Chapter 68
‘She pretended to despise me, but there was no sincerity in it.’
That’s what made it strange.
Under what circumstances can a person suddenly change?
Either someone else took their place, or they lost their memory as if it were a lie.
Isn’t it one of the two?
But thinking it was the former didn’t make sense—Duke Ariel was a powerful archmage, comparable to an Awakener.
Who could possibly harm him?
Even more so, a fire-elemental natural mage.
Then, could it be memory loss?
But that didn’t fit either. There were no gaps in Duke Ariel’s duties or suspicious absences.
It was impossible to tell.
Before this unsolvable puzzle, Hilaria appeared as a strange creature in his eyes.
And his gaze lingered.
Suspicion and curiosity quickly took the form of observation.
That’s why he deliberately took advantage of the period when the gates were exponentially reduced, acting deliberately.
To observe the woman.
To confirm how she would appear within his domain.
However, the observer made a critical mistake.
He, who should have just been quietly observing, found himself unable to resist intervening in the situation.
‘Almost as if I’m jealous…’
Though it was infuriating enough to curse, Kaithis felt strange the entire journey toward the Duke’s castle.
The pretty mage clinging to the woman like a leech, laughing gently, was irritating.
It annoyed him that his loyal knight suddenly volunteered to help the leader of the enemy faction.
It was strange to see the prickly Awakener suppressing his temperament just to appear well-behaved in front of Hilaria.
It bothered him that the person suddenly appearing, claiming to be the Duke’s childhood friend, called out her name…
‘So many things.’
Hilaria—her behavior, which was unlike the woman he had seen until now, bothered him.
It preoccupied his mind.
And even now.
‘Why did she have that expression?’
He could have ignored her approach.
As the Empire’s finest monster and an Awakener, there was no way Kaithis could not sense Hilaria’s presence.
Yet he revealed himself and blocked her path—because of that expression.
‘Why such a look…’
The woman’s face was unfamiliar.
She looked almost like she might cry.
Unbelievably, Duke Ariel walked forward with a face that seemed on the verge of tears.
‘A delicate and pitiable expression.’
A description that, astonishingly, could never have been applied to the Duke even if he were dead and reborn.
“Why are you here?”
Kaithis’s eyes twisted.
Despite just wearing that expression, the moment she saw him, her face changed as if she had swapped masks.
Cold, icy, indifferent—like the Duke’s usual expression.
‘What is she hiding?’
He had to admit it.
‘Even if what she’s hiding has nothing to do with the guide I’m desperately searching for…’
‘I want to know everything.’
Even so, it began to bother him that this woman irritated him as if she had a nail driven into his heart.
“Duke.”
“Speak from there.”
Seeing the woman step back as if avoiding him made Kaithis feel stifled.
‘She really despises me.’
He felt like a filthy rat.
‘Does she hate me that much?’
He recalled the conversation between that Kalzen and the woman in front of him.
‘She said it would never happen.’
Of course, he agreed.
They were unrelated parties.
Yet, in this state where he couldn’t discard the terrifying possibility that the mage in front of him might be his guide, it only irritated him further.
What if…
‘If the Duke were my guide…’
Why would he dislike being entangled like this?
Was he worried he might disappoint those proud mages who followed him?
Could that be why he hid his identity and refused to become the Emperor’s partner?
Thoughts like these.
‘It’s actually simple.’
Checking it would be simple.
‘Just reach out once.’
Touch that skin.
If he poured his power afterward, he could find out.
Though if a pure mage were to receive an Awakener’s unrestrained power, the friction could inflict fatal internal injuries.
He used that as an excuse for not touching her, but he was hesitant regardless.
‘Once I touch her…’
The night she swore she would never come near him again.
‘It could never be undone.’
Duke Ariel, now unwilling to engage with her even in death.
‘Whatever the result…’
The initial arrogant resolve to somehow discover and forcibly keep her by his side shattered like mist.
‘Am I… afraid?’
He let out a hollow laugh.
“Your Majesty?”
Perhaps sensing his unusual stillness, she furrowed her brow slightly as she looked at him.
She approached two steps forward, as if worried.
‘Yes. This is it.’
Such a clearly different demeanor.
“I should be asking you. Why are you here? Isn’t it time to rest?”
Seeing the suspicion sharpening in her eyes, he felt oddly relieved and laughed inwardly at himself.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
He had been acting strange for a while.
Kaithis tilted his head in puzzlement, then suddenly felt worried.
‘It’s been a while since I guided him.’
Could he be sick? Are his stats messed up?
“Are you not feeling well?”
I instinctively glanced at the status window.
The status window that automatically appears when the Emperor is present was relatively stable.
‘Not seriously ill, then?’
I breathed a sigh of relief, only to find his blue eyes watching me intently.
Instantly, I felt uneasy.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Your behavior just now was strange.”
“What do you mean?”
Had I made another mistake? Cold sweat ran down my spine, yet he laughed faintly.
“You probably thought I was showing symptoms of going berserk, didn’t you? Isn’t that so?”
“…Yes, but.”
It’s natural to check a high-level Awakener’s status for poor stats or risk of going berserk.
“Then why didn’t you run away?”
“….”
“Usually, people fear and avoid the Awakener. Not because they worry about me.”
Well, I…
I am his temporary guide, after all.
“Even my other guides wear the face of a condemned person in such situations.”
Kaithis stepped closer.
“Then, Duke, what did you…”
I instinctively stepped back.
“Your Majesty.”
Why is he approaching?
Why is that burdensomely handsome face coming closer?
Without caring about my reaction, he slightly bowed.
“What did you…”
Being tall, Hilaria’s gaze met his closely.
“You’re worried about me, aren’t you?”
His lips were firmly set.
“…You’re exaggerating. I’m not worried about you.”
Kaithis’s eyes narrowed.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Or were you concerned that I might go berserk freely in your precious Duke’s castle? Ah, quite the unpredictable bomb.”
“….”
I frowned slightly.
Hearing his teasing voice felt like a thorn stuck in my chest, yet I asked despite knowing it would be better to stay silent.
“Why do you speak like that? Are you pretending to be pitiful in front of me?”
Damn my mouth! My meddling!
He raised his eyebrows.
“…What do you mean by that?”
The young Kaithis, and the small boy left behind by the former Empress, who used to hurl sharp words.
‘You think mages hate you, and your leader finds you unpleasant…’
But isn’t he the one who’s been thinking that?
He always calls himself a monster, or so it seems.
I didn’t like that.
“Your Majesty. Let’s be precise.”
“About what?”
I crossed my arms, smirking as if to say, ‘You’re being ridiculous.’
“You’ve said strange things since before. For starters, I am neither an Awakener nor a guide.”
“And?”
I didn’t understand what he meant, but his eyes sharpened at me, making my heart race.
Yet the words had already come out; they couldn’t be taken back.
“I know you endure pain, but I don’t know the process. Nor do I care.”
“Duke, are you picking a fight?”
I continued, raising my index finger in the tone and expression I usually used to scold the mages in my tower strictly.
“You endured it, didn’t you?”
“What?”
