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Chapter 148
The basement of the western annex attached to the palace.
As expected, Nathan was not far away. However, the uncertainty of Rubette’s fate was driving Lark insane.
The fact that Nathan had taken Rubette meant he had some intention in mind. So, it was likely that the situation would become urgent from the moment time started ticking again.
Tap, tap, tap, tap—!
“As soon as we enter, set up a barrier without hesitation. Ensure Nathan can’t lay a hand on the princess,” Lark told Landian as he led the knights.
“Damn it…”
Time had already been delayed considerably.
They were on their way to confront Nathan with the protection of Guardian, the emperor’s spirit…
Bang!
“Princess!”As soon as Lark opened the door to the underground chamber, he was taken aback by an unexpected sight.
“…?”
Nathan sprawled out in one corner, seemingly unconscious. Tied to a chair, Rubette had her eyes closed as if she were dead, just like Nathan.
“First, subdue the 2nd Prince,” Lark ordered his knights, quickly approaching Rubette to assess her condition.
“Ruby, please.”
There were fairly deep wounds on her neck, but her life didn’t seem to be in immediate danger, and she was still breathing, albeit faintly. It was fortunate, but there was no time to dwell on the relief.
Lark swiftly turned to Nathan.
“Y-Your Highness, please check on the 2nd Prince’s condition!”
Nathan was immobilized with specially crafted handcuffs and leg restraints that prevented him from using his powers. However, the knights seemed to hesitate for some reason. �
“Don’t let your guard down; cover his eyes immediately. What are you waiting for?”
As Lark approached the bewildered knights, he came to a halt for some reason.
One of the knights pulled back Nathan’s closed eyelids, revealing his upturned eyeballs.
‘Why are his eyes…?’
Blue.
There were strange, blue pupils in place of the familiar golden irises of a summoner.
***
“Why did Nathan kidnap the princess?” The emperor, calming his troubled heart after receiving Lark’s report and organizing the situation, asked.
“We can only know the exact reason after both the princess and Nathan regain their senses. However, since Nathan’s guilt is already clear, we should promptly address this publicly.”
“Just a moment.” The emperor held back Lark, who was about to leave, and asked, “What does it mean to lose a spirit?”
“That’s something we need to investigate further. Since the golden irises were missing and the symbol of a summoner disappeared, I can only speculate that his contract with the spirit might have been severed.”
“I see…”
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“I will look into it, Your Majesty.”
After Lark calmly turned and left, the emperor sat down weakly.
“What is all this…”
The charges against Nathan, gathered by Lark, were clear. If he weren’t of noble blood, he might have been on the execution block by now. However, beneath the surface, conflicts for the throne among the imperial family members had numerous precedents.
Therefore, he also thought that this could easily happen…
“Nathan’s life should not be spared because of a loophole in the law.”
But Lark was determined to send Nathan to the execution block regardless. It was because he feared the potential disaster that could occur if he kept him alive, considering Nathan’s ambition and the danger of the spirit Pose.
The emperor pretended to yield to Lark’s unwavering determination, but deep down, he thought, ‘I believed that Nathan wouldn’t forsake his human conscience.’ Until the end, he had doubts about whether Nathan might have truly poisoned his cup.
So, when Nathan suddenly canceled the morning audience, the Emperor thought, ‘Perhaps he’s had a change of heart,’ and felt a slight sense of relief.
But that relief was short-lived.
Nathan openly committed a crime within the palace, and the emperor couldn’t fathom his intentions. Had he been aspiring to the position of heir? Why would he do something that would bring him down to such depths…
“Hey.”
At that moment, a spirit appeared before him.
Clad in a white suit of armor, resembling a Holy Knight. It was Guardian.
“I’ve come to convey a message.”
“What is it?”
“I wish to stay only until you pass the throne to the next emperor.”
“…?”
“The Spirit King has withdrawn his protection from the empire. We are free now, but coexistence with humans is a choice. My stance is to protect you until you’re emperor no more.”
“The Spirit King’s protection has been rescinded?” Initially surprised, the emperor recalled Nathan’s condition, the loss of the golden irises… “Why?”
“How can I understand the king’s will? He withdrew his protection and abolished all restrictions in the spirit realm. Some imperial members must have already lost the power of summoning.”
“Why all of a sudden…”
“There’s something the king wanted me to tell you.” Guardian spoke with indifference. “You may not know your son well. You probably wanted to believe he wouldn’t kill his father, but he poisoned your cup without a second thought.”
“What?”
It was a strange statement, spoken with conviction as if something that hadn’t happened yet had already occurred.
“And you, right now, will act as your heart desires. Despite considering your son’s crime severe, did you secretly wish to spare his life?”
“…”
“Perhaps from the beginning, you never intended to kill your son. That’s why you showed such leniency to the 2nd Prince, even breaking a promise with the crown prince to grant him a foolish mercy.”
“I can’t understand what you’re saying. I made up my mind to remain calm. I would never act that way. I don’t know why you’re making such assumptions.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s not an assumption. It’s a reality that has already occurred. The king merely rewound time with his power.”
The emperor was left utterly stunned.
“I say this in the hope that you won’t repeat the same mistake. Your hypocritical compassion could have brought tragedy to the history of this empire.”
“…”
“Look at him, your son was bold enough to carry out actions within the palace so openly. Do you think he responded as you would have hoped to your last favor, sparing his life?”
“Just a moment.”
Feeling that he might know what this tragedy was about, the emperor urgently interrupted.
Guardian, who had been staring intently at the emperor as he struggled to catch his breath, added mercilessly, “Unless you intend to kill the child you love the most twice.”
Oh, Lark…
The emperor swallowed hard and went rigid.
What on earth had happened in those fragmented memories?
“I hope you’ll set aside mere cold-heartedness and make a wise choice.”
With that warning, Guardian disappeared.
***
Blinking my eyes, I was a bit surprised to find myself in an unfamiliar setting.
The high, ornate ceiling clearly indicated that this was not my room.
“Ah.”
I tried to sit up but felt a pain in my throat. When I touched it, I realized there was a bandage wrapped around it.
‘Right. That 2nd Prince squeezed my delicate neck. Damn bastard.’
So, I lay there, turning my head to look around.
“Your Highness?”
Sitting and bowing his familiar silvery head was Lark.
He lifted his head sharply at the sound of my voice.
“Princess, are you awake?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’ll call the physician. Your throat…”
“No, the emergency treatment seems to have been done well. I’m okay for now. But, more importantly, what happened?”
Lark suddenly paused. For some reason, he was staring intently into my eyes.
“Why?”
“…No, it’s just that Nathan is currently trapped in the Tower of Silence. When I found both you and Nathan, you were unconscious and collapsed.”
“Collapsed? That’s unfortunate yet fortunate in a way. If he were conscious, it could have caused even more chaos.”
“No.” Lark shook his head. “Even if he were conscious, he couldn’t have done anything foolish. Probably not now or in the future. You see, Nathan’s contract with the spirit has been severed.”
“What?”
“Just as I found Nathan, I confirmed the loss of the golden irises, the symbol of a summoner. I didn’t know what it meant at first, but when he regained consciousness, I realized then.”
“The 2nd Prince’s spirit disappeared?”
Lark nodded and added, “It’s not just Nathan. Right now, the commotion he caused in the palace is so big that it doesn’t even feel like a commotion anymore. Many imperial family members have lost their spirits, like Nathan.”
I was taken aback.
“I know it’s quite a headache to hear this as soon as you wake up, but can you tell me what happened?”
Before I could answer, Lark, who had gotten up earlier, walked away somewhere. Seeing him rummaging through a vanity table, it seemed like an unfamiliar room for Lark as well.
He found a handheld mirror and handed it to me as I sat up.
“What’s this?”
As I absentmindedly looked into the mirror, I froze.
‘My eyes…’
Bright brown irises.
Instead of the golden iris, the symbol of a summoner, my eyes had changed to a color I had never seen before.
Looking at Lark, whose eyes were still shining golden unlike mine, I said, “Your Highness, your eyes are perfectly fine?”
“Yeah. So I don’t understand what’s going on here. If it were the disappearance of the Spirit King’s protection, then everyone should have lost their golden irises…”
“I think I know why my eyes have changed like this. I no longer have a spirit.”
My words surprised Lark.
“I had one last wish left, and I used it. So, as promised, my spirit disappeared.”
“I see…”
“But I don’t know why others have lost their spirits. Have you asked your spirit about it?”
“Oh, I was just about to summon him. Right now, he’s at the Fountain. When he returns, he will hopefully provide some answers.”
“I see.”
I nodded and thought of Wishit.
If he regained the power of the Spirit King through my last wish, then…
‘I might know why everyone lost their spirits. Since he regained his power, Wishit might not find it difficult to withdraw the Spirit King’s protection.’
But the existence of spirits had not completely disappeared.
Perhaps…
‘Did Wishit grant freedom to the other spirits?’
If there were still spirits who desired coexistence with humans, perhaps he allowed them to do so.
<Wishit.>
I quietly sent my thoughts, but there was no response. I didn’t feel anything either.
It was a clear farewell.
I had thought that if he regained his freedom, perhaps he’d choose to stay by my side through his own will.
Of course, that was a selfish wish. Maybe my desire to be with Wishit without making my final wish had always been selfish.
Come to think of it, I had only wished not to part with Wishit. I had never asked what he wanted…
‘Ugh. I was really selfish.’
I could understand why Wishit had disappeared as soon as he gained his freedom.
“Princess, by the way.” Lark asked me casually, “What did you wish for with your last wish?”
“Oh.”
I recalled Wishit, who had been smiling brightly. He looked satisfied.
While it was regrettable that I couldn’t see Wishit again, I felt that as long as he was happy, that was enough.
Even so, tears welled up slightly.
“I hope he…” I answered with tightly pressed lips. “…is free.”
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