“What’s inside?”

“A gift.”

“Who are you giving it to?”

The Second Imperial Consort paused for a moment before speaking in a creeping voice.

“To my beloved daughter.”

“Are you talking about Ashiel?”

Instead of answering, the Second Imperial Consort smiled. There was something bitter about it, suggesting that wasn’t the answer she wanted.

Just then, Cardel snatched the pouch and strode out of the banquet hall.

“Young Master! What do you think you’re doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m taking the gift to its owner.”

“Who’s that?!”

“Stop complaining and just follow me.”

Astrian tilted his head and followed Cardel out of the banquet hall, who seemed to already know the answer.

The Second Imperial Consort hurriedly followed them both.

After the Empress left, an unwelcome guest appeared in the once-peaceful banquet hall.

It was the Marquis of La Voletta, whose transformation into a monster had fully progressed.

“A monster! It’s a monster!”

No one recognized him as the Marquis of La Voletta.

He was simply a terrifying presence, a monster.

People frantically rushed to leave first, everyone quickly evacuating the banquet hall.

Among them were Siana and Hesion.

“Hurry! We need to get out!”

“What in the world…”

What was that monster, and why was Siana dragging him away from this place?

Nothing made sense.

Everything surrounding him now felt frightening.

Just when Siana was trying to evacuate while pulling the confused Hesion along, the Marquis spotted Hesion.

Since Hesion had frequently visited him to enter the family head’s room even when the Marquis’s mind wasn’t sound, the Marquis detected his own scent clinging to Hesion.

When the Marquis charged at Hesion, Siana urgently pulled him back, but the Marquis was far too fast.

Then a sword flew through the air and struck the Marquis.

It was a ceremonial sword that had been decorating the banquet hall.

They never expected to use a spare sword kept for the event like this, but fortunately, it was effective in diverting the Marquis’s attention.

The Marquis, struck by the sword, faltered.

“Leave quickly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Hurry, get up!”

“What in the…”

The Emperor’s gaze followed Hesion.

He felt the pressure while simultaneously sensing something pitying in that look.

Why was he looking at him with such eyes?

Being dragged away by Siana, Hesion blankly captured that scene in his eyes.

The monster he still couldn’t fathom was the transformed Marquis, and the Emperor looking at him.

Those two people.

Aaaaagh—!

A pain-filled howl echoed through the quiet imperial palace.

The blade grazed his face, leaving a large wound. The Emperor threw more spare swords, wounding the Marquis’s body, and the Marquis writhed in pain before fleeing deeper into the banquet hall.

Watching him, the Emperor, who couldn’t quite calm down, eventually looked at his old friend with hollow eyes.

Blood-red tears flowed from his eyes, and the whites had turned red from his influence.

His nails had transformed into thick, long, sharp weapons like a bird of prey’s talons, and his awkward, clumsy gait made him seem like a newly born monster cub.

The black scales that had started sprouting from his extremities had now covered his entire body.

At a glance, he resembled a dragon, but sadly, he was no longer human.

A monster. Humanity’s enemy. A being that devours humans.

The old friend he had waited for and longed for so much had become a monster.

“…Nailik, you…”

“Grrrrr…”

Between his protruding, gaping lips, thick fangs revealed themselves.

His navy-blue irises gleaming in the darkness reflected eerily in the moonlight.

The Emperor kept his gaze fixed on the Marquis, who had transformed into a monster, while feeling around his waist.

“…!”

‘No sword.’

The belt loop at his waist where his sword should hang was empty. The memory of removing his sword and wearing his tailcoat because today was the banquet flashed through his mind.

Only some of the imperial guard were permitted to carry weapons at banquets hosted by the imperial family.

Therefore, the only ones who could face the Marquis right now were the imperial guard knights.

He had to buy time through them until Evolaine arrived at the banquet.

‘Can they do it?’

The swords he’d already thrown lay scattered near the Marquis.

Moreover, even though considerable time had passed since the Marquis retired, he was a Kelic swordsman.

Furthermore, hadn’t Evolaine failed to properly awaken? Even though he was long past his prime, whether she could stop him was uncertain.

‘The monster transformation is also a variable. A monster’s skin is thicker than a human’s.’

A monster’s skin couldn’t simply be damaged by attacking with a sword alone. In the Marquis’s case, with hard scales sprouting and turning him black like a dragon, it was even more difficult.

To attack them required a Sword Master, Magic Swordsman, or a swordsman of equal or comparable skill like Evolaine to additionally use their abilities.

Then the banquet hall doors opened.

Both the Emperor’s and the Marquis’s gazes turned toward those who appeared.

Astrian, Cardel, and the Second Imperial Consort.

“Why are you all here…”

“Where is Dame Evolaine?”

“She hasn’t arrived yet. More importantly, aren’t you the Second Imperial Consort?”

The Second Imperial Consort flinched at the Emperor’s question. The Emperor’s eyes narrowed at her reaction, seeming to hide something.

“She said she had something to give to Dame Evolaine, so I brought her.”

“…The Imperial Consort to Evolaine?”

They shouldn’t have any connection, so how did they know each other?

In the first place, he didn’t even know where the Second Imperial Consort had been or what she’d been doing, making it hard to trust her rashly.

Of all times, she appeared at this moment when he was confronting the Marquis.

“If anything happens because of Her Highness the Imperial Consort, I will take responsibility.”

“…Young Master, you should know well that responsibility carries weight.”

“I’m saying this knowing that.”

Astrian was just as flustered by the suddenly changing attitude.

Suddenly showing unlimited trust in the Imperial Consort—he couldn’t understand what change of heart this was.

“…I’ll let it pass for the Young Master’s sake. Evolaine still hasn’t arrived?”

“She should have reached the imperial palace by now.”

Grrrrr—

An eerie cry cut through the conversation, echoing through the banquet hall.

“D*mn, I shouldn’t have built the banquet hall with marble. The sound echoes unnecessarily well, making it unpleasant to hear.”

“You’re making jokes in this situation?”

“I might never get another chance, so better now than never.”

The Marquis charged at Astrian as he shrugged.

It was instantaneous. With swift movement, Astrian had no time to dodge and was subdued by him.

“Kugh…!”

Thick claws dug into his shoulder. Red blood began staining the white marble floor.

“Your Highness!”

“Astrian!”

Cardel blocked the Emperor from approaching Astrian.

If he approached, there was a high probability he’d be attacked and injured.

“Nailik.”

“Grrrrr…”

“It’s me. Nailik. Please…”

Meanwhile, the Second Imperial Consort took the opportunity to approach the Marquis.

She pleaded with him, crying out for him to recognize her, but it no longer reached the ears of the Marquis who had already become a monster.

“Please…”

“Your Highness the Imperial Consort, step back. It’s dangerous.”

“But…!”

Fortunately or unfortunately, the Marquis wasn’t moving after subduing Astrian.

Cardel pulled the Second Imperial Consort away from the Marquis to separate her from him, and the Second Imperial Consort resisted to avoid being pulled away.

Then Cardel dropped the purple pouch he’d been holding.

Thud—

When something hit the floor, the Marquis reacted.

“Urgh…!”

Every time he moved, the thick claws also moved while embedded in his shoulder.

While Astrian barely endured the pain to avoid provoking the Marquis, the Marquis showed interest in the pouch.

‘Does he know what’s in the pouch?’

When Cardel carefully picked up the pouch and moved it left and right, the gaze followed.

Like all his attention was focused on the pouch.

‘What could be inside to make him react like this?’

The Second Imperial Consort had said it was a gift for her daughter.

If his guess was correct and that daughter was Evolaine, it was highly likely related to Kelic.

When Cardel loosened the string tightly binding the pouch, purple powder faintly revealed itself inside.