Chapter 32
“There’s no reason to be ashamed.”
In this continent, elves were often treated almost like demons.
Cunning, sly, and capable of draining a person’s soul with dark magic—that was the reputation spread by hostile temples.
But it was all slander. Elves were just like any other people on the continent. They laughed and cried at the same things. There were bad elves, just as there were bad humans, but the good far outnumbered the bad.
The only real difference was the abundance of mana flowing through their bodies. Mana—the divine force. Elves, blessed with richer mana than humans, almost seemed favored by the gods themselves.
And, of course, the temples envied this and persecuted them.
Ly, knowing the full truth, felt no shame in the elven blood that ran through her veins.
Yet the elves hiding across the continent lived differently.
They concealed their violet eyes, the unmistakable mark of their kind, and some even injured themselves to suppress their magical abilities. Ly felt nothing but sorrow for them.
Fortunately, King Alore of Alora did not mistreat the elves. Ever since the late king took a consort who was an elder of the elves, he had ensured the Regina Forest was a safe haven for their people. Thanks to this, the forest had become a small paradise for elves.
“I wish Her Majesty could see it too.”
Ly did not know the full story of how an elf’s daughter had ascended to the position of empress.
But one thing was clear: Lucretia, who had to hide her true identity at all costs, seemed unbearably lonely in this palace.
Ly wanted her to know that somewhere on this continent, a life existed where she need not live like that.
With that thought, Ly made her way to the Empress’s palace.
Unlike the rest of the imperial grounds, the path to the Empress’s palace was quiet—almost eerily so. Not a single soul crossed her path.
When Ly arrived, she was stopped.
“Do not come any closer.”
A guard at the main gate glared at her, holding his spear as if ready to strike.
Ly froze. Of course, the residence of the royal family wasn’t open to just anyone, but she hadn’t expected such extreme caution.
Smiling as best she could, she introduced herself.
“Hello. I am Ly Alloso, envoy from the Kingdom of Alore, staying here as a guest of the imperial court.”
“Unauthorized personnel may not approach the Empress’s palace.”
The guard repeated the same words. Ly’s expression faltered.
“Where can I obtain permission?”
The guard’s gaze darkened further.
“The Empress’s palace is sealed by order of His Majesty, the Emperor. Do not even think of entering until you have received permission directly from him!”
Ly realized she needed to step back.
Leaving the palace gates, she was overwhelmed with confusion.
‘The Empress’s palace is sealed? By the Emperor himself? Why?’
Sealing off the residence of his own wife—it sounded exactly like confining her.
Ly recalled the Emperor, whom she had met once in the audience hall.
His features were unnaturally perfect, almost otherworldly. He had an air that seemed… not quite human. But despite his appearance, his governance was extremely rational.
Rumors said he excelled in administration, and his skill in military affairs was unmatched. Once called the Bloody Tyrant early in his reign, he had proven himself in all matters. Ly had judged him to be worthy of leading the empire into a new golden age.
Surely, the Emperor would not confine the Empress without reason.
‘Could it… be that he discovered she is an elf?’
Whatever the case, it was clear Lucretia was in danger. Both her eyes and Ly’s instincts as a fellow elf told her so.
‘I have to help her, no matter what.’
Now Ly understood why there had been no response. The Empress wasn’t just cut off from people—she was completely isolated.
Thinking of the first bottle of perfume she had given Lucretia, Ly bit her lip.
‘If only I had given the second bottle at once…’
Ly knew the horrors of mana addiction well. The thought of a fellow elf suffering nearby made her chest ache. She hurried on, determined to find a way to reach the Empress.
Unbeknownst to her, someone was watching.
Dion, the Emperor’s chief aide, observed Ly’s retreating figure intently.
“Ugh…”
Lucretia clawed at her chest. Breathing was unbearable otherwise.
The hallmark of mana addiction was a crushing pressure in the heart. The pain had been building all morning, reaching its peak the moment she awoke.
Exhaling shakily, she gazed out the window. The day was bright, though she had lost count of how many mornings she had endured in that bedroom.
How much time had passed?
Years? Hours? She couldn’t tell.
Then came a click—the sound of the door opening.
Was it another hallucination? Lucretia turned her head with effort.
No—it was real. A guard entered, carrying a tray.
‘Ah.’
The guard, pretending not to see her, placed the tray on the table and tried to leave.
“Wait! Please…!”
Her hoarse voice made the guard flinch. He swallowed hard as he saw her pale, gaunt face, her dry lips, and her silver hair falling limply. The Empress looked fragile, like a lily wilting.
“Allow me… to see His Majesty. Please. Or… deliver this letter.”
Lucretia grasped the paper she had left on the desk. In pain, she had written her defense in hopes of being heard. She could not speak clearly in this state, so she had written it instead.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot do that. If it’s discovered that you spoke with the Empress, His Majesty will punish you severely.”
The guard’s eyes shut tight.
“Please, just a word… can’t you?”
Lucretia clutched him desperately.
“Tell him it wasn’t a conversation. Tell him I shouted it to him alone. That the oath I swore hasn’t ended…!”
The vow she had made to deliver evidence that the Marquis was colluding with the aide—a promise the Emperor had agreed to honor.
Though the Emperor would likely consider the oath void now, Lucretia could not. It was the only promise he had left her.
“Ugh…”
She pressed her hand to her chest, her expression twisted in pain. The guard, unable to approach, watched helplessly.
If the Empress could not leave her room, she must have committed a grave offense—but why did she look so pitiful?
Finally, against his better judgment, the guard spoke.
“I cannot grant your request. His Majesty… is not in the palace.”
“…What?”
Lucretia’s eyes widened.
The guard spoke cautiously, as if she might not have realized.
“His Majesty leaves the palace once a year for about fifteen days. It is always in early summer, which happens to be now. During that time, he receives no messages and makes no appearances.”
Ha.
Lucretia staggered. The Emperor she had longed to see wasn’t even here. Her chest felt hollow with emptiness.
“Your Majesty!”
The guard rushed to steady her. Lucretia shook her head.
“I’m fine… just a moment…”
Her headache was dizzying, but it was not fatal. She would recover, just as she always had.
Even as she thought this, her vision darkened.
“Your Majesty!”
The guard’s alarmed cry rang out, but Lucretia could not respond. Her fading consciousness offered no resistance. Slowly, she watched the floor approach—and then she closed her eyes.
“…No issues with breathing….”
“…A mental problem….”
Voices buzzed around her. Lucretia could hear them faintly, like palace physicians examining her, but her consciousness remained submerged.
“…Her vitality is extremely weak… she will need assistance from a priest…”
Hearing this, Lucretia gave a wry smile. A priest? The Emperor would never allow her to meet an aide’s man. He already suspected the Marquis of colluding.
She drifted back to sleep.
After some indeterminate time, she felt a warm energy rise from her solar plexus. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Light flooded from below.
‘This…’
A sign of healing magic. Blinking at the familiar golden glow, she saw a man in priest’s robes looking down at her.
“A… priest?”
Unsure if it was dream or reality, she asked weakly. The priest nodded silently.
“You must remain lying down; the healing is not complete.”
A priest had entered the sealed Empress’s palace. It must have been her father or the aide, unwilling to lose their piece on the chessboard. Lucretia shook her head.
“Your Majesty… if we are… discovered…”
“The Emperor has permitted it.”
Those words made her hold her breath.
