Chapter 198
Not a single day had passed since learning the truth without her hating the Emperor. She’d imagined revenge countless times. But it had been ages since fury like this had overwhelmed her to the point of tears.
“I won’t forgive this.”
Her face pale, Jaha repeated the words unsteadily as she staggered back to bed. Suddenly, she remembered what she’d said to Rikanan before falling asleep—
“So you mustn’t wrong me…”
Why had she made such a mistake? She could only hope he would dismiss it as the delirious ramblings of someone drugged out of her senses.
Nothing was certain yet. She couldn’t trust him—not until she knew whether he was Cedric, some unrelated third party, or…
Jaha violently shook her head, as if she could physically fling the terrible thought away.
“No. That’s impossible.”
She forced the words out with deliberate strength, as though saying it aloud could will it into truth.
Her gaze dropped to the ring on her finger.
Henryke’s necklace from the novel. Magical artifacts. Gloves. Evidence of sin. Fragments of clues spun wildly in her mind.
What if this world also has a device that changes eye color?
What if, when removed, Rikanan’s eyes aren’t blue—but violet?
“It’s fine.”
The Emperor wasn’t the only one with violet eyes. The imperial family—specifically, those of direct lineage—all shared that trait. So even if, by some slim chance, Rikanan did have violet eyes, it didn’t necessarily mean the worst-case scenario she feared.
“…Just not him.”
The imperial family would be tolerable. The idea of sharing blood with the Emperor was repulsive, but she could endure it.
Rikanan—as long as you’re not the Emperor, it’s fine.
“That’s impossible.”
In their relationship, he had willingly placed himself beneath her—even going so far as to call himself her slave. Words the Emperor would never utter. That arrogant man, standing at the pinnacle of the social hierarchy, would never let such words leave his lips!
The Emperor and Rikanan were completely different. Their mannerisms were worlds apart—how could they possibly be the same person?
“Why can’t I remember their faces?”
Frustrated, Jaha clutched her head.
Neither the Emperor’s nor Cedric’s faces came to mind. Only vague impressions—colors, a hazy outline—remained.
If she could recall their appearances, she wouldn’t be obsessing over something as trivial as eye color.
She wouldn’t have had to secretly scour books, racking her brains over what the “Ring of Abrixa” was. She wouldn’t have been plagued by the unsettling feeling that this mansion was like a meticulously crafted dollhouse.
Without these doubts, without these deductions, she could have reached the truth immediately.
‘But if Rikanan is of imperial blood, why hide his eye color?’
An illegitimate child who couldn’t be publicly acknowledged? But would the imperial family entrust one of their relics to a bastard? Unless… he is still royalty, regardless?
“First, let’s organize what I do know.”
Jaha grabbed paper and a pen from the side table and began scribbling down her thoughts—in Korean, of course, so no one else could decipher it.
The Ring of Abrixa
Abrixa = First Emperor & the original mage.
According to Madame Marie: “A treasure of the imperial family.”*
Possible Acquisition Scenarios:
(1) Bestowed as a reward for merit.
(2) Purchased after being sold due to the imperial family’s financial difficulties.
(3) Rikanan is a direct imperial descendant and inherently possesses it.
Henryke’s Necklace
Henryke = First Emperor & the original spirit mage.
A necklace given to his betrothed. Described in-story as a “treasure of the imperial family” granted only to direct descendants.
if the Ring of Abrixa = Henryke’s Necklace -> Scenarios (1) and (2) are unlikely (such an artifact wouldn’t be rewarded or sold).
∴If (3) is true -> Rikanan must be: The Emperor or The Emperor’s sibling, or A sibling of the previous Emperor.
=> But then why no violet eyes?
1)Mutation
2)Color alteration (e.g., magic, tools like contact lenses).
if 2), why?->㉠Not a status he can openly claim (e.g., illegitimate birth).
㉡Intentional concealment (e.g., undercover as the “hidden boss”?).
Jaha hastily scribbled notes only she could decipher, underlining the phrase:
“The Emperor, the Emperor’s sibling, or the previous Emperor’s sibling.”
If it was the previous Emperor’s sibling, they would’ve been a direct descendant at the time—so they could’ve received the Ring of Abrixa, right?
She hesitated, then circled the word “Emperor.” With a shaky hand, she drew a pigtail-like squiggly arrow dragging downward and added a frantic note:
Appearance: blond hair + violet eyes. Massive build—physically more akin to a knight than a mage. Can’t recall his face clearly, but remembers him as handsome.
Personality: A goddamn bastard. A pervert. A deviant with twisted desires.
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