When Yerena couldn’t easily suppress her anger, the man murmured in a low voice. Yerena shook her head, lightly tapping her knee with her small fist.

“It’s not something that happens everywhere! Rightfully, that position should belong to you, Sir Kian. Because you are the legitimate successor.”

“……”

“Why didn’t you fight? It’s naturally yours. Aren’t you resentful?”

“My father asked before he passed away. If I could yield to my brother.”

“……”

“I had no choice but to agree. I had previously made a promise with my father. A promise to grant him one wish, whatever it might be.”

At the man’s calm answer, Yerena unclenched her fist. To think that a father’s last request before death was to yield the position to his illegitimate son. How must he have felt hearing that? And when he finally granted his father’s last request, what emotions did he experience?

“I’m sorry. I got excited without knowing the detailed circumstances……”

“You don’t need to worry about it. Everyone around me at the time told me I was being foolish.”

The man’s face was full of smiles at the woman’s interest in him. But unable to see, Yerena felt that the man’s voice sounded somewhat lonely, as if he had no attachment to life. After briefly closing her mouth and contemplating, she called out to him.

“Sir Kian.”

“Yes.”

“Please…… live, live earnestly.”

“……”

“Your voice sounds too…… Giving up isn’t good. Even if it’s hard, you have to live…… You have to live. Only then can you feel the snow melting and spring coming like now.”

At first, it was clearly meant for the man. But by the end, she felt as if her words were directed at herself. Despite trying not to show it, the guilt of being left alone after losing her family and the desire to give up everything and go to her family’s embrace would suddenly overwhelm her. That’s why Yerena spoke to herself as she spoke to the man.

“A year or two might pass, and good days could come. The day might come when I reclaim what’s mine. Even if I can’t reclaim it, days might come when I can smile at least once a day.”

“……”

“I’d like you to live with all your strength with such a heart.”

“……”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ve spoken out of turn……”

Holding back tears, Yerena became embarrassed when there was no response from the other party, feeling like she had said something unnecessary. She lowered her head and tried to finish speaking. However, before that, the man belatedly responded to her words.

“Not at all.”

“……”

“I’ll take your good words to heart. In return……”

“……”

“……You too, follow those words. No matter what happens.”

The man’s voice was solemn. Yerena was about to not answer but nodded and spoke in response to the silence that seemed to be waiting for an answer.

“I will.”

But it was strange. After answering, she suddenly felt a chill, as if a sword had touched her neck.

Yerena shivered slightly and felt her neck as her spine grew cold. And the man in front of her watched her with an indecipherable, peculiar expression.

* * *

A warm breeze circulated through the Blue Palace after a long time. The palace’s owner didn’t hide his good mood as he sat comfortably in his seat, drinking precious wine.

“Your Highness. You seem to be in a good mood.”

Rook, the aged chamberlain who had served Roshan for over 20 years, cautiously asked. Roshan, instead of responding as usual, nodded and gestured for more wine. Even in the slight gesture, the master’s mood was evident. Smiling, Rook silently tilted the bottle to fill his master’s glass with red wine.

“You may withdraw now. When the guest arrives, show them in immediately. No need to seek separate permission.”

“Yes. Understood, Your Highness.”

After downing another glass of wine, Roshan handed over the empty glass and ordered. Rook acknowledged and withdrew with the wine bottle and empty glass on a tray. Roshan leaned back comfortably against the couch and closed his eyes. Then he slipped his hand into his inner pocket.

He fondled the beaded decorative band he held close to his chest. The rattling sound rang clearly in his ears, while the woman’s voice simultaneously penetrated them.

‘It’s not something that happens everywhere! Rightfully, that position should belong to you, Sir Kian. Because you are the legitimate successor.’

Her expression and voice focused entirely on him. Recalling them, his face filled with a pervasive smile.

‘Why didn’t you fight? It’s naturally yours. Aren’t you resentful?’

His heart was beating wildly; he had never felt so vividly alive. His blood boiled at the woman taking his side and empathizing with his situation. It was so satisfying.

Intoxication, which never usually affected him, rose after just two or three glasses of wine. Though Roshan thought it was due to the alcohol, he uttered words he had never spoken before.

“……I have no choice but to acknowledge it.”

His gaze turned to the woman he kept locked in the tower. Except when she was sleeping, no, even in her unconscious state, the beautiful blonde princess dominated his mind. Roshan burst into laughter as he recalled m*sturbating after waking from a dream where he saw the princess in thin clothing.

Then he suddenly stopped laughing, took his hand out of his pocket, and ran it through his raven-black hair. The emotion that always followed after indulging in satisfaction had returned.

‘If she knew I was Roshan Vistius……’

The fact that he was deceiving the blind princess. The possibility that it might be discovered, and thus this abundant satisfaction might disappear, was unpleasant.

‘Your Highness. I’ve never heard of someone in the same condition as the princess regaining their sight, except in mythological stories.’

The physician had firmly stated that there was no possibility of the blind princess regaining her sight. Moreover, only a few people he had selected could approach the princess imprisoned in the tower. So the immediate possibility of being discovered was low. But there were clearly elements of uncertainty.

‘That commoner Jane, Empress Liliana, and……’

Roshan immersed himself in thought, reviewing one by one the factors that could disrupt his plan that needed to continue.

‘……Above all, my brother is dangerous. He could find the princess at any time.’

His hand caressed the hilt of the sword that was always nearby. Should he cut them all down? Roshan contemplated and opened his eyes.

“Your Highness. The priestess you were looking for has arrived.”

And at that moment, the servant announced Alicia’s arrival from outside the door, and the sound of the door opening was heard. Roshan shifted his red gaze to the white priestess walking toward him. The golden embroidery on the blindfold covering the priestess’s eyes glinted.

“I come before Your Highness.”

Alicia stopped precisely in front of Roshan and greeted him respectfully. Roshan carefully observed the priestess, who acted like a sighted person despite having no eyes at all, and then opened his mouth.

“I called you here because I have something to ask.”

“Please inquire.”

“Why are you acting that way toward the princess?”

At Roshan’s question, Alicia’s shoulders stiffened for a moment. But she soon answered in a calm voice, slightly bowing her waist.

“……I’m not sure what you mean.”

“They say the blood flowing from a priestess’s neck is golden. Yet I’ve never seen it with my own eyes.”

“……”

“Speak, if you don’t want your head to fall. Why are you treating the princess so excessively coldly?”

Roshan pointed out that Alicia’s attitude toward Yerena had been noticeably cold recently. It had started when Yerena asked about the Sedas Kingdom. Alicia had treated Yerena with visibly stiffened behavior.

Though Yerena didn’t say anything, she was intimidated and quite concerned by Alicia’s attitude. And Roshan was bothered by Yerena’s darkened eyes.

“It’s to achieve what Your Highness desires.”

After a silence, Alicia finally spoke. At these incomprehensible words, Roshan raised his eyebrows and immediately asked.

“For me?”

“Your Highness wanted Lady Yerena’s attention, so you chose to stop the empress’s scheme instead.”

“……”

“You won’t deny it, will you?”

The master wanted the attention of the princess brought as a prisoner. His close associates thought the same, but none had spoken as directly as Alicia. James had complained and told him to just take the princess to bed, but even that was indirect compared to Alicia’s words.

Roshan narrowed his eyes and glared at Alicia. A sharp aura poured over her. Though she staggered slightly, Alicia straightened her back as she recalled a previous incident.

‘Your Highness. The poison used by the empress is extremely potent, taking effect immediately upon consumption. It takes only tens of seconds to claim a life…… Shall I remove it?’

‘No.’

‘Pardon? Then……”

‘Change the poison to something milder. And Alicia……”

When receiving the report about Liliana’s poisoning plan, Roshan hadn’t dismissed Alicia. Instead, he ordered her.

‘You should prepare to use divine power the moment the princess is poisoned.’

And at that moment, Alicia completely understood. That this lofty and arrogant man was using every means possible to gain a woman’s attention.

With certainty, she had no reason to hesitate in her words. Alicia withstood Roshan’s pressure and continued speaking.

“Lady Yerena is much more fragile than you might think. Considering her life in the Sedas Kingdom…… It’s only natural she’s like a flower in a greenhouse. Moreover, though she doesn’t show it, Lady Yerena has lost her entire family and been brought to the empire as a prisoner where she knows no one. Her loneliness is immense.”

“……”

“People feel loneliness more acutely when they’re in pain. The more intense the pain, the more pronounced it becomes.”

“……”

“Didn’t you orchestrate events thinking that someone so tender-hearted would want to keep anyone close after suffering greatly? And the antidote you gave Lady Yerena…… I detected the scent of Tianna flowers, which are now nearly impossible to find.”

“……”

“They say when drinking Tianna flower water, one feels inexplicable fondness toward those nearby. Though research now shows it’s closer to a brief hallucinatory effect caused by the flower’s poison, in ancient times it was sold at high prices under the name ‘love potion,’ so its effects can’t be completely dismissed.”

“……”

“And above all, as a result, Your Highness has ultimately grown much closer to Lady Yerena, just as you wanted.”

“So? Let’s say, as you claim, I crave the princess’s attention. What does that have to do with your attitude toward her?”

Roshan, who had changed his posture to rest his arm on the couch armrest, asked Alicia. With Roshan’s slightly intensified pressure, Alicia bit the inside of her mouth before speaking.