Ch.150For Elise (4)

The sun.

The light that illuminates the world, a name that reigns over all that is noble.

People looked up to such a being and called him Emperor.

‘Balkaros Lantana von Staufen.’

The man was no exception.

Born bearing the Staufen name, he had to shoulder the responsibilities of a thousand days.

The weight of a crown covered in gold and a blood-red cape is heavy.

A being who, by virtue of reigning, cannot be with others.

Yet they say that people love people.

Even the Emperor had one place where he could find solace.

None other than his family.

“Balkaros.”

“I heard you had another big fight with your ministers today?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to fix that hot temper of yours…”

“Honestly.”

The most noble flower.

The Empress.

“Still… you worked hard.”

“I know you’re always doing your best.”

The lonely seat of the empire.

Perhaps it was because of that loneliness.

The Emperor especially cherished the Empress.

Even while maintaining a sharp, tense atmosphere, he was invariably affectionate toward his wife.

She was someone who gave him unwavering strength in the dirty world of politics.

Thanks to her, Balkaros had long been known as a devoted husband.

“Remember, Balkaros.”

“The fact that I am always by your side.”

Words she would whisper when the day was tough.

The scent that settled on the bridge of his nose.

The warmth when they embraced each other.

The green eyes that smiled whenever their gazes met.

Not even a hint of light had faded from his memories.

That’s how vivid they were.

But.

Even such a thin peace was eventually shattered.

The first misfortune found the man.

‘Dear God.’

The Empress had always been frail.

So much so that she lived with medicines and doctors constantly.

Nevertheless, she risked pregnancy and childbirth for an heir, but her delicate body couldn’t endure it.

In the end, right after giving birth to her second child, the Empress fell ill, unable to overcome the aftereffects.

As the flower petals gradually withered, Balkaros’s world collapsed as well.

However.

“Balkaros.”

“Even if I’m gone… please take care of our children.”

The Empress’s last words.

That faint resonance held Balkaros back.

It embraced him so he couldn’t give up.

“I was happy loving you.”

In the end.

The Empress departed from this world.

Balkaros, holding her limp hand, made a vow.

That he would protect his children no matter what.

‘From now on… you will be my life.’

The days that followed were filled with constant effort.

Balkaros at least did his best.

He wanted his children not to feel the absence of their mother.

So even while staying up all night with mounting work, he made time to be with his daughters and show his face.

Even his somewhat sharp personality softened.

It was remarkable.

“I told you to fix your personality.”

“Everyone finds it hard to approach you because you’re always on edge.”

“Well… I do like feeling like I have you all to myself.”

“But you’ll be lonely if you remain isolated.”

Words he had heard so often they formed calluses on his ears.

Though he hadn’t changed despite the Empress’s nagging, he was changing for the sake of his children.

Even while enduring difficult work, thinking of his children brought a smile to his face.

At that time, those small beings were his only reason for living.

‘Please.’

Elise.

Although he had lost the Empress, he didn’t resent the child.

Because her beautiful red hair was the spitting image of her mother’s.

Because her green eyes, which seemed to have stolen his heart, were so dear.

Balkaros’s only joy was catching glimpses of the Empress in his daughters.

The fading memories resembled the bittersweet aftertaste of tea.

That was life.

Grieving.

Yet hoping.

‘May this life last forever.’

However.

Even in the dawn of such desperate living, the pack of misfortune did not pass him by.

Rather, as if mocking the Emperor, it bared its teeth.

“Your Majesty.”

“You need to prepare yourself.”

The second misfortune arrived.

The royal physician delivered the news with a devastated expression.

“At most, one year.”

Elise.

A terminal diagnosis for his daughter.

According to the explanation, it was an incurable disease.

‘Mana Stone Disease.’

A disease notorious for its cruelty.

A thunderbolt struck the imperial family.

God’s curse. If it became known that such a thing had appeared in an imperial princess, it would clearly harm the authority of the Sun, because.

The innocent would be agitated, saying that an ill omen had befallen the empire.

The cunning would seize this opportunity to show subversive movements.

The political issues were enough to make one’s head throb.

However.

Balkaros had no energy to consider such aspects.

He could only remain in a daze.

“Why.”

His daughter was facing death.

How many parents could maintain their sanity in such a situation?

Especially in Balkaros’s case, his attachment to his children was strong.

Because they were the only traces left by the Empress.

“Find it.”

“Search the entire continent if you must to find a way…!”

Even while knowing it was a meaningless struggle.

Balkaros gathered answers about the Stone Disease from all directions.

He sent his secretly maintained confidants to roam the continent.

Famous doctors skilled in all kinds of diseases, sorcerers knowledgeable about curses, priests who had reached the extremes of divinity, herbalists who handled mysterious herbs…

If there was even a slight chance of help, he rushed to it.

It was to grasp even the slimmest hope.

“Not this time.”

He set aside his duties as a monarch.

For him, his daughter was the only priority.

Because of this, he received criticism from his ministers.

He didn’t care.

“Please, give me time…”

In the raging storm.

The Emperor was merely struggling not to sink into despair.

Time passed and passed without any significant progress.

After half a year.

No answer was in sight.

Rather, it was a reality where even intact records were hard to find.

That was understandable, as it was a disease that might appear once in a hundred years across the vast continent.

There’s a reason it’s called God’s curse.

“The patient’s condition is not good.”

“Given how weak her body is… there’s a high possibility she won’t even last the predicted year.”

“To be honest, it’s already a miracle that she has endured this far.”

Elise’s condition worsened day by day.

Now it was truly a matter of today or tomorrow.

Balkaros, who had been hanging on the edge of a cliff, was also feeling his limits.

Repeated failures were the main culprits making his mind desolate and his life suffocating.

Was there no choice but to give up?

As he was despairing like that.

“Your Majesty.”

“Would you like to hear a story?”

Someone came to see Balkaros.

“There is a way.”

“Temporary, but… a way to suppress the worsening of the disease.”

“In the end, it’s even possible to prevent death.”

The old man spoke abruptly.

The exhausted Emperor couldn’t ignore such words.

Especially since the person before him wasn’t someone who would enjoy spouting nonsense.

The identity of the old man who offered advice was as follows:

“Marquis Gallimar.”

Gallimar Academy.

One of the educational institutions considered the best on the continent even at that time.

He was Gaston Gallimar, the headmaster of that place.

“Go to the imperial archives.”

The imperial archives.

A place that even the Emperor himself didn’t fully understand.

Because the legacy of the predecessors was so full of secrets.

“This is all I’m allowed to say by my fate.”

“May the stars be with you.”

The old man left after leaving just a few words.

Balkaros had no choice.

He could only frantically search through the archives, even if it meant being deceived.

A space that had accompanied hundreds of years of history. It took several days to search through the numerous accumulated records.

After being trapped between bookshelves for nearly two weeks.

He finally found it.

“Is this it…”

The clue about the Mana Stone Disease that the old man had mentioned.

It was listed as part of the [Forbidden Books] sealed by the first Emperor.

The Emperor rejoiced momentarily.

After all, he had finally found a clue to treat Elise.

But.

After checking the contents, his brow furrowed again.

Suddenly, such a sentiment crossed the Emperor’s mind.

There was a reason why this material was designated as a forbidden book.

‘Curse sharing’

It was an excessively inhumane sorcery.

To save one, offering their family as sacrifices.

Balkaros agonized for a long time with the old document before him.

For a long time afterward.

“What should I…”

Curse sharing.

It was a sorcery that lowered the concentration over a long period of time, and eventually transferred the curse.

If someone had to take on the role of receiving his daughter’s curse, it had to be him.

There was no other choice.

He didn’t even want to think about making Charlotte the target.

If someone had to become a sacrifice, it was the father’s role.

However.

“Your Majesty… you must attend to state affairs.”

“The lives of the poor lambs hang on your shoulders.”

“Please consider carefully.”

He was the Emperor.

The reigning sun.

Moreover, one who sheds light even on the darkest and lowest places.

And one who bears such responsibilities.

‘If I were to take on the curse… it surely wouldn’t end with just a calamity.’

Unprecedented chaos would arrive.

It might be different for a princess, but for the Emperor, who symbolizes the sun, to die from “God’s curse.”

It was hard to even imagine what kind of ripples and confusion would follow.

The hyenas who had been waiting for an opportunity would also bare their teeth toward the throne in earnest.

It might be a bit extreme, but the empire’s system could collapse.

Balkaros agonized.