Chapter 31
“Ah, thank goodness!”
To Molly’s great relief, Yubel was sleeping peacefully.
She let out a deep sigh of relief, but then a strange thought crossed her mind.
“How could I have fallen asleep after drinking tea…? That’s not like me.”
She looked down and grabbed her soaked apron, confused.
A teacup lay on the floor near the chair.
Apparently, she had spilled the tea and even dropped the cup without realizing it—then completely fell asleep.
Something about this didn’t feel right.
Molly had never been the type to fall asleep so easily, especially not while caring for a baby.
This wasn’t just any baby either—it was the third heir she was entrusted to raise.
She’d developed a strict sense of alertness while raising the two older young masters. And last night hadn’t even been particularly exhausting.
So why had she dozed off so deeply?
The strange timing puzzled her.
Loti’s sudden visit, the cup of evergreen tea, and the wave of sleep that came after…
But by now, there was no way to confirm her suspicion.
The tea had spilled completely, soaking her apron, leaving no drops behind.
All Molly could do was shake off the unease in her mind.
Just then—
“Uuu…”
The baby began to stir, letting out a soft whine as he started waking up.
Molly’s attention instantly shifted back to Yubel.
But then—
“Oh my goodness… What is this?”
Molly’s eyes widened in horror as she noticed something strange in the corner of the baby’s crib.
It was a dark red stain—one she didn’t recognize.
As she leaned in to inspect it, she realized it looked like… writing.
She read the strange letters out loud, unsure if she was seeing them correctly.
“Plague… Elahi… seaside… evacuate…?”
Now that she thought about it, she vaguely remembered hearing a rumor about mysterious deaths discovered in Elahi…
A chill ran down Molly’s spine.
She quickly looked at the baby, whose whimpers were growing louder.
“No… it can’t be…”
That’s when she noticed something odd on Yubel’s tiny index finger.
The tip was stained with a dried reddish-black substance.
She looked again.
The crib’s white sheets were also stained in several spots, as if something had dripped and dried there.
Thud.
Molly’s legs gave out beneath her. She fell to her knees, her face drained of all color.
“D-Duke… no, the Duchess! Duchess!!”
She screamed at the top of her lungs as if she had seen a ghost.
This was the moment when [Materia] delivered its very first official prophecy.
***
Meanwhile, that same day around lunchtime.
In the Northern Empire, the Emperor Glas Orsheus sat at a luxurious dining table filled with fine dishes.
But for over ten minutes, he hadn’t touched a single bite.
He just sat, staring silently at the figure in front of him.
There sat a young boy, who looked like a miniature version of Glas from twenty years ago—though his expression was cold and indifferent.
Just like the Emperor, the boy hadn’t touched any food either.
Finally, after a long silence, the boy spoke.
“Your Majesty, why aren’t you eating?”
It sounded like a gentle question of concern from a younger brother.
But Glas responded icily.
“Because looking at your face ruins my appetite.”
Without blinking, the boy turned to the servant beside him and motioned with a flick of his hand.
Clank.
The heavy iron restraints around the boy’s wrists and ankles clanked loudly.
“Get out. His Majesty says your ugly face is ruining his meal.”
The servant, Palemon, who served as the boy’s assistant, looked devastated as he backed away.
Glas slammed his hand down on the table.
“I was talking about you, you wicked brat!”
There was a short pause.
The boy tilted his head slightly and said in a flat voice:
“It was a joke.”
The tone was as dry as desert sand—hardly fitting for a joke.
Even worse, his crisp white shirt was stained with an unsettling red tint, like dried blood.
“A joke?! You call that a joke?!”
Glas looked at the boy with sorrowful eyes.
The boy’s silver hair—once clean and pure, like all members of the Orsheus line—was stained a dull, sticky red.
His fair skin and once-bright blue eyes were now dim, murky, and lifeless.
This boy didn’t look like a hero or a savior. He looked more like a demon or a murderer.
It broke the Emperor’s heart.
“I can’t believe you’re joking at a time like this!”
Just a few days ago, the continent’s savior [Egrio]—Glas’s only younger brother—had brutally killed someone he was supposed to protect.
And if that weren’t bad enough, there were rumors that he didn’t just kill the man—he devoured him, leaving not even a single bone behind.
The Emperor, trembling with fury, clenched his fists.
The boy, Winter Orsheus, barely fifteen years old, nodded calmly as if it was no big deal.
“I apologize, Brother.”
“Why did you do it?! Did he hurt you? Was he a traitor to the Empire?”
Winter paused before answering.
“If you’re asking if that happened in the last ten years… no. It didn’t.”
What kind of answer was that?
Glas already knew that Winter had a strange way of speaking.
He also understood, at least a little, that being born as [Egrio] gave Winter a perspective different from that of ordinary people.
He probably saw things that no one else could.
But Winter never talked about those things—not once.
“Then why? Why on earth?! You… you…!”
Glas took a few slow steps toward him.
The royal guards, positioned along the pillars of the hall, grew tense immediately.
“Your Majesty, please stop!”
“You must not approach the Duke!”
Despite their warnings, Glas waved them off and kept walking.
Winter remained seated with a proud, upright posture and looked up at his older brother.
His face was calm—just a young boy with a slightly cold demeanor.
He was eerily beautiful.
In fact, he looked so much like Glas himself, it was heartbreaking.
That face. That boy.
He had taken a life—a terrible act completely opposite of what a savior was meant to do.
And worst of all, this wasn’t the first time.
“Winter…”
Glas called his name with a sigh.
“Yes, Brother,” Winter replied obediently.
Had he spoiled him too much because he was [Egrio]?
Had he pampered him because he was so much younger?
Had he pitied him, thinking he was too young to bear such heavy responsibility?
In the blink of an eye, Glas grabbed Winter by the throat and began to strangle him.
Winter’s face turned red almost instantly.
“Haa…”
But the groan came from Glas, not Winter.
A single tear rolled down the Emperor’s cheek.
“Answer me truthfully.”
“…”
“Are you… really a savior?”
Even as his face turned red and veins appeared on his neck, Winter didn’t struggle or make a sound.
He simply stared back at Glas with dry, empty eyes.
“If you say no, I will kill you myself. So answer carefully.”
Winter’s face was now as red as the blood that stained his shirt.
He didn’t even flinch.
Glas’s tears kept falling.
Finally, Winter opened his mouth.
“Brother.”
“…Yes?”
“You’ve never succeeded… not once. So don’t waste your energy.”
“…What?”
Glas frowned at the cryptic answer.
As if those words triggered something, his grip loosened completely.
Winter slumped back in the chair, resting his head calmly against the backrest.
It was hard to believe that just moments ago, he had been choking.
He looked peaceful—like a corpse.
Glas could only stare at him in confusion.
Just then—
“Your Majesty! An urgent message from the Western Empire!”
A messenger ran into the hall.
Before Glas could respond, the man continued,
“[Materia] has… made a prophecy!”
“What?!”
Glas stood up in shock.
“But [Materia] was only born two weeks ago! What kind of nonsense is that?!”
“They say… it warned of a plague starting by the seaside. Said everyone must evacuate quickly—ah! Your Majesty! Look at the Duke!”
Before the servant could even finish speaking, a strong wind burst through the room.
Winter’s body, still seated, began to transform.
Sensing the danger, the knights quickly moved to shield Glas and pull him away.
Winter had transformed—into a dragon.
Even though he was still a juvenile, his sheer size and power were terrifying.
Glas stared in awe at the radiant, blinding form of the white dragon.
He was completely overwhelmed by the majestic presence.
But it didn’t take long for him to realize why Winter had suddenly transformed.
It was [Materia].
Winter was coming to her.
And Glas knew—he couldn’t allow it.
“No! Never!”
The Emperor stood his ground, eyes fierce with determination.
He pushed past the guards and shouted toward the dragon:
“If you really intend to go… then kill me first! You’ll have to go through me!”
The white dragon glanced at Glas briefly—then spread its massive wings.
A powerful weapon known as the Erline, designed to kill dragons, activated—but was quickly shattered under Winter’s overwhelming power.
“Winter, please…”
Glas pleaded one last time.
But the dragon took off with powerful flaps of its wings.
It smashed through a huge stained-glass window and soared into the sky.
Its destination was obvious.
The one place he once claimed was so repulsive that even the air felt disgusting—
The Western Empire.
