Although it was still morning, finding Morgan was never a difficult task.
As her most loyal knight, Rei understood her habits well.
At this hour, she would always be admiring the flowers in the quiet courtyard.
And indeed, that was exactly where she was.
Stepping out from the corridor, Rei immediately spotted Morgan standing at the edge of the courtyard, gazing serenely at the cluster of blooming flowers. Several maids stood nearby, attending to her.
However, Morgan seemed completely uninterested in their presence.
Rather than engaging with them, she appeared far more engrossed in the flowers before her.
"My lady."
Rei addressed her with the same respect as always.
For him, this was nothing unusual—after all, even in the most intimate of moments, when he had her pinned beneath him, she was still his princess.
Hearing someone call her, Morgan turned around.
The moment she saw it was Rei, a barely noticeable ripple stirred in her clear blue eyes.
"Leave us." She spoke to the maids beside her.
"I have something to discuss with my knight."
"Understood."
The maids, well aware of their place, quietly withdrew, leaving only Morgan and Rei in the courtyard.
To an outsider, this was nothing more than a routine meeting between a princess and her knight.
However, before Rei could even speak, Morgan—wearing a somewhat displeased expression—spoke first in mild reproach.
"Why did you leave this morning without a word?"
"Because you were sleeping so soundly, my lady."
"Do you have any idea what it feels like to wake up and find no one beside you?"
Morgan's delicate brows were tinged with grievance.
"I don't like it."
"But my lady," Rei glanced around cautiously, "if I hadn't left early, it might have drawn unwanted attention."
"It was only for a moment. There wouldn't have been a problem."
Morgan plucked a flower, bringing it to her nose to take in its fragrance.
"Besides, all I wanted was to hear you say good morning."
"I understand, my lady. That was my mistake." Rei answered crisply.
"Good. As long as you know."
Morgan's mood seemed to lighten slightly.
"So then, Rei, you must have something important to tell me? You don't usually come to see me at this hour."
[You informed Morgan of what you had discovered about the other heir.]
[You stated plainly that something about this was not right.]
[How could it be that no one in the royal court remembered the name of the king's other child?]
Morgan pressed a hand to her forehead, concentrating intently as she tried to recall the past.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she muttered fragments of thoughts under her breath.
"Who was it…?"
[The situation seemed even worse than expected.]
[Morgan clearly remembered the conversations from that banquet and the overwhelming sense of disparity she felt that night.]
[And yet, all details about this heir were shrouded in obscurity—like gold buried beneath shifting sands: traces of its existence were evident, but the treasure itself remained elusive.]
[She remembered that such a person existed, yet she could not recall any concrete details about them.]
[At this point, even the very existence of this heir seemed questionable.]
[She, too, realized that something was terribly wrong.]
"Rei, is everyone else experiencing this as well?"
Morgan lowered her hand and turned to look at him.
The silver strands of her long hair shimmered, damp with tiny beads of sweat—clearly, dredging up these memories was taking its toll on her.
"Yes, my lady." Rei nodded in response. "Their condition is even worse than yours. Some of them can't even recall the matter at all."
"..."
Morgan's gaze once again settled upon the flowers, though her emotions had changed drastically.
The bloom she had just plucked was suddenly tossed to the ground.
"Rei."
"I believe we may have been affected by magic."
"Magic?"
"Yes." Morgan's expression turned grave. "This must be a form of suggestion-based magic."
"But why?"
Rei did not doubt her words.
Partly out of loyalty.
Partly out of trust in her abilities.
Morgan was an exceptional mage—this much had been proven time and again.
"Is there a way to undo it?"
"Too much time has passed. The effect is deeply ingrained."
Morgan paused, then added with a grim look:
"Moreover… the one who cast this magic is at least as powerful as I am."
Hearing this, Rei suddenly realized something.
"Then, my lady—why would such a powerful mage go to such lengths?"
"..."
Morgan fell silent.
That reaction alone was all the confirmation Rei needed.
"My lady… this has something to do with the king, doesn't it?"
"..."
Morgan bit her lip—a telltale sign that Rei had struck a nerve.
He could fully understand how she felt.
Under normal circumstances, King Uther would have had no need for such magic.
For the people of Britain, the birth of a royal heir was an occasion worthy of celebration—especially a child born to a wise and capable king like Uther, who would be regarded as a treasure to be cherished and protected.
Rei still remembered the grandeur of that banquet.
Yet now, this heir had become a name that no one could recall, buried under layers of concealment.
There was only one plausible explanation for this.
Perhaps—
King Uther had foreseen Morgan's eventual ambitions.
He had taken preemptive measures to ensure that she could never find this heir—sealing their very existence within the memories of all who knew.
A wise king never lowers his guard.
The moment Rei realized this, he almost felt as if King Uther himself was watching them from somewhere high above the royal court.
But more than that, he was concerned about the woman beside him.
If Morgan were to learn that her father had always regarded her this way…
Unexpectedly, Morgan appeared remarkably calm.
She simply asked one question:
"Ian, do I truly seem that pathetic?"
"Your Highness, at least to me, that is not the case."
"Is that so?"
Morgan let out a cold chuckle and said no more.
She turned away, walking toward the other side of the courtyard.
Just before leaving, she glanced back and, almost as if issuing a command, said to Ian:
"Ian, come earlier tonight."
"I want to fall asleep quickly."
[Morgan was still affected by this blow.]
[She became even more demanding of you, even forcing you to drink a potion that heightened your body's energy.]
[But what you saw in her eyes was not desire, but boundless loneliness.]
[You knew she was deeply troubled, so you did your best, hoping to help her fall asleep faster in your own way.]
[Every night, traces of your presence remained in Morgan's chambers.]
[For now, the plan was put on hold.]
[Yet you continued working tirelessly to protect the identities you both had fought to secure.]
[This month alone, you had already killed three knights returning from the front lines with reports.]
[As you were disposing of another corpse, a young man pushing a cart appeared in the distance.]
[He was a golden-haired youth, though his delicate features made it difficult to clearly discern his gender.]
[He greeted you.]