As the study door swung open, Callisto paused and put down his book. The one who boldly revealed herself was Evelyn, Empress of the Ponnes Empire.

“What brings the Empress here at such a late hour?”

“I couldn’t sleep and asked for a cup of tea. I heard Your Majesty’s study light was still on.”

At Evelyn’s signal, a maid brought in a tray. As two teacups were set on the table, Evelyn smiled and said:

“It’s warm tea. Please come and have some.”

“Very well.”

As Callisto approached with slow steps and sat across from her, Evelyn picked up a teacup.

“By the way, I haven’t seen Ian around lately…”

“He seemed unwell, so I told him to rest comfortably for a while.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Callisto’s eyes stiffened slightly.

“If you have something to say to me, say it directly.”

“I think it’s about time…”

Callisto furrowed his brow as if to ask what she meant.

“I mean Enoch. Before this year ends, appointing him as Crown Prince…”

“I’m afraid I cannot make Enoch the Crown Prince.”

“What?”

Evelyn blinked rapidly as if she had heard something completely incomprehensible.

“I will appoint Ian as Crown Prince, so understand that.”

“Your Majesty!”

“I didn’t want to make Ian Crown Prince either. However…”

Evelyn’s arms, gripping the chair armrests, began to tremble. She glared at Callisto, biting her lower lip.

“Are you telling me to believe that? You said Enoch would be the next Emperor. You promised me.”

Though Evelyn wouldn’t believe it, Callisto had little attachment to the throne he currently occupied.

Unable to properly protect the woman he loved, yet having to embrace a woman he didn’t love – he had wanted to abandon this position many times.

But he had made a promise to Violet.

‘Callisto, I hope Ian never becomes Emperor. Please protect our child until the end.’

Wishing to live an ordinary life with the one he loved. As Violet lay dying, all Callisto could do was promise her that he would.

He thought he would never have to pass the throne to Ian, but the situation had changed.

The curse had manifested in Ian.

When he first entered the forbidden room and read the records after becoming Emperor, Callisto had vowed:

If the curse manifests in the son I love, I will surely make him Emperor.

Ironically, that was the best option.

Everyone who had the curse manifest said the same thing.

That they would rather die early than live with such a body. But it was an even more terrible curse because they couldn’t die by their own will and had to suffer endlessly.

‘Yes, rather than making Ian go mad, it’s better to make him Emperor.’

“I will hold the enthronement ceremony soon.”

“You can’t do this to me, Your Majesty.”

The loud footsteps ceased, and soon the study door closed firmly. Rising from his seat, Callisto let out a long sigh through his teeth.

*

“Step back, senior.”

Ian stood in front of me, drawing his sword. The werebear that had approached right up to us raised its arm, which looked thicker than a human torso.

At that moment, Ian’s sword glowed blue.

It was Aura.

Ian leapt lightly from his spot and swung his blue-glowing sword. As Ian struck the hesitating werebear once more, the ground shook greatly as if an earthquake had occurred.

Seeing the werebear collapse weakly, it started to sink in.

So, the one in front of me now is… Ian who has become a Sword Master?

I approached Ian one step, suppressing my fluttering heart.

“Klein.”

At the soft call, Ian’s shoulders visibly flinched.

“Don’t come any closer.”

It was then that Ian, turning towards me, began to back away hesitantly.

“What?”

“I cannot stand before you, senior.”

“What do you mean?”

Instead of answering, Ian kept backing away from me little by little.

After coming all this way, he’s going to leave like this?

“Wait! You should at least properly explain what you mean. If you just leave saying you can’t stand before me…”

“I am… no different from a monster. That’s why I cannot approach you. Please don’t come any closer.”

“Why are you…”

‘I cannot reveal everything to you, senior, but there is a curse passed down secretly in the imperial family. That curse has manifested in me, and I don’t have the confidence to live with this curse.’

Could it be that he’s calling himself a monster because of the manifested curse?

What on earth is this curse?

“Don’t take such risks again.”

“So you’re going to keep running away like this?”

Ian paused briefly at my question.

“…”

“You’re not planning to see me anymore?”

Ian’s brow furrowed deeply. The pain he was feeling was clearly visible on his face.

“I…”

A tension settled over his lowered voice.

“I’m afraid.”

“…What are you so afraid of?”

“I’m terribly afraid of approaching you.”

As the trembling voice reached my ears, my heart sank. Though Ian was clearly standing before my eyes, it felt like he might vanish in the blink of an eye.

The only thought in my head was that I had to hold onto him. I felt I would regret it if I let him go now.

Tightly clenching my trembling fingertips, I said:

“Then you stay right there. I’ll come to you.”

*

Ian was about to step back but instinctively stopped. As Rosebelia drew closer, her face gradually became clearer.

At last, when her face filled his trembling eyes, he heard an auditory hallucination.

‘Human blood is better than that.’

Please be quiet! Shut that mouth!

Just as he was about to cover his face with his hands, eyes tightly shut:

“Klein, are you alright? Your complexion…”

It was as if time had stopped. Unbelievably, everything became quiet.

The inner thoughts of Nathan nearby and the noisy auditory hallucinations in his world were replaced by silence.

That wasn’t all. Whenever he heard hallucinations, an unpleasant sensation would envelop his body, but now a refreshing energy was seeping in from somewhere.

Ian’s eyes widened as he quickly lowered his gaze. If it wasn’t his imagination, this energy was coming from the arm grasped by Rosebelia.

‘What is this energy? Why did it suddenly become quiet?’

Come to think of it, Rosebelia’s inner thoughts had never been heard while he was with her. Suddenly recalling this fact, Ian called out to Rosebelia with an urgent expression.

“Senior.”

“Huh?”

“Please say something to me in your mind.”

Rosebelia tilted her head and asked back:

“What?”

“Quickly.”

Though she frowned as if she had no idea what was going on, she firmly closed her mouth. She was really saying something in her mind, while her eyes stared intently at Ian.

“I did.”

“What did you say?”

“…That you look a bit thinner.”

Ian’s eyes sank wistfully. Rosebelia also looked haggard, as if they hadn’t seen each other in a while.

Nevertheless, she was infinitely beautiful in his eyes.

“Did you really think it?”

“Yes.”

Then why can’t I hear it?

As Rosebelia brushed back her fluttering hair, the hallucination was heard again.

‘Do you want to kill?’

As he was about to back away hesitantly, Rosebelia’s hand suddenly came down on his forehead.

“You’re not sick, are you?”

As soon as her hand touched him, a refreshing energy was transmitted. The hallucination was no longer heard.

‘Could it be that things become quiet when Rosebelia touches me?’

As Rosebelia was about to remove her hand, Ian urgently grasped it.

“This doesn’t make sense…”

It was truly unbelievable, but when he was in contact with her, silence came.

Letting out a despairing laugh, Ian collapsed while still holding onto Rosebelia’s arm.

It was an impossible thing. It couldn’t happen.

If not that…

Could it be that someone had granted his desperate wish?

Ian slowly raised his gaze, looking at Rosebelia’s face as if tracing it.

He tightly closed his eyelids, feeling his heart pounding fiercely. He felt alive for the first time.

“Klein, are you okay?”

To think I considered living without seeing this person.

Perhaps due to the sudden surge of emotion, his throat became hot.

“I…”

His lips, which had been moving on their own, closed firmly. It was because he sensed someone’s presence behind him.

As soon as he let go of Rosebelia’s arm, someone’s thoughts were transmitted.

‘He wasn’t in the barracks, where on earth did he go?’

It was Renart.

“Someone is coming.”

“Are you trying to run away again?”

As Ian tried to get up, Rosebelia grabbed his arm. Meeting her worried eyes, Ian smiled gently.

“No, I won’t run away anymore.”

“Really?”

“I’ll stay near you, senior. So don’t take risks like today.”

As he was about to turn away, Ian stood before Rosebelia again. Then he lowered his lips to the back of Rosebelia’s hand.

“Tomorrow night, I’ll wait near the camp.”