NIWA 18

Chapter : 18

Crown Prince, Chris von Lupium.

A man with dark blond hair close to brown and the violet eyes that symbolized the imperial family.

Intelligent in appearance, and unlike the second prince, considerate and gentle—enough to stir romantic feelings in many women.

How could I, who had been by his side since childhood as his fiancée, have been any different? I fell for him twice as deeply as any other woman.

Affection, devotion—everything I could give, I poured into him. All he needed to do was throw me a few sweet words while I hovered anxiously by his side, desperate to please him. I melted every time at those candy-like sweet remarks.

I gave him everything—but what did he do?

When Arienne appeared, he turned his back on me as if I were invisible.

Once I served no purpose in coaxing the ducal house of Aicien, he discarded me without a second thought.

Worse—because Arienne desired it, he even sent people to drag me out of the slums, where I was barely clinging to life, and finally gouged out my right eye.

A cunning, cruel snake of a human being.

Adriel must have been frightened; he squirmed behind me, pressing his small body against my back.

Rubbing at my throbbing right eye socket, I looked toward the entrance of the garden where the crown prince stood frozen.

His eyes—similar in shade to the second prince’s but clouded, tainted with a snake-like malice—met mine head-on.

The hatred buried deep within me rose, thick and heavy, to the surface.

We stared silently for a moment. Then the crown prince smiled.

“Well, well. To think I would meet my brother’s fiancée here. I am Chris von Lupium, the crown prince. It is a great honor to welcome a spirit master into the imperial family.”

“…I am Spirit Master Lien.”

Get a hold of yourself. Until I carry out my revenge, I will undoubtedly have to face these people over and over. I can’t afford to lose control every time.

I felt the prince’s gaze sweep slowly down my body.

“I heard you were badly injured during the Hunt Festival—that a monster appeared. Are you well?”

“It was nothing serious. I was only mildly poisoned. I am fine now.”

The prince lifted the corners of his mouth as if truly relieved.

“Although it was for the sake of celebrating my brother’s return, it was His Majesty and I who moved the festival forward. I have felt deep guilt for that. It was our negligence not to secure the forest. I heard the Spirit Tower dispatched another spirit master after the incident, but when the opportunity arises, I would like to formally invite both of you to the palace to apologize properly.”

“No need. As I said, I wasn’t seriously hurt. The tower sent another spirit master to investigate the monster appearance, that’s all.”

Keeping Adriel hidden behind me from the prince’s eyes, I silently returned his unreadable look.

“Understood. Lady Aicien, my fiancée, asked me to convey that she wishes to meet you privately. I trust you’ve heard?”

I nodded slowly, and again he smiled gently.

“Then I will send a letter later. Do enjoy your stay at the palace.”

“…Yes.”

“And one more piece of advice.”

He had already turned away, but after a few steps he stopped and looked back at us, as though remembering something.

“Rihar—my brother… is lacking in many ways. It would be wise for you to be careful as well, Spirit Master.”

With that mocking smile, he walked away leisurely.

His murky purple eyes flashed with murderous intent as he passed.

So the prince claims his brother is lacking. Whatever the first half meant, the second was perfectly clear.

“Hah.”

We’ll see soon enough whether it’s I who should be careful—or the crown prince.

For the next two days, until we left the palace, I did not run into the crown prince again.

Though I tried to stay within the imperial residence, even when I returned to the garden with Adriel, the prince never came into view.

Meeting him again had stirred the hatred I’d pressed deep within my heart, simply waiting for the right moment.

I wasn’t becoming emotional over every memory related to him anymore, but the encounter left me unsettled.

It annoyed me—how seeing him even briefly had ignited rage inside me. How pathetic that I could not yet sever myself fully from the past.

Of course, the very premise of revenge already proved that.

This didn’t mean I had abandoned the idea.

But part of me had hoped that when the time came to inflict suffering upon them, I could do so without recalling the past, without letting emotion color it.

I knew that was impossible.

The pain-filled years that shaped me—those five years made me who I am. Without them, I would not exist as I am now. Without them, Sierra, Alec… the prince, and everyone else I met would never have entered my life.

So yes—the past could not simply be erased.
But once revenge was complete, I intended to forget everything.

I would not waste energy on pointless emotions after it was all over.

From then on, I would live solely for my own happiness.

With such trivial thoughts floating in my mind, I wrote a letter to Jema, smiling faintly at the rare peace since arriving in the capital.

Sunlight poured into the room, undines bounced into sight, fluttering and playing with each other in midair.

A peaceful afternoon.

Crown Prince of the Lupium Empire. The empire’s future sun—an ideal ruler, rational and intellectual.

To secure that position, he used every method available—fair or foul.

Despite being crown prince, he was born to the current empress, who was once a concubine.

Half commoner blood ran in his veins, and many nobles refused to accept him.

That was why he clung all the more to hierarchy and status. He might be only half, but he was imperial blood—he was crown prince.

And for that reason, he detested his younger brother, only a few years apart, to the point of sickness.

Rihar von Lupium, the second prince—was perfect.

He looked like a naturally born prince.

While the first prince struggled desperately, nearly killing himself with effort, the second prince achieved everything flawlessly with barely any attempt.

Thankfully, the emperor’s affection, irritated as he was by the former empress and her son, belonged to him and his mother. With his silver tongue, he persuaded the emperor to send the second prince to subjugate monsters.

In the meantime, his mother got rid of the former empress and took her place.

Finally—everything was perfect.

His mother was empress, his father was emperor.

He was no longer a concubine-born prince.

He was the only prince—the sole heir.

Until—

His younger brother returned alive from the monster expedition.

Not dead—worse. Hardened and overflowing with killing intent.

He dared bare his fangs at the crown prince.

Then, the neighboring kingdom of Jeffrey invaded the empire’s borders.

So once again, he persuaded the emperor to send his “brother so strong he survived a monster hunt at the age of ten” to war.

Once more, peace returned.

There was a third prince born in the meantime, but a half-blood slave-born runt was beneath notice.

Yet again—the second prince did not die.

He returned a Swordmaster—a rarity—and now commanded the absolute loyalty of the military.

Thus began the fierce struggle between brothers.

Still, Chris was unafraid. No matter how strong the second prince became, he could not kill him.

Lupium’s blessing—something he once dismissed—shielded him with uncanny luck. Assassins were nothing he could not handle.

While the second prince’s knowledge lagged from time spent on the battlefield, Chris moved pieces like a master of chess, using words and schemes to shape public opinion.

The second prince, he declared, was a bloodthirsty monster who murdered whenever displeased. Not entirely a lie—his brother had indeed spilled plenty of blood.

“Damn it.”

It was only a matter of time before he rid himself of Rihar and claimed sole succession.

It wasn’t a dream—it was reality.

But then—

At the Founding Festival banquet, the second prince found the third prince Chris had sold to slave traders, intending never to see him again. Unplanned, but tolerable. Even if he recovered him, the third prince could always serve as leverage against him.

The true issue was the spirit master who appeared out of nowhere.

Love at first sight? Don’t make him laugh.

If anyone understood and watched the second prince most closely, it was Chris. The prince who gave no one a second glance suddenly fell headlong in love? Ridiculous.

How in the world had his brother dragged in a spirit master from the Spirit Tower—a neutral institution for centuries?

As a warning, Chris had unleashed monsters at the Hunt Festival, where the second prince had been moving more boldly since the third prince’s recovery. His mistake was assuming no woman—let alone a spirit master—would participate. Had he known, he would’ve checked the participant list.

A spirit master was a different kind of opponent.

What motives did she have for becoming the second prince’s fiancée? He approached her, probing her purpose—but got nothing in return. A black-haired woman with a blank face. She answered in short replies and revealed nothing.

“Tsk.”

For now, he needed to observe.

Monsters that would slaughter ordinary knights were different when facing a spirit master.

If only she could be swayed…

It was time to rewrite his plans entirely.