I opened my eyes.

However, even when I opened my eyes, my eyes were blurry. My whole body was stiff and I couldn't breathe well. It was an appalling familiar sensation.

I remembered. It's like a thousand years ago, when he was restraining my whole body.

Don't tell me...!

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 wasn't the west tower where I was trapped in a thousand years ago. It was a tower, but a completely different one.

But I couldn't be relieved. The whole room was full of light mana. And the mana was forming a strong barrier here.

'What's going on?'

I slowly fumbled through my memory.

That's 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.

"Are you finally out of your mind?"

Looking to the side where the sound came from, Richard was leaning against the door with a suspicious smile.

"What happened to Shulia?"

"Don't worry. I left her untouched there."

I looked him in the eye. He didn't seem to be lying, but my opponent was Richard. I didn't know what to do.

"Where am I?"

"You wouldn't know if I told you."

He walked up to me. I wanted to pierce his heart with the mana of light right away, but I couldn't use magic because of the barrier.

In addition, my hands and feet were also filled with restraints.

"Untie this right now!"

I glared at him. Then Richard Cassil grabbed my chin.

"You always look at me like that. Why? What's the difference between me and Rakshul?"

"You don't know?"

I turned my head. Then Richard's hand fell off because of the movement. But he grabbed me again stronger than before and made me face him straight.

"Is 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! It's just like Rakshul you've been in love with! But why did you choose him, not me? Why?!"

The more Richard spoke, the more annoyed I got.

"Are you still obsessed with such things?"

"What?"

"Your hair color was not even considered in the first place. It doesn't matter whether it's hair color or status. Even if I'm reborn a hundred and a thousand times, and you rise as the Emperor, I will never love you!"

"......"

"I hate you."

Richard stared at me without saying a word. However, he was neither angry nor annoyed.

After a while, he smiled strangely.

"...your words don't change in a thousand years. Is there any chance that you will love me?"

"The only person I love is Blake."

"I, I see..."

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 "boy" was more appropriate.

Blake guessed who he was. The boy was Connin, Richard's black mage.

Connin attacked the church pretending to be Richard, turning everyone's eyes to this side.

"Then...!"

"Ancia is in danger!"

Blake hurried back to the training centre. But it's already late.

Ancia was gone.

"Richard has taken her. My body suddenly moved on its own, and she called me, I wanted to stop, but I couldn't. Then, Richard showed up and put a knife to my neck. Your Highness was trying to save me..."

Shulia kept crying. However, she tried her best to explain the situation even though she was shocked.

Blake got angry and beat himself up.

'I shouldn't have left her alone. I shouldn't have stopped her when she asked me to go with her...'

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 couldn't 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 Phillip's reincarnation.

He learned the magic of light directly from the goddess.

But even if he knew magic, he thought he wouldn't be able to use it because he didn't 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.

Connin's 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, Blake's appearance is noticeable.

However, the words from his lips were not beautiful.

"I want to rip your mouth and break your bones right away, but I'll hold it in. It's a waste of time."

Blake's sword poked Connin's neck.

"Where's Ancia?"

"......"

Connin erased his appreciation for the crown prince's 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.

"Agh!"

A scream broke out of Connin's mouth. However, Blake continued to ask questions without blinking an eye.

"Where is Richard Cassil now?"

"...I cannot betray my master."

"Master huh?"

Blake's mouth smiled cynically.

"Why are you following such a disgusting fellow?"

"Because he's the one who's going to make the world for Roums!"

When the cursing for Richard came out, Connin shouted in a fit of rage.

"A world for the Roum...Is that why you started the outbreak? To give the children in the orphanage a tancinol?"

"......"

Connin shut his mouth. He wasn't keeping silent for Richard. He just had nothing to say.

It was something that was not understood by him as well.

While following Richard's will, questions remained in his head. And the question still hasn't been resolved.

"No one died from tancinol this time. But a lot of Roums got hurt and even lost their lives. You know why, even if I don't tell you, right?"

"......"

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.

"Is this you seek for the world for Roums? Do you want them to feel the same way your family been through?"

As soon as he mentioned his family, the questions that had filled Connin's head disappeared in an instant, rising hatred instead.

"What do you know? Do you know the sorrow of losing a family!"

"So why did you offer loyalty to the man who murdered your family?"

"What? What do you mean...?"

Blake uncuffed Connin and threw the papers to him.

This was an opportunity to escape. No matter how excellent the crown prince's 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 didn't even know the Roums lived there.

Then one day, a villager suddenly died.

It was when everyone was confused because they didn't 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.

"I don't have to tell you who the man is, do you?"

Connin's hands were shaking.

Don't tell me Richard...?

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, it's a lie.

But why does he think so?

He kept remembering Richard's 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 Connin's mind.

He kept denying it, but the truth appeared before him.