Chapter 2

“Auntie! I missed you so much~”

“I missed you too~”

Returning from the Magic Academy for summer break, Estina was greeted by Roabellin, who threw herself into her arms.

Though she was technically her aunt, there was only a six-year age gap between them, and having grown up together since Roabellin was a child, they were like biological sisters. Not only that, but with their matching platinum blonde hair, violet eyes, and dazzling beauty, strangers often mistook them for siblings.

Estina was born as a direct daughter of the Huga family, but after her brother Barthias had Roabellin, she was classified as a collateral branch member from the age of seven. Having escaped the destiny of becoming a queen by becoming a collateral member, she entered the Magic Academy at age 15 after much deliberation. This was to learn how to handle and utilize the divine power she was born with. Unlike the divine power of typical priests, the power of the Huga daughters was quite similar to mana in that it could be strengthened through effort.

“Haha, you two are as affectionate as ever.”

“I missed you too, Brother~ and Sister-in-law, Itan, and Emil. I missed everyone so much.”

“We missed you too. You worked hard traveling such a long way. Dinner is ready, so let’s head inside.”

Having lived in a dormitory away from home, what Estina missed most was this warm family. They held a belated 18th birthday party for Estina, and the vacation passed quickly as she spent time with the three siblings—Itanistad, Roabellin, and Emilique.

“Wow… time flies. It’s already tomorrow.”

Soon, it was the day before Estina had to return to the Magic Academy. Roabellin, saddened by the upcoming farewell, began to pester her.

“Auntie, it’s the last night before you leave… sleep with me tonight, okay?”

“Again?”

“Once tonight passes, we’ll be apart again.”

Seeing the disappointment in those pale violet eyes—so much like her own—Estina couldn’t help but soften.

“Hehe, you little spoiled brat. Alright. Since it’s the last night anyway.”

Unable to refuse her lovely niece, Estina went to Roabellin’s room and lay down beside her.

“Auntie, I heard that at the Magic Academy, the statues walk around at night and the ivy on the walls moves. Is that true?”

“Hmm… most of it is a lie, but there is one statue that can move.”

Because her parents worried about her safety, Roabellin hadn’t traveled much outside the Duke’s estate. To her, Estina’s stories of a completely different world felt like a dream. Roabellin, who showed no signs of sleepiness and listened with wide eyes, suddenly asked a question that came to mind.

“Oh, that’s right. Auntie, do you have a boyfriend?”

Roabellin’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. At the question, Estina briefly thought of someone.

“……No.”

She shook her head, trying to hide a bitter expression. To mask her feelings, she spoke playfully.

“No one has asked me out yet.”

“What? You’re so pretty, Auntie, how could that be?”

“I know, right? Even the boys I’m close with… once we start having feelings for each other, they immediately keep their distance and act awkward. It’s like someone is threatening them. Though that couldn’t possibly be the case, haha…”

The two talked happily until they eventually fell asleep.

A few hours later, Estina woke up to a loud commotion in the distance.

“Mmm… what is that noise?”

Rubbing her eyes, she looked out the window and gasped. A battle was taking place in the garden. Magic was streaking out in the form of red light from the hands of unknown people wearing black robes. The knights of the Hertenes family were trying their best to stop them, but they were clearly outmatched. Estina froze for a moment at the surreal sight of knights’ bodies piling up.

‘A dream… is this a dream…? What on earth…!’

Just then, her eyes met with a person in a black robe who had just struck down two knights. No, perhaps it was just a feeling since the face was hidden by the robe. But he was definitely looking this way. And Estina knew her platinum blonde hair stood out even in the dark. She hurriedly hid beside the window, her heart pounding like a hammer.

A rustling sound came from the bed. It seemed Roabellin had also woken up from the noise of the fighting.

“Ugh…”

Estina crawled toward the bed, keeping her body low. She whispered quickly into Roabellin’s ear.

“Roa, get up! Fast!”

“Huh… Auntie?”

“Intruders. Change into your most comfortable clothes and shoes as fast as you can. We have to escape right now. Quickly!!”

At the word ‘intruders,’ Roabellin stood up reflexively. Sweeping jewelry into an emergency escape bag that had been packed beforehand, they immediately ran toward the secret passage.

***

After many twists and turns, they escaped the Duke’s castle and ran endlessly. They were breathless, but they didn’t have a moment to catch their breath. Only one thought circled in Roabellin’s head as she ran through the pain.

‘This is all happening because of me. Because I am a daughter of Huga… because I am the only direct daughter…!’

The only daughter of the kingdom’s most prestigious family, the Duke’s lady, the designated crown princess. It took less than a few hours for her to become a fugitive running for her life.

‘Could this be some terrible dream? It… it makes no sense.’

But she had never heard of a dream so detailed that the sense of smell and pain felt so vivid. Fearing that someone might jump out and attack at any moment, Roabellin and the surviving party members kept running without rest. Perhaps due to the fear and tension, her mind became even sharper.

As the grueling night slowly ended, the day broke dimly.

“Roa, close your eyes. Let’s change our faces a bit.”

Estina cast magic on herself and Roabellin to slightly alter their hair color, eye color, and facial features.

“It would be best to use powerful magic to change our gender, age, or height entirely… but there are definitely high-ranking mages among them. They might track us by detecting mana, so we must use a minimal amount of magic for now.”

Mages could only detect the mana of those with lower skill than themselves. Estina’s divine power was at a respectable level, but among those who had decimated the Duke’s estate guarded by knights in an instant, there were bound to be high-ranking mages.

“Those people… won’t have less mana than me. We must be absolutely careful.”

Two people traveling together with rare platinum blonde hair and even rarer violet eyes would easily stand out to anyone. Even aside from that, both possessed such striking beauty that they had to change their faces even if it meant taking a slight risk.

The five of them continued to move, hiding in the bushes. After three full days of traveling, they succeeded in leaving the Kingdom of Aventador without being caught. They did not know whether this was the end of their hardship or just the beginning.

After wandering through several countries and cities, Roabellin’s group settled in Raznie, a commercial city in the Avery Kingdom. In this country, many people had blonde hair, and while violet eyes were rare, eye colors were generally diverse. Therefore, Roabellin and Estina thought their appearance would stand out less. Also, they judged that a commercial city where strangers were always coming and going would be more advantageous for remaining unnoticed than a rural village where a small group lived together for a long time.

Fortunately, that prediction was correct. The two were able to settle in the city without attracting much attention just by using simple magic to change their features. Estina withdrew the fortune her late mother had deposited in a secret continental bank vault and bought a small house. This was possible because she was from a collateral branch and her mother had passed away long ago, so there was no fear of being tracked by the royal family.

Afterward, their lives gradually stabilized, and the five of them lived together, relying on each other as a family.

 

***

A few days after his “explosion” (awakening) was complete, Kaisertern, fully prepared, immediately set out for Aventador to meet Roabellin.

‘Since she is the woman who triggered my awakening, should I propose first? No, we should spend some time getting to know each other first. She’s grown up a lot suddenly, but she has the same face, so I’ll recognize her, right?’

With a fluttering heart and pleasant imagination, he arrived at the Hertenes estate… only to face the ruins of the castle. The Duke’s estate, which should have been a cozy castle, was completely burned down, and the site where the building had stood was now a deep, large pit.

“W-what is this…”

Faced with an entirely unexpected tragedy, Kaisertern froze in place. The desire to know what happened and the desire not to know crossed in his mind like a raging typhoon. Before long, the servant he sent to investigate returned with a report.

“Your Highness, I found out that the Duke’s family was raided a few days ago by an unknown group. Regrettably, it appears everyone was massacred.”

Shocked again by the report, Kaisertern asked urgently.

“Then, what about Roabellin?”

“Since it’s said the entire family and household were killed, she likely…”

Unable to finish the sentence, the servant trailed off. Given the family’s characteristics, the Duke’s daughter would have been their target, and he had heard she was likely the first to be killed, but he couldn’t bring himself to report that.

Kaisertern’s face went blank. Just ten days ago, she was a child vividly alive, walking, running, and laughing with him!

‘Who, exactly who… dared to touch the girl who would have been the Empire’s princess!’

He couldn’t believe the reality before his eyes.

‘It makes no sense. That kind and beautiful child… she’s no longer in this world.’

A maddening emotion rose in his throat like a burning pit of fire.

‘You saved me, but I couldn’t save you…’

Then, suddenly, he felt a sense of familiarity with this scene.

‘Ah, that dream!’

Kaisertern realized that the nightmare he had repeatedly had during his “explosion” was not just a dream, but the reality that had unfolded here. He might have been mentally connected to her, the one who triggered his explosion, at that time.

Collapsing under the weight of surging sorrow and anger, he eventually staggered to his feet after a long while. His servant, Hail, quickly supported him.

“Your Highness…”

Kaisertern tried to pull himself together and asked.

“The funeral for the Duke’s family… was it held? Where is the grave? I must at least give my final regards.”

“Well, that… the assassins burned the bodies all at once in the front yard of the estate, and it’s said that people from the Aventador government threw the remains into that pit. They said they couldn’t distinguish who was who since they were burned… so no bodies were recovered, and no separate funeral was held.”

Even though he was just relaying what he heard, the servant’s voice grew smaller because the content was so disrespectful.

He had thought he couldn’t be more shocked, but he was wrong. At the nonsensical treatment of the Duke’s family, Kaisertern felt his blood boil. To treat Roabellin, whom he missed so much and who was so precious to him, in such a manner.

Suppressing his rising rage, he remained silent for a moment before giving a low-voiced command to Hail.

“Recover all those charred remains. I will personally bury them well in a sunny spot in the Empire.”

Returning to Prahenfelt, Kaisertern locked himself in his room for days, crying and fuming. His world, which had briefly been a vibrant green, turned pitch black in an instant. The girl who had left him with nothing but an “explosion” and a few days of excitement. The one existence the prince who had everything could not have. Everything he didn’t want was given to him naturally, but the one thing he desperately wanted was denied.

Kaisertern resented and hated the whole world. No, he resented himself most for not taking Roabellin back to the Empire the very day they parted. He hated himself for being only the Third Prince and not the Emperor, unable to officially protest to the Kingdom of Aventador and demand an investigation.

Kaisertern, loathing himself in his fury, made a decision.

‘I wasn’t interested until now, but not anymore. Even if it’s a position of empty prestige.’

“The throne. I must seize it at all costs.”

To find those who did that to the Duke’s family with the power of the Emperor and make them pay. That felt like the only way to atone, even slightly, to the girl he couldn’t protect.

***

Even with the family destroyed, Estina did not neglect teaching Roabellin the things a direct daughter of Huga should learn.

“Roa, we are the only descendants of Huga left. We probably won’t be able to use this knowledge as queens. But you must learn it well so that when you rebuild the family later, you can teach it to your descendants.”

“I understand, Auntie. But why are you studying more when you’ve already learned everything?”

“A person needs to be smarter to rebuild a fallen family than to maintain a stable one. So Roa, you especially must study harder.”

Fortunately, Roabellin, who had been used to a massive amount of study since she was very young, followed Estina’s education well.

They learned everything necessary to be good queens, but what they truly wanted to know was something else.

“Auntie, no matter how much I think about it, what happened ‘that day’ seems to be the work of the Royal Family.”

“I don’t have concrete evidence, but I think so too.”

The two reached their own conclusion that it was the Royal Family that attacked Hertenes. They didn’t know why the Royal Family would do such a thing to their “partner family,” but there were many suspicious circumstances.

At first, they had held on to a vain hope.

‘An unknown force attacked Hertenes, so the Aventador Royal Family will investigate, catch them, and then come looking for us.’

But the more they looked back, the stranger the events of that day and the unfolding situation seemed. The people Estina saw that day were clearly elite mages and highly skilled assassins. All of them were remarkably talented. How many forces in the kingdom could mobilize so many people like that? Moreover, despite it being a major incident where a prestigious Ducal family collapsed overnight, no one was arrested or punished, and it was simply swept under the rug.

They became certain when they visited their hometown a year later. Roabellin and Estina, with their faces changed by magic, went to the Duke’s castle where they used to live. They had seen the castle burning when they fled, but since it was a stone building, they thought the foundation might have been salvaged for something.

But what awaited them was a stench that painfully stung their noses from afar. The two exchanged confused looks.

“What is this smell?”

As soon as they climbed the nearby hill and looked down at the entire site, their mouths dropped in shock. A huge pit had been dug where the buildings used to be. And shockingly, countless unidentified bodies were piled up and rotting inside the pit. The bodies on top were wearing tattered clothes, while those below were rotting to the point where it was hard to tell what was a person and what was clothing.

“What… what is that?”

If hell existed, it would look like this. The two were stunned as if struck in the head. Trying to stay calm, they went down to the village and asked people what happened.

“Isn’t that the site of the Hertenes Duke’s castle? How did it become like that?”

But people just shook their heads and walked away upon hearing the name ‘Hertenes.’ The two desperately stopped several people to ask, and finally, an old man answered.

“Shh…! Young ladies, have you been away from home for a long time? Keep your voices down. You don’t know what might happen if you say that name out loud!”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“Nothing official has been announced. But what’s certain is that right after the Hertenes family disappeared in a single night, that territory became the property of the Royal Family. They dug up that whole burned castle site into a pit.”

Estina forced out a voice that wouldn’t come.

“We’re on our way back from seeing it from the hill. What is… all that?”

The old man shook his head as if recalling the sight.

“Ugh, you should think of it as a sort of corpse dumpsite. It’s where the bodies of people executed for major crimes or the bodies of vagrants are disposed of. And about ten months ago, when a plague broke out here, they threw all the bodies they couldn’t handle into there too.”

Roabellin, listening blankly, finally opened her mouth.

“Why… why would they…”

The old man looked around and lowered his voice even more.

“There’s a rumor that Hertenes plotted treason. Otherwise, why would a perfectly fine family be destroyed overnight and treated like that?”

“What? Treason? That’s…”

“I told you to keep your voice down. Ah, yes. They say the first things thrown into the bottom of that pit were the charred bodies found in the garden that day. A whole pile of them. Tsk tsk.”

Every one of the old man’s words was shocking, but at those last words, the two could no longer even pretend to be calm. They hurriedly bowed to the old man and turned away. The scene of their family members’ bodies burning in the garden that day came back vividly as if it had happened moments ago.

‘Mother, Father, Itan, Emil… their remains are at the bottom of that hellish pit…’

Roabellin felt dizzy for a moment and staggered. This could only be seen as something done by the Royal Family. Even beyond the immediate family, close collateral relatives were all killed within days of the direct line’s destruction. It was as if they were trying to erase the family from history entirely.

“……Now I know for sure. I can’t be a queen anymore, Auntie.”

At Roabellin’s mutter, Estina closed her eyes and nodded weakly.

“I suppose so. And if someone is tracking and assassinating us… it must be the Aventador Royal Family.”

After that, they never set foot in Aventador again. They only listened to news from their homeland out of necessity.

Two years later, new news came from their homeland. Prince Skark had taken the eldest daughter of the prestigious Ingelheim family as his princess. Although she had never wanted to marry Skark, Roabellin felt strange.

‘Was I never destined to be a queen from the beginning?’

Ever since she was born, she had been told and taught that she would be a queen. Even while living in hiding, she had studied the knowledge and grace required of a daughter of Huga, just in case… but looking at the situation objectively, she was just a vanished criminal from a family that plotted treason. Suddenly, she felt like she was nothing. She felt her world collapsing from the bottom up.

‘Could it be that all this inexplicable tragedy and misfortune is because of me? Because a daughter without the destiny of a queen was born into Huga like a mutant. Could the whole family have been cursed?’

It was Estina who pulled her out as she sank deeper into these nonsensical thoughts day by day.

“Roa, I know it’s hard… but you can’t stay like this forever. Think about it. What would your late parents want for you? What do you think is the true way to mourn them?”

Roabellin lifted her blank, tear-filled eyes to look up at Estina.

“……”

“You must show the world that Hertenes was trampled but did not disappear. That it is a true noble family with a strong spirit that rises again even after such things.”

“But Auntie, it’s clear now that I don’t have the destiny of a queen. Since I’m called the direct daughter of Huga, it must be that the God Dominador punished Hertenes…!”

“Roa.”

Estina cut Roabellin off firmly.

“It makes no sense that you, the direct daughter of Hertenes, wouldn’t have the destiny of a queen. But fine, let’s say you’re right. Even so, would Dominador, who gave you that destiny, punish you and our family?”

Estina took Roabellin’s hand.

“Roa, whether you become a queen or not is no longer important. No matter what, we are the proud Hertenes. A family? We can rebuild it ourselves.”

As if telling her to snap out of it, more strength was added to the hand she held.

“Roa. Let’s make sure the world remembers that the people that were your Mother, Father, Itan, and Emil existed. Let’s rise… so that their deaths aren’t for nothing.”

“We… let’s rise.”

Roabellin blankly repeated Estina’s words. The light slowly returned to her dull eyes. Only then did the tears pooled in her large violet eyes stream down. That day, after crying until she was exhausted and emptying her bruised heart, Roabellin took Estina’s hand and stepped out of the deep quagmire.

A few months later, Roabellin celebrated her 15th birthday. Receiving an oracle on one’s 15th birthday was a tradition in Aventador. Normally, as the daughter of the lofty Hertenes Ducal family, Roabellin would have gone to the Central Temple located within the national palace to receive an oracle from the High Priest. But now, going to their homeland was out of the question. Therefore, Estina, who possessed divine power, prayed and blessed Roabellin in place of a priest, and fortunately, an oracle was given.

They thought it would be a general blessing or advice about future crises, but the content of the oracle was completely unexpected.

「If you bear the Emperor’s child, your family shall be restored」

“?!”

Their homeland was the Kingdom of Aventador, a country ruled by a ‘King.’ Therefore, the existence of an ‘Emperor’ didn’t mean much to 15-year-old Roabellin.

“Emperor?”

Estina, who was also stunned, slowly replied.

“An Emperor… is someone who rules an Empire. There’s only one Empire on this continent. Prahenfelt.”

“Ah, I see. Not Aventador, but the child of the Emperor of the Prahenfelt Empire.”

Pondering the confusing oracle for a moment, Roabellin asked.

“……What kind of person is the current Emperor, Auntie?”

Estina carefully recalled the rumors she had heard recently.

“Hmm, he’s probably 18 this year. Unlike our Aventador, one becomes an adult at 18 in Prahenfelt. I heard that as soon as he became an adult, he deposed his half-brother, who was the acting Emperor, and took the throne.”

“Deposed? He sounds terrifying right from the start.”

A man who fought his own brother and snatched the throne at an age that would still be a minor in Aventador… Roabellin felt fear before she felt admiration.

“Then what does this oracle mean? Does it mean that if I have the Emperor’s child, he will help me rebuild my family? Then, do I have to become the Emperor’s mistress?”

Estina slightly frowned at Roabellin’s words.

“You are a daughter of Huga. Surely it wouldn’t mean for you to become his mistress. And since you essentially have no family now, you can’t become the Empress either. Empress is a political position. It seems to just literally mean to have the Emperor’s child.”

“Hmm… then does it mean that I have the Emperor’s child and raise them as a child of Hertenes, and that child will rebuild the family?”

“Based on the content of the oracle alone, that seems most likely. Oracles given by the God Dominador are usually straightforward rather than symbolic.”

Estina added as she looked at the pensive Roabellin.

“Since it’s an oracle, it’s not something to take lightly, but it doesn’t apply to you yet at 15, so put it aside for now. Let’s think about this carefully once you become an adult.”

Exactly five years passed since then.

***

Today was Roabellin’s 20th birthday—the day she officially became an adult.

“Jeff, hurry with the table setting! The soup is boiling. Pheron! Plate this food and take it out.”

“Got it! On my way, Lisa!”

The servants—though there were only three of them—prepared a special breakfast in their own way, while Estina went to the bedroom to wake the guest of honor, Roabellin.

Knock, knock, knock—

Estina knocked, but there was no answer from within.

‘Is she still sleeping?’

She knocked a few more times, but the room remained silent.

“I’m coming in, Roa!” Estina announced as she slowly opened the door.

The room was simple and tidy, looking more like a commoner girl’s room than a noble lady’s, but Estina’s eyes immediately fell on the empty bed.

‘Huh? She’s not in bed…?’

Roabellin was nowhere to be found. Then, Estina spotted a letter on the desk. She picked it up; the inscription read: To Auntie, from Roabellin.

“What is this?”

Estina’s brow furrowed in confusion as she opened the letter. Her eyes widened as she read the contents.

[By the time you see this, I will have already left the country.

I’m going to fulfill the oracle I received at fifteen—I’m going to have the Emperor’s child. Through that child, I will continue the Hertenes bloodline and rebuild our family.

I’ll be as careful as possible, and I’ll return as soon as I’ve secured the child.]

Estina’s hand trembled.

‘What? She really left to have the Emperor’s child?!’

For eight years, they had lived in fear that assassins sent by the King might come to kill them. Estina had assumed they would have to live in hiding forever. She bit her lower lip anxiously and read the rest.

[I know you’ll be incredibly worried. I’ve only just become an adult and I’ve already left to have a baby. But we can’t build a stable family with anyone else. You know that. If we stay hidden together like this, the day the Aventador Royal Family finds us, whoever I’m with—and their family—will be slaughtered.

If the two of us die, Hertenes ends forever. That’s why I’ve been thinking for a long time that I need to have a child quickly. Now that I’m an adult, I can’t wait any longer.]

For these two, who had suffered the destruction of their family without even knowing why, rebuilding their house and seeking revenge was their life’s purpose. Even eight years later, they both dreamed of their family members’ bodies burning. They still didn’t know the full truth.

‘Why, on whose orders, and who actually did it… I don’t think I can close my eyes in peace until I know the whole story. Roa must feel the same.’

Estina worried about her niece, who still felt like a young child to her. But even if Estina had a child, it would only be a collateral branch of the Huga line. Only a direct descendant could truly carry the legacy, and no matter how much Estina loved her, she couldn’t do that for Roabellin.

‘Besides, the oracle to bear the Emperor’s child was given to Roa, not me…’

Holding her forehead, Estina finished the letter.

[Thank you for working so hard to protect and teach me all this time. I’ll fight my own battle now! I don’t know if it will take a month or a year, but please wait for me and don’t worry. We’ll meet again soon! I love you, Auntie. Tell Lisa, Pheron, and Jeff thank you and that I love them too.]

Estina’s hand dropped powerlessly.

“Huh? My Lady, is Roabellin not in her room? I’ve looked everywhere else and can’t find her,” the maid Lisa said as she entered, only to realize something was wrong upon seeing Estina’s face. Pheron, the middle-aged servant, and Jeff, a servant around Roabellin’s age, followed her in. They were the ones who had fled with them on the day of the massacre; they were family now.

“…Here.”

Estina handed them the letter. As they read it, their expressions turned to shock.

“Lady Roa left? And to have the Emperor’s child?! Oh my goodness!!!”

Estina put a finger to her lips with a grimace.

“Shh, this must never be leaked outside. Understand?”

Though they had kept the secret for eight years, Estina warned them once more.

“Yes, of course. But why would Lady Roa…”

“The destruction of the family caused Roa immense physical and mental trauma. I thought the scars had faded over time… but seeing her act on the oracle the moment she became an adult, her sense of debt and responsibility toward the family must have been enormous. For now, all we can do is pray for her safety and wait.”

Estina sighed deeply, and the servants clasped their hands as if in prayer.

***

Roabellin stared up blankly at the tall building blocked by a magnificent gate.

She had traveled to the front of the Magic Tower using teleportation gates found in magic tool shops. She had arrived with the same spirited stride she had when she left home, but…

‘I can’t even get past the front door.’

The reason she had come to the Magic Tower first, despite wanting to go to the Imperial Palace, was that she currently couldn’t use her divine power.

As a direct daughter of Huga, Roabellin was born with divine power that manifested at age twelve. It was that power that allowed her to save and heal Kaisertern from the black panther in the royal hunting grounds.

However, after the trauma of the massacre and falling ill for days, she had lost nearly all access to it. Whenever she tried to circulate the power within her body, she felt her internal energy channels twisted and tangled. Any attempt to force the power out resulted in agonizing pain.

Her family had tried to find a way to restore her.

“My Lady, I heard a rumor that a high-ranking mage could untwist your energy channels,” Lisa would report after her trips to the market.

Estina would nod. “A high-ranking mage… True, since our Huga divine power is similar in nature to mana, it might be possible. Though it would likely require one of the most powerful mages on the continent.”

“Sigh… in our situation, we can’t exactly go around asking for someone to fix you. I’ll just have to keep looking for good herbs for your health,” Estina had said.

Beyond the physical blockage, there was a psychological one. Roabellin had developed trauma regarding magic. Whenever Estina used her powers, Roabellin would clutch her head, sink to the floor, and tremble for a long time, reminded of the mages who attacked the Duke’s estate. While she had improved over time, the aversion remained.

“Roa, as your body grows, the divine power inside you should be growing to match your age. It must be frustrating to only be able to use a tenth of it.”

Roabellin had answered stoically. “I got to use it properly once, so it’s a shame. But I believe one day I’ll get my power back. I’ll recover it no matter what.”

Instead of full divine power, Roabellin learned simple spells from Estina that used minimal energy.

“Changing your appearance, basic defense magic, beginner healing magic… these are the spells your current power can handle.”

“Yes, Auntie. If I keep working hard, maybe the amount I can use will slowly increase!”

Roabellin also busily learned how to make magic potions.

“This requires almost no divine power, so there’s no reason not to learn it.”

By the time she reached adulthood, she could craft everything from healing salves and poisons to charms and even contraceptives.

***

“I’m sorry. Those without mana cannot enter.”

The guard at the gate of the Magic Tower spoke politely but firmly. Roabellin’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“Wh-what do you mean I don’t have mana! I have it, even if it’s small. I just can’t show it to you right now. To use it properly, I need to see the Tower Master first…!”

The guard cut her off. “If mana is too faint—below a certain standard—this Mana Gate judges it as non-existent. I’m sorry, but there is nothing we can do.”

‘Oh my god… My power is so weak it’s considered non-existent?’

Roabellin was stunned, but she couldn’t argue with the judgment of a magical gate.

‘I’ll go down to the village and ask around. There has to be a way.’

She had set out so confidently, only to be blocked at the very start. She felt like she might cry, but she bit her lip and turned around bravely.

‘If I want to ask about the Magic Tower, I should go to a shop that sells magic tools. That’s where mages frequent.’

She found a shop in the village. Being near the Tower, it was filled with wondrous items she had never seen elsewhere. But she didn’t have time to browse. She cautiously approached the owner.

“Um, hello. Do you know how one can enter the Magic Tower?”

The middle-aged woman running the shop scanned Roabellin’s appearance. Roabellin had used magic to make her features more ordinary. Her braided hair was a common brown, and her eyes were a plain blue. She wore black pants, a loose white blouse, and a leather vest. To the shopkeeper, she looked like a pretty, active commoner girl rather than a mage.

“Why the Magic Tower? Are you a mage, miss?”

“Ah, no, not exactly… well, something like that!”

“Then why ask me? You went to the entrance and the Mana Gate wouldn’t let you in, right?”

The owner was quick-witted. Having her pathetic situation guessed so easily made Roabellin feel even smaller.

“Um, yes. So I’m looking for another way.”

The shopkeeper spoke bluntly. “Do you think the Magic Tower is a place anyone can just walk into? People call it a ‘tower,’ so they think it’s just one building, but as you saw at the gate, it’s not that simple. It’s more like its own territory.”

The owner continued enthusiastically, “It’s not just the size. It’s an institution that doesn’t answer to any country’s interference. How could just anyone without mana enter such a place?”

Roabellin shrunk her shoulders slightly. “I-I know that. But… I really need to see the Tower Master.”

“Your reasons are your business. Does the Tower Master need to see you?”

“Well, no… probably not.”

“Then, did you prepare a magnificent reward to tempt the Tower Master? Aside from money, since he has more than enough of that.”

“No…”

“Then there’s your answer, right?”

Roabellin stood there speechless, hit with the hard truth.

‘She’s right. I’m the one who needs something. How did I think I could just meet the Tower Master so easily? He’s not a charity worker; why did I think he would help me? I’m not the daughter of a prestigious Duke anymore… I haven’t let go of the idea that I’m special. What do I do now?’

Seeing how dejected Roabellin looked, the shopkeeper offered a bit of comfort.

“It’s not that I have anything against you. It’s just that people like you, coming here without a plan hoping to enter the Tower, are a dime a dozen.”

“Yes… I understand. Thank you for being honest.”

Roabellin gave a weak bow and turned to leave. Just as she reached the door…

“The Tower Master is currently away from the Tower. Why are you looking for him?”

A charming, mid-to-low-pitched voice called out to her from behind. Startled, Roabellin turned around and froze. He was a complete stranger, but…

‘Wow… he’s really handsome.’

It felt like light was radiating from the man. Roabellin’s mouth hung open slightly. He was tall with broad, sturdy shoulders, black hair, and golden eyes. His sharp, deep gaze and chiseled features exuded both nobility and a certain wildness. Even though he was just looking at her with an expressionless face, there was a strange, alluring sensuality to him. Roabellin gulped and then snapped out of it.

‘Snap out of it, girl!’

If he knew the Tower Master wasn’t there…

“Ah, I… I need some mana. When will the Tower Master return? Are you… coming out from the Tower just now, My Lord?”

Kaisertern looked at her blankly, but his mind was racing.

‘I should have just ignored her. Why am I bothering to talk to her?’

He had simply overheard the conversation of a young woman asking for a way into the Tower. She was just a commoner, yet he didn’t know why he felt the need to stop and intervene.

But when she turned around and their eyes met, a strange, intense feeling washed over him.

‘I’ve definitely never seen this face, but it feels oddly familiar. I feel a trace of mana… is it protection magic?’

“…Hm.” He answered vaguely. Encouraged by what might have been an answer, she asked again.

“Then… do you have mana as well, My Lord? Are you strong? As strong as the Tower Master?”

It wasn’t a typical question for a first meeting, but it wasn’t entirely random. If he had just come from the Tower to check on the Master, it meant he was likely a powerful mage himself.

‘Aside from Auntie and those intruders that day, he’s the first person I’ve met with mana!’

Regardless of strength, mana was a rare talent. Feeling that things might go well, Roabellin felt a spark of hope.

Kaisertern found her search for mana suspicious, yet he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

‘Strange. She isn’t an overwhelming beauty. Why does it feel like I’ve seen her before?’

He didn’t realize that he was catching glimpses of the girl from his past through the slight changes she had made to her original face. Feeling awkward about his own reaction, he spoke bluntly to dismiss her.

“That is none of your business.”

He spoke informally to her, despite her using honorifics, and turned away.

Roabellin stood there stunned.

‘Ha! He talks to me first and then acts like this? Is he teasing me? Just because he’s handsome?!’

But she couldn’t let him go.

“Wait! Just a moment!”

He was her only hope. Roabellin rushed toward him and reached out to grab his arm. Or rather, she tried to.

“Kyaa!”

Kaisertern reflexively pulled his arm away and moved to strike her neck with the side of his hand—a trained reaction before he could even think. Fortunately, in that split second, he realized his opponent was just a frail woman with faint mana.

“…!”

He stopped his hand, but because the distance was so close, he ended up lightly striking the side of her neck. Due to the sudden movement, Roabellin lost her balance and tumbled forward, her face slamming into his chest.

Kaisertern reflexively caught her as she began to fall. He supported her waist with one arm and grabbed her arm with the other, resulting in a position that was half-hugging.

“Ack, cough, cough! Ouch…”

Kaisertern had only barely touched her, but to the defenseless Roabellin, it was a different story. Not only was there a natural difference in strength, but Kaisertern’s body was far harder than the average man’s due to years of training.

‘How is he so fast? Is he a trained assassin or something?!’

The pain brought tears to her eyes. Kaisertern looked down at her and asked bluntly, “Are you hurt? You’re weaker than you look.”

Rubbing the sore spot, Roabellin managed to choke out, “Cough! What was that for? Just because you didn’t want me to grab you, cough, you didn’t have to attack me! Cough, cough!”

The coughing made her feel even more miserable, and her tears flowed. Kaisertern looked down at her, and for a moment, he felt a sharp pang in his heart.

‘Hm? What is this?’

The rounded forehead, the slender nose… in that tearful face, another face seemed to overlap. A blurry face that brought with it a strange sense of longing and nostalgia.

The feeling was fleeting. He helped her stand properly and turned to leave.

“I apologize, but strictly speaking, you were the one who moved to grab me first. Let’s consider it even. The Tower Master is away, so stop wasting your time and go home.”

“Wait! I… I need to get my mana back, so…!”

Without listening to the rest, he simply walked away.

‘What kind of person is he? Who attacked whom!’

Roabellin huffed as she watched him leave, then turned back to calm herself down.

‘Whoo, focus. There’s nothing I can do here right now… meeting the Emperor as soon as possible is the priority.’

As she was about to leave the shop, the magic potion corner caught her eye.

‘Oho. Now this is something I know.’

She scanned the shelves and noticed several gaps where stock hadn’t been replenished.

‘Hmm, the quality of this one is poor. Mine are much better.’

A lightbulb went off in her head.

‘Maybe I should sell some of the potions I brought to help with travel expenses?’

She approached the owner and showed her the potions she had packed.

“I noticed your stock is low on these. I happen to have some; would you be interested in buying them?”

The owner’s face lit up as she inspected the vials.

“Oh, the quality is excellent! I’ll take everything you have. I’ll give you a good price.”

Roabellin smiled with pride. “I’ll give you all the Love Potions. I’ll just keep one each of the antidote and the healing salve for emergencies.”

Though the owner was prickly at first, it seemed she was just someone who liked to speak her mind. Pleased to have restocked, she began to chat about magic tools and the Magic Tower. While it might have seemed like idle gossip, for Roabellin—who was stepping into the outside world for the first time—it was valuable information. She listened intently.

‘I don’t know much about how the world works, so this might be useful later.’

“So, where are you headed on your own, miss?”

“I’m on my way to Vicentium for some business. Ah, do you know what the Emperor of Prahenfelt is like?”

“Well, I hear he’s young and capable. They say as soon as he became an adult, he challenged his half-brother, the acting Emperor, with mana and took the throne.”

It was the same story she had heard from Estina.

“But why did he take the throne from his brother?”

“In Prahenfelt, it’s not necessarily the eldest prince who succeeds. Direct princes challenge each other with mana once they reach adulthood, and the strongest becomes Emperor. You must have come from very far away, miss?”

“Ah, yes…! I was just curious how the Third Prince managed to win and become Emperor.”

As Roabellin’s eyes sparkled, the shopkeeper happily opened her bag of stories.

***

Five years ago, the Third Prince, Kaisertern, reached adulthood on his birthday.

He had grown into a man of sculptural handsomeness, with a large, solid frame honed through constant training. Rumors of the mesmerizing young prince spread not only among the nobility but even to the commoners. Many nobles who had looked into his extraordinary deep golden eyes instinctively sensed that he possessed the mettle of an Emperor.

“Your Highness, regarding this year’s birthday banquet…”

“It isn’t necessary.”

Kaisertern cut off the servant’s question long before the date arrived.

“Pardon? But this is your special coming-of-age birthday, Your Highness.”

“I don’t have time to idle away at banquets. I have more important matters to attend to.”

On the morning of his birthday, he went straight to find his brother, Heymelic, who was occupying the throne as the acting Emperor.

“I, Kaisertern Erlenkönig Prahenfelt, the Third Prince, have come of age today. I hereby request a magic duel to challenge for the throne.”

In Prahenfelt, the throne was traditionally left vacant until all direct princes reached adulthood, at which point the ruler was determined by a magical duel between the claimants. Therefore, Heymelic, who sat on the throne illegally—having pushed his way into the temporary position simply because he was the only adult among the siblings at the time of the late Emperor’s passing—had no justification to refuse Kaisertern’s challenge.

The two held their duel in the square before the Great Hall of the Imperial Palace, before many witnesses. Collateral royal family members and high-ranking nobles gathered to witness a duel that would mark a page in history.

And yet, as soon as the duel began, Kaisertern defeated Heymelic with hollow ease. To any observer, Kaisertern was overwhelmingly superior.

It was just as the victorious Kaisertern turned his back to proclaim his ascension as Emperor.

‘I cannot accept this. The throne is mine…!’

Heymelic, who had been sprawled in the dust, rose quietly and attempted to attack Kaisertern from behind.

Just as black mana was about to erupt from his hand, Kaisertern reached back without even looking and bound Heymelic with a surge of powerful mana. It was a suppression even simpler than the duel itself.

“The moment I won, I became the Emperor. And attacking the Emperor from behind is what people usually call treason.”

Kaisertern approached Heymelic, who was rolling pathetically on the ground, his limbs bound by mana. He knelt on one knee and whispered to his brother.

“You tried to kill me countless times. My patience ends here. Be grateful I don’t kill you right now out of respect for your status as a prince and former acting Emperor.”

He stood up and addressed the wide-eyed observers.

“Imprison the traitor outside the capital immediately.”

It was a command to the Imperial Guard, but also a warning to the nobles who had supported Heymelic. The man who had briefly held the title of Emperor was stripped of everything in an instant and dragged away as a traitor.

Kaisertern turned his gaze toward the Second Prince, Radak. Before Kaisertern could even speak, Radak raised both hands in immediate surrender.

“Whoa, whoa. I’ve never had any greed for the throne. You know I didn’t even challenge Heymelic when I became an adult. Just… let me live quietly and spend my money, haha.”

And so, the Third Prince, Kaisertern, bypassed his brothers and ascended the throne.

Among the siblings, he was not only the strongest in mana but also the most brilliant. With the firm backing of the noble factions that had supported him as the legitimate son of the late Empress, Kaisertern quickly seized control of the Imperial household and state affairs, rapidly rectifying the governance that had been neglected for so long.

***

“Since His Imperial Majesty ascended the throne, the economy, public safety, diplomacy, and defense are all said to have become more stable. He has the absolute support of the Empire’s people.”

Roabellin nodded slightly at the magic tool shop owner’s story.

“That’s a relief. But why hasn’t the Emperor married yet?”

“Well, how would people like us know that?”

“Is it possible… there’s some kind of problem?”

At Roabellin’s words, the shop owner clapped her hands as if remembering something.

“Ah, there are all sorts of rumors. Some say he’s a pederast. Since he needs to produce an heir, they say he keeps a male lover hidden because it can’t be made official. And then there’s the talk that he’s… impotent. Pffft!”

The shop owner couldn’t hold back and started giggling at her own words.

“What? Impotent? You mean… Ah?!”

“Yeah, a eunuch. You know what that means, right, miss? Hehehe.”

Roabellin was taken aback by the conversation taking such an unexpected turn.

‘The Emperor might be physically unable to conceive? My god, then what about the oracle? Does it mean someone else becomes Emperor?!’

All sorts of thoughts raced through her mind. Seeing her expression change by the second, the shop owner patted her shoulder while still laughing.

“It’s just a rumor. Don’t look so shocked. Hahaha.”

Suddenly, Roabellin thought of the other prince mentioned earlier.

“Haha… Then, what happened to the brother who lost the throne?”

“If you travel about a full day from here, you’ll find a village called Himmel. I heard he was imprisoned in a small stone tower on the outskirts of that village.”

“He really… locked his own brother in such a place?”

For Roabellin, who had been on good terms with her own siblings, such a thing was unimaginable.

“Well, you don’t become the absolute monarch of a Great Empire by being an ordinary person. Why be so shocked about him being locked up? Don’t you have to be able to kill your own blood to reach that kind of position?”

“The Emperor… must be a much scarier person than I thought. Is he like that in appearance, too?”

Roabellin imagined a hulking, fierce-eyed man who ruthlessly killed and imprisoned his own kin. Somehow, images of a massive warrior or a butcher reeking of blood came to mind.

‘I have to have that man’s child? The thought alone is terrifying…’

The Emperor’s appearance grew more monstrous in her imagination. Just as her expression became grave, the shop owner cut off her thoughts.

“Hm? Rumor has it he’s quite handsome. They say he has sharp, masculine features, but in a way, he also looks as elegant as a pretty boy. They say he has a face that just overflows with… allure. Haha!”

The shop owner spoke cheerfully, but it didn’t offer much hope to Roabellin. She sank into thought for a moment.

‘If I fail to have the Emperor’s child… perhaps I’ll have to use that brother of his. He was the acting Emperor, so he’s close to the throne. Besides, mana itself is an incredibly rare talent. If the child is a son, he could at least inherit that mana.’

The divine power Roabellin possessed was a trait inherited only by the daughters of Huga. Unless their father had mana, the sons of Huga usually possessed no special powers. In a situation where the family could no longer protect the child, Roabellin wanted her child—if it were a son—to at least inherit mana from the father’s side.

Having organized her thoughts, Roabellin nodded.

“Could you tell me the way to that village called Himmel?”

Roabellin left the shop and headed in the direction the owner indicated.

‘Just in case I need to use him later, I should see where he is beforehand.’

After walking and asking for directions, Roabellin arrived at the village as evening approached.

‘Phew… I’m tired. At least I arrived before the sun set completely.’

She checked into an inn, unpacked, changed into comfortable clothes, and threw a shawl over her shoulders. She told the innkeeper at the counter that she couldn’t sleep and was going for a light walk.

She headed toward the tower on the outskirts of the village. Along the way, she waved her hand lightly to release the magic disguising her face.

‘It’s night anyway, and there’s no one around to see.’

She would just briefly change back to brown hair and blue eyes when she returned to the inn.

It was a night with a brilliant full moon. Arriving at the small stone tower, Roabellin looked up at it from outside the low stone wall.

‘Looking at the small windows on each floor… there seem to be about six floors in total.’

Her gaze landed on the window at the very top. It was barred with sturdy iron.

‘So that’s where the first prince is imprisoned.’

She could see the flickering yellow light of a candle inside.

Then, a young man appeared at the window. It was Heymelic, a man with dark blonde hair, green eyes, and a height slightly above average. Roabellin didn’t know what Heymelic looked like, but the person in this tower would either be the imprisoned prince or, at most, a servant.

‘From his clothes, he’s no servant. Then… is that the man imprisoned here? The first prince—no, the Emperor’s brother.’

Looking out the window, Heymelic was startled to see Roabellin below. Though it was dark, he could tell even from a distance that she was a stunning beauty.

‘Wh-what? A ghost? Why is there such an impossible beauty in such a remote place at this hour…?’

Even though she knew he was looking at her, she didn’t avert her eyes. Her platinum blonde hair, catching the bright moonlight, seemed to glow as if it were emitting its own light.

‘Since her shadow stretches long across the ground, she’s definitely human, but…’

Because of her otherworldly beauty, Heymelic felt as if he were being bewitched by a spirit.

“…”

“…”

The two stared at each other without a word or movement. It was a gaze of silent observation, seasoned with a hint of caution.

Roabellin watched him for a moment, then gracefully turned away.

‘He seems more composed than I expected for someone imprisoned. If I fail to have the Emperor’s child later, maybe I’ll enter that tower and use a Hallucination Incense or a Succubus Mist. To make him believe our encounter was a dream…’

Whether it was the Emperor or his brother, to Roabellin, they were not targets but merely means to an end. Her goal was not to gain wealth or status as a man’s woman, but solely the reconstruction of Hertenes.

‘I’m sorry for thinking of you this way. Once my goal is achieved, I will disappear quietly without asking for anything. You won’t lose anything either.’

Roabellin walked away in silence, but Heymelic remained standing there, watching her go.

‘Rare platinum blonde hair and incredible beauty. I couldn’t tell the eye color for sure from this distance, but they looked like a rare… violet. It’s a combination I’ve heard of somewhere.’

During his time as acting Emperor, he had encountered vast amounts of information and top-tier secrets as the head of state. Thinking quietly, he caught a thread of memory.

‘Ah! Was it called… the Huga of Aventador? It was said that the daughters of that family were beauties rarely seen in a lifetime, with platinum hair and violet eyes. and… that they possessed the destiny to make their husbands kings.’

Once the thought surfaced, the memories unraveled like a spool of thread.

‘I scoffed at the idea that a family burdened with such a heavy destiny could be destroyed so easily in a single night. But seeing her in person…’

His eyes flashed in the dim room.

“I want her. That beauty, and… that destiny.”

***

Estina folded Roabellin’s letter neatly and placed it in a drawer before sinking into deep thought at her desk.

‘While I wait for Roa, I must do my part. While she goes to a far-off foreign land and risks her life for our goal, what should I do?’

For the sake of rebuilding Huga, Estina herself also needed to bear a descendant of the family to assist Roabellin’s child. The face of her former fiancé, Iskal, briefly flashed before her eyes, but that was a connection severed eight years ago.

‘Even if I were lucky enough to meet him again and succeed in having a child, the man I knew wouldn’t be one to let a woman carrying his child leave so easily. A man with that much mana would certainly find me even if I tried to run.’

Estina immediately brushed the thought aside. There was something she had to do first.

‘I want to know the truth of that day our family fell. Exactly who in the Royal Family did it, and why. If we are to seek revenge in the distant future, we must know the exact target.’

After a moment of hesitation, she made her decision.

‘Yes, I will go to the Aventador Royal Palace. Since everything began there, I must go there to find the evidence.’

***

Roabellin was running breathlessly. Beside her were Estina and the three servants. The five of them, having escaped the forest surrounding the burning castle, struggled to stay hidden near the trees and bushes.

But their life-or-death escape proved futile. A man suddenly appeared and grabbed Roabellin’s wrist.

“I’ve caught the daughter of Huga!”

She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Reaching out with all her might, she hoped for someone to help.

In that moment, someone appeared, grabbed her hand, and pulled her strongly. Since he was backlit, she couldn’t see his face properly, but his eyes, caught briefly in the light, were golden.

“…”

Roabellin’s eyes snapped open, tears streaming down her face. Looking around the room in a daze, she realized she was in her inn room in Himmel.

‘Phew, it was that dream again. It’s been a while since I dreamed of “that day”…’

Since the day of the massacre, Roabellin and Estina had frequently relived those events in their dreams. Estina suffered as well, but the aftereffects were worse for Roabellin, who was young at the time and had lost her entire family in an instant.

‘I thought the frequency had decreased as I grew older. I must have been very tired today.’

Roabellin pressed down on the left side of her chest. Even though it was a dream, it was so sad and terrifying that her heart was still thumping. Once she had woken up like that, sleep didn’t return immediately. She was afraid she might have the dream again if she fell back asleep. She had dreamed it hundreds of times, but it was still scary and painful.

Lying in bed, she thought about the dream. Usually, several scenes repeated, but in tonight’s dream, there were new parts.

‘Someone grabbed me and said, “I’ve caught the daughter of Huga.” Is it a sign that someone… knows my identity and will chase me? No, surely not after all this time…’

She shook her head slightly as if to brush off the ominous thought.

‘And there was someone who helped me. A man with golden eyes.’

Savoring the face she saw in the dream, the blunt and ill-tempered man she met at the magic tool shop yesterday suddenly came to mind.

‘Thinking about it now, that was the first time in my life I’ve seen someone with golden eyes. It must have made a deep impression. Since he appeared in my dream tonight…’

Having calmed down somewhat, Roabellin closed her eyes again.

‘Let me see the face of that handsome man from the dream once more instead of that day. Let me see it properly this time…’

Praying fervently to God, Roabellin fell back into sleep. A smile touched her lips, as if she were entering a good dream.

***

The next day, having set out from the inn in Himmel, Roabellin was in the middle of crossing a small mountain.

‘They said Vicentium would be just across this ridge.’

Soon, the landscape opened up. Climbing atop a high rock to catch her breath, Roabellin looked down at the sprawling city of Vicentium below. True to its reputation as the Imperial Capital, it was endless in its breadth, with buildings that soared into the sky and crowds of people moving like busy ants.

‘Oh, that must be the Imperial Palace in the center.’

The Palace was easily recognizable, surrounded by high walls and boasting an exceptionally ornate architectural style. Even having seen both the Hertenes Ducal Castle and the Aventador Royal Palace, she had never witnessed a residence so massive and magnificent. It was a palace of truly staggering scale, fit for the majesty of a great empire.

‘It really is incredible. The Emperor must be right there.’

She steeled her resolve, picturing the arrogant Emperor of the Empire in her mind.

‘Just wait, Your Majesty. You aren’t allowed to look at any other woman until I get there.’