Chapter 6
Isn’t it hard to wake up in the morning, no matter what world you’re in? Once again today, I barely managed to raise my body from a tiny bed and pulled out a toothbrush and toiletries from the drawer beside it.
‘What a dirty world. A low-rank mage doesn’t even get a private bathroom!’
Intermediate mages and above could have private rooms and even their own research labs, but such luxuries were out of reach for low-rank mages.
The only relief was that I was the only low-rank mage in the tower.
Thanks to that, I got to use the small bathroom all by myself. It was practically my private one!
“Yeah, no matter where you are, what matters is mental victory!”
These aren’t tears. Definitely not.
Pressing my sleep-swollen cheeks, I stood in front of the mirror.
Even though I saw this face every morning and evening, I still wasn’t used to it. Ethel—now my reflection—stared back from the mirror.
A petite girl with bright silver hair flowing down to her waist. Her soft lavender-colored eyes, like blooming lilacs, sparkled with curiosity.
“Honestly, for a background character, aren’t I super cute and adorable?”
Right? No matter how I look at it, I think so.
“Hehe.”
I giggled as I spun around happily, satisfied with the self-question and answer.
It was true—Ethel was genuinely lovely. Not just in personality, but in appearance too. It was ridiculous that the original novel had described her as a vague, forgettable extra.
“Well, I mean, the male lead’s looks are totally in another league, though.”
Still, I had nothing to complain about. Letting go of my reflection, I pulled out my toothbrush and toothpaste from my pocket again.
“First, let’s brush my teeth… hmm?”
Hmm? Hmmm? What’s this?
I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Leaning closer to the mirror, I began inspecting my face.
“Huh?”
I raised one hand and brushed aside the silver bangs near my eyes. My pale forehead was exposed.
“Wha…?”
No matter how hard I looked, it was gone. The scar.
“Where did the scar go?”
Ethel had fainted after falling from a ladder, and that’s when I possessed her. She had hit her forehead in the fall, and I had to wear a bandage around my head for a while.
Lady Meliz had cast a healing spell out of concern, but the wound had been deep. It hadn’t completely disappeared.
“There was definitely a red mark here.”
Hmm. Did I remember it wrong? I usually kept it covered with bangs, but I’d always noticed the red scar clearly when washing my face. It stood out even more against Ethel’s fair skin.
“This is weird.”
No, really weird. As a long-time romance fantasy fan, I know these unexpected developments usually have a reason!
“But there has to be a reason I can actually guess, right?”
Unless I received some divine blessing in my sleep or something, it made no sense for the scar to just vanish.
‘It’s not like Lady Meliz brought a high priest or anything.’
She wouldn’t have healed me while I was asleep, right? No matter how I looked at it, the situation made no sense. Hmm. Staring at the mirror wasn’t going to solve anything.
“Ugh, I’ll just ask Lady Meliz about it later!”
Imperial Palace of the Empire, glittering with white marble and gleaming gemstones.
The drawing room in the Empress’s palace, adorned with grand chandeliers.
There, Emperor Ergo Glacies Rudensa, Empress Alicia, and the second prince Cayden sat in heavy silence.
The dishes before them were elegant and luxurious, yet none of them seemed to be enjoying the meal.
The 27th Emperor, Ergo Glacies Rudensa.
Though not a standout figure compared to previous emperors, his gentle nature and lack of greed earned him praise as a benevolent ruler.
Twenty years ago, he suffered a tragic loss when his beloved first Empress passed away. Later, he strengthened the imperial authority by marrying Alicia, the daughter of the powerful Marquis of Caion.
He had designated the first prince, Licht, as crown prince and had planned to step back from power for a peaceful life—until tragedy struck.
Licht, who had inherited the Empress’s beauty, unmatched swordsmanship, and had shown promise as a future emperor since childhood, fell victim to a heretic’s curse.
Since that devastating day, the emperor had barely appeared in public, save for occasional meetings with the Lord of the Magic Tower, Meliz Evgenin.
To Empress Alicia, who sought to stabilize the situation in Licht’s absence, it was a deeply frustrating state of affairs.
Today, she had barely managed to bring the emperor to the palace.
She had endured countless days of restraint for this one opportunity.
The servants lining the Empress’s drawing room held their breath in nervous silence.
They all knew how much the Empress had longed for this luncheon.
“Your Majesty, please eat just a bit more before putting your utensils down. I worry for your health.”
“This is more than enough.”
The emperor, who had been silently staring at his food, finally set down his utensils. The Empress spoke with concern—it was the first formal luncheon at the Empress’s palace in a long time.
Though he never visited often, since Licht’s collapse, the emperor had become even more reclusive, making today a critical chance for Alicia.
She aimed to make her own son the crown prince.
“The ingredients for today’s meal were hand-selected by my father from the beaches of Sedenka.”
“…”
“Please, if not for the taste, then for the thought behind it, Your Majesty…”
After Licht’s birth, the first Empress had fallen ill and died. The noble faction led by the Marquis of Caion had pushed for Alicia to become the next Empress.
As the treasured daughter of one of the Empire’s most powerful families and a celebrated beauty of the debutante scene, Alicia had long believed the Emperor’s side was where she belonged.
When the first Empress died suddenly, it was a fortunate turn for both her and her father.
After a lucky first night, she conceived and gave birth to the second prince, Cayden. At the time, she was confident—confident that she would win the Emperor’s love and raise her son to be Crown Prince.
But she hadn’t realized how the Emperor’s deep love for the first Empress had transferred fully to her son, Licht.
“I’m tired. I’ll rest in my chambers.”
“So soon?!”
Unfazed by the Empress’s pleading expression, the Emperor rose from his seat the moment he finished speaking.
His attendants from the imperial palace, watching nervously, bowed and followed. Even they were tense in his presence.
As he silently exited, he turned back briefly, as if just remembering something, and spoke to Cayden, who sat quietly.
“Spend a little more time with the Empress. I’ll be going now.”
Without waiting for a reply, he left the room. The carefully arranged meal didn’t last even thirty minutes.
Cayden, who had calmly observed it all, murmured inwardly:
‘I hope no one gets seriously hurt today.’
This was the usual pattern. Alicia tried desperately to speak with the Emperor, but the conversation never lasted.
It was likely the Emperor’s own strategy. If the Empress began pushing for crown prince succession with noble support, it would be hard for him to oppose her openly.
But forcing the Emperor to stay would damage her dignity—so once again, Alicia’s efforts ended in vain.
And now—
“You there.”
Empress Alicia, who had been sitting silently, turned her head slightly toward a maid standing to the left of the table.
The maid flinched and dropped to her knees.
“Y-yes, Your Majesty?”
“Yes, you. How dare you disturb His Majesty’s mood at a royal meal?”
“Wh-what? No, Your Majesty, I didn’t make any— Aah!”
Crash! Plates shattered.
Cayden calmly turned his gaze away. It was time for him to leave.
Whenever a conversation with the Emperor failed, the Empress would lash out violently like a madwoman.
But no word of it ever reached the outside world. Everyone in the Empress’s palace knew: if her true nature were exposed, no servant, no maid would survive.
All they could do was hope—hope no one would die or be seriously injured today.
There was no one who could stop the Empress.
Not even her son, Cayden.
With a bitter expression, Cayden left the drawing room.
And the Empress’s screams and crashing continued echoing behind him as he walked down the corridor.
