“A medicine that prevents having children.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened.

“Really? Mother, how did you get such a thing?”

“With money, you can get anything.”

Gabriel laughed gleefully with a satisfied expression.

“Then Celiya, even if she wants children, will never be able to have them.”

Jeremy put on the golden mask that Ileon handed him.

Only after the hideous face was completely hidden behind the mask, could Jeremy fully see his reflection in the mirror.

The golden mask, with its skin melted and eyes, nose and mouth positioned appropriately, was much better than not wearing one.

However, Jeremy did not like the fact that he had to cover himself with a mask.

The golden mask felt as if it was mocking his once brilliant appearance.

“Damn! You call this a mask? The duke must think I’m a complete joke.”

Unable to contain his anger, Jeremy threw the mask he was wearing to the floor.

Crash!

With a sharp sound, the golden mask shattered into pieces.

“Oh dear, it seems His Highness did not like the mask that was painstakingly crafted.”

Ileon looked down at the shattered remains of the mask with a regretful expression.

“Never mind that, have you found a healer who can fix my face? My face must be restored to its original state before I ascend to the throne.”

“Hmm…”

Ileon, who had been thinking about something, suddenly lifted his head and smiled meaningfully.

“It seems the healer has arrived just in time.”

“!”

Seeing Jeremy’s face filled with hope, Ileon smiled brightly.

“I wish you a good healing session, and I’ll take my leave now.”

“Get out.”

“Yes, rest easy. For eternity.”

‘For eternity?’

Although Ileon’s added words bothered him, Jeremy’s mind was so preoccupied with the thought of healing his face that he soon forgot those words.

After leaving the Crown Prince’s palace, Ileon hid behind a pillar and watched as Dietrich, accompanied by many soldiers, headed towards the Crown Prince’s palace.

Ileon’s gaze fell on Dietrich and Celiya, who was being escorted by him.

‘This was completely unexpected.’

This was something that completely missed Ileon’s prediction.

Until now, Dietrich had voluntarily acted as the Emperor’s mad dog, supporting the royal family.

Although it was fake loyalty, on the surface it seemed as if he was truly supporting that Emperor.

He never expected that Dietrich, who had been like that, would rebel for the sake of one woman.

‘Celiya.’

The name lingering on his lips wasn’t unpleasant. The woman who had harbored deep darkness looked so radiant when she was with Dietrich.

Although the darkness in her heart remained the same, her face looked so happy that it created the illusion that the darkness had disappeared for a moment.

‘This is not good at all.’

Ileon whistled a sound that could be mistaken for birdsong.

Whistle-

Then, a subordinate appeared behind him where there had been nothing before.

He was the one who had disposed of Ben, who had poisoned the Crown Prince, and was Ileon’s loyal henchman.

“Deliver this letter to Arthur Cervantes as quickly as possible.”

“Understood, master. But, hasn’t Duke Cervantes been holed up in his territory for years without coming out? Will he really respond to the letter?”

“He will. He’s a pervert who collects and preserves all sorts of flashy and shiny things as a hobby.”

Heavy footsteps, numbering at least several dozen, echoed in the corridor.

As the footsteps gradually drew closer, Jeremy’s expectant face slowly twisted into something strange.

‘Is such a large number of people needed to heal my face? Something seems off.’

A sense of unease crept over him.

Before Jeremy could fully grasp his uneasiness, his room door burst open.

Beyond the wide-open door stood Celiya, still beautiful, whom he had been searching for all along.

However, someone’s large hand was wrapped around her waist.

The one who appeared escorting his concubine, accompanied by nearly a hundred knights, was none other than… Dietrich.

“You dog-like bastard! Are you really rebelling against me? Against a royal?”

Jeremy’s angry voice reverberated throughout the room.

In contrast, Dietrich’s voice was calm.

“In the name of the Imperial Knight Commander, I can no longer stand by and watch as Your Highness harms knights and innocent maids. How can we place someone with madness on the throne?”

“You dog-like-!”

Jeremy glared at Dietrich with bloodshot eyes.

“What are you all doing? Not killing that damned bastard immediately! He appears embracing my concubine and says he’s going to harm me?”

Jeremy ordered the knights to kill Dietrich. However, despite him being the Crown Prince, not a single knight listened to his words.

Even Jeremy’s advisor was merely looking away.

“…Have these fellows all gone mad?”

“Your Highness has already lost everyone’s trust.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I am the only royal. The only royal of this Abelon!”

Unable to contain his anger, Jeremy lunged at Dietrich.

White bones protruded through his melted skin.

Dietrich subdued Jeremy, who was rushing at him, with just one hand.

With a cracking sound, Jeremy’s arm was broken in an instant.

“Aaargh!”

Jeremy let out a pain-filled scream.

There were many onlookers, but no one tried to help Jeremy.

“As Your Highness’s mind is not sound, it would be best to confine him in the tower. We can’t allow more people to be harmed by his madness.”

The knights who had been standing still seized Jeremy’s body at Dietrich’s single command.

“Uwaaargh! Let go! How dare you! You trash!”

“…”

Jeremy was dragged into the corridor by the knights.

Finally, Jeremy’s gaze fell on Celiya.

But Celiya didn’t even look at Jeremy.

He felt bitter and resentful.

He had felt so superior, as if he was the most privileged being in the world, just because he possessed that beautiful woman.

But look at his state now, wallowing in the mud.

His brilliant future had vanished, and he was about to be confined in a tower.

He felt wronged. He couldn’t understand why he had to suffer like this.

Sharp words poured from Jeremy’s throat.

“You witch-like thing. It’s all because of you that I’ve ended up like this! Celiya Brillion! It’s all because of you that I’m in such a miserable state!”

Celiya shook her head at Jeremy’s words.

Dietrich, who had been looking at Celiya, whispered softly in her ear.

“Don’t take that bastard’s words to heart.”

Celiya was a little, no, very grateful to Dietrich for worrying about her in this situation.

She felt completely relieved.

Jeremy had been the Crown Prince who, wielding his power, had tried to make her his concubine, biting her collarbone and trying to possess her.

Come to think of it, it was Dietrich who had erased the dirty bite marks on her collarbone.

Celiya leaned her weight on Dietrich’s shoulder.

It was unbelievably cozy for the embrace of someone who had once tried to kill her.

There had always been those who tried to possess her. No one but Dietrich had ever helped her so readily.

Relying on him felt so comfortable that she feared she might unconsciously become accustomed to it.

‘I was only going to trust him halfway.’

At this rate, it seemed she might end up relying on him completely.

Unlike others, his hand didn’t roughly grab her waist, but gently enveloped her in a way that didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. It made her heart strangely swell.

‘I’m failing as a master.’

Celiya smiled self-deprecatingly.

“…Um, Duke Calypso, Your Grace.”

One knight cautiously called out to Dietrich.

“What are your plans from now on? What should we knights do for Your Grace?”

“The throne cannot be left vacant for long, so we’ll need to appoint a temporary new emperor.”

Temporary.

Although he said temporary, some of the sharper knights realized that this meant completely excluding Jeremy.

“Does Your Grace intend to take the throne?”

Dietrich shook his head.

If he declared that he would exclude Jeremy and take the throne himself, it was obvious that the three dukes would oppose and rise up.

With Ileon openly spreading rumors that he had poisoned Jeremy, if he were to hastily claim the throne now, it would only lend more credence to those rumors.

“How could I, as the Imperial Knight Commander, dare to covet the throne?”

The knights’ eyes widened in surprise.

“…Then? Who do you plan to put on the throne?”

Who?

There were those who stood above even the royals without inheriting royal blood, and no one would oppose if any of them were to take the throne.

Although in the past, the three dukes had declared that they would not covet the throne and would support the emperor, it was strange that they weren’t stepping forward now when there was no one to inherit the throne.

Dietrich knew well that Ileon was aiming for the throne.

Then what about the other two dukes?

Would they approve of him taking the throne, or would they oppose it?

Whatever the case, there was only one way to bring the three dukes together.

“In this Abelon, aren’t there the three dukes who are called the sky above the sky?”