For a moment, my mind was numbed. A dragon was truly existing, and within the imperial palace at that.
Dragons were legendary creatures in the lore of the empire, representing the living history and proof that dragons once walked among us. But why was there a dragon here?
I felt confused, but knew I needed to leave this place. Though dragons aren’t typically hostile to humans, given the circumstances, I was an intruder. I didn’t know how the dragon would react. I swallowed dryly and slowly relaxed my tensed upper body.
Then, in the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes glinted menacingly.
Meeting its gaze, I felt a chill down my spine and froze like a statue. Within seconds, I contemplated what might happen unexpectedly, holding my breath, but the dragon merely stared at me with its vertically slit pupils, making no move.
Instead, I could hear the dragon’s deep, moist breathing through my heightened senses.
The irregular breathing signaled its pain.
Was it injured?
Squinting, I noticed the dragon’s body heaving. It seemed exhausted.
Suddenly, the dragon appeared listless as it slowly closed and then opened its eyes. The lethargic movement struck a familiar chord, and I gasped.
Those lazy eyes and red gaze… Could it be…?
“Calix?”
The softly spoken name made the dragon flinch. Seeing its reaction, I grew more certain.
“Your Majesty? How could you be—”
As I loosened my guard and took a step forward, I felt a slicing aura that made me hesitate. It was as if someone was squeezing my heart, making it hard to breathe. Clearly, Calix had unleashed his magic.
“Ah, Your Majesty. Please, calm down—”
Screech!
The agitated dragon opened its mouth threateningly, and saliva stretched between its sharp teeth like threads.
The terrifying sound made me cover my ears and crouch down.
After a while, the ringing in my ears subsided and silence fell.
Slowly standing up, I saw the dragon had closed its mouth and was staring directly at me.
It was a warning to keep my distance. The moment I thought it was Calix, I assumed he wouldn’t attack me. I was mistaken.
He was forcefully rejecting me. Perhaps he didn’t recognize me. Despite my trembling hands, I couldn’t just walk away seeing him breathe so laboriously in apparent agony.
“Your Majesty, do you recognize me? I’m Lucina.”
There was no response, but to ease his guard, I spoke again.
“If you’re injured—”
[Do not come closer.]
A familiar voice echoed in my mind like tinnitus. I took a deep breath, filling my chest. It was definitely Calix’s voice.
“Your Majesty… you’re telling me not to come closer?”
[Do not come any closer.]
“Your Majesty…”
[Please.]
A plea. The most dignified being in the empire was making a request, not a command.
[Do not come any closer.]
He spoke with a voice that seemed to be squeezed out. Only then did I notice his voice trembling. It wasn’t just a voice weakened by effort; it quivered as if consumed by fear.
Considering the physical circumstances, I should have been the one afraid, not Calix. Why was he afraid of me?
It was a perplexing moment.
Crash!
Unable to withstand the force of the magic, the windows and lights attached to the wall and ceiling exploded like fireworks. Shards of sharp glass fell like hail.
“Ah!”
As I covered my head and crouched down, a hand shot out from the gap in the door and pulled at my arm.
Like a fish flung out of water, I was suddenly hurled into the corridor.
Bang!
The person who pulled me slammed the door shut, trapping me between the door and their body. I looked up as the person released my arm and flung back their robe hood. Then, I clearly saw the face.
“What are you doing!”
“Yukar?”
Yukar, who was uncharacteristically without his glasses, glared at me with a furious expression. After a few harsh breaths, he looked at me with a menacing glare.
“I told you not to loiter around the annex.”
I frantically tried to explain the situation.
“I just came to see His Majesty because I heard he was staying here—”
“Lady Lucina.”
His low voice cut me off.
“I’m not asking why you came to the annex. I’m telling you to forget what you witnessed.”
Yukar narrowed his eyes threateningly as he advanced.
“If you dare speak of this matter, I will—”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“…”
“I won’t disclose it to anyone.”
Yukar clenched his mouth shut and stared at me with wavering eyes, judging whether he could trust my words. I did not avert my gaze from Yukar.
There was not a shred of falsehood in what I had said. Indeed, my contract stipulated that anything I witnessed or heard within the palace was confidential, and disclosing it would require me to pay thousands of times in damages.
After a few exchanges of looks and some time passing, Yukar seemed to believe me and lightened his tone.
“Understood. I will trust you. Now, let’s leave this place—”
“Tell me now.”
“What are you asking?”
“What happened to His Majesty? Why is he like that?”
Yukar’s eyes widened, and his pupils shook violently. He licked his lips and began to speak.
“His Majesty, you say? That is a creature created in the mage tower. It seems you are under some misapprehension—”
“No, it’s His Majesty.”
Yukar, unaware that I had conversed with Calix, was taken aback by my firm stance. After a moment, he seemed to give up on explaining and closed his eyes tightly.
“Yukar, His Majesty seemed to be struggling. If there’s anything I can do to help—”
“There isn’t.”
Yukar opened his eyes and cut me off sharply. His response left me stunned.
“There is nothing you can do. The only thing is for you to leave this annex with me.”
“…Then at least tell me what happened.”
“…”
I persisted stubbornly without backing down. Yukar frowned as if annoyed and then sighed before beginning to explain.
“…It started after he put on the ring.”
“The ring?”
The ring brought to mind the silver ring adorned with a blue gem that Calix wore.
“According to ancient texts, it’s a ring left by the first emperor that controls magical powers.”
“Why does His Majesty need such a ring?”
Yukar squinted and sighed, his expression suggesting the answer should be obvious.
“Don’t tell me, His Majesty experiences the same as Rubelin…”
“Yes, without the ring, he struggles to control his magic.”
I covered my mouth with my hands in shock. This was not mentioned in the original narrative. Although Calix was destined to die by his nephew’s hand in the story, to the citizens, he was a revered emperor. Yet he was still struggling with controlling his magic. According to imperial law, members of the royal family who cannot skillfully manage their abilities are not allowed to leave the palace. Essentially, Calix needed the ring to ascend to the throne. Yukar continued gravely.
“As a side effect, once every six months, the magic accumulated in the ring explodes, causing him severe pain. The ancient texts mentioned no such side effects…”
Yukar grimaced and tightly closed his eyes.
“No matter how powerful His Majesty’s magic, the difference between a dragon and a human is vast.”
Suddenly, Linel’s words about Calix often staying in the annex came to mind. I hurriedly asked.
“So, he stays here alone in the annex during those times?”
“Yes. Even on the days when he has the ring, he struggles with controlling his magic and prefers to be alone in the annex. I’m not even allowed to enter; he becomes that sensitive. It seems that His Majesty—”
“Is afraid.”
The words flowed from me like water. Yukar looked at me in surprise, his eyes widening. After a moment, he sighed sadly.
“Yes. That’s right. It seems he himself is not aware of it.”
Ah. Upon hearing Yukar’s confirmation, I let out a low sigh and buried my face in my hands.
Now I clearly understood why Calix had kept his distance from Rubelin. It wasn’t just his naturally cold nature that was a problem, but more so the circumstances he faced.
It wasn’t that he lacked affection or interest; he simply couldn’t express it warmly. He wanted to touch her but couldn’t. Rubelin was too precious.
Calix, unbeknownst to even himself, feared how precious and fragile those things were, afraid his magic might inadvertently hurt Rubelin.
Even with the ring, he must have always felt uneasy, relying on something to merely survive. Did he ever have a day without anxiety?
Suddenly, I recalled how Calix had accidentally hurt Prince Alec in his youth, which seemed to overlap with today’s events.
Calix had urgently pushed Rubelin’s hand away the moment she tried to touch him.
The trauma of unintentionally harming his brother had stayed with him. That’s why he had kept his distance from Rubelin, Alex’s child.
Did he know, up to the last moment as he died without resistance by his neice’s hand, that she would end up taking her own life? If he had known, surely he wouldn’t have died so readily or given up the throne so easily.
“What is this…”
Overwhelmed by the tragic nature of Calix’s life, tears welled up in my eyes. I bit my lip, trying to suppress the rising sorrow, but it was not easy. His past, as it had been depicted in the original story, flashed through my mind.
Calix, always isolated in his room, abused by the regent, and feared by the people. His childhood had never really ended.
“Sob…”
Both Calix and Rubelin were so pitiful and heart-wrenching that I buried my face in my hands and sobbed.
“Why… are you crying? Stop your tears.”
Yukar’s voice, filled with panic, reached me, but I ignored it and continued to weep, as if crying on behalf of Calix.
After a while, having poured out layers of accumulated grief from his past and present, I raised my head. I wiped my tears with the sleeve of the robe, and as I breathed heavily, my emotions started to calm.
“Are you done crying?”
I nodded at Yukar’s question.
“Don’t worry. His Majesty will not remove the ring, and he only suffers intense pain once every six months.If we were to pinpoint something you could do for His Majesty, it would be to keep quiet about this. Only you, His Majesty, and I know about this.”
“As I said before, I will not disclose it.”
My resolve was firmer than before. I would never divulge this information, even under threat. Revealing this fact could not only incite fear among the citizens but also provide ammunition to factions within the empire that harbored ill will towards Calix. Yukar pressed down his robe hood and quickly turned away.
“Let’s go now.”
I watched Yukar walk away. After a few steps, realizing I wasn’t following, he turned to look back.
“Aren’t you coming?”
I slightly furrowed my brows and smiled apologetically.
“I’m sorry, I can’t leave His Majesty alone any longer.”
“What do you mean—”
I quickly grabbed the doorknob of the room where Calix was and turned it. Ignoring Yukar’s calls, I rushed into the room and locked the door behind me.
“Lady Lucina! Lady Lucina!”
Bang! Bang!
The sound of someone pounding on the door echoed.
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
If you like my work please support us in Patreon. Next post will be released on July, 12.
Want to read more?
For a moment, my mind was numbed. A dragon was truly existing, and within the imperial palace at that.
Dragons were legendary creatures in the lore of the empire, representing the living history and proof that dragons once walked among us. But why was there a dragon here?
I felt confused, but knew I needed to leave this place. Though dragons aren’t typically hostile to humans, given the circumstances, I was an intruder. I didn’t know how the dragon would react. I swallowed dryly and slowly relaxed my tensed upper body.
Then, in the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes glinted menacingly.
Meeting its gaze, I felt a chill down my spine and froze like a statue. Within seconds, I contemplated what might happen unexpectedly, holding my breath, but the dragon merely stared at me with its vertically slit pupils, making no move.
Instead, I could hear the dragon’s deep, moist breathing through my heightened senses.
The irregular breathing signaled its pain.
Was it injured?
Squinting, I noticed the dragon’s body heaving. It seemed exhausted.
Suddenly, the dragon appeared listless as it slowly closed and then opened its eyes. The lethargic movement struck a familiar chord, and I gasped.
Those lazy eyes and red gaze… Could it be…?
“Calix?”
The softly spoken name made the dragon flinch. Seeing its reaction, I grew more certain.
“Your Majesty? How could you be—”
As I loosened my guard and took a step forward, I felt a slicing aura that made me hesitate. It was as if someone was squeezing my heart, making it hard to breathe. Clearly, Calix had unleashed his magic.
“Ah, Your Majesty. Please, calm down—”
Screech!
The agitated dragon opened its mouth threateningly, and saliva stretched between its sharp teeth like threads.
The terrifying sound made me cover my ears and crouch down.
After a while, the ringing in my ears subsided and silence fell.
Slowly standing up, I saw the dragon had closed its mouth and was staring directly at me.
It was a warning to keep my distance. The moment I thought it was Calix, I assumed he wouldn’t attack me. I was mistaken.
He was forcefully rejecting me. Perhaps he didn’t recognize me. Despite my trembling hands, I couldn’t just walk away seeing him breathe so laboriously in apparent agony.
“Your Majesty, do you recognize me? I’m Lucina.”
There was no response, but to ease his guard, I spoke again.
“If you’re injured—”
[Do not come closer.]
A familiar voice echoed in my mind like tinnitus. I took a deep breath, filling my chest. It was definitely Calix’s voice.
“Your Majesty… you’re telling me not to come closer?”
[Do not come any closer.]
“Your Majesty…”
[Please.]
A plea. The most dignified being in the empire was making a request, not a command.
[Do not come any closer.]
He spoke with a voice that seemed to be squeezed out. Only then did I notice his voice trembling. It wasn’t just a voice weakened by effort; it quivered as if consumed by fear.
Considering the physical circumstances, I should have been the one afraid, not Calix. Why was he afraid of me?
It was a perplexing moment.
Crash!
Unable to withstand the force of the magic, the windows and lights attached to the wall and ceiling exploded like fireworks. Shards of sharp glass fell like hail.
“Ah!”
As I covered my head and crouched down, a hand shot out from the gap in the door and pulled at my arm.
Like a fish flung out of water, I was suddenly hurled into the corridor.
Bang!
The person who pulled me slammed the door shut, trapping me between the door and their body. I looked up as the person released my arm and flung back their robe hood. Then, I clearly saw the face.
“What are you doing!”
“Yukar?”
Yukar, who was uncharacteristically without his glasses, glared at me with a furious expression. After a few harsh breaths, he looked at me with a menacing glare.
“I told you not to loiter around the annex.”
I frantically tried to explain the situation.
“I just came to see His Majesty because I heard he was staying here—”
“Lady Lucina.”
His low voice cut me off.
“I’m not asking why you came to the annex. I’m telling you to forget what you witnessed.”
Yukar narrowed his eyes threateningly as he advanced.
“If you dare speak of this matter, I will—”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“…”
“I won’t disclose it to anyone.”
Yukar clenched his mouth shut and stared at me with wavering eyes, judging whether he could trust my words. I did not avert my gaze from Yukar.
There was not a shred of falsehood in what I had said. Indeed, my contract stipulated that anything I witnessed or heard within the palace was confidential, and disclosing it would require me to pay thousands of times in damages.
After a few exchanges of looks and some time passing, Yukar seemed to believe me and lightened his tone.
“Understood. I will trust you. Now, let’s leave this place—”
“Tell me now.”
“What are you asking?”
“What happened to His Majesty? Why is he like that?”
Yukar’s eyes widened, and his pupils shook violently. He licked his lips and began to speak.
“His Majesty, you say? That is a creature created in the mage tower. It seems you are under some misapprehension—”
“No, it’s His Majesty.”
Yukar, unaware that I had conversed with Calix, was taken aback by my firm stance. After a moment, he seemed to give up on explaining and closed his eyes tightly.
“Yukar, His Majesty seemed to be struggling. If there’s anything I can do to help—”
“There isn’t.”
Yukar opened his eyes and cut me off sharply. His response left me stunned.
“There is nothing you can do. The only thing is for you to leave this annex with me.”
“…Then at least tell me what happened.”
“…”
I persisted stubbornly without backing down. Yukar frowned as if annoyed and then sighed before beginning to explain.
“…It started after he put on the ring.”
“The ring?”
The ring brought to mind the silver ring adorned with a blue gem that Calix wore.
“According to ancient texts, it’s a ring left by the first emperor that controls magical powers.”
“Why does His Majesty need such a ring?”
Yukar squinted and sighed, his expression suggesting the answer should be obvious.
“Don’t tell me, His Majesty experiences the same as Rubelin…”
“Yes, without the ring, he struggles to control his magic.”
I covered my mouth with my hands in shock. This was not mentioned in the original narrative. Although Calix was destined to die by his nephew’s hand in the story, to the citizens, he was a revered emperor. Yet he was still struggling with controlling his magic. According to imperial law, members of the royal family who cannot skillfully manage their abilities are not allowed to leave the palace. Essentially, Calix needed the ring to ascend to the throne. Yukar continued gravely.
“As a side effect, once every six months, the magic accumulated in the ring explodes, causing him severe pain. The ancient texts mentioned no such side effects…”
Yukar grimaced and tightly closed his eyes.
“No matter how powerful His Majesty’s magic, the difference between a dragon and a human is vast.”
Suddenly, Linel’s words about Calix often staying in the annex came to mind. I hurriedly asked.
“So, he stays here alone in the annex during those times?”
“Yes. Even on the days when he has the ring, he struggles with controlling his magic and prefers to be alone in the annex. I’m not even allowed to enter; he becomes that sensitive. It seems that His Majesty—”
“Is afraid.”
The words flowed from me like water. Yukar looked at me in surprise, his eyes widening. After a moment, he sighed sadly.
“Yes. That’s right. It seems he himself is not aware of it.”
Ah. Upon hearing Yukar’s confirmation, I let out a low sigh and buried my face in my hands.
Now I clearly understood why Calix had kept his distance from Rubelin. It wasn’t just his naturally cold nature that was a problem, but more so the circumstances he faced.
It wasn’t that he lacked affection or interest; he simply couldn’t express it warmly. He wanted to touch her but couldn’t. Rubelin was too precious.
Calix, unbeknownst to even himself, feared how precious and fragile those things were, afraid his magic might inadvertently hurt Rubelin.
Even with the ring, he must have always felt uneasy, relying on something to merely survive. Did he ever have a day without anxiety?
Suddenly, I recalled how Calix had accidentally hurt Prince Alec in his youth, which seemed to overlap with today’s events.
Calix had urgently pushed Rubelin’s hand away the moment she tried to touch him.
The trauma of unintentionally harming his brother had stayed with him. That’s why he had kept his distance from Rubelin, Alex’s child.
Did he know, up to the last moment as he died without resistance by his neice’s hand, that she would end up taking her own life? If he had known, surely he wouldn’t have died so readily or given up the throne so easily.
“What is this…”
Overwhelmed by the tragic nature of Calix’s life, tears welled up in my eyes. I bit my lip, trying to suppress the rising sorrow, but it was not easy. His past, as it had been depicted in the original story, flashed through my mind.
Calix, always isolated in his room, abused by the regent, and feared by the people. His childhood had never really ended.
“Sob…”
Both Calix and Rubelin were so pitiful and heart-wrenching that I buried my face in my hands and sobbed.
“Why… are you crying? Stop your tears.”
Yukar’s voice, filled with panic, reached me, but I ignored it and continued to weep, as if crying on behalf of Calix.
After a while, having poured out layers of accumulated grief from his past and present, I raised my head. I wiped my tears with the sleeve of the robe, and as I breathed heavily, my emotions started to calm.
“Are you done crying?”
I nodded at Yukar’s question.
“Don’t worry. His Majesty will not remove the ring, and he only suffers intense pain once every six months.If we were to pinpoint something you could do for His Majesty, it would be to keep quiet about this. Only you, His Majesty, and I know about this.”
“As I said before, I will not disclose it.”
My resolve was firmer than before. I would never divulge this information, even under threat. Revealing this fact could not only incite fear among the citizens but also provide ammunition to factions within the empire that harbored ill will towards Calix. Yukar pressed down his robe hood and quickly turned away.
“Let’s go now.”
I watched Yukar walk away. After a few steps, realizing I wasn’t following, he turned to look back.
“Aren’t you coming?”
I slightly furrowed my brows and smiled apologetically.
“I’m sorry, I can’t leave His Majesty alone any longer.”
“What do you mean—”
I quickly grabbed the doorknob of the room where Calix was and turned it. Ignoring Yukar’s calls, I rushed into the room and locked the door behind me.
“Lady Lucina! Lady Lucina!”
Bang! Bang!
The sound of someone pounding on the door echoed.
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
If you like my work please support us in Patreon. Next post will be released on July, 12.
Want to read more?
