The Emperor of the Calleta Empire spoke clearly to Rustica Gennes, a twentyyearold knight standing in his office.

“To protect the Empire.”

Lu quietly listened to the dazzling Emperor’s words.

“There is nothing else.”

Then Lu should have withdrawn, saying clichéd words like, “I see, I understand, I will remember.” She should not have dared to question.

“But, Your Majesty.”

Why did she? The twentyfiveyearold Lu, no matter how much she thought about it, could only conclude that it was her misjudgment and mistake at that time.

It was her fault that she had forgotten what kind of person the rather generous Carlos was.

“If we are to protect the Empire, shouldn’t we root out the enemies threatening the Empire?”

She was naive. Very naive and dangerously full of spirit and vigor, a rookie. After all, she was full of pride, being called a genius at twenty.

“We must destroy all the demons outside the barrier. Please allow us to cross the barrier.”

On top of that, what else, she seemed to have said a few brave words in front of the Emperor. In fact, she doesn’t remember well.

Memory tends to fade to a faint white dust and disappear if not revisited, so the memory of that time, left neglected, had now faded too much.

Nevertheless, she still remembers what the Emperor said after her brave, or rather foolish, outburst.

“I appreciate your loyalty.”

It was just a formal word. It was a veiled threat hidden behind formal words. She should have noticed the threat, but she didn’t; foolish Rustica Gennes.

“What you have to do is not that.”

The conversation ended there. There was nothing more in her memory.

What was she supposed to do? At that time, Carlos’s emerald eyes grew larger.

“You must be bound to Caleta, to me, for life.”

The light of the same color with magical symbols began to wrap around her. What is this, let go! Lu struggled, but she couldn’t speak or move as she wished.

“Devote your entire body to loyalty.”

The light sealed her mouth. Her whole body was bound, and she couldn’t budge. Lu looked for her sword and realized.

‘Ah, I have no power.’

She suddenly opened her eyes. The sun had set, and it was already dark around her, with the only light at her feet. The crackling sound of firewood burning was heard.

Where is this? As she pondered, Lu turned her head and looked at her left toe. In that direction was a fireplace. The room’s only light came from there.

After adding more firewood with a poker and stirring the ashes, Hayden’s face was illuminated with a bright light. The moment her gaze met his, he looked precisely at her.

“Awake?”

His shadow, as he rose, seemed darker and larger than usual.

“How do you feel?”

“Disgusting.”

Hayden barely smiled. She had fallen, but why did his face look paler? Was it because of the fire in the fireplace?

“That’s a relief.”

“What did you do?”

Her voice had completely fallen. But she had to ask, so Lu glared at him and asked.

“You should ask the Emperor of Calleta about that.”
“It’s unfair to ask me.” Hayden said lightly, pulling a chair to sit down. He was in a casual dress, with his uniform loosely slung over his shoulder.

Lu tried to get up from her seat, but her arm, which had been supporting her, gave way, and she collapsed.

“Don’t get up. You’re still affected.”

Lu, who was the one in question, was not clear about what was going on, and Emperor Hayden seemed to know everything by himself.

“It will be like this for a day or so. It’s something Carlos Arthur Ingram will never allow.”

That emeraldcolored knot was unmistakably Carlos’s magic. Yes. Lu had realized that immediately. Hayden picked up the jug of water that was placed beside him.

“What are you doing……”

“Why don’t you drink some water first? You haven’t eaten anything today. Did you have breakfast?”

Tired, she could only nod slightly, and Hayden put his hand behind her neck, lifted her up simply, and held the glass to her lips.

She was suspicious, but her throat was dry, and she had to drink. She didn’t even have the strength to hold the glass herself.

“That’s a relief. Take good care of your food.”

Her throat must have been very dry. Lu drank half of the glass.

“Take good care, and sleep well.”

“Don’t just talk about what you know, share it with me, Your Majesty.”

“Eat something now. I’ll tell you if you eat.”

Hayden seemed to keep setting conditions, thinking she would refuse everything.

Lu nodded slowly. Whether the news that the minister Kaleta was alone with Emperor Perseita spread or not, people would only think that the minister was being suppressed by the Emperor, so it didn’t matter.

Unable to move her body freely, she barely sat down with Hayden’s help. When her view got higher, she realized that the place she was lying on was a clean, solid bed.

It couldn’t be the Emperor’s bed. She didn’t want to know.

“Now, I have no choice but to serve the minister, who can’t even lift a spoon.”

Steam rose from the stew, with large chunks of meat floating around. Was the distributed food quite good? No, with the Emperor here, it couldn’t be bad.

Lu looked at Hayden spooning the stew for her with an expression that said, “Do we really have to do this?”

“If you look at me with such a hateful expression, I’ll get hurt, Minister.”

Pretending to be saddened as if already hurt, he nevertheless insists on feeding her.

Did she really have to eat this? Lu grimaced, gasping as she leaned on the pillow, without the strength, not even understanding why she was doing this here.

“When did you stop being able to use your abilities properly?”

Ah, right. She had to hear an answer from that guy. Lu reluctantly accepted the food.

“It’s been 4 years.”

Hayden nodded as if he already knew.

“That’s when it started. You, Minister, know the cause better than I do.”

“So, what is it?”

Hayden answered after another bite.

“The magic you saw earlier. You know it, Minister.”

“I know, but I asked to check it again. Do you know exactly what kind of magic it is?”

Although she was reluctant to ask him, there was no one else to ask except him.

“It’s magic that blocks you from using your power properly since you haven’t been able to do anything for 4 years. I won’t stop you if you want to confirm something you already know. Eat more.”

Hayden realized that she was organizing her thoughts and wanted to confirm it again.

“From the beginning, it doesn’t make sense that a person suddenly can’t use magic, and can’t use swordsmanship.”

The meat melted smoothly in her mouth. Could this stew have been boiled with monster meat? If so, that explains why Imperialle’s eyes rolled back. Lu eagerly accepted the stew. It was delicious.

“……Was it a punishment?”

Was it a punishment for the crime of daring to oppose the Emperor’s thoughts and harboring impure doubts?

“It was punishment, yes.”

Hayden nodded.
“Perhaps she is exploiting it.”

Exploiting? Rustica Gennes raised her head.

“While Rustica Gennes, the genius knight of Kaleta, cannot use her natural power, that power cannot have disappeared. Then who might be using it?”

A flashing emerald light brushed past Rustica’s mind. The emerald light, a symbol of all the power that Carlos uses.

No way. No way, that cannot be.