episode_0005

Katia Bart still couldn’t get up, her legs trembling.

“……”

The tears had stopped, but her heart continued to pound as if it would burst.

No matter how much she pondered, it was truly unbelievable.

“How could the Crown Prince be here…?”

Biting her nails and racking her brain, she couldn’t comprehend it at all.

“Why on earth would the Crown Prince help someone like Elaine…? Why in the world…?”

Vaguely, she suspected that the strange downpour earlier might have been the beginning of this unbelievable event.

It was truly bizarre.

The sky was clear without a single cloud. Yet suddenly, rain poured down.

As extraordinary as the appearance of the Crown Prince here, it was an unprecedented occurrence.

Perhaps even the rain itself was caused by the Crown Prince.

With elven blood running through him, it wouldn’t be entirely impossible.

However…

Hadn’t he become a disabled person who couldn’t use his powers anymore…?

Certainly, there was no clear answer.

Katia’s thoughts came back to square one.

Until the sudden rain, the mansion had been peaceful.

She had been tormenting Elaine as usual.

But then, out of nowhere, the rain poured down like a deluge.

There was no choice but to go inside for the time being.

And after the maids dried her off,

she intended to warm herself with a hot cup of tea.

In truth, she hadn’t dismissed her suspicions while urgently moving to avoid the rain.

But she soon brushed them aside, thinking, “What does it matter anyway?”

The only thing that mattered was to torment Elaine enough until her father returned.

With that thought in mind, she sat down, and when she absentmindedly looked around, she felt a presence.

Something was protruding from the closed door.

It was as small as a palm.

It was a vivid bluish-green mass, resembling a fish’s head, ghosting its way through the door as if made of lake water.

…Passing through a wooden door as if it were nothing.

At first, she thought she was seeing things.

So, she just stood there, mouth agape in astonishment.

Regretting that she hadn’t covered her mouth at once, it was already too late. In the blink of an eye, a fish flew like an arrow and slipped right into her mouth. Naturally, she screamed, doing her best, so much so that her throat hurt. “Ugh!” However, for some reason, her tightly closed mouth wouldn’t budge at all. She tried desperately to get up, but even that didn’t go as planned. She couldn’t move her body, as if it had stiffened entirely. Her hands and feet trembled, and all she could manage was to roll her eyes. It was an unbelievable situation she’d never experienced before, suffocating as if buried in the ground. She began to gasp for breath in no time. Her racing heartbeat resonated through her bones without respite. Suddenly rendered immobile, she felt like she was truly going mad. And she was unbearably frightened. A bizarre fish made of water. That strange entity had appeared right after entering her mouth. There was no doubt about it. It was undoubtedly magic. It seemed clear that a sorcerer, having received someone’s horoscope, had used such an absurd magic for some kind of gain. Since he didn’t immediately kill her but instead paralyzed her, it was unlikely that killing was his intention. But if he set his mind to it, he could easily kill her. Her body trembled with dizzying fear. The door opened at that moment. Her nerves tensed so sharply that even the trembling of the feathers on her arms felt vivid, screaming, “Danger!” throughout her body. A man wearing a black hood had suddenly entered and was glaring at her. Despite the shadow cast by the flipped hood covering his face, his sharp gaze felt like it was piercing her flesh. In that moment, Katia sensed it. He was infinitely dangerous. The man before her looked like an incredibly perilous being. She could assert that much. It was the most dangerous moment she had faced since her childhood, when, at the age of two, she had tried to push Elaine down the stairs, only to end up tumbling herself. He had penetrated the mansion without encountering any of the numerous servants and guards, breaking through effortlessly, even for someone as insignificant as Lady Katia. Whether he subdued the servants or not.

Silently making it this far without causing a stir indicated that he was no ordinary expert. And. What kind of place was Viscount Bart to begin with? He was a prominent figure in the empire and even had the favor of the Karlyan Viscount, an outsider. The fact that someone intruded on such a viscount alone implied premeditated murder. There was no way he would leave witnesses unless he was certain. If he made a mistake, he would undoubtedly kill himself. Just as he entered, he would smoothly slip away. So, he had to comply with whatever was asked, at least for that moment, he had to follow suit with utmost respect. To survive. Whatever he wanted, he would listen first, then seek vengeance after securing his life. But even that thought vanished like sugar dissolving in tea once the man removed his hood. It was an unusual silver hair. And there, a face sculpted like that of a god. Add to that eyes tinged with the green of midsummer. It was impossible not to recognize his identity. The infamous Crown Prince Eos Caldevrion. There was no mistaking it. It was him, the man rumored about. In a fleeting moment, quicker than the blink of an eye, Katia’s mind turned chaotic. Why in the world was that ruthless Crown Prince here? For years, she had heard that he routinely cursed people around him and engaged in violence at every opportunity. Above all else, he was known as a brutal murderer who ruthlessly slaughtered over ten palace servants in just one night. A man so wicked and heartless that he unhesitatingly killed people in the royal palace would certainly have no qualms about killing here. Killing a nobleman’s son would be child’s play. When she reached that conclusion, all the various thoughts that had been bubbling up suddenly disappeared. Without a doubt, if she resisted, she would die. To live, she had to do exactly as she was told. Before she knew it, only those kinds of thoughts were firmly lodged in her mind. How could she possibly survive now and seek revenge against that devilish Crown Prince later? That was a dream she couldn’t even entertain. No matter how notorious the prince might be, how could the eldest son of the royal family end up in the hands of a viscount?

Even if she receives help from her maternal family, can revenge truly be possible? It was an act even the emperor couldn’t accomplish. The prince, who had committed all sorts of wickedness and senselessly killed countless people, could only be stripped of his title for a reason. It was because of the maternal uncle of the deposed prince. It was due to the fact that he was the king of the Elven Kingdom. Having already wiped out numerous human kingdoms and maintained a long-standing enmity with the empire, the audacity to engage in war with the Elven Kingdom once again was unparalleled. No one dared to lay a finger on the deposed prince. Therefore, the best thing she could do now and in the future, forever, was to follow that infamous deposed prince with a sincere heart. Otherwise, she would inevitably lose her life, as naturally as a tree struck by lightning catches fire and splits. So she did as she was told. She didn’t speak when told not to speak and obediently nodded her head as desired. Even after the deposed prince disappeared, she couldn’t stand up for a while. Strength still hadn’t returned to her trembling legs. But if she stayed like this, there might be a chance the deposed prince would return. And then, without a doubt, blood would flow. Her own red, warm blood. “….” Katia bit her lip and gripped the table with both hands. After struggling to rise from her seat, she pushed the cold cup away with the back of her hand. Clang! It seemed unbearable without such an outlet. She cautiously approached the sunlit window. In front of the mansion, Elaine was sitting with a composed face, as if she already knew that the deposed prince had been there. “Vulgar woman….” It was unclear what this thorn-like creature had to do with the deposed prince. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things. Katia knew very well what was truly important at this moment. To survive. To survive against that extremely wicked deposed prince. She had to act, for now. For now. Until the deposed prince completely disappeared from sight. Elaine stood dazed for a while. Somehow, it didn’t feel real. Then suddenly, she thought of Katia…

Back at the mansion, I knelt down once again. I knew from experience that if I didn’t do this, a greater torment would return. But what the Crown Prince said was truly strange. It wasn’t something easily understandable. Asking for help. Requesting healing if injured. That strange otter made of water undoubtedly belonged to the Crown Prince. The person who had healed my knees with just that tiny thing. What on earth was so unsatisfactory that he asked someone like me for healing? I simply couldn’t comprehend it and sat there dumbfounded.

Then, after a while, someone’s feet entered my lowered gaze. They were familiar shoes. Katia Bart. She was the sister I shouldn’t even accidentally call “sister,” the sister of a different mother. As I slowly raised my head, a more furious expression than ever before met my eyes. A deep crimson flush. Perhaps she was angry for having momentarily left her post to chase after the Crown Prince. It wasn’t an unexpected reaction. Just as always, she must have been savoring the pain of her despised step-sibling from above in her room today as well. However, for some reason, I couldn’t shake off this strange feeling. My tightly clenched fists were trembling, and tears were welling up in my eyes. It was bewildering. Was leaving for a moment really enough to provoke such anger? Her self-centered rage seemed so childish that I almost laughed unintentionally. And then, the next moment, an even more astonishing sight unfolded before me.

Thud— Suddenly, Katia knelt down. Not to anyone else, but to her step-sibling, whom she had always despised. Before the very object she had so thoroughly scorned, she bowed her head. “I… I’m sorry…” Even the words of apology that should never be uttered, not even at the point of death, spilled out. Trembling shoulders, a sobbing voice, and tears streaming down. This was truly an unimaginable sight. “I… sniff… I was wrong….” It was an unbelievable day. Unbelievable things kept happening. The notorious Crown Prince, whom I had never encountered in my life, suddenly appeared, stopped the torment, and even healed my knees.

Now, the stepsister who had always belittled and tormented her was crying and even apologizing.

For a moment, a clear image of the silver-haired man came to Elaine’s mind.

Crown Prince Eos.

Perhaps, even this apology from her stepsister was because of that man.

No, if it weren’t for that man, no one else could have done this.

Elaine quickly looked around, but the figure of the crown prince was nowhere to be found.

***

I was sitting on the roof of the viscount’s estate, watching over Elaine and Katia.

As expected, a saint was a saint.

Despite being the one wronged, she was helping her stepsister up, who was in tears.

Of course, Katia’s apology was unlikely to be sincere.

Just mere coercion couldn’t bring out genuine remorse.

Even those tears were probably shed out of frustration, unable to resist my influence.

Nevertheless, she was quite perceptive.

If Katia hadn’t acted immediately, I would have shown her a taste of bitterness…

At this point, there’s no need to worry about Elaine’s treatment anymore.

Time will take care of the rest.

Someday, when she realizes her divine power, she’ll remember what I said.

Of course, to make her my ally, continuous attention and confrontation are both indispensable.

Anyway, today ends here.

It’s time for me to start heading back.

That’s when it happened.

‘ξжðŋζЖ!!!’

An urgent cry from the earth spirit, Rack, echoed in my mind.

It wasn’t human language, but its meaning was not difficult to understand.

Someone had come, so I needed to return to the palace as soon as possible.

Judging by Glentino’s rapidly beating heart, it was likely an unusual situation.

Fortunately, the palace wasn’t too far from here.

If I hurried, I could arrive without delay.

I rushed out of the viscount’s estate as fast as I could.

Pushing through the bustling crowd, I nearly collided with a horse pulling a carriage.

Haha! Whew!

Thankfully, the horses reared up, letting out pained whinnies, and barely stopped just in time.

“Hey, you idiot! Do you want to die?”

The stableman’s shout quickly faded.

It was the moment when I arrived near the palace.

Lark relayed the surrounding sounds as they were.

“Why hasn’t His Highness the Crown Prince come out yet?”

It was the voice of an old man, firm within gentleness.

Clearly, it was the voice of Sijangjang.

“Well… It seems that His Highness is not feeling well, so it might be difficult for him today.”

It was a voice that would make anyone suspicious. Clearly, it belonged to Glentino.

“In that case, I will call for the royal physician.”

“T-That absolutely cannot be allowed!!”

Amidst the urgent outcry,

Glentino’s bewildered face was vividly depicted as if right in front of me.

“Surely, Your Highness, are you now defying Her Majesty’s orders?”

“T-That’s absolutely not the case!”

“Then step aside immediately; I will personally convey the royal decree to Her Highness.”

The situation was more urgent than I had anticipated.

I couldn’t be certain if Sijangjang was associated with the Empress, but being caught not being at the Crown Prince’s palace would lead to nothing good. If caught, Glentino would be suspected of dishonesty by the Empress, and the surveillance on me would be significantly intensified.

Moreover,

if it were revealed to the palace that I wasn’t there, perhaps the worst-case scenario might unfold.

-Do not tarnish the Queen Mother’s name any longer. And without my permission, you must not step even a foot outside the palace. If you disobey, severe punishment will follow, keep that in mind.

It was a desperate plea from the Emperor, whom I hadn’t seen for several months.

So, to avoid the worst-case scenario, I had to hurry even more.

I exerted more strength into my increasingly painful leg.

At the same time,

Sijangjang’s angry voice echoed like thunder in my head.

“Step aside! If you continue to obstruct, I will treat you as a traitor!”

Now, Glentino had no choice but to retreat.

At this rate, my absence would surely be exposed.

Sweat poured down my entire body like rain.

My mouth was parched, and my chest heaved as if in pain.

After running at top speed without rest, I had finally reached my limit.

Yet,

I still hadn’t even crossed the main gate of the palace.

Though faintly visible in the distance,

there was no time left. It was already too late.

Finally, it was the moment when I stopped, gasping for breath with all my might.

A fierce gust of wind blew, causing my cloak and hood to flutter wildly like flags in a typhoon. The powerful, relentless wind swirling around me was undoubtedly the spirit of the wind.