107. Confinement
"The match is over! Victory for Moonlight Palace! B-but is Prince Kunter okay? Healer!"
Rauga's panicked voice echoed through the arena. Mages skilled in handling familiars projected the battlefield in real-time onto the crystal orb. A shadow fell over the emperor's face as he watched the mock battle unfold live.
"What happened?"
Ambrosia relayed the report that had arrived via messenger bird to the emperor.
"It seems Prince Kunter used a forbidden spell. It looks like a curse from the shamanic lineage, but..."
"Kunter used something that dangerous?"
"Thanks to Physician Gotberg, the initial response was successful. He's being transported to the Imperial Medical Office now."
"Gotberg is treating Kunter?"
"Due to the aftermath of the mock battle, Gotberg collapsed as well, so Libio has taken over."
"How is his condition?"
"Not good, sire. It's a miracle he's still alive..."
"Hmm."
The emperor pressed his forehead. Libio was anxious. It would have been better if Gotberg had treated Kunter. How had things escalated to this point?
At that moment, for the first time, the emperor felt a twinge of doubt about his choice to pit his children against each other all these years.
"Inform me when visitation is allowed. I'll go see him."
"As you command."
Ambrosia bowed politely.
"What a mess this is after finally winning for once."
Asella grumbled from her bed in the hospital room.
"Eek, i-if you get stressed, Your Highness, your recovery will take longer..."
Chloe trembled as she applied the last of the ointment to Asella's hand. Asella was scary, no doubt. Her mood was understandable. Lately, I'd started feeling like she was less intimidating—maybe even a bit familiar. Was this what they called love born from hate?
"If it weren't for that young master, I wouldn't be this pissed."
I was lying on the bed next to hers, receiving treatment myself. The heavy plate armor had finally gotten to Asella at the end, and she'd collapsed. I'd been forcibly ordered not to work. My stamina was recovering smoothly thanks to the brooch, though.
"It all worked out in the end, didn't it?"
The probability of mana overload had returned to normal too.
"Worked out my ass."
"Come on, think about it—if Kunter had kept rampaging, the princess and knights would have fallen, Moonlight Palace would have lost, and Kunter probably would've died."
"Who knows. And anyway, better me and you get hurt than him dying."
Classic Asella—ruthless. Merciless to enemies, she cut away anything unprofitable without hesitation. She clearly distinguished those who served her interests. Maybe influenced by the current emperor. Given her mindset, was I firmly in the ally category now? It was a little touching that she'd put me in the "don't get hurt" group. In the future timelines, she'd ruthlessly abandon the hero's party if it suited her. I'd been shocked when the teleport gate vanished without a trace.
Though her over-the-top reactions are still a bit much.
With her burns nearly healed and bandages wrapped thickly, Asella glared at me.
"Young master, the moment you're discharged, I'm punishing you for disobeying orders."
"Aigoo, how scary."
"You better not even think about running away."
It was genuine fear. Lately, she'd been trying to keep me cooped up in the palace. She wouldn't hurt my body, but maybe she'd torment my mind. Around evening, Asella and I left the Imperial Medical Office and returned to Moonlight Palace.
"Come here."
As I headed to my room, Asella grabbed my arm with a fierce expression. I was starting to get genuinely scared. Had she prepared an iron maiden for torture inside?
—Bang!
She dragged me all the way to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. No guard knights or attendants inside—just the two of us. A few candles flickered, casting shadows on the dim walls.
"Don't move from there."
Asella shoved me toward one wall, facing her bed perfectly. Wondering what she was planning, I assessed the situation—then clink. Handcuffs snapped onto my left wrist.
"What is this, Your Highness?"
"You keep ignoring me and wandering around. Time to fix that stubborn streak of yours."
Clank, clank. I tugged my arm, but my wrist was firmly fixed. The cuffs were chained solidly to the wall. When the hell had she installed this brutal thing in her room?
"Your Highness, wait. I'm not a dog—you can't just tie me up like this."
"Dogs at least obey commands."
"Max roams Moonlight Palace freely too. This is too much."
"Submit complaints in writing. Oh dear, your hands are bound, so you can't write. Give me the other one too."
"If you cuff that, I'll be stuck flat against the wall and can't move at all."
"Yeah. Exactly as I pictured. Stand there all night reflecting. I'll be watching you the whole time."
"What, from the bed?"
"I have good night vision. Try escaping, and I'll skewer you with ice spears."
Utter madness. I realized I'd let my guard down too much lately. Right—she was the continent's worst villainess. Even if she was on my side and cared for me, who knew where her ideas would lead.
"Not giving me your wrist? Should I stab you now?"
Any more resistance felt risky. I extended my right hand. As Asella grabbed my wrist to cuff it...
"Yah!"
I twisted my wrist free, grabbed the cuff, and snapped it onto her wrist instead.
—Click!
Asella, caught off guard, gaped with one arm restrained.
"Hey!!"
"You need punishment too, Your Highness. Jumping into a deadly blaze right in front of your personal physician."
"I'm a princess, so it's fine. And you'd treat me if I got hurt."
"Even I can't revive the dead. Use this as a chance to reflect—and don't do it again."
"You little..."
Asella, fury boiling over, jabbed my side relentlessly with her free arm.
"Ow, that hurts. Really hurts."
"Good thing it does. Dare to cuff your lord?"
Each swing made the chains rattle. With one arm each bound, we stared at each other like idiots.
"Ugh, this is so annoying..."
Asella shook her bound arm a few times, then tilted her head. Breathing heavily from her outburst, her exhales were hot.
"What's wrong?"
"...It's just, the feeling is... No, nothing!"
She reacted intensely to a simple question, her face flushing oddly. Was she unwell?
'Diagnosis.'
Diagnosis
Symptoms: Arousal ■■: Intermittent ■ Abdominal Pain
Injury Status: Curse ■■ ......
Excited enough to show up on diagnosis—she must be really pissed.
No matter the punishment, stressing a patient this much wasn't right. I stroked her back to calm her.
"Eek!"
Asella shuddered, making a weird noise. What was that? Her reactions were getting harder to predict.
"Calm down."
"Like that's easy..."
Maybe some conversation would help. I bowed slightly to her.
"...What?"
"Haven't thanked you for the brooch yet. It's helped a lot with my recovery. Thank you."
"Yeah, whatever..."
Asella turned away, avoiding my gaze, and fell silent. A quiet pause. With one hand over her heart, steadying her breath, she looked like a drenched cat. Starting to calm down, maybe.
A bit later, I broke the silence.
"Anyway, enough of this silly prank. Let's unlock them."
"Uh... key's by the bed headboard."
"What? Then call an attendant."
"I ordered no one enters till morning."
I winced involuntarily.
"Got a hairpin?"
"Huh? Yeah, why?"
"Lend it for a sec."
Asella handed me the pin from her hair. Moments later—click—I freed my wrist.
"How'd you do that?"
"I've got some skill with my hands."
Learned escaping Demon King army bindings on the fly. Real combat experience pays off.
"You know all sorts of things. Now free me."
"This?"
"Don't play dumb. My wrist hurts."
"Me?"
"Stop messing around."
"Why?"
"Young master!"
Asella glared, drawing a magic circle. No more teasing lest she drill a hole in my head. I obediently freed her. Come to think of it, she could've just shattered it with an ice spear. Still not wanting to sleep together, she shooed me out immediately.
The next day, Tanya handed me a document.
"Report on Priest Libio's movements."
"Something caught?"
"Bruno confirmed contact with a suspicious figure. Got evidence footage too."
"Hid that big frame well. Tell him thanks."
I checked the crystal orb recording. Late night—Libio in a hood heads somewhere. When he returns, he's bundling his clothes tighter. Walking, he sneakily checks an item—a vial containing something.
"That's it."
"Yes. The shamanic curse Prince Kunter used."
"Hugo, analysis of the curse residue?"
"Complete. We can trace whose mana it passed through."
"Good."
This was solid evidence. With things blown this big, an imperial order would come. Reporting up, Libio couldn't refuse a mana match.
"And the curse came from there, huh."
"I was a bit surprised too."
Tanya spoke flatly, no shock in her tone. Libio's curse source was Georg's Earth Palace. With Georg gone, no external nobles visited. But there was one confined witch.
"Camilla."
Camilla, who'd implanted a great witch's soul into Asella along with her talent. If the curse wasn't a byproduct of the talent but the foundation for granting it from the start...
"A black mage from the beginning, not just a regular mage."
I'd thought she dabbled for Asella's creation, but handling advanced curses repeatedly meant deep expertise.
"Hasn't given up her ambitions."
In original history, Libio arrived after Camilla's death—no connection. Confined in the palace, she must've learned of Libio, made contact, and schemed.
"Can't let her touch Asella."
If she wouldn't stay put, we'd expel her. The emperor hated black magic; learning she was a black mage would mean immediate subjugation.
"Let's move now. Arrest Libio and make him kneel before the emperor."
"Physical work is always a pleasure."
Tanya strode ahead with eager resolve.