TTPB 15

Chapter 15: No Wonder He’s the Villain

Kalon fell in love with a fairy. Enchanted by her absolute beauty, he gave his heart away without resistance. All night long, the fairy whispered beauty into the man’s ear, and since then, Kalon’s blood was blessed by the fairy. A child of Kalon only became truly beautiful upon awakening the sacred blessing.

But the fairy stole one thing she desired from Kalon. She took his ocean-colored eyes. Kalon could no longer see the one he loved—not his child, not his followers, not his nation, not even the fairy herself.

It was like a cruel prank played by a mischievous fairy. With the power of her blessing, he gained a nation, but lost everything else. He spent the rest of his life in an unquenchable thirst. And before taking his final breath, Kalon said:

[I don’t know whether she was my blessing or my curse.]

Recalling the legend of the Kalon Empire, Rose turned toward the window when she heard a thudding sound.

“What was that?”

Upon approaching, she found a fallen canary. Yellow feathers were scattered nearby. Its tiny chest pulsed weakly, looking pitiful.

“Oh, you poor thing.”

She gently brushed over its injured wing and hesitated.

‘Hmm… Should I give it a try?’

She wasn’t sure it would work, but she closed her eyes and focused. Soon, a dazzling light flowed from her hand. Like warm summer sunlight, the gentle radiance touched the bird’s wing and then scattered in a brilliant burst. The bird flapped its wings vigorously.

“It actually worked?”

Startled by the unexpected success, she stared in disbelief as the revived bird flew off without even a thank-you. Rose looked down at her hands.

「Regeneration」

The power she had just used was the fairy’s blessing—one that, in the original story, only awakened in Princess Rose three years later.

‘The fairy’s blessing really is something.’

The Kalon Empire was often called the land of fairies. While it was partly due to the royal family’s fairy-like beauty, the deeper reason lay in its mythos. Royals with fairy blood possessed mystical blessings. Rose’s power was a miraculous ability to regenerate all living things to their peak—「Regeneration」.

This power typically awakened before adulthood and was customarily demonstrated during the sacred ceremony overseen by the Pope. However, Princess Rose hadn’t displayed any abilities during her coming-of-age ceremony in the original story. There had simply been no dramatic incident in the calm palace to trigger it. Her power only manifested during the demon war.

‘If I hadn’t read the original, I wouldn’t have known either.’

Using the fairy’s blessing was easier than expected. Imagining it as described in the novel allowed the power to flow naturally.

“Perfect. I can show this off.”

She decided to display the fairy’s blessing at the upcoming ceremony. If she demonstrated 「Regeneration」 early, she might at least avoid dying a meaningless death. In the original, after awakening this power, Princess Rose was called a saint and began building her influence.

Recalling the humiliation she suffered at the banquet, Rose narrowed her brows slightly. The Second Princess had exploited her weak status to poke and prod her.

‘Just hold out until the ceremony.’

After that, she would grow powerful enough that Aracne wouldn’t dare belittle her.

‘I need to use my knowledge of the original to survive.’

“Your Highness, it’s the head lady-in-waiting. Did you call?”

“Come in.”

The attendants assigned by the Emperor entered with the head maid. All noble-born ladies, they treated Rose with constant gentleness. The head maid, Countess Verdier, was a stern-looking middle-aged woman. She was in charge of Rose’s education in etiquette and history until her coming-of-age. Through these lessons, Rose could learn details the novel didn’t provide.

“The core of social life is greetings. Be sure not to embarrass yourself by hesitating because you don’t know someone’s name.”

The maid placed a thick book heavily on the table.

“What’s this?”

“A key registry of the Kalon Empire. It contains royals, nobles, major lords, and influential merchants. You’ll need to memorize it.”

“All of it?!”

Rose flipped through the densely packed pages. Each was filled with detailed personal information about powerful figures across the continent.

“Start with those attending the sacred ceremony.”

“I’m supposed to memorize this in a month?”

“This event is in your honor, so you must show your face to everyone. I might not be by your side at all times—please be fully prepared.”

“Got it.”

Rose diligently began memorizing the key names.

“The Pope will personally officiate the ceremony. After the prayer, you will demonstrate your noble power on the altar.”

Although royal powers were officially revealed at the coming-of-age ceremony, word often traveled within the palace beforehand. The fairy’s blessing was too mystical to be completely hidden. But currently, there were no rumors about Rose’s abilities.

“It’s true the Empire’s emblem appears unpredictably. Tradition says to present it at the ceremony, but some reveal it much later.”

The maid’s voice made Rose’s case sound unexceptional.

“According to records, even Basque de Kalon had no blessing.”

“The great emperor?”

Rose was shocked to learn that the Empire’s founding hero had no special abilities.

“Yes. So don’t be discouraged. Having a blessing isn’t what makes someone noble.”

Though Rose planned to reveal 「Regeneration」, the maid, unaware of this, tried to comfort her.

“During Emperor Basque’s time, fairy worship was extreme.”

“Yes. That’s why, after winning the unwinnable war, he implemented the ‘Eugenia Balance.’”

The Kalonites’ obsession with fairies ran deep. The worthiness of the throne was judged by the nobility of one’s fairy blessing. But this didn’t always determine the quality of a ruler.

“The Eugenia Balance was also a safeguard against repeating the disasters of the Revan War.”

“I do like the idea of fairly selecting the most suitable heir.”

The papacy had long viewed Kalon’s worship of fairy power rather than divine power as troublesome. They tried to expand their influence into the Revan region, and when Kalon refused, war broke out—the Revan War.

Back then, Kalon’s king relied solely on the fairy’s blessing and joined the battle, only to be utterly defeated by the Holy Knights and Eastern Alliance. After founding the Empire, Emperor Basque institutionalized the Eugenia Balance, a fair competition for the throne, to prevent such disasters from happening again.

“But Kalon’s obsession with fairies never ended.”

“Didn’t getting crushed that badly teach them a lesson?”

“Kalon’s desire for fairies is inevitable. Craving their blessing and admiring their beauty is only natural—just like in the myth.”

To prevent the noble fairy blood from thinning, the imperial family maintained strict marriage policies. Only royals were allowed to pass on this power. Rose couldn’t quite understand the excessive obsession with the fairy’s blessing.

‘No matter how powerful a gift may be, it doesn’t guarantee a good emperor.’

She clicked her tongue in disapproval.

“Your Highness must be particularly wary of this person.”

The countess pointed to the “Royalty” section. Beneath a portrait was the name Ludwig de Kalon. He had wavy, blood-red hair and a decadent look, with sunken eyes that gave off a menacing vibe.

‘The villain of the original.’

Absent from the recent banquet, this royal was Tanathis’s rival and the one who ultimately drove Arsen to death.

‘He’s even more ominous than I imagined.’

He looked darker and more unsettling than she had pictured. Ludwig, a cousin of Tanathis, was originally expected to inherit the throne. His father had been the crown prince, but he lost the Eugenia Balance to Euclid and never became emperor.

‘And now Tanathis took the succession from him too.’

Ludwig then rallied the nobles to stabilize court politics and was rewarded with the ducal title. Rose feigned ignorance and asked the head maid:

“Why should I be wary of Duke Ludwig?”

“Because of the fairy’s blessing he possesses.”

Countess Verdier dismissed the attendants and spoke calmly once they were alone.

“The duke’s blessing is ‘Curse.’”

“Just hearing that gives me the creeps.”

Ludwig had orchestrated the poisoning of the First Prince. He also attempted numerous times to eliminate Tanathis.

‘But the protagonist always survived.’

“The duke inherited his father’s blessing.”

Fairy blessings had begun to manifest in multiples, and Ludwig’s father was one such case—he had three abilities.

“The former crown prince was known for his cruelty. Many thought he was named heir too early.”

“How cruel was he?”

“He could read people’s minds, control them at will, and even curse them. Both the royal family and citizens feared him.”

Rose listened intently.

“If His Majesty hadn’t won the Eugenia Balance with his clairvoyance, I shudder to imagine what Kalon would’ve become.”

And Ludwig, having inherited such terrifying power, would eventually clash with Tanathis.

‘No wonder he’s the villain.’

To survive between those two, she’d need her own power base. First, she had to showcase 「Regeneration」 at the upcoming ceremony.

“That’s enough history for today. We’re starting something else now.”

“Already? What is it?”

“If greetings are the heart of social life, dancing is its grand finale.”

At the maid’s clap, attendants in ballroom gowns entered in pairs. It felt like a real ball.

“Your Highness, I’ll be your dance partner.”

One of the maids, dressed in a tailcoat, reached out her hand.

“It’ll be two hours a day—nonstop. After seeing you yesterday, your dancing needs serious work.”

The abrupt dance lesson had exposed Rose’s awkward moves. With no excuse, she gave a sheepish smile.

“You can’t end your coming-of-age with a clumsy ball performance. I’ll devote myself to making you shine brighter than anyone.”

The maid’s determined eyes gleamed. Rose broke into a cold sweat.

‘I don’t even need ballroom dancing!’