8 years later.
Bwooooo-—
The horn sounded fiercely, as if tearing through the air, and the flag announcing victory fluttered in the wind.
With every step of the endless march that made the ground tremble, cheers erupted, welcoming them as if determined not to be outmatched.
“Finally, you have returned, my hero.”
Zerpheus, seated in the place of honour, spread his arms wide and praised the returning hero.
A satisfied smile filled his face.
The hero at the vanguard stared steadily at the emperor, then removed his helmet.
As the man’s face was revealed, the surroundings fell silent instantly.
His jet-black hair remained unchanged even under the sunlight, and through it gleamed vivid golden eyes.
That alone made any further words unnecessary.
The man bore clear marks of the legitimate imperial lineage that the current emperor did not possess.
And this was the first time he openly revealed that fact before the public.
In the heavy silence, Cabelenus quietly fixed his gaze on Zerpheus.
His vividly shining golden eyes held unmistakable and fierce hostility.
Zerpheus instinctively sensed a foreboding feeling and furrowed his brow.
At that moment, he felt a presence behind him.
"You’re here at last.”
Zerpheus’s carefully maintained smile faltered at the voice behind him.
At the end of his gaze stood Herman, the High Priest, clad in pristine white priestly robes and accompanied by priests.
“…High Priest, what brings you here at this hour?”
“This humble servant of God has come to deliver the will of the Holy One.”
Herman stroked his beard and offered a broad grin.
His wrinkled eyes, like ancient gnarled wood, revealed unmistakable greed.
“This is no place for the High Priest to intervene,”
Zerpheus warned in a lowered voice.
“There is no place where the will of God cannot be delivered.”
Unhurried, Herman stepped forward and stood before the amplification orb on the dais.
Countless eyes gazed up from below.
“I, Herman, humble servant of God, stand here to bless Grand Duke Schwarhan on his triumphant return from great achievements. And I shall continue to pray for the Grand Duke’s future.”
As Herman placed his hand over his heart and bowed, the crowd’s attention quickly stirred.
The longstanding rivalry between the Imperial family and the Temple was well-known, and Cabelenus was a leading figure of the Imperial faction.
As proof, the High Priest had never once attended Cabelenus’s victory ceremony. Now, blessing Cabelenus felt awkward in many ways.
“Recently, through the prayers of humble servants, God has granted a divine revelation: the signs of disaster spreading throughout the Empire are due to those who defy His will.”
Herman glanced at Zerpheus, who casually waved to the crowd as if unfazed, then quickly turned his gaze back to the audience.
Though it would have been natural to be flustered, seeing him act so calmly made it clear he was truly an exceptional man. Yet, to Herman, who had lived more than twice his years, he still looked like a mere child.
"An audacious one dares to defy the will of the divine and occupies a position unworthy of them. Our order seeks to hold that person accountable for their sins and reinstate the rightful master to their proper place."
Herman reached out his hand toward Cabelenus.
Cabelenus smiled at the gesture, while Zerpheus clenched his fist tightly.
“Because that is God’s will.”
It wasn’t necessary to name the target directly — just showing that much was enough.
Just by making it clear who was being targeted, everyone here would eagerly spread plenty of entertaining stories.
Herman swept his gaze affectionately over the crowd.
Eyes filled with expectation, curiosity, and fear — always a sight he cherished.
・・・・・
"What was this all about?"
As soon as they were alone, Zerpheus gripped Cabelenus’s shoulder roughly.
Cabelenus looked down at his older brother indifferently, expression unchanged.
“I’m just moving now that the preparations are done.”
“So you’re going to strike me? Borrowing that nasty old man’s power? Do you think you can handle that old man’s greed?”
“As long as I can bring down Your Majesty’s empire, nothing else matters.”
“My empire? Because of whom am I like this—”
“Don’t blame everything on me. You never intended to pass on the throne in the first place, did you?”
Cabelenus’s lips twisted.
“What are you saying? I’m only holding your place temporarily—”
“Then why are you still continuing those experiments?”
The experiments led by the late emperor ended after his death, but the laboratory still remained.
“That’s just…”
“You don’t need to make excuses. I already know what Your Majesty is after.”
Cabelenus pushed Zerpheus’s hand away and stepped back.
“If you know, then why act so calm?”
“Because from now on, Your Majesty will accomplish nothing.”
“Accomplish nothing?”
“Your Majesty’s wishes will always be shattered by my hands.”
Under the dazzling lights, golden eyes gleamed.
In the calm, steady gaze, an unmistakable madness was deeply hidden.
“You’re the one who can’t do anything. Do you know who’s holding your life in their hands?”
“How long do you think you can keep holding onto that lifeline?”
"What?"
“I have finally found a way.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Instead of answering, Cabelenus drew his sword and aimed it at his brother’s neck.
“You can’t even hurt me.”
“Shackles exist to be broken in the end.”
Zerpheus frowned at the sight of Cabelenus’s smile.
The sensation of liquid running down his neck sent chills down his spine.
"...What have you done?”
"I sold myself."
“Just like how Your Majesty sold my child before they were even born.”
Cabelenus’s grip tightened.
Zerpheus’s lips trembled at the blade pressing against his skin.
“Your Majesty didn’t pay the price, but I have. That’s what these eight years were for.”
“To join hands with an enemy just to strike me. Your late father would be heartbroken if he saw you now.”
“Who even is my enemy?”
"What?"
“I don’t know anymore. Who’s my enemy and who’s not? In the end, they’re all just using me anyway.”
"Cabelenus."
Zerpheus called urgently to his younger brother.
But Cabelenus’s expression only grew colder with each call.
“You’re still tied to that woman.”
“Don’t speak of her so carelessly.”
“It was only a few months. What’s so great about that short time that you’re still bound to her?”
"Was it not Your Majesty who made it so? By killing her, you embalmed her within me."
Cabelenus scoffed bitterly.
Since that day, he had been having the same dream every night.
He dreamed of a woman drenched in blood, weeping bitterly, and of himself screaming in agony, unable to reach her no matter how frantically he struggled.
"Your Majesty always told me to be the best, didn't you? Very well, I shall gladly oblige. And before Your Majesty, I will crush and destroy everything until nothing remains. That day will be Your Majesty's last."
“Do you think I’ll let you go so easily?”
"Do not let me be. Struggle and fight with all your might. I am keeping you alive just to see you try."
Cabelenus sheathed his sword, but the clear wound on Zerpheus’s neck remained.
"You're being quite generous this time."
“It’s simply a shame to settle everything with just one life. Rotten roots must be completely severed; otherwise, there can be no chance for a new beginning."
"You'll regret this. Only after truly suffering from that old man's greed will you realise how precious my protection was."
"I've already had my fill of regrets. I don't intend to have any more."
“...”
"In gratitude for hosting the victory ceremony, I will send you a gift soon."
"I've just finished clearing out all the rats that were running around my castle."
Cabelenus curled his lips into a smirk and grabbed Zerpheus by the shoulder.
Revenge was only just beginning.
・・・・・
"Are you all right?"
"This isn’t a problem at all."
Cabelenus roughly wiped the corner of his mouth.
The back of his hand was thickly stained with dark crimson blood.
"The curse hasn’t been fully lifted yet, so you must be careful."
“That’s why it’s a relief. If the curse had been completely lifted, I might have killed without hesitation.”
Cabelenus answered indifferently and let out a deep sigh.
The backlash that came from drawing just a few drops of blood always left a bitter taste.
“Still, this isn’t bad. There’s plenty of potential. Even though he's an old man, it seems like his powers are still intact."
In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to lift a finger against Zerpheus, but this time, he was able to inflict at least a small wound.
“You mustn’t rely on it too much. From the start, the High Priest never intended to fully lift the curse.”
“Far from lifting it, he’ll try to shift control from His Majesty to himself. Only then can he have a loyal dog under his command.”
“We have to finish everything before that happens.”
Gazeff smiled as he handed a handkerchief to Cabelenus.
“You’re gathering evidence that the High Priest manipulated the disaster, right?”
Cabelenus lightly nodded his head while wiping off the blood that had smeared onto the handkerchief.
“Yes. I’ve collected all the evidence so far.”
“Make sure to investigate all the rumours about His Majesty that will spread from now on. That old man’s specialty is manipulating public opinion by invoking the will of God. He’s probably already finished the groundwork behind the scenes."
“I’ve got that covered as well. With all the materials we’ve prepared so far combined, once the imperial family is dealt with, we can strike the temple immediately.”
“As promised by the High Priest, once he is granted the title of God’s Representative, the plan will start right away. Both the imperial family and the temple will be completely under our control.”
Cabelenus clenched his fists tightly.
His long-awaited wish was just within reach, yet he felt no joy at all.
Eventually, Cabelenus stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes.
Even after eight years had passed, the crying woman’s face remained vivid in his mind, and just thinking about her tightened his throat.
“…Still, it’s not much longer now.”
“Oh, come to think of it, the memorial day is coming up soon.”
Gazeff forced a smile but couldn’t shake the heavy atmosphere.
Cabelenus stared into empty space, then soon lowered his head helplessly.
“Have you ever heard of Rubertine?”
"Rubertine? What is that?"
“A land I can never go to.”
Cabelenus looked at the blood-stained handkerchief.
He had too much blood on his hands to go to the Rubertine Alicia had spoken of, but sometimes the thought crossed his mind.
The absurd hope that if he prayed desperately enough, the merciful God might grant him the chance to set foot on that noble land even once.
‘Even though I don’t actually believe in God.’
Cabelenus mocked himself quietly, covering his eyes with his hand.
Beneath his hand, the corners of the man’s mouth drooped pitifully.
・・・・・
“Good heavens, how do you even raise your child?!”
“Why, ma’am? Did my child do something wrong?”
“Can’t you see with your own eyes? Look at his face! What are you going to do about this now?!”
Alicia blinked as she looked at the two children, both in disarray.
Her own child seemed relatively fine, but the other child’s face was swollen as if stung by a bee — his condition was terrible.
"I-I’m sorry."
“Sorry? Does saying sorry fix everything? Enough! What are you going to do now?”
“I’ll cover the treatment costs.”
“That goes without saying!”
Maren roughly pushed Michael’s back with her chubby hands.
Alicia wrinkled the bridge of her nose.
“But it seems like my child’s face is a mess too.”
“Are you kidding? My kid’s clearly more injured than yours, just look!”
This time, Maren grabbed Michael and shook him roughly.
Alicia slightly lifted her head and narrowed her eyes.
"Yes, that’s true. But did you ask for the reason?"
"Reason? What reason?!"
“The reason why the children fought.”
"What’s the point of asking something like that? Can’t you see? My kid’s face is a complete mess!"
"Michael."
“...”
"Come here."
Alicia reached out and grabbed Michael’s wrist.
Ash-grey eyes, just like hers, stared intently up at her.
“It’s okay, so come quickly.”
At Alicia’s gesture, Michael cautiously stepped forward.
As if she had been waiting for this moment, Alicia pulled her child into her arms and steeled her gaze.
"What do you think you’re doing? Shouldn’t you be scolding your kid first?"
"If my child really did something wrong, it won’t be too late to scold him then."
"What did you say?"
"Michael. Tell me. Why did you fight?"
“...”
Michael glanced nervously at Alicia but clutched tightly onto the hem of her skirt.
Alicia gently held his scratched hand and pulled him even closer into her embrace.
"It’s okay. Trust Mum and tell me."
"…Chris teased me."
"Teased you? About what?"
“He said my mum is a runaway concubine.”
In an instant, the air turned cold.
Alicia let out a deep sigh and pressed her hand to her forehead.
"Michael, do you even know what that means?"
"I don’t know. But he said it was something dirty! Chris said he heard it from his mum! He kept saying that!"
"Is that why you fought?"
“I’m sorry.”
"No. You don’t need to be sorry. The one who should be apologising isn’t my son."
Alicia gave a faint smile and turned to look at Maren.
Maren’s face had gone completely pale.
"Before you go lecturing other people on how to raise their children, ma’am, you might want to watch your own mouth first."
"Wh-when did I ever say that?! Do you have any proof?"
"Your precious son is all the proof I need."
Alicia calmly looked at Chris.
Chris couldn’t meet Alicia’s eyes and lowered his head.
"I don’t know what you meant by saying something like that, ma’am. But aren’t you even a little ashamed that your child is already out there repeating it?"
“...”
"I’ve never done anything shameful in front of my child, and I never will. So don’t you ever say something that vile again."
"If I hear those kinds of words from the children’s mouths even once more, I won’t let it slide."
Under Alicia’s cold, piercing glare, Maren instinctively took a step back.
Alicia clearly looked so delicate that she seemed like she’d topple over at the slightest touch, but sometimes, when she looked at her with those eyes, Maren's knees went weak for no reason.
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