Episode 138

As the Marquess activated his ability, Yurian felt his mind go completely blank—like a sheet of white paper. Even so, he struggled to hold on to his thoughts of Yvonne.

“You told me not to confess.”

Even as she said that, her eyes had looked at him like she wanted him. From the moment he first saw her, she was someone he had wanted by his side.

Black ink-like darkness began to fill his mind. But Yurian desperately clung to Yvonne—she was the one thing he didn’t want to erase.

“Urgh…!”

Marquess Rohan, having used his full power as the Pope instructed, collapsed to his knees. Yurian’s memories were completely wiped.

And yet, he still remembered Yvonne.

“Yurian really does like me.”

Even in pain, the memory of her saying that made him let out a small, involuntary laugh. Though his body could no longer use mana, he began to accept the amplified force flowing through him. The heat that surged through his blood burned—it was agony.

“Kh…!”

He coughed up blood that spilled heavily from his mouth. Yurian ignored it and focused on absorbing the magical energy wrapping around his body. It felt like he was forcing his sealed mana to rise and burst through—as if breaking down a door with sheer force.

The magic circle beneath him began to shine with a bright white light. In that moment, he thought of Yvonne’s fake silver hair. For some reason, that noble color suited her even more than it did the imperial family.

And then, he felt the force swirling around him surge inward—completely.

“Just a little more!”

Accepting the power that surrounded him, he broke through the door that blocked him from within.

And in that instant—
Boom!

A massive explosion echoed out as Yurian’s power erupted. The entire building shook with a deep rumble.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing, destroying the building?!”

The Pope shouted in a panic. At her voice, the largest pillar—on the verge of toppling—froze in place.

“Ah…”

Yurian, looking perfectly fine now, was holding the pillar up with one hand.

“Looks like we’ll need to call a restoration ability user.”

“Ugh…”

The Pope was in shock—she’d almost been crushed by the building. Just as the Marquess regained his senses and helped her to her feet, preparing to head outside—

“We don’t need that here.”

The building returned to its original form.

“You put safeguards like that in?”

“Of course! Do you have any idea how valuable I am as a resource?”

“Right.”

She stood up with a huff and brushed the dust from her clothes. Being a cleric, she always wore white—any dirt showed instantly.

Suddenly, she snapped, unable to suppress her irritation anymore.

“Ugh! Seriously!”

“Your Holiness?”

Compared to the startled Marquess, Yurian was still lost in sensing his new power.

“Rohan, you snake.”

“Y-Yes, Your Grace?”

“Use your ability on me again. Just like earlier.”

“Don’t! Don’t do it now that you’ve awakened! Not unless you’re planning to demolish another building!”

Seeing her composed demeanor completely vanish in a fit of temper, they realized—

“This is the side effect.”

“Shut it!”

The Pope’s side effect made her spill everything she felt without filter. She’d awakened as a child and become Pope young—so revealing her raw, unfiltered self like this was something she feared most.

“Ugh, I feel disgusting. Like absolute trash.”

“…I’ve never seen a side effect like this before.”

“I think I’m getting one too.”

Yurian handed the Marquess a suppressant.

“Thank you. Then, Your Grace…?”

“I don’t need it.”

Maybe because he had shared a bed with Yvonne not long ago, Yurian looked completely fine. Still, thanks to the second awakening, his available mana had doubled, and it seemed like he had instinctively learned new ways to use his power.

“Let’s head back.”

“Hey! Aren’t you going to say thank you?!”

“Thank you, Your Holiness.”

“…Ah.”

“Thank you, Your Holiness the Pope.”

As Yurian and the Marquess thanked her in turn, the Pope’s side effect seemed to fade—because her side effect ended in proportion to her embarrassment.

“Ugh… I really hate this. I sincerely hope I never see you two again.”

“We actually haven’t met before, Your Holiness.”

“Just go!”

Yurian’s comment made her genuinely want to erase this entire event from her memory.

“I’ll gladly erase it for you, if you like.”

“If you use your ability on me, the Holy Knights will track you down and kill you.”

“Then I won’t.”

“Good. Now get out. I need to rest.”

She shoved the two of them out of her room and looked around at the dust-filled space with a heavy sigh.

* * *

Yvonne wanted to hold on to something of Yurian. But ever since he disappeared, Hildebrandt had been acting like he was waiting for her to come to his room of her own accord.

She didn’t want to go there. If she went this time, it really felt like he would embrace her. He had grown frighteningly kind. He was constantly making thoughtful gestures toward her, but to Yvonne, it all felt like a ticking time bomb—and that scared her even more.

“Sir Francis.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Francis had now returned to her side and was once again guarding her. Yvonne could no longer pretend not to notice that he was also there to watch her. As long as he was around, Yurian wouldn’t be able to sneak into her chambers. Maybe the other knights wouldn’t notice, but Francis definitely would.

That made Yvonne sad. She missed Yurian so much. It had already been a week since he disappeared. At first, she’d told herself he would return soon if she just waited—but no letter had come. No message.

It had only been a week, but it felt unbearable. Because that entire week, she had been with Hildebrandt.

It was like working overtime every single day without a single hour of rest. Morning, noon, and night—work, then more work. She’d sleep, wake up, and do it all over again.

Doing political affairs was better than this. Yvonne was surprised by how naturally she seemed to accept the duties of an emperor. But what made it all the more unbearable was Hildebrandt’s tenderness as he guided her… and those blue eyes watching her.

The dread of not knowing when that gaze would vanish and turn to a hand around her throat.

All of it was eating her alive.

“Can you tell me why Hilde put that ability on you?”

She hesitated before speaking. Francis was thoroughly loyal to the Emperor.

“His Majesty must have been angry that Your Highness left him.”

“Then why hasn’t he removed it now that I’ve returned?”

“That, I don’t know. But I think Your Highness should know just how much pain His Majesty went through.”

Yvonne involuntarily let out a quiet laugh.

“Hil de suffered?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“There were times he looked like he was going to die.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s not.”

Francis had no reason to lie. If anything, he liked when she spoke to him—when she asked questions and tried to understand. It made him feel human, after living like a machine for so long.

He believed that feeling came from the fact that she was the woman who would one day become the sovereign he would dedicate his loyalty to. No one in the palace treated him like a person. Only Yvonne looked him in the eye, asked him questions, and truly spoke to him.

“How exactly did he suffer?”

Francis couldn’t bring himself to answer that. If he told her that she—Princess Yvonne—had been the one to soothe the Emperor, that might convey how truly tormented he had been. But if the Yvonne he knew heard that, she wouldn’t be pleased.

Yvonne had changed after returning from the outside world. Before, she had followed the Emperor even in fear. Even if she didn’t love him, she acted like she did.

But now, she feared him while also no longer submitting like before—as if she was carrying something entirely different in her heart.

Francis couldn’t believe that the Emperor was unaware of this. But then again, perhaps the current Emperor truly didn’t see it. He had hypnotized himself so thoroughly, trying to convince himself that he loved her.

Francis felt helpless and sad, realizing that there was nothing he could do in this twisted mess of a relationship.

“He drank every day.”

“He probably used a lot of power.”

“His Majesty used his ability on himself to try and forget Your Highness.”

“…”

“And then remembered you again every single day—and suffered.”

Yvonne didn’t believe him. She told herself it was just regret over losing a cherished toy. If he had truly seen her as a lover, he never would’ve treated her the way he did.

“You’re really loyal to Hilde, aren’t you, Francis.”

“If Your Highness becomes the next Crown Princess, I will devote my loyalty to you as well.”

“Then go fix that eyepatch first.”

Yvonne felt miserable that she had no ability of her own. If she had a powerful ability like Hildebrandt’s, maybe she wouldn’t feel this uncertain all the time.

She missed Yurian. He never made her feel this way. When he was near, she never even noticed her lack of power—because he gave her everything without holding back. She never felt weak or pitiful in his presence.

“I know His Majesty loves Your Highness.”

At Francis’s words, Yvonne couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh.