At dawn, Astaire met with Rinael and formally announced Cedric’s crimes.
On top of that, rumors about Rashiel’s true identity, which had surfaced at the theater, spread like wildfire, throwing the entire empire into chaos.
The imperial palace was no exception.
“Did you hear? The Tower Master is actually the twin prince who was thought to be dead!”
“What? Seriously?”
“That’s what they say. Apparently, the reason he killed the previous Tower Master was because that man conducted human experiments on him when he was a child.”
“Human experiments? Did His Majesty know about that?”
“His Majesty was the one who ordered it. As soon as the prince was born, they transferred mana into the crown prince to give him red eyes.”
“That’s insane. How could he do that to his own child…?”
“Just imagine what those adults must have done to that poor boy, all for the sake of creating the ‘perfect heir’… It’s horrifying.”
“If it were me, I’d have wanted to kill the Tower Master and my father the moment I became powerful enough— Ah, wait, forget I said that.”
The maids gossiping in the halls of the princess’s palace suddenly realized they had said too much and nervously looked around.
If Rashiel really was the twin prince who had supposedly died, then that meant his father was none other than the emperor—who still lay bedridden.
“Now it makes sense why the empress lost her mind. How could she stay sane after her own son was sacrificed for experiments?”
“And yet they forced her to bear another child…”
“The empress’s life was truly tragic. She deserved better.”
The empress had fallen into madness after giving birth to the twin princes.
She had attempted to take her own life repeatedly, and eventually, she even stopped recognizing Cedric and Rinael as her own children.
At the time, people had believed she lost her sanity due to the shock of her newborn sons’ deaths. But now, with the truth revealed, her suffering finally made sense.
“But what’s going to happen to the empire now? The crown prince tried to resurrect the demon king… Do you think this will lead to war with the Holy Kingdom?”
“No way. The Holy Kingdom exists to preserve world peace; they wouldn’t go that far, would they?”
“One thing’s for sure—His Highness the Crown Prince will have to abdicate. But who will take the throne?”
“Couldn’t it be the Tower Master? He inherited the power of his ancestors, he’s a hero who saved the world…”
The chattering maids fell silent the moment they spotted someone approaching from the far end of the corridor.
First, because it was unwise for servants to be caught gossiping during work hours.
Second, because the man who appeared was breathtakingly beautiful—so much so that he made even the elaborate jewelry on his brooch, earrings, and cloak chain look modest.
With long strides, he made his way to the princess’s chambers.
Only when the waiting lady-in-waiting announced his presence did the maids finally realize who he was.
“Your Highness, the Tower Master has arrived.”
Unlike the cardinal, Astaire, or the duke, Tezette, Rashiel had rarely made public appearances.
It was no wonder the palace maids didn’t recognize him.
Ignoring the whispers about how much he resembled the crown prince, Rashiel entered Rinael’s chambers.
“Ah, w-welcome.”
Rinael, visibly nervous, greeted him with a hesitant bow. A beat later, she awkwardly added,
“…Brother.”
But Rashiel, facing his sister for the first time, merely regarded her with an indifferent gaze.
“I greet Your Highness, the princess.”
“Please, sit comfortably.”
Once seated, Rashiel wordlessly studied her.
Pink hair and violet eyes.
She must have inherited her hair color from her maternal side.
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Rinael glanced at the maid who had just entered with tea, then quickly grasped at a topic.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d prefer, so I prepared a mild tea blend from Bahar. I hope it suits your taste.”
“It’s fine.”
Rashiel responded briefly, then immediately placed a parchment in front of her.
“A list of nobles involved with the Cult of the Demon King.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
“The demon king is the enemy of the entire world. The crown prince and the nobles who conspired to resurrect him are no different.”
“Yes… You’re right.”
“If they are given lenient punishments, it will turn not only the Holy Kingdom but every nation against the empire. I advise you to consider their fate carefully.”
“I… I don’t know much about such matters. I’ll follow your judgment, brother.”
Rinael’s use of the word “brother” clearly referred to Rashiel.
She was overwhelmed by the sudden revelation of his existence, the crimes of Cedric, and their father’s sins. Everything had been revealed at once, and she was struggling to process it all.
Her violet eyes silently pleaded for guidance.
Looking into eyes that mirrored his own, Rashiel finally spoke.
“I am not your brother, Your Highness.”
“……”
“It would be better for you if I remained the Tower Master rather than suddenly becoming a long-lost sibling you never knew existed.”
“Then… What about the position of crown prince—?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has committed high treason. The throne rightfully belongs to the empire’s only remaining legitimate heir—you, Princess Rinael.”
“But… I’ve never been trained as an heir…”
“Whatever happens to the empire next is of no concern to me.”
Rinael stared at Rashiel’s cold expression.
When he had impersonated Cedric, his eyes had been red.
A red-eyed imperial heir, proving his legitimacy as a descendant of the imperial line.
At the time, he must have been using a magical artifact. Whether his real eye color was red or violet, Rinael had no way of knowing.
But today, he had come to see her with violet eyes.
Those eyes were telling her something.
That he had no intention of being involved with the imperial family.
“I’ll be taking my leave.”
Rashiel stood and turned to go.
As she watched his retreating figure, Rinael suddenly remembered something she had to say—something he might never listen to if she didn’t say it now.
“…I’m sorry.”
His hand, which had just grasped the doorknob, hesitated for the briefest moment.
Rinael bowed her head.
“For all the injustices you suffered… for the pain you endured… I offer my sincerest apologies, on behalf of the imperial family.”
She hadn’t been responsible for what had happened to him. In fact, she had never even known about it.
But that didn’t excuse her.
She had lived peacefully under the protection of the imperial family’s authority—an authority that had been built upon his suffering.
It was only right that she apologize in their father’s stead.
But Rashiel never turned back to look at her.
He simply left the room.
At that moment, one of his subordinates hurried over.
“Your Grace, the cardinal has requested your presence at the temple for an urgent matter.”
****
Elsez didn’t wake up until noon.
“Wow, what time is it?”
She had fallen asleep on the sofa, but when she woke up, she was in bed.
Rashiel must have carried her there.
‘Normally, I’d at least have some vague memory of waking up, but I don’t remember a thing. I must’ve been really exhausted.’
After everything she had been through, it made sense that she had finally relaxed enough to sleep deeply.
The moment she was fully awake, she headed straight for the temple.
The temple knights, who had grown familiar with her due to her frequent visits, recognized her and greeted her warmly.
“I heard you captured the crown prince yesterday, my lady! With that delicate frame of yours… Truly impressive!”
“I just added a spoon to the feast that others prepared—”
Elsez was about to brush it off casually but suddenly remembered her promise to Tracia.
“Oh, by the way, the equipment from the Fren Trading Company is incredibly sturdy and well-made. It really came in handy.”
As she walked through the temple, she made sure to mention Fren’s equipment to every knight she passed.
Eventually, she arrived at the building that housed the underground prison, where she intended to interrogate Cedric.
Just as she was about to enter, she sensed someone approaching from behind.
At the same time she turned around, a large hand landed lightly on her head.
“Did you get a good rest yesterday?”
It was Cassian.
With his hand still on her head, Elsez tilted her chin up slightly.
“Yep.”
She naturally responded in polite speech, but then Rashiel’s words from the night before came back to her.
“It’s best if you don’t reveal your identity to the others for now.”
“Why?”
“If the saintess really is involved in this, and she turns out to be your enemy, we can’t predict how Astaire will react.”
“Ah… That’s true. He is a cardinal.”
“As for the other two, I’m not sure what stance they’d take. But information could slip out unintentionally, so let’s observe for now.”
Rashiel never made a move unless he was sure of something.
She had already gotten used to speaking formally anyway, so there was no harm in following his advice and being cautious.
Elsez looked up at Cassian and asked,
“Are you here to interrogate the crown prince too, Guild Master?”
“Yeah. Thought I’d pry some things out of him while the bookworm is busy.”
By bookworm, he meant Astaire.
Elsez immediately understood why Cassian wanted to question Cedric behind Astaire’s back.
‘He must be planning to use… efficient interrogation methods.’
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