"Heard you were going away on a journey, Lucas."

You walked in with a casual air. Lucas and Athy stopped fighting and turned to you.

"Milady." Lucas politely greeted.

Athy stared at him with funny eyes. You sat down and took the cookies placed on the table.

"So what are you two up to?"

Athy opened her mouth to reply but Lucas beat her to the punch. "Princess is in denial. She won't admit she'd miss me."

Athy exploded with a red face, "Shut up! Nobody's going to miss a jerk like you! I was just worried about my mana! That's it!"

Lucas rolled his eyes, giving her a flat look. "I told you I took care of it. And if something does occur, your Mom knows what to do."

Athy turned to you and you nodded. "I wasn't training for nothing. I'm here, don't worry. Unless," You wiggled your eyebrows. "Lucas is right and you'd miss him once he's gone. Is my sweetheart in denial?“

"Mom!! Athy whined.

"Sorry, sorry." You chuckled at her pouty face. "Isn't it time for your tea party, Athy? The guest must have arrived you should go welcome them."

"Ah," Athy shot up upright. She turned to Lucas with a girl and tried to stomp his feet to no avail. "Because of you, I got sidetracked! Now I'm late!"

"Don't blame your tardiness on me."

She threw the pillow at his face and stuck out her tongue when he dodged it.

"Be careful." You watched with an amused smile.

Athy scrambled off, throwing you a smile over her shoulder."That's Dad's favourite phrase, Mom. Don't make it yours. Bye!"

You waited until she was out.

"Is there something you want, Milady?"

For a split second, you were surprised. He was looking at you, waiting.

You brushed off your surprise. "So there was something I want to ask."

"Ask away, Mi'lady. There's nothing I can't answer."

Your eyebrows shot up. Arrogance or confidence. You doubted this boy knew the difference between the two. Typical him.

No matter. If he could help you, you'd put up with his attitude for a bit.

"It's about black magic."

"What about black magic?" Lucas asked. It seems the topic had piqued his interest.

"Can one afflicted with black magic since birth can be cleansed?"

Lucas grew silent and narrowed his eyes at you. You kept your expression neutral, not giving away your motive. Lucas frowned, "It's possible but it's risky. For both parties. Affiliation with black magic is already bad enough but being associated with it since birth is asking for death. I strongly advise against associating with such a person. Black magic never ends well."

"Is there a way to reverse the effect or not?" You said.

Lucas muttered something about Athy's stubbornness stemming from you. You ignored it, looking at him with a dead serious face. Lucas sighed, you swore it was in annoyance. "There is."

You brightened up. "Tell me."

Sighing some more, Lucas explained the whole process in detail. In the end, you were hopeful yet apprehensive. Though the bizarre way he explained was difficult to understand, you grasped the gist. "So she will lose her identity..."

You chewed the inside of your cheek as you contemplated the risky solution. Coming to a decision, you looked back at him and asked the most crucial one.

"Is black magic capable of resurrection? Specifically souls of dead people?"

Lucas straightens up. His expression changed from politeness indifference to hard expression. "Mi'lady, you do realize what black magic is, right? It's not a small thing you can get away easily. Let alone something so precarious as reviving.."

"Hold on," You held up your hand, "You got the wrong idea. I'm not thinking of doing something crazy as reviving someone, that's insane even for me. I'm asking because I'm curious. It's more of a," You paused, trying to phrase it properly. A right word popped up and you snapped your fingers. "A case study if you will."

"A case study..." Slowly Lucas smiled, "It must be very important to you with the urgency-- I mean curiosity you came in with."

"...Yes." You felt like you were being ridiculed.

"I won't be held accountable for your stupi--recklessness, Mi'lady."

You narrowed your eyes.

Coughing up, Lucas once again started explaining, his tone was a bit aggravating like he was speaking to an idiot. You endured it. Because the info he was providing was far more resourceful than that you read from tons of different books with the varying concept of black magic.

It gave you more insight into the current problem you were facing and revealed things you didn't know that would come in handy for the plan you prepared.

"There's nothing else you want to ask?" Lucas asked, his tone implying something.

"No."

"Are you sure?" Lucas pressed on, his gaze falling past your neck before coming back to your eyes.

"Uh-huh." You hid your discomfort at his probing stare.

"...I see."

His eyes continued to drill into before he lightly scoffed and muttered, "Whatever. It's not my business anyway."

"Come again?"

Lucas shook his head with a frown. "It's nothing. I'm talking to myself."

His ambiguous demeanour didn't sit well with you. You didn't want to be on receiving end of having your enemy ahead of you. Not that he was your enemy.

"Well, thank you, Lucas. You aren't called prodigy for nothing." You smiled, "Then again given your age that's too expected."

"...Pardon me?"

You leaned forward with a mysterious glint in your eyes, "Youths are more eager to learn, no? There are ambitious enough to leave the adults behind. Isn't that right, Lucas?"

"..."

You laughed. "What up with that look? I was only praising your skills. Don't be so tense now."

"....You really do take great joy watching people squirm in discomfort."

"It's my love language," You grinned, before tossing him a red pouch. Lucas easily caught it with one hand and raised an eyebrow. "Some cookies for your journey."

You continued at his silence. "It's not much but it's your favourite ones. I specifically requested Lily to bake it."

Lucas fell silent, this time more for loss of words.

At his dumbfounded expression, you let out a soft laugh, "Come back in one piece. Athy'd be lonely with you gone. You're her one and only friend. It's the same for you too, no? So make a quick trip."

"Safe journey, Lucas." You said as you stood, heading for the exit.

"Why bother giving them hope when you're going to rip it away from them anyway."

You stopped midstep.

Lucas fiddled with the red pouch, frowning hard. His sharp glare lifted and you became its next target. You shuddered at the disdain in them.

"Happiness means nothing if you're going to inflict irreversible suffering on them."

You opened your mouth but no words came out.

Lucas mercilessly continued, stabbing the sharp words further. "Making her happy now wouldn't erase the betrayal."

Snapping out of your stupor, you pressed your lips together, "If you know that much, you must also know why I'm doing this."

"Reason doesn't justify anything. You think you're doing it for their sake but in reality, it's for your own selfishness." The words were dripping with venom and contempt.

You stared at him in silence before breaking out in a quiet laugh, "That's right. It's for my own sake. I'm selfish. I don't want to outlive them. I have no desire to live in a world where they are not smiling."

Lucas didn't look conceived. Instead, his disdain flared up, burning brightly in his red eyes. "What about the people left behind? Were any thoughts spared to them?"

Lucas glared. He let out a bitter scoff and vanished with a puff.

You stared at the empty spot for a long time.

".. What's up with him?”

***

The sound of page turning echoed in the study, bouncing off the silent walls and coming back to the owner. Despite the noise, the person continued

with sharp concentration, focus hardly broken. A thoughtful hum and another book joined the pile of books stacked to the side. A new thick book was picked up with a title written in an ancient language.

"Your majesty, the books you requested are here."

Felix announced as he carefully carried the books in his arms stacked up like a mountain blocking his vision. He almost stumbled with his lack of vision but his knight training prevented him.

"Place them over there."

Felix breathed out in relief. The books were unharmed. The text in them were important relics of history passed down by generations. Not only that the books from different locations across the continent were borrowed. . He turned around. Claude immersed in the books ignored him, his eyes going over the letters at a quick pace.

"I don't understand, your majesty. Why the sudden interest in Ancient history? You even ordered books from other Empires. Most of them are in a language I have never seen."

Claude didn't look up, turning the page, "I have my reason."

"Is it because of (Y/n)? She's acting strange these days. I'm concerned."

Claude paused for a moment and looked at Felix whose expression was creased with worried lines.

Claude returned to the block of texts taunting him, "She will be alright. I'll make sure of it. Don't worry needlessly."

Shoulders slouching, Felix rubbed a hand over his tired face. "Please do. Seeing her without a genuine smile just feels wrong."

"Leave her be. I rather not have her smile to appease the worries of people. If she feels sad, let her feel sad. It's better than hiding her sadness behind a forced smile."

Felix recoiled at the cold tone.

Page was turned with more force than necessary. "It's hard enough to get through her without having her true feeling concealed on top of that."

"I apologize. I didn't mean to imply my words that way."

Claude acknowledged his worry with a hum. "If you're done, leave."

Felix sighed at his dismissal and bowed his head, "Alright, your Majesty. I'll take my leave. If you need anything let me know."

Claude barely glanced up as the door closed. His thumb brushed against his lower lip in thoughtful strokes as he continued to go over all the books he ordered. Hours passed yet his figure remained unmoving.

"....The evil that rose was unlike anything recorded in the history of mankind. Magic was its curse. One of the Empires from Six Great Empires was destroyed by it. Only Five Great Empires remained. Malice spread across the continent and wailed for salvation. To conquer dàrkness, five brave Saviors from the Great Five Empires came together to conquer it. Still, with the force of such a powerful being, the evil couldn't be eradicated so it was banished. To this day the whispers of the evil continued, with rumours of it existing in the Forest of Mist which have its root spread to all Empires."

"...." Claude almost rolled his eyes.

"With unending wars raging on between Great Five Empires, magic still frowned upon and fought for, one was held against going deep into the Forest of Mist. For there dwell a great evil veiled in its malice waited to enact its vengeance upon humanity."

"It's all over the place..."

With a sigh, he closed the book. He stared at the ceiling with unfocused eyes, rubbing the back of his nape which was stiff from sitting in the same position for too long.

Celestria Midnight. That's the name you provided him with, claiming she was your friend, a distant well-wisher. He had his doubts about it.

Celestria Midnight. He had a hunch she wasn't entirely human. Her aura felt Ancient like an old worn book with recordings of history left forgotten.

Sentences danced around in his mind, stringing along the more he thought. Words which weren't interrelated, and made no sense whatsoever started to form a definitive coherence.

He couldn't find mention of her in history. There were mentions of beings that did trace back to her but it was vague and without concrete evidence, they couldn't be taken to face value.

"Her motives are still unclear..."

Though the puzzle was starting to piece together, there were still major pieces missing. Without them, he wouldn't be able to understand clearly.

He frowned, rubbing his throbbing forehead. Leaning forward he buried his face in his palms and breathed deeply.

All the alternatives he came up with were too out of the realm to make sense. Mostly he didn't want them to be true. Because they carried horrifying implications.

"No, that's absurd."

Suddenly a memory flashed across his eyes. Sad eyes lined up with tears,

quivering lips forced into a smile.

"If I did tell you everything you wouldn't believe me. Trust me it sounds crazy to me even when I'm living proof of this absurdity."

Claude flinched. If only he had been more firm and pressed you to spill the truth behind your sad eyes, today's situation would've been significantly different. You would've relied on him more, and shared the secrets you were keeping tightly to yourself.

Claude bit his lip.

Maybe you wouldn't be running around, trying to take everything on your shoulders.

His chest heaved with a bitter sigh. He got up and arranged the books in a neat pile and headed toward the door. He needed fresh air. All the theories and speculations in his mind were driving him insane.

Outside, Claude breathed in the fresh fragrant air, which did little to lessen his worries but it was better than driving himself into a corner. He briefly closed his eyes and focused on the red string of mana coming out of his chest connected to his heart and quickly found your location.

He was surprised. Normally you'd be holed up in the tower doing your research or practicing magic with the young magician Lucas before he dragged you away. It was rather odd you were at Imperial Palace.

He made his way there. His mind was a little distracted when he detected something out of place and vile.

Claude paused, his eyes sharpening into a cold glare. He didn't have to wait for long. She culprit came running after all too familiar white cat.

Claude's eyes flashed, glowing with inexplicable emotion.

Penelope was dead. At least from the letters sent by Rosalia to you, she was supposed.

Was that a lie? No, it seems unlikely.

Her resemblance was uncanny to that wench. There's no doubt she was her daughter.

Her eyes were forest green, not blue.

Hmm...Did she cheat on him too?

Not only that, Claude coldly looked at the brunette, at the wisp of black aura crowding around her.

Black magic.

Claude was contemplating what to do with her when his eyes fell on her hair ornament. That gave him a pause.

Claude frowned, mind flashing back to the debutante. That was yours. For it to be on her head...Did you invite her, why?

With your exceptional magic skill, he had no doubt you knew what she was, which begs the question why invite her here and risk something happening to Athanasia? Claude knew how protective you were of her. Then why?

Shaking off the annoying questions bombarding his head he spoke up coldly.

"You're in a restricted area."

The girl jumped, letting out a loud squeak. Spinning on her heels, she came face to face with him. After a few seconds of dumb blinking, she bowed her head, "Blessings and glory upon the Obelian Sun."

"Who allowed you here?"

Jennette flinched. "I- I followed the white cat and got lost, your majesty."

At his silence, Jennette hurriedly did a clumsy curtsy and an obligatory introduction.

"I'm Jennette Margarita, from Alpheus House. I came here for the tea party hosted by her Highness."

"...." Claude glanced at Ether clawing on his feet with sharp nails. And promptly ignored him.

Claude couldn't detect an ounce of fear from the girl staring at him with no hesitation. The insolent girl wasn't afraid of the consequences of staring directly at the Emperor. Or maybe she was oblivious to the threat looming over him. Her big round eyes reminded him of Athanasia when she wanted something from him without outright saying it.

"..."

She was not Athanasia and he was not you. He wasn't interested in indulging little brats.

Claude clicked his tongue and said sharply. "Don't wander off as you please. Go back."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Claude continued to stare as her shoulders drooped, her eyes searching the area filled with disappointment.

"Papa!" Athanasia came sprinting, her expression washing with relief. "Jennette, you are here."

"Were you looking for me?" Jennette asked before quickly adding when Claude side-eyed her, "Your highness."

"Yes. Everyone is. You disappeared without saying a word."

"I'm sorry, your highness," Jennette said sheepishly, a tint of red on her face. "I followed the cat and got lost."

"Ether?" Athanasia stared at Ether hanging on Claude's robe, swaying back and forth. "... Never mind him. Let's go back."

"Dad, what are you doing here? Out for a stroll?"

Claude gave a tiny nod.

Athanasia fidgeted with her dress, her eyes darting to Jennette before coming back to him, nervousness clear in her action.

Claude realized it wasn't only you exhibiting strange behaviour out of nowhere. Her daughter had the tendency too.

"You're the Crown Princess, Athanasia. If you're not enjoying the party, dismiss it."

Athanasia was stunned before a bright smile bloomed on her face. Almost like some kind of worry eating at her was appeased "Yes, Dad."

"Let's go!" Athanasia nodded to Jennette who bowed to Claude and followed her.

Claude pressed his fingers against his forehead which throbbed harder than before. He had now more questions than before. Dammit.

He started walking again. Crossing over, he reached the Palace. The knights greeted him as he walked past him continuing. It didn't take long for him to find you standing in the gallery looking at the Royal portraits.

Arms sneaked around your waist and he buried his face in your nape, breathing in deeply.

"You seem tired."

It felt nice to hear your soft voice. "Hmm."

"I told you not to overwork yourself. You barely step out of your study. If there's too much work, let me help." You combed your fingers through his hair, lips pursued in worry.

"No. You've enough on your plate." Your fingers running through his hair felt good. Everything about you was good. He just wanted to exist beside you, enjoying your presence, forgetting all the problems weighing heavy on his shoulders. If only things were so simple.

He could hear the eye roll in your voice, "It's no big deal. I can manage--"

"No. I'll handle it myself."

He knew you were about to protest when you stiffened, muscles coiling to argue with him.

He couldn't have that, so he bit the skin of your jaw when you turned to glare at him.

He savoured the soft yelp of surprise escaping your lips.

"What part of no you don't understand, you troublesome woman," Claude said, fully displaying his smugness.

You reluctantly expected he wasn't going to relent. You grumbled, "You play dirty."

"Learnt from the best."

He didn't flinch when you elbowed him in the chest. Laughing softly, tightening his arms around you, he hugged you closer.

Yes, this was what he dreamt of and ever wanted. To live in the beautiful moment while smiling.

But life wasn't that merciful.