Chapter 10
At this rate, my face is going to get burned through.
That was how intense the glare from Askari sitting next to me was.
Mir continued the lesson while nervously watching both of us.
“…And that is how the war between beastmen and humans came to an end.”
Despite the uncomfortable tension, Mir’s lesson was excellent.
Before I knew it, I was completely absorbed in his explanation, forgetting even the sharp, feline stare fixed on me.
To summarize Mir’s lesson:
The great archmage of the continent, Akamar, joined forces with the twelve sages of the Mage Tower to end the ancient war between humans and beastmen.
After that, he unified the eight kingdoms—once in constant rivalry—into a single empire.
Up to this point, it was something I already knew from memories of my previous life.
Could it be that Akamar is the founder of the Cat Realm?
The picture book my nanny gave me never mentioned the name of the mage who created it, so I hadn’t realized before.
Out of habit, I lightly chewed on the tip of my quill before raising my short arm to ask a question.
“Is Akamar the human mage who created the Cat Realm?”
“You idiot. Can’t you tell just by looking?”
Ignoring the snide remark from beside me, I kept my eyes on Mir.
“I was just about to explain that. Do you remember the sage named Ryan from earlier?”
“Yeah. I remember.”
“Akamar, who was chosen as the next master of the Mage Tower, and the First Sage Ryan were childhood friends and friendly rivals. However, Ryan harbored deep inferiority toward Akamar, who possessed overwhelmingly superior talent. That inferiority eventually led to betrayal near the end of the war.”
After the war, they had promised to rule the unified continent together.
But Ryan betrayed Akamar.
As soon as the war ended, he imprisoned Akamar in a special prison designed to suppress magical power.
The one who saved Akamar—left powerless and waiting to die—was the successor of the Persian family, who led the feline tribe at the time.
“The two made a deal. In exchange for rescuing Akamar from prison and helping him eliminate the traitors, they asked that the feline tribe be placed at the top of the beastmen.”
Akamar accepted the proposal.
And thus, the Cat Realm was born.
Possessing power comparable to a god, Akamar kept his promise by granting the feline tribe their own independent dimension—the “Cat Realm”—and protecting it.
That was how a relatively low-ranking carnivorous tribe rose to the very top of the food chain.
“During that process, the two fell in love and married. Akamar ruled both the Cat Realm and the continent, traveling between the two.”
The head of the Persian family willingly gave up their position to him.
“Only the direct bloodline of the Persian family, who inherited Akamar’s blood, can be born with magical power. A miracle once granted only to humans by the gods was shared with our feline tribe thanks to him.”
In other words, among beastmen, only the direct descendants of the Persian family could use magic.
After Akamar’s death, they even built a temple in his honor.
So the high priest I saw at the banquet belonged to Akamar’s grand temple.
I had assumed they worshipped some kind of cat god, but I had been completely wrong.
“Then what happens if a human is born between them?”
Since it was a union between a beastman and a human, surely not all their children would be beastmen.
“Any human child born between them was sent to the Empire.”
Fortunately—or unfortunately—there was only one human child born between Akamar and his feline partner.
That child was sent to the Empire as the heir to the imperial throne.
It was also said that this child was the only one among Akamar’s offspring who did not inherit magical power.
So that’s why magic disappeared from the human world.
After becoming ruler of the Empire, Akamar mercilessly slaughtered the sages who had betrayed him—and even the mages who followed them.
As time passed, those born with magical power became increasingly rare… until they disappeared entirely.
People whispered that the gods, alarmed by Akamar’s absolute and transcendent actions, had taken back the gift they once gave to humanity.
If I were truly four years old, I wouldn’t have understood even half of this complicated lineage.
“That concludes today’s lesson. I’m pleased to see you both keeping up so well from the first day.”
Askari, who had been resting his chin on his hand with a bored expression the entire time, frowned.
“Whatever. When is my brother coming back?”
“Well, that is—”
Mir couldn’t finish his sentence.
A commotion outside interrupted him.
***
Licht had returned.
Unconscious—and covered in blood.
The moment he heard the report, Mir ran out of the study with a grim expression I had never seen before.
I followed Askari up the stairs, gripping the railing tightly so I wouldn’t trip.
Licht is in critical condition?
According to the soldier, Licht had suddenly fallen from midair inside his office.
Where on earth has he been all this time?
His office was located at the top floor of the main palace—the most heavily guarded place.
Just as I followed Askari around the corner—
“Ah!”
He suddenly stopped, and I crashed straight into his solid back.
I bounced off and fell onto the corridor floor with a groan.
What now?
“Aska—”
I was about to complain, but stopped at the strange pressure filling the corridor.
A soft voice broke the frozen silence.
“It’s been a while, Askari.”
“….”
“Has it been four years? Did you like the gift I sent from the continent last year?”
Violet-tinged blue eyes curved with a faint smile.
Eyes that only the direct Persian bloodline possessed.
That beastman…
He must be the second prince of the Cat Realm—someone I had never seen before.
Long, platinum-blond hair, like woven sunlight, flowed over his shoulders.
He looked just over ten years old.
Yet despite his youthful face, his presence was indescribably strange.
More importantly… what’s wrong with Askari?
I glanced at him.
He had frozen stiff the moment he saw the boy.
The boy clicked his tongue.
“Oh dear. Our Aska…”
He bent down to meet Askari’s eyes.
“You’re still a coward, I see.”
As if those words were a spell, Askari’s body trembled faintly.
“W-why are you here—”
“Ah. Mir summoned me. Since my brother is in critical condition, as second in line, I should take my place—”
Before he could finish, Askari turned and ran off.
His face, in that brief glance, was filled with fear.
“Hmm?”
Only after Askari disappeared did the second prince notice me.
“…Ah. So it’s you. The ‘messiah’ my brother brought from the continent.”
He extended his hand toward me.
“Are you alright?”
Despite his gentle smile, his eyes looking down at me were chillingly dry.
No—beyond dry…
“I-I’m fine.”
I ignored his hand and stood up on my own.
My elbow throbbed from hitting the marble floor, but it wasn’t serious.
“You’re braver than you look.”
“My nanny told me to be careful of beastmen I don’t know.”
He chuckled and withdrew his hand.
“I heard you’re only four. You’re smart.”
“Yeah. Yeni is smart.”
Referring to myself in third person felt awful, but I had no choice.
Something feels off.
“Your name is Yeni?”
I narrowed my eyes and stared at him.
Rough, unrefined magic.
His entire body radiated a violent magical force, like the blazing summer sun.
It stirred wildly, as if it might bind me at any moment.
His smiling lips didn’t match the coldness in his eyes.
“My name is—”
Just as I was about to answer, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.
“Your Highness, the Second Prince—we’ve been looking for you. It seems His Majesty’s magic is experiencing some kind of anomaly…”
Mir trailed off upon seeing us together.
The second prince, who had been staring coldly at me, turned with a smile as if nothing had happened.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Mir bowed slightly to me before following him.
Left alone in the empty corridor, I finally let out the breath I had been holding.
Despite his polite demeanor, what filled his gaze toward me was unmistakable contempt.
And not the childish hostility Askari showed—
Something far deeper.
I shook my head to clear the lingering impression.
More importantly… something’s wrong with Licht’s magic?
I wanted to go check on him immediately, but I held myself back.
I think I saw a book about magical illnesses in the royal library.
Ever since I gained freedom to move around, I had often wandered through the royal library.
Thankfully, thanks to Akamar, it was full of books on magic.
I should go there first—huh?
Lost in thought, I suddenly stopped.
Something felt off beneath my feet.
What is all this?
Scattered across the corridor were familiar clothes.
I looked around—no one was there.
“…Askari?”
His neatly worn outfit—from cravat to everything else—was strewn all over the floor.
What is this, like a cicada shedding its shell?
As I picked up the clothes one by one, I heard unstable breathing from a dark corner.
Narrowing my eyes, I saw—
A trembling cat, curled up in the darkness.
At the same time, an unpleasant memory resurfaced.
“What are you doing there, Yernian?”
“…N-no. Please, just leave me alone.”
Even in the darkness, that sharp voice and sigh echoed clearly.
“Come out now. I’d rather not use force on someone as valuable as you.”
The distorted voice still rang coldly in my ears.
My stomach churned.
Calm down.
Fragments of the past would sometimes surface and shake me apart.
Maybe that’s why—
I couldn’t just walk past Askari.
“Askari. The second prince is gone. You can come out now.”
Even at my call, he didn’t move.
Instead, he pressed himself deeper into the narrow space.
Should I call a servant?
No—
I had a strong feeling his pride wouldn’t allow that.
Then… I guess there’s only one way.
Frowning, I ran straight to my bedroom.
Fortunately, it was just one floor below.
“Princess? You’re back already?”
“Alice! Where’s the key to the toy room?!”
Startled, Alice quickly brought it.
With a click—
The door to the toy room, which I had never opened before, swung open.
