Then, everyone’s faces lit up with the thought of “Ah!”
“Do you know what that entity was?”
There was no answer to Zion’s question. In the end, everyone’s thoughts stopped there.
Knock knock!
At that moment, a knock interrupted the flow. Cain peeked his head in.
“The Prime Minister of the Hail Empire has arrived.”
As Zion gestured with a displeased face, the prime minister soon entered.
“You’re all gathered. But…”
In an atmosphere that did not welcome his presence, the prime minister sat down with an uncomfortable expression. Only then did Zion relax his face.
“It’s nothing.”
Since Cain had already announced a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Hail Empire to the subjugation force, everyone started advising from what they knew.
The prime minister nodded earnestly and accepted the words.
“By the way, it seems that the damage to the Hail Empire is not small.”
At Bianca’s question, darkness fell on the prime minister’s face.
“It’s not just ‘not small’, it’s serious.”
And he sighed as if the ground was collapsing.
“Is there any place now that hasn’t been damaged by the demons? I heard a report about a civilian house that was attacked today. They say the damage is considerable.”
At the prime minister’s words, Hills opened his eyes wide.
“Today?”
“Yes… I heard it through the magic transmitter.”
Hills turned his head and looked at Royden.
“How is the Croyden Empire? Are there still many complaints about the damage?”
“…Yes.”
Royden answered, feeling puzzled by the obvious question.
“If there’s nothing more to say, let’s end today’s meeting.”
Everyone looked tired.
Except for one person, Hills. He seemed to be deep in thought and didn’t get up from his seat for a while.
****
As soon as the meeting ended, Zion headed straight to the Empress’s Palace.
It had been a confusing day. From last night until now.
The dream that seemed to be veiled and vaguely visible did not become clear no matter how much he recalled it.
The strange thing was not just that.
Several people had the same dream, and no one could remember beyond a certain point.
And above all, he couldn’t think of any causal relationship between the fact that he fought with the black dragon and the situation where he can’t use any power now.
It was as if he had lost his memory.
But what troubled him the most was the anxious feeling that he seemed to have forgotten something important.
When he came to his senses, he was biting his lips hard enough to bleed. When he closed his eyes, it seemed like he could hear the sound of his heartbeat throughout his body.
He felt like he was going crazy.
Right now, he wanted to soothe this anxious and restless heart by seeing Irina.
“His Majesty the Emperor is here.”
Irina’s head maid bowed and greeted him when she saw Zion.
“Is Irina inside?”
“Yes. I will inform Her Majesty the Empress.”
As the head maid disappeared, Zion unknowingly clenched and unclenched his hand.
Every second felt long until Irina’s permission to enter came.
“She says you may enter.”
As the door opened, Irina’s figure appeared. Zion quickly approached and hugged Irina.
For a moment, Irina’s body was stiff as if it had hardened. Zion felt puzzled and let go of her.
And then he looked at her face.
There was a tense look on her face. It looked as if…she was afraid of him.
“Irina…?”
Zion cautiously called her name at her strange reaction.
“Yes… Yes?”
A scared tone of voice popped out.
“Why are you like this?”
He unknowingly spoke in a sharp tone. Then, Irina noticeably shrank back.
“What… are you talking about…?”
At her weak voice, Zion looked at Irina’s face again. No matter how he looked, it was the Irina he knew.
Softly flowing black hair, skin as white as white jade, lips that emit a clear voice, and dazzling eyes…
Zion realized the identity of this discomfort.
Her eyes had never met his. The eyes filled with anxious emotions kept looking elsewhere.
Zion unknowingly reached out and grabbed Irina’s chin and forced her to meet his gaze.
But her gaze moved around without focusing.
“Look at me.”
At his command, Irina barely met his gaze. At first, she seemed a little tense, but soon her cheeks turned red.
Zion let go of Irina’s chin with an inexplicable feeling of discomfort.
“Dinner is ready.”
At the head maid’s voice from outside, Zion nodded his head.
Sitting across the table, Zion looked at Irina again.
The Irina in front of him was definitely not someone else.
The most precious and lovely person in the world, the person he knew.
“Aren’t… you eating?”
When Zion didn’t pick up his utensils for a while, Irina asked, looking concerned.
Yes, he was overly sensitive today. It seemed he was greatly affected by the strange dream.
The sound of utensils going back and forth quietly filled the space between them. After a while, Zion lifted his head and asked.
“Why are you so quiet today?”
“You… are you talking to me?”
Irina made a puzzled face again.
“I… I’m not usually talkative.”
Finally, a subdued voice came out. At her words, Zion furrowed his eyebrows.
‘Not usually talkative?’
When he had a meal with Empress Irina, the act of eating for survival used to become enjoyable.
Her chattering voice was like a magpie that brightened the space, and her sparkling green eyes, filled with various emotions, warmed the surrounding temperature.
In the end, he couldn’t recall anything, and his body was experiencing a tremendous sense of rejection.
It was the same earlier. When the prime minister mentioned the subjugation team, it took him a moment to realize that he had formed the subjugation team.
Zion, who felt confused, closed his eyes tightly.
****
He had a dream that day too.
Even in his dream, Zion could recognize his own tension.
He was worried that the black dragon and the unidentified being might appear again and disturb his mind.
But the scenery was completely different from then.
Under the sparkling fireworks, he was with someone else. As he recognized the existence of the other person, Zion’s lips drew a soft curve.
Even in the noisy situation, only Irina was fully reflected in his eyes.
He only realized now that he had such a face when he looked at Irina.
The self in the scene opened his mouth.
[It’s time to let go of my mother.]
And he took out a red pearl necklace from a small box.
[My mother said she received this necklace from an angel. She put it in my hand, she said she hoped I would meet that angel someday.]
Irina’s expression looked complicated. It seemed overwhelming, and it seemed sad.
Before the next words were heard, the view went dark.
The dream was short.
When Zion opened his eyes, he could tell that it was still dawn.
He got up from his seat and headed for the hearth. He wanted to check the red pearl necklace placed there.
When he opened the small box, a bumpy necklace was inside.
It sparkled and emitted a strangely good smell, but it had no commercial value because the surface was not smooth and there was an irregular hole in the center.
But it was a precious item to him, and beyond being precious, it was an item that contained his obsession with his mother.
But not anymore.
Thanks to his beloved wife, Irina, he had escaped from the obsession that was eating him up.
Zion had to admit that his condition was strange yesterday. He shouldn’t have been so cold to Irina.
He thought while holding the necklace.
‘I have to apologize properly to Irina.’
****
As the surroundings brightened, Zion arrived at the Empress’s Palace earlier than ever, eager to see her.
The head maid, surprised by the emperor who came early in the morning, hastily woke Irina.
And Irina, who had just woken up, barely dressed and met Zion.
Her face was full of sleep.
“What’s the matter…this early in the morning.”
Seeing Irina’s tired face, Zion decided to deliver this quickly.
“I have something I want to give you.”
At Zion’s words, Irina’s eyes became clear.
“To me…?”
Irina asked nonchalantly, and Zion nodded. Then Irina’s face was full of anticipation.
Without hesitation, Zion took out a box. Irina’s eyes stared at the box.
Click!
When the box opened, a red pearl necklace appeared. Zion lifted the necklace and handed it to Irina.
“…This is.”
Irina took the necklace with a nervous expression. She examined the necklace here and there, and soon Irina’s expression became gloomy.
Zion’s face hardened at Irina’s disappointed-looking attitude.
“…Don’t you know what this is?”
Then Irina’s voice, which seemed to be flustered, popped out.
“Ah, is it an expensive item? I’m sorry. I don’t have an eye for things…”
At her fading words, Zion’s eyes froze coldly.
It didn’t matter if she was disappointed expecting an expensive item.
But if she was the Irina he knew, she couldn’t not know the value of this item.
The feeling of losing something precious once again surged like it was about to explode.
But Zion had to suppress his raging emotions. There was something he had to confirm right now.
“Who are you?”
His cold voice was directed at Irina in front of him.
