However, even when I opened my eyes, my eyes were blurry. My whole body was stiff and I couldnât breathe well. It was an appalling familiar sensation.
I remembered. Itâs like a thousand years ago, when he was restraining my whole body.
Donât tell meâŚ!
Am I still trapped in that tower? Was it all a dream to release Ser, to meet Blake and be happy?
I looked around in surprise.
Fortunately, this wasnât the west tower where I was trapped in a thousand years ago. It was a tower, but a completely different one.
But I couldnât be relieved. The whole room was full of light mana. And the mana was forming a strong barrier here.
âWhatâs going on?â
I slowly fumbled through my memory.
Thatâs right, Richard had invaded the training centre. And he threatened me using Shulia.
I gave up attacking him and soon lost consciousness. Then I was brought here.
âAre you finally out of your mind?â
Looking to the side where the sound came from, Richard was leaning against the door with a suspicious smile.
âWhat happened to Shulia?â
âDonât worry. I left her untouched there.â
I looked him in the eye. He didnât seem to be lying, but my opponent was Richard. I didnât know what to do.
âWhere am I?â
âYou wouldnât know if I told you.â
He walked up to me. I wanted to pierce his heart with the mana of light right away, but I couldnât use magic because of the barrier.
In addition, my hands and feet were also filled with restraints.
âUntie this right now!â
I glared at him. Then Richard Cassil grabbed my chin.
âYou always look at me like that. Why? Whatâs the difference between me and Rakshul?â
âYou donât know?â
I turned my head. Then Richardâs hand fell off because of the movement. But he grabbed me again stronger than before and made me face him straight.
âIs it because of my hair color? Because I have weird silver hair, not black hair like Rakshul? Then why did you choose him again this time? Look! Look at this black hair! Itâs just like Rakshul youâve been in love with! But why did you choose him, not me? Why?!â
The more Richard spoke, the more annoyed I got.
âAre you still obsessed with such things?â
âWhat?â
âYour hair color was not even considered in the first place. It doesnât matter whether itâs hair color or status. Even if Iâm reborn a hundred and a thousand times, and you rise as the Emperor, I will never love you!â
ââŚâŚâ
âI hate you.â
Richard stared at me without saying a word. However, he was neither angry nor annoyed.
After a while, he smiled strangely.
ââŚyour words donât change in a thousand years. Is there any chance that you will love me?â
âThe only person I love is Blake.â
âI, I seeâŚâ
He slowly nodded and turned around. The appearance of him giving up somehow makes me more anxious.
***
Richard Cassil attacked the mana stone storage in the church.
Richard was the man who attacked the warehouse, not only the people from church but also the palace knights who came to catch him.
But as soon as Blake arrived at the church, he realized it was a fake.
The one who attacked the place was a completely different person, putting a spell on his appearance to mistake him for Richard.
Blake overpowered the man at once, and lifted the magic that was on him. Then the real appearance of the man was revealed.
Rather than a man, the word âboyâ was more appropriate.
Blake guessed who he was. The boy was Connin, Richardâs black mage.
Connin attacked the church pretending to be Richard, turning everyoneâs eyes to this side.
âThenâŚ!â
âAncia is in danger!â
Blake hurried back to the training centre. But itâs already late.
Ancia was gone.
âRichard has taken her. My body suddenly moved on its own, and she called me, I wanted to stop, but I couldnât. Then, Richard showed up and put a knife to my neck. Your Highness was trying to save meâŚâ
Shulia kept crying. However, she tried her best to explain the situation even though she was shocked.
Blake got angry and beat himself up.
âI shouldnât have left her alone. I shouldnât have stopped her when she asked me to go with herâŚâ
He regretted every single day for seven years. He swore that she would never let her go after Ancia came back. But he lost her again.
However, it was not the right time to be filled with regrets.
He had to find Ancia right now.
Blake figured out how Richard attacked the training center. The space itself has been twisted through magic. There were traces of mana where Ancia disappeared.
How could Richard, who had no mana of light, use such advanced magic?
The answer came out easily.
Even though Connin couldnât steal anything, the amount of mana stone of light in the church warehouse was inadequate.
The Kensway family embezzled a large amount of mana stone.
Yet, when Howard died and they investigated the Kensway family, no mana stone was found. Richard took the mana stone, which the Kensway family had pocketed.
It was an item that was not confirmed in the first place. The Kensway family was said to have their mouth shut even after learning that the mana stone had disappeared.
Richard is Phillipâs reincarnation.
He learned the magic of light directly from the goddess.
But even if he knew magic, he thought he wouldnât be able to use it because he didnât have mana. However, it was completely wrong.
Richard already owned a huge mana stone.
Ancia was in danger. He has to find her at least one hour earlier.
***
Connin, who was imprisoned, remained tight-lipped.
The thick iron door creaked and Blake came inside.
Conninâs thin lips tightened.
He was determined to never say anything from him. Blake sat on the chair in front of him.
His red eyes clearly faced Connin.
Connin gulped.
It was a beautiful face as if it was not from this world.
Even in situations where his limbs are tied up and he may die, Blakeâs appearance is noticeable.
However, the words from his lips were not beautiful.
âI want to rip your mouth and break your bones right away, but Iâll hold it in. Itâs a waste of time.â
Blakeâs sword poked Conninâs neck.
âWhereâs Ancia?â
ââŚâŚâ
Connin erased his appreciation for the crown princeâs appearance and kept his mouth close.
His life might be ended by the sharp tip of the sword.
He felt like his neck was going to pierce like this.
As soon as Connin closed his eyes, ready for death, the sword was on the floor and dug into his feet instead.
âAgh!â
A scream broke out of Conninâs mouth. However, Blake continued to ask questions without blinking an eye.
âWhere is Richard Cassil now?â
ââŚI cannot betray my master.â
âMaster huh?â
Blakeâs mouth smiled cynically.
âWhy are you following such a disgusting fellow?â
âBecause heâs the one whoâs going to make the world for Roums!â
When the cursing for Richard came out, Connin shouted in a fit of rage.
âA world for the RoumâŚIs that why you started the outbreak? To give the children in the orphanage a tancinol?â
ââŚâŚâ
Connin shut his mouth. He wasnât keeping silent for Richard. He just had nothing to say.
It was something that was not understood by him as well.
While following Richardâs will, questions remained in his head. And the question still hasnât been resolved.
âNo one died from tancinol this time. But a lot of Roums got hurt and even lost their lives. You know why, even if I donât tell you, right?â
ââŚâŚâ
When the Camellia Orphanage and the Roums were identified as the main culprit of the outbreak, there were attacks on the Roums in the capital and elsewhere. People were even attacked just because they were similar in appearance to the Roums.
âIs this you seek for the world for Roums? Do you want them to feel the same way your family been through?â
As soon as he mentioned his family, the questions that had filled Conninâs head disappeared in an instant, rising hatred instead.
âWhat do you know? Do you know the sorrow of losing a family!â
âSo why did you offer loyalty to the man who murdered your family?â
âWhat? What do you meanâŚ?â
Blake uncuffed Connin and threw the papers to him.
This was an opportunity to escape. No matter how excellent the crown princeâs sword and magic skills were, there was a possibility if he was not fighting back, but simply running away.
However, as soon as he saw the writing on the paper, Connin lost his will to run away.
He grabbed the document and quickly started to read the letters.
The document contained testimony from the villagers who attacked them.
They originally didnât even know the Roums lived there.
Then one day, a villager suddenly died.
It was when everyone was confused because they didnât know the reason. A man came to them and said the villager died of tancinol, also encouraging them to hurry up and deal with it because the Roum hiding in the forest spread tancinol.
âI donât have to tell you who the man is, do you?â
Conninâs hands were shaking.
Donât tell me RichardâŚ?
He shook his head in a hurry to erase the thought that came to mind.
This could be a lie from the Crown Prince to induce confession.
Yes, itâs a lie.
But why does he think so?
He kept remembering Richardâs appearance as he ordered him to spread the disease.
Richard just seemed to be having fun even when the Roums were pointed out as the cause of tancinol and were attacked.
Questions arose in Conninâs mind.
He kept denying it, but the truth appeared before him.