‘That person is not the Emperor I knew. Could it be, was Calisto right? That the shadow had already interfered. That it might have swallowed the Emperor already?’
Calisto had warned her of the worst-case scenario. The princess had not believed it. She had lived her life with pride in the imperial family. It didn’t seem likely that the Emperor would collapse so easily.
[Don’t worry too much, Calisto. If evil powers can only infiltrate when given room, then the Emperor might not be a saint, but he hasn’t fallen so low. It will be all right.]
[I wonder if that’s really true?]
[I understand why you dislike the Emperor. I might have felt the same. But try to understand my position too. As the heir, I have served the Emperor at close quarters. I don’t want to give up on him so easily.]
So she pleaded for just one more chance. She would somehow convince the Emperor. You should focus on breaking the queen consort’s curse.
[If you insist, Sister, I have no choice. But you must promise me. If anything happens, you must call me. No matter how small, you can’t just let it go. Please, just as I say.]
Calisto said this as he handed the princess a gem. It contained a summoning spell that would call Calisto if she uttered the trigger word. According to Calisto’s instructions, she should have called him immediately had the Emperor slapped her.
But the princess did not do so. Even now, when it was almost certain that the Emperor was under the shadow’s control, she remained unswayed.
‘That guy isn’t normal either.’
Despite having met the long-awaited savior, Calisto was still unstable. It was because of the curse Josephina had cast on Leticia. His anxiety wasn’t apparent externally. Nevertheless, the princess was certain of her brother’s condition.
‘He must be going mad with helplessness.’
Calisto was undoubtedly a skilled magician. He was also deeply versed in ancient languages. Yet, he still had not deciphered the curse. A week was too short to break such a vicious curse. Regardless, Leticia’s lifespan continued to decrease. This fact eroded Calisto’s patience.
‘It’s somewhat fortunate that Noel Almos is here.’
After Josephina disappeared, the Three Wings each went their separate ways. Ahwin sought to heal himself before searching for the other Wings.
Calisto and Noel came with the princess to the imperial capital, the empire’s second city. Initially, she had been terrified to be with the two of them.
But now she felt fortunate. Observing Noel up close, she seemed more rational than she had first appeared. If Calisto were to go berserk, Noel would be able to stop him.
‘…Is it really fortunate?’
Briefly recalling the ruined divine palace, she momentarily doubted. For peace of mind, the princess quickly erased that scene from her mind and started brainstorming solutions to the immediate problems.
“Your Majesty the Emperor! I have erred. I now understand my sin!”
She could never call Calisto. She would rather die than do so. There was only one path left.
“The queen consort a saint? I must have been mad! Such a villainess could never be a saint!”
The princess decided to prostrate herself in supplication.
“Your words are absolutely correct. The dirty dragon’s power has clouded my judgment. The only true saint is Lady Josephina! Exactly so!”
If humans were to avert disaster, they had to utilize all their talents. The princess mobilized all her acting skills that she had honed over a lifetime. There was a reason for her actions.
‘The shadow surely hates the queen consort and the dragon.’
Now, the Emperor’s demeanor was reminiscent of Josephina as she had raged at Leticia in the temple.
“…Lady Josephina is the empire’s only saint?”
Whether her strategy worked or not, the Emperor, who had been dancing with his sword, paused.
“That’s right.”
The princess bowed her head slightly, furrowing her brow. Lady Josephina, indeed. The Emperor had never referred to Josephina that way before her.
“You’re definitely being controlled.”
Then who could it be?
‘Is the culprit nearby?’
“That’s right. I was so shocked that I lost my mind for a moment. So please give me one last chance.”
The princess clung to the hem of the Emperor’s robe. Her hair was disheveled, her skirt stained with blood and dirt. It didn’t matter. Overcoming the empire’s crisis was the priority.
“Your words are right. The dragon’s power has ensnared my soul. But now I understand. The only saint of the empire is Lady Josephina! I will make sure the entire empire knows this fact!”
“…….”
“I’ve also discovered why the barrier stone was destroyed. It’s because of the dragon! Indeed, revenge is necessary! Your Majesty, you must personally execute the queen consort who damaged the barrier stone! Since I have summoned her, I can bring her here!”
“You summoned the queen consort?”
“Yes. I also sent people to the Principality. When that woman arrives in the empire, you must be the one to execute her! By doing so, you’ll have your revenge and become the savior of the empire!”
The princess carefully chose words that would appeal to her father, having spent her life aligning with the Emperor’s moods. A moment later, the Emperor nodded, his eyes dull.
“You only choose the right words.”
Fortunately, she had managed to deceive the Emperor. However, the princess could not relax just yet.
‘Was the shadow also deceived?’
The shadow must be watching this scene from not too far away.
‘I hope my words have reached him.’
Deceived or not, all she needed was to survive and escape from this place.
“Very well. I’ll do as you say. You will take responsibility for the queen consort and bring her to me. Also take care of Calisto. Make sure that foolish man does not doubt me. Keep him from doing anything rash. Protect me with your life if you must.”
“Of course, that is what I shall do.”
“But just in case, you must always carry this with you.”
The Emperor then pulled something from his robes. The princess’s eyes widened.
‘An elixir?’
Surprisingly, the round black gem resembled an elixir. Of course, it was not an elixir. It was much smaller than a real one.
“Never remove these earrings from your body. They will help ensure you are never deceived by evil powers again.”
“I will heed your command.”
As the cold metal pierced her ears, the princess grimaced slightly.
‘What is this? A tracking device? A recording magical tool?’
For the time being, she would have to be cautious. With the earrings in place, she couldn’t inform Calisto of the Emperor’s condition, and she might need to praise Josephina. Still, the princess was not too worried.
She knew all too well how mad her brother was. The moment she praised Josephina, he would sense something off and act. She was sure he would find a way to deal with the earrings. There was only one thing left to do.
‘To prove to the Emperor, who is controlled by the shadow, that the queen consort is the true saint.’
And if she couldn’t prove it?
‘The imperial palace will end up just like the divine palace…’
The princess sighed deeply as she gazed at the throne. Somehow, she had a sinister premonition that even the throne might collapse.
* * *
In the capital of Principality Genos, at the city gate. The captain of the guard looked suspiciously at the unfamiliar visitor.
“Is this person really sent by the Holy Empire’s princess to His Majesty?”
“Yes, this is the princess’s seal right here.”
“Just one person? Is this supposed to be an official envoy?”
“That’s what he claims.”
“It’s not like the Holy Empire’s delegations to be so meager, right? Those folks always like to show off.”
“I think so too.”
“Seems like a fake, should we turn him away?”
“Whether I’m fake or not isn’t for you to decide, but for the royal court.”
With a deep, unfamiliar voice, the captain and his deputy startled and looked up.
“Was that… Did that person just speak?”
“It seems so.”
“How could he hear us from such a distance…”
“There are ways to hear even from afar. Let’s not waste any more time and send the letter to Lady Leticia.”
With a whoosh, the wind blew. The captain hurriedly urged his deputy.
“Send someone to the royal castle right now! Report everything that just happened!”
“Understood!”
Once again, the wind carried their conversation. The man smirked and then looked toward the royal castle beyond the city gate.
His smile faded, replaced by a look of anxious anticipation as if he were desperately waiting for someone. The castle guards, including the captain, watched him with heightened tension. Shortly after, the sound of galloping hooves brought color back to the captain’s face.
“Finally, here comes……!”
The horse raced past the captain, its rider’s long blonde hair fluttering in the wind, which widened the captain’s eyes.
“Your Highness?”
Surprisingly, it was the queen consort herself who had come rushing.
“Ahwin!”
“Lady Leticia! Slow down! It’s dangerous!”
Leticia, far from slowing down, spurred her horse even more before abruptly pulling the reins. The horse reared up in alarm. Leticia was thrown backward. At that moment, she lost her grip on the reins. Ahwin, horrified, summoned a wind spirit.
“Behemoth!”
Leticia’s airborne body slowly righted itself. Ahwin hurried over. Leticia, back on the ground, looked up at Ahwin with sparkling eyes. Ahwin, pale with shock, checked her over.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Leticia said as she suddenly pulled Ahwin into a hug. She then burst into a clear laughter.
“I knew Ahwin would protect me!”
“Did you let go of the reins on purpose?”
“Correct! As expected, Ahwin is quick-witted.”
Ahwin’s shoulders relaxed from their tensed state. He chuckled emptily.
“I thought my heart was going to drop.”
“It was revenge.”
“What? Revenge?”
“To make you feel my heart, even just a little. That’s how I felt when I saw Ahwin being stabbed with the dagger.”
Leticia giggled. Ahwin, momentarily taken aback, coughed awkwardly.
“At that time, well. I was truly sorry. But you don’t have to worry at all now. The wound has healed perfectly.”
“It seems so. You look good.”
“You look good too, Lady Leticia.”
“It has been a very comfortable week. Everything was perfect.”
“I am glad to hear you say that.”
The two gazed at each other silently for a moment, smiles softly forming on their faces as if by agreement. Though only a week had passed, it felt like a very long time. Leticia gently touched the tips of Ahwin’s hair and said,
“Ahwin, black hair suits you very well. Your eyes seem a bit different too. It’s the prince’s magic, right?”
“I am supposed to be dead, so I’ve decided to hide my identity for now.”
“Noel also looked good with her changed hair.”
“Noel has undone her dye. Everything she did on the day the Divine Palace fell has become known. There was no need to hide her identity.”
“When will you return to silver hair?”
“Do you prefer the silver? Just say the word. If Lady Leticia wishes, I will change it right away.”
“Ahwin is so handsome, any hair color suits you. You are the second most handsome man in the world.”
“Second?”
“The first is my husband.”
“I am a bit disappointed, but since I am the first for Noel, I will respect your wishes, Lady Leticia.”
“Haha.”
Leticia burst into laughter. Ahwin’s laughter deepened. Leticia’s happiness was fully transmitted to Ahwin. White fluffy clouds drifted across the clear blue sky.
“I thought someone would come soon. I didn’t know it would be Ahwin.”
Leave a Reply