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"If it's something His Majesty the Emperor desires, I will do my best to help."
When Charles readily agreed, His Majesty the Emperor asked with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
"Is that sincere?"
The gazes of one trying to hide their true feelings and the other trying to read them intertwined like a spear and shield.
Charles came to a conclusion.
'My brother can't go back to being the Third Imperial Prince who dreamed blue dreams.'
If it couldn't be undone, he shouldn't look back.
To deceive His Majesty the Emperor, Charles spoke with a similar look in his eyes.
A greedy, murky look.
"Didn't I promise to live a life that follows His Majesty's will?"
"⋯⋯."
His Majesty the Emperor still didn't let go of his suspicious gaze.
To avoid suspicion, Charles went one step further.
"I will take the lead and push this matter forward."
"You?"
"If it changes to a Theocratic System, there will be considerable backlash from the monks and the Imperial Family."
"That's right. Especially the monks, they'll resist greatly, saying it's blasphemy against God."
His Majesty the Emperor leaned back languidly in his chair and gave a twisted smile.
Charles knelt down on one knee before His Majesty the Emperor, as if swearing allegiance.
"I will prove it by dealing with the rebelling forces."
"⋯⋯."
"My loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor, that is."
Charles thought with his head bowed.
'While pretending to deal with the rebelling forces, let's unite with them.'
"⋯⋯."
His Majesty the Emperor, looking down at Charles, remained silent.
A sharp silence flowed in the room.
No one knew how the cruel and suspicious His Majesty the Emperor would suddenly change.
Charles endured the suffocating tension and waited for His Majesty the Emperor's answer.
It was at that moment.
"Hahaha."
His Majesty the Emperor began to laugh loudly. The laughter, which had continued for a long time, gradually subsided.
"Good. Do so."
"Thank you."
"But if you fail to handle it properly or do anything foolish, not only you but also Iana Archmage will not be spared."
When Iana's name was mentioned from His Majesty the Emperor's mouth, Charles's eyes sharpened.
"I will do so, Your Majesty."
"Then hurry up and push it forward."
At His Majesty the Emperor's command, Charles rose from his seat and was about to offer his greetings when he spoke.
"Your Majesty, may I ask you one thing?"
"Speak."
"Even when Your Majesty was young, you never admired theocratic states."
"That's right. Rather, I thought it was a primitive way of governing."
His Majesty the Emperor replied with a face lost in thought, as if looking back on the past.
"But why did you suddenly change your mind?"
When Charles asked, His Majesty the Emperor rose from his seat and stood in front of his portrait hanging on the wall.
"Riel told me."
"⋯⋯?"
"That I am the God who saved her life."
'Riel?'
Charles frowned slightly without realizing it.
His Majesty the Emperor slowly turned around and said with a grotesquely bright smile.
"So I made up my mind. To become an Emperor like a God who will save the lives of the poor Imperial citizens."
Charles felt like he was going to be sick.
His Majesty the Emperor was talking about his own ugly greed as if it were a sacrifice for others.
"I understand His Majesty's deep intentions and will move immediately."
Charles bowed briefly, turned around, and walked towards the door.
With each step, memories.
With each step, respect.
With each step, longing for the Third Imperial Prince brother who dreamed blue dreams.
Disappeared from Charles's heart.
Creak-.
Charles opened the office door with both hands and went out.
Intense sunlight poured down on him. He walked through the sunlight, thinking.
'Let's send a secret letter to Aden brother at the monastery right now.'
For solidarity for the rebellion.
✦ ✦ ✦
That night, Iana paced back and forth in her room, waiting for Charles.
When she heard footsteps outside the window, she looked out and waited again for several hours.
"His Majesty the Emperor suddenly called Your Highness during the day."
A knight of The First Order of Knights, whom she happened to meet, told her the news of Charles.
Charles had returned to the Imperial Palace from the outer castle of the capital early, but he did not return to his quarters until late at night.
"Why did His Majesty the Emperor suddenly call Your Highness?"
Iana kept having ominous thoughts.
She remembered Charles, who hadn't answered her when she asked him to be careful with words and actions that could be misunderstood as treason.
At that moment, she heard footsteps outside the window.
Iana hurriedly leaned out the window and looked around.
Charles was walking with a thoughtful face.
"Your Highness!"
Iana called out loudly with a happy heart.
Charles startled, came to his senses, and said with a smile.
"Aren't you asleep yet?"
"I'm waiting for Your Highness. I have something to say."
Charles didn't answer, for some reason.
Iana asked, urging him to answer.
"Shall I go to Your Highness's room?"
After speaking, she babbled excuses because the atmosphere was strange.
"I mean, I have something to say and something to ask⋯⋯."
"I will go up to your room."
Charles replied briefly and walked into the annex entrance.
Iana opened the door slightly and waited for Charles.
Charles was about to knock on the door when he met her eyes through the crack in the door.
He lowered his head and said in a whisper.
"What are you peeking at like that? Like someone doing something bad."
"M-Me, something bad!"
Iana asked back with a flushed face.
Charles chuckled and stepped into the room. Then Iana checked to see if the door was closed properly and asked urgently.
"Your Highness, I heard His Majesty the Emperor called you today? Why did he suddenly call you?"
"Is that why you were waiting for me?"
"Yes."
Iana nodded as if it were obvious.
"I thought you were waiting because you missed me, but I'm disappointed."
When Charles playfully changed the subject, Iana covered his face with both hands this time without permission.
"Why don't you answer the questions I ask these days?"
"Okay. I'll answer, so sit in front of the vanity."
He smiled and pointed to the vanity chair.
"Why the vanity, not the sofa?"
Iana lowered her hands that had been holding Charles's cheeks and tilted her head.
Charles slowly stroked Iana's golden hair.
"Your hair is disheveled like Arika Vine."
"I, I combed my hair, but I leaned out the window, so, so I guess that's why."
Iana's face turned red up to her neck with embarrassment.
"I'll comb it for you."
Charles took her hand and led her to the vanity chair and sat her down.
Isn't combing hair something maids do?
Iana waved her hands wildly and stopped him.
"No. I'll do it. I can do it."
"I just want to do it for you."
Charles picked up a comb from the vanity and stood behind her.
"Still⋯⋯."
"If you keep disobeying me, I won't answer the questions you're curious about."
"Yes, I understand."
Iana had no choice but to sit up straight so that her face was reflected in the vanity mirror.
Charles slowly combed Iana's hair.
Iana stared at Charles's face reflected in the mirror.
His face, with his eyes lowered, felt masculine yet elegant.
Then Charles opened his mouth in a low voice.
"Iana."
"Yes, Your Highness."
When Iana answered, Charles stopped combing and slowly raised his head to gaze at her reflected in the mirror.
"His Majesty the Emperor says he will become a God."
"Yes? A God?"
Iana asked with a shocked face.
It was absurd to say that a human would become a God.
"He's trying to seize absolute power with a Theocratic Political System."
"Then what will happen?"
"It will be one of two things."
"⋯⋯?"
"Either the Emperor becomes a God, or he is overthrown by a rebellion."
"⋯⋯!"
Iana's heart sank at the word rebellion.
As if the thing she had been worried about had become a reality.
"For now, I plan to side with the Emperor."
"⋯⋯."
"As soon as you enter The Nine, take the Archmages you can gather and go to the monastery where Aden brother is."
"What about Your Highness?"
Iana was overcome with anxiety.
"I will stay here and pretend to be on the Emperor's side while helping the rebel forces."
At Charles's words, she thought back and forth.
'If I suddenly leave, the Emperor will suspect Your Highness. That he smuggled me out.'
"But⋯⋯."
Just as Iana was about to reject his proposal.
Charles came in front of Iana, knelt down on one knee, and took her hand.
"Iana, if things go wrong, flee beyond the border. And somehow, survive."
"⋯⋯!"
"Because it's a life you've only just regained after the black magic was lifted."
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