CHAPTER 13
The boy in front of her, Asterios, reminded her of herself.
Though she was in a three-year-old’s body, she actually possessed the mind of Erica, who had lived for hundreds of years—just like Roziana.
‘I became a three-year-old overnight. Isn’t it strange how fluent he is despite supposedly aging suddenly? Why isn’t he suspicious at all?’
A child learns to speak only through constant exposure to language from parents and the surrounding environment.
‘He has no resistance to this situation?’
Roziana lifted her head and glared at Asterios, who was silently climbing the stairs.
There were too many things she needed to confirm and uncover.
Blink.
Her mind was full of thoughts, but due to the sudden growth and the pain she had endured earlier, Roziana’s heavy eyelids began to close.
A lavishly decorated guest room in the Duke’s residence.
When Asterios emerged from the secret passage holding Roziana, a neatly dressed middle-aged man wearing glasses bowed respectfully.
“You’ve arrived, Master. Everything you requested has been prepared.”
This was Matthew Vider, the butler of the ducal household.
Aside from the late Duke, the remaining Duchess, and his shadows, Matthew was the only one who knew about Asterios’ past.
Behind him, a fully furnished room came into view.
“And my mother?”
“The Madam arrived on time, as expected.”
Duchess Penelope, who had taken over the role of head of the household after the Duke’s death, had recently left the estate at Asterios’ request. Publicly, it was said she had gone to investigate a lead regarding the Duke’s long-lost younger sibling.
“I’ll head to the office soon. I’ll receive your report there.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
After the butler left the room, Asterios walked toward the bed.
It was a large, elegant white bed, big enough for three adults to lounge on comfortably.
He gently laid the sleeping Roziana down.
‘She must’ve been exhausted by everything that happened so suddenly.’
Darkness had already settled outside the curtain-draped window.
The imperial palace was likely in an uproar over this night.
He laid her comfortably and pulled the silk blanket at her feet over her small body.
Though young, her large beautiful eyes were peacefully shut, and from her small nose came the soft, fragrant rhythm of sleep.
Letting out a small sigh, Asterios murmured,
“…That was very dangerous.”
Yes, they had nearly been caught.
His ability to conceal emotions hadn’t been perfect.
“I’ll have to be even more careful moving forward.”
Staring at the sleeping Roziana, he added softly,
“…You too, Nox.”
Then, a telepathic voice—usually only heard in Roziana’s mind—echoed clearly in Asterios’ as well.
[Yes, ■■ ■■■.]
The imperial palace of Dreart had forgotten sleep in its frantic search for the missing princess.
Daniel, the Great Sage of Greham and the very one who caused the baby princess to vanish with his own hands, was in a state of panic.
It was impossible for divine power to cause a person to disappear, but Daniel had seen it with his own eyes. He couldn’t deny it.
It was enough to drive him mad.
Amid the chaos, the calmest person was Edwin, the Master of the Magic Tower.
He judged that Roziana hadn’t disappeared because of Daniel’s mistake, but had been kidnapped. Therefore, he wasn’t terribly worried.
“If Mephisto is indeed the one who took Princess Roziana—and I’m certain he is—then there’s no need for excessive concern.”
That was what he had told the emperor moments ago.
“His goal is quite obvious, so there’s no need for alarm.”
He meant Roziana was likely safe.
Whatever Edwin knew, it didn’t ease Emperor Leodian’s worries. The thought of owing Edwin a great debt for Roziana’s return was aggravating.
‘I don’t want to be in debt to that guy or anyone else!’
Leodian entered his chamber and called for Cedric.
Loosening the tight cravat around his neck with long fingers, he asked,
“Any word from the young duke?”
Thinking the emperor had summoned the young duke to search for the missing princess, Cedric looked uneasy as he answered.
“Yes, Your Majesty… Not yet.”
‘Why is it taking so long?’
A wave of unease climbed his throat.
The emperor’s order to the young duke had been simple:
To hide the princess temporarily.
Thanks to Asterios having found another method to suppress Roziana’s out-of-control divine power, this plan had become viable.
Thus, Leodian entrusted Asterios with the task of hiding Roziana—fewer people who knew, the better.
Originally, they had planned to execute this after Daniel’s healing was complete and he had returned to his chambers. But Leodian wanted to pin the blame firmly on the Great Sage.
Asterios had a clever idea: to use a burst of powerful light to blind everyone, then whisk Roziana away during the chaos.
If she vanished mid-treatment, even the Great Sage wouldn’t be able to escape responsibility.
Leodian liked the plan. He only gave a hint of it to the Empress to avoid shocking her.
So, in truth, Leodian and Ariana had staged an elaborate performance to deceive Daniel.
Lacking confidence in her acting, Ariana had chosen to faint early on.
‘I thought everything was going according to plan…’
Until Edwin showed up and said he saw a black cloak fluttering.
Now, if Roziana really had been kidnapped by someone using forbidden magic, as Edwin suspected, that changed everything.
Leodian’s anxiety was no longer an act.
‘Don’t tell me… the black mage got to her before Asterios?’
He had already ordered a full-scale search of the palace and surrounding areas by the imperial knights and clergy.
He was just about to go investigate himself when—
Asterios appeared.
“Young Duke!”
“Forgive my lateness.”
“No matter. Everyone, leave us.”
The emperor dismissed Cedric and the knights.
“What’s the situation?”
“The imperial order has been carried out successfully.”
“!”
Only then did Leodian finally exhale a proper breath.
Regaining composure, he explained the situation to Asterios.
“The Tower Master claims he saw something when the light burst and the princess disappeared.”
Asterios’ golden eyes narrowed.
“The Tower Master… saw something?”
“It was my mistake. I feared Daniel would deny everything, so I wanted a neutral witness outside Dreart.”
To ensure Daniel was expelled, Leodian had purposely let Edwin witness the event.
“But I’ve only made things more complicated.”
A third-party witness not affiliated with the empire, testifying that the princess really disappeared when Daniel used divine power—it was a compelling story.
“And I thought… maybe he’d turn his eyes to another princess instead.”
Engagement?
Surprised, Asterios asked,
“What do you mean…?”
The emperor explained.
Asterios had been gone only a day on a secret mission, but in that time, the Tower Master came and declared that the princess was his fiancée.
The six-year-old duke sighed softly.
‘That idiot…’
A completely useless friend, and now this situation had gotten more tangled.
‘Why did I give Mephisto the invisible cloak too?!’
Thankfully, even if Mephisto used the cloak to become invisible, the creator Edwin and the co-owner Asterios could still see him.
“At any rate, as planned, we can dispose of the white flower soon. But now we have a new issue.”
By “white flower,” the emperor referred to Graham—symbolized by a white chrysanthemum lily.
Graham had one day’s grace left; in half a day, Daniel could be removed.
The new issue was obviously the Tower Master, Edwin.
“I’ll find a way.”
Asterios nodded.
“Please do. I’ll call for you again once things here are settled.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
To bring Roziana back to the palace soon, they needed to resolve this first.
Leodian’s heart grew heavy with concern again.
[What are your plans?]
The voice in Asterios’ mind belonged to Nox.
It was thanks to Nox that Roziana had been safely moved into a covered wagon outside the palace.
Nox folded time and space, allowing for the instantaneous teleportation of the princess during the flash of light.
To move the entire bed, Asterios had needed Edwin’s invisibility cloak too.
At the moment Daniel had begun healing her, Asterios had been right there.
“Edwin saw the cloak—what a nuisance.”
Why did he have to look?
[Will he figure it out?]
“He will. It’s only a matter of time.”
Edwin had been the one who believed in him the most, even after Asterios faked his death centuries ago.
“So maybe I should just come clean before he confronts me.”
Dawn was already breaking. Asterios quickly returned to the ducal estate.
He checked on the still-sleeping Roziana, then sat at his desk and began writing a letter.
Then he called for Matthew.
“Deliver this to the Tower Master in the imperial palace. Also, prepare soft food for when the guest wakes up.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
After Matthew left, Asterios sat quietly, listening to Roziana’s peaceful breathing, lost in thought.
A while later, the princess stirred, letting out a wide yawn.
“Haaaa~.”
“You’re awake?”
“Eep!”
Startled to see the young duke sitting at her bedside, Roziana blinked rapidly.
“You di’n’t sweep?”
“I just woke early. Are you feeling tired? Any discomfort?”
If someone else had been the first face she saw, she might’ve been more startled.
Roziana shook her head.
“No, I’m fine.”
“That’s good. I’ll call in some attendants. They’re trustworthy, so don’t worry.”
Asterios briefly explained the situation.
Everyone in the estate was loyal to him, and his mother had temporarily left to investigate a lead about the former Duke’s missing brother.
So Roziana could rest comfortably for now.
“And after breakfast, there’s someone you should meet.”
“Sowon?”
Moments later—
Roziana was thoroughly baffled.
“Wh-What’s going on here?”
Was this even a person or a mummy?
Tears streaming through a blindfold, trembling in white robes, with transparent snot making things worse…
Bound tightly with ropes and groaning pitifully—it was clearly a young priest of Graham’s Holy Nation.
Roziana frowned and looked at Asterios.
“Wha is this?”
Calmly, Asterios replied,
“He will serve as High Priest in place of the Great Sage.”
“Whaaaat??”
Roziana shrieked.
‘So… he kidnapped someone because of me?’
A divine power regulator—exclusive to the princess—had been delivered and tied up like luggage.
“Oh no. Let him go, this poor man.”
Three-year-old Roziana sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand.
“…What makes you think he’s suffering?”
“Huh?”
What kind of question is that?
Roziana’s face twisted in disbelief.
Then she realized Asterios was genuinely curious.
“Just look! He’s shaking!”
See? Look!
He’s crying and sniffling like a lost puppy!
“And even if I’m in danger, that doesn’t mean we break the law, Ast—”
Ast!
As she shortened his name, Asterios’ gaze faltered and fixed on her tiny lips.
At this rate, maybe even his heart would stop.
