The memory before Kahu's return was unclear.
Is it a dream, or is it real?
An imperfect memory that looks shallow over a misty of fog.
Kahu was also confused by the mixed flow of time.
'I think something like this happened.'
Usually, this is a blurry thought.
However, there were rare memories with distinct colors.
No one knew, but Kahu had met Dylan before the return.
'I think it was when the emperor was waging a war of conquest.'
At that time. One day, just once. He saw the 13th Prince.
Because the 13th Prince came to Kahu's mansion.
And surprisingly, what Kahu saw.
[True Master.]
[It's an honor to serve the true master of the Empire in the mansion.]
His parents, the Duke and his wife were seen calling a man on the border between a boy and an adult as the master.
The 13th Prince Dylan.
His parents knelt without hesitation, kissing his feet, not even the back of his hands.
He had never seen his parents like this before.
Hardened by shock, the Duchess grabbed Kahu's arm.
Carried away by the situation, Kahu bowed his head to the 13th Prince.
'Yes, my parents tried to introduce me to him.'
[This is my son. Kahu Delmon. He's a child who's good enough to serve Your Majesty in the future.]
[That's right, Your Majesty.]
'Your Majesty'? In this empire, the current emperor is still alive.
The blood on his face seemed to cool off.
Kahu listened to his parents with his head down.
Honorific and polite attitude to the 13th Prince who is younger than Kahu.
But to ask why on the spot. He was weighed down by something overwhelming.
Kahu held his breath without even moving his lips.
[…]
When he managed to raise his head courageously. Kahu made eye contact with Dylan.
Dylan's first impression was terrifying.
His noble appearance was completely expressionless. Rather than deliberately erasing facial expressions, a face that doesn't really feel any emotion.
There was a strange sense of incompatibility.
When Dylan nodded a little, the Duchess took Kahu out of the drawing room.
[Mother, who is that…]
[You have to pretend you didn't see it.]
The Duchess had a face that Kahu had never seen before. A firm and cold eyes.
[Don't even ask. Erase it from your memory.]
It was full of things that he didn't understand, but the Duchess drew the line firmly.
She left Kahu and went back into the drawing room.
'I don't have a choice.'
Unconsciously, such thoughts came. With it was just the end.
His parents had never talked about the 13th Prince since then. Kahu didn't ask either.
This is no joke. Because he felt that intuition.
Only Kahu investigated alone.
'But surprisingly, it was hidden in a veil.'
Very few people knew about Dylan.
Even though he is the royal family who survived the fierce battle for succession to the throne.
Despite the long investigation, the results were small.
The more he investigated, the more he got goosebumps.
It's the first time he had seen a person with no presence like this. No one knew there was the 13th Prince. Although it has earned the evaluation of few people who survived.
But in terms of influence, different from presence.
'Everything moved according to his will.'
The emperor wandered outside and waged war.
The moment the emperor finally united half of the continent and saw the 13th Prince standing in the gap of the imperial court, he thought about that.
All of this. It's going according to that man's will.
Already happening in secret, the high-ranking nobles who use their power obeyed the 13th Prince as their true master.
It was even scarier that nothing leaked out.
Dylan knew how to manipulate the situation without having to step in.
He was very smart, and he was also thorough.
Even if the emperor changed, Dylan lived well without being checked by any forces.
He didn't know the purpose of the 13th Prince. But he learned from his long observations that he wanted to live without being revealed.
'It must be his will that Emperor Dietrich almost conquered the continent.'
When Dylan died, the empire was in turmoil for a while.
It's because of Dylan's unrealistic genius. This is because his influence on the imperial court was revealed in Dylan's diary.
Dylan's diary was published after his death, and Kahu also read it.
The contents are as follows.
「Three days ago, Dietrich II called me to the imperial court.
The 2nd generation kept holding Kiera's handle, and then letting go and repeating as if he was anxious.
The 2nd generation asked me.
-Don't you want anything?
I answered there was nothing because I didn't want anything. The 2nd generation said.
-When I ruled, I realized something. Do you know who the scariest person in the world is? …It is not a person who will divulge top secrets if you give him money. Not even those without weaknesses. The person who doesn't want anything is the scariest.
I read the horror, but I did not soothe him. Because I could see that the 2nd generation had already made up his mind to kill me.
Sure enough, yesterday. The assassin sent by the 2nd generation came to me.
The 2nd generation was the only one who came to my mother's funeral. I really wanted to repay that favor.
So today, I went to the funeral of the 2nd generation.」
It was only a short story in the diary, but the shock he felt at that time was still vivid.
'At that time, all scholars were studying Dylan.'
Dylan was more famous after he died.
And after the return, the man was obsessed with grandmaster Charlize. It was the most different part from before the return.
'But,'
Whether that obsession is the real feelings of Dylan, who became the current Emperor. Or he did not know whether it was Charlize's intention.
Does Charlize remember before the return? Even with the question he wanted to ask, Charlize did well.
No, that wasn't the only change before the return.
'Kiera the magic sword.'
An object used by the Dietrich family to conquer the continent.
It was called the magic sword and it took the lives of countless people. Kahu, who had seen it up close, knew.
It was an ominous beautiful sword.
A well-crafted sapphire on a creepy silver blade that seems to have blood. It was in the hands of the emperor.
'Where is it?'
It might be better not to show up. If it appears, the world may have been stained with blood again.
With that beautiful magic sword.
Then Kahu remembered. He had a strange sense of deja vu after the return.
'That sword.'
Somewhere. He thought it was an impression he had seen. He heard it late.
***
It was the third day of the ball.
Charlize blinked slowly.
'Did Kahu say he found Kiera?'
She heard such strange news. The Emperor's intelligence service doesn't hide anything from Charlize.
Dylan also seemed to know about the Kiera project.
Kahu's actions were suspicious enough, but he is the young duke. Nothing much happened because there was no clear evidence as if he didn't know her.
And Kahu also looked it up a few times.
'Because you've returned, there's no way you don't know about Kiera, the magic sword.'
But why are you looking for it? Just because it reminds you? Or do you have a job?
Kahu was dangerous. Of course, Dylan can't have unrealistic ideas like return, but what he does goes to Dylan like a fine clue.
She had to kill Kahu if she thought rationally.
She didn't want to do that to an innocent person. And a quick-witted Dylan would immediately know that Charlize killed him because of the word 'Kiera'.
Charlize was the only one who could kill without leaving any evidence.
'I'm glad I didn't see him at the ball today.'
Charlize thought while drinking.
Soon she felt better.
Everyone's attention was drawn to Charlize wearing a veil.
It was a subtle gaze, fearing that it would be rude to look at it openly.
After watching the dance with the emperor, the young noble masters lined up asking Charlize to dance.
"Will you dance with me, grandmaster?"
"After that me, me too."
She could have refused it.
Charlize was in a good mood after a long time, so she responded to everyone. The result is.
The dozens of young noble masters blush in shame. They left Charlize with an ecstatic look, unable to speak properly.
Maybe it's been a while since she swung her sword, and it was rather comfortable to move her body violently.
"Grandmaster."
The young noble master, who was dancing with Charlize, called her with a trembling voice.
Although he is the second son of the Countess, it's a face she had never seen before returning.
'A local noble who rose to a decent position in loyalty to Dylan.'
Charlize thought and looked at the young noble master.
"I, I am …a nobleman of the grassland and my surname is Zepher…"
Sounds uninteresting. Maybe it was to get Charlize's attention somehow, he managed to squeeze out his courage and talk to her.
"By any chance… Are you not in touch with Ronan?"
But the subject was not very good.
Seeing Charlize's looks, the young noble masters who were watching for no reason flinched. Charlize smiled casually and brightly.
"But aren't you still a family member?"
"Is that so?"
The story of Ronan is an unwritten rule. Everyone stared at the young noble master in struck dumb. Charlize stopped languidly.
"Boring. Such a question."
The song for the dance kept playing, but Charlize didn't move.
Her excitement has cooled down.
Charlize, who had no intention of dancing, let go of the young noble master's hand.
The young noble master was embarrassed, but he didn't dare to hold Charlize.
Charlize stopped dancing and walked away. The music still continued, but no one dared touch her.
No one stopped her.
"You speak so tactlessly in front of the grandmaster…!"
Rather, others seemed to blame the young noble master, who was left alone.
It was because of Charlize's status soaring in the aristocratic society. He is a noble, but how can he be the same noble?
Charlize drew attention and walked toward the wall of the banquet hall.
Soon after, Charlize faced a welcome face.
"Oh."
Charlize saw V. Charlize saved him by hand and sent him to Dylan, so he was always a follower of Charlize.
"Isn't that V?"
When Charlize pretended to know him first, V raised his head.
As soon as V caught Charlize in his eyes, he came running with great pleasure.
"Grandmaster!"
"Long time no see."
V almost lived a miserable life as a gladiator.
Seeing V attend the ball as an official knight after being awarded a noble title. She felt new.
"You look great in your knight's uniform, V."
"It's all thanks to the grandmaster."
Charlize was a little surprised to see V who came close.
It was a face that couldn't hide its misery. Even if you try to hide your miserable heart, it will be revealed.
Charlize's gaze reached him.
"What's wrong?"
V bowed his head somehow to manage his facial expression, but Charlize grabbed V's chin and lifted it, so it was unavoidable.
Even the slender hand could not shake the Master. Even if it wasn't for his skills, V wouldn't have been able to shake it off.
Looking into Charlize's eyes, he couldn't lie.
'But I can't do any harm.'
As V lowered his gaze, Charlize said.
"Whatever it is. Don't you think I can handle it?"
The words were true.
Charlize was powerful.
Take down even a flying bird, the powerful family.
More than that, the absolute and unrivaled ruler of the empire.
V slowly opened his eyes wide.