There were only a few mages on the continent who could use resurrection magic. Moreover, it was a well-known fact among mages that using it would require the person to pay an enormous price.

The magic designated as the 3 great alchemy (regression, reincarnation, resurrection) could be used only once in a lifetime, even for an archmage.

No archmage had ever used it for someone else.

Ah, I heard there was one exception.

An archmage who was blackmailed by a crazy royal performed regression. The sacrifice offered was not the archmage’s, but that crazy royal’s life.

Of course, Hilter believed that such a crazy person was a lie made up by the archmage.

But contrary to Hilter’s thoughts, Casius, that existing crazy royal, thought of one person.

‘Could it be Rachel…?’

It was the same for Tikan.

‘Could it be my sister…!’

A strange sense of déjà vu brushed through Casius’s mind.

Casius tried hard to erase the ominous premonition in his head and turned his gaze towards Tikan.

There, Tikan sat stiffly, unable to even compose his expression.

Casius’s eyes instantly filled with despair.

Accordingly, a deep silence descended over the space.

It was after a while that Casius, who had been silent like someone with aphasia, opened his mouth.

“What’s the price… of resurrection magic?”

His husky voice was full of tension.

In fact, Casius was guessing the price of that alchemy.

Whether regression or resurrection magic, they were both alchemy.

There was a high possibility that she would have to pay the same price as him.

That meant she had become terminally ill.

But what he attempted was turning back time, and what Rachel did was resurrection magic.

Moreover, unlike him, she didn’t use a proxy but activated the alchemy herself as an archmage.

The price could be different, couldn’t it? There was still a faint hope left.

Breaking through the tense silence, Hilter opened his mouth.

“Given that the ancient text states a great price must be paid, I suspect it might be life itself.”

‘Damn it.’

He couldn’t even manage a bitter laugh. He had no intention whatsoever of prolonging his life at the cost of Rachel’s.

Casius recalled the day he was diagnosed as terminally ill as the price for regression.

After that, he constantly pushed Rachel away. Even lying about having a woman.

‘Why did I push you away, Rachel….’

It was because he wanted Rachel to be even a little happier.

He hoped she would continue her life freely even in a place without him.

And yet.

‘To think this nightmarish reality is the result.’

Casius felt a pain as if his chest was being torn apart, now unable to deny the situation any longer.

He said he would protect Rachel, but in reality, he obtained life by sacrificing her.

He even felt the urge to tear himself apart.

He couldn’t blame her. Just as he gave up his life to save her, Rachel must have felt the same.

But how could he live? In a world without her.

It felt like prolonging this kind of life was the greatest punishment Rachel had given him.

The price, the punishment for prolonging his life without even asking him…

Something like blood tears hung on his blue eyes before falling down.

For several days after that, he didn’t come out of his room, not even drinking a sip of water.

His expressionless, unfeeling appearance was like someone who had gone mad.

Screams continued from his room every day.

The sound of fragments flying and things breaking filled the space.

And so another new morning was coming. A rough smile was etched on Casius’s lips as he looked at the brightening sun.

Everything seemed ridiculous.

The sun rising perfectly fine as if unrelated to this damn situation. The world going on as it pleases.

Each time, important objects of the imperial family shattered into fragments one by one.

Not knowing that she who wanted to see that so badly was listening.

*

I had come this far after hearing that Casius had been holed up in his room for days already.

He had incorporated the Benedik trade route under the imperial family with the information I gave him.

But after that, he didn’t even set foot in the Crown Princess’s palace.

Though I hadn’t exactly expected much, I couldn’t hide my disappointment either.

I thought he would at least come once to apologize, if not to thank me, since he incorporated Benedik into the imperial family with my information.

And I had also hoped he would see me differently.

Contrary to expectations, several days had already passed without even seeing his shadow.

‘If I knew it would be like this, I should have just mentioned a different condition that day.’

No. If he didn’t come even after all this, mentioning conditions would have made it even worse.

As I was hesitating whether to go find him, strange news reached my ears.

For some reason, after the great assembly, Casius was neglecting even his official duties, postponing official schedules.

It was strange that he was only holed up in the Crown Prince’s palace.

‘Was his illness not just an excuse but real? Nothing bad happened to Casius, right?’

Using such worries as an excuse, I ended up coming here.

But the palace servants who discovered me just panicked, trembling.

Did Casius order them not to let me in?

“What’s wrong?”

“Th-that is…”

The hesitating servants exchanged glances, unable to give a proper report.

But they weren’t exactly blocking me either. For some reason, Tikan, who should have been guarding his post, was nowhere to be seen.

‘What’s going on?’

Just as I was about to fling open the door, a scream close to a howl leaked out from inside.

“Aaaaargh-! Rachel!”

My hand reaching for the doorknob dropped down with a thud.

The mere shadow of a wavering made me keenly feel his pain.

It was the first time I’d seen him so broken.

Now I seemed to understand. That Casius hadn’t forgotten me at all yet.

Hearing Casius’s screams with just a door between us felt like standing in the fires of hell.

To think I was arrogant enough to believe you would have already forgotten me.

‘Why did I think it would be easy for Casius when I couldn’t do it myself and ended up performing alchemy too?’

So I just kept standing there for a long time.

I came to my senses when the door suddenly flung open.

The man in thick knight’s armor engraved with the Wolfdor crest was Tikan.

He was surprised for a moment when he discovered me, but quickly composed his expression and politely paid his respects.

But apart from the courteous greeting, Tikan’s expression and voice were cold.

“You cannot meet His Highness today.”

I wanted to go to Casius’s side and comfort him.

But even seeing my face would be torment for him.

“I understand.”

I nodded and had no choice but to turn back.

On the way back to the Crown Princess’s palace, I could feel Tikan’s lingering gaze following me for a long time.

Just then, a familiar face quickly passed by me and entered the Crown Prince’s palace.

The woman with a unique gait and neat hair was, if my memory serves me right, the chief attendant of the Imperial Palace.

As she rarely showed herself, it had been a long time since I’d seen her face too, so my gaze was naturally drawn to her.

‘What business does the Emperor have with Casius?’

An ominous premonition swept through my whole body, making my hair stand on end.

She paid her respects to me, passed by me, said something to Tikan, and quickly went inside.

Tikan, whose gaze met mine, awkwardly tried to avoid eye contact.

*

A long scar marked Casius’s face as he headed towards the Imperial Palace.

Frowning at the sunlight he was facing after a long time, he silently moved with quick steps.

Even the blazing sunlight felt hateful, unaware of his burning insides.

As he moved quickly, hating the sight of everything, Vivian’s retreating figure entered his view.

Detecting that gaze, Tikan hurriedly reported.

“Her Highness the Crown Princess came by.”

Casius moved silently, whether he heard the report or not.

Though it wasn’t pleasant to think she had seen his unsightly state, that was all.

He had no interest left to spare for such a woman.

And so he arrived at the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor’s face, now sickly in contrast to his former reputation, faced Casius.

Though not yet at the level of having to withdraw from the council chamber, he had delegated all authority to Casius and retreated to the back room.

Yet he couldn’t abandon his long-standing mission of maintaining the imperial family’s existence and continuity.

That was the reason the Emperor called Casius today.

“I hear you didn’t visit the Crown Princess’s palace again today.”

His hoarse voice revealed his concern for the imperial family’s welfare.

Casius was now sick of it all.

If it weren’t for that damn imperial family’s well-being and the vulgar aristocratic consciousness underlying it, he and Rachel wouldn’t have had to make such a tragic choice.

The Emperor couldn’t be excluded from the cause of all this.

The Emperor’s gaze was calm as he looked at his son who couldn’t speak, trying to swallow his angry emotions.

“Without an heir, the pack will always try to climb onto the imperial family.”

“So what are you trying to say?”

“I’m asking why you’re not consummating the marriage.”

Casius said with a sneer on his lips.

“I feel nauseous just looking at the Crown Princess, so I can’t even imagine consummation.”

The intense appeal in Casius’s words, as if bursting with suppressed emotions, mixed into the space.

But the Emperor who heard those words remained as calm as ever.

He had long since chosen the path of an emperor, not a father.

The Emperor put down his teacup with a clatter and opened his mouth.

“If that is truly your intention, then bring in a new lady as a concubine.”

“…!”