However, there was no easy way to find the spirit stone lost a hundred years ago.
At the same time, Ethan realized that there was another person looking for the Spirit of Light Stone.
Ethan grabbed Theon, who was staggering as he climbed the stairs.
Theon made eye contact with him and hurriedly threw his hand away.
âLooks like a lot has happened.â
Ethan smiled at Theonâs pale, bloodless face.
He was dying day by day with the power of the spirits, who knew nothing but how to restrain the spirits of darkness from coming out.
Theon leaned against the wall, his face distorted, as standing on his two feet was difficult.
âHow good would it be if you went to Her Majesty and complained that you were sick? Sheâll come running to you at once andâŠâ
Theon growled between his heavy breaths, but he didnât sound threatening at all. His gloved hands were trembling.
Recently, he even wore gloves to hide his dirty and dry hands, but he couldnât hide his trembling.
Ethan looked at him with pitying eyes as if he were looking at a stray cat in the rain.
âYouâre keeping it a secret to Her Majesty⊠I donât understand why youâre doing it for the Princess even though you donât love her.â
Theon didnât answer, but Ethan read something in his silent eyes.
To Theon, Dorothea was love and hate itself.
He took pity on Dorothea, who was devoted to him early on. The discrimination she faces and her abilities are too great compared to that.
In Theonâs eyes, Dorothea was a wild beast that had become violent in a narrow cage. A big beast with the power and talent to become the alpha of the pack.
It was hard to call it love, but he could understand her greed and jealousy.
Moreover, she was meek and vulnerable in his presence. She even looked cute, smiling like a puppy craving affection and trying to get his attention.
So, he thought, if he couldnât free the caged beast, he could at least take care of it with love.
Since she was born with abilities in various fields, he expected that if her angular personality was softened, she would surely play an excellent role as a member of the Imperial Family.
Arranged marriage would be fine, and they might be a good life partner.
But his hopes were dashed when Ethan opened the beastâs cage and let it bite his old friend, Raymondâs throat.
He madly blamed her for killing Raymond. But he also blamed Raymond.
His friend was a fool willing to give up his neck to a hungry beast. He was too soft to hunt wild beasts.
So Theon knew. Itâs not that Dorothea killed Raymond, but that Raymond died for Dorothea.
In this complex despair, he sank into the silence of Friedâs motto.
âPour out your resentment, would solve nothing.â
âIs the work you asked of young lady Julia going well?â
Theon found the envelope in Ethanâs hand and widened his eyes.
A letter he sent to Julia a while ago.
âYou are wasting your time. You are looking everywhere for the Spirit Stone that has already been broken and disappeared a hundred years ago. Young lady Julia is suffering a lot. She seems to be looking for someone from a distant bloodline of Milanaire who can control spiritsâŠâ
âI didnât know you had bad manners, Ethan Bronte.â
Theonâs eyes blazed red as if looking at an enemy.
It was all because of the dozens of letters he exchanged with Julia.
Julia was the only one who knew Theonâs problems and was also an old friend who was willing to do that thing for him.
âTo save you, Her Majesty would destroy the world and find the Spirit Stone, so why donât you tell Her Majesty?â
Ethan gave pretentious advice in a soft voice as if humming.
It was because he knew Theon would never ask Dorothea to do so.
âUbera is already tilting without my help, thanks to you.â
As Ethan said, if Dorothea finds out about his condition, she will try to save the Spirit of Light Stone even if it destroys the Empire.
So Theon couldnât speak. Because the peace and well-being of the Empire were more important than his dying life.
The Empire grew bigger than ever, but as the days went by, the peopleâs resentment grew, and the distrust of Dorothea deepened.
He didnât even want to contribute to Ubera, which was already going through a period of chaos.
If he had to die, he would die with dignity
âYou shouldnât say that, shouldnât you, as the one who benefits most from Her Majestyâs power, be grateful?â
She was buying gold and silver treasures for someone, she was living like crazy to give a present to someone, she does everything to look good to someone.
If it wasnât for Theon, Dorothea wouldnât have come this far and⊠would have looked after him.
At Ethanâs cold gaze, Theon stood up straight.
âEthan Bronte. Youâll only end up in the mud with me.â
He hated Ethan more than Dorothea, who killed Raymond.
A silver fox who used to set free the wild beasts and did everything.
A cowardly and cunning monster that releases wild beasts and escorts them.
In the first place, he Should have separated Ethan from Dorothea.
Far away, Dorothea, returning from her duties, found him and called out his name.
There was a suppressed joy on her face, trying not to show it.
Theonâs heart tightened as she could clearly sense her joy.
Complex emotions were twisted and intertwined into a core.
He turned his back to Dorothea, who was slowly approaching him.
Facing her was impossible for him now.
Therefore, he turned away from Dorotheaâs call and climbed the stairs.
âYour majesty. I have something to tell you.â
Ethan caught Dorothea trying to follow Theon.
Dorothea obediently let Ethan hold her.
She knew, secretly, that following Theon would only hurt her.
Her face showed her broken heart.
âForget him, and lean on me. Thereâs a place for you.â
Ethan stared at her quietly, but Dorotheaâs eyes were only on the stairs where Theon had disappeared.
No matter how much he waited, she never looked after him.
So he opened his mouth to say something that would hurt Dorothea.
âIt seems that Prince Theon has sent another letter to the young lady Julia.â
And, as he expected, Dorothea looked at him with desperate eyes like a deer caught in a trap.
âOnly in this way, do you look at me?â
Ethan thought to himself as he met her piercing eyes.
âItâs been over ten times already.â
A word that is calm and soft but with a sharp knife.
Then Dorothea was cut without a single resistance.
Seeing Dorothea fall apart, Ethan felt anger, guilt, love, and joy.
He knows itâs a twisted love. He also knows that Dorothea, whom he loves, is suffering.
âBut to get her to look at me when all she sees is Theon Fried, I had no choice but to use such a cowardly trick.â
âShall we stop Prince Theonâs letter from the middle?â
âNo, Ethan. You donât have to.â
Dorothea closed her eyes in pain.
Ethan thought as he watched her bury her pain in her chest.
âWhen will your love end?â
he thought, he had already gone too far wrong, but that didnât stop him.
Indeed, Dorothea and Ethan had many similarities.
He made a cowardly choice, even knowing that he would hurt the person he loved.
So Ethan had no choice but to love Dorothea like that.
In the end, Dorothea prevented Julia Delevingne from entering the Lampas.
This was good news for Ethan.
If Julia gets interrupted, Theon will be even more at risk. Would he last a year at most?
And, as expected, Theon visits Dorothea
Theon, always calm, hurriedly opened the door and rushed into Dorotheaâs room.
Dorothea, who had just been nervous, smiled broadly as soon as she saw him.
Ethanâs heart seemed to be crushed at the sight.
âI do so much for you. Why do you cry when you see me and smile when you see him? If you look at me like that just onceâŠâ
âWhat brings you to my room, Theon? Finally, yes, â
Her voice, filled with anticipation, resonated in Ethanâs ears.
Ethan bit his lip and had to hold back his jealousy toward Theon.
âYour Majesty, is it true that you have revoked the title of Delevingne? She is forbidden from entering the Lampas!â
Theon relentlessly trampled on her smile, which Ethan desperately needed.
The smile that Ethan couldnât save even if he give all his fortune, Theon threw it away like trash.
And the words of Dorothea, who dig into his chest again.
âTheon, youâre mine. Youâre mine! But why are you looking at another woman?â
Dorothea looked only at Theon and cried.
âDo you realize that I am behind you? Iâve been by your side the whole time youâve been blinded by Theon.â
Ethan looked like he was being tortured just by standing there.
Because he couldnât be loved by Dorothea, he couldnât comfort Dorothea, who was sad.
But Dorothea, who was blind to Theon, couldnât see Ethan.
Ethan had to stand up like a ghost and quench his suffering.
And Theon pierced Dorothea and Ethanâs chests with daggers.
âI never swore to be yours.â
Every word he spoke was deadly poison to both of them.
In the end, Dorothea, unable to overcome her anger and sadness, hits Theon.
Theon, who became weaker, collapsed without being able to control himself with Dorotheaâs hand.