Chapter 9.1

A few days after Eloe’s birthday party ended in a messy anticlimax, the grand duke, Sion, Eloe, Jeras, and Nia gathered in a small conference room inside the Great Temple. They had decided on this location after a search for a safer place, as both the academy and the grand duke’s mansion had been attacked.

“Let’s get right to the point after a brief greeting and thank you. First, I’d like to share the results of a few investigations I conducted.”

The grand duke, who had called the meeting, was the first to speak. Everyone listened to him with a serious demeanor. No one so much as tilted the teacups in front of them.

“The barrier that was set up before the party was a request to the high priest and Lady Nia. It was designed to sound an alarm and stop any demons or monsters from approaching the mansion.”

“Is it similar to the academy’s barrier?”

“Yes… it’s similar to, or even better than, the new one we reinforced after the Night of the Future event.”

“The barrier’s range was the entire mansion, and the alarm did go off when the lights went out. So the barrier didn’t malfunction.”

“It might not have been an external intrusion, then.”

“You’ve got it, Your Highness.”

The grand duke took something out. It was a small, broken black mana stone. Jeras’s brows furrowed slightly as he recognized the stone.

“We found these throughout the mansion. The mage who analyzed them said they were used to create a gap in the barrier or to open a path for spatial transfer into the mansion.”

“…So that’s why you ordered an investigation of the people,” Sion muttered to himself.

By the grand duke’s command, every person working at the grand duke’s mansion had been investigated. There were no exceptions, from the servants to the vassals who had served the Kilmaria family for generations. Sion hadn’t understood why priests had to be brought along for the investigation, but it was because the grand duke was preparing for the possibility of a connection to demons.

“That’s right. I couldn’t even tell you, in case someone was a collaborator. At any rate, we didn’t find anyone suspicious among the servants. That’s all the information I have.”

“It could be the same culprit from the Night of the Future event.”

“There were no signs of an external breach then either. Could it be someone who can freely enter and exit both the academy and the grand duke’s mansion?”

“I can’t be sure… A mage with considerable skill would be able to create a gap in my barrier. If they had a demon’s help, erasing their presence… wouldn’t be very difficult.”

“Whoever the collaborator is, the fact that they’re human is a major headache. Because the barrier doesn’t work on them.”

While the three of them were actively discussing, Jeras was quietly lost in his own thoughts. He was thinking about the black mana stone the grand duke had brought out. He had found the same one at the academy during the attack. However, Jeras couldn’t bring himself to mention this important fact. The words just wouldn’t come out.

“…But Kieryk isn’t here,” Nia commented in a small voice. The grand duke looked at Eloe.

“Eloe, what happened?”

“Oh, yes. I told him about it, and he said he had another engagement and couldn’t make it. I should have told you in advance, but I was so flustered. I’m sorry.”

In truth, Eloe hadn’t told Kieryk about the meeting. She had no intention of telling him and had volunteered to contact him herself for that very reason. Considering all the circumstances, Kieryk seemed the most suspicious. There was still time before the full possession began, but so much had already changed from the original story that it was futile to stick to it.

She had suggested to Jeras that it might be better not to invite Kieryk to this meeting. She had tactfully phrased it not as suspicion of Kieryk, but as a precaution, since he could be the eyes and ears of Empress Florese.

Jeras’s eyes, looking at Eloe, took on a more complex and somber light. Logically, Eloe’s suggestion was flawless. So he had agreed with her decision not to call Kieryk. But his heart and emotions were still on Kieryk’s side. He wanted to find evidence of Kieryk’s innocence and prove it. His failure to mention the mana stone was an extension of that.

“…In any case, it’s clear they’re targeting the princess,” Jeras said, putting aside his judgment of Kieryk for now.

He was the only one among them who had encountered Tervana on that day. Everyone quietly waited for Jeras to share his information.

“They didn’t just abduct the princess for no reason. The demon described the princess as a nuisance.”

“He said that? When?”

“How dare he say such a thing about Eloe…”

“…A nuisance, you say… It must be because of her light magic.”

“I think so too. The magic the princess uses is very effective against demons.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to return to the Duchy, Father?”

“Hmm…”

The grand duke couldn’t make a hasty decision. The enemy was a demon that could invade the grand duke’s mansion in the middle of the capital without much difficulty. If it hadn’t been for the four of them, including Jeras, Eloe might have been kidnapped and subjected to something terrible. If she returned to the Duchy, she wouldn’t be able to receive help from the people gathered here. And even if she did go back, he couldn’t guarantee that they would be able to shake off the demons.

As the grand duke pondered, Jeras spoke.

“It would be better to at least find out who the collaborator is before you move. It’s easier for me to protect the princess here in the capital.”

“I’ll… be here too,” Nia subtly chimed in. The grand duke looked at the two of them in turn and let out a deep sigh. Jeras, reading the resignation and affirmation in his sigh, looked at Eloe. The complicated look in his eyes softened and became playful, as if it had never been there.

“For the time being, don’t go to the academy and stay in a safe place. Okay?”

“The academy too? Then what about my classes…”

“I’ll go. It’s for the disciple’s safety, so I must go.”

“Huh? No, not that far…”

“Let me do it!”

Nia grabbed Eloe’s hands tightly. Eloe knew better than anyone that it was impossible to stop Nia when she became an over-enthusiastic teacher. If Nia came to her… she would be stuck inside, only getting special magic training.

Eloe looked at Sion with a pleading gaze, as if grasping at a lifeline. Sion had always been her biggest supporter, cheering her on as she lived her life to the fullest.

Sion patted Eloe’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, Eloe. I’ll be there with you.”

“Huh? No, wait, huh?”

‘It’s good that I can be with Sion. That’s good, but…’

‘Ah, I can see it. I can see it. Myself, with my freedom taken away, diligently training my magic.’

But she couldn’t be stubborn. Everyone gathered here was trying to keep her safe. Eloe swallowed her tears, receiving Sion’s not-so-comforting comfort.

 

***

 

After much tribulation, a temporary safe haven was decided upon. It was a place that met most of the grand duke’s strict conditions: it had to be easily accessible, yet a good place to hide from Kieryk, the most likely internal spy, and it had to guarantee a basic level of safety.

That place was none other than…

“Sister, sister! Wake up! No sleeping! You promised to play with Rita!”

“Ugh, Rita… We’ve been playing carriage for ages. Unnie just needs to rest for a bit. I’m going to die.”

“Hmm, but… people don’t die that easily! They said even if you get squeezed out like ketchup, a single magic spell can make you pop right back up!”

“Who in the world told you something so brutal?”

“Grandpa and Brother Jeras!”

‘Teaching a kid such great things, both of them.’ I tutted and stroked the head of the eternally cheerful Rita. I didn’t know how long we would stay here, but for as long as we did, I had to do my best to prevent Rita from being tainted by the darkness. It was no wonder the kids older than Rita sometimes looked and talked like they had lived a lifetime. I had trusted Grandpa Mason, but it seemed Jeras was a lost cause. ‘I was a fool to trust a grandpa who uses magic tricks just to get funding.’

“Rita! Come here! Hannah found a really big earthworm. It’s taller than me!”

“A really big earthworm? Wow!”

Thomas burst open the temple doors and shouted. Rita ran out of the temple without looking back. An earthworm taller than Thomas, who was taller than me, would no longer be an earthworm but some kind of monster. The eight kids living in the temple were all full of character, and Thomas’s specialty was boasting and exaggeration. Sometimes, watching him made me wonder if Jeras had behaved like that as a child. Thanks to him, I escaped from Rita, who was trying to drag me back into the abyss of playtime.

“Phew… I really thought I was going to die.”

“Once you start playing with them, it never ends, does it? It’s amazing where they get all that energy from.”

“Oh, Lady Siliya. Was it too loud? I’m sorry. I got carried away while playing with them.”

“No, it’s fine. I can’t hear a thing when I’m in my room.”

Siliya smiled gently, as if to say it was okay.

Lately, Siliya had been busy learning divine magic from Grandpa Mason. As expected of the original female lead, she had outstanding talent and a quick learning speed. It was obvious that Grandpa Mason was enjoying teaching Siliya. Without saying anything, Siliya and I sat down on a long pew, a suitable distance apart.

“You’re very close with the children. You must have come here often.”

“I was tricked by Jeras… Prince Jeras and had to work here as an apprentice priestess for a while.”

“Tricked?”

“He just registered me as an apprentice priestess here without my permission. I sorted out the misunderstanding, but I felt Grandpa would be overwhelmed on his own, so I decided to help out.”

“You’re very kind, Princess. That must be why the children follow you so well.”

“Well, I’m not that kind… but I do like children. And I’m pretty confident in playing with them. I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“Have you… had a lot of experience looking after children?”

Siliya tilted her head and asked. ‘Whoops.’ I couldn’t think of a way to gloss over it. I had to change the subject.

“By the way, I heard you helped my brother on my birthday. I wanted to thank you all this time, but it’s so late now, I’m embarrassed.”

“No, it’s alright. I didn’t do it to be thanked. I wasn’t much help anyway… I’m just glad everyone is safe.”

“My brother said you appeared at the most perfect timing. He said he would have missed the demon if it weren’t for you… He talked about it so much.”

“…He complimented me?”

Siliya asked, as if she couldn’t believe it. I nodded. It wasn’t an exaggeration; Sion really couldn’t stop talking about Siliya, even when I didn’t ask. He talked about how she appeared, how she helped him, what her divine magic skills were like, and so on.

Siliya was surprised to hear that Sion had complimented her. He was usually so composed and didn’t talk much about others. It seemed the two of them worked well together, with Siliya providing support with divine magic from the rear while Sion fought the demon. Sion was especially impressed by Siliya’s composure and extensive knowledge of demons.

‘She wasn’t flustered even when I used a magic she’d never seen before. The countermeasures she suggested were spot on… She’ll be a great help in fighting demons from now on.’

I was amazed while listening to Sion’s story. First, I was surprised that Sion was showing interest in someone other than his sister for the first time. Then, I was surprised again when Sion’s assessment of Siliya was similar to what Jeras had said in the original story. I watched Sion closely. I could feel his curiosity and interest in Siliya in his clear eyes. This wasn’t the Sion who was usually so indifferent no matter what happened. Jeras, who should have been close to Siliya by now, didn’t seem to have the slightest bit of interest in her… No, it was more than just a lack of interest…

‘Siliya must be thinking it’s weird too. So much has changed from the original story. Characters who should be dead are alive, and a demon from the later parts of the story is causing trouble.’

Only Siliya and I were in the temple. Grandpa Mason had gone out to look around the capital with Jeras, so they wouldn’t be back for a while. Now was the perfect time to reveal the truth. It would be better for us to join forces before things get more complicated and out of control. Yes, I’ll say it. I’ll just say it. ‘I’m a person who was transmigrated into this book, just like you. I desperately fought to survive because I didn’t want to die, but things are getting weird.’

But when I tried to speak, the words wouldn’t come out. All sorts of worries and thoughts rushed into my head. Would Siliya believe me? Even if she did, was there any guarantee that she wouldn’t see me as an enemy? As the female lead, Siliya was a good person, but there was no such thing as a person who was only kind and good in the world. I didn’t know how she would change if she felt her place was being threatened.

As my head was about to explode, Siliya spoke.

“I don’t know if the prince told you, but I have the power of prophecy.”

“Oh, prophecy. Yes, I’ve heard about it.”

“I received a prophecy right after I woke up from drinking poison… The situation I’m in now is very different from the prophecy. Maybe prophecies can be wrong. It’s strange, isn’t it?”

Siliya wrung her hands, looking confused. This was my chance. I didn’t know when another opportunity would come. I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

“Lady Siliya, actually…”

 

***

 

Embodying the Korean spirit of “Hongik Ingan”*, the two Koreans united. We were finally able to open up and talk freely. They say you feel so happy when you meet another Korean in a remote foreign land where no one speaks your language, and that’s exactly how Siliya and I felt.

[T/N: National motto of South Korea meaning to live for the greater benefit of humanity]

The night we passed the “Korean test,” we stayed up all night talking in Siliya’s room. To get a campfire feel, we lit a small fire in the middle of the room. Of course, it was made with magic, so it only had the look and feel of a fire without actually being one. What would Grandpa Mason say if we burned the temple down? The thought alone was horrifying. Siliya watched me create the fire and laughed, saying it was a great idea and reminded her of a retreat she went to 15 years ago.

We talked about everything: what we did for a living in Korea, our hobbies, what we liked, if we had ever dated, and so on. Even though I already knew all of this, it felt different hearing it directly from her. Siliya was a worn-out office worker, and I was a college student, so I couldn’t fully relate to everything, but I was just happy to have someone to share these stories with.

“Unnie, don’t you feel a little peckish?”

“I didn’t, but hearing you say that makes me feel that way. Should we call the kids and have a snack together?”

“I want something spicy. I talked about tteokbokki a few days ago, and now I’m dreaming about it.”

I lay on the bed, rolling around and gauging Siliya’s reaction. I already knew the answer I wanted to hear from her. ‘Hurry up and answer! Tell me you want tteokbokki right now!’

“Tteokbokki sounds good. That would be delicious.”

“Right? It sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Tada! So I came prepared!”

I pulled out the gochugaru (red pepper powder) I had hidden under my pillow. As expected, Siliya’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. It was exactly the reaction I had been hoping for. Siliya blinked, then came over to look at the gochugaru in the small box.

“Where did you get this? How did you get it? Do they have chili peppers here too?”

“I asked the servants to get me some spicy peppers if they had any and to grind them finely. But I don’t think they’re the same peppers we use in Korea.”

As soon as I opened the lid of the box, a spicy, pungent smell hit my nose.

“Ugh, cough!”

“Wow, it must be really spicy, cough. The smell… it’s no joke. Cough!”

I quickly closed the lid of the box. In just a moment, I was coughing so hard that tears welled up in my eyes. Once the coughing subsided, I asked Siliya, who was wiping her tears, “Do you know how to make gochujang?”

This was a very important question. Because I knew how to make tteokbokki, but I didn’t know how to make gochujang.

“Hmm… not in detail, but roughly?”

“That’s a relief. I knew you’d know how, Unnie. I don’t.”

“Not in detail. Just roughly… I only saw it over someone’s shoulder.”

“Let’s just make it! What else do we need besides gochugaru?”

“We need rice powder, but since there’s no rice here, we’ll have to use flour. And… a little salt and sugar?”

“Sugar goes in too?”

“Specifically, it’s called ‘jocheong’*, but can you get it?”

[T/N: Rice syrup]

“Jocheong… No. We can’t.”

Siliya chuckled at my firm answer.

We joined forces and rummaged through the kitchen. We easily found enough flour, sugar, and salt. We immediately put a pot on the fire and started cooking. Siliya held the ladle, and I just watched, asking questions from time to time. As if to show her long years of living alone, Siliya’s posture with the ladle was very professional.

“How do you make it?”

“When you make kimchi, you make a white paste. You mix that with the red pepper powder and let it ferment.”

“It sounds surprisingly simple. I thought more ingredients went into it.”

“I feel like something’s missing… or not.”

Siliya tilted her head and slowly stirred the flour in the pot. We boiled it for a long time over low heat, and it turned into the white paste Siliya had described. While the paste cooled, we sat at the table for a short break and then started the work again. All that was left to do was to mix the paste, salt, and sugar into the red pepper powder to season it.

I did the hard work of stirring it diligently with a big spoon. I couldn’t let Siliya do all the work.

“Oh… doesn’t it look similar?”

“Yes. But I don’t know what it will taste like.”

Siliya and I put our heads together and stared at the finished gochujang. The color was a bit on the dark side, but it looked similar to the gochujang we were used to seeing in Korea. My arms ached from all the stirring, but it was worth it.

“I’ll try a little.”

I dipped my pinky finger into the gochujang and put it in my mouth. But the moment it touched my tongue, only one thought came to mind.

‘…This is a disaster.’

It’s spicy. It’s too spicy. It’s ridiculously spicy. The lava from the bottom of hell couldn’t be this spicy. It wasn’t the delicious spicy flavor of Korean chili peppers. It was just spicy! Only spicy! It felt like I had poured in a whole bottle of capsaicin sauce!

“…Ughhh.”

The spiciness made me groan. Siliya was startled and asked, “Eloe? What’s wrong? Is it bad?”

“It’s… sho… sho… shpicy!”

My tongue was so numb that I couldn’t pronounce the words properly. It was so spicy that the finger I had dipped in the gochujang was throbbing. Wow, seriously… it was so spicy that tears streamed down my face.

I desperately rummaged through the kitchen for something to put in my mouth, which felt like it was on fire, when someone came into the kitchen.

“Why are you in the kitchen… Princess?”

“…Ughhh, ahh.”

As soon as I saw Jeras, tears flowed down my cheeks. Jeras’s face contorted into a menacing expression.

 

*  * *

 

“I feel alive again…”

Thanks to the sweet and cool peach, I survived a near-death experience. The burning sensation in my mouth had mostly subsided. Although my tongue and lips were still tingling occasionally, it was bearable. ‘Wow, seriously. It’s a good thing I was the only one who ate it. It would’ve been a disaster if Siliya had eaten it with me or if I’d given it to the kids.’

Jeras, sitting next to me in the shade of a tree, held out another peach.

“Have some more, Princess.”

“I’ve already had three. I can’t eat any more.”

“Then just hold it in your mouth. So you don’t cry about your lips hurting.”

“Are they really swollen?”

They still felt numb, but since I didn’t have a mirror, I wasn’t sure how swollen they were. When I tried to touch my lips, Jeras lightly grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t touch.”

Then, he stared intently at my face, specifically my lips. His face was expressionless, and his gaze was indifferent, so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. 

‘What else could he be thinking? He’s probably checking how swollen my lips are. Ugh… This is awkward.’

Ever since my birthday, whenever I was alone with Jeras, my mind would stop and my heart would start pounding. All sorts of thoughts would rush in, and then none at all. All my senses focused solely on Jeras. I became particularly sensitive to his breath, his eyes, his gestures, and his voice. This only happened with Jeras; with anyone else, it was normal. I wanted to blame Jeras for always exuding a strong presence, but… it was just an excuse. I had, unfortunately, fallen for this guy.

“Stop looking. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

With my wrist in his grip, I couldn’t do anything, and Jeras’s gaze made it hard to even move. I lowered my eyes and turned my head slightly. But instead of stopping, Jeras used his other hand to lift my chin, forcing me to look at him. Small, shimmering bits of sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling his face. My heart pounded so hard it ached when I met his beautiful eyes, which reflected only my image.

No words were exchanged between us. My wavering gaze, unsure of where to go, and his gaze intertwined in place of words. I felt a strange warmth in his eyes. It was a warmth so subtly hidden that you wouldn’t notice it unless you looked closely, unless you stared intently. In that moment, it felt as though that warmth was being transferred to me. My body instinctively flinched.

“I can’t tell. I need to get closer to see.”

Jeras suddenly closed the distance between us. I leaned back to get away from him, but the tree trunk was in the way. When he applied pressure with his fingers, my lips parted without any resistance. His red eyes, his lips, came closer and closer.

‘This atmosphere… no way!’ What should I do? What should I do? I haven’t even confessed yet, and we haven’t done anything. Isn’t this too fast? More importantly, does Jeras even like me? My heart sank for a moment. But I didn’t want to push him away. I couldn’t push him away. I squeezed my eyes shut. With my vision blocked, my other senses became even more acute and vivid. The sound of clothes rustling, the sound of the wind blowing, the presence of someone right in front of me, Jeras’s long fingers moving up my wrist to intertwine with mine. And the peach-scented breath tickling my lips. Everything felt so real.

Had the overstimulation caused my mind to short-circuit? My head felt blank.

“They’re all puffy, like a goldfish’s lips.”

“What? …Mmmph!”

Something soft entered my mouth before I could even object. It was a juicy, sweet, and cool piece of peach, filling my mouth with its nectar. I opened my eyes to see Jeras smiling at me. The upward curve of his lips was particularly annoying. I glared at him and bit down on the peach with a crunch. The skin was cleanly peeled, so it went down smoothly.

“You’re always getting into trouble as soon as I look away, Princess. How did you get that spicy pepper?”

“I asked Hilda. Because there was something I wanted to eat.”

“You could have just asked for a meal to be made from the start.”

“Hilda can’t make it. It’s a dish only Siliya Unnie can make…”

“You seem to have gotten close to Lady Rioest.”

“Yeah. We spend a lot of time together. We get along well, too.”

Jeras hummed an ambiguous sound in response. I glanced at him as I finished my fourth peach. His profile was unnecessarily serious as he peeled another peach with a small dagger.

“Maybe I should live here too?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Leaving the magnificent Imperial Palace behind.”

“The magnificent Imperial Palace doesn’t have what I need, though.”

“Is there something the Imperial Palace doesn’t have?”

“So it seems. I didn’t know before.”

With each practiced movement of his hand, a piece of peel fell to the ground. I had nothing to say and just blinked, so Jeras spoke again.

“Anyway, don’t leave the temple without me.”

“Not even with my brother?”

“No. Only with me.”

“Why? I can sense demons to a certain extent now. Headmistress Nia taught me well.”

“Because it’s not fair. Your walks are only with me. Got it?”

“Not fair…?”

What was he talking about? I asked again, but Jeras didn’t answer. He just held out another peeled peach, but I shook my head. Jeras didn’t eat that peach and instead gave it to Rita, who was passing by. Rita devoured the peach on the spot. ‘Why was he peeling a peach he wasn’t even going to eat?’

“I’m tired from all the running around. I’m going to borrow your lap, Princess.”

“Here? Hey, wait a minute!”

Before I could stop him, Jeras had laid his head on my lap. I hurriedly looked around. The children were playing in a group at a distance where they could probably hear me if I shouted a little louder. I didn’t even want to imagine what they would think if they saw this.

I shivered and tried to lift Jeras’s head when I was startled. My eyes met Sion’s, who was standing about 50 meters away. He was hiding in the building’s shadow, with only half his face showing, and a chilling aura emanated from him. I liked Sion no matter what, but honestly, he was a little scary right now…

“Magic is quite useful.”

Jeras chuckled without a care in the world. I could feel the faint flow of mana, like small ripples. ‘Did you use magic, you cheater?’ No, that’s not the point. ‘This isn’t the time for that. Sion is glaring at you like he wants to kill you.’

“Wake me up in 30 minutes. See you in my dream, Princess.”

With those words that drove me crazy, Jeras actually fell asleep. ‘What do I do?’

While I hesitated, doing nothing, Sion glided over like a ghost. He grabbed Jeras by the collar, laid him on the ground, and pulled me up.

“Let’s go, Eloe.”

“Can we just leave Jeras like this while he’s sleeping…?”

“Let’s go.”

A tremendous pressure emanated from Sion’s kind smile. I followed him, sweating cold.

‘Sorry, Jeras! This is all for your own good! It’s not because I’m scared.’

 

***

 

Nia’s laboratory was just as he remembered it after all these years. The bookshelves lining every wall were packed to the brim. Books were piled on the floor in such disarray that you could barely tell the color of the tiles beneath. The tables, chairs, and every visible surface were covered in stacks of books. This mess was caused by the fact that every single one of them was a rare, hard-to-find ancient text. No one but Nia, who knew the value of these books, could clean this room.

“Have a seat… over here.”

Nia beckoned to Kieryk, who was standing awkwardly near the door. As she did, books on a chair tumbled to the floor. Kieryk carefully navigated the towers of books and sat down.

“This is the artifact you requested. I made it in a hurry, so I only included the basic operational logic for now.”

Kieryk held out a necklace. It was a simple design with a transparent, glass-like mana stone on a gold chain. It looked ordinary and unassuming.

“It activates when you insert the target’s mana or a substance infused with mana into the mana stone. The detection range is approximately 300 meters, and the alarm tone changes every 100 meters.”

“Let me… see it…”

Nia took the necklace and injected mana. The transparent mana stone immediately turned a deep turquoise. A moment later, the necklace began beeping every second.

Nia placed the necklace on the table and left the room. As she moved farther away, the beeping intervals grew longer, then shortened again as she returned. She handed the loudly beeping necklace back to Kieryk.

“It works… fine. You can turn it… off now.”

“Press the joint above the pendant to reset the mana stone.”

The loud beeping stopped abruptly. Nia took the necklace. She’d have to ask Jeras to inject a demon’s mana into it. With this, Eloe could detect a demon’s approach even if she couldn’t use her mana.

“It was completed… faster than I expected.”

“I had to make it quickly, and the princess’s past homework, an artifact with a similar structure, was a great help.”

“The disciple…?”

“Yes. I thought it was a brilliant idea, and she had a good grasp of the operational principles. It seems she has a talent for crafting artifacts as well.”

Kieryk’s voice and expression showed undisguised interest. Unlike Jeras, who was honest with his emotions, Kieryk didn’t fully reveal his feelings or thoughts. This was part of the survival training Empress Florese had taught him since he was a child: always be gentle, kind, and warm to people, and never make enemies. His showing this much interest was rare.

“I hope this situation is resolved quickly. Like you, Master, I have many things I want to teach the princess. Of course, her safety is the top priority, but…”

“Kieryk.”

“Yes, Master. Speak.”

“That day… why did you do it?”

“Excuse me? I don’t quite understand what you mean…”

“I’m talking about the demon we were fighting after Jeras left.”

Nia’s tone changed. The air grew taut. The composure disappeared from Kieryk’s face, which grew dark.

So, there was something. The bad feeling I had about Kieryk that day seemed to resurface. I couldn’t say for sure what it was, but a distinct sense of unease lingered. Yet Nia didn’t lose her composure. Her many years of experience wouldn’t be shaken by something like this.

“That demon was not a threat at all. We could have… easily kept it alive and subdued it, couldn’t we?”

Kieryk remained silent. Nia took his silence as a confirmation.

“The way you acted was unnatural for someone trying to join Jeras as quickly as possible. We had already half-subdued it, and you could have joined him on your own.”

Nia pressed him gently. As she voiced the suspicions she had been harboring since that day, Kieryk’s actions became even more incomprehensible. It had been a golden opportunity to gather crucial information. By killing the demon in an instant, Kieryk had made it impossible to learn anything.

“Kieryk, be honest with me. I don’t want to doubt you.”

“…Master.”

Kieryk’s tightly sealed lips opened.

“I will be honest with you.”

Kieryk’s expression was resolute. He looked like someone who had made up his mind.

Nia waited for his answer in silence.

“…I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember…?”

Nia’s face, which rarely showed change, faintly scrunched up. She had expected a sincere answer, but all he had was a flimsy, common excuse about not remembering. Although Jeras’s flashy personality often overshadowed him, Kieryk was also a competent and flawless prince. Many people considered his gentle nature to be far superior to Jeras’s rough one.

Nia was about to demand an explanation, but she paused. It seemed he had more to say.

“It may sound like an excuse, but it’s the truth. It’s not a lie to avoid the situation. I truly don’t remember.”

“I don’t understand. You showed no signs of that at the time. You were calm as usual, and you didn’t collapse or anything. If what you’re saying is true, when did your memory cut off?”

“Just after I left the mansion with you, Master, to find the princess. When I came to my senses, I was back at the Imperial Palace.”

Kieryk’s eyes, bowed in shame, trembled slightly. He recalled the embarrassing memories of that day. He remembered visiting the grand duke’s mansion with Jeras and seeing the statue that looked just like Eloe, thinking how much the grand duke and his wife loved her. He remembered the lights suddenly going out, Eloe disappearing in the chaotic party hall, and Jeras losing his composure and running out. But he had no memory of what happened after that.

More than anyone, Kieryk himself was most curious about the reason. Although he had been frail and sickly since he was a child, this had never happened before, which made him even more confused. He sighed and lifted his head. Nia spoke as if she had been waiting.

“In that case, I will prepare a spell to reconstruct your memory.”

Nia wouldn’t let this go easily. If Kieryk was involved with a demon, and if he had killed the demon to prevent it from revealing evidence that could incriminate him, this was no simple matter. It could shake the stability of the empire and the imperial family. Nia didn’t care about such things, but she didn’t want her beloved disciple, Kieryk, to be caught up in a shameful affair. Perhaps it was just her soft heart that didn’t want to doubt her disciple. She probably wanted a firm confirmation that Kieryk couldn’t possibly be involved.

“This is the best way to prove my innocence, so I have no reason to refuse. Thank you for your consideration, Master, even though you must be busy.”

“It’s nothing. Then… I’ll prepare it as quickly as possible. It should take about two days.”

“Yes. Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll come right away. As for the artifact…”

“I’ll finish it and give it to you… Don’t worry.”

“Understood. Then I will take my leave.”

Kieryk bowed respectfully and left Nia’s laboratory. The moment he closed the door, a severe headache overtook him. His head felt like it would shatter, and the pain was so intense it made him feel nauseous. It was a violent pain, like a giant squeezing his head in its hand.

“Ugh…!”

Unable to endure the pain, Kieryk leaned against the door and slid to the floor. In the midst of the pain that stole his sanity, an unpleasant, crawling sensation and a chilling coldness crept up from his toes.

It was happening again. This eerie, ominous energy that came with his headaches. Kieryk, barely able to open his eyes, tried to circulate his mana to push the energy away.

It felt like a very long time had passed. The pain slowly subsided, and the energy that had reached his chest vanished. His body was soaked in cold sweat, and his lips were bruised from clenching his teeth. Kieryk stumbled to his feet and exhaled the breath he had been holding.

‘My memory disappearing and this inexplicable pain getting worse… it’s definitely strange.’

He wondered if an unknown change was happening to his body. But he quickly shook his head to dismiss the thought. At Empress Florese’s recommendation, he received daily checkups and blessings from a skilled high priest. If there had been a problem, the priest would have told him.

Kieryk straightened his disheveled clothes and left the academy at a slow pace.