OFGBL 08

Chapter 8

When she had not known the truth, she had been neatly deceived, but not anymore.

However, because she had to wait for the moment to bring the emperor down in the most devastating way possible, Erenia summoned superhuman patience to conceal her murderous intent.

“I will live up to Your Majesty’s expectations.”

She then bowed politely without changing a single expression.

Just as you wish. Instead of my maternal family, I will become this Haiyen’s traitor.

Then, with a firm resolution, she added:

“However, Your Majesty. Might I make a single request?”

It was a golden opportunity to use the emperor’s expectations to achieve her goal.

“A request? What is it?”

Normally, the emperor would have scolded her for being impudent, but today was different, as he was eager for Erenia’s cooperation.

“To hold the Grand Duke of Devlin’s interest, I, too, must learn more about him. Shouldn’t I understand what kind of family the Devlin Grand Duchy is, what they pursue and desire, and other such details if I am to capture the Grand Duke’s heart?”

Erenia continued in a calm tone.

“Therefore, I humbly ask for permission to enter the imperial library. By examining the materials and diplomatic records there, I wish to better comprehend the Grand Duchy.”

The imperial library. That place gathered all kinds of confidential materials, rare records, and diplomatic documents collected by successive imperial families.

Containing vast information even on the continent’s noble houses, it was a place no one—not even a member of the imperial family—could enter carelessly without the emperor’s permission.

Naturally, it was a space whose entry had been forbidden to Erenia for her entire life.

Perhaps because it was an unexpected request, the emperor’s gaze as he looked at Erenia grew somewhat sharp.

He wouldn’t want to let me in there. But he won’t be able to refuse. Suppressing my education, you must think of me as an idiot.

Erenia’s justification was flawless. Since she claimed it was to become the Grand Duchess of Devlin and completely capture the Grand Duke’s heart, the emperor, greedy to take the Grand Duke as his son-in-law, had no reason to object.

“So be it. Entry is granted.”

Just as Erenia had expected, the emperor, having made his calculations, nodded.

“One thing—do not forget your role and your station. Focus on winning the Grand Duke’s favor. Your usefulness to the empire extends precisely that far.”

“…I will bear it in mind.”

Usefulness.

Erenia barely managed to swallow down a cold, mocking laugh threatening to burst forth.

I proved that enough in my past life.

It had been that way her entire life. For the empire, for the imperial family, for Joanna. She had searched for her own usefulness and done her absolute best.

Like a racehorse trained for racing. Unable to think of anything else, Erenia had carried out every command just to have her value recognized by others.

How foolishly.

I am no longer going to move for your sake.

“You are dismissed, then.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

A cool smile, unnoticed by the emperor, spread across Erenia’s lowered lips.

After leaving the emperor’s office, Erenia headed straight and locked herself away in the imperial library.

Skipping even her meals, she pulled out any records related to the Devlin Grand Duchy, even digging through all sorts of ancient documents.

I need to know more precise information about my ability.

Until now, she knew nothing other than the fact that she could suppress Seirn’s magical rampage through physical contact.

At this rate, the deal might fail.

Erenia had to somehow succeed in the transaction of offering her ability in exchange for Seirn’s power. Only then would she be able to punish the Haiyen imperial family all the more thoroughly.

As a mere nominal grand duchess trapped solely by Seirn’s necessity, she would never be able to execute her revenge.

“Before long, the Grand Duke will personally ask me for a deal.”

Last night, she had boldly declared it so as not to lose the initiative in the negotiations, but in truth, Erenia was still not certain of success.

I must find a clearer key to the negotiations.

Yet, even after searching through records deep into the night, Erenia found no clear harvest.

Of course, she gained a lot of information she hadn’t known about the Devlin Grand Duchy, but the materials regarding the curse were fragmentary, and there was nowhere any mention of an entity capable of controlling it.

However, amidst all that, Erenia also managed to find records of her destroyed maternal family. Though everything had been burned away under the stigma of treason, only the family crest remained in the old noble genealogy.

A pattern of a thorny vine entwining a sword pointing straight up toward the sky. The moment she saw it, Erenia’s eyes trembled faintly. Then, she pulled out the old locket necklace she had kept hidden inside her bosom where no one could see.

It was an item she had found by chance in the wall gap behind her bedroom bed during childhood and cherished all her life. When she first discovered it, it had the impression of having been purposely hidden in a place not easily noticed.

Since the room she stayed in was the very space where her mother had been imprisoned before her execution, Erenia had instinctively guessed it belonged to her mother.

And the crest engraved on the back of it was identical to the crest of Helias in the noble genealogy.

…As expected, did my mother leave this behind?

Erenia stroked the locket with trembling hands. She was curious about the inside, but the rusted hinge still refused to open.

Until another day rose and set, Erenia poured all her effort into the investigation.

Having read all sorts of materials for a long time until her eyes felt dry and strained, Erenia momentarily put down the book and closed her eyes.

Then, giving her eyes a brief rest, she retraced the events of the previous night in her mind.

Amidst that, something she had missed suddenly came to mind. Even when the Grand Duke first staggered, overwhelmed by magic, I briefly reached out to grab him, but the magic didn’t subside from that alone.

The moment that truly and practically quelled the rampage was right when she had reached out again, determined to help Seirn however she could.

It wasn’t simply a matter of their bodies touching.

Does my ability manifest only when my will is put into it?

Erenia herself was not yet certain. Suppressing the magic in itself had only happened once.

However, if that hypothesis was correct, Seirn could never keep Erenia confined by force. It meant that locking her up or forced physical contact wouldn’t solve anything anyway.

Then why? How did the Grand Duke in my past life know just from that brief touch that I could control his curse? Is simply recognizing the ability possible just by touching?

It was still full of mysteries, but as a result of checking every last piece of material on the Grand Duchy in the library, she reached the conclusion that it would be difficult to find answers inside here anyway.

I need to go meet that man.

It was around 10:00 PM when Erenia arrived at Seirn’s quarters. Although it was quite late, it wasn’t a time when he would have gone to sleep.

However.

Contrary to her thought that security would be heavy since it was a detached palace where the Grand Duke stayed, neither guard knights nor adjutants were anywhere to be seen.

As if someone had deliberately cleared the surroundings away.

With an ominous premonition, Erenia’s footsteps quickened.

And the moment she reached the door presumed to be Seirn’s bedroom—

Thud!

From inside the room, a dull sound of something colliding echoed out.

“…Urgh!”

Immediately following, an ominous red aura spilled out through the crack of the door, accompanied by a man’s painful groan.

Erenia hurriedly pushed open the door and entered. Inside the room, a terrifyingly roiling storm of magic was already raging.

And right in the midst of it, Seirn was sitting collapsed, clutching his chest. With hair damp with cold sweat sticking this and that way to his forehead, crimson blood was flowing from between lips he had bitten down on to endure the pain.

Enduring the pain to that extent… was that a daily occurrence?

The sight of him enduring the magical rampage all alone in a place with no one else, unable to even cry out loudly.

For some reason, all the thoughts continuing in Erenia’s head momentarily halted because of that desolate sight.

“Grand Duke!”

When Erenia instinctively lunged forward, Seirn spoke in a voice through clenched teeth.

“I told them… to clear the surroundings.”

Judging by the rough voice he managed to force out, he didn’t seem to recognize yet that the visitor was Erenia.

“Imperial… Princess?”

However, after Seirn’s red eyes, blurred with pain, turned toward her, a faint spark of lucidity settled into his previously unfocused pupils.

Before long, Seirn snatched Erenia’s wrist. Vaguely remembering from the garden last night that those hands had eased his pain.

Instinct took precedence over the reason that he ought to be wary of the imperial princess of an enemy nation. Driven by a desperate desire to escape this hellish agony even a single moment sooner, he brought her hand toward his chest.

Soon enough, the raging red smoke gradually subsided, and the pain squeezing his chest eased bit by bit.

Around the time the agony had died down to a tolerable level.

Erenia startled and shuddered. And at the same time, the purifying energy that had been easing Seirn’s breathing vanished in an instant.

“Ha?”

Seirn’s eyes were stained with confusion.

Erenia’s hand was still touching him. Yet why were the pain and the red magic no longer subsiding?

Just as he was utterly unable to understand—

“It won’t work by force.”

Erenia’s calm voice penetrated his ears. “Even if you drag my hand to you by force, the flow of magic does not soften.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“In the garden last night, and just a moment ago as well, my desire to help the Grand Duke came first. And right now, I have temporarily set that will aside.”

“…It depends on what you set your mind to?”

“If you are curious, I will prove it to you. I shall try again now.”

As soon as Erenia finished speaking, the pain subsided like a lie. Like encountering sweet rain in a dry desert, the thirst burning Seirn away vanished.

While neither the position of her hand nor her posture had changed, there was only a single difference.

“…If you do not hold the will to help me, it is useless?”

That meant it could not be forced.

Which meant that Seirn had no choice but to accept Erenia’s deal.