesitant to fight Ruin because he was worried that something might happen to Cecile if he left her side.


    It was at that moment that a strange humming could be heard from up above. Soon, the space above their heads began to warp. Quickly recognizing the phenomenon, Cecile shouted, ¡°A gate!¡± It was clearly a portal gate, just like the one Richard had opened during the Etia incident. As expected¡­


    ¡°Hey, Emperor! Why¡¯re you going off your rockers again!¡± A silver-haired, handsome boy called out familiarly as he dropped through the opened dimensional tunnel¡ªit was Richard.


    The corners of Estian¡¯s lips lifted into a smile at the sight of the archmage. Had Kane been present, he would¡¯ve immediately recognized that this was the same smile the emperor wore when he was about to dice up a thousand people, give or take.


    Glancing around to quickly take stock of his surroundings, Richard reacted with surprise. ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re fine? But I made sure the spell would only react when Eugen¡ª Uh, when something big happened.¡± His eyes landed on Ruin and he remarked, ¡°Someone from the Hyun continent?¡±


    Cecile replied, ¡°He claims to be Crown Prince Ruin.¡±


    ¡°What? The Ruin?¡± The archmage excitedly appealed, ¡°Pardon for making this request on our first meeting, but would you give me a drop of your blood?¡±


    Ruin perplexedly stared at the archmage, who held out a container the size of a human¡¯s head that had seemingly been conjured out of thin air before anyone had noticed. However, before Richard could go on, Estian grabbed Richard by the scruff of his neck and plopped him at Cecile¡¯s side.


    ¡°Make sure not a single hair of Cecile¡¯s is harmed while I deal with that knave,¡± the emperor ordered.


    Clasping his hands together, the archmage asked with gleaming eyes, ¡°Will you give me his blood then?¡±


    ¡°Take whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Then, from here to here is all mine!¡± Richard announced, pointing at a humanoid figure he drew on the floor with a happy face.


    Their interaction made it sound like the archmage had just asked for ice cream, while the emperor had allowed him to pick whatever flavor he desired. Cecile glanced down at the picture Richard was pointing to and asked, ¡°You mean you¡¯ll take everything except for one pinky toe?¡±


    ¡°Why? Is that too modest of me? Should I ask for everything after all?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go trading off someone else¡¯s body without permission!¡± Ruin interrupted with a yell.


    Without bothering to lend an ear to the crown prince¡¯s cries, Estian unsheathed his sword, while Richard, veritably dying of joy, reached out a hand to cast a spell. A second later, white light appeared and surrounded the area where Cecile stood. It looked similar to the dome the blue phoenix had summoned when Cecile had gone apple picking with Estian. As the empress poked at the light curiously, Richard waved his hand again and a very comfy-looking sofa appeared behind the two of them.


    ¡°Why did you conjure this?¡± Cecile asked.


    ¡°What do you mean why? If that man really is Crown Prince Ruin, then this fight won¡¯t end that easily. Let¡¯s sit back and relax while we watch.¡± Settling onto the sofa, a set of snacks and drinks appeared in the archmage¡¯s hands.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the sounds of destruction began to echo all over the mountain, heralding the beginning of the battle between the strongest men of their respective continents.

 CH 235

    Act 10: The Power Of The Archwitch


    ¡°Heave-ho!¡± The saintess pulled at Kane¡¯s body with all her might. ¡°He¡¯s so heavy with all his muscles!¡±


    Seeing how large he was, the saintess had braced herself ahead of time, but she was really struggling to tell whether she was dragging a man or a boulder. A long trail was marked on the ground from her efforts to drag Kane over to this random patch of grass. Lying next to the unconscious knight commander was Irene, who was also passed out.


    Exhausted, the saintess struggled to catch her breath as she slumped down between the unconscious pair. ¡°Hah, hah¡­ My holy power¡­ There should at least be a little left.¡± However, when she raised her hands, the holy power she¡¯d been able to sense just a little while before had disappeared without a trace. For the second time, she found her reserves utterly depleted. She had used it all up to return Estian to his human form.


    Glancing to her side, Kane¡¯s face entered the saintess¡¯s eyes. Sighing deeply, she gazed at his face for a long time. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not like I have a thing for sub-characters or anything, so what possessed me to do all this?¡±


    When Kane and Irene disappeared from her sight, the saintess had immediately felt an urgent desire to save them. Their safety had become more important to her than Estian¡¯s, at least for that brief moment, which was what propelled her to muster all the holy power she had to restore the emperor¡¯s human form.


    Though it seemed straightforward enough, it really wasn¡¯t. The spell¡¯s effectiveness was predicated on Estian remaining in place. In the original storyline, this wasn¡¯t an issue because the spell was cast when he was trapped in a location where he couldn¡¯t move. Still, somehow things managed to work out.


    When she ran at Estian earlier, she had noticed two figures battling him with such speed they were practically flying. She was sure that one of them was Tania, whom she had encountered before back at the empress¡¯s palace. ¡®But who was the other one?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t place the young blond man. In any case, thanks to the inadvertent assistance of the two preventing Estian from moving forward, the saintess had succeeded in casting the spell.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that writing up such a flashy setting would end up helping like this.¡± Lifting her head, she stared at the heavens filled with twinkling stars as far as the eye could see. There were dozens of times more stars than usual, and they shone so brightly that they appeared almost within reach. Even now, there were several that seemed to hang just above the saintess¡¯s head. ¡°This was supposed to be the pretty backdrop for the kiss scene after Estian was saved for the second time¡­¡±


    In spite of the author¡¯s original intention, the plot device to create a twinkling sky in Aluna was probably what gave rise to the misunderstanding that quickly followed. In the eyes of the festivalgoers, they had just witnessed a black monster disappear after a brilliant flash of white light, followed by a sky that was dotted with dozens of times more stars than usual. It created a beautiful vision, and was the first of its kind any of them had ever witnessed in their lifetimes. Incidentally, this was a phenomenon that occurred from Estian returning to his human form, but none of them would have known this.


    The unbelievable sight caused someone to loudly exclaim, ¡°Aluna Tourism Association, you¡¯re the best!¡±


    Other festivalgoers exchanged glances in wonder. Was that it? Was it all some sort of festival production? Amid the confusion, someone in the crowd began to applaud.


    ¡°That was some epic production!¡±


    ¡°I thought it was real. I was terrified!¡±


    ¡°They must¡¯ve spent quite a sum on that!¡±


    Soon, the cheers and clapping grew louder, and some whistling could even be heard from the crowd. Seeing all this, the saintess gave up fretting over the matter. ¡®Whatever. Estian will probably deal with the aftermath.¡¯


    Instead, she returned her attention to the unconscious man at her side. She had given up Estian and chosen Kane. Oh, and Irene came along as a bonus. Casting a scrutinizing eye over Kane, she muttered, ¡°I admit it. He¡¯s a handsome one too.¡±

 CH 236

    Truthfully, Kane¡¯s looks and capability were quite exceptional. It was just that Estian had been crafted to be an overly incredible character. The saintess reached out towards the knight commander¡¯s disheveled hair, but rather than fixing it, she tousled it up even more.


    ¡®I knew it,¡¯ she thought, gulping dryly. Her thoughts bore out to be true¡ªthe more regimented someone was, the more striking they appeared when they finally let their hair down. There was something seductive about that stark contrast from their initial impression¡ªlike the moment when a perfectly dressed man in a suit ripped off his necktie. Kane¡¯s current unkempt look was so perfectly suited to her taste. It was downright drool-inducing.


    Ogling him for a long time, she furtively leaned her face towards him. ¡®I¡¯m gonna do it this time. I¡¯m gonna kiss him!¡¯ She¡¯d lost the opportunity twice already. This moment was her chance! From what Kane had said, she¡¯d apparently stolen his first kiss, but it could hardly count if she couldn¡¯t remember it. Hovering over his face, the saintess stuck out her lips and began to lean in, when¡­


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡±


    ¡°Holy!¡± The saintess lifted up and whipped her head around in surprise at Irene¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Mi-milady, when did you wake up?¡±


    ¡°Since you began smacking your lips while looking at Sir Kane.¡±


    ¡®You were watching from the start?!¡¯ The saintess hemmed and hawed a bit before offering up an excuse. ¡°Th-that was just me checking to make sure Sir Kane was still breathing, just in case¡­¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you stuck out your lips?¡±


    ¡®You sure were looking closely,¡¯ the saintess grumbled inwardly. Unable to think up another excuse, the saintess averted her gaze.


    After a pause, Irene asked, ¡°Are you really interested in Sir Kane? He¡¯s not just one-sidedly pushing his affection on to you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, about that¡­¡±


    Seeing the saintess falter, Irene suddenly began to tear up. ¡°Don¡¯t like Sir Kane,¡± she wailed.


    ¡°Why not?¡± the saintess asked suspiciously. Irene was speaking as if she fancied Kane herself. ¡®That can¡¯t be it, right?¡¯


    ¡°If you marry Sir Kane, then who will be my maid?¡±


    Wait, that was her worry? The saintess¡¯s expression turned cold as she replied, ¡°Borrow some imperial attendants.¡±


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t badmouth the empress with them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± So, that was her purpose after all. Sighing loudly, the saintess said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve already heard, but apparently I assaulted Sir Kane. Since I took his first time, shouldn¡¯t I take responsibility?¡±


    ¡°What does that matter in this time and age? Just chalk it up as a fling,¡± Irene swiftly argued.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± The saintess¡¯s mind blanked out for a moment. Say what? Chalk it up as what?


    ¡°You may forget me if you are unsatisfied,¡± a voice suddenly interjected from behind the saintess.


    ¡°Kane!¡± The saintess swung around in surprise to find Kane, who had sat up after awakening, gazing at her. She blinked dumbly as she looked into his eyes. The aftereffects of the spell she¡¯d cast made the stars twinkle dreamily behind him.


    The disheveled-looking Kane drew his face closer and he tilted himself so that his lips were near her ear. In a low, dangerous voice, he whispered, ¡°But why don¡¯t you give me a taste before making a decision?¡±


    The saintess stiffened from shock. Who was this? The Kane that she knew, or rather the character she had created, would¡¯ve never said something like this. How could the knight commander look so unrestrained while licking his lips as he asked her to taste him? Witnessing this side of him, the saintess felt out of sync with this world for the first time. At the same time, her heart began to pound, louder and harder than she¡¯d ever experienced since coming to this world.


    * * *


    ¡°This is a lieeeeee!¡±


    Elsewhere, Tania was wailing in front of a certain blond man.

 CH 237

    The man with long blond hair scrunched his face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He looked utterly clueless as to why Tania was showing such an extreme reaction.


    Responding to his question with one of her own, Tania stuttered, ¡°Wh-who did you say you were? I mean¡­ What did you call yourself?¡±


    ¡°How many times will you ask! I¡¯m Girgantia!¡±


    ¡°Lies! If you¡¯re Girgantia, then tell me what sauce-flavored chicken you had yesterday!¡±


    ¡°Honey mustard mixed with sweet chili, and tartar sauce topped with avocado,¡± the man recited without a beat¡¯s hesitation. ¡°And I finished it all since you said you didn¡¯t want the avocados.¡±


    Tania looked aghast when he recited a perfect match of yesterday¡¯s menu. However, she quickly shook her head and shouted, ¡°Th-that¡¯s not enough to convince me. Ha-hang on¡­ Tell me the name of the book I was reading yesterday!¡±


    Tania sorely doubted he would answer correctly. Or rather, she hoped he wouldn¡¯t. Yet, contrary to her expectations, the man crossed his arms and answered with ease, ¡°Oh, you mean the one with the unmarked nude cover: The Confined Captive Learns Obe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gaaah!¡± Tania interrupted with a shout, launching a fist at him before he could finish.


    Taken by surprise, the stranger was sent flying into the air and collapsed in a heap a short distance away. Tania stared at the collapsed man in front of her and stuttered, ¡°It-it¡¯s really Girgantia.¡± Falling to her knees, she clutched her head as the events from a little while before flashed through her mind.


    * * *


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his girlfriend. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tania announced. The mysterious blond man had grabbed her arm and declared her to be his girlfriend, so she naturally followed his lead. Despite not fully understanding the situation, she thought it would be a good idea to play along. Her plan was to make this stranger pay her back tenfold¡ªwith his body of course. ¡®I should ask for ten dates,¡¯ she thought.


    Glancing between the blond woman and Tania, before valiantly crying, ¡°Just because there¡¯s a goalkeeper doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t score! Besides, I¡¯m prettier than her!¡±


    ¡°What does that matter!¡± the man barked back, ¡°I bet my girl can eat chicken better!¡±


    ¡®Say what? Chicken? Wasn¡¯t that coming out of left field?¡¯ Tania thought, puzzled.


    Leaning in, the blond man whispered, ¡°That woman is weird. She came onto me and aggressively asked me to date her as soon as she saw me. I¡¯ve no idea what¡¯s gotten into her. We¡¯ve never even met before!¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s your face, I tell you,¡¯ Tania thought, swallowing back the answer that hung on the tip of her tongue. ¡®You¡¯re wrong. There¡¯s nothing weird about her. I can totally relate. If I were in her shoes, it wouldn¡¯t end with just insisting on going out. I would¡­¡¯


    A scene from a book she¡¯d read the day before flashed through her mind¡ªabout the queen of the night teaching her confined captive to obey. The handmaiden briefly entertained the dangerous fantasy, before snapping her mouth closed and turning to focus her attention on a matter that was bothering her.


    ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ The blond man had been holding her shoulder and talking to her familiarly, like they were old friends. However, rather than feeling out of place, she felt an odd sense of familiarity.


    ¡°What is that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡±


    Suddenly, terrified screams sounded out in the air. Tania whipped her head around to look up at the sky and her eyes widened in horror. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± she gasped. Between the gaps in the buildings, she saw the sudden appearance of the black monster that had terrorized the dukedom of Etia. She vividly remembered the destruction the creature had inflicted upon the dukedom. ¡®Even His Majesty had been consumed by it.¡¯


    In truth, the black monster was Estian himself, but the handmaiden had no way of knowing this. When Cecile had leaped toward the monster, the ensuing explosion of light had knocked Tania out. By the time she came to, the imperial knight order stationed nearby had already found her.


    ¡°Do you remember what happened then?¡± Later, Estian came by and asked Tania what she remembered of the Etia incident. Facing him, Tania felt a chill run down her back, but she answered honestly that she had no memories after fainting. For some reason, he seemed relieved by her response.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    The sound of another woman screaming woke Tania out of her stupor. Recalling the horrific sights of Etia, Tania looked towards the blond man and shouted, ¡°Run away!¡±

 CH 238

    She could somehow manage to remain alive, but it would be impossible for others. With that in mind, she immediately charged toward the black monster. A second later, she reacted with surprise when she glanced to her side.


    ¡°What¡¯re you thinking of going off by yourself?¡±


    Before she knew it, the blond man was keeping pace with her. ¡®He caught up to me?¡¯ Even the imperial guard couldn¡¯t keep up with her speed, yet this stranger matched her pace with ease. Nonetheless, there wasn¡¯t time to be surprised because the black monster soon came into view.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m here now, but¡­¡± Tania faltered. What¡¯s next? Cecile had been the one who dealt with this creature last time. Tania remembered the empress had whacked it with her scepter, so she clenched her fists tightly and readied herself. After all, the only weapon she had was her physical prowess. Leaping over the festivalgoers fleeing in terror, she landed in front of the black mass and hurled a punch at it.


    Splob. It was a splob, instead of a smack. The oozing, mud-like body of the creature simply absorbed the impact and enveloped Tania¡¯s fist. Her eyes widened in shock. Almost instantaneously, the upper part of the monster morphed into what resembled spears and pointed towards the handmaiden.


    ¡®It¡¯s going to attack!¡¯ Tania thought in horror. She raised her arms to brace for the incoming attack, but at that moment¡­


    ¡°Will you please be a little careful before attacking!¡±


    The blond man who¡¯d followed next to her suddenly appeared out of nowhere, caught her by the waist and rolled both of them to the side. And not a moment too soon! The morphed spears from the creature¡¯s upper body bored into the ground at that same moment in the exact spot Tania had just stood.


    ¡®It¡¯s troubling that a stranger is acting so friendly, but that¡¯s something that can be discussed later!¡¯ Tania quickly scrambled back to her feet and pounced at the monster again. Her previous attack had managed to halt the monster¡¯s movements. ¡®For now, I need to buy time while the people run away. I don¡¯t know how far I can last by myself, but¡­¡¯


    Although it would be a stretch to keep the creature at bay forever, she could at least buy some time for the festivalgoers to escape. She was certain that the emperor and empress must be nearby somewhere, so all she needed to do was hold out until they arrived on the scene.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll hold it back, so you concentrate on attacking!¡±


    The man¡¯s shouts yet again interrupted Tania¡¯s thoughts, and she wondered incredulously, ¡®That man still hasn¡¯t run away yet?¡¯ She gaped at the blond man, who continued to yell at her as he skillfully dodged the monster¡¯s attacks. To her surprise, she was relieved when she saw him in action. ¡®He¡¯s¡­ capable!¡¯ Although she didn¡¯t know the extent of the man¡¯s strength, he was capable enough that she didn¡¯t need to concern herself with his safety.


    As the monster¡¯s attacks resumed, the pair reacted swiftly, seamlessly blocking and counter attacking. It was definitely the first time they fought together, and yet¡­ ¡®Our teamwork is perfect,¡¯ Tania marveled. She couldn¡¯t believe it. They were so in sync, it was as if they were long-time partners. When the blond man blocked, Tania would attack, and if she took defense, he would switch to offense. There wasn¡¯t any need for any communications or even an exchange of glances. It was a mystery how they complemented each other so well.


    A memory suddenly surfaced in Tania¡¯s mind from when she was scolded by her mother long ago.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to fight however you please?! You can¡¯t keep charging in alone. You need to learn how to cooperate with others!¡±


    In the end, her mother had been the only person in their province that was capable of fighting together with her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be battling by your side for the rest of your life, can I?¡± the margrave chided. ¡°Taking into account that you¡¯ll have to inherit the province later on and protect these lands, you need to find someone who can fight well at your side for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°If I do find someone like that, then what?¡±


    ¡°Drag him over and bang¡ª I mean, hold onto him tightly. Never let go. You think it¡¯s easy to find a man who can match the women of Kaniche?¡±

 CH 239

    Her mother had been wearing a rare, serious expression on her face when she imparted this advice, which is why the memory had stuck with Tania. At this moment, she was clear about one thing.


    ¡®Mom! I¡¯ve found him! On top of being able to fight, he even has a pretty face and a nice body to boot! You¡¯re gonna be meeting your son-in-law this year!¡¯


    However, just as she began to inwardly rejoice, a blindingly brilliant light engulfed her surroundings. When her senses finally adjusted and she regained her sight, the monster had disappeared, leaving behind what appeared to be an infinite number of twinkling lights in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone?¡± Tania muttered, blinking in a daze.


    Walking over to her side, the blond man said, ¡°It was pretty hard after all. I¡¯m really not used to a human body. But that aside, hey! How stupid do you have to be to fall head over heels for a man like that? And to follow him?¡±


    Now he¡¯d gone beyond acting friendly and was straight up criticizing her! Confused as to his chummy attitude, Tania frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ask¡­ but do you know me? And¡­ did you just say you¡¯re not used to a human body?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s gotten into this girl?¡± the blond man muttered quizzically. ¡°It¡¯s me, remember? Girgantia!¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my first attempt at polymorphing. Do you think it turned out fine? I don¡¯t know how I look in human form. I think I¡¯ve got the right number of eyes, and the nose and mouth seem to be in the right places. There¡¯s nothing off, right? Apparently, dragons sometimes screw up their first polymorph. I hear humans can be a bit sensitive when things like that don¡¯t match?¡±


    Tania felt her face stiffen as he continued to prattle on. At first, she wondered what nonsense he was spouting, but then she remembered how insanely good their teamwork had been. ¡®Now that I think of it¡­¡¯


    In the times she¡¯d spent with Girgantia, the two had fought on many occasions. It usually stemmed from minor arguments over who would get to eat the fried chicken leg, or when one of them was demanding the next volume of the comic book or novel from the other person. Eventually what started as a simple brawl morphed into something akin to sparring. They had gotten so used to each other that they could block punches and tail whips without even having to look up.


    The color drained from Tania¡¯s face when realized that the harmonious feeling she had fighting in tandem with the stranger against the black monster was the same feeling she had when she sparred with the dragon. But, if this man was truly Girgantia, then¡­


    Tania felt faint as she recalled the many books that she¡¯d read with Girgantia. Raising her eyes up to gaze at the man claiming to be Girgantia, she found a flawlessly handsome young blond man staring back at her. She had read those books with this man?


    A distant sound seemed to ring in Tania¡¯s ears¡ªit was the sound of what could be called her social reputation and dignity shattering to pieces.


    * * *


    Bang! Rumble! A thick layer of dust rose up in the mountains after each earsplitting noise, but a new cacophony would eclipse the first sound before its echoes could even disappear.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± Cecile remarked, as she munched on the snacks beside her.


    Richard had cast a magical illumination spell to help make their surroundings clearly visible for a more pleasurable viewing experience. Estian and Ruin were rumored to be the strongest people in the world. Every single clash between them resulted in the nearby mountains being smashed apart.


    ¡®I wonder how many mountains are disappearing. But more importantly¡­¡¯ Cecile was concerned that there seemed to be no end in sight to their fight. When she turned to glance over at the archmage, she found a seemingly bored Richard playing with the snacks by tossing them into his mouth. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m tossing five at a time and eating them in one go.¡±


    By the looks of it, the archmage didn¡¯t seem the least bit inclined to assist Estian. Returning her attention to the monitor depicting her husband in battle, she thought, ¡®I wish I had power. Magic would be nice. Or even just being physically strong would be good too.¡¯


    When the fight started, Cecile had even searched beneath the sofa Richard summoned and in her immediate vicinity¡ªjust in case¡ªbut this time there was no mystery book to be found.


    ¡®Does that mean the situation isn¡¯t dangerous?¡¯ she mused. After all, those mysterious books always appeared in times of danger, had they not? In that sense, Cecile felt somewhat relieved, albeit a little hollow. ¡®Still, I wish I could be of help to Estian.¡¯


    While she pondered over whether it would be a good thing to learn a thing or two from Tania when she returned, she offhandedly grabbed a cup of water sitting atop the table Richard had conjured.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Cecile muttered. Just as she was about to take a sip, she felt a sense of incongruity and glanced downwards¡ªthe water in the cup was vibrating slowly.

 CH 240

    What was happening with the water?¡¯ At first, Cecile thought the vibrations resulted from the aftershocks from Estian and Ruin laying waste to their surroundings with gusto. However, when she took a closer look at the fight between the two men happening far off in the distance, she realized that it wasn¡¯t the cause of the water¡¯s abnormal vibrations. The water was shaking at a different frequency from the vibrations she felt transmitted through the ground.


    ¡®Could it be the work of Richard?¡¯ she wondered. However, when she looked to her side, Richard was engrossed with playing with his snacks.


    Tossing another piece into his mouth, Richard exclaimed, ¡°This time it¡¯s caramel flavored!¡±


    ¡®If it¡¯s not Richard¡¯s handiwork, then¡­ what¡¯s causing this?¡¯ Cecile scrutinized the water in the cup a little more carefully. Had it perhaps noticed her staring? The vibrating water suddenly turned still. Cecile blinked, wondering if it had all been in her imagination. However, something even more surprising immediately appeared before her eyes.


    A small droplet of water was beginning to rise up from the center of the cup. A floating drop of water? Now, this was impossible. Oddly, instead of reacting with surprise to this unrealistic phenomenon, Cecile merely observed it quietly. It felt like an extremely beautiful sound had rung in her ears¡ªclear and clean.


    Under her intense gaze, the water began to churn again, but with greater intensity than before. Soon, the liquid was rapidly spinning, as if there was a tiny tornado in the cup. ¡°Oh!¡± Cecile inadvertently exclaimed.


    As the water spun, she seemingly slipped into a trance. All kinds of images flashed past her eyes: an endless ocean, a waterfall cascading from a great height, a mountain valley, a small stream, and the night dew resting on the leaves of trees. ¡®These are all images of the water around here.¡¯ Cecile instinctively understood the images flashing before her eyes without anyone explaining it to her. At the same time, she came to another realization.


    Raising a finger, she slowly moved it towards the image of the dew droplet resting on a leaf. Even though the leaf wasn¡¯t in front of her and her finger touched nothing but air, a single drop of cold dew suddenly hung from her fingertip.


    ¡®I can do it,¡¯ she thought, as she stretched out her arms. Looking at the cup in front of her, she held her hands above it and the liquid swirling inside it immediately ceased its movement. One by one, droplets of water slowly began to rise into the air. Focusing on the phenomenon before her, she thought, ¡®A little more.¡¯


    A mysterious sense of confidence surged within her, and she became increasingly convinced that she could achieve something more. ¡®Just a little bit more. Bigger. Stronger.¡¯ As her concentration intensified, a sound rang through the air again. It started with a single note, but soon other notes were layered on top until the sounds harmonized.


    ¡®How am I able to do something like this?¡¯ She briefly wondered if she was hallucinating, but this was clearly reality. It would be natural to fear this unknown power, yet she wasn¡¯t afraid in the slightest. Rather, she felt rather sorrowful. This power came to her so naturally, so why hadn¡¯t she known of it all this time? This feeling of regret only fueled her frustration.


    By now, all the water in the cup was hovering in the air. When Cecile lifted her eyes to follow their movement, her gaze ended up meeting Richard¡¯s. In that instant, the magic seemed to be dispelled. The water hovering in the air collapsed and splashed across the table. Only the messy table and the empty cup, devoid of a single drop of water, proved what had just transpired hadn¡¯t been an illusion.


    Regaining her senses, Cecile exclaimed, ¡°What was that?!¡± It was a short, yet loaded question. What had just happened? Why did the water move? How was she able to move it?


    ¡°Why¡¯re you asking me?¡± Richard shrugged.


    Before she realized it, the archmage had shifted out of his youthful boyish form and into that of a young man. When he reached out a hand and slowly stroked her cheek, Cecile found herself unable to react. The boy bursting with mischief that was sitting next to her moments before had been replaced by a man who fixed her with a sharp gaze. He was eyeing her like she was prey.

 CH 241

    ¡°I thought it was strange when I heard that Estian had accepted an empress. But after the incident at the casino¡ªYuliana¡¯s control over the water vanishing in an instant¡ªit began to make sense.¡±


    Richard replayed that incident in his mind. The moment Yuliana had drawn on her witch powers, a clear sound he¡¯d never experienced before had rung out. It lasted but a fleeting second, but it was so entrancing that it had made him forget to cast his magic. Later that night, Richard had returned to investigate the water sources in the casino and around the capital. The results were unbelievable.


    ¡°All of it is¡­¡± Every droplet of water had been transmuted. It wasn¡¯t limited to the casino. It extended throughout the capital¡­ No, practically the entirety of the empire¡¯s water had been affected by this split second change originating from the capital. It likely went unnoticed by most people in the empire. Only a select perceptive few might¡¯ve thought the water that day was particularly tasty, and the gardeners tending the gardens might¡¯ve noticed the plants that were watered looked exceptionally vibrant.


    He had his suspicions about Cecile, but now he was certain. The empress possessed the power of a witch¡ªpower that some called extraordinary, while others called terrible. The archmage had failed to notice it until now because her powers were simply too vast. It was like trying to find a drop of water in the ocean. There was only one question that stumped him. With a power so overwhelming, it had to be that of the Archwitch. How could Cecile, who wasn¡¯t even a successor candidate, wield such powers?


    ¡°Who could you be?¡± he wondered aloud.


    Cecile flinched at his question. When Richard narrowed his eyes into a slit, she was reminded of what sort of person she was facing: Chief of all mages. He was the master of the Mage Tower and a man who¡¯d lived in this world for generations.


    ¡°I like the things that make me wonder. That¡¯s why I am so fond of Estian,¡± he continued.


    Richard¡¯s predilection for the strange stoked his curiosity and liking of Estian, the man who survived after consuming Eugendiph¡¯s blood. After all, the emperor was a man who¡¯d turned into a monster, regained his human form, and now lived each day suppressing that power while retaining his sanity.


    ¡°But now I like you better. I really want to know everything.¡±


    Richard¡¯s deepened voice made Cecile chew on her lip. His looks had never stood out to her because Estian was too attractive. Still, if her husband was a handsome man, then the archmage was a beautiful person. And at this moment, that beauty of his was a dangerous weapon. Alluring red lips set against pale skin, flowing hair of a striking silver, and an arrestingly sensual voice.


    Cecile swallowed dryly at the sudden change in his atmosphere. Richard flashed a fleeting smile, before suddenly releasing Cecile¡¯s face. Instead, he caught her hand and gave it a tug. She instantly tumbled forward towards him even though he¡¯d only put in a little strength. Suddenly, their faces were inches apart. They were close enough that they were almost touching.


    ¡°Did you know? While it wouldn¡¯t be easy to defeat Estian¡­¡± Richard whispered seductively, as his breath tickled Cecile¡¯s ear, ¡°I think I could manage to take you and run forever.¡±


    Cecile fixed a steady gaze on him and said, ¡°Richard.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± He was looking forward to what would come out of her mouth next. He didn¡¯t have to wait for long.


    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± The unexpected question left him befuddled. Had he heard her correctly? But then¡­ Smack! Suddenly, the water that had splashed all around them reformed into a ball and shot straight towards his face, smacking him across the cheek.


    ¡°Are you looking to breathe your last breath?¡±


    Smack! Smack!


    ¡°Do you wish for eternal sleep?¡±


    Smack! Smack! Smack!


    The sound of a barrage of water balls connecting against his cheeks was added onto the echoes generated from Estian and Ruin¡¯s fights.

 CH 242

    Clang! Metal clashed against metal, sending sparks flying. A shockwave instantly spread outwards with the two men at the epicenter. Trees that had been damaged and collapsed were destroyed further, with many being uprooted out of the ground. The surrounding area looked like a disaster zone that a hurricane had torn through.


    ¡®So, he lives up to his name, Ruin, after all,¡¯ Estian mused, as he dodged the sword flying at him. He¡¯d never imagined there was a sword capable of holding up against his black steel blade, but the crown prince¡¯s weapon wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    Each time their blades collided, petals seemed to flutter around them. At first, Estian thought it was an illusion, but he quickly realized it was the power of the sword Ruin wielded. For a brief moment, he entertained hanging the sword in Cecile¡¯s room as decoration once he killed this knave, but he quickly abandoned the idea. The wretch had attempted to kidnap his wife! He wouldn¡¯t allow any traces of such scum to remain within Cecile¡¯s sight.


    When he recalled the attempted kidnapping, Estian¡¯s grip tightened around his sword. He had failed to protect Cecile even though he had been by her side. When he returned to his monstrous form, he had been seized by overwhelming despair. He had barely managed to regain his human form thanks to Cecile, so he believed this time was truly the end for him.


    ¡®And yet¡­ I returned to being a human again.¡¯ A mysterious and powerful light had engulfed the world, and he suddenly found himself as a man once more. It was just like the time with Cecile. Even though he had an endless number of questions about what had happened, there was no time to waste. He immediately set off in pursuit of Ruin.


    What would¡¯ve happened if he¡¯d been delayed in regaining his human form? Or worse, if he failed to regain his form altogether, then what would come of Cecile? These thoughts plagued him and Estian felt his heart sink. It had been like this ever since he met her. In the past, he had nothing to lose in life or regret. Yet now, he felt fear. He had become painfully aware of how harrowing it could be to lose something important.


    With their battle in a deadlock, the two halted trading blows and entered into a brief standstill. No matter how powerful the two combatants were, it wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t tire. Moreover, both men had been mustering all their might from the start, since this was their first time crossing swords. Gradually, their ragged breathing began to steady. Estian was the first to break the silence.


    ¡°It seems kidnapping a woman is a trivial matter to those of the Hyun continent,¡± Estian sneered.


    ¡°Absolutely not. Kidnapping of women and children is considered a grave crime,¡± Ruin replied. Seeing the emperor¡¯s eyes narrow at his shameless answer, he smiled bitterly and added, ¡°Your eyes seem to be questioning why I¡¯d stoop to such actions despite knowing what a deplorable crime it is.¡±


    When Estian remained silent, Ruin continued, ¡°Everything in the world has their exceptions. If I were to recklessly kidnap a woman for no reason, then even my status as crown prince wouldn¡¯t prevent me from losing my wrists. However, in this case¡±¡ªRuin clicked his tongue and cast a look at Estian¡ª¡°it¡¯s about ¡®rescuing¡¯ the Ender from the catastrophe.¡±


    ¡°Catastrophe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m referring to you, Emperor Estian. I had my doubts about the nonsense those sages were spewing when they talked about the Ender, but now¡­¡± Ruin pointed his sword at the emperor. ¡°The monster that appeared in the city¡­ That was you, Emperor Estian.¡±


    The crown prince remained unfazed when Estian raised his blade and aimed it at his opponent.


    ¡°You will end the world, Emperor. Over and over, as you have always done. You know this yourself, don¡¯t you? I may not know why you undergo that change, but I¡¯m sure that your empress will be the first to be in danger when it happens.¡± In a tone of finality, he announced, ¡°You will kill your empress.¡±


    At that moment, a resounding smack cracked in the air, and Ruin was sent tumbling to the ground.

 CH 243

    Both Estian and Ruin were stunned by what had just occurred. They stared at each other, dumbfounded, before slowly turning their heads to stare at the glob of water floating above where the crown prince had been standing.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this?¡± Ruin stammered in disbelief.


    Estian didn¡¯t have an answer to the crown prince¡¯s question either. This was the first time he was witnessing such a thing. While they both continued to stare, the glob floated towards Ruin, who was still sitting on the ground, and¡­


    Slap! Slap! As if to prove what just happened hadn¡¯t been a dream, the glob of water took on the shape of a hand and consecutively slapped the dazed crown prince across both cheeks.


    ¡°Wha-what is this! Why is it hitting me?¡± Ruin shouted. He covered his cheeks while gazing incredulously at the water assaulting him. Deciding he couldn¡¯t cower before this one-sided beating any longer, he shot up and made to escape.


    Unfortunately, before Ruin could make a break for it, the water changed form once more. Reforming into the shape of a small ball, it swiftly launched itself through the air and shot the fleeing prince in the back, sending him tumbling to the ground again.


    Meanwhile, Estian observed the happenings with interest. There was a familiar feeling about it. To be exact, there was something familiar with the movement of the glob of water. But where exactly had he seen it? Combing through his memories, he soon recalled an event from long ago¡ªjewelry that was sent flying in the air, scoring a neat goal, followed by clapping officials. And there was one person behind it all. With the name on his lips, Estian murmured, ¡°Cecile?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Richard muttered, pressing the back of his hands against his red, swollen cheeks. He had reverted back to the form of a young boy again, with the reason being¡­


    ¡°Can¡¯t you focus properly? The image of the two of them is blurry!¡± Cecile yelled.


    Cecile was subjecting the archmage to her burning fury.


    ¡°You must be spewing rubbish because Estian didn¡¯t beat you enough! Don¡¯t speak to me in that creepy voice! And change out of that appearance this instant!¡± Cecile yelled. She expressed her discontent while thrashing him¡­ with globs of water, of course.


    ¡®My magic was that ineffective?¡¯ For Richard¡¯s part, rather than the physical pain, the fact that she found his behavior nauseating was the harder pill to swallow.


    Cecile had no way of knowing this, but Richard had cast a spell of enchantment¡ªa powerful one at that¡ªwhen he was speaking earlier. Yet, Cecile was utterly unaffected. Not only was she not the least bit affected, she seemed even angrier and repulsed by him than usual. She exclaimed that he sounded gross. It was bewildering, yet somehow understandable. Richard somehow had the feeling that it was possible for Cecile.


    ¡°Focus, I said!¡± Cecile bellowed.


    Cecile¡¯s cry brought his focus back to the spell he was channeling for her. It was a telescopic spell used to view events occurring far off in the distance. He had originally cast it to watch the fight between Estian and Ruin in greater detail. Ordinary mages were capable of casting such a spell, but they were limited to a single, fixed point and only a slightly closer view at that. A spell cast by the master of the Mage Tower was naturally on a different scale¡ªit offered dynamic views that could switch perspectives and zoom in at will as they tracked the fight.


    ¡®Even so, how could she use such a spell in this manner?¡¯ Even as he inwardly grumbled, he focused his mind as ordered and the blurry images regained focus.

 CH 244

    Seeing this, Cecile tightly clenched her hand as if she was holding onto something and pitched with all her might. Even though there was nothing in her hand, through the telescopic spell, Richard could see Ruin getting walloped by a glob of water. He was speechless by the sight of Cecile manipulating the water through his spell like this. Hadn¡¯t she only awakened to this power and used it for the first time in her life a minute ago?


    ¡®How is she not the least bit confused by all of this?¡¯ he marveled. Even if she didn¡¯t overreact and shriek, ¡°Holy! How did I manage to do something like this!¡± wasn¡¯t it normal to at least appear surprised or even a little frightened? Yet, Cecile displayed none of these reactions.


    Instead, she immediately put her newfound power to use by punishing the archmage without hesitation. Grabbing him by the collar, Cecile commanded, ¡°I¡¯ll keep what just happened a secret from Estian, so do as I¡¯m about to say this instant!¡± She demanded Richard show her a close-up view of Estian and Ruin using the spell. When she got what she wanted a moment later, she yelled, ¡°What did Crown Prince Ruin say to make Estian look like that?¡±


    Only then did Richard turn to look at Estian¡¯s expression for himself. To his surprise, Estian¡¯s face was pale and rigid. Even for him, the emperor¡¯s expression was a first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make him pay!¡± Cecile screeched. As the words left her mouth, the glob of water that had been floating beside Richard zoomed away and began pummeling Ruin.


    * * *


    The sight of Ruin getting continuously punished by a glob of water made Estian recall something Richard had once said: it was witches that held power over water. ¡°The empress clearly has something to do with it,¡± the archmage concluded.


    Even though it was unfounded speculation, Estian didn¡¯t dismiss the archmage¡¯s words as nonsense. He knew full well that Richard wasn¡¯t one to fool around in regards to such matters. Nevertheless, he issued a gag order to the archmage until things grew clear.


    Now, in the present, Estian bit his lip as he watched the movements of the water glob. ¡®That scoundrel Richard must be utterly delighted right about now,¡¯ he thought with a scowl. He needed to hurry back to Cecile¡¯s side. The archmage was obsessed with mysterious powers and curiosities that he¡¯d never encountered before. It wasn¡¯t a stretch to imagine how excited he must be at the empress¡¯s side.


    While Estian was worrying about his wife, Ruin had managed to get back up to his feet. Swiftly turning in the opposite direction, the crown prince prepared to make a run for it. However, before Estian could react, the glob of water shot through the air like a cannonball and smacked the back of the prince¡¯s head, causing him to instantly stagger from the impact.


    Up until now, the fight between the two of them had been pretty evenly matched in skill and strength. If Richard had joined the fight, it might¡¯ve ended earlier, but Estian knew the archmage wasn¡¯t the type of man who would readily give his assistance. ¡®Not like he has any reason to help.¡¯ Richard was the type who¡¯d wait until they had spent all their strength and were exhausted, rather than help.


    Estian made a move to kick Ruin¡¯s back, but the latter sensed his movement and instantly evaded by performing a crouching jump. Just when the crown prince thought he had succeeded, the glob of water shot over and hit the prince squarely in the face.


    ¡°Ugh, seriously!¡± Ruin screamed, sounding genuinely irritated by the hindrance. In truth, the power of the glob¡¯s attacks wasn¡¯t that great. All it managed to do was slightly hobble Ruin and soak his clothes. The wet clothes sticking to Ruin obstructed his movements ever so slightly.

 CH 245

    ¡®But that¡¯s enough,¡¯ Estian thought. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ There was so little difference in their skills that their fight had become a battle of attrition, so even a razor-thin advantage like this was enough to break the stalemate. Predicting the end as he resumed his attack, Estian felt a strange emotion blooming within him.


    For the first time in his life, it felt like he had someone fighting by his side. Until now, all his battles had always been fought alone. Even his knight commander, Kane, would retreat to fight elsewhere so as not to be a hindrance. If even he could not fight at the emperor¡¯s side, then what was there to say about the others? To Estian, fighting meant facing every enemy on his own. The assistance of others amounted to insignificant help and was more of a nuisance. So, why did he feel so reassured by this small assist that he was receiving now? The answer was simple: it was Cecile that was helping him.


    Meanwhile, Ruin slowly readied his stance. He had slowly grown accustomed to the pattern of the glob¡¯s movements after suffering from several attacks. ¡®As expected¡­ I¡¯ve roughly grasped it now,¡¯ he thought. He had increasingly been able to dodge the attacks, and now prepared to launch his counterattack. When the next attack came, he landed a punch and managed to disperse the water in all directions with a satisfying smack!


    ¡°I was only caught off guard earlier. This amount of water can hardly deal any damage anyway¡­¡± Ruin suddenly trailed off and froze in place.


    ¡®Why did he stop?¡¯ Estian wondered quizzically. At that moment, a drop of water landed on his face. It wasn¡¯t from the glob of water that had been pulverized earlier, and he looked towards the sky. It had been a clear sky filled with stars when the fight had begun, but now they were all obscured. Soon, the sound of raindrops hitting leaves rang out and then¡­


    ¡°My word,¡± Estian exclaimed.


    * * *


    ¡°Hey! Stop!¡± Richard cried, knowing the reason behind the change in her state.


    Even as she panted heavily, Cecile shook her head in refusal. Not only had her breathing turned rough, lines of sweat were running down her face. Her eyes were focused on the distant sky above where Estian and Ruin stood. A humongous mass of water was gathering in the air above them. ¡®Just a little more,¡¯ she willed.


    When rain began to fall, as if possessed, Cecile raised her hand towards the sky and drew a large circle. Suddenly, a change occurred. Droplets continued to fall, but not a single drop landed on the ground. Even those that had fallen began to rise up again and joined the gathering mass.


    As the rain rapidly gathered together in one spot, Cecile felt a tremendous weight bearing down on her. Her legs were buckling under the weight, but she had no intention of calling it quits. It was hard, but she was happy. Cecile was so happy that she wondered why she¡¯d never known of this power until today. Now, even she could help Estian.


    But at that moment, a voice rang in Cecile¡¯s head. ¡°Stop,¡± it said.


    Cecile shook her head defiantly. ¡®Why? Why must I do that?¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°I do not wish for you to despair anymore,¡± the voice answered.


    Cecile realized her power was weakening and realized the voice speaking to her was taking it away. ¡®No!¡¯ she thought, gritting her teeth. She was determined not to let her power be taken away, because¡­ ¡®This was mine to begin with!¡¯


    By then, all the water had finished gathering into one large sphere hovering above Estian and Ruin.


    Unyieldingly, Cecile uttered, ¡°That¡¯s why, give it back! Let me help Estian a little!¡±


    A moment later, a huge wave of water gushed forth from the gathered sphere of rainwater and came crashing down deep in the mountains far from Aluna.


    * * *


    ¡°She awakened in the end,¡± the first guardian witch sighed, gazing into her bowl of water.


    The second guardian witch echoed her, heaving a long sigh of her own, as she too looked into her own water bowl. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°Goodness. The Archwitch cast so many seals on her to delay the end of days as much as possible, yet she still managed to undo them all.¡±


    The third guardian witch breathed out an even longer sigh than the previous two and said, ¡°But like me, you girls already knew¡­¡±


    In unison, the three guardian witches said, ¡°She was bound to cause something huge¡­¡±

 CH 246

    Sighing, all three guardian witches returned their gazes to their scrying bowls, which reflected the figure of a collapsed and unconscious Cecile.


    ¡°Does it make sense that she can wield the power of the archwitch to that extent without even going through the rite of succession?¡± the first witch muttered.


    ¡°Well, did the being called Cecile ever make sense to begin with?¡± the second replied.


    ¡°I suppose that is true.¡±


    In each new world, the Archwitch had bestowed everything she could to the girl, but each time the world had failed. Knowing that this was the last world, the guardian witches believed that the Archwitch would grant an even greater power to Cecile. This belief was strengthened by the knowledge that the Archwitch was preparing to enter slumber, so they were convinced that she would completely transfer her powers to the girl. But to their surprise, the archwitch hadn¡¯t done as they expected. Instead, the Archwitch mustered everything she had to seal away Cecile¡¯s powers.


    Still staring at her scrying bowl, the third witch clicked her tongue and chimed in, ¡°The Archwitch even purposely searched for another heir so as to not pass on any powers to Cecile. Not to mention the countless restrictions she placed on the girl.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. You can¡¯t imagine how surprised I was when I first laid my eyes on her at the royal villa. She looked fine even after shouldering all those restrictions! A single one of those would¡¯ve been enough to send anyone else to their grave.¡±


    The three witches recalled the distant memory¡ªthe Archwitch summoned them to leave a final message about the last Cecile before entering her slumber. She decreed that the child¡¯s powers were completely sealed and that she moved Cecile to a place where she would live without any connections.


    Hearing the news, the three guardian witches had hurried to find the last Cecile. In the ruins of the royal villa of Navitan, they discovered the young girl sitting all alone. Since the child¡¯s existence itself couldn¡¯t be erased, the Archwitch¡¯s intention had likely been to conceal Cecile from the world in a place where no one would come looking. If Cecile had no way of meeting Estian, then perhaps the demise of the world and Cecile¡¯s despair could be delayed, even if only for a moment. ¡®If this is your will, then¡­¡¯ Taking on the form of maids, the three guardian witches raised Cecile.


    ¡°Yet, who would¡¯ve expected that she¡¯d break through all the seals and draw out her powers by her own will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more surprised that the first thing she chose to do after awakening that immense power was to slap some men.¡±


    The three guardian witches clutched at their heads. Reflected in the scrying bowl, they could see Estian dragging a drenched and unconscious Ruin back to where Cecile and Richard had been waiting. Snatching Cecile from Richard¡¯s arms, Estian called out his wife¡¯s name over and over.


    Watching this scene, the guardian witches suppressed their urges to groan, when¡­ Suddenly, Cecile¡¯s body grew faint. Seconds later, she had disappeared from Estian¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Huh? Where did she go?¡± they exclaimed. The bewildered guardian witches then noticed the twinkling light remaining in the spot where Cecile had just disappeared.


    ¡°Hang on. If she¡¯s currently exhausted from forcefully breaking through the Archwitch¡¯s seals, then¡­¡±


    ¡°I suppose she¡¯ll try to recover?¡±


    ¡°Which means¡­¡±


    The three witches screamed in unison, ¡°That girl! Cecile¡­ She¡¯s gone to the World Tree!¡±


    The guardian witches turned pale, knowing the full extent to which the World Tree disliked Cecile.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, elsewhere in the spirit realm¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of life?¡± Ayura muttered, wanting to cry. Naturally, the cause of its current bout of negativity was none other than Aled.


    The blighter¡¯s reappearance after several centuries had felt like an ill omen. Luckily, after asking a bunch of questions, the spirit had quickly disappeared. Still, Ayura was convinced that the spirit was bound to return again in another few centuries. ¡®I swear I¡¯ll move out before then,¡¯ Ayura thought to itself. However, while the spirit was still brooding over where to move his home next, Aled suddenly returned.

 CH 247

    Shattering Ayura¡¯s expectations that it would be another few centuries before it would have to face the blighter, Aled¡¯s speedy return meant that this visit was by no means a good one. As expected, Aled immediately grabbed Ayura.


    ¡°Ayura! We need to find the Archwitch! Let¡¯s go!¡± Aled shouted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go? Who¡¯s going with who!¡± Ayura retorted. What? Did he think the Archwitch was some runaway dog? It wasn¡¯t like she was someone that could be found simply by looking.


    ¡°What do you mean who? You and me. And as for where we¡¯re going¡­ You¡¯ll know once we get there.¡±


    Aled¡¯s evasive attempt to hide the destination meant that it must be an extremely bad place to visit. Fiercely resisting, Ayura yelled, ¡°Why me? Aaargh, let go of me! This is kidnapping! Somebody! Save this spirit!¡± However, Ayura¡¯s attempts to resist were all for naught. In the end, the spirit had no choice but to be dragged away crying.


    That had all happened several days ago. Now that their destination had become clear, the spirit was contemplating taking its own life.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Aled chirped in a bright voice, seemingly unconcerned by Ayura¡¯s troubles. The blighter was holding onto the end of a rope. Of course, the rope¡¯s purpose was for tying up Ayura to prevent the latter¡¯s escape.


    The miserable captive looked at its bound hands and inwardly cursed, ¡®If that spirit, Aled, ever gets knifed on the streets at night, the culprit¡¯s gonna be me!¡¯ Gnashing its teeth, Ayura turned its gaze forward and asked, ¡°You¡¯re really going to pass through this place?¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Aled had dragged Ayura to the end of the spirit realm. There were countless names for this place: a place no one ever sought out, a place that everyone knew, yet didn¡¯t know about, the end of the world, and the beginning of another. To sum it up in a single line, it would basically be this: ¡®Area Off Limits¡ªDanger Ahead!¡¯


    Ayura looked around in search of a danger sign, not that it would exist. What spirit wasn¡¯t already aware of the dangers in the first place? Except for Aled, that is. Besides, even if a warning sign had been erected, the blighter would¡¯ve just kicked it over and ignored its existence.


    ¡°Aled, think this over one more time. I really don¡¯t think this is a good idea,¡± Ayura sighed.


    ¡°Why? This is the only way to see the World Tree.¡±


    ¡°No, what I¡¯m saying is ¡®going to see the World Tree¡¯ is the problem.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with visiting a tree?¡±


    Ayura gave up trying to reason with the blighter after hearing Aled¡¯s carefree reply. How was the World Tree just some tree? It was the tree that connected worlds and the source of life of this realm. There were still far too many things unknown about the World Tree, but the knowledge that gathered about it made one thing clear: it was an extraordinary and divine existence, and it was implicitly forbidden for anyone to approach it.


    Naturally, the road to the World Tree was fraught with peril. Nobody knew what would come from recklessly approaching the World Tree because almost no spirits managed to return alive after meeting the World Tree in the first place. Of course, something like that didn¡¯t faze Aled in the slightest.


    ¡°If the Archwitch went to the World Tree, wouldn¡¯t the surest way to find her be to ask the World Tree about what they discussed?¡± Aled said.


    With a face full of admiration, Ayura muttered, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Aled. I wish I could live life without a care in the world like you do.¡± It wasn¡¯t immediately clear whether the spirit was giving a compliment or an insult. If not for the rope, Ayura would¡¯ve applauded too.


    Aled seemed to take Ayura¡¯s words as a compliment, and simply shrugged. Moving to stand at the edge of the spirit realm, Aled thought, ¡®So, it lies beyond here¡­¡¯ The spirit gazed out over the endless stretch of space. It had truly never expected things would come to this.


    The spirit¡¯s initial intention was to simply locate the Archwitch, but the more it investigated, the stranger things became. Using the information obtained from Ayura, Aled had discovered after diligently searching for traces of the Archwitch that apart from her interest in Eugendiph¡¯s blood, she had expressed an equal amount of interest in the World Tree.


    ¡®What¡¯s the connection between the two?¡¯ After repeatedly mulling over the question, Aled came to a conclusion: why not just ask? Of course, going alone was a bit scary, so it decided to make the trip with Ayura in tow.


    ¡°Then, you¡¯re ready now, right?¡± Aled sang.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°Good! Here we go!¡± Aled laughed, ignoring Ayura¡¯s wails.


    Leaping off the edge of the world, Aled and Ayura, tied to the former by rope, tumbled into the abyss. The only thing they left behind was Ayura¡¯s echoing scream.


    ¡°Listen to me you crazy spiriiit!¡±

 CH 248

    When Cecile regained her senses, she blinked a few times and then confidently announced, ¡°This must be a dream.¡± It had to be a dream¡ªthere was no other way to explain where she was standing.


    Cecile clearly remembered the events up to the point where she lost consciousness. She had succeeded in dumping all the water on top of Ruin¡¯s head, but after that everything went blank. ¡®Then, I must have fainted?¡¯ she thought.


    However, if she had fainted at that moment, then she should¡¯ve woken up to see Estian and Richard at her side. Neither man was anywhere in sight. Moreover, the place she had woken up in was another mystery too. ¡°Where is this?¡± she muttered.


    Initially, she thought she had been gazing up at the night sky, but as her eyes adjusted, she realized what lay above her was a black, empty void without a single twinkling star. When she looked around her, something seemed to catch in her hand. Glancing down, she muttered in a puzzled tone, ¡°Leaves?¡± Suddenly, she realized that she was perched atop a set of densely intertwined branches, and not solid ground as she¡¯d thought.


    ¡°But why do all the leaves look so random?¡± After a little more observation, she noticed another thing strange about the tree. Wasn¡¯t it normal for tree leaves to have a uniform shape? However, every single leaf attached to the branches surrounding her boasted a different shape of their own. Moreover¡­ ¡°The leaves are shining?¡±


    Even in the darkness, she could perceive her surroundings easily because the tree itself was emitting a soft glow. It was an utterly strange and fantastical sight, yet Cecile wasn¡¯t frightened at all.


    ¡°Still, I should find out where this is.¡± Settling on a plan, she began to climb over branches. Thankfully, they sturdily supported her weight. After taking a few steps, Cecile¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and she cried, ¡°It¡¯s fruit!¡±


    She¡¯d never considered that she might be on a fruit tree. Hanging on the branch before her was a large, red fruit. Reaching out to grab it, she scrutinized the fruit for a long time. As empress, she thought she had tasted all the fruits in the world, yet this was the first time she¡¯d seen such a fruit.


    When she brought it close to her face, her nose was tickled by a completely unfamiliar yet enticingly sweet scent. Gulping involuntarily, she began to salivate to the point that her jaws ached and her belly began to growl. She had been convinced this was all a dream, but why did it feel so vivid in moments like these?


    ¡°Is there anyone there?!¡± she shouted, turning to her head to look around. How spacious was this place? Not even an echo could be heard. When no answer came, Cecile continued, ¡°If there¡¯s no owner here, then I¡¯ll just help myself!¡±


    She had counted to ten the first time round, but this time she only counted to three. When no reply came, she proceeded to take a large bite out of the fruit. A satisfyingly crisp crunch rang out and her eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s really delicious!¡± she exclaimed. A sweet freshness incomparable to any fruit that she¡¯d ever tasted lingered on the tip of her tongue.


    Munching and swallowing what was in her mouth, she opened wide to take a second bite, when a voice filled with fury suddenly rang out in her head.


    [You. Came. Again.]

 CH 249

    ¡®Came again?¡¯ Cecile searched around her, before pointing a finger at herself and asked, ¡°Me?¡±


    She had experienced so much lately that ending up in an unfamiliar place and having disembodied voices address her no longer was enough to surprise her. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but feel startled by how the voice talked as if it knew her. Moreover, she felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu about the whole situation, as if this had happened before. ¡®But when?¡¯ No matter how she tried to remember, her memories were obscured in a haze. Amidst her puzzlement, the voice addressed again.


    [Hands. Off.]


    Cecile wondered what it was referring to, when she realized she was tightly gripping the fruit of the tree. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she exclaimed, releasing the fruit. Still hanging off the branch, it swayed before her eyes. Of course, there was still a large chunk missing out from it. Looking at the appetizing fruit, she thought, ¡®I should¡¯ve taken at least one more bite.¡¯


    The feeling of regret wasn¡¯t only because of how delicious it tasted, but also because there was something nostalgic about the flavor. It made her feel the need to eat more of it. She was about to ask if the tree would be willing to sell her the fruit, when she realized the voice that had called out to her had been filled with anger.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t like me.¡¯ The tree not only disliked her, it had also claimed that she¡¯d come again. That meant that Cecile had been here before. Yet, she had no recollection whatsoever of having ever visited such a place in her life. Deciding to start with the question on the top of her head, she asked, ¡°Um, excuse me, but may I ask for your name?¡±


    [World. Tree.]


    Cecile was rendered speechless by the sudden introduction of an entirely unexpected entity. The image of the huge tree depicted in the book she¡¯d read a little while back at the apple farm formed in her mind. If her memory served her correctly, wasn¡¯t it the tree that was said to bear every fruit in the world? In any case, why was this tree speaking as if it knew her? Cecile felt the need to have her curiosity satiated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but do you know me? But it¡¯s my first time here¡­¡±


    [You. Lie.]


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! There¡¯s no way I would forget about coming here!¡± There was no way she would¡¯ve forgotten, especially the fruit she had just tasted. Even now, she couldn¡¯t help but sneak a longing look at the fruit she¡¯d bitten into that was swaying just out of reach.


    [Arch. Witch.]


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    [Must. Have. Erased.]


    Cecile wondered what the World Tree was going on about, but she wasn¡¯t so bold as to ask out loud. At that moment, something suddenly pushed her from behind. With a thwack, Cecile was sent rolling forward. She yelped as she heard the sound of the branches that supported her cracking beneath her feet. ¡°Save me!¡± She instinctively flailed her hands about and grabbed onto a branch. In that instant, the branch she grabbed onto shone and a brilliant gold light enveloped her.


    ¡°Eh?¡± A different scenery, like a film reel, began to play before her eyes. In it, a small child who looked no more than three or four years of age was jumping around the World Tree. She had bright platinum hair and green eyes. The resemblance of the little girl to the reflection Cecile saw in the mirror every day, albeit younger, was uncanny. ¡°Is that¡­ me?¡±


    Without a doubt, the little girl was herself. The only difference was the girl was dressed in an embarrassed excuse for rags, and her appearance was filthy. The child obviously hadn¡¯t been able to wash properly and had dressed herself in anything she could to fend off the cold.


    ¡®But when was ever I like that?¡¯ Try as she might, Cecile couldn¡¯t remember such a scene. The maids that had cared for her in her childhood had loathed uncleanliness. They would wash her morning and night during the summers, and would always have her wash in warm water at least once a day in the winter too.

 CH 250

    As the figure of her younger self came a little closer, Cecile saw that her cheeks were stuffed till they seemed to burst and her hands were full of¡­ ¡°Fruits?¡± Cecile gasped. Piled in the young child¡¯s arms was the same fruit that she¡¯d just sampled from the World Tree. Her younger self had now claimed a seat for herself on one of the branches and set about happily gorging on the freshly picked fruits. She was munching with such gusto that anyone might¡¯ve thought the child had starved for at least three days. Only after the young Cecile appeared full did she lay down on the branch. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you coming, Mom?¡± she murmured.


    Cecile gasped in surprise. These were words she would¡¯ve never said. From her first memories, Cecile had already known that her mother had passed away. It was impossible that she would¡¯ve waited for her like this.


    Meanwhile, the young Cecile grabbed at the fruits next to her. Picking out the one with the prettiest color, she hugged it close to her chest. As tears welled up in her eyes, she shut them and whispered, ¡°This one¡¯s for Mom¡­ So, don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    Cecile choked up at the sight of the poor little girl. No¡­ Something like this never could¡¯ve happened. Her mother had died shortly after childbirth, and the king had immediately sent her to the royal villa. That was what she was told. ¡®But by who?¡¯ It had to be the maids that had always been taking care of Cecile since she could remember.


    Soon, the younger Cecile drifted off to sleep. Then, the tree branch next to her crept up to steal the fruit in her hand. It then went to reattach the fruit to a branch nearby, before returning to hover around the sleeping girl¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t to caress the crying child, but rather¡­ the branch seemed conflicted on whether to smack her or not.


    ¡°Oh, come on. Really? You should comfort a crying child,¡± Cecile pouted, even as she felt choked up. However, at that moment, more fruits rolled out from under the child¡¯s ragged excuse for clothes. Apparently, there was a hidden pocket inside. Seeing this, Cecile felt that perhaps she could silently overlook one smack. Still, this had to be a lie. She denied this memory from ever existing, and couldn¡¯t fathom why the World Tree would show her such a thing.


    The little Cecile¡¯s breathing had evened out, as slept while curled up. Just then, through her slightly opened mouth, she mumbled, ¡°I have to meet Estian too¡­¡±


    Cecile felt herself waver from hearing her younger self utter Estian¡¯s name, and her grip on the golden branch weakened. It wasn¡¯t unusual for a child to call for their mother, but not Estian.


    A second later, the image of the young child disappeared and the World Tree¡¯s voice could be heard again.


    [You. Remem. Ber?]


    Cecile bit her lips. No, she didn¡¯t¡ªno such memory existed. It didn¡¯t make sense. Why and how in the world did her younger self end up in such a mysterious place? Moreover¡­


    ¡®Estian.¡¯ Cecile felt a chill form in a corner of her heart. She¡¯d liked him from the moment they had met. She assumed it was because she found him attractive, and he became the first family she¡¯d made. All along, Cecile was convinced that those emotions belonged to her and her only¡­ But what if that wasn¡¯t the case? What if she was destined to like him from the beginning?


    Thinking about it from the other person¡¯s perspective, Estian also paid no interest to anyone, that is, until she came along and he accepted her. ¡®What if it¡¯s the same for Estian?¡¯ What if Estian was meant to love her unconditionally, regardless of what kind of person she was?


    Cecile felt the remaining strength disappearing from the hand from which she dangled off the World Tree¡¯s branch.


    * * *


    Estian tossed Ruin aside with such force that the latter landed with a noticeable quake before rolling on the ground. The unconscious prince coughed up blood, but Estian didn¡¯t bother sparing a glance as he stormed up and accosted Richard.


    ¡°Where is Cecile?¡± he demanded, grabbing the archmage by the collar.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Who other than you would know?¡± Rather than yelling, there was a chilling pressure in his terribly menacing voice.


    ¡°I told you clearly¡±¡ªEstian grabbed one of Richard¡¯s fingers and twisted¡ª¡°to not harm even a single hair of Cecile¡¯s.¡±

 CH 251

    Cecile¡¯s hand gripping onto the branch began to tremble, and she felt sweat run down her face. Groaning from the effort, she glanced downwards. Unlike the faintly illuminated World Tree, an endless darkness spread out beneath her feet. One thing was clear to Cecile. ¡®If I fall down there, I definitely won¡¯t meet a pretty end.¡¯


    All her instincts were blaring danger warnings at her. Besides, a place where mythical beings existed could never be ordinary to begin with. Tearing away her gaze from the darkness that no madman in the world would willing jump into, she turned her gaze upwards. There was no one around to help her. The only option was for her to climb back onto the World Tree with her own strength. Mustering everything within her, she reached to grab another branch on the side when¡­


    As if anticipating her action, Cecile was hit by the flash of light that had been suffused around the branch. Blinking in surprise, Cecile found herself presented with another reel of memories¡ªthis time her younger self was nowhere to be found.


    ¡®What the?¡¯ As she intently searched her surroundings, sounds of someone dashing towards her could be heard. Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before a running figure came into view. Cecile¡¯s eyes widened the moment she recognized what she was seeing. It was a person sporting short, disheveled hair and a blood-stained face. There were scars all over¡ªbig and small¡ªand the person looked like a mess. The person was dodging several shaking branches of the World Tree as they ran.


    [Stop. Right. There.]


    The World Tree¡¯s voice was brimming with rage, but the runner didn¡¯t seem inclined to pay it any heed. Unfortunately, in the next moment, the person let out an ¡°Agh!¡± as they stumbled over one of the branches; the other branches didn¡¯t waste the chance to ensnare the person¡¯s ankle.


    In response, the person drew out a sword and slashed off the hindrances. The branches of the World Tree were helplessly sliced away in spite of seeming hardy.


    Cecile doubted her eyes for a moment when she caught sight of the sword. ¡°Eh?¡± Surely, it was the black steel blade possessed by Estian. ¡®But why is it in that person¡¯s hands?¡¯ She focused on the stranger, wondering if it was possibly Estian, but it was definitely not her husband.


    Though it was difficult to tell due to the large robe the person was wearing, the person¡¯s build seemed far smaller than the emperor. Rising to their feet after slashing away the branches, the stranger rose back up to their feet. However, this time, the branches beneath them moved into action. When the stranger howled in pain, Cecile realized it was a woman.


    Collapsing, something tumbled from the stranger¡¯s arms. Cecile was left speechless when she realized it was a fruit from the World Tree¡ªlarger and more beautifully colored than the one she had eaten or the ones that had been picked by the younger Cecile.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ Although she couldn¡¯t recognize the stranger¡¯s face due to the dried blood caked on her face, Cecile couldn¡¯t shake the sense of familiarity from her.


    [You. Thief.]


    The stranger turned her head in response to the World Tree¡¯s angry cry. At that moment, her face was revealed. It was a face completely different from Cecile¡¯s. The woman had red hair and black eyes that were slightly larger than Cecile¡¯s, and a handful of freckles decorated her complexion. Even the shape of her face was different. Yet, despite the completely different appearance, Cecile stammered, ¡°Me?¡±


    She could tell that the woman was none other than herself. The other Cecile attempted to retrieve the fallen fruit, but a branch of the tree reached it faster.  ¡°Give it here!¡± the other Cecile cried.


    Instead, the World Tree responded in a firm voice, [Give. It. Up.]

 CH 252

    ¡°Give it to me!¡± the other Cecile said, gnashing her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m going to save Estian with that. If I don¡¯t hurry back, he¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡®Estian?¡¯ Cecile gasped upon hearing his name. Her other self was speaking of saving Estian, as if he was about to die.


    [He. Is. Dead.]


    ¡°No!¡± the other Cecile screamed. ¡°You¡¯re wrong! He¡¯s not dead! He has to be waiting! That¡¯s why¡­!¡± The other Cecile¡¯s voice eventually faltered. Her eyes were reddened and tears ran down her cheeks, mixing with the dried blood as they trailed down her cheeks. ¡°I have to hurry¡­ Hurry back to my world¡­¡±


    Cecile felt her throat close up from the sorrowful sight, and tears welled up in her eyes too. She didn¡¯t know what had happened, but she could sense an unfathomable sense of despair from her other self.


    [It. Is. Over.]


    Nevertheless, the World Tree¡¯s voice was indifferent to her plight. It remained completely and utterly oblivious to such emotions.


    ¡°Shut up! We¡¯re still¡­¡±


    [It. Is. Over.]


    ¡°It¡¯s over?¡± the other Cecile muttered. Her tears ceased and in its place was a murderous glint flashing in her eyes. She burst out into hollow, maniacal laughter that echoed through the air, before stopping just as suddenly. ¡°Yes, I know. Now, there is only the last Cecile. And only the last Estian remains.¡±


    The other Cecile turned and looked off towards a distant part of the gigantic World Tree that was glinting faintly. Unlike the place where she now stood, the faraway branches had lost their glimmer. The aura of death surrounding them was apparent.


    ¡°We failed, so all that¡¯s left is for us to simply submit to slumber? Because we¡¯re failures? While I¡­ I don¡¯t even get a chance to see him again?¡±


    The other Cecile walked towards the end of the World Tree¡¯s branch that she stood on. Looking down, she smiled weakly. Cecile followed her gaze and noticed something that hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago¡ªa section of the World Tree¡¯s root was shining dazzlingly even from a distance.


    ¡°So, that must be it¡­ The location of the last remaining world,¡± the other Cecile muttered. A crazed smile crept up her face and she immediately launched herself towards it.


    [You. Must. Not!]


    A branch of the World Tree tried to catch her, but the other Cecile plummeted faster than it moved. Cecile watched her other self, with a face filled with nothing but utter determination, dive straight ahead. The scene chilled her to her very core.


    At that moment, an audible crack sounded out from the branch Cecile was clinging to. Suddenly, the view she¡¯d been watching disappeared, leaving behind the World Tree and the darkness surrounding it. Cecile knew then that the illusion was over. At the same time, an extreme fatigue overcame her body, just like her other self had been moments before.


    ¡®I¡¯m tired,¡¯ she thought. She¡¯d been barely holding on as it was, but now she didn¡¯t have an ounce of strength left in her. The hand clinging to the branch had begun to tremble under her weight.


    There was no one here to help her. As she closed her eyes, Cecile thought, ¡®I can¡¯t hold on anymore.¡¯ Unable to hold on any longer, she lost her grip on the branch. At that moment, a large hand suddenly shot out and caught her by the arm. A second later, Cecile realized she had been hoisted up and was wrapped securely in someone¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Cecile!¡±


    Surprised by the voice calling her name, her eyes shot open. ¡°Estian? H-how¡­ Here¡­¡± she stammered. It was strange. Had she inadvertently grabbed another branch? Was that why she was seeing another illusion? She was stunned by her husband¡¯s unbelievable reappearance.


    This was the domain in which the World Tree resided. Though she wasn¡¯t knowledgeable regarding such matters, even she could tell that this was obviously an abnormal place that was not easy to locate.

 CH 253

    While Cecile stammered in her confusion, Estian tightened his arms around her and leaned his forehead against hers, as if to confirm she was alive. As Cecile slowly registered the feeling of him pressed against her, she began to notice his sweat-drenched skin, ragged breaths, and the smoldering heat emanating from his body.


    The pulsations from Estian¡¯s wildly beating heart seemed to slowly pass over to her through their tight embrace. The reassuring thumps of his heartbeat seemed to kickstart her heart, which had grown cold moments before. Cecile could feel, little by little, how her heart was beginning to slowly beat again. The sorrow, exhaustion and despair that had cast a shadow over her had quickly dissipated from his warmth.


    Cecile threw her arms around Estian and hugged her back with her trembling body. When he held her tighter yet in his arms, tears welled up in her eyes. Nestled in his embrace, she felt her tension melt and her strength leave her. ¡°Estian¡­¡± she sobbed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I came too late,¡± Estian soothed. He raised a hand and gently brushed Cecile¡¯s hair back so she could peer into her husband¡¯s face properly.


    Cecile¡¯s eyes widened from shock. What in the world had happened? When she watched Estian fighting Ruin through Richard¡¯s spell, she was sure he¡¯d been relatively unscathed; the worst of his injuries should¡¯ve been a few minor scratches on his arms. However, the husband in front of her now was a literal mess. Not only was his face scarred all over, but even his clothes were also in tatters. It was also stained with blood all over. It looked like the man had single-handedly fought a long war by himself.


    Clearly, these were injuries he had sustained as he fought his way to her side. The sight of his sorry state had shocked her into silence. When Estian gently wiped away her tears, the all-too-familiar touch made her choke up again, and she had to swallow the sobs threatening to break out from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve come before you were in danger,¡± Estian apologized remorsefully.


    His gentle voice caused Cecile to break into tears once more. She didn¡¯t know what had happened, but Estian was here now. He was alive. He had come for her. And that fact made her cry. Throwing her arms around his neck, she let loose and bawled. The emperor patted her comfortingly on the back until she calmed down.


    Just as Cecile raised her head, she stiffened¡ªthe branches of the World Tree had drawn near them before they realized. The thickest of branches suddenly whipped towards them.


    ¡®No!¡¯ There wasn¡¯t even time to scream. Bracing for the impact, Cecile shut her eyes tightly and hugged Estian to protect his head, but¡­ At that moment, the branch noisily collided with a foreign object. When Cecile blinked open her eyes, a familiar figure came into a view¡ªa palm-sized, green spirit in human form. ¡°Aled?¡± Cecile muttered, surprised.


    Hearing its name, Aled grinned and began, ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s the World Tree for you. It sure is painful. I think it¡¯s been a really long time since I¡¯ve been in this much pain. Not since I suffered a beating by the emperor over there. Ah, but you guys saw it, right? Right? I blocked it, I tell you! I helped you two! You can¡¯t pretend it didn¡¯t happen later, okay? Emperor, you¡¯ve absolutely got to keep the promise you made on the way here. You said you¡¯d take care of my loan all at once and give me everything else too, yeah? Oh, but seriously. Why am I so awesome? I¡¯m fully aware that I¡¯m an elder-class spirit, but I sure didn¡¯t know I could block the World Tree¡¯s branch in such epic fashion. By the way, Empress. Haven¡¯t you gotten uglier since we last met? What¡¯s that look you got going? But then again, you and the emperor do look like a similar mess.¡±


    Cecile involuntarily covered her ears. It was Aled alright.

 CH 254

    Aled¡¯s incessant chattering continued for a long while, before it eventually paused to look down at its hand. A sore pain emanated from it¡ªas a spirit, it was a soul entity and the shadow of the Elf King. Aled was dull to most pain, yet its hand was throbbing to an awful degree. The spirit¡¯s continuous prattling was actually a cover to appear dignified and strong. In fact, it was on the verge of tearing up. The World Tree had definitely been serious in trying to whip Cecile and Estian.


    While Aled was staring at its sore hand, Ayura was prostrating beside the spirit and crying out, ¡°I have nothing to do with that spirit, great World Tree!¡± Turning to glare at Aled, Ayura yelled, ¡°Are you mad? What¡¯re you doing? Get down on your knees this instant and beg with me! Do you even know what you did to the great World Tree?¡±


    Aled puffed out its chest and proudly replied, ¡°What I now know is that I¡¯m strong enough to block the World Tree¡¯s attack!¡±


    ¡°You lunatic!¡±


    Ignoring Ayura¡¯s wails, Aled turned to gaze at Estian, who was hugging Cecile,


    And thought about everything that had led up to this moment.


    * * *


    When Aled and Ayura leaped from the end of the world, the spirit soon understood why the latter had been so frightened. The end of the world truly was a dangerous place. It was a place beyond the boundary of the unknown that lay between the gap of space, where things that could not be comprehended by the laws of the world existed. They encountered things that were alive, dead and those that were in neither state from the beginning. What¡¯s more, the space itself was hostile towards the two spirits.


    ¡®Treating us like foreign bodies, eh?¡¯ What shouldn¡¯t have entered had come in, so it naturally tried to spit them back out. Even so, Aled managed to find the World Tree. ¡®Not that it was difficult,¡¯ Aled thought. The spirit had guessed that the biggest and most powerful existence would be the World Tree, so following its presence wasn¡¯t hard. Rather, the difficulty lay on the path to the tree. As they were making their way, Aled and Ayura sensed a huge collision of force somewhere far away.


    ¡®Huh? Someone else is here?¡¯ Did another ¡®foreign entity¡¯ make its way here aside from them? Aled was contemplating whether to avoid the source of disturbance, when it sensed familiarity from one of the powers.


    ¡°The Emperor? I mean, why is he here?¡± Aled cried in surprise.


    Eyeing the spirit suspiciously, Ayura asked, ¡°Are you acquainted with that madman? He seems to be a human, so how is he alive in this place? And what is that power of his?¡±


    Aled broke into a cold sweat at Ayura¡¯s question. ¡®I can¡¯t let Ayura find out that the emperor has Eugendiph¡¯s blood.¡¯ If the existence of the power that had once laid devastation on the spirit realm became known, all of spirit-kind would rise up and attempt to kill the emperor.


    Not to mention, thanks to the emperor, Aled had become the owner of the Forest of Tetin, as well as the Emerald of Aled and Tania¡¯s brooch. These jewelry pieces were the equivalent of one super luxurious mansion and two villas. However, if the emperor died, all of it would be lost. ¡®My house! My loan reimbursement!¡¯ Faster than it had ever flown before, Aled rushed to Estian¡¯s side and aided the emperor in thrashing the unknown opponent.


    ¡°Are you going to pay my loaaan?!¡± Aled screamed. The punch thrown by an elder-class spirit with all their might packed quite the power.

 CH 255

    The being that had been attacking Estian staggered, and Aled used the opening to take the emperor and flee. It was only after dimension-hopping several times did the spirit turn to ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why¡¯re you here?¡±


    Realizing it was Aled, Estian sheathed his black steel blade and answered, ¡°Cecile is here.¡±


    ¡°Say what? The empress?¡±


    Aled was dumbfounded. Putting aside how the empress ended up here, how had the emperor found out and made it this far?


    ¡°You came in not knowing where the empress is, didn¡¯t you?¡± the spirit chided. ¡°Goodness, do you even know what a dangerous place this is? You really are hopeless. Life shouldn¡¯t be thrown away like that, you know.¡±


    Aled proceeded to list out the dangers of this place, while Ayura shot a look at the spirit that said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I explained to you, you miscreant?¡± After listening for a while, Estian wearily grabbed Aled by the mouth.


    ¡°Mmf! Mmf!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to listen to your chatter right now. Let me keep it simple. Aled, if you take me to Cecile right now, then¡­¡±


    Aled escaped Estian¡¯s fingers and with glittering eyes, asked, ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I shall give you all the jewelry of the empire. You may take whatever you wish.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aled gaped at the emperor¡¯s proposal. It had expected to be rewarded with another jewel comparable to the Forest of Tetin, but the emperor was offering all the imperial jewelry in the empire?


    Estian smirked at the speechless Aled. ¡°They¡¯re merely stones of pretty colors to me. If this allows me to reach Cecile faster, then they¡¯ll have served their worth.¡±


    If the officials of the imperial palace could hear his words right now, they would undoubtedly collapse while frothing at the mouth. Cries and protests would be raised over the fact that he was giving away such important treasures like he was clearing out garbage.


    ¡°Besides, I think new ones will suit Cecile better,¡± Estian added.


    For the first time in a long while, Aled shut its mouth lest it inadvertently called the emperor a madman. And thus, the spirit guided Estian to the World Tree. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t an easy journey; Estian¡¯s current state spoke to the arduous ordeal.


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that Estian had almost single-handedly dealt with all the beings that stood in their way. Even when Aled and Ayura tried to help, the emperor had stopped them and asked them to focus on leading the way instead.


    Tearing its eyes away from Estian and Cecil, who were embracing so tightly they had melded into one, and shouted, ¡°Okay, Ayura! It¡¯s your turn!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Ayura turned to look at Aled confusedly. He was still in the middle of prostrating and pleading, ¡°Oh great World Tree, I¡¯m innocent. Only those other stinkers should get a beating.¡±


    Pulling on the rope wrapped around Ayura, Aled leaned close to Ayura¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Sorry, my foot. Hurry up and find a way out of here!¡± What Aled had sneakily concealed from Estian was that it didn¡¯t know the way out. ¡°Come on, think about it carefully. As long as these two are rescued from here, I can promise you a good piece of jewelry too! Something that isn¡¯t any inferior to the Forest of Tetin. You only live once, you know?¡±


    Ayura speechlessly eyed Aled. The face of the elder spirit that had blocked countless attacks of unknown beings enroute and had even managed to fend off the World Tree a minute ago was still glowing green. Ayura knew this strength wasn¡¯t only thanks to Aled¡¯s age, but also because the spirit was in possession of a good lodging. After all, a good house was power to the spirits.

 CH 256

    Briefly contemplating the offer, it turned to Aled and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s a promise? You have to give me a big one, okay?¡±


    Aled grinned widely in response, before it turned to look at Estian and yelled, ¡°Hey, Emperor! Get ready!¡± The spirit was giving the signal for the emperor to get ready to run.


    * * *


    A moment later, Aled was alone and staring at the rope in its hand. It wasn¡¯t a simple rope. Aled had originally brought the rope in case Ayura tried to make a run for it. While it was only long enough to tie up Ayura at first, it had now extended to lengths unraveling far beyond what the naked eye could see. At the other end, Ayura was surely frantically guiding Estian and Cecile back to the human realm. ¡®I just have to follow this later,¡¯ it thought.


    Turning its attention back to the World Tree, the spirit looked up to see a branch that had been completely severed on one side. It had been split by Estian¡¯s black steel blade when the branch tried to attack Cecile.


    ¡°Woah, now that must hurt. I¡¯m a spiritual entity, so the mere sight of that sword terrifies me into a cold sweat, makes me dizzy, and turns my legs to jelly. I suppose that¡¯s the World Tree for you. Fighting back against it. Really amazing! Respect. Much respect. Oh, and let¡¯s not be too angry about just letting the two humans go. Don¡¯t they say blessings only come when you show mercy to others? And there¡¯s no need to be so annoyed that you couldn¡¯t catch them. The emperor¡¯s a little too strong for a human, you see.¡±


    The branches of the World Tree trembled as if irritated by the spirit¡¯s prattling.


    [You. Are. Noisy.]


    Aled clicked its tongue and endeavored to change the subject. ¡°Well, now that we¡¯re alone, let¡¯s just talk openly. What did you scheme with the Archwitch? What the heck did you do¡±¡ªAled waved a hand and summoned a strong gust¡ª¡°for you, the World Tree, to end up like this?¡±


    The strong wind blasted in the darkness and caused the World Tree to sway wildly, revealing the rotten branches beneath its shaking leaves. Silence descended between the two, before the World Tree¡¯s voice rang out once more.


    [Are. You. Curious?]


    * * *


    The World Tree gazed across its dominion, in which peace had finally been restored. The boisterous spirit that had been making noise had departed. Recalling how the spirit had madly scurried off, having been drained of its color so much that not a trace of its original green complexion remained, put the World Tree in a good mood. And that wasn¡¯t the only thing that the tree was happy about.


    [I. Said. It.]


    The World Tree had shared things only it had known with another for the first time in a long time.


    Time was a meaningless construct to the mythical being, but even the World Tree found it displeasing to have to witness the repeated failure of events. With each world¡¯s failure, the blood of Eugendiph would become a world-devouring poison, and since the branches of the tree touched all the worlds in existence, it too became affected by the poison, which spread and caused its branches to rot.


    The World tree surveyed what little remained of its unrotten trunk and thought back to the last visit by the Archwitch. While they were both powerful beings, unlike the World Tree, she had powerful emotions.

 CH 257

    By the time only the last world remained, the Archwitch had become worn down from exhaustion and fury. That is why she chose to do nothing in the end. No¡­ To be precise, she imprisoned her daughter from the beginning and used all her power to prevent the event that had occurred in all the previous worlds: the meeting of Cecile and Estian.


    [All. In. Vain.]


    Due to one of its branches being linked with the last world, the World Tree could see that Estian¡¯s dice wasn¡¯t destined to land on the kingdom of Navitan¡­ And yet it had. The two were destined to come together no matter how many times they were obstructed or hindered. It was inevitable. Moreover, from the deepest part of its roots, which connected to the last remaining world, the tree sensed something strange.


    [Out. Si. Der.]


    Was it because this was the last one? Something strange had squeezed itself into the world. There was something off about the last world. It was the end of everything, so it should¡¯ve been filled with grim sorrow. Yet, the air in this world was lighter than ever and overflowed with vitality.


    [The. Last.]


    The Archwitch had done many things as she pleased because it was the last. Since she had her way, the World Tree felt that it deserved some freedom of action itself. That¡¯s why it told Aled about all the things it had borne witness to. It was curious as to how the beings of this last world would react when they discovered the state of their world, as well as the fate they would have to face.


    The World Tree examined the branches where Cecile and Estian had been standing earlier. A second later, it shook the branch that had been bearing fruit and muttered to itself sourly.


    [They. Got. Me.]


    It was missing one fruit.


    * * *


    Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light above the imperial villa in Aluna. A portal gate opened and spewed out objects¡ªfragments of things that didn¡¯t exist in the human world. They were the corpses of the beings Estian had slaughtered in the other dimension. Cecile, Estian, and Ayura came tumbling out right behind them.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the right place?¡± Ayura gasped. The spirit sounded like it was on its dying breath. After seeing Cecile, who was wrapped securely in Estian¡¯s arms, look around and nod, the spirit immediately passed out.


    Cecile turned away from the spirit and tried to move, but Estian¡¯s voice made her halt.


    ¡°Are you okay? Not hurt anywhere?¡± His voice was full of fatigue. The emperor was in an even worse condition than he¡¯d been when found his wife. It was the consequence of dealing with the many creatures that stood in their path on their way back from the World Tree to the human world.


    Cecile gazed at her husband¡¯s face for a moment, before suddenly taking out something from her clothes and putting it in Estian¡¯s mouth. He reflexively bit down without the slightest bit of hesitation since it was offered to him by Cecile. With a satisfying crunch, an unbelievably fresh and sweet juice spread throughout his mouth. ¡®What is this?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°Estian, I¡¯m sorry to say this right after we returned, but there¡¯s something I have to do.¡±


    ¡®Something she had to do?¡¯ Not following his wife¡¯s train of thought, Estian continued to munch as he cast a quizzical look at Cecile.


    ¡°I need to visit the Navitan Kingdom for a bit,¡± Cecile added in a serious tone. Meeting his eyes, she continued, ¡°And also¡­ could you lend me part of the Imperial Guard?¡±


    She clenched her fists as the visions the World Tree had shown flitted through her mind. There was something she needed to confirm in Navitan. There was also a lot to settle. An old vow resurfaced in Cecile¡¯s mind¡ªa vow for payback that she had made on the morning of her wedding day.

 CH 258

    Act 11: The Truth Lies In Navitan


    As the citizens of Navitan watched the Imperial Guard of the empire march through the castle gates, they thought the end had finally come for them. Only a few months had passed since the illegitimate princess of Navitan, whose existence up till then been unknown, was sent off to the kingdom to become the empress.


    In her absence, a dark gloom had descended upon the royal palace. In the initial days, the royal family had rejoiced and even went so far as to host a celebration banquet. They were relieved that there would be no tearful partings needed in order to obey the emperor¡¯s demand. However, it wasn¡¯t long before they came to their senses.


    Amidst the banquet, someone from the royal family muttered, ¡°Hold on¡­ What happens if that princess, who hasn¡¯t received a single formal lesson, irks the emperor and ends up dead on the first day?¡±


    ¡°Then, who¡¯d be held responsible¡­?¡±


    Well, that much was obvious. Who else but the kingdom of Navitan? And so, the atmosphere in Navitan became more akin to a house in mourning as the emperor¡¯s wedding day approached.


    Finally, a few days after the marriage was consummated, the messenger whom everyone had been impatiently waiting for returned with news of Princess Cecile. Surprisingly, the news turned out to be different from what they¡¯d all expected.


    ¡°Apparently she¡¯s not dead?¡±


    ¡°Not only is she not dead, but the emperor decreed that the Summer Palace would belong to the empress, and spent a week in there with her without ever once coming out?¡±


    This utterly unexpected turn of events caused the entirety of Navitan to tremble in fear for a different reason.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way Empress Cecile will like us, is there?¡±


    The woman had vehemently flipped the bird at them until the moment the carriage departed and bellowed, ¡°You¡¯re all gonna paaaay!¡± That is why the royal family of Navitan had lived gloomy days ever since. And now, finally¡­ Today was the date of arrival for the person whom they all wished would never return.


    Arriving three days prior, the knights of the Imperial Guard had announced the emperor¡¯s imminent arrival, along with his requests.


    ¡°We ask that accommodations be arranged for His and Her Imperial Majesties. I have also been instructed to request for the sturdiest prison that Navitan can prepare. I am told that if it¡¯s an underground prison, then the deeper the better. Or the highest it can be, should it be a prison on the surface.¡±


    The entire royal family of Navitan had paled at the imperial guard¡¯s words. Just who was that prison intended for?


    ¡°Surely, it must be for one of us? Or it could be¡­ for all of us.¡±


    Their groans sounded like people who¡¯d been dealt their death sentences. Resigned to their fates, the members of the Navitan royal family began writing down their wills. Attendants of the royal palace, under the belief that their place of employment would soon be switched over to the empire, also began setting out to look for jobs offering minimum wage and labor contracts. Three days passed in such a manner.


    As the emperor¡¯s carriage made its way onto the castle grounds, someone muttered, ¡°But why do none of us remember that princess?¡±


    The offhand remark made the members of the Navitan royal family exchange glances. They remembered the first time Cecile had emerged from the villa, they had all doubted their eyes. ¡®Isn¡¯t she too pretty?¡¯  they thought. It was a face that could launch a thousand ships. Even if she was an illegitimate child and had been raised in neglect, it was impossible that she hadn¡¯t garnered interest with a face like that.


    ¡®If the people knew about her beauty, someone would¡¯ve most certainly have asked the king for her hand.¡¯ That was the thought that ran through everyone¡¯s heads. If her existence had been known, then perhaps she would never have had the chance to become the empress. Instead, everyone had forgotten about her, only to remember her existence when the emperor¡¯s letter of proposal arrived.


    The person who thought it strange and was most puzzled by this matter was none other than the king of Navitan. ¡®I did call her my daughter, but¡­¡¯ But was she really? Admittedly, he had no choice but to acknowledge her as his child. Her platinum blonde hair and green eyes were obviously characteristics of the Navitan royal family, but still¡­


    Glancing over at the children born between him and his queen, the king thought that even if it wasn¡¯t the most in the whole wide world, he could still quite proudly declare that he loved his wife deeply. Honest to heaven, he truly believed he¡¯d never been unfaithful to his queen.

 CH 259

    The princess was supposedly the fruit of a dalliance with a maid, but the king couldn¡¯t even recall that maid¡¯s face. ¡®I really don¡¯t have any memory of it at all.¡¯ While he continued to be lost in thought, the emperor¡¯s carriage arrived at the royal palace.


    ¡°His Imperial Majesty approaches.¡±


    Has the time for their necks to bid farewell from their bodies finally come? Moments later, the palace doors swung open. As Emperor Estian entered, King Navitan drew out all his courage to walk over and greet the emperor.


    ¡°We sincerely welcome your visit to the kingdom of Navitan. A-as it was somewhat sudden, our preparations may be lacking, but I pray that you will have an enjoyable¡­¡± The king trailed off when he realized that Emperor Estian had fixed an intent stare on him.


    After eyeing the king for a long pause, Estian shifted his gaze and asked, ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°Our place of accommodation?¡±


    The head chamberlain standing at the side immediately stepped forward at the emperor¡¯s question. ¡°I-it is this way, Your Imperial Majesty,¡± he answered shakily.


    ¡°Lead the way. Ah, and regarding the prison¡­¡±


    Finally, the moment had come. Everyone gulped as they waited for the next words to come. They wondered who it was the emperor would decree to be imprisoned.


    ¡°Put those two behind bars,¡± Estian commanded.


    ¡®Those two?¡¯ Everyone¡¯s attention turned in the direction the emperor was pointing. There were two corpses splayed about, or more accurately, two people who appeared to be corpses. One was a silver-haired, handsome young boy, while the other was an attractive man with the obvious characteristics of someone from the Hyun continent. It was apparent that both had good looks, though for an unknown reason, they both sported swollen faces as if they¡¯d suffered from an intense beating.


    As soon as the emperor gave his orders, he turned and left. Silence descended on the hall. After a pregnant pause, the king stammered, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    The emperor had retired to his accommodations immediately after arriving, so the people who had gathered in preparation for the welcome banquet were left gazing blankly at the door he¡¯d exited through. Whatever the case was, it appeared they¡¯d lived to see another day¡­ although what would come tomorrow remained yet to be seen.


    * * *


    Estian sighed as he smoothed back his hair. Immediately after returning from the World Tree, Cecile had announced that she needed to visit Navitan immediately. Even though he was bewildered, he didn¡¯t ask for her reasons and immediately set about making the arrangements. All along their trip here, Cecile had been restless and uneasy. Lost in thought all day long, her anxiety only grew more visible as they drew nearer to Navitan.


    ¡®Just what could¡¯ve happened during her time with the World Tree?¡¯ Until now, Cecile had shared everything with Estian whenever anything happened, regardless of whether it was an important matter or not. That¡¯s why her hesitation in confiding him now meant¡­ ¡®It must have something to do with me.¡¯ Understanding her concerns, Estian gave up his intention to ask Cecile what was troubling her and opted to give her space so that she could think comfortably.


    When Estian returned to their room late that night, he found his wife curled up in a corner of the bed fast asleep. When he went to lie down next to her, she subconsciously snuggled into his arms, as if petulant about his late return. Wrapping his arms around her, Estian pondered his own troubles.


    ¡®When should I tell her?¡¯ Like Cecile, there was something he too could not yet tell her. It was about the maids that had supposedly raised Cecile, and how they were nowhere to be found. Not a single possession of theirs had been left behind. Could Cecile really have lived a life of delusion, alone in the royal villa, under the impression that she was being cared for by non-existent maids? But she was far too sane for someone who¡¯d been living under such a delusion. Furthermore, her recounting of the days spent with them were far too detailed to be dismissed as lies. Even though Estian had given orders to investigate the matter in more detail, no new information could be found.


    Besides, there was something else that bothered Estian. ¡®They didn¡¯t look alike at all.¡¯ Immediately upon arriving at the royal palace, he closely observed King Navitan as well as the other members of the royal family. Although the color of their hair and eyes were the same as his wife¡¯s, their faces didn¡¯t bear any resemblance. Was Cecile really the daughter of King Navitan?


    Extracting himself from Cecile, Estian quietly left the room and headed towards the underground prison prepared by Navitan. As soon as Estian stepped inside, he was met with a voice that said, ¡°Why the miserable face?¡±

 CH 260

    Estian threw out a punch without hesitation. Smack! The impact of the punch echoed in the prison, followed by a groan of pain from Ruin. The emperor didn¡¯t even bother to turn around to look at him. ¡°So sorry. That was out of reflex. I have a habit of reacting to barking dogs with a fist, you see,¡± Estian said emotionlessly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie! You hit the same spot as before!¡± Ruin, who was bound in chains, yelled in protest.


    Estian didn¡¯t even bother to feign like he was listening, as he turned to glance at the other person next to Ruin. With eyes that were bruised black and blue, Richard was kneeling on the floor next to the crown prince. And keeping watch from behind the both of them was the blue phoenix¡ªseveral times bigger than before.


    ¡°For a single drop of Eugendiph¡¯s blood to result in such growth¡­ How incredible, truly,¡± Richard murmured, enviously gazing at the phoenix. ¡°But how could you do this to me? You didn¡¯t even give up a drop when I asked¡­¡±


    Estian responded to the archmage¡¯s grumbles by lifting his foot and sending Richard rolling across the prison floor with a thump. As it so happened, Cecile hadn¡¯t kept everything that happened that night from Estian.


    ¡°Richard said these things to me¡­¡± After hearing his wife repeat what Richard had said to her, Estian made sure to deal merciless treatment towards the archmage too.


    ¡°How noisy. What? You can manage to keep running away with her? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t be able to catch you if you took Cecile, knave?¡± Estian growled.


    ¡°Hehe, I was just joking,¡± Richard immediately responded with a toady laugh after seeing the murderous look in Estian¡¯s eyes. After all, he knew he had been asking for a beating.


    Watching the two, Ruin rubbed the spot where he¡¯d been punched earlier and asked, ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you going to interrogate me today too? I thought you¡¯d keep at it forever, and today would be no different.¡±


    Enroute from Aluna to Navitan, Estian had questioned the crown prince endlessly each night, especially in regards to matters related to the Ender and the catastrophe. After hearing the full story from the crown prince, Estian had summarily deemed it all to be nonsense. How could he not? Estian had no intention of being amused by stories that he was the reason for the approaching end of days.


    After glaring at Ruin for a full minute, Estian straightened himself up and said, ¡°This is enough. I will just return for today.¡±


    His thoughts were with Cecile, who he¡¯d left asleep in the room prepared by Navitan. Was it the effect of returning to this place? Cecile seemed to toss and turn in her sleep more than any other day, and it concerned him. Turning to the blue phoenix, who was now large enough to be called a monster, Estian instructed, ¡°If either does anything funny, peck them.¡±


    The phoenix squawked and unfurled its wings as if to say, ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    As Estian turned to leave, Ruin and Richard cried out in unison, ¡°What about our food! The least you can do is to feed us!¡±


    However, the emperor closed the prison door on them without ever looking back.


    * * *


    Not concerned in the slightest as to whether the crown prince and archmage starved or not, Estian walked along the dark hallways. He had ordered for everyone unnecessary to be cleared out, and it appeared that his orders had been followed well. The emperor couldn¡¯t sense the presence of anyone besides his Imperial Guard on duty outside. As a result of his command, even the royal family members and the attendants had to spend the night outside, but that wasn¡¯t a concern for Estian


    Suddenly, he abruptly came to a stop. ¡®Hm?¡¯ The door to Cecile¡¯s room opened quietly, and Estian instinctively hid his presence and took cover behind a nearby curtain. A moment later, Cecile poked her head out. Checking the hallway was all clear, she began to creep away on her tippy toes.


    ¡®Where is she going?¡¯ Estian knew she was having difficulty sleeping after watching her toss and turn, but he hadn¡¯t expected that she would wander about at night. He decided to discreetly tail his wife.


    Unsurprisingly, she wasn¡¯t familiar with the layout of the main palace and she quickly appeared lost. ¡®What in the world could she be looking for so earnestly?¡¯ Estian wondered, as he continued to follow.


    ¡°Found it,¡± Cecile exclaimed happily.


    After a long time of wandering, Cecile seemed to have found what she had been searching for and quickly snuck inside. Estian watched her figure disappear through the doors, before turning to look at the hallway next to that place. In an instant, his eyes widened with surprise.