The Imperial Party
The little bird chirped cutely as it landed on her slender finger. It tilted its head, gazing at its owner. In the bird’s round black eyes, like tiny beans, the image of a beautiful woman was reflected.
Silver hair that looked as if moonlight had been spun into threads, and blue eyes as clear and cold as eternal ice. A modest yet alluring chest that showcased the charm of a mature woman, paired with an elegant curve flowing from a narrow waist to wide hips. The owner of this ice-fairy-like beauty was none other than Scadia, who had been threatened with rape just last night.
“Haa… Why did I do something like that?”
She sighed, recalling the events of the previous night. In her mind, the memories of herself clinging desperately to Luan kept replaying. No matter how intoxicated she had been by the drug, she never imagined she would show him such a side of herself. The shame made it hard to even lift her head. She had no idea how she was supposed to face him from now on. She even considered dropping out of the academy altogether.
For reference, she had decided to take a few days off. The incident had been so shocking that she was told to rest and calm her mind for a while. She had barely managed to stop her father from rushing over after hearing the news. If she hadn’t, she would have been followed by his persistent gaze for quite some time.
While she was lost in thought, there came a knock at the door.
-Miss. May I come in?
It was her maid, Lenny. Checking the time, it seemed she had brought a meal.
“Come in.”
Scadia waved her hand, sending the bird flying away, and gave permission. The door opened and Lenny entered, carrying a tray with porridge.
“Were you getting some fresh air? Lunch is abalone porridge. I put in plenty of abalone, so it should be delicious.”
“I told you there was no need. My body is perfectly fine.”
“Still. You never know.”
Despite Scadia insisting she was fine, Lenny paid no attention and began setting out the porridge. Scadia sat down in her chair and asked,
“Now that I think about it, what happened to the culprit? I didn’t get to hear the rest of the story.”
“Ah, you mean Rubio Hermes? He and the accomplice who provided the drug were both taken to the Church.”
“To the Church?”
She tilted her head. What they had done was indeed a serious crime, but it wasn’t something the Church would normally get involved in. Lenny provided further explanation.
“Yes. That drug… I think it was made by the Dark Cult? Anyway, the Saintess is supposed to visit soon. She said she needs to examine you just in case.”
“…I see.”
“Oh, and I was so flustered by the situation earlier that I forgot to mention this, but Luan asked me to tell you to be careful from now on. He said not to eat or drink anything given by others. Even though the engagement was broken, it seems he still worries about you, Miss.”
Lenny smiled shyly and twisted her body as if she were the one being spoken of. She had no idea that Scadia’s insides were churning with disgust.
‘Disgusting.’
After showing her such a horrible scene when she was young, now he was pretending to be kind. It was truly revolting. All of this was because of that damned drug. If it weren’t for that drug, she wouldn’t have had to receive help from Luan, nor would she have had to feel disgusted with herself for clinging to him in the throes of lust. And above all, she wouldn’t have had to feel these complicated emotions whenever she thought of him.
Even now, the memory was vivid. The warmth of his embrace, the gentle heat that had flowed through the hand resting on her back. It was a comforting, kind warmth completely different from the feverish heat of the drug, and before she knew it, she had let herself relax completely. Forgetting all her worries, she had leaned against his chest and fallen asleep.
Even though she had screamed that she hated him and resented him, deep in her heart, affection for him still remained. As the ice that had gripped her heart since the broken engagement melted away, the fragility of her childhood began to leak out.
‘Stupid girl. Do you need to be betrayed again before you come to your senses?’
Scadia pulled herself together. Suppressing the urge to flip the entire table, she picked up her spoon.
“Thank you, Lenny. I’ll enjoy it.”
“Yes! But there’s some abalone porridge left. Should I send some to Young Master Luan as well? As a thank you—”
Crash!
Scadia overturned the table. The glass plate shattered into pieces, and grains of rice scattered everywhere, dirtying the floor. Lenny let out a scream of shock.
“Kyaaah! Miss, are you alright?”
She quickly pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping Scadia’s clothes. Scadia spoke calmly.
“Oh dear, I made a mistake. Lenny, you said there was porridge left? Bring it here.”
“Ah, yes! Please take a shower first. I’ll clean this up and bring you a new serving.”
“Alright. Thank you.”
Scadia walked past Lenny, who was cleaning the floor, and headed to the bathroom.
‘How dare you try to take it to him.’
It would be far better to throw it away than to share even a single bite with Luan.
*
At the same time, the Saintess, who had been summoned by the Church, headed toward the center of the sanctuary. An old man sat at the head seat. With hair turned pure white and a benevolent smile etched across his face, he was Pope Verchio, the one who led the Church of Light in accordance with Lephentia’s will.
“Come in, my child. It’s good to see you.”
“Yes, Your Holiness! It’s been so long! Have you been well?”
“Hohoho! I’ve been just fine. And how have you been, Iris?”
“I’ve been well too! But why did you call for me?”
They exchanged warm greetings as if they truly shared the same blood, like grandfather and granddaughter, before immediately moving on to the main topic. The Pope’s expression grew serious.
“Do you remember what happened at the party a while ago?”
“Yes! You mean the attempted rape of Lady Maryland, right?”
“Indeed. You’ve probably already heard that the drug used by the perpetrators is connected to the Dark Cult. However, we’ve obtained information that the drug was distributed through the academy.”
“The Dark Cult has infiltrated the academy?”
The fact that the Dark Cult’s reach had extended even inside the academy was an extremely grave matter. It had only been three months since the heart of the sanctuary had been breached, and with the illusionary barrier not yet fully reinforced, it wouldn’t be strange if Levios’s Heart were stolen at any moment.
“That’s right. That’s why we must investigate the academy, and you are the perfect person for the job. It will be dangerous, but I must ask this of you. Can you take on this task?”
The Pope looked at her with guilty eyes. No matter how necessary it was to root out the Dark Cult, he felt uncomfortable sending the still-young Saintess into such danger. To prevent the worst-case scenario, he added,
“Of course, I won’t be sending you alone. I’ll assign Johan to accompany you, so investigate together. Understood?”
Johan was one of the seven paladins who served directly beside the Pope. His power rivaled that of a level 300. If he stayed by the Saintess’s side, the chance of a massacre occurring would be zero. The only problem was that the Dark Cult might detect his movements in advance.
The Saintess shook her head firmly.
“No! There’s no need for that! If Johan moves, the Dark Cult will be on guard. I can do this alone!”
“But will you be alright? There are holy knights stationed at the academy branch, but it would be difficult for them to respond immediately if something happens. Above all, the investigation must be done discreetly.”
“It’s fine! You know how strong I am, don’t you, Your Holiness?”
Perhaps to reassure the Pope, the Saintess flexed her arm to show off her biceps with overflowing confidence. Unfortunately, the sight only increased his anxiety. After pondering for a moment, Pope Verchio made a suggestion.
“Then how about asking for help from someone trustworthy inside the academy?”
“Someone trustworthy?”
“Yes. If it’s someone you trust, they should have no connection to the Dark Cult. Is there such a person?”
“Hmm… There is one person who comes to mind! Alright. I’ll ask for their help.”
A certain man appeared in the Saintess’s mind. A man with black hair and silver eyes, someone who could be kind at times and terrifying at others, utterly unpredictable.
With his transcendent intuition, the Pope read the expression on her face and asked,
“Hohoho! Very well. But… is this person a man, by any chance?”
“Pardon?”
“You’re reaching the age where you should start thinking about marriage. The Church of Light doesn’t prohibit marriage, so it’s about time you took a partner.”
His eyes curved warmly with delight. Seeing his obvious misunderstanding, the Saintess waved her hands frantically.
“N-no! That person already has a lover!”
“Hmm… Is that so? What a shame. Then take this. It’s a group suspected of being infiltrated by the Dark Cult. If you investigate this place, you may be able to catch their tail.”
“Yes! Then I’ll be going now!”
The Saintess quickly snatched the documents the Pope offered and practically flew out of the sanctuary. Watching her retreating figure, the Pope muttered to himself.
“I may get to see my great-grandchild soon.”
The way she had reacted so strongly suggested she wasn’t completely uninterested in the man.
…It was autumn.
*
Late in the afternoon, after classes had ended, Regina arrived at the student council room and found Isis already there, organizing documents.
“Mmm~ Hmm~ Ah! Lady Regina, you’re here?”
Isis had been humming cheerfully and now sent her a bright smile. It was a sight Regina had never seen before.
“…You seem to be in a very good mood?”
“Do I? Actually, I received a gift from Luan yesterday.”
As soon as the topic was brought up, Isis quickly showed off the necklace as if she had been waiting for this moment. The cross necklace sparkled with brilliant silver light.
“This is it. What do you think? It’s pretty, right?”
“…It is.”
“And it’s apparently an artifact. It has a purification ability. Luan gave it to me because he was worried about me. Hehe!”
Even though she had seen it plenty the night before, Isis’s eyes refused to leave the necklace, as if looking at it again filled her with joy. Watching Isis’s face, Regina had to put even more effort into maintaining her expression.
‘As I thought, Isis…’
There was no doubt that she liked Luan as a man. This was the conclusion Regina had reached after watching Luan put the necklace on Isis last night. And after seeing Isis’s behavior today, that conviction had only grown stronger.
Of course, it could all be a misunderstanding. She herself desperately hoped it was. But the way Isis and Luan treated each other clearly went far beyond the boundaries of siblings.
‘That’s impossible.’
Could siblings really attend a party together as partners, dance affectionately, exchange necklaces, and even put them on each other? Regina had never even imagined doing such things with her own brother. Even if she tried to picture it, it felt incredibly awkward and, on some level, downright repulsive.
“You two really have gotten a lot closer.”
“You think so too, Lady Regina? Hehe! I’m glad we talked things out. Thanks to that, all the misunderstandings have been cleared up and everything seems to be back in its proper place.”
On Isis’s face, both satisfaction and a faint bitterness coexisted. She was happy that they could be close again like before, yet there was also a sense that something different from before had been born between them.
Sensing danger, Regina decided to ask about the thing that had been bothering her all along.
“…You’re talking about what happened during the break, right?”
“Huh?”
“You two went back to the family estate together during the break. What exactly happened then? That’s why the misunderstandings were resolved and you became even closer, isn’t it?”
“T-that’s…”
“Tell me. What happened?”
Regina maintained a smile on the surface while subtly pressuring Isis. Under the persistent gaze, Isis eventually gave in.
“I-it was just an accident.”
“An accident? What kind of accident?”
“…There was a hunting competition. Luan and I headed to the snowy mountains together, but we got caught in a blizzard and had to hide in a shelter. That’s when… we talked and cleared up our misunderstandings.”
“That’s all?”
“……Yes.”
It was a lie. Regina reached that conclusion instantly. Otherwise, that expression couldn’t be explained. The flushed skin, the trembling eyes like they were in an earthquake, the tightly pressed lips, and the faint smile at the corners of her mouth. It was unmistakably the face of a girl in love. There was even a hint of excitement.
‘What exactly did those two do in that shelter?’
Her anxiety grew. In her mind, scenes from typical melodramatic survival movies were playing out. A man and woman, unable to use their magic due to all sorts of contrived circumstances, rubbing their naked bodies together under the excuse of maintaining body heat!
Her teeth ground together. Regina desperately suppressed her rage and continued probing Isis.
“Is that really all? Your explanation is too vague. What exactly did you do in there?”
“W-what do you mean? We didn’t do anything. I mean, we just… talked. Anyway, His Highness the Crown Prince will be here soon, so let’s get to work!”
Isis visibly flustered and returned to her seat with awkward movements. Watching her back, Regina let her expression freeze over coldly.
‘Just talked?’
Something that couldn’t be said to others. At this point, even without solid evidence, it seemed safe to be half-certain. Something had to be done.