Chapter 35
“So?”
Empress Elicia furrowed her neatly groomed brows as she set her teacup down before her. A maid of the Empress’s palace poured tea into the cup with trembling hands, struggling to keep her composure. A single mistake could cost her dearly. Though she feigned calmness, her pale face betrayed her anxiety.
“She is from the region of Safras. From a small village within Baron Denka’s domain. The village was completely destroyed during an Apostle’s attack.”
Lady Berensa, seated beside her, quietly read the report in her hand.
“Duke Meliz Evgenin took in the orphaned child and brought her to the Magic Tower. It was said she possessed mana, but it was so faint that her traits couldn’t be properly identified. I’ve been informed she barely managed to obtain even the lowest rank of certification.”
The Empress narrowed her eyes, signaling her to continue.
“As such, it seems she was never recognized in the Magic Tower. She was merely the Duke’s personally cherished disciple.”
“Hm.”
“In conclusion, she is neither an outstanding combatant nor a magician of high magical rank.”
“All the more suspicious, then, that such a magician was sent to accompany the Prince.”
Snap— The Empress folded the fan she was holding and tilted her head.
The report was about the magician who had entered the palace alongside Prince Licht. Since Duke Evgenin had sent her personally, it had been assumed she must possess formidable combat abilities. Instead, her lack of power felt all the more dubious.
“That slippery Duke Evgenin wouldn’t have sent his disciple without some scheme in mind.”
“We looked into whether she had been assigned any particular task, but aside from eating… and resting, she doesn’t appear to do much of anything.”
The Magic Tower was notoriously secretive, its ranks filled with many who were not of noble birth, so conducting a perfect investigation was no easy feat. Still, judging by all that had been uncovered, the woman seemed utterly harmless.
“And yet she insisted on coming to the Imperial Palace with him… Could it be…”
The Empress suddenly burst into a laugh, tilting her head back. Her chilling laughter made the servants standing by the door shrink their shoulders involuntarily.
“Could it be that the Prince has fallen madly in love? That handsome first son of mine?”
It was the latest rumor spreading like wildfire throughout the palace.
“The Prince is in love with the magician of the Magic Tower!”
At first, it was dismissed as ridiculous gossip, but as more and more suspicious circumstances were uncovered, the rumor gained credibility and was now spreading through the entire capital.
“That prickly Duke Meliz must have found something endearing about her if he dotes on her as his disciple.”
The Empress sneered. Edel knew him only as a gentle, caring Master of the Magic Tower, but Duke Meliz was notorious for his arrogance. Even when his words were courteous, the contempt in his gaze always left others fuming.
And not even the Imperial Prince, the Empire’s very “moon,” was spared that disdain. For Elicia, who could not act rashly against such a powerful figure, there was nothing to do but gnash her teeth and wait for the right moment.
“Hmph. If that rumor is true, it could serve as a weakness, could it not? The spies planted in the Prince’s palace haven’t been discovered, have they?”
The Prince’s palace was frustratingly secure. Even during the two years when Licht had been absent, its defenses hadn’t weakened but instead had grown stronger.
“No, Your Majesty. I will look into it again.”
Lady Berensa recalled the magician’s pure and innocent appearance from afar. Now that she had caught the Empress’s eye, it seemed unlikely she would live peacefully.
Such was the Imperial Palace— a place without blood or tears, where only the final victor survived, sipping tea gracefully atop the corpses of their enemies.
Moments later, a knock came from the door.
“Enter.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty, but Marquis Kaion has been waiting.”
“Oh my, I kept Father waiting. I’ll go at once.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Empress smoothed her expression and rose from her seat.
When she entered the receiving room, Marquis Kaion rose and bowed respectfully. Though she was his daughter, she was now the Mother of the Empire, and thus he had to show proper etiquette.
His golden hair, streaked with white but still gleaming, made clear where the Empress and Caidan had inherited their looks.
“Your Majesty, it has been too long.”
“Father, please sit.”
Empress Elicia had inherited not only her father’s gentle appearance but also his calculating nature. Yet at times, even she found the Marquis unsettling. After the birth of her much-desired heir, Caidan, that feeling had only deepened.
That she began plotting to depose the First Prince had been a natural progression. The Marquis, who had always disapproved of the Emperor’s choice to wed a dethroned queen, naturally lent his cooperation.
“Ahem. I hear… you have made contact with that man.”
“Yes. Whatever the circumstances, we must proceed with composure, don’t you think?”
The Empress smiled gently as she waved her fan. At her signal, Lady Berensa ushered the other maids out, closing the door behind them.
The Marquis clasped his hands nervously, staring at the floor. He understood this was for the sake of placing his grandson, Caidan, on the throne, but the fact that they had allied with the Apostles left him perpetually uneasy.
If anyone were to discover that he had assisted the one who cursed the Prince, it would not be just his own life at stake.
Unaware—or perhaps uncaring—of his troubled heart, Elicia smiled like a painting and continued.
“A banquet is being prepared to celebrate the Prince’s return.”
“I see.”
Though her demeanor was soft, the Marquis could easily sense her irritation.
“The commotion is exhausting. Everyone is fussing as if that precious first son of his were interested in such things.”
“And what do you intend to do?” the Marquis asked quietly. Their carefully prepared curse had failed, and new measures were needed.
“I have something in mind,” she whispered.
“I see.”
As always, he didn’t ask for details. Ever since the Empress had made contact with the dark sorcerer, she never shared the specifics with him—only issued instructions.
“If he has risen after shaking off that curse, then surely he must long for another trial. We ought to present one worthy of him. For our great First Prince.”
The Empress muttered with a twisted smile.
Just days ago, Deus had finally revealed himself. Driven nearly to madness by frustration, the Empress had been considering visiting one of his subordinates herself.
“The curse is broken! Licht has survived and returned!!”
Anyone who had seen the Empress then would have thought her insane. She was screaming hysterically at the mirror in her chamber.
Beyond the glass, a shadowy figure gradually began to take shape.
The ornate mirror before her served as a communication channel with Deus. She had smuggled it into the palace despite its layered wards, and Deus often used it to deliver instructions to her.
At last, the figure of Deus, leader of the Apostles, appeared in the mirror.
“Do something! Do something about this!!!”
She shrieked, her voice sharp with nerves. But as though her tantrum were nothing, the corners of Deus’s lips, hidden beneath his pitch-black hood, curved faintly upward.
It looked almost like a smile.
“Interesting.”
The voice was so heavy and dark it felt like it dragged the listener into the abyss. The Empress froze, overtaken by a chill.
He seemed lost in thought, gazing at something unseen. Even with his hood shadowing his face, it was clear his eyes were fixed on some point beyond.
The dark sorcerer, head of the Apostles, was powerful, ruthless, and merciless. The Empress knew better than anyone how many lives had been consumed to fuel the curse he crafted.
She had also seen, time and again, how those who displeased him were reduced to dust in an instant. To him, there was no such thing as ally or enemy. There were only those he tolerated, kept close when they were useful.
That was why the Apostles never dared to raise their heads in his presence. He was capricious, cruel, and deadly.
Though he claimed his cooperation was for the sake of harvesting life energy for his black magic, the Empress could not shake the suspicion that he had other motives.
But for now, he was the only one who had the power to grant her desires. She had no choice but to cling to him.
The Empress bit down hard on her lip.
Unlock soon!~