My heart was racing. The swirling truth made my mind feel distant.
[It’s a pearl. A red pearl. They say if you have it, you’ll live a long and healthy life.]
Upon seeing the relic, Arundel realized it was the ‘Fruit of Eternity’ she had given to Mary. The hollowed-out shape and the sweet smell were the evidence.
“Zion… What was…your mother’s name?”
“Her real name was Meridene. She used the alias Mary in foreign countries.”
Arundel closed her eyes. She felt like she was about to lose consciousness at any moment.
“Irina…?”
Zion, who noticed Arundel’s unusual state, patted her cheek. Her body was cold.
“Zion… I’m sorry. I think I’m not feeling well.”
Arundel, who had no confidence to pretend to be okay, mustered up strength from her solar plexus and barely spat out an excuse.
It seemed like she would collapse at any moment, but there was still something left to confirm.
“Did Zion’s mother…have magic or…other abilities like Zion…?”
Zion shook his head.
“Not at all. My mother was born with a body as weak as her heart. She had heart disease, so even running for a moment was difficult for her.”
Arundel bit her lip.
The expectation is becoming a conviction.
Perhaps…the identity of Zion’s power is…
“For now, since you’re not feeling well, it would be best to go back.”
Worry was evident in Zion’s voice. Arundel felt her eyes gradually closing, just as Zion said.
Bang! Bang!
Despite the fireworks decorating the black night sky beautifully, she couldn’t see them.
Her vision gradually blurred, and the brilliant flames twisted and curved.
Her head was dizzy.
In the end, Arundel closed her eyes.
****
She had a dream that day.
Bright and cheerful Mary was dancing beautifully at the ball. Her figure was so lovely that all the men’s eyes in the ballroom were drawn to Mary.
Even the crown prince was no exception. The young man sitting next to the emperor seemed to have his gaze stolen by Mary.
The scene changed in an instant.
[I will make you happy for the rest of your life.]
The crown prince she saw at the ball knelt and proposed to Mary. Mary accepted the proposal with an extremely happy expression.
But the next scene was Mary venting her anger, her happy expression gone.
[I didn’t do such a thing…! Are you saying that I tried to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor…!]
[We don’t want to think that way either, but all the evidence points to you, Empress Mary.]
In front of them, a man with black hair had a grim expression. Arundel looked closely at the man’s features.
He resembled someone.
Arundel soon realized. The man was the biological father of Empress Irina.
[Duke Welwin…You didn’t think we would know that you staged this to seat your younger sister on the empress’s throne…!!]
Mary screamed as if she was possessed by evil.
[Well, well, even if you are the empress, you shouldn’t slander people without evidence…Well, you’ll be stepping down from the empress’s position soon anyway.]
The Duke sneered and left the prison.
Arundel looked at Mary with a pitiful face.
‘Mary…’
It was Mary’s face she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Her face was much worse than when she saw her on the ship. Her hair was tangled messily, her clothes were dirty, and her lips were cracked here and there.
Of course, she knew it was a situation before they met on the ship, but it still hurt her.
[Your Majesty the Empress!]
A stranger’s voice was heard again in the prison.
[Duke Richard!]
Arundel looked at the young man. It was the young prime minister he saw in Zion’s room, in the picture.
[Uh, what’s going on…?]
[…That’s.]
The prime minister hesitated. The more he did, the more Mary’s face distorted.
[Tell me…]
[…It seems… you can’t avoid the death penalty.]
Mary burst into tears in an instant.
[Let me see His Majesty the Emperor, no, Perion! I will talk to him myself!!]
[Your Majesty the Empress, please calm down.]
[I’m pregnant with his child…! He knows that…! It must be a mistake. He wouldn’t betray me…!!]
Mary screamed like a madwoman. A deep darkness descended on the prime minister’s face.
[He said…he loves me… that he only needs me… after saying that…]
Mary curled up and buried her face. Her whole body was shaking.
[Your Majesty the Empress.]
The prime minister approached the bars and secretly called Mary.
[Duke Neizumi and I have found a way out of here.]
Mary slowly raised her head at his words.
[My father…?]
[Yes. Duke Neizumi wouldn’t abandon you, Empress Mary.]
The prime minister whispered as if to comfort her.
[We will light a big fire near the palace in the evening. Taking advantage of the confusion among the people, we will take you out and put you on a smuggling ship.]
[Am I supposed to board the ship alone…?]
[We have no choice. The ship will go to the Heil Empire. If you hold on there for a while… I will find evidence to overturn this and go to fetch you again.]
At the prime minister’s words, Mary had a confused look on her face.
[Your Majesty the Empress, you’re not alone. The person in your womb will become the emperor of the Croyden Empire. Think about His Highness the Crown Prince.]
At the prime minister’s urging, Mary nodded her head.
And then,
Bang!
“Haa, haa.”
Arundel, who woke up from her dream, felt her hair wet with sweat.
Her head felt like it was going to explode from a headache. She looked around. Zion, who had fallen asleep leaning his head on the bed, was visible.
‘Zion…’
Arundel looked down at Zion’s sleeping head.
‘The identity of Zion’s power…was the forbidden seed.’
He fed it to Mary, but in the end, it was planted in Zion in her womb.
Otherwise, it didn’t make sense.
By feeding the seed, she saved her life, but in the end, she was not healthy. On the contrary, Zion was so healthy that he gained power beyond humans.
Everything fell into place.
‘Does Mannheim know this…?’
Arundel suddenly felt uneasy. If Mannheim knew this, he might have suggested putting the seed back.
What would happen to Zion, if the seed was taken away? Originally, he was supposed to die, so would he die again.
Or would he become an ordinary human?
‘…No.’
The only thing that was certain in this situation was that she had to keep this fact to herself.
Even if Mannheim did, the demons would not leave Zion alone. How dare a mere human possess the treasure of the demon world.
Then, Zion raised his head.
“When did you wake up?”
Zion asked in a slightly sleepy voice.
“Just now.”
“You fell asleep for a while. How’s your body? The doctor said it was okay.”
Zion, who seemed to have come to his senses quickly, asked Arundel.
“I’m okay.”
“You always say you’re okay. It’s a big deal because your body seems weak.”
He examined Arundel’s complexion. Arundel felt a tickle in her heart at his gaze, as if all the worries she had just had were flying away.
Arundel looked into Zion’s eyes.
‘Why didn’t I realize?’
They looked so alike.
He inherited Mary’s extraordinary appearance. Not only that, the golden eyes were similar in color. Zion’s eyes were a bit darker though.
It was a truly remarkable connection.
The child Mary was carrying then was Zion.
‘I did well to save her.’
Arundel suddenly had such a thought.
The current situation is more complicated and answerless than a tangled thread, but she had a vague thought.
If she hadn’t saved Mary then, Zion wouldn’t be here now.
Arundel stroked Zion’s face.
“Irina…?”
And he leaned in and kissed her. Kissing with him is always embarrassing.
Soft lips touched and parted.
It was not a passionate kiss of sharing love, but a kiss like a fresh sprout born in spring.
‘Thank you for being alive, Zion.’
Arundel looked at Zion with a faint smile. Zion made a dumbfounded expression for a moment, then pulled Arundel closer and kissed her again.
“Cain, what’s wrong?”
While getting dressed with the help of the maids after breakfast, Cain visited.
Arundel quickly dressed and greeted Cain.
“Ah, it’s nothing, there’s a gathering of the demon subjugation team members today.”
“Shall we go to the reception room?”
Thinking the conversation would be long, Arundel led Cain to the reception room.
It would have been nice to talk in the garden if the weather was good, but it was too cold.
As they sat facing each other in the reception room, Cain opened his mouth again.
“Today is the first time the subjugation team members are gathering. They are all people directly selected by His Majesty the Emperor…His Majesty the Emperor said to bring Her Majesty the Empress as well. And,”
“Huh?”
“I think it would be good if Her Majesty the Empress also takes a seat.”
Arundel looked at Cain with a puzzled face.
‘Why…? Because of Lucas.’
No. Cain doesn’t know that she has a special relationship with Lucas.
“Why?”
“You’ll know when you go.”
Cain said with a smile.
Come to think of it, the prime minister seemed to have said something meaningful.
[Probably next week, we plan to gather people to join the subjugation team… They all seem like people who will follow Your Majesty the Empress well.]
Everyone was talking like this, so she was more curious. Who on earth came that they were saying this?
“When is it?”
“We decided to meet at the main palace reception room at 1 PM.”
“Okay. I’ll go then”
“I’ll send a carriage to match.”
Cain seemed to have finished what he had to say, and was about to get up. Then Arundel hurriedly called Cain.
“Cain.”
“Yes?”
Cain, who was about to get up, looked at Arundel in an awkward posture.
“Thank you.”
She didn’t think she had properly thanked Cain. She knew that many things went smoothly because he was assisting Zion by his side.
“Huh? Why all of a sudden. Like we won’t see each other.”
Cain chuckled and said. At his words, Arundel hid her bashful heart and smiled.
In fact, Cain was right.
She didn’t know when she wouldn’t be able to see him, so she wanted to convey her gratitude when she thought of it.
“I’ll see you later.”
But Cain, who didn’t seem to take it seriously, lightly said goodbye and disappeared.
Once again alone, Arundel spent the day without anything to do.
She thought he might untangle a little of the tangled thread in her head, but there was nothing to untangle.
Then Arundel suddenly had a thought.
‘But… Even if it’s the treasure of the demon world, would the balance collapse just because one is gone…?’
She acknowledged that the treasure of the demon world had a great power, but if the world was going to collapse because of one treasure, it should have collapsed long ago.
While making a rational doubt, Arundel was soon on the carriage.
After passing a familiar road a little, she got off at the main palace. Arundel still couldn’t give up her doubts about this situation.
‘What does Mannheim think. Does he really think it’s because I touched the treasure.’
Then a voice came from the side.
“Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty?”
Arundel, who was thinking hard, was startled by Cain’s voice coming from the side.
“Huh? Oh.”
“We’re here. The subjugation team members will be waiting inside.”
Arundel nodded his head.
“I’ll open it.”
At the end of Cain’s words, the door slowly opened.
And there, the faces she missed and wanted to see were sitting.
“Royden! Bianca!”
