Chapter 28
After the Tower Master healed Charlize’s wounds, the Emperor began making an effort to stay on good terms with him—for her sake. If something ever happened, and they couldn’t rely on his help, it could mean her death.
That was why the Emperor made excuses to build a friendship with him. Eventually, the two began making wagers, and after losing one of those bets, the Emperor gave the Tower Master an impossible task.
The Tower Master had never once failed at anything the Emperor asked of him. And yet, when it was his turn to win a bet and name his prize, he had only ever asked for simple things—access to the forbidden archives of the palace, ownership of the restricted forest, things like that.
“Looking back now,” the Emperor said, “perhaps the reason he was so kind to me was because he had feelings for the princess.”
He had been young then, but even younger was the princess—yet he waited until she came of age. And when he won their latest bet, he asked for Charlize.
The Emperor had seen it as the perfect opportunity to bind the Tower Master to the Empire.
“Thankfully, the two of them seem to care for each other, so there shouldn’t be any real trouble. What I am worried about…”
“Our Crown Prince. You’re thinking about Oscar,” the Empress said softly.
Ignoring the Empress’s pleas, Oscar had insisted on questioning the culprit himself. Concerned about the dangers of the curse, the Emperor had forbidden him from conducting the interrogation directly—he was only allowed to observe.
“I don’t understand,” the Emperor murmured. “Oscar has strong support. There’s no force left that could realistically challenge his claim to the throne.”
From the beginning, the Emperor had worked to avoid setting up a rivalry between the prince and princess. There was an eight-year age gap between them, and they had no reason to see each other as threats. Charlize was brilliant and capable, but she had no thirst for power.
And Oscar—he wasn’t the kind of person to make personal enemies.
He was widely respected by the nobles, known for being a competent and fair Crown Prince.
“Just because our son is kind,” the Empress said, “doesn’t mean everyone will love him. That’s a naive hope, Arthur. He is the Crown Prince.”
Anyone who holds the sword of power will eventually have to use it. And Oscar, when the time came, did not hesitate. That alone could earn him enemies.
“I find Adam Bianchi suspicious.”
“He’s a coward,” the Empress scoffed. “The kind who waits under a tree for the fruit to fall into his lap. He’s not the type to shake the Empire.”
“What about Valter? The Bianchi heir—he’s bolder, isn’t he?”
The Emperor’s question brought Valter’s face to the Empress’s mind. She had seen him just hours ago. If he really had planned Oscar’s assassination, then his calm demeanor toward her—his victim’s mother—was almost chilling.
“He’s definitely not like his parents. Arrogant, clever… But if he truly desired the throne, he would’ve accepted the marriage proposal when it was offered. The fact that he didn’t—then acts this way now—it makes him seem foolish. It’s hard to say.”
They reached no conclusion. The investigation was still ongoing, and they needed to find the trail before their enemies fully covered their tracks.
“The inquiry is still underway. Oscar’s aides are capable. Perhaps they’ll uncover something. Let’s wait and see what they find.”
Saying that, the Emperor gently pulled the Empress into his arms. She frowned slightly but leaned her head against his chest.
There was a part of her that wanted to destroy House Bianchi, simply for being under suspicion. But she knew she couldn’t act on emotion.
With a sigh of quiet frustration, she murmured, “You’re making me soft.”
“I know,” he said gently. “That’s why I have to be strong—for both of us.”
She didn’t believe that was enough—but still, she remained in his arms. Just as he loved her, she loved him.
The image of Oscar coughing up blood still lingered vividly in Charlize’s mind. Though she had once nearly died at the hands of an assassin, this time it was her brother who had been in danger. That made her heart race in a completely different way.
Why am I like this? It’s already over…
Achilles had stepped in. Oscar had been freed from the curse. The knights were now pursuing the suspect.
Oscar’s safe. He’s going to be okay.
Her trembling fingertips were gently enclosed by Achilles’s warm hand. He shifted his grip so that her hand was fully embraced in his, and spoke quietly.
“Your hand is cold, Princess.”
“I held myself together while things were unfolding, but now that it’s over, I… I think I was scared.”
She had been scared. The thought of Oscar dying had terrified her. She wasn’t afraid of dying herself—but losing someone she loved… that fear was just as powerful.
As her shoulders shook and her gaze dropped, Achilles drew her closer. He had already removed the heavy, ornamented clothing he’d worn earlier, shedding it before climbing into the carriage. Now, with nothing in the way, he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
“The Crown Prince is safe. A curse like that isn’t easily obtained. They won’t be able to try again so soon.”
“R-right… right?”
Charlize’s slender arms wrapped around Achilles’s waist. With her face buried against his chest, her eyes welled with tears. Her brother—the one who had nearly died—was now full of life, determined to capture the culprit himself, yet here she was, the one who’d merely watched it all happen, trembling in fear.
“Thank you… for saving my brother, Achilles. I’m so glad you were there.”
“It was only possible because of you, Your Highness.”
Charlize lifted her head at his words. At the time, she had been too focused on saving Oscar to question anything, but now that the crisis had passed, she was curious.
“You asked to borrow my power… but I’ve always been told I don’t have mana.”
“The court mage simply mistook your power for something else. You possess a force far greater than mine.”
Charlize looked at him with quiet confusion. Achilles hesitated, but then continued. He had considered keeping it from her—but he couldn’t bear to investigate her power while she remained completely unaware of it.
“You carry Primordial Mana.”
“Primordial Mana?” she echoed. “What is that?”
“It’s a force where divine power and magical mana are fused into one.”
Her eyes widened.
“That’s impossible… Divine energy and mana repel each other, don’t they?”
“That’s what priests and mages say,” Achilles replied calmly. “But before the gods existed, before any separation was made—those powers were one and the same.”
Which meant the power Charlize held was the most fundamental and original of all forces. Achilles believed that, if she chose to, she could become something close to a god.
She didn’t have the capacity to create a world, of course, so she would never become a literal deity—but to rule the world? That was entirely within reach.
“If others learn that you carry this kind of power, there will be people who try to exploit it. That’s why… I believe this truth should remain between just the two of us.”
He knew she might begin to doubt him after hearing this. But if word got out, there was a real chance she’d become a target. Even the Emperor might reconsider their engagement if he knew what she truly was.
Charlize stared at Achilles, shocked—then slowly nodded. She still didn’t seem to fully believe she possessed such extraordinary power.
And I… I was drawn to her because of that power, Achilles admitted to himself.
If she chose to distance herself from him because of it—he would accept that.
Despite the harsh torture, the captured knight revealed very little. He claimed the person who gave the order always wore a deep hood and never showed their face.
He had even tried to follow the man once, in case something went wrong. But he lost him in the maze of alleys behind the busy marketplace.
“What do you make of it, Your Highness?”
Behind the door of the interrogation room, Oscar sat in a chair, listening intently to every word the knight spoke. The Emperor hadn’t permitted him to enter the same room, but from here, he could hear every groan and word.
Just as I thought—he knows almost nothing.
They had found the weapon—a needle hidden in a cufflink, designed to make any wound appear accidental. The glass vial that had held the curse was also discovered in his belongings. It looked like a simple potion bottle, and would have gone unnoticed if not for the keen eyes of a high-level mage.
“The curse used on His Highness was Xeramatz—‘the Eye of the Demon,’ an ancient curse used by demonkind,” explained the court mage after examining Oscar.
He was astonished that the Tower Master had been able to treat it, stating that no known spell or antidote could neutralize it.
“That serious?”
“Xeramatz is dangerous even if you survive it. The curse can be passed on to your descendants. If any of it remains in your body—”
The mage was trying to explain the long-term danger. But Oscar’s mind went elsewhere.
If that’s true, I would’ve lost my claim to the throne.
One could not sit on the throne carrying a curse that would torment future generations. All future heirs would suffer, and no ruler could allow that.
If he were the only heir, perhaps exceptions could be made. But Charlize—his sister—was still here. Capable. Respected. The natural next choice.
Oddly enough, the thought didn’t frighten him. Oscar truly loved his sister. If it meant protecting her, he could surrender the throne.
His true concern was that someone like this—a schemer—was close to her.
It’s not the Tower Master.
If Achilles were the one behind it, Oscar would have either died, or the curse would have been left intact. The way the mage reacted made it clear: even if Achilles had failed to cure him, no one would’ve doubted his intentions.
Then… was it Viscount Valter Bianchi?
