“What brings you to my palace, Arthur?”

At Ileon’s words, Arthur grinned and pulled a vial from his robe.

Red liquid swayed inside the bottle.

Ileon instantly recognized the liquid as a sleeping potion and narrowed his eyes.

“Why do you have this? I gave it specifically because Reina asked for it.”

“Tell your damn sister to stop meddling in useless affairs. If she ruins things, I’ll kill her.”

Arthur said as he tucked the potion back into his robe.

“…Celia, no. Anastasia the princess is mine. I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way.”

Arthur’s eyes gleamed with a sharp yellow light. Seeing this, Ileon raised one eyebrow.

This one, that one—everyone had their eyes set on Celia.

Beautiful flowers naturally attracted insects.

But that particular flower had far too many pests clinging to it.

Butterflies, flies, cockroaches—every kind of insect desired that flower.

‘Is it something that irresistibly draws people in, making them want to possess and desire it?’

Ileon replayed Celia’s words in his mind.

—I decline His Majesty’s invitation to dance.

It was the first time in his life Ileon had ever been rejected.

‘There were witnesses. I thought she wouldn’t dare refuse under such circumstances.’

Celia had slipped through his fingers like sand, effortlessly slipping past every grasp.

The princess of the Shan Kingdom.

Ileon never imagined the figure from the prophecy had been alive all this time.

If she truly was a threat to him, then killing her would be the right choice.

But could that frail Celia really be in any position to threaten him?

Even if she once was a princess, Celia was now nothing at all.

Without Dietrich, she was merely a woman who could crumble in his hands in an instant.

For the first time, Ileon wondered if the prophecy he had so fervently believed in might have been wrong.

“I’ll kill you if you’re thinking about Anastasia.”

Ileon narrowed his eyes at Arthur, who had returned even more deranged than before.

“What exactly do you plan to use that sleeping potion for?”

“You don’t need to know.”

Arthur smirked darkly.

Ileon understood Arthur’s sinister intentions but deliberately pretended ignorance.

“Handle the consequences yourself, Arthur.”

“You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Arthur sneered as he rose from his seat.

Just before leaving the room, he turned his head slightly back.

“Tell your sister this. If this ever happens again, I’ll tear her limbs apart and throw her to the monsters as food.”

Thud.

The door closed.

Left alone in the room, Ileon thought of his sister being tossed as monster fodder.

She was nothing but a nuisance. Reina had never been of real help to Ileon.

Of course, it was Ileon who had made her this way.

He had found her somewhat useful once, but now she was hardly needed.

“…I might as well throw her to the monsters right now.”

Celia dreamed of the past.

Floating patchy clouds under a blue sky, the flag of the Shan Kingdom with its red lion emblem fluttering in the wind, her mother’s bright laughter, her father the king teaching her dagger techniques while worrying that men couldn’t be trusted.

—Princess, Princess!

Popo, the talkative parrot with red feathers, a gift from her father.

Truly a nostalgic dream.

—Princess, all men are wolves. You’re beautiful, so you must be especially careful. Use your magic to teach them a lesson.

—Princess, men are weak down there, so if anything happens, just stab them right there with your dagger!

—There’s nothing you can’t say to the Princess!

Her personal maids, even more talkative than Popo.

Celia reached out her hand toward them, smiling at her.

The moment Celia stretched out her hand, their bright faces were suddenly covered in blood.

The kingdom’s flag burned, and everyone dear to Celia died screaming in horror.

—Princess, run away!

They didn’t cry out “save me” as they died.

They told her to run.

A life of powerless helplessness, despite having magic.

In the ruined space, Celia burst into tears.

A kingdom turned to ashes in an instant. An allied nation wiped out at the same time.

All of this had happened because of a single prophecy.

Waking up drenched in cold sweat, the last thing Celia saw was Ileon smiling at her.

Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Dietrich, asleep with his eyes closed.

Celia realized she had been sleeping on Dietrich’s lap this whole time.

Dietrich had stayed completely still, afraid of waking her, and had fallen asleep like that.

This was the first time Celia had ever seen Dietrich asleep.

He always fell asleep after her and woke before her.

Celia carefully studied Dietrich’s sleeping face.

Dietrich slept without even making a sound.

Flawless skin, long eyelashes trailing downward, a masculine jawline, a sharp nose, lips tightly closed as if he’d never learned how to smile.

Celia marveled anew at Dietrich’s face.

Though it was the face she saw most often, Dietrich’s features always seemed different each time she looked.

Celia’s fingers touched Dietrich’s cheek.

Her fingers slid along the contour of his face and reached his lips.

Celia gently pressed her fingers against Dietrich’s lips, then pulled them away.

At the soft sensation, Celia closed her eyes and silently smiled.

When her smile faded, Dietrich was already awake, looking down at her.

Dietrich blinked slowly a few times.

Under his long eyelashes, crimson irises flickered in and out of view.

“Celia.”

It was Dietrich calling her name in a voice still thick with sleep.

“…I’ll protect you.”

At Dietrich’s words, Celia felt her heart swell.

The anxiety that had been pressing inside her chest completely dissolved. Celia gave a soft smile and nodded.

“I’ll protect you too.”

At Celia’s words, a gentle warmth settled on Dietrich’s face.

Dietrich replied as he smoothed Celia’s tousled hair.

“You don’t have to do anything. I’ll handle everything. You don’t need to push yourself.”

“I want to protect you too, that’s why.”

Dietrich nodded.

“If that’s what you want.”

The two smiled at each other.

Where doubt had once stood, firm trust now took root.

In a world where no one could be trusted, being able to fully trust each other was a tremendous blessing.

In the quiet dawn, where not even stars shone.

Celia and Dietrich’s clear laughter drifted away on the wind.

The next day.

“Reina, I hear you passed on the sleeping potion I gave you to someone. Please ensure it doesn’t happen again. Or if it must, at least make sure no one finds out. You’re no longer a five-year-old child, after all?”

Reina had to endure Ileon’s scolding from the morning.

“And you? What are you doing, asking that woman Celia to dance?”

“Brother? You should call me Your Majesty now.”

Ileon smirked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Cutting his hair short and dressing in dark fabrics, Ileon no longer looked gentle as he once did.

Seeing Reina puff her cheeks in displeasure, Ileon pulled something from his robe and placed it in her hand.

“What is this?”

“It’s a needle filled with sedative. Once injected into the bloodstream, even an elephant wouldn’t wake for half a day.”

Reina’s eyes widened at Ileon’s explanation.

“Really? You’re giving this to me?”

“Yes. But it’s only enough for a single use, so use it carefully.”

Ileon put on a kind older brother’s expression and smiled affectionately.

“Thank you! You’re the best, Brother!”

Reina left the room joyfully.

Thud.

The moment the door closed, Ileon looked at the spot where Reina had just been sitting with a look of utter contempt.

“She really is simple-minded. Foolish, and easy to control.”

It was Ileon who had raised Reina to be such a spoiled child.

Reina hadn’t always been this foolish.

As someone born of the Gredrick ducal bloodline, her intellect was naturally far superior to others.

Ileon had taken over all the responsibilities Reina should have handled, doing everything for her as if they were his own duties.

Thus, Ileon raised Reina delicately, like a princess.

He believed a naive, clueless younger sister was better than a clever one.

Reina, being of direct bloodline, should originally have competed for the headship of the family. But the spoiled Reina had no interest in leadership, only in shiny jewels, dresses, and handsome Dietrich.

And so, Reina became Ileon’s puppet.

A foolish younger sister, manipulated at his whim.

Soon she would become monster fodder, but that was of no concern to Ileon.