TOOCM 97

Chapter 97

Black asked, “But Princess Reina will remember my brother’s face, so how can I impersonate him?”

“Don’t worry about that. You look quite a bit like Prince Jeffrey. Just run into her naturally here and let her see your face. That alone will be enough to successfully carry out the disguise. As I’ve said repeatedly, stop thinking for yourself and just focus on following orders.”

Siegfried’s words cleared Black’s complicated thoughts.

“Understood.”

As Black knelt and accepted the command, Siegfried left the waiting room as if he couldn’t wait any longer.

Left alone, Black put on his mask and headed to the arena. His final, special performance was about to begin.

Arteon led the effort even more splendidly than Reina had anticipated.

Reina spoke with admiration. “That’s truly incredible! Someone who’s done this before is definitely different.”

To obtain the Red Mask in half a day—it would have been impossible without Arteon. It felt like the top student in the school had taken her exam for her.

At Reina’s compliment, Arteon’s chest puffed up immensely. “Well, this much is a piece of cake. Why else would I be a Gold Member? Hahaha!”

Kaiden, watching him with dissatisfaction, grumbled. “I think I did all the physical labor, though.”

Arteon would direct, and Kaiden would execute, and their fantastic synergy quickly led them to the Red rank.

Arteon met Kaiden’s complaint with a sniff.

“Ehh! You wouldn’t ask someone with such a sturdy body to make me do it, would you? As you can see, I am delicate.”

“You certainly look delicate.”

Kaiden surveyed Arteon up and down with a sneer. Arteon quickly caught the tone and scowled.

“…What was that? I find that quite offensive right now.”

“In any case, thanks for the help.”

Receiving both a compliment and a jab simultaneously, Arteon looked unsure whether to be pleased or annoyed.

While the two bickered, Reina was thinking of something else.

‘Now that I’m a Red Member, I can contact a Gold Member.’

Just as Reina was about to attempt contact with Michael, the announcement for the final match of the special event rang out.

“Oh, the final match is starting now.”

Arteon pointed to the arena shown on the video orb screen. Reina’s gaze naturally turned in that direction.

Black, wearing his black mask, had a slender build compared to his opponent. However, the difference in power was overwhelming. During the various exchanges, only the opponent was getting injured.

Just when the outcome seemed certain, the opponent’s final desperate strike knocked Black’s mask off.

The moment it happened, Reina shot up from her seat.

“Brother…?”

The face under the mask was undeniably Jeffrey. The light-blue eyes amidst the shaggy hair—a stark contrast to his formerly clean-cut appearance—were absolutely Jeffrey.

Meanwhile, Arteon was also shocked, recognizing Jeffrey.

“It’s really him? It’s actually Jeffrey!”

He hadn’t expected to find him so easily.

Silence hung between the three people for a moment.

Then, Kaiden spoke. “That blow was easily avoidable.”

Reina snapped back to reality and questioned him. “Are you saying he intentionally revealed his face?”

“Probably.”

Why suddenly?

Why would he reveal his identity now, after being missing for so long? She had assumed the Emperor was holding him captive. She never dreamed he might have concealed his presence voluntarily.

The fact that she had coincidentally come to the arena to meet him only added to her confusion.

A moment later, the match ended with Black’s victory.

Because his mask was broken, Black stepped onto the podium barefaced.

The sponsors who confirmed Black’s face burst into cheers. The face hidden behind the mask was indeed quite handsome.

Reina could not take her eyes off the screen for a single moment.

Because it was the face she had longed for for so long.

Because she was afraid he might vanish like a mirage.

She was just staring blankly at the screen when the announcement came.

“An invitation has arrived from a Gold Member.”

An employee handed an invitation to Reina and Kaiden. It was the place only Red Members and above could enter, and the location Michael had specified for their meeting.

‘It’s Michael.’

Reina and Kaiden exchanged glances. He must have watched this whole scene unfold. Perhaps he had known Jeffrey was here all along and had summoned her here because of it.

Kaiden firmly clasped Reina’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Reina nodded with a determined expression. She then instructed Arteon.

“Arteon, please contact my brother immediately. You must check everything—confirm it’s really him and assess his current condition.”

“Don’t worry and go on. If it is Jeffrey, I’ll hold onto him tightly so he can’t go anywhere.”

Reassured by Arteon’s reliable words, Reina and Kaiden swiftly departed.

* * *

The top-floor private room of the arena.

Michael was lost in thought, swirling a wine glass.

‘What is he thinking?’

On the screen, Black was mounting the podium with his face revealed. Michael already knew he was Jeffrey. However, he was bewildered that he chose to reveal his identity at this specific time.

A year ago, after returning from meeting Reina in the North, Michael had secretly investigated Jeffrey Eve Mernier.

The publicly known facts were not much different from what he already knew: a Royal who went missing at age 20 during a subjugation. It was an accident where some members of the advance party were swept away when the Gate to the Demon Realm suddenly opened.

Those who went missing with him were recognized as national heroes, and enormous compensation was given to their families. The Eve County House was one of them. The Eve family moved to their new territory after receiving the compensation, and Jeffrey was naturally forgotten.

On the surface, it looked like an unquestionable accident, but it did not escape Michael’s notice.

The lottery to select the Royal to join the advance party had been rigged. This was something he could detect because the Fromme family had managed that specific draw.

As he dug into one detail, the strange aspects multiplied. Most of the advance party members swept away with Jeffrey were from humble families or were family embarrassments, such as bastards.

That was why the accident could be easily glossed over at the time. In other words, the advance party was made up of people whose disappearance would cause no trouble.

‘Did the Gate to the Demon Realm really even open?’

As he pondered this, someone knocked on the door. Michael turned around, welcoming his guests as if he had been waiting.

“You’ve arrived. You raised your rank quite strategically, I see. Thanks to that, we’ve avoided an awkward situation.”

Despite Michael’s warm greeting, the two guests remained motionless.

A moment later, Reina and Kaiden removed their masks. Their expressions were sharp, gleaming with an intense animosity that suggested they might kill Michael on the spot.

Michael paid no attention to their clear hostility. Reina spoke.

“You don’t think I’m unaware that you intentionally invited us to a place only Red Rank and above can enter, do you?”

“Oh dear. It seems you’re misunderstanding that I was testing you, Lady Reina.”

“Then you weren’t?”

“The top floor is a place even the Lone Spider cannot interfere with. I chose this location because it is the only place in the capital where we can speak comfortably, hidden from the eyes of the Emperor and the Lone Spider.”

Michael subtly revealed that he, too, knew this place belonged to the Julids.

Only then did Reina slightly subdue her anger, and she opened her mouth.

“You already knew my brother was here, didn’t you?”

“I was originally planning to inform you.”

“Does that mean my brother revealing his identity has nothing to do with you, Lord Michael?”

“That’s right. If anything, I’m the one who is troubled, as I’ve lost a piece I could have used for leverage.”

At Michael’s words, Reina frowned.

“Don’t treat my brother like a chess piece.”