Chapter 54
“There may have been variables… but the fault is mine, Your Majesty the Empress.”
As Shabia lowered her head, a smile crept across Regis’s lips.
Ever since the crown prince’s appointment ceremony had been canceled, Regis had been suffering daily from the Empress’s nagging. Seeing Shabia bow like this made that weight lift, as if his indigestion had cleared. He had long forgotten how delighted he’d once been when Shabia procured the hallucinogen for him.
The Empress, however, looked at Shabia with a cold gaze. The girl had never disappointed her before—this incompetence now unsettled her. But the moment Shabia raised her head, the Empress layered a smile over her face. The girl was still useful in many ways. Besides, they had prioritized safety over success from the beginning.
“We lost a second-generation creature. I imagine your brother is feeling quite heartbroken.”
“It was one Father especially cherished,” Shabia replied in a subdued voice.
Breeding monsters required tremendous time, capital, and care. Especially the second-generation ones—born from trained first-generation monsters—were considered rare and valuable. The creature used in the latest operation, Laplanfia, was the very first of its kind, making its loss even more significant.
“Well, there was the unexpected variable of Prince Kazar. And how many ‘Midnights’ did we lose?”
“Twelve.”
“Twelve?” The Empress’s eyes sharpened.
“So Prince Kazar had been hiding his true strength. Interesting.”
“Not a single one returned, so we couldn’t grasp the full situation. But apparently, he was rescued without so much as a scratch.”
“And Prince Kazar’s condition?”
“He sustained a stab wound, but we couldn’t confirm how serious it was.”
“A shame. If only he’d lost a leg or something.”
The corners of the Empress’s lips curled into a seductive smile.
In a way, this was still a result. Perhaps the previous assassination failures were simply because they had underestimated Kazar’s abilities.
After the birth of the fifth prince, she hadn’t felt the need to eliminate him in earnest. He’d been captured too easily once, so she assumed he was nothing much.
Then again, he had escaped that time, too.
“So it wasn’t just luck when he escaped from Aden.”
As the Empress pondered how best to deal with the sly prince who had hidden his strength, Shabia smiled with her eyes.
“Once Princess Mahel arrives, his luck will run out.”
“Indeed. And what of Lady Spes?”
“I’m thinking of becoming her friend. That way I can mediate between her and Brother Regis.”
“A friend, is it? That may work.”
The Empress found that an acceptable strategy. Shabia added with a sparkling smile,
“Speaking of which… Brother Regis, what did you use when you beat that girl?”
Regis looked confused.
“I showed you last time, didn’t I? A branch from the World Tree, coated with glass powder.”
“Perfect. Give it to me. I’ll need it to train my new friend.”
She imagined the amusing things that would happen once she showed it to her new companion. Her slightly downturned eyes lifted, revealing a wistful shade of violet. As Shabia gave a sweet smile, the Empress’s mood eased.
Like spring sunshine, it was a radiant smile. Her beauty was truly flawless. She would continue to be useful. And if she really did become Duchess Spes, all the better.
“Make sure to clean up well. We can’t have too many people having seen the ‘Midnights.’”
“The targets escaped into the northern forest of Aden. Other than Prince Kazar and the girl, no one witnessed them. And no one in such a remote region would recognize a ‘Midnight’ anyway.”
“Wait, where did you say?”
“The Aden forest?”
“Why was the operation set in Aden?”
Shabia blinked in confusion at the sharp turn in the Empress’s tone.
The Empress wasn’t usually briefed on every detail of the plan. Their relationship wasn’t one of subordination—only results were shared. And yet, she was reacting sensitively to the words “northern forest of Aden.”
Carefully observing the Empress’s mood, Shabia replied,
“There was a funeral for Ron Vita. It was far from the ducal estate, and we figured they’d be less alert since it was where they once lived. Plus, with it being an official event, their movements were easy to track.”
It was all perfectly reasonable—but the Empress still felt uneasy.
“What’s in that forest?”
Only when the astute Shabia asked did the Empress soften her expression.
“It’s nothing.”
That place held a dark secret of the Fortuna imperial family. Only the Emperor, the Empress, and the next heir were supposed to know about it. Not even their closest allies, like Marquis Pegimul, could be told.
Shabia stared at the Empress silently, then shifted her gaze to Regis. Unlike the Empress, who had mastered her expression, Regis still looked visibly tense.
That expression confirmed it for Shabia.
‘So there is something in the northern forest of Aden.’
Now she had something worth investigating.
✦
“I greet His Highness the Prince.”
Eluana gracefully curtsied with one knee lowered. It was a move she’d practiced a thousand times before coming here. After hearing she would enter the Imperial Palace, Lady Renée had been horrified and given her an emergency crash course: “Practical Royal Etiquette 101.”
The beautiful boy staring stiffly at her was none other than Kazar. He was clearly flustered by Eluana’s unfamiliar demeanor. Her every motion and expression screamed “noble lady,” and it made his skin crawl.
“…Sit.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Eluana softly moved to the chair Kazar gestured to and gave him a gentle smile.
“You seem like a different person.”
“I practiced for this moment to meet Your Highness.”
Kazar visibly grimaced at her new tone.
“Why are you acting scary?”
“We are at the Imperial Palace, after all.”
Eluana gave a delicate laugh, but the truth was, she felt just as awkward.
Their first meeting had been in a prison. The second, in the dangerous woods of Aden. Both had been moments where death hung in the air. Now, suddenly sitting in the lavish palace was surreal.
Kazar chuckled too as memories of their past meetings returned.
“Well, at least this is the first time we’re meeting under normal circumstances.”
“It’s peaceful, isn’t it, Your Highness?”
“…Please.”
“Yes?”
“Just speak normally.”
“But there are people watching.”
Eluana blinked innocently. That smug expression made Kazar laugh and wave a hand to dismiss the attendants.
Once they were alone in the reception room, Eluana asked,
“Is this room soundproofed?”
“There’s an artifact.”
The moment she heard that, Eluana leaned back into the chair.
“Whew. I’m exhausted. Do I always have to sit so straight like this in the palace?”
Seeing her sudden change in demeanor, Kazar couldn’t help but laugh. He also relaxed a little and replied,
“You get used to it.”
“Wouldn’t it be nicer to just live comfortably? Still, I can’t believe I actually made it into the Imperial Palace. I’ve really made it now.”
Eluana slowly looked around the reception room.
The Spes Duchy mansion was luxurious, but nothing compared to this. The Imperial Palace, built with the empire’s founding, was pristine—without a single crack or flaw.
Wasn’t the palace itself said to be a relic of the dragon?
As she lifted her gaze along the delicately carved walls, she saw a ceiling mural of a silver dragon and two humans. The blonde with green eyes was likely Emperor Cantio, and the one with black hair and golden eyes must have been the first Duke of Spes. In one corner of the painting, a golden wolf was curled up as well.
“That silver dragon must’ve really loved his friends. He drove the monsters north, bestowed blessings and relics, and helped lay the empire’s foundations. He’s like the giving tree.”
If only he knew that love had become chains binding Cantio’s descendants… Would he weep?
Eluana turned to look at Kazar.
Even during their previous strange encounters, his looks had been striking—but today, he’d even dressed up to receive her.
He really looked like a prince from a storybook.
“Kazar, looking at you now… you’re seriously handsome. Like a proper prince.”
“I know. And I am a prince.”
“Right. Truly handsome.”
Then she suddenly asked,
“So, what do you think about arranged marriages, Handsome Prince Kazar?”
“I don’t think about them.”
His quick, firm answer made Eluana’s expression grow serious.
‘Most would hesitate at least a little.’
Especially among royalty, marriages could determine who took the throne. Eluana straightened her back and leaned slightly forward, resting her arms on the table.
“Why don’t you think about it?”
“Because I never considered it.”
Kazar’s expression said, Why are you even asking me this? But Eluana wasn’t ready to give up.
“Is there someone you like?”
“No.”
“Then do you refuse to get engaged unless it’s for love?”
“I just don’t want to experience coughing up blood over tea with my fiancée.”
“…Huh?”
“If I got engaged now, it would be to someone the Empress picked. I don’t want anyone untrustworthy near me.”
Eluana nodded. It was a reasonable concern, given his situation.
“That makes sense. But what if it’s someone you can trust? Someone who’d be a great political partner, too?”
As her sparkling green eyes locked with his, Kazar leaned deeper into his chair, putting some distance between them.
“So what are you trying to say? You were worried about soundproofing—this must be serious.”
Eluana replied without hesitation, like she’d been waiting for this moment.
“Let’s get engaged.”
She said it as casually as if she were offering tea. Kazar had to double-check he’d heard right.
“…What?”
“I said, let’s get engaged. I’ll be good to you.”
Kazar stared at her for a long moment. He looked both speechless and filled with things to say.
After silently watching her eager expression for a while, he finally replied.
“…No.”
