What do I do now?
“Until the end, you don't say anything?
Or do you not even want to talk to such awakened monsters?”
As I saw the ferocious aura rising, I felt my heart speed up.
'It looks like these lunatics are already going to attack!'
As if they had completely forgotten that the Emperor's brother was behind me, I saw their anger blinding their eyes, and my heart nearly exploded.
And finally:
“Okay, let’s see the skills of the Tower Lady that the magicians show off!”
As befits an awakened person, or as they are called in this world, he showed an unfiltered, dirty temper.
"Didn't you say that?
That a confrontation between the Awakened and the Magicians would be allowed!"
With the angry knight's hand signal, a pillar of fire rose.
‘Ah!’
It looked like a snake that opened its jaws and was lunging towards me and Louis.
'Damn, these crazy people!'
I screamed inside.
'System, what are you doing?
Save me!
Unlock the magic!
'Come on, come on, open it, you idiot!'
Then…
─ Boom!
An explosion sounded.
My eyes became white, and my head was spinning.
Oh, are you dead?
Or not?
In front of my eyes...
'Strange.
I see someone I'm not supposed to see.'
Why do I see his back now?
“What is this...”
A low, familiar voice.
“What are these actions?”
I could clearly see a wall of sharp ice spears spreading out ferociously.
“Explain immediately.”
The one who repelled the attack of the Awakened.
He was a man who looked like he was going to kill me rather than save me.
Caseys.
“Amazing.
When did I allow a duel between wizards in the Imperial Palace?
And with Duchess Ariel in particular!”
With this cold response, their faces turned pale as if they were going to fall.
“Your Majesty!
Now, the matter is…”
“No need for excuses.”
Casey couldn't hold back his dirty feeling.
Clack─ branches of ice stretched out, threatening the shoulders, backs, and skin of the wanderers.
"Your Majesty!
This wasn't intentional!
We, we just wanted an explanation…"
Casey looked at those who dared to create chaos in his palace, cocking the side of his head with a piercing gaze.
“Did the knights responsible for protecting the empire dare to disturb the balance?”
The knights shouted desperately:
"We apologize!
This was never intended…!"
“We heard that wizards are hiding Your Majesty’s guide, so we couldn’t contain our anger.
We apologize!”
They believed these ridiculous rumours.
As he watched the knights collapse with terrified faces, Caesis swallowed down the piercing headache in his temple.
'Tsk, they do what they're not told.'
The witches and the awakened.
If they begin to measure their strength, endless disputes will arise.
To prevent this, there was a specific rule:
It is forbidden for magicians and awakened people to attack each other by force.
'They dare to create chaos in the Imperial Palace.'
Anger flared up like fire.
“A dubai quarrel over ridiculous rumours, amazing.
Are you really the knights of the palace?”
“Your Majesty!
Calm down, we made a mistake...”
A familiar pain spread through his blood vess as he grew stronger.
But, strictly speaking, the source of this pain now was not from his strength.
Rather, it was the woman standing behind him.
'Duchess Ariel.'
Casey swallowed the mounting disgust.
He couldn't understand his behavior just now.
'Why did you interfere?'
He retracted his extended aura and turned around.
When their eyes met, he saw the Duchess's face unable to hide the contempt.
'Yes, why did I act this way with a woman like that as if I was going to protect her?'
Why did she stand in front of the woman who was looking at the knights as if she was mocking their condition?
Why in front of Duchess Ariel?
'I knew she would handle it with her great magic, so why?'
When he entered the palace, he felt the aura of the awakened people about to explode.
When he rushed and arrived at the spot, he saw Duchess Ariel's frozen face.
He also saw his terrified little brother clinging to her from behind.
Everything was fast after that.
In the blink of an eye, he stood in front of the Duchess.
His mood became sour in an instant.
'Is it because of Louis?'
Understand it this way.
'Yes, that's why.'
Get rid of the doubts attached to him.
Then he attacked the person in front of him with the words:
“Duchess, you could have gone through it calmly, so why did you make a mess?”
“...Ha!”
As he expected, her momentary astonishment was clearly an illusion.
Who dares to mock so clearly in front of the Emperor?
“A truly astonishing sight, Your Majesty.
You blame me when those who suddenly appeared, caused trouble, and unleashed their power were the ones who started it?”
“How am I supposed to think about a duchess who continued a dispute that could have been canceled with a wave of the hand?”
“No, it is not me who you should blame, but your noble knights.
You see, your dear brother was also behind me.
So, please do not just give them a light reproach.”
Casey frowned.
Because he met Louis' eyes again.
He threatened in an angry tone:
“Why is Louis here?”
Is this a new way to threaten?
Is she trying to warn the witches not to forget that the hostage is in her hand?
As if to confirm that she was not wrong, Duchess Ariel said sarcastically as she pointed to the collapsed knights:
“Should I explain it here?”
He felt angry.
Casey clenched his fist tightly.
'Annoying as usual.'
Today, he was particularly exasperated by the Duchess's long, flowing hair.
Perhaps because its appearance reminds him of the hair of his mentor, who suddenly disappeared from his foggy memory.
‘Today, there was no annoying pain.’
The task of manipulating the gates, a tedious daily process, continued.
Normally, he would experience body-wracking pain with every use of his power.
But, as if a fish was caught in a net that had broken it and dived into the sea, Kaysis felt liberated.
'That was great.'
Like that moment when his mentor visited him.
He maintained this pure feeling, used his strength and poured it out.
He knew that the knights around him were cheering with enthusiasm and admiration, but he tested it on purpose.
‘When I was in a bad state, she immediately appeared.’
What does that mean?
Someone close enough to know the Emperor's condition immediately.
'Or someone with the ability to monitor him in this way.'
A person who hopes that nothing serious will happen if he loses control.
He didn't know why his guide used strange means to disappear.
But in that moment, he felt like he could forgive her no matter what.
'It's as if my personality was split in two.'
His will to hold her and pull her after persuading her collapsed.
In his blurry vision and realization, as soon as he felt her presence in front of him, tender feelings blossomed.
He clung to her desperately as if he were acting spontaneously, unable to realize it.
His feelings were clear in his memory.
Don't go.
Stay by my side.
Be mine.
please.
That weak heart that didn't look like him.
Moreover, he had already caught a lead on his mentor.
'She's monitoring my condition.'
If he is in danger of losing control, she will appear again.
If he knew he would become bait, the fishing would be easy.
If he decided to catch her by any means, he would be able to do so.
However, Cayces had not told anyone about the presence of his guide who might come every night.
He couldn't.
Not even the imperial knights, not even the cold-faced Duchess Ariel, could find her.
'What if she disappears completely?'
This was the first fear that Caseys, who had never known fear before, felt.
It was hesitation.
“Duchess.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He came back to reality and saw Duchess Ariel, stiff with anger.
He also looked at his little brother's face, who looked like he was going to say “Brother, Your Majesty” with sparkling round eyes.
Insults rose to his throat.
“Duchess, follow me.”