Chapter 005

Episode 5

Like the previous saintesses, including herself, Pridis assumed Asha would be granted a single precognitive ability that couldn’t be shared with others.

In other words, once the Sun God Sol’s period of rest ended and the oracle was announced, the benefits and dowry value they could gain from Asha’s marriage would plummet.

“My… how I raised that girl…”

Overwhelmed by shock, Pridis gasped for breath, and her son Marvin stepped forward.

“Mother, I’ll find her, so please don’t worry too much.”

Her eyes sharply darted toward him.

“You haven’t gone to look for her yet? Your only sister is missing, and you’re dawdling like this?!”

Sensing the brewing storm, Marvin hurriedly left the room, just as his father, Count Herman, brought a cup of honey water.

“Darling, here’s some honey water. Have a warm sip to calm yourself.”

Pretending to relent, Pridis leaned into her husband’s embrace and sipped the honey water, blowing on it to cool it down.

All the while, she grumbled incessantly.

“I’m so upset. Where could she have gone, missing such an important marriage meeting and not returning until this late at night? Oh, honestly…”

“Uh, Mother!”

Pridis’s eyes widened in alarm as she saw her son rush back in.

Flustered by her piercing gaze, he stammered, “H-H-His Highness, the Crown Prince, is here!”

What? The crown prince, in the middle of the night?

Blinking several times, she asked, “…Why?”

* * *

The flustered Count and Countess Herman, along with Marvin, hurried to the entrance to greet the crown prince.

It was an unusually late hour, but they had no power to refuse his visit.

What could they do? Power was everything.

But why on earth would the crown prince visit a humble count’s household at this hour?

The Herman family had no ties to the imperial family.

Their estate was rural even among rural estates, and the goods they paid in taxes were hardly noteworthy.

The only reason they were in the capital was the high dowry value of Asha’s marriage.

Once they secured a good match for her and reaped the benefits, they planned to sell their capital mansion and return to their estate.

This was to prepare for the marriage of their eldest son, who would soon become the lord.

For a family so insignificant they couldn’t even claim the lowest seat at imperial council meetings, a visit from the crown prince was something they’d jump out of bed to greet barefoot.

Soon, the gates opened, and knights on horseback filed into the modest garden.

They surrounded the mansion as if taking control, and the intimidated Count Herman tightly grasped his wife’s hand under the imposing presence of the horses and armor.

As the knights took their positions, a gold-trimmed carriage rolled across the garden.

It was the crown prince, Alesto, the Star of the Empire and notorious for his ruthless cold-bloodedness.

* * *

Count and Countess Herman, along with Marvin, bowed low.

“We greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

The three greeted Alesto almost in unison.

Alesto approached Count Herman, personally helping him rise.

Even this simple gesture carried an elegant refinement, wrapped in an intimidating aura that made others shrink.

“A pleasure to meet you, Count. And you, Countess. I wondered who Asha resembled to be so lovely, and it’s clear she takes after both her striking parents.”

Count Herman’s eyes widened, and the countess hurriedly lowered her gaze.

Alesto paid no mind to their reactions.

Pointing toward the mansion’s interior, he spoke as if it were his own home.

“Let’s go inside. This conversation might take a while.”

Guided by the butler, Alesto arrived at the drawing room and naturally took the head seat, gesturing to the others.

“Sit.”

The count and countess sat down, while Marvin, feeling out of place, quietly stepped back.

The atmosphere felt heavy. After all, the crown prince was a figure who had made history in the empire.

He had claimed the title of crown prince at a young age and ended the fifteen-year-long border wars.

But behind that title was another name.

“The bastard who broke the emperor’s will.”

Though it was just a rumor without solid evidence, it was one every noble had heard at least once.

Especially for someone as merciless and thorough as him, it was a fitting tale.

‘I hope this isn’t a big deal.’

Sharing the same thought as Marvin, the count and countess sat nervously, but the crown prince didn’t speak for a long while.

Finally, unable to bear the silence, Count Herman spoke up.

“Uh, Your Highness, may I ask what brings you…”

At that moment, Gerald Burns, dressed in uniform, entered the drawing room and placed documents on the table.

With an impassive expression, Alesto handed over the papers and got to the point.

“I’ll pay Asha’s dowry. Sign here.”

Count Herman stared blankly at the papers handed to him by the crown prince, which contained two copies of a marriage contract.

He slid the contract toward himself, picked up a pen as if ready to sign at any moment, and glanced at his wife for approval.

Having assessed the situation, Pridis spoke slowly.

“Your Highness, it seems Asha’s value has risen.”

The count’s jaw dropped.

Did I hear that wrong?

No, he definitely heard it with both ears.

Pridis was attempting to negotiate a higher dowry for Asha—with the crown prince, no less.

He knew his wife had boldness, but to do this in front of the crown prince…

Worried, he grabbed her hand to stop her, but—

“Tell me what you want.”

Alesto spoke generously, as if granting a favor, and Pridis responded with determination.

“Secure a position for this man in the palace.”

The corner of Alesto’s lips curled up, as if amused.

“Ambitious, aren’t you?”

But there was no warmth in his voice.

Pridis stood, bowed low, and pressed her forehead to the floor.

“Asha has been frail since childhood, so as a mother, I worry greatly. As Your Highness knows, people like us have difficulty entering the palace. It’s a parent’s heart wishing to see her often, so I beg you to consider this.”

She signaled her husband to join her, and Count Herman quickly knelt beside her, pleading.

“We beseech you.”

Alesto rubbed his chin, seemingly lost in thought, before speaking abruptly.

“I didn’t know Asha was frail. Very well. If her mother visits often, it’ll help her adjust to the palace quickly. It would benefit her in many ways.”

The count and countess’s faces brightened at the crown prince’s positive response.

But Alesto wasn’t finished.

“Yes, I’ve got a good idea. I’ll arrange a place for you on the third floor of my palace. How about moving there? That way, you can watch over your precious daughter every day and care for her closely.”

The countess’s expression darkened instantly.

The empire had seven infamous places of terror, one of which was the third floor of the crown prince’s palace.

Known as “the place you don’t leave alive,” it was notorious for the frequent disappearances of low-ranking nobles and palace staff.

Offering a residence there sounded no different from a threat to make them disappear.

Pridis’s voice grew even more cautious.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Highness, but our son Marvin, who is here, is our heir and will soon need to prepare for his marriage. Visiting Asha every day is, realistically, a bit difficult. There’s no need to go to the trouble of arranging a residence…”

The crown prince cut her off coolly.

“Then we’ll just get rid of the son.”

“…Pardon?”

“You’re saying it’s hard to focus solely on Asha because of your son, aren’t you? It’d be easier if she were an only child. I’ll help with that.”

Whether the countess wore a dumbfounded expression or not, Alesto didn’t care. He signaled to a knight standing rigidly by the drawing room door, dressed in full uniform.

The knight, at the crown prince’s cue, drew his sword and approached the young lord Herman.

“Argh—!”

The sharp blade gleamed as it rose high.