Chapter 56
“Ha…”
I carefully placed my foot on the steps, following the moonlight. With every step, my head spun and my stomach churned. A buzzing tinnitus rang in my ears. At this rate, even if I managed to escape the castle, it seemed a death ending was waiting for me.
‘Just how far down do I have to go?’
Descending the spiral staircase led to a dark, cave-like passage. The moonlight of Kinamun still shone at my feet, guiding my way. Clinging desperately to my fading consciousness, I emerged from the tunnel.
A gentle outdoor breeze brushed my cheek. The rustling sound of leaves suggested I was in a forest. Was this somewhere in the woods I used to see from my window? I couldn’t pinpoint my exact location, but since no one seemed to be coming after me, it appeared my escape was successful.
I sat down with my back against a tree trunk. My head was spinning so much I could barely stand.
“I did it… right? Huh?”
I looked at the status window and asked impatiently. The text changed immediately.
[Mission Complete. The god Kinamun is pleased.]
A sigh of relief escaped me. But even though the mission was complete, nothing changed except for the status window disappearing. I was still in the forest, and my limp body burned like a ball of fire.
I tried to move, to go back through the underground passage to my bedroom, but I couldn’t even lift a finger. My eyelids felt heavy and began to droop. It felt like I might really die here. I forced my eyes open, and against the faintly brightening sky, the status window appeared once more, only to—
[Days until the Fall of the Valencha Empire: D-????]
—vanish in an instant with a static-like noise.
Before I could even process the final status window, my consciousness fled. My upper body, which had been slumped against the tree, collapsed powerlessly to the side.
***
“Princess…”
On another sleepless night, as always, Zeke found himself whispering her title before he could stop himself, his teeth clamping down in frustration.
He had tried so hard today, as he did every day, to keep thoughts of her at bay. But it was useless. Whether his eyes were open or closed, Sylvia was all he could see. Even with thick stone walls between them, it felt as if she were right there beside him.
Sylvia, sleeping soundly with her pale thighs exposed.
Sylvia, her lips glistening and moist as she nibbled her food.
Sylvia, her slender body trembling in ecstasy as she struggled to take his cursed length.
Sylvia, pinned beneath him, weeping and moaning.
The moment he escaped from one vision of Sylvia, another would seize him. If he managed to find an escape route and avert his gaze, yet another Sylvia would appear before his eyes.
Resisting her was utterly impossible. Even if she were to vanish from his sight forever, dozens, hundreds of Sylvias would haunt him like vengeful ghosts.
Given that, it was better this way. To be able to see her, even if only a few times a day, for a brief moment, and from a distance. For the sake of his revenge, his vision—which had always been fixed on the distant future—had narrowed drastically, becoming shortsighted. He could no longer imagine what he would be like a year from now. What was a year? He couldn’t even picture himself a week into the future.
He knew only one thing.
When dawn broke, he would have a pretext to see her. It didn’t matter if she was awake or not. If his eyes were to meet her pale, coral-colored ones, he would be plunged into a swamp of desire from that very moment. So, he was content just to look upon the side of her sleeping face.
That was all he wanted now. But this fragile routine of his was not destined to last.
Kallist de Valencha.
Ruasil Arno.
It was because of these men, who wore the most noble faces in the Empire yet were possessed of the most base desires.
They had already defiled and ravaged the princess of a fallen kingdom, but that wasn’t enough for them. Now, blinded by their possessive lust, they were poised to start a war over her.
Historically, the Valencha Empire had enjoyed an unusually harmonious relationship between the Imperial Family and the Temple. Occupying the most fertile land on the continent and having no internal divisions, its prosperity and glory were a given.
But the next generation was a different story. All because of the princess of a ruined kingdom, Sylvia Arperio.
Last night, Kallist and Ruasil hadn’t been content with just keeping each other in check; they had seemed to have reached some kind of resolution. Zeke, sharp as ever, had easily read the Crown Prince and the High Priest’s true intentions.
They planned to take Sylvia away, to lock her up in a space where only they could reach her.
The reason Zeke reached this conclusion was simple: if he had the power and authority, he would have done the same. But he had no power to wield within the Valencha Empire. His thoughts instantly made a wild, impulsive leap.
‘I’ll take her to Verdion.’
The guard, pitying the princess, wanted to save her. Even he found this knightly charade ridiculous, but he believed that having Sylvia by his side was better than leaving her with those other men.
Of course, his true motive was far more primal: he’d be damned if he’d just stand by and watch those bastards take her from him.
By leveraging the fact that the princess was the key to breaking Kinamun’s curse, it wasn’t impossible to propose a new deal to the Emperor. He simply didn’t think about the consequences—a highly uncharacteristic line of thought for him.
Clomp, clomp. The sound of someone coming up the stairs echoed from below. It was time for his breakfast to be delivered, but these footsteps were different. Wild, unrestrained, and brutish, much like their owner.
They belonged to the Empire’s Crown Prince, Kallist.
Zeke smoothed the nervous tension from his face and donned a mask of indifference. These were the last two people before whom he could afford to show his true self.
The prince strode unhesitatingly across the hall and stopped before Zeke. They both noted with fresh irritation that they were of the same height. Even though Zeke feigned deference by slightly lowering his head, the fact that their stature and build were similar was displeasing enough.
Kallist tilted his chin up, looking down his nose at Zeke as he delivered his slick, mocking words.
“I’m taking Sylvia to the Crown Prince’s palace. Don’t get in my way.”
Even faced with this blatant threat that interference would mean his death, Zeke didn’t back down.
“His Imperial Majesty would never permit it.”
Kallist grit his teeth with a sharp grind.
“Who the hell do you think you are, invoking my father? The princess of a fallen kingdom is carrying my child. His Majesty won’t stand by and watch a woman bearing Valencha’s seed rotting away in this shabby castle either.”
Veins bulged on Zeke’s jaw and forehead. Pregnant? That was beyond delusional.
He swallowed a scornful laugh and personally delivered the truth to the Crown Prince.
“The Princess of Roang is barren.”
Kallist’s eyebrows shot up sharply.
“What? On what grounds are you spouting such nonsense?”
“It’s a fact I learned while interrogating the priests of the Moon God Kinamun. Apparently, she needs to be given a special herb to conceive.”
Kallist’s arrogant face twisted in a most satisfying manner. His eyes bloodshot, he growled like an enraged beast.
“You will be held responsible for those words.”
“……”
“Then we’ll take the princess to the Crown Prince’s palace right now and have her examined.”
Bang! The bedroom door was flung open violently by the Crown Prince’s kick. It was only because the door was made of stone that it didn’t shatter; a wooden one would have been smashed to splinters.
Kallist entered first, with Zeke following close on his heels into the bedroom.
However—
“Where is she, damn it?”
Sylvia was long gone. Only the stark, empty room remained to greet them.
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