“Louise.”

Alec hurriedly used the teleportation item he had received as a reward, holding Louise in his arms.

In no time, they arrived at their mansion in the capital.

After entering the room, Alec gently laid Louise on the bed and checked her complexion.

“Louise. Can you hear my voice?”

“…”

There was no response.

“Louise.”

“…”

Even after calling her again, there was no change.

She frowned painfully, as if trapped in a nightmare.

He quickly checked her pulse.

Thankfully, her life didn’t seem to be in danger, but what was happening?

“Dammit.”

Alec held Louise’s hand and closed his eyes for a moment.

There was no need for a doctor or anyone else.

With his healing abilities, he could solve this on his own.

Alec channeled his magic to check Louise’s condition.

Was she suffering from extreme tension because of the deceased emperor?

Or could it be that she was affected by the emperor’s magic just moments before…?

Suddenly, he recalled Louise’s words about the emperor trying to infuse her with his magic.

Just the thought made his heart sink.

Soon, he began to sense Louise’s condition.

She was in pain.

She was struggling, tormented by some foreign power.

This ominous and unfamiliar energy was…

“The emperor’s magic!”

“…!”

Alec opened his eyes.

This dark energy was unmistakably the emperor’s magic.

He thought he had arrived before anything like this could happen, but he had been wrong.

His mind went blank, and his vision darkened.

The emperor’s magic was no ordinary power.

It was far too dark, wicked, and powerful for a normal human to endure.

How much time had passed already?

The magic had already seeped into her, and there was no way to avoid internal damage.

If the impact was too severe, he couldn’t be sure if his power would be enough to heal her.

“Damn it…”

Alec ran his hand roughly over his face.

Why hadn’t he realized it sooner?

He grasped Louise’s hand again, trying to feel her condition.

Her consciousness was fighting hard to reject Aksen’s power.

For an ordinary person’s body, she had resisted remarkably well.

Louise knew what would happen if she were consumed by this dark magic—she had seen Olivia’s state.

“Louise…”

Alec quickly directed his healing power into her.

Seeing her pained expression made his heart ache.

Surely, it wasn’t too late for his power to help.

Pushing aside the worst thoughts, Alec poured his energy into healing her with desperation.

He needed to eliminate Aksen’s power from her completely.

Sweat beaded on Louise’s forehead.

As his energy slowly spread through her body, Aksen’s magic fiercely resisted, pushing back against his power.

A little more time and it might have already taken control of her.

Alec focused harder.

The clash of forces caused Louise to let out a faint groan.

The fact that she hadn’t lost consciousness yet was truly impressive.

“Just a little longer, hold on. It will be over soon. I will save you, I promise.”

Louise.

Silently repeating her name, Alec expanded his magic even further.

‘Please, let there be no lasting damage from this cursed power.’

He fervently wished she would open her eyes again, healthy and as she had been before.

His pure energy spread throughout Louise’s body, cleansing her like a gentle wave.

***

How many days had passed since then?

Although nearly half a month had gone by, people still spoke about that time as if it had happened just last night.

It was a story that hadn’t ceased to circulate throughout the Rilt Empire.

Whenever people thought of that day, their hearts still pounded in fear.

“We knew the emperor was a wicked man, but who could have imagined he was truly a demon?”

“I really thought the world was ending. I thought we were all going to die. Never in my life did I expect to go through something so horrific!”

“I still have nightmares about the sky being covered with evil spirits. The emperor’s voice, shouting that he’d kill us all, still echoes in my mind.”

“My children still cry at the slightest thing. It was so terrifying, truly unbearable.”

“There’s no chance the emperor will come back to life, right? I hope he never even appears in my dreams.”

“We should stop talking about that damned emperor altogether. It feels so filthy and unsettling, like he might suddenly appear again. A man who displayed his face across the sky in such a huge manner could appear anywhere, don’t you think?”

“Just hearing that sends chills down my spine. From now on, let’s just call him ‘that man’ instead of mentioning him directly.”

“That sounds good. It’s always been awkward to mention him outright, but this makes it easier.”

Even as they spoke, a sense of unease still lingered in their hearts.

The experience had been so surreal and terrifying.

Who could have ever imagined living through something like that?

Still in disbelief, someone spoke again.

“Anyway, how fortunate we are that the world has brightened again. If it weren’t for Duke Brent, we’d all be dead because of ‘that man’ by now.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

“Ugh…”

Even though they took deep breaths, as if they’d been spared from death itself, their hearts still wouldn’t calm.

It was hard to believe they had almost died under that blackened sky, just as it was hard to believe they were now living ordinary lives again.

At the same time, everyone recalled the single beam of light that had erupted from the emperor’s form that day.

Everyone in the empire knew that light had obliterated the emperor with overwhelming power.

Though both were unbelievable figures, people’s hearts raced for a different reason this time.

The savior of this empire.

The sight of that awe-inspiring, brilliant, and powerful being made their hearts swell with emotion.

“Master, there are guests at the mansion.”

“…Again?”

Alec turned towards James, asking in a tired voice. He had grown weary of asking who the visitors were every time, though he only let out a soft sigh, trying not to show it.

“Who is it this time?”

“It seems all the previous visitors have returned together.”

“…”

Alec paused for a moment, rubbing his face lightly. Shaking his head, he started walking out of his study.

“Are they in the drawing room?”

“Yes, Master. They said they have something to discuss with you and your family.”

“I see.”

What would they want to say this time?

If it was another thank-you, he had received more than enough of those. Letters of gratitude for defeating the emperor were still arriving from all across the empire—from nobles in the capital to commoners in distant provinces.

Could he even read them all?

Bouquets were piling up near the mansion every day as symbols of thanks and respect.

Soon, Alec entered the drawing room with his usual dignified posture.

“Your Grace!”

The people in the room turned to him all at once. There were about twenty of them, mostly high-ranking nobles.

Among them were Andrew and Brooks.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Alec slowly scanned the room as he approached. The guests’ attire was not their usual formal dress but rather ceremonial clothing, adding to the sense of importance.

He stopped before the group.

“If you’ve come to express gratitude, I believe I’ve heard enough to wear down the doorstep. What brings you all here?”

Alec gazed at the nobles, noticing that their eyes were shining with expectation and excitement.

Except for Andrew and Brooks, most of them were people who had once despised him.

Not too long ago, Alec had used his memory potion up to the fifth stage, allowing him to remember the details about the members of high society in great detail.

As he looked at the faces of the nobles, old memories resurfaced.

People who had once ignored and tormented him were now gazing at him with desperate eyes.

Though it stirred something strange inside him, Alec remained calm, maintaining his inner peace. He had already fulfilled the deepest wish of his heart with all the life he had.

One of the high-ranking nobles stepped forward, looking as though he were in a dream.

Was his name Lucas?

To Alec, he was no different from the deceased Marcel.

“Your Grace, is this what it feels like for the world to turn upside down?”

“…”

“We witnessed both destruction and a miracle on that day. As ruin spread over this land, a miracle was born at the same time.”

“…”

The other nobles nodded in agreement, one by one.

“It was a miracle no one expected, and no one foresaw. All this time, no one realized that such a miracle lived within our empire.”

“…”

“How foolish we were. We regret it deeply. We have blamed ourselves, and we have mourned, to the point where our hearts feel like they are tearing apart.”

As Lucas expressed his sorrow, the other nobles wore similarly pained and remorseful expressions.

Alec silently watched them.

At this moment, he could tell they were sincere.

The nobles had come to apologize for all that had happened.

Lucas spoke again, his voice trembling with difficulty.

“We dare to ask Your Grace for forgiveness.”

“…”

“For making Your Grace suffer and ignoring your pain. If you can forgive us for all of it, we will do whatever Your Grace desires.”

“We were wrong!”

In unison, the nobles knelt on one knee before him, lowering themselves in apology.

Alec flinched for a moment, his body stiffening.

Words didn’t come to him.

He couldn’t even blink.

Then, another noble’s voice broke the silence.

“Forgive us, Alec. We won’t make excuses. We ignored and mistreated you, while you saved our lives. You saved the world from that evil emperor. I can’t believe what we did under ‘that man’s’ rule. We’re truly sorry.”

“…”

Alec felt the strength leave his eyes.

It seemed as if tears would fall any moment, his bloodshot eyes filled with a raw emotion.

What was this feeling?

It was as though something inside him was about to burst forth.

A feeling that was neither sadness nor anger.

For the first time in his life, Alec felt the burden he had carried for so long begin to shift within him.

The bitterness, which had piled up over the years, was now collapsing like a dam about to give way.

Ah.

This too had been one of his desires.

Reconciliation with everyone.

A world of innocent peace.

A world where he no longer had to live in fear, no matter where he went.

Alec gritted his teeth and clenched his hands tightly.

A man who had always stood on the outskirts, he was finally being absorbed naturally into the very heart of the empire.

Just then, a soft voice came from behind him.

“Alec.”

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories