"If you need anything, just say so."
“Yes, I will.”
"If something's bothering you, say it right away."
"Alright."
"And, also..."
Cabelenus frowned, unable to recall what he was going to say.
He wanted to have a long conversation, but no matter how hard he tried, his mind just wouldn’t work that way, and he was starting to get frustrated.
“You don’t have to worry too much.”
"That’s not something I can do."
Cabelenus let out a short breath.
It was a strange thing.
No matter how much he filled the room, it had always felt empty — yet now, just having one person there made it feel full.
"I’m not just saying that. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. My room is right next door..."
"Next door?"
"That's right. The adjacent room is mine."
"I don’t mind staying at the secondary palace like I did before."
Alicia turned her head slightly.
Knowing exactly what it meant to be placed in the room next to Cabelenus, she became even more cautious.
This room had been prepared for the Grand Duchess of Schwarhan.
Even though the position of Grand Duchess was vacant, it was inevitably a heavy burden.
Their relationship had grown too ambiguous to bring up old promises.
"It’s just a precaution. From this room, you can go straight to mine without passing through the door."
“To Your Highness’s room?”
At Cabelenus’s explanation, Alicia’s expression grew more complicated.
Even though she knew being by his side was the safest place, she couldn’t bring herself to nod easily.
"You might not like it, but it’s for your safety."
“But...”
"You never know what might happen. Even if it’s uncomfortable, I hope you can bear with it for a little while. I can’t let what happened back then happen again."
"Even so..."
Thinking about past memories definitely made her uneasy, but above all, the man’s face was too sincere to arouse suspicion.
Alicia hesitated, then soon nodded.
It wasn’t only spies she was worried about, but she couldn’t say that out loud.
She simply stared out at the snowy field beyond the window, silently hoping to see nothing at all.
“You must be tired, so I’ll explain how to use the passage all at once tomorrow. It’ll be helpful to memorise not just this one, but the passages in other places as well.”
“Are you saying you’ll tell me all the passages in the castle?”
“Only if you promise not to leave without saying a word.”
“...”
“These passages were originally built to escape from danger. It’s only right to use them for their intended purpose now.”
Cabelenus tried his best to keep a smile on his face.
Though he spoke calmly, just the thought of Alicia leaving felt like all the blood was draining from his body.
"Rest for a while. I’ll send up a simple meal, so don’t push yourself today — just focus on taking care of your body first."
“…Thank you.”
Alicia gave a faint smile.
Cabelenus tried to smile along with her, but when he spotted Michael peeking out from behind her, he frowned slightly.
“What are you staring at?”
At Michael's brusque tone, Cabelenus clicked his tongue briefly.
Not long ago, Michael had been hopping around like a puppy on a snowy day, but before he knew it, he was wearing a dissatisfied expression.
“Aren’t you the one who looked at me first?”
“That’s because you made a weird face when you looked at Mum, Mister.”
“…Weird face?”
He had never once heard anything that ridiculous in his entire life.
Cabelenus narrowed his eyes.
Michael fixed his gaze as if determined not to lose.
“Michael, watch your words. You shouldn't speak to adults like that.”
“But... okay. I’m sorry, Mister.”
Michael apologised but still glared at Cabelenus.
Anyone could see that he wasn’t sorry at all.
Cabelenus was about to point that out, but he fell silent when he saw Alicia.
Seeing the clear signs of fatigue on her face, all he could think was that she needed to rest quickly.
“It’s alright, so get some rest. If anything’s bothering you, speak up right away. And…”
Should he say the next words?
Cabelenus hesitated, then clenched his fist in frustration.
“No. It’s nothing. Just rest well.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Once Cabelenus had left, Alicia immediately turned to look out the window.
Only after checking the view outside several times and making sure nothing was there could she finally let out a sigh of relief.
・・・・・
'This place…’
Alicia glanced blankly around her, then suddenly froze.
It was watching.
A massive and strange figure, too indistinct to make out clearly, loomed over her, staring down.
Alicia swallowed nervously and slowly lowered her head.
Only then did she properly see the broken carriage, the blood frozen on the ground, and the sword clenched tightly in her hand.
'...It’s that dream.’
Alicia let out a shaky breath and lifted her head again.
Even through the fierce blizzard made it nearly impossible to see ahead, the golden eyes shone clearly.
[Found you.]
The monster let out a low, guttural growl.
Rather than coming from the throat, the sound was more like a vibration — its pronunciation muffled and awkward.
It was as if a beast were trying to imitate a human.
From the start, it was uncertain whether that grotesque figure could even be called a beast.
Alicia’s hand tightened around the sword.
[Finally, found you.]
Blackened arms stretched out toward her.
They were all covered in thick fur and had sharp claws — beastly through and through.
But it didn’t frighten her.
Alicia stared, entranced, into the brilliantly shining golden eyes.
At first, the creatures looked curious. Then their gaze turned certain, and finally, it was filled with awe — yet there was no sign of hostility.
If anything, they seemed pleased.
[Our great king.]
The monsters smiled.
Or at least, that was how it appeared to Alicia.
Even so, she couldn’t bring herself to lower the sword.
[All this time, found you. Our king.]
[Promised, judgment.]
[Must return, enough now.]
[This land, lonely.]
She couldn’t understand everything the monsters said, but one thing was clear:
They, too, were seeking her child.
“…Don’t come any closer.”
[How come?]
[Why?]
[Found you, finally?]
[Waited, we, all our lives.]
“Things like being your king, I don’t care about stuff like that.”
She just wanted to protect her child.
Alicia gritted her teeth and barely lifted the sword.
She aimed it straight at the monsters, her eyes sharpening with resolve.
Even knowing it was a battle she couldn’t win, she had no choice but to fight.
・・・・・
“Haa… haa…”
As soon as Alicia opened her eyes, she immediately checked the sleeping child’s face.
Even though she knew it was a dream, her heart pounded loudly, and her whole body was drenched in cold sweat.
“…It’s okay, nothing happened. It’s really okay.”
Muttering to herself, Alicia pulled Michael closer into her arms.
Her whole body was trembling like an aspen, but just the fact that she was holding the child gave her a small sense of relief.
Alicia held Michael like that for a long time before finally lifting her head.
Sunlight was seeping in through the slightly opened curtains.
It was morning.
A day in Schwarhan was beginning.
・・・・・
“Please have a cup. The tea has a very nice aroma.”
Zerpheus offered the teacup with a gentle gesture.
Herman smiled at Zerpheus without even glancing at the steaming teacup.
"Won't you have some?"
“I’m sorry, but Malsian is a tea leaf forbidden by the Temple.”
“Oh dear. It seems one of my subordinates made a mistake. I’ll have them bring out another tea right away, so please wait just a moment.”
“No need. I didn’t come here to drink tea in the first place.”
‘Still a dog’s nose.’
Zerpheus masked his thoughts and quietly pushed the teacup aside.
Seeing how precisely he detected the small amount of Malsian added during blending, it seemed it was not yet time to bring up poisoning.
“Then what have you come for?”
“I heard there was some trouble in the Condola region.”
"Some trouble, you say. What kind of trouble are you referring to?"
“I believe Your Majesty would know better than I do.”
“...”
"Your Majesty. Do not try to deceive the eyes of God. God is everywhere."
Herman leisurely stroked his drooping beard.
The deeply wrinkled old man's face was full of smiles, but the eyes beneath his white eyebrows were busy watching Zerpheus.
The fact that Zerpheus mobilised the army wasn’t important; what truly mattered was the gains he achieved.
“I merely heard news that there were rebel groups."
"Rebel group?"
“As you know, my situation hasn’t been very good lately.”
“What’s wrong with Your Majesty’s situation?”
‘As if you didn’t know.’
Zerpheus looked at Herman and silently clicked his tongue.
All the malicious stories that had recently spread rapidly about Zerpheus were entirely the work of the temple.
“They say I’m not the true emperor.”
"To say that Your Majesty is not the true emperor? That’s impossible. Your Majesty is the legitimate sovereign of the empire, having formally succeeded to the throne."
“Do you really think so?”
Zerpheus’s eyes curved.
“Of course.”
Herman replied with a benevolent smile.
"In that case, the matter becomes simpler."
"What do you mean by that?"
“That child has come under Cabelenus’s protection.”
For a moment, Herman’s expression subtly shifted.
Even though he knew that Zerpheus hadn't gained anything, that fact didn’t sit well with him.
“But His Highness was unaware of the child’s existence.”
"That’s no longer the case."
“...How did he find out? Didn't you say it was well hidden?”
“No secret stays hidden forever in this world. Especially when there’s a traitor.”
‘You trusted her too much.’
Zerpheus let out a sly smile.
"Was it Natalie?"
"Strictly speaking, it’s the High Priest’s mistake. You couldn’t properly manage a single subordinate and ended up leaking valuable information."
And on top of that, he even tried to pair the older brother’s woman with the younger brother.
Zerpheus touched the bracelet on his wrist.
The power that God granted to humans was limited.
Natalie’s healing power, too, would gradually wane with use, until one day it was completely exhausted.
It was hardly surprising that the High Priest had already been scheming to sell her off for a hefty price before that could happen.
Natalie was not only beautiful, but she also had a background that stirred a sense of sinful temptation.
Many desired to make her their mistress. After all, she was once the emperor’s betrothed and now a servant of God.
“If you had just sold her to me for a fair price, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Natalie simply didn’t want that. Wouldn’t it be problematic if a servant of God ended up as a test subject?”
"Surely you don’t think I’d use her as a test subject?"
“You never know. There’s no guarantee that someone who abandoned her once wouldn’t do it again.”
‘And whose fault was that?’
Zerpheus’s lips twisted slightly, but he soon regained his composure.
Now was not the time to reveal his anger.
“Let’s drop the topic of Natalie and continue with what we were discussing. After all, that’s what really matters to us, isn’t it?”
"I wonder."
“Don’t take it lightly. Cabelenus has probably become more tenacious than before. When you find something you’ve lost, don’t you naturally become even more attached to it?"
Zerpheus gave a light nod.
He realised it when he saw how easily the troops he had sent were dealt with.
Cabelenus was far stronger than he had expected.
He wasn’t someone Zerpheus could afford to fight while the High Priest, who was constantly eyeing the throne, was at his side.
“I’m not saying this just because he’s my younger brother, but Cabelenus is quite a troublesome opponent. On top of magic, he’s even receiving help from the High Priest.”
“I merely follow the will of God.”
He disliked how Herman pretended not to understand, even though his intentions were obvious, but there was nothing he could do. The disadvantage was on his side.
He needed to provoke Herman’s greed to shake his alliance with Cabelenus.
‘Of course, it would be best if the two clashed and both fell.’
But Herman wasn’t foolish enough to be overly greedy.
As much as he hated to admit it, he and the cunning old man were quite alike.
Herman was probably thinking along the same lines.
It was clear he intended to profit when Zerpheus and Cabelenus, the two brothers, clashed.
“In that case, please ask God just once.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whether a guardian is needed to uphold the will of God.”
“A guardian to uphold the will of God…”
Herman's gaze slightly darkened.
At the thought of the child he had failed to obtain eight years ago, saliva gathered in his mouth for no reason.
The emperor was clueless and only obsessed with monsters, but the child’s value was far beyond that.
If the child were who he thought he was, he could reach the long-cherished wish he had yearned for.
Knowing that, even the obvious scheme inevitably felt tempting.
“If the High Priest is willing, I want to revisit the unfinished story from eight years ago.”
“Are you saying you will give up the child?”
“Of course, if that is what God wishes.”
It was an obvious lie.
Neither the speaker nor the listener believed those words.
Even so, Zerpheus smiled — and so did Herman.
Once you got hold of even one thing, it was only natural that you could grasp the next as well.
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