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Gerdio Robliage.

The man who roamed the imperial palace as if it were his own home.

His sudden appearance left both me and the Blue Tower Master frozen in place.

Neither of us had expected to encounter the Duke of Robliage at this moment.

The duke offered a gentle smile, one that seemed to urge us to greet him.

My eyes shifted to the Blue Tower Master.

It was only then that he belatedly came to his senses.

“Your Grace, Celestial Grace. It has been a long time.”

Celestial Grace.

A grace bestowed by the heavens.

When the Blue Tower Master respectfully greeted him, Celestial Grace smiled.

“No need for such formalities between us.”

“No, formality is necessary.”

“Haha, you and I have shared drinks and even thrown our arms around each other’s shoulders. Why the fuss now?”

Celestial Grace let out a hearty laugh.

To anyone watching, he would seem like a cheerful and benevolent man.

In truth, Celestial Grace had indeed accomplished many feats for the empire.

From spearheading the construction of new carriage roads that revitalized the markets,

To making relentless efforts to improve the lives of common citizens.

Thus, he came to be known as Celestial Grace.

The man who elevated the quality of life in the empire to its greatest heights.

If the citizens were asked to name the most respected noble,

He would undoubtedly be at the top of the list.

But it was for this very reason that he eventually set his eyes on the emperor’s throne.

He was convinced that under his leadership, the empire would prosper even further.

However, I knew his true nature.

‘There’s no denying his competence.’

But beyond his exceptional abilities,

He lacked any semblance of morality.

If it could be achieved, he would stop at nothing.

Even human lives were mere pawns to him.

He felt no guilt in forging a pact with Demon Sovereign.

To him, it was simply necessary.

That was the extent of his reasoning.

The empire was nothing more than a tool—

A world he could shape at his whim.

That was his sole desire.

An individual who should never be allowed to wield power.

For his remarkable skills only made him all the more dangerous when unchecked.

That was Celestial Grace.

Perhaps that was why the smile he now wore filled me with unease.

I, too, had trained relentlessly to master the control of my facial muscles,

Practicing over and over again to combat the numbness left by facial paralysis.

Thus, I could detect what most people could not.

The cheerful smile Celestial Grace wore now was entirely manufactured.

So perfectly practiced that no ordinary person could ever notice.

Then, his gaze turned toward me.

His eyelids lowered slightly,

His eyebrows arched softly,

And the corners of his lips curved upward into a perfect crescent.

A flawless imitation of a benevolent smile.

“Hannon Irey, it has been a long time.”

He even spoke my name with the ease of someone who had always remembered it.

‘From the beginning...’

He had known I would be here.

That was why he had deliberately made his appearance.

I was certain of it.

“Yes, Your Grace. It has indeed been a long time.”

So I showed not a hint of surprise.

Unfortunately for him, I was just as skilled at controlling my expression.

The subtle tension of a nephew meeting his grandfather at work.

A tinge of awkwardness mixed with proper courtesy.

And beneath it all, a carefully measured ounce of Hannon’s simmering hatred toward Celestial Grace.

That was all I allowed to show on my face.

I was confident—

In this world, there were few who could wear the mask of a serene expression better than I.

Only beings with unnatural power, like Isabel or Sharin,

Could ever see through it.

“I’ve heard of your remarkable performance at Zerion Academy. I understand you’ve even mastered the magic of the ancient dragons.”

“My lifelong interest in archaeology proved quite helpful.”

“I never knew you were so academically inclined. I should have supported you in that direction from the start.”

“Your words are too generous. I know how busy Your Grace always is. How could I possibly ask such a thing?”

“Haha, it seems I am fortunate to have such a capable grandson. My daughter at least gave birth to one good child.”

My eyebrow twitched.

Intentionally.

Hannon’s mother had left the House of Robliage, disgusted by its corruption.

In the end, she had sacrificed her two daughters as offerings for Demon Sovereign’s descent.

Hannon’s mother had been used as a vessel for the deity’s summoning.

And Hannon knew this truth all too well.

Yet, he was bound by a curse that prevented him from speaking of it to anyone.

And now, in front of Hannon, Celestial Grace was shamelessly invoking her name.

It was only natural that Hannon’s anger would flare.

“Thank you.”

But before Celestial Grace,

Hannon could not reveal the truth.

He had already been silenced by Celestial Grace once before.

He was in no position to speak out.

Our eyes met.

A man who sought to bend the world to his will,

And another who fought to protect it.

Both concealing their true intentions,

Locking gazes in an unwavering contest of wills.

Celestial Grace was the first to look away.

For he had not come here with any specific agenda today.

“Keep training diligently.”

I must.

Only then will I be able to stop Celestial Grace.

As he was about to leave, he suddenly halted in his tracks, as if something had just occurred to him.

“Come to think of it, I hear the First Prince has been rather busy. You’d best hurry before it’s too late.”

The corners of Celestial Grace’s lips curled into a subtle smile.

His tone made it clear that he had known from the beginning that we were here to meet the First Prince.

This encounter had been orchestrated from the start.

It was a warning.

A warning not to get further involved with the First Prince.

He was already aware that Hannon was entangled with the First Prince.

Until now, he had let it slide, but with this level of movement, he wouldn’t simply stand by any longer.

“Thank you for the advice. We’ll head over right away.”

So, I feigned nonchalance.

Screw you.

The Blue Tower Master noticed the subtle tension between Celestial Grace and me.

He glanced at me briefly, but I didn’t take my eyes off Celestial Grace for a second.

Celestial Grace smiled at my defiance and walked away.

However, even though he was smiling, I could feel the coldness in his eyes as he turned his back.

After today, I was marked as a threat in his eyes.

He would undoubtedly decide to eliminate me.

And he would do so thoroughly and without mercy.

But I had no intention of letting it come to that.

Instead, I would drive him into a corner—make him feel so threatened that he would taste his own fear.

No matter what, I would not allow Celestial Grace to sit at the pinnacle of the Empire.

Bad ending, Celestial Grace.

I had already witnessed with my own eyes how the Empire was ruined by his reign.

“You’re far bolder than I thought.”

Even knowing the true nature of Celestial Grace, I had spoken without hesitation.

To the Blue Tower Master, it must have seemed like madness.

“They already consider us their enemies, don’t they?”

Celestial Grace had likely already learned, through some channel, that Vulcan had been defeated.

What he hadn’t expected was how easily Vulcan had fallen.

To Celestial Grace, Vulcan had been a useful pawn.

The unicorn horn used during Nia’s assassination was also linked to the cult of Mysticism.

Because of this, Nia’s death was creating political troubles for the First Prince’s faction.

With Mysticism being exposed, the Third Princess’s faction was pushing the narrative that they had acted independently.

A classic case of cutting off the tail to save the body.

In truth, Vulcan and Celestial Grace had been secretly connected through the cult of the Demon Sovereign.

Celestial Grace had originally intended to nurture Vulcan into a piece he could play at will.

By using Vulcan, he could eliminate troublesome figures.

Then, when the time was right, he could destroy both Vulcan and Mysticism, taking the credit for himself as the hero.

But all of that had crumbled into nothing.

The heroic glory he had aimed for was now being divided between Duke of Whitewood and other rising figures.

He was undoubtedly seething with rage.

Celestial Grace was the type to be most infuriated when his plans were disrupted.

“It must be troubling for you as well, Tower Master, given your amicable relationship with Celestial Grace.”

“You must not know me very well. It doesn’t concern me in the slightest.”

Of course.

Their drinking parties were likely nothing more than a pretext for Celestial Grace to gain more support from the Blue Tower.

The Blue Tower Master was just as much of a maniac as Celestial Grace.

The only reassuring thing was that, unlike Celestial Grace, the Tower Master didn’t toy with human lives.

At least, not unless magic was involved.

Still, he had never crossed the line.

“Celestial Grace will make his move.”

He would have already realized that Vulcan’s death had exposed something.

A man like him would surely be planning for all-out war.

“So, we must strike first.”

Of course, that part wasn’t my job.

That was why I had come to meet someone who would take on that role.

Knock, knock—

“Your Highness, you have visitors.”

“Let them in.”

At the First Prince’s command, the door opened.

A man with golden-red hair and eyes that were a mix of red and blue greeted us.

The First Prince, Lukraizen Hysirion.

As soon as we entered, he smiled softly.

“You must have met with Celestial Grace.”

The First Prince already knew that Celestial Grace had been at the Imperial Palace.

But even so, he couldn’t stop him.

After all, Celestial Grace was also part of the Imperial Family.

The First Prince couldn’t recklessly move against him.

“I assume he left you with a warning.”

“Yes, you’ve read the situation perfectly.”

The First Prince let out a bitter smile.

Even he was concerned about what Celestial Grace would do next.

Celestial Grace was a rival whose power matched his own.

Moreover, he had once ordered the assassination of Nia, Nikita’s older brother, without hesitation.

Weariness flickered in the First Prince’s eyes.

The struggle to fulfill his duties as a ruler while also dealing with Celestial Grace’s political maneuvers was clearly wearing him down.

He couldn’t help but feel exhausted.

And yet, he stood before us with the dignity befitting a future emperor.

He showed us what it meant to be worthy of the throne.

“So, you have something you wish to discuss with me.”

He had likely heard some of it from Duke of Whitewood.

But it was my role to deliver the message clearly.

The Blue Tower Master and I were led to our seats.

“Your Highness, do you remember the favor I once asked of you in exchange for my assistance?”

Before making my request, I needed to confirm one thing.

I mentioned the promise the First Prince had made to me.

At the reminder, he raised an eyebrow.

He seemed puzzled by the timing of the mention.

“It’s not a difficult request.”

Depending on how the First Prince took it, it could either be easy or exceedingly difficult.

“I will do everything in my power to prevent Celestial Grace from taking the throne.”

So, in exchange—just one thing.

“Please, if the Third Princess ever wishes it, grant her freedom from the Imperial Family.”

I sought to create an opportunity to free Iris Hysirion from the Imperial Family—

The girl who had been bound to the throne, unable to dream, running tirelessly toward the crown.

I wanted to give her the chance to be free.