“People usually end up marrying the person they have their first dance with.”
Caesar had not forgotten Katana’s words.
He didn’t take such superstitions literally.
What he wanted was the rumors.
Rumors that he and Evelyn had been partners.
That they had shared their first dance.
Who would dare pursue the emperor’s rumored lover?
That alone would be enough to fend off most of her marriage prospects.
Caesar reviewed his plans once more.
First, publicize Baron Chester’s business partnership with the crown prince to strengthen their household. Then, promote Evelyn to head lady-in-waiting. If possible, grant her a title as well.
A satisfied smile played on his lips.
His plan was simple: Make Evelyn untouchable.
The Chester family was already widely known as part of the emperor’s faction.
At this point, the best way to protect her wasn’t by distancing himself—but by drawing her closer.
Not just as a supporter of the emperor—but as someone who could become empress.
If people saw her as a potential future empress, even the noble faction wouldn’t be able to recklessly interfere with her.
But first… the debutante.
Caesar glanced at the booklet in his hands.
A collection of fabric and accessory samples from Tialen.
He planned to bring it to Evelyn.
To ask which dress designs she liked, which accessories suited her best.
She would hesitate, looking conflicted.
But eventually, she would pick something.
And with that, their partnership at the debutante would be sealed.
****
Time flew by, and before I knew it, the day before Caesar’s birthday had arrived.
I kept glancing at the clock anxiously.
Just a few more hours…
In just a few hours, Caesar would become an adult.
And he would finally be able to awaken.
How would the awakening happen?
What kind of power would he receive?
Around eleven at night, I excitedly made my way to Caesar’s chambers.
We had talked about this since last year’s birthday—that I would be with him when he stepped into adulthood.
I glanced down at the bouquet in my hands.
Fresh blue roses, with vibrant green leaves added for contrast.
Ever since I had given him a small, scrappy bouquet for his fifteenth birthday, Caesar had only ever asked for flowers as his gift.
Considering that he was richer than I could ever be and could buy anything he wanted, it actually made things easier for me.
At least I don’t have to spend forever choosing a present.
I always stuck to blue flowers, using the excuse that they matched his eye color.
Of course, unlike that first, pathetic bouquet, these were professionally arranged.
At least he didn’t insist on displaying all the bouquets I gave him.
…Then again, maybe it’s worse that he only kept the ugliest one.
Remembering that Caesar had specifically brought the original, awful bouquet with him when he moved into the emperor’s palace made my brow furrow.
Knock, knock.
Before I knew it, I had arrived at his door.
“Come in.”
He already knew it was me.
When I entered, I found Caesar sitting at his tea table.
A second teacup was already prepared—along with a plate of pastries.
“Your Majesty!”
I greeted him brightly and sat down across from him.
Setting the bouquet on the table, I reached for my tea.
But before I could lift my cup, Caesar’s hand moved toward the bouquet.
“Is this for me?”
“Ah, not yet!”
I quickly snatched it away.
“It’s a birthday present, so you have to wait until midnight. Just one more hour!”
“…Alright.”
Caesar gave a nonchalant shrug.
He seemed completely indifferent.
Which was strange.
Shouldn’t he be excited?
He had spent three years wishing for this moment.
I had expected him to be more eager than me, yet he looked… bored.
…Is he nervous?
“How do you feel?”
I tested the waters carefully.
“About what?”
“About becoming an adult! Aren’t you excited to awaken your ability?”
“Hmm…”
Caesar’s answer was flat.
“It doesn’t really feel real. I don’t even know if I’ll awaken at all.”
“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t you awaken?”
“I don’t know. I just… don’t feel sure.”
“Maybe it’s because you’ve been waiting for so long?”
“For so long?”
His eyes flicked toward me with an unreadable expression.
It made me hesitate before answering.
“Well… yeah. You’ve wanted this for three years.”
“…Right. I did, didn’t I?”
His voice trailed off.
And suddenly, his mood felt heavy.
I frowned.
What’s wrong with him?
Was he feeling sick?
Or was he really worried about not awakening?
Maybe the process itself was affecting his body somehow.
“You’ll be fine, Your Majesty.”
“…Yeah.”
After that, we chatted about random things to pass the time.
Before I knew it, midnight was almost upon us.
I turned to the clock, eyes wide.
“Less than five minutes left!”
My heart pounded with excitement.
Even Caesar, who had been quiet all evening, looked noticeably tense.
“Evelyn.”
“Yes?”
“Your hand.”
“Oh! Right!”
I immediately grabbed his outstretched hand.
Holding hands had always helped him relax.
And I had a feeling it would help with the awakening, too.
Maybe it’ll feel like that time when I held his hand for over a minute…
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
The ticking of the clock mixed with the racing of my own heart.
My palms grew slightly sweaty, but I tightened my grip.
The slowest five minutes of my life passed.
And then—
Tick.Tock.
Midnight struck.
A soft gust of wind enveloped us.
Not just a gentle breeze—something powerful.
Like we were about to be lifted off the ground.
This feels just like before!
Caesar’s fingers tightened around mine.
I held my breath and stared at him, determined not to miss a single second.
His eyes were closed.
His hair billowed wildly in the unseen wind.
A strange energy crackled in the air.
Then—
His eyes snapped open.
And in an instant—
The wind stopped.
His hair settled back into place.
“…Your hair is completely black!”
I gasped.
His hair had been getting darker over the years, but the change had been gradual—so slow that I barely noticed it.
But now?
Now it was completely different.
Before, there had been hints of silver, or at least deep gray.
Now, his hair was the purest black I had ever seen.
Like the absence of light itself.
But Caesar didn’t react to my shock.
Instead, his gaze dropped to the bouquet on the table.
“This is…”
Following his line of sight, I turned—
And froze.
The vibrant blue roses…
Had withered into blackened husks.
****
Caesar remained silent for a long time.
He clenched and unclenched his fists.
He reached for Evelyn’s hand, then let go.
He stared at the bouquet.
Evelyn watched him anxiously, her face full of questions.
Had the awakening worked properly?
What kind of power did he receive?
Caesar, meanwhile, could feel it.
A strange force coursed through his entire being.
It was an odd sensation—one that required no explanation, yet he understood completely.
Like the instinctive way his body reacted in battle.
When someone swung a sword at him, he didn’t have to think about blocking—his hands would move on their own.
This was the same.
Only, unlike his swordsmanship, which had taken years of training, this power required no learning at all.
He simply knew how to use it.
As naturally as breathing.
Lowering his gaze, Caesar looked at his teacup.
He blinked once—slowly.
The liquid inside vanished in an instant.
So this is it.
Annihilation.
That was his power.
If he could see something, he could erase it.
He could make the entire cup disappear.
Or only the liquid inside.
Or, if he was careful, he could erase just a single component of the tea.
Fine-tuning the ability will probably take practice.
It seemed the level of destruction depended on how much power he released.
The reason Evelyn’s bouquet had withered was because he had momentarily lost control.
He had unknowingly erased its vitality.
A terrifying ability.
If the logic held…
It meant he could kill someone just by looking at them.
“Um…”
Evelyn finally broke the silence.
She still couldn’t see the now-empty teacup from where she sat.
To her, it must have looked like he was simply staring at it, lost in thought.
“How do you feel? Do you sense anything?”
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