Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“…..”

“So what if I’m a shadow? So what if the work I do is dirty? Is everyone walking around with their hands clean happy?”

With a rather nonchalant and business-like expression, Dane stared at the 2nd Prince. But the 2nd Prince’s smile remained bright. He might make a good monarch. However, Dane was not at all interested in whether people treated him kindly or not. No, in his world, there were so little things that took up such a big part of his life that he didn’t care about much else.

“If you really wish to bring me to your side, please answer me this. Can someone who never had the chance to keep their hands clean from the start find happiness?”

Dane asked with an immensely serious expression.

“Everything will be alright.”

He might be staring at Julian at the moment but he was thinking of someone else.

“… You’re asking me something I cannot answer.”

Dane had asked Julian a question he could not answer. Julian, he was getting to know Dane better.

“This isn’t for me to answer. Will you be happy?”

He was someone who had only been given clean splendid paths to walk from the start.

“Why don’t you think I’m happy?”

Julian hesitated before asking.

“Sometimes, I see things that others cannot see. Dane, I might just be an outsider to your life but that’s why I can see.”

The wise prince replied.

“The path you have chosen might bring you more unhappiness.”

Dane flashed a blinding smile.

“Even if no one chooses to follow me and I end up falling into a pit of fire, it was still the choice I made.”

Lowering his head, he smiled widely.

“Which is why I’d like to decline your offer, my prince. My reason remains the same. I’ve decided to be the night for just one person.”

***

Dane’s love was like a shadow.

He cannot exist without her.

He would not appear unless she looked back.

Nevertheless, Dane was satisfied with his life.

“You blockhead. How can you be so foolish? I heard that she doesn’t remember seeing you before, right?”

He knew that Ashley was not of the current emperor’s blood. Which was why he did not hesitate to make the emperor become addicted to his drugs.

He made the emperor desperate for the high. Made him crave only what he could make.

“I don’t know. Brother. I’ve been pondering over it too.”

I wonder if I had been resenting Ashley.

“But?”

“It’s alright because I remember.”

He would not force her to love her. He didn’t even beg for her love.

Even though she had forgotten him, he wanted her to be happy.

“What should we do from now, my prince?”

“We should head to the western borders. There’s a capable general stationed there.”

“A general?”

“Yes. He has been guarding our borders for a long time.”

“… You’re not going to treat your eyes?”

“Well. We’ll be taking care of that too.”

His love was that of the past, something could never be reciprocated.

But he was satisfied.

‘It’s fine. Because I remember.’

As Dane gazed upon the vast lands of the Empire, a smile slowly appeared on Dane’s face.

He couldn’t see but he could feel the Empire getting further.

We might be apart only for a while now but Ahn, our separation would be further.

“If I manage to remember you again, I’ll call your name then. You can call my name then too.”

Even if you never end up calling my name.

Rosé.

Not a day goes by when I don’t wish for your happiness.

1. 1. The Two Princes and the Worst Emperor.

“My body is creaking.”

Rebecca turned her head at the sound of my sigh. She stared at me for a moment before handing me the documents.

“Get used to it.”

“I see that being an adult is not all sunshine and roses.”

“Just be glad that you’ve only recently started growing.”

Rebecca’s words left me gasping for air. Because of my sudden growth spurt, new dresses need to be tailored for me. For now, I had been borrowing from Rebecca’s closet.

‘I know dresses are weapons.’

But Rebecca’s dresses were really heavy. I was once again seeing Rebecca in a new light.

“How did you even manage with dresses like those?”

“There’s nothing you can’t do once you’ve gotten used to them.”

Rebecca smiled softly. She then blankly stared out of the window for a moment. I remember seeing her like that before. Just recently. I ignored her before lowering my gaze to read the documents.

‘This is all I can do for you.’

It had been a week since Dane left.

If anything had changed, I could say things did and if nothing had changed, I could say nothing had too.

One of those changes was me. I had awakened as a templar and undergone major changes in my body.

If I were to talk about the changes in detail, not only did my hair get longer but I also grew taller.

Seeing Auresia, I thought I wouldn’t grow that much taller but I grew to be taller than average.

‘That’s why my whole body aches.’

Strangely, after awakening, I seem to have grown more similar to Auresia.

Rather, I look like the younger version of Auresia I often see in her portraits.

“Princess, I-I mean, you. Princess, you look…”

“What’s the matter?”

I was used to the patrols complimenting me nonstop but it was strange to see them blush at the sight of me. Usually, people would be occupied by my cheek and mock me.

What had not changed was the situation. The situation was as bad as ever.

The Empire was currently divided into two factions–the Crown Prince and the 2nd Prince’s. However, the 2nd Prince’s following, which had been much larger in number, had collapsed onto itself. The consul that formed the centre of the faction had died and the 2nd Prince was imprisoned.

Dissatisfied with the emperor, the righteous had tried to rise to the occasion but failed due to the opponent’s overwhelming force. The situation was grim.

‘Seeing it again, it wouldn’t be right to call them righteous…”

Their coup had succeeded. To the extent that the names of those in power had changed. The 2nd Prince was as gentle as ever but it had been the late consul and empress who had gotten too greedy.

‘Still, the 2nd Prince would be better than the emperor or Castor.’

He wasn’t the worst but he wasn’t good either. Nonetheless, he would be a saint compared to Castor.

‘But that’s all useless now.’

Officially, the emperor only had one possible successor to his throne.

Castor Dje Kaltanias.

The one whose hidden name was ‘The Last Emperor’.

“Princess, focus on your surroundings. What do you feel?”

“I don’t feel anything.”

Meta, who was beside me, was holding in his laughter. I could hear sporadic puffs of his breath.

“Now, open your eyes.”

When I opened my eyes, I found Soricks together with Meta who really was trying to hold his laughter back.

“It’s all about driving the energy in your body and concentrating it into your eyes.”

“Like how you’re hitting Meta, who’s annoying you?”

“…. Not bad.”

I gave a slight smile before looking at Meta.

“Meta, do you feel anything?”

“Do you see our beautiful princess?”

He retorted slyly.

“May I strike his mouth, princess?”

“Calm down, Soricks.”

I wasn’t even sure if I was concentrating all the strength I had.

“It’s alright. Princess, you might find it difficult starting out or even make a few mistakes both because your awakening was so late and because you have that much divinity.”

“Will it take me long?”

“I think it’ll only be hard at first.”

Soricks taught me how to control my divinity. Soricks, who had the ability to recognise divinity, could delicately temper with my divinity. Hence, it made the most sense for him to be my teacher out of the rest of the patrols.

However, it had already been a week and no progress had been made. He comforted me and told me not to worry.

“The key is in the eyes. It’s all about focusing it in your eyes.”

“Eyes… Just as I thought, I still can’t do it.”

I didn’t understand what he taught me today and there was no progress made.

‘It felt like I was focusing.’

Divinity was manifested through the eyes. That was why when templars used their divinity, their eyes would glow. I was told that younger children learn faster but since I just awakened, it would be hard for me.

‘So, I’d need to find my own way around this after all…’

I felt sorry for the kind Soricks but if nothing had happened for a week, it’d only get harder in the future. Focus, I had to focus.

I had used divinity before. During the Founding Festival, I shot a beam of light at some gelatin monsters. That beam of purple light had burst from the diary.

How did it feel back then?