Louismond elegantly raised the glass and savored its aroma.

The sweet fragrance that stimulated his sense of smell made him feel intoxicated already.

The sparkling dark red color of the wine in the transparent glass was also enticing.

“The aroma is truly delightful.”

Facing Buford, Louismond let out a bright smile.

“I’ve specially selected it. It’s from last year’s batch, and I brought three more bottles, so you’ll have plenty to savor.”

After saying so, Buford confidently brought the glass to his lips and took a sip.

The gaze that peeked through the glass caught Louismond’s attention.

No matter how overtly he was urged, Louismond had the power to refuse.

As rude as it was to insist, he could reject impolitely, or even politely decline.

But Louismond didn’t do any of that.

He looked at Buford and then tilted the glass he was holding, allowing the wine to flow.

Gulp.

The dark red wine smoothly streamed into his throat.

Its sweet and rich taste scratched his taste buds.

“Oh… This is undoubtedly an exquisite wine. It has a wonderful flavor.”

Louismond, who had been rolling the wine in his mouth, smiled with a tinge of regret as he set the glass down.

“But I’m currently not feeling well. I’ve been advised by my physician to refrain from drinking any more. Once I recover, I will savor this excellent wine slowly.”

“Oh, I see. You’re not feeling well? It’s worrisome when you have national events to attend.”

“Haha. I’ll be fine during the Coalition Conference week, so you don’t have to worry. Well… since you’ve come a long way, let me guide you to the castle.”

Louismond, who had been smiling, stood up first and escorted him.

Following the courteous gesture, Buford neatly finished the remaining wine in his glass and placed it on the table.

“Since you say so, you seem a bit tired. You should rest now.”

As he rose from his seat, Louismond led Damon and the attendants towards the door.

Suddenly, at the door, Buford turned back and looked at Louismond.

His gaze focused on the table where Louismond’s wine glass was placed, as if he were bidding farewell to Louismond, who stood upright to see him off.

The completely empty glass and the prince who bid him farewell with a smile.

Buford looked at Louismond with narrowed eyes, smirked, and greeted him.

“Please… I hope to see you safely at the Coalition Conference… I’ll take my leave now.”

* * *

Thud.

The slowly closing door sealed shut completely.

Louismond stood in his place, staring at the closed door as if he were glued to it even after the prince of Akan had left.

When the outside presence had completely disappeared, he finally spoke.

“Princess.”

Only then did a woman in the attire of a maid, with her head lowered, raise her head from a corner of the reception room.

It was Janice, Princess of Naithan, wearing a maid’s head covering to conceal her short hair, with a pale and worried expression on her face.

She immediately rushed towards Louismond.

“Are you alright?”

Inside the reception room, there were several priests and mages dressed as maids and attendants. They had concealed their magical and divine powers and had been waiting, ready to approach Louismond at his signal.

“Your Highness!”

“Look! Check on His Highness’s condition right away…!”

The previously frozen reception room suddenly became noisy.

Louismond, with a tired expression, sank onto the sofa and raised his hand, giving a command.

“There’s nothing wrong, so all of you, leave. The princess and I have something to discuss.”

“But, Your Highness!”

“Don’t worry unnecessarily. I’m fine.”

As if his head was hurting, Louismond lightly rubbed his forehead with his fingers and then looked at the attendants who hadn’t left yet.

“Why are you still here?”

Louismond barely pushed the hesitant attendants out of the room.

Finally, only the princess and Louismond remained.

“Come closer.”

At his gesture, Janice approached him with a stern expression.

As he spoke, he unfastened the cufflink he was wearing on his wrist, revealing a pristine white skin that was unusually fair for a man.

As he rolled up his sleeve, a spot where the skin had turned pitch black became visible.

“…!”

It was where he had already soaked it in holy water.If the demonic energy touches the body, the demonic energy will accumulate in the place where the holy water is applied.

This was primarily a method used by priests in temples for exorcism.

It wasn’t a recommended method due to the strain it put on the body, but in the current situation, it was the best option.

Looking at his blackened forearm, Louismond spoke in a low voice.

“As the princess said, it seems they did something to the wine.”

At his words, Janice looked at him with a pale face and spoke.

“You acted recklessly. Didn’t I tell you not to accept anything from that side because it could be dangerous?!”

“Thanks to that, we were able to confirm it quickly and decisively, didn’t we? Your words and the true intentions of that side.”

“There was no need to confirm it by harming Your Highness’s body. Are you satisfied now that you’ve confirmed it personally?”

Louismond smirked and lowered his head at Janice’s cold remark.

“Not everything has been confirmed yet.”

Louismond extended his forearm, stained black with magic, towards Janice.

“Your proof still remains.”

Janice, looking at the smiling Louismond, sighed and grabbed his wrist.

A small, white hand covered the blackened Louismond’s forearm.

Janice closed her eyes and focused. A faint divine power flowed from her fingertips.

Though not widely known externally, Princess Janice possessed divine power.

She had heard the word ‘Saintess Janice’ more often than being called a princess after becoming an adult.

Janice envisioned her falling country beyond her closed eyes.

How did it come to this?

Even Nathan had fallen completely under the control of Akan’s schemes.

Except for Rojas, it was one of the most powerful nations, yet how did it succumb so helplessly?

It was all because of Akan’s silent destruction of Nathan’s temples.

To prevent the protection of Nathan, the sea goddess Aria, from closing, Akan first contaminated the entire sea.

During that time, her brother, who had visited Akan, became tainted with magic and went mad, persecuting the priests, closing the temples, and imprisoning the royal couple.

All these horrific events occurred within a mere six months.

“Janice, if you surrender, this brother will protect you. The same goes for my Father the King and my Mother the Queen. Take my hand and drink this black Holy Water. Accept that the world will belong to Akan now.”

“Brother, please come to your senses! You must not cause any more terrible events!”

Among the four saints who protected the country, only she survived, the only member of the royal family.

In the final confrontation with brother, she poured all her sacred power to purify him.

She poured everything she had against him, defeating the shadows surrounding him.

Even if she had only seen him collapse from the shockwave that purified the magic, she believed this hellish time would come to an end.

But it wasn’t so.

The one tainted by demonic energy was not only her brother.

“Capture her. And… kill her!”

Avoiding the eyes of the nobles commanding with red irises, Janice narrowly escaped.

After cutting her beautiful hair to conceal her identity, she struggled to find a boat and immediately set off for the Empire.

She walked and walked until her soft but fragile shoes were in tatters, until she arrived here.

The palace she urgently sought out, where the imperial citizens tainted by magic were seen.

And there, the Crown Prince who still smiled warmly at her.

‘It’s still safe here…!’

If it was the Rojas Empire…

With the General Commander, known as the strongest soldier in history, and the Archmage who had reached the pinnacle of enlightenment, this Empire might be able to end the current nightmare.

And thus, perhaps the people of Nathan, her parents, and maybe even her corrupted brother could be saved.

That’s why she clung to Louismond, disregarding her dignity and shame.

Please, protect your own country… and go further to save my country.

Save my people, my parents, and my brother.

The golden radiance gradually subsided, and when Janice finally opened her eyes, the magic that stained Louismond’s forearm, which had turned black, had completely disappeared.

It vanished as if it had never existed there in the first place.

“Now, are you satisfied?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“I was the one who came to you first, but Your Highness… I hope you won’t act recklessly. You must be safe so that this country and my country, can be safe as well. You are aware that it is the duty of the Crown Prince to protect the Empire, aren’t you?”

In response to her stern rebuke, Louismond simply smiled and lightly touched his clean arm.

Then he slowly raised his head and looked at Janice.

“I understand, Princess. I know I was reckless. But… I’m a little, no, very angry, and I can’t see clearly.”“…”

“I’ve never been in a situation like this before, so I can’t control my anger very well.”

She couldn’t help but notice the anger in his words.

Regardless of the size of their respective kingdoms, they were both royals who had carried the same weight throughout their lives.

She, the princess who had desperately fled until her tender feet were completely worn out, running all the way here to save her kingdom, couldn’t be unaware.

Janice, who was silently gazing at Louismond, reached out and wiped his reddened eyes.

“Your Highness, open your eyes clearly.”

Although he felt a slight surprise at her unwavering touch, Janice didn’t withdraw her hand.

“…Since we sailed together, we must win.”

It was a gentle voice, but there was a chilling power within it.

The cold, soft hand that was cooling Louismond’s heated eyes slowly descended.

And right in front of his eyes, there was a pair of violet eyes staring at him as if they were about to engulf him.

They were so close. Too close.

From a distance where rhey would touch with just a slight movement, Janice pursed her lips.

“Until your victory becomes my victory, I will definitely protect you.”

Her firm violet eyes were piercing Louismond’s blue eyes.

“I will assist you and dedicate myself to you, so Your Highness must win without fail.”

At that moment, Louismond realized that he was being engulfed by a massive wave.

He knew he was being swallowed up, but he couldn’t possibly stop it.

‘Ah, what should I do…’

Those violet eyes.

Those pupils, that gaze, kept arousing his greed.

It was absurd, really.

* * *

The capital was right in front of them.

Kalia and her party had arrived at a place where they could reach the palace well before noon the next day.

Before their final move, Kalia grabbed Simon and once again asked to go see the fairy tree.

Simon refused, worried that using the power of purification would be too much, but he couldn’t break Kalia’s stubbornness.

In addition, Sasha, who had been sleeping, woke up and clung to Simon’s head.

And then, Drea, who had been sleeping next to Sasha, also woke up and clung to Kalia’s shoulder.

“Xia!”

“…Haha. Abuu!”

It was a torch tied to Simon’s head without knowing where it was going.

“These stubborn kids, seriously…”

Simon glanced at Kalia, Sasha, and Drea in turn, as if expressing his exhaustion.

Regardless of being adults or children, none of them listened.

But they were not people who could easily be swayed by his displeased gaze.

“It turns out that our son takes after his mother’s stubbornness, huh? Hmm?”

“Just like his father, huh?”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything. Let’s go quickly. We have to meet His Highness in a few hours, so we can’t look too tired.”

“…Fine, I wonder if I can beat you.”

Well, he’s not going to fight, it’ll be fine if it’s just a short visit.

As if giving up, Simon reached out and firmly held Kalia’s hand.

That was the signal.

In an instant, the bodies of the two adults and the bodies hanging from their heads and shoulders, the babies, moved through space.

* * *

She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them, but the air felt different.

Awakening to the cool scent of dawn, Kalia opened her eyes.

She saw a towering and rugged giant tree. The surroundings had also become much cleaner.

Perhaps it was just a feeling, but the tree seemed more vibrant than when she saw it in the daytime.

“…I was so distracted during the day before.”

She took out a small glass bottle from deep in her pocket.

“So, I didn’t have time to return this to you.”

It originally belonged to you, so I’ll return it to you.

Kalia whispered in her heart as she removed the cork from the glass bottle.

And she slowly circled it around the tree.

Shha…

A dry branch swayed in the windless square.