Chapter:41
Ancient Magic
“If you’re going to punish Lord Sigres, then you must also punish Lady Shuraiden. And I don’t want that.”
After all, both of them had tried to strip her using what was not exactly magic but something similar.
“That can’t happen.”
Rescal furrowed his brow and shook his head as he held Rasilia’s hand.
“They pointed a sword at you. That’s unforgivable.”
“But it wasn’t of their own will. They were both affected by a power neither of us understands.”
“And what if it happens again?”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to have someone who’s already experienced it?”
“…”
Rescal’s frown deepened.
Rasilia gently pulled her hand from his grip. The Blue Moon had passed, but the emperor still tried to grab her hand whenever the chance arose. Maybe he thought it was natural, but Rasilia did not. It still bothered her—his touch, his presence.
“Besides, neither of them intended to harm me. That’s probably why that magic-like force didn’t fully work on them.”
She couldn’t explain it exactly, but that’s how it felt.
Both seemed convinced they were doing something for her benefit. That measuring her was necessary to make proper clothes, and that she would only like it if the clothes were well-fitted.
Especially Yvette—once she realized her services were no longer needed, the magic-like influence seemed to lift. It was probably the same for Serben, who dropped his sword.
Serben had returned to normal when she spoke to him with strength in her voice—because he believed he would never harm her.
“In a situation where we don’t know who might do the same thing again, it’s better to keep people around who we already know.”
Rescal looked at the hand Rasilia had just pulled away. The veins on the back of his hand were bulging.
“You’re going to forgive them so easily?”
“There’s nothing to forgive. Neither of them acted out of malice.”
“…I can’t do that.”
Rescal spoke as if chewing on the words bitterly.
“I can’t accept it. What happened to you, and that the person responsible was none other than Serben. That’s…”
“It’s alright, Your Majesty.”
Rasilia placed her hand lightly on the back of his.
She had tried to avoid physical contact with the emperor, but it was easier said than done.
When his expressionless face twisted in pain, it looked truly agonizing.
‘I never realized I was such a soft person… Not back in Delarta.’
Rescal looked up and met Rasilia’s gaze.
That look—like he was struggling—was painful to see. As if his thoughts were just within reach.
“It was fine that it was those two who were with me when it happened. And it will be fine from now on, too. No punishment is necessary.”
“Then… what do you want me to do?”
“I want you to forgive them. I trust that I won’t need to tell you how to handle the rest.”
The person behind it all needed to be revealed. That was the emperor’s responsibility.
“What if I can’t forgive?”
“Then forgive for my sake.”
“…This is strange.”
With a soundless sigh, Rescal leaned his forehead against Rasilia’s shoulder.
Somehow, she had expected this. When his emotions were stirred, the emperor instinctively seemed to seek out his partner.
“I know you’re right. But it makes me so angry to admit it. I don’t even know what this feeling is.”
“I’m not sure either…”
“Can I count this as a favor? Since I have to do something I don’t want to?”
“…”
Did he even realize he was forgiving members of his own shadow guard?
“…Then do as you wish.”
Still, Rasilia decided to yield a little. It felt too heartless not to.
Over the emperor’s shoulder, she could see Liyan letting out a huge breath of relief.
With his forehead still resting on her shoulder, Rescal gently caressed the hand she had taken first.
“This isn’t the price of a favor. You grabbed my hand first. So next time, I’ll get to hold yours again.”
“I know.”
Maybe saying things like that would make the emperor seem more like an emperor.
But somewhere deep in her heart, she already knew. Every time he acted so irrationally, she found herself backing down a little more.
“Then now—”
She was just about to say, Let go of my hand now, when—
“Piii!”
Bang!
The closed door burst open, and Pipi flew in.
“Piii! Pii!”
When the news came that something bad had happened to Rasilia, Pipi had been away from the palace.
“Piii! Pii!”
Pipi had been following Dekan for revenge these past few days, which meant staying away from the palace.
“Piii. Piii.”
Pipi kept rubbing its small head against Rasilia’s cheek.
“I’m alright. I wasn’t hurt.”
Rasilia carefully chose her words to make sure it didn’t seem like she understood what Pipi was saying.
“You’re worried about me. That’s so sweet.”
“Piii!”
Suddenly, Pipi whipped around and flew at Rescal, pecking his hand hard.
It was asking what he had been doing in the palace while she was gone.
“That’s what I should be asking.”
Rescal grabbed Pipi by the scruff of its neck. The little bird flailed its wings in the air.
“You have one job. To protect my partner. What were you doing?”
“Pii!”
The excuse was that it had to get revenge on Dekan.
“Nonsense. Even if you’re not fully grown, you should know what matters most.”
“Pii!”
Don’t act like you know everything.
Rescal dropped the chirping Pipi onto the bed.
“If all you’re good for is being a dumb pet bird, crawl back into the egg and sleep. That way, I won’t be careless enough to rely on you again.”
“Pii! Pii!”
Pipi shouted that Rescal had also failed to stay by Rasilia’s side.
Rescal had nothing to say to that.
He turned his head briefly and muttered:
“I’ll have to move back into the next room again. Even if you’re angry at me, I should still be nearby.”
“Pii!”
Pipi protested, saying she’d be guarding Rasilia from now on and Rescal wasn’t needed.
But Rescal ignored her completely.
“Tell Person I’ll be using the room next to the empress starting today.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Liyan quickly disappeared. He probably also wanted to inform Serben that he had escaped punishment.
“Piii…”
Pipi grumbled and rubbed her head against Rasilia, saying she’d never leave again.
“Pii? Pii!”
But then she suddenly remembered she hadn’t finished her revenge. She demanded Dekan be brought to the palace.
Rescal glared at the tiny bird in disbelief.
“Dekan has work to do.”
“Pii!”
“He needs to find out who’s behind today’s events.”
“Piii!”
That’s your job. What’s the point of being emperor if you need help for one person?
“Don’t act like you know what a crown is, you damn bird. It’s ridiculous.”
Rasilia could barely hold back her laughter—her jaw tensed.
Their bickering was just like in her dreams. There were no storms or flames, just this silly fight that made her want to laugh.
‘They’re exactly the same.’
It made sense—both were made from the same heart.
Suddenly, she thought—
‘Then… is he the same as Pipi, too?’
The way he showed affection, worried, sought attention… Was it the same?
Just because the Blue Moon disappeared, did that instinct disappear with it?
“…”
Watching the emperor quarrel with Pipi, guilt crept into her gaze.
‘Then… he’s pouring all that emotion into the wrong person.’
Why did that hurt so much?
A day later, Dekan arrived at the palace.
Dekan’s face was scratched in several places.
Rasilia couldn’t help but glance at Pipi. Pipi nodded proudly, then suddenly fluttered over and pecked Dekan on the head.
“Pipi!”
Rasilia shouted, and Pipi turned toward her with a sharp cry.
“Pii!”
Don’t stop me.
Dekan, as if he had given up, wiped the blood from his forehead with a sigh.
“It’s fine. I deserved that much.”
Dekan had already been punished. Though he couldn’t completely step away from the Silver Shield as the Empire’s only shaman, he had been docked six months’ pay and demoted one rank.
Still, it was lenient. Serben received a whole year’s pay cut and was demoted to the lowest rank of the Royal Guard.
Which meant Liyan now had to support Serben for a year. Oddly, he seemed happy about it.
According to Liyan, this gave him an excuse to make Serben do all the housework. He even fired three servants.
“That should be enough now. Pipi, come back. Stop bothering him.”
“Pii…”
Pipi grumbled but returned to sit on Rasilia’s shoulder.
Despite having viciously pecked someone’s face, she nuzzled against Rasilia like an adorable pet.
“Is your cold getting better?”
Dekan asked with his head bowed, clearly feeling sorry.
“Pii!”
Pipi yelled at him not to pretend to be a doctor after getting her sick.
“Pipi.”
Worried that Pipi might fly off to attack Dekan again, Rasilia held her and stroked her gently.
“I’ve mostly recovered. More importantly, I heard you had something to tell me?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Before reporting to Rescal, Dekan had come to see Rasilia first.
While investigating the imperial tailor, he had found something suspicious and wanted to hear Rasilia’s account.
“What exactly were the symptoms shown by the First Lady-in-waiting and Lord Sigres?”
“Their eyes were bloodshot. But they didn’t seem to have lost their minds. It was more like… their thoughts had been skewed. As if it had to be that way.”
“That’s the same as what they said. The imperial tailor insisted he had to take your measurements. As soon as he said that, the thought became absolute.”
“They kept repeating the same words. Like people with only one goal in mind.”
“I see… It may have been a power that manipulates thought. But the imperial tailor was an ordinary human. Judging by the toll it took on his body, someone must have temporarily injected him with that power.”
“And you’re saying that’s not a curse?”
“Yes. We couldn’t find any trace of a curse. And as far as I know, no curse possesses such a power.”
“If not a curse… divine power?”
“Divine power is simpler than curses. It’s only for healing, recovery, or conveying the will of the gods. It can’t control thoughts.”
“If it’s not divine power either, then all that’s left is magic…”
But that couldn’t be it, either.
To use magic, one needed a magic circle. A specialized instrument to draw it. And a trained mage to control it.
A commoner who had worked steadily as a royal tailor for decades could not suddenly use magic.
“Yes. And more importantly, magic acts on objects. There is no magic that directly invades the human mind. At best, illusions—hallucinations—but they didn’t experience that.”
“Then it’s a force we don’t understand.”
Dekan nodded.
“Yes. Which leaves us with only one conclusion.”
“What is it?”
“I believe… it may have been ancient magic. Magic that no longer exists today.”
