The quiet library.
The aimless moonlight seeps through the windowpanes.
Beneath the soft light lie scattered corpses and bloodstained bookshelves. Pools of blood are dispersed here and there.
All of this combined to create a bizarre atmosphere.
At the center of it all, a blonde woman sat atop a corpse.
She was Aria von Schpenheim, the Empire’s princess and the one who personally orchestrated this scene.
She seemed detached from the gruesome surroundings. She appeared lost in thought, completely silent.
At the sound of movement beyond the library entrance, Aria turned her head.
Creeeeak.
The creak of an old hinge accompanied the opening door. A man clad in black armor approached with a grinding sound.
Though his appearance was intimidating, Aria’s face remained calm and composed.
The man wore a helmet, but Aria faintly remembered the face beneath it.
Among those who wore black armor, only one walked with such a gait—him.
“It’s been a while, sister.”
“So, it has. It’s been a long time, brother.”
Luke von Schpenheim.
A face she hadn’t seen since the official handling of his death. She might have glimpsed him during grand events like the Hunting Festival, but even then, the helmet probably obscured his identity.
Aria smirked and wiped her blood-soaked hands. Unlike Luke, who wore an expression of complexity, her face was serene.
Aria, using a handkerchief to clean her blood-covered fingers, asked him.
“What brings you here? You didn’t come just to see me, did you?”
“By order of the Emperor.”
“The Emperor, the Emperor…”
She repeated the title a few times before a hollow laugh escaped her lips. Reflecting further, it didn’t suit him at all. Especially not when Luke, who had lost everything to him, was the one addressing him thus.
“By the way, how is our mother?”
“…She is well.”
After a brief silence, the reply came. With that reply, a low voice echoed in her ear.
”Why ask when you already know?”
His thoughts reached her. Knowing his mind beforehand, she had anticipated it. Indeed, very different from the days when, even as a Swordmaster, he was still inexperienced.
Well, it had been almost ten years. A decade was enough time for an innocent boy to mature into a man.
“Is that so? If you say so.”
Saying this carelessly, Aria approached Luke. He scowled slightly beneath his helmet as he noticed her presence.
“Hurry up, we don’t have all day.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
At her indifferent words, he sighed as if giving up, then began walking ahead. Following slowly behind, Aria stepped forward.
Would there be any conversation between half-siblings who had met after such a long time? She tried to think of some topics, but nothing came to mind.
After all, they couldn’t discuss anything family-related due to the mark.
Back in the day, he used to follow her so eagerly. It was sad how they had now become estranged to the point where starting a conversation was difficult. Her heart ached faintly, and she heaved a quiet sigh.
“We’re here.”
Before the Emperor’s study.
It wasn’t far from the royal library, so they hadn’t taken much time to arrive, although dealing with assassin traps along the way took a bit of extra time.
“Hmm, thank you for leading me.”
Sliding past Luke, who had stepped aside, Aria reached for the doorknob.
She abruptly opened the door without knocking, causing Luke to flinch with surprise. Her faint smile widened upon seeing his old-fashioned behavior.
Really, looking at him now, he hadn’t changed much since childhood.
“…Enter.”
Inside the room, rich in golden decorations. Likely, if all the gold in here was sold, it could buy a regular-sized kingdom.
Aria approached the man holding a golden wineglass, lost in her own thoughts.
He was the Emperor of Arias Empire and known by the title of “The Conqueror.” The very man who was biologically her father: Jude von Schpenheim.
“Quite the ruckus, it seems.”
“Yes, whatever.”
The Emperor gazed steadily at Aria. The subtle weight of his presence was almost suffocating, pressing her body with an invisible force.
Their eyes met, his golden gaze locking onto hers.
“Ultimately, they were nothing but trivial toys, were they not?”
“Yes.”
“The toys you said we wouldn’t concern ourselves with, Father?”
“Indeed, that was me.”
Chills ran down her spine.
“Child.”
A gentle voice accompanied by merciless eyes.
Their gazes intertwined, and the overwhelming aura of death began to weigh heavily on Aria. The pressure was so intense she could barely breathe.
“Don’t you think you’ve gone too far with your pranks?”
“H-hah, I don’t really think that.”
She remained unreadable.
It was different from Abel and Adelle’s abilities. While theirs were merely unattainable, the Emperor’s presence was something that nullified her abilities altogether.
“You’re as boastful as ever.”
Whoosh…
A golden magic circle expanded in the air.
Caught off guard, Aria found herself kneeling under the pressure’s weight. Luke, watching this from behind, furrowed his brow.
“……”
“The scene here is quite entertaining…”
The Emperor toyed with his wineglass as he continued.
“There are boundaries, you know.”
Limits.
His ways were always the same.
He allowed everything as long as it stayed within the limits. Crossing them, however, came with a price.
That was the Emperor’s attitude toward the royal puppets.
”Aria von Schpenheim.”
Her heart tightened at his summon. A shuddering pain surged through her, making her gag.
The curse of the royal family, and the leash of the Emperor.
Unlike the imprint on Luke, hers was closer to something innate.
That meant, from the moment of her birth, this body was never entirely her own.
Thump.
When the Emperor snapped his fingers again, the pain disappeared. That was what ‘the leash’ was about.
No matter what she did, she could never escape his grip due to this curse.
“A troublemaker needs a proper punishment, don’t you think?”
“Another finger, perhaps? Last time it was my left ring finger, wasn’t it?”
Giggling, Aria said this, eliciting a smirk from him.
“Not this time.”
The Emperor gestured to Luke, whose expression twisted as he reluctantly approached.
Extending his arm towards Luke, who had come to stand by him, the Emperor spoke.
”Aria, gouge out her left eye.”
“What—”
Before his words were fully spoken, his control over his body was lost. The imprint burned fiercely, overtaking his body.
Through gritted teeth, Luke tried to suppress his body’s involuntary movement. The Emperor silently observed his struggles.
“Tsk…”
With a swish, Luke’s sword was pulled from its scabbard despite his attempts to resist. Despite his trembling, the blade was clearly aimed at Aria.
Seeing this, Aria couldn’t help but laugh.
Instead of passively waiting, Aria approached Luke. Grabbing his right hand tightly, she directed the sword towards her left eye.
Startled by Aria’s sudden movement, Luke exclaimed.
“Sister!”
“Just stab it; it’s fine.”
“But—”
“Do as you’re told.”
With those words, the blade pierced her eye. The sharp pain barely registered; she had long grown accustomed to such torment thanks to the curse.
It was Luke’s face instead that appeared more pained. Watching as his pale face trembled, Aria thought to herself—it was touching how he still cared, even though he had been cast aside by her.
“Are you satisfied now?”
“Hmm, this is quite amusing.”
The Emperor smiled, genuinely entertained. The burning imprint on Luke gradually faded.
Looking on at this, he smirked slightly before raising his hand.
Whoosh…
A golden magic circle appeared over her eye.
The blood trickling down her cheek slowed and stopped, and the pain quickly subsided.
Glancing at her reflection in a nearby cabinet, her left eye seemed perfectly healed, without a trace of a scar.
Yet, her left vision was already shrouded in darkness. Was his promise of “return in a month” referring to her vision?
Aria roughly wiped the blood from her chin.
“Take care next time.”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
With that, Aria turned and slammed the study door behind her. Watching her departure, the Emperor chuckled.
“Teenagers in their rebellious years are truly troublesome.”
“…Indeed.”
Through the helmet, Luke’s lips curled tightly as he glared at the Emperor. Unmindful of this, the Emperor casually sipped from his wineglass.
“Take your leave.”
“Yes.”
The moment those words were spoken, Luke quickly paced out. Watching his retreating back, the Emperor set down his wineglass.
The wineglass still emitted white fumes, indicating it was still warm.
Turning his head, dark skies devoid of stars came into view.
The last starlight he ever saw had long since faded.
The first night sky he ever gazed upon came to his mind.
The dazzling starlight that had once blinded him no longer existed. All that remained was the eroded, inky darkness and his weary self.
“The wheels of fate are beginning to crumble.”
With that, the Emperor closed his eyes, seeking rest.
