Chapter 7 (Part 11)

Felipe Morciani entered a secret chamber within the imperial palace. This was a place where no one but he could enter, as the entrance was hidden through the power of a magic stone.  

Caw, caw.  

Unlike the well-decorated palace, the interior revealed a desolate landscape. Above the dim sky, red-eyed crows circled. Beyond the thick fog, a tall, black tower came into view.  

“…Hmph.”  

The air within the place made the mark etched beneath his arm squirm. Suppressing his discomfort, Felipe entered the tower, where a man guarding the door stared at him.  

“Open it.”  

“…”  

But the man, who was blind and deaf, could not respond to Felipe’s command. Yet, without the man stepping aside, Felipe could not enter. It was a frustrating situation.  

The dignity of the Emperor of the Empire was utterly crushed, and just as Felipe was about to unleash his fury, the door creaked open. However, there were no signs of anyone having opened it from the inside.  

“Your Majesty, please come in.”  

A chilling voice echoed down the corridor, sending shivers through Felipe.  

Suppressing his irritation, Felipe stepped into the darkness. With each step, the torches lining the walls lit up one by one.  

Following the long corridor, Felipe arrived at a reception room where a tall man bowed deeply before him.  

“If you had sent word, I would have come to greet you, Your Majesty.”  

“Ridiculous.”  

Felipe sneered at the man’s empty flattery. The man straightened his posture and offered Felipe a seat.  

The reception room fell into a long silence as they sat across from each other.  

Felipe tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, his sharp gaze fixed on the man before him.  

The person sitting opposite was Morgana, the most infamous sorcerer in the Empire.  

Some claimed Morgana had died of illness, while others dismissed him as a fictional character.  

‘But here he is, alive before my eyes.’  

Though it was hard to say he was truly alive.  

A chilling smile flickered across Felipe’s face.  

“Your Majesty, may I ask the reason for your visit today?”  

The reason for my visit?  

As if you don’t already know, Sorcerer.  

The question, so obviously rhetorical, amused Felipe.  

He rarely visited this place.  

If word spread that the Emperor was secretly harboring a sorcerer within the palace, it would do him no good.  

Sorcerers were not well-regarded in the Empire.  

To both nobles and commoners, sorcerers were figures of fear and contempt. Their powers were inexplicable, and those in desperate situations sought them out.  

But once their usefulness was exhausted, they were ruthlessly discarded. In short, sorcerers were considered lower than the vermin living beyond the barrier.  

Felipe, who had been tapping the armrest, finally raised his head.  

“Didn’t you promise to deliver this empire to my feet?”  

At Felipe’s words, Morgana bowed so deeply that his forehead nearly touched the ground.  

“How could I forget a promise made to you, Your Majesty? However, Your Majesty, you already wears the glorious crown of the Empire. What more could you possibly need?”  

“Do I truly look like the leader of the Caspian Empire to you?”  

“Of course, Your Majesty.”  

Morgana spread his long nails before placing them over his chest in a gesture of reverence.  

“How boldly you lie.”  

Felipe rose from his chair, biting his lip in frustration. Even at the recent ball, he had discovered several nobles plotting rebellion.  

Through mirrors, windows, and the spies he had planted everywhere, he had uncovered the secret conversations of disloyal nobles.  

“It’s a fact known to heaven and earth that not everyone in this empire bows their head to me. That’s why vermin like them still roam free.”  

“But, Your Majesty, as you said, vermin are merely vermin. How could such insignificant creatures challenge the noble bloodline of the Emperor?”  

Morgana’s flattering words twisted Felipe’s lips into a sneer.  

The sorcerer was truly more of a silver-tongued speaker than a practitioner of dark arts. From their first meeting, Morgana had showered him with sugary words.  

“Morgana, my patience is wearing thin.”  

Felipe’s voice was cold as he turned his back.  

Morgana had kept his promise to help Felipe ascend to the throne.  

In return, Felipe had supported all the costs of Morgana’s rituals and experiments, even capturing humans for his use.  

“I told you not to touch noble families.”  

Morgana’s indiscriminate abduction of humans for experiments had recently drawn attention.  

Unauthorized newspapers were investigating, and families of the missing had hired guilds to search.  

Even the Night Wolf had shown interest in the matter, making it a significant headache.  

Felipe had not yet secured absolute power. Morgana’s reckless actions were infuriating.  

‘The day I seize complete control, you’ll be next.’

Felipe Morciani was determined to leave no blemish on his reign.  

However, despite the Emperor’s warnings, Morgana merely fawned like a tongue rolling inside one’s mouth.  

“I will ensure this does not happen again in the future. So, Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”  

Slowly rising, Morgana removed the cloak that had been covering his face. A handsome man with a pale complexion and neatly combed long black hair was revealed.  

***

The bathroom attached to the Duchess’s bedroom was filled with warm steam. Therese lay still in the large bathtub, slowly moving her hands and feet.  

“Ah, I feel so stiff.”  

Roshan’s house had a small wooden tub, but no proper bathroom. So, Therese used to hurriedly wash behind a makeshift screen while the Duke slept.  

“This is so quiet and nice.”  

Having grown up bathing alone without servants from a young age, this time felt entirely free. Stretching her upper body out of the tub, Therese reached for the scented oils she would use today, pausing at the bottle of sandalwood.  

“…Ha.”  

The Duke, despite his poor health, had rushed straight to the knight order. Since he was responsible for maintaining the capital’s security, his workload must have been immense.  

But thinking about his condition made her frown.  

“Why am I even worrying about him?”  

Therese set down the sandalwood oil she had been holding and picked up jasmine instead. Pouring the oil into her palm, she carefully applied it to her hair. Leaning back deeply into the tub, a puzzled expression suddenly crossed her face.  

“This is really strange.”  

Therese had thought the capital would be in chaos by now due to the monsters. The number of monsters she had seen at the port was significant, and even the Emperor’s knights had been deployed.  

Yet, Sophia hadn’t mentioned anything about that and only said strange things.  

“A legendary romance, really…”  

Earlier, she had been too stunned to even respond properly.  

‘Everyone’s going wild, saying you and His Grace went on a romantic honeymoon, Madam.’  

Rumor had it that during the ball, the two had exchanged passionate glances and openly displayed their affection. It was also said that the Duke, who had been unable to go on a honeymoon due to hunting monsters, had suddenly gone on one.  

Honestly, it was an embarrassing rumor.  

“Ha, it wasn’t a honeymoon.”  

She ran her now-warmed hand over her face.  

Of course, such rumors helped dispel suspicions that Duke Richard might be the Night Wolf. But it seemed a bit excessive.  

Then, Therese noticed the signet ring on her finger.  

‘Well, it wasn’t exactly a honeymoon.’  

Perhaps it wasn’t entirely false.  

There had been something between the two of them.  

They had shared their first kiss at the ball, and afterward, there had been an indescribable kiss with the feverish Duke.  

Recalling the passionate kiss she had shared while in the arms of the sick man, Therese’s cheeks flushed as if she were feverish again.  

“…I’m losing my mind.”  

She didn’t know why that memory suddenly came to her.  

Emerging from the warm water, Therese plunged her face into cold water. She hurriedly cleared her mind of the trivial thoughts that had filled it.  

“I have so much to do, I need to sleep early.”  

Starting tomorrow, she would be busy, so she needed to conserve her strength. After roughly drying herself, she slipped on a chemise and picked up her robe.  

When she opened the bathroom door, a thick mist spilled into the bedroom. The bedroom, lit by a single candle, was very dark, and Therese navigated the familiar darkness to find her dressing table.  

She hastily took out her medication and grimaced at the bitter aftertaste.  

“How much longer can I endure this?”  

The suppressant only served to suppress the symptoms; it didn’t neutralize the poison.  

Though she had reassured Roshan to ease his worries, the poison that gnawed at her life wasn’t something that could vanish with mere hope.  

Running a dry hand over her face, Therese stared blankly at the wall.  

Living with a terminal condition was something she couldn’t easily adapt to. At times, she thought she should muster strength to live each day, but then she would feel despair at the thought of her life ending.  

‘I want to live.’  

This newfound desire to live, even just one more day, only made her more afraid.  

She knew all too well that life didn’t go as one wished.  

Whenever she desired something, the results were never good.  

“…Ha.”  

Feeling a heaviness in her chest, Therese stood and opened the balcony door. Below the long balcony was the dark garden of the Richard family estate.  

The overly well-manicured garden always left her feeling somewhat bitter whenever she looked at it.  

“…Ha.”  

Therese’s chemise fluttered in the cold wind. Though it was summer, the night breeze carried a chill, making goosebumps rise on her arms.  

The cool air cleared her head.  

‘I don’t have time to indulge in romance.’  

The issue of monsters roaming inside the barrier was a serious matter.  

She hadn’t been able to sleep properly, constantly worrying about Roshan, who hadn’t contacted her yet.  

The image of Roshan, left behind amidst a rain of flaming arrows, was etched into her mind.  

‘Is he okay?’  

She had sent Snow several times, but Roshan’s reply never came.  

‘He must be in hiding.’  

She was afraid it might be a foolish hope.  

Startled by the sound of someone’s presence, Therese quickly turned around.  

‘An intruder?’  

But she was utterly defenseless at the moment.  

‘What should I do?’  

Hesitating, Therese bit her lip.