It was quite a spectacle.

The holy knights had lined up in formation, weapons at the ready, their faces tense. It was unclear when they had arrived.

In the distance, through their ranks, the Second Prince was visible. Something dark and sticky surrounded him like a circle.

“Traine Posman! In the name of Kamesis, I ask you once again!”

The man who appeared to be the captain of the holy knights shouted in a booming voice, pulling on the pure white chains that bound the Second Prince.

“Was it you who amplified the demonic energy in the Hamel Mountains?”

In response to the holy knight’s question, the Second Prince began to mutter, exuding a dark aura.

“Sa… ve.”

I quickly assessed his condition and hid behind Calix, thinking to myself.

‘Did they do this to the Second Prince to warn me?’

The timing was too perfect to say it wasn’t.

No matter how I thought about it, the best scenario was for me to flee to another continent, avoiding the temple’s surveillance.

But Calix was a concern.

That damned statement about retiring at 80 seemed genuinely sincere.

Calix was the type to follow through when he said something.

Even if I ran away secretly, it was obvious he would grit his teeth and chase after me.

If the female lead couldn’t escape despite using all her powers, what chance did I have?

“What do you plan to do now? Rose Estanya.”

Calix whispered, crossing his arms and lowering himself to my level.

I quietly observed the standoff between the Second Prince and the holy knights.

“Should we go find the elves? As per the original plan…”

Calix let out a short sigh as if he had a headache.

“His Majesty the Emperor is going to have a hard time.”

However, contrary to his words, his expression was extremely calm.

Was he not worried even after my bombshell revelation?

“He’s here.”

At that moment, a sudden silence fell, and the Emperor walked into the center of the chaotic main hall.

I suppose that’s the presence of an emperor for you.

The atmosphere became solemnly chilling, and I quickly bowed my head along with Calix.

“We greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“We greet Your Majesty.”

Despite his son’s condition, the Emperor’s face was very expressionless.

How could he be like that? It was beyond my understanding.

Is it an emperor’s duty to remain calm in any situation?

Still, isn’t it difficult as a human being?

“Even if it’s the temple, to barge into the imperial palace without permission and draw weapons…”

At those words, the captain of the holy knights raised his startled face. The Emperor met his gaze with a faint smile.

I suppose it runs in the blood; his eerie smile was exactly like Calix’s.

“T-that’s because a vast amount of demonic energy in the Second Prince—”

“So, you intend to kill an imperial prince?”

I glanced at Calix.

Even with his brother in such a state, Calix’s face remained impassive.

If anything, he looked triumphant, as if he had seized an opportunity.

Had he come up with some brilliant idea?

“But this is evidence that the imperial family has been secretly communicating with the wicked Morisias!”

A suffocating silence followed the holy knight captain’s words.

Yet, the Emperor’s face remained very relaxed.

“…The Hamel Mountains, the source of demonic energy, are under the temple’s jurisdiction. “

Thump, thump. The Emperor began to approach the Second Prince.

“Did it not occur to you that the Second Prince ended up like this because the temple failed to properly control the demonic energy?”

The Emperor’s tone changed in an instant.

I could only clench my fists tightly, extremely tense.

“Crown Prince, you tell them. What happened at the birthday celebration?”

The corners of Calix’s bowed head turned up slightly.

He suddenly raised his head and spoke with a regretful expression.

“As soon as we entered the Hamel Mountains, I felt the demonic energy raging.”

Then, with a face full of indignation, he reproached the holy knight captain.

“I believe this is something not only the imperial family but also the temple officials must have known.”

I frowned at Calix’s words.

To take the Emperor’s side here.

Isn’t he in a position where he can’t afford to antagonize the temple?

Moreover, Calix had no reason to help the Second Prince.

“What nonsense is this! Crown Prince! Are you in your right mind? How dare you shift the blame for the demonic energy surge to the temple!”

The holy knight captain, naturally enraged, raised his voice at Calix’s words. Calix approached the Second Prince with a solemn face and continued speaking.

“I am deeply troubled to see my brother in this state.”

He glanced over at the holy knight captain and spoke firmly.

“Your Majesty, not only is the temple responsible for this situation but as the Crown Prince, I also bear responsibility for failing to look after my siblings. Please allow me to resolve this matter.”

My mouth fell open in surprise at his words.

You crazy fool, how on earth do you plan to take responsibility for this?

“Shouldn’t we return my brother to his original state, Your Majesty?”

***

In the end, Calix finally returned after finishing his private audience with the Emperor.

“Things are going very well.”

Unlike me, who was completely tense, he wore a face of unprecedented satisfaction.

“I told His Majesty about what happened in Desart. After all, I’m the only one who knows that the berserk tamer in Desart was related to demonic energy.”

No one but us knew the cause of the tamer’s rampage in Desart.

That’s because the elves had taken away the problematic tamer’s corpse.

If nothing else, the elves had certainly destroyed the evidence.

“But Your Highness, didn’t I tell you? The elves and Morisias…”

I glanced at Ruel beside me and spoke to Calix with a hint of reproach.

Calix, unfazed, gestured to Ruel with a look of smug satisfaction.

“You, leave us.”

“Your Highness?” Ruel responded, puzzled.

“I have an urgent matter to discuss with my lady-in-waiting, so leave.”

Reflexively turning my gaze, I met Ruel’s eyes as if he felt the same way.

Our expressions were eerily identical.

Expressions of disbelief.

“What are you two staring at blankly?”

He frowned deeply and personally got up to push Ruel out of the office.

Then he said with a bright smile.

“Draw up a rigorous training schedule for the knights. It seems like it’ll start soon.”

“…Yes.”

What’s about to start? As I stared with wide eyes, Calix shrugged his shoulders as he closed the office door.

“It seems the First Prince is planning to attack me soon. His movements are suspicious.”

His face is too calm for someone talking about such matters.

“Your Highness, that’s a problem too, but… I still think it’s dangerous to keep me by your side.”

Calix sighed at my words as if to say ‘Here we go again’.

“What are you worried about? In the end, aren’t you my lady-in-waiting, not Morisias’s underling?”

Then he plopped down on the couch and gestured to me with his chin.

“You spilled everything to me within 30 minutes of the elves asking you to keep it a secret, and then you went into the Temple of Fate and attacked the High Priest guarding the temple with the sword I gave you. How on earth could you be Morisias’s underling?”

Calix shook his head as if to say he couldn’t believe it.

“Even the Pope hasn’t screwed over Morisias as much as you have.”

Now that I hear it, it does make sense. In reality, I have no intention of acting as Morisias wants me to.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“…In what way?”

I pointed to myself and answered.

“Me, a ghost.”

“How fortunate that a spiritual being is on my side.”

Calix’s nonchalant attitude was starting to irritate me.

Hey, is he even listening to what I’m saying seriously?

“Your Highness, do you actually believe what I’m saying?”

When I asked accusingly, Calix nodded.

“Isn’t a ghost more realistic than a fairy?”

I was momentarily at a loss for words. Calix continued with a serious attitude.

“It’s a well-known story that the Temple of Fate is somewhere in Tehran Forest. I’ve heard that it’s usually hidden by fog, but allows entry to special individuals.”

And as if recalling something, Calix’s expression gradually hardened.

“The dagger I gave you, do you have it now?”

At Calix’s words, I found the dagger in the bag I had prepared in advance and held it out.

His long fingers touched the jewel on the dagger’s handle.

“This is a mana stone. If you attack someone with a weapon embedded with this, it absorbs the target’s mana. The more you use it, the stronger the mana stone becomes.”

Soon after examining the mana stone, he frowned deeply.

“And this blade has an excessively vast amount of mana stored in it.”

Calix stared at me intently and asked.

“…Did you really stab with this? And the High Priest of Fate at that?”

“…Yes.”

At that, Calix rubbed his brow.

“It’s amazing that you made it out of there alive.”