Chapter 68
I shouldn’t be deceived by a smiling face. I shouldn’t be fooled by the seemingly kind impression or the label of ‘male protagonist’ that clung to him. Adrian was of the empress’s bloodline, and her will was his will.
“…I appreciate the advice.”
It seemed dangerous to get any closer to Adrian. The distance between us should remain just this much—enough that I couldn’t perceive his ideals.
“I like everything about Evelina, but what I like most is that you’re smart.”
Adrian smiled brightly.
It felt like snakes were crawling all over me. That wasn’t the kind of confession I wanted to hear from Adrian. I felt no joy at all.
I instinctively sensed that this time I returned every Friday would become even more exhausting.
I couldn’t be deceived by Adrian, nor could I show any weaknesses. I might be devoured by him.
My heart shrank.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
As soon as I left the temple, I went to find Casper. There were guests, but right now, I needed Casper’s power. I couldn’t calm my mind until Casper noticed my signal and came up to the second floor.
“Evelina? What’s wrong?”
“I need you to help me.”
“What?”
“There will be a ritual soon.”
At the mention of the ritual, Casper frowned as if he recalled something. The only ritual worth mentioning that would make me come here in such a hurry was one.
The Pope’s dark magic.
A filthy and vile ritual that absorbs the divine power of others.
“Has the Pope chosen a new target?”
“It’s been about three days since she disappeared, so there will be a ritual soon.”
I was certain that nothing would happen right now. Alvaro’s dark magic is heavily influenced by the moon. They don’t perform dark magic when the moonlight is strong.
That’s because its effectiveness is usually halved.
“The crescent moon will rise soon.”
Casper, understanding what I meant, spoke up.
“Are you asking me to find the priestess? What connection is there?”
“There’s no connection at all.”
“…And yet you still want to find her?”
“She’s a human! I can’t just let an innocent person die like this, can I? I can’t just do nothing when I know!”
That was how I felt.
If I did nothing, I would surely carry this burden in my heart for the rest of my life. It wasn’t because I was weak or foolish.
It was because I was a decent human being, and that’s how I was raised.
This was the definition of justice in the world I lived in, and it was the ethics I had internalized. It wasn’t just any matter; it was a matter of life and death.
I grabbed Casper’s wrist.
“You made a contract with me. You have an obligation to do what I ask. So find NJ, the priest, by any means necessary!”
Casper let out a hollow laugh.
“Really…”
Casper grabbed my hand in return. Instead of letting go, he tightened his grip on my hand.
“You’re strange.”
“Me?”
“Elizabeth was like that too. She always made me helpless.”
“Casper…?”
Casper’s gaze deepened to the point of darkness.
“She was always just, never once foolish. She shone like a sparkling star. That’s why I couldn’t go against her.”
Casper’s voice continued softly.
“She was the compass of my life and everything in my world. I…”
“Stop.”
“There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize her.”
“No, that’s not it. Casper, I…”
“Elizabeth, I can recognize you.”
Casper slowly lowered his head. As I flinched and tried to step back, his lips touched my forehead. Casper gradually pulled away.
I was frozen, unable to do anything.
Casper was crying.
The tears that wet his face were exceptionally clear.
“Elizabeth… my Elizabeth.”
My throat tightened. The face of a man searching for someone who could never return was desperate and painfully pitiful.
I could no longer push him away.
He did nothing more.
Holding my wrist, he simply called out Elizabeth’s name as if pleading. I thought he was okay. I thought he had overcome it by now.
But still, Casper was living with Elizabeth in his heart. He clearly hadn’t forgotten even a single strand of her hair.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t protect you.”
Those words hurt my heart as well.
Casper had done nothing wrong. The ones who sinned were the empress and the pope.
“You haven’t done anything wrong, Casper.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Of course, Lehan was aware of the story spreading about him as the protagonist.
The Emperor was uninterested in this matter as well. The nobles demanded a strategy meeting with Alejandro. Lehan sat in the meeting room with a cold expression.
“Ha, hmm. Your Highness the Crown Prince, have you heard about this incident? They say you’ve become the god of plague, spreading the disease among the people.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“I do not believe it.”
The noble who spoke smiled. He was clearly aligned with the Empress.
“Those outside seem to believe it. The media, of course, and everyone is clamoring that it’s your Highness’s curse. Isn’t that rather convenient?”
The noble’s eyes gleamed like a hyena that had caught its prey. There were many looking at Alejandro with such eyes. They were all conspirators trying to push Alejandro out of this position, hand in hand with the Empress.
“What do you mean by convenient?”
Duke Millane posed a heavy question.
“You must have heard, too. The red-eyed god of plague. That red eye, you know. Isn’t there only one person in this empire who possesses it?”
The nobles’ gazes turned toward Alejandro. His red eyes glimmered coldly.
“Thus, rumors like that circulate. However, whether this rumor is true or not, your Highness, the Crown Prince, must present a countermeasure as a representative of the owner of this empire.”
The nobles voiced their agreement.
“Ahem.”
An old noble cleared his throat.
“You’re speaking excessively. Those eyes aren’t just any eyes! They are proof of the bloodline of the first Emperor! Above all, they are sacred! How dare you call that a curse! Have you been hit in the head with a bullet or something? Or am I wrong, Duke Millane?”
The Duke, drawn into this round, glanced at the old noble.
He was mumbling, expressing an unknown favor. Duke Millane swallowed a sigh.
“I agree with that sentiment. We must not be swayed by the foolish words that dare to call the red eyes a curse.”
“Indeed.”
Amid the back-and-forth, Duke Sidney rolled his eyes. He looked like a cornered rat. He had lost everything he possessed, and all that remained was a hollow title.
However, this was just a shell he would have to give up when the child turned ten.
Alejandro played a significant role in Duke Sidney becoming a beggar after the divorce.
“I, I do not think so!”
Duke Sidney’s eyes widened in panic. A rat cornered will bite a cat. Duke Sidney decided to bite the cat he should never touch.
“I understand that the red eyes of the first emperor are derived from the powers of a demon! Isn’t that evidence that your Highness the Crown Prince possesses demonic power? This is treason against the god Lucas!”
Duke Sidney trembled but finished his statement.
At those words, the nobles stirred in commotion. The controversies surrounding past history still lingered.
“What do you intend to achieve by bringing up the past now?”
“I did not bring it up first! It wasn’t me who mentioned the first emperor…!”
Alejandro entered the meeting room, coldly observing the chaotic scene. They were fighting over such trivial matters. Alejandro coldly curled his lips.
“I am.”
His voice quieted the uproar. It held a certain strength and intimidation.
“It is true that I possess the power of the first emperor and that I carry the blood of royalty.”
“See!”
“So, are you calling my power a curse? What is it you are trying to claim? Do you intend to deny the nation established by the first emperor?”
At Alejandro’s question, the nobles’ faces turned pale. To deny the first emperor was to deny the history of the empire.
That was also treason.
