CHAPTER 48
That night, I had a strange dream.
In it, Evgeni was curled up, sobbing.
Her platinum-blonde hair stuck to her tear-streaked cheeks, and she kept murmuring something I couldn’t quite make out.
“Don’t leave me… Don’t leave me… I didn’t mean to do it…”
Her voice was hoarse, full of regret.
Even as I stood right in front of her, she didn’t seem to notice me. She just continued crying in the darkness, surrounded by an endless void.
Suddenly, her voice cracked like a broken record.
“Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go—!”
Clang!
I woke up in a cold sweat, my glass of water slipping from my hand and shattering on the floor.
“…That dream again.”
The first time I saw it was after the incident in the greenhouse.
I thought it was just a one-time thing, but every few days since then, I’d see Evgeni in my dreams—always in pain, always crying, always trapped in darkness.
It wasn’t guilt.
It was just… strange.
“Could it be…”
Could it be the magic link between us?
We shared blood. The Emperor’s magic might have influenced us in subtle ways. Perhaps Evgeni’s current condition was resonating with me?
I rubbed my face and got out of bed.
It was still dark, but I had too much on my mind to go back to sleep.
By morning, I had made up my mind.
“I’ll go see the Emperor.”
Ilia, startled, dropped the stack of letters she was holding.
“W-What did you say, Your Highness?”
“I’ll explain on the way. Prepare the carriage.”
She blinked rapidly but nodded. “Yes, right away!”
The Emperor’s palace, morning.
The guards let me in after a brief announcement, and I was led to the Emperor’s private study.
He was reading over documents when I entered.
“…Lirien?”
“I apologize for coming unannounced, Father.”
“It’s rare for you to visit without sending word. Did something happen?”
Instead of answering immediately, I stepped closer and bowed respectfully.
“I have something important to report—regarding the Second Princess’s illness.”
The Emperor’s expression didn’t change, but I noticed a slight shift in the air.
“Go on.”
“First, please allow me to ask something… How is your hand?”
He paused, then flexed his injured hand slowly.
“It still aches. The magic backlash hasn’t fully settled. I’ll recover, eventually.”
“…I see.”
I took a breath.
“In that case… I request your permission to use a specific herb as a treatment for Princess Evgeni.”
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“A herb?”
“Yes. It’s called Nocturne.”
He frowned. “The black herb from the Forest of Darkness?”
“You know of it?”
“I’ve read reports. Highly toxic. It’s been banned from use in the palace.”
“I know. But with the right treatment process, it can be made safe. Orca Sorcier, one of the Empire’s best magic physicians, will oversee the process himself.”
“…Why Nocturne?”
“Because it suppresses and stabilizes chaotic magic. Princess Evgeni’s illness isn’t physical—it’s magical. She’s suffering from a rare condition: magic rejection syndrome. Her body is rejecting its own flow of magic, causing internal damage and fever.”
“Magic rejection…? That condition was deemed incurable.”
“Until now.”
I placed the documents I’d brought on his desk—Delran’s pharmaceutical analysis, Orca’s medical interpretation, and the proposal for treatment.
The Emperor flipped through them silently, his expression unreadable.
Eventually, he asked, “And you discovered this?”
“…Yes.”
He looked at me for a long moment.
“Lirien.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“You’ve grown strong.”
“….”
“When you first arrived at the palace, I never thought you’d amount to much. You were too quiet, too careful. But now… you surprise me.”
He picked up the papers again.
“I’ll approve the use of Nocturne. Proceed under the supervision of the Sorcier brothers. But if even the slightest danger arises—”
“We’ll stop the treatment immediately.”
He nodded.
“You may go.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
As I turned to leave, he called out softly.
“…Lirien.”
I looked back.
“…Yes?”
“…You made the right decision. Thank you.”
His tone was gentle—so unfamiliar that it caught me off guard.
I bowed deeply.
And for the first time in a long while… I felt acknowledged.
Later that day.
“I can’t believe it! You actually got the Emperor’s permission?!”
Ilia nearly tripped over herself, dashing into my room holding the signed approval letter.
“Yes. The treatment will begin soon.”
“This is amazing! Everyone’s been saying Princess Evgeni’s condition was hopeless… but now, thanks to you—!”
“Don’t say that too loudly. We haven’t started yet.”
Still, her words echoed in my chest.
Maybe… I really am changing things.
That night, as I stared up at the moon, I whispered to myself:
“Evgeni… I’ll save you. Not for Father. Not even for you. But for me.”
Because once I cured her…
Everyone would have no choice but to recognize me.
