Then she overlapped her hand over Erna’s and caressed it. Erna barely suppressed the urge to shake off the creepy touch that felt like bugs crawling over her skin.

“Does that cursed scar still hurt, crown prince?”

“……”

“But you can’t live forever captivated by a curse, can you? If you do, you might really become a monster, no, a tyrant as others say.”

At the words that blatantly disparaged Alexion, something hot surged up from deep within Erna’s chest.

“How unfortunate. I have no doubt that I will become a benevolent ruler.”

Erna, who had withdrawn her hand from the empress’s grasp, imitated Alexion’s characteristic arrogant expression. She added with a bitter smile on her lips.

“If Your Majesty is so concerned, you can judge for yourself. During the very long time I sit on the imperial throne.”

Erna rose from her seat and issued an order to leave with cold eyes.

“I’m tired. I apologize, but I’ll retire first.”

***

“Aaaaah!”

As soon as she returned to her quarters, Vanessa tore at her hair and exploded in fury. As if that wasn’t enough, she threw jewelry boxes, vases, and expensive ornaments at the wall indiscriminately.

“Damn snake charmer. He said it was a well-trained venomous snake, but it was complete nonsense! Hey there!”

At Vanessa’s shout, an errand boy entered from outside the door. She threw a pouch heavy with gold coins to the errand boy and commanded with glittering eyes.

“Send someone immediately to kill the snake charmer and all his family. Make sure to clean up thoroughly so there’s no evidence left behind.”

“I shall obey your command, Your Majesty the empress.”

After the errand boy withdrew, Vanessa habitually gnawed at her nails.

She had even gone through the trouble of secretly hiring a snake charmer and changing the target to Erna Lizbeth.

“Both Erna Lizbeth and that crown prince bastard are perfectly fine. This way there’s no gain at all.”

Vanessa grumbled and glared at the vanity mirror across from her. Instead of the glamorous and bewitching empress, a venomous woman with bloodshot eyes stood in the mirror.

She was about to lift a chair to smash the mirror but stopped when she saw her lower abdomen reflected in it. No matter how she squeezed and wrapped it, her belly remained flat and smooth.

She had monopolized the emperor’s favor despite her commoner status. She had succeeded in driving out the former empress Celestine and taking her place, but there was one fatal flaw in her.

The fact that she had a barren body that could not conceive.

“Aaah! Why! Why me of all people……!”

The emperor who would serve as her shield was now old and decrepit, living day by day. At this rate, that monster-like crown prince would definitely inherit the throne.

***

The magic stone’s effect wore off right after the empress left.

“I, I survived. I aged ten years.”

Erna finally caught her breath and patted her chest. As she returned from the large man’s physique to her original delicate body, the loose clothes flowed down as if they would fall off immediately. Pulling up the clothes that kept sliding down below her shoulders, she hurried toward Alexion.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Erna touched Alexion’s forehead and examined his condition. Fortunately, his fever had gone down compared to the beginning, but his body temperature touching her palm was still hot. Seeing someone who wouldn’t bleed a drop even if stabbed lying on the bed made her heart troubled.

“It must hurt a lot. It’s all because of me……”

It was when she was hanging her head low in guilt.

“You’re still as impudent as ever, Erna Lizbeth.”

Alexion let out a deflated laugh.

“To think you’d say such things fearlessly to the empress.”

“What? What do you……”

“Are you sincere?”

At the incomprehensible question, when Erna’s eyes widened, Alexion grasped Erna’s hand that was placed on his forehead. The large scar covering the back of his hand stood out clearly.

“The words that you have no doubt I will become a benevolent ruler. Are you sincere?”

“You heard everything?”

“Answer first.”

His appearance holding her hand seemed just like looking at an injured child. It was as if he was desperately clinging, asking her not to let go of his hand.

‘His Highness has had his life threatened countless times since childhood. That’s why he drank poison himself to build immunity in order to survive.’

Was it because the words she had heard from Neison earlier came to mind? Or was it because she was seeing Alexion’s weak side for the first time? Her chest stung for no reason and her eyes reddened.

“I’m sincere. Because I believe in Your Highness’s appearance that I’ve seen so far.”

Erna bent one knee and approached him closely. She wanted to convey her sincerity completely somehow.

“I’ll become an unchanging ally by Your Highness’s side. I promise.”

Whoosh. Pure white light filled the entire space and at the same time, a square status window appeared.

[★☆Hidden Quest ‘Gain the Crown Prince’s Trust!’ Mission Complete☆★

Special reward will be given. (Choose 1)

1. Teleportation Scroll
2. Ancient Language Interpretation Ability
3. Healing Ability]

“Quest complete? Suddenly?”

After being flustered at the unexpected situation for a moment, she quickly scanned the special reward choices before her eyes.

This choice wasn’t even worth pondering. What use would ancient language interpretation ability be? The third option was the same. Unless she was a knight going to battlefields, healing ability had no particular use for herself living a comfortable life as a count’s daughter.

On the other hand, if she obtained the teleportation scroll, she could instantly move to any desired location. It might come in handy later when escaping the game.

Just before pressing button number one, her finger stopped precariously.

Looking at Alexion lying on the bed, she bit her lower lip hard. The large scar carved near his heart inside his loosened shirt and his right hand that he always hid with gloves while pretending to be fine disturbed her vision.

“I have no choice.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away from Alexion, reaching her hand toward the choices.

‘Ah, I don’t know.’

As soon as she pressed the button, the large status window disappeared without a trace.

At that moment, brilliant white light poured out from Erna’s hand. Soon that light enveloped Alexion’s entire body through their clasped hands. Alexion’s eyes trembled finely from agitation.

“Erna, you……”

Seeing the cursed scar that had been eating away at him disappear without a trace, Erna completely forgot even the fact that she had agonized intensely just moments before. She could assert with certainty that she would never regret today’s choice.

A bright smile bloomed all over her face.

***

No, she regrets it.

Erna retracted her resolution in just three days.

“Your Highness!”

A voice full of complaints echoed through the corridor.

It was good that she had used the ability gained from completing the quest to remove Alexion’s scar, but since then, Erna had not succeeded in using healing magic even once. Whether it was simply because she didn’t know the knack of using it, or whether the healing target was limited to Alexion only, she couldn’t tell at all. When she was frustrated not knowing, she remembered the fact that there was an academy that taught magic.

“Why? Why do you oppose me going to the academy?”

“Do you think you can learn immediately just by going to the academy? It takes a full four years from formal admission to graduation, Erna. Are you planning to abandon the work you’re assigned at the imperial palace?”

“Then, I’ll just go meet the dean and come back!”

At Erna’s words that she would only consult and return, Alexion snorted.

“How can I trust you?”

“Ugh……”

“If you leave without my permission, I’ll issue a wanted order. Unless you want to be dragged back tied up in ropes disgracefully, you’d better give up, Erna.”

“If I don’t go to the academy, how exactly am I supposed to learn healing magic?”

What returned to her exasperated cry was only a cold, curt answer.

“Self-study.”

Simple, right? Adding that, Alexion leisurely moved his steps. Glaring at the back of his head that was no different from usual, Erna ground her teeth inwardly, regretting that she had healed him for nothing.

***

Helping with Alexion’s work and studying healing magic alone, several months passed in the blink of an eye. It was one afternoon when Erna was asking Alexion various questions as he was entering a meeting.

“At this rate you’ll ask about the number of hair strands on the heads of nobles attending the meeting.”

Alexion let out an annoyed sigh and added.

“If you’re that curious, observe it.”

“I’d like to do that too, but I don’t have the qualifications to observe meetings?”

“Of course, unofficially.”

Alexion took the puzzled Erna somewhere. It was a hidden secret space behind the meeting room. It was a cramped and dark space with nothing in it, but there was a small hole in the adjacent wall through which one could peek into the meeting room interior.

Her heart pounded for no reason at the feeling of becoming a spy carrying out secret missions like in novels or movies. Erna, who sat close to the hole, held her breath waiting for the meeting to begin.

“I heard barbarians appeared in the north this time.”

“Yes. Fortunately, Duke Parmel successfully subjugated them.”

“The remnants that were rampaging near the border are also quiet now. It doesn’t seem necessary to dispatch troops immediately.”

Erna perked up her ears and listened to the meeting. But the interest was only momentary; when various complex conversations about national projects began in earnest, she started getting bored. Eventually, unable to overcome the drowsiness that poured over her, her eyelids slowly closed.

“Tsk, I knew it.”

Alexion, who had finished the meeting, clicked his tongue upon discovering Erna dozing off while hugging her knees.