Chapter 47

Adele always apologized to Lucio. Even when asked what she was sorry for, she wouldn’t answer, just smiling. She thought her younger brother didn’t know about the incident, so she left a letter of apology only now, but Lucio had already discovered the truth a few years ago. Lucio was born when Adelaide was ten years old. At the time, Adelaide was the princess, and Lucio received the title of prince. However, when she was fourteen, Adelaide, defying her mother’s opposition, established the Tower Resistance. The current Empress, who was then the Queen, recognized the Tower Resistance but also made this demand:

"The heir of a nation must prioritize their own safety above all else. The princess, who declared she would risk her life by creating the Tower Resistance, should transfer her position to Prince Lucio Gottrop. Transfer it, and leave to dismantle the Tower."

The Emperor supported Adelaide, but the Queen was the victor. Adelaide relinquished her position as princess but found it hard to accept. To her, who had always been a princess, being asked to give up her position felt like a death sentence. However, she couldn’t abandon the creation of the Tower Resistance. Some of those who followed her made a very cruel suggestion to Adelaide. It was out of loyalty to her alone, but it was also a suggestion that should never have been made.

"Eliminate Prince Lucio."

If it were the usual Adelaide, she would have rejected such an inhumane suggestion without hesitation. But the cornered Adelaide found herself wavering for a moment. In the end, she rejected the suggestion, but the seasoned ministers noticed her hesitation. To those who had staked their futures on supporting the princess, her relinquishment of the princess position was a bitter pill. How could they watch the ship they were on sink? Some of Adelaide’s more extreme followers eventually caused trouble. They secretly mixed a deadly poison into the four-year-old prince’s snack. If the former head of the Knox family hadn’t warned the princess in advance, Lucio would have lost his life that day. Adelaide ran frantically and saved Lucio from the poisoned snack. She then held her young brother and cried endlessly. The weak heart that had wavered for a moment had turned into poison for her beloved brother. The former Emperor captured and executed all the instigators of the incident but left no record that they were Adelaide’s followers. The blood of those who once firmly supported Adelaide flowed like a river, and the smoke from burning bodies darkened the sky, obscuring the sun. Watching this, Adelaide realized that as long as she remained in Gottrop, such incidents would repeat.

[...I’m sorry, Lucio. Forgive me for my moment of weakness.]

And now, more than ten years later, Adelaide finally informed Lucio of everything in a letter and apologized. Her exile to Echmont might have been a punishment she imposed on herself and a final consideration for her brother. That’s why she accepted the marriage, which was essentially exile, without resistance.

“Did you threaten my sister, Mother?”

The Emperor growled, and the Empress looked at him with a cold, stern gaze.

“Do you think my daughter would have been driven away by such a mere threat? Who is my daughter?”

The Empress’s sharp words made Lucio hesitate. The benevolent smile had vanished, and the Empress’s face had turned into that of a cold politician.

“She left of her own accord.”

“There’s no way!”

To the strongly denying Lucio, the Empress explained calmly.

“Emperor. The sun in the sky cannot be two. It must be one. Even though they failed, why do you think Adelaide’s followers tried to kill you that day? Adelaide, by her mere existence, is a sword pointed at your throat.”

“Are you saying my sister’s existence would cut my throat?”

“It’s not just a matter between the two of you. Adelaide’s child would be older than yours, and that would affect your successor. Wait ten years. You will thank this mother.”

Mother and daughter were different yet similar. Adelaide saw this and left without a word. But as the Emperor listened to his mother, he suddenly laughed coldly. The laugh was so much like Adelaide’s that the Empress felt her son was suddenly very unfamiliar. After a moment, Lucio, who had composed his smirk, slowly stood up. He had grown so tall that the Empress had to crane her neck to look up at him.

“...Yes, I understand. Let’s see if that day ever comes.”

With that, the Emperor turned and walked out of the Empress’s room. The Empress slowly calmed her restless heart. ＊ ＊ ＊

Back in his palace, the Emperor gave an order to Cain Knox, who had followed him.

“Take a few trustworthy people and go to Echmont. Go and—”

The Emperor’s golden eyes shone brightly.

“Find out how Princess Adelaide is doing. If my sister is unhappy there... If she no longer wishes to stay there—”

The Emperor turned to Cain.

“Bring her back to Gottrop at all costs. I will even wage war for this.”

＊ ＊ ＊

Meanwhile, the Queen, ignoring Lady Gix’s protests, headed to the palace’s Mage Corps residence. The mage on duty at the entrance was so surprised by the Queen’s sudden visit that he nearly fell over when he jumped up. He had heard the rumor that the Queen had fainted, so he stared at her with wide eyes. Adelaide ignored his stunned expression, looked around the residence, and said,

“I would like to see the head of the Mage Corps. I came without notice, so I’m not sure if he’s here.”

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty! The head is in the residence.”

The mage quickly led the way, and those passing by stopped and bowed to the Queen. Adelaide responded with a composed demeanor and continued walking. Despite its clean exterior, the interior of the residence was grand and luxurious. The chandeliers and ornate ceiling paintings made it seem like a ballroom. Adelaide maintained an unimpressed expression but carefully observed the interior. She tried to remember the faces of those who stopped to greet her as she walked. As the Queen passed, the mages slowly raised their heads. Among them was Brunhild Alexa. With her striking red hair and eyes, she watched the Queen’s retreating back with a sharp gaze. At that moment, someone quietly approached and whispered to her,

“Will the Queen receive official recognition? And then... will she receive a rank?”

“Perhaps.”

Brunhild answered her colleague’s question casually, recalling ‘that day.’ Renoux Poitiers had hesitated that day too. But before arriving, she had expected the rose garden to be soaked in the blood of knights. Instead, she saw the tower burning in the air. Soon, a small figure descended to the ground, with the crumbling tower behind her.

“To destroy the tower in a way no one had ever seen, and alone... What would a rank mean to her?”

Brunhild added sarcastically and turned away. As she walked, she thought to herself,

‘What would it mean? What matters is the mindset towards the tower.’

＊ ＊ ＊

Duchess Despoina, the head of the Mage Corps, was delighted to hear the Queen had arrived and rushed out into the corridor. Her smile was so warm that it seemed like she was welcoming a family member she hadn’t seen in years.

“Your Majesty!!”

“I came without notice. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“Rudeness? Don’t be silly. How is your health? No, this isn’t the time. Come, this way. You’ve done well. Go.”

The duchess led the Queen to her office, gesturing to the mage who had accompanied her.

“Make sure this young lady has a place to rest for a while.”

The Queen pointed to the maid who had come with her, and the mage nodded.

“Yes, of course.”

“You can rest for a while. Come when I call you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Adelaide entered the duchess’s office with Despoina. The luxurious interior reflected the duchess’s taste. Even a small decoration was exquisitely crafted.

“Your office is truly beautiful.”

“Hahaha, I love precious and beautiful things. Please, sit. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

The duchess guided Adelaide to a seat and then instructed a waiting servant to bring tea.

“I came in a hurry without anything.”

“No, no, Your Majesty’s presence is a great gift.”

Soon, the servant brought tea, and Adelaide sipped it lightly. After a few more sips, she put down the cup and looked at the duchess. The preliminaries were over. The duchess seemed to think so too, as she dismissed the servant, leaned forward, and spoke in a confidential tone.

“Is this about what I mentioned before? Do you want to become the master of the tower?”

“The master of the tower... I have always liked being the master of something.”

The Queen smiled, a look that suited her perfectly.

“Yes, Your Majesty is a possessor. Shouldn’t you try to capture this place?”

Duchess Despoina hadn’t finished her investigation of the Queen, but she could guess the situation in Gottrop from her arrival alone.

“Yes, that’s true. This time, I want it to be different.”

“If you come with me, yes, Your Majesty. It will be different.”

The two smiled at each other warmly. After a moment of silence filled with smiles, the duchess spoke again.

“First, how about receiving official recognition?”

“How do I receive official recognition?”

The duchess brought a document from her desk. It seemed to contain information about the mages.

“Recognition in Echmont is determined through a duel among mages. It also sets your ranking. With Your Majesty’s skills, having destroyed the tower alone—”

The duchess paused, looked up from the document, and met Adelaide’s gaze.

“Perhaps you should duel our deputy head? Of course, since you can’t use magic in the capital, you’ll need to go to a nearby magic range.”

Despite his kind facade, his gaze never wavered. Would he so easily abandon the Poitiers siblings, with whom he had a close relationship? Adelaide leaned in and whispered,

“If I win, what rank will I receive in the Mage Corps?”

The duchess’s expression became subtle.

“What rank would you like? As I said, I am accustomed to possession and dominion.”

Their gazes locked tightly. After a moment, the duchess put down the document and said with a slightly apologetic look,

“Well, it might be difficult to immediately assign a rank... How about just receiving recognition?”

‘That’s right!’

In the end, the duchess chose Renoux Poitiers, whom she had known for years, over the unconfirmed Queen. And this answer was exactly what Adelaide had hoped for.

“You mean you can’t give me a rank. Then, what do you mean by just receiving recognition?”

The sharp tone in the Queen’s voice made the duchess look very uncomfortable as she tried to placate her.

“Please, don’t be angry. I thought about it, and it would be impractical for the Queen to receive a rank within the Mage Corps. Who could give orders to the Queen?”

It was a clear indication that he would not give up his position as head.

“So, don’t be angry that you won’t receive a rank immediately. Think of it as officially registering as a mage in Echmont.”

“What’s the point? Whether recognized or not, I am already a mage. I don’t see the need to go through the trouble of receiving recognition. Unless it allows me to attend the council meetings.”

Adelaide lowered her gaze and picked up her teacup. The duchess sharply assessed the Queen. If the Queen, who was allied with Valdor, participated in the council and made trouble, it would be very problematic. But it was also unsettling to let such a powerful and capable talent go unrecruited. A needle should be held in the hand, not in the pocket. At that moment, Adelaide, as if reading his thoughts, added,

“Is it difficult to let me, who has taken on Lionel Valdor as an advisor, participate in the council?”

“...”

“Duchess Despoina.”

“...”

“Are we not family now, as you said?”

The Queen smiled warmly at the duchess. The duchess, who had been grinding his teeth at the Empress across the sea, smiled benevolently.

‘She was supposed to be a naive and modest princess. The Empress of Gottrop has sent a formidable predator.’

After a quick calculation, the duchess smiled warmly.

“Yes, no matter what, we are family now. The council... I will speak to the Emperor directly. But...”

“But?”

The duchess’s smile vanished, and he looked remarkably like the Emperor.

“After receiving recognition, it would be best to avoid... giving gold to someone like Baron Calvin. That’s how you become the master of the tower.”

Otherwise, the duchess would have the power to crush her. He decided to consider the Queen as a card for now. Adelaide smiled and replied,

“Agreed. But I’ve heard that there are countless territories with towers. How do you plan to manage them?”

“Ah, I’ve heard that Gottrop destroys towers as soon as they appear. While that’s better than destroying them, you don’t seem to understand the nature of the towers.”

Adelaide listened intently. The duchess, with a warm smile, spoke as if revealing a secret.

“Your Majesty, towers call to other towers and absorb them.”

It was a strange statement. He added,

“When my plans are complete, mages will finally be able to use their full power. The age of mages will truly begin. On that day, those who are not mages will become second-class humans.”

The slums, which resembled coffins, came to mind. Adelaide clenched her fist under the table. The duchess was playing a very dangerous game with countless lives. ＊ ＊ ＊

After Renoux left, Dian absentmindedly stroked her belly. She couldn’t believe it, so she kept stroking and finally closed her eyes. In the silence, she could hear her heartbeat. Then, a deep part of her, which she herself didn’t recognize, whispered,

‘She’s alive.’

Joy welled up inside her.

“Lorraine.”

Her voice, calling for the maid, was warm for the first time in a long while. Lorraine, who was tidying up the room, quickly approached.

“Yes, you called?”

Dian looked down at her belly and said,

“Go and ask His Majesty if he can come now. If he asks why, tell him I will explain.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Lorraine untied her apron and left the room.