“My lord.”

His right-hand man who was waiting bowed his head.

Leaving behind the stone tablets that were shattered into dust, Debir Beatus passed through the wide-open iron gate. As he drank the potion offered by his subordinate, his wounds quickly healed.

“The Emperor?”

“I have confirmed that he is still in his sickbed.”

“The path to the underground?”

“We have found a few suspicious places, but I think you will need to go there yourself.”

This was enough to buy time. When the Imperial family summoned him to the palace using the family head’s seal as bait, Debir readily accepted the summons.

He willingly entered the Imperial Palace because there was something he needed to find. Now it was time for him to move directly.

“Now is the right time while the Emperor is bedridden. We will start by searching for the Emperor’s hidden treasure.”

While everyone was focused on the family head’s seal, only Debir Beatus turned his eyes elsewhere.

The relic that could break the oath of the contract.

That was the way to save his brothers. In the terrible void, Debir Beatus silently stepped into the darkness first.

The cold winter wind unfailingly visited the capital and put all living things to sleep.

Only the Imperial Palace, the sole place where magic could be used, was blooming flowers in the warm heat regardless of the season.

In the palace garden, the pinnacle of splendor, the Empress was elegantly drinking tea.

Click- The silence that seemed to make even a butterfly’s flapping wings audible was broken by the sound of teacups clashing.

“Lady.”

She opened her mouth to address the person sitting across from her, exhibiting as much presence as the Empress.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Beneath long eyelashes that cast shadows, red eyes glowed emptily.

Vanessa Beatus, the Crown Princess-to-be. Although her status was that of a princess-to-be, she was already performing the duties that the Crown Princess would take charge of under the pretext of education.

But one day, holes began to appear in the work she had been perfectly carrying out as the Crown Princess-to-be.

“In the last quarter’s wage statement for the palace maids, some numbers were incorrectly recorded. What is the reason you did not correct it even though you knew?”

“……”

“Is that all? The budget allocated for gifts to the wives of dukes, marquises, and counts invited to the party was also exceeded.”

Vanessa, who was quietly listening to the Empress’s words, answered a beat late.

“I apologize.”

Vanessa was not concentrating on the Empress’s words and was only looking into her teacup.

Contrary to the false reputation as the flower of high society that exuded a captivating atmosphere, she emanated a gloomy atmosphere under her splendid red hair.

“Moreover, there are rumors circulating among the court ladies that you are abusing your authority.”

“……”

“Why? Is it because of the women entering and leaving the Crown Prince’s bedchamber?”

Flinch. Vanessa’s hand that was caressing the teacup handle tensed up.

“What is wrong with a man releasing his lust for a moment? The vigorous Crown Prince may summon women.”

It was a beautiful space with all kinds of flowers in full bloom. Amidst the enchanting scenery that could not be seen in the dead of winter, a chill seemed to settle.

“Try to understand, lady.”

Fatigue accumulated within Vanessa’s splendid beauty. She raised her darkened eyes to look at the Empress’s face. The Empress’s expressionless face was stern.

Understand?

“Still, he says he is definitely using contraception. Don’t worry about any illegitimate children. The Imperial heir must be born from you, right?”

At the Empress’s dry voice, she put strength into her trembling fingertips. Each and every word from the Empress became a blade, inflicting wounds.

“In the first place, it was also the role of the Crown Princess to prevent the Crown Prince’s eyes from wandering elsewhere. It is also your fault that he only calls for lowborn wenches. Who else is there to blame?”

Vanessa bit the inside of her cheek and snapped the handle of the teacup she was holding with a tug-.

Ah. She couldn’t control her strength. It was a porcelain cup that ordinary women could not even dent.

“Lady. Are you listening to me?”

Phew. After taking a deep breath, Vanessa got up from her seat without the Empress’s permission. If she stayed here, she felt like she would do anything with her surging emotions.

With an uncontrolled body, she placed a hand on her chest and bowed her head.

“Please forgive my rudeness. Your Majesty. I am not feeling well, so I will leave first.”

“…Go ahead.”

Vanessa, who turned around, did not see it. The satisfied smile that spread across the Empress’s face, which was like an iron mask, devoid of emotion.

“Your Highness!”

From afar, an angry princess was striding closer. The approaching princess and Vanessa passed by each other like brushing past, but they passed without greeting or even glancing at each other.

“Be virtuous, Erika. You are no different from a colt.”

The Empress elegantly sipped her tea as if asking what had happened. Amidst the splendid embroidered flowers and fluttering butterflies regardless of the season, a bloodshot voice pierced through.

“Why?! You said you would give me mana like my elder brother! But why are you saying you won’t give me the stone tablet?!”

Plop- Drops of blood fell on the blue grass that seemed to tolerate not even a speck of dust.

The drops of blood that fell from the whip the princess was holding cruelly stained the grass. The Empress quietly finished her tea and put down the cup.

“Have you accumulated as much resentment as your elder brother?”

Resentment, desire. Somehow, such viscous emotions from the Beatus family supplied high-quality mana to the Imperial family.

The princess bit her lip. She had just confronted Debir Beatus, but he showed no reaction.

She couldn’t keep him locked up forever either.

She knew he had entered voluntarily. If only Debir Beatus would agree to become her man, she could give him the power to become a duke.

He showed absolutely no emotion towards the princess to a desperate degree. Even when using the power of the stone tablet.

When the calculating man did not even try to use her, the princess felt humiliated. Am I that unattractive?

“Take after your elder brother. Unlike you, he is accumulating the Beatus family’s resentment by using women without a single lash.”

That’s just because Vanessa Beatus is weak. The princess grumbled.

“And in the first place, the Crown Prince was born with a lot of mana. He doesn’t need to be supplied like you.”

Looking at her immature daughter, the Empress clicked her tongue. Her gaze toward the unhelpful princess was chilly.

“Anyway, it helps to keep more Beatus people in the palace, right? Give me more stone tablets.”

At the princess’s brazen attitude, the Empress rang a small bell on the table with a small sigh, as if she found it pathetic.

“Did you call, Your Majesty.”

The Empress pointed to the princess with her chin.

“Escort the princess. Go and wash up cleanly. The smell of blood is terrible.”

“Yes. It is an order to escort her.”

The head court lady solemnly ordered the court ladies.

“Let go!”

Amidst the court ladies rushing in, the princess shouted roughly. Then, the bodies of the court ladies froze as if by magic. The princess had used the Imperial family’s mana.

The Empress clicked her tongue inwardly. Foolish thing. Wasting power in useless places.

“I will go on my own feet.”

The princess, who threw the whip she was holding towards a court lady with a thud-, turned around without any gain.

“I wish I could marry into the Beatus family like my elder brother! I could have done it like my elder brother!”

However, the Imperial bloodline could not be tied to one family.

If he can’t become a husband, I’ll just take him as a concubine. The princess left the garden with blazing golden eyes.

The princess did not know. That it was not Debir Beatus who was being manipulated by the stone tablet, but herself. Already consumed by an ominous energy, she did not know.

“What did you say just now?”

“Th-that, well… I heard His Highness the Crown Prince summoned a woman to his bedchamber again.”

“In broad daylight?”

The court lady, as if unable to say it, fidgeted anxiously and bowed her head to affirm.

Vanessa’s footsteps naturally headed towards the Crown Prince’s palace after leaving the Empress’s garden. She had the intention of at least talking to him. Why on earth. Why was he avoiding her? Why was he treating her so cruelly?

With a throbbing head, Vanessa closed her tired eyes against the heat rising up enough to make her neck stiff, leaning her hand on a pillar. The heat soon aroused unpleasant emotions.

Bam- Her fist moved first, unable to control her emotions.

The pillar of the Crown Prince’s palace, made only of white, cracked and crumbled under her fist with a thud-.

Eek. The court ladies and attendants who were following behind her stepped back in surprise.

Vanessa gritted her teeth. Vanessa had sensed that her condition was abnormal from some point, no, from an unknown moment these days.

Her mood swung, and there were many times when she couldn’t control the surging anger.

Uncontrolled emotions gnawed at her mind, making her desolate.

She clenched the hem of her dress as tightly as the fist that had shattered the pillar.

“You can’t do this to me.”

Since when? Since when did those kind eyes sink into coldness? Since when did that dazzling smile disappear?

Since when did the radiant light surrounding him change as if shrouded in gray fog?

‘Why does he only call commoner-born women?’

‘Isn’t it all to subdue the Beatus family’s energy a bit?’

‘At this rate, won’t one of them have a child before the Crown Princess-to-be?’

She tried hard to ignore the murmuring words. However, with the Crown Prince’s changed attitude, Vanessa could only crumble.

Was it a lie when the Crown Prince said he would only look at her for the rest of his life?

Even before holding the wedding ceremony, the Crown Prince blatantly held other women in his arms and did not even spare a glance at Vanessa.

He who had whispered love to her disappeared like an illusion. He is mine. He should be mine. Why?

An indescribable emotion rose like wildfire. The hot and unpleasant emotion surged up her throat.

The intense emotion that could not come out as tears shook her body and mind. The senseless emotion that dominated her paralyzed her reason.

Her resentment was directed not at the Crown Prince, but at the women.

‘I wish disaster would befall those women!’

It was a curse she unwittingly uttered. When she lost her reason and poured out terrible words, it was fulfilled exactly as if God had granted her wish.

Whoever entered the Crown Prince’s bedchamber became crippled, their skin rotted, and they developed speech disorders.

Everyone was in a hush-hush atmosphere, but people said it was all because the Beatus family had placed a curse. Because Vanessa Beatus, a descendant of the vicious family, had cast a curse.

Well. What does it matter if it’s true or not? They dare to try to take what’s mine.

Vanessa, who was strict with herself to the point of being called the model of aristocracy, gradually lost her original self.

“Today as well, I heard it’s a commoner-born court lady.”

“Pardon? Y-yes. That’s right.”

He even gave the commoner maid the position of a court lady and summoned her to the Crown Prince’s bedchamber. Does he like those women so much to give such unprecedented treatment?

Red eyes poured out curses, arousing malice towards the woman whose face and name she did not know. Then, dark red mana began to permeate Vanessa’s body.

That fierce wave flowed and flowed, affecting even Diana’s body.

Riding in a rattling carriage and blankly watching the passing scenery, Diana suddenly covered her mouth at the surging bitterness.

Tapping the wall, Diana urgently stopped the carriage.

“Young lady?”

“Everyone halt!”

As the procession stopped, she jumped out as if throwing her body. The drenched sleeve turned red.

“Ro-Rodrick.”

Mana was leaving her body at an unbelievably fast rate.

With the excruciating pain as if her whole body was being torn apart, she collapsed on the ground, trembling and searching for Rodrick.

“Ro…”

He hurriedly jumped off his horse from the front and ran over. Rodrick embraced her in his large arms.

“I… Urgh. My body…”

“Shh- Diana. Don’t speak.”

“It hurts…”

Rodrick quickly examined Diana’s condition with a stiff face. Over the blood-stained lips on the face full of cold sweat, he firmly pressed his lips down without hesitation.

As if performing artificial respiration, he opened his lips to make it easier for her to absorb the curse, opening up a passage.

Diana desperately clung to him and gulped down the curse as if receiving a blood transfusion.