Episode 82

The evening sun had set, casting long shadows in the corridors of the imperial palace.

“Your Majesty.”

The Emperor, on his way to check on the Crown Prince’s condition, halted at the voice calling out to him.

When he turned, he saw Ludwig Karsian standing there.

“Grand Duke Karsian?”

Sensing the grand duke had something to say, the Emperor gestured for his attendants to step back before approaching Ludwig.

“What is it?”

“I have no need to receive purification from Lady Selber.”

“And why is that? If anyone needs the lady’s help, it would be you.”

Ludwig Karsian had awakened his abilities at an exceptionally young age and was classified as high-risk due to the sheer magnitude of his power.

At present, Ludwig was the strongest awakened being in the empire and someone who would undoubtedly benefit from Jenna’s purification ability.

In response to the Emperor’s question, Ludwig gestured to his neck and replied, “I have a bondmate. As long as my bondmate is by my side, I will have no need of Lady Selber’s assistance.”

On Ludwig’s neck was the mark of a crimson crescent moon, a symbol that appeared when a Hiltan formed a bond.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes.

Indeed, Ludwig was different from the typical awakened.

He had inherited the power of the dragon from his maternal line and the ability to wield fire from his paternal line—a rare case.

Both forces were overwhelming for a human to manage, making the risk of rampage high. However, if he had a bondmate, as he claimed, then it was unlikely to become an issue.

A bondmate—the one who places chains upon a feral beast.

For the Hiltan tribe, especially someone with power as immense as Ludwig’s, such a person was indispensable.

“Who placed the leash upon you?”

The Emperor’s question was laced with curiosity.

Bonds were inherently one-sided. They bound and subjugated.

Until the bondmate’s death, it was for life.

The man before him was not someone who could be easily tamed. Proud, wild, and unyielding—even in the Emperor’s presence, Ludwig’s piercing gaze never wavered.

It was only natural to wonder who held the reins to such a man.

“Could it be the one I suspect? There’s an intriguing rumor circulating lately.”

The one Ludwig had been unusually devoted to—an uncommon occurrence.

“Lady Drenihan.”

In truth, there was no other likely candidate.

Ludwig’s indifference to others was well-known, but in Sierra’s presence, he behaved differently.

Ludwig neither confirmed nor denied the Emperor’s speculation, but that alone was enough to convince him.

“Well, it is fortunate for you to have found a bondmate. A stabilizing presence to quell your volatile power. But…”

If that bondmate was indeed Sierra Drenihan, it posed a significant problem.

“Isn’t she terminally ill? She suffers from an incurable disease.”

The Emperor raised his hands in a placating gesture when he saw Ludwig’s gaze darken.

“No offense intended. I only mean to express my concern. You need a more stable support system, someone like Lady Selber, for instance.”

Ludwig had witnessed Jenna purify the Crown Prince during the banquet.

Indeed, that divine aura seemed capable of instantly subduing volatile and unstable powers.

In truth, he instinctively wanted to claim that power for himself.

To monopolize it, to make it his alone. That sacred energy was so alluring.

His animalistic instincts told him he needed it.

For a fleeting moment, Ludwig forgot Sierra’s presence beside him.

It was hard to believe even now, but in that brief instant, he had been completely enthralled by Jenna’s power.

[“Do you see that? Strange letters floating over His Highness’s body.”]

Had Sierra’s voice not called out to him, he might have completely lost himself.

He had seen no letters, only a radiant, holy light that seemed to shine with divine purity.

And yet, apart from that, an inexplicable aversion prickled at his skin.

Forgetting Sierra’s presence, the inexplicable instinct that emerged—it all felt like something outside of his control.

The unsettling realization that he had been manipulated by forces beyond his understanding only heightened his discomfort.

What he could say with certainty was this: he wanted no part of Jenna Selber.

“My stance remains unchanged, Your Majesty. I will not accept help from Lady Selber, no matter what happens.”

“Hmm… If you are so resolute, I have no intention of forcing the matter. However, never say ‘never.’ The day may come when you find yourself in need of Lady Selber’s aid. When that time comes, simply say the word.”

With those words, the Emperor patted Ludwig’s shoulder encouragingly before turning and walking away.

* * *

The New Year’s banquet, which nearly descended into chaos, concluded without further incident.

Instead of discussing the Crown Prince, people were abuzz with stories about Jenna.

Not only had the long-lost lady reappeared as if by a miracle, but her divine power had also saved the Crown Prince—a tale that would be told for years to come.

Some even speculated that Jenna was the reincarnation of a saint from history.

“I truly thought an angel had appeared.”

“If His Highness had completely rampaged, we wouldn’t have been able to return home in one piece.”

“The lady practically saved us all.”

However, not everyone shared the same opinion.

“Did you see that unrefined etiquette? No matter how noble her birth, years spent as a commoner can’t be hidden.”

“She was supposedly Prince Theodore’s partner, yet she accepted a dance from the Crown Prince? I was so embarrassed for her!”

Regardless of differing opinions, one fact was clear: Jenna Selber had stolen the spotlight. She was the name on everyone’s lips.

Amid all the attention, one person had been staring at me with unsettling intensity: Princess Devar.

My father had left the palace early due to urgent business.

Although a carriage was already waiting to take me home, the princess insisted on giving me a ride, claiming her route would take her past the Drenihan estate.

“How can someone look like this? Do you happen to have a portrait?”

“Only one from my childhood.”

“Oh, I’d love to see it! I must visit the Drenihan manor to see it in person!”

“You’re welcome to visit anytime, Princess.”

“Oh, no, don’t call me ‘Princess.’ Call me Jamie.”

“How could I use your given name?”

“We’re not strangers. Surely you can at least call me by my name?”

We literally just met today… perfect strangers, actually.

Yet, under her expectant gaze, I awkwardly relented.

“Alright, Jamie.”

As soon as I spoke her name, Jamie’s face lit up as if she had won a great prize.

“Time flies when I’m with you, Sierra.”

“I hope we’ll have another chance to meet.”

“Don’t wait for chances; make them. I’ll be in the Empire until the end of this month, so let’s spend time together.”

Jamie said this with a bright smile.

“Sierra, are you here?”

A familiar voice interrupted our conversation.

“Ludwig?”

“I heard Lord Serkhan had to leave the palace due to urgent matters. Allow me to escort you back to the estate.”

“Oh, well…”

“No need. Sierra will be riding with us in the Devar carriage. It’s on the way.”

Jamie cut in abruptly, and Ludwig turned to face her with a displeased expression, their gazes clashing like a silent battle.

“The Devar diplomatic residence is in the exact opposite direction of the Drenihan estate.”

At this, I tilted my head in confusion.

“But Jamie said it was on the way…”

“Oh, you didn’t know? We’ve relocated the Devar residence right next to the Drenihan estate.”

Her hastily concocted excuse sounded dubious, but just then, a carriage adorned with the Devar kingdom’s emblem pulled up in front of us.

“It’s here. Come, Sierra, let’s go.”

Overwhelmed by Jamie’s insistence, I found myself being ushered into the carriage.

Seated across from me, Jamie shot Ludwig a triumphant smile and waved.

“Well then, I’ll take care of Sierra. Have a safe journey home, Grand Duke.”

“…”

An invisible tension hung thickly between the two, a silent but palpable clash of wills.

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