Episode 8
“Phew—”
When I blew on the cup filled to the brim with chocolate, steam rose in soft curls.
It’s annoying being watched until I fall asleep, but at least the chocolate is good.
I drained the entire cup and let out a sleepy yawn.
“I’ll be right beside you, so rest easy.”
“Mmm… thaaank you, Jess.”
I spoke slowly and snuggled into her arms as she gently patted me.
Jess stroked me preciously, like an older sister caring for a little sibling.
Pat number 30, 31… 100.
Rustle…
When I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, Jess waited until she was sure I was out, then quietly stood up.
“Sweet dreams, Lady Tie.”
After planting a goodnight kiss on my forehead, Jess slipped out without making a sound.
Click.
The moment the door shut, I snapped my eyes open and slid down from the bed.
Jess reminds me of Perilray.
Kind and soft, yet strict about rules.
But the true descendant of Perilray is someone else.
I rubbed my forehead and used mana to survey my surroundings.
Two guards in the hallway.
Good.
“Lady Tie? Where are you going?”
“Everything I do is for Her Majesty the Second Empress. Didn’t you hear? I was promised freedom.”
“That may be so, but…”
The soldiers exchanged glances.
“Has Her Majesty summoned you in secret?”
I said nothing, only stared at them with a dignified expression. They misunderstood exactly as intended and stepped aside.
“Our apologies! Please, go ahead!”
“Hmph! You should be grateful Tie is letting this slide just once!”
I walked briskly, glancing around.
There has to be a connected secret passage somewhere.
This palace was entirely designed by Lute.
And Lute loved playing tricks more than anything.
Here it is.
When I brushed the dark wall with mana, I found a section of iron bricks.
Press.
Push it once to the left, twice to the right, then five spaces inward—
Rumble—
As expected.
A hidden door opened.
His usual password: 1, 2, 5. Lute’s birthday. February 15.
Lute enjoyed building secret passages.
As a former assassin, he claimed he had accumulated too many grudges and often faced threats to his life.
—That was his excuse.
In truth, he simply loved it. It was his hobby.
He was a lucky bastard whose tastes, aptitude, and talent all aligned perfectly with his profession.
From here, the passage to the First Empress’s palace should be to the right.
Among the items I translated for the Second Empress was a blueprint of the imperial palace.
No matter how you looked at it, it had to be Lute’s design—hopelessly complex.
The document detailed every secret passage, underground corridor, even how to avoid traps and escape from prison.
Naturally, I kept a copy and gave her a deliberately sloppy translation.
Twenty years in my previous life. Seven hundred twenty-three years crossed over. A total of 743 years of cunning—you’ve got a long way to go before catching up.
As I crawled through the narrow passage, I felt a patch of cold air at one point.
Found it.
I knocked on the wall of a dark space.
Thud. The hollow sound meant it was covered with a temporary barrier.
I pushed hard, and the wall opened. I slipped out of the concealed passage.
This is it. The First Empress’s palace.
Unlike the other buildings, this one carried unusually fresh air.
That meant it had to be maintained in the best possible condition.
In this vast corridor, there was only one door.
Meaning this entire place is one single room.
Click.
When I stepped inside, the interior revealed itself—grand and imposing.
Countless magical devices, protective gear, barriers.
Various herbs for air purification.
At the center stood a bed.
So enormous and draped in curtains that it looked small in the vast room.
“So it’s you.”
I stared at the woman lying as if dead in the darkness.
Her hair was a blue-silver shade.
Her eyes would be bright blue, as a descendant of Perilray.
I knew exactly who she was.
The First Empress, Sierra Perilray.
“So you’re the source of the Crown Prince’s beauty.”
Perilray himself had been handsome, but the First Empress surpassed mere beauty—she could rival a fairy.
I had traveled across the continent and seen countless races, but the moment I saw this woman, I was speechless.
Even the Crown Prince’s looks seemed unremarkable compared to his mother’s.
“Woah—”
The word slipped out by habit, and I smacked my own mouth.
A leftover habit from my days as a hero running with rough mercenaries.
Still, her beauty was an important clue.
Because that meant—
She possesses everything the Second Empress does not.
So that was the reason for the hatred.
“You’re not just sleeping. And you’re not sick. Then… poisoned?”
Given what I’d found in the Crown Prince’s palace, it was possible.
But the timing didn’t match.
The First Empress had disappeared before the Second Empress was crowned.
Back then, the future Second Empress had been a nobody.
In other words, she didn’t have the status to approach this woman closely enough to administer poison gradually.
Which meant…
There was only one answer.
The moment I placed my hand on the First Empress’s forehead and infused mana, a small laugh escaped me.
As expected.
“So this is a forbidden technique.”
Back in my room, I scribbled notes into my notebook.
What Bellavita had done—
Forbidden magic.
Magic that should never be practiced on ethical grounds.
Curses, torture, brainwashing.
The greatest reason my companions and I struggled seven hundred years ago when we defeated the great calamity, “Origin.”
The very source of evil opposing holy divine power—the great calamity “Origin” was the creator of forbidden magic.
A mass of darkness without form or shape, into which not a single ray of light could enter.
What I felt from the First Empress last night was unmistakably the aura of forbidden magic.
That gas-like entity’s magic has survived until now?
I considered briefly, then nodded.
It’s possible.
Forbidden magic fundamentally preys upon human greed and stimulates wicked instincts.
Cursing others, annihilating them, stealing lives, increasing wealth, manipulating minds, binding targets.
Exactly the kind of magic someone like the Second Empress would love.
“If Bellavita has touched forbidden magic, then she’s no ordinary human.”
Though she didn’t look ordinary to begin with.
Hop!
I jumped down from the tall chair.
As expected, it wasn’t made for someone my size.
I wish I’d grow 10 centimeters a day.
So I could return to my original body and wipe out my traitorous companions.
Right now, with small hands, small feet, and a small body, I couldn’t properly do anything. It was frustrating.
“For now, I’ll go play with the Second Empress and observe the situation—”
Bang!
The moment I opened the door, someone appeared.
“Are you alright?”
“Ow…!”
My backside throbbed from the hard collision.
Why is he here?
Standing blankly in front of the door was the Crown Prince’s aide, Roil.
“You startled me, Lady Tie. My apologies.”
“I’m okaaay!”
I was startled—but not because it hurt.
He can hide his presence?
Unexpected.
I’d thought he was just a quiet aide, but he’s more capable than I assumed.
He was standing right in front of my door, and I didn’t notice.
Well, even for a thirteen-year-old like Kaisen Huonis, making swift decisions would require assistance from a close aide.
Even as Crown Prince, he was only thirteen.
With the Second Empress holding real power, moving secretly under her watchful eye wouldn’t be easy for a child alone.
I took a small step back, pretending to shrink timidly.
“Did you sleep well? Good morning.”
“Ah… I see. And did you rest comfortably, Lady Tie?”
Roil adjusted his glasses and smiled slightly.
He smiled like a puppy—perfect material for a loyal subordinate.
People with faces like that don’t betray you.
“Forgive me for asking, but where were you headed, Lady Tie?”
Yeah, I was on my way to dig up some information on your precious Second Empress.
“I wanted to go for a walk!”
“A walk… A fine choice.”
He smiled gently.
“If it is agreeable, would you honor the Crown Prince’s invitation?”
My eyes widened.
“The Crown Prince?”
