Episode 123

When Yurian came to his senses, Arcad was collapsed in a pool of blood.

“Urgh… Young Master…”

“…Ah…”

Yurian stumbled back, startled at the sight of blood pouring from Arcad’s abdomen. He tried to convince himself that the urge he’d felt moments ago—the desire to see that blood—had just been a dream.

“Get… a healer…”

He ran away, nearly fleeing.

If he stayed, he’d want to see more of that blood.

Arcad survived. Yurian had run for a healer immediately and brought one back.

However—

“So the seers were right after all.”

“….”

“What sort of side effect is it?”

The Duke had already guessed the nature of Yurian’s side effect. But he wanted the words to come from his son’s own mouth. That way, the ominous feelings he’d harbored would finally be confirmed as truth.

Even the servants were still human. Though they obeyed the Duke’s commands, they didn’t view his coldness toward Yurian favorably. Many of them pitied Yurian, and unlike what the Duke believed, he wasn’t a bad person. In fact, he was talented beyond compare for his age—nearly a genius.

And yet—

“B… blood…”

“….”

“I wanted to see blood.”

“Hah.”

The Duke laughed with satisfaction at that response, then glanced at the chamberlain behind him.

“Start giving him stronger sedatives. It’d be troublesome if he tries to kill someone again.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Yurian was stunned by the realization that he’d nearly killed Arcad.

Arcad, who had always been kind to him.

“And confine him. We can’t predict when his side effects will appear.”

“…Yes.”

After that, Yurian was confined to his room.

He couldn’t leave without permission, and whenever he went to the training ground, knights who viewed him as a monster accompanied him.

Yurian hated the night. He didn’t leave the light off in his room just because he was restrained.

He hated that his mother was sick. Because it was all his fault.

If his mother hadn’t been ill, perhaps his father could have loved him. Maybe he wouldn’t treat him like a monster. Maybe, just maybe… he could have lived like a human being.

Maybe he could have lived like a person.

There wasn’t a single person in the world who loved him.

Yurian was used to the dark. His eyes had grown so sharp that he could see even without light. But he hated how he was growing more and more used to the darkness—hated that even his future seemed like it was adapting to that same darkness.

He was lonely.

There were many people in the mansion, countless eyes watching him. Yet no one was kind to him.

No one gave him genuine affection. They only pitied him or avoided him—no one reached out.

Clink.

Yurian reached up and touched the binding collar around his neck, the device that restricted his powers. No noble son wore such a thing. Not unless they were a criminal.

In the Duke of Leonhardt’s household, Yurian was treated like a criminal.

The one who made the Duchess sick. The one who disgusted the Duke.

“If you weren’t going to love me… why did you bother to have me…”

The words burst out from the weight on his chest.

Yurian was startled by his own voice—but he didn’t think it wasn’t how he truly felt. He just hadn’t wanted to admit it. But it was the truth.

“….”

The sun was rising.

He liked watching the sunrise. It felt like the only light in his life.

From the pitch-black darkness, light slowly crept in and illuminated the world. The things swallowed by night began to take form again, revealing themselves bit by bit.

When the sun fully rose, the grass and trees, swaying in the breeze, returned to their natural, vivid green.

* * *

“I don’t know what ability you’ll awaken with, so this is for the best.”

At nineteen, Yurian already knew what his ability would be. With any other type, it might have been uncertain, but body-enhancement users always showed signs before awakening. The only variable was the rank, determined by the amount of mana.

“…Yes.”

Every evening, Yurian fell asleep in the basement.

The place where criminals who committed serious offenses against the ducal house were held.

Even that was under the pretense of “consideration” for Yurian. All the prisoners had been moved to the annex dungeon so that if he lost control and killed anyone, it would be them.

The place was miserable.

It had never been designed with nobles in mind—it was dark, damp, and barely let in any light.

Watching the sunrise used to be his only hope.

But not anymore.

Now he just wished he’d awaken quickly and be sent off to the estate.

Yet, as his awakening neared, he began losing time more frequently.

“Urgh…”

“Young Master… again…”

This time, when Yurian regained consciousness, he saw blood—his own. The prison cell was soaked in blood, and it was all his.

“…Ha.”

He actually felt relieved. The desire to see blood didn’t apply solely to others.

Yurian was genuinely relieved.

The real problem came on his twentieth birthday.

Fearing Yurian’s awakening, the Duke of Leonhardt bound him even more tightly than usual. Yurian wasn’t in the main mansion’s basement. He had been relocated to the annex.

The Duke had stationed many prisoners nearby, just in case his son’s side effects manifested immediately upon awakening.

It wasn’t rare for side effects to emerge right after an ability was awakened.

Leonhardt’s teleportation magic was ready—he intended to escape with his wife at the first sign of danger.

And Yurian, unlike other awakeners, received no celebration. He was bound like a beast, shackled head to toe. There were five devices restricting his power alone.

That’s why—

That’s precisely why—

BOOM!

A thunderous crash echoed as the annex collapsed.

Starting from below, the building crumbled easily.

What was strange was that not a single scream escaped as the annex fell. The Duke of Leonhardt felt relief. If the building had fallen, his disgusting, monstrous son must be dead.

All he had to do now was publicly announce that Yurian never awakened. He could adopt an heir, or, if necessary, find someone else to pose as Yurian.

The Duke had never publicly presented his son. Partially because of the unpredictability of Yurian’s side effects, but mostly because not even once had he felt love for him.

“My lady.”

“….”

The Duchess was asleep. The Duke was almost thankful. If he moved her now while she was asleep, the nausea from teleportation wouldn’t affect her.

Just then—

“KYAAAH!”

“P-please spare me!”

“Aaah!”

“Evacuate! Your Grace!”

The voices outside belonged to the servants.

* * *

When Yurian opened his eyes again, what he saw was his father, clutching the corpse of his wife in his arms.

“Open… your eyes… Ugh… My love… Please…”

Yurian had no idea what he had done. Even though his consciousness had returned, his body wouldn’t stop.

“Guh…!”

Yurian tried to stop. But his body was moving as if it wasn’t his own. One hand was wrapped around his father’s throat.

“Kill me…”

“….”

“Kill me.”

The Duke was commanding him.

Duke Leonhardt had no will to use his powers now that his wife was dead. He was ready to die too.

He was not a man who could endure the loss of his wife.

“Urgh…”

Whether it was fortune or misfortune—

That day, even the imperial family had been thrown into chaos by a rebellion. Duke Ferrite had stormed the palace to reclaim his throne.

But the revolution failed and became a rebellion. All members of House Ferrite died by the Emperor’s power—forced to take their own lives.

Yurian didn’t know it then, but those under Hildegarde’s power had already been hypnotized. The moment Ferrite died, so did they—their hearts stopping under the influence of her ability.

The Emperor committed an act of madness—he changed his name to Hildebrandt, the one Yurian had just killed.

But no one thought it strange. Because of Hildebrandt’s ability, no one could distinguish between the names Hildegarde and Hildebrandt anymore.

“Duke Leonhardt?”

“….”

Yurian, after several failed suicide attempts, was restrained.

“Why are you trying to die?”

“…Your Majesty?”

“That’s right.”

It wasn’t unusual for Hildebrandt to visit the ducal manor near the capital. But Yurian had only seen the Emperor once before.

“I… killed my parents…”

“Let go of the guilt.”

“….”

“If you die, I’ll be inconvenienced.”

There was only one duke left in the empire.

Hildebrandt couldn’t give up—because Yvonne was still in a vegetative state.

“Forget that grief. Whenever you recall it, think of it as someone else’s memory.”

“Yes…”

For some reason, when Yurian looked into Hildebrandt’s eyes, it truly began to feel like it had happened to someone else.

“Good boy.”

The Emperor patted his head roughly, and Yurian blankly watched his back as he walked away.

* * *

The next time Yurian saw the Emperor again was at the New Year’s Festival, when he turned twenty-four.

At his side stood the Emperor’s daughter.