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After the ritual was over.

Another reception was arranged at the patronage. Under the tents and awnings set up by the servants, many nobles laughed and drank.  Raha, too, took off her robe and changed into a dress she had prepared in advance.

 "Your necklace looks very good on you, Princess."

 The Queen of Hildes approached and spoke. She wore her soft smile again today.  

"I believe this is from the royal lord, is that correct?"

"That's right."  

The Queen suddenly covered the corner of her mouth with her hand. For a moment, Raha was slightly embarrassed.

 “Princess."

 "Yes."

"Izad and I didn't realize the royal lord would do that."

"Izad....... the King of Hildes."  

"Yes, my princess."

Only then did Laha realize that the queen was holding back her laughter.

"He still often thinks of his reign as a dream, and it's not just him; I'm sure all the nobles of Hildes would doubt their eyes if they saw him as he is now, and I, for one, am amazed every day at what he can do."

As the queen stifled a laugh, Raha felt strangely embarrassed.  It was strange to hear the queen refer to the king as "he," even in the midst of all this. She was really putting herself in the family circle.

Why doesn't she resent me?

She heard the King and Queen of Hildes lost a child because of Karzen.  She wasn't surprised. Raha already had a precedent.  

Shed Hildes.  

He was almost the first man she'd ever met who didn't hate her because of Karzen. Of course, the Queen and Shed were not the same.  To Raha, they were as different as spring and winter, especially the queen, whose smile was always warm. Shed Hildes was always serious.

Why did he fall in love with her when he had such a warm person in his family?

"Wouldn't the queen like to try riding a horse?"

"I'm afraid of horseback riding. You should go and enjoy yourself, Princess."

As the sun tilted slightly, the crowd of nobles would retire back to the main palace. It was a light banquet held outdoors, and many of the nobles enjoyed horseback riding.

Though not as much as the chamberlain and the courtiers, who were constantly checking on the nobles, Raha had her own duties to attend to.  

Riding a horse in a dress was uncomfortable, but.......  

Sitting on her horse, legs crossed to one side, Raha blinked at the warm sun and crisp spring breeze.  For a moment, her vision flashed.  Just like the day she lost her sight. Panic rushed through her.

Raha staggered and lost her balance. Naturally, her hands lost their grip on the reins.

  "Princess!"

Before she knew it, Raha was off her horse. Alarmed servants and nobles rushed toward her. Raha exhaled sharply. Had she just hallucinated? The landscape seemed as fine as ever.

More than the dull pain in her ankle, she was distracted by the fact that her eyes were still open.  Raha's wrist was grabbed as she made her way down to the stinging ankle.

 "Are you okay?"

"Shed. ......I'm fine."

Shed pulled up her dress a little. She could see her ankle bulging slightly beneath the white silk stockings that clung to her skin. The imperial physician hurried over and examined it in a moment.  

"It looks like you've just sprained it a bit from your fall, I'll need to apply some medicine first......."

 "I'll take her."

Shed stood up, scooping Raha up in his arms. Still reeling from the impact earlier, Raha felt another wave of panic as soon as her vision cleared. What if she lost her sight again? Why had she been blinded again?

Out of instinctive fear, Raha threw her arms around Shed’s neck. Her body trembled lightly. Panicked, she heard a voice overhead.

 

"It's okay."

 "......."

Raha's mouth closed slowly. Shed didn't say anything else, only tightened his arms around her. Hugging Raha hard once more, Shed strode briskly down the aisle.

This was not the look of a formal consort. There were no foolish royals and nobles, at least not in this room, who could not read the deep emotion in his eyes, his actions, and his expression.

Branden, who had followed suit, shrugged.  

"I see the lord doesn't even hide it from others anymore."

 * * *

The evening stretched on.  Oliver's hands were shaking. He'd spent hours checking Raha's eyes, ever since he'd been summoned. The faintest trace of magic under Raha's eyes.

He couldn't figure out what it was.  His throat was dry, his eyes were dizzy, and he was scared.  Just a little longer. Just a little longer.......  he barely suppressed the urge to run into the Wise Men's Tower right away. It was Oliver who had chosen this path in the first place.  

He himself.......  vowed to protect the Eyes of the heir, even on foot, for the rest of his life.......  

"Oliver."

"My lord?"

Oliver jerked his head up. It had been a long time coming. Shed clicked his tongue.

"Why are your hands shaking? Are you sick?"

"No......."

As Oliver answered slowly, he suddenly realized that Shed and him were at eye level. Why? He was still a young boy, and this lord was an unusually tall man, even for a grown man of his age.

It was strange to see such an imposing body, reminiscent of a giant carnivorous beast, sitting so casually on one knee in front of him.  Shed had never done this before, not in front of Oliver.

He bent down, perhaps recognizing the trembling in his hands. Oliver wiped at the corners of his eyes.  

"The lord would make a very good husband."  

"Yes."

 "I mean it. You'll be a good father, and a good......."

"I hope she thinks so."

"You don’t think she will......?"

Shed wasn't convinced. There was probably no one in the world who could be sure of Raha, so paradoxically, that meant Oliver meant everything he said.  

It was strange. Oliver felt a lump in his throat. If Raha was okay, this lord would make her happy somehow.  The Princess really did love this man.

If only love and life could always go hand in hand.  Shed opened his mouth slowly.

 "Answer me."

"It's ......."

"What's wrong with Raha?"

"Her eyes......."

 "How are her eyes?"

"It's enchanted."  

"Magic? Raha's never had a wizard in her life."

It was true.  Magic, after all, had always been deceptively flashy.  It was impossible to inscribe a spell that would silently harm a human body. But.......  

"If you light a dog's or cat's tail on fire and stick it through a crack in an enemy's wall, it won't be long before the castle is consumed by a great fire."

  

"What was the tail on fire?"

"......."

"Oliver."

Shed raised one eyebrow.  

"Bedroom slaves?"

Even if it was Karzen, he couldn't feed Raha anything so obvious. Raha was the chosen one with expansive eyes, and Oliver was a courtier who was widely believed to have once been a student of the wide men.

So Karzen had purposely gone to the trouble of gifting her with a bunch of slaves, discrediting her reputation, and wrapping them up in a loving package, ostensibly as a "gift" to her.......  

Oliver realized with a start that Shed’s face looked very cold. He usually wore a soft expression only in the presence of the Princess....... Outside of her presence, this cold stare was the norm.

  "Oliver."

 "Yes?"

"Can I bring that wizard in and kill him?"

Oliver shook his head in confusion. He was too angry to just listen to the words. The royal lord had already saved the nobles and soldiers of Delo from certain defeat and annihilation.  For that merit, the man proposed to the Princess…

It was a good thing he was a lord of a distant kingdom. If Raha had been a common noblewoman, and Shed a common nobleman of Delo.......

He would have been less concerned with his surroundings than he was now.  After all, the lord recognized this Delo Empire as Raha's. Just as Oliver thought.  

"How......."

 The unanswerable question crept up on him.

 "How do you put up with it?"

 "......."

"How the hell do you......?"

 A lot was left out, but Shed answered.  

"Because I know she'll hate it."

"......."

"She had too many assholes around her."

"......."

A hug, which would normally be fine, became a terribly painful act when the other person was not whole.

Princess was a person whose whole soul was torn apart.  Oliver was both sorry and glad that Raha hadn't heard what Shed had just said.

She hated being pitied. She couldn't stand it when someone felt sorry for her.  Even if it was love and not pity, she still couldn't tell the difference.

Oliver had always treated her heartbeat as if it were his own, so he'd observed it, so he'd lived it over and over again.  It was as if her fragility had somehow transferred to him.

Oliver felt like he was about to cry like a child. He realized that the lord in front of him was a mature adult, not like himself.

Oliver wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then slowly opened his mouth.  

"I can break the Princess’s spell."

 "You're a doctor."

 "But......I can do it."  

For a moment, Shed’s brow furrowed.  

"You can do that?"

 "It's ......."

It was strange. Shed stared at Oliver with a strange look in his eyes.  Oliver was a doctor. A doctor who had been a student of the wise men, but had abandoned the path of the wise in favor of medicine.

This Oliver was the only thing the cold, seemingly-indeed, icy Raha found endearing. Shed was well aware.  Raha would smile at Oliver's story.

Shed didn't ask more. Instead, he straightened up.  

"Go and release the magic."

 "It'll take a while."  

"How long?"

"I'm not a wizard, so I'd say a week, but I have a hunch it's going to be later."  

"What can I do to speed things up?"

 "It's kind of...... unethical, but......."

He pressed his  lips together a few times to keep him from falling apart. Oliver finally opened his mouth, looking determined.

"Could you get me the bodies of the Princess’ slaves......?"

"Raha would cry if she knew you said this."

 "The Princess doesn't cry over things like this."  

Shed realized all over again why Raha liked Oliver.

 

"It’s going to be three days to get the bodies."

"Then I can go out myself, the sooner the better......."

 

"Is a person better?"

"What?"

Oliver blinked.

 "I guess it's better to be alive than dead, usually."

"That's true, but we don't have a living slave. Ah, well, we have the royal lord, of course, but the brand you received back then was different. What kind of branding can you expect from the lord when he's a war hero......."

"Can we stop pretending you don't know?"

Shed said slowly.  

"You know who I am, Oliver."

****

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"Are you alright?"

"Thanks....... I didn't expect the lord to save me, not someone else. I’m surprised."

"What do you mean surprised?"

"Why? Why not?"

"I would not wish to cause her (Raha) grief."

Karzen almost gritted his teeth for a moment.

Why?

Wasn't he (Shed) just another slave who loved Raha dearly?

Or was he (Karzen) just a common scumbag in a popular novel who persecuted her?

He had never been interested in good heroes and villains, but this was different. Every little thing clouded Karzen's reason. His hot breath mingled with the hot blood of the dead wolf.

Shed opened his mouth.

"I offer this wolf to Your Majesty in lieu of my fiancée, and I hope you will accept it."

One corner of Karzen's mouth quirked up.

"Who am I to disregard the sincerity of the lord of Hildes?"

The fur of the wolf that had spilled red blood on the Emperor of Delo was a deep ashen color. The only color of that venerable twin, in whom all things were alike, was absent from the Princess and present only in the half-Emperor.

11. National wedding

"Have you completed the books to be handed over to Lady Jamela?"

"Yes, Princess."

Courtier Paltz smiled.

"It’s nice that the Princess cares about lady of Winston.”

"It's only natural, isn't it, since she'll be Empress in a little while?"

Raha checked the ledger one last time. It was a record of the imperial family's expenses, something Raha had been checking all along. A thick ledger that would be completely Jamela's domain in a few days. Raha would never check it again.

"Princess!"

When she returned to the palace, Oliver was waiting for her. Raha smirked as he rushed to her side.

Today was the day of Raha's routine examination. 

Oliver checked Raha's pulse as usual as soon as she sat down in the chair. The young doctor was so eager to check on Raha's health, she was used to the hustle and bustle.

Slowly, she opened her closed eyes.

"......?"

Raha blinked her eyes open.

Oliver's face was too close. The boy leaned in, his not-quite-sized frame peering intently into Raha's eyes.

His brow narrowed strangely.

Not much time passed. Too close for comfort, Oliver slowly withdrew his upper body from Raha's eyes.

Like a child firmly grumpy about something, or an intellectual seeker unable to grasp an unreasonable concept. Oliver opened his lips.

"Princess."

"Yes."

"I really don't like people who use magic for evil."

"Really?"

Raha smirked.

"Me neither."

She had p felt it before, but Oliver was indeed a genius. He must have read the traces of magic left in her eyes.

Raha's vision was crystal clear.

She never went blind again after that day. She never saw Karzen again, and in fact, even if she wanted to, she couldn't afford to now.

That was not to say that Blake hadn’t sought her out, either. From what she had heard, Duke Blake was actually serving as High Priest Amar himself. It was actually to keep an eye on him.

She wondered why Karzen had blinded her.

A warning?

Or mockery.

Or was it...... a foreshadowing of something?

"Magic.......”

Raha remembered what Severo had said to her when he was alive.

He knew Karzen hated her. He knew it all too well, in those expansive eyes.

And from the moment Karzen touched her, those eyes began to go strange....... Barely regaining her senses, Raha realized one thing.

Was Karzen trying to use magic to blind her?

Why? Did he have to go to such lengths to get her?

Was that why he had hastily grafted his unfinished magic onto her?

For a moment, Raha's breathing slowed.

Was Rosain a magical sacrifice, then?

And if so, was that what all the slaves had been for?

Raha pondered Severo's words and Karzen's demeanor, then looked up. The maid had entered the room, looking perplexed.

"What is it?"

"Princess. The Queen has just arrived at the Palace."

"......?"

"I've escorted her to the parlor, but....... What shall we do?"

Raha furrowed her brow slightly at the unexpected news. The Second Queen was the only one of the former Emperor's consorts who retained the title of 'First Empress' in the Imperial Palace.

Why did she suddenly come to see her?

* * *

"Princess. You look really good in your gown."

The maids puffed their cheeks in satisfaction.

She gazed into the mirror rimmed with turquoise jewels. Today, Raha was dressed differently than usual, in a dress that exuded solemnity. The cream-colored dress was emblazoned with the Delharsa sigil in gold thread and stood up high at the collar.

It was one of the regalia worn by full-blooded royalty in formal settings.

"Prime. Why don't you choose one of these for your necklace?"

When wearing regalia, every piece of jewelry was strictly designated. But the royal gown Raha was wearing now allowed her to wear any jewelry, as long as it was formal.

Raha asked.

"You want me to choose?"

"This is the best we could come up with......."

The maids, carrying more than two dozen boxes, stuttered.

But only in tone. The usually calm and quiet maids' faces were unusually bright today. Even Raha couldn't help but laugh.

"The queen must think I have a thousand heads."

The jewelry that filled one of the great rooms of the Princess’s palace had all been brought in last night by Hildes’ servants. No distinction was made between tribute and gift.

If they were Hildes’ servants, so be it. The sender was Shed Hildes.

It was bizarre, and it was like a childish prank in a romance novel.......

Raha shifted her gaze to the jewelry that was clearly from Hildes. The thought of Shed, who hadn't said a word to her the entire time, and who had brought back a staggering amount of jewelry that looked like he'd plundered a pirate's treasure island, filled her with excitement.

He'd even said he couldn't think of anything worthy of her.

Raha looked at the necklaces the maids had laid out and reached for a diamond necklace.

Necklaces worn with gowns had their own set of rules. It had to have a large main gemstone in the center, and it had to be surrounded by gems of the same type.

The diamond necklace around her neck sparkled with brilliance. Raha, wearing a bracelet and ring that were also part of a set, glanced out the window.

"There's no need to come out."

"Yes, Princess."

She climbed into the carriage that had been waiting for her. As they left the palace, which was as secluded and peaceful as a fairy forest, they soon heard the sound of a loud firecracker.

It wasn't long before the carriage came to a stop.

"Welcome, Princess."

Raha stepped out of the carriage, escorted by a chamberlain from the main palace. From the moment she stepped out of the carriage-no, from the moment her carriage came into view-there were hundreds of eyes on her.

She didn't care if they were stares, for to her, the stares of nobles were as natural as rain in summer and snow in winter, but she forced a modest smile and looked up at the sunny sky.

The weather was unusually nice, even from the palace.

"It's a beautiful day."

"Yes, Princess."

The chamberlain escorting Raha replied.

"It's perfect weather for the ceremony."

The national wedding was in three days.

And today was the day for the ceremony of releasing the silver-feathered birds into the sky in anticipation of the wedding.

Birds were the messengers of the gods and had long been recognized as the link between heaven and earth. It was a fitting ceremony for the Delharsa imperial family, who had been favored by the gods and granted the Eye of the Expanse.

Raha sat at the head of the throne, watching the backs of Karzen and Jamela as they ascended the altar.

They, too, wore pristine white gowns embroidered with imperial symbols in gold thread. Their gowns glistened in the spring sunlight. At first glance, their backs were flawless.

They looked perfect.

Raha had met Jamela a few more times since that day-after what happened to Rosain.

The empress was still absent from the palace, and their marriage was near.

"His Majesty has ordered..... that no one will be allowed to retrieve the remains of Rosain......number 197."

"Yes."

"......."

"That's what I was ordered, my lady Jamela."

"......I see."

From that day forward, Jamela said only what was necessary. Her words had reduced significantly.

Thus, she was a very perfect empress.

Raha shifted her gaze to Karzen's hair. Unlike her own, the sea-blue hair was short enough to cover his neck.

Then Raha shifted her gaze to the other side. Aside from the royalty of Delo, the man sitting in the highest seat was, of course, Shed.

As soon as Raha's gaze landed on Shed, he looked like he wanted to devour her. There was some distance between them, even with the wide dais between them.

Due to the order of the ceremony, she had not yet spoken to him personally today. She had only glimpsed him earlier.

Raha deliberately scanned Shed’s face slowly, enjoying the way his eyes remained fixed on her.

Then, suddenly, her eyes locked on a spot.

It was the decorative tassel on the hilt of the sword at Shed’s waist.

A small smile almost escaped her lips in this solemn setting.

A sharp-eyed noble would recognize the sapphire dangling from the tassel as the one Raha had removed from the bracelet she often wore.

By now, some nobles had already noticed that Raha and Shed were staring at each other.

By nature, royalty was the center of attention.

Raha tore her gaze away from Shed and turned back to the altar.

The silver birds soaring through the air were beautiful. A single feather fell with a swish and landed on the altar.

****

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Raha walked down the west corridor.

Outside, it was springtime and warm, but in here, by design, it was as cold as midwinter. 

Raha sat with her back against the wall and hugged her knees.

She knew she was doing something stupid and childish, but it was still hard to bear. She wanted to grab onto something and cry, confessing her pathetic condition, but she couldn't think of a place to do it.

So she returned to this western corridor.

Karzen had built a beautiful palace for the ailing Raha, but he had built the same corridor for the dead bodies of the slaves.

It must be love.

Not once had she ever thought that Karzen loved her; her twin had only dared to utter the word on a subject she hated so much.

Raha slowly drifted off to sleep. When she opened her eyes again, her vision was blurry like a drunk. A beat too late, Raha realized she was wrapped in something warm.

She would recognize this solid body anywhere.

Impatiently, like a child finding sanctuary, Raha threw her arms around Shed’s neck.

"......Raha, are you awake?"

His voice was tinged with sleep. Raha didn't answer. Only the slender arms around him felt unusually urgent. Shed stroked his fingers slowly through Raha's hair without any pressure.

"Raha."

"Yes."

"Do you want to stay here?"

"......No."

Shed smiled weakly. He picked Raha up off the hallway floor.

Raha could feel him opening and closing the hallway doors as he cradled her in one arm, marveling all over again at his strength.

Setting Raha down on the bed, Shed reached for the thin cloak she wore. Raha hadn't bothered to change since entering the palace hours ago, so she was still wearing the same clothes she'd left outside.

"You fell asleep."

Shed, who had untied the ribbons that held her cloak together and was peeling off her dress, looked up.

"You didn’t even bother to change."

The voice whispered with a smile. Shed cupped Raha's cheeks with both hands. He was about to press his lips to her forehead, as he always did, when he paused. Gentle blue eyelashes fluttered gently.

Jewel-like eyes with an equally gentle glow....... Shed’s face slowly contorted.

"Raha."

"Huh?"

"Can't you see me?"

"What are you talking about, I can see you."

Raha didn't realize that Shed’s cheeks and jaw were frighteningly set.

"Raha Delharsa."

Shed stood up, his voice hardening.

"Walk this way."

Blinking for a moment, Raha pushed herself to her feet without a hitch, and walked toward the sound of Shed’s voice. Her steps were as natural as water.

It wasn't long before Shed grabbed her around the waist.

Shed bit his lip as he ferociously pushed the chair that Raha had nearly crashed into a moment ago.

"Raha."

"......."

"What the fuck did he do to you?"

"Not entirely far."

"You mean you know what you just almost ran into?"

"The national wedding is around the corner, and even Karzen Delharsa is losing his mind. I'm sure it’ll be normal in a day. It's trivial."

"Nothing about you is trivial….”

"Shed.”

Raha nuzzled Shed’s neck and hugged him.

"It's one day, it doesn't matter."

Her voice was uncharacteristically calm. And yet Raha's hands were cold, and stayed cold, and Shed realized in an instant that it was not because she had fallen asleep in that cold hallway.

"You're supposed to be next to me, Shed."

Raha was afraid. That Shed would leave her there, ready to plunge his sword into Karzen's throat. The fragile heart that breathed as thinly as an ember hidden in the ashes....... Unable to see, her shoulders trembled slightly.

Shed clenched his hands.

"Yes."

"......."

"I told you I'd be by your side."

The words were enough to bring tears to Raha's eyes.

"Then it's okay."

She leaned her cheek against Shed’s neck. Only when she heard the pulse in her ear did she slowly relax.

"That's it."

The first time her eyes started to blur slightly was the moment Rosain grabbed her wrist. At the time, she thought she had cried herself silly, but strangely, her cheeks were just flushed.

It was when she opened her eyes in the corridors of the palace that her vision completely disappeared. For a moment, a thousand terrible what-ifs raced through Raha's mind. If she hadn't thrown her arms around Shed’s neck then, she would have sobbed like a child this time.

Raha relied on the only warmth that held her together. Her lost eyes held Shed there, and she breathed slowly.

* * *

A few days later.

In the full glory of spring, the Imperial Palace was as busy and vibrant as ever. Despite having the most luxurious castle in all of the continent's countries, the palace was usually quiet due to the extremely small number of royalty that resided there. 

But now, it was crowded with nobles and royalty everywhere.

A national marriage at hand.

Karzen had organized a small hunting banquet with a few key figures.

It wasn't exactly something he'd organized; it was part of the already-planned schedule of entertaining guests.

Karzen needed to keep a certain amount of modesty in the run-up to his wedding, so the invitees to this little hunting banquet were all men.

Covered in hot blood, Karzen dismounted his horse. Servants hurried over with wet towels.

"Your Majesty, are you all right?"

Wiping his face with a towel, Karzen furrowed his brow.

"It's nothing, no need to fuss."

Karzen looked at the cracked sword and quickly tossed it to the knight. The blade was cracked from catching the bear that had suddenly sprung into a rampage just moments before.

"We haven't had a hunting banquet in a long time. The beasts are quite ferocious."

This vast western forest, an imperial estate, was also famous for its beasts. In keeping with the Emperor's preference for raw hunting, the population was not artificially controlled.

Karzen shifted his stiff arms.

"The doctor......."

"Not necessary."

Karzen was indirectly protected anyway by the Eye of the heir.

Thanks to it, he had never felt much fear of death. Or, more accurately, very little.

Except when he tried to touch Raha.

But those expansive eyes would soon stop rejecting him.

"The royal lord is coming."

Shed’s body was similarly spattered with some blood. However, compared to the other young men, it was far less. Just then, a servant arrived with a wet towel and ran over to Shed. He took the towel and wiped his cheeks.

"Shed Hildes."

Karzen walked up to Shed and saw the cart following behind him. The amount of prey on board was not large.

"You didn’t catch much. I'm sure you don’t have much to give to Raha, do you mind if I share some of mine?"

"No, thank you, I have no intention of giving her the beasts."

"You don't want to give it to Raha, why?"

"Raha doesn't like this kind of game."

"That's the first time I've heard that. She's always been good with what I give her."

"Your Majesty."

A moment of mockery flashed across Shed’s otherwise nonchalant face.

"You don't seem to know much about her."

Karzen's eyebrows twitched.

The royal lord’s voice was low and even. A dry voice that reflected its master's temper. But Karzen sensed a clear sense of insult in everything about Shed Hildes.

Especially considering the fact that Raha loved him.

Karzen's fingers lightly touched his waistband out of habit. It suddenly occurred to him that he'd just thrown his sword to the knight.

"I guess I didn't know much about Raha."

"I don't suppose it matters if you don't know her."

"She is my twin."

"As you say, Your Majesty and my fiancée are merely twins."

"......."

At that, Karzen's jaw tightened.

It was then that Shed walked over to where the servants were to check the blade.

"Your Majesty!"

A sharp voice rang in his ears. The wolf in the cart was on Karzen in an instant.

The wolf was enormous, and the numerous arrows in its back rattled.

Karzen clicked his tongue briefly, the thought of getting hurt in the heat of the moment being the first thing on his mind, and that was all. Fear of injury could not be equated with fear of death. As long as he knew he wasn’t going to die, any fear was child's play.

The moment the wolf lunged right in front of him to maul him.

The wolf's head was broken right in front of his eyes.

A simultaneous gush of red blood.

Karzen was covered in the wolf's brain matter and red blood. His vision turned bright red.

"Your Majesty, summon the doctor, now!”

A panicked voice.

Karzen stared at the carcass of the giant wolf that had died right in front of him. The weight of the dead wolf was on him, and he was forced to stumble backwards.

He could see the dagger that had pierced the wolf's head, crushed it, and pierced its guts. It wasn't a stab. It was more like it was pierced through.

Red blood flowed endlessly. The wolf's eyes twisted like demons. It was the royal lord who had killed him, and the wolf's dead eyes were glaring at him as if to devour him.

Karzen sensed a shadow above him.

Shed Hildes crouched before him.

***

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“…….”

"Such is the life of a slave. Why should it be any different for a slave to warm a bedroom?"

That was all the sarcasm he could muster. Karzen quickly turned his attention away from the two dead slaves. Slaves who had never been the center of his attention before, except for the fact that Raha had brought them back to life in the first place.

The other side was more interesting.

Like the distraught Rosain Ligulish.

"He's different. A lowly prisoner of war, I suppose, but he's got some pedigree, and if he dies without fulfilling his duties as a slave, it'll be a waste of a life."

"......."

"It's quiet here, so there won't be any hustle and bustle."

Karzen said in a voice that feigned friendliness.

"Isn't that right, Raha?"

"......."

This was no imperial palace.

It was a private palace of sorts, located on an imperial estate in the Kingdom. A villa that went by the liberal name of the House of the Winds.

Its architecture was different from that of the huge and grand imperial palace. It was decorated with silver leaf patterns, blue silk, and lots of wild flowers, giving it a rustic and cheerful atmosphere. 

As a result, the mansion served as the emperor's vacation home for generations.

Karzen, however, had little interest in the villa, and so it was only used for outings on the Emperor's birthday.

Like today.

Karzen shoved a small vial into Raha's hand. The vial was a pale pink in color, and it was densely painted with unrecognizable symbols.

"You'll have to go and feed it yourself, Raha."

Raha slowly rose to her feet, but before she could take more than two steps, Karzen spoke up.

"No, no. Blake."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You'd better go feed him, because I don't know what else my clever twin will do to give me a headache."

"I understand."

Taking the vial from Raha's soft hand, Blake strode toward the bed.

"......What is that medicine, Your Majesty?"

Karzen shifted languidly in his seat. It was Jamela, who had kept her mouth shut like a wise noblewoman all the way here.

Her hands were shaking.

Normally, Karzen would only bring a limited number of people to this palace. He, Raha, and the First and Second Empress.

Other than that, it was all attendants.

Bringing Jamela had been a mild whim. It was also a favor. He'd brought her specifically because he wanted to get to know the new Empress.

After all, it was impossible to keep the empress completely in the dark about what was happening in the imperial household. Raised as a crown prince, Karzen knew better.

Besides, he was never one to hide his cruelty, and Jamela, who was about to become part of the family, should know better.

She should know what went on inside the palace that she didn’t know, and where to turn a blind eye and keep her mouth shut.

It was training, in a way. The pride of a great noble family should be all the more exalted. Karzen laughed sarcastically.

"An aphrodisiac, my lady. A precious thing I obtained from the desert."

He had Severo retrieve it, who was already dead.

"It's so potent, I'm afraid it will kill you when it's used up."

"Why would you......."

"I told you, young lady. It would be a shame to die as he is; he should die with my twin's bedchamber slaves.”

"......."

"He’s going to die anyway, so you might as well be entertained."

Karzen was speaking while looking at Jamela, but every arrow in his voice was pointed at Raha.

Not feeding him a drug, but a near-pharmaceutical aphrodisiac, was an outright mockery of Raha.

For daring to be loved by a slave, for loving a man.

"Ha......."

Blake cradled Rosain's head and without hesitation, the aphrodisiac flowed into his mouth. He skillfully moved his jaw and passed the aphrodisiac down his throat. Karzen gestured lightly, and Blake set him down.

Raha remained standing and said nothing.

The hand that was deprived of the vial held it gracefully. A hand that might as well have been holding a beautiful fan. Raha's complexion was white and her eyes were unchanged, so much so that it was almost like looking at a holy book.

Though it was far more stimulating than that. As it had been for nearly a decade for Karzen.

Karzen spoke to Raha in a low voice.

"Go and see, Raha, this is your last slave."

"......."

"You need to take those clothes off."

"Until what?"

Raha repeated slowly.

"How far do you want me to take it off, Karzen?"

"Oh no. My twin must be upset."

Karzen smirked as he stood up. Stopping in front of Raha, he whispered.

"But you shouldn't be angry with me, for you have done me wrong."

"......."

"You don't have to take it all off. There is plenty of fun to be had with your clothes on, so do as you please."

Karzen ran his fingertips lightly down Raha's robe.

"You should take this off, though."

Raha slowly removed her robe. No one noticed that her fingers were frozen.

"Go on. Come on."

She took slow steps. The mattress swayed slightly as she shifted her weight onto the bed.

Rosain’s eyes, which hadn't opened the entire time, fluttered open with a ragged gasp.

An agonized groan followed. His whole body was glistening with sweat. He felt as if someone had forced him into boiling water. His throat was maddeningly dry, as if he'd been gulping down seawater.

It was only a moment. Rosain's grip on Raha's wrists tightened, his eyes darkening. Raha didn't recognize this deep-seated desire. Funny, because she often saw it with her fiancé.......

But Rosain Ligulish was no Shed Hildes.

His eyes never lingered on Raha.

A gaze that roamed.

Where they were clearly headed.

Jamela Winston.

"......."

It was a moment.

Raha's hair fell like a veil. Rosain’s eyes were covered. He saw no one. Not a single person. Except for Jamela Winston, whose gaze was fixed on him.

Rosain yanked at Raha's wrists, her icy cold body crashed into his. Rosain shuddered violently. It was simultaneous. He spat out a gaggle of hot blood.

Raha looked down at her reddened shirt. The sensation of hot blood soaking her body, the sensation of coming face to face with someone's last breaths, was like.......

Rosain's hands slowly slipped away. Karzen didn't even give Raha the courtesy of watching her last.

He clicked his tongue lightly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of bed.

"The branding was stronger than I thought. I didn't think he’d die without a pulse."

"......."

"Raha."

Karzen glanced at Raha's clothes.

"Your dress is dirty. Would you like to change it?"

Raha made no reply. The lack of a smile on her face made her look grotesque.

Until Karzen kissed her forehead soothingly. Nothing changed. Raha remained still.

A strange feeling came over her. It wouldn't be so bad if she stayed like this forever.

Karzen cupped Raha's chin and whispered.

"Tell the royal lord that I have given him a good gift, Raha. That Delo and Hildes will forever be allies."

* * *

"Where has the Princess been?"

"She was headed to the inner Palace as soon as she returned from the Mansion of the Winds."

The slaves who had unofficially gone with her did not return. Only Raha returned alone.

The maids quickly schooled their expressions.

As soon as word of Raha’s return spread, royalty and nobles from other countries were already arriving, demanding a meeting.

Raha knew that the palace was bustling with activity.

But it was none of her business. The maids would be smart.

Raha had gone to great lengths to make them so. There was no one better to vent Karzen's anger on than her entourage.

And yet.......

Why did those at her side die so easily?

Inner Palace.

Silence had long settled over the bedroom. Raha removed the long silk gloves she had been wearing on her hands the entire time. This revealed a palm wrapped in a very thin, tough bandage.

Underneath the bandage, the palm of her hand bore the bloodied marks of a knife.

It was a mark for Rosain Ligulish.

Ever since the day Karzen had murdered the priests, Raha had been secretly feeding him blood.

She knew Karzen's temper well; the mad twin would strangle those around her whenever he wanted to strangle her.

Shed would be the one he would want to kill the most, but since he couldn't kill him, the next most prominent would be Rosain Ligulish.

It wasn't a hard guess.

Just as Karzen could easily guess Raha's actions, it wasn't too difficult for her to read his thoughts.

Thanks to that, Rosain Ligulish was alive.

He would be abandoned like a corpse, but he would not be dead yet. At least, not as quickly as Karzen had expected.

He would live a few more days.

A few more if he was lucky.

In any case, Rosain's body had been weakened by the mage's specialty. Raha's blood in the Eye of the Expanse had worked on Shed, the test subject, so it would surely work on Rosain.

The powerful aphrodisiac would be painful, but it wouldn't kill him.

But the other slaves....

"......."

Raha had to watch them gasp for breath.

Slaves who had never spoken a word to her.

It was not that she had any sympathy for the nameless slaves now. It had been a long time since she'd been able to let go of the bitterness that had kept her heart wet.

It had been a long time.

But.......

They were the ones who survived and breathed without a sound in this silent palace.

***

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High Priest Amar staggered to his feet, barely holding on to his senses. Raha Delharsa hadn't sensed any killing intent in Karzen, but others saw differently; it looked as if the Emperor was about to kill the Princess.

"Your Majesty......."

High Priest Amar had barely opened his mouth to stop Karzen. Something slipped past him like a flash. High Priest Amar narrowed his eyes.

A strong hand grabbed Karzen's arm and held him upright. Karzen knew this arrogant man who dared to touch the Emperor's body so casually. He'd been through this before, and it didn't take long for his half-formed mind to recover.

"......Emperor."

The voice was low. Without turning his head, Karzen spoke.

"There you are, earlier than I invited you."

"Your Majesty."

There was not an ounce of politeness in the royal lord’s voice, even as he uttered the highest of titles; it was cold and unforgiving, like a sword plunging once more into a corpse's chest.

"Do not touch my fiancée at will."

"......At will?"

Karzen's eyes flashed with rage.

"I never gave the lord permission to be this arrogant."

"Did you say arrogant?"

"Otherwise. What the hell is this behavior?"

"Your Majesty."

A clear sneer tugged at the corners of Shed’s mouth.

"I see you've already forgotten why I volunteered to be Delo's ally."

Of course.

Very well.

"Indeed."

Karzen's voice was cold.

"You saved the lives of so many Delo nobles in order to claim my twin as a prize."

"I'm glad you remember, Your Majesty, I thought you'd forgotten all that time."

"How could I have forgotten?"

His blue-gray eyes looked like those of a beast about to bite Karzen's neck. So did Karzen's glazed eyes. Across Raha, the two men made no secret of their desire to kill each other.

"Your Majesty......."

High Priest Amar's thin, trembling voice pierced the tense air.

Karzen slowly released Raha's wrist, barely able to contain his desire to tear her apart.

Rahar gracefully picked up her wrist, which still bore the marks of his fingerprints. She slid off the table unaided. The shimmering hem of her dress curled up from Karzen's rough lifting.

The dining room would still be sweet and cozy if it weren't for the corpses of the priests strewn about.

The Emperor hadn't given permission to clean it up, so it was still filled with the breath of the freshly dead.

This amount of corpses was considered favorable on the battlefield, so why would a warrior knight blink an eye?

The Princess had spent the night in front of the corpses of nearly a thousand warriors.

The High Priest should be grateful that it was over.

So there was no problem.

Karzen returned to his seat and sat back down.

"My twin said you tried to kill her, royal lord."

His voice held an old cruelty.

"But Raha, how fragile she is. She said she became overly fond of you and changed her mind."

Raha realized that Karzen's anger had not abated in the slightest, for he was mocking her to perfection.

"How about that, royal lord. How does it feel to be the object of my twin's undying love."

"It's worth the effort."

Duke Blake, who had been quietly observing the situation, narrowed his brow slightly.

"Now that you've won the princess' heart, take her to Hildes and make sure she never dies."

"......."

"You've won her heart, you should be able to do that."

There was a tense silence. Karzen and Shed were staring at each other like they were going to eat each other alive, but half of their attention was on Raha. Her sea-blue hair was slightly disheveled from the rough manhandled by Karzen, but that was all.

Despite having just been the recipient of the Emperor's unbridled anger and hatred, Raha was as graceful as a brush stroke. It made her look like a noble lady who had nothing to do with this situation.

Funny.

Emperors and kings alike were losing their minds over her.

She might as well have been a courtesan from history. Who the hell was she.......

Duke Blake's thoughts didn't last long.

"I'll do you a favor, royal lord. My twin has a soft spot in her heart, and I'm worried about her."

Karzen looked at Raha. His excitement gradually subsided as he saw her beautiful face, only made more vibrant by the rosy color.

He smirked.

"But since she’s been such a bad sport for the lord, I'll have to give you a personal reward."

* * *

"High Priest!"

High Priest Amar ended up vomiting as soon as he returned to his bedchamber. His already cold hands felt as if they would never regain their warmth again. His body shivered.

The priests who had come with him to Delo died where they sat. It was beaten to death like a prisoner for a terrible crime.......

He couldn't help but think that this seemed to overlap with the horrific death of Emperor Delo's first aide, not long ago.

It was then.

Duke Blake came to see High Priest Amar, but he was not alone: behind the captain of the guard were four more knights carrying heavy crates.

"......What can I do for you?"

"We've come to deliver what the Princess had sent."

The chests they set down on the table were filled with precious jewelry. The brilliance reflected off them was blinding.

Clearly, it was a reward for the events of the day. The riches that High Priest Amar had received to pay for the lives of his lost priests.

"I've already looked inside, so you can rest assured."

Duke Blake did not bother to hide the fact that he had already turned the jewelry boxes over once.

"I shall retire now, High Priest. May you rest in peace."

The sunken eyes of  High Priest Amar roamed over the beautiful boxes.

At first glance, the gift seemed insignificant. To send such a lowly thing as a consolation prize to an exalted High Priest.

But High Priestep Amar knew it was for Raha's best. She had suffered just as much today.

It was the Holy Land that had been stomped on by Karzen, and it was the Holy Land that would have to bear the loss.

And yet.......

"The Princess ....... wanted to die."

"......That's why we couldn't bring her to the Holy Land. Since the Princess refused, we were allowed to take her life by studying a holy object instead."

Every single word was calculated.

With the offering of flesh and the spilling of blood, the Holy Land could conceal only one of its most primal goals: the murder of Karzen.

Had they been found out. High Priest Amar would have seen a massive army marching into the Holy Land today.

It was Raha Delharsa who had calculated it.

High Priest Amar knelt with his back to the jewelry.

He clasped his hands together in prayer. A prayer for those who had died today. He was ready to sacrifice. 

From the moment he could no longer turn a blind eye to the cries of the slain souls from Karzen’s act, High Priest Amar knew he would not die in peace.

'The Princess ......'

The Princess told him that he would have to pay for the lives of the Priests who would come with him, and if he didn't want to, she would have her people dressed up and seated pretending to be the Priests.

The Princess’s coldness was evident in her words.

It didn't matter if other lives were sacrificed to keep what was important to her alive. It was an imperial mindset, and it was in her blood.

Nevertheless.......

If it weren't for the royal lord who had come out to the border to greet the queen of Hildes, the Holy Land would have had to make a greater sacrifice.

"It would be nice if the Princess’ lies were not lies, at least that was the look on her face, High Priest Amar."

A lie that made her fall in love with the royal lord and want to live.

The look on the lord’s face when she told the cruel lie.......

"And yet, Raha, she’s so fragile. She’s so in love with the lord that she’s changed her mind."

However, as he listened to the Emperor's words, High Priest Amar saw a shadow pass across the lord’s face.

An all-too-brief burst. So brief that no one but High Priest Amar would have guessed.

Why had they fallen in love?

A pity it had been a daydream.

* * *

"Go away, all of you.”

Some time later.

Karzen kept his promise of a personal reward to Shed. Bringing the heads of slaves to Shed as a gift would be a reward.

"......."

Raha sat up in the overstuffed chair and stared straight ahead. On the bed in the center of the room, Rosain was slumped over, his face flushed.

Rosain Ligulish hadn't been awake since he was brought to Raha’s palace.

He hadn't, and still didn't, whenever Raha peeked in.

He wasn't dead. Not dead, but.......

"I wasn't thinking straight, Raha."

Karzen, sitting beside Raha, rested his chin on the back of his hand.

"I should have taken care of your slaves long before I gave you to the lord of a friendly nation."

The sight of a few hundred corpses did not move Karzen. The same could not be said for the two bodies that had just died.

"Raha. What were their names?"

"......."

“Raha."

"......."

"Raha Delharsa."

It took Karzen two more times before Raha slowly opened her frozen mouth.

"They didn't have a name."

"Oh. Right. They were numbered. What were their numbers?"

"It was 195, 196."

"I see."

Karzen smirked.

"A shadowy life indeed, a derivative number of the Holy land experiment that loved you so much, Raha."

***

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A few hours ago.

High Priest Amar had come to the Delo Empire to officiate at the national wedding, and upon entering the palace, he was invited to dine with Karzen. Knowing he'd already had his tail between his legs, the High Priest braced himself.

He thought there must be something, since even the other priests were invited to sit down. He thought the Emperor would come back with threats or appeasement, but.......

There was no warning.

A priest drank from the goblet of authority from Karzen and collapsed in a heap of blood. High Priest Amar stared in disbelief as the raw blood soaked the tablecloth red.

"That, High Priest Amarr. The priest must be weak."

"......Your Majesty."

"Even if I dare not harm the High Priest, the rest of the priests are no different, High Priest Amar."

"Your Majesty, what in the world is this......."

"High Priest Amar."

Cutting off the High Priest's trembling voice, Karzen swirled his goblet and asked.

"Why did you send the doll to my twin?"

"......."

"No, before that. Why did you send a physician named Harsel?"

For a moment, High Priest Amar felt his heart drop to his feet. His eyelids fluttered uncontrollably. The priests sitting at his side could barely breathe anymore.

It was like a nightmare.

"I was going to secretly take the Princess to the Holy Land......."

"Oh, you tried to take her, yes."

Karzen tilted his chin at an angle.

"And what did you intend to do in the Holy Land with Raha Delharsa?"

"......."

Karzen gestured straight ahead. Duke Blake clamped his hand over the mouth of a priest sitting to the immediate left of High Priest Amar. He poured the poison right into his mouth.

"Your Majesty!"

Another one gone, bleeding to death. Some red blood splashed on Karzen's face as well.

"You wanted an imperial bloodline in the Holy Land?"

Karzen looked at High Priest Amar with a relaxed expression.

In truth, it was obvious why he wanted to take Raha from the High Priest. It had to be those eyes. Whatever shenanigans he had planned with them.......

It didn't matter.

Soon Raha would be blind.

What Karzen really wanted to know was something else.

"Why did you send that damned doll again, High Priest Amar?"

"......Your Majesty."

Karzen's smile was languid, even in the face of a table strewn with blood, having taken the lives of two aide priests.

"You'll have to come clean, High Priest, if you don't want to lose the few remaining priests around you."

"......."

Truth be told, Karzen didn't think High Priest Amar would tell the truth. Nor did he expect it.

So this was just a mild taunt.

One by one, they would die until the High Priest told the truth. High Priest Amar would desperately lie, and all Karzen would have to do was kill his aides one by one.

Yes.

And then.......

"The Princess ....... wanted to die."

It was a moment.

For the first time, Karzen's hand, which had been relaxed the entire time, stiffened. So did Blake Duke, who was also present.

"......So we couldn't bring her to the Holy Land. The Princess has refused, and she has granted me permission to study the holy artifact on her behalf and take her life."

"......."

"That's why......we finished our research and sent the test subject to take the Princess’s life."

There was a deep silence. The silence was terrible, like a desert mire.

"Raha delharsa."

Raha, who had remained silent the entire time, slowly clasped her hands together in front of the crimson muck.

"Yes, Karzen."

"Is that the truth?"

There was no immediate answer. No one spoke, no one breathed properly. Karzen's long-suffering patience was about to cross a threshold.

Raha spoke up.

"It's true, Karzen."

"......ah."

Karzen repeated slowly.

"The truth."

"......."

He rose from his seat. No one moved as he strode briskly around the large table. Until he finally reached the other side and grabbed a priest seated farthest from High Priest Amar by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.

It was a blink of an eye.

The aide-priest was too stunned to even scream. In an instant, the young emperor, whose label of tyrant was frighteningly appropriate, had reduced the unharmed priest to a puddle of blood. Blood mixed with bodily fluids dripped in a sticky stream. Broken teeth rolled to the floor, their pristine robes soaked with blood.

Two.

Three.

Four.......

The Emperor dragged High Priest Amar's aides to their deaths, his face expressionless. His movements, as befits the highest man in the Empire, were violent. There was an inexpressible madness in the silent punching.

In the blink of an eye. The beautifully decorated dining room was covered in blood. High Priest Amar's complexion was as pale as lead, and even Duke Blake's brow was finely furrowed.

Only Karzen and Raha were different.

The noble twins hadn't blinked an eye in all this horror.

They were like beautiful pieces of marble, deliberately made similar by a master craftsman. A harsh sense of otherness.

Dropping the body of the aide priest to the ground, Karzen slowly turned to face Raha. He growled lowly, seemingly more distraught at the sight of blood.

"Raha Delharsa."

"Yes, Karzen."

"That doll bastard must have had countless opportunities to kill you. How come you're still alive and well?"

"That doll saved me."

Raha's voice didn’t tremble a bit.

"Because I fell in love with it."

"So."

Karzen lifted Raha's chin with a bloodied hand.

"Did he say he couldn't kill you for loving him?"

"Yes."

The answer came out easily, but not as well as it should have. Like the red blood on her skin, she could feel the cracks in her heart. Karzen's words hurt her.

She spoke slowly, desperately trying to ignore the fact that something at the base of her neck was slowly cracking.

"That's what he said."

Karzen laughed slowly. His eyes bloodshot, he whispered.

"You are so very, very loved, Raha."

"......."

"And so I love you too, Raha Delharsa."

The voice speaking of love was tinged with cruelty. No one could easily tell if it was an expression of affection or hatred.

Raha couldn't smile as she usually did, but it didn't matter. 

Karzen slowly released Raha's chin.

She, Raha Delharsa, should be very grateful for life. Fate, the gods, and even herself loved this twin so much that she was granted these eyes of the Eternal Expanse.

Karzen looked back at High Priest Amar, who was completely frozen.

"So my twin's wishes have not been fulfilled. So, is the Holy Land creating new experiments again, High Priest Amar?"

"......."

High Priest Amar now had only one assistant priest left.

"High Priest."

"......No, Your Majesty."

High Priest Amar barely managed to keep his voice steady.

"The Holy Land’s experiments....... is no longer ongoing and has been abandoned."

"Why?"

"Because the Princess said she would not die."

For a moment, Karzen felt as if he had been swallowed alive by thousands of shards of glass. He knew instinctively why Raha Delharsa, who had dared to kill herself, had said she wanted to live again.

"Raha Delharsa. Is that how you came to love the royal lord?"

"Yes."

The answer came slowly.

"That's how I came to love him."

Karzen finally burst out laughing. His shoulders shaking with laughter, he helped Raha to her feet. Setting her down lightly on the table, he stood in front of her.

"That's right. It's in your nature, Raha Delharsa. Your resolve and heart are as light as paper."

"......."

"Can't you see that you don't normally care about anything but your feelings?"

"Don't mock my heart."

"Mockery. Raha delharsa. You are the one who mocked me."

Karzen grabbed Raha's jaw in a crushing grip and lifted her up. The strong scent of blood stung Raha's nostrils.

"You dared to leave me to die?" 

With each word, he felt a dull burning in his chest. He wanted to strangle her if he could. He wanted to kill her. In a moment of deep contemplation, he felt a damned force pushing his hand away.

The eyes of the Expanse.

The eyes of the insane heir.

You had this, and you were going to throw it away yourself?

You hated me enough to give it all up. You've come to love the royal lord to the point where you're willing to let go of your hatred for me?

"I can't even kill the High Priest."

"......."

"Nor can I kill you, my beloved."

"......."

"What can I do, Raha?”

Her eyes were completely still, unmoving. It was an abominably naive response. He wanted to tear her apart, crush her, make her never show this kind of innocence again. Karzen was beginning to be plagued by the desire to chew her up and swallow her whole.

"Huh? Raha delharsa. I asked."

His other hand was now gripping Raha's wrist as if he could break it. Karzen Delharsa would be the only one on the entire continent who could hurt her without killing her. Raha's arms shook in Karzen's grasp.

***

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Karzen couldn't understand how Raha was cured of her alcoholism. He had made a big deal out of getting Raha sober, and then suddenly quit.

He planted a trace, but he was reported dead some time later, and he stopped paying attention.

Then.......

Didn’t it strike him as eerily similar to how that courtier died a few years ago and how Raha's  slave doll died today?

Coincidence? Not likely.

"Oh no. Did Raha orchestrate this? Probably not."

Raha had just recovered from a drinking binge and was out of her mind. If so....... So many forces flashed through Karzen's mind. The old, orthodox nobles of Delo, the wise men, the relic power, the neighboring kingdoms, the old-fashioned knights.......

Karzen muttered.

"The Holy Land?"

"......."

Why? What did they want?

Silence fell slowly. Karzen slammed the report down on the table.

"It has been decided, Blake, that the High Priests will be coming to the national wedding."

"......Yes, Your Majesty."

"The Palatinate courtiers and nobles have been talking deafeningly, and it's ridiculous that they're so hung up on conventions, and that I have to be on guard for them."

"......."

Karzen's gaze flicked to the sword on the wall. He deliberately sank deeper into his chair. It was made by an imperial craftsman and upholstered in sumptuous silk, but that was all. It was not the least bit useful. It was a shame this wasn’t a battlefield, because right now he felt like he should be ripping someone's throat out, not reclining in a chair.

"I must prepare myself properly. Tell Palatinate courtiers to enter."

* * *

"I think my tail was stepped on. High Priest Amar."

"......Yes. I'm afraid we’ve been fooling them too long. Keep an eye on the dynamics."

He wanted to send a letter to the Princess, but he couldn’t.

High Priest Amar thought about the last time he had spoken to the Princess in person.

It was last year.

Both the kingdom and the Princess were slowly hardening, as if a promise had been made. The Princess’s health had been poor, and the Emperor had been in a very low mood.

The Princess had spoken to her longtime advisor, High Priest Amar.

"You must fulfill the promise you made to me, High Priest."

She demanded that he quickly destroy the Eyes of the heir, destroy Karzen, and take her life. The Princess asked nothing else, as if her desire was all that mattered. High Priest Amar felt a strange sadness.

"Yes, Princess. Please wait a little longer. Do you have any other questions?"

"I do wonderif you don't have enough blood."

"There is no shortage."

"......."

"And Princess, he (Shed) is still alive."

"......I see."

The Princess smiled bitterly at High Priest Amar's words. That was all she had. With no one else around, and her body so weak, one would have thought she would be overcome with emotion and say something, but no, her eyes were full of questions, and she had nothing to ask.

"Do you have anything else to say, Princess? I'm going back now, and I won't see you for a very long time."

A slow curl of her lips, but Raha said nothing. High Priest Amar wondered what she had finally swallowed, but he could not bring himself to ask.

* * *

"Does he still pity me?”

Raha rolled the words that had once nearly spilled out of her mouth. If only she had been sicker, if only she had forgotten her situation, forgotten her humble beginnings, and asked High Priest Amar.

It never occurred to her to ask him if he still blamed her. She assumed he must hate and resent her, so it was pity after all. Because that was the only fragile emotion she could think of.

She was conscious of the decorative tassel in her hands. Her heart beat faster than usual.

"My Princess. The Queen of Hildes has arrived."

Raha lifted her gaze at the whispered words of the courtier.

Her eyes moved quickly. She sees the man and woman at the front of the line. One was the Queen of Hildes, and the other was Shed. There were many other beautiful nobles and knights with them, but.......

Raha's eyes were drawn to Shed’s face first. Honestly, she couldn’t help herself.

She had to bite her lip to keep it from showing. She realized what it felt like to want to jump right in. She'd thought it was reserved for the privacy of her bedroom, but she wondered if there was something wrong with being plagued by strange desires even in such a crowded place.

Raha took a few steps forward, a gesture of respect for the royalty of a friendly nation. The queen of Hildes was a woman of feathery softness.

"Welcome to Delo. Your Majesty."

After the ceremonial greetings were exchanged, Raha was about to offer the queen some of her precious tea. Then....... Things didn't go quite the way Raha expected.

"Greetings, Princess."

The Queen of Hildes grabbed Raha's hand.

"Well......."

The queen's smile was as warm as a campfire.

"I'm so happy that I’m going to be joining the family with such a beautiful woman, and it's worth coming all the way from Hildes.”

Raha was momentarily stunned.

Her reply to the queen was smooth, but the only one who realized she was genuinely frozen for a moment was Shed, who watched with a slight tilt of his chin.

He said nothing until they had wrapped up the afternoon's business, enjoyed a formal meal and tea with the envoys, and as soon as they were alone in the bedroom, he asked.

"Why were you blushing so much earlier?"

Raha paused as she rolled up the sleeves of her robe.

"......blushing, when?"

She tried to play dumb, but to no avail.

"You've been blushing in front of me the whole time."

"I was just...... hot."

"Hot."

"It was hot."

Shed chuckled at her stubbornness. He didn't want to pry, but he really had no idea why Raha was blushing.

"Your sister in law is a blonde….. Do you like blondes?"

Shed furrowed his brow weakly.

"Raha, your new slave is also blonde. Is that why you told me I don't have to come to the palace for a week?"

Raha gave him an incredulous look.

"It's not like that."

“Then.”

"The queen...... keeps talking."

Raha started to say Queen, out of habit, but then remembered she was Shed’s sister-in-law and changed the title. She furrowed her brow weakly and continued.

"She said she was happy...... that she’s going to be family with me."

Shed’s gaze remained fixed on Raha.

"My cheeks flushed when I heard that, and I don't know...... exactly why."

Raha shrugged it off.

Half the time she was faking it, but the other half she was sincere. The queen's favor. The word family. It was like being bathed in dense warmth.

Shed glanced at Raha's flushed cheeks. He didn't say anything, but she felt strangely embarrassed. Like being caught sleeping with your favorite childhood doll in the corner of your bed instead of putting it back in the closet.

"Shed."

Instead of asking why he looked like that, Raha climbed on top of him and covered his eyes with her hand.

"You made it all the way to the border and you didn't bring me a present?"

She sounded intentionally grumpy, but Shed looked more perplexed than he felt.

"I looked around a couple times."

"......?"

"I didn't see anything you'd like."

Raha blinked slowly.

"You're lying."

"I'm not lying."

All the while, Shed didn't ask her if he didn't have any gifts. Apparently Branden hadn't been talking. She was relieved. Raha had changed her mind the day before and left the jewelry on.

"Shed."

Raha asked him.

"What color were your eyes originally?"

"Not much different than they are now."

"It couldn't have been the same."

Shed was silent for a moment, then answered.

"They were light blue."

"Really?"

Raha looked down at Shed’s face, which was covered by her fingers, his long eyelashes still visible between her fingers. With one hand shielding his eyes, Raha pulled out the decorative tassel she'd been carrying the entire time.

The soft part of the tassel tickled Shed’s cheek. He lifted his hand and grabbed the mysterious trinket that tickled him. After a moment's hesitation, he reached for her other hand. He grabbed her wrist, which has been shielding his eyes, and pulled it down. Shed’s gaze fell to the decorative tassel in her hand.

A small sapphire dangled from the tip. Slowly, Shed recognized the gem's source. It was a sapphire that Raha often wore as a bracelet.

"A gift."

Raha said, fiddling with the sapphire.

"It's a sapphire, but....... Somehow it looks like the color of the sky."

Raha wasn't about to take the sapphire off and replace it with a light blue gem because she now wished it was the color of Shed’s eyes. She'd already decided to make a decorative tassel out of it and give it as a gift.

That was her nature. Born into the noblest bloodline in the empire, arrogant and unquestioning of her gifts.

But there was a hint of embarrassment in the noble woman's smile. She hesitated a moment, then said.

"I made it."

"You ......?"

A slow flush of red spread across her cheeks and ears as he stared intensely at tassel.

Were his cheeks tickling with the loosely woven threads, or his heart? Shed couldn't tell.

Slowly, a warmth began to spread across Raha's chest. She remembered Branden's words. 

"I think the lord will like it .......”

Raha reached up and cupped Shed’s cheek.

"Do you like sapphires? They're expensive."

Shed grinned and laid his hand over hers.

"Raha. What the hell are you......."

"Just kidding."

Raha burst out laughing.

"I'm glad I made you one."

"Yeah."

Shed swept Raha into his arms.

"You're crazy good."

"......I can't make more, though, I've been up all night."

This man didn't listen to her when she told him not to come to the inner Palace anymore. He came to visit her every day. So late at night when he left, Raha made the decorative tassels by herself. If she’d known he would like it so much, she’d have made it sooner.

Raha rested her cheek on Shed’s chest. The sound of his heartbeat melted into her ear.

And the next day.

Raha sat down at the table and looked across. High Priest Amar's face, pale as lead, came into view. 

Red blood stained the side of the High Priest's hand that held his goblet.

Karzen, seated at Raha's side, set his glass down and smiled.

****

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❋ ❋ ❋

When a king or queen from a friendly nation came to Delharsa as an envoy, it was customary for the royal family to travel to the border to greet them.

In recent generations, however, the Dello Empire had few, if any, friendly kingdoms. While there had been economic and geographical pacts of cooperation with other kingdoms, Hildes was the first country the Emperor of Dello had ever called a "friend".

So technically, it was Raha who should have gone today.

But there was no way Karzen would allow Raha to leave. So after a hasty meeting, the Palatinate courtiers asked Shed for a favor, which he graciously accepted.

Outside the window, flowers were blooming. Raha wondered, "Why aren't there any blue-gray flowers?" 

What color were Shed's eyes originally?

When he'd first been brought in as an experimental slave, she'd assumed he'd taken on the color of the expanse's pupils, a mix of ash and blue that could also be seen as a murky sky blue.

She knew Shed's face looked different to those who weren't her. But to her, it looked the same as it had when he was a test subject, and it looked the same now. They were the same blue-gray eyes.

Raha shifted her gaze and saw Branden standing off to one side of the large office. He thought about asking Branden about Shed's face or the color of his eyes, but stopped herself. It would be a distraction.

Instead, Raha asked something else.

"Why aren’t you with your lord?"

"What? Oh, you mean follow the lord to the border?"

"Yes. A Queen is coming."

"Well, I don't think I'll have to go all the way if the lord is going....... It's not like it's a bunch of candy for kids."

Branden said, scratching his head. Raha sat back in her seat and opened her mouth.

"Then can I ask why you're hovering around me? You've always been with Oliver."

"Well, the lord told me to keep an eye on the princess......."

Raha paused in the middle of opening a drawer. She looked up and smirked.

"As if anyone in the palace would hurt me."

"I really think so, too, but the lord is a little....... a bit."

Branden spoke in a hushed tone, but a smile tugged at the corners of the Princess’s mouth as she listened, which was odd.

For the past week, the Princess hadn’t left the palace at all.

This time, it was the Count's son (Rosain), whom even Branden had seen a few times. How could he be disgraced in one fell swoop and used as a bedroom slave for the princess with a fiancé….

Branden had learned once before that many of the slaves dedicated to the Princess died prematurely due to the strange branding tattooed on their bodies.

Nevertheless, the Princess came out a week later and went to her office as if it were a matter of course. Her gait was noble, her expression graceful, and her face devoid of a single shadow. It was  said that all places where blue blood flowed, whether imperial or royal, were duplicitous, but this place was poisonous.......

He could see why the Princess didn’t fall. In a similar category, Branden thought she was amazing. Shed had only told him to keep an eye on her, but Branden, a guard to the bone, was already keeping a keen eye on who he was supposed to be escorting.

Branden wondered how much time had passed. The Princess was suddenly disassembling the jewelry on her wrist.

"Princess, what are you doing?"

"I'm making a gift."

"Gift?"

He finally saw what was hidden behind the stack of papers. An ornamental tassel to attach to the hilt of a sword or spear. Tassels were noble ornaments, woven from fine, softly twisted threads and hung with bird feathers or jewelry, depending on your preference.

"Are you going to give it to His Majesty?"

"Karzen? No."

Raha smirked.

"Why should I when I have a fiancé? I'll give it to the royal lord."

"What? To the lord?"

"Because I don't think I’ve given him anything in a while....... Why do you have that look on your face?"

Branden hastily closed his gaping mouth.

"Uh, no. I'm sorry."

"Don't tell anyone."

"Yeah? Yeah, sure. I have tight lips. My princess."

Shed loved his sword like a knight, but he never wore a decorative tassel. Brandon knew this well. He'd had plenty of ladies give him gifts since he was a boy, but that was it. He'd never seen him actually like something.

Even if Shed had liked it, if he'd chosen one and worn it on his sword, it would have immediately pushed him out of the house, and with the lord’s position as crown prince at the time, a lantern before the wind, he was indifferent to such things. In fact, he seemed indifferent.

"That, Princess."

But could he be indifferent to what this princess was giving him?

"It's just my opinion, but I think the lord would be very...... pleased."

Raha's fingertips twitched slightly at Branden's words. A strange heat rose to her cheeks. Embarrassment. Shy. Whatever it was, it was a ticklish, unfamiliar expression.

She wanted to give Shed a gift, for no particular reason, just the sight of his sleeping face. After days of debating whether to embroider a handkerchief or make him a gift, she chose the latter. The reason was simple. The tassel would have Raha's favorite jewelry on it.

Raha frowned as she spent a few minutes trying to take the jewelry apart again. Sure, the imperial family had some excellent jewelers, but....... she didn't want to say anything to Karzen, so she tried to do it herself.

With a sigh, Raha turned to Branden and casually held out the jewelry.

"Sir Branden. Come and take a look."

"Yes, Princess.”

Branden stepped forward. In an instant, the solid gold rim that held the sapphire parted under his strong fingers.

The sapphire rolled across the wooden desk.

The Princess seemed satisfied. Branden coughed in vain. The sight of a bundle of colorful threads made him cringe. It also made him wonder if she had been working on it in her bedroom all this time.

No one else could have made them, but the Princess herself, and she would present it to the lord. There was a moment of intense cognitive dissonance. It was like jumping into the ocean in the middle of winter and seeing spring flowers blooming just below the surface.....

Raha smiled as she wiped the surface of her prized sapphire with a handkerchief, her action so soft and warm that Branden realized that spring was definitely in the air.

* * *

"Your Majesty. We have been unable to follow up on the Princess’s doll; it is confirmed dead."

Accepting the report from his lieutenant, Karzen stroked his chin. He, too, had been busy preparing for the national wedding, and it was late at night when he heard this report.

"The slave is dead?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"He covered his tracks quite skillfully."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Hmm......."

Karzen had been slowly tracking the doll (Shed used to be) ever since he'd gotten his suspicions about Raha and the experimental slave. It wasn't a full-blown pursuit, as it wasn't that important, and it was strictly a matter of Karzen's instincts.

The less attention the Emperor paid to it, the more moderate the pursuit. He's had a lot on his plate. There was even an arrogant royal lord who dared to ask for Raha as a reward, but that didn't mean he'd completely forgotten about the doll.

But today's news from the adjutant was unexpected: the experimental slave was confirmed dead?

"Is it really dead? No."

Raha must have gone to great lengths to save him, and he couldn't have died without a fight.

A sigh almost escaped Karzen's lips. Now that Severo was dead, his lieutenants were perfectly prepared to take over in the event of an emergency.

But geniuses like Severo were rare. Of course, geniuses were as plentiful in the vast empire as grass in a drought, but to make one as loyal to the Emperor as Severo, it took time, absolute time. And time was running out.

Moreover, a genius like Severo, who could not let go of his obsession with Raha, would not be found twice in this life.

Severo, who had watched Raha like a maniac, would be suspicious of the outcome of this death. No matter how neat it was.

It was ridiculous; he could only wonder what his twin had been up to, letting the doll escape. If so, it was to get away from him.

But when he heard that the slave was dead, his dull interest suddenly intensified.

After studying the report for a while, Karzen's eyes took on a strange glow. He smirked and turned to Blake.

"Blake. Do you remember Raha's palace the other day?"

"Yes. I remember. Your Majesty."

Upon his ascension to the throne, Karzen had placed all of Raha's entourage under surveillance. Even the maids who served Raha had been placed under surveillance, but that had been years ago. It was the day Raha was found asleep with her knees drawn up beside a pile of the dead bodies of the slaves.

Even the handmaidens were not allowed in the inner palace where the slaves were buried. So Karzen had never received a report of Raha curled up like that. It was a pity that she had stumbled upon such a sight.

The sadistic desire to keep finding her like that, combined with the mercy he felt for the twin, meant that there were no more guards in the palace. Karzen could hardly keep his eyes off the occasional glimpse of Raha on the verge of collapse.

His fragile mirror. In fact, most of the pleasure Karzen had ever felt in his life had come from his beloved twin.

So he had to be terribly sincere to Raha.

***

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With an unpleasant smile on his face, Karzen extended his hand. It was then that Jamela realized that the Emperor's hand was smeared with a red liquid. For a moment, her spine tingled, but the clear color didn't look like blood. It looked like ordinary paint. Why paint would be on the Emperor's hand, she couldn't tell. She couldn't ask. She wasn't in the mood, and.......

Because he lifted her chin. A sudden touch. Her breath caught in her throat. In the nearly year since her betrothal to the Emperor, Jamela had never seen Karzen this close.

The face that seemed to have been carved out of the Princess’s was certainly beautiful. A face that was distinct and stronger than the Princess’s, though. Maybe it was the place, maybe it was the clothes, maybe it was him, maybe it was something else. There was a strange aura about the emperor, even more so in his decadent moments that reminded her of Raha.

In fact, even his subtle aura was consumed by gossip behind his back. People who didn't know any better would say that Raha's aura wasn't so strange because she lived such a promiscuous life, but it was laughable.

Even the emperor, who had never seen a spittoon in his life, had a similar mood to the Princess. The twins were simply born.

"Are you close with Rosain Ligulish?"

"We had a casual, uneventful exchange."

"Normal and uneventful, I see. From what I've heard, you two were childhood friends."

Karzen lowered his chin slowly to Jamela's. He smiled languidly and continued.

"I'm sure your friend is serving my twin for the night by now. I wonder how he feels about losing his last name."

"It must be an honor......, I suppose."

"Honor?"

Karzen smirked.

"An honor, yes. If I were the fiancé of a princess, it would certainly be an honor, but he’s just a slave. A lowly slave, if you like."

"......Your Majesty."

Jamela spoke slowly.

"Why have you summoned me?"

"Winston's been acting up."

"......."

"I thought there might be a few nobles who had the audacity to think that my relationship with Young Lady might have faltered. Politics aside, I wanted to make it clear that I had no intention of destroying my marriage to you. So I called you."

"Your Majesty…”

"It's a fucking publicity stunt."

Cut off Jamela's words, Karzen scowled.

"Young Lady."

“Yes…. Your Majesty."

"I'm tired of calling women, they're all the same, so I thought it would be different if she was related to my twin."

"......."

Barely above a whisper, Karzen leaned down. He grabbed Jamela's face, lifted it, and kissed her roughly. His eyes never closed as his hard tongue swirled around hers. His ashen eyes were too cold to believe he was kissing his fiancée.

The kiss, which lacked the slightest hint of heat, didn't last long. Karzen lifted his chin slowly and asked, 

"What do you think, am I your first, young lady?"

For a moment, the bones in the back of Jamela's hand stood out white. It was a strange feeling of insult. Karzen smirked. There was not the slightest whiff of alcohol on him, and yet the young emperor felt as if he were drunk.

Why?

Wasn't it he who had sent Rosain to the Princess to be one of her many slaves?

Suddenly, a strange abomination began to burn like an ember in Jamela's heart.

To whom was the Emperor placing this pain now?

"After all, Young Lady and I will be the closest of friends."

"......."

"Take your clothes off. Or I'll take it off for you."

"Am I the only woman to attend to Your Majesty's needs today?"

"You're the only woman close to Raha. But that's odd, since I'm the man who will be your husband, do you mind if I take another woman for the night?"

"Your Majesty is not yet my husband."

"Ah."

Karzen smiled wryly.

"Right."

Karzen took Jamela's hand and stood up, leading the way inside. It was a bedroom off the parlor. Jamela's heart sank. In the bedroom, another woman stood nervously.

Hastily adjusting her gown, she was obviously the woman who had come to the Emperor's call. Her hair was mottled red as she hurriedly bowed her head and left. Her cheeks, neck, shoulders, arms, and even her legs were smeared with red paint.

Karzen sat Jamela down on the bed, which looked as if it had been covered in blood.

"If you hate it so much, I won't force you to do it. I must respect the Empress-to-be."

"......."

With a respect he didn't mean, he untied the ribbon that held Jamela's hair back. He grabbed a handful of her spilling hair.

"I've never put the color I want to put on you on any woman."

"And what color is it that Your Majesty wishes?"

"You still don't know or you're pretending not to know?"

There was a strange mockery in his voice.

"You've been watching me intently every step of the way, so how could you not know what I want......."

Jamela couldn't even breathe straight.

"Am I wrong, young lady?"

Karzen shifted his gaze to the bedside table. There was always blue paint next to the red. It was a color he'd never dipped into, though he'd always kept them together, unable to resist the urge.

He had harbored an unfulfilled desire for too long, and it had long since become something darker than the word desire.

He took the dye, the exact same color as Raha's hair, and a perfect match for his own, and applied it to Jamela's hair. The young emperor was not even keen on the subject of his strange ramparts.

Jamela knew then that this emperor loved his twin out of habit, granting grace to those who resembled her, and hated Raha out of habit, causing deep humiliation to those who resembled her.

It felt terrible to be a complete shadow of someone else. It was terrible.....and Jamela understood clearly what Karzen meant by this despicable act.

That even if she were to become Empress in the future, she would not dare to meddle in the secretive and immoral affairs of the inner court, especially those involving Raha Delharsa.......

As Duke Winston had done, Jamela Winston clearly understood the Emperor's metaphorical warning. Karzen had often expressed his dissatisfaction that, unlike his predecessors, he had been given the young lady as his Empress, but, ironically, he was the Emperor who was using the features of the great noble family to his advantage more than anyone else.

It didn't take long.

Jamela's hair grew increasingly blue and messy. But no matter how far away one looked, they would never recognize her as a woman with blue hair. Karzen's was just as lush. He was no different from a child smearing milk cream on the table.

Except that it made her feel strangled.

"......Your Majesty."

Jamela, still as a doll, opened her mouth very slowly.

"Your Majesty, do I look like the Princess?”

"Not at all, you look so different."

The paint dripped, painting blue splotches over Jamela's clothes. Karzen didn't seem to be interested in painting Jamela's hair thickly. This was just a hobby, like whistling a song, a lighthearted pastime for a man who never intended to be satisfied with any imitation in the first place.

"I like the blue in your eyes, young lady."

"......."

A blue smudge on a white face. Karzen kissed Jamela. The blue paint stained her cheeks like blood.

That night.

Returning to Winston Manor in silence, Jamela headed straight for the bathroom. She was invisible to anyone, thanks to the robe the chamberlain had prepared for her, but.......

The hardened blue paint oozed from her face like blood. Only after a long wash did she see her hair's original color. Her breathing was a little easier and her throat was insanely dry. Half running, Jamela made her way to the wine cellar, where she found the bottle of champagne that Rosain had once thrust into her hands. She hastily opened it and drank it down. The half-empty bottle rolled across the floor.

Jamela wrapped her hands around her wet face.

* * *

"Winston has been stabbed to death."

Raha strode away, leaving the whispers behind. It had been two weeks since she had seen Jamela in the main palace office.

It was Karzen's orders. It was his way of saying that she should rest in the comfort of the manor, since it was only a matter of time before she would be married. It had led the nobles to conclude that Karzen would not be so ruthless with Jamela Winston.

"Princess. The king has stepped outside the palace gates."

"He has?"

Raha had finally gotten out of bed after three hours. In the week she'd been confined to the Inner Palace, Raha hadn't been able to attend any court business. With Jamela gone, the Palatinate courtiers had taken over, but even they had their limits.

With a mountain of work piled on top of her, Raha worked day in and day out, thankful that the national wedding was held in the spring and not the winter. The palace's winter preparations would take a full month to complete.

Standing at the large window, Raha looked out. There was no sign of Shed outside the palace gates.

"Forgive me for leaving my duties to my marriage.”

"Ah......."

The courtier who had come to report to Raha's mutterings was stunned. He looked uncomfortable. Raha spoke without turning her head.

"I'm just saying. Leave."

"Yes, Princess."

***

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