Episode 61

“Are you an Esper?”

“Yes.”

Marquess Rohan abruptly stood up, knocking over the vase on the table in front of him.

“Ugh…!”

Yurian felt as if his head would split open, but he fought to stay conscious, fearing he would forget everything if he passed out.

“As expected, you possess a truly bothersome ability.”

With those words, Marquess Rohan poured even more powerful magic into him.

“You… bastard…!”

“Yes.”

Marquess Rohan mocked him and stepped back even further.

Yurian clutched his splitting head with both hands, gasping for breath.

“Let us never meet again, Grand Duke Leonhardt.”

Marquess Rohan, intoxicated with the joy of having completely defeated Yurian, left the room.

Yurian collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. His memories were being erased, not entirely removed, but rather painted over with a thick black ink. As the ink covered his memories, fragments of his past started to return, fitting together.

“Yvonne… Ugh…!”

He remembered how Yvonne had made a pact with him and then abandoned him. Tears welled up in Yurian’s eyes as the memories flooded back. Despite his anger, he still longed to see Yvonne. Recalling the times she had followed him with her eyes even while treating him harshly made his heart ache.

“You can’t just abandon me like this.”

He reached for the cloth on the table, pulling it down. The vase that Marquess Rohan had knocked over fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.

Yurian picked up a shard of glass and began to carve letters into his palm, determined not to forget this time.

“Yvonne… you can’t abandon me.”

With those words, he lost consciousness, tears still streaming down his face.

* * *

“We must leave immediately.”

“Kes?”

Marquess Rohan began packing his belongings as soon as he returned to the room. Yvonne was startled, never having seen him in such a rush before.

But she had already decided to follow Marquess Rohan, so she complied.

“I have nothing else to pack.”

“Then let’s go right away.”

“Yes.”

Marquess Rohan hugged Yvonne tightly. Her sweet scent filled his lungs, easing his anxiety and frustration.

“Kes.”

“Yes.”

“You erased Yurian’s memory, didn’t you?”

“Yes…”

Yvonne sensed a strange familiarity in the scent that lingered on Marquess Rohan, reminiscent of Yurian’s. His anxious touch made her tense, but the touch did not cause the same side effects for Marquess Rohan.

“Are you sure you can handle this alone?”

“Yes.”

Yvonne knew without asking that he was talking about his own side effects.

“I will make sure you have nothing to worry about, Yvonne.”

Reassured by his promise, Yvonne relaxed.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Marquess Rohan released her from his embrace with a relieved sigh, then took her hand and led her out of the temple. They headed for the gate within the temple, which would take them directly to Apentina. However, using the gate would reveal their identities. Marquess Rohan planned to erase the gatekeepers’ memories as they passed through.

“Welcome. Your entry pass, please…”

Marquess Rohan tossed his pass dismissively and held Yvonne’s hand tightly.

“You may proceed.”

As they activated the magic stone at the top of the gate, an aurora-like swirl began inside. Marquess Rohan intended for Yvonne to go first.

“What about you, Kes?”

“I will follow within a minute after you, Princess.”

“…Okay.”

Worried that he might have to use magic, Yvonne hesitated before stepping into the gate. Once she was fully through, Marquess Rohan wiped his face dry, then approached the two guards near the gate and used his magic on them.

“Uh…?”

“Ugh…”

They slumped to the ground. Marquess Rohan then moved back toward the gate.

“What…?”

The guards, confused by what was happening, fell within Marquess Rohan’s range, and their memories were erased. He then passed through the gate.

* * *

As soon as Marquess Rohan passed through the gate, he was alarmed by Yvonne’s condition.

“Gasp, ugh…”

“Princess!”

Seeing Yvonne struggling to breathe and collapsing to the floor, Marquess Rohan panicked.

“Kes…”

The side effects of releasing her power in the Holy Kingdom combined with the magic of the gate, causing her temporary breathlessness. But as soon as she touched Marquess Rohan, she felt better. His stable magic flowed into her, calming her down.

“Princess…!”

Marquess Rohan, not knowing what to do, tried to think about where they had arrived. They were in Carcas, the capital of Apentina, specifically in the temple.

He needed to find priests quickly. Thinking calmly, he lifted Yvonne into his arms.

“Kes.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m okay now.”

“No, you were just in pain.”

“But now I’m really okay.”

Relieved that the pain in her chest had completely subsided, Yvonne hugged Marquess Rohan’s neck.

“Stop crying, dear.”

“Oh…”

He hadn’t realized he was crying, his cold logic overshadowed by the emotion he felt. He held Yvonne tightly, worried about her.

“Princess. I can’t live without you. So please…”

“I understand.”

Yvonne stroked the back of his neck.

Marquess Rohan felt Yurian’s aura in Yvonne, and he stopped walking quickly to ask.

“Princess, are you worried about Grand Duke Yurian Leonhardt?”

Yvonne didn’t answer.

The reason she had been in pain was clearly because of Yurian. The side effects of erasing his memory had caused a mix of magic within her body as they passed through the gate.

“I’m most worried about you, Kes.”

“…I see.”

He struggled to believe her but decided to trust her. He had made up his mind for this.

“I love you very much, Princess.”

“I know.”

Marquess Rohan began erasing her memories.

“Ugh… Kes…”

“I’m sorry, but you must forget what happened in the Holy Kingdom.”

“Why…”

“You must remain my wife.”

As he spoke, Marquess Rohan felt a strange sense of relief, as if he was completely taking Yvonne from Yurian. He viewed Yurian as a greater threat than Hildebrandt.

“Kes…”

“I’m sorry.”

She frowned from the headache and then fainted.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“Princess. My wife. My… wife.”

Marquess Rohan reassured himself as he left to find the priests. Even though something was stirring his emotions, he couldn’t quite grasp what it was.

* * *

When Yvonne woke up, she had a headache.

“Ugh…”

“Are you alright, Princess?”

“Weren’t we on a ship? Are we in the Holy Kingdom already?”

“No, we came straight to Apentina.”

Marquess Rohan signaled the priests, who were pouring divine power around her, to step back.

Yvonne felt strange seeing her hair had turned black. Someone must have changed it with their power, but she didn’t feel like it suited her.

“Could we really get here that quickly?”

“You drank a lot, so you’ve been asleep for two days.”

“Oh…”

“Right?”

Marquess Rohan confirmed with the priests, who nodded.

“How much did I drink…”

“You drank a lot that night.”

“Did I…”

Yvonne’s headache seemed not just from a hangover, but if the priests thought it was, she felt a bit embarrassed.

“Kes.”

“Yes.”

“Could you dismiss the priests?”

“Of course.”

Marquess Rohan’s expression was cold as he told the priests to leave, contrasting with his gentle look towards Yvonne. The priests obeyed, aware of his status as a duke and the king’s favor.

Once they were alone, Yvonne spoke first.

“Did I really faint from a hangover?”

“The truth is…”

“Yes.”

“I can’t tell you.”

Yvonne knew he was hiding many things from her.

“That’s fine. As long as it remains hidden.”

She believed he had done it for her and decided not to pry.

“Yes…”

He sat on her bed and embraced her.

“Princess, you must always remain my wife.”