Those words made me realize how strong and firm Count Sasha's resolve was. Parents and children are easily romanticized, but what is the reality?
Even the Emperor himself, once the Crown Prince began amassing power, treated him like an enemy. At least this meant that Count Sasha wasn't a scumbag who betrayed his family. Even so, his crimes couldn't be forgiven.
"I will be the witness myself, Your Highness. I will tell you in detail everything I did for the Second Prince, and everything I did for the Princess after the Second Prince's downfall."
Certainly, there was no evidence as strong as Count Sasha. He was also the owner of the slums that served as a political fund for Prince Cain and Princess Abigail. The Emperor would firmly believe that Prince Cain was the true owner of the slums, and if he learned the truth, he would no longer be able to trust or favor Princess Abigail. However...
“Then the Count will not be safe.”
“But Nife...”
Count Sasha raised his head and looked at me earnestly.
“I hope my daughter is okay?”
This was no longer a deal. It was a desperate plea. In those drooping eyes, I could recall the innocent Count Sasha of the past. It was too late, but he, too, had once possessed conviction, conscience, and affection. My heartfelt pity wasn't directed at Count Sasha of today. Rather, it was at the good Count of the past, at a place I couldn't return to.
"The Count's daughter will be safe. Hold the engagement ceremony as soon as possible and send Lady Sasha to the Winsley estate. Even if the royal family comes looking for Lady Sasha, she's already part of the Winsley family, so they won't be able to take her."
At my words, Count Sasha fell to the ground again and burst into tears.
"I regret it, Your Highness. I should have listened to Count Winsley. I should have taken his honest advice... I never imagined that Nife, that child... was looking at me with those eyes. If I had known, if I had known..."
It was a sincere regret, but it was too late, too late. How many children in the slums suffered at his hands? What sin did my father commit, betrayed by his longtime friend? I didn't want to hear him cry any longer, so I left. Julian hugged my shoulder, as if he had done me a favor.
Ruin and Nife held a small engagement ceremony at the Grand Duke's residence. Nife, who had longed to marry Ruin, wept throughout the ceremony. By the end of the ceremony, her delicate makeup was a mess. Ruin put an engagement ring on Nife and whispered something.
Then, Nife nodded, biting her lip. Judging by the way she looked at Count Sasha after the conversation, it seemed they had talked about him.
Nife no longer looked at Count Sasha with longing eyes. But the tears that had been streaming down her cheeks had stopped flowing.
As soon as the engagement ceremony was over, Ruin and Nife left for Winsley Estate in a carriage, while Count Sasha and his wife headed to the palace to confess.
Less than a few days later, several mages, including Sylvia, entered the palace from the Kios Tower. The Emperor had undoubtedly let go of Princess Abigail. Sylvia sent me a brief letter, as well as a report.
"Princess Abigail is resisting, so it will take some time for the magic sensitivity test to be completed. However, there isn't much time left. I hope you are safe."
True, Princess Abigail wasn't one to easily accept her fate. But what could she do? With no one left by her side. As Sylvia had said, it wouldn't take long.
A few days later, news spread throughout the empire that Princess Abigail had undergone a magical induction test. Not only was she a wizard, but she could also cast curses.
The most crucial fact was that the portal used to summon the demonic beast matched Princess Abigail's magical power. With such a demonic sin revealed, no one could save her.
Princess Abigail was no longer a Princess. She was condemned as a traitor to the empire and imprisoned in an underground prison.
And one more thing.
"The curse of Her Highness the Grand Duchess and Princess Abigail's magical power matched."
A letter arrived from Sylvia. As soon as I received it, I asked Prince Aslan for permission to meet Abigail. It was a risky undertaking, but what mattered to Prince Aslan wasn't my safety, but the fact that he had helped me.
Prince Aslan had already established a sufficient foundation for helping me without being constrained by the Emperor, so he sent someone to fetch me within a day.
Naturally, Julian wanted to go with me. But I refused. I declared that I would rather go with Sylvia. If Abigail was connected to my curse, there was a good chance she knew about my past life.
I didn't want Julian to discover Evelyn's ugly love. He tried to convince me for hours, but I kept my mouth shut and shook my head.
"Your Highness, Your Highness the Grand Duchess... has his reasons. I hope you understand."
Sylvia spoke in my defense, but it seemed to have offended Julian. Julian's expression turned into a pained expression, as if he couldn't believe it.
“So I’m not qualified to know what Sylvia knows.”
“It’s not about qualifications...!”
I tried to make a hasty excuse, but Julian shook his head. Did he not want to hear it? As my heart sank in fear, Julian let out a long sigh and hugged me.
"I'll wait. Until you tell me. So, make sure you return safely. Definitely."
“...I promise. I will definitely return without a single scratch.”
As I spoke with a stern face, Julian smiled with difficulty and held out his hand. The little fingers I'd forcibly entangled countless times were right before my eyes.
I couldn't help but intertwine my pinky with his, vowing that not only would I return safely, but that I would also one day reveal my ugly secret to him...
I rode in a carriage with Julian and Sylvia to the palace. Since Prince Aslan had given us advance notice, no one stood in our way.
Instead, the captain of the guard appeared and escorted us to the dungeon. Julian said he would wait at the prison entrance, as he had promised.
I followed Sylvia down the prison cell. A musty stench assaulted my nostrils, and the stuffy air hit me unpleasantly. I held my nose and gagged, but Sylvia grabbed my hand and muttered a short refrain. Then, the air around me cleared. I sniffed and smiled at Sylvia.
“The baby is grateful, Sylvia.”
“Please tell them I am honored.”
After exchanging brief banter, we descended further. Abigail had lost her status as Princess, but she wasn't haphazardly mixed in with the other sinners.
She was imprisoned alone, away from the other prisoners. It was difficult to guess whether this was the treatment she received as a Princess or the punishment for a heinous criminal.
Beyond the iron bars, a thin, tiny woman crouched. She continued to draw something on the floor, and Sylvia frowned and pointed it out to me.
“...It looks like a magic circle. I don’t know what kind of magic circle it is.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“What are you so careful about?”
Just a moment ago, she seemed oblivious to the person approaching. But now, her eyes were wide open, staring at me. Her gaze was as dazzling as a jewel, yet filled with hatred and a sense of discomfort.
“What do you know to be careful? You’re dying without knowing anything!”
I squinted my eyes as I heard the evil voice.
“You know about my curse, right?”
Abigail chuckled at my question. I ignored her and continued asking.
"What's your relationship with Belina? The one who put a curse on me, or rather, my previous life, Evelyn."
“Belina!”
Abigail threw back her head and laughed heartily. The high-pitched voice was ear-splitting. Covering her ears and frowning, the new voice gradually grew lower, smaller, and more sinister.
“Belina... Belina... She’s a woman I wouldn’t feel satisfied with even if I chewed her bones and all. If only she weren’t here... I would have... Only I...”
Abigail, who had been muttering continuously, suddenly raised her head.
Rattle!
“Yeah! You!”
Abigail lunged at the bars, her eyes wide. She clung to them, seemingly oblivious to the pain, and stared intently at me. Sylvia blocked my path, forcing me to step back. But Abigail, seemingly oblivious to Sylvia, stared only at me.
“The curse hasn’t been lifted yet?”
“...There are many things I want to ask you. The curse is one of them. If you help me, I will make sure you don't suffer the worst ending...”
“Shall I tell you why the curse is not lifted?”
Abigail's face was utterly joyful. Her thin, haggard face was filled with joy. It was eerie to see such a bright face in the dark prison, but I had no intention of escaping. Abigail was my only clue.
“Why?”
“It’s simple. It’s because you don’t love Jul.”
“What the... Don’t talk nonsense!”
"Really. You'll never love Jul again, not this time. Only I love him... Only I love him... And yet, you continue to stick by Jul's side..."
“Abigail?”
“Yeah! There was a way like that!”
Abigail muttered like a madman, then raised her head again. Then she reached out through the bars. I felt a small, dusty hand reach right before my eyes. Sylvia tried to embrace me and back away, but she was a step too late.
The five fingers before my eyes suddenly disintegrated, spinning around and around before gradually taking shape. I knew this sensation. I'd experienced it countless times before.
“Isaac, trust me!”
A shrill scream-like cry struck my ears.
"I'm not a witch. I was simply born with magical powers. I can't cast curses. Really."
Now, they were familiar faces, as if they were acquaintances. Belina was sitting on the floor, crying. And before her stood Isaac, his face agitated.
Even the Emperor himself, once the Crown Prince began amassing power, treated him like an enemy. At least this meant that Count Sasha wasn't a scumbag who betrayed his family. Even so, his crimes couldn't be forgiven.
"I will be the witness myself, Your Highness. I will tell you in detail everything I did for the Second Prince, and everything I did for the Princess after the Second Prince's downfall."
Certainly, there was no evidence as strong as Count Sasha. He was also the owner of the slums that served as a political fund for Prince Cain and Princess Abigail. The Emperor would firmly believe that Prince Cain was the true owner of the slums, and if he learned the truth, he would no longer be able to trust or favor Princess Abigail. However...
“Then the Count will not be safe.”
“But Nife...”
Count Sasha raised his head and looked at me earnestly.
“I hope my daughter is okay?”
This was no longer a deal. It was a desperate plea. In those drooping eyes, I could recall the innocent Count Sasha of the past. It was too late, but he, too, had once possessed conviction, conscience, and affection. My heartfelt pity wasn't directed at Count Sasha of today. Rather, it was at the good Count of the past, at a place I couldn't return to.
"The Count's daughter will be safe. Hold the engagement ceremony as soon as possible and send Lady Sasha to the Winsley estate. Even if the royal family comes looking for Lady Sasha, she's already part of the Winsley family, so they won't be able to take her."
At my words, Count Sasha fell to the ground again and burst into tears.
"I regret it, Your Highness. I should have listened to Count Winsley. I should have taken his honest advice... I never imagined that Nife, that child... was looking at me with those eyes. If I had known, if I had known..."
It was a sincere regret, but it was too late, too late. How many children in the slums suffered at his hands? What sin did my father commit, betrayed by his longtime friend? I didn't want to hear him cry any longer, so I left. Julian hugged my shoulder, as if he had done me a favor.
***
Ruin and Nife held a small engagement ceremony at the Grand Duke's residence. Nife, who had longed to marry Ruin, wept throughout the ceremony. By the end of the ceremony, her delicate makeup was a mess. Ruin put an engagement ring on Nife and whispered something.
Then, Nife nodded, biting her lip. Judging by the way she looked at Count Sasha after the conversation, it seemed they had talked about him.
Nife no longer looked at Count Sasha with longing eyes. But the tears that had been streaming down her cheeks had stopped flowing.
As soon as the engagement ceremony was over, Ruin and Nife left for Winsley Estate in a carriage, while Count Sasha and his wife headed to the palace to confess.
Less than a few days later, several mages, including Sylvia, entered the palace from the Kios Tower. The Emperor had undoubtedly let go of Princess Abigail. Sylvia sent me a brief letter, as well as a report.
"Princess Abigail is resisting, so it will take some time for the magic sensitivity test to be completed. However, there isn't much time left. I hope you are safe."
True, Princess Abigail wasn't one to easily accept her fate. But what could she do? With no one left by her side. As Sylvia had said, it wouldn't take long.
A few days later, news spread throughout the empire that Princess Abigail had undergone a magical induction test. Not only was she a wizard, but she could also cast curses.
The most crucial fact was that the portal used to summon the demonic beast matched Princess Abigail's magical power. With such a demonic sin revealed, no one could save her.
Princess Abigail was no longer a Princess. She was condemned as a traitor to the empire and imprisoned in an underground prison.
And one more thing.
"The curse of Her Highness the Grand Duchess and Princess Abigail's magical power matched."
A letter arrived from Sylvia. As soon as I received it, I asked Prince Aslan for permission to meet Abigail. It was a risky undertaking, but what mattered to Prince Aslan wasn't my safety, but the fact that he had helped me.
Prince Aslan had already established a sufficient foundation for helping me without being constrained by the Emperor, so he sent someone to fetch me within a day.
Naturally, Julian wanted to go with me. But I refused. I declared that I would rather go with Sylvia. If Abigail was connected to my curse, there was a good chance she knew about my past life.
I didn't want Julian to discover Evelyn's ugly love. He tried to convince me for hours, but I kept my mouth shut and shook my head.
"Your Highness, Your Highness the Grand Duchess... has his reasons. I hope you understand."
Sylvia spoke in my defense, but it seemed to have offended Julian. Julian's expression turned into a pained expression, as if he couldn't believe it.
“So I’m not qualified to know what Sylvia knows.”
“It’s not about qualifications...!”
I tried to make a hasty excuse, but Julian shook his head. Did he not want to hear it? As my heart sank in fear, Julian let out a long sigh and hugged me.
"I'll wait. Until you tell me. So, make sure you return safely. Definitely."
“...I promise. I will definitely return without a single scratch.”
As I spoke with a stern face, Julian smiled with difficulty and held out his hand. The little fingers I'd forcibly entangled countless times were right before my eyes.
I couldn't help but intertwine my pinky with his, vowing that not only would I return safely, but that I would also one day reveal my ugly secret to him...
I rode in a carriage with Julian and Sylvia to the palace. Since Prince Aslan had given us advance notice, no one stood in our way.
Instead, the captain of the guard appeared and escorted us to the dungeon. Julian said he would wait at the prison entrance, as he had promised.
I followed Sylvia down the prison cell. A musty stench assaulted my nostrils, and the stuffy air hit me unpleasantly. I held my nose and gagged, but Sylvia grabbed my hand and muttered a short refrain. Then, the air around me cleared. I sniffed and smiled at Sylvia.
“The baby is grateful, Sylvia.”
“Please tell them I am honored.”
After exchanging brief banter, we descended further. Abigail had lost her status as Princess, but she wasn't haphazardly mixed in with the other sinners.
She was imprisoned alone, away from the other prisoners. It was difficult to guess whether this was the treatment she received as a Princess or the punishment for a heinous criminal.
Beyond the iron bars, a thin, tiny woman crouched. She continued to draw something on the floor, and Sylvia frowned and pointed it out to me.
“...It looks like a magic circle. I don’t know what kind of magic circle it is.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“What are you so careful about?”
Just a moment ago, she seemed oblivious to the person approaching. But now, her eyes were wide open, staring at me. Her gaze was as dazzling as a jewel, yet filled with hatred and a sense of discomfort.
“What do you know to be careful? You’re dying without knowing anything!”
I squinted my eyes as I heard the evil voice.
“You know about my curse, right?”
Abigail chuckled at my question. I ignored her and continued asking.
"What's your relationship with Belina? The one who put a curse on me, or rather, my previous life, Evelyn."
“Belina!”
Abigail threw back her head and laughed heartily. The high-pitched voice was ear-splitting. Covering her ears and frowning, the new voice gradually grew lower, smaller, and more sinister.
“Belina... Belina... She’s a woman I wouldn’t feel satisfied with even if I chewed her bones and all. If only she weren’t here... I would have... Only I...”
Abigail, who had been muttering continuously, suddenly raised her head.
Rattle!
“Yeah! You!”
Abigail lunged at the bars, her eyes wide. She clung to them, seemingly oblivious to the pain, and stared intently at me. Sylvia blocked my path, forcing me to step back. But Abigail, seemingly oblivious to Sylvia, stared only at me.
“The curse hasn’t been lifted yet?”
“...There are many things I want to ask you. The curse is one of them. If you help me, I will make sure you don't suffer the worst ending...”
“Shall I tell you why the curse is not lifted?”
Abigail's face was utterly joyful. Her thin, haggard face was filled with joy. It was eerie to see such a bright face in the dark prison, but I had no intention of escaping. Abigail was my only clue.
“Why?”
“It’s simple. It’s because you don’t love Jul.”
“What the... Don’t talk nonsense!”
"Really. You'll never love Jul again, not this time. Only I love him... Only I love him... And yet, you continue to stick by Jul's side..."
“Abigail?”
“Yeah! There was a way like that!”
Abigail muttered like a madman, then raised her head again. Then she reached out through the bars. I felt a small, dusty hand reach right before my eyes. Sylvia tried to embrace me and back away, but she was a step too late.
The five fingers before my eyes suddenly disintegrated, spinning around and around before gradually taking shape. I knew this sensation. I'd experienced it countless times before.
“Isaac, trust me!”
A shrill scream-like cry struck my ears.
"I'm not a witch. I was simply born with magical powers. I can't cast curses. Really."
Now, they were familiar faces, as if they were acquaintances. Belina was sitting on the floor, crying. And before her stood Isaac, his face agitated.
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