Chapter 26
“Where did you get that confidence from…?!”
With a rough, merciless grip, Deips began dragging Prim away. His hold was so strong it felt as if her bones might shatter.
“Prim!”
Startled, Elina quickly ran after them. She shouted for him to let go, but Deips didn’t seem to hear.
“How dare you crawl back in here again, of all places?”
“I’ll never let this go.”
Deips muttered like a man possessed, his steps heavy and furious.
“Let me go!”
Prim struggled with all her might, but it was useless. Then, suddenly, Deips froze.
“…Your Majesty.”
“Deips? What are you doing here?”
The Emperor stood before him, accompanied by Reinsis. Behind them trailed attendants and knights, silent as shadows.
Deips faltered and stepped back. His eyes met Reinsis’s.
“…”
Reinsis’s gray eyes dropped downward—to where Deips’s hand clutched Prim’s arm.
“The ladies seem rather frightened,” the Emperor said, his voice low and chilling.
Startled, Prim and Elina quickly bowed their heads.
“We greet Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
“Y–Your Majesty,” Elina stammered.
But the Emperor ignored their greetings. Instead, his glare sharpened toward Deips.
“Deips! I asked what you’re doing here. Why are you holding on to the ladies?”
The Emperor’s brow furrowed. Deips’s behavior was clearly inappropriate.
The thunderous rebuke snapped him out of his frenzy.
“Your Majesty, I have something to report.”
His fear lasted only a moment. In fact, he was relieved the Emperor had shown up—his father would understand better than anyone what kind of person “that woman” was.
Grabbing Prim roughly again, Deips pulled her forward. She stumbled, and Reinsis’s face turned cold as ice.
Standing proudly before the Emperor, Deips declared,
“Your Majesty, I’ve caught her.”
“Caught who?”
“Her—the ‘Red Rose.’”
The Emperor’s expression twitched. He knew exactly what that name meant. The Red Rose was the beginning of every prophecy.
“…The Red Rose?”
He took a step toward Prim. The oppressive aura surrounding him made her flinch and lower her head instinctively.
“Yes. It’s definitely her,” Deips said confidently.
The Emperor glanced at him suspiciously, then turned to Prim.
“Raise your head.”
“…”
“I said, raise it.”
Prim hesitated. She was terrified to meet his eyes.
The Emperor—obsessed with beauty, a man who desired even the perfection of the human body itself.
But she couldn’t disobey. Clenching her fists, Prim slowly lifted her head.
“…”
When her black eyes met his, the Emperor’s expression distorted.
“Deips.”
He straightened, his voice cold as steel. But Deips didn’t notice the change and instead brightened.
“Should I kill her?”
“What?”
“This woman. She came crawling back here again. I’ll make sure she learns her place—”
“Deips!”
The Emperor roared.
Deips blinked in shock. Prim and Elina froze too, unable to make sense of what was happening.
“How could you possibly mistake this lady for that woman! She’s Reinsis’s art tutor!”
“Y–Your Majesty, that’s true, but please look closely—her eyes!”
Deips grabbed Prim again and examined her eyes desperately. They were pitch black—deep, dark, and nothing else.
He ground his teeth. He was sure he’d seen them glow violet before, the same as that stranger’s.
I wasn’t mistaken!
But now, there was only darkness—no hint of purple anywhere.
“Seems to me, Brother, that you’re the one who can’t tell colors apart.”
Reinsis’s voice was deathly dry.
Brother?
He’d never been called that before—not once. He was sure Reinsis used the word deliberately, right in front of the Emperor.
That cunning bastard…
Deips’s fists trembled with rage. This wasn’t the humiliation he’d planned. He wanted Reinsis to be scorned by the entire empire—not the other way around.
And now, Reinsis had mocked him about color blindness. Pure humiliation.
There were too many witnesses. The Emperor, struggling to contain his anger, spoke again.
“…Release her at once.”
“Your Majesty, please listen!” Deips’s voice cracked with fury. “She’s using magic, I’m certain of it—just like that day she insulted you!”
“Deips!”
The Emperor’s face flushed red. In front of everyone—his own son had dredged up that day’s disgrace.
“Release her. Now!”
Deips clenched his jaw so hard it hurt. He wanted to rip out her eyes and confirm the truth for himself.
But there were too many eyes watching. Even the knights and attendants looked terrified.
Damn it…!
At last, Deips had no choice but to release her.
Prim gasped. On her pale arm, his red handprint stood out vividly. She bit her lip and tried to cover it with her other hand.
“…”
Reinsis saw everything. The mark burned red against her white skin—too visible even to him.
His own fists curled tight.
He remembered brushing against that same arm during dance practice—so slender and fragile it had seemed ready to break.
And now it bore a bruise from Deips’s hand.
He wanted to smash his fist into Deips’s disgusting face and color it with the shades only he could see.
But he couldn’t. That wasn’t his goal today. There was something more important.
Swallowing his fury, Reinsis spoke calmly.
“Your Majesty, may I take the ladies elsewhere?”
His voice, now completely even, contrasted the anger that had just filled the air.
The Emperor, still fuming from Deips’s outburst, turned his attention to Reinsis. The young prince’s composure stood in stark contrast to his brother’s madness.
“They seem quite shaken,” Reinsis continued. “I’d like to apologize on my brother’s behalf.”
“…”
“It would be best if he took a moment to calm down. He’s clearly too agitated.”
A faint, polite smile curved his lips.
Deips’s teeth ground audibly. His blue eyes glinted with barely suppressed rage.
“…Very well,” the Emperor said, nodding. He gave Reinsis a sidelong look.
Who would have thought his “cursed” son could grow so refined and composed?
Compared to that… Deips…
The Emperor’s gaze turned toward Deips with disappointment.
Now, the brothers’ positions were reversed. Deips glared at Reinsis with bloodshot eyes, but Reinsis merely bowed slightly and turned to Prim.
“Lord Reinsis…” Prim whispered.
“Go,” he murmured back. “We’ll talk later.”
Prim glanced nervously between the Emperor and Deips, meeting the latter’s murderous stare.
“Prim,” Elina whispered, clasping her hand tightly. “Let’s go.”
Prim looked at her friend. Elina was trying to appear calm, but the shock in her eyes was plain.
Prim squeezed her hand and nodded faintly.
The three of them walked away from the Emperor.
Deips could do nothing but grind his teeth as he watched them leave.
“Deips,” the Emperor said, his low voice falling like a heavy weight.
“Come with me.”
The door slammed shut behind them. Only then did Prim finally relax. Her legs gave out, and she slid down to the floor.
“Prim!”
Elina bent down toward her—but stopped when a voice cut through.
“Your arm.”
“Lord Reinsis…”
“Let me see it.”
Reinsis knelt beside her, lowering himself to her level.
“I really thought I was going to die…” Prim’s voice trembled with tears.
Reinsis frowned slightly. “What the hell happened for that bastard to treat you like that?”
“I don’t know, I just…”
“Fine. You can explain later. Just give me your arm first.”
Hesitantly, she extended it. The red marks on her pale skin made his composure crack again.
“…I should cut off that arm,” he muttered under his breath.
His hand tightened around hers without realizing it.
“Ah!”
Prim cried out in pain.
Startled, Reinsis quickly loosened his grip, but she was already staring at him wide-eyed in fear.
“M–My arm? Why would you cut it off?”
“…I wasn’t talking about yours.”
“Then whose?”
Her voice wavered, her eyes glistening with tears.
Reinsis fell silent. There was no point in explaining—she wouldn’t believe him anyway.
“…Prim.”
A new voice slipped between them. Prim looked up, though Reinsis’s gaze stayed fixed on her swollen arm.
“This person is…” Elina began uncertainly.
She looked from one to the other. She recognized him—the man who had stood beside the Emperor. His fine clothes, his bearing—he was clearly of royal blood. Yet she had never seen his face before.
Forgetting her manners, Elina stared directly at him.
That strikingly beautiful face, those ash-gray eyes—
No way…
“The Eighth Prince?” she whispered in disbelief.
Only then did Reinsis raise his head, his eyes meeting hers.
