Chapter 36

The imperial palace always had eyes everywhere.
Especially near the Chamber of Truth, imperial mages were always standing guard.

I glanced at them nervously, but luckily, none of them seemed to be paying us any attention.

“The council ended… not the way I hoped, but at least it’s over,” I whispered so only he could hear.

“Shame. I thought this might finally shut the prince up,” Lucian clicked his tongue lightly.

Come to think of it, Lucian never bothered to hide his attitude, even in front of the prince. Why would he suddenly start being cautious now?
‘Maybe because he’s the next Tower Master?’ I wondered. The Magic Tower was respected even by the imperial family, after all.

But then, I felt something strange from Lucian’s presence.

“Lucian?”

I lifted my head, but with the light behind him, I couldn’t make out his expression. All I could do was wait.

After a long pause, Lucian finally moved his lips.

“…Was it because you didn’t want my help?”

“Huh?”

“Whether it’s the imperial council or the prince himself, if you had asked, I would have done anything for you.”

His words caught me off guard.
But after thinking for a moment, I realized it wasn’t strange.

“Of course. You’re kind, Lucian.”

Lucian would gladly spend his time and strength for an old friend.
That’s exactly why I couldn’t ask him for help.
I didn’t want him to suffer or be harmed because of me.

He let out a quiet sigh.

“You’re the only one who ever calls me kind.”

“Why? You really are.”

“Because you are my…”

His gaze burned even through the shadows. But that was all.
Lucian said nothing more, and entered the Chamber of Truth just like the others.

A few minutes later, Lysandra burst out pale-faced, looking shaken.

The Chamber of Truth was the Magic Tower’s greatest invention.
It didn’t just record voices, but also captured images. The crystal recordings were so clear in both sight and sound that it was famous across the empire.

But what made it most famous was its absolute security.
The chamber, gifted to the Emperor by the Magic Tower, could only be accessed by him. No one else could tamper with it.
It was the Tower’s pride.

For today’s vote, the crystals had been given colors.

• White meant opposition.
• Black meant approval.

When the vote ended, I looked down at the four crystal stones on the round table.
Three shone with bright white light.
One glowed black.

“There’s a black one,” Jeckiel muttered sourly when he came to check.

He had reluctantly accepted Duke Patina’s suggestion to involve us heroes. But clearly, he never imagined one of us would actually vote in favor of summoning the Saint.

“There’s no way the Magic Tower’s invention made a mistake,” Princess Olivia murmured with a frown.

It had already been used several times by the imperial family. There was no point in doubting it.

Hearing the result, Olivia let out a quiet sigh.
I couldn’t tell whether she was disappointed in the outcome… or in me.

She said nothing more.

Jeckiel gave a strange, faint laugh. His eyes clung to the black crystal like he wanted to bore a hole through it. Then, slowly, he turned to me.

His violet eyes glittered with greedy light.

“Unfortunate, Lady Elisha.” His tone held no real regret.

“These crystals will be delivered to His Majesty. He’ll see for himself what the heroes said.”

Olivia looked away, clearly disinterested. Duke Patina gave me a pitying look.
But I remained calm.

The moment I saw Lysandra run out pale, I had already guessed the result.
No… maybe even before then, deep down, I already knew.

Inside the Chamber, my friends had seen the same four crystals before anyone else.
Lysandra was simply the first to rush out.

“Wait for the Emperor’s decision.”

Jeckiel’s voice echoed in my ears even after I returned home.

By the time I snapped out of my daze, I was already back at the White Mansion’s drawing room—the place where the five of us had gathered not long ago.

“Why… why did this happen?” Lysandra sat on the sofa, clutching her head. Her face showed deep turmoil.

Ever since she saw the result, she had been muttering to herself. Finally, with a heavy, troubled look, she raised her head.

“Maybe the machine was tampered with?”

Even Olivia had suspected the same at first.
But for Lysandra to deny a result Olivia herself had accepted…

‘She’s in denial.’

That wasn’t like her.

Lucian, arms crossed, shook his head.

“Impossible. You know that.”

“What if they switched the crystals?”

“No.” His reply was firm.

As the future Tower Master, Lucian’s certainty carried weight.
None of us dared dismiss his words.

The room fell into heavy silence.

“Then that means one of us voted in favor.”

Jaqueline finally spoke, slow and grim. The frown on his face seemed permanent.

We all knew it, but until then, none of us had wanted to say it aloud.

“One of us? Which of the three…?” Lysandra whispered painfully.

Maybe she meant it as just a passing thought. But we were all too tense.

“Three? You’re excluding yourself,” Heraise snapped, catching her words.

Lysandra flinched, eyes trembling.

“What…?”

She looked so shaken that Heraise quickly shut his mouth, realizing his mistake.

“…Sorry.”

But the words were already out, and we all heard them.

“So, Heraise, you’re saying Lysandra’s the suspicious one?” Jaqueline pressed.

Heraise avoided his gaze.

Lysandra’s eyes burned as she shouted desperately,

“I was the one who introduced Elisha to the First Princess!”

How could I be the one to betray her? That’s what her look said.

But Heraise didn’t back down this time.

“And it was Duke Patina—your grandfather—who suggested the vote. What if he used you to sabotage it?”

“How dare you—!” Lysandra shot to her feet, furious.

Now all five of us were standing, glaring, the atmosphere ready to explode.

Then Lysandra countered.

“And what about the temple? You think they wouldn’t want the Saint back? How do we know the High Priest didn’t put you up to it?”

She pointed straight at Heraise.

“You even said donations skyrocketed after El appeared!”

“That’s not the same thing!”

Heraise shouted back, truly angry.
It was shocking—he was always playful and lighthearted. Seeing him lose his temper was rare.

That set everyone off.

“Jaqueline’s the Imperial Knight Commander. Maybe he couldn’t refuse the prince’s orders.”

“The Knight Commander serves His Majesty, not Prince Jeckiel!” Jaqueline barked.

“And isn’t it strange that Duke Patina got involved at all?”

“And what about your reports from the last battle? What did you say that made the court even consider summoning the Saint?”

We had fought and argued before. But never like this.
Never with this much suspicion and venom.

Just a short while ago, when we gathered here, things weren’t like this.

‘When did it all go wrong?’

Was it Duke Patina’s suggestion?
Was it failing to stop Jeckiel more firmly?
Was it attending the imperial council?
Or… was it simply because I came back?

“Stop it.”

I pressed a hand to my forehead.

“Stop fighting.”

But my words didn’t reach anyone.

Lysandra’s fists clenched.
Heraise shouted again.
Jaqueline took a menacing step forward.

It was about to erupt.

So I resorted to the method most familiar to me.

‘Please.’

A golden fox burst out between them, leaping into the middle.
It bared sharp eyes at my friends, stopping them in their tracks.

Finally, they all turned to look at me.