Not a joke… right?

Unlike his smoothly upturned lips, Edan’s eyes weren’t smiling.

He—thank goodness I instinctively kept quiet about it.

“Let’s try breaking it first.”

Huh?

Edan grabbed my hand and led me back toward the tunnel we’d entered through. Then, he summoned a violently swirling, intensely bright blue supernatural power and hurled it straight at the mirror.

BOOOOM! A deafening explosion shook the ground, slamming against my eardrums.

I covered my ears with both hands, closed my eyes, then opened them—the ceiling of the cave was raining dust, thickening the air like fog.

“Doesn’t work.”

Good grief. Seriously.

The mirror stood perfectly intact, not even a scratch. Even the cave itself remained completely undamaged, aside from the stirred-up dust.

If anything, only because Edan’s terrifying power was this immense did any dust even rise at all.

“Let’s go back.”

Edan frowned irritably but made no further attempts, turning on his heel.

Even I could see trying anything more would be pointless.

I glanced back over my shoulder at the mirror. Sunlight streaming down from the ceiling reflected off its surface, sparkling as though nothing had happened.

I hardened my lips into a cold line, turned around fully, and tightly gripped Edan’s large, sturdy hand.

I absolutely cannot let go.

“Edan.”

“What?”

As I walked beside him toward the cave’s exit, I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks.

“How about we talk to Killian about how you and I should use our powers?”

Edan halted beside me and turned to look back—his eyes narrowed slightly.

So much had changed since then.

Killian being Crown Prince had posed a major problem—he’d been at risk of being dragged to the Temple. That risk meant I might’ve been forcibly separated from Edan’s side.

The deal I’d made with the High Priest was precisely to prevent that, and so far, it had held without issue. But…

“Her Majesty already knows that you, my lord, have a woman.”

Hillstain had clearly said that Ciela told him so. I’d momentarily forgotten due to the political marriage issue and the mirror problem—but now that the Empress knew I was Edan’s woman, she’d surely remember me again. She was the kind of vile woman who’d spent years scheming cowardly behind the scenes; she might try to use me to retaliate against Edan in some other way.

“I’m on Lady Latieana’s side.”

Hillstain had said that—but I couldn’t just sit still and trust those words alone.

“Her Majesty the Empress already knows about me.”

“I know. Worried she’ll retaliate against you because of me and my brother?”

I shook my head briefly.

“It’s not me—it’s you. I can’t become your weakness.”

That woman hated Edan with a near-psychotic intensity.

Even though Edan possessed immense power, he’d never raised a hand against the royal family.

He’d never even attempted rebellion, never coveted Killian’s position—in fact, he’d been an invaluable asset for Killian’s future.

Maintaining a good relationship had always been entirely possible. Yet despite that, the Empress loathed him.

For Edan’s sake, and for mine, we must strip the Empress of her power. To do that, Killian must ascend the throne as soon as possible.

“I’ll speak to Killian, just as I said earlier.”

“About potion-making?”

“Yes. Last time, you said Killian promised he’d take the Empress’s power away from her.”

“He did.”

“One way the Empress wins over nobles is through the Temple’s secret pills. We could seize those and use them to Killian’s advantage—or at least discuss it properly. In exchange, I’ll insist on not being sent to the Temple.”

Edan gently stroked my head.

“Fine. Right now, my brother would listen. He feels guilty toward you—might as well exploit that guilt once. I’ll talk to him too.”

“And… there’s something else I’d like to ask separately.”

“What?”

My fingers tightened around Edan’s hand.

“Ivy.”

She’d always felt like a tiny thorn lodged under my skin.

I’d assumed she’d be executed immediately once exposed as a witch—but since the Empress hadn’t dealt with her yet, Ivy remained imprisoned in the underground dungeon.

“She’s still alive.”

Edan’s eye twitched slightly.

“That’s right. Last time Ruben checked, she was curled up in the dungeon—neither truly alive nor dead.”

“To be honest, I thought she’d be dead by now… It’s chilling that she’s still alive even after you attacked her so fiercely last time. Books say witches grow stronger fueled by hatred and rage—maybe it’s related to that…”

“It’s strange she’s still alive. They haven’t even given her food.”

Right. Any normal person would’ve died long ago.

“I know the Temple still falls under the Empress’s jurisdiction, so we can’t interfere—but can’t Killian do something?”

If Edan touched the Temple, it’d only provoke the Empress. Of course, threats usually work—but you can’t solve every problem in the world through intimidation alone.

“Edan, please ask Killian.”

If Killian handles Ivy himself, the Empress won’t be able to do anything. Edan’s hands must stay clean.

“You’re right. I assumed since my brother imprisoned the witch, he’d handle it himself—but let’s contact him as soon as we get back.”

At his permission, I beamed brightly. Imagining a hopeful future lightened my heart considerably.

We resumed walking and exited the cave. Before returning to the Duke’s Manor via portal, Edan tried using his power again to seal the cave entrance—but it refused to break.

“Impressive, Archmage.”

Edan let out a hollow chuckle. Apparently, powerful protective magic had been cast here.

“Latie.”

“Yes?”

“Let me say it again—forget about that thing.”

“Okay. I will.”

Good. From today, my goal is protecting the Empire’s peace. No need to shrink back. Just be a little shameless, right?

It pricks my conscience slightly to keep secrets—but I’ll turn a blind eye, just this once.

The Northern Rift has closed, and even sly Hillstain—who desires healing power more desperately than anyone—said he hopes the current peace continues.

That also means even with monsters around, this level of peace is acceptable enough to live with.

As time passes and young supernatural talents emerge, Edan might retire too—and I might even dare hope my power as High Priestess fades. Not all High Priestesses lose their healing power only upon death.

“Edan, I’ll do my absolute best.”

Please, let this time last long, long into the future. I beg you.

…That’s what I thought—until I returned to the Duke’s Manor and found Killian already there.

***

“Brother?”

His black hair, unseen for so long, fluttered in the Northern afternoon breeze.

Killian, with one side of his hair swept back, stood rigidly with an expression so stern it was intimidating—but as soon as he saw me, he smiled faintly.

“Hello, Your Highness.”

“Latieana, it’s been a while.”

Wow. He’d supposedly reconciled with Edan—but what was this? Killian’s demeanor had softened astonishingly.

His gentle, tranquil smile was so unfamiliar I struggled to adjust.

As I gaped slightly, Killian’s gaze drifted to my hand, still linked through Edan’s arm.

“You seem to have been doing well.”

“Ah! This is—!”

Panicking that I’d accidentally revealed my relationship with Edan like this, I tried jerking my arm away—but Edan stopped me with his hand.

“If you’re jealous, just say so.”

“Shut up, you idiot.”

Strange. Killian’s tone actually sounded even more irritable toward Edan.

Brotherly relationships really are different from what I imagined. I glanced back and forth between their faces. Though they looked alike, their auras differed subtly—but the way they looked at each other now radiated a thick, genuine bond.

That kind of affection I could never intrude upon.

“But what brings you here, Brother? You came all the way to the North?”

“Ah.”

Killian’s eyes turned icy again.

“Edan, Ivy Violet is gone.”

“What?”

The moment Edan’s brow furrowed fiercely, I spoke up too.

“W—what do you mean?”

Killian’s face twisted slightly in dismay as he continued.

“I learned everything the witch did to you—the fact she tried manipulating Hillstain and Dante. She was completely insane. I’d intended to apologize for my past actions—call it compensation if you will—but I planned to dispose of Ivy. Then my subordinate reported: the witch has vanished from the underground dungeon.”

His words sent chills down my spine.

“That’s impossible. She was definitely there just recently. Ruben went and confirmed it himself, right, Edan?”

I urgently looked up at Edan, and he nodded firmly, eyes certain.

“Ruben wouldn’t make a mistake. She was definitely still in the dungeon then.”

“When was that?”

“Before we went to Turn Checkmate House.”

“…Damn it.”

Killian exhaled a low sigh.

“It was a deep underground dungeon. Ivy couldn’t possibly escape on her own…”

“It’s the Empress.”

Edan cut me off.

“Even as a witch, she couldn’t escape that place by her own power. Either someone helped her flee—or someone extracted her.”

“…”

“If it wasn’t you, Brother, there’s only one person who could’ve taken Ivy out.”

“Damn it. My mistake. I should’ve eliminated her immediately.”

At that moment—

One of Killian’s subordinates, stationed at the portal outside the Duke’s Manor, rushed in.

“Your Highness, we’ve just received word from the Imperial Palace.”

“From the Palace? Did they know I was here?”

“Yes. A message from Her Majesty the Empress.”

“Report.”

The knight in the red cloak spoke.

“Her Majesty commands that Prince Edan Dietrich and Lady Latieana Merigold be brought to the Imperial Palace.”