Page 237

To get straight to the point—Xenia didn’t know how to solve the problem of the Ancient Dragon’s egg either.

“I don’t think it’s impossible.”

But after examining the situation, Xenia showed considerable confidence.

She’s a perfectionist.

She’s not the type to claim something is possible unless it really is.

So she must believe there’s a way.

In return, she had to endure Nikita’s glaring eyes.

She was affiliated with the First Prince’s side.

She must’ve known how I ended up in this mess.

Unable to meet her gaze, I quietly stayed put.

“…What do you think about removing the eye and regenerating it?”

It was the solution I had initially considered in front of Isabel.

When I cautiously asked while keeping an eye on Nikita’s reaction, her glare intensified.

Xenia thought seriously for a moment, then shook her head.

“That’s not a good idea. The Ancient Dragon’s egg has rooted itself deep inside the eye. To fully remove it, you’d need to extract all the nerves connected to it.”

“That would mean…”

“The brain would suffer permanent damage.”

Good thing I didn’t attempt it.

I should thank Isabel.

“Don’t worry. I’ll come up with something soon.”

Xenia clenched her fists, showing determination.

Judging by that expression, she’d likely be pulling all-nighters doing research.

“Thank you. But I think I’ll need to leave for a while.”

“Leave?”

Nikita turned to me with a questioning look.

“It seems Lucas has come back to life.”

It wasn’t something I could confirm just yet, but the chances were very high.

“…Lucas, that junior.”

Nikita furrowed her brow slightly, clearly remembering him.

“Want me to help?”

“You still can’t do anything too conspicuous, Nikita.”

News of Nikita’s survival hadn’t reached the public.

Until the Iris situation was resolved, she couldn’t reclaim her identity.

Though honestly, she had already drawn enough attention.

But catching the Celestial Grace’s eye was another matter entirely.

“Can I ask you to work with Xenia on the Ancient Dragon research?”

Since Nikita also dealt with dragon magic like I did, she’d be able to help Xenia plenty.

More than anything, I didn’t want to burden her.

Perhaps understanding how I felt, Nikita let out a short sigh.

“Fine. Staying inside and supporting from behind is part of being a good wife, they say.”

Wife, she says.

Nikita looked up at me with a faint, mischievous smile.

Really, she’s impossibly sly.

And so, I left the Ancient Dragon’s egg in the hands of Xenia and Nikita.

With those two, I was confident they could handle it.

Entrusting them with my future, I walked out of the park.

There were still many things left to do for the first-year students.

Most of all, Xenia’s stomach had started to rumble, so I decided to let her go.

After sending Xenia off, I headed somewhere familiar.

A private room provided to Iris by the academy, out of consideration.

As the Third Princess, Iris often needed isolated spaces cut off from the outside world.

Though, in reality, she used this room more for napping.

And I often got dragged there with her.

When I opened the door to the private room, I found a young woman on the sofa Iris used to rest on.

A girl with peach-colored hair.

Hania Rapidedia.

Daughter of the Imperial Knight Commander, she was gently stroking the sofa as if she missed Iris.

“You’re here?”

She recognized me immediately without even looking up.

“Judging by the atmosphere, you must’ve been out socializing with other women again.”

How does she even know that?

Hania glanced at me and gave a small smile before leaning back on the sofa.

“Vikamon, will you sit next to me?”

The ex-girlfriend called.

I obliged and sat next to her.

Then, she rested her head lightly on my shoulder.

After a long silence, she slowly nodded as if affirming something.

“You’re definitely warm, Vikamon.”

“I have the Flame of Ash, after all.”

“Now I understand why Lady Iris treated you like a comfort doll.”

A short breath escaped Hania’s lips.

I stayed quiet, matching her silence.

Considering everything involving Iris, it made sense that Hania would be feeling troubled too.

“Vikamon.”

At last, Hania opened her mouth.

“As expected, Her Majesty the Empress has returned.”

The Vampire Mystery.

The Celestial Grace had ultimately used that forbidden art on his own daughter—now deceased.

All just to control Iris at will.

“What's your source?”

“I was the one who spent the most time by Lady Iris’s side. All the attendants serving her are connected to me. I gathered the information through them.”

“Everyone must really care about Iris.”

“Yes. Everyone truly adores her.”

For mere attendants, gathering such dangerous information was no easy task.

Yet they did it willingly, for Iris’s sake.

You can’t block out the sun with your hand.

Walls have ears—even if the Celestial Grace had sealed everything tightly, information would inevitably leak from someone moving outside his control.

Still, something didn’t add up.

Knowing Iris as she was now, it didn’t seem likely she’d be swayed just by something involving her mother.

Hania and I had both seen the changes in her firsthand.

That’s why we considered another possibility.

“I managed to get that far. But the real problem was something else entirely.”

“Maybe she needs blood because of the Vampire Mystery?”

That seemed the most likely scenario, but Hania’s expression darkened.

“…No. It’s far worse than that. Her Majesty the Empress is being imprisoned.”

Imprisoned.

As soon as I heard that, my eyes widened.

“…I only learned about the Empress’s condition because one of the maids accidentally saw her being taken underground.”

Normally, that would sound like the start of a ghost story about the Robliage estate.

But for those who knew about the Vampire Mystery, the implications were very different.

“She hasn’t been getting any blood, has she?”

I spoke with a hardened expression, and Hania silently nodded.

For someone revived as a vampire to go without blood—

It would inflict unbearable pain, draining her life force away.

Dying of thirst, unable to drink water.

Dying of starvation, unable to eat food.

These two deaths are among the cruelest in the world.

I covered my face with my hands.

The Empress, Iris’s mother, is being constantly resurrected through the Vampire’s Mystery.

And with each resurrection, she suffers the agonies of thirst and starvation, trapped in eternal torment.

What must Iris have felt when she witnessed that scene?

Iris cannot end her mother's suffering.

Even if she were to cut off her mother's head, the Vampire’s Mystery would simply revive her again.

Burning the Empress was surely forbidden as well.

Celestial Grace must have locked her in a special chamber.

Could Iris have refused to become Emperor under these circumstances?

Her mother, who had loved her more than anyone else all her life, was suffering in such agony—how could she turn away?

It was impossible.

No matter how much we stood by Iris’s side, that was something no one could overcome.

Not as a person, not as a child.

It was a situation that could never be ignored.

In the end, Iris chose to become Emperor.

To end her mother’s suffering, she willingly became a puppet of Celestial Grace.

It makes my blood boil.

To Celestial Grace, the Empress is his daughter.

A daughter born from his own blood.

And yet, he used even his daughter's pain as a tool to achieve his own ends.

How can that be acceptable, as a fellow human being?

At least, I cannot accept it.

Apparently, neither could Hania—her body trembled as she leaned against me.

I couldn’t even begin to fathom the pain Iris must have felt.

Tears streamed from Hania’s eyes.

But within those eyes, a fierce flame was burning.

Now I understand how much Hania was holding back her emotions at the entrance ceremony.

Inside, she had been burning with grief for Iris.

“Vikamon, that Gerdio... I can never forgive that monster.”

Gerdio Robliage.

Hania now could never forgive Celestial Grace.

“I feel the same.”

A fierce fire burned in my eyes as well.

At that moment, Hania and I made a vow.

We would take Iris back from that monster’s hands—no matter what.

But to do so, we needed preparation.

Celestial Grace was a man capable of splitting the empire in half.

His power was still too strong and formidable.

“I’m going to meet Lady Iris in person.”

She would meet Iris directly.

I looked at Hania after hearing those words.

She smiled with tear-filled eyes.

“Vikamon, to save Lady Iris, we still need more preparation, right?”

The First Prince and Duke of Whitewood.

Together with those two, we are working tirelessly to bring down Celestial Grace.

And so, we still need more time.

But during that time, Iris and the Empress must continue to suffer.

“At least one person should stay by Lady Iris’s side.”

“But Iris—”

“Yes, she probably won’t accept me. That’s why I’m going to beg like a child.”

A sorrowful smile spread on Hania’s lips.

“Because I have no power to save Lady Iris.”

She reached out and tapped my chest.

“I’m sorry. For leaving everything to you so irresponsibly. But aside from Lady Iris, the only person I can truly trust is you, Vikamon.”

I raised my hand and wrapped it around her fist.

“Leave it all to me. I am your ex-boyfriend, after all.”

Hania let out a small laugh.

“Also your ex-ex-boyfriend.”

Still, her face looked a bit lighter now.

With that, Hania left Zerion Academy.

All to remain by Iris’s side, no matter what.

She walked into the jungle-like imperial court on her own.

The world is slowly moving toward its end.

And that end will be very different from the one I once knew.

As I watched the carriage Hania had departed in, my gaze reached the sky.

Was my interference really a good thing for this world?

Lately, I don’t know anymore.

As someone is saved, someone else falls into greater suffering.

With every new incident, someone drowns in pain.

‘Lucas.’

It seems I can’t do things as easily as you did.

‘No…’

It must not have been easy for you, either.

Yet you overcame it all and saved the world.

“Isabel.”

“Yeah. Let’s go find him.”

With a face more serious than ever, Isabel tightened the pack she had prepared.

We both had already submitted paperwork to Professor Vega, saying we were going on an external field mission.

Vega, seemingly still bothered by the disappearance of Lucas’s body, gave us permission.

As long as we didn’t overdo it.

If we kept that promise, she wouldn’t say anything.

There’s no guarantee the Demon Dungeon will open again so soon.

So we’ll search as far as we can for Lucas.

Lucas wasn’t just Isabel’s friend.

He was also my precious friend—someone who stayed with me through the darkest times, through the screen.

“Let’s go.”

To ensure his death is never dishonored again, Isabel and I left Zerion Academy.