* * *

“…….”

Despite hearing the whole story, Cadel didn’t share any of his feelings about it; he just stared at Derek, who bowed his head in front of him.

“If you hadn’t stepped up to restore the family name, I’d still be ruling the Empire, shamelessly avoiding the stigma of Jenga. No, in the end, I’m just putting my work in the hands of others, my pathetic self. ……I’m sorry.”

The Emperor of the Empire bowed to a mere Knight Order Commander. It was an unconventional gesture with many implications, but it didn’t hit Cadel as hard.

He didn’t take Derek’s recounting of the past too emotionally. A bitterness that could only have belonged to Cadel Lytos rose up, but he ignored it. He didn’t judge anyone, he just wanted to find the clues to the past that led to the present.

“……Yes. You should be sorry.”

Still, an unpleasant sensation remained. Cadel said coldly, his voice hard.

“If the world knew the truth of that day, the stigma of the Lytos family would be lifted in an instant, but the popularity of the Emperor and the Imperial family would plummet as they had sold their loyalty to the Empire to gain power. ……I didn’t realize that in order to prevent that, I would have to be the hero who would win the war.”

If Cadel Lytos were to become a hero for revolutionizing the world, and if it were known that his tainted past was actually the result of a noble sacrifice. The world would condemn the culprit, the imperial family, but they wouldn’t pay attention for long. They would click their tongues in passing, and then they would be too busy praising the returning hero.

As an Imperial Knight, Cadel Lytos’s honor was a windbreaker for the Emperor. In exchange for a little distrust, he would gain the most power he has ever had.

In the end, once again, the Emperor had chosen the Empire over Jenga.

“Politics is impossible without sacrifice, without concessions, and I understand that. But it doesn’t feel good to be the target of an unwanted sacrifice, Your Majesty, so please continue to apologize.”

“…….”

“If I win, please…… leave my family, which I was unable to protect back then, alone. Just stay away from us and wish us happiness.”

This might not have been the ending Jenga had planned, but the cost of his choice was devastating. His sacrifice led to the deaths of innocent members of his family. All in one fell swoop, with no time for redemption.

Cadel remembered the siblings of House Lytos who had survived, and he hoped that their lives would not be ruined by the choices of others.

Derek nodded heavily and promised. Whether he would keep his word, Cadel doubted, but if his story was true, there were those who would not stand idly by and watch the Lytos family be made a laughingstock of the imperial family once again. So, instead of further entertaining the Emperor, Cadel slipped out of the room with a brief bow.

Down the long corridors of the basement, up the stairs. He felt no sign of Derek. Once he was completely out of the study, Cadel let out the breath he’d been holding. Slamming the door behind him, he blinked frantically.

‘What is this uneasiness and awfulness?’

He swiped at his chest, feeling his heart pounding uncomfortably.

“Don’t worry. Because I will finish well.”

He spoke as if to soothe what must still be stirring within him. After a long time, Yeohwan stopped denying the existence of Cadel Lytos. He would do as Kunra had said.

“Accept the feelings of that soul. Stop discerning what is yours, and live as if it is all yours. Let it be as it is, even if in the end you find yourself losing…… a lot of emotion with it. Let that soul feel with you.”

Even if he lost a lot of emotions in the end, he would no longer wander around denying the existence of Cadel Lytos, which was his own atonement and resolution.

‘……I need to get back to the mountains. It looks like we’re about to be dispatched, so I’d better get them ready.’

So, be it for Cadel Lytos, for himself, or for his beloved subordinates. The war that was just around the corner had to be won.

* * *

Thick, violet-colored hair that flowed smoothly. With dark eyes that slanted down at the corners, thin lips, pale skin, and a slender frame, the woman coughed a few times, pulling the blanket off her shoulders and tucking her long locks behind her ears.

Her eyes were intense, but there was something about her bloodless complexion or the way her skinny body bobbed with each cough that made one feel uneasy.

She sat at her desk and pondered, layers of parchment stacked upon layers of maps of the realm, both human and demon, and intricate spellwork of unknown purpose.

Her concentration was broken by a knock on the door. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she looked up, and a woman opened the door to reveal herself. A woman with a prosthetic leg and a cane held a steaming cup in her other hand.

“……Sellev.”

“Did I interrupt you?”

“A little bit.”

When Sellev looked surprised at the firm answer, the woman gave a small laugh and glanced at the cup.

“Is that what you’re here to give me?”

“Uh-huh. It’s coffee. Drink it and refocus.”

“Okay, thanks.”

As Sellev limped up to her and handed her the cup of coffee, she soon heard a curious murmur.

“It’s almost finished, right? After all, you’re a genius.”

“I could have done it faster if only I was physically fit…….”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Without your abilities, everything is for naught, Princess.”

“Don’t say that. No one is left out. Not me, not you, not our people. We need everyone’s strength, and I don’t want to be told that I’m overdoing things like this.”

Taking a sip of her warm coffee, she slowly scanned Sellev’s body. Her gaze stopped on her right leg, the one with the prosthetic.

“That leg, are you sure you don’t want to heal it? With your regenerative powers, you can.”

“No, I don’t want to heal it.”

“Why?”

“This is proof of my disgrace, Emilia.”

Sellev lifted her cane and tapped her prosthetic leg, her eyes sparkling with renewed killing intent.

“I’ll never forget, and I’ll never mend until I’ve paid back that humiliation twice over.”

She stared at Sellev for a moment, then lifted her cup to her lips in a faint smile.

“You mean…… that multi-attribute magician, right”

“The guy who cut off my ankle? That’s right. But, well, I was so excited back then that I let my guard down. If I see him again, I’ll give him a good stomp.”

“Of course. I trust you. But next time you see that magician, I hope you know his name.”

“Name? Why do you want to know something so useless?”

“Please do me a favor.”

When the woman narrowed her eyes, Sellev, who was pouting as if she was dissatisfied with something, nodded.

“Now it’s time to get back to work.”

“Let’s rest a little longer…….”

Sensing Sellev’s concern, the woman took a few sips from her cup, set it on the desk, and picked up her pen again. A beautiful smile spread across her pristine face, but her next words were tinged with murderous intent.

“The great work is just around the corner, Sellev. Like everyone else, I too am desperate to exterminate humans as soon as possible.”

Meeting the intensity in her eyes, Sellev smiled broadly and nodded.

“I look forward to it, Princess.”

<Transmigrated into a Female-Oriented Card Game> Part 1 Completed