Yerhan had been tormented by the nobility for several days.
He had already declared that he would not become the crown prince, but the nobles who supported him did not give up.
Meanwhile, Prince Zeref disappeared overnight and the Duke of Eloa was detained.
When all the nobles who supported the duke dispersed, even those who stood neutral turned to Yerhan.
Yerhan threatened to run away like the second prince if they continued to bother him.
At that time, the nobles started to be a little less bothersome, but the subtle urgency still did not go away.
Yerhan handled the tasks of the empty seats of the imperial family. He had to take care of a few people’s positions alone because nobody remained.
While he was in a bad mood because he didn’t have time to see Rosena, he got some bad news.
“The Crown Prince has woken up.”
Yerhan stopped after signing the paperwork. He put down the pen and pulled the chair back.
Yerhan, who released his hand from the document for a moment, narrowed his forehead.
“It’s not very good news.”
Rather, he thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea if he would not be able to wake up forever.
Truly, he is a guy with a tough lifeline.
“Finally, we can bring him to trial.”
The date was set, but Zigrit did not wake up, so he almost prosecuted the unconscious man.
Yerhan recalled the Zigrit he had seen a few days ago.
Zigrit, who had been imprisoned in a cell containing monsters, lost his limbs one by one and was wandering through death.
He was in such a state of disrepair that other people would not even realise that he was the crown prince.
But Yerhan was not satisfied.
Zigrit did everything to seize Rosena’s power.
Considering the pain Rosena suffered, Zigrit’s end had to be a more miserable state than this.
“Let’s call it a day.”
At Yerhan’s work, the deputy commander of the Tiriad knights, Elsid, paused.
Yerhan looked out of the window, watched the sun set and added a few more words.
“It’s about time for dinner…”
Elsid let out a small sigh. He added excuses, but in the end he said he wanted to go home.
“Okay. I will put the rest aside until tomorrow.”
Upon hearing the desired answer, Yerhan jumped up from his seat. He hurriedly put on his coat and left the office immediately.
Yerhan’s steps towards the Third Prince Palace were very light. He was excited to have dinner with Rosena.
He had gotten along pretty well with Illian these days, so it was fun going home from work. He wondered if this was how it felt to raise a child.
Entering the Third Prince Palace, Yerhan looked around. Unlike usual, there was an atmosphere of silence.
He walked down the hallway with a puzzled face. When he opened the bedroom door, he saw Rosena sitting on the bed.
“Rosena.”
The corners of Yerhan’s lips soared. Just looking at her face, happy emotions flowed out.
However, unlike usual, Rosena did not approach Yerhan immediately, but calmly got up from her seat.
“Yerhan, let’s talk.”
At Rosena’s words, Yerhan stopped. Did something wrong happen to her today?
Yerhan fumbled through his mind quickly, but nothing particularly bothered him.
…Is she upset because he had been so busy these days that he had neglected his family?
“Rosena, I was going to come earlier today…”
Yerhan was desperately trying to make an excuse, but Rosena walked up to him and stopped.
Yerhan moved his neck without realizing it. As he waited and waited, he heard an unexpected word.
“I have something to discuss about the throne.”
“The… throne?”
Yerhan asked with an expression of whether he was currently hearing it wrong.
Up until now, Rosena had maintained her position that she will not become the empress. Yerhan had also respected Rosena’s wishes.
But what kind of wind has changed Rosena’s mind?
Did she hear a strange story from someone?
Yerhan asked carefully, thinking that he had to deal with that person in his head.
“Did you hear anything from anyone?”
Rosena slowly lowered her eyes.
“It’s just something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”
Obviously, Rosena was supposed to be defending her opponent. Yerhan nodded without asking any further questions.
“First of all, can’t you kiss me now that I’ve come back safely?”
The most important thing to Yerhan right now was a kiss from Rosena.
Rosena belatedly reached out her arms and wrapped her arms around Yerhan’s neck and kissed his lips.
A sweet scent passed through the tip of his nose. The kiss ended in a flash, and Yerhan looked into Rosena’s eyes with a sad face.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been distracted all day.”
Yerhan, who was touching Rosena’s hair, led her to the bed.
Yerhan, who worried that her leg might hurt, sat her on the bed and looked down at Rosena.
“…So what do you want to do?”
Yerhan was ready to follow Rosena’s words.
If Rosena changed her mind and desired the throne, he could deal with Barmun right now and bring her the crown.
Yerhan waited patiently for her, and Rosena finally spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about it… I think it’s probably right for us to succeed to the throne.”
“……”
“No matter how much we clean up, it’s probably just the tip of the iceberg. There will be more problems ahead. If we do something wrong, we might have a problem moving to Astania.”
After hearing Rosena’s opinion, Yerhan was silent. He seemed to have been thinking for a moment.
Rosena calmly opened her mouth as she looked at Yerhan.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it well. Because I just thought I wasn’t going to do it until now.”
Rosena laid her eyes down and smoothed her fingers.
“But… if I can change the world with my own hands, I think it’s okay to make some concessions.”
It was the conclusion she came to after thinking about it all day.
This was a concession, not a sacrifice. If Rosena had sacrificed for others until now, this time it was voluntary.
Although the time to return to Astania would be a little later, she would not regret it.
“Of course, Yerhan, your opinion is the most important.”
If Yerhan didn’t like it, Rosena had no intention of forcing it either. Rosena valued Yerhan more than the people of the empire and the nobles.
She will be with him for the rest of her life, so his thoughts will come first.
“What do you think?”
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
Rosena was bewildered at the answer that came back immediately and asked.
“Don’t you have to think about it?”
Even for Rosena, it was the conclusion she came to after thinking about it all day. But Yerhan answered by holding Rosena’s hand tightly.
“Your thoughts are my thoughts.”
Rosena was speechless for a moment. She felt a deep sense of trust in him. It was different from before when they doubted each other because they couldn’t trust each other.
Rosena, who was moved by the changed relationship, spoke as she swept the bedsheets down for nothing.
“However, I will put conditions on the nobles.”
“What kind?”
Rosena had already thought a lot about passing the throne to the right person someday.
Even if she and Yerhan ascended the throne, she had no intention of letting Illian inherit it. She wanted to relinquish the throne to a competent person someday when he appeared.
Yerhan, who was silent for a moment, reached out and took Rosena’s hand. The warmth she was holding wetted her fingertips.
Yerhan smiled softly as usual.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll follow you.”
“Thank you.”
A smile spread across Rosena’s lips. Yerhan, who had been watching her silently, sat down next to Rosena.
He opened his mouth, stroking her coveted red hair.
“I also have to put up a condition.”
“…?”
“I want you to set a clear time to take care of your affairs. It’s sad because I feel like I’m going to die if I spend less time looking at you than I do now.”
Rosena’s cheeks lit up. It was an embarrassing thing to say, but she didn’t dislike hearing it.
Looking at Rosena who had turned into a ripe apple, Yerhan burst out a small laugh.
Rosena, who had been glancing at him, smiled at the end.
***
The dungeon in the corner of the Imperial Palace was filled with darkness.
In the past, it was a prison that kept prisoners of war, and now, it stored monsters.
It was so deep that not even a single light could enter it, and it was so humid that the musty smell did not go away.
From the deepest part of the prison, sickly sounds rang out constantly. It sounded like the cry of an animal.
Zigrit, lying on the dirty floor like a corpse, opened his eyes. He tried to move his body, but a scream came out of the sudden surge of pain.
He was in cold sweat. Then he later realized that one of his limbs was missing.
Zigrit looked down at the empty limbs with trembling eyes.
“Ahhhhhh!!!!”
Zigrit, who couldn’t believe it, cried out.
He slapped his face over and over again to wake himself up from the nightmare. But nothing had changed except for the pain.
It was then that Zigrit realized. That he was defeated by Yerhan, whom he only thought was dead.
“Ugghh…”
Zigrit banged his head on the floor. He thought that if he could just get Rosena, everything would work out. Not even the damn monsters and Yerhan would doubt his abilities.
However, he didn’t expect this result.
Zigrit still couldn’t accept the reason for his defeat.
Yerhan and him were the same ones who inherited the power of the divinity. But why did God only give Yerhan, the damned illegitimate child, such power?
Zigrit cried out madly at the frustration that came with anger.
When he grabbed the iron bar with one arm and shook it, his right shoulder, which had already been cut off, throbbed.
Shortly thereafter, the sound of footsteps was heard.
With the smell of burning wood, shimmering flames illuminated the surroundings.
When the light appeared, a huge shadow appeared on the stone wall.
The footsteps became louder and louder, and Zigrit immediately raised his head. A man was standing outside the bars.
Zigrit immediately realized that he was one of the Tiriad knights.
“Have you awakened?”
He asked Zigrit. He was being respectful, but his eyes seemed to be looking at an insignificant thing.
Zigrit squeezed his voice, but nothing came out. Zigrit was trying to grab his neck, but he fell down.
As he slumped to the floor, a small sneer came from overhead.
Zigrit, whose face was flushed red, was about to raise his head, but the man’s voice reached his ears first.
“There will be a trial in a few days.”
Zigrit’s body hardened at once. He barely raised his head, and the man’s eyes met his
His expressionless face was gloomy, and Zigrit flinched involuntarily.
In the past, it would have been the other way around. He would be the one looking down at that man from above.
Feeling insulted, Zigrit crumpled his face.
The man grinned as if he had read Zigrit’s thoughts and threw something.
A dull sound echoed through the stone-walled prison.
What rolled over was a bucket of water.
Seeing it, Zigrit felt a sharp thirst.
“Then please be quiet until then.”
The man walked away as if he had no regrets.
As the lights went out, darkness came in an instant. The surroundings felt much darker than before he came.
Zigrit, who was left in the silence, gripped his trembling hands tightly.
To be judged in front of everyone…. It was clear that Yerhan was trying to retaliate.
Zigrit predicted his fate and closed his eyes.
After a while, his eyes slowly opened, and t
Yerhan had been tormented by the nobility for several days.
He had already declared that he would not become the crown prince, but the nobles who supported him did not give up.
Meanwhile, Prince Zeref disappeared overnight and the Duke of Eloa was detained.
When all the nobles who supported the duke dispersed, even those who stood neutral turned to Yerhan.
Yerhan threatened to run away like the second prince if they continued to bother him.
At that time, the nobles started to be a little less bothersome, but the subtle urgency still did not go away.
Yerhan handled the tasks of the empty seats of the imperial family. He had to take care of a few people’s positions alone because nobody remained.
While he was in a bad mood because he didn’t have time to see Rosena, he got some bad news.
“The Crown Prince has woken up.”
Yerhan stopped after signing the paperwork. He put down the pen and pulled the chair back.
Yerhan, who released his hand from the document for a moment, narrowed his forehead.
“It’s not very good news.”
Rather, he thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea if he would not be able to wake up forever.
Truly, he is a guy with a tough lifeline.
“Finally, we can bring him to trial.”
The date was set, but Zigrit did not wake up, so he almost prosecuted the unconscious man.
Yerhan recalled the Zigrit he had seen a few days ago.
Zigrit, who had been imprisoned in a cell containing monsters, lost his limbs one by one and was wandering through death.
He was in such a state of disrepair that other people would not even realise that he was the crown prince.
But Yerhan was not satisfied.
Zigrit did everything to seize Rosena’s power.
Considering the pain Rosena suffered, Zigrit’s end had to be a more miserable state than this.
“Let’s call it a day.”
At Yerhan’s work, the deputy commander of the Tiriad knights, Elsid, paused.
Yerhan looked out of the window, watched the sun set and added a few more words.
“It’s about time for dinner…”
Elsid let out a small sigh. He added excuses, but in the end he said he wanted to go home.
“Okay. I will put the rest aside until tomorrow.”
Upon hearing the desired answer, Yerhan jumped up from his seat. He hurriedly put on his coat and left the office immediately.
Yerhan’s steps towards the Third Prince Palace were very light. He was excited to have dinner with Rosena.
He had gotten along pretty well with Illian these days, so it was fun going home from work. He wondered if this was how it felt to raise a child.
Entering the Third Prince Palace, Yerhan looked around. Unlike usual, there was an atmosphere of silence.
He walked down the hallway with a puzzled face. When he opened the bedroom door, he saw Rosena sitting on the bed.
“Rosena.”
The corners of Yerhan’s lips soared. Just looking at her face, happy emotions flowed out.
However, unlike usual, Rosena did not approach Yerhan immediately, but calmly got up from her seat.
“Yerhan, let’s talk.”
At Rosena’s words, Yerhan stopped. Did something wrong happen to her today?
Yerhan fumbled through his mind quickly, but nothing particularly bothered him.
…Is she upset because he had been so busy these days that he had neglected his family?
“Rosena, I was going to come earlier today…”
Yerhan was desperately trying to make an excuse, but Rosena walked up to him and stopped.
Yerhan moved his neck without realizing it. As he waited and waited, he heard an unexpected word.
“I have something to discuss about the throne.”
“The… throne?”
Yerhan asked with an expression of whether he was currently hearing it wrong.
Up until now, Rosena had maintained her position that she will not become the empress. Yerhan had also respected Rosena’s wishes.
But what kind of wind has changed Rosena’s mind?
Did she hear a strange story from someone?
Yerhan asked carefully, thinking that he had to deal with that person in his head.
“Did you hear anything from anyone?”
Rosena slowly lowered her eyes.
“It’s just something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”
Obviously, Rosena was supposed to be defending her opponent. Yerhan nodded without asking any further questions.
“First of all, can’t you kiss me now that I’ve come back safely?”
The most important thing to Yerhan right now was a kiss from Rosena.
Rosena belatedly reached out her arms and wrapped her arms around Yerhan’s neck and kissed his lips.
A sweet scent passed through the tip of his nose. The kiss ended in a flash, and Yerhan looked into Rosena’s eyes with a sad face.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been distracted all day.”
Yerhan, who was touching Rosena’s hair, led her to the bed.
Yerhan, who worried that her leg might hurt, sat her on the bed and looked down at Rosena.
“…So what do you want to do?”
Yerhan was ready to follow Rosena’s words.
If Rosena changed her mind and desired the throne, he could deal with Barmun right now and bring her the crown.
Yerhan waited patiently for her, and Rosena finally spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about it… I think it’s probably right for us to succeed to the throne.”
“……”
“No matter how much we clean up, it’s probably just the tip of the iceberg. There will be more problems ahead. If we do something wrong, we might have a problem moving to Astania.”
After hearing Rosena’s opinion, Yerhan was silent. He seemed to have been thinking for a moment.
Rosena calmly opened her mouth as she looked at Yerhan.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it well. Because I just thought I wasn’t going to do it until now.”
Rosena laid her eyes down and smoothed her fingers.
“But… if I can change the world with my own hands, I think it’s okay to make some concessions.”
It was the conclusion she came to after thinking about it all day.
This was a concession, not a sacrifice. If Rosena had sacrificed for others until now, this time it was voluntary.
Although the time to return to Astania would be a little later, she would not regret it.
“Of course, Yerhan, your opinion is the most important.”
If Yerhan didn’t like it, Rosena had no intention of forcing it either. Rosena valued Yerhan more than the people of the empire and the nobles.
She will be with him for the rest of her life, so his thoughts will come first.
“What do you think?”
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
Rosena was bewildered at the answer that came back immediately and asked.
“Don’t you have to think about it?”
Even for Rosena, it was the conclusion she came to after thinking about it all day. But Yerhan answered by holding Rosena’s hand tightly.
“Your thoughts are my thoughts.”
Rosena was speechless for a moment. She felt a deep sense of trust in him. It was different from before when they doubted each other because they couldn’t trust each other.
Rosena, who was moved by the changed relationship, spoke as she swept the bedsheets down for nothing.
“However, I will put conditions on the nobles.”
“What kind?”
Rosena had already thought a lot about passing the throne to the right person someday.
Even if she and Yerhan ascended the throne, she had no intention of letting Illian inherit it. She wanted to relinquish the throne to a competent person someday when he appeared.
Yerhan, who was silent for a moment, reached out and took Rosena’s hand. The warmth she was holding wetted her fingertips.
Yerhan smiled softly as usual.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll follow you.”
“Thank you.”
A smile spread across Rosena’s lips. Yerhan, who had been watching her silently, sat down next to Rosena.
He opened his mouth, stroking her coveted red hair.
“I also have to put up a condition.”
“…?”
“I want you to set a clear time to take care of your affairs. It’s sad because I feel like I’m going to die if I spend less time looking at you than I do now.”
Rosena’s cheeks lit up. It was an embarrassing thing to say, but she didn’t dislike hearing it.
Looking at Rosena who had turned into a ripe apple, Yerhan burst out a small laugh.
Rosena, who had been glancing at him, smiled at the end.
***
The dungeon in the corner of the Imperial Palace was filled with darkness.
In the past, it was a prison that kept prisoners of war, and now, it stored monsters.
It was so deep that not even a single light could enter it, and it was so humid that the musty smell did not go away.
From the deepest part of the prison, sickly sounds rang out constantly. It sounded like the cry of an animal.
Zigrit, lying on the dirty floor like a corpse, opened his eyes. He tried to move his body, but a scream came out of the sudden surge of pain.
He was in cold sweat. Then he later realized that one of his limbs was missing.
Zigrit looked down at the empty limbs with trembling eyes.
“Ahhhhhh!!!!”
Zigrit, who couldn’t believe it, cried out.
He slapped his face over and over again to wake himself up from the nightmare. But nothing had changed except for the pain.
It was then that Zigrit realized. That he was defeated by Yerhan, whom he only thought was dead.
“Ugghh…”
Zigrit banged his head on the floor. He thought that if he could just get Rosena, everything would work out. Not even the damn monsters and Yerhan would doubt his abilities.
However, he didn’t expect this result.
Zigrit still couldn’t accept the reason for his defeat.
Yerhan and him were the same ones who inherited the power of the divinity. But why did God only give Yerhan, the damned illegitimate child, such power?
Zigrit cried out madly at the frustration that came with anger.
When he grabbed the iron bar with one arm and shook it, his right shoulder, which had already been cut off, throbbed.
Shortly thereafter, the sound of footsteps was heard.
With the smell of burning wood, shimmering flames illuminated the surroundings.
When the light appeared, a huge shadow appeared on the stone wall.
The footsteps became louder and louder, and Zigrit immediately raised his head. A man was standing outside the bars.
Zigrit immediately realized that he was one of the Tiriad knights.
“Have you awakened?”
He asked Zigrit. He was being respectful, but his eyes seemed to be looking at an insignificant thing.
Zigrit squeezed his voice, but nothing came out. Zigrit was trying to grab his neck, but he fell down.
As he slumped to the floor, a small sneer came from overhead.
Zigrit, whose face was flushed red, was about to raise his head, but the man’s voice reached his ears first.
“There will be a trial in a few days.”
Zigrit’s body hardened at once. He barely raised his head, and the man’s eyes met his
His expressionless face was gloomy, and Zigrit flinched involuntarily.
In the past, it would have been the other way around. He would be the one looking down at that man from above.
Feeling insulted, Zigrit crumpled his face.
The man grinned as if he had read Zigrit’s thoughts and threw something.
A dull sound echoed through the stone-walled prison.
What rolled over was a bucket of water.
Seeing it, Zigrit felt a sharp thirst.
“Then please be quiet until then.”
The man walked away as if he had no regrets.
As the lights went out, darkness came in an instant. The surroundings felt much darker than before he came.
Zigrit, who was left in the silence, gripped his trembling hands tightly.
To be judged in front of everyone…. It was clear that Yerhan was trying to retaliate.
Zigrit predicted his fate and closed his eyes.
After a while, his eyes slowly opened, and t
