“Elder Mualleng. I’d like you to check on the Crown Prince’s condition.”

“Understood. Ahem, ahem.”

Taking advantage of the room’s dazed silence after Kishiar’s performance, the Emperor issued an order to the elder priest dispatched by the Grand Temple. The priest hesitantly rose and walked toward where Kachian had collapsed. He was just now being helped to his feet by several knights.

“To properly assess His Highness’s condition, may we straighten his arms and legs and lay him flat for a moment?”

“Don’t! I said don’t touch me!”

As the knights tried to lay him back down, Kachian twisted violently, resisting with force.

“Ahem... Your Highness, I understand it’s uncomfortable, but to ensure there are no injuries, we must examine—”

“Did you not hear me say don’t touch me?!”

Kachian swung his arm and struck the elder priest’s arm hard enough to make a loud slap. The priest recoiled in astonishment, unable to hide the look of disbelief on his face.

Yuder watched Kachian, whose mind seemed only half intact. He was breathing harshly, lips twitching rapidly, mouthing things like “How dare you...” and “The Grand Temple’s just like the rest of them...”

It was a sight he’d seen many times in his previous life—during Kachian’s most paranoid periods, when he believed everyone had betrayed or deceived him. In that state, he wouldn’t allow anyone to approach. Even if someone had good intentions or unavoidable reasons, Kachian viewed it as nothing short of an assassination attempt.

Back then, Yuder and the Cavalry had endured no end of trouble trying to protect Kachian without laying a hand on him.

‘He probably sees the elder priest as an enemy now, just because he supported the Emperor a moment ago.’

In his past life, no one could stop Kachian no matter how irrational he became. But now, he was simply a man losing everything.

The nobles murmured in shock at Kachian’s violent outburst. Kironne la Diarca looked away as if he hadn’t seen anything, and the elder priest gritted his teeth in silent fury at the insult. Observing all this, the Emperor finally spoke in a quiet voice.

“It seems the Crown Prince does not wish to be examined. Elder Mualleng may withdraw. I entrusted this task to Elder Mualleng, who has served the palace longer than any other of the Twelve Elders, because I trusted in his unwavering devotion. What an unfortunate misunderstanding this is.”

It was a subtle way of salvaging the elder priest’s pride. The elder, who had been clearly annoyed, gave a soft cough and smiled thinly, feigning serenity. Normally, he might’ve maintained a respectful distance due to House Diarca, but now his temper with Kachian had visibly frayed.

“...Forgive me, Your Majesty. Though I could not examine him with divine power, His Highness the Crown Prince appears to be in excellent health. Since he refuses my meager blessing or holy water, I shall withdraw.”

His departure from Kachian’s side was frigid and final. Before Kachian could speak again, the Emperor continued with a dispassionate tone.

“Since the elder says so, we have no need to close the Room of Truth. Though Duke Peleta and Baron Aile may have gone a bit far against an unarmed man, their profound loyalty is the Empire’s fortune—and the wings that shelter the Empress and me. Since the Crown Prince himself claims he needs no healing, we shall leave the matter at that.”

With a single sentence, the Emperor dismissed the incident, denying any room for later punishment of Kishiar and Yuder. The nobles’ faces twisted in various shades of frustration and confusion. Some seemed ready to object but didn’t know how.

What fanned the flames of their frustration was Kishiar’s irreverent response.

“I apologize for the disturbance, Your Majesty. However, should any threat to Your Majesties arise again in the future, do you think I would hesitate to shield you with my bare body? Please understand the depth of this loyalty—higher than the sky, deeper than the sea!”

He said he was apologizing, but the apology was clearly aimed at the Emperor and Empress—not the Crown Prince who had nearly been injured. Not only that, but his tone strongly implied that if Kachian tried anything again, he’d do it again without hesitation.

Some nobles choked on their breath at the blatant disrespect. Meanwhile, the Emperor nodded coolly.

“Of course. Please take your seat, Duke. And do reflect further on the meaning of excess.”

With that, he turned to Yuder, who stood quietly beside Duke Peleta with his head bowed. Many had expected the Emperor to formally scold the young Baron. But instead, he surprised them all.

“Baron. Your abilities are too precious to be used lightly. Your loyalty is admirable, but from now on, be more mindful of time and place.”

His voice was twice as warm as when he spoke to Kishiar.

And describing Yuder’s power as “too precious to be used in a place like this”—

‘He’s basically saying Crown Prince Kachian isn’t even worthy of being on the receiving end of such power.’

Though the words sounded like a reprimand, they were anything but. Yuder looked between the Emperor’s unusually gentle face and Kachian, now trembling in rage in his seat across the room.

“...My apologies. I will take Your Majesty’s words to heart and act with greater discretion moving forward.”

“A fine resolve.”

The Empress smiled warmly in encouragement. As Yuder returned to his seat, Kishiar, who had been pouting slightly, gave him a sly eye-smile.

The feeling of sheer delight and amusement radiated from him like a scent. Only Yuder could perceive it—he was the only one present who could read such a scent, after all.

Once Yuder sat down, the Emperor turned toward Marin, who had remained standing steadily throughout.

“Let us return to the question from before. Since I cannot fathom why the Crown Prince would have done such a thing, I’d like to hear your thoughts on what his motive may have been.”

“This... this is all lies! All of it! Fabricated just to destroy me...!”

Kachian’s voice broke into a strained breath, almost a scream. But the memory of being flung down and the terrifying wall of fire held his body frozen. And the now-icy atmosphere of the audience further restrained him, a shackle he couldn’t escape.

Marin stood tall, her back straight, unaffected by the desperate voice behind her. Then she spoke.

“His Highness the Crown Prince said he did not know someone like me. He claimed he had only stayed in Gwanaman Village briefly for recuperation. But none of that is true. That’s why I believe he tried to eliminate us—to erase evidence of his true origins, and those who remember them.”

“No one would believe the words of some commoner who serves Duke Peleta!”

Kachian screamed.

“In fact, during the investigation, I came to suspect that my younger brother Maiki—who passed away several months ago—may have been the first victim in this affair.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The Empress asked. Marin lifted her chin higher than ever before. Yuder saw the tears glistening on the edges of her eyes—but she did not let ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) them fall. Instead, she raised her voice with unwavering strength.