“Estelle… first of all, I’m not upset. I just find it unpleasant that you speak as if you know me completely, in a tone used to soothe a child. Being sulky and being displeased are entirely different things.”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I presumed too much in judging Your Highness. Since Your Highness keeps following me around like a puppy, I must have unconsciously become too comfortable and made a mistake.”

Lexion wore a dumbfounded expression at her provocative words.

“Your skill at insulting the imperial family seems to grow by the day.”

Estelle showed her respect by gracefully bending her knees slightly and then straightening up.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Do you think I can’t do anything to you just because you’re a saintess?”

Kill her? That would actually be a boon for her.

“Though I deeply regret saying this to Your Highness, as a lady, having my private life invaded is so humiliating that death seems preferable. Do as you wish.”

He had expected her to get angry, but Lexion just smirked. She was impudent, but not unbearably so. Why wouldn’t he stick around when she provided such amusement, even if she treated him like a dog?

It seemed she wanted to escape by provoking his temper with humiliating words, but unfortunately, she didn’t know. The more she acted this way, the more she only fueled his interest.

* * *

“Good morning, Imperial Father.”

Appearing in the magnificent banquet hall of the main palace, Lexion sat down at the long oval table with a radiant smile like a fully bloomed flower petal.

The Emperor, with his sturdy build and dignified appearance, stroked his bushy grayish-brown beard as he acknowledged his greeting. Lexion also exchanged eye greetings with Jeff, who sat across from him.

“The Duke is staying longer than expected. You must be enjoying life at the imperial palace.”

Jeff’s expression turned cold like the dawn air, displeased with Lexion’s pretense of asking something he already knew.

“I was planning to conclude our discussion today and return.”

“I wanted to have a private chat with you. That’s unfortunate.”

It was, of course, an empty pleasantry without substance. As Lexion took a sip of wine, maids filed in and silently placed food before the three men at regular intervals before retreating. In the vast banquet hall, only the small noise of silver utensils clinking could be heard amid the silence.

‘Is she oversleeping……’

Lexion slowly chewed his juicy steak while thinking of Estelle. She usually skipped breakfast, and when she did eat, she only touched the soup, ignoring other foods. Her adorable lips lapping at the spoon as she struggled to keep her blinking eyes open to fight off drowsiness were cute.

Estelle’s appetite only became vigorous after the sun rose high. With her preference for sweet foods, she filled her stomach with fruit tarts or cakes. When scolded not to be picky, she would puff her cheeks and sulk, asking what business it was of his—a charming sight.

Lexion took a bite of the apple mousse with its foam-like soft texture and smiled slightly, remembering how she had coveted even the desserts served to him.

“After careful consideration……”

The one who broke the heavy silence was Jeff, who finished his meal first. With Lexion present, he seemed to have lost his appetite, drinking more white wine than eating.

“House Alexis cannot comply with Your Majesty’s wishes regarding this elixir. Despite already paying substantial gold, placing the imperial knights in our territory seems excessive. And it’s not as if we’re receiving sufficient quantities of elixir in return.”

The Emperor’s rough eyebrows rose in dissatisfaction.

“That’s spoken out of ignorance, Duke. Aren’t we all Guardians? You seem to be taking this too sensitively. We’re doing this to prevent any unforeseen accidents. The Duke lacks experience.”

“Forgive my impertinence, but I question whether Your Majesty is using experience as an excuse to pressure me. Though I may have risen to the position of Duke later than others, I don’t believe I lag behind them in experience.”

“My! The Duke is showing youthful arrogance!”

“Why Alexis? You haven’t imposed such restrictions on other houses.”

“There is precedent! I don’t want to put the people in danger like that time.”

“……”

What a cunning old man. A flash of contempt passed through Jeff’s eyes. In the past, a Guardian’s rampage, recorded as a terrible disaster, was publicly attributed to the Grand Duke’s inability to control his special ability, but everyone knew the Emperor had schemed behind the scenes to eliminate the Grand Duke who was planning a rebellion.

At that time, Lexion, who became the Emperor’s sword, stood at the forefront to eliminate him and rose to the position of Crown Prince. Though he may have transformed his image into that of a holy successor now, from the very beginning, he was a demon born drinking blood.

“It seems you’re using the elixir as a hostage to threaten Alexis. Your Majesty, this is tyranny. Your retainers won’t accept it either.”

The Emperor’s special ability was the power to create an elixir that stabilized the Guardians’ abilities. The elixir, made only from magic stones, was said to prevent and stabilize the Guardians’ rampages, making the Emperor a symbol of peace to the people.

The reason he came to rule the Empire also lay in his control over the Guardians through the elixir. Using special abilities even once created cracks in the soul, and the Emperor’s elixir played a role in stabilizing them. Without the elixir, ability users would not have survived until now.

No matter how powerful a Guardian was, they couldn’t escape the threat of rampage. The imperial family provided elixir to the Guardians at an enormous cost.

They could simply never use their abilities, but for Guardians who held powerful authority through their abilities, that was an absurd suggestion.

It was laughable. The powerful Guardians, who maintained their lineage through the absolute power received from the goddess’s love, were in fact no different from unstable beings barely surviving on a leash.

“If the Duke so strongly refuses, I won’t force you.”

The Emperor backed down. But Jeff believed that the greedy Emperor, who would stop at nothing to protect his power, wouldn’t abandon his plan to use the Guardians as his pawns.

“I’m honored that Your Majesty understands my situation.”

The uncomfortable breakfast soon ended quickly. Jeff left the banquet hall with a simple bow, and the Emperor took Lexion to a spacious hall, saying he had something to show him.

It was a place where the Emperor’s personal art collection was gathered. Sculptures, paintings, jewels, and various precious items were on display. The Emperor stood with his hands behind his back before a newly acquired painting.

It depicted knights trampling corpses and rushing to kill each other, with Goddess Verdi blessing them with a serene face in the midst of war. The image of the goddess with a saint’s face amid bursting entrails and splashing blood seemed out of place.

Lexion’s eyes showed no emotion. The reality he had seen with his own eyes was more devastating than the painting. War was dirty and cruel, allowing one to witness the depths where human nature was fully exposed.

“Is this Edro’s work?”

The delicate brush strokes and dynamic portrayal of figures that seemed about to come alive were symbolic of Edro.

“Yes.”

“A masterpiece.”

“Do you know why he’s famous?”

Lexion thought of the painter known for his numerous affairs with women and answered.

“Isn’t it because he changes women more frequently than meals? I recall hearing that just last month he welcomed his fifth wife.”

“I’m not talking about his morals.”

The Emperor gazed at the painting with dim eyes.

“There are plenty of painters who paint better than this. But the reason only Edro’s works can become masterpieces is because his works fetch the highest prices. The value attached to his reputation exceeds his skill.”

“Isn’t that because Your Majesty pays him generously?”

“That’s right. Everything comes from the hands of me, who rules the Empire. Value is ultimately created in the hands of those who hold power.”

Anger overlaid the Emperor’s face.

“As my power wavers, an impertinent novice has turned the tables. Until just a few days ago, he was cowering at my feet, but now he’s changed his attitude. And… this is just the beginning.”

“……”

“The saintess is an entity that diminishes the value of our imperial family.”

You mean your value, not ours. Lexion sneered inwardly.

“If the elixir becomes useless, do you think they will follow our words? You were born with a stronger ability than any Guardian in imperial history. But you won’t be able to handle all of them. You should know well, having faced the Grand Duke.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“The saintess should remain a relic of the past.”

“…Are you telling me to eliminate the saintess?”

“Power is something that, once doubted, makes you miss opportunities. This is the Empire you will rule in the future. You must not put the imperial family in danger.”

“If the saintess dies in the imperial palace, the dukes won’t remain silent. It would only give them justification for war.”

“If the saintess dies, all they’ll have left is the elixir, so their anger can be appeased appropriately. The saintess’s family isn’t significant enough to cause much commotion, so handle it discreetly.”

The Emperor asked again with a solemn face, as if to confirm.

“Do you understand?”

“……”

But Lexion silently appreciated the masterpiece. Looking at it again, it was a work that well expressed the ugly side of humanity.