IITYVA 07

Chapter 7

The Grand Duke’s pale pink eyes sparkled.

“A place to stay? Are you saying that bastard Aques has been taken in by someone?”

“Yes. And he’s living comfortably, well-fed and safe.”

“…Comfortably? But all the bones in his body were broken. Those bones must’ve pierced through many of his internal organs. Even the most skilled sorcerer would need at least a few months to treat something like that.”

Grand Duke Baharaman frowned in disbelief.

Dante shook his head.

“There are other methods of healing besides sorcery. Ones even more perfect than magic.”

“You mean… the healing power of the Water Spirit King… No way…?”

The Grand Duke’s eyes widened suddenly.

Though he didn’t finish his sentence, Dante bowed his head as if confirming the Grand Duke’s suspicion.

“…Ha. So after pretending the other didn’t exist for five years, now they’re suddenly trying to save each other just because they’re on the same imperial faction?”

Grand Duke Baharaman let out a dry laugh, but a flash of murderous intent briefly passed through his eyes.

It looked like he might give the order to kill them both right then and there, so Dante quickly spoke up.

“Your Grace, please calm down. We must not make an enemy of the spirit summoner. She’s under the blessing of the Water Spirit King. If we attempt to remove her carelessly, we could be the ones eliminated instead.”

“…Then what do you suggest we do?”

The Grand Duke scowled in irritation.

Dante opened his mouth again.

“We must bring the spirit summoner to our side.”

“Bring her over?”

“Yes, that’s right. She’s a commoner, so she must be thirsty for status and power. Fortunately, we have Young Master Lloyd. Tempt her with the position of Grand Duchess.”

The Grand Duke sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Dante, do you think I haven’t already thought of that? If only Lloyd had been more cooperative, the spirit summoner would already be my daughter-in-law and that bastard Aques would be long gone!”

“……”

“As you know, Lloyd is a playboy. Forcing a woman like her to be with someone so unprincipled would only offend her. And if the Water Spirit King becomes enraged, thinking she was mistreated?”

“……”

Everything he said was true, so Dante couldn’t argue.

The Grand Duke let out another sigh before speaking again.

“Besides, didn’t she already heal that bastard Aques? That means she’s already chosen Serenia.”

“I don’t believe that’s the case.”

“Not the case?”

The Grand Duke turned to Dante with a doubtful look.

Dante nodded.

“The spirit summoner likely doesn’t know that child is the Grand Duke of Serenia. She probably saved him out of pure compassion, not knowing who he was. Serenia likely used a magic tool to transport himself to her doorstep.”

“Indeed, if a man thought to be 25 suddenly appeared as a 10-year-old child, it would be hard to believe it was the same person.”

And the two of them hadn’t contacted each other for five years.

Nodding, the Grand Duke suddenly paused.

“But Dante, how do you know Aques went to the spirit summoner’s house?”

The Grand Duke’s sharp gaze pierced into Dante.

Aques’s mental age was that of a ten-year-old.

Even if he knew he could be healed by the spirit summoner, how could he possibly know where she lived?

Startled by the pointed question, Dante hesitated for a moment, but then calmly responded with quick wit.

“…I analyzed the magical waves from the back alley where the Serenia Grand Duke was discarded. From that, I could determine he headed toward the Countdom of Hyla. I filled in the rest with educated guesses. After all, they say living beings often exhibit extraordinary power in the face of death.”

“Quite true.”

The Grand Duke nodded without probing further.

Dante exhaled a silent sigh of relief and continued speaking.

“Your Grace, we absolutely must not make the spirit summoner our enemy. If we can’t win her with the Grand Duchess title, then we must bait her with something else—anything to keep her with us.”

He paused, then added in a low voice,

“…After all, are you not the one who is destined to take the imperial throne?”

At those words, a wide grin spread across the Grand Duke’s face.

‘Yes, even the Emperor holds that spirit summoner dear. Though she seems to dislike the attention.’

The public support that follows a spirit summoner—especially one contracted with a Spirit King—is enormous.

How could anyone achieve great ambitions while making an enemy of someone like that?

“I understand your concern. However, we cannot allow the Grand Duke of Serenia to remain alive like this. Sir Taylen, Sir Miroel.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The two knights responded promptly.

The Grand Duke gave his order.

“Immediately contact the assassination guild. Assign an A-class target. The mark is a black-haired, red-eyed boy around ten years old. But make sure it’s done quietly—no one must know.”

“We accept your orders.”

The two knights bowed and exited the office.

The Grand Duke laughed heartily and looked at Dante.

“You’ve really eased my mind today. Tell me what you want.”

“It’s an honor, but what I desire is nothing more than Your Grace’s victory.”

“You silly man.”

The Grand Duke laughed even louder and wiped a tear from his eye.

“I’ll see to it that you’re rewarded. You may go now.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Dante bowed respectfully and left the room.

Click.

The door closed behind him.

Dante stood still for a while, then slowly raised a trembling hand to touch his head.

Thankfully, his hair was clean—no blood or wounds.

“…I can’t die like that again.”

He trembled and whispered.

A giant wave crashing down like madness, a cave collapsing with a thunderous roar—

It all felt so vivid, like it had just happened.

That overwhelming helplessness in the face of a furious nature—he never wanted to feel that again.

‘But… it’s too late to switch sides to the Serenia Grand Duke now.’

He had already revealed his face while cursing the Grand Duke.

The Serenia Grand Duke never forgave someone who had once bared their fangs at him.

Even if Dante pledged eternal loyalty and vowed to become his greatest ally, he would just be used until he was no longer needed—then discarded without mercy.

That’s just the kind of man Serenia was.

So there was only one viable path now.

Kill the Serenia Grand Duke and win over the spirit summoner.

‘And for that… Grand Duke Baharaman must win.’

Dante straightened his robe and began walking again.

He had twisted one thread of his doomed future. Now it was time to lay the next groundwork.

* * *

“Einra, how have you been?”

At the kind voice coming through the crystal sphere, a bright smile spread across my gloomy face.

Soft wheat-colored hair, clear sky-blue eyes like the open sky—

The person reflected in the crystal was my precious, beloved favorite: Harnen.

With just a single word from my favorite, the tight knot in my chest melted away.

“I’ve been good! What about you, Harnen? You’re doing well, right? You’re eating properly, aren’t you?”

Harnen’s eyes gently curved into a smile.

“Einra always worries about whether I’m eating properly.”

“T-That’s because…”

I trailed off awkwardly and scratched my temple.

I guess the K-culture instincts patched into my brain still haven’t faded…

Harnen laughed softly at my awkwardness.

“I am eating well, but still—keep worrying about me. It makes me happy when you do.”

At his words, I suddenly remembered Harnen’s tragic backstory from The Tyrant Emperor.

I shed tears internally.

‘As if losing both parents early wasn’t enough, he was constantly surrounded by scheming snakes hungry for power. All he ever did was try his best, but people branded him a tyrant, and in the end, even his trusted friend and subordinate betrayed him…’

No wonder he gets so happy when someone simply asks if he’s eating well!