Chapter 7

Alice hurriedly entered the ability examination room, insisting she was fine on her own.

 

The examination room was wider and more magnificent than she had expected. Although they said it was prepared informally, it was clear that a great deal of care had gone into it.

 

However, she had no time to look around.

 

Seeing the Pope follow her in, she spoke point-blank.

 

“It’s you, isn’t it? Evan.”

 

He pulled back the hood of his priestly robes.

 

Silvery-white hair was revealed, followed by green eyes that held the warmth of fresh greenery.

 

Evan spoke with a faint smile.

 

“It has been a long time, Alice.”

 

It really was Evan.

 

Alice stared at him blankly. Aside from his long hair now being cut short, he hadn’t changed much from the past.

 

‘This isn’t a dream, is it…?’

 

Even though she had received news of him via letter beforehand, Alice couldn’t quite believe it, so she held out her hand.

 

“Give me your hand.”

 

Despite her sudden demand, he wordlessly extended his hand. Alice grasped it.

 

It was warm. The hand of a living human.

 

The faint scent of lavender confirmed it really was Evan.

 

He wore a vague smile, as if his feelings were complicated.

 

“So the person before me really was you, Alice.”

 

“……That’s my line, Evan.”

 

Fighting back the tears that threatened to spill, Alice brushed his hand away and retorted bluntly.

 

But then, the turquoise necklace hanging around his neck caught her eye. It was the gift she had given him to celebrate his coming of age before he left.

 

‘He still kept that.’

 

Alice once again suppressed the tears welling up in her eyes.

 

“I’m glad you look healthy.”

 

“I told you, that’s my line.”

 

Alice answered immediately. He looked slightly surprised, then apologized with a remorseful expression.

 

“I apologize for causing you worry.”

 

“You’re alive, so I’ll forgive you. Just make sure you stay alive from now on.”

 

“Thank you. And regarding what you said after that……”

 

Evan smiled as he spoke.

 

“That is not the domain of humans, but of God, so I cannot give you a definite answer. I will simply try to live well until the lifespan God has ordained for me ends.”

 

Alice scrunched up her eyes and let out a laugh at his answer.

 

“Evan, you’ve become a complete servant of God in these last ten years.”

 

“Is that so? I apologize if I’ve disappointed you.”

 

Evan smiled gently, looking a bit sheepish. Alice immediately shook her head.

 

“No, I like this side of you, too.”

 

As long as she could meet a living Evan, she didn’t care what form he took.

 

However, she recalled a fact she had momentarily forgotten.

 

“But earlier, didn’t High Priest Julian call you ‘Your Holiness’? Did I hear that wrong?”

 

Alice examined Evan’s appearance again carefully. Unlike ordinary priests, the embroidery on his robes was more complex and ornate.

 

And she had been told that the Pope would be overseeing her ability test…….

 

No matter how she thought about it, the only conclusion was that Evan was the Pope.

 

“Yes, Alice. You heard correctly.”

 

“……Evan. Wait a minute.”

 

She placed her right hand on her forehead as if she had a headache. What kind of situation was this?

 

‘Evan became the Pope?’

 

She stared at him wordlessly.

 

He knew well what her gaze meant, so he took a brief deep breath.

 

Then, he opened his mouth to explain what had happened. Hearing the story, Alice’s eyes went wide.

 

“You were caught in a landmine explosion?”

 

Evan nodded and continued.

 

“After that, I was moved to the temple to treat my wounds.”

 

His attending healer at the time had been High Priestess Ariel. Hearing that, Alice thought to herself.

 

‘Ariel took charge of Evan’s treatment on purpose.’

 

Alice felt deeply relieved that her letter had reached Ariel.

 

“Is the Young Master alright?”

 

Evan suddenly asked after Edwin. Ah, so they had been caught in the explosion together. Alice nodded.

 

At her response, he looked visibly relieved.

 

“That is a relief. He was injured while saving me, so I was worried he might have lingering effects even after treatment…….”

 

“Edwin was injured trying to save you?”

 

Evan nodded with a guilt-ridden face. This was complete news to her.

 

Alice was swept up in an indescribable feeling.

 

‘Edwin saved Evan……’

 

She was grateful to Edwin, yet she felt a strange sense of guilt. She couldn’t understand why she felt guilty.

 

It was because she had the absurd thought that Edwin might have saved Evan because of her. It couldn’t possibly be true, but her thoughts became complicated.

 

Evan continued his story about the past.

 

“At first, I intended to return to the battlefield…… but I was persuaded by Sister Ariel to stay here.”

 

He recalled the words High Priestess Ariel had said as she held onto him when he tried to leave.

 

“If you truly wish to help those in pain, please stay here. And change it. Evan Elga, this place has long since forgotten and lost its role as a servant of God.”

 

Alice looked at Evan with a bewildered gaze.

 

“You just stayed here, and you became the Pope?”

 

Her reaction was natural. He let out a gentle and mild laugh.

 

“If you omit the long process and compress many details, it could be summarized that way.”

 

But Alice couldn’t help but question it. The Evan in her memories was not someone who hungered for power or titles.

 

“The Evan in my memory…… wouldn’t have wanted to become Pope, so I don’t quite understand. What happened?”

 

Pope Gabriel had been inhis position for nearly 30 years; dragging him down to ascend to the papacy wouldn’t have been easy.

 

“…….”

 

Evan didn’t answer that, merely offering a smile. It was a smile tinged with a bit of resignation.

 

“Is Pope Gabriel…… alive?”

 

She asked. Publicly, most people still believed Gabriel was the Pope. She had been the same.

 

Did him becoming Pope mean that Gabriel was dead?

 

As if only just remembering Gabriel’s existence, Evan spoke casually.

 

“Hmm, his health is poor, so he is bedridden.”

 

He added with a slightly refreshing smile.

 

“It seems the blow of having the position of Pope taken by me was quite significant.”

 

“…….”

 

Alice smiled back awkwardly at his expression. His appearance was the same as ten years ago, but his personality seemed to have changed a little.

 

She had worried he would live his life getting taken advantage of because he was too nice…….

 

But now, he was smiling while saying he had essentially buried someone.

 

This is a good change for Evan, right?

 

Evan soon spoke with a serious face.

 

“Alice, originally, the ability test is handled by the Pope for generations, and that Spirit Stone proves the ability.”

 

He pointed to a small stone encased in glass on a small podium.

 

Alice looked at where his finger pointed with a tense face.

 

‘Is that the Spirit Stone?’

 

She slowly approached it. It looked like an ordinary, pretty stone.

 

The only unique feature was that it appeared green or blue depending on the angle of the light.

 

“To think there’s a spirit inside here…….”

 

It looked too small for even a tiny rodent to fit inside.

 

Just how small were spirits?

 

She thought that no matter how small the creature, being inside a stone like this would be terribly suffocating.

 

At first, she thought it was an ordinary stone, but the more she looked, the more it strangely drew her gaze.

 

Without realizing it, she focused on the stone with curious eyes. Looking at it made her want to touch it.

 

“May we proceed with the test for a moment?”

 

“…….”

 

At Evan’s words, Alice bit her lip and nodded. It was a hurdle she had to cross anyway.

 

“The test is simple.”

 

Evan placed his hand on the Spirit Stone as a demonstration. The stone glowed with a bright light.

 

“You just need to hold this stone for a moment.”

 

Alice nodded and approached the Spirit Stone. Then, she carefully placed her hand on it. As expected, the stone did not shine.

 

“Haa…….”

 

Alice let out a long sigh. She was worried about what Evan would think of her, but she was even more worried about her future.

 

However, Evan’s expression, which had been unreadable, hardened into certainty as he looked at her.

 

“Evan…… what is the result?”

 

Alice knew the answer, but she checked once more meaninglessly. He opened his mouth.

 

“The ability has already manifested.”

 

“What……?”

 

Alice looked at him with bewildered eyes, not understanding what he was saying.

 

“Hold the stone again and look closely.”

 

“The stone is just as ordinar— Ah!”

 

Alice held the stone and examined it at his words. Only then did she realize that the color of the stone had changed faintly.

 

The stone, which had been emitting a blue-green light just a moment ago, had changed to a soft gold.

 

Because it wasn’t as brilliant and blinding as when Evan held it, she had mistakenly thought there was no change.

 

‘Something is wrong.’

 

Alice worried that the Spirit Stone might be broken. But she couldn’t speak up rashly.

 

The moment she said this Spirit Stone was wrong, it would be the same as confessing she was a fake princess.

 

Evan came closer to her. He seemed extremely cautious, wary that someone might overhear.

 

“I apologize for asking this when we’ve only just met after so long…… but before we proceed, there is a fact I must clarify. Alice.”

 

She was disoriented by the sudden situation. Alice nodded with a dazed face.

 

“How did you know about my holy power and future events?”

 

“……That is.”

 

Alice was momentarily speechless at his unexpected question. He continued.

 

“I also read the letter you sent to High Priestess Ariel. It might have been my imagination, but the content seemed to imply knowledge of the future. But looking back…… it was also strange that the Rube incident was revealed right when you were frequenting the spire. So, a thought suddenly occurred to me.”

 

He looked at her and said,

 

“That perhaps the person who reported it was you, Alice.”

 

Alice hesitated, looking at Evan, and then nodded.

 

“Yes, it was me. I found evidence in my mother’s room by chance, and after agonizing over it, I thought I couldn’t just let it be…….”

 

Listening to her story, he asked, “Is it not that you read the past and future?”

 

His tone was already full of conviction.

 

Alice couldn’t easily reply to Evan. She crinkled her nose with a troubled expression.

 

‘I did read it in a novel…….’

 

Judging by his nuance, that didn’t seem to be what he meant. And the flow of the conversation was a bit strange.

 

Why was Evan suddenly bringing this up while talking about the Imperial Family’s ability?

 

Her mind couldn’t grasp the connection between these two topics.

 

Reading the confusion on her face, Evan spoke.

 

“Alice, do you know the details of the Imperial Family’s abilities?”

 

“No……. All I know is that it manifests rarely in royalty.”

 

It was embarrassing to admit. This was practically knowing nothing. Moreover, Alice never thought she would have an ability since she believed she wasn’t a real royal.

 

So she hadn’t even bothered to take an interest.

 

Her only interests were her own survival and connecting the two protagonists.

 

“There are various abilities. One might wield mysterious magic that ordinary wizards cannot, or control the weather…….”

 

He looked straight at her, his gaze unwavering.

 

“Or one might see the past and the future. And a royal with an ability is granted one blessing among these various types.”

 

“Then you’re saying I was granted one of those……?”

 

“That is correct. Alice, you have received the Eye of the Sage.”

 

What on earth was this? Alice was in a continuous state of confusion the more she listened.

 

I just read a novel…… and that’s an ability?

 

“A novel?”

 

At Evan’s question, Alice realized she had unconsciously spoken her thoughts aloud.

 

While Alice was flustered, Evan, having seemingly figured out her thoughts, wore a subtle expression and said,

 

“Abilities that manifest before coming of age sometimes appear in different forms. It is an unstable period. That is why you might have mistaken it for reading a novel.”

 

“……But I also remember my past life? Is that also an ability?”

 

“Yes. Hearing that makes me even more certain.”

 

Evan’s green eyes sparkled.

 

“That ability also includes the power to remember past lives. And Alice.”

 

Evan gently held her hand. There was a hint of playfulness in his smile. It was a gaze like one looking at a cute younger sibling.

 

“There is no way a character from a mere novel would have warmth in their hand, right?”

 

“……That’s true, but.”

 

Alice pressed her lips together, having nothing to say. Evan’s face only grew darker. He looked somewhat sad.

 

“However, the fact that your ability manifested at such a young age is not only good news.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Manifesting an ability before adulthood implies that you were facing a life-threatening crisis. You could call it a survival instinct.”

 

“…….”

 

The dreams she used to have flashed through her mind like a lantern slide. However, at some point, she had stopped having those dreams.

 

When was it?

 

‘It was when I met Edwin again.’

 

After she stopped dreaming, her fear regarding it had significantly decreased. Not knowing this, Evan looked at her with worried eyes.

 

“Alice……. I should have met you sooner to be of even a little help, I am sorry.”

 

However, Evan had also only realized this fact recently. Books regarding the Imperial abilities could only be accessed by the Pope of each generation.

 

“No. I’m an adult now, too. I should be able to take care of my own life.”

 

Alice spoke with a confident face. But inside, she was shaking helplessly like a foxtail grass in a typhoon.

 

Fortunately, remembering her past life made it not too difficult to hide her inner feelings. Alice spoke to him with a mischievous face, deliberately trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere.

 

“You know what? If we combine my age from my past life, I’m older than you, Evan.”

 

It was a joke she could only throw at someone who knew her secret. Evan still had worried eyes, but a gentle smile rose on his lips.

 

“Is that so? Somehow, I always thought you were more mature than me and that I had much to learn from you.”

 

“Uh…….”

 

Such an angelic reaction. She felt somewhat caught off guard.

 

If it were Michael, he would have looked at her saying, ‘So what?’, so how could brothers born from the same womb have such different reactions?

 

Alice found that fact almost marvelous.

 

‘I wonder what Edwin would have said.’

 

Alice’s face turned serious at the fleeting thought. It was a meaningless and futile worry, yet she was strangely curious about Edwin’s reaction. It was pure curiosity.

 

‘Edwin probably wouldn’t care much about that fact…….’

 

On the other hand, she also thought that if she jokingly asked him to call her ‘older sister’, he might obediently do so. It was a thought she wouldn’t have dared to have in the past.

 

“Alice, you must have been very worried about this test.”

 

“To be honest, yes.”

 

Evan smiled quietly. It was a face that looked a bit mysterious. Alice looked at him with a questioning gaze.

 

“Is there something you want to say?”

 

“It is nothing.”

 

Evan kept silent about the fact that when he was contacted about this test, requests had come in from both the Imperial Family and the Duke’s family.

 

Of course, they were requests laced with semi-threats to announce that her ability was visible after the inspection.

 

‘And on Edwin’s side…….’

 

Evan’s smile stiffened by a very subtle margin. It was fleeting enough that Alice didn’t notice.

 

Evan had already been briefed by the High Priest regarding the identity of the knights who came as Alice’s escort.

 

Edwin had grown into a much more dangerous person than he had realized during their time apart.

 

Evan was a little—no, very—worried about Alice being next to such a man.

 

His eyes were full of regret. Ironically, despite those requests, Alice truly did possess an ability.

 

“We should finish the inspection now.”

 

Evan said.

 

Alice knew she couldn’t stay by Evan’s side forever, but she couldn’t help feeling gloomy. On the other hand, she found it strange that Evan hadn’t mentioned a single word about Michael.

 

“Evan, aren’t you curious about news of Michael……?”

 

“I am already receiving news of my brother here.”

 

“……You put a tail on him?”

 

“El is also a possessor of holy power, after all.”

 

“Then why didn’t you just bring him to the temple?”

 

Alice spoke with a bit of resentment, thinking of the house Michael hadn’t changed while waiting for Evan.

 

It had been ten years.

 

That was the same amount of time she had watched Michael missing his brother from the sidelines.

 

“This is a fact I am telling only you, Alice…… but even though this place looks purely righteous, the reality is not so. Just like any place where people live.”

 

Alice understood his heart, but on the other hand, she couldn’t understand.

 

He hid his existence from Michael for just that reason?

 

“Is it because of the holy power?”

 

“Correct. Your insight always surprises me, Alice.”

 

However, the face that answered showed quiet sadness rather than admiration. She said, “……There are no complete secrets.”

 

The moment it was revealed to the outside world that he was alive, the existence of his holy power would also be revealed.

 

Then Michael would naturally become a target of the Duke and the Emperor, putting his life in danger.

 

“Then why did you reveal yourself to me, Evan?”

 

Evan’s gaze hardened slightly.

 

“Because right now, your life is in more danger than El’s.”

 

He opened his mouth again, hesitated to continue, but then spoke as if he had hardened his resolve.

 

“Much more than El’s. The Imperial Palace is…… that kind of place.”

 

 

***

 

 

Alice left Evan alone in the examination room and fiddled with the object hidden inside her clothes. It was the Spirit Stone.

 

‘If your life is in danger, please use this at any time. The way to use it is…….’

 

She felt like she had committed a crime. Like a master thief who had stolen a holy relic from the temple.

 

When she left the examination room and entered the prayer room, the first person she saw was Edwin. Since prayer time was over, many of the priests from earlier had dispersed.

 

“Your Highness, did you complete the examination safely?”

 

His red eyes carefully examined her. The magical energy he had felt from inside earlier was definitely the reaction of a spirit.

 

Her ability had been discovered during the examination.

 

Even knowing this, Edwin asked as if he didn’t know. The anxious look in her eyes during the carriage ride had weighed on his mind.

 

“Yeah, I think it went well.”

 

Alice smiled and nodded.

 

Passing the ability test was a relief, but the fact that Evan was alive made her even happier.

 

High Priest Julian, who had been standing in front of a statue, approached her.

 

“The night is deep. It would be dangerous to head up the mountain as is; how about staying overnight at the temple?”

 

As he said, it was pitch black outside the window.

 

She turned her head to ask Edwin for his opinion. Then she remembered he had briefly stepped away to speak with the knights.

 

Her deliberation didn’t last long. Climbing a mountain at night without any urgent business was essentially madness.

 

“Then…… we will stay for just one day.”

 

More than anything, she didn’t want to leave Evan so soon after finally meeting him again.

 

“That is a good idea, Sister.”

 

Julian nodded with a warm smile. He guided her, saying he would show her to the guest room. On the way, Alice asked, “Will His Holiness be staying here continuously?”

 

“Well…… he returned to the temple today specifically for you, Sister, so…….”

 

High Priest Julian’s expression sank sadly. From his reaction, she realized Evan would be leaving the temple soon. She asked hurriedly, “Is something wrong?”

 

Julian briefly explained the Pope’s situation.

 

“Monsters?”

 

At his words, Alice searched her memories of the original work—though it was now ambiguous to call it that.

 

And it didn’t take long to recall the story about the monsters.

 

It happened when Edwin ascended to the throne and took Michael as a concubine.

 

‘Please, save our villagers.’

 

Villagers suffering because of monsters had come all the way to the Imperial Palace to petition for their eradication.

 

‘We have to save them, Edwin.’

 

Michael took an interest in their pitiful plight, but Edwin was displeased that Michael’s attention was directed at someone other than himself.

 

So, Edwin killed not only the people who came to petition but also every single villager without leaving a survivor.

 

Michael fell into deep despair upon learning this and resented Edwin.

 

Their relationship, already creaking anxiously since the incident at Heiden Village, deteriorated uncontrollably after that event.

 

‘Edwin…… you really have turned over a new leaf.’

 

The more she looked back on her memories, the more Alice had to admit that the Edwin she knew and the current Edwin were worlds apart.

 

Unaware of her thoughts, Julian continued his explanation with a face full of worry.

 

“Suddenly, monsters that had been quiet for 20 years crossed over from the Ainar Forest and invaded Millen Village frequently……. It is truly a tragedy for those villagers.”

 

He shook his head and let out a deep sigh.

 

“Then isn’t it dangerous for His Holiness to go there?”

 

Alice asked purely out of worry for Evan, but Julian seemed to take it differently, his eyes gleaming strangely.

 

“Even amidst the danger, how beautiful is his willingness to take the lead in treating so many injured people……! Is it not truly a sight that serves as an example for other sisters and brothers?”

 

She wasn’t sure why, but the conversation seemed to have concluded with praise for the Pope.

 

Still, Alice nodded in agreement.

 

“I suppose so. He is an amazing person.”

 

She already knew Evan’s nature well, but she genuinely admired his spirit of service.

 

“You think so as well, don’t you, Brother?”

 

At that, Julian beamed with a smile that covered his entire face. However, in that face, Alice spotted something.

 

A bizarre madness that momentarily flashed in his eyes.

 

Only then did she realize the situation was flowing strangely.

 

He no longer gave off the air of a devout priest, but rather the vibe of a complete fanatic.

 

Sure enough, he began to unload a bundle of stories accumulated over ten years, listing Evan’s praises one after another.

 

“I have never seen anyone live as altruistically as His Holiness the Pope. Once, when a child who became a refugee due to war brought his sick mother…….”

 

He passionately continued speaking about the good deeds the Pope had bestowed. As he did, priests passing by began to approach them one by one.

 

It looked like migratory birds gathering in groups after spotting food.

 

And then, they started chiming in with Julian’s words.

 

‘What is this?’

 

Alice felt her mind spinning. There were already five priests gathered around.

 

“You think so too, don’t you, Sister?”

 

With all of them praising Evan in unison, she felt dizzy.

 

In the midst of this, they didn’t forget to induce a reaction from her occasionally.

 

“He is truly a wonderful person.”

 

Alice nodded with an awkward smile. But a female priest who had joined the group began to praise another aspect of Evan.

 

“His Holiness’s appearance is also beautiful, as if God himself has incarnated…….”

 

At her low murmur, the surrounding priests nodded in unison. Alice’s blue eyes sparkled.

 

“And?”

 

Evan’s beauty was something that could be praised all day without running out of things to say, but previously, she had no one to talk to about it except Ena.

 

Looking at the female priest like a fish meeting water, urging her to say more, the priestess flared up like a furnace fed with firewood.

 

“His beautiful appearance, which makes one feel reverent just by looking, is like a pure white angel expressing his clean heart……”

 

The female priest, who had been continuing her speech with an ecstatic face as if reciting a poem, looked over Alice’s shoulder and trailed off. Then, sounds of admiration akin to groans were heard around them.

 

“Gasp…….”

 

“Oh my…….”

 

The priests were looking behind Alice with dazed faces, as if possessed by something. She turned her head with a puzzled look.

 

Edwin was standing behind her.

 

“Ah, are you done with your business?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

Alice felt deeply relieved. Edwin appearing at this moment was no different from a savior to her.

 

Looking around, the group of priests that had been five was now over a dozen. Goosebumps rose all over her body.

 

‘This was the Cult of Evan.’

 

Alice was certain it would have been difficult for Evan to escape this crowd alone.

 

Furthermore, seeing them act like this towards a guest who arrived on the first day……. Perhaps the expression ‘fanatics serving Evan’ wasn’t incorrect.

 

“Brother Edwin, you have grown up truly well.”

 

High Priest Julian also looked at Edwin with a pleased face. However, the subject receiving those gazes remained emotionless, without blinking an eye.

 

“Oh my, that boy from back then…….”

 

Some of the priests realized he was the boy who had been carried in on a stretcher wrapped in bandages eight years ago, and they gasped in surprise and admiration.

 

“To think that person grew up to be so fine and decent…… Haa…….”

 

“This is all God’s grace.”

 

Julian responded to the priest’s words.

 

“That is correct. It can be explained by nothing else.”

 

The priests, fully recalling the incident, nodded repeatedly while looking at Edwin.

 

Their gazes were as if they were witnessing a living miracle.

 

‘Just how bad were his injuries for them to remember it all?’

 

Alice felt uncomfortable with their conversation and gazes. She approached Edwin and whispered.

 

“Are you really okay now?”

 

At her question, Edwin hesitated for a moment. Whether to tell the truth or a lie. But her concern felt sweet to him.

 

Perhaps this is a habitual reaction, he thought to himself. At his ambiguous silence, Alice continued her thoughts in the direction he wanted.

 

Her mouth went dry.

 

“It was a landmine explosion, after all…….”

 

No matter how good Edwin’s recovery was, there would be aftereffects.

 

But contrary to her expectations, Edwin had completely recovered without any aftereffects within a month of the explosion.

 

That was due to the secret ability passed down through the Esteban bloodline.

 

Not knowing this, she was simply worried about him.

 

 

***

 

 

“Wait a minute.”

 

Arriving at the guest room guided by Julian, Alice stopped Edwin as he tried to leave.

 

“I have something to say; do you have time?”

 

He nodded. Alice opened the door as usual and gestured for him to come in.

 

Then, she noticed priests, who she hadn’t realized were there, passing by and looking shocked at the scene.

 

‘I said it thinking it was just the two of us…….’

 

Somehow understanding the meaning of those gazes, Alice felt embarrassed and shy, even though she had absolutely no such intentions.

 

‘If I explain it here, it will look even stranger, right?’

 

It wasn’t exactly a desirable sight for a man and woman who weren’t married to go into a room together, even to onlookers.

 

Moreover, this was a temple.

 

“No, let’s just talk later.”

 

She hurriedly notified Edwin and tried to close the door. However, it ended as just an attempt.

 

“I haven’t heard what you have to say yet.”

 

He caught the door just before it closed.

 

Seeing the flustered Alice, Edwin brought up the thing she considered most important.

 

“I feel like food won’t go down because I’m worried about what you intend to say.”

 

“Is it to that extent……?”

 

Alice was taken aback.

 

A person needs to eat to live. Her heart weakened at his words, and she felt conflicted.

 

‘It’s not something to discuss outside…….’

 

What she wanted to say was about the ability test.

 

After deliberating with a serious face, she eventually grabbed Edwin’s arm. And quickly pulled him inside.

 

He could have easily shaken her off with his strength, but he didn’t. And the door closed.

 

“Phew…….”

 

Alice let out a long sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed and casting her gaze into the void. The inside of the guest room, like the rest of the temple, was entirely white.

 

She felt a bit strange as she had never seen a room with so much white before.

 

‘If Edwin stays here too long, they’ll misunderstand again.’

 

She spoke up hurriedly.

 

“I…… the results of the ability test came out.”

 

Edwin met her blue eyes. He waited quietly for what she had to say.

 

She swallowed once and opened her mouth.

 

“They say I have an ability.”

 

Having thrown the words out quickly, she keenly observed his expression. Then, a significant change appeared on his face.

 

“Congratulations, Alice.”

 

Edwin smiled broadly and offered his sincere congratulations. Alice opened her mouth in momentary confusion.

 

Didn’t Edwin want the Imperial Throne?

 

‘I was going to say I’d give up the throne if you wanted it.’

 

She was speechless at the reaction that completely defied her expectations.

 

Amidst this, what was most absurd was herself, nearly forgetting all her thoughts for a moment, captivated by that smile.

 

‘Wake up, Alice.’

 

“Th-thank you.”

 

She responded to his congratulations with a bewildered face. He said, “Alice. Now everything will flow according to your will.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

She knew his words were just a conventional phrase meant for congratulations, but Alice’s mood only became stranger.

 

“Then Edwin, we are still friends, right?”

 

Alice hoped he would please dwell on the past for a long, long time and remember everything she had tried to do.

 

As a good friend.

 

But suddenly, the gazes of the priests watching them enter the room together came to mind, and her cheeks flushed red.

 

Unable to bear the strangely prolonged silence, Alice spoke first.

 

“Sigh, anyway, I don’t know why the priests look at us with those eyes.”

 

“What eyes?”

 

Edwin asked with a casual face. It was clearly an ordinary question, but Alice, feeling guilty for no reason, felt her face burning up.

 

She couldn’t understand herself, acting so naive despite having memories of a past life.

 

“You know…… that thing between men and women…….”

 

At his unwavering gaze, she replied stammering with a reluctant face.

 

‘Ah, why am I explaining this with my own mouth?’

 

The more she explained, the more she felt like she was falling into an ant lion’s pit. Alice’s face turned as red as a tomato.

 

“We aren’t in that kind of relationship, so it’s strange for the priests to have such a misunderstanding.”

 

Of course, she thought a third party might misunderstand, but her priority was to smooth over this conversation.

 

“There’s no way Edwin would act like that…… Right?”

 

She deliberately laughed and spoke brazenly. Fortunately, Edwin was also smiling at her at her words.

 

“Do you really think so?”

 

Edwin said toward her. Alice didn’t properly understand his meaning, so her mouth just gaped open.

 

“Huh?”

 

He slowly approached Alice, who was sitting on the bed, and said, “If you really think that…….”

 

As Edwin’s face got closer, Alice held her breath without even realizing it.

 

“Then you might be the one misunderstanding.”

 

His eyes curved into a seductive line. Then Edwin bent down slightly and gently tapped her cheek.

 

When his cold hand touched her cheek, which was as hot as it could get, she flinched and trembled.

 

‘What kind of situation is this?’

 

Her heart pounded loudly enough to make her dizzy. Her palms resting on her knees became soaked with sweat. Looking down at her, he pulled back.

 

“……Just kidding, Alice. Your face looks quite like a tomato. I feel like juice would come out if I poked it just a little.”

 

At his joke, Alice responded blankly with her face still burning red.

 

“What……?”

 

Only then did Alice notice the smile hanging on his lips. Unlike before, it carried a slightly mischievous air.

 

“Edwin!”

 

Turning around, before he opened the door to leave, he chuckled low and said, “Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Alice.”

 

At those words, Alice just opened and closed her mouth, unable to reply in the end. It was a farewell that gave her a sense of déjà vu.

 

Ah, right.

 

It was the farewell she had always given to Edwin, who was left alone in the spire.

 

 

***

 

 

Edwin, walking down the temple corridor, needlessly brushed his lips in lingering regret.

 

However, the corners of his mouth remained subtly upturned, unable to forget the satisfaction he had felt.

 

At her words, which seemed to draw a line between them, he had acted somewhat impulsively.

 

And then, he had watched for her physical reaction.

 

He believed that the best way to discern another person’s emotions was through their physical responses, such as a change in pulse.

 

But looking at her, he was no more composed than she was.

 

His own pulse, racing in time with hers, had nearly caused him to miss her reaction entirely.

 

It was the first time in his life he had been nervous about someone else’s response. He wouldn’t have been this tense even if he were dropped into the middle of a battlefield surrounded by enemies.

 

But because of it, Edwin was certain that Alice shared the same emotional temperature as him.

 

Before coming to the temple, he had overheard the conversation between Alice and her maid before the banquet, but he couldn’t be sure then.

 

Because she often thought one thing in her heart but spoke another with her lips.

 

“Commander. Did something good happen?”

 

Chester, who was feeding hay to the warhorses outside the temple, spotted him and spoke.

 

“Is the world coming to an end tomorrow or something?”

 

At that joke, even the faint trace of a smile on Edwin’s face vanished without a trace. Unfazed by the attitude that had turned ice-cold, Chester burst into a cheerful laugh at his own joke.

 

The knights around them clicked their tongues and shook their heads at the sight.

 

“Anyway, it’s a relief the results came out well. Disposing of bodies is usually quite a hassle, you know. Haha.”

 

Edwin nodded at his words. He agreed with that.

 

If the test results had been poor, they would have had to dispose of many bodies overnight so Alice wouldn’t notice, which would have been troublesome.

 

However, in his mind, rather than the results of the ability test, only the image of Alice’s flushing face kept resurfacing.

 

 

***

 

 

Meanwhile, Alice, left alone in her room, lay on the bed to sleep. But soon, she kicked off the blankets and sprang up.

 

“I can’t sleep……!”

 

She shoved her hands into her hair as if taking her frustration out on it, messing it up completely.

 

“Why……?”

 

She desperately tried to find the reason why she couldn’t sleep, but soon gave up.

 

Instead, she recalled the explanation Evan had given her during the ability test today.

 

‘If it allows me to know the past and future related to me…….’

 

What relevance did the events of the future, where Edwin and Michael get together, have to do with her, a mere extra in the original novel?

 

Even excluding her own personal feelings, those were events that would happen after she died anyway.

 

Events where not even a speck of connection to her could be found.

 

“But Evan said the manifestation of an ability always occurs in relation to the possessor’s personal history…….”

 

He had said the ability manifests more strongly, especially when one’s life is at stake.

 

‘Then it should show me current events or give me premonitions.’

 

The only thing she realized as time passed was…….

 

The fact that she was nothing more than a chess piece, a small sailboat being swept away by a rough storm.

 

Thinking about the Duke who had thrown her into the Imperial Palace made her angry, but now that her ability had been confirmed, she was in a situation where she couldn’t even get angry.

 

‘Did the Duke know?’

 

Did he know she was the Emperor’s real daughter?

 

Thinking that made it even more confusing.

 

She had only assumed he planned to use her, a fake, to toy with the Imperial Family.

 

But if she were the Emperor’s real child, he wouldn’t be able to manipulate things solely as he pleased.

 

A royal with an ability had a slightly greater advantage in the succession to the throne.

 

That meant she would hold the upper hand over the Duke.

 

A smile began to slowly bloom on Alice’s lips.

 

‘So that means I don’t have to be swayed by every word the Duke says?’

 

That fact alone gave her great satisfaction. It meant the time had come to flip the power dynamic.

 

‘Alice. Now everything will flow according to your will.’

 

Then, the conversation she had with Edwin earlier came to mind.

 

‘Why do those words have to come to mind right now of all times?’

 

Naturally recalling what had happened with Edwin, her face flushed bright red again.

 

Unconsciously touching the cheek he had touched earlier, she realized her action belatedly and quickly pulled her hand away.

 

Then she groaned.

 

‘Ah, no sleep for me tonight.’

 

 

***

 

 

The first morning at the temple.

 

As High Priest Julian had said, Evan left the temple early at dawn and departed for Millen Village.

 

Alice had no choice but to board the carriage returning to the Imperial Palace.

 

‘To think he left without even a chance to say goodbye.’

 

Alice recalled the last image of Evan leaving for the battlefield without a goodbye, and felt a sense of resentment toward him.

 

“Edwin, make sure to tell me when you go somewhere.”

 

Despite the somewhat random comment, Edwin obediently nodded.

 

“I will.”

 

Looking at his clean face, Alice wondered if the events of last evening had just been her delusion.

 

Recalling that incident again, Alice’s face burned hot once more.

 

Then, for no reason, she glared resentfully at Edwin.

 

‘Who could possibly sleep when you say things like that with that face?’

 

She guaranteed that his beauty would cause insomnia on a national scale, regardless of gender.

 

‘I should have just taken a separate carriage…….’

 

Alice acted nonchalant because she didn’t want to seem self-conscious, but looking at his face, she couldn’t control her heart.

 

‘Snap out of it……. Edwin belongs to Michael.’

 

However, her aesthetic sense was faithfully chasing after Edwin’s face.

 

She let out a deep sigh at the disconnect between her reason and her body.

 

‘I hate myself for this…….’

 

“Aren’t you cold?”

 

As they entered the mountains, Edwin spoke to Alice, who wasn’t wearing an outer garment. She replied awkwardly.

 

“Yeah, maybe because it’s daytime, it’s not that cold.”

 

Not cold because it’s daytime, my foot.

 

It was just that being with him made her face heat up, so she hadn’t put on a coat.

 

She was even fanning herself because of the heat when suddenly, the carriage jolted.

 

Alice’s body pitched forward violently, but Edwin, sitting opposite her, firmly supported her.

 

“Gasp, thank you…….”

 

“Don’t mention it.”

 

Edwin replied with a faint smile. However, his gaze looking out the window was sharp.

 

Alice, sitting back in her seat, thought.

 

‘Did we run over a big rock?’

 

At first, she didn’t think much of it, but gradually the noise outside the carriage grew chaotic.

 

Realizing that something serious was happening, Alice’s face also began to harden.

 

“……Edwin.”

 

She looked at him with anxious eyes. He spoke.

 

“It’s okay. It will be resolved soon.”

 

Alice hugged the coat Ena had packed for her tightly to her chest and pricked up her ears at the sounds coming from outside.

 

“Protect the carriage!”

 

“The enemy…… hidden weapons…… be careful not to touch the poison…….”

 

From the intermittent shouts, Alice grasped the situation.

 

Assassins had ambushed the carriage path.

 

‘Who on earth sent them?’

 

Furthermore, they must have been assassins of considerable skill, as the battle against the Imperial Knights dragged on.

 

“Wait. I’ll go check outside, so stay here, Alice. You absolutely must not come out.”

 

Edwin gave her stern instructions before quickly kicking the carriage door open and exiting.

 

The rough sounds of clashing blades vanished in an instant, and silence fell.

 

Something eerie brushed against her skin.

 

Alice pressed her ear against the carriage door. Still, she heard nothing.

 

Frustrated and knowing she shouldn’t, she opened the carriage window just a crack to look outside.

 

‘There’s nothing.’

 

She only saw Imperial Knights with minor injuries; there were no enemies to be seen at all. At that moment, the door burst open.

 

“Ah!”

 

Leaning against the door, her body tilted sideways. But she didn’t fall. It was because Edwin had caught her.

 

“Hahaha…… is it over now?”

 

Alice let out an embarrassed laugh, feeling guilty for no reason. She hadn’t intended to go out…….

 

Edwin’s gaze looking at her hardened coldly.

 

“Opening the window is dangerous too. A knife could fly through the gap.”

 

He was unusually on edge. He didn’t have the ability to bring the dead back to life. He only had the ability to take the lives of the living. So, he couldn’t help but be sensitive to Alice’s dangerous behavior.

 

At his angry appearance, which she was seeing for the first time, Alice shrank back.

 

“Sorry…….”

 

He let out a shallow sigh and lifted her up into his arms.

 

At the sudden contact, Alice’s eyes went round like a startled rabbit.

 

As Edwin sat her in the innermost seat of the carriage, she saw him say something to someone outside.

 

Then, two female knights entered and bowed.

 

“Uh, who are these people……?”

 

“These are Bella and Lisa, who will be Your Highness’s close protection detail.”

 

One knight replied. Then, the two took seats on either side of Alice.

 

It was a position where they could protect her as a priority in case of an attack.

 

Knowing that Edwin was worried about her, Alice felt a sense of shame.

 

“What happened outside?”

 

At her question, a look of hesitation crossed his gaze. Alice pressed him for an answer.

 

“Tell me the truth.”

 

Edwin glanced at the knights in the carriage before answering.

 

“……There was an assassin.”

 

“Who was the target of the assassination?”

 

Even without asking, she was half-certain that she was the target.

 

“It was me…….”

 

He nodded. She asked the question that rose again.

 

“Did you find out who sent the assassin?”

 

“He took his own life before we could get a confession.”

 

He died when they tried to find out the mastermind.

 

Unless it was someone extraordinary, one wouldn’t throw away their life for a client. That meant he was a highly trained assassin, cultivated over a long time for the mastermind’s sake.

 

Alice’s heart pounded.

 

She had never seen anything like this in her dreams or in the novel.

 

If not for Edwin and the knights, she would have surely died.

 

‘Why didn’t the ability foresee something like this? Is this ability fickle like its owner?’

 

If the owner dies, it’s all for nothing, so what kind of fickleness could an ability have? It made no sense.

 

Then did that mean this danger didn’t even count as a threat to her life? Alice reached that conjecture.

 

Feeling cold all of a sudden, she wrapped her coat tightly around herself and looked quietly at Edwin.

 

‘Then does that mean Edwin was the most dangerous thing to me?’

 

It was a slightly strange conclusion, but ironically, she couldn’t shake the thought that it was closest to the correct answer.

 

The carriage raced toward the capital at a speed incomparable to before.

 

And not long after, they arrived at the Imperial Palace, and Alice got off the carriage with Edwin’s help. Outside, the escort knights who had left with her were lined up.

 

‘Thankfully, it seems there were no casualties.’

 

She felt deeply relieved.

 

But then, she saw Ena, who had come out to meet her, looking in their direction with a horrified expression.

 

At that expression, Alice turned around, and her steps came to a sudden halt.

 

The carriage, which had been gold, was covered in so much blood that its original color was unrecognizable.

 

“Ah, no, Your Highness! Are you alright?!”

 

Ena checked Alice’s body, crying as if she were about to sob. Alice stared at the carriage with a blank face.

 

Edwin quickly signaled the coachman’s seat. The man who had driven the carriage then quickly moved it to the stables.

 

“The coachman…….”

 

Alice trailed off.

 

It wasn’t the coachman she had seen before they left. The coachman had died during the attack. Then that blood was…….

 

The person sitting in the coachman’s seat now was one of the Imperial Knights.

 

 

***

 

 

After the assassination attempt became known, interest in the ability test died down.

 

Partly because those who were in the know already knew the results were predetermined.

 

The central nobles knew that the Emperor was desperate to create a legitimate heir to keep the Grand Duke in check by any means necessary.

 

Inside the palace, an investigation was in full swing to find the assassin who had tried to kill her.

 

Naturally, security at the Crown Prince’s Palace became even tighter.

 

Some speculated that it might be the same person as the assassin who had intruded into the Duke’s office.

 

Worried about her, Edwin volunteered to be her exclusive guard and stayed at the Crown Prince’s Palace, keeping by her side.

 

‘It’s embarrassing, but right now I need Edwin’s help.’

 

Alice felt shy having him next to her because of what had happened with Edwin at the temple. But thinking that nothing was as certain as being under his protection, she accepted.

 

After a long time, she saw Duke Esteban sitting in the reception room of the Crown Prince’s Palace, looking at her with a displeased expression.

 

Alice asked Edwin, who tried to follow her, to give them some space, and completely cleared the reception room of people.

 

Because she had something to say in secret.

 

Left alone with her, the Duke naturally spoke down to her.

 

“……Why did you call me here?”

 

Alice felt strange looking at the one-armed Duke.

 

However, he acted as if nothing was wrong, like a person who had just gotten a haircut. Was this the dignity of a villain?

 

Even to her eyes, his demeanor seemed natural.

 

‘Sigh, I should have been the one to take that arm off sooner…….’

 

Alice didn’t show her inner thoughts and said with a smile.

 

“Yes, because I am a noble princess.”

 

At her bold retort, he scoffed and tilted his teacup. Alice sat opposite him with a brazen face and lifted her teacup.

 

Actually, the idea to call the Duke wasn’t hers.

 

At first, Alice intended to go find the Duke, but Ena stopped her, saying it was dangerous.

 

“Just summon the Duke, My Lady. You are the Princess anyway, what can a Duke do? If you say jump, he has to jump.”

 

Ena was truly an extraordinary person in many ways. Thinking that, Alice put down her teacup and got straight to the point.

 

“Why did you make me debut in the Imperial Palace, Duke? After hiding the fact that I’m a princess for the past 10, no, 18 years, why now?”

 

The Duke answered her question as if doing her a favor.

 

“Imperial abilities usually manifest at coming of age. But the world isn’t so naive, so I thought that even if you revealed you were a princess, there would be plenty of people who wouldn’t believe it.”

 

Alice furrowed her brow. There was still a point where his answer didn’t completely resolve her doubts.

 

“Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

 

The Duke didn’t answer her question immediately. At that subtle silence, Alice spoke first.

 

“Is it because you weren’t sure I was a princess? Or…… because you were sure I was a complete fake.”

 

The Duke drew an arrogant smile as if he understood something. Alice frowned at his expression.

 

“Do you believe that result is the truth?”

 

“……What are you talking about?”

 

“I assume you worked on the Papacy in various ways. Regarding your ability test.”

 

“What…… are you saying I bribed them or something?”

 

Alice looked at him as if he were being absurd. Evan lying to her because of a bribe?

 

That was something that couldn’t happen even if the sky split in two.

 

Even if it weren’t her, Evan was not someone who would tell such lies to others.

 

Alice gained one certainty from the Duke’s words.

 

“Seeing you say that, it sounds like you put me in the palace convinced that I was a fake.”

 

“Correct. Even now, that thought hasn’t changed.”

 

She had wanted to hear this honest answer, but why was she boiling inside?

 

Alice lifted her teacup to cool her heated insides.

 

But drinking hot tea only made her feel hotter.

 

“Then why did you put me here? You’re not exactly a philanthropist.”

 

Despite Alice’s sarcasm, the Duke didn’t even twitch an eyebrow. To him, emotional fighting was a meaningless act with no practical benefit. His thoughts were clearly visible on his face.

 

‘As expected, an unlucky human being.’

 

Alice looked at him without hiding her inner thoughts. Hiding her emotions from him was now useless.

 

“His Majesty does not wish to pass the throne to his nephew, Valerian Wigmund. Then, the best method is to find the hidden biological child.”

 

Does that mean the Emperor doesn’t know about the Duke’s solicitation regarding the ability test?

 

Alice pondered. Even if she told the Emperor the truth about the ability test now, if the Duke testified, it would become a situation where it would be considered a lie.

 

‘It won’t go according to your will.’

 

She already had the Spirit Stone that proved her ability in her hand. Did Evan give it to her anticipating this?

 

But Alice clenched her fist as if she were in trouble.

 

“Regardless of the result, I am in a position where I have no choice but to listen to you, Duke.”

 

“I like that you understand quickly.”

 

The Duke said. She bit her lip as if angry, then made a resigned expression.

 

“……So what is it you want me to do?”

 

The Duke raised an eyebrow at her obedient attitude. Then he put down his teacup and said,

 

“Just act as you are now, keeping to your duty.”

 

“Are you saying I should keep acting as if I’m the real princess?”

 

“That is correct.”

 

“What do you gain from this, Duke?”

 

The Duke’s lips curled up arrogantly.

 

“Do you want to know that badly?”

 

“I don’t want to be used without knowing the purpose. I also want to know what benefit I get from this.”

 

“Aren’t you enjoying enough benefits?”

 

He gestured with his chin toward the teacup she was holding. He was referring to all the privileges enjoyed in the Imperial Palace.

 

“I don’t want to be a flashy moth flying into a flame.”

 

“It’s better than dying miserably and prematurely.”

 

He was saying he would kill her if she didn’t follow his words. How could he threaten her so casually? She ground her teeth.

 

“Then let me take a guess.”

 

Her blue eyes looked at the Duke with an unwavering gaze. From the moment the Spirit Stone shone in her hand, his plan had gone awry anyway.

 

‘Is that why the Duke sent the assassin?’

 

But judging from the conversation so far, he seemed unaware that the Spirit Stone had shone in her hand.

 

‘Of course, this could also be the Duke acting…….’

 

Then it was important to find out his objective.

 

“Are you planning to put me on the throne and seize actual power?”

 

Knowing that indirect questions wouldn’t work on the Duke, she used a direct approach.

 

However, having said it, her hands trembled slightly from the tension. Sitting in front of such a man, she couldn’t help but be nervous.

 

‘The moment the Duke knows my thoughts, he’ll try to kill me.’

 

The Duke’s gaze fixed sharply on her. Pretending to be calm, she was sick of the flowing silence.

 

Finally, he opened his mouth.

 

“Your mind works faster than I thought.”

 

It might have been a compliment in his own way, but to her, it didn’t sound like a compliment at all. Her slightly trembling hands stopped abruptly.

 

Having no further business with him, she sent the Duke out of the reception room.

 

Most of her predictions had been correct. That made the situation even worse.

 

‘If Evan hadn’t been the Pope…….’

 

She would have been helplessly used by the Duke. And then, when her usefulness ran out, she would have been discarded through death. She felt dirty.

 

‘Did Edwin know this?’

 

Suddenly thinking of Edwin, Alice headed to the garden with a heavy heart.

 

Then, she ran into a blond man on the path.

 

She tried to just walk past, but he acknowledged her first.

 

“I didn’t expect to see Your Highness here. Did I perhaps disturb your rest?”

 

“Ah, it’s fine…… By the way, you are.”

 

Seeing his hazel eyes, she realized belatedly. The man who had remarked at the banquet that she should maintain the dignity of a princess.

 

“My introduction is very late. I am Valerian Wigmund. Please forgive my rudeness.”

 

“……It’s alright.”

 

To think that person was Valerian Wigmund. Sometimes the answer is right under your nose.

 

Alice smiled awkwardly and examined him slowly. He was also observing her. It was a gaze purely filled with curiosity and goodwill toward another person.

 

“But why are you here?”

 

“It’s a wonderful garden, but it was a secluded place with no owner. I thought that was quite a pity, so I used to stop by whenever I was in the neighborhood. But I suppose I don’t have to do that anymore.”

 

Since there is a new owner here. Grand Duke Wigmund smiled faintly.

 

“Did you happen to meet Duke Esteban?”

 

“Yes, how did you know? Did you…….”

 

He nodded and said,

 

“Hearing the news that the Duke was here, I came and we had a conversation regarding business. Ah, if Your Highness is curious, I am willing to tell you, so please ask anytime.”

 

It seemed this was the reason the Duke had left the reception room saying he had work to do after finishing his conversation with her.

 

“Even to me?”

 

“Since Your Highness has a special connection with the Duke, wouldn’t it benefit me if I appealed to Your Highness regarding the business?”

 

Asking for some crumbs to fall his way. He wasn’t even speaking in circles; he was saying it directly. Alice paused for a moment.

 

‘Is this sincere, or is it a joke?’

 

At her uncertain smile, he laughed and said, “It was a joke because you seemed a bit wary of me, but I guess it had the opposite effect.”

 

“Yes, a little…… People don’t usually say things like that upon first meeting, do they?”

 

“That is true. Since this is my first time greeting you formally.”

 

The Grand Duke readily agreed with her words. He then bid her farewell, saying they’d meet again.

 

“I look forward to the day of the Water Spirit Festival. There is also a summer festival, so you won’t be bored.”

 

He finished speaking as if giving a formal greeting and left.

 

‘Water Spirit Festival?’

 

Alice turned back with an unsettled feeling. When she returned to her room, Ena answered Alice’s question.

 

She explained that the Water Spirit Festival was a ritual held in the summer to pray to the Water Spirit for rain on the dry land.

 

“It’s a special ceremony held only in the Wigmund Principality…… Were you perhaps invited?”

 

“Well…… though it seemed like a conventional phrase.”

 

When Alice nodded, Ena’s eyes sparkled.

 

“I knew he would do that.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because he is someone who cannot easily pass by others in trouble.”

 

“What does that have to do with this?”

 

“Oh my, think about it carefully, My Lady.”

 

“Ahem. Watch your language.”

 

Ena chided Alice, saying playing royalty was no fun, and opened her mouth.

 

“There were already many bastards in the Imperial Palace doubting My Lady’s origin and bloodline. But if the story goes around that you were invited to the Spirit Festival by the Grand Duke, wouldn’t those suspicions die down?”

 

“Is that so…….”

 

“I’m telling you. Actually, I’m only telling you this now but…….”

 

Ena started speaking mysteriously. Alice pricked up her ears at her words.

 

“On the first day, when His Majesty announced that you were the Princess, the Grand Duke asked a passing maid to check if you were okay because you seemed very shocked.”

 

“Really……?”

 

“I heard it clearly. I was right behind him.”

 

No wonder a maid had come close and asked if she was okay when she entered the lounge.

 

To think that was done because Grand Duke Wigmund had asked.

 

She tried to recall the novel.

 

‘There wasn’t anything particularly strange.’

 

But the genre of this novel was tragedy…… she still couldn’t lower her guard.

 

“Did the Duke look okay?”

 

At Ena’s question, Alice let out a long sigh. She wanted to say it would have been better if he hadn’t looked okay.

 

 

***

 

 

It wasn’t long after that.

 

A maid came and knocked on her door. It was news that the Emperor was summoning her.

 

‘There isn’t a single day where I can rest easy.’

 

However, the Emperor summoning her was an expected event. He likely intended to ask about the ability test.

 

‘This is actually better.’

 

Alice also had things to say to the Emperor. Before following the servant to the reception room of the Emperor’s palace, she tucked the Spirit Stone into her clothes just in case.

 

It was small enough not to be noticeable and convenient to carry, but also easy to lose, making it a burdensome item to carry around casually.

 

“Have a safe trip!”

 

Ena waved her hand with a clueless, cheerful smile. She believed completely that Alice had been proven as a princess in the ability test.

 

She couldn’t imagine that the Duke, the Emperor’s loyal subject, had plotted something behind the Emperor’s back.

 

‘That is the general consensus, after all.’

 

Most nobles probably thought there was no subject as loyal to the Emperor as the Duke.

 

Before she was even born, when there was an assassination threat against the Emperor, the Duke had even taken a hit from a hidden weapon in his stead and fallen into a coma.

 

‘Didn’t he commission that assassin himself, too?’

 

Since Alice knew what the Duke was putting in the tea the Emperor drank daily, she considered this speculation valid.

 

While thinking about the relationship between the Emperor and the Duke, she arrived at the reception room of the 2nd Palace.

 

The Emperor was not staying in the 1st Palace due to the attack the Duke had suffered there.

 

When the servant knocked on the door, a senile voice that sounded like scratching iron was heard from within.

 

They said the strong narcotic substance in the tea the Emperor drank also affected the vocal cords…….

 

Knowing why his voice sounded like that made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

 

“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”

 

Alice bowed. The Emperor looked at her with a pleased smile.

 

“Was the journey here difficult?”

 

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s consideration, it was not difficult.”

 

“Ho ho, how do you speak so generously? Yes, your legs must hurt, so sit down quickly.”

 

Alice smiled awkwardly and sat opposite him. Judging by his tone alone, wasn’t this the attitude of treating a cherished granddaughter rather than a daughter?

 

‘Phew, it’s a good thing the test results came out well.’

 

Since she had been revealed as the Emperor’s real daughter, it was a relief she didn’t have to tell a brazen lie. That kind of lying always left a bad taste in one’s mouth.

 

‘Wait, but…… the age difference between the Emperor and Karina.’

 

At that thought, Alice momentarily forgot to manage her expression and her face twisted slightly. It was a relationship her mind simply couldn’t comprehend.

 

Interpreting her expression differently, the Emperor looked worried.

 

“You must have been very shocked after going through such a big incident. Are you alright now?”

 

“I-I’m fine.”

 

“Once I find the mastermind, I will strictly punish them for their crime, so do not worry.”

 

The conversation that followed was extremely mundane. Whether the food suited her taste, if there was anything uncomfortable, if she was too hot or cold, etc.

 

Seeing him take care of her like real family, Alice couldn’t quite decide how to react.

 

And as time passed and the bottom of the teacup was revealed, the Emperor asked.

 

“So, what color did the Spirit Stone turn?”

 

Alice was taken aback by the question. She hadn’t said a word about the ability test to the Emperor yet, but he was already speaking under the assumption that her ability had been revealed. She answered carefully.

 

“……It was gold.”

 

“Oho, gold!”

 

The Emperor burst into hearty laughter, beaming as if he were in a good mood.

 

Hearing that sound, which again resembled scratching iron, Alice barely suppressed a frown.

 

“Ophelia, come in!”

 

At the Emperor’s call, a woman in a purple robe entered. It was the woman who had read her tarot cards previously. Entering the reception room, she greeted them with an elegant curtsy.

 

“It has been a long time, Your Majesty.”

 

“Yes…… It is good to see you.”

 

Ha, the voice was definitely Stella’s. Noticing Alice’s reaction, she smiled slightly.

 

Though it was a face half-hidden by a hood, so it wasn’t clearly visible.

 

Her red lips, curved downwards, looked a bit artificial.

 

“It seems you are uncomfortable with me, Princess. That is a bit sad for me.”

 

“Ho ho, child. Ophelia is no different from a benefactor to us.”

 

Alice was startled.

 

“Benefactor…… you say?”

 

“Yes, we owe her a great debt.”

 

If she was someone the Emperor would call a benefactor…… did she save his life or something?

 

“Did she save the country?”

 

Alice smiled slightly and probed the Emperor as if joking. He laughed heartily and nodded.

 

“You could say that.”

 

Then she really was a benefactor…….

 

Alice looked at Ophelia for a moment with a face that had run out of words. Feeling uncomfortable with the still sadly curved lips, Alice said, “It’s just that I prefer to speak while looking people in the eye, so please don’t mind it.”

 

“Ah, if that was the reason—.”

 

Ophelia’s lips quickly curled up into an arc again. Then she threw her hood completely back.

 

Alice, who didn’t expect her to reveal her face so easily, was inwardly surprised.

 

Silver hair cascading down and golden eyes beneath long lashes. A beautiful face that looked more like a fairy than a woman was revealed.

 

But at the same time, Alice was flustered by the realization.

 

‘It’s not Stella?’

 

Her gut was definitely telling her that Ophelia was Stella, but there was a completely different person in that face.

 

The Emperor marveled at her true appearance, seen after a long time.

 

“Every time I see you, I’m struck by how beautiful you are.”

 

“I am overwhelmed by your kind view, Your Majesty.”

 

“What is there to be overwhelmed about between us? Speak comfortably. And—”

 

The Emperor spoke to Alice.

 

“Child, you must also say thank you to Ophelia.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

What on earth was she supposed to thank her for?

 

“If not for Ophelia, you wouldn’t even exist in this world.”

 

Noticing Alice’s questioning gaze, the Emperor spoke with a strange smile.

 

The nuance was too odd to simply mean she had saved someone who nearly died.

 

While she was pondering to grasp the meaning of those words, the Emperor reached for his teacup.

 

Alice hurriedly stopped his action.

 

“Wait a moment, Your Majesty.”

 

At Alice’s words, the Emperor paused. Receiving his questioning gaze, Alice spoke to Ophelia.

 

“Could you give us a moment?”

 

“Of course. Then I will see you later, Your Highness.”

 

Smiling at Alice’s words, she bowed and left the room. Left alone with the Emperor, Alice spoke.

 

“Your Majesty, do you happen to know what is in the tea you are drinking right now?”

 

“Are you talking about the herbal tea procured from the southern regions?”

 

“No.”

 

The drug-addicted Emperor’s eyes were still dim and murky, but his reason remained.

 

Alice spoke with a ray of hope.

 

“There is a drug in Your Majesty’s teacup right now.”

 

“A drug…… Yes, did you see it through that?”

 

The Emperor was talking about her ability.

 

Alice nodded with a cautious face. Right now, destroying the Emperor’s trust in the Duke was the priority.

 

“I am also aware of it.”

 

Her blue eyes wavered.

 

He was drinking it knowing that?

 

“At first, I thought it just made me feel strangely good, but by the time I realized what it was, I was already unable to escape the addiction.”

 

Alice’s expression hardened. She belatedly recalled the fact that the Emperor frequently purchased narcotic tobacco from Stella.

 

Did that mean the Emperor trusted and overlooked the Duke’s actions even knowing that the Duke had tampered with his teacup?

 

It was a situation her common sense couldn’t understand at all.

 

“What is wrong? Did the Duke say something to you?”

 

The Emperor’s eyes looking at Alice were still murky and dark. She hesitated. This wasn’t part of the calculation…….

 

“The Duke thought I wasn’t the real princess.”

 

As soon as he heard her words, the Emperor burst into loud laughter. Alice looked at him with confused eyes.

 

‘Don’t tell me, is he really crazy?’

 

If so, it was truly the worst-case scenario. Because this was the only corner Alice had to trust right now.

 

To report the Duke’s misdeeds to the Emperor in detail and use his power to punish the Duke.

 

So, the assumption that the Emperor was staying still despite knowing everything was something she hadn’t even conceived.

 

“As expected, I knew he would think that.”

 

“But why did you pretend not to know?”

 

Alice asked. The Emperor said without wiping the smile off his face.

 

“I did so because there were too many snakes around. If that made you feel slighted, I apologize.”

 

Arrogance could also be glimpsed on his face, as if he was certain that he was absolutely not a pushover.

 

“N-no. It’s okay.”

 

It wasn’t like their relationship was close enough for her to feel slighted anyway.

 

And apart from that, she felt the situation was flowing unfavorably. Alice wanted to know what the Emperor was thinking.

 

“But now that you have formally confirmed at the temple that you are the princess, the situation has changed.”

 

The Emperor’s golden eyes shone brightly. At the smile that rose satisfactorily, Alice felt uneasy.

 

At this moment, she recalled the Duke’s words.

 

That the Emperor was looking for his biological child to prevent Grand Duke Wigmund from ascending to the throne.

 

‘I was completely a tool.’

 

Only then did Alice realize why the Emperor was welcoming her so much.

 

She had vaguely expected it, but the Emperor wasn’t looking for family, but a successor to solidify his own position.

 

However, until she came of age and her ability manifested, the Emperor had no ability to protect her from the intrigue of other factions in the Imperial Palace. So he had entrusted her to the Duke.

 

“Since it is a celebratory event, can I just let this pass? I will hold a grand banquet and create a place for you to greet everyone formally.”

 

Satisfied that things had gone according to his will, the Emperor was saying he would create a gathering to invite all the royals.

 

‘Right, this is good.’

 

Though her mood was incredibly dirty, this was also the reason Alice had wanted to meet the Emperor.

 

She needed a place to invite people publicly, like a banquet, right now.

 

A place with as many nobles as possible, especially high-ranking ones.

 

The Hunting Festival would open soon, but that was not a suitable place for her to prove she was the Emperor’s biological daughter.

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty. However…….”

 

Alice opened her mouth. Her blue eyes looked straight at the Emperor with a clear gaze.

 

“How were you so certain that I was your biological daughter?”

 

“Do you not remember what I said earlier? Recall the moment when Ophelia arrived.”

 

Why bring up the story about her suddenly here?

 

“Then don’t tell me…….”

 

Alice trailed off with a face of realization.

 

Back then, the Emperor had told her to thank Ophelia, calling her their benefactor.

 

Alice didn’t remember receiving help worthy of calling Ophelia a benefactor, but she had thanked her in the heat of the moment.

 

But the fact that the Emperor mentioned Ophelia at this moment led to only one conclusion.

 

“Are you saying Ophelia intervened in the matter of the Imperial child?”

 

“You are so sharp, just like me.”

 

The Emperor looked at her with a pleased face. Alice was certain at his words.

 

‘Ophelia was Stella.’

 

The Emperor was infertile. In other words, a seedless watermelon.

 

That was a fact clearly stated in the original work, but now, thanks to Evan, it was proven that she was the Emperor’s biological daughter.

 

But neither in modern times nor here was there a way to cure infertility.

 

Then, the only hypothesis that could be established was that Ophelia had treated the infertility.

 

But if she was a witch, it was different.

 

Because a witch could create certain miraculous potions.

 

Considering her actions seen in the story, hiding seeds inside a watermelon wouldn’t be difficult for her.

 

However, not fully convinced yet, Alice spoke cautiously.

 

“Your Majesty, did Ophelia’s assistance perhaps directly influence the succession?”

 

The Emperor did not give a definite answer but chuckled and brought the teacup to his lips. Deducing the answer from his ambiguous, non-verbal response, Alice swallowed a scoff internally.

 

It was true that Stella had helped with the Emperor’s production of an heir.

 

‘This is absurd.’

 

Didn’t this mean Alice’s existence was practically created for the Emperor?

 

Now knowing that she was Alice herself due to her ability, her lips twitched.

 

For a moment, she wanted to splash the tea in front of her right onto that old man.

 

And onto the Duke as well.

 

 

***

 

 

“My Lady, you’re strange these days.”

 

Ena said, looking at Alice, who was poking at her cake with a troubled face.

 

“Why do you refuse to meet the Young Master while making a face like that?”

 

“What’s wrong with my face?”

 

Alice replied sulkily. Her heart wasn’t at ease either.

 

Since her conversation with the Duke, Alice’s daily routine in the Imperial Palace hadn’t changed much from before.

 

Meeting the Evans couple, exchanging letters with Michael…….

 

If there was one thing that changed in that routine, it was that her time meeting Edwin had completely disappeared.

 

It wasn’t that Edwin didn’t come to see her.

 

It was Alice who had been refusing Edwin’s visits for several days, citing that she was busy.

 

But Alice had unavoidable circumstances too.

 

‘How can I act like before when I know what the Duke is thinking?’

 

Did Edwin know that the Duke was threatening her life?

 

It was a problem if he knew, and a problem if he didn’t.

 

In the end, Edwin was a person of the Esteban family.

 

Picking at her cake, she couldn’t shake off thoughts of Edwin and messed up her hair.

 

“Still, we need to talk at least once…….”

 

She couldn’t easily find the timing. It was because she had too many thoughts in many ways.

 

Actually, if Edwin were on her side, he would be the most reliable ally she could ask for.

 

But what if, conversely, he intended to use her thoroughly on the side of his family?

 

Just hypothesizing it made Alice feel strange. She even felt a weird sense of disappointment.

 

She pondered deeply on her own about why she felt this way and eventually came to a conclusion.

 

As she spent more time with him, she must have unconsciously thought of him as being on her side.

 

Small actions Edwin had done for her came to mind.

 

The most recent memory among them was him volunteering to be her guard after the carriage attack.

 

Hadn’t he stayed at the Imperial Palace instead of going down to his estate for her sake?

 

She had thought it was simply out of worry for her as a friend…….

 

Now she suspected that Edwin staying at the Imperial Palace might be due to the Duke’s intentions.

 

As that thought continued endlessly, even the delicious cake felt like dry grains of sand.

 

‘Stupid Alice.’

 

It was natural for Edwin to prioritize his family’s affairs over her; what on earth had she expected?

 

She fell into thought while nibbling on the cake with a complex expression.

 

“Sigh, this is frustrating.”

 

Watching Alice like that, Ena only felt frustrated. Checking the time on the clock on the nightstand, Ena walked toward the door.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“I have something to do for a moment.”

 

“What to do?”

 

“It’s an important matter related to My Lady.”

 

Ena tossed out a single sentence and opened the door to leave. Alice stared blankly at her. Lately, Ena left the room whenever it became this time.

 

“Why won’t she just tell me why she’s acting like that?”

 

Alice pouted and started eating the cake again.

 

Meanwhile, leaving Alice’s room, Ena headed straight for the garden fountain on the west side. There, an unrealistically beautiful man was waiting, leaning against a tree.

 

Ena looked around cautiously and approached him quietly.

 

“I’m here. Young Master.”

 

“Did Alice say she wouldn’t meet me today either?”

 

Edwin spoke without even looking at her. As if he already knew she was there.

 

“Yes…….”

 

At her answer, Edwin’s expression hardened coldly in an instant.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Ena uttered an apology while glancing at him nervously.

 

She was just the messenger, so why was she apologizing like a high traitor?

 

Resentment suddenly surged against her Lady for refusing to meet him without a reason.

 

Still, she was quite used to his reaction by now.

 

Because this was already the fifth time something like this had happened.

 

When she first delivered this news, seeing his murderous expression, Ena had trembled and couldn’t continue speaking.

 

‘Is it worse than death?’

 

Ena was starting to not understand.

 

Why did she have to risk her life over matters between the Young Master and the Lady? Could someone please explain?

 

“The reason?”

 

Edwin’s gaze slowly turned toward her. It was a dry, lifeless gaze, as if looking at an inorganic object.

 

“She didn’t tell me today either.”

 

“Make sure to tell me when you find out. You can use any means or methods necessary.”

 

“……Yes.”

 

What kind of means and methods was she supposed to use?

 

There was no way to know what he meant, and she didn’t want to know, so Ena nodded roughly.

 

Wait, a more dangerous atmosphere than usual was flowing from him today.

 

Having finished his business, Edwin turned his steps slowly.

 

His steps leaving the palace were heavy, as if weights were attached to them.

 

‘Alice is rejecting me.’

 

This was a first for him. It was something he had never even imagined or hypothesized.

 

Could it be that she had come to completely dislike him now?

 

He couldn’t even fathom the reason, but if that were the case…….

 

Edwin felt terrible.

 

‘I need to find out the reason quickly.’

 

Once he found the cause, he would eliminate it immediately. His eyes burned with cold heat.

 

There was a part he suspected. Even so, if she continued to refuse to meet him.

 

He just had to get rid of the cause.

 

Obsession toward her squirmed largely within him, and his steps quickened.

 

 

***

 

 

Alice expected to have a few days to prepare, but the banquet was held the very next evening.

 

A little puzzled, she casually asked a maid about it, who replied that the Imperial Palace was always prepared to hold a banquet at any time.

 

‘They really go through a lot of trouble.’

 

Alice knew that even that was only possible by grinding down the manpower of the servants and maids.

 

Entrusting herself to the maids’ devoted touch, she stared blankly into the mirror as her appearance gradually transformed.

 

It was a scene reminiscent of Cinderella having a fairy cast a spell on her.

 

‘……Come to think of it, my situation is also like Cinderella.’

 

However, calling her situation purely Cinderella-like was a huge misnomer.

 

This side wasn’t a fairy tale, but a survival drama.

 

The fact that the genre here and there were different was deeply regrettable.

 

She came out to the front of the Imperial Palace to board the carriage. The person commanding the carriage escort was Chester.

 

After getting into the carriage with his help, she felt troubled again.

 

‘Why does Edwin come to mind?’

 

Since she had refused to meet him several times, it seemed Edwin hadn’t come out.

 

Chester, with his hair slicked back smoothly again today, spoke to her first with a hearty smile.

 

“It’s been a long time, Princess.”

 

“Aren’t you busy as the Knight Commander?”

 

“It’s the job of escorting the one and only Princess of the Empire; shouldn’t the Commander step up?”

 

“Aha, I see.”

 

Chester burst into laughter at her soulless reply, finding something funny in it.

 

“Haha, the Princess doesn’t seem very enthusiastic. Do you have any worries?”

 

While conversing with him, the carriage departed. He rode alongside the window where his gaze met hers.

 

“No, I have no worries at all.”

 

“Oho, saying that with such a deeply worried face really makes it believable.”

 

“…….”

 

She felt she understood why Edwin often beat up Chester in the original story. Her fist clenched tightly. She wanted to shut that mouth up a bit.

 

Yet, the reason Edwin kept Chester by his side was clear. Chester would carry out any order if it came from Edwin.

 

Thus, he was a man who wouldn’t hesitate to torture or even murder if ordered.

 

“Did you perhaps fight with the Commander?”

 

Chester’s eyes shone sharply for a moment. The Commander’s mood had been unusual lately, and when asked why, he would only silently beat people to a pulp without saying a word.

 

Something must have happened between him and the Princess. Chester was certain.

 

So he intended to use this conversation with the Princess to find out the reason.

 

Of course, the ultimate reason for doing so was purely due to his curiosity.

 

“…….”

 

At Chester’s words, her body flinched. His smile deepened.

 

“Ah, you did fight.”

 

“We didn’t fight.”

 

“Then are you unilaterally angry at him?”

 

“Who at whom, exactly……?”

 

Alice couldn’t understand his question. was he asking if she was angry at Edwin?

 

“I also know my life is precious.”

 

At her words, Chester’s expression turned strange. What was with that look, as if he were looking at someone who had completely lost their sense of tact?

 

Offended by that look, she scrunched up her nose. Seeing her expression, Chester belatedly realized his mistake and tried to smooth it over.

 

“Even if the Princess were to curse vulgarly at the Commander, he wouldn’t harm you. Of course, if I were to curse, the situation would be different.”

 

“What if Sir Douglas cursed?”

 

“He would kill me, right?”

 

He said with a bright smile.

 

“My corpse would probably be thrown into a river or the sea, making it hard to even find the remains.”

 

“…….”

 

It was incredibly cruel, but saying it with a face full of certainty left her speechless.

 

“It seems the Commander’s exceptionally sharp nerves these days are due to something between you two; please, for my sake, go easy on him just this once.”

 

“Sir Douglas and I aren’t in any special relationship, so I don’t know what you want me to go easy on.”

 

“That is true.”

 

Chester quickly admitted.

 

However, hearing the news that Edwin’s nerves were sharp, Alice’s heart wasn’t entirely at ease.

 

She was bothered by the thought that perhaps he had become sensitive because she had refused to meet him.

 

Arriving at the dining room where the banquet was held, Alice entered following the servant’s guidance.

 

The nobles seated at the banquet table under the splendid chandelier were dressed just as splendidly and luxuriously.

 

Realizing that the seat next to the empty head seat was hers, she sat down there.

 

However, Alice’s gaze was momentarily stolen by one person’s presence.

 

‘Why is Edwin here?’

 

Wasn’t this a gathering for royals only? Unable to take her eyes off him, Alice quickly averted her gaze when she saw Edwin looking in her direction.

 

But naturally, she listened in on the conversation Edwin was having with a noble.

 

Roughly listening, it seemed he wasn’t a royal but had been invited to the banquet to commemorate his distinguished service in the war.

 

‘Why today of all days?’

 

Moistening her throat with a sip of water, Alice rolled her eyes awkwardly to look around.

 

Most were distant relatives of the Emperor, and the closest among them was the Emperor’s nephew, Valerian Wigmund.

 

The man who, until her appearance, had been the strong candidate for the next throne.

 

Meeting her eyes, Grand Duke Wigmund gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

 

Unable to ignore his greeting, Alice also nodded back.

 

Then, the Emperor took the head seat.

 

After taking a sip of wine, the Emperor gave a formal greeting, thanking those who had come.

 

Then the meal proceeded. Starting with him lifting his cutlery, others began to pick up their forks one by one.

 

It was Alice’s first time eating in such a crowded place, so she picked up her fork awkwardly.

 

All the banquet food smelled good, but maybe because of the tension today…….

 

‘It’s delicious.’

 

Alice, who had been diligently putting meat into her mouth for a while, stopped forking when the Emperor opened his mouth. The royals had already put down their cutlery early and were waiting for his words.

 

“I called you all here today to share some good news.”

 

The Emperor smiled pleasedly and looked at Alice. Then he spoke.

 

“This time, Elizabeth has proven the manifestation of her ability in the ability test!”

 

At his words, people offered congratulations with surprised faces.

 

“Your Majesty, Princess, congratulations on the good results.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Following that, other royals also offered their congratulations to her one by one.

 

But not everyone congratulated her.

 

Some, though smiling with their faces, were looking at her with suspicious eyes. They were harboring doubts about her results.

 

The Emperor opened his mouth once again.

 

“Today will be a very meaningful day.”

 

“That is true, Your Majesty. It is truly a celebratory event.”

 

Another royal received his words. The Emperor looked at Alice with a satisfied gaze.

 

“As of today, I shall invest Elizabeth as the Crown Princess.”

 

“…….”

 

At the sudden news of the Crown Princess investiture, the royals murmured. Alice’s blue eyes widened slightly.

 

‘I expected it, but……’

 

This had been foreseen since the Crown Prince’s Palace was assigned as her lodging. But Alice’s mood wasn’t very pleasant.

 

Why the hell are people handling matters related to me without even discussing it with me?

 

She could only think that the Emperor and the Duke were birds of a feather.

 

“Congratulations on your investiture as Crown Princess.”

 

Grand Duke Wigmund smiled brightly and raised a toast first.

 

Excuse me, can’t you see the atmosphere that suddenly turned cold?

 

At the Grand Duke’s gesture, other royals also raised their glasses one by one to pay their respects.

 

Alice smiled awkwardly, picked up the champagne glass next to her, and downed it in one gulp.

 

She didn’t particularly like alcohol, but right now she wanted to drink like crazy.

 

‘Now the Duke will try to interfere with me in earnest.’

 

She couldn’t exactly ask to return the Crown Princess title that had already been bestowed.

 

First, she had to stop the Duke’s actions.

 

So Alice had been fingering the Spirit Stone she had put in her clothes since the banquet started, measuring the timing.

 

Then soon, realizing there was no need to delay, she opened her mouth.

 

“Everyone here, please look at me.”

 

She only said one sentence, but everyone’s attention focused on her. Even the Emperor’s.

 

Alice took a sip of the refilled champagne and continued.

 

“Actually, there are still people outside who doubt the results of my ability test. Of course, there might be some in here as well. It is deeply regrettable that we cannot fully enjoy this banquet meant for celebration.”

 

Her lips stiffened involuntarily at the gathered gazes, but Alice didn’t show it.

 

“So I would like to dispel those doubts right here.”

 

“Oho, by what means do you intend to prove it?”

 

One of the royals who had been looking at her suspiciously from earlier spoke up.

 

Alice took out the Spirit Stone she had kept in her clothes.

 

“What is this?”

 

“It is a Spirit Stone. Ability can be discerned with this.”

 

She told a middle-aged royal next to her to try touching the stone once. After hesitating for a moment, he touched the stone and said with a puzzled look.

 

“……Forgive me for saying so, but it looks like an ordinary gemstone.”

 

“That is the case when a person without ability touches it. But when I touch it.”

 

“……!”

 

The stone, which was turquoise, emitted a soft golden light as soon as it came into her hand. At this, some looked at the stone with fascination.

 

“It is truly fascinating. But how can we know that this is a Spirit Stone?”

 

Grand Duke Wigmund, who was watching, also spoke with a nonchalant face.

 

At his words, the hall fell silent as if doused with cold water. The Emperor was looking at the scene with a hazy gaze, as if drunk.

 

“Ah, please do not misunderstand; I am not doubting the Princess. I am only saying this because the Princess’s efforts to completely erase the seeds of doubt might end up in vain.”

 

Grand Duke Wigmund spoke with a face that realized belatedly that his words could be misunderstood.

 

Alice understood his words. He meant that if she was going to prove her ability, she should do it flawlessly.

 

It would be strange to immediately believe that she had brought a Spirit Stone, which the temple rarely gave out.

 

She hadn’t known she would use the Spirit Stone for this purpose, so she hadn’t thought to bring someone to vouch for it.

 

After all, it was a Spirit Stone Evan had secretly given her, telling her to use it only when her life was in danger.

 

“Then it can’t be helped. Her Highness’s effort was commendable, but since there is no means to prove that it is a Spirit Stone…….”

 

Another royal spoke as if genuinely regretting the fact. However, Alice noticed the ridicule in the subtle tone. It was the person who had been looking at her suspiciously from earlier.

 

“What is the name of the person who just spoke?”

 

“……It is Count Patrick.”

 

At his answer, Alice recalled the young noble who had knelt at the previous banquet. She remembered one of those young nobles was the son of the Patrick family.

 

Looking closely, the eye color of that young noble and this Count were the same.

 

‘Aha…….’

 

Alice realized he was harboring a grudge over his son being publicly humiliated.

 

‘To think this person was also a royal.’

 

But perhaps because he was a distant relative with barely any imperial blood flowing, his seat was quite far from her.

 

Other royals were also looking at her with gazes no different from Count Patrick’s.

 

“I also think it’s better to completely eliminate the seeds of doubt.”

 

There was a way to prove it.

 

However, she had hoped not to use this method if possible…….

 

“There is one way to prove it. Is there a wizard here? I would prefer someone who can sense mana.”

 

“…….”

 

Was there no one here who could use magic?

 

When Alice was pondering, Edwin raised his hand.

 

“I can sense mana.”

 

“Ah, if it’s an Esteban, it should be possible.”

 

Grand Duke Wigmund nodded. Alice met Edwin’s eyes for the second time since entering this place.

 

“I heard that the power of a Spirit Stone is sensed in a different form from mana. Using that difference, could you prove that this power is the power of a spirit when I use the Spirit Stone?”

 

“……Understood.”

 

Evan had told her to use it when her life was in danger, and now was that time.

 

If she didn’t use it now, she would be framed as a fake princess according to the Duke’s will, and that would eventually mean pawning her life.

 

‘I have no other choice.’

 

Alice began to recite the spell Evan had taught her. Since he said it was simply summoning a forest spirit, nothing dangerous would happen.

 

[Oh Guardian of the Forest and Spirit of the Wind…….]

 

She began to chant the spirit language Evan had taught her. Then, wind began to blow from somewhere. Edwin looked at the Spirit Stone in her hand with a sharp gaze.

 

—Whoosh!

 

Alice also looked at the Spirit Stone in her hand. This wind right now, from here…….

 

“D-danger! Everyone run!”

 

Someone jumped up and shouted. But before anyone could flee, it happened in an instant.

 

“Gasp!”

 

The wind leaking little by little from the Spirit Stone swirled like a small typhoon.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Food, dishes, and even the tablecloths flew away, leaving the banquet hall completely devastated.

 

‘Uh…….’

 

Alice had no time to worry about the messed-up banquet. Before she knew it, as the strong gale rose, Edwin was already embracing her body protectively.

 

Then, grabbing the Spirit Stone she was holding, he poured mana into it to calm the rampaging spirit.

 

Because of that, the strongly swirling wind calmed down in an instant.

 

Silence ensued for a few seconds, and soon, feeling the warmth and the familiar lemongrass scent, her face burned hot.

 

Held in his arms, Alice wriggled her small body and whispered with an embarrassed face.

 

“Edwin…… I can’t breathe.”

 

Edwin looked down at the Spirit Stone in his hand with a cold gaze without saying a word.

 

Then the Spirit Stone suddenly became hot.

 

[Save me!]

 

A child’s voice rang in Alice’s head.

 

Reflexively, she snatched the Spirit Stone from him and hugged it to her chest.

 

Edwin, having lost the Spirit Stone due to her action, looked at her questioningly for a moment.

 

“I-it’s okay now.”

 

At Alice’s words, Edwin backed away from her.

 

But his red gaze still clung to her tenaciously.

 

Catching her breath which had stopped due to facing an unexpected situation, she belatedly looked around.

 

Except for the Emperor and Grand Duke Wigmund, whom the knights had protected as a priority, most of the royals were rolling on the floor.

 

Among them were those who had been looking at her with suspicion earlier.

 

So it served them right a bit, but…….

 

‘What was that voice just now?’

 

The voice was no longer heard. Alice tilted her head. Did she have an auditory hallucination?

 

“It is a Spirit Stone.”

 

Edwin returned to his seat after delivering the fact in a calm tone.

 

The Emperor, who had looked surprised by the sudden situation, soon burst into hearty laughter.

 

“Ho ho ho! So they say! Is everyone alright?”

 

The royals staggered up from their seats and began to sit down one by one.

 

They still had dazed and bewildered faces, as if they couldn’t grasp what they had just experienced.

 

“Did you see? Now if anyone doubts the Princess, it will be proven in this manner. Of course, I will not be responsible for the consequences.”

 

“Ahaha…… I apologize.”

 

Alice only let out an awkward laugh. Was this what he meant by using it when her life was in danger? But she felt a bit wronged too.

 

‘How was I supposed to know it would cause this much chaos?’

 

She hadn’t known the opponents would be this suspicious, and she had only proven her bloodline using the only means she had. She thought only a small spirit would be summoned at best…….

 

Alice looked at the Spirit Stone in her hand.

 

The Spirit Stone, which had heated up briefly earlier, had returned to its original temperature.

 

But the Spirit Stone glowing gold was blinking on and off.

 

‘Somehow…… it seems angry.’

 

While she was examining the Spirit Stone closely, the royals who had tidied up their clothes began to converse.

 

“Her Highness the Princess is truly an extraordinary person in many ways.”

 

“Indeed. It reminds me of what happened at the last banquet.”

 

At the nobles’ conversation, Alice traced back her memory to what happened at the last banquet.

 

Soon her face stiffened awkwardly. That wasn’t something she did intentionally either…….

 

But that incident had long since been solidified as a fait accompli done by her.

 

“Ah! Come to think of it, didn’t you make the young nobles kneel?”

 

“Haha, she is a person who is imposing in everything.”

 

When one royal spoke, another chimed in. Most were those who followed the Emperor.

 

Even if they were making flattering remarks because they wanted to side with the Emperor, wasn’t it too much to force praise like this?

 

They were exalting an incident that was nothing more than a character flaw to anyone’s eyes as a virtue of the Crown Princess.

 

“…….”

 

The royals sitting close to Grand Duke Wigmund looked on with expressions of disbelief. They were people of the noble faction gathered around the Grand Duke.

 

The Grand Duke himself, the party involved, was watching with a smile as if this situation was amusing.

 

He, who had remained quiet, opened his mouth.

 

“It seems Young Duke Esteban cares for Her Highness the Princess very deeply. It was quite impressive how he protected Her Highness first as soon as the gust hit earlier. He looked like a hero saving a princess; even to a man’s eyes, it was quite cool.”

 

“I only did what I had to do.”

 

Edwin’s answer was cold enough to seem a bit heartless.

 

“There are many who find it difficult to even do what they have to do.”

 

Answering with a bitter smile, the Grand Duke spoke toward her.

 

“Your Highness, what I said earlier was absolutely not out of doubt, so please do not take it to heart.”

 

“It’s okay, since I know what you meant, Grand Duke……. I don’t really mind.”

 

Despite her answer feeling a bit distant, the Grand Duke said with a kind smile.

 

A face capable of eliciting goodwill from anyone made the opponent defenseless, whoever they were.

 

“Please feel free to call me Valerian. I am also happy that such a great celebratory event has occurred in the Imperial Family.”

 

After the noisy banquet time passed, the Emperor stood up after hearing something from a servant who approached him.

 

Whatever news he heard, the Emperor’s face, which had been hazy, turned serious.

 

As he left, the royals and Alice also stood up.

 

Thus, the somewhat uncomfortable banquet ended.

 

To digest, Alice walked alone along the arched corridor inside the Emperor’s palace.

 

Her stomach felt bloated from being conscious of Edwin throughout the meal.

 

‘Earlier…… Edwin protected me.’

 

She felt strange. She had been deliberately avoiding meeting Edwin all this time.

 

Just on the single conjecture that he might be connected to Duke Esteban.

 

If that were true, she should be the one to appease Edwin, but she couldn’t muster the courage easily.

 

Because she wasn’t confident.

 

‘Betray your father and side with me.’

 

Because she wasn’t confident she could say that.

 

Alice shook her head in the complex thoughts recalling the past events.

 

“What should I do…….”

 

If Edwin put his mind to it, he had the power to seize the throne even without being with the Duke.

 

Conversely, it also meant he was a person who could nullify the Duke’s plan immediately.

 

She had to make Edwin her ally somehow. That was an unchanging fact.

 

Lost in thought, she had to stop her steps abruptly at a voice calling from behind.

 

At the same time, her chest started to heat up. It was where the Spirit Stone was.

 

While flustered by the Spirit Stone heating up like earlier, Edwin approached and grabbed her.

 

“Alice, let’s talk for a moment.”

 

She forcibly turned her stiff body around with tension. Edwin was there.

 

“Edwin…….”

 

The red eyes looking at her had sunk coldly. She flinched at the sharp gaze that seemed like it could cut just by brushing past, but Alice didn’t show it.

 

Edwin glanced behind him and said.

 

“Right now, there is no one around except us.”

 

This…… isn’t a threat, is it?

 

Alice examined his face at his meaningful tone. At her gaze which had turned slightly passive, Edwin softened his energy and opened his mouth.

 

“Tell me the reason why you’re avoiding me, Alice.”

 

“……When did I avoid you?”

 

Alice was confident there could be no tone more awkward than this as she spoke.

 

But hating the situation becoming awkward for no reason, she started rambling excuses.

 

“I was just busy so it was hard to meet. Our times just didn’t match by chance…….”

 

“I know you don’t mean that.”

 

Edwin said firmly. Caught in her lie immediately, Alice had no choice but to apologize.

 

“I’m sorry…… Edwin.”

 

Edwin’s eyes darkened. It looked like he was gauging something. After a long while, he slowly opened his mouth.

 

“Have you come to hate me?”

 

It was simply asking one question, but why was it so hard to spit out?

 

He had no certainty about what answer would come from her. This was the first time he felt like this.

 

So even though he didn’t like Alice’s lies, for this moment at least, he hoped she would deny it even with a lie.

 

Edwin couldn’t understand himself like this, and felt like everything was escaping his control.

 

“…….”

 

But Alice remained silent. At that, Edwin felt like he was plummeting to the bottom of a bottomless pit.

 

“……So it’s true.”

 

Edwin’s lips twisted. Alice thought she felt a sense of incongruity in his smile.

 

Suddenly, his smile looked sad rather than dangerous. Guessing a little of what he was thinking, Alice hurriedly opened her mouth.

 

“No…… Edwin. It’s not that.”

 

“……Then what is it?”

 

Edwin’s gaze, always calm, looked a bit impatient. Like a person trying to find and solve a problem quickly.

 

She knew she couldn’t lie in front of him forever. Eventually, she mustered up courage and opened her mouth.

 

“Actually I…… am being threatened.”

 

“By whom?”

 

As soon as he heard her words, Edwin’s eyes surged with murderous intent. It seemed he already guessed who the threatener was.

 

When she hesitated to continue, he asked first.

 

“By Father?”

 

“……Yeah.”

 

She had finally done it.

 

Alice bit her lip tightly.

 

What reaction would Edwin show? Meanwhile, the corners of Edwin’s mouth twisted up even more bleakly.

 

He looked like he would kill anyone who passed in front of him. Seeing such a ferocious demeanor for the first time, Alice was terrified.

 

“E-Edwin?”

 

He slowly approached her. Overwhelmed by his spirit for no reason, she squeezed her eyes shut.

 

Edwin blinked slowly looking at her like that. But it was visible that he was suppressing his anger. He muttered low.

 

“What should I do. To relieve my anger.”

 

Being relatively close, Alice’s eyes grew large like a rabbit’s hearing his mutter.

 

Edwin’s eyes took on a subtle glint.

 

His lips, holding a chill, curved up into a straight line.

 

At that moment, the Spirit Stone on her body began to heat up again.

 

But Alice didn’t even have time to feel it. At what Edwin said next, her mind went blank.

 

“I can’t exactly cut off the head of someone who is already dead.”