CHAPTER 23
“Ugh…”
How long had she been asleep?
Lifting her heavy eyelids, Roziana slowly woke up.
“Your Highness! Are you all right?”
“Princess, it’s I, Izeff. Can you see me?”
Marie and Izeff called her name in turn.
From a distance, she could also faintly make out the butler, Matthew, and a man she didn’t recognize standing beside him.
Every joint in her body still ached, and she had no strength.
But her mind was clearer than ever.
“Mm… I’m okay.”
Roziana startled at the sound of her own voice as the words slipped out instinctively.
Then, when she looked at her arms, she was even more shocked.
‘Wh-what is this?’
Anyone could tell—those were long, elegant arms.
Her voice, too, no longer sounded like a child’s.
This wasn’t just normal growth—had she time-skipped?
“What age is this body?”
Though clearly flustered, a delicate and beautiful voice flowed from her lips.
[In human terms, you’re in the body of a 15-year-old.]
Nox’s voice echoed in her head.
‘Fifteen? That’s just three years from adulthood!’
In most places, people had their coming-of-age ceremony at 18.
Since Izeff couldn’t hear Nox’s voice, he calmly answered Roziana’s question himself.
“You seem to have aged about ten years, Your Highness.”
“Yes, we were all shocked when you suddenly became a young lady,” Marie added, her face oddly flushed.
“Ten years…?”
“Yes, Your Highness. And you’re absolutely beautiful. Just a moment!”
Marie grabbed a rather large hand mirror from the nightstand and held it up to show Roziana her reflection.
“Gasp.”
A literal gasp escaped her lips.
In the mirror was an astoundingly beautiful face.
Radiant blonde hair and eyes that sparkled like violet jewels.
It was a stunning blend of Empress Ariana’s beauty and Emperor Eodian’s refined features.
“This… is me?”
Even she couldn’t believe how stunning her own reflection was.
Blushing, Marie quickly responded.
“Yes, Your Highness. Of course, we expected you to grow up beautifully, but not to this extent…”
Marie seemed too moved to finish her sentence, and beside her, Izeff bowed even more respectfully.
“Is anything hurting, Your Highness?”
“Other than my joints aching… not really.”
“That’s a relief.”
He gave her a gentle smile.
“But… where is As?”
She remembered the last time she saw him.
And that silhouette—eerily similar to Tenebres!
If her eyes hadn’t deceived her, Asterios and Tenebres weren’t just similar.
‘They were practically the same person.’
Roziana searched her memory.
When the witch sisters left to defeat the Demon King Beelzebub…
No one remained at her side.
Not even Tenebres, who once cherished her more than life.
And yet, with just one letter, he had sent the witches into the demon’s den.
‘He was someone I loved more than anyone… but also someone I came to hate more than anyone.’
Tenebres hadn’t mentioned Witch Erica even once in that letter.
It only contained a summons for the four witches to come to the Demon Realm.
‘Bastard.’
To Roziana, Tenebres was nothing short of a traitor.
But deep in her heart, a flicker of feeling toward him still remained.
A scorching emotion she didn’t want to look too closely at.
“The Young Duke is speaking with the Duchess, who’s returned after a long absence,” Marie explained, putting the mirror away.
‘The Young Duke… does she mean the As I used to know?’
Or maybe someone else was now taking on that role in his place?
“I’ll go inform the Duchess and His Grace that Her Highness has awoken,” Matthew said and left the room. The unfamiliar man beside him stepped forward and spoke.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Princess. I am Mikhail, firstborn of House Hafzen, long-time vassals of the Ducal family.”
He had a sturdy frame and brown hair—a face she didn’t recognize.
“Nice to meet you, Mikhail.”
“I currently serve the Young Master.”
“Young Master?”
“The younger brother of the late Grand Duke. I was tasked with assisting him by His Grace.”
‘Ah! The one who said he would become As?’
Just before her divine power went berserk, someone had told her that.
That he would now live as the Grand Duke’s younger brother.
‘If that’s true, then this man must be As’s aide. So the Young Duke Marie spoke of earlier must be someone new.’
As if confirming her hunch, Mikhail politely asked:
“The Young Master wishes to greet Your Highness. Would now be a good time?”
“…Yes. I was just thinking of taking a walk.”
Roziana rose and said to Mikhail,
“I’ll get ready. Please wait outside.”
“Marie, do my hair half-up.”
“Like this?”
Marie braided only part of Roziana’s long, beautiful hair as requested. Once secured with a gemstone-studded pin, Roziana looked even more elegant. Her new hairstyle, combined with the soft curves of her now-mature body, made her rapid growth all the more apparent.
Changing into a dress, she followed Mikhail through the grand corridors of the duchy. The tall, gorgeous hallway stretched endlessly.
‘Now that I’m fully grown, everything feels different. And this place is huge.’
Her new body began to feel surprisingly natural, like it had always been hers. Just then, Nox’s voice echoed again.
[Congratulations. You’ve fully stabilized your divine power.]
‘Thank you, Nox. I can feel it, too. I don’t think I’ll lose control again.’
Her mind was sharp, and her body felt light.
It was almost strange. The Archsage had said it would take a long time to stabilize divine power.
‘Was it because of the dragon’s power?’
[Partly, yes—but also because your witch powers awakened during the battle. We didn’t foresee that.]
The witch powers she unknowingly tapped into while fighting the intruder had helped stabilize her divine power. And now, all three powers—witch, divine, and dragon—coexisted within her.
‘Makes sense. The Archsage didn’t know I was a witch. He said those who awaken both divine and dragon power usually don’t live long.’
[That’s right.]
As she conversed with Nox in her mind, Mikhail opened the enormous doors at the end of the hall.
A lush garden filled with the scent of flowers greeted her. It was the duchy’s indoor garden.
‘When they hid me here, I should’ve known. This whole place is like a fortress.’
An indoor garden this vast and beautiful!
Roziana’s eyes widened as she looked around.
From the outside, the ducal estate looked like a typical castle—but hidden within was a sprawling glass-domed garden and walking path.
‘Absolutely stunning.’
Sunlight poured through the dome high above, creating the illusion of a forest in the middle of a grand ballroom. The sunlight, like radiant chandeliers, bathed her in golden warmth.
“This way, Your Highness,” said Mikhail.
A masked man was waiting where Mikhail led her.
“Your Highness.”
Tall, broad-shouldered, with a sharp jawline and firm lips visible below the mask. A well-built young man who would draw attention anywhere.
But Roziana recognized him immediately—from the black hair, golden eyes, and familiar silhouette.
‘…As.’
Keeping her distance, she asked,
“Are you really As?”
“…Yes.”
The moment the answer came, Roziana acted without thinking.
Her golden hair, braided upward, spilled down like moonlight as she lunged.
[You!
Master!]
Voices rang out—Nox’s telepathy and Mikhail’s cry.
In an instant, the jeweled hair ornament she held was aimed at Asterios’s throat, glowing sharply.
A witch’s violet aura swirled, targeting the vital point beneath his chin. Mikhail, stunned by her sudden action, had instinctively drawn his hidden blade.
“Mikhail, lower your sword.”
Despite being attacked, Asterios calmly ordered Mikhail to stand down.
Roziana tried to read his expression behind the mask.
‘He’s… completely unfazed.’
She’d intentionally channeled killing intent into the ornament pointed at him.
He had to have felt it. He was a Swordmaster, after all.
Yet his breath remained calm.
His eyes, unmoving, were deep and composed—so much so it unsettled her instead.
She gripped the ornament harder, and the jewel’s edge pressed into his skin, drawing a drop of blood.
Mikhail flinched—but Asterios’s gaze turned cold and threatening toward him instead.
Mikhail, too, was clearly highly skilled. But Asterios didn’t emit a single hint of killing intent.
That was rare.
Most people, even the strongest, couldn’t help but instinctively release power when threatened.
But Asterios? He was utterly still.
‘So… even this level of threat isn’t enough to expose his true nature?’
In that moment, only one person came to mind.
‘No. It can’t be. I’m just confused because they’re so alike.’
Yes, he was merely that person’s descendant.
That would explain the resemblance—even the composure.
Still holding her ornament at his throat, Roziana asked,
“…Why didn’t you dodge?”
