Chapter: 8
When Theodore returned to the second floor, he handed Seria a thick bundle of documents.
They were filled with detailed information on influential figures from various noble families.
Alongside finely drawn portraits were notes on their basic ages and personalities, their standing within their families—and even meticulous explanations of how many illegitimate children they had under their care.
Did she really need to know things like this?
With an indifferent look, Seria flipped through the pages.
“If you know these things in advance, they’ll come in handy later, before you make your debut in high society. Read them slowly. It’d be even better if you memorized them.”
“In short, you’re telling me to start by targeting the crown prince’s circle?”
“Well, something like that.”
While Seria read through the documents, Theodore took a pill out of his pocket and swallowed it.
Watching him out of the corner of her eye, Seria quickly skimmed the rest of the papers and set the bundle down beside her.
“What is it that you keep swallowing?”
She had noticed for a while now—what Theodore was taking was definitely pills.
But if he was taking them because he was ill, he looked far too healthy for that.
To begin with, she wasn’t even sure those were ordinary medicine at all.
“You’re already done reading?”
“This much I can memorize anytime. So that pill is—”
“That’s surprising.”
Did he just deliberately ignore her?
Instead of answering her question, Theodore let out a half-hearted remark of admiration.
On top of that, he wore a shameless expression, as if there were nothing wrong at all, which was infuriating.
Snorting, Seria said,
“Hah. Fine. So how exactly am I supposed to kill the crown prince?”
“The most certain and convenient method would be poison. But the imperial family has an ability that’s been passed down through generations, just like the Belbat family.”
“An ability….”
Back when she had been a princess, Seria had been sick to death of lessons about Antithesia, the enemy nation.
Because of that, she knew a fair amount about the Antithesian imperial family.
‘The Immutable Ruler.’
‘Demigod.’
‘The one closest to the gods.’
All of these were titles used to refer to past emperors of Antithesia.
Such grand epithets existed because their bodies were said to be “eternal and unchanging.”
“An eternal, unchanging body. Right?”
“So you already knew.”
“It’s famous enough.”
It was even written in the fairy-tale books she used to read aloud to the children at the monastery—there was no way she wouldn’t know.
In truth, however, the notion of an eternal, unchanging body was a distortion.
Of course, there was a reason for that misconception. The Antithesian imperial family maintained the youthful appearance of their prime all the way until the end of their lives, so such misunderstandings were bound to arise.
What Theodore was more concerned about wasn’t their agelessness, but rather—
“The Antithesian imperial family doesn’t age, but their bodies are so resilient that ordinary poisons won’t kill them.”
Theodore spoke with an irritated, sigh-laced voice.
Theodore, who intended to poison the crown prince, and Elena, the apothecary. A certain deal that had passed between them years ago.
In Seria’s mind, the pieces of the puzzle began falling into place.
Now she understood why Theodore had involved Elena in this.
Looking straight at his face, Seria said,
“So the reason you made a deal with Elena was to create a poison capable of killing the crown prince?”
At her words, the corner of Theodore’s lips curled upward.
“That’s right. It’s not finished yet, but it will be soon. Elena is quite useful.”
Quite useful?
At his tone—like he was praising a tool—Seria’s expression hardened.
Perhaps, to Theodore, everyone except himself was nothing more than a tool.
Given how deeply distrustful he was of all others, it was entirely possible.
“In your eyes, do people look like tools?”
“Think whatever you want.”
He didn’t even try to deny it. In fact, Theodore looked downright confident, leaving Seria at a loss for words.
No matter how important one’s goal might be, there was still a minimum line that a person ought to respect.
Whether he had been born this way, or whether those eyes had changed him, one thing was certain: Theodore was far removed from what could be called normal thinking.
Seria neither understood him—nor wanted to.
“When we arrive at the Belbat estate, you’ll meet my father. Unlike me, he is deeply loyal to His Majesty the Emperor. Loyal enough that if His Majesty told him to die, he’d hang himself on the spot.”
Regardless of Seria’s frown, Theodore continued speaking.
“What do you mean by that—!”
In other words, the plan to kill the crown prince was Theodore’s decision alone.
Surely the Duke of Belbat possessed the same ability as Theodore. And if the duke were to read her mind—
The outcome was obvious.
While Seria’s face darkened, Theodore’s lips curved into a smile.
“Don’t worry. My father lost his ability years ago.”
“Then he can’t read minds?”
“That’s right. And besides, you—”
Theodore trailed off and closed his mouth. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Just what was he about to say that required such a dramatic pause?
“Why are you dodging the question? What about me?”
Seria pressed him impatiently.
“No, it’s nothing. What matters is that you prove your usefulness to my father.”
The way he changed the subject made it clear he was hiding something.
In a situation where lives were already on the line, why keep secrets?
It left a bad taste in her mouth, but even if she asked, Theodore wouldn’t answer.
Fixing her gaze on him, Seria said,
“Usefulness, meaning?”
“You need to show that you can do something for His Majesty the Emperor.”
“So you mean I should demonstrate my ability to control wind in front of the Duke of Belbat.”
“Exactly.”
Of course.
She was already sick to death of being treated like a tool by Theodore, and the thought that she would have to keep going along with this was depressing.
Letting out a small sigh, Seria pressed her fingers to her forehead.
Watching her quietly, Theodore took a pocket watch from his coat, checked the time, and stood up.
“It’s time to go back. We’ll leave at daybreak, so keep your farewells brief and come back.”
At his words, Seria glanced around in search of a clock—but there was no such thing here.
Judging by the darkness outside the window, it was still deep night.
“We have to leave that quickly?”
“What, were you planning to stay here until the year changes? The abbot already knows.”
At the mention of the abbot, Seria’s eyes wavered.
The abbot was the one who had willingly taken in Seria when she came alone to Antithesia.
It was thanks to his consideration that Seria had been able to survive while hiding her identity.
And yet that very abbot had handed her over to Theodore without any warning.
“I promised twenty years of patronage. What loyalty were you expecting from some insignificant rural monastery?”
The words Theodore had spoken earlier flashed through her mind.
She had known for a long time that the monastery was struggling to survive. She could understand that the abbot wouldn’t be able to easily refuse the support of the Belbat family.
It was true that she ought to be grateful simply for having been fed and given a place to sleep all this time.
Even so—
A petty, ugly feeling called betrayal tangled her heart.
With her head bowed low, Seria rose from her seat. Her clenched fists were packed with tension.
“Ha….”
Letting out a trembling breath, Seria left the room without sparing Theodore a single glance.
There wasn’t much time left. There were many things she wanted to ask the abbot in person.
To do that, she had to hurry.
After Seria left, Theodore remained alone in the castle, leaning back against the sofa, lost in thought.
“Why is that…?”
Why was it that his ability didn’t work on Seria?
He had checked again and again, but still, he couldn’t read her true thoughts.
The ability passed down through the Belbat family was something no one could evade—except members of the imperial family.
The moment someone met the gaze of a Belbat using the ability, they normally couldn’t look away, and had no choice but to lay bare even the deepest thoughts hidden within their heart.
An ability that no noble could block no matter how desperately they struggled had been stopped by a princess of a kingdom that had fallen years ago—an unfathomable situation.
“Haha… this has gotten interesting.”
A hollow laugh slipped from Theodore’s lips.
It was absurd, true, but not a major problem.
Seria was the type whose emotions showed plainly on her face.
And besides, she believed that her thoughts were being read even now—so he would be able to use her without much difficulty at all.
