CH 24

Trigger Warning!

Yi-Gyeol, who woke up not long after Sethian was gone, felt tears welling up his eyes before he could even fully come to his senses.

Unintentionally, he made Sethian angry. He seemed to be displeased that his self-esteem was markedly diminished.

‘I would do the same if it was me. Me too, if Seth says that he’s incompetent and useless….’

Thinking about it that way, Yi-Gyeol even thanked Seth for being angry. At least he didn’t think of himself as incompetent.

After lying still and regaining composure, Yi-Gyeol decided to think again calmly. He wondered if he was thinking too badly of himself. He thought it would be better to talk to his father or mother properly.

As he was thinking about it, the door suddenly swung open and his mother came in.

“You’re up.”

She usually brings something to eat, but today she came in empty-handed and took a seat next to him. His mother’s face was particularly hard, and her eyes were fierce, so Yi-Gyeol couldn’t open his mouth.

“Have you heard what happened to Yi-Jin?”

He heard about it, but he was very hurt by Yi-Jin, so just thinking about it made him heartbroken and frustrated. When his mother saw Yi-Gyeol’s face, she realized he had already heard the story and brought up what she had to say.

“We’ll be sure once the report card comes out, but I think she’ll have to retake the exam.”

Yi-Gyeol’s eyes fell, and the corners of his eyes trembled. Guilt rose in his somber eyes.

“He’s sensitive right now, so stay still as if you’re dead. Nothing good will happen if you get on her nerves.”

The words ‘as if you’re dead’ became another wound and stuck on Yi-Gyeol’s heart. Even now, he already looks like he’s dead, how can he be more?

Yi-Gyeol’s hands, which were covered with the blanket, weakly clenched.

“So why do you have to ruin the kid’s exam by doing something you’ve never done before? Do you know how angry your Dad was?”

The sound of blame came out of his mother’s mouth.

“Even though you can’t encourage your sister to do well on her exams, you shouldn’t have interrupted her. You didn’t do that on purpose just because you couldn’t go to college, did you? Or was it because you wanted attention since your mom and dad haven’t been paying attention to you lately?”

“…No. How can I do that.”

His mother’s one-sided remarks brought sorrow to Yi-Gyeol. She’s probably saying that because she’s upset too, but he still thought it was too much. They didn’t even ask how he could keep on smiling for five years. He just deliberately pretended to be okay so as not to cause concern.

He still remembers the words of encouragement Yi-Jin gave when he took the CSAT. The contents of the letter she gave are still vivid to him, so he doesn’t know how she could treat him like an older brother who intentionally ruined the future of his beloved younger sister. And knowing their family’s situation, how can he crave the attention of his mother and father in such a way?

“Everyone is having a hard time because of you. If you can’t be healthy, then please just quietly stay still, Yi-Gyeol-ah.”

Yi-Gyeol’s body twitched. His eyes shook aimlessly, but his mother sighed in disapproval as if she didn’t notice.

“Mom will go to the supermarket, so be patient even if you’re hungry. I have to go before the mart closes.”

“…Yes, please be careful on your way.”

Yi-Gyeol lowered his eyes and deliberately forced a smile on his face. His mother glanced at his smile once and left the room.

Soon there was a faint sound of the door lock being opened.

Yi-Gyeol removed the blanket that was covering his body. He crawled onto the floor with his weak arms, opened the door, and crossed the threshold. Before proceeding further, he checked the front door. There were no shoes that could be seen in front of it. At home, there was only the shoe-less Yi-Gyeol.

He crawled on the floor and headed toward the kitchen. It was already beyond his power, but he somehow managed to crawl and grab the sink with both hands. With his trembling arms, he struggled to lift himself up. Then, his weak legs slipped and he fell painfully to the floor. Still, Yi-Gyeol desperately tried to get up somehow.

Yi-Gyeol, who managed to get up awkwardly, reached out and opened the cupboard. There were several dietary supplements in it, including a sleeping pill container that felt pretty distinct. Whenever he had to go to sleep after only two hours of being awake, someone in the house always brought it with water. Recently, his mother couldn’t sleep well due to stress, so now they’re using it together.

Yi-Gyeol sat down as soon as he closed the cupboard, holding the sleeping pillbox in one hand. He fell several times and it felt like he was going to bruise his hips or a part of his legs, but it didn’t matter.

Yi-Gyeol’s eyes, looking inside the sleeping pillbox, had no focus as if his soul had escaped.

He was originally still thinking about possibilities, but it was as expected.

He was nothing but a burden to his family, just like a poison that makes everyone in his family suffer. As expected, his existence itself was the problem.

‘I should disappear quickly for the sake of my family.’

In fact, they really must’ve wanted to quickly get rid of this kind of burden that only wastes money and rice.

“Come back, Joo Yi-Gyeol. I’ll be waiting for you.”

A small ripple occurred in his out-of-focus eyes when he remembered what Sethian had said.

‘But that’s the last time…. That’s really the last time….’

Yi-Gyeol’s hand, holding the sleeping pillbox, trembled.

‘Going to you and saying goodbye… I really wish I still could…. Right…?’

Yi-Gyeol poured sleeping pills into his hands.

⋆♚⋆♛⋆♚⋆

It had been quite some time since Sethian and his five knights set out for Duke Antoine’s estate. The day was beginning to dim, and it looked like it would soon be covered with darkness.

Sethian, who was riding his horse quickly, recalled the conversation he had with Roa in the tower.

….

“Three days?! That’s impossible!”

Roa jumped up from his seat and shook his head.

“Why? Does it take a long time to prepare the magic?”

When Sethian asked the question with a frown, Roa replied with a troubled face.

“It only takes one day to prepare the magic. But the problem is that this is golden magic.”

“So?”

“What do you mean so? Since it is a golden art, of course, you have to be the emperor…!”

“I looked it up and found that Prince Theodore used golden magic in the past.”

At those words, Roa’s mouth shut tight. Sethian, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up coldly at Roa.

“Doesn’t that mean that the Crown Prince can also use the golden arts?”

“Your Highness, that….”

Roa, who tried to open his mouth, hesitated, and finally sat down with a sigh.

“At that time, Crown Prince Theodore was already appointed as the next emperor. He was the only direct descendant of the emperor, so there were no imperial princes or imperial princesses to compete with. That’s the reason.”

“The important thing is that the ‘Crown Prince’ used golden arts. Depending on the situation, there are cases in which the Crown Prince was regarded as an Emperor and used golden magic. In other words, it means that even the crown prince meets the conditions for the invocation of the golden arts.”

“But…! Phew….”

Roa, who was trying to dissuade him further, repeatedly closed and opened his mouth several times and eventually sighed deeply.

“All right, I concede. You can use golden magic even with just the position of the Crown Prince.”

Roa raised his hands, and admitted bitterly.

“The magic stone in the emperor’s crown is what you need to activate the golden arts. The magic stone also has the role of remembering its owner. Only the remembered master can draw its power. That’s why the use of golden arts is limited to the emperor.”

“That’s also why the Crown Prince has the feasibility for the role.”

Roa nodded passively.

“There is a brooch that’s only given to the crown prince.”

That was also the same thing that entered Sethian’s mind. Thinking about it, the golden jewel that was stuck at the center of the emperor’s crown was the same jewel in the brooch of the crown prince.

It was practically impossible to become an emperor in three days. It was not a petty and minor position to be crowned in such an instant, and the royalties, who had the right to succeed to the throne, also had their eyes wide open for it. No matter how much Sethian has the first legitimacy to inherit the throne, it was absolutely impossible within that short period of time.

But there’s a possibility if you’re the crown prince.

The current emperor did not say that he would not establish a crown prince. It’s just that he didn’t install one.

Even now, the nobles who value legitimacy or those who support Sethian often suggested that he be placed in that position.

As long as the emperor approves, it will only take a day. And Sethian was aiming for that.

“But you should know, Your Highness. You must continue to be the owner of the magic stone to continue the prohibition. It’s the same as either the emperor’s or the crown prince’s.”

Roa slowly insinuated.

“If it worked out well and you used the golden art as the crown prince, you have to become an emperor to maintain it. When the golden magic is lifted, the experiment subject will also disappear.”