***

Astrid observed the tomb of the first Herta with sparkling eyes.

Honestly, it looked more like a spacious and splendid bedroom than a tomb, but since they had entered a place deep in the Herta imperial mausoleum that was clearly marked “Tomb of the First Herta,” it must be correct.

Of course, there was no coffin of the first Herta to be seen, but the traces of enormous magical power could definitely be felt.

“The first Herta must have truly been an amazing magician, Master. For such strong traces to remain even though the curse has been lifted……”

Normally, once someone had died and their curse had been lifted, there shouldn’t be any traces left.

Yet Astrid could still feel the remnants of the curse that had coiled here for three hundred years.

“Or was it that powerful a grudge?”

In response to Astrid’s muttering, Tan, who stood behind her, replied sourly.

“The great and magnificent master magician who could answer Mother’s question right now looks like he’s about to die.”

Only then did Astrid turn to look at Eckle, who was sitting on the floor resting, too exhausted to maintain any dignity.

“My goodness, Master. Such dramatics.”

“I don’t think it’s dramatics….. I felt like I aged ten years with each step we took, breaking through that intense security to get here.”

“That’s exactly what dramatics are. My master couldn’t possibly be that weak.”

“……”

Eckle didn’t even have the energy to speak.

He couldn’t remember how many spatial teleportation spells he had attempted to infiltrate the imperial mausoleum, which had suddenly become more heavily guarded than the imperial palace, without being detected by anyone.

Why was the security at such an insane level? Even the Emperor’s bedroom wouldn’t be this secure.

There was even a magician among the guards, so he had to pour out so much magical power to avoid detection spells.

To begin with, magicians aren’t particularly physically superior or agile.

A magician who doesn’t even know how to silence their footsteps, let alone conceal their presence, moving stealthily?

You pour magical power into each step.

It would have been much easier to just blast away all the guards on patrol and enter.

Eckle cursed his own eyes that still found his ruffian-like disciple adorable.

Tan, who had been watching this scene, clicked his tongue, then suddenly narrowed his eyes as he sensed approaching presences.

“Mother, someone’s coming. Two people- no, three.”

They hid themselves.

Soon, three men entered the place where they had been.

All three had similar faces, like brothers. Golden hair and young, beautiful faces.

Tan, who occasionally had the hobby of running around the garden on all fours but had received all the education befitting a Grand Duke’s child, mouthed the identities of the three to his mother.

‘They’re princes. One is the Crown Prince.’

All three wore gloomy expressions, with the Crown Prince’s being particularly serious.

One of them spoke.

“What’s the use of coming here again and again?”

He looked around at his silent brothers and sneered.

“It’s not like the missing body will suddenly return. Just like our eyes.”

Eyes.

Astrid examined the three who, despite being imperial family members, had no golden eyes. At the very least, the Crown Prince should have had them, but even he did not.

“I’m giving up. You two can keep waiting if you want, do as you please.”

“Give up? Do you know what that means-”

“It means I’ll live as the unfortunate prince who suddenly injured his eyes and lost his sight.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I can’t keep hiding in my room, waiting indefinitely for my eyes to return to normal.”

“You’d give up your eyes just like that?”

“What other option is there?”

A silence fell among the three at that sharp retort.

Astrid could easily infer from their conversation that the three had possessed golden eyes but lost them.

If the lifting of Basilinte’s curse and the Herta imperial family losing their golden eyes happened around the same time, could it really be a coincidence?

Astrid’s mind began to race furiously.

At that moment.

“It might make sense for our eldest brother, the Crown Prince, but for us, it’s better to just give up on our eyes. Sion, think wisely. Don’t get swept up in our brother’s words.”

Sion?

Astrid and Tan’s gazes met.

Both thought of Leticia. The child who had come to Basilinte as a hostage under the name of Prince Sion.

Of course, they had thought she wasn’t really a prince, but…

‘The original falls far short compared to our Leti.’

The real Prince Sion was a somewhat frail-looking boy.

Pale, thin, and above all, not particularly healthy-looking.

While his appearance was reasonably pretty, the way he lowered his head, watching his brothers’ reactions, killed that appearance.

‘Not as pretty, not as handsome, not as healthy, not as charming, not as cheerful, not as lovable as Leti…’

The three continued to talk for quite some time afterward.

Mostly two of them conversed, while Prince Sion hardly spoke at all.

From this, Astrid could tell how bewildering a situation the Herta imperial family was facing.

The eye color of the Emperor and the imperial family members who had golden eyes had changed. It seemed that even the hair color of some imperial family members had changed from blonde to something else.

As a result, Second Prince Rasiel, who originally didn’t have blonde hair and golden eyes, might inherit the throne instead of the Crown Prince.

After the three finally left, Astrid pondered deeply.

And after many thoughts became entangled in Astrid’s mind, she raised her head and declared.

“Let’s kidnap him.”

“…? Kidnap what?”

At Tan’s question, Astrid repeated.

“Him, Prince Sion.”

Eckle simply covered his ears and lay flat on the ground.

“I didn’t hear anything.”

“What would you do with him if you kidnapped him, Mother? He seemed useless for anything except being a prince.”

“That’s exactly why that title of prince is useful.”

“…?”

“Don’t you think our lovely disciple would look better with it than him? Our disciple even has golden eyes.”

What is she talking about?

Is she in her right mind?

Well, she never was in her right mind to begin with…

***

Luka knew that the prejudices that imperial citizens held against Basilinte were not true.

The Grand Duchy was a place where people lived, so it couldn’t possibly be a demon lord’s castle inhabited by blood-drinking demons.

Throughout the continent, the historical Grand Dukes of Basilinte were known as the White Demon or the Mad Dog of the Continent, but while working under the imperial family, Luka learned that these names were propagated by the imperial family.

Of course, that didn’t mean the historical Grand Dukes of Basilinte were gentle personalities.

But Luka’s impression after reading records about the historical Grand Dukes of Basilinte was, well…

They seemed more human than expected.

Perhaps because of prejudice, he had expected bloodthirsty murderers, so trampling and throwing people on the battlefield seemed relatively human…

-He wanted to erase his past thoughts.

In the end, the meeting of the five people that had suddenly materialized that day, starting from the mansion where Sir Borba was staying, ended without any proper conversation.

They had promised to meet again, but Luka was displeased with even that.

Why trust Nathan and give him time? What if he betrayed them?

And to begin with, revenge against the imperial family was Luka and Leticia’s matter.

While he could somewhat understand, albeit reluctantly, the involvement of Nathan and Aina, siblings who had been separated for 10 years because of the imperial family. But why that Basilinte young master?

Claiming to be family when he didn’t even know Leticia’s identity for 10 years.

Intending to persuade Leticia once more that this was a matter for just the two of them, Luka sneaked into the inn where Leticia was staying.

It was the same inn where that damned Basilinte young master was also staying, but since they were on different floors, surely their conversation wouldn’t leak out.

‘Was it the third room on the third floor?’

Not noticing the trick that Chamuka had played after overhearing Leticia telling Luka where she was staying, Luka lightly opened the window of the third room on the third floor and slipped inside.

“Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!”

“……”

And discovered the kidnapped prince.