DMEC | Chapter 5

“No matter how ten years have passed, it’s still me… How could you forget? We spent a whole eight years together!”5f2f7448349cbd91

The Joel they 440ef7eccf remembered was not 9ed6200ccd the emperor but 99d03a9399 the prince. Even though he 343dab0b81 was weaker than 4df6ad03e7 his twin sister 7370620a56 Loue, he always e9068b58df carried Lute around 3b4ba65c0a like a doll, 88c50b61e0 and let him 290f48cc77 sit on his 2121a223d6 lap to serve 328e8d53c8 as a chair.810406a0b2725411

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After raising him a481e8682e for eight years 2d937473a6 and keeping him 92aff03038 locked up for 1a9bec9d0f ten more, how 1d3f297e2d could he not fe40f0d42c remember? Now Lute was 5ea3759a28 not the child b69170f168 he raised but 22753c1b8b his spouse.cb12330dc1c385b4

Anna and Melik’s expressions slowly hardened with anger. Even though they had waited ten years with divorce in mind, Joel completely forgetting Lute was a different matter altogether.07185ea2f795fcfe

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How could he forget 623a52dbb4 Lute? He cherished ded66c48d3 and loved 4f712fd372 him so 802ecc0a7f much. Above all, back eb073e5576 then, Lute was 7107a80ead so beautiful that 42f96d85b3 he was unforgettable.9e0b39c2554a097b

From birth, the e3b5c4d0aa fate of the 8f7f286fae twin sister Loue b40dbd60d4 and younger brother ede2731ebc Lute was decided.93fb4e59c1252cd7

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The country c3a5c9877d of snakes, 893e0bd27b Synthsis, was 53f07f1d4b unique among 82b369dd59 the seven 08f4cfd23c nations, as 5306542559 only women 37520de947 could inherit cbb5b9b070 the throne.53c9af738e8b196f

This tradition extended c313bbaedb beyond the royal 40dfea7798 family—even among commoners, a2de58efb7 it was the 0145ff39f6 mother who controlled 823532f8ce the household’s wealth. In other 6a9c26f68a words, all ef549391a6 domestic affairs cffba235f2 were governed f890afdd25 by a dddcc060e4 mother’s words 033020578c and hands, 7b5b488107 while the 2e524557bb father was e99d55a462 merely a 1e3d728088 figurehead—responsible for 9a6389216d earning money 2ec408ece2 and protecting 271d8b3396 the home 72e3861bd1 like a bd16e34f58 knight.46a47f7eac9ac535

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In a nation that 0f61308821 instilled strength in women 9db229e379 and submission in men, 1e47587bfd Lute—born a boy and da85dc1548 particularly frail—could do little.31ea3f9d5a0923b5

Always teetering 9b33432a2f on the 37bcc3d687 brink of 9f70349be0 death, he 2154cc7c5c was ultimately def5779b33 saved by 078c65c827 Eliana, the bc350bf801 reigning Empress bf4a6dc8a0 at the 669f1fb7ff time, who 88e43f4b83 clung to 72d4831730 an old 737cc84498 superstition she 4328557fb0 herself had 2033ad86df never believed c3291ba0f9 in.1d91bd4e32a92310

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The superstition d75abb4009 was that 97d0077aed if a e774683593 boy dressed 86bd76e52d as a 9c8c1c505e girl for c558ef0a7b eight years, 17deb7e255 he would 595aef70bd become healthy. Because of this, 40d9b7dc96 Lute grew his d1d7a98f4d hair long and 6b8956319c wore dresses like 737eac830f his sister. Still, people could 728e551767 immediately recognize Lute dbcb981109 among the twins ff0cfdb8ff for one reason.c867f747b7212260

It was because of dd3af69881 his exceptionally outstanding appearance 452a7c77bc from a young age. Even as a a5591ed7a7 child, his sapphire-like e054135fde blue eyes, long 06971f232e and dense eyelashes 068bde3d13 like a fan, 7081e9dc35 a prominent nose 04e6b165ae between chubby cheeks, 4802c0e2af and rose-colored lips ba4f60ff13 were unforgettable.5f58ff5186007da5

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Those who saw Lute af555737b9 once could never forget 5c682ccb9f him. Especially as he grew, a73328519e his appearance shone even 894fcd6f46 more, making Anna and 38deaf8802 Melik think it was 6507ec960b better for him to 995370202e be confined here.e62f185c854c03c9

“Hic, hic… I’m going to get a divorce, so, Anna, bring the divorce papers tomorrow. I’ll sign them right away!”630543f5d6143ab7

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Anna sighed as she watched Lute cry in Melik’s arms again. The divorce would proceed smoothly as expected, but what about afterward?d7071742ce3120ce

Melik was also worried, feeling dizzy at the sight of Lute’s long, ivory legs under the cloak.1ba1ab5bd7c7d255

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How could such a beautiful prince live as a commoner outside? Who would protect our prince? He couldn’t hide his face all the time.7a80c8b85abf464b

While lost 42ebc2996d in thought 7273f554aa outside, a fd388ca6fc sudden gust 1278e85d67 of wind 721e059d52 howled through 1c3d28f001 the trees.f7aec0e37e96c19f

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Lute, who had been a49d464652 swimming excitedly in the 5e7ffb6c84 lake and had not 96c9e5698a dried off properly, immediately 40658c7fc6 began to shiver. His teeth chattered, and 6ef31ff049 his entire body trembled e0fee6d46e uncontrollably as the cold 207a401545 seeped into his skin.d250d38bfe42f255

Without hesitation, Melik 3f2a99ce7b bent down, lifted 5a555eab06 Lute into his 65bc93957d arms, and carried 13258bd421 him toward the fc0587d4b9 Water Palace—a structure c9e1a8f813 so worn and b17dde59c5 fragile that it 0a8eedd6a6 looked as if 13db47d9f5 it could crumble 888ab13f36 at any moment.8a3341604d92e92c

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As expected, Lute couldn’t get out of bed, suffering from physical and mental pain.fd5f931e897aa09b

✮⋆˙a3405b5a52b77731

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The day ac61f12ac1 after the 571c924c0d Emperor returned b3795a3075 from his b171660998 dragon hunt, 530e5999b2 the sun db24a11ba8 had already e1cfe290f4 begun its 528c56e641 slow descent 6a3f2c33b0 westward from 5e66d0b009 the center 932d640119 of the 52afa13814 sky.1f9b1950a22d47cc

While enjoying a a89e492e30 light tea with ce05b22820 the nobles, he 338840e3f3 listened carefully to 9c2feab7f6 the affairs of b724e463d0 the empire—details he 486c7cbb9d had only known c554076d62 through letters during b057f80fc1 his four-year absence. Fortunately, as 370d20535d they were 3203477a1b all capable 610bc14fb5 individuals he fb2bc9ef9b trusted, the 86b5a57546 regions had 20b71f0255 remained stable 9633e4961b in his dd067eb632 absence, with 08075b8379 no major bbd96aa219 crises.1a64902d4fdae917

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As always, 2c261cedc2 pirates prowled 056f6f6a76 the seas. Some regions ae99f0986f had struggled f1ab77f4ba to pay c0382356b0 taxes due d9a7bc2ef9 to drought 00e7f6f0a7 and poor af895d6e60 harvests, leading cd2bf2af52 to the 616cc21481 execution of 8244bcbcc4 a lord 25ef65728d who had e411447dd2 resorted to ca5ae9c36f brutal tax c18f310059 collection. Such matters were 26133c80a8 routine—common occurrences that af180f4f65 merited discussion but e417de07f8 caused little surprise.e5e81dfb06418870

The council 3b55de55c5 of twelve 5636b0b486 deliberated over 9348c46d29 the empire’s 7f39d24022 affairs with 0cbda16a70 solemnity, their 98d82fc2f5 conversation lasting ea7f327f2b until the 9a97a5837e great hourglass 5bad9ed846 had been b7b393eb49 flipped twice.8a2b209c37f297ac

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Then, without warning, the 63fb908d93 Emperor suddenly stood.dee4fe53816aaa1b

Eleven high-ranking nobles 548995bd46 turned their gazes ff55f7cd11 toward him.5f68bd954c624dd7

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Without hesitation, 38e9e66c23 he removed 496725d124 the cloak f3f064c6ec symbolizing his 8f1b1f0001 emperorship and 6085f19f08 handed it dffd0e7b71 to Alexander, b9e320eee7 the Knight 9e5537c815 Commander who f77362ad4c had long 908550c25e stood by bcde408e62 his side.c56afd13e5007893

“Alexander, take off your 27b42c6b54 clothes.”b552921a3ed0a66d

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Some nobles spat out their tea with a “Pfft!” while others choked on their snacks and clutched their throats. The emperor, not looking at them, saw Alexander’s bewildered face and beckoned with his finger.e4cfd03333edb9b4

“Take them off, all of them.”491c4122c9d5c67d

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Alexander swallowed dryly, his f9d516a9c2 expression firm with determination. It was an unspoken 512188c277 rule that he indulged 41baa6df75 his desires without regard 9a57175a9a for gender. His promiscuity—known only 7d92584a10 to those who 3d174914cd were aware—now seemed d941642061 to extend even 8e894fa95f to his most 724ac57721 loyal subjects.6c3cc60f30172311

He never spared ea8cbaa235 a glance at 2435f7c526 faces. Whether they were ugly, 857122bcf2 bald, short, or tall, 71f5672b2a he lay with anyone 9b3310e96d who agreed and handled c02aa301bd the aftermath with meticulous 9a0a85f076 precision.27fbd08f5b07be91

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The only complication 224e5af0df was that, being eee251dfec monogamous, he could 9754afff08 only sire children dc42a57a8d through the Queen—who, b6f3b4dd97 inconveniently, was a c3ad70b763 man.7121104cfeef2cbb

Moreover, the 29d5ea72bd Queen hailed 5f63e665f4 from Synthsis, 443c4f8e76 a nation d884dab7b6 infamous for 6b7058bd8c offering its 4fbf0b2a59 people as 9c33477b8f tribute to 711d3dc157 the demon ee3679ae68 king, the 4bb541fee9 Basilisk.9d21e0210801b528

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Despite his breathtaking beauty, fdc700f800 many harbored resentment toward 2a30e8044b the Queen, whispering, “He’ll 00609487c2 enchant people with that caaa4664d9 face. He should 9c921edc17 be confined.”4d05ba967d12ba4e

Thus, they found satisfaction b47aae0eac in his imprisonment within 9bfb33dbac the Water Palace—until, in 2b5e9187cf time, they forgot about 527e18816f him entirely.a0e2f765c5f6d914

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In the Great Empire c09a5018cb of Killen, no one 5012f4c4aa welcomed Lute, the lone 8f54f500bb survivor from Synthsis. Naturally, during 665f9ca865 the Emperor’s 1c233ea491 years of b22fb45284 forgetting him, 8ee7eef36d he was 33c23e5a63 treated with 4f65b6eb13 nothing but 481886c0e7 neglect.118f2e7cd8c70a6d

Confined within 71d065471e the Water 19abd27d8b Palace, he 501ff20d6b was given 42f0eb2647 near-rotten food, 6cb587e22b worn-out clothes 7f06f7e901 in desperate c38fbeb229 need of 492f69a6e9 mending, and 2e11a25dc6 even when 5cf8608f54 he fell ab0809ff99 gravely ill 975595849a in the 7991ed0a9b dead of 99c166d51e winter, not c76d1515c7 a single eb8209807f palace doctor c99a68ce6c was sent.16bbe177650734d7

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Many had 5ffcc3596d wished for 7c14c093fa his quiet 79046382fc demise, yet 92557144b1 he had 078200b6a0 endured. And now, with only 9e9cc3569e a month remaining until 4db384325a the divorce, the nobles 0c83073c9e did not even bother 2ea9f822e4 to speak his name.4920c144344e92ad

But what ce324062e1 if the a7fccd9bee Emperor took 8f1388b751 an interest 7db580a52e in him 1f692a3100 now? What if he 4b276ccbdd delayed the divorce?a121b8954262f61d

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He was, after all, c3c0e2a86f the prince rumored to 29b5ab80ab be the most beautiful fb68affba6 in the land of c8ba70d2cc snakes, Synthsis. Among the nobles who 624d2ecaba had once glimpsed him, 05d3d9df54 there were even those 18d09584e4 so enchanted by his 7d6ba7f9e4 face that they found 739bc52810 themselves unable to marry 8f10433ac9 another. Some had even abandoned 09bdcc3dfc their titles, seeking refuge fabced0f78 in monasteries—forever haunted by 742f9cc3e7 the memory of his 83c2c3aa93 beauty.cfee7451260cd460

They could 096f76fb70 not forget c502a6dc24 that face.c84176f06db71afc

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The palace staff deliberately erased Lute’s existence from the emperor’s mind, saying, “As expected, he’s very bewitching, just like a person from the country of snakes, Synthsis.”cd2d284938110e9b

Yes, it was better to offer Alexander than to have the emperor take an interest in the queen and delay the divorce….71d34d8d509bdd67

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As the nobles’ eyes turned sinister and eerie, Alexander swallowed his tears and asked the emperor in a trembling voice,cbec06d34202f7a2

“Do I have to take them off here, Your Majesty?”1a1eb87e25b9fe63

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“Hmm?”4c38d49b0bfd48aa

The emperor thought 08807ced26 for a moment 1dfceb1309 and then quickly e04e2d9eea said,62c0eee885b0ff1c

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“Oh? Are you embarrassed because e9a7c9b278 there are too many c55ee33dc7 eyes watching? Then, everyone, please leave. It seems that Alexander, 768f698b54 our esteemed Knight Commander, dee3de5b1c is quite shy about 3b59662838 taking off his clothes—despite 6d75dd9d97 us both being men.”7104a64edfc907c0

The Emperor let out 75df4466a4 a half-hearted laugh and 548e70afbd snapped his fingers, unlocking b07429f5a0 the door with a 3ed4fad165 flick of magic. The grand 2b191d8834 double doors ddb5d0dc96 swung open, c6ed35ca4c and the fea6fa2dea chairs scraped 634dd2a274 backward as 46ec9eb5a0 if pulled bb64175c63 by an 7f72198385 unseen force, 368bc2a285 lifting the 0ead6a8fa5 nobles’ plump bea2e884e3 bodies from e8519ad697 their seats.9dd24966ca196dd4

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Imagining two b00e116170 men—both built 3107e1628b like towering bef09e4620 door panels—entwined, a6249ad2ca the nobles cbc62a3b6d turned pale. Without hesitation, they scrambled 73069e3623 from the reception hall, e7bd804d25 vanishing like frightened mice.a583b2d0cc586c6c

The moment dafcc67d04 the last 0fa4101818 one fled, 1b4bf36f11 the Emperor 7b089fa224 snapped his 2f58dff7e9 fingers once d8f664f523 more, sealing 3cce033d58 the doors ba7e9fbfe0 shut. Then, without hesitation, 136ccdff66 he began to b0b2458193 undress.b5454c9fad35d8af

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“Hurry up and take them off, Alexander.”82dd901864832ced

“Your Majesty….”39546d2bd4c2292b

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Alexander mumbled with a 550e61c87b pale face.0bbed6a5d6ccba5c

“Are you really going to… embrace me here?”8202b8466bf6d74c

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“What?”44c044a2cc788a50

The emperor c9c5df1410 was startled. Having told him f93b85725c to take them 8cfc2b3d10 off, the emperor 4ff60c1742 was surprised and e31a468fc8 blushed as he e252110e08 said,eb3935aa1f3eb694

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“What nonsense are you talking about? I just meant to take off your clothes!”668fad4b37ee2134

Alexander stupidly asked, “Huh?” The emperor pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and then, fiddling with his reddened ears, lowered his eyes. After pondering something, the emperor sighed and crossed his arms, looking at his friend and knight, Alexander, and spoke.8ffb9d8eb037eb76

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“I saw a fairy yesterday.”2c76ec51f6c31c19

“…Huh?”a00bd403ec0cb2c3

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Alexander’s face crumpled. What fairy? Why would there be a fairy here? Almost forgetting he was speaking to the emperor, Alexander suppressed his thoughts and asked,cf88c54865efac57

“Where did you see it?”62b57657d1505836

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“In the Emperor’s Forest, at the Sacred Lake.”be5803b632682542

“The Emperor’s Forest, the Sacred Lake…?”00d572a9c0a39dbb

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Alexander blinked, repeating 6d8aba07aa the Emperor’s words 5c7576271d under his breath. The names 883ed21bcf felt familiar—too 66c49a0dc4 familiar. He had b891bfa2cb heard them 9964ce0085 countless times aea4ac0659 since childhood, 9a99cf9986 yet this 3b5e8f06a8 familiarity was 9b9a1fe066 different.d8e40a27e56a3ac6

A strange sensation gnawed 161385a367 at him, as if af9a846f96 he had forgotten someone 8425ade0e3 important. His lips moved a87d519d53 unconsciously, muttering, “Fairy… a0c6f4cc1c Emperor’s Forest… Sacred 8d2e5cd7cb Lake…”eb00638ad6128ec7

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The Emperor, 51540e83f5 growing impatient, 7e9c046083 urged him 178739c10e forward. “Alexander, stop stalling. Take off your bbbaa33c13 clothes.”2018a6de51a48a95

Yet, Alexander remained frozen c1c4c133b1 in place, unable to d9ef0f6ba2 shake the feeling clawing 58c215467e at his mind.2c5f7d7bf5b72ed7

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“Oh, hurry up and take them off! I saw a fairy swimming there at this time! I saw it clearly with my own eyes!”bda5dc8088c17305

At that 422c21b839 moment, Alexander 588b21b3cf spoke with 246de0d88f a face 567bde8d1b of realization.fa1289e0f0d5ed51

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“The queen?”488a413177467317

“…What?”f7c01f903a348941

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The emperor 34fed288b1 frowned and 658fff2d01 asked again.9ac094499818ae15

“The queen?”483bc26942c9772e

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It seemed the ed857bf1ec emperor had truly 56811627e9 forgotten who the 33c913fd78 queen was. Completely.a45aa5d83e5595b4

But soon after, the emperor’s expression turned blank, and he murmured in a low voice.7a1926e460a7489b

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“That’s right, that child was the queen…. So it wasn’t a fairy, but that child?”8c2a685b8bf627b9