“Deren never forgets grudges. Biting and k*lling enemies when they show weakness. That’s what Deren does best.”

Marquis Deren’s enemies included not only the Empire but also Bianca and Brick who had sold out the country. He was simply dealing with the easier enemies first, as the Empire was difficult to defeat immediately.

“Nothing more to say now?”

“Mmph!”

“No? Understood.”

The marquis covered Bianca’s mouth as she tried to shout something. Then he ordered his subordinates,

“Take these traitors away. Sl*ughter them slowly. I do not grant them a peaceful death.”

After the cruel order was given, Brick and Bianca were seized by soldiers. Bianca was dragged out of the hall where the former king and queen had died, shedding bloody tears. Following her, Brick trailed behind his mother, leaking yellow liquid.

“How filthy. Tsk.”

Marquis Deren clicked his tongue at the sight before moving on. He arrived at the throne, which had been the former king’s seat. Without hesitation, he sat down, and the knights prostrated themselves before him.

“We pay our respects to Your Highness. For the glory of Sedas!”

“For the glory!”

Raised swords flashed brightly. And on that day, carrier pigeons soared through the sky from various parts of the kingdom, announcing the birth of a new king.

* * *

“The new king of Sedas?”

“The reaction isn’t bad. The new king, Isnal Deren, has faint royal blood flowing in his veins…… And he had a good reputation when he was the lord of the north.”

Roshan nodded at James’s report. The affairs of the Sedas Kingdom—something not to be told to the princess, and something she would never know in the future. In a way, it was a significant event with a change of dynasty, but from Roshan’s perspective, it was merely part of his plan.

“Has the reply come?”

“Yes.”

James nodded and took out a letter from his br*ast pocket to hand to Roshan. A long, lengthy letter. Roshan gestured to James, who had read it first.

“As you can see, he sent word that he won’t interfere with the princess’s affairs. He seems rather pleased about it.”

“Of course. It would be troublesome for him if a direct royal descendant with purer blood than his were alive.”

Isnal, who had newly become the king of Sedas, agreed to officially declare Yerena dead. The princess’s death, affirmed even by the king of her homeland. The name Yerena Sedas would now be recorded as deceased on the continent.

A faint smile appeared on Roshan’s lips at the satisfactory answer. James glanced at his lord with his one remaining eye before continuing,

“And it doesn’t seem like he’ll antagonize the Empire for the time being. However……”

“Speak.”

When James hesitated, Roshan urged him. James recalled the very end of the letter, the firmly pressed handwriting of the Sedas king, and said,

“The new king of Sedas wrote this in his letter. That Deren’s traditional liquor becomes more fragrant and sweet the longer it’s aged. So he told us to wait for the liquor he would send someday.”

* * *

The atmosphere in the temple within the imperial palace was not good. This was due to the emperor stabbing and k*lling High Priest Sinax in the prayer room.

‘Sinax as high priest? Is that even possible? He not only lacks holy power but is also lacking in faith.’

‘What can we do? He properly buttered up the emperor. After all, it’s just the temple within the imperial palace. The main temple seems to have given up.’

‘Hmph! Not given up, but welcomed it, I’m sure. With the emperor taking the initiative to expand the temple within the imperial palace and pouring taxes as donations…… How could they refuse to give up one high priest position?’

For the past few years, the relationship between the emperor and the high priest had been so good they could be described as one body. The devout emperor, in the midst of committing all sorts of vices, docilely followed High Priest Sinax’s words.

Yet the emperor killed High Priest Sinax overnight. The people of the temple within the imperial palace worried more about whether the emperor had lost his faith and gone mad than about the fact that their leader had died.

“He treats servants, attendants, and concubines like flies…… Has he also lost his piety that he would kill clerics and priestesses so carelessly?”

“Surely not…… He still prays to the Goddess daily. The high priest’s matter must be due to some other issue? Perhaps because of that Crown Prince and one prisoner……”

“Regardless of the reason, m*rder in the prayer room! And k*lling the high priest at that! What is the main temple doing! Are they just watching this situation?”

“They’ve sent people to protest. But the emperor’s response……”

“Oh dear. I wonder if we’ll be killed next.”

The temple reduced the number of clerics and priestesses residing in the imperial palace to one-fifth as a protest against the emperor who killed the high priest in the sacred prayer room. Not only that. During prayer meetings, the temple tarnished the legitimacy of Emperor Kedrick by saying that the Empire’s founder, who was a child of the Goddess of Light, had red eyes. But the emperor ignored the temple’s reaction and refused audiences with those sent from the temple.

The most anxious were the clerics and priestesses who remained in the temple within the imperial palace. The position of high priest within the imperial palace was now vacant. No one dared to desire that position. Fortunately, the emperor didn’t seek a new high priest either. Instead, he lined up ten clerics and ten priestesses beside him and prayed to the Goddess for two to three hours daily in the prayer room.

Today was no different. The emperor, wearing a shabby prayer robe over his splendid clothes, prayed for a full three hours and left the prayer room.

“Finally it’s over.”

“I’m terrified. Who knows when the emperor might go mad and swing his sword again.”

Sighs flowed from everywhere after the emperor left. The clerics and priestesses who had been standing for a long time exchanged anxious looks as their legs trembled.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Yes.”

Among the ten priestesses were Juul and Jael. Though they frowned at their aching legs, they moved faster than anyone. They wanted to go to Alicia who was waiting for them.

“Lady Alicia.”

In a small prayer room for priestesses, Jael and Juul called for Alicia as soon as they arrived. Alicia, who had been kneeling on the stone floor, slowly turned around at the sisters’ voices.

“Lady Alicia! Your eyes……”

Alicia’s blindfold was soaked wet. Jael and Juul approached her in shock at the red liquid that had soaked the white blindfold. Alicia leaned against Jael as soon as her hand touched her.

“What happened to you?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

When Jael asked with a voice full of tears, Alicia shook her head and said she was fine. At that moment, Juul, who was watching Alicia from beside her sister, backed away in horror.

Alicia’s lips, which were dripping bloody tears, formed a gentle upward curve. At first glance, it resembled the benevolent smile of the Goddess. But why? Juul sensed malice in Alicia’s smile.

Just as Juul was hesitating, Alicia completely relaxed her body as if she had used up all her strength. And just before falling asleep like she was fainting, she muttered,

“……I saw it clearly. Not much time remains.”

* * *

A banquet was held to celebrate the emperor’s birthday. Many nobles gathered at the imperial palace due to the scale, which was twice as large as last year, and the invitations that commanded their attendance.

“The Crown Prince has been quite quiet lately.”

“Don’t you know? Well…… That prisoner the Crown Prince had his eye on died. They say he’s so heartbroken that he doesn’t even leave the palace.”

“But I heard he’ll attend the banquet on the emperor’s actual birthday.”

“Oh my. Really?”

“Yes. I heard it from Sir James, his close aide, so there’s no need to doubt it.”

The banquet began three days before the birthday. The nobles chatted among themselves, awaiting the emperor’s celebration.

Thus, three days passed quickly amid the buzzing conversations. And on the actual birthday, as rumored, Crown Prince Roshan Vistius appeared quite early.

“Look. The Crown Prince has arrived.”

“My, his complexion looks dark.”

A face that somehow seemed deeply troubled. The women remembered the rumor that the Crown Prince’s secret lover, the princess of Sedas who had been brought as a prisoner, had died, and they painted tragic scenes in their minds.

But of course, Yerena was perfectly alive. Hayden, who knew this fact, wore a bitter expression at the women’s whispers and gazes directed at his lord. Unlike him, Knox merely muttered with an expressionless face,

“Things are going well according to plan.”

“……Yes.”

Hayden nodded at Knox’s words and thought of the princess who would be in the tower, unaware of everything. After today, he would disappear from her memory. With that item his lord had brought from the temple. And soon after, she would sit beside his lord. As his wife and as the empress of the Empire.

‘The princess’s memories will disappear?’

The princess only saw him as an imperial knight and was hostile toward him. So if a good relationship was desired, it would be better for her to lose her memories. But for some reason, his mouth tasted bitter.

“……Hayden. Have you still not come to your senses?”

Knox, who had glimpsed Hayden’s expression, asked in a cold voice. Hayden shook his head. He had long since erased his feelings for the princess.

“Knox. Don’t doubt me. I’m not pathetic enough to continue being interested in a woman our lord has set his heart on.”

“Then why that expression?”

He tried to answer but no words came out. Hayden closed his mouth and asked himself. Did he still have feelings for the princess?

But whether his feelings remained or not, what did it matter? The result would be the same anyway. He had no intention of revealing any feelings or thoughts that would dare oppose his lord.

“……I just pity the princess.”

“……”

“Because she doesn’t know anything about what’s happening to her. I’m merely sympathizing.”