Carlisle’s gaze already moved elsewhere, but Kuz, unaware of this, wet his lips with his tongue.

The killing intent that pressed down on him lifted, and Kuz was finally able to straighten his back. It was the same for Maili, though unlike Kuz, she was a knight and endured Carlisle’s killing intent without flinching.

“I, ahem! I’ll carry her.”

“No need.”

Nothing more needed to be said. Carlisle tightened his hold on Roelia. The vagrants who watched them vanished long since the moment Carlisle released his killing intent.

“Let’s go.”

It was better to leave before running into the knights and making things complicated. Carlisle moved ahead, and Kuz and Maili followed. His strides were unhurried and unrestrained, graceful and full of dignity.

“Sir. The, um, the way you’re walking is a little……”

“Ah.”

The moment Kuz pointed it out, Carlisle changed his gait in an instant. His aristocratic bearing blended into the crowd of ordinary citizens. The group, now walking with a casual, unhurried shuffle, nearly reached their lodgings when the knights searching the alley began to close in.

In that moment, Carlisle gave Kuz a look, and Kuz, reading the order, stirred his magical power to cloud the knights’ vision before casting a movement spell.

A gust of wind swept through, and in the same instant they vanished from the spot.

Moments later, the place where they reappeared was the safehouse where Carlisle’s people, who infiltrated Wintergrass, were staying.

“Your Majesty.”

Carlisle Astrux walked in silence through the rows of knights bowing to him. It would have been reasonable to wonder about the person in his arms, but no one asked Carlisle who she was.

When the emperor commands, you simply follow. That was the first rule of the Astrux imperial guard. Carlisle walked without stopping and went straight into the study, where he set Roelia down on the chaise longue prepared to one side.

Sensing the eyes of the knights watching him, Carlisle gave an order to Kuz, who followed him in.

“Go and fetch a healer.”

“Understood.”

“Potions as well.”

“Yes, sir.”

Carlisle looked over Roelia, who did not regain consciousness, and looked down at her wrists, crusted over with dried blood.

“They had restraints on her.”

The thick marks left behind were identical to those of magical restraints. One wrist had a bracelet on it, and the other had nothing.

‘She might truly be the deposed Crown Prince.’

Having restraints put on her meant she was either the deposed Crown Prince or someone in the deposed Crown Prince’s innermost circle. There was no other reason to handle a prisoner this roughly.

Carlisle carefully reached down to remove the bracelet that pressed against the wound.

The moment his fingers touched the bracelet, an ice-cold energy flowed out from his neck. The seal of the Astrux Empire, which transformed into a necklace, reacted.

“Why would this……”

The reaction was so faint it could have been dismissed, but not by Carlisle. How long did he wait for the seal, imbued with the divine beast’s power, to react?

But that was not all.

A warm energy spread from the tips of Carlisle’s fingers where they touched Roelia’s bare skin. That strange sensation was the same as what he felt earlier when he picked her up.

He examined the woman to see if he missed anything, but her face was different from the deposed Crown Prince’s. The only similarity was the silver hair. It was as good as proof that she was not the one he looked for.

‘But the seal reacted……’

She was undoubtedly Wintergrass royalty. She had to be a woman who carried imperial blood.

“The deposed Crown Prince……”

The words that slipped out in a murmur were heavy with meaning.

Carlisle pulled the bell cord, and when someone entered, he gave an order without looking up.

“Bring Kuz.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The moment the knight stepped outside, Kuz came in.

“The healer is not here yet, Your Majesty.”

“Come here.”

“Me?”

Kuz tilted his head and walked over at Carlisle’s summons. Carlisle, who did not take his eyes off the unconscious Roelia, looked at Kuz.

“Check whether she’s a mage.”

“Understood.”

Carlisle stepped back slightly, and Kuz moved forward and placed his hand over Roelia’s. Moving his hand at a distance of about a fist’s width, magical power flowed from Kuz’s hand.

Crackle.

A small burst of light rejected Kuz’s magical power, and his eyes lit up.

“Her magical power has been sealed.”

“Then she won’t be able to use magical power going forward?”

“That doesn’t seem to be the case. Looking at the flow of her magical power, it appears she sealed it herself.”

“Hmm.”

“Going forward she’ll be able to use magical power, but only in very small amounts. If she uses any greater amount, she’ll lose consciousness.”

“Is that all?”

“……Is there something else there should be?”

Carlisle did not open his mouth at Kuz’s question. How was he supposed to explain the strange sensation he felt when he held Roelia’s hand?

“Understood. You may go.”

Kuz bowed deeply and withdrew, stepping back out. Left alone, Carlisle fell into thought, tapping the armrest of his chair with his fingers. The moment was too brief for him to be certain, and he could not draw a conclusion from it.

The moment Carlisle reached out to check once more, Roelia sharply knocked his hand away. Carlisle’s gaze turned to Roelia, and the blue eyes that were hidden revealed themselves.

* * *

A cold, chilling energy drifted in from somewhere. Feeling a gentle force wrapping around her, Roelia drank it in hungrily.

It was a sweet and cool magical power. An energy she never felt anywhere in the empire. Roelia struggled to move her heavy eyelids.

‘What is this?’

The heat that tormented her already faded away.

Roelia swung her hand at the strange flow of magical power. It was out of fear that Silena might be confining her to draw out her power.

Slowly lifting her eyelids, Roelia found herself looking through blurred vision into a pair of dark eyes staring back at her.

“I had many things I wanted to ask, but in this state I can’t even open my mouth.”

“Who are……”

A small whisper slipped out, but no answer came from the man. Roelia stared into the man’s dark eyes and became aware of the magical power emanating from him.

A power as cold as snow, one that was difficult to feel in Wintergrass.

He’s from Astrux.

“How does a foreigner end up here……”

And someone with ice-type magical power at that would not be from an ordinary family. Magical power only manifested in those of imperial blood, or in bloodlines with a connection to the divine beast in generations past.

Roelia squirmed, trying to pull away from the unfamiliar intruder who infiltrated the empire.

“Oh dear.”

She squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of the man’s quiet exhale. The heat still weighing heavily on her body made it impossible to move properly.

More than anything, the cool energy drifting from him kept threatening to scatter her guard.

A hand large enough to completely cover her face, with strong, defined lines.

Roelia barely suppressed the urge to press her face against the man’s palm, rough with calluses. The man soothed her in a low voice.

“You shouldn’t push yourself.”

She could not resist the quiet laughter in that voice, and she closed her eyes again. She could not get her body to respond properly.

A cold energy flowed in from everywhere his hand touched. Roelia finally gave in and pressed her face against the man’s hand as he drew near.

“Hey.”

A voice that seemed to carry a hint of bewilderment reached her, but Roelia did not open her eyes. She could feel the magical power that refused to stir beginning to move, along with that cool energy.

‘Strange.’

Heat rose through her entire body and her breathing grew short. Feeling that she might start breathing in shallow, feverish gasps if she stayed like this, Roelia forced her eyes open. The same dark eyes she saw before were trembling faintly.

“Who are you?”

The small voice that came out of Roelia was a wreck. She let out a dry cough at the sound of her own completely cracked voice, but nothing changed.

A cup of water appeared before her, and Roelia raised her hand to take it. But her hand was trembling and would not cooperate, and the man, noticing this, brought the rim of the cup to her cracked lips.

As Roelia moved to drink the water thirstily, Carlisle’s quiet voice reached her.

“Slowly. Wet your lips as you go.”

Roelia received the cool water against her lips and drank, and only then did she come fully to her senses. She placed a hand against her flushed red cheek, let out a small breath, and asked again.

“I asked who you are.”

“I am……”

“Boss!”

Just then, someone flung the door open and came in.

In that instant, the hand that supported her moved away. The cold sensation that seeped into her body moved away with it, and Roelia felt an inexplicable pang of loss. She forced her eyes away from the man, reluctant to let go, and took in the man who came through the door.

“The knights say they want to search this place.”

“Is that so?”

The man who let go of Roelia let out a quiet scoff. Roelia confirmed the man’s black hair swaying in the breeze and bit down on her lip.

‘It’s because of me.’

The knights undoubtedly came looking for her. These people did nothing wrong except rescue her from the street. If she wanted to keep them out of harm’s way, she would have to step forward herself.

“I’ll……”

Roelia stepped up with confidence, but her legs gave out and she ended up leaning her upper body against the chair. The black-haired man paid her no attention as she stumbled forward and waved his hand. An enormous surge of magical power flowed out, and when he pressed a section of the wall, it opened.

“Get in.”

She could not refuse the man’s words as he gestured to her. Roelia forced her trembling legs to hold her and walked.

Then a gentle wind blew and pushed her forward from behind. Carried through the opening in the wall before she realized what was happening, Roelia heard the wall close behind her.