“But His Majesty said not to let anyone in here…”

“That’s why I came at this time on purpose. If we’re caught, it will be a big trouble for you and me.”

As Asha smiled and spoke, their expressions were dazed by her beautiful appearance.

“I came to see if I can find out a way to lift His Majesty’s curse. It will only take a moment.”

As they still hesitated and did not move aside, Asha added seriously.

“Don’t worry. I don’t have any sympathy for the person who tried to kill me either. But I have to know why that man from the minority group tried to kidnap me. Think of it as a different kind of interrogation.”

They eventually sighed and stepped aside.

“……Alright. But you must come out quickly? Otherwise, we’ll really be in trouble!”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

Asha leisurely smiled at them and, as soon as she entered, immediately hardened her expression and braced herself.

Walking down the corridor, she soon found the room where the spy was imprisoned.

Inside, the spy was tied up, his arms above his head, in a terrible state, covered in blood.

His clothes were torn to shreds, stuck to the wounds, soaked with blood and pus.

Asha bit her lower lip and gracefully approached him.

At the sound of her footsteps, the man slowly raised his head, and his eyes widened as he shouted.

“You are……!”

“Shush.”

Asha put her finger to her lips and spoke calmly.

“Listen carefully now. I’ve come to save you.”

The man examined Asha’s face incredulously, his eyes swollen.

“If you give me even a hint about how to lift His Majesty’s curse, I’ll do my best to save you. I came to the palace of my own accord to save the minority.”

At her words, the man smirked, lowered his head, and laughed.

Asha frowned slightly and asked.

“Why are you laughing?”

“……You came here for the same reason as I did. Even though our methods seem a little different.”

“What do you mean?”

“I also want to save the minority. That’s why I did what I did.”

Asha said with a serious face.

“If you thought assassinating the emperor was the way to save the minority, you were wrong. The more you provoke the emperor, the more oppressed the minority will become.”

“……No, you are the one who is wrong, Lady Vanessa. Listen carefully, for this is for your sake alone.”

The man forced his immobile body to lean forward and whispered ominously.

“Don’t even think about lifting that bastard’s curse. If he blooms the flower, you will die.”

Asha’s face turned pale as she asked.

“What is that…… What on earth are you talking about?”

Her voice trembled involuntarily.

He said with determined eyes.
The curse that had befallen him was not a simple curse. If he bloomed the flower, not only you, but all the people of the empire would be hurt. And the minority race will never escape this vicious cycle.”

“What is that…….”

“This Imperial Black Rose is the last chance for our minority race. It’s not too late now, so flee from him as soon as possible……!”

His voice became more and more agitated, and at the end, it sounded like a scream or a cry.

Asha was so confused that she could not reply.

She had come to ask him how to break the curse, but instead, she only got an answer not to break it.

“Banessa, the man you truly need to blossom is someone else. Please awaken him for our minority race. If you cannot assassinate, this is the only way to stop the Emperor.”

Asha was even more startled by his words.

“The man I need to blossom… who exactly is he?”

“Go to the monastery. Since you are a butterfly, you will probably be able to intuitively recognize him. He is a man who holds the manifestation of a flower in his heart, just like the Emperor.”

Asha looked at him with trembling eyes at the unbelievable story.

“And don’t worry about me anymore. Since I failed to assassinate, all that’s left for me now is death.”

He seemed to know that he couldn’t live any longer, lowering his eyes and keeping a calm expression.

Asha suddenly wondered if the reason for her regression was related to another manifestation of a flower he was talking about.

She felt a chill in her body.

But then, a noisy sound came from outside.

Thinking it was a signal to leave quickly, Asha hurried back the way she had come.

As she looked back while running, the man looked at her with resigned eyes, as if urging her to go quickly.

By the time she was completely out of sight, someone emerged from behind the wall like a shadow.

Red eyes glowed like bloodlines in the dark.

It was Karaf…….

He, who had been tossing and turning all night without sleep, happened to witness her escaping from the room in the middle of the night and secretly followed her.

He did not want to doubt Banessa any longer, but seeing her escape through the window looked very suspicious, so he had no choice.

And he was completely petrified when he saw her heading to the underground dungeon.

It was not that he did not trust her.

But he had to know what she was trying to talk to the minority race about in the middle of this night, sneaking away.

He, who had wrapped his whole body in a thick cloak to prevent his scent from being detected, secretly entered the underground dungeon through a secret passage known only to him and the Cactus Knights.

Thanks to the rain, the smell was dispersed, so he could follow without being detected.

And Karaf, who had just overheard their conversation, had bloodshot eyes.