Chapter 47
“I also apologize to you, Brother. However, this incident has nothing to do with Lady Luperne, so please withdraw your accusation of treason.”
The Empress glared at Killian with blazing eyes.
The face of the benevolent mother she often wore was gone.
But Killian didn’t avoid her gaze. Instead, he met the Empress’s eyes and, for a brief moment, smirked coldly.
The Empress flinched. The anger on her face turned into shock, and the shock quickly shifted back into deeper rage.
Enemy.
The Empress had realized it. The two of them were complete enemies now. The kind mask she wore had been torn away in Killian’s eyes.
“…Is that really true?”
While the two were locked in a silent battle of wills, an unexpected voice reached Killian’s ears.
“Are you telling me you manifested that much magical power without any formal training?”
When Killian turned toward the voice, he saw the Emperor standing there with a blank expression.
It had been nearly a year since they last met, and now the Emperor was looking at Killian with a face full of emotion—as if he were seeing his son for the first time.
The fact that Klein had fainted moments earlier seemed to have vanished from his mind. The Empress’s pupils flickered.
“Can you show me?”
At the Emperor’s question, everyone turned to Killian.
The Empress, Klein, the slightly startled Young Lord Luperne, and…
Even Harper, standing frozen with wide, rabbit-like eyes.
Killian swallowed dryly.
“…As you command.”
He stretched out one arm and opened his palm. Perhaps it was the deep scowl on the Empress’s and Klein’s faces, but somehow Killian felt strangely calm.
“Barrier.”
With that single word, a brilliant white light burst from his palm.
The light quickly grew taller than a grown man and took on a distinct, enormous circular shape.
It kept expanding. In no time, it encompassed nearly half of the gathered royal guards.
“W-what is that?!”
“A barrier that large… Even an adult mage wouldn’t be able to do that!”
“Is it some kind of trick?”
“It’s not a trick! Haven’t you ever seen a real barrier?”
The guards murmured to one another, glancing around. Meanwhile, the barrier continued to grow and solidify until even the skeptics fell silent.
“…Release.”
Once he judged they had seen enough, Killian dismissed the white sphere. The guards returned to their posts, unable to hide their amazement.
“Ooooh, it was real. To be able to create a barrier like that at will!”
The Emperor exclaimed with rare joy. He had never been particularly gifted with magic, and now his eyes sparkled with emotion.
“My son, my bloodline…”
While he muttered to himself, the Empress bit her lower lip furiously.
“Your Majesty, the air is cold—let us go inside now,” she said stiffly.
“The Young Lord’s innocence has been proven. I will see to Killian’s punishment myself.”
Her voice was cold, almost threatening.
But the Emperor, who had always respected the Empress’s opinions, did not take his eyes off Killian.
“Killian, come closer,” he said.
The Empress realized she was being ignored and bit her lip even harder.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“When was the last time you saw me?”
“Last winter, Your Majesty.”
“It’s been nearly a year, then.”
The Emperor took Killian’s chin in one hand and tilted his head up.
“You’ve grown so much. The Empress told me you were too sick to even come and greet me.”
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, I’ve recovered my health.”
The Emperor looked at Killian intently, then burst into hearty laughter.
“As expected of royal blood! To have grown so splendidly!”
He glanced around and continued with a bright smile.
“The crime of destroying the golden statue is forgiven, Killian.”
He spoke boldly. He hadn’t been this energized in years.
“…Pardon?”
Killian blinked a few times, surprised, and looked at him.
This version of the Emperor—or even just the Emperor himself—felt unfamiliar.
Since Killian was born, had he ever received such attention from the Emperor?
“And from now on, come greet me every day.”
“Pardon, Your Majesty?” the Empress asked, eyes narrowing.
But the Emperor, resolute, nodded firmly.
There was a new gleam in his eyes—he looked, for a moment, like the former supreme commander of the Imperial Army.
“It’s only natural for a son to greet his father. Do not object to this, Empress.”
He said it firmly and turned back to Killian with eyes full of affection.
“Come now, answer me, my son.”
“…As you command.”
Killian bowed. Though he lowered his head to hide it, his expression was dazed.
This turn of events was entirely unexpected. When he had stepped up for Harper and Calista, he hadn’t really thought things through. But now…
“You’ve done well, my son.”
As he raised his head slightly, he caught the Emperor’s smiling face.
A slow smile crept onto Killian’s lips as he grasped the situation.
It was astonishing.
From an entirely unexpected place, he had found a shield to protect him from the Empress’s threats.
The Emperor, who had lost interest in everything, who Killian wasn’t even sure remembered his name or face, had just personally declared he would no longer neglect him.
Killian smiled inwardly again.
This was another piece of luck brought to him by Harper.
The Empress was breathing heavily. She had bitten her lip so hard, blood had welled up.
But the Emperor, seemingly unaware, was laughing joyfully as he headed back to his palace.
He didn’t offer a single word of comfort to Klein.
“…Return to the Meierd Palace, Killian,” the Empress finally muttered after a long silence, her tone dark.
Killian nodded without protest.
“Then I shall greet you tomorrow, Mother.”
His polite mention of the Emperor’s command seemed to provoke her even more—her expression grew colder.
Before leaving, Killian glanced at Harper one last time. She was still staring at him with wide eyes.
His deep green eyes, which had remained calm throughout the confrontation, curled like a crescent moon for a moment, unable to suppress the impulse.
‘Thank you.’
When their eyes met, Harper’s small mouth moved slightly, and just that made him feel happy.
*
In the returning carriage, I sighed deeply with my head lowered.
It felt like I had used magic for the first time in my life—and that too, inside the Imperial Palace. And the target had been a prince, no less.
If Killian hadn’t stepped in, perhaps Calista…
“…I told you to sense the mana, not to pulverize the First Prince’s golden statue with it.”
Calista, seated beside me, finally spoke first. I swallowed hard and hunched my shoulders.
Yeah, I deserved to be scolded.
“Do you remember how you did it?”
“…Sorry?”
“What you did earlier. You probably manifested magical power when you felt a strong emotion. Do you remember that moment?”
Huh? This wasn’t scolding?
I looked up, and Calista was staring at me with genuine curiosity in her eyes.
When I didn’t answer, she continued.
“What you used could technically be called aura. That’s when mana is concentrated and turned into destructive power.”
“…Aura?”
“Right. Normally, you’d need a medium like a sword. Once you get used to channeling it through a weapon, you can use it without one. Eventually, with enough skill, you can use that power even at a distance. But…”
She looked at me as if I were some kind of marvel, then added,
“I’ve never seen anyone skip all those stages before.”
“Me?”
I stared at her blankly.
I knew it was unusual, but that unusual?
“In other words,”
If even Calista had never seen something like it, then that meant…
“You’re a genius. My little sibling, that is.”
Wow.
That cringy line I couldn’t even finish in my own head—Calista actually said it out loud.
A proud smile spread across her face.
“But to do it again, you need to recall the feeling from that moment. That’s why I’m asking—what emotion did you feel then?”
She returned to the main topic.
Emotion… It was fascinating. In my previous life, I never once awakened magic, and now this.
I replayed the situation in my head.
The first odd sensation I felt in the air was when Klein said that ridiculous thing:
“I always thought I’d beat you up someday. But I met your sister instead.”
The second time was when he thrust his sword toward Calista’s neck. And at that moment…
“I was angry,” I said.
Calista’s eyes sparkled in surprise.
“I was really angry at the First Prince… and then the air around me turned hot.”
“Anger, then.”
Yes. It was anger. A deep, intense anger I’d never felt before.
A small, bitter laugh escaped me.
In my past life, I had been scared of Klein but could never get angry at him. The lifelong helplessness I had accumulated clung to me like a second skin.
But in this life, that helplessness was gone.
That meant I had changed. I no longer accepted insults as normal.
Tap.
I felt something soft on my head. When I looked up, Calista was gently patting my hair.
“Well done, little sister.”
She smiled—a bright, rare smile.
It was a smile I’d never seen on Calista’s face before.
Then I remembered the last scene in the palace.
She had smiled like nothing happened, but in truth, the situation had been extremely dangerous.
The Empress had screamed as if being torn apart. Calista had almost been arrested after being mistaken as the one who injured Klein…
“…Why did you do that?” I finally asked, unable to hold back.
