PG | Chapter 12: On the Verge of Losing Control

“Not only did you heartlessly ignore Mother collapsing, but you also dawdled at the burial site instead of rushing back as soon as the grave was finished. How impudent.”

Despite Leda’s accusations, Iphis remained unmoved.

“It’s alright now that you’re here.”

“What do you mean alright? She acts as she pleases because Mother always takes her side. At least when Felix was alive…”

“That’s enough.”

“But Mother!”

“Enough. I wish to speak with Rosha privately. Everyone, leave us.”

At the Empress’s command, Leda huffed and left the bedroom. Poi and the other maids followed.

Soon, only Aloissia and Iphis remained in the spacious, luxurious bedroom.

“Rosha, come here.”

Iphis coughed and extended a hand towards Aloissia. As Aloissia approached the bedside, Iphis took a deep breath and said,

“Don’t take Leda’s words to heart.”

“It’s my fault. I should have visited and attended to Your Majesty first. I apologize.”

Iphis smiled at Aloissia’s calm reply.

“You’re so mature for your age. You don’t seem like you’re the same age as Leda.”

“You flatter me. How are you feeling? Are you sure you should be out of bed?”

“It’s nothing. I’m perfectly fine now.”

Iphis shrugged her shoulders lightly. Aloissia lowered her gaze, waiting for her to continue. Iphis tapped her fingers, a thoughtful expression on her face.

As silence fell over the room, she finally spoke.

“I understand you must be tired after the burial, but you can’t neglect your duties as an Esper for personal reasons.”

Aloissia’s eyes widened at Iphis’s words. Her golden eyes trembled slightly.

“Do I have to… do it today?”

Her soft voice held a desperate plea. Aloissia hoped the Empress would tell her she could skip ‘it’ today.

‘It.’

The process of transferring her Esper abilities to a mana stone.

Shortly after Aloissia became Crown Princess, the Empress ordered her to gradually transfer her powers to a specific mana stone.

An Esper’s power could be infinite or finite, depending on the individual. No one could know for sure.

Therefore, the Empress insisted on preparing for the worst-case scenario, where Aloissia’s power might suddenly disappear.

The Empress and Leda were also Espers, but the role of protecting the empire rested solely on Aloissia. Therefore, the task of imbuing the mana stone with her power was also her responsibility.

The reasoning was understandable enough. However, the problem was that the process was excruciatingly painful.

Extracting her inner power and transferring it to the mana stone was an artificial process. Therefore, the body’s rejection of this process was extremely severe. Creating the protective barrier was nothing compared to this.

“I understand how you feel, but we can’t change the schedule at will. We can’t disrupt a process we’ve worked so hard on.”

“But…”

Aloissia clenched her fists nervously. Her fingers, digging into her palms, were ice-cold.

“Your Majesty, I…”

“This is an Imperial order.”

Iphis’s expression hardened.

“This is for both your sake and the empire’s. I’ve explained this to you multiple times. Was my explanation insufficient?”

“…No.”

Aloissia lowered her head, resignation etched on her face. She eventually took a deep breath.

“Crown Princess Aloissia Ismene. I will obey Your Majesty’s command.”

Iphis gestured with her chin. Aloissia turned towards the direction she indicated.

Aloissia approached the bookshelf in the Empress’s bedroom. She pulled out the third book on the second shelf. As the book was lifted, the bookshelf silently slid sideways, revealing a hidden room behind it.

Just before entering the hidden room, she glanced back. The Empress was watching her intently, her gaze unwavering, as if urging her forward.

Aloissia swallowed hard and stepped inside.

* * * 

In the vast gardens of the Imperial Palace. 

A tall man stood in a corner of the hedge maze. The pale light of the full moon cast shadows across his sculpted features.

The handsome man, his presence striking even in the darkness, opened his mouth with an indifferent expression.

“…An adoptive mother excessively grieving the death of her stepson. The empire’s maternal love is quite peculiar.”

There was no one beside Cassius. Even though there was no one visible to converse with, he continued speaking without pause.

“Well, it’s none of our business. I’ve told the Empress that I’ll move my quarters near the Crown Princess’s Palace. That way, it will be easier to move around.”

“I’ll inform Isaac.”

A man’s voice came from the shadows of the hedges. Cassius nodded and asked in a cold voice,

“What about the task I assigned you last time?”

“We were unable to determine Princess Leda’s abilities. They say it hasn’t been quantified.”

“Then it must be one of two things. Either her power is immense, or it’s negligible.”

“What do you think, Chief?”

Cassius smirked at the question from the shadows. He ran a hand through his hair and narrowed his eyes.

“If that’s considered an Esper, half of Bedua would be Espers.”

When he had placed his hand on Princess Leda’s shoulder during the memorial service, Cassius had discreetly assessed her abilities. He had already instructed Isaac to investigate, but it never hurt to be cautious.

As he suspected, he only sensed a faint power from Princess Leda. To dare offer such a weakling as an Esper… The empire’s audacity was astounding.

“Then what will you do about the marriage proposal…?”

The voice from the shadows that had been answering Cassius suddenly trailed off.

Cassius, sensing something amiss, reached for the dagger at his waist and scanned over the surroundings. He was about to draw his weapon when he froze, recognizing the person who appeared before him.

“…The Crown Princess?”

Cassius lowered his hand from his dagger as he recognized the unexpected visitor. He gestured to Basan, who was about to attack her.

Basan, receiving Cassius’s silent command, retreated. As he stepped back, a faint rustle of leaves marked his movements.

Cassius, who had sent Basan away, observed Aloissia carefully. Something was wrong. Her eyes were unfocused, and her lips were slightly parted.

As if her soul had left her body.

“Are you alright? What are you doing here…?”

Cassius, who had been speaking to the Crown Princess, pushed off the ground and rushed towards her. She had stumbled and collapsed.

“Pull yourself together. Crown Princess? Crown Princess!”

Aloissia went limp in Cassius’s arms. He placed his fingers under her nose, checking her breathing.

Then, moving his hand to her neck to check her pulse, he frowned.

‘I just purified her. Why is she in this state again?’

He knew the moment he touched her skin. Aloissia was on the verge of losing control.

If he left her like this, she would destroy everything around her and eventually go mad and die.

“What happened?”

Cassius asked, worried. But the woman in his arms didn’t respond. He wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, gritting his teeth.

The empire was twisted. They acted noble, pretending to be the continent’s protectors, but their true nature was utterly vile.

The empire’s vaunted protective barrier depended on a single frail woman. They didn’t care if she was consumed by her burdensome duty. They were monstrously selfish.

They were no different from leeches, clinging to the Crown Princess and sucking her blood dry. And they had so thoroughly concealed her contributions that…

Cassius wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t come to the empire himself. Outwardly, the Empress took all the credit for being the continent’s protector.

Moreover, in diplomatic settings, they acted as if Princess Leda, in place of the Crown Prince, would inherit the responsibility of protecting the continent for generations.

Because of this situation…

No one appreciated the Crown Princess, even though she bore the entire burden alone.

The empire treated her carelessly as if she were disposable.