"Don't worry, I won't kill her. I'm not that cold-blooded."

"Wow, I'm so touched."

"Don't be sarcastic and think about your options. Which path would be the best for you to choose? It would be better to become the Empress than to be locked here."

His face gradually got closer so I pushed his chest.

"Get lost."

"I'm looking forward to the day you give up."

He smiled and went away.

I'd rather spend my whole life being locked up than become his Empress.

Knock knock.

I heard a sudden knock on the window.

"Laon."

"Ser!"

It was Ser's voice.

I opened the window hurriedly.

Ser came inside and I noticed a large waistband around her waist.

It seems like she came upstairs using the waistband.

I could still see the black spot on her hand which meant that she was still suffering from the disease.

"Sorry, I came too late. I've been trying to visit you for a while now but I failed every time."

"No, thank you for coming."

"But is your body fine?"

"All I care about is you, Laon."

Ser seemed to be really exhausted.

It looked as if she had been through a lot after I was locked.

"Phillip announced that he would make you the Empress."

"What?"

"He has already set the wedding date. It's a month later."

Phillip said he wouldn't force me. I thought he was being honest since he hadn't done anything for a year.

But that wasn't so.

I spent a year in this room but would it all end like this?

My legs went limp and I collapsed.

"Laon, I'll do as you say. Can you give me my powers back?"

"Of course I will!"

We held each other's hand and I returned the blessing I received from Ser.

Since both parties agreed, the powers went back to Ser without any problem.

Her body became enveloped by white lights,

"I'll save you later."

"Yes, I'll be waiting."

***

My memories of the past continued to flood in.

I thought that this terrible nightmare would come to an end when I returned the powers to Ser.

I never dreamed that this was the beginning of an even bigger tragedy.

The more I walked, the hotter I felt.

Sweat poured down my body like a waterfall and I felt as if I was about to melt.

It was the same then.

Shortly after Ser' departure, the palace went up in flames.

***

A fire broke out in Tenlarn palace.

The fire started on the main palace and quickly spread to other palaces.

A raging fire engulfed the palace as people began to scream and run away.

I knocked on the door, but there was no response.

The knights guarding the gate must have fled in fear.

The fire was spreading quickly so it became hard to breath.

I couldn't see anything because of the black smoke.

I thought that it was not too bad to die here.

I wanted to die and meet Rakshul soon rather than be stuck in the palace or forced to become Phillips' wife.

Right when I was about to give up completely, Phillip came inside.

His expression remained calm even though the palace was being burned down.

I got up instinctively.

"Did you set the fire?"

"It's dangerous, let's go."

Phillip forcefully grabbed my hand.

I must be right. He set the fire.

"Why did you set the fire? How can you do this?!"

The whole place was on fire and people were screaming for help.

But there was no guilt in Phillip's expression.

He looked at me expressionlessly and continued to drag me away.

"Right, Ser!"

"...."

"Where's Ser?"

He then proceeded to carry me instead of saying anything.

"Let me go! Hey! Put me down right now!"

But Phillip continued to walk forward as he carried me in his arms.

The knights followed us silently from behind.

As we walked away, the flames and screams gradually faded away and the air cooled down.

We had arrived at the deepest place in the Tenlarn palace.

"Stay here for a moment."

"Hey! Where's Ser?"

Phillip went out without answering.

***

I was trapped in this room.

But where's Ser?

What about the palace?

Why did Phillip start the fire?

Unlike the place I was in before, this place didn't even have a window.

I couldn't tell how much time had passed or what happened now.

All I could see was a stone plate.

It had all the deaths since the plague started recorded on it, including Rakshul.

-In February 510, the Crown Prince passed away.

I read the sentence over and over again.

I didn't want to see it, but my eyes were fixed on the stone plate.

"Rakshul, Rakshul..."

I missed him, I missed Rakshul.

"Rakshul..."

I was repeatedly saying his name, when suddenly, a light flowed from my hands.

The blessings that Ser gave me had come back again to me.

And there were other things too,

It was the Power of the Goddess. Part of her strength had flowed back to me.

What's going on here?

Did Ser regain her strength?

Did she send me some of her power?

I was wondering what happened when I suddenly heard Ser' voice in my ears.

[Laon! Save me! Save me!]

I got up in a hurry.

There was no time to be lost in thought.

I opened the door using the power she gave me.

The knight's under Phillip's order tried to stop me, but I silenced them all using the power.

I came to a stop after exiting the palace.

The situation was far worse than what I expected.

The Tenlarn palace had turned into a pile of ashes and the air was polluted with poisonous smoke.

At first glance, it seemed like a black magic spell, but after closer inspection, I realized that it was the Power of Light.

The flow of light was different from usual but I could see it clearly because of Ser's power.

This was what Phillip did.

I quickly headed to the palace where Phillip was.

There was no one left to stop me.

Everyone was already dead anyway. I passed by numerous dead bodies as I rushed forward.

It was a terrible sight. As I neared the Emperor's palace, I saw a huge stone plate.

How did the stone tablets remain untouched even in this situation?

After Phillip ascended the throne as the Emperor, he made many statues and stone plates to praise his achievements.

I thought it was just another one of his plaques but the inscription on the stone plate caught my eye.

-Rakshul, the former Crown Prince, announces.

Rakshul?

I stopped on the spot.

-Phillip dared to call himself the Emperor and change the name of Altar Palace according to his will. Thus, on September 1, 687, Rakshul led a coup to destroy Phillip and the people who dared to take over the Roums and destroyed the corrupt Altar Palace.

-O foolish people, obey the Roums. If you disobey them, they will take away everything that they have given you. The land of Khan will darken and be consumed by pain forever.

-Follow the Roums. This is the last chance we give you. Pledge your allegiance to Rakshul, the new Emperor of Zelcan. Don't forget, you are a Zelcan person!

What is this?

On the stone plate, it said that Rakshul set fire to the palace.

This must be Phillip's doing.

There was no way someone had time to create this plate in the middle of this chaos.

It was obvious why he created it.

He was going to blame Rakshul for everything that he had done.

"I told you to stay still, but you're here."

Phillip suddenly appeared behind me.

"Phillip, what's this?! Are you out of your mind? How could you do this?! Are you even a human?"

I poured out my anger on him.

Phillip's eyes flashed furiously.

"Don't talk recklessly. I am the Emperor of this Empire. I won't forgive you if you disrespect me again."

"Yes, you are the Emperor! Then take responsibility for this! Rakshul didn't do anything!"

Phillip smiled at me bitterly as I cried.

"Laontel, as expected, you're smart. I didn't think you'd notice who made this."

"This kind of lie won't work! Rakshul has already passed away! Everyone knows that!"

"Human beings are stupid. They are easily misled by everything."

"I can fake it by saying that the Crown Prince is alive and set fire to the Tenlarn palace to regain his country and throne."

"A massacre? Did you kill all of the people in the capital?"