Episode 25
Yvonne met Heldebrandt’s eyes. Normally, she would have responded casually and diverted the situation, but seeing the liveliness in Heldebrandt’s eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
“Your Majesty we were planning to make a crown for Your Majesty.”
“F-Francis, what are you saying!?”
Although Yvonne looked at Francis with confusion and spoke, her face showed terror. She knew very well that Heldebrandt wanted to kill her, and mentioning such a thing might provoke him.
“Oh, really? But why were you holding hands when making the crown? Will you be hugging each other when it’s done?”
With a smile that seemed amusing, Heldebrandt’s remark caused Yvonne to shudder even more. Then, without taking a four-leaf clover from Francis, she turned away from him and focused on Heldebrandt, who held her shoulders, pressing them down.
Hugging his neck with her arms, Yvonne said, “But I still like it best when Dad hugs me!”
“Isn’t this you hugging me?”
“Oh, is that so…”
Heldebrandt looked at her actions as if they were curious and then patted her back. Only now did Yvonne feel a sense of relief, as if his twisted judgment had been undone.
“I knew you liked crowns.”
“I studied it because I wanted to know everything about you.”
As she said this, she remembered that she had forced herself to remember in order to survive. She didn’t care what Heldebrandt liked. All Yvonne wanted to know was how to escape from this tiresome imperial palace and start a new life.
“Admirable.”
“Then, please appreciate it.”
Heldebrandt, who was half-sitting, fully slumped down and gently stroked her cheek.
“If you want to be praised for your beauty, awaken, my dear. I don’t want to be interested in something that will die soon.”
He said this and then stood up and left.
Despite his sharp words, Yvonne could tell he seemed quite cheerful today. If he were really in a bad mood, he wouldn’t have left her like this.
“Are you okay?”
As the Emperor disappeared completely in front of her, Francis spoke first.
“Yes, because I really like Dad.”
Yvonne mechanically replied with a smile. She couldn’t be honest with Francis. Although he seemed to be helping her now, Francis was only loyal to the Emperor.
He was like an enemy’s blade to her.
* * *
“Drink it.”
The one ordering him was Evony, a maid. She didn’t move a finger and controlled the servants around her like puppets. Yurian knew Evony was an esper. She also possessed enhanced physical abilities like him.
Of course, he was far superior to her, but Yurian was certain he would lose to her while the suppressor was active. Evony, the maid, was once quite a famous knight before becoming a maid.
If it were the original Yurian, he wouldn’t have been so cautious compared to his abilities. For her to defeat Yurian, it would have been impossible without a second awakening. Moreover, there had been only one person who had achieved a second awakening in the last few centuries.
“If you drink obediently, I’ll end it with this.”
Yurian held the glass and hesitated. The transparent liquid inside was water. Should he wait until Princess Yvonne arrives, or should he drink and wait?
He knew what was in the water—hallucinogens and stimulants. He recognized their unique scent.
“Come on.”
At Evony’s urging words, Yurian smiled and drank the water. He seemed to know why he was made to drink it. He scoffed, saying the Emperor probably hoped his daughter would awaken. Then, he emptied the transparent glass.
Soon, sleep poured over him. Yurian didn’t resist the incoming drowsiness and collapsed to the ground. Evony, like handling a doll, lifted him and laid him on the bed.
She seemed like she wanted to just throw him, but seeing how the Princess valued him, she refrained from doing so.
“Take care of him.”
“Yes.”
The courtiers and maids followed her orders and left the underground where Yurian was.
Yurian regained consciousness after a few hours. Except for the suppressor around his neck, all other restraints were removed, so he had freedom of movement.
A faint sweet scent reminded him of Yvonne. It was still remarkable that he didn’t experience magic pain and side effects when he was close to her.
As he lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, everything felt suffocating. He closed his eyes again and waited for Princess Yvonne.
When would she come again today?
She would come at mealtime. He even thought it might have been better when his arms were bound. At least then, she fed him.
Even if they touched, the pain caused by magic would fade away.
Tick tock.
He heard familiar footsteps. But those comforting footsteps were accompanied by heavy male ones.
The iron door opened with a chilling friction sound.
“It seems you quite like the underground, Duke Leonhardt.”
“…”
Emperor Hildebrandt approached, mocking. Yurian realized he couldn’t resist in this room. It infuriated him that Hildebrandt was approaching. If only he didn’t have the suppressor around his neck, he would have punched that detestable face.
Yurian glared at Hildebrandt approaching him. The bedsheet crumpled in his hand; it was the one the maids had changed before Hildebrandt arrived.
He remembered that the effects of the drug he had taken didn’t kick in at all. He had surely drunk something before falling asleep.
“Do you know what the Duke drank?”
Yurian tensed as Hildebrandt chuckled. To make matters worse, Princess Yvonne, who had been waiting behind him, was there again. She looked at him with a cold face, as if she were under hypnosis.
Hildebrandt laughed mockingly and snapped his fingers.
Snap. Along with the sound, Yurian began to see what he had feared the most in the past.
‘Stop it!’
‘Don’t act like this, Yurian! Snap out of it!’
He was experiencing the side effects of his abilities for the first time.
‘You haven’t taken the stabilizer, right?’
‘Look! Who would…!’
His side effect was the desire to see blood. Once the side effect kicked in, nothing could be done.
The hallucination Yurian was seeing now was from when the side effects had started unintentionally. He had detested the sudden manifestations of side effects since childhood. What he was witnessing now was the day of awakening, the day he made his parents die.
“No, run…”
“Pfuh…”
Although he heard the mocking laughter of the emperor, he couldn’t afford to pay attention. Just seeing the terrified faces of his parents was agonizing. He knew well what horrific events would unfold next.
‘No, Yurian!’
‘Stop!’
Yurian mentally screamed for his parents to run away, but his body was already moving out of control.
After a sudden change in perspective, what he saw were the things he feared the most.
“No… No…”
Yurian covered his eyes with his palm and fell to the floor. Whether it was due to fear or not, he couldn’t even lift his head. He didn’t want to face the sight of his precious people’s corpses when he lifted his head.
Yurian feared his side effects. They had always taken away precious things from him.
“What are you looking at, Duke Leonhardt?”
A serpent-like voice tickled his ears. Yurian, who regained his senses from the voice, realized that all of this was just a nauseating illusion. However, even if it was an illusion, the fear was still frightening.
“Why did you make us like this?”
Understanding the situation, he was furious, but he couldn’t raise his head. If he lifted his head, people who had become miserable because of him might blame him.
Yurian didn’t wish for this ability. What he desired was just an ordinary life, not an ability like a time bomb that he couldn’t control.
“Ugh…”
Yurian closed his eyes and clenched his fist. Then he realized. In this place, Princess Yvonne was also present. She was the one who could stop his side effects. Strangely, the impulse to see blood or the pain caused by magic didn’t occur when she came and went.
If he could reach her now, maybe this detestable side effect would stop.
Thinking that way, Yurian with red eyes looked up and followed where Princess Yvonne was.
“Are you even looking at your dead parents, Duke?”
“Shut up.”
Seeing Hildebrandt’s serpent-like face, Yurian felt relieved from his guilt. He pulled Princess Yvonne, who was behind Hildebrandt, towards himself. Then he roughly removed the gloves she was wearing and held her hand.
He suddenly thought she might be the reason why she hadn’t awakened yet.
With that thought, Yurian, who reached the conclusion, laughed bravely and said, “Perish today, Your Majesty.”
“What?”
He reached for the suppressor with his tied hands. He tore it off and unleashed all his magic power to fully exert his strength.
