I blinked blankly as I listened to Leonard’s words.

‘……If what he saw was an illusion of the original story, then his situation is different from mine.’

Because I saw it through the novel.

“Did you not try to find out who sent the parcel?”

“I did try. But as you can see, Eileens isn’t exactly in a position of freedom…….”

So, because of the Imperial family, he couldn’t take any active measures.

Anyway, if what he saw through that pouch was the content of the original story, then it perfectly matched the conditions Arkan had mentioned.

The problem, however, was how to retrieve that thing…….

Stealing it was probably out of the question.

But since I couldn’t afford to waste more time here, I decided to go with a straightforward approach.

Let’s just sell out Eileens!

No matter how I thought about it, this was the fastest way.

“The truth is…… I was asked by that person because of this item.”

Leonard flinched.

“……You were asked because of this?”

“Yes, yes. I don’t know the details either, but they said the item you have was absolutely necessary. They pleaded earnestly!”

As I shamelessly responded and reached out toward the pouch, Leonard flinched and hid it behind his back.

“Mr. Leonard……?”

He seemed to have acted before thinking as well.

“Ah, if it’s a request from Miss Eileens, then it can’t be helped…….”

Leonard awkwardly held out the pouch to me. But the moment I was about to grab it, he tightened his grip at the same time.

Engaged in a tense tug-of-war, I furrowed my brows.

“What are you doing right now……?”

“Ha, ha! I don’t know why I’m like this either. Tsk, have I become paranoid? Are you really saying this was a request from Miss Eileens?”

“Would I really come all the way here just to lie?”

I told a blatant lie without batting an eye. Only then did he let go of the pouch with a confused expression.

“Thank you.”

As I smiled brightly and expressed my thanks, Leonard nodded as if he had no choice.

“I’m only handing it over because you’re Idette’s friend. Got it?”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“If it had been someone else, I would’ve verified it multiple times, but since Idette even gave me the address, I had no choice.”

Being human, I did feel a pang of conscience, but I quickly erased the thought.

And well, if you think about it, lying is better than stealing, isn’t it……?

* * *

In a dimly lit room.

Erkishian, who had been gazing out the window, was lost in thought.

‘The nameless mage.’

There was a mage who had been asleep in Drimokan for a very long time.

When Erkishian was young, he believed that gods existed in this world. Otherwise, the empire could not have flourished under the providence of divine power known as magic.

Looking back now, it seemed like a foolish thought, but at the time, he was quite sincere.

‘……I was truly naive.’

A great mage who had saved countless lives and even the empire itself.

Yet, he was a fool who didn’t know how to save himself.

When he learned that the empire’s glory had been built on the sacrifice of a single person, he felt both empty and angry.

The greatness of the empire that he had trusted and revered was built on such a fragile foundation?

That the mighty and glorious Carpea was nothing more than a castle that could be shaken by one person—it was an unbearable insult.

The words of those who praised the Imperial family were all for the sake of the now-vanished mage.

The words of the ignorant sounded pathetic.

……If that woman had never existed?

Carpea would have remained a small country lost in history.

Erkishian could not accept that fact.

What’s more, if the truth that the Imperial family had concealed the existence of the great mage were revealed, the royal authority would surely be shaken to its core.

‘That must not happen.’

The great mage had already vanished.

That was a past that had flowed by—a time that could neither be reversed nor held onto.

However, the seal on Eileens was not eternal.

The World Tree that had supported the seal had begun to grow, and before long, it would bloom.

If that happened, the rage of the malicious great mage would undoubtedly be directed at Carpea.

‘Even so, Carpea still needs magic.’

Once, he had thought the decisions of their ancestors were foolish.

Entrusting the fate of the empire to a woman who did not follow the order of Carpea felt shameful.

That boy who once thought that had grown up. As he began to observe the world with his own eyes, he finally came to understand their choice.

All of this had been inevitable.

It had been the best choice they could have made.

In some ways, it was the most perfect solution.

〈Eki, you can do anything you wish for. So don’t cry, alright?〉

Back when he had cried bitterly over a broken toy.

〈If it’s broken, you can fix it, and if it’s beyond repair, you can just get a new toy.〉

〈But…….〉

〈But sitting down and crying won’t change anything, will it? You have to get up and figure out how to make yourself feel better.〉

Those were his mother’s words.

〈Remember what your mother says. Whatever it takes, you just have to improve your situation. And if that’s not possible, then you must at least make sure it doesn’t get any worse.〉

His mother had been right.

If a toy was broken, you fixed it, and if it couldn’t be fixed, you bought a new one.

What mattered was how he felt.

It was the same with Eileens.

Carpea didn’t want her existence—it only wanted the magic that woman possessed.

‘In that case, a new replacement is needed.’

Erkishian’s gaze shifted toward Idette, who was entering the Imperial Palace.

She was a lovely woman. Though she might have been slightly inferior to him in some aspects, that didn’t matter much.

‘Idette, you’ll accomplish something for Carpea that no one else ever could.’

Something far more valuable than the fleeting glory of an empress’s title that would fade with age.

Erkishian didn’t want her to become just a momentary spark.

That was the only way he could love.

Erkishian was someone with relatively clear things he needed to protect.

Carpea. And the lover he cherished.

How beautiful it would be if the things he loved could be together forever.

‘For that, anyone who stands in the way must be eliminated.’

He had no mercy for those who blocked his path.

The reason he had turned a blind eye to Ricardo’s actions until now was because he believed their thoughts aligned.

Targeting Harnen had been Ricardo’s revenge against Eileens. And Erkishian respected his intent.

What he had wanted was for Idette to become Eileens’s replacement.

Whatever happened to Eileens was none of his concern.

As long as Carpea remained safe.

But the hound that had once guarded Harnen bit its master and ran away. He had been angry at first, but upon reflection, it just seemed laughable.

Tucking its tail and running.

He could only describe it as cowardly.

‘……The Former Duke took quite a bite too, didn’t he?’

Erkishian rubbed his chin as he spoke.

“Sir Rio.”

“Your command, sire.”

He smiled brightly as he continued.

“What should I call someone who defied His Majesty’s will?”

“Would it not matter whatever you chose, Your Majesty?”

As he continued speaking, he met Erkishian’s gaze and quickly lowered his head, sensing the atmosphere.

“If you forgive that man, we cannot know who might defy Your Majesty next. I dare suggest you declare him a ‘traitor’ to reestablish your authority, sire.”

“That’s what you think as well, isn’t it?”

He smiled brightly, his deep dimples showing.

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