"…Is the shackle really that dangerous?"
Alicia turned her gaze toward Cabelenus.
But there wasn’t the slightest sign of anything strange about Cabelenus, who was bickering with Michael.
He looked perfectly healthy, just as usual.
“The shackle is a magic that prevents the wearer from disobeying the caster’s commands.”
"Then, His Highness..."
“The one who placed the shackle on His Highness was the late emperor. As a result, right now, no one can issue a direct command to him.”
"So you're saying it’s possible indirectly?"
"Yes. There is exactly one person who can. But that person wasn’t content with merely that."
A deep furrow formed on Alicia’s smooth forehead.
She had a rough idea of who Gazeff was referring to.
"With the death of the late emperor, the secret of the shackles disappeared as well. However, the emperor had intended to create the shackles in order to completely control His Highness."
"Are you saying His Highness is bound by the emperor’s shackle?"
"A small mercy amidst the misfortune is that the only shackle placed on His Highness so far is the one from the late emperor."
“...”
"However, we must not let our guard down. Now that the shackle has been recreated, the Emperor will do whatever it takes to place a new shackle on His Highness."
“In order to make His Highness the emperor.”
A twisted smile appeared on Gazeff’s face.
“I don’t understand. If power is the goal, there’s no need to make His Highness the emperor.”
“The emperors of the empire have traditionally had black hair and golden eyes, but the current emperor’s eyes are green. That fact has always been the Emperor’s weakness.”
“…So, is that why he wants to make His Highness emperor?”
“If His Highness becomes emperor, the green eyes won’t be a problem, and as long as the shackles are perfect, controlling him from behind the scenes won’t be difficult.”
Gazeff roughly ran a hand through his hair.
Zerpheus’s obsession stemmed from his belief that Cabelenus was his possession.
"Does that even make sense?"
"The Emperor is that kind of person. And the shackles are a means to achieve that."
“...”
“My lady, you did not witness it, but I still vividly remember Princess Christie’s death.”
That day, Veloa fought against the soldiers until her dying breath.
Despite her body being slashed all over, she kept attacking repeatedly like a moth drawn to the flames, and in the end, she took her own life.
But neither her attacks nor her death were things she truly desired.
Though she screamed countless times, begged for her life, and thrashed in agony, Veloa’s body moved against her will.
It was a horrifying sight, no different from a marionette with its limbs hanging from strings.
“I don’t mean to burden you, my lady. I only ask that you consider it — just once. Because bearing a shackle means shouldering great risk.”
“...”
"If His Highness could truly break free from the shackle—"
"Mum! Look! Rex is chomping on a huge bone like crazy!"
At the sudden bright voice that interrupted, Alicia turned her head.
The child, still riding on Cabelenus’s shoulders, waved both hands vigorously, trying to catch Alicia’s attention.
Alicia bit her lip tightly as she watched.
It was a sight she had never imagined before — something that seemed even less fitting — but seeing the two of them now, so natural as if painted in a picture, her throat tightened for no reason.
The more she looked, the more she didn’t want to shatter that scene.
・・・・・
‘What kind of price would I have to pay to break the shackle…?’
Alicia stared blankly at the open book.
However, she hadn’t been able to get past a single page of her book.
“Alicia?”
“...”
“Alicia.”
Alicia’s eyes widened at the large figure that suddenly moved in front of her.
In front of her stood Cabelenus, holding a stack of documents.
“…Ah, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
"Is it not because you couldn’t sleep? It looks like you stayed up all night again yesterday."
“There’s just so much to read that I lost track of time.”
In truth, it wasn’t the books that kept her up — it was her thoughts.
Alicia fidgeted with her fingers as she recalled Gazeff’s request.
She should have told him the truth, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak in the face of his desperate gaze.
"I’m pretty sure I said I wouldn’t share anything with you if I saw you overdoing it."
“But—”
"You won’t be allowed to attend the meeting, either."
“...”
“I’m not backing down on this. Maintaining top condition is the most basic of all basics.”
Alicia offered a smile in an attempt to ease the mood, but Cabelenus’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest.
“Your Highness often stays up all night, too.”
Alicia raised both of her eyebrows.
She knew that the lights in Cabelenus’s office rarely went off.
“That’s because it’s me. Maybe it’s thanks to the monster’s blood, but even if I sleep and eat less than others, it doesn’t bother me.”
“Your Highness…”
“Pushing yourself too hard only works for a moment. To fight well and for a long time, it’s better to rest properly and keep yourself in top condition.”
Alicia’s lips quivered slightly.
She wanted to argue, but since he was right, she had nothing to say.
"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."
“As long as you understand, that’s enough. There’s no need to apologise.”
He didn’t mean to be overly strict, but her slumped shoulders caught his attention.
With a short sigh, Cabelenus handed the report he was holding to Alicia.
“We searched the entire area around Schwarhan Castle and saw no suspicious activity. There are no monsters here.”
"Is that true?
"Maybe, as Michael’s power disappeared, they ended up giving up, too."
“I’d like to believe that, but…”
Even after reviewing the report, Alicia’s expression remained sombre.
Cabelenus took back the report from her hands without taking his eyes off Alicia.
“You still seem uneasy.”
“I’ve encountered the monsters myself. I know how desperately they want Michael, and I don’t think they’ll give up easily. That’s why I can’t just let go of my worries.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to do my best to ease your worries. Showing reliable results should help ease things a bit, right?"
If he had spoken of vague hopes, it wouldn’t have resonated with her.
The man's words strangely brought a sense of reassurance. Because Cabelenus had never once uttered anything about miracles.
He simply achieved and accomplished everything with his own hands.
Alicia clenched her fists tightly as she looked at the stacks of paperwork piled up on the floor because she couldn’t fit them all on her desk.
“Is there anything else needed besides the search?”
“Well…”
Alicia slightly parted her lips.
She wanted to ask something, but was hesitant, unsure if she could.
"Ah. If you want to look at other documents, feel free to read as many as you like."
"Yes?"
"The scope is broad, so there might not be detailed information, but it wouldn’t hurt to read through it once."
Misreading Alicia’s gaze, Cabelenus subtly stepped aside.
In the spot where he had been, there were piles of documents that had been hidden.
“...”
“Why? Do you have something else to say?”
"No, it’s nothing."
Alicia shook her head and quietly stepped back.
"But you look like you have something to say."
“...”
“Don’t hold back. Just say what’s on your mind.”
“I wanted to hear about you, Your Highness.”
"About me?”
A subtle change came over Cabelenus’s expression.
"Looking back, I realise I didn’t know anything about Your Highness."
“...”
"We agreed to work together, didn’t we? So, I think we should get to know each other better."
Alicia couldn't say anything more and covered her cheeks with both hands.
The heat from her palms, pressing against her cheeks, felt unusually hot.
"What exactly did Gazeff say?"
“...”
"So, are you trying to pity me?"
Cabelenus tilted his head slightly.
"It's not pity! It’s not like that at all!"
Alicia fiercely clenched her fists despite herself.
"Then?"
"...I heard that your body is not normal."
"A body with the blood of monsters can't possibly be normal."
"The problem isn't the blood of the monsters."
Alicia's shoulders drooped weakly.
"...It seems you've heard nonsense."
Cabelenus sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“That’s not true.”
"It's an issue that you don't have to worry about."
“If our roles were reversed — if I were in your shoes — would you still say that?”
“...”
"I'm not pitying you right now. I'm just worried about you."
She intended to speak calmly, but the more she talked, the more emotional her voice became.
Alicia took a moment to take a breath and compose herself.
"Don't hide it and just tell me. You… how dangerous is your current condition?"
“Even if I told you, it wouldn’t change anything. It’d only give you more to worry about—”
"That's not being considerate. I don't want that kind of consideration."
“...”
"Eight years ago, you were like that. You didn’t tell me anything because you thought I’d worry unnecessarily. And I — I couldn’t bring myself to ask, because I didn’t want you to hate me.”
A hot breath escaped through her clenched teeth.
“But you know what? Looking back, we knew nothing about each other. We just judged and thought about each other however we wanted."
“...”
“I don’t want to do that anymore. Making a mistake like that once is enough."
Alicia clasped her hands together, but it wasn’t enough to stop them from trembling.
She was now afraid of dying.
But sometimes, there were things one must do, even when afraid.
At least, that was what Alicia believed.
Even if she possessed the power to grant wishes, she was no match for a man hardened by years of war.
When it came to dealing with the enemies threatening Michael, it was not she, but Cabelenus, who could handle them more perfectly.
If it were a worst-case scenario, it would have been better for Cabelenus to survive, not her.
"If you don't want to speak first, shall I go ahead and do it?"
“...”
"I had a special power. It was a power I was born with, but at some point, it disappeared."
“...”
"However, after Michael was born, my power returned to me. Since then, I’ve been using it according to the situation to escape from crises."
What she realised while using her power was that the life force consumed each time wasn’t fixed, but varied depending on the situation.
Sometimes, a wish uttered carelessly ended up consuming even more life force, and quite often, the opposite was true as well.
And through repeating such experiences, Alicia had gradually learned how to use her power more efficiently.
"I can grant other people's wishes."
“...”
"Perhaps my power could help break the shackle binding Your Highness."
Alicia gave a gentle smile, just as she did when comforting Michael.
The reason so much life force was drained by a trivial wish was that the wish was expressed vaguely.
Because the scope of the wish was too broad, it ended up achieving more than what was originally intended.
But it wasn’t a bad experience.
Through that experience, Alicia learned how to reduce the cost of granting wishes.
The more precisely a wish was expressed, the more its cost could be reduced.
Since the shackles still felt unfamiliar, and it was unknown how great a cost they would demand, it was necessary to understand them properly.
"It’s my first time undoing magic, but it’s worth trying—"
"Don't do it."
“What do you mean by that? You’re saying don’t do it?”
"There’s no way such a power could be that simple and easy."
Cabelenus shook his head firmly.
"...You don’t even understand the nature of my power."
"That’s right. I don’t know. But it’s obvious. If that power could easily grant whatever you wanted, you would have dealt with those threatening Michael first."
“...”
"You wouldn’t have had any reason to wear such a solemn expression, nor to agonise over it for days."
The gaze that seemed to know everything felt like it pierced through her entire body.
Alicia didn’t know what expression to make, so she just bit her lips nervously.
"If you want to hear my story, I can tell you. But if that would be pushing you too hard, I won’t."
“...”
“The reason I want to endure until the end is, after all, because you are here.”
The hand gripping her shoulder was unusually firm and hot.
Alicia swallowed dryly.
It was laughable.
Just meeting his gaze like this made her feel as if she had gone back eight years.
It felt like it would be natural to caress his cheek, kiss him, and whisper that she loved him.
A lot had happened, but at least those eyes had always steadily followed her.
"I fell for you surprisingly fast. After taking part in the experiment, I thought I wouldn't be able to feel anything like emotions, but strangely, you always shook me."
“...”
"I've never been like this before. Your presence always makes me restless. All my nerves go to you, so much that I think I'm going crazy. I constantly crave you. I want all of you."
“Your Highness…”
"If I see even the slightest chance it could harm you, I can’t let it happen. I don’t want to, and I can’t. That’s just how I am."
Cabelenus knelt helplessly before Alicia.
He always asked himself why he felt so small whenever this little woman stood in front of him, but he still hadn’t found the answer.
He just liked it.
He wanted to catch her eyes just one more time, even if by chance, so he followed her gaze. He longed to hear her gentle voice again, enough to make him say things he didn’t really need to.
There were times when he wanted to give her whatever she desired, yet also moments when he wished he alone was all she had.
And so much so that, even if it was just pity, he wished her gaze would stay solely on him.
"It was my father who shackled me. He began experimenting with monsters to pass the golden eyes to my half-brother, but he became fascinated by the monsters’ power."
“...”
"He intended to reenact the empire’s founding legend using the monsters’ power and suppress the temple that constantly interfered, but he didn’t want to put himself or his son in danger by using them as test subjects. That’s why I was chosen."
He inherited the royal bloodline, and at the same time, he was the child of the mother whom his father sought to keep in check.
Cabelenus let out a low growl.
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