Innocence
"The greatest performances are given when the audience believes you've forgotten your lines."
Meanwhile, Medea studied the mercenary who had fallen silent as a tomb, his mouth shut tight as a clam.
The eyes concealed behind that white half-mask were unreadable—impossible to decipher what thoughts churned beneath.
As expected. He's being secretive.
Rather than allow herself to be swept along by the mercenary's enigmatic whims, Medea turned her gaze absently toward the carriage window.
When Jason had embarked on his expedition in her past life, the First Prince was already dead.
If the First Prince had been alive then, I would have failed.
Medea had worked tirelessly to dismantle her enemies one by one through cunning tricks and elaborate traps—but luck had also been on her side.
After the First Prince's death, the empire had been thrown into chaos.
It was only after losing his formidable son that Emperor Perdiccas II became obsessed with the Philosopher's Stone—desperately searching for a way to defy death itself.
If he lives on this time, surviving when he should have died... how will the map of this continent change?
Medea sat in silent contemplation, unaware that the man opposite her had shifted closer, their knees nearly touching across the narrow carriage space.
Pull yourself together. Now is not the time to worry about the First Prince. I need to focus on strangling Jason first.
To prevent Jason from even dreaming of claiming the throne, she had to destroy the foundations he relied upon—one by one.
Among everything Valdina possesses, the thing he trusts most is what stands out the clearest.
Medea was determined to shatter that firm hope into dust.
At the Queen Dowager's palace, tension hung thick in the air.
"Your Majesty, you must eat something first."
"I cannot."
"You've been skipping meals for days. I'm certain Her Highness would be worried if she knew."
At Madame Pinatelli's words, the Queen Dowager struggled to suppress the emotions welling up within her chest.
"I've always treated her so harshly. I was never kind to her—and yet they're taking that child away from me so suddenly."
The wrinkled corners of her mouth trembled with barely restrained sorrow.
"It seems the goddess is finally punishing this foolish old woman."
She had never done anything truly good for Medea. All she had were memories of things she'd failed to do—kindnesses withheld, affection left unspoken.
If she lost Medea like this, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
"Your Majesty..."
Madame Pinatelli stood at a loss, unsure how to comfort her queen.
Suddenly, the door burst open with a crash.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Queen! We've received word from the Magic Tower!"
"You—what kind of rudeness is this?!"
The maid didn't even pause to acknowledge Madame Pinatelli's scolding.
"Her Highness the Princess is alive!"
The Queen Dowager sat upright as though struck by lightning.
In the distance, a carriage bearing the seal of the Magic Tower rolled into view.
"Your Majesty, please hold steady. There's a carriage approaching."
The girl walking beside a thin man wearing spectacles, supported gently by his arm, was unmistakably Medea.
Despite Madame Pinatelli's pleas for restraint, the Queen Dowager could endure no longer.
She walked as quickly as her frail body would allow, dragging her uncomfortable joints forward with sheer willpower.
"Medea!"
"Grandmother."
And she pulled the small figure into a fierce embrace.
"What in heaven's name happened to you? How much you must have suffered..."
The Queen Dowager found the bandages wrapped around her granddaughter's delicate wrists and ankles—silent testimony to her ordeal—and tears welled uncontrollably in her eyes.
It was the first time the Queen Dowager, who always maintained her regal dignity, had wept openly in public.
They say a person's true heart reveals itself in times of crisis. Contrary to the rumors that had circulated, everyone present could now see just how deeply she cared for her granddaughter.
"I am Terence. I oversee the Western Continent branch of the Magic Tower, and the Tower Lord is my master."
The young wizard wearing thin-rimmed glasses introduced himself with clipped efficiency.
"While on assignment from the Tower, I was conducting mineral excavation at the base of the Valdina Mountains when I discovered Her Highness the Princess, gravely injured. Her condition was so critical that I had to devote all my resources to her treatment—which is why it took some time to verify her identity and understand the full situation."
"Medea's condition was so serious? Just how grave was it...?"
"It was a miracle she survived the fall from the cliff at all. I cannot even count how many magic stones were expended in her recovery."
Terence lied with practiced ease.
"Oh, heavens. I will pay you everything. I will personally compensate the Magic Tower for every last expense, even if I must use my own coffers."
At that moment, members of Duke Claudio's household came rushing forward, breathless and wide-eyed at the news.
"Where is my niece, Medea?"
The Regent's eyes were filled with what appeared to be concern.
"Oh my goodness, Your Highness! What on earth happened?!"
Catherine rushed over with tears streaming down her face, attempting to support Medea with trembling hands.
Because they had arrived slightly late and made such a dramatic scene, the onlookers' faces hardened with suspicion.
They remembered all too clearly the Regent's behavior during the duel with the Katzen general—how he had shoved the Princess aside to protect his own son.
"Thank the goddess! Hahaha, I'm so relieved you've returned alive!"
Even now, in the eyes of the gathered crowd, the Regent's excessive display seemed like nothing more than a performance—jubilation at his son's innocence being cleared.
"What a relief? How dare you laugh when the child ended up like this!"
The Queen Dowager appeared to share their assessment and shouted at the Regent with barely contained fury.
Catherine quickly stepped forward to shield her husband.
"You misunderstand, Mother. Her Highness's injuries appear rather minor, so—"
How could someone who fell from a cliff walk back upright after only a few days?
Catherine had been suspicious from the very beginning that this incident hadn't been Medea's doing at all.
At that moment, Terence responded with barely concealed displeasure.
"It is only natural that Her Highness appears well—several of our finest wizards worked tirelessly to heal her. We shall take your comment as a compliment to our skills."
The Regent's eyes gleamed as though he'd caught the opening he'd been waiting for.
Perfect! Then that means there's no physical evidence left!
"Oh, it truly is wonderful that Medea has recovered so completely. But it's also deeply unfortunate—if that's the case, then all the clues to the culprit that might have remained on Dea's body must have vanished."
But Terence did not allow the Regent to escape so easily.
The young wizard pushed his glasses up with his middle finger and looked genuinely astonished.
"So what you're suggesting is that we should have prioritized finding the culprit over treating a dying patient? Your Highness the Regent is truly remarkable. I've never encountered anyone quite so cold-blooded—not even in the Magic Tower."
"..."
Catherine subtly nudged her son, signaling him to lighten the mood quickly.
Samon approached with tears brimming in his eyes.
"Medea! You're so fortunate to be alive—this is all my fault. I couldn't protect you—"
He spread his arms wide and moved to embrace Medea as he usually did.
"Oh—!"
Medea instinctively took a step backward, avoiding Samon's reach.
Her face showed a mixture of fear and confusion, as though even she was surprised by her own reaction.
"Medea?"
"I'm sorry, brother. I truly... don't know why I reacted that way..."
"Your Highness the Princess lost her memories due to the shock of the fall. Since the trauma doesn't manifest physically, she's the only one suffering from it."
Catherine's face flushed crimson at Terence's pointed addition.
The Queen Dowager glared at her second son and his wife with barely restrained fury, then grasped Medea's hand tightly.
"Medea, do you truly remember nothing? Not even the smallest detail?"
"I don't remember. I was being chased by a pack of hunting dogs, and when I opened my eyes, I was lying at the bottom of a cliff. It was so cold and terrifying..."
Medea shook her head with an expression of carefully crafted confusion.
She explained that she would likely have died if not for the hunting dog that had fallen with her, providing warmth through the freezing night.
"I have no idea who targeted me... However, since my last memory was of being with him, there's no possible way my brother Samon would want to hurt me. It must have been someone else. It could never have been Samon."
Even as she spoke these words of defense, the Princess's body continued to shift backward subtly, as though instinctively trying to increase the distance between herself and Samon.
Samon felt like he was losing his mind.
If you act like that here, I'll look even more suspicious!
He nearly shouted at Medea—who stood there looking like a pitiful young animal trembling with barely suppressed fear—wanting to grab her and hurl her off another cliff.
"I'm so sorry for causing everyone such trouble."
Terence, witnessing the Princess finally blaming herself with red-rimmed eyes brimming with tears, swallowed his inner shock.
And she dared to strike Cesare on the shoulder like it was nothing.
He almost doubted whether she was the same girl who had remained utterly expressionless throughout the entire carriage ride. Somehow, goosebumps prickled down his spine.
The Princess's very protection of Samon made people all the more suspicious. Wasn't she supposed to be close to the Duke Claudio family?
She probably doesn't want to believe it herself.
That her cousin—who had treated her like a true sister since childhood—had tried to murder her.
"Don't worry, child. This grandmother will personally find the evil creature who dared to harm you."
The Queen Dowager must have reached the same conclusion, for she glared at the Claudios with unveiled hostility and made her solemn vow to Medea.
"You may leave the palace immediately. Now that Medea has returned, there is no further need for you to remain here."
She turned toward Duke Claudio's family with ice in her voice.
"Samon Claudio is hereby sentenced to twenty lashes for deserting a member of the royal family and fleeing from his duty."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
What!
The onlookers were stunned.
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