TTI 16

 Belphe had noted that most emperors of the empire had taken companions. And he was recorded in history as a lover beyond comparison. Peter knew the reason better than anyone else. The reason was simple: without one, it felt like his body would burn up and die. The emperor's companion meant someone with whom he shared his life. The life of the companion was tied to the emperor's. In other words, the emperor and his companion were one body.

However, this was a story applicable only to the emperor. When without a companion, he would suffer from famine, and every minute felt like walking through a thorn bush as impulses climbed up his spine. Only the emperor experienced the agony of feeling as if a sliver of flesh was being sliced off with a knife when alone, and the insane possessiveness and obsession towards his companion.

Ultimately, having a companion was like having a great vulnerability for the emperor. Without one, the emperor would quickly crumble. The emperor's possessiveness and obsession with his companion stemmed from this vulnerability. If he did not secure a companion for a long time, the emperor could not control the surging madness.

But as long as a companion existed, the emperor inevitably became dependent on them. It was better to wear his fatal flaw on his forehead. Embracing something finite and autonomous as his weakness meant, in one way or another, he was destined for destruction.

If madness was inevitable either way, Peter chose to go mad alone, without sharing his life. Because the person he had marked was already dead. 

‘I wanted to erase it all.’

No matter how much he tried to erase his memories, there was one thing that could not be forgotten: the memory of scent.

In his memories, Rowell had a faint scent of roses. Whether it was from the scented oil she used when bathing or because she spent all day in a greenhouse where roses bloom year-round, he wasn't sure, but it was so. Thus, when Peter could no longer bear the memory of Rowell, he chose to bury himself in the scent of roses.

The overpowering scent of roses, strong enough to numb his sense of smell, gave him the illusion that Rowell was by his side. After deceiving himself with his eyes closed for a while, the raging madness would subside somewhat. Only by engaging in such insane acts could he endure without going mad. 

‘When will I be able to escape from here?’

Peter had opened the gate of the garden that had been closed for three years. The faint scent of roses at the tip of his nose was the only consolation he could find. Feeling the impulses gradually subside, Peter moved further inside. Only then could he finally let go of all tension. The space, completely isolated from the outside, felt like returning to the past.

Was that why? He saw something that should not have been seen. Peter doubted his eyes for a moment. An unpleasant question filled his mind, half-believing, half-doubting. 

"…Rowell?"

* * *

After handing over two secrets to Simoren on the sunset-lit path, Rowell had heard about the 'closed garden' from him. 

"The preservation garden was created right after His Majesty's ascension. It's closed now, but it was never meant for public access."

"Is there a reason?" 

"The garden gate can only be opened with magic." 

The released magic was the only key that could open the garden gate.

The problem was that few people had the ability to release magic to that extent. Of course, people with light-colored hair, so-called noble bloodlines, were mostly born with the talent to wield magic. However, having talent did not necessarily lead to results. 

"If you ever want to visit, please tell me. I will open the gate for you."

"Can Sir Lindel use magic too?" 

"Through his sword, yes." 

Naturally, Rowell already knew this information from what Rene had told her. 

'He said he had considerable innate talent.'

Using magic through a sword is called sword energy, and those who can handle sword energy are known as sword masters. And Simoren was said to be the youngest sword master. He could demonstrate tremendous power with sword energy, but in reality, using tools to release magic was considered the lowest skill in handling magic. 

'To think that's all he could achieve despite his exceptional talent.'

It wasn't that Simoren was being underestimated. It was a realization of how tricky handling magic could be. This was also why, despite their talent for magic, very few noble bloodlines truly managed to wield it. 

'With my dark hair, handling magic directly is something I can't even dream of.'

That's why Simoren didn't bother asking Rowell if she could use magic. It was obvious she couldn't. The reason Simoren told Rowell about the preservation garden was also consistent with this. Since Rowell couldn't go there by herself, he thought he could keep the secret under control. 

"Thank you, Sir Lindel. If I ever feel like going, I'll definitely tell you."

Thus, Rowell kept his trust. After all, she had never intended to go with him from the start. When Simoren first came as her escort, Rowell thought her misfortune might have finally left her. She believed her luck wasn't too bad for two reasons. First, Simoren could be the key to approaching Peter's secret.

And second, Simoren was the type of person she found easy to handle. 

'I was planning to seek him out if necessary, but he came to me on his own.' 

If Noah had been Rowell's surveillance officer instead, she wouldn't have been able to obtain the secret so quickly. 

'Once you break the mold with a stubborn person, it becomes easy after that.'

Especially since Simoren harbored hostility towards 'Annette,' which was an emotion easy to manipulate. Just a slight twist to break his guard, and everything became easier. Simoren didn't know, but during the days he served as Rowell's escort, her busy movements around the palace were not merely for leisurely walks. She was weaving a web.

She calculated when the maids had their break times to chat, where they gathered during those times, which paths she could pass by unnoticed, and how she could become a topic of conversation among them. Over several days, Rowell calculated all these things and set her trap, and a splendid prey was caught in her web.

Simoren Lindel was indeed splendid prey. 

'So this is the preservation garden.' 

Rowell stood in front of a building that looked like an ordinary annex. From the outside, it was impossible to tell the structure inside, and it even looked like an insignificant building, clearly designed to hide from others' eyes. 

'And this is the lock.'

Rowell placed her hand on a statue next to the building. It looked like an ordinary structure, but touching it, she could feel that preservation magic had been cast on it. If it were just an ordinary statue, there would be no reason to cast preservation magic on it. At least not unless it was attacked multiple times. 

'Simoren said he would open it with sword energy.'

Then the ordinary lock was clearly not ordinary. It had to be large and robust enough to withstand even the power of sword energy, and yet its true nature must not be so apparent. 

'Well, I'll know if I try.'

Rowell raised her left hand. A bracelet with dangling thin diamond-shaped jewels was threaded around her wrist. Rowell plucked the largest and bluest gem from the bracelet. Snap. The sound of metal breaking was heard, and the bracelet instantly transformed into a short sword in her hand. The distinctive feature of the sword was that thin diamond-shaped jewels decorated the handle, and there was one empty spot among them.

Rowell inserted the gem she had just removed into the empty spot. The gem fit perfectly as if it had always been there. The name of this dagger was Tod. Jurgen had given it to Rowell in Opherta to teach her how to survive. And because of her dark hair color, which meant she had no talent for wielding magic, it was also an item that allowed even Rowell to release magic. 

'I don't know the exact principle.'

Tod was said to forcibly extract the inherent magic from the user's body. Therefore, most people who used Tod ended up dying from magic depletion. The superstition that using Tod leads to a short life originated from there. However, Rowell found that she surprisingly had good compatibility with Tod, and so far, she had not encountered any major problems using it. In fact, she even felt lighter after using Tod.

Clang. Tod lightly slashed the statue, and a heavy sound of stone gears moving was heard. However, the sound did not come from the statue. It came from the door beyond. The door, which had shown no seams, opened, and Rowell finally stepped into the 'preservation garden' that Simoren had mentioned. As she entered, the door closed behind her with a thud.

It was only natural to find a way out first, but with the garden before her eyes, Rowell could think of nothing else. 

"…This place." 

The preservation garden looked exactly like the greenhouse of the Hessen mansion.