Chapter 58
“Doctor Grandpa, you’ll help save the villagers, right?”
The girl’s tone returned to its usual cheerful innocence.
With shaking hands, Perez folded the letter and nodded.
“Of course, that’s obvious…”
“And you won’t tell His Majesty who I really am, right?”
“Of course not… Wait, what? Why?”
Perez couldn’t understand the girl’s request. Wouldn’t it be easier to help her if she revealed her true identity?
The girl scrunched her nose slightly.
“There’s a reason. If people find out, someone will get hurt. The world might end.”
The world might end?
Perez widened his eyes in surprise. Winter Orsheus nodded seriously as if agreeing with her.
“She’s very scary when angry. A sweet potato could destroy the world.”
“…Did I hear that right?”
The two of them took the letter from Perez. Then Winter Orsheus gently lifted the green-haired girl in his arms.
“Doctor Grandpa, please take care of the villagers. We’ll meet again soon. Just make sure you spread the word. If you lie, I’ll know right away.”
The girl smiled — part playful, part determined.
Wings shining like stars burst from the boy’s back. With a flurry of sparkles, the two quickly flew far into the sky.
Watching them disappear, Perez gathered his shaky legs and stood up.
Just as those two had an important mission, he had something to do too.
Something noble and important—important enough to forget his own rotting body.
***
The Next Morning
At the royal palace of the Lionea Empire, the people of House Rohia were having breakfast with Emperor Silis.
“Still no news about Princess Izana?”
At the emperor’s words, Yudis flinched.
She had been slicing fish neatly and placing it on some green grilled vegetables, but her hand stopped midair.
She dabbed her lips with a napkin and answered.
“…Your Majesty. First of all, as Izana’s mother, I truly thank you for caring about her during your visit.”
Her eyes turned red with tears.
She had purposely left her hair messy and wore almost no makeup for this moment.
She had hesitated about appearing this way in front of the emperor, but reminded herself of her priorities.
“But today… while we were away, thieves broke in, part of the house burned down, and… Izana… we heard she died.”
Crash!
The sharp sound of something breaking rang out. Everyone turned toward the source.
Boris had broken his plate while cutting steak.
His eyes were trembling like an earthquake.
Yudis gently brushed his sweaty hair back and said kindly:
“Boris, I knew how much you loved Izana. That’s why I didn’t tell you right away. It must hurt, my child.”
“M-Mother… Is it really…”
She lightly patted his shoulder as he turned pale and nodded slowly.
Even Joseph, who rarely showed emotion, couldn’t hide his surprise and stared at Yudis.
After comforting both sons, Yudis let a single tear fall.
“Izana was excited to become friends with the Marquess’s daughter. I’m sure she was thankful for Your Majesty’s interest in her before she died.”
She had ordered the thieves to change the flag at the mansion’s highest point to red if the mission was successful.
Although the house was more damaged than expected, the flag had turned red.
Now, if she just got rid of the thieves who carried out the plan, no one would know what really happened.
As she felt a piercing gaze, she looked up and saw Bern staring at her in shock.
How pathetic. What did he expect would happen?
You didn’t even imagine this when I said I’d take care of it?
She had ordered that Izana be taken far away, perhaps to an orphanage.
But she never truly believed those thieves would follow through.
Those filthy scums wouldn’t leave any trace behind.
If Izana really had died, it was their fault, not hers. They were the ones who disobeyed.
With her mind now clearer, Yudis felt even more convinced that she had done the right thing.
She straightened her back proudly and met Bern’s eyes without flinching.
Her useless husband finally lowered his eyes in shame, realizing what was happening.
“…I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It was all my fault. As head of the family, I should have protected the child better…”
Emperor Silis quietly looked at the two of them and didn’t speak for a while.
After a long silence, he finally put down his knife and fork.
Yudis assumed he would now ask about Izana’s body or funeral and prepared her answer.
But what he said next surprised her.
“While the Rohia mansion was being attacked, where were the family’s knights?”
This time, it was Bern who flinched.
He hadn’t yet explained that he sent the knights to quarantine the village of Elahi.
On paper, it was to prepare for a possible evacuation, but the truth was more selfish.
He wanted to ‘prove’ Yubel’s prophecy.
The prophecy said to keep the villagers away from the beach. But if no one got sick after evacuating, they couldn’t confirm the prophecy was real.
So paradoxically, people had to get sick or die to prove the prophecy true.
That’s why Bern chose to sacrifice the village of Elahi.
But he couldn’t say this out loud.
Emperor Silis truly cared for his people, and he had ordered Bern to “take proper measures.”
Bern knew this wasn’t what the emperor meant.
Feeling a chill down his spine, Bern began to speak.
“Your Majesty, we didn’t have enough time to prepare for an orderly evacuation. So I sent the knights to Elahi to monitor the situation and evacuate the people as needed. Elsi Karn is capable and would have understood my instructions well. That’s likely why the knights never returned to the mansion.”
“So you’re saying you did give orders to evacuate the residents?”
“Yes, but I told them to decide based on the situation.”
Silis nodded as if satisfied.
There was a long silence. Just when it seemed the topic had passed, the emperor asked another difficult question.
“Where were they ordered to evacuate to? Even if you left the details to Elsi Karn, the location should have been your decision.”
“Uh, well… I told them to set up a camp in the forest.”
“And the supplies for this camp—those came from your household?”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
Idiot!
Yudis screamed internally at Bern’s reply.
If he said that…
“Then, Marquis, you just said the knights never returned to the mansion. So who delivered the supplies to Elahi?”
That simple, calm question from the emperor left Bern speechless.
He put down his steak and racked his brain.
He needed to say something—maybe that he ordered the servants to help?
But how many would he say? And how much aid would be enough for the village?
“Your Majesty, everything is ready.”
A maid entered just in time, breaking the tense silence and saving Bern.
Silis smiled slightly and nodded.
“Let them in.”
Who is he letting in?
Yudis and Bern followed the emperor’s gaze to the door.
It slowly opened.
Two people stood in the doorway.
Silis smiled and said,
“Please greet our guests.”
When Yudis recognized who stood there, she dropped her cup.
“My daughter…”
Izana Rohia—who was supposed to be dead—was standing right there.
