“I missed you.”
With an apology for being late.
A scent wafted from hia embrace.
The scent of the male she had longed for.
“There’s no time.”
Roxanne covered Sepia with a robe.
His hand grabbed her. She could feel it because of the hot temperature.
That this was not an illusion.
“Be careful.”
Roxanne, who had entered the floor entrance first, stretched out his arm.
As if possessed, she grabbed his hand, and Roxanne lowered her down.
There was a long tunnel under the marble.
‘Underground space?’
With an apology for being late.
A scent wafted from hia embrace.
The scent of the male she had longed for.
“There’s no time.”
Roxanne covered Sepia with a robe.
His hand grabbed her. She could feel it because of the hot temperature.
That this was not an illusion.
“Be careful.”
Roxanne, who had entered the floor entrance first, stretched out his arm.
As if possessed, she grabbed his hand, and Roxanne lowered her down.
There was a long tunnel under the marble.
‘Underground space?’
She had a map of the imperial city, but it was so vast that she hadn’t memorized it all.
She didn’t even know there was such a place.
Roxanne led the way, pushing through the darkness.
It was clearly pitch-black, but there seemed to be a halo of light flowing.
There were so many things she wanted to ask.
But her mouth wouldn’t open.
“This way.”
How long had they walked like that?
The moonlight was illuminating the forest.
When she turned around absentmindedly, she saw the walls of the imperial castle.
She had left the ghost palace and the imperial castle.
Seeing the distant lights, she felt a strange sense of liberation and breathed.
Roxanne led her and walked into the bushes.
As she entered the forest, she saw knights who had gathered in advance.
Groer, who had found Roxanne and Sepia, waved his arms excitedly.
“Your Majesty, welcome. Oh, now you are the Grand Duchess.”
His smirk was playful.
Now, she finally felt that all of this was real.
“Wait a minute. If we do this, you will all become criminals.”
She wanted to see Roxanne.
However, she did not want him to take the blame.
Roxanne smiled at Sepia’s anxiety.
“No one will know. They will not even know that Sepia lent me the map.”
Sepia was speechless at the statement that it would not be against the law.
‘Is it really okay to leave like this?’
Leaving the imperial castle where she had spent a long time as Empress.
However, there was no place for Sepia there anymore.
Roxanne brought the black horse.
The large steed blinked obediently in front of Sepia.
“Get on. It would be better to hurry a little.”
“But.. Madame Remody is still there.”
When Sepia hesitated in front of the horse, Roxanne explained.
“I know. Madame has decided to buy time. We will leave after a few days.”
Sepia hesitated at the words that seemed to be soothing her, telling her not to worry. She felt bad that Madame Remody was getting involved, but she couldn’t leave her like that.
“When did you start planning this?”
Was this the reason he didn’t show up at the court?
Her determination was short.
When Sepia mounted the steed, Roxanne rode in front of her and grabbed the reins.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to Leopold. I’m currently back in the territory. And I’m seriously injured.”
Sepia’s eyes widened.
Leopold was a place full of misunderstandings surrounding Roxanne.
Should she go there?
But she had no choice.
As Sepia hugged his waist, the steed moved.
“Let’s go.”
At Roxanne’s signal, the knights on horseback formed a line.
The steed cut through the forest.
The fresh smell of grass and the night’s dew tickled the tip of their noses along with the wind.
Everything felt like a dream.
As they crossed the night and climbed the hill, the east was dawning.
With the brilliant sun.
Sepia traveled with the knights for ten more days.
The horse kept going, except for resting or briefly camping in between.
Riding a horse for a long time was hard work.
But this was the first time she felt such clear freedom.
One more day.
When Sepia fell asleep leaning on his back, Roxanne’s voice woke her up.
“Sepia. Look down.”
When she opened her eyes in a dazed state, the newly risen sun was dazzling.
Sepia frowned, rubbed her eyes, and looked forward again.
“...That.”
Below the cliff, a vast sea was spread out.
Whoosh. The sound of the waves and the cries of seabirds.
It was ecstasy.
Roxanne stopped talking and looked down at the sea with her.
“You’ve achieved your wish.”
Appreciating the sea for the first time with her.
The two got off their horses and admired the sea beyond the cliff.
When they looked down, they felt they couldn’t bear it anymore.
“Roxanne, can you forget your lover?”
“No.”
“Then why did you say you liked me?”
“That’s...”
Tears welled up in Sepia’s eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me, ‘Demios’?”
Roxanne choked at her words.
Soon, his golden pupils dilated greatly, then contracted.
“...The ban has been lifted.”
Sepia didn’t know exactly what the ban meant.
However, she was able to realize one thing.
The fact that Roxanne had also been waiting for her to recognize him.
And that her past lover was really him.
Sepia couldn’t hold it in anymore and started crying.
Just like when she was an abused Princess.
She was going from Empress to human, from human to child.
With Sepia’s young lover.
The two arrived at Leopold's castle.
A servant came out to greet them in front of the castle perched on a cliff.
All the servants she saw for the first time were Leopold’s beasts.
However, they didn’t seem to have any ill feelings toward Roxanne.
Rather, they looked at him with respect and admiration.
‘Has the misunderstanding been resolved?’
She wondered, but it was not appropriate to ask.
Roxanne led Sepia to a clean bedroom.
When she opened the window, she could see the sea below.
Roxanne stood in the pouring morning sunlight.
Her young lover appeared in front of Sepia in a different form.
“What happened?”
Why didn’t you tell me all this time?
There were too many things she wanted to ask.
Roxanne, ‘the past Demios’, opened her mouth to her eyes, demanding an explanation.
“...It all started with the deal between Empress Yerdial and Emperor Huron.”
Sepia’s pupils shook.
There was expected to be some kind of transaction between the two empires.
However, they did not know how the transaction was connected.
Emperor Bertik of Huron had a special book.
It was an ancient book on black magic, and although it was half-written, it was not a fake but a real one.
However, the book was written in an ancient language used by the beastmen, so it was impossible to decipher.
At that time, Empress Yerdial of the beastmen Empire was extremely anxious because the successor of the Red King was born as a divine beast.
The Emperor of Huron made her an offer. He said that if she lent him the Crown Prince for five years, he would give her this book.
Empress Yerdial accepted Bertik's offer.
The Empress received the book, and after a long time, the day came when she had to keep her promise.
The Empress used the black magic book to spread an epidemic throughout Leopold.
Then, she threatens the Red King with the life of the Red Queen and takes away their successor.
'Black magic that changes appearance.'
Yerdial cast a spell that changed Demios into Roxanne and Roxanne into Demios.
The ones sent to the Huron Empire were Roxanne and the divine beast named Crod.
However, even powerful magic had side effects.
The side effect was the caster’s body rotting away.
“...Why did the Emperor want the beast Prince?”
“He was very interested in the beast body.”
Bertik had long been deeply interested in the beast species.
What if they could create a powerful weapon with a body based on a beast?
Among them, the divine beast species was enough to pique the Emperor’s interest.
“Then the barbarians who appeared then...”
“Yes. They are test subjects.”
Sepia grabbed Roxanne’s arm and rolled up his sleeve.
There were marks of being cut, slashed, and pulled out.
Emperor Bertik had been experimenting with Roxanne to create a beast weapon.
And for five years.
Tears welled up in her blue eyes.
The reason Roxanne covered his body with clothes and only appeared in the winter was to hide the traces of the experiment.
“And the beasts who attacked me near the imperial castle were not the residents of Leopor. They were not barbarians either.”
Then...
“Bertik failed in his experiments. It seems that he abandoned those failures in the Beastkin Empire.”
The beastly failures were abandoned in the Beatkin Empire and attacked the residents.
However, those who attacked Roxanne were resenting him.
It was because of someone’s brainwashing.
Although he hasn’t revealed it yet.
“...Then what happened when you got back?”
“I told you before that I had a problem with my memory.”
Sepia nodded.
She still remembered clearly what he had said, that maybe he was still wandering in search of the past.
“Eleven years ago, Empress Yerdial personally summoned me and ordered me to subdue them. Since the moment the Empress gave the order, I have lived for seven years without ever remembering my past.”
It was difficult to understand.
He slowly chose his words when asked again.
“The moment I heard Empress Yerdial’s order, I forgot all my memories. From that day on, all I could think about was subjugation. It wasn’t just my memory that was the problem. I acted as if I was under the influence of a suggestion.”
The only thing that filled up the erased life was Yerdiel’s orders.
Seven years later, on a day on the battlefield.
“When I suddenly opened my eyes, my lost memories returned. It was when the subjugation was already more than halfway done.”
Sepia was calculating the time he had spent on the battlefield and the time with the Empress.
‘...Seven years.’
A sudden chill ran through her.
The time the Empress passed away and the time he had regained his memories coincided.
She didn’t even know there was such a place.
Roxanne led the way, pushing through the darkness.
It was clearly pitch-black, but there seemed to be a halo of light flowing.
There were so many things she wanted to ask.
But her mouth wouldn’t open.
“This way.”
How long had they walked like that?
The moonlight was illuminating the forest.
When she turned around absentmindedly, she saw the walls of the imperial castle.
She had left the ghost palace and the imperial castle.
Seeing the distant lights, she felt a strange sense of liberation and breathed.
Roxanne led her and walked into the bushes.
As she entered the forest, she saw knights who had gathered in advance.
Groer, who had found Roxanne and Sepia, waved his arms excitedly.
“Your Majesty, welcome. Oh, now you are the Grand Duchess.”
His smirk was playful.
Now, she finally felt that all of this was real.
“Wait a minute. If we do this, you will all become criminals.”
She wanted to see Roxanne.
However, she did not want him to take the blame.
Roxanne smiled at Sepia’s anxiety.
“No one will know. They will not even know that Sepia lent me the map.”
Sepia was speechless at the statement that it would not be against the law.
‘Is it really okay to leave like this?’
Leaving the imperial castle where she had spent a long time as Empress.
However, there was no place for Sepia there anymore.
Roxanne brought the black horse.
The large steed blinked obediently in front of Sepia.
“Get on. It would be better to hurry a little.”
“But.. Madame Remody is still there.”
When Sepia hesitated in front of the horse, Roxanne explained.
“I know. Madame has decided to buy time. We will leave after a few days.”
Sepia hesitated at the words that seemed to be soothing her, telling her not to worry. She felt bad that Madame Remody was getting involved, but she couldn’t leave her like that.
“When did you start planning this?”
Was this the reason he didn’t show up at the court?
Her determination was short.
When Sepia mounted the steed, Roxanne rode in front of her and grabbed the reins.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to Leopold. I’m currently back in the territory. And I’m seriously injured.”
Sepia’s eyes widened.
Leopold was a place full of misunderstandings surrounding Roxanne.
Should she go there?
But she had no choice.
As Sepia hugged his waist, the steed moved.
“Let’s go.”
At Roxanne’s signal, the knights on horseback formed a line.
The steed cut through the forest.
The fresh smell of grass and the night’s dew tickled the tip of their noses along with the wind.
Everything felt like a dream.
As they crossed the night and climbed the hill, the east was dawning.
With the brilliant sun.
Sepia traveled with the knights for ten more days.
The horse kept going, except for resting or briefly camping in between.
Riding a horse for a long time was hard work.
But this was the first time she felt such clear freedom.
One more day.
When Sepia fell asleep leaning on his back, Roxanne’s voice woke her up.
“Sepia. Look down.”
When she opened her eyes in a dazed state, the newly risen sun was dazzling.
Sepia frowned, rubbed her eyes, and looked forward again.
“...That.”
Below the cliff, a vast sea was spread out.
Whoosh. The sound of the waves and the cries of seabirds.
It was ecstasy.
Roxanne stopped talking and looked down at the sea with her.
“You’ve achieved your wish.”
Appreciating the sea for the first time with her.
The two got off their horses and admired the sea beyond the cliff.
When they looked down, they felt they couldn’t bear it anymore.
“Roxanne, can you forget your lover?”
“No.”
“Then why did you say you liked me?”
“That’s...”
Tears welled up in Sepia’s eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me, ‘Demios’?”
Roxanne choked at her words.
Soon, his golden pupils dilated greatly, then contracted.
“...The ban has been lifted.”
Sepia didn’t know exactly what the ban meant.
However, she was able to realize one thing.
The fact that Roxanne had also been waiting for her to recognize him.
And that her past lover was really him.
Sepia couldn’t hold it in anymore and started crying.
Just like when she was an abused Princess.
She was going from Empress to human, from human to child.
With Sepia’s young lover.
***
The two arrived at Leopold's castle.
A servant came out to greet them in front of the castle perched on a cliff.
All the servants she saw for the first time were Leopold’s beasts.
However, they didn’t seem to have any ill feelings toward Roxanne.
Rather, they looked at him with respect and admiration.
‘Has the misunderstanding been resolved?’
She wondered, but it was not appropriate to ask.
Roxanne led Sepia to a clean bedroom.
When she opened the window, she could see the sea below.
Roxanne stood in the pouring morning sunlight.
Her young lover appeared in front of Sepia in a different form.
“What happened?”
Why didn’t you tell me all this time?
There were too many things she wanted to ask.
Roxanne, ‘the past Demios’, opened her mouth to her eyes, demanding an explanation.
“...It all started with the deal between Empress Yerdial and Emperor Huron.”
Sepia’s pupils shook.
There was expected to be some kind of transaction between the two empires.
However, they did not know how the transaction was connected.
Emperor Bertik of Huron had a special book.
It was an ancient book on black magic, and although it was half-written, it was not a fake but a real one.
However, the book was written in an ancient language used by the beastmen, so it was impossible to decipher.
At that time, Empress Yerdial of the beastmen Empire was extremely anxious because the successor of the Red King was born as a divine beast.
The Emperor of Huron made her an offer. He said that if she lent him the Crown Prince for five years, he would give her this book.
Empress Yerdial accepted Bertik's offer.
The Empress received the book, and after a long time, the day came when she had to keep her promise.
The Empress used the black magic book to spread an epidemic throughout Leopold.
Then, she threatens the Red King with the life of the Red Queen and takes away their successor.
'Black magic that changes appearance.'
Yerdial cast a spell that changed Demios into Roxanne and Roxanne into Demios.
The ones sent to the Huron Empire were Roxanne and the divine beast named Crod.
However, even powerful magic had side effects.
The side effect was the caster’s body rotting away.
“...Why did the Emperor want the beast Prince?”
“He was very interested in the beast body.”
Bertik had long been deeply interested in the beast species.
What if they could create a powerful weapon with a body based on a beast?
Among them, the divine beast species was enough to pique the Emperor’s interest.
“Then the barbarians who appeared then...”
“Yes. They are test subjects.”
Sepia grabbed Roxanne’s arm and rolled up his sleeve.
There were marks of being cut, slashed, and pulled out.
Emperor Bertik had been experimenting with Roxanne to create a beast weapon.
And for five years.
Tears welled up in her blue eyes.
The reason Roxanne covered his body with clothes and only appeared in the winter was to hide the traces of the experiment.
“And the beasts who attacked me near the imperial castle were not the residents of Leopor. They were not barbarians either.”
Then...
“Bertik failed in his experiments. It seems that he abandoned those failures in the Beastkin Empire.”
The beastly failures were abandoned in the Beatkin Empire and attacked the residents.
However, those who attacked Roxanne were resenting him.
It was because of someone’s brainwashing.
Although he hasn’t revealed it yet.
“...Then what happened when you got back?”
“I told you before that I had a problem with my memory.”
Sepia nodded.
She still remembered clearly what he had said, that maybe he was still wandering in search of the past.
“Eleven years ago, Empress Yerdial personally summoned me and ordered me to subdue them. Since the moment the Empress gave the order, I have lived for seven years without ever remembering my past.”
It was difficult to understand.
He slowly chose his words when asked again.
“The moment I heard Empress Yerdial’s order, I forgot all my memories. From that day on, all I could think about was subjugation. It wasn’t just my memory that was the problem. I acted as if I was under the influence of a suggestion.”
The only thing that filled up the erased life was Yerdiel’s orders.
Seven years later, on a day on the battlefield.
“When I suddenly opened my eyes, my lost memories returned. It was when the subjugation was already more than halfway done.”
Sepia was calculating the time he had spent on the battlefield and the time with the Empress.
‘...Seven years.’
A sudden chill ran through her.
The time the Empress passed away and the time he had regained his memories coincided.
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