Changing her appearance hadn’t made Marian unrecognizable. Even though he could barely use magic due to the sealing devices hanging heavily on his hands and feet, his senses and magic circuits were intact. Some things leak out unconsciously even when bound.

‘Why are you in such a state……’

He had imagined how Marian, who was like an ugly duckling, might be living now. But he never imagined she would appear like this, dressed like a street woman in the arms of trash like Cesare.

When he was young, he had resented Marian too.

For never coming to find him or save him. But after regaining his reason and gradually adapting, he realized she couldn’t. Save Abel in Marian’s position? That would have been no different than asking to die together.

Still, this wasn’t right.

At the very least, it shouldn’t have been Cesare, and she shouldn’t be in this state.

‘Thank you, Abel. I like you so much. Only you are kind to me. You are…… truly a good friend.’

He suddenly remembered those eyes that looked at him like a god.

Abel had fallen, and Marian was still in that hell. Abel bared his teeth. Marian smiled faintly.

‘So you came looking for me.’

Abel let out a bitter laugh. He wanted to open Marian’s head to see what she was thinking. He knew it was better to do nothing if one couldn’t save someone completely.

Marian wouldn’t be able to do anything for Abel.

From far away, Marian’s lips moved.

‘Wait, Abel.’

Abel furrowed his brows. But before he could confirm Marian’s intentions, he heard the frightened guards’ shouts.

“Stop, stop!!”

Guards wielding clubs rushed into the arena. Abel raised both hands with a sardonic smile. Abel crouched back into the darkness. Marian would come soon. Just as she had foretold.

**

The official carefully opened the door leading underground.

“Your Grace, as you know, this place cannot be seen without Imperial permission. So……”

“I said I’ll just look. Besides, do you know how much I invested when building this place?”

Cesare spoke grumpily. The official bowed his head with a terrified expression. Marian swallowed a bitter smile. It was lamentable that something like this existed openly above ground.

‘This is insane.’

The slave system had been abolished hundred years ago. Yet the Imperial Family was taking the lead in breaking the law. Cesare fondled Marian’s flesh. Greed flowed in the official’s eyes as he watched the man who clung and giggled. Cesare whispered in Marian’s ear with unfocused pupils.

“Your brother isn’t the only one here, Ellie. There are more rare beasts. Remember that filthy one who caused trouble earlier?”

“I don’t know who you mean.”

Marian shook her head gently.

“There was one with black hair. That one used to be a young duke in the past. A bastard who should have died survived miserably and ended up like that. It would be quite entertaining to see him too.”

Perhaps because he was under the spell, Cesare’s tongue had loosened a bit more. His laughter was also loose. Marian pressed herself closer to Cesare. The magic on Cesare mustn’t break until Marian achieves her goal.

“Your Grace is right.”

Marian inwardly sneered.

Who was it that turned innocent people into such states? Currently, the north was devastated with countless people starving to death. It was the decline that began after the Drake ducal family disappeared—the family that had governed the barren northern lands, developed commerce, and used the earned money to buy grain to feed and care for the northern people.

The number of people who abandoned their homes and families to become bandits and mercenaries had also increased dramatically.

The remaining Drake vassals barely sustained the north, but how could that be enough?

‘Abel is absolutely necessary for them too.’

Marian swallowed dryly.

“I heard this child’s younger brother was sold here. They said they didn’t know his name.”

“He was too young.”

Marian gathered her thoughts and agreed.

“…… I remember mother calling him Tori…… but that probably wasn’t his name.”

“Hmm. Would you be able to recognize his face?”

The official asked while watching Cesare’s reaction. Marian nodded firmly.

“Perhaps.”

“Before that.”

Cesare smiled dazedly. The deeper he pressed against Marian, the deeper he sank into the magical quagmire. Without even realizing it himself. The perfume Marian sprayed, her gestures, and her tone of voice—all of it was connected to magic.

Marian grabbed Cesare’s arm.

“Where is Abel? I want to see him.”

“Yes, Your Grace! That bastard should be locked up after getting beaten thoroughly by now.”

The official rubbed his palms together.

‘Beaten?’

Why on earth.

“We’re giving him proper discipline education as Your Grace said. He still acts high and mighty as if he’s still a noble, but……”

“Tsk. He suffers like that because he doesn’t know his place. His Majesty the Emperor is too soft.”

Cesare clicked his tongue softly.

What did they do to Abel? A chill ran down her spine. Marian asked in a hushed voice.

“How…… do you educate him?”

“Such bastards only come to their senses when beaten nearly to death.”

“Even though we pulled out all his nails before……”

Her heart sank.

‘Abel.’

Her fingertips trembled. Abel hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve such treatment. The wrongdoers were them! She felt nauseated with disgust. By the time Marian’s face had turned completely pale, losing all color, they arrived where Abel was confined. Abel was isolated alone.

“Abel.”

Cesare called Abel. Abel emerged from the darkness. The smell of blood and dust was thick. Marian unconsciously covered her mouth. Cesare rubbed his lips against Marian’s cheek and whispered.

“How is it? Quite a sight to see, isn’t it?”

Marian’s eyelashes trembled. She steadied her breath slowly and chanted magic inside her mouth. The formula Marian recited took an invisible form and bound the underground prison.

Space and time stopped.

“The time I can buy is,”

“What kind of state is that,”

Marian and Abel closed their mouths simultaneously. They exchanged glances. Abel roughly rubbed his face.

“…… Did you come to meet me like that? With that piece of trash?”

“This was the best option for now.”

Her dress that exposed her white thighs and chest swayed slightly. Marian smiled awkwardly. They had reunited with such difficulty, and though they weren’t rushing to kill each other, this was all they could say. Marian covered her lips.

‘Ah, this isn’t the time.’

The time Marian could stop was just two minutes, and limited to within three meters. If someone intruded into Marian’s space, the magic would break. Before that, there was something she had to do. Marian grabbed Abel’s hand. Abel flinched and frowned.

“What are you……”

Marian traced the sealing device on Abel’s wrist with her finger. Following Marian’s touch, light characters flickered on the sealing device. Abel’s lips set firmly. He felt the suppressed power explosively coursing through his entire body.

“This will hurt.”

Marian said with a serious face. Abel unconsciously snorted. Hurt? Just from this? It felt like needles piercing his skin, but this level of pain was nothing. His body, which seemed already worn down, couldn’t feel pain from something this minor.

“If it hurts, say……”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

Abel said with a voice mixed with a sigh. She really worried about unnecessary things.

All the unidentifiable disappointment he had felt toward Marian disappeared. His frozen heart melted. Abel’s expression softened too. The young him that he thought had disappeared showed on the surface. She had appeared in that state despite being a princess, saying she would help Abel. Abel smirked.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Cold?”

“Never mind.”

Marian glanced at Abel and bent down to sit. Marian casually knelt before him and placed her hand on his ankle. Abel flinched.

Marian’s black hair flowed down, revealing her white nape. The lines flowing to her back and shoulders all looked soft and delicate. Abel narrowed his eyes. The warmth he hadn’t felt in seven years to the point of starvation was temptingly condensed before him.

What Abel was seeing was Marian herself hidden in magic.

“Whew, seems all done. Are you alright?”

Abel nodded slowly.

“My plan is this. You’ll cause an explosion like magic overload and escape. Abel, that’s nothing for you. After burning this place and faking your death……”

Marian cleared her throat. Speaking quickly made her breathless. Anxiously glancing at Cesare, Marian opened her lips.

“Come to me.”

Marian turned her head to meet Abel’s eyes again. Marian spoke clearly.

“I can hide you, Abel. There will be a fighting tournament this autumn, enter it and win. Then reclaim your title and go to the north.”

That was Marian’s plan. Abel would reclaim his title and the north. It might take a few years. While Abel did his work in the north, Marian had things to do in the capital. Bringing down Madrian, stopping Benjamin’s marriage, preventing the war.

If Abel and Marian joined forces, they could break the Imperial Family and take that position. When that time came, Marian planned to lay everything down and entrust Federico to Abel.

‘I’m someone who will leave anyway.’

Abel would become the Emperor of Federico, not Lorenzo.

“You understand what I’m saying?”

Abel nodded slowly. Marian sighed and pulled her hand away. As Marian moved away from Abel, he grabbed her.

“Tomorrow night, I’ll come find you.”

Abel smiled gently.

Right now, Marian wouldn’t know what Abel had given up. Letting go of Lorenzo and taking Marian’s hand. It was courtesy and kindness toward Marian who had come looking for him, laying down everything until now.

The memories of their childhood remained intact in Abel too.

“Wait for me.”

Marian carefully nodded. The moment Abel released Marian, the magic broke. Abel hid in the darkness and Cesare laughed.

“If you’re done watching the beast, let’s go find your brother.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Marian turned with a prim face. Now she just needed to find the right time to escape from Cesare. Marian smoothed her chest.

‘I succeeded……!’

Marian suppressed the urge to look back and moved her feet. Click, click. Marian moved away from Abel again. Abel watched that retreating figure from the darkness.

Just as Abel hadn’t forgotten Marian, she hadn’t forgotten him either.

Marian didn’t smell of the filthy Imperial Family. Marian was Marian. Unlike the imperial family with their deep golden hair and green eyes, Marian’s eyes smelled of water. Deep blue and transparent eyes. Moreover, like Abel, proof of being a monster.

Marian had black hair. She was Abel’s only person who understood.