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It seemed my plea for mercy had worked, because the old man called the priest aside for a private conversation.
What are they talking about?
They’re not… putting a price on me, are they?
I sat on the sofa, pretending to be calm, but secretly watched the two of them closely.
Every now and then, they glanced at me with serious expressions, and whenever the old man looked my way, it felt as if I were some item displayed at the market.
That situation alone is nerve-wracking enough… and now what’s with the duke?
Across from me, the duke sat on the opposite sofa, staring straight at me.
His gaze was so intense and scorching that I couldn’t even think of meeting his eyes.
The table between us might as well not have been there.
It was just like that moment on the battlefield, when we stood face to face with nothing but thin blades between us, our breaths tangled in the air.
What’s he thinking—how many gold coins I’d fetch?
Just then, the priest reached into his coat pocket and spoke.
“This is the sap you requested.”
Sap? What sap?
My eyes naturally followed the small wooden box he pulled out. When he opened the lid, a clear glass bottle appeared, filled with a softly glowing liquid. That must have been the “sap” he was talking about.
“The High Priest made an exception and allowed it, since it’s for Your Grace. But…”
The priest glanced nervously at the duke as he handed the bottle to the old man.
“As you know, this is one of the few remaining vials of World Tree Sap. The temple strictly forbids taking it outside. That’s why I must insist…”
The old man nodded gravely.
“I understand. Nothing about today will leak to the outside.”
The priest smiled, relieved.
“Thank you. Also, please remember—there are only three questions allowed. Beyond that, the power of the World Tree will overwhelm the body, and the drinker will lose consciousness.”
“Three questions, huh…”
The old man looked displeased. But before he could say anything, the duke answered for him—his eyes still fixed on me.
“Three will be enough.”
Wait, what…?
I couldn’t help but be shocked as I listened.
Did he just say World Tree Sap…?
World Tree Sap wasn’t just any sap. The World Tree was an extraordinary, almost mythical tree, and its sap was famous for forcing out the truth.
So that’s their plan—get the truth out of me.
The old man stepped up to me and held out the bottle.
“Drink.”
I glared at him.
“Do you even know what this is?”
Of course, I knew exactly what it was—but I had to pretend ignorance. Not many people were aware of the sap’s properties.
Suspicion would only make things worse for me.
This time, the duke spoke.
“Do you think you have a choice?”
“……”
I turned my eyes to him, meeting his cold, emotionless gaze. Slowly, he tilted his head.
“Well… there’s always the option of dying right now instead of drinking it.”
Ugh, this devil of a man.
Grinding my teeth, I took the bottle and unscrewed the cap.
Pop—a fresh, forest-like aroma escaped.
Fine. I’ll drink it.
He was right; I had no choice.
Tilting my head back, I poured the sap down my throat.
Gulp.
The legendary sap of the World Tree had an amazingly clean, refreshing taste. My thirst vanished instantly. It even felt invigorating.
Smack. I licked my lips, almost disappointed it was over.
Nothing changed immediately, but I knew the sap’s true effect would come when the duke began his questioning.
Just like the last time I drank this… the day I first met Serhin.
Back then, I’d been a child with no memories, abandoned among the ashes of a ruined place.
Serhin, Crown Prince of the Tenasis Empire, happened to pass by after crushing a rebellion and rescued me.
I had no memory—not of my birth, my status, not even my age.
“Nothing at all?” he’d asked.
“Yes,” I had answered.
“Not your name, your age, your family, where you lived—nothing?”
His questioning had been relentless, but it was true—I couldn’t remember anything.
The name Sia was the one Serhin had given me.
“From now on, your name is Sia. You’ll be my shadow and my sword. Stay by my side.”
That’s when my training in swordsmanship began.
But in truth, I had remembered my real name.
I simply chose not to tell him—because revealing it might have brought me harm.
A child alone in the ruins, at a time when the empire was in chaos from rebellion… anyone would have found me suspicious.
Just like now.
If I’d revealed my real name and it had even the slightest link to the rebels, I might have been killed on the spot.
That day, Serhin had made me drink World Tree Sap too.
The World Tree once protected the Cadea Empire, but one day it began to wither for no apparent reason.
In the ensuing chaos, the sap began to circulate on the black market. Serhin must have obtained his vial that way.
Looking back, it was irritating that he’d used it on me to learn the truth—but I suppose he had no other choice.
Yet strangely, the sap hadn’t worked on me back then.
Maybe the sap he got was faulty, or maybe I had some kind of resistance.
Either way, I’d managed to lie to him after drinking it, and he never learned my real name.
Which means…
I stared back at the duke with quiet confidence.
If he brought the same kind of sap, he won’t get the truth from me either.
Then, the duke finally asked his first question.
“Is it true that you’ve lost your memories?”
“……”
I smirked inwardly.
He was probably starting off with something simple for the first question—but this one actually worked in my favor.
If he wanted real answers, he should’ve been more precise.
There were plenty of ways I could interpret this question to my advantage.
Yes, I lost my memories.
“Depending on how you look at it, yes… but also no!”
“……”
“……”
Huh?
Wait—what did I just say?
My answer had come out completely differently from what I’d planned.
Something was off.
This sap… it’s different from Serhin’s.
Or maybe his sap had been faulty.
Either way…
I might be screwed.
Then my mouth moved again, completely against my will.
“The truth is…”
“……”
“I’m a very complicated person, Duke.”
“……”
“That question was poorly phrased from the start. Do you understand, Duke?”
The duke’s eyes turned icy.
Oh…
I had to admit, I was impressed.
I hadn’t revealed anything dangerous, but I was answering truthfully.
Still, why am I talking so much?
Normally, World Tree Sap forces people to answer briefly—usually just “yes” or “no.”
And I’m even being cheeky.
Rambling about useless things, but giving minimal info where it matters.
The duke turned to the priest.
“Did you mix alcohol into it?”
The priest flailed.
“N-no, Your Grace! Absolutely not!”
“……”
I felt humiliated.
Honestly, I was thinking the same thing as the duke.
It looked like I was drunkenly rambling.
Drunk… in front of him, of all people.
I bit my lower lip hard.
From now on, I’ll keep my mouth shut by force if I have to.
The duke’s gaze on me sharpened even further.
I hadn’t revealed my true identity, but my answers had definitely raised suspicion.
After a moment, he ordered the others out.
“Leave us.”
“But, Your Grace…”
“Count. Escort the priest to the offering hall.”
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
The old man threw me a worried glance, but left with the priest.
Now, only the duke and I remained in the study.
The real questioning begins.
From his first question, he must have already deduced that I hadn’t lost all my memories.
The second question will be to confirm that.
I tensed.
After a brief silence, he spoke.
“This is my second question.”
I glared at him, bracing myself.
All right. Bring it, Duke.
“Do you…”
“……”
“…remember me?”
“……”
…What?
I’d expected a decisive blow, but this question caught me off guard.
What’s he playing at?
Had he recognized me?
No—that was impossible. My appearance was completely different now, and we hadn’t spoken enough for him to deduce my identity.
Then what is this question…
Suddenly, it hit me.
Ah… this question isn’t meant for me.
He was asking the original owner of this body.
No way… Duke.
Did he know who this body belonged to? Is that why he’d looked so shocked when I first entered?
I wanted to scream at him right then and there.
But my tightly bitten lips started to move.
No—!
The time to answer had come.
No, no, don’t answer! That question isn’t for me!
But my mouth spoke on its own.
“I remember you. Very well, in fact.”
“……”
Damn it.
“Bloodless, tearless… a merciless butcher. A demon starved for blood. The devil of the century, the madman of the battlefield, cruel and ruthless—”
“Enough. That’s enough.”
He rubbed his temples, trying to stop me. But my mouth kept going.
“And—”
“I said that’s enough.”
“Listen to the end. This part’s important.”
“……”
Ah… this sap is good.
Even when he tried to shut me up, the sap-fueled truth just kept pouring out.
Fine. Go ahead, run wild.
As long as I didn’t blurt out that I was an enemy knight, it was fine.
I gave up resisting.
My lips curled into a sly grin.
“The one person…”
“……”
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
“…I acknowledged.”
“……”
Wow.
I’d never been this impressed in my life.
This was practically a confession.
Can my mouth please just stop now…?
